Holmgardian Empire
"Welcome, weary readers, to the glorious expanse of the Holmgardian Empire, thrice-blessed by Tyr and heartland of all Humanity! Within this runelore is held all the wisdom of the skalds as it pertains to newcomers of our fine realm! Know that these scrolls were sanctioned by the third under-scribe of Emperor Karl Lothar Graelingard himself to enlighten foreigners to our customs and laws, to better acquaint them with our fine culture and prepare them for the magnificent sights contained herein.
First, it is customary to drink with a stout ox-horn held in the left hand, and the horn may not be laid upon a table before an elder has finished drinking.
Second..."
- Imperial brochure,
mass produced in the reign of Karl Graelingard, sold for 5p at a guard post.
"Urogar tarkad!"
(Literally, "the Emperor charges!", but translated as "the Emperor protects!"; used as a greeting, battle cry, and general exclamatory expression by Holmgardians)
Overview: The Holmgardian Empire is a powerful and ancient realm, the largest in eastern Erden. Founded by a coalition of human tribes who forged a strong alliance with the Khazakid dwarves, it grew through the conquest of surrounding elven and human states to become the foremost power of the world, stretching across the continent with the aid of disciplined legions loyal to Tyr and the Emperor. In recent centuries it has shrunk substantially, but averted complete collapse by the heroic efforts of a few powerful figures. Though still far from its heyday, the Empire has seen something of a revival in recent years. Holmgardian culture has always centered around faith in the warlike god Tyr. It is this faith that has proven to be both the country's greatest asset and its greatest weakness. It was faith in Tyr that united the northern tribes under one banner and drove them to defend the world against a Greenskin menace against all odds. But this faith has also led to xenophobia, superstition, and resistance to change that permeate all levels of Holmgardian society. It has also led to great divisions in the Empire between Tyrians and non-believers, humans and non-humans. Despite these challenges, the Holmgardian Empire is arguably the strongest state in the Known World, at least on parchment. Its military is numerically second-to-none, its territories still vast, and its population large.
(Literally, "the Emperor charges!", but translated as "the Emperor protects!"; used as a greeting, battle cry, and general exclamatory expression by Holmgardians)
Overview: The Holmgardian Empire is a powerful and ancient realm, the largest in eastern Erden. Founded by a coalition of human tribes who forged a strong alliance with the Khazakid dwarves, it grew through the conquest of surrounding elven and human states to become the foremost power of the world, stretching across the continent with the aid of disciplined legions loyal to Tyr and the Emperor. In recent centuries it has shrunk substantially, but averted complete collapse by the heroic efforts of a few powerful figures. Though still far from its heyday, the Empire has seen something of a revival in recent years. Holmgardian culture has always centered around faith in the warlike god Tyr. It is this faith that has proven to be both the country's greatest asset and its greatest weakness. It was faith in Tyr that united the northern tribes under one banner and drove them to defend the world against a Greenskin menace against all odds. But this faith has also led to xenophobia, superstition, and resistance to change that permeate all levels of Holmgardian society. It has also led to great divisions in the Empire between Tyrians and non-believers, humans and non-humans. Despite these challenges, the Holmgardian Empire is arguably the strongest state in the Known World, at least on parchment. Its military is numerically second-to-none, its territories still vast, and its population large.
Culture
Holmgardians have a diverse culture with heavy influence from their tribal origins, religion, and the cultures of dwarves and elves. They value directness, honesty, hard work, and tradition, placing their trust in hierarchical power structures and faith. Conversely, they disdain insincerity; to be called "two-faced" is a grave insult, whereas "three-faced" is a compliment (due to the nature of Tyr). Peasants, soldiers, and priests are considered among the most honourable in society, while artists, merchants, and scholars are viewed with distrust. These values are accentuated in the northern regions and subdued in the cosmopolitan south.
