The Brur Marches

The Brur Marches

The sub-artic marshes of Brur are home to the Brurii. The Brurii are a settled people, of mostly Orcish descent. The marshland often freezes over in the winter and spring making subsistence through hunting and farming nigh impossible. As such the Brurii tend themselves towards coastal fishing, and particularly, whaling. Most of the whale oil sold to the other kingdoms comes from Brur.
Legend has it that Brur got its name for the sound that people make when walking through it.

Politics

Brurian Politics is almost completely decentralised. Law is minimally invasive to the personal freedoms of the people off of a ship. On a ship, however small, the word of the captain is absolute.

Brur is not considered a nation state in the same way that other lands are, but rather it is considered stateless nation, with no formal government beyond that of the Chieftains. The Brurii, however, often leave diplomatic and macro-economics to the Chieftain of the 'Capital' city of Zrul.

The Current Chieftain of Zrul is Waruk of The Artza Tribe.
There is a law that no one can be Chief of a clan that has not served at least five years at the head of a ship of some kind.

Culture

Brurii culture, whilst rooted firmly in Orcish culture, has delineated significantly. Raids and ascension through combat are set aside. Strength of arm is measured more in how much of a haul one can tear from the sea. Honour in combat is found through fighting off pirates, and through braving the beasts of the deep.

On land water has great significance. The land itself is bogged, and so is more water than stone. The Brur road itself is often flooded and consumed by the ebb and tide of the Glacier as it melts and refreezes with the seasons. It is these thaws and freezes that dictate seasons and festivities for the Brurii. During the depths of winter competitions are held amongst the ships to take the ships northward, out of the sheltered Bay of Alran, to dance the icebergs.

On land, as the glacier melts canoes will be fashioned and raised to the top of the melting glaciers and races will be held down the side. Such are the festivities to be found in a frozen marsh.

Religion

Religion, much like politics in Brur, is very decentralised. Despite the Brur road's frequent inaccessibility many have travelled it and it connects the western kingdoms to the east. Along with this comes the flow of not only trade but ideas. Many religions have found footing in the hearts of Brurii seeking consolation for their frigid existence.

The natural religion of the Brurii is the worship of Cailleach the goddess of winter who resides in the heart of The Great Glacier. They prey for her favour that their winters may be mild enough that they can trade, but cold enough that the fish that has been caught in the summer will stay frozen and fresh throughout the winter.

During the spring melts it is thought that Cailleach returns to her slumber and the world is watched over by her daughter Brigite. This goddess sends divine water from the glacier down to the sea to seed it with life for the season of fishing ahead.