Clan Name: The Shattered Moon Clan
Jarl/Chief/King Name & Description: Daigon Shadow-Caller, Jarl of Sepulchrave and the Gravemire
Alias: The Coward
Government Type: feudal petty kingdom
Non-Human Species Descriptions:

Gravemire Trolls: There are many varieties of troll found throughout Azoth, and they are particularly common in the hot-spring warmed boglands of the Gravemire, where plentiful lizards and fish can be hunted even in deep winter. Troll tribes make travel in Shattered Moon lands particularly treacherous, but the beast-tamers of the Clan have perfected the art of troll-slaving.

Armed and armored in crude iron -often their limbs are replaced with weaponry- and goaded by the lash of cruel masters, Shattered Moon trolls are fearsome beserker-troops in battle. Battle trolls and beastmasters with the skill to control them are one of the Shattered Moon's chief exports- hired for use in battle by other Clans, Drathan lords and even Salished commanders.



Giants: WIP

The Bog-Childer, "Boglings": Twisted abhumans not much larger than human children, the boglings may have been men once, but were mutated by millenia of exposure to Ichor springs in the Mire. Feral bog-childer tribes prowl the swamplands for carrion and easy prey, using rudimentary weapons as well as their talons to hunt. The Shattered Moon Clan have long used and bred (the females are grotesque bog-queens) domesticated Childer as slaves, servants and fodder-soldiers in battle, and regard them with affectionate contempt. Other Clans find the use of hundreds of chittering slave-fodder in battle unmanful, but the Shattered Moon has no such scruples.

A common rite of passage in the Clan is to throw an aspiring warrior, unarmed, into a fighting pit filled with half-starved boglings. Many a Shattered Moon thane, therefore, bears plenty of the tell-tale talon-scars and bitemarks from the Childer, but it is quite rare to come across a Shattered Moon warrior without at least one of the vile little monsters cringing at his side, awaiting his bidding.

Every few decades, boglings will become fashionable as pets or servants among the wizards of the Union, and the Shattered Moon will sell cages full of the creatures to the Southrons at huge profit, though they fare poorly in the harsh Ashlands where the Drathans dwell.



Location: The Gravemire



The Gravemire is a large region of boggy hill-land to the south of the low mountains of the Splinters. Hot springs and geysers keep the waters of the extensive swampland perpetually warm, even in the brutal northern winter, giving the Mire a fecund ecosystem capable of supporting many species of dangerous predators, including trolls, ichor-toads, and the man-eating swamp gaan, smaller cousins of the ferocious gaan lizards of the southern deserts.

Religion: The Shattered Moon worship the full pantheon of Broken Lands deities. Among the nobility, particular devotion is given to Harkon, Lord of the Night Sky & the Keeper of the Dead and his wife, Ylwan, Queen of Blood & Sorcery. Sepulchrave boasts the greatest temple to Harkon in all the Broken Lands. The Quiet Sisters, an order of priestesses devoted to Ylwan and the study of her Arts, house their biggest priory in Gravemire, under the patronage and protection of the Jarl. They are famed as healers, soothsayers, concubines and- it is rumored- necromancers.

Clan Description: The Shattered Moon are the ancient rivals of neighboring Clan Stonecutter, and have long been a major threat to the power of the Stonecutter line of High Kings. Proud of their ancient lineage and secure in their swampland base, the Jarls of the Shattered Moon Clan have long been a reactionary voice for the independence of the Clans from the decrees of Kingsport, and for the rights of the aristocracy against freedom for thralls and slaves.

It is only their repeated losses to the armies of Stonecutter and their allies, along with the occasionally greater threat of Salished invasion, that has kept Shattered Moon, however nominally, part of the fold.

Most recently, Shattered Moon armies were fought to a standstill by the battered armies of a young Aigoth Stone Foot, returning from Sentinel after beating back the most recent Salished incursion north. Daigon Shadow-Caller ambushed the battle-weary Stonecutter host, but Aigoth was able to rally his thanes and carve a path through the hordes of Shattered Moon boglings, trolls and thrall-soldiers to the treacherous Jarl himself. Daigon called a retreat as the High King neared his ranks, not wishing- according to the official Stonecutter account- to risk his line of thanes and picked clan-warriors in an even confrontation, earning for himself the moniker "Coward" that he carries to this day.

Aigoth exiled Daigon from the Broken Lands, and the Jarl spent the subsequent years of the High King's reign in the south with a band of one thousand of his most loyal men, serving the sorcerous dictator of Zar Dratha- Athalus daz Venym- as mercenaries. The Coward's Men, as the host came to be called, earned a fearsome reputation in the many internecine Drathan conflicts, skirmishes against the Salished Empire, and finally in the most recent war between the Union and the Empire, in which Daigon served the Union as one of its foremost generals, becoming infamous among the commanders of the Salished Empire.

In his absence, the Shattered Moon Clan remained quiescent, ruled by Daigon's wife Cythlla, who has proven herself to be a canny and ruthless politician, managing to outmaneuver an attempted coup by Daigon's younger brother Raas, whom she had eaten by swamp-gaans.

Since the end of the war in the South and the death of Aigoth, Daigon has returned with his battle-hardened legion, now composed not only of the original clan-warriors, but of sellswords from across Azoth who became loyal to the Coward during his many years in exile. Daigon so far has remained quiet, though his return in the midst of a power-vacuum has made many of the Clans wary.

[more to be filled in as the setting develops]

Important Characters:

Daigon Shadow-Caller, the Coward: Exiled Jarl of Gravemire, with the reputation as a skilled and seasoned commander. Daigon was rumored to have a knack for spellcasting well before his exile to the South and his many years of service to Drathan wizards.

Smiles the Bogling: Daigon's faithful servant and squire of many years, rumored to be kept alive for so long- and in conditions hostile to his kind-by sorcery.

Cythlla, Lady of Gravemire

(more to come)

Important Holdings/Territory/Possessions:

Sepulchrave & the Fanghall

Barrow Town

Castle Uderfrykte

Relation to other Factions: TBD

Leader

Jarl Geirlaug Åsmundottir, The Klyppr - 'Cutter'

Government

Jarldom ruled by the strongest and wisest of the clan, settled through combat and feats of intelligence.

Non-Human Species Descriptions:

Bloodaxe Clan of Giants
The Broken Hammer are allied with the Bloodaxe Clan of Giants who reside in the mountains to the North of the White Wood. The Bloodaxe are not found in great numbers but they're brutally strong and hunt in the White Wood where they clashed for generations with the Broken Hammer until, roughly a hundred years ago, peace was made in the interest of preserving lives on both sides.

The Bloodaxe Capital is series of large stone structures carved from spires and ridges of red rock in a remote mountain valley. They have no other settlements and rarely number more than several hundred in total. They take great pride in their ability to wield two handed weapons, and engage in great feats of strength that involve the throwing of large boulders, trees and captured enemies.

The mountains they inhabit are home to dozens of savage creatures, giant mammoths, fast and stealthy tigers, shaggy worgs, and numerous troll tribes and species that are forever engaged in battle with the Bloodaxe and Broken Hammer Clans.



Stonehorn
The Stonehorn are a massive four legged beast found in the harsher Northern climates. Their heavy fur pelts are greatly prized by Giant and Human alike for the warmth and durability they provide. The Stonehorn gets its name from its skull and the two massive horns that are a part of it, growing outward for a width of up to eight feet. The skull and horns are as hard as stone and impossible to pierce with any edged weapon. Heavy paws, wicked teeth, sharp claws, and a charge strong enough to shatter trees make the Stonehorn one of the most dangerous creatures in the North.