Their relationship to the world around them is guided by the majority faith in Tyr. Most Holmgardians believe that Tyr communicates through animal familiars (especially bears, wolves, and ravens) and weather, and often ascribe importance to this. Lightning and storms are considered sacred. Blood is considered to "belong to Tyr"; it is his gift to living creatures and a sacrosanct substance, hence all spilled blood returns to Tyr.
Mannerisms:
Direct and uninterrupted eye contact is considered polite, which can be unsettling to outsiders. Holmgardians salute and greet each other by placing three fingers on their forehead, a gesture that can be misinterpreted as a "face-palm". Holding up two fingers to someone is considered an insult.
Attire:
Generally speaking, Holmgardians favour dark, simple attire, long hair and beard styles, and appreciate the beauty of the natural world. Traditional Holmgardian attire is simple, including furs, wool, and of course, the ubiquitous burlap. Coifs and biggins are popular among the lower classes, with pointed caps being popular among the middle classes. More recently, a dazzling array of chaperones, striped leotards, doublets, and dresses have become fashionable in major cities.
Oral tradition:
Though the Empire uses the Runic script, the majority of the population is illiterate. The work of spreading Tyr's message is thus carried out through Skalds: travelling priest-bards, sometimes themselves illiterate, who pass along the ancient stories of Holmgardian history. The ornaments of the skald are the sacrificial runeknife and the Hurzhelm (a deer-skull headdress), and sometimes a wolf or bear skin cloak and a hammer. Striking an imposing figure, the skald sacrifices animals before pyres of fresh pine, sending spirits to Tyr in thanks.
Holidays:
The Great Blot: An ancient holiday that celebrated the Coming of Tyr and the banishment of the cold from the world. The New Year is officially celebrated on this date. It usually involves several days of festivities that include drinking, feasting, sacrificial animals, wrestling, and other celebrations. On the penultimate day, a sermon is usually held, after which a night of ferocious revelry takes place. The sermon usually includes the following and is said by an ordained Skald of Tyr.
Orcbane: The second most important holiday in the Tyrian calendar, after the Great Blot. Orcbane celebrates the crowning of Holm I and the miraculous destruction of the greenskin hordes that threatened mankind. Grotesque figurines are burned in every community on Orcbane, and games of skill are played.
Shieldsmeet: The official date of the yearly meeting of the Witan, the ruling council of the Empire. It is also a holiday that celebrates the founding of the city of Holmgard by St. Ulric. Soldiers and officials are honoured on this day.
Wolfcall: A holiday celebrating the end of winter, children dress up in animal costumes
Cultural Syncretism:
It is a common misconception that the Holmgardian Empire is founded on some notion of "cultural purity". While racism is certainly common in the Empire, the Holmgardians have also proven themselves a remarkably adaptive people. In fact, folk from Middenheim and southern regions are about as different from the "true" Holmgardians of Drakenheim as they are from the elves. To these cosmopolitan folk, who wear brightly coloured clothes, pray in great temples, and even attend theatres, the traditions of the northerners are quaint, even alien.
History
The Holmgardian people descend from various tribes in the harsh lands of northern Erden and their true origins are lost to the mists of time. What is known is that once, they were fractured and disparate, united only by their faith in the Old Gods - the god of frost and death, Mulnir, the goddess of blood and life, Friga, and their son, the god of beasts and war, Tyr. This all changed with the First Greenskin War.
Seven centuries ago, a massive orcish invasion swept towards Frostfang pass, ravaging human tribes and dwarfholds alike. In response, the tribes of the Obsidian Hills united under the leadership of High King Holm Graelingard. They dedicated themselves to one god only, the war god Tyr, and allied with neighboring dwarves to defend against the onslaught. Notably, the Valmeric High King Arbilan of Veltharion, the most powerful city-state in the region, rejected an offer for an alliance. This decision would have drastic consequences for the future of the Valmer. Nonetheless, the human-dwarf alliance defeated the orc invasion, and in the aftermath of this war, Drakenhelm was built: a great fortress-city carved out of a mountainside.
