Northrealm
"I love the Northrealm! If the barbarians don't kill you, the food will. I kid, they're a lovely people. Reminds me of the stories of old, noble landlords overseeing and protecting the poor scags living on it, of noble carls wearing bear shirts in the Valley of the Shields! Exciting stuff. It's almost play acting, the way they do it, but it's exciting nonetheless."
~Abide Baht Mig of Abide and Seak's Bizarre Bazaar
Structure
The Arls are independent Plutarchs that own their individual meadhalls and the surrounding lands. They are responsible for their own defense and the protection of their tenants. To accomplish this, they have elite mercenary warriors known as carls, with the most wealthy arls attracting larger numbers and higher quality carls. The arls "vote" on the Elector of the Northrealm to send to the Elector Council. In the North, this is known as the jarl. In times of extreme duress, the arls can vote to give extraordinary and temporary powers to the jarl to lead a mutual defense, but otherwise the title is largely honorary within the borders with only a few hospitality privileges attached.
At the lowest rung, the tenants living on the arls' land are known as scags, and the indentured are called thralls.
All of these titles are revivals of old-world terms.
Assets
Wealth Dice: 6d6
History
After the Northern Acquisition, wealthy Maecodians from all over the Confederation moved in with small bands of mercenaries, using their wealth to create meadhalls, often nestled in the burned out bones of the meadhalls of the defeated giants. Settlements rapidly grew up around these meadhalls, sheltering in the protection of the arls' mercenaries.
Demography and Population
The population of the Northrealms is roughly even between nomadic and settled populations. Every settlement is the holding of an Arl. The settlements have a population of about 70% human, 20% Goliath, and roughly 10% anything else.
Outside of the settlements, the nomads are mostly Goliath barbarian tribes that dance freely between being simple nomads to raiding with seemingly little provocation. The Czhahyl are also present.
Territories
The Northrealm controls the Northern Shore, the Pine Barrens, and Mount Yagn.
Military
The house guard of the Northrealms is known as the Warcarls.
Additionally, every meadhall worth anything hosts a band of mercenaries known as carls, which can be used at the Arls' will.
Religion
Most northerners are cultists, either in reverence of the Scoundrel or the Nucklavee. Many of the Arls are Deminites, hoping that their lifestyle may eventually evolve into a feudal monarchy. Reverents are not uncommon among the settled people, and most settlements sport a small church of the Virgins.
Foreign Relations
Despite being solidly under the control of The Maecodian Confederation, the Northrealm wars with the other cantons excessively, though rarely with one mind. These wars follow the same traditions as
Agriculture & Industry
Small farms usually surround the settlements, primarily root vegetables for subsistence of the settlement. Each settlement strives to be independent, and trade is a secondary concern.
Trade & Transport
Rather than directly trade with each other or the outside, the Northrealm puts an outsized emphasis on trading with trade caravans that pass through. Each arl has their own rules regarding taxation on these caravans, but none of them miss an opportunity to take a cut.
Education
As in most of Maecodia, education is left to the elders too old to work or fight.
Infrastructure
Simple dirt roads wind between settlements. At the center of every settlement is a meadhall; a grand structure built around a central room which an arl displays their wealth and prestige by holding regular feasts to keep his carls happy.
KAYESH - (Breath of Ice)
Founding Date
260
Type
Geopolitical, State
Capital
Alternative Names
The Frozen North, The Barrens
Demonym
Northern
Head of State
Government System
Plutocracy
Power Structure
Confederation
Economic System
Palace economy
Major Exports
What little export that comes out of the Northrealms is almost entirely wrapped up in the fur trade. The larger settlements export fur clothing and the smaller ones export furs.
Major Imports
Caravaneers make good coin selling vegetables and alcohols from the warmer lands to supplement the bland pallet enjoyed by the locals.
Legislative Body
The Northrealm is ruled by the Arls. The Northern Arls are a revival of the old title by the Plutarchs of the Northrealm.
Judicial Body
The Arls are responsible for all judicial decisions within their own holdings.
Official State Religion
Parent Organization
Neighboring Nations
Manufactured Items
Related Items
Notable Members
Comments