Hammertusk
A Hammertusk is a hulking four-legged beast that strides across the tundra of the North in small family groups of no more than five or six. It is a primordial creature that has survived since a bygone era through sheer stubbornness. It's tusks are highly prized for their toughness and the carvings that can be made from them. Few, however, have hunted a Hammertusk and lived to tell the tale.


The Great Mammoth
You had heard of the Mammoth no doubt, wholly with great tusks and a shambling gait. Well, the Great Mammoth is their cousin, a huge creature that serves as the Broken Hammer's primary mount. Moving in large herds and immensely strong, they can be found all across the North and are a prized animal for furs, and eating.

Dawnstarr Worg
Named for the Mountains they call home, the Dawnstarr Worg is a distant cousin to the common Wolf of the south. Domesticated for a thousand years by the Broken Hammer, they range at large in the wild in packs of five to twenty individuals and are more than capable of killing man and mammoth.

Gorger
Creatures and nightmare and legend, the Gorgers are a creature with a mindless instinct to hunt and kill whatever they can. Living deep in the caves and mountain caverns of the North, they are stealthy and cunning as any man. Thankfully few in number, they are easily capable of combating multiple enemies and eating the corpses of their foes.

Ogres
There are a number of Ogre Tribes that live in the region, most of them isolated in mountain valleys or hard to reach areas of the coastline. They hunt beast and human alike for food and are forever raiding Broken Hammer settlements.

Trolls
A general term used to refer to any bipedal creature that feeds on human flesh, is covered in fur, and can understand human speech. It is believed that the first Trolls were men gone mad in the Tundra from snow blindness and starvation since they are usually found in the darker places of the North. It is unknown if Trolls give birth to live young, or hatch from eggs, since no one is sure if they have male and female distinction, at least none the Broken Hammer have noticed.

Location:

The Broken Hammer inhabit the Northlands, in a region that borders on the frozen tundra, in the aptly named White Wood that stretches from the jagged Ocean of Tears to the savage Dawnstar Mountains. On the map of the region commonly used by Southerners, the Broken Hammer could be best described as inhabiting the peninsula to the East of the Bay of Storms.

Faith:

The Broken Hammer worship two main gods who are similar to those found in the Southlands, though they got by different names in the North. With conflict being such a major part of Broken Hammer life, it is not surprising that the Broken Hammer worship gods who reflect their harsh reality. There are numerous smaller deities, a few of which are note worthy.

Major Deities
Yngvild
The Goddess of Life and Rejuvenation, worshipped during the warmer spring and summer months. To Yngvild they ask for the blessing of life, birth, and enough food to survive the coming winters. Yngvild usually serves as the patron God for those who remain safe at home, farmers, mothers and children. Yngvild is often portrayed as a beautiful woman with long blonde hair, blues eyes, and a heroic smile.

Folkmar
The God of Death and Battle. Folkmar is portrayed as a hulking Broken Hammer warrior, part human, part skeleton. It is not surprising that there is a deity to reflect that harsh reality of the North where many children do not survive their youth, and every day brings new dangers and enemies. Warriors and those who are nearing the end of their life will turn to Folkmar for favour and guidance.

Minor Deities
Asfrid
Goddess of Brewers and Cooks. Portrayed as a large woman with a jolly smile, Asfrid is a popular figure amongst taverns and inns throughout the North.

Ulfheid
Goddess of the hunt. Popular among any and all who hunt the tundra, deep forest, or the oceans for food.

Starri
God of Tradesmen. The work of tradesmen and women within the Broken Hammer is held in high regard. Masons, Carpenters, Blacksmiths, etc. All of these skilled persons are required for the Broken Hammer to survive their hostile homeland. "Strong shelters and strong weapons make for a strong people" - As the old saying goes.

Clan Description

The Broken Hammer are a powerful Clan located in the North of the Broken Lands along the Ocean of Tears. This harsh and cliff strewn region has seen it's fair share of warfare as the Clan wages a never ending war with Pale-Men and the fantastic beasts that live among them. Broken Hammer longships slide from small rocky harbours to wage a savage war of hit and run raids on virtually anyone they can reach.

The Broken Hammer itself gets it's name from an Ancient Ones ship that lies in their principal harbour. The massive hulk, battered by never ceasing seas, bears a great broken hammer on the prow, a hammer that has long since lost its upper half and now lies embedded in the sand on the beach below The Jarls Hall is built into the old ones ship, a great hall of huge timber beams and fine stone work has been added to expand the hull.

The Broken Hammer are noticeably larger than their Southern neighbours, probably as a result of inbreeding with the Giants, Ogres, and even Trolls in the region. Some can reach twice the size of an ordinary human though they are certainly much smaller than the Bloodaxe Giant Tribe. Their skin holds a blueish colour to it, as an evolution to help them survive the ice and snow, or a product of something in their diet, no one is really sure. They wage war with brutal ferocity like all those in the Broken Lands, the strongest among them wielding vicious jagged headed hammers.



Within the Broken Hammer itself is a sub-group that chills even the stoutest of hearts. These men and women look Jotunn enough to first appearance but spend some time with them in the wild and you will see they are anything but. These are the Shanka, or skin changers as the common saying goes. They occur in nature when a Jotunn is forced, through choice, or necessity, to consume the flesh of a kinsman. Some say it is the Horned God who haunts the mountains and seeks new minions to tame but the Jotunn are a stubborn and terrifying race. Where lesser races might eventually give in and full embrace their monster form, the Jotunn are able to control it, moving between skins once a day.

Clan History:

WIP - Need players!

Regional Geography/Resources/Economy Details:

The Broken Hammer live in a region known as the White Wood, so called for the dense forest that extends from the tundra to the frost bitten south coast. Bordered to the north by jagged mountains and broken tundra, and the South and West by rocky cliffs with small natural openings that lead to excellent harbours. To their West is the great Bay of Storms, an almost perfectly round Bay with a volcano at its core infamous for the storms that spring up without warning. The region is rich in food, furs, iron, and excellent ship-building trees. Luxury items and slaves are rare however, leading to the Broken Hammer's many raids southward.

The Broken Hammer are hardly wealthy but they are comfortable in their region, having learned to live and survive within the limitations placed upon them by nature. That said, they are always happy to improve their lot at the expense of others.

Important Characters

Jarl Geirlaug Åsmundottir is the Jarl of the Broken Hammer Clan. She has earned the title through combat and cunning, as one must to be lead a people like hers. Tall, blonde, with a single sharp green eye, she is beautiful by any standards. Her otherwise stunning visage is somewhat marred by left eye being gone, pulped by an enemies sword pommel during a raid by Pale-Men.

Important Holdings/Territory/Possessions:

The Broken Hammer have two principal settlements, their capital of Hammerstone, built around the Ancient Ones ship at the very end of the Howling Fjord, and The Twins, a fortified city of stone and iron located at the heart of the White Wood. The two are connected by the Rauða River.

There are numerous smaller settlements located throughout the region, none coming close in size to either of the cities.

Relations to Other Factions

The Brazen Sword Clan: To the West of the Broken Hammer, pushed tight against the mountains, is the Brazen Sword Clan, a nation of tribal hill people who owe their allegiance to the Jarl of the Broken Hammer.