The newly-united tribes turned their attention to the south under the rule of Holm's brutal son, Ulric. Never forgetting the elves failure to heed the call to arms, he declared a war against all Valmer, beginning his conquest with the state of Ynys Arai. Unprepared for an invasion by 40,000 well armed heavy infantry, the half-elves were quickly swept aside, their fractious city states falling one after the other over a span of mere decades.
And so the Holmgardians conquered the Middenland Valmer and built a new capital among the ruins of Veltharion. This city, Holmgard, quickly grew into a sprawling metropolis far larger than Drakenhelm (and arguably far less pleasant). Ulric gave the tribes of the north one name: Holmgardians, and the Holmgardian Empire was declared in honour of the first High King of all the northern tribes. Ulric, known for his cruelty, ordered a road constructed between Drakenhelm and Holmgard out of the bones of his enemies: the Path of Glory.
The five or so centuries that followed were marked by expansion and a golden age. At the height of the Empire, its borders stretched from Barovia to the realm of the High Elves, and its power was unmatched. Walled cities and monasteries dotted the land, universities were founded, and great cathedrals were built. Technology and engineering was left to the tiny but influential dwarven population in the Empire, leaving the great swathes of humanity to cultivate the land, serve the Empire in battle, and further the advancement of Tyr. Even the wary elves aided the country by educating the brightest human pupils in the art of arcane sorcery.
Unfortunately, this golden age did not last, and a succession of crises led to the decline of the realm. Over the centuries, the groups that made up the country became increasingly intolerant towards one another; this was mainly driven by increasing level of xenophobia among the more fanatic Tyrians. This, along with civil wars and an unknown crisis in the dwarven realms, led the Khazak dwarves to retreat to their holds and a technological decline. Oppressed by a tyrannical Emperor, the Order of Battlemages revolted against the crown only to be destroyed, causing magical learning to nearly vanish. Finally, a devastating civil war in the mid 600s dismembered the Empire, creating two breakaway states from half of its territory.
Military
Though a very powerful force, the Holmgardian military has long struggled with imperial overstretch and lack of recruits, the natural result of a small citizen population ruling over vast foreign lands.
In the 4th century HR, Emperor Haldemar divided the military into two parts to address this. The Imperial legion, consisting mainly of housecarl heavy infantry augmented by non-human auxiliaries, became a purely offensive force, and was responsible for responding to serious threats and conquering lands. He created a new defensive force, the Fyrd, supposedly to garrison territory and buy time for the legion to respond. The petty nobility would raise, pay, and equip the fyrd, thus saving the imperial treasury from ruin. This system has endured for centuries, though the fyrd has assumed a greater and greater role.
The Fyrd:
Peasants with pitchforks, press-ganged poachers, young lads with spear and gambeson; the fyrd is as motley as the Empire itself. Each peasant is obligated to own a spear and wooden shield in theory, though some may only bring a sharpened pitchfork to bear. In times of war, local jarls call their vassals to the fyrd, where they are usually slaughtered by the hundreds.
Not all fyrdsmen are poor warriors. The hardy folk of the North are warriors to a man, and there is little difference between a Drakenhelm fyrdsman and a housecarl. Those in border regions are accustomed to war too, and are often solid soldiers. Nonetheless, the main strength of the fyrd is quantity.
Housecarls:
Holmgardian expansion was driven by a solid core of heavy infantry, armed with sword, roundshield, and javelin, armoured with helm and hauberk. A shieldwall of housecarls is a nearly insurmountable obstacle for an army, given an offensive punch by volleys of javelins. These warriors are drawn from petty nobles, lordly retainers, and travelling mercenaries, attracted by promise of glory and treasure. These ferocious warriors make up the core of the Imperial army, a mailed fist able to outlast and outfight nearly any foe. Countless sagas have been written of famous clashes of the shieldwall, of duels between legends, of foes ground to bloody pulp under the glorious hob-nailed boots of Holmgardian housecarls!
