The Heimer Clans
Government
The Heimer clans are the scourge of Arboria. Feared, and respected, by each of their so called civilised neighbours to the east and south. But unlike most outsiders believe, the clans are not a united force hell bent on plundering or conquering the south, but are rather a loose confederation of clans who are more often than not subject to infighting, who are occasionally united by a strong leader or common cause to invade the south in what is called a ''Heimer incursion''. Heimer incursions only happen when they are united, and instead of competing with each other for resources or territory in internal conflicts, they invade other realms. The confederation is lead by a High King, who is an elected ruler, and who rules all of the Heimer in accordance with their old ways. The High King is to settle disputes between clans, collect tributes from the clans, and handle foreign diplomacy. The High King is elected at a gathering called the Moot by the rulers of individual clans, which are titled Jarls, and serves as High King for life. The title of High King can only be bestowed upon a Jarl, and the title can be disputed by any other Jarl if their support is considerable enough. To avoid more infighting, possibly a civil war, the contester may challenge the High King to a duel of honor, which is also considered a legal way to pass titles and property.Ruling Dynasty
The current High King is Jarl Yanmir, elected as High King 24 years ago after the last one passed away during a Heimer incursion to the south. He is of clan Dannir.Member Clans
There are 9 Heimer clans total, each of them inhabiting a unique area of Drakenheim and with their own storied history and identity.Dyna:
Clan Dyna is headed by Jarl Harald. Dyna's symbol is thunder. The clan sits in the far south-eastern edge of Drakenheim. It is warmer here than in the rest of the region, which makes life that bit easier. In the east, they border the nation of Kyrus. They are on the coast of the Nord Sea and commonly raid the south for resources and slaves, and if not for themselves, to sell them to the others.Villeldir:
Clan Villeldir is headed by Jarl Roar. Villeldir's symbol is a flame. The clan dwells in and around a wide valley called Hvergelmir, which is full of geothermal fissures and hot springs, at the western edges of the Iglophian mountains. Villeldir's lands are known for it's multitudes of hot springs, lakes, and waterfalls, as well as for it's mineral wealth.Bjarg:
Clan Bjarg is headed by Jarl Sten. Bjarg's symbol is a mountain. The clan calls the foothills of the Iglophian mountains their home, just north of Dyna and east of Villeldir. To the north, they border the Dwarven kingdom of Kanarrak, and to the east lies Kyrus. Their area is heavily forested, and they have a thriving woodcutting industry, the excess of which they sell to the raider clans with which they build their ships, or to the dwarves.Bregthir:
Clan Bregthir is headed by Jarl Skalde. Bregthir's symbol is the sword. They are the notoriously savage raider clan, sitting on the coast of the Nord Sea, between Dyna in the east and Aegir in the west. They call the land of Myrkviðr home, which consist of mainly lowland swamps, and is as such, utterly useless. Because of this, their entire livelihood relies on raiding the southern nations. Tempered in the fires of constant raids, their warriors are renowned throughout the Heimer clans as one of the best, and that is why they began selling themselves as mercenaries, sometimes even to outsiders.Vargen:
Clan Vargen is headed by Jarl Ulf. Their symbol is the wolf. They inhabit the dense lowland forest known as Aldinnvðr, which is a lesser Arborian forest of immense trees. The lowlands are heavily forested, with frequent elevations and depressions, but nothing major. The only noteworthy geographical feature is the river Klaraven that slowly wind it's way towards the sea, and the lakes it creates along the way. Clan Vargen is the only clan which has it's port inland, upstream the river on one of their lakes, away from the coast. Their lands are rich with wildlife, which they hunt for food and pelts, while their lakes are prime locations for fishing.Aegir:
Clan Aegir is headed by Jarl Gorm. Their symbol is a longship. The clan inhabits the cliffy peninsula that protrudes out of the south-western corner of mainland Drakenheim, and the isles that surround it. Their clan hall sits high atop a vertical cliff at the coast of the Nord Sea, which is virtually unassailable, with it's port tucked away in a quiet cove just around the corner. Besides being notorious raiders, the clan also has a rich fishing industry, with it's northern coasts and isles unvisited by even southerner scout vessels. Clan Aegir borders Bregthir to the east, Vargen to the north, and Villeldir to the north-west.Valen:
Clan Valen is headed by Jarl Erik. Their symbol is a great tree. Valen sits among a few offshoot mountains from the Iglophian range on the western coast of Drakenheim, called Fjordland. It borders Vargen to the south, Villeldir to the east, Dannir to the north-east, and Hrafnir to the north. Their clan hall watches over their home valley atop an elevated plateau at the base of a mountain. Within said mountain lies a sacred hot spring, which keeps a large cave at a temperate or even warm climate, which has allowed plant life to flourish within, from lush green grasses and flowers, to even larger trees. The largest of these trees is an Arborian great tree, which is so large it seems to practically hold the ceiling of the cave up. The ceiling of the cave is pock marked with many holes of varying sizes, which allows for enough light to enter the cave for such an enclave of life to exist. This particular Arborian tree was able to grow to such an immense size due to sitting atop a primordial well of Arcane energy.Dannir:
Clan Dannir is headed by Jarl Yanmir. Their symbol is an eagle. The Dannir inhabit one of the most unforgiving areas of the north, called Normanland, which is an empty snow covered flatlands north-west of the Iglophian mountains. The Dannir clansmen live either in secluded valleys among the hilly southern terrain, where the freezing winds aren't as bone cutting, or within deep open crevices in the frosty lowlands, within which they carved themselves their homes in to the rocky walls themselves. Liquid water here runs only underground, so it makes sense to make home out of the elements and closer to what you need for a living. Surprisingly, these underground rivers actually support fish and plant life, all though they are a bit different than what most people expect. The lowlands aren't entirely void however, grasses and flowers do grow under the snow, and break free to greet the sun in the warmer seasons. The area is also inhabited by rabbits, foxes, and the venerable eagle. The Dannir border clan Hrafnir to the north-west, Valen to the south-west, and the dwarven kingdom of Kanarrak of the Iglophian mountains to the east. They are landlocked and have no navy.Hrafnir:
Clan Hrafnir is headed by Jarl Svend. Their symbol is the raven. They are the distant, secluded, and secretive of the Heimer clans. They live in the far north, just before The Frost Wastes, even further north than the Dannir, their lands are void of any life. They have no fleet, even as a coastal clan, as their sea is frozen solid year-round. They live almost entirely underground, inside their fortress chiseled out of pure ice, almost akin to Dwarves. They mine, fish, and hunt underground creatures for a living.Geography
Drakenheim
The Heimer people call Drakenheim their home, which is the cold, rocky, and heavily forested northern half of Arboria, with the Nord Sea separating it from the majority of the other Human realms to the south. To the north, there are the Iglophian mountains, where the Dwarven kingdom of Kanarrak lies, which the Heimer have come to respect as equals, and is one of the only foreign realms the Heimer trade with. Drakenheim is a cold land, it is very difficult to cultivate any form of crop in it's climate and hard terrain. The only patches of arable land are found in small pockets along it's rivers. But their farmers and hunters are often times not enough to feed their people, so they will embark on raids to make up for the difference. Drakenheim is named after both the Heimer people who live there, and the infamous Drakes of the region. Drakes are four legged wingless dragon-like creatures, and they constantly compete with the Heimer for the title of alpha predator of Drakenheim. The Heimer often hunt for Drake nests in an effort to keep their numbers down and prevent them from wiping out other animal life, and likewise, the Drakes periodically attack Human settlements to bleed the Heimer in turn, almost in a show of intelligence. Aside from Drakes, the wilderness of Drakenheim is also stalked by Sabertooth Cats, Wargs, Wooly Bears, Elder Boars, and Mountain Trolls, as well as the rare Wyvern.Skalland
The south-western corner of Drakenheim's coast, called Skalland, is very jagged and cliffy. It is considerably elevated from the sea, and has many natural rock formations such as pillars, arches, and a multitude of coastal caves.Myrkviðr
The coast around clan Bregthir and the area along the river Runelva is a low murky swampland. The swamp is notoriously foggy, difficult to traverse, and very dark at night. It is home to the infamous creature known as the Nightstalker, which none have yet seen, with only remains of it's victims having been found.Hvergelmir
Between the Iglophian Mountains and Drakenheim lies a wide valley, a depression full of geothermal fissures and hot springs, multitudes of greater and minor lakes, and many more rivers and streams flowing in to the area from the surrounding mountains with beautiful waterfalls. The valley of Hvergelmir is a warm pocket amidst a land of frost, it's numerous geothermal fissures spew out lots of boiling water, which warms up the climate, allowing plant life to flourish with greater ease, and covering the valley with a shy mist. Mushrooms and moss are nearly omnipresent. In Heimer legend, Hvergelmir is where the world's waters first spring, and then split in to numerous rivers which fill the lakes and oceans, giving life to the world.Aldinnvðr
The forest of Aldinnvðr is a remnant of the great Arborian forests that once dominated all of Arboria, of which now only the Elderwood in Sturmgard and the Lysillian Grove in Lynora remain. Aldinnvðr, like it's southern Arborian cousins, is a collection of abnormally large trees that dwarf regular woodlands. These Arborian trees tap in to Arcane energies to spur on their growth. Aldinnvðr is a lesser of the once great Arborian forests, however, as it lacks the Arcane power to achieve it's full potential, resulting in lesser growth compared to the Elderwood. The world is not as it once was, and the Elderwood has been in decline ever since the Cataclysm, with the majority of the Arborian forests dying out our being chopped down as ages past. Aldinnvðr only persists because of a primordial well of Arcane power located within the holy mountain of clan Valen.Fjordland