Post Catalogue

1. The Jarl arrives in Kingsport
2. The High Kings Hall
3. The Twins

---

Jarl: Jarl Evar Varvudda
Government Type: Jarldom
Location: Askan - One of the long peninsulas jutting off southeastward of the southern landmass.
Clan Description: Due to its proximity to the traditional centers of Drathan influence, Askan falls squarely in the middle of the orbits of the High King of the Fanghall and the wizard masters of the Bay of Teeth. The rulers of this land have traditionally used their position at the threshold of the Crooked Island for their own profit, usually by playing off the two civilizations or by serving as intermediaries betwixt such disparate cultures. Clan Varvudda is no exception to this rule. The wizard lords on the northern periphery of the Drathan world have an insatiable appetite for fair-skinned concubines and savage reaver mercenaries for their endless conflicts with rival Dratha; Clan Varvudda has been happy to meet Drathan demand in exchange for plenty of silver teeth.

The wealth of Clan Varvudda has not gone unnoticed, as the High King has always levied substantial taxes upon the Jarls of Askan. For decades, the Varvudda Jarls simply grumbled and paid their dues. But when Vizier Ghozirad and his flotilla of Salished barques landed upon the shores of Askan some forty years ago, the fortunes of the Varvudda Jarls were spent fortifying the Kingsport and Fanghall while the Salished hosts plundered Sentinel unmolested. Aigoth Stone Foot and his own host eventually drove the Rainlanders back across the Chain of Fire, but not until Askan was thoroughly despoiled. The current Jarl, Evar, had not even been born when the Salished attacked, but his father's furious lamentations made the situation abundantly clear. As Evar Varvudda understands, High King does not mean to protect Clan Varvudda but to hold them ransom. With his father's health seriously degraded, Evar Varvudda now serves as the Jarl of Askan, and he will ill tolerate seeing his clan ransomed any longer.



Clan History: Ancient sagas of the local Crooked Islanders attest that the Drathan peoples have long had some presence in the land of Askan. Long ago, a diaspora of lesser wizards left the Drathan homelands in the Ashlands in search of even less hospitable - and less contested - lands to rule. Drathan holdings spread north across the Chain of Fire, and at some point appeared as far north as the Crooked Isles. Zar Maliif, situated on one of the southernmost peninsulas, became a modest Drathan holding whose economy revolved around capturing native peoples and selling them as slaves to other wizard lords. For several centuries, Zar Maliff was likely the most advanced and populous settlement in all of the Crooked Isles but in a single afternoon, Zar Maliff was destroyed. When the nearby volcano Fyrghaalig erupted and a plume of toxic smoke and ash roiled down across the plains to the coast, all living beings in the city were snuffed out.

Native peoples soon settled the ruins of the Drathan city, and powerful warlords arose to dominate the deceased wizard's palace - a small cone volcano carved into a citadel by a century of slave labor. Under the warlords of Clan Varvudda, Zar Maliif rose from the ashes of the eruption to become Sentinel and to this day serves as the seat of power of Clan Varvudda.



Important Holdings/Territory/Possessions: Sentinel is likely the oldest continuously inhabited (excluding the fortnights following the eruption of Fyrghaalig) settlement in all of the Crooked Isles, and is also possibly the wealthiest. It is named for the 100 foot-tall tower of volcanic pumice-stone that serves as the residence of the Jarl. Carved from a dormant cinder volcano centuries ago by Drathan slaves, the Sentinel itself sits upon a fluvial island located at the mouth of a braided, shallow river. Situated in the southernmost reaches of the Crooked Isles, Sentinel is sometimes known to outlanders as the "threshold of the Crooked Isles" or, more pejoratively, "the ass-end of the civilized world". Of those few outlanders that travel to the Crooked Isles, most go no farther than Sentinel. It is an enclave of the outer world, frequented mostly by foreign traders buying furs, walrus ivory, or slaves.

Beyond Sentinel, there are a smattering of unremarkable hamlets and pitiful keeps across the Askan countryside occupied by petty lords owing fealty to the Jarl.


Regional Geography: Askan is, compared to the rest of the Crooked Isles, relatively hospitable. It is a rugged, windswept land with extremely variable topography. Flat coastal plains transition quickly to rolling hills and then to jagged peaks dominated by active volcanoes. Trees are uncommon in this realm, and the land is covered mostly in short, dense grass interrupted by the occasional tuft of brush or copse of scruffy, wind-stunted larches. The soil is rich and black from the ash from the numerous cinder cones scattered across Askan, making the land reasonably suitable for farming hardier crops. The peasants prefer starchy, unpalatable ashroot and graze sheep and cattle in order to maximize the extraction of calories from the land before the onset of the long, brutal winter that is scarcely mitigated by this land's location near the southern edge of the Crooked Isles.

Settlements:


Relation to other Factions: TBD

Earl (Jarl) Caiside Maedoc, Larla na Gàidhealtachd (Earl of the Highlands), patriarch of the reigning Brazen Sword Clan.


The Daoine govern themselves through a strict Jarldom/Earldom granted by the High King. The reigning Earl/Jarl has near-absolute power, save for being subject to the authority of the High King. The reigning Jarl rules from the hall of the Daoine hold, Àirde. Succession is very loosely based on heredity, however, being a clan which in a way considers all native inhabitants inherently related, it is more of a meritocratic process in which the reigning Jarl determines the successor based on skill and merit of rule. In the event that a Jarl dies before making a selection, the court in the hall in Àirde makes a selection by majority vote.

Subject to the Jarl are retainers and petty governors ruling hamlets, shires, and villages spread amongst the mountains. These governors retain a sort of autonomy, authorized to raise their levies and maintain local watches for local disputes, and as well allowed to collect taxes and goods shares.


WIP


In the highlands and valleys of the Dawnstar Mountains.



The Daoine worship all of the Broken Land’s gods, with citizenry generally dedicating their patronage to whichever god pertains to their particular profession. However, the most common god given dedication is Zasha, the goddess of fertility and agriculture, patron of shepherds, farmers, and mothers. This is largely due to the reliance on subsistence farming and sheep herding to produce food and clothing, along with the reliance of extensive families to assist with these professions. A large shrine to Zasha is present in Àirde, and the hold has adopted the goddess at its patron.


The Daoine Àrda (literally translated as ‘High Ones’, but often interpreted as Highland People) are a people living among the highlands, valleys, and peaks of the Dawnstar Mountains. They are pale, dark-haired people who have lived within the mountains for centuries. Hardy, broad, and, on average, shorter than other Humans, they have herded sheep, cattle, donkeys, and draft horses as primary professions as long as they have settled the mountains. Subsistence farming also had become prevalent in the last few centuries, with beets, radishes, carrots, and potatoes being the most grown plants.

As for the central rule among these people, almost all of the Daoine submit to the rule of the Brazen Sword Clan, reigning out of the hold of Àirde nestled in a valley among the Dawnstar Mountains. The clan was supposedly founded generations ago, through a story passed down orally detailing the exploits of the clan’s founder, Oengus Elisedd (sometimes changed to Oengus Maedoc to match the reigning Maedoc family). A simplified version of the tale is that Oengus founded the hold of Àirde by killing a giant who had subjugated the Daoine with a claymore, named Àirde, which was blessed by Yorvengaand. This claymore, often nicknamed the Brazen Sword, is the namesake of the clan. It is generally accepted this tale is some allusion to the raiding of Daoine lands by the Bloodaxe Clan of Giants centuries ago before they were pacified.

The lifestyle of the Daoine is heavily based around profession. Within the hold of Àirde, the only true ‘city’ of the Daoine, most residents are artisans and sorts of civil servants who often stay within the hold, living out their entire lives in permanent wood and stone houses. In contrast, the various hamlets nestled in the valleys based around farming consist of just that, farmers, loggers, and hunters which live in houses built by their own hand. Lastly are the people often viewed as ‘true’ Daoine, the nomadic animal herders and hunters which roam the mountains and valleys as to give their herds or prey ample grazing areas. They live in non-permanent homes made of animal skin, and generally swear little allegiance to any central authority. However, these nomads are becoming more rare, as subsistence farming and pasture rotations allowing for permanent animal pens become more prevalent.