Others:
Many other organizations provide flexibility to the Holmgardian military. Inquisitors, battle-mages, elven auxiliaries, and knightly orders all have a place in the imperial military machine.
Technological Level
Since the glory days, science and technology has declined in the Empire. Still, the realm is home to several important universities which maintain a basic level of advancement throughout the realm.
Holmgardian technology was always the most advanced in the areas of architecture and engineering. Holmgardian architecture initially derived from dwarven work, but developed many innovations. Gothic spires, buttresses, donjons, demibattlements, archways and domes are all hallmarks of High Imperial architecture, some of the most imposing structures in the history of Humanity. The Great Temple in Carovin, Castle Graelingard, the Summer and Winter Palaces, and Tyrengrade citadel in Amon are all excellent examples of High Imperial architecture. Black basalt and crimson stained glass are materials favoured by Holmgardian architects, lending their structures a grim and ominous aspect designed to strike awe into visitors. Similarly, Holmgardian engineers built bridges that stood the test of time in Holmgard, Carovin, Aldberg, and elsewhere. Holmgardian sculpture also achieved great heights, with life-like depictions of Tyr and ancient heroes adorning many temples.
Holmgardian metallurgy dramatically declined during the 7th century, mainly due to the ill-advised Lex Schmitkrund (The Blacksmith Laws), a law aimed at preventing humans from occupying academic/engineering vocations in favour of religious/military careers. The resulting de facto racial caste system left the Empire dependent on a small population of dwarves for engineering and metallurgic expertise, which had catastrophic consequences when this population abandoned the realm.
Religion
Tyr :
Faith is a central part of life in the Empire, giving purpose and structure to the lives of the commoners. Most of the human population, especially in the North, believes in Tyr, a war-like god who acts through lightning and animal spirits and rules over a raucous afterlife known as the Overhall . This faith has been intertwined with Imperial society such that the Emperor is considered to be the living representative of Tyr.
Holmgardians believe that Tyr is all around them, communicating through animal spirits and watching over his followers. Those who live with honour and work hard to benefit humanity are rewarded with a place in the Overhall - a heavenly abode of feasting and joy. To honour Tyr, sacrifice is expected. In ancient times, this would be human sacrifice, but Holmgardian civilization has progressed, so now only pigs, goats, and oxen are put to the runeknife.
The greatest Tyrian festival is the Great Blot - a week long binge of sacrifice, feasting, and liver-shattering alcohol consumption. The Great Blot celebrates the coming of Tyr to the world and the sacrifice of the thousands of shamans that summoned him.
Other faiths:
Most of the non-human population, like most of the Empire's neighbors, believe in Kelemvor and/or Lathandar, who represent death and rebirth, respectively. Unfortunately, these conflicting beliefs have led to xenophobia among Tyr worshippers and a long history of pogroms and religious conflict.
In addition to these three gods, a plethora of minor deities are worshipped throughout the realm, though none are officially sanctioned. Dwarven ancestor gods are not uncommon in the North, Mystra, the god of arcane lore, is worshipped openly in Amon, and numerous other gods too obscure to mention are worshipped all throughout the land.
1. Chroniclers are still unsure how to record the new state of the realm. Most people simply refer to it as the "Holmgardian Empire", but many scholars now record the "Empire of Cardalon" to emphasize the break in continuity.
UROGAR TARKAD!
The Runewards:
Among the contributions of Holmgard to humanity, few are magical in nature. Yet one magical device stands out as a particularly Holmgardian solution to a magical problem: the Runeward.
Centuries ago, enemies of the realm used teleportation magic to attack high ranking officials in the Empire and wreak havoc. With the aid of dwarven runesmiths, Holmgardian battlemages engraved defensive runes of great power on obsidian monoliths throughout the land. These runes bore wards interfering with all teleportation magic, and were strategically hidden in various cities, temples, and castles. Only those who attuned to an amulet carved from the same stone as the monolith, and with knowledge of the secret runeword could bypass the defensive spell. To this day, hundreds of Runewards are scattered across the land, with most mages knowing the location of only a handful. The vast majority of them are kept secret to most, making teleportation anywhere in the Empire extremely hazardous.
