Northlander
The Northlanders, or sometimes Northmen, were a seafaring Illuskan people who inhabited the island realms of the Sea of Swords and the Trackless Sea, including Gundarlun, the Purple Rocks, Ruathym, Tuern, the Whalebones, and northern parts of the Moonshae Isles, notably the realms of Gnarhelm, Norheim, Norland, and Oman, as well as the Korinn Archipelago.
Culture
Culture and cultural heritage
Northmen most valued the qualities of courage, cunning, fierceness, strength, and skill in sailing,13 and took great pride in their own personal accomplishments in these domains.14 They were not interested in the subtle beauty of nature, in contrast to the Ffolk with whom they battled over the Moonshaes, and were more comfortable out at sea.1 A Northlander who spent too long away from the coast was said to become agitated.15 Their proficiency in both fighting and sailing meant that they frequently embarked on raiding or pirating, often posing a threat to those who might visit their island realms.4 They tended to distrust outsiders, merchants, or anyone else they suspected of trying to manipulate them, but once a new friend gained their trust, a Northlander's loyalty was nigh unshakable.14
From the time they were children, Northlanders were trained for combat, with even their games being used for this purpose.16 Skill with the axe was mandatory for any Northlander warrior, and training with missile weapons was frowned on.17
Northlander warriors did not believe in "peace", and instead saw it as only a lull between the endless and inevitable battles of life. Such battles were not to be feared but sought out as a test of one's strength.14 A true Northlander lived for conquest and plunder18 and was nearly fearless in battle, prone to launch into a berserker rage that made them a terror for those they faced. Even in casual conversation, they were prone to use battle terminology and imagery.
Warriors were revered in Northlander culture,14 and their ferocious fighting spirits and triumphant war cries made them feared all along the Sword Coast.1819 Many young warriors were pushed to seek life as adventurers in order to prove their mettle.14 It was seen as more honorable to live as a raider than as a farmer, and so most Northlander realms produced only the bare minimum of food to feed themselves, and sought to acquire more through pillaging other lands.20 Those who did not make their livings through sailing or raiding tended to be fishers, farmers, or miners,9 and even they were molded by their upbringing to be as tough and skilled as any sailor from other cultures.21 Warrior-poets known as skalds served as the keepers of Northlander histories and legends, and would sing songs of battle to rally the warriors.22
Leaders among the Northlanders were little more than warlords, although they often styled themselves as "kings". Leadership was hard-won, generally through a combination of strength and cunning.20 While no king technically ruled over any other, it was always true that those who could muster larger fleets held more power in their royal councils.23
Northlander culture was fiercely independent and resistant to outside change,24 but they were also curious if not welcoming of visitors from far off lands.2526 They were said to be largely male-dominated, with women typically not allowed to participate in raiding or fishing and instead expected to maintain the homes, farms, and forges of Northlander settlements.4
It was rare for Northlanders to be literate, even among their rulers.
Northlanders regarded the sea as their highway to the world. They prized their longships more than any other possession and, it was said, even more than their families. A true Northman derived an almost sensual pleasure from sailing a longship,28 and every Northlander was expected to be highly proficient at navigating the sea with these vessels.21 Sailors would beach their longships by pulling them ashore, a fact which allowed them to settle or raid any coastal location on the coast where they could find shelter regardless of the availability of a harbor. Any community of notable size was easily recognized by the line of longships along the shore, often accompanied by smaller boats used for fishing.
Shamans typically held a lower status in Northmen society than warriors,2 with magic and spellcasting being considered taboo save for divine magic bestowed by the gods.22 Arcane magic was regarded with suspicion if not outrighted hatred, and natural-born sorcerers were often killed or exiled.1229 Among those who did pursue any kind of training as a wizard, their upbringing meant that they still tended to favor strength and weapons over their spells: a Northlander wizard challenged to a mageduel was as likely to propose a wrestling match instead.15 Spell scrolls were unheard of within Northlander culture.17
Northlanders' aversion to magic was so great that it rendered them particularly vulnerable to magical effects compared to other human cultures.6 They were also superstitious and fearful of fey.
They revered the violence and savagery of the sea,24 and it was said that some of their fearsome reavers drew primal power from the sea and its storms.19 In the 14th century DR, Northmen primarily worshiped the deities Auril, Tempus, Umberlee, and Valkur. The worship of these gods was often little more than cursory for the Northmen and dependent upon whether or not they were residing in the god's sphere of influence.2 The Northmen faith expanded in the 15th century, introducing the deity Talos to their pantheon and giving Valkur much more prominence. The latter became viewed as the most important among the gods, embodying the qualities the Northmen valued most in life.13 Missionaries of other gods were often met with violence.23
Those who lived in Gundarlun were typically more religious than the average Northmen, while by contrast those of Tuern typically paid no reverence to their gods and would even go so far as to claim that none existed. Northmen who lived on the Purple Rocks were known to portray these deities as having many tentacled arms.30
Being the bringer of winter, Auril held a prominent place in the lives of Northmen and was often gifted offerings of food or drink around autumn or winter, set out to drift in the sea upon a raft. In times of dire need the Northmen would instead sacrifice a human prisoner or slave.30
The Northlanders' worshiped Tempus in a specifically stormy aspect that preached the need for plunder,23 and he was particularly venerated by warriors and berserkers. He was considered the patron of berserkers and their protector during times of frenzy, and both groups would pay reverence to him before battles and sacrifice prisoners taken in battle.30 Berserkers who were particularly bloodthirsty were occasionally known to worship Malar.
Being a seafaring people, the Northmen held both great respect and great fear for the goddess Umberlee. They believed she was the cause of shipwrecks and drownings, as well as the mistress of sharks. It was customary to make a sacrifice to her before setting off for a journey, with larger sacrifices being given depending upon the expected length of the journey. And much like their other gods, this would sometimes entail the sacrifice of a human.30
Northlanders held great respect for their clan ancestors, and believed that their ancestors' spirits called them to seek glory in battle.19 Among the Northmen of Petathal and the Korinn Archipelago was a belief that one day the gods would decree that it was time for the dead to awaken. As a result, it was a practice to bury their noble dead alongside presents, treasures, weapons, boats, and even servants so that they would have their favorite things when it was time for them to arise.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
Men wore their hair and beards long, and would braid both in preparation for battle. They were said to often have tattoos on their faces which represented their specific island homes. They frequently dressed in metal armors, horned helmets, and heavy fur cloaks.
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