On the military side of things, a system reminiscent of shire levies is in place, allowing for mobilisation of all able-bodied men in specific hamlets and areas based on need and the will of the Jarl/Earl. And by this system, no true standing force exists in the Daoine holds, save for the Jarl’s retainers and the local watches of petty hamlet and shire governors.


WIP


The geographic place defining the location of the Daoine is the southern portion of the Dawnstar range of mountains. The rolling hills, valleys, and jagged peaks house perhaps tens of thousands, with most concentrations of populations in permanent hamlets and holds nestled in valleys where they can be easily defended through chokepoints at both mouths to the valley. However, the ancient Daoine had not always done this, and before the rule of the Brazen Sword Clan, the subjugation of the Blood Axe Clan by the Broken Hammer Clan, and a reliable ability to subsistence farm, animal herders and hunters were all that existed, nomadic people traveling the highlands to allow their herds to graze and to find populations of animals. While subsistence farming, logging, and mining have partially replaced this lifestyle, many still honor it, traveling far and wide with expansive herds of sheep, cattle, and horses.

As for resources, the Daoine lands hold many. The staple of products from the highlands are fine wool, linens, and highland linden wood. However, in the last few centuries, as the Daoine people began to settle more readily. Raw iron, copper, and outcrop coal are being mined from the peaks of mountains, and though subsistence farming is now a reality due to use of exclusively high altitude crops, though exports of this food are rare due to them being just that, subsistence crops.

The economy of the Daoine is primarily based on barter, as it has been for centuries, however a system of bullion and currency by weight of silver, gold, and other precious metals is being gradually introduced and implemented by trade with the Broken Hammer Clan.



Earl (Jarl) Caiside Maedoc, the reigning Earl/Jarl of the Brazen Sword Clan. He earned the position through merit, and being the nephew of the previous Earl/Jarl, also of the Maedoc House. He secured good relations and trade with the neighboring Broken Hammer Clan in the early years of his rule, and is currently praised as an effective Earl/Jarl, however critics do claim that he sold sovereignty of the Daoine people to the Broken Hammer Clan.

WIP



Àirde is the only true ‘hold’ in the Daoine lands, and is the seat of power for the Brazen Sword Clan, consisting of a sizeable city of a few hundred residents perched on a large hill, walled in by wooden palisades reinforced by cobblestone crossmembers. In the center of the city, a second row of palisades protects the Jarl’s hall, which sits on the highest point of the hill, overlooking all surroundings.

Aside from Àirde, no true ‘cities’ exist, and not much comes even close, save for some sizeable hamlets and villages. These hamlets and villages generally are central to a valley, often named a shire and placed under the rule of local governors and retainers. These settlements range often from a few homes and fields in a mere divet, to expansive villages made of rows of huts, houses, and workplaces.



Broken Hammer Clan - Trade partners, in good relations. De facto a subject to the Broken Hammer Clan due to sea route access and otherwise the larger presence of the Broken Hammer Clan in the region.

WIP

Jarl/Chief/King Name & Description: Erlendr Guðrunarson, Jarl of Debensfeld
Alias: The Swift

Government Type: Petty kingdom

Location & Important Holdings: Debensfeld

• Capital: Kynnesburg - The capital of Debensfeld and seat of the Red Knot’s power.
• 1: Aldershaven
• 2: Ebbenford

Regional Geography/Resources/Economy Details: The territory of the Red Knot Clan is located along the west coast of the mainland, encompassing vast plains referred to as the central lowlands. This belt of land stretches from east to west across the mainland, south of the dense Nordland terrain. Many rivers run through its land, snaking from mountains further north out to sea beyond. The largest of these is the Weir, which bisects the province.

The region benefits from agricultural, forest and mineral resources. The lowlands contain swathes of fertile soils, in contrast to the forested Nordlands above and the peat-filled bogs below. Many mills take advantage of the Weir and other rivers. These produce flour, lumber, textiles and metal products.



Religion: Each god of the Broken Lands pantheon has worshippers in the Red Knot Clan, but Yorven and Zasha are the highest-regarded of them all. Warriors ride into battle with songs to the Bright God on their lips and decorate their armor with sigils of the sun. Zasha’s name is invoked by farmers and nursemaids alike - fertility both of the fields and of the womb. Debensfeld is regarded as particularly blessed, as the soil is rich in nutrients and well-suited to growing crops.

Clan Description: The Red Knot is a powerful and ancient clan, having dominated the west coast of the mainland for many generations. From this position, it conducts trade with neighboring clans and international powers daring enough to venture this far north. It sustains itself with swathes of arable farmland and industry that capitalizes on water-powered mills. This land, Debensfeld, has been the Broken Isles’ breadbasket for centuries.

The clan uses intricate knotwork to distinguish itself, always with red-dyed cord. This practice originated when the clan’s founder, Gaufrid Askelsen, tied a knot to symbolize unity among his subjects. So thick were the layers that by the time he’d finished, the knot could not be cut through with a swordstroke. Over time, the knot took on other meanings - the heart of Debensfeld, the fire of its people, a solar symbol of Yorven. To this day, knot tying is an integral facet of the clan’s culture.

The inhabitants of the lowlands have a strong equine tradition, using horses as draft animals, to plow fields, for transit and for warfare. The horses bred by the Red Knot are highly sought after and prized. When the clan marches to battle, it rallies around its heavily-armored riders, plumes of dyed horse hair trailing from their helmets. Originally inspired by the cataphracts of the Salisheds, Debensfelder horsemen are the pride of the clan.



Clan History: To be developed.

Important Characters:

• Jarl Erlendr Guðrunarson

More to be announced.

Non Human Species Descriptions: To be developed.

Relation to other Factions:

• The Stonecutter Clan - TBD
• The Shattered Moon Clan - The Red Knot has a poor relationship with the Shattered Moon. The Shattered Moon envies the Red Knot's arable fields from its boggy homeland. It has mounted incursions into Debensfeld in attempt to take it for themselves, but these have failed. These invasions are contributing factors to the Red Knot's support of the High King and a centralized Broken Isles. The enmity between the clans is further exacerbated by the Red Knot having taken significant part in the subjugation of Gravemire during the unification.

To be developed.

Clan Name: Grand Duchy of the Necroleste Islands
(The Duchy consists of the human Sawtooth Clan, Zimij tribe, and allied harpy tribes)
Jarl/Chief/King Name & Description:
The Grand Duke of Necroleste, Bozhda, is a tall, blonde man with a serious demeanor. He has been at work trying to quell the behaviors of dangerous harpy tribes like the Maldpas. Bozhda has a significant interest in the goings on of the Sawtooth clan in the mainland and considers Necroleste the ideal state to back their interests.

Alias: The Forgotten Isles

Government Type: Grand Duchy with varying control over indigenous tribes.
Non Human Species Descriptions:
Harpies are the indigenous people of the Necroleste Islands. Presumed to be an autochthonous people, the harpies exist in tribal organizations of varying loyalty to the Duke. For the most part, the rule of thumb is that the farther one goes from the Ducal Island, the less control the Duchy exerts over the tribes.

Notable Tribes:



Appearance of the Harpies:
Do not be fooled by their appearance, there is nothing human about them.

The Harpies are bipedal and stand erect much like humans do. Harpies are mostly covered in skin, with the usual colors ranging from a pale white to a ruddy, almost pinkish color. Harpies have eyes that range in color from blue to green or bright yellow. The Average height of a harpy is 4'7" (140 cm), with an average weight of 50 lbs (23 kg). Harpies have hollow bones due to their avian heritage, and as such are succeptable to broken bones more easily than humans or other races. Harpies have mouths filed with sharp teeth, that they constantly lose and replace throughout their lives. Harpies have wings that portrude out of their backs and are quite large, and fold back flat over the back.