Those who attempt to teleport anyways in the region of a Runeward are subject to a deadly and chaotic fate. The runewards are designed to randomly interfere with the navigation of a teleportation spell, so anyone who teleports in the vicinity of a Runeward will be spat out a random distance from it - in both vertical and horizontal directions. The hapless wizard is thus unlikely to survive, though there have been exceptions.
The net effect of the Runeward system has been to effectively eliminate teleportation across the Empire aside from extremely remote areas. Even those powerful enough to know the locations of Runewards with a great deal of certainty will only attempt teleportation in the most desperate of circumstances.
Organization:
The structure of the Empire is confusing to even those in the highest positions of power. Numerous margraves, counts, dukes, and even a few kings and queens are direct vassals of the Emperor.
The largest territorial subdivisions of the Empire are the Elektorreiken (literally, elector-realms). Commonly referred to as "provinces", the Electors of the Empire theoretically choose the next Emperor, although in practice, they are a figurative body - the Empire's succession is hereditary in all but the most dire circumstances. There are 11 provinces in the Empire, each ruled by an Elector - who can be a Prince, Duke, Margrave, King, or any number of other titles. The northern provinces, Old Holmgardian in character, are Drakenheim, Lupenheim, Westmark, and Thyssenmark. To the south are the cosmopolitan provinces of Tesenheim, Argyroth, Tserad, Barrowmark, and Lorheim, while in the heart of the Empire lies the aptly named imperial province of Middenheim. Lastly, Grinstead, technically an elector-province spanning the entire Greatwood, is all but defunct, subordinate to the lords of Middenheim, Barrowmark, and Westmark.
Below the provinces are the Witankirken, commonly known as "Circles" which are territorially disparate collections of loosely allied nobles, all sworn to fealty under a particularly strong lord. The domains of Imperial Circles are always in flux, are rarely continuous, and are subject to innumerable petty squabbles. This system is especially evident in Middenheim and Tesenheim, but is essentially non-existent anywhere else in the Empire. The leader of an Imperial Circle is granted the title "Burgrave". The main importance of Imperial Circles is that their Burgrave is granted the privilege/obligation of attending the Witan in Holmgard - the formal advisory council of the Emperor. All in all, the number of Imperial Circles hovers around 100.
The smallest territorial unit in the Empire is the Aldersciren, commonly known as a "Shire". Each shire typically consists of no more than a single village, ruled by an Elder. An Elder tends to be a local wiseman, housecarl or skald chosen to serve an administrative role due to excellent service. These folk are the centers of their community, fonts of wisdom relied upon to make sure taxes are paid and justice is served.
Founding Date
0 HR
Type
Geopolitical, Empire
Capital
Alternative Names
the New Empire, Empire of Man, Empire of Cardalon
Demonym
Holmgardian
Leader Title
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Monarchy, Elective
Power Structure
Confederation
Economic System
Traditional
Currency
Geltmarken:
Pfennig (copper) = 10 to 1 Shilling
Shilling (silver) = 10 to 1 Geltmark
Geltmark (gold)
Major Exports
Burlap cloth, lumber, wool, grain, iron, coal, furs, mead, amber, orcbone carvings, demigryphs, some wine and olive oil (from Tesenheim)
Major Imports
Wine, spices, olive oil, horses, incense, silk, marble, mithril, gemstones, magical artifacts
Legislative Body
Witan - the laws of the Empire are drawn up by a conclave of noble Electors who confirm the Imperial succession. These Electors consist of various Dukes, Margraves, Warchiefs, and client Kings who are called once per year to the capital to decide important matters of state.
Official State Religion
Official Languages
Related Ethnicities
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