Mørkland

[MŒRK-land]
Mørkland covers most of the western third of the Main Continent. It has no government and no laws. It has no capital and no places of interest. Mørklander tribes may trade with each other if they cross paths. The only people who live here are the tribes of people still clinging to the old ways of the Mørkgoths, and the only outsiders who go here are paladins (mostly Paladins of Vengeance) who come here to eradicate the Mørklanders.

Mørkland Culture

The "culture" of the ancient Mørkgoths survives today and it is as confusing to outsiders as ever.

Gender

Mørklanders have two genders, but they are not "male" and "female" in the traditional sense. Women that can prove themselves strong and masculine are accepted as "male", or Mørkgoth. They can take wives, raid, claim a portion of spoils, and own slaves. But the opposite is also true. Effeminate, weak, or combatively incapable men are considered "female" or slaves [SHLA-vəs].

Women, girls, and ergi [ƏR-gē] (feminized boys/men) are property of their husband or father until they are sold to another Mørkgoth. Slaves are forced to wear a small brass ring in their left ear to signify that they are owned by someone already. It's a huge taboo to harm, "use", or even give an order to another Mørkgoth's slave.

Sons or captured male children that are suspected of not being manly enough to be a warrior are forced to fight a child slave owned by the same Mørkgoth. If the boy wins, he is allowed to train as a warrior and become a Mørkgoth. If he loses (and survives) he is deemed ergi: he is now a slave and will take a slave earing. When he reaches puberty, his master will decide which of the three types of slaves he will become. In such a case, the girl who won the ritual combat is then considered a Mørkgoth, her earring is taken (her left lobe may actually be cut off above the earing hole to signify clearly her status), and she is trained to fight.

Type

Geopolitical, Country