Aesir

Starting Languages

When a player selects a culture, they automatically gain ability in the primary language associated with that culture. This language represents the common tongue or dominant language spoken in that cultural region. Each culture provides a pool of additional languages that players can choose from. This pool should include languages associated with neighboring regions, historical influences, or significant trade partners of that culture. The number of additional languages in the pool can vary based on the diversity and historical context of the culture. For example, a culture with extensive trade routes or a history of conquest might have a larger pool. You may select an additional language from this pool for each point of edge you have in Intellect, and another for each additional point you gain as you level up in your adventures.

Starting Arms & Armor

Players are afforded their starting weapons, clothing, & tool proficiencies by the age associated with their homeland. So Stone Age cultures and Dark Age cultures might both grant ability with a mace for example, but only the Dark Age culture would grant ability with guns, for example. Over the course of your adventures you may choose to use your progression to gain proficiency in a different age's tools.

Asgard, Home of The Aesir!

Asgard is the nation of the Aesir, situated east of Vanaheim and the Blue Mountains, west of Hyperborea and the putative River of Death Ice, and north of Cimmeria and the Eiglophian Mountains.
Asgard and Vanaheim together comprised the region known as Nordheim, which was probably analogous to the mysterious Thule of pre-Cataclysmic times. The high mountain regions are permanently frozen, with the glaciers growing as the climate cools. In the southern lowlands, taiga forest cover much of the terrain. North of here lay the tundra, a soggy plain underlain by permafrost. The country is characterized by its harsh and brutal landscape, with long, cold winters. Such is the landscape that farming is virtually non-existent and animal husbandry is the only means of producing food.
Blond reavers of the icy north, the mailed warriors of the Aesir are held in check only by their equally ferocious kin the Vanir to the west, the grim Cimmerians southward, and by arcane Hyperborea to the east. Loosely organized, the clans await their forging to a cause, or a great captain of men, to spur them over the ice towards bright and bloody conquest!

Aesir History

After the Cataclysm destroyed the civilizations of the world, humanity began again its fight for dominance. Among these, a primitive people, the Hybori, only slightly more evolved than the Neanderthal, traveled north and fought the snow-apes. They drove these monsters north of the arctic circle to perish, and they occupied the cold northern lands as conquerors. These snow-apes, over the next several thousand years, managed to evolve into gigantic blond arctic savages. A thousand years later, a wanderer to the North returned to the Hyborians with the news that the Northern icy wastes were inhabited by ape-like men, descended from the beasts driven out of the more habitable land by the Hyborians' ancestors. To exterminate these creatures, a small band of warriors followed him beyond the arctic circle which none returned. A thousand years later, they finally pushed the Hyborians south and established Nordheim. These barbarians were split into two major groups being easiest to distinguish by disproportionate amounts of redheads(Vanir) and blondes(Aesir). The yellow-haired Æsir settled in the inland portion of Nordheim and called it Asgard.

Aesir in the Hyborian Age

Asgard, a far-northern mountainous nation which is permanently glaciated, is home to the blond-haired, blue-eyed Aesir (Æsir), a virile and rough hewn race of hunters or axe-wielding warriors who fight by day and carouse by night. A shade less bloodthirsty than their neighbors, the Vanir, they nonetheless glory in warfare, wearing their famous horned helmets and swinging long hafted battle-axes.
Asgard is in the unfortunate position of being stuck between three mighty foes: Cimmeria, Vanaheim, and Hyperborea. They have a grudging mutual respect with the Cimmerians, so far as they won't attack each other often. However, some Cimmerians have joined the Æsir on war parties, and it’s likely some Æsir have done the same. Hyperborea will likely make rapid slave raids, and Vanaheim will try to wipe their old enemies from existence. Even the Ice is proving an enemy: in the later years of the Hyborian Age, the Arctic Ice could start to travel south, triggering a massive exodus of the Northmen, which will undoubtedly devastate the southern kingdoms.
Each tribe of Asgard is ruled by a "king", whose headquarters is a timber-roofed Great Hall. The Aesir live in tribal units with its own chieftain, or "king", who presides in timber-roofed Great Halls. The typical appearance of these men is that of a golden-haired, blue-eyed, bearded barbarian, with chain hauberks, bearded axes, and wooden shields.