Hair is an important trait for the harpies, as males have very bright colorful hair, with bright greens, reds, blues and other colors naturally growing, while females have brown, black, gray or other such neutral colors.

Harpies show very little sexual dimorphism, all looking feminine by human standards. Their voices are very high pitched and warbily, all sounding almost like young women. Harpy languages are noted for being full of clicks, whistles, ejectives and buccal sounds. As well, most harpy languages are tonal, another hint at their songnbird heritage.

Harpy society varies according to culture, but the general trend on Necrolest is toward matriarchal and matrilineal societies. Many societies in the Islands view the male harpies as excitable, emotional, and irrational, and that women possess naturally superior logical and intellectual abilities that make them better leaders and heads of household. Male Harpies usually take on roles such as laborers, soldiers, and hunters, which are regarded as lowly professions, while women take on roles such as farmers, communal childrearing, and leadership of tribes, as well as being viceduces to the Grand Duke. Many have noticed that Harpy societies emphasize looks and beauty for males, while emphasising reputation for women, and shun strong emotions in females.

Biology of the Harpies:
When the first colonists came to this land, they believe that it was inhabited only by women! Now we know that is not the case, and yet,
it is not hard to see why there are so many folktales about colonists trying to pursue a beautiful harpy, only to discover she is actually a man!

Harpies are a humanoid species with avian traits. It is believed that they derived from native avian life forms on the islands, and it is speculated that they share a common ancestor with the large, bipedal "terror birds" that exist all over the duchy. Harpies show very little sexual dimorphism, and the only immediately observable sign of their sex is their "hair" color, which comes in various bright colors for males, but very drab, neutral tones for females. Harpy hair is not true hair as in mammals, rather it appears to be a further development of avian feathers. The ancestors of the harpies began to transition their feathers into dense, hairlike pycnofibers around the same time the species began to become erect and develop a warmer internal body temperature. The immediate observation is that harpies have very dense "hair" on their head, and members of both sexes have very thick 'body hair' all over. The only remnants of their old feathers are on their wings and some vestigial feathers that grow along their arms and wrists.

Harpies do not have breasts nor do they give birth to live young, with female harpies laying one egg, preferably during the spring. Harpies do not have genitalia like humans or some other mammalian species, instead of having a system called a "duocloaca", in which the excretory and reproductive cloaca have separated, giving genitalia superficially resembling a mammalian vagina for both species. This has further pushed the myth that the harpies were a mono-sexual species when humans first encountered them. Harpy children are born roughly 2 months after the egg is laid, and are dependent entirely on their parent for the first year of their life until they develop into a self-sufficient state. Harpy children are born with teeth.

Location:

Necroleste, in spite of it's proximity to the mainland, has been devoid of a human population until the arrival of the Zimij, and is characterized by its massive coastal mountains in the north, and salt marshes and salt flats that make arrival in the few mountain passes impossible.



Religion:
Sawtooth Gods -
The Sawtooth pantheon is a leftover of their Brokenlander heritage. Among their deities, the two most important are Mora, the god of the stormy sea, and Torris, the god of storms. These two are appeased with sacrifices for ever clear skies and calm seas for the Necroleste, and for crushing storms for any looking to invade. As the Sawtooths become more and more Zimij like, Torris and Bozh are beginning to fuse into one deity.

Zimij Religion -
The Zimij are ancient, as are their gods. Lost to sands of time, they survived in a foreign land like their chosen.
The Zimij worship an exensive pantheon of deities that they imported from their original homeland. Chief among their gods is Bozh, a powerful sun god. Bozh is honored at a shrine erected some ways away from Chornagrad, with a massive wooden idol in his honor,as well as a site for sacrifices to the god. The worship of Bozh is a state religion that the duke wishes to impose on all of his subjects. Other minor deities worshipped by the Zimij include the fox goddess Liš, the dragon god Zel, the sky god Sviet, and the thunder god Kverk.

Vutsic Gods
The Gods of these lands are alien to us. They worship strange entities, and yet there are some familiar faces.
The primary god of the Vuts and related tribes is the sun god Itlé. Itlé is said to have grown the harpies out of his blood, which he spilled by slashing open his wrists and bleeding onto the islands, and where his blood spilled, the Harpies grew from the ground. Inté is thus worshiped by the spilling of one's own blood, with daily worship at the family shrine involving the cutting of ones own flesh with a knife, soaking of dry reeds in blood, and burning the blood for the smoke to rise and meet with Inté. Zimij gods such as Bozh and Liš are becoming popular, under nativized names of Votś and Rīś.

Maldpa Religion
Those things can hardly be called sapient. I am offended you would even call them animals.
The Maldpa are in service to various spirits they call the Tsaldedch. The Tsaldedch are divided into an individual Ldedch that is patron of each band. The Tsaldedch demand blood and war as their offerings. They feed in the misery and suffering of infidels, and thus the Maldpa are required to go out and wage war on unbelievers. Maldpa tradition dictates that the Maldpa consume their prisoners alive, creating specialized utensils for tearing living flesh off of prisoners of war. This practice comes from a legend of their chief Ldedch, Nyetsetch, who is said to have eaten his fallen enemies alive. The Maldpa religion calls for the sacrifice of other Maldpa, the consumption of the fallen as part of the ritual.
The Tsaldedch are described by the Maldpa as being reptilian, almost serpant like in their appearance.

Clan Description:
The people of the Necrolestes are the remnants of a now extinct mainlander tribe that migrated across the sea to the Islands of Necroleste after hopping from island to island looking for a new homeland. Added to their heritage are nobles of brokenlander extraction, the sawtooth clan. They are masterful sailors and have a reputation for being dangerous pirates, as well as traders and fishermen. Much of the human population lives in the wilderness as farmers, and etch out an existence in communal farming with their neighbors. Much of the clan is broken down into "bands", which are small familial groups that tend to live together in farming communities in the countryside. Allied harpies are also considered to be part of the clan, while those who are enslaved are considered outsiders under clan authority. A major goal of the clan is the subjugation or integration of all harpy tribes into the Necroleste Clan.

Clan History:

Arrival of the Zimij on Necroleste

In prehistory, the people of what would become the Necroleste Islands, were a fairly small tribe of people called the Zimij. Though war, the Zimij were nearly driven to extinction, with some members of the tribe taking to the seas and seeking refuge in various islands, though never staying in one. That was until they came across a very inhabitable island chain that they came to call Necroleste. These islands were pristine in a sort of splendid isolation, having not been touched by Humans ever before. The Humans came to colonize the islands, eventually running into the indigenous harpy population. The Harpies at first waged war on the humans, but were subsequently defeated and subjugated by the colonists.

The War with the Maldpa:
It was around this time that the humans came into contact with the Maldpa.

The Maldpa inhabited massive tracts of land in the south of Gard and were brutally hostile even towards other harpies. Human encounters with them ended with the death and consumption of several Zimij farmers by the hands of the Maldpa harpies. The Duke waged war on the Maldpa, and the battles have been ongoing since. The Harpies show little interest in ceasing their aggression towards the invaders, and likewise the Zimij and allies are unwilling to simply allow them to exist.

