Tribes of the Frotshalda
The tribes of the Frosthalda are not native to this land. Almost every denizen of this chill and merciless landscape is descended from the survivors of a lost empire to the south. It is a testament to the hardiness of the Nezviedan's and their descendants that they not only survived in the Frosthalda, but after a few generations had begun to thrive. Across the moors, fjords and mountain slopes, the tribes roamed, some founding sturdy settlements of timber and earthworks, while others continued their nomadic wanderings.
The tragedy of the tribes is that despite their common origins and shared hardships, the old bonds of unity that had once bound them did not survive long in the Frosthalda. Survival is a battle in the Frosthalda, and it did not take long for raids and skirmishes over livestock and hunting grounds to escalate into an incessant cycle of conflict. The exact number of tribes that exist in the Frosthalda is unknown, scattered and disparate as they are, though four major groups have come to exert extraordinary influence over the harsh northlands; the Jormungrodi and Erengorni Confederacies, the Forberi tribe and the Pyrachoskoppi Herd. The tribes are enormously varied in their faiths, practices and cultural proclivities, but all of them share a fierce warrior culture centered around personal heroism and strength.
Jormungrod
The Jormungrodi Confederacy rose when the Jormunn tribe settled in a sheltered cove, amidst the ruined foundations of a truly ancient city on the northern coast of the Hrodn Sea. Their prowess as warriors and sailors led their longships to become feared sightings on the horizon, and their raiding parties always returned with holds swollen with gold, metalwork and trade goods. Their power and influence grew and spread, absorbing other neighboring tribes until their culture came to dominate the southern reaches of the Frosthalda. Following a drastic cultural shift thanks to the preachings of warrior-turned-spiritual leader, Guthrum the Rune Sage, Jormungrod has seen many of its people and leaders look to forging a more peaceful, diplomatic relationship with the world beyond their shores. Since then, Jormungrodi culture has focused more and more on craft, trade and spiritual pursuits. Numerous warrior lodges have become quasi-religious centres devoted to Guthrums teachings and the art of runecraft. To the southern kingdoms, Jormungrod is fast becoming the new face of the Frosthalda, it's ships now bringing the promise of trade and its warriors offering their services as mercenaries as far south as Julaenia and the Bophisian Sea. Jormungrodii culture is notable for their skill at metalwork and smithing. Even dwarves in Gungarad and Blodhalle have been known to give curt nods of approval when examining Jormungrodi wares. The unique native styles of the Jormungrodii is a fusion of innovative new designs combined with classical Nezviedan artwork. Such a blend of old and new has made Jormungrodii works incredibly popular among the wealthy and elite of the south. Even the palace of the Baellatorex of Julaenia is decorated with several suits of rune-inscribed Jormungrodi armour.Erengorn
Rivaling Jormungrod in power, though in a far more brutal way, the Erengorni Confederacy still leans heavily towards martial might and power as a means of domination. All across the eastern region of the Frosthalda, the tribes are united by the power of Erengorn, a foreboding marvel of a city located perilously close to the cursed wastes of the Shattered Plateau. Many of the practices commonplace in Erengorni culture are viewed with disgust and fear by the southern nations, such as the cultivation of warrior-slaves and gladiators, blood sacrifices and some have even posited demon-worship. Caring not for the aversion outsiders have for them, those tribes of the Erengorni Confederacy can claim to be among the most deadly and ferocious warrior-cultures in the world. Erengorni children learn to fight as soon as they can hold a blade, and Erengorni culture teaches that the weak must bow before the strong, and the strong may do as they please until another rises to challenge them. Such a brutal-yet-effective lifestyle has seen the Erengorni tribes rise to be one of the dominant groups of the Frosthalda, though they exist in a state of near constant warfare with the neighboring Jormungrodi.
Perhaps it is the Erengorni's close proximity to the Shattered Plateau, but the Erengorni tribe count among their number a great number of powerful arcane practitioners. The number of sorcerers, druids and bards is disproportionately greater among the eastern tribes than elsewhere. The Erengorni also have a much more permissive attitude towards those who strike bargains with eldritch entities. While some may scoff at those who willingly enter into indentured servitude to another being, power is still power in the Frosthalda. If such a bargain allows an individual to rise to prominence, then who would dare to argue?