Aesir Religion

All Aesir worship Ymir, the Frost Giant, Lord of Storm and War, who lives (according to legend), in Valhalla, his castle far in northern Vanaheim. The Nordheimir believe in an afterlife and the afterlife often mirrors how one lives life and meets one’s doom. For the common folk, the afterlife is dull and dreary, a life spent gathering and serving the warriors. According to Nordheimr shamans, the souls of valiant warriors who fall in battle go to Valhalla to feast and fight forever. This belief makes Nordheimr warriors terribly fierce in battle, and they often fight with no regard for their own safety. Valhalla is a realm of long halls, snowy glaciers, and eternal fighting. Ymir represents the Earth to the Nordheimr, and both the Vanir and the Æsir sprang from Ymir. Battle for the Nordheimr is not only the basis of their economy and social life, it's also the basis of their religious life, for Ymir is worshiped by doing battle all day, then eating, drinking, and singing all night. Indeed, even those activities have religious merit, for ale is the drink of bold Ymir and, as such, it's sacred or consumed in large quantities. There's a belief among the Nordheimr that it's possible to come into direct contact with Ymir if one drank themselves unconscious. Thus, inebriation is a religious obligation as well as a social activity.
It's likely that there are regional gods as well, considering the Æsir and their life-style. They have no unified government to enforce anything. Any local gods are subordinate to Ymir, in any case.
Among the Æsir, who are each fiercely independent, even religion is viewed as a personal matter. They have no time, or interest, in priests to interpret Ymir for them. Each man is his own intermediary to Ymir. The Æsir keep no temples to Ymir, but they acknowledge many sacred outdoor sites, such as mountains, islands, fields, rocks, and groves. Three times per year, the Æsir hold ceremonies to placate Ymir, asking for victory in war and raiding, making sacrifices of animals and humans, feasting on steaming food, hot from the fires, drinking their ale in fantastic quantities, or singing lustful songs celebrating their wars and heroes. These ceremonies, occurring in the spring, mid-summer, and autumn, last for days and are brutal affairs for such is their life.
Life was meant to be embraced with savage enthusiasm and death is to be met in the same manner. The Nordheimr believe in an afterlife, and the afterlife often mirrored how one lived life and met one’s dooms. For the common folk, the afterlife will be dull and dreary, a life spent gathering and serving the warriors. For valiant warriors, however, the afterlife would be filled with fighting and feasting in the snowy plains and halls of Valhalla.
The Aesir have also been known to invoke the name "Audhambla's Dugs", a cow owned by Ymir and made of ice as well, whose udders give rivers of milk. Audhambla is, herself, nourished by licking salty, rime-covered stones. The Aesir also invoke the god Buri in expletives, who in Norse mythology gave rise to the other gods. Audhambla licked the stones into the shape of a man; this was Buri. Buri, in the Norse religion, was the first god, who sired Bor, the grandfather of Odin.

Warfare & Weaponry

The Æsir are fierce warriors, proud and honorable. With white hot enthusiasm, they pursue life and face death fearlessly with a song on their lips. They are giant men who valued honor, loyalty and reputation above all things. Even the women are strong, running households while the men war with each other across the icy plains and mountains. Their land is harsh, and they are hardened by generations of living in near-arctic conditions or almost constant warfare with the Vanir, Cimmerians, Hyperboreans, and Picts. War is frequent and low scale, consisting of cattle raids, holmgangs, and duels. Because of its frequency, warfare is a defining aspect of Æsir society, including their religion. Their favored weapons are the spear and the axe. Broadswords are also commonly seen. Weapons are so important in the life of an Æsir they are almost always highly ornamented, etched with exotic designs or runic characters. The Æsir tend to prefer dragons or birds of prey in their complex ornamentation. In addition, they also etch stylized nature designs into their armor, clothing, and tools as well. The Æsir often wear leather helmets reinforced with pieces of metal, including a piece of iron or steel over the nose. These helms are often decorated, in addition to mere design-work, with horns to symbolize fierce power. Mail shirts and large shields are standard. The common shields seen among the Æsir are made of wood and covered in leather hide or bearskin. A round metal hump is placed in the center of the outer face of the shield to protect the hand holding the shield.

Personal Grooming and Status

Ferocity and courage are not the only measure of manhood among the Æsir. They expect no quarter, and neither do they want mercy. If wounded, they will rather die and be sent to Ymir a man than to be left suffering or to be taken prisoner. Self-esteem is also valued, and a portion of self-esteem revolves around appearance. Using combs made from antlers, the Æsir groom themselves daily, braiding their hair, mustaches, and beards. Many carry small tools to clean their fingernails and ears with them. The Æsir bathe at least once a week and use saunas for health. In addition to grooming, self-esteem includes a measure of status. Status among the Æsir is achieved through combat prowess or wealth. The display of wealth gives an Æsir status. Their clothes and armor have coins sewn onto them. Coins are also hung on chains and worn as jewelry, displayed with arrogant pride. Jewelry is equally prized by Æsir men as by the women. Precious metals are often melted down and recast as wearable items, such as bracelets or armlets.