The Arrival of Hrorik and the establishment of the Petty Kingdom of Gard

Hrorik was a distinguished warrior of a Brokenlander clan called the Sawtooth Clan. Hrorik had made a few voyages to the far west before, eventually, he had come across the lands of the Necoleste islands. Hrorik was enchanted by the pristine condition of the Islands, and accepted a proposition by local Zimij warlords to ally with them as their king if he would destroy their enemies. Hrorik returned the next year with an army seeking glory. Hrorik and his Sawtooth Clan set about conquering the largest island, Gard, with Hrorik establishing his clan as the ruling nobility of the newly established clan. Thus the Sawtooths became the ruling class over the Zimij, at this time significantly different than their subjects, and maintaining connections to their Sawtooth kinsmen in the mainland.

Valdemarr the Great and the Establishment of the Jarldom of Necroleste
Among Hrorik's successors was the king known as Valdemarr, called Vladimir by the Zimij. Valdemar began the extensive centralization of the Kingdom, waging nearly 2 decades of bloody warfare on rebellious and unsubjugated harpy tribes, being the only Sawtooth king to conquer the Maldpa. Valdemarr also followed the decision of the mainland Sawtooths, pledging the fealty of the Necroleste Nobility to the High King, feeling that this would secure the Islands in the face of potential danger. Valdemarr thus began an extensive economic opening of the islands to outsiders, establishing trade routes to keep the islands relevant in the confederation. Valdemarr/Vladimir would be considered first true ruler of Necroleste, as well ad the last Brokenlander to be King/Jarl, as soon the nobility would become increasingly Zimij in their ways and culture.

The Grand Duchy and the decay of Necrolest
As time went on, the final Jarl would come to power, Oleg Vladimirasyn. Oleg came to view the Necroleste Islands as a Zimij enclave in a brokenlander union, but an integral part none the less. Oleg ceased to call himself a jarl, but a duke.

Oleg II marked the beginning of the gradual loss of ducal authority over the more rogue harpy tribes. While the Vuts and Bäws remained strongly loyal, and have been integral in maintaining the territorial integrity of the Duchy, however, the duchy has lost much of its reputation in the confederation, and the future remains uncertain with the ascension of Duke Bozhda, who is keen to solidify the ties between the mainland Sawtooths and back their interests in the new high king.

Regional Geography/Resources/Economy Details:
Necroleste is a chain of large temperate islands, dominated by a mixture of dry forests and grassy lands.


Wildlife
The animals of these islands are unlike any in the world, owing to the millenia of splendid isolation.

The endemic fauna and flora of the Necroleste Islands have had millions of years to diverge from the creatures of the main continent. Animals representing ancient forms, as well as completely new innovations have developed in the islands, with their separation from the nearest land being massive, and even separation from each other on the islands being significant. Necroleste had few large carnivorous mammals until the arrival of the Zimij and their domesticates, leading to unique creatures to fill the ecological niches of the islands.

Ungulates:
The first of the major mammals to arrive on the islands, ungulates have come to fill several niches in the island's ecology, and many were domesticated by the harpies for use as work animals, mounts, and food sources.



Marsupials and Non-Therians - Marsupials are a subset of mammal that birth essentially fetal young that develop externally in a pouch on the mother. Non-Therians are mammals that give birth to their young through the use of an egg.


Birds


Abominations:
In a place like this, is it any surprise entities like this would exist?

These creatures do not exist naturally, and are unfortunate mutants who exist by way of the Old One's influence.


Veles: The Beasts of the Sea
These things have inhabited waters around Necroleste for centuries. They're hostile towards anything, but they're far less active they were in the past but still pose a significant danger to travellers.
The Veles are a collection of monstrous beasts that live in the oceans around Necroleste. Mutated creatures, they are large, covered in tentacles and teeth, said to be capable of sinking entire ships with their tentacles. It is believed that they have begun to go extinct, as a decline in their numbers is thought to have made the migration of the Zimij, and the arrival of the Sawtooths possible at all.

Important Characters:
Duke Bozhda of Necroleste
Chief Tụś of Vuts
Chieftess Ara of Baws

Important Holdings/Territory/Possessions:
Chornagrad - The Ducal City and the capital of the Duchy. This is the home of Duke Bozhda and his family, and a city primarily inhabited by humans, though some Vutsians live here as well. The City was called Līgàvéqxe by the Vuts prior to the arrival of the Zimij. The Sawtooths called the city Svartgardr, which now refers to areas where the Sawtooths proper live.


Novopol - a large city at the crossroads of the two major rivers of Grad, serves as a trade hub for the island for goods on their way to the capital.

Tarukha - Called Ta'ruqxha in Vutsian, serves as the main port of the Grand Duchy. Is controlled directly by the duke rather than the Vutsian vicedux, though it lies in Vuts lands.

Solothaheim - A major port city that serves as a port for Necroleste Ships heading out of the duchy. Formally inhabited by the Solothi, before their enslavement and deportation.

Satonnheim - An enclave of Brokenlander Sawtooth culture in the Islands, the head of Sawtooth Island.

Relation to other Factions:
TBD

Clan Name: The Goldwood Clan

Jarl/Chief/King Name & Description: Florian, Son of Vasa. Chieftain of the Golden Grove.

"He's not a man! I refuse to call him a man! Boy, yes! Woman in disguise I'd believe, but not a man! I mean look at him he's just too... too... pretty!" - Aigoth Stone Foot upon meeting the fist meeting of the two men, according to the high king's cup bearer.

Florian is the youngest clan leader in the broken lands at the moment if you don't count young Aigoth II. Lithe of body and soft of voice and quick to smile. Given the relaxed way he holds himself and how quickly he takes to pouring honey in the ears of pretty young women some would say he'd have made a better skald than a chieftain in one of the wilder parts of the Broken Lands. Those people haven't seen him in his quiet moments, when his eyes look far too old for one so young or heard the stories of what he'd done before coming to The Grove to claim the place of chieftain.

Some say he went looking for the mountain wisdoms to trade for their dark knowledge. Or that his mother bathed him in ichor when he was a baby and he came out looking normal but broken in some way on the inside. That he had to flee the south after seducing the Emperor's wife. That he's actually the bastard son of a wizard lord. That he knows the ways of magic and speaks with demons in the moonless night. If Florian hears these stories he ignores them.

Rarely seen getting angry, even when going to battle he stays quiet and shoulders the golden longbow that marks him as Chieftain.

Alias: Fox Blessed

Government Type: Scholars might call them a theocracy. The place of the chieftain isn't a hereditary one. When the old chief dies aspirants join the druids in The Grove and are lead into the untrod places of the island's forests to be tested. No one speaks of what the tests are, seemingly each man is sworn to secrecy, assuming he survives. Those that return must then climb the golden tree that gives the clan its name and claim the bow that has served all their chiefs since the beginning. Many do not try after experiencing the tests. Those that do must fight it out among each other, their blood and flesh is left to feed the great tree.

Non Human Species Descriptions:

Hagravens
Sometimes called Salt Harps for how often they nest around the sea cliffs. Some travelers think that these are cousins to the Necroleste harpies, made feral and twisted by the curses of the Old Ones. Luring them out and shooting them out of the sky has become a sport among the men of The Grove. Their archers are always keen to fletch their arrows with these dark feathers or wear them as a cloak. Like their tropical kin the males have much brighter plumage. Unlike them they are much larger and fewer in number (Florian believes they hunt like lions, whatever those are) making them saught after prey and a bright feather cloak a mark of pride in the Goldwood Clan.


Selkies
Stories of them turning into beautiful women are lies! They will attack small fishing boats and children or lone wanderers by the shore. Their skins do make good pelts though, and there's good eating on them. Once a year they're allowed to come ashore and the clan lets them trade fish. A smart chief will use this chance to learn what word is being spread about the sea.