Forberi Union
The Forberi tribe are a unique and inspiring aberration among the Frosthaldan tribes, for they alone among their kin have been able to overcome their ancestral hatred of elves. As Erengorn and Jormungrod's domination spread in the south, the Forberi turned northwards in order to maintain their independence. Pushing northwest along the edge of the Sifnir Mountains, the Forberi stumbled across Nurngard, a long-ruined city built both above and below ground that had long been home to a lost civilization of drow elves who had colonised it over a millennia ago.
At the time, the Forberi made no distinction between these long-isolated elves and the Ithorylion elves that had devastated their ancestral homeland and turned them into refugees. Over the following decade, warfare was common place between the two, each side conducting raids and assaults against the other. Eventually the fighting was brought to a close when a Forberi and a Nurngardian fell in love and began advocating for peace. The effort took years to come to fruition, but eventually the Forberi were able to see their mistake and admit their wrongdoing. The two factions forged an alliance that grew stronger over the decades, becoming a symbiotic union of cultures that persists to this day.
The Forberi Union displays a unique fusion of elvish and goblinoid culture, fashion and craft. The nomadic Forberi provide the Nurngardians with furs, hides, lumber and wild plants, while the elves of Nurngard provide the Forberi with rich ores and minerals deep beneath the earth. Intermingling of the races is commonplace, and among the Forberi one can find half-blood people of mixed goblinoid, elven and human heritage.
Pyrachoskoppi Herd
Once native to the Massarlor Dales far to the south, the proud, powerful and xenophobic centaurs of the Pyrachoskoppi herd abandoned their ancestral roving grounds for pastures new. Making their way north through Rilga, they eventually emerged in the Frosthalda, only to find more outsiders to Kordania already occupying the chill northlands. Upon these "intruders", the Pyrachoskoppi would vent their anger. Ever since the herd arrived in the Frosthalda the tribes have come to fear the thunder of their warherds for the centaurs firmly believe that this land is theirs and theirs alone. Only the rise of the Erengorni Confederacy saw the Pyrachoskoppi driven off. Now the centaurs rove the vast moorlands south of the Ragnwald and permit no other tribe to venture there. They launch raids and assaults against their southern neighbours, taking spoils of war and leaving the bodies of their foes broken in the mud. It could be argued that the Pyrachoskoppi have found their true calling in the Frosthalda. They have always been bellicose and aggressive, and now they have foes aplenty and no one to answer to but themselves.Goals
While the cultures and beliefs of the tribes have diverged and diversified, the central goal of each tribe is the same; survival. Each tribe goes about this their own way, but every individual within the Frosthalda firmly believes that strength and skill at arms are paramount to their peoples continued existence. A thousand years of struggle and sacrifice flows in the veins of every Frosthaldan, and it is through their determination that they will endure a thousand more.Relationships
At any given moment in time, it would not be unreasonable to assume that war is being waged between two or more tribes. These conflicts range from isolated raids between hunting parties and scouts to protracted campaigns and guerrilla wars. Resources are scarce in the Frosthalda, the earth hard and yielding meager crops in the best of weather. This fosters fierce competition between the tribes which all too often leads to bloodshed. What is surprising is how little effort the Frosthaldans make to change this state of affairs. To the people of the southern kingdoms, from Rilga to Blodhalle, the tribes are viewed as pillagers and vandals, and the sight of their longships on the horizon is enough to send alarm bells ringing for miles. In recent times, the Jormungrodi have attempted to strike up trade agreements with their southern neighbours, or else hire themselves out as mercenary sailors and soldiers. While many southern folk do not yet distinguish much between the differing tribes and their individual cultures, slowly the name of Jormungrod is coming to mean something other than hairy hostile raiders.Figures of Interest
Ursrigh Kraigar Snorisson Male hobgoblin Leader of the Jormungrodi Confederacy Forsvarde Magni Askegh Male Half-orc Chief of one of Erengar, the dominant tribe of the Erengorni Confederacy Sveinn Hekkon & Idalia Kirullna Male half-hobgoblin & female drow elf. The heads of the Forberi Union, representing their two peoples above and below ground. A married couple. Nevena Klajot Female centaur Chief of the Pyrachoskoppi HerdSymbol
A double-bladed axe engraved in stylised Nezviedan script, reading "Through Ending of Worlds Prevailed"
Type
Geopolitical, Tribe
Neighboring Nations
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