Trade and Economy

The Æsir use precious metals, usually silver, in trade. They pay for goods with coin or an appropriate weight in silver, cut off from their jewelry. The Æsir rarely carry purses or sacks of coin because of the noise. It's easier and quieter to recast the coins as a bracelet, and then just slice off pieces of it as needed. The Æsir also engage in barter for trade goods. Of course, their preferred manner of gaining necessaries is to raid a rival for them.
At the close of each winter, the Aesir begin their yearly raids, riding south on horseback to pillage townships of their cattle, wealth, and women. Men who surrender to Aesir warriors are usually spared. Those who resist are slain in a gruesome fashion. Aesir rarely burn a village they plunder, preferring to leave their targets fairly intact to allow the survivors to rebuild and provide another lucrative target in the future. Aesir love to travel, and because of that are the most well known of the northmen.

Raiding and Travel

At the close of each winter, the Aesir begin their yearly raids, riding south on horseback to pillage townships of their cattle, wealth, and women. Men who surrender to Aesir warriors are usually spared. Those who resist are slain in a gruesome fashion. Aesir rarely burn a village they plunder, preferring to leave their targets fairly intact to allow the survivors to rebuild and provide another lucrative target in the future. Aesir love to travel, and because of that are the most well known of the northmen. Though the Nordheimir women don't usually fight alongside the men in war, they are charged with the responsibility of managing and defending their longhouses while the warriors are away. Many a female Nordheimer has won renown by beating off a horde of raiders with a spear or battle-axe, while protecting her home and children. Another job of some women with special connections to Ymir is wizardry. These witches can be easily identified since they usually wear the skin of some powerful animal, such as the wolf. These witches can summon ancient monsters of Nordheim's legends, such as the Skrae.

Subsistence and Lifestyle

The frigid northlands are not suited for agriculture, and the Æsir never practice farming. The Æsir don't herd animals either. They hunt for their livelihood as befits a warrior race. Their wasteland realm isn't as barren of life as a first glance might suppose. The frozen mountains and icy plains support bears, mammoths, moose, reindeer, and similar beasts of the wild. Wild fruits and berries supplemented their diet. During their more peaceable moments, the Aesir support themselves by hunting abundant musk ox, mammoth, bear, reindeer, moose, fox, and the like. Hunting is also widely embraced and one of the chief exports of the nation is Mammoth Ivory. Hunting the giant mammoths is both a blessing and a curse. Such a prize cannot easily be left alone. Yet to track one invites death under its massive frame. When they are caught and killed, the meat will usually feed a large tribe through the winter and the hunters will become renowned for years to come. They doubtless augmented their meat diet by gathering lingon-berries and other wild fruits in season.

Social Structure and Governance:

Asgard is not a unified kingdom serving one supreme king. Essentially the Æsir are a village-based people who are bound by a common culture and descent. The Aesir (as the people of Asgard are known) are comprised of many separate clans and tribes. The Æsir have many kings, for each village is like a kingdom unto itself. A king, to the Æsir, is any local warrior who could maintain a following, using both income and honor to hold onto that following. This King rules them as an equal in peace time, and when not at war the Aesir Kings are known to be both friendly and fair. However in war time they have to be the strongest and the fittest in the clan for the king always led his warriors into battle, which meant that most Æsir kings died young, but with barbaric honor and pride. It has been known for kings to step down of his own will if he believes himself incapable of leading the best of his clan. When such kings do not step down, the clan rallies around a new man. Such times are tumultuous and troublesome, and only blood can settle such quarrels. It is however, rare for this to happen. A king hangs the heads of his most hated opponents from his lodge pole. There can be a high chief of the Aesir, and the one who holds this position is supreme lord of all the Aesir tribes.

Aesir Warrior Classes

Fyrd (light infantry)- Every man in Nordic society is expected to own weapons and bear them against invaders. They are not particularly well trained nor well equipped, but very well motivated to battle, and they can use their trusty household hand-axes and spears to good effect so long as they are not committed to the hardest fighting.
Hirdmen (heavy infantry)- Hirdmen are the sworn companions of mighty Nordic chieftains – great fighters loyal to the death to the nobleman they serve. They are stalwart warriors in either attack or defense, but excel in the dense and almost unbreakable shield-wall. Like the Huscarls, these men are handpicked veterans given the best that their lord’s generosity can provide.
Huscarls- The Huscarls are the elite forces of the great Nordic kings. Veteran warriors, hand picked, given the very best equipment and fed from the lord’s table. They swear the mead-bargain with their lord, giving loyalty to the death in return for mead, wealth and land. It is considered the greatest disgrace to live if your lord dies, and such men will be condemned to live as exiles. As a result, these units have exceptional morale, and will fight to the death rather than retreat unless their lord orders it.
Berserkers- Dedicated to Ymir, the Frost-Giant of Nordic mythology, these men are an elite among the Nordic warriors, set aside for war. They are also known as bear-shirts. They wield axes and hurl themselves against the enemy line in reckless fury. They are best used to shatter enemy defensive lines before the war-bands pour in behind them, for they can rarely be held back long enough for any sustained defense.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Erda, Eyra, Freya, Frigga, Fulla, Gefion, Gersemi, Hlin, Hnoss, Iduna, Lofn, Nanna, Nerthus, Nott, Ran, Saga, Sif, Sigyn