Elves
The little people of the forest. Rarely ever appearing before people but always watching from their hidden places. The old story says you should leave honey and milk mixed with blood out for them if you want to earn their favour. Never do this! If you give them something they'll only come back for more. Keep some charms on you to keep them away or they'll bring disease on your house.



Religion: All gods are honoured in Goldwood lands. ALL of them! Be they the grandest of the pantheon or a minor spirit. The clan has two major religious sites on their lands that attract pilgrims all year round.

The Stone Wall - A series of huge standing stones that line the island's eastern coast. Each one is decorated with carvings and painted images of a different god that has weathered the test of time. Some of these stones have outlasted the gods they were made to worship but many still attract their worshipers. Each one serves as its own outdoor shrine with offerings and prayers being left at their feet. Stealing from them is a death sentence. History says they were here before the Clan settled the island.

The Grove - The heart of the island. Ruins of the Old Ones that were razed to the ground and reclaimed by nature. At its core is a towering oak with golden bark and leaves. If this was not a sign from Zasha then what else could it be? While everywhere else on the island is wild and untamed The Grove is calm and the animals within are placid. It quickly became a place of great spiritual importance to the Broken Lands as devotees of the goddess flocked to it. The way the lands around the tree seems to be preternaturally fertile and kind to human life has given the druids that claim it a great deal of power on the island. Some say when the grove is silent you can hear the buzzing of a queen bee that Zasha set free in there.

Clan Description: Considered backwards wild folk, even to the clans of crooked clans. Many see the Goldwood warriors as savage at best and dishonorable at worst. The clan rarely leaves their island for war but when forced to defend their land instead of standing their ground in a proud shield wall they disappear into their woods. Ambushing their foes with silent hunters raining arrows on them from hiding or bursting from the green as wild eyed berzerkers fueled by mushrooms and magic smoke. Those that ply the sea move in swift longboats and prefer to do their raiding by night, taking no prisoners. Since the island has few mines of its own they must trade for much of their metal. Since it can be expensive many of their men forgo chainmail, making their fleet footed light infantry even swifter across gound that would drag down heavier troops. Even stranger they often call on Ulfheid instead of Yorven when going to battle.

The people of Goldwood island are a deeply spiritual bunch. To them the gods and spirits are not a distant thing to be given lip service to. They are close at all times and lurking around every tree, along with whatever is going to try to eat them next. They wear protective bone charms like it's going out of style and consider wearing the pelt of something you didn't kill yourself a major faux pas.

Clan History: [pls work with other players- our clans are all part of a single confederation, there will be a lot of shared history]

Regional Geography/Resources/Economy Details: The Goldwood Island is made up of boreal forest with most of the island's surface being covered in pines and spruce trees. This dense wild land provides the locals with plenty of materials to build rugged structures from but it also provides plenty of dense forest for feral beasts and dark creatures to make their den.

Beyond that their supply of natural resources are rather limited. Their most famous exports are the golden mead and honey nurtured from the bees of their sacred grove. This ichor mutated breed makes stuff finer than any in the known world it seems and the druids keep the secret of how they tamed them close. Fighting over third place are fine wood carvings, be it furniture or sacred charms, whale and selkie ivory, pelts from those same selkies and salt harps.

Bizarrely for a place so full of man eating animals they attract a lot of tourism from pilgrims and explorers to their holy sites, something the local traders are happy to take advantage of.

That still leaves them poorer compared to the clans that are rich in metal and stone. Slaves are almost nonexistent since most land owners of the clan deem them more trouble than they're worth (given how easily they're eaten in the woods) making them a mark of great wealth to those who try buying them. Naval trade has started going up in the years since Florian took over as he's commissioned the building of more longships to solidify his clan's control over trade through the Windroot Straits.

Important Characters: Florian, Chieftain of the Goldwood Clan.
Sathulda, A quiet sister from the Gravemire temple. Kept as Florian's seer and all other things her sisters are known for.

Important Holdings/Territory/Possessions: The Grove. A holy site dedicated to Zasha. Known for its giant golden tree growing from an Old Ones ruin.

The Stone Wall. A long row of Giant standing stones on the eastern coast of the island.

Ulfarrsted. The closest thing to a city on the island. Built on the coastline a walking distance away from the Stone Wall and serving at the main port of the straits. Florian has made it his mission to improve the settlement and drag his new clan onto the same level as the others.

Relation to other Factions:
The Shattered Moon: The two clans haven't traded with each other and are too far apart to bother raiding yet when Florian visited in the past Lady Cythlla covered all the costs for him to take away a quiet sister. He and the Coward talk as if they know each other. Are they allies or do the two just have a mutual agreement to push each other's mysterious reputations.

The Red Knot: Currently trading partners. The Goldwood island has little arable land and looks to trade with the bread basket clan. Florian is also interested in getting more horses.

Clan Varvudda: Currently trading partners. Florian is looking to improve relations with the other southern clans and the two may have a mutual arrangement with regards to foreign trade or reaving.

Chief Name & Description: Elgar One-Hand

Government Type: Tribal Chiefdom

Non Human Species Descriptions: [Clans are mostly human, but non human allies/slaves/etc are allowed with GM approval]

Location:

Regional Geography/Resources/Economy Details:
Once pushed out of the more bountiful lands to the south, the Vile Heart now mainly inhabit a marsh-like tundra region on the mainland’s northern coast. In the long winters that reign here the perpetually drenched earth freezes up and yields almost no life. In the brief summers that follow, the terrain becomes a swampy death trap of treacherously deep ponds and soft mud that threatens to devour a man whole. Fresh water can only be found in the south, where the glaciers of the southern mountain range feed into icy cold streams that will keep the coastlands drenched and wet for centuries to come.

Life is harsh along the Misted Coast, but the people who have been pushed to these vile climes have learned to adapt. Constructing enclosures walled by dikes, they carve out humble islands that are drained and made livable for cattle and crops. Piece by piece, the tribes of the Red Marsh work to reclaim the land and make it tolerable, if not wholly livable.

The most noteworthy aspect of the Red Marsh is the ubiquitous, ancient ruins found all throughout the region. It is suspected that once a large city of the Old Ones stood in this place, but centuries of neglect and swampland rot have sunken the ruins below the water and the soft earth. All that remains are the tallest structures and towers, jutting out of the cold waters at odd angles. Many of these can still be entered, and if one follows them down one can descend beneath the earth to where the rest of the city is buried. It is a lightless pit where the ghosts and demons of a fallen age still haunt and relive the agony of their final days. Few men muster the bravery to venture below in search of ancient artifacts – none return.

On the opposite side of the Howling Bay, a steep icy cliff rises out of the water. Beyond it lie only snow and death, as far as anyone knows; for those are the lands of the pale-men, and those who venture into the snowstorms never return.

Their home land is poor in resources, barely enough to sustain a people, except in one respect: the Red Marsh and its many ruins are strangely resplendent in Ichor which is not only prized by their wicked witches, but also used to bargain with other clans – and, if rumors are true, even with beast men – for favors and resources. What’s more, the urban remains that fill the marsh are an excellent source of Old One relics, most of which are worthless baubles but whose mystical origin might nonetheless make them desirable to collectors and decadents.

Clan Description:
The Vile Heart are one of at least a dozen splintered tribes that inhabit the northern wilderness. Although sharing in a vaguely blood-related heritage, they nonetheless spend much time feuding with one another over petty conflicts of land, honor and wives. Not so long ago, the great clans hardly knew who these people even were. It was only when, about four generations ago, the tribe vigorously assisted the Stonecutters in driving a significant pale-man incursion back into the blasted northlands that they were recognized as a legitimate clan at all. As thanks for their unexpected – but ruthlessly efficient – aid in the battle, a then young king Aigoth permitted them to sit at his table.

