Frisians
Originally colonists from northern Europe, Frisians are an ethnic group named for their home planet, Frisia. Neo-barbarians, the Frisians experienced a near total societal collapse after landing on their new planet due to problems caused by the unexpectedly high gravity, 2.14 times that of Earth. Frisians are famous for their strong clans (known as Sippes), loyal warriors, and hang-gliding culture.
Warriors of the Fall
After landing, equipment immediately broke or wore down faster than expected. Meteor showers destroyed buildings and farmland. Many settlers died from internal injuries caused by the abrupt transition to a high gravity environment from the lower gravity they had experienced during their voyage on the colony ship. In less than five years most of the colony's original leaders died. With life increasingly becoming a desperate struggle, tempers flared and fighting broke out in a violent incident known as the Night of Axes. Unable to resolve their differences, the colonists dispersed across the continent in family groups, fragmenting the last of their technological knowledge.Warriors of the Clan
Life on Frisia is brutal; a solitary human has almost no chance of survival. In order to survive, Frisians organized themselves in large groups known as Sippes, where they work together against the monstrous wildlife, extreme weather, and raids from rival Sippes. A Sippe is an extended family or clan, different branches of the same family tree, with each Sippe led by a chief. The chief is responsible for protecting the Sippe as a whole, allocating resources among the various branch families as well as making the final decision on any important matters, such as when to initiate or end a feud. Each Sippe has two settlement types: a stronghold, typically built on a mountain or large hill, and a ring of surrounding villages. Each village is held by a separate family branch of the Sippe with the Chief and the dominant branch residing in the stronghold. In times of trouble the villages retreat into the Sippe stronghold, confident in the knowledge they can outlast any attack.Warriors of the Air
Colonists were initially surprised by the abundance of flying animal life in their new home. The planet's high gravity creates a dense and buoyant atmosphere that can support the weight of larger flying creatures for longer periods of time. The colonists quickly learned to take advantage of their new home's peculiar physics. As the machinery they brought with them broke down, the Sippes constructed hang-gliders and (in a few rare instances) hot air balloons from the skins and bones of native animals. However, due to hang-glider's unpowered propulsion, speed, and maneuverability, hot air balloons fell out of favor among the Sippes, though they remain a popular mode of transportation and surveillance for Sippe Ochsner. Frisia is a land of broken terrain, racked by constant meteor showers and earthquakes. The ruggedness of the land and the heavy gravity make travel by foot an arduous affair, so the natives have come to favor air travel whenever possible. Climbing to the top of a large hill, peak, or tower a Frisian will launch himself into the air in the direction they want to go. With a high enough launch point and strong enough wind currents Frisians have been known to travel over 200 km in a single flight. For this reason, most Sippes build their fortresses on mountain sides or otherwise elevated terrain, where they have ready access to high altitude launching sites. From large passenger gliders to decorated war gliders, Frisians have developed different models of hang-gliders to meet different demands. When the Liberty Security Corporation (LSC) arrived in-system, one of the first things they did to win over the most powerful Sippes was gift the Frisians gliders made of modern materials. In addition to being many times more lightweight and durable, these gliders were equipped with radio communicators and stabilized weapon mounts. Their use facilitated a wave of subjugations as the corporate backed Sippes eliminated their rivals. In return, the dominant Sippes provided the LSC with warriors as tribute for use off-planet.Warriors of Valor
Frisians are typically endogamous, as the physical obstacles separating the Sippes and competition for resources makes them distrustful of strangers. One of the tasks of Frisian Shamans is to travel as a matchmaker between the Sippe stronghold and its surrounding villages, setting up the couples best suited to the continued safety and prosperity of the Sippe as a whole. Despite this insular outlook, Frisian healers and shamans educate Sippes about the dangers of inbreeding. As such, it is a status symbol for warriors to have wives from outside their Sippe. Many warriors leave their homes and travel from Sippe to Sippe, hunting for opportunities to accomplish great feats and win themselves a bride. These feats often include proving themselves as an accomplished hunter, defeating enemies in combat, or providing the solution to an emergency facing a Sippe. This custom is particularly popular among second and third sons who traditionally inherit the least from their fathers. With the arrival of the LSC, Frisian warriors commonly volunteer their services as bodyguards and mercenaries off-planet. Always deployed in groups of three, Frisians have quickly established a reputation for violence and unbreakable loyalty. As this reputation has spread, an export industry has developed with Frisians serving as elite guards for wealthy merchants and politicians throughout nearby star systems. Many local crime groups have suffered the penalty for trying to pay off a Frisian warrior, the offenders hacked to pieces by the Frisians' swords and axes. Eventually these warriors return home, flush with wives and cosmopolitan riches, telling grandiose stories over the fire that inspire the next wave of adventurers.
Influential Sippes of Frisia:
- Sippe Rhezerkamp
- Sippe Duus
- Sippe Nørgaard
- Sippe Slaat
- Sippe Büchner
- Sippe Rosengart
- Sippe Eijkelenkamp
- Sippe Wernicke
- Sippe Pückler
- Sippe Bruun
- Sippe Stoevelaar
- Sippe Ochsner
- Sippe Ritschel
- Sippe Juul
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