Masculine names

Bragi, Gorm, Haimdul, Hialmar, Horsa, Niord, Wulfhere, Balder, Forseti, Frey, Grimnir, Heimdall, Hermod, Hodur, Honir, Lodur, Loki, Magni, Modi, Odhinn, Odur, Thorr, Tyr, Uller, Vali, Ve, Vili

Family names

Odinson Thorsson Freyrsdottir Lokisdottir Baldursson Tyrsson Heimdallsson Friggsson Sifsdottir Njordsson

Culture

Shared customary codes and values

Only by dying in battle, with blade in hand and courage in the heart, can an Aesir find his way to Valhalla, the after-life paradise sought by all Norsemen. If an Aesir dies without his weapons, he can still reach Valhalla by having his body set ablaze in a funeral pyre. This is so the smoke rises to the heavens, becoming a stairway for the souls of the departed to reach the Halls of Forever.

Average technological level

Dark Ages

Common Dress code

Warrior Attire: Aesir warriors typically dress in practical and functional attire suited for battle. This includes chain hauberks, leather armor, and fur-lined cloaks to provide protection against the elements. They often wear horned helmets adorned with intricate designs as a symbol of status and prowess in battle.
Weapons as Symbols: Weapons are not only tools of warfare but also symbols of honor and status among the Aesir. Warriors take great pride in their weapons, which are often highly ornamented with intricate carvings, runic inscriptions, and symbolic designs representing their lineage and achievements in battle.

Funerary and Memorial customs

Traditional Aesir funerals often involve cremation, where the body of the deceased is placed on a funeral pyre and set alight. The flames consume the body, symbolizing the release of the soul from its earthly form and its journey to the afterlife. The smoke from the funeral pyre is believed to carry the spirit of the departed to the realm of the gods.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Their appearance reflects their harsh environment and lifestyle, with a focus on physical prowess and martial skills. Both men and women are expected to display strength, courage, and honor, traits that are highly valued in their society. As such, beauty among the Aesir may be defined by qualities such as muscularity, resilience, and confidence, rather than conventional notions of physical attractiveness. Additionally, their grooming practices, including daily grooming with antler combs, bathing rituals, and adornment with jewelry made from precious metals, contribute to their sense of self-esteem and status within their community.

Gender Ideals

Both men and women are expected to embody traits of strength, courage, and resilience. Men are traditionally seen as warriors and providers, responsible for engaging in warfare, hunting, and protecting their families and communities. They are admired for their physical prowess, martial skills, and ability to withstand the rigors of battle and survival in the wilderness.
Women, while not typically participating in frontline combat, are valued for their roles in managing households, defending their homes during times of conflict, and ensuring the well-being of their families. They are expected to be strong and capable, capable of defending their homes and children in the absence of men. Women who demonstrate courage, resourcefulness, and skill in domestic tasks are highly respected in Aesir society.
Overall, both genders are expected to contribute to the survival and prosperity of their community, each fulfilling different roles that complement one another. While there may be certain traditional gender roles, such as men engaging in warfare and women managing households, Aesir society values individuals based on their contributions and abilities rather than strict gender roles.

Courtship Ideals

Courtship often begins with mutual respect and admiration, as individuals seek partners who embody traits of strength, honor, and loyalty. Aesir men and women are drawn to those who demonstrate courage, prowess in combat or hunting, and a strong sense of personal integrity.
Physical attraction is also valued, with both men and women appreciating qualities such as physical strength, vitality, and health. However, traits like intelligence, wit, and resourcefulness are equally important in potential partners.
Courtship rituals may include acts of bravery or displays of skill to impress a potential partner, such as feats of strength or hunting prowess. Honor and loyalty are paramount, as individuals seek partners who share their values and are willing to stand by them in times of adversity.
Once a courtship has begun, it is often marked by mutual respect, trust, and support. Aesir couples may engage in activities together, such as hunting, feasting, or participating in communal rituals and celebrations. Marriage is typically viewed as a sacred bond, representing a union of two individuals and their families, as well as a commitment to building a strong and resilient community.

Relationship Ideals

The Aesir live by conquest. When two Aesir fight, the winner takes his choice of the loser’s women, children, and animals. Aesir men will have only one wife at a time. Anyone caught in adultery is stripped of his belongings, and forced to cross the snow plains naked. In this way they freeze to death and never gains his chance to reside in the Halls of Valhalla.

Playing an Aesir adventurer

Starting Arms & Armor: Dark Ages
Automatic Languages: Nordheimer, Trade Tongue
Favoured Tropes: Barbarian
Bonus Languages: Cimmerian, Aquilonian, Pictish, Hyperborean