The western coasts of Drakenheim is broken in to multitudes of cliffy coves called fjords. These fjords are long narrow inlets from the sea with steep sides or cliffs, as a result of melting glaciers.Normanland
Normanland is the northern most area of what is arguably still Drakenheim, or Arboria at all. It is a cold desolate place, with barely any life. The venerable Polar Bear roams these lands.Niflheim
Niflheim, meaning ''home of mist'', is a collection of isles off of the shores of Skalland. As much as it is shrouded in mist, it is shrouded in mystery, as ships sometimes disappear without a trace or cause, and sightings of odd sea creatures are reported. Some say that the ocean Kraken pays these shallow waters a visit every so often.People & Culture
The Heimer people are a warrior culture, a throwback to how all of Humanity once was before The Cataclysm and The Great Migrations. Strength and cunning are highly valued, but not above honor. Both men and women are taught how to fight, hunt, and fish at an early age, so that they are always prepared to fight for their survival, come what may. Their home region, the cold northern half of Arboria, called Drakenheim, is a hostile land. The land is cold and hard, rendering any forms of agriculture near to impossible, only managing shy gardens near rivers. They mainly graze their livestock, such as sheep and goats, and fish or hunt for food. And most notably, they never let any part of the kill go to waste. They clothe themselves with the skins and pelts of animals, as well as woven garbs made from their sheep's wool. They are a shamanistic society and have a rich mythology about the spirit realm, as well as magical creatures from the woods, the sea, and of mighty beasts residing in the mountains, such as the Dragon. The Heimer are not as barbaric and gruesome as the south believes, they have rules and laws just the same, they understand the concepts of honor, mercy, and hospitality, and have always been open to trade. But, due to quite reasonable hostilities from the southern nations, the clans remain fairly isolated by the rest of the world. In Heimer culture, it is accepted to settle disputes in duels of honor. The Heimer are a superstitious people, believing in a variety of deities, and pay tribute in the form of a sacrifice to their preferred benefactor. Each clan has a favorite, who they also build shrines of in their name. Some clans are even named after their benefactor, or their domain. They may not be the most civilized, but they still have a rich culture, with many clever instruments of simple design, and multitudes of legends and songs to tell and sing. The Heimer clans are all of the Heimer culture group of Humanity.Religion
The Heimer people stick to Humanity's ancient beliefs in The Old Gods, which is a collection of many deities ranging in powers and responsibility, with each holding domain over their own aspect of life or nature. There are benevolent and malevolent ones, with the more beneficial ones being the most popular and worshipped openly, while the others remain obscure, mainly followed by few in underground cults.Military
Doctrine
The Heimer are, in most people's opinion, barbarians. They don't have advanced knowledge in metallurgy or military strategy, but they make up for it in cunning, and brutality. Operating in mainly hit-and-run tactics, they are equipped to move fast and hit hard, relying on the element of surprise to gain an advantage, and using their unorthodox fighting techniques and appearance to strike fear in the enemy. Their doctrine is overwhelming force, to route an un-prepared enemy before they can organize.Specialties
The Heimer put magic to a limited use through druidism and shamanism, for healing purposes, or to bestow greater fighting spirit on to warriors, like the Berserker spirit that grants a warrior greater speed and strength when attacking, and being able to endure more punishment, or the Ranger spirit, which grants an archer greater dexterity and awareness, allowing them to detect and target enemies further away with higher accuracy.Navy
Collectively, the Heimer clans boast one of the largest fleets in Arboria in terms of ship count. However, their vessels are mainly longboats designed for swift sailing and maneuverability, and are narrow enough to be able to sail up most rivers. The main use of these ships are raids, so the Heimer can be in and out before any proper warship can be alerted.Air
The Heimer have no air capabilities, and no conventional anti-air either. For air deterrence, they use their shamans to call upon the powers of nature to come to their aid when combating areal foes, such as thunder storms, harsh winds, or a thick fog, which either renders visibility non existent, or makes any form of aviation dangerous.
Type
Political, Confederation
Location
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Related Species
Related Ethnicities
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