They are, in all respects, less developed than most people in the Broken Lands. Decades of isolation have cut them off from technological developments and rendered them culturally aloof. At best their mannerisms are considered mildly amusing and curious. At worst, they are seen as barbarians who share more in common with the beast men they so despise than they might realize. They have no true industry to speak of, nothing on the level of the Red Knots in any event. Their greatest industrial feat is the ability to carve out patches of dry land from an otherwise perpetually soaked marsh; for the rest they are a relatively primitive mixture of farmers and hunter-gatherers.

Although they have access to some iron from the nearby mountains, they nonetheless regularly employ bone and stone for simple tools like knives and arrows. Swords or iron tipped spears are considered a luxury, reserved for the strongest warriors. Metal armor is practically unheard of. Unsurprisingly, when it comes to warfare they prefer to avoid open conflicts, lacking both the numbers and the equipment to wage open field battles. When disaster compels them to do battle, they will seek every avenue possible to ambush, harass and weaken their enemy from the darkness. Should they be able to demoralize and thin out an enemy enough to actually defeat them in battle, they will take as many prisoners as they can. The Vile Heart greatly prize the possession of slaves, not least of all because of the circle of witches, whose frequent demands for blood can quickly thin the available stock. This is also the origin of their name: they are said to have the blackest hearts of all the northern tribes people because of the particular viciousness of their blood sacrifices.

Religion:
The northern tribes all put much stock in animistic druids and shamans, but none of their wise men and women compare to the veritable cult that has established itself amidst the Vile Heart. A group of women, all hand-picked because of their alleged pale-man ancestry, practices its cruel rituals atop the largest surface-level ruin in the Red Marsh: the Iron Gardens, named so because of the massive, hideous tree of pure iron that grows atop the pyramidal structure. No man can say what it is or what perversion of natural law can allow it to exist, but the witches – as they are sometimes fearfully called – believe that it is a fledgling god in need of care and nourishment. One day its chrysalis will burst, and the Vile Heart will be rewarded for their diligence while their enemies will become slaves and corpses.

Some will say that it is superstitious madness borne of the desperation of a people driven to the edge of extinction. But Azoth is a dark world, filled with ancient demons alive and dead, and those awaiting their rebirth. The question is not if the Vile Heart are delusional. The only question is, if the men of the Broken Lands can afford to believe this.

Clan History: [pls work with other players- our clans are all part of a single confederation, there will be a lot of shared history]

Important Characters:
Elgar One-Hand
A man covered in scars, most of them claw and bite marks, whose dogged joyfulness never wanes; even in the face of death. After a dreadful encounter in the stygian abyss beneath the Red Marsh, he emerged from the blackness a changed man: optimistic and full of life, a man thankful for every day he is still allowed to breathe. So horrible were the things he has seen, he seems incapable of fear any longer, as he boldly cuts a path through Pale-Men whenever he has to face them, never once even flinching at their shrill screams.

His days as a warrior are near their end, however; age is catching up to him, and his many wounds old and new – chiefly, his missing left hand – are making the warrior’s life ever harder. What he enjoys most these days is spending time with his family and grooming his potential heirs. An agreeable, if unscrupulous man who is well liked not only amongst his kin but amongst outsider clans too – if only because he sets a positive example for the otherwise dour and aloof tribesmen.

The Witches
Rhawn the Wicked
A striking woman whose greasy black hair drags across the floor, she conveys an air of the tribal and primitive, the very essence of the northern tribes: clad in furs and coarse cloth and adorned with ornaments of bone. Although she can appear coy and reserved, she is pleasant to talk to; at least, if one isn’t her slave. She earned her name through her vulgar displays of power. Malcontent with merely sacrificing servants, she humiliates them and basks in the authority she enjoys. Some say she does it to combat – and fuel – her self-loathing.

Aderyn the Versed
She diligently studies the language of the Old Ones, and the properties of Ichor, and takes great pride in her deep knowledge. Somewhat socially aloof, she will nonetheless go out of her way to criticize and educate others if they are wrong about something she believes she knows better. She always seems a bit on edge, possibly because of the portentous things she has learned, and has a tendency to drug herself into a stupor with a self-brewed concoction of herbs and Ichor when the fear becomes overwhelming. When asked about the brew, she claims that it helps her gain cosmic inspiration.

Seren the Morose
An odd duckling amongst the witches – not only because of her bright blond hair – Seren is most often found in a sour mood. She strongly disagrees with the Vile Heart’s tradition of slave-keeping and would much prefer to use animal sacrifices to nourish the iron tree. Sometimes she even frees some captives, when no one is watching. Nonetheless, her ideas are most often met with derision and contempt, and her intrepid little escapades of freeing sacrificial slaves are only mildly punished. Powerless to change the ways of her people, she sulks.

Mairwen the Fearful
The second-youngest of the witches, Mairwen is but a teenage girl who is struggling as much with occult ritual magic, and the dark gods that are called by it, as she does with her own budding womanhood. Aside from a few well-trusted confidantes, Mairwen is crippled by social anxiety and makes a poor conversationalist; she is far too caught up in her own world to care for someone else’s. She flourishes best when left alone where her creative genius can unfold. Having been introduced to writings of the Old Ones by Aderyn, she has developed a frightening knack for crafting new and ever more complex runes using their language. She has no idea what any of them mean, and most of them are merely signs, but who knows… perhaps one day she will craft the end of mankind, or decipher its salvation.

Nerys the Godless
The youngest and most terrifying of all the witches, Nerys is speculated to have so much Pale-Man blood in her veins that there is hardly anything human at all in her. She is still a child, barely approaching her teens, and already her desire for causing pain and suffering are equal to none. Few men remain unaffected by the sight of a young girl gleefully cutting shallow lines into a screaming prisoner, and even the other witches worry what she might become in ten years.

Carryl the Selfless
Garwen the Avaricious
Arianell the Belligerent

Important Holdings/Territory/Possessions: [describe your settlements, limited to 3-4 cities, max, plus as many lesser holdings as make sense for your Clan]

Relation to other Factions:

Clan Name: Clan Runecarver
Jarl/Chief/King Name & Description: Jarl Erik Runecarver
Alias: The Listener
Government Type: Puppet Jarldom, backed by the matriarchal Trowe.
Non Human Species Descriptions:

Trowe: Said by many to be related to elves (although Trowe take offense to be compared to them, much like a human takes offense to being compared to a monkey), the Trowe are a secretive, long-lived race of abhumans who are indistinguishable from people at first glance save their pointed ears. They are usually fair-skinned and considered beatiful by human standards, although they are anything but (as the own Trowe claim). The trowe bleed blue blood, and their thoughts and whims are usually poorly understood by humans.

Trow society is matriarchal, and they consider most races in contemptuous regard as mindless beasts, with the notable exceptions of the Dratha and sometimes, human. They are specially disgusted with Pale Men, and hatred runs deep towards the degenerate creatures. Before these Pale scourges, Trowe will gladly set aside their pride and unite against the common foe.

Trowe are considered unusually skilled, due to their long lives and the opportunities to learn and master different fares. After all if a human lived for three hundred years or more without suffering the ailments of old age, they would be as skilled as Trowe. They have a certain affinity to manipulate Ichor and Old Ones' technology, but they are loath to admit it in front of strangers. Trowe believe they are the true inheritors of the Old ones and guard their secrets with zeal.


Halfbloods: Among the Runecarver clan, the term refers to the hybrid offspring between Trow and Human. Halfbloods are usually indistinguishable from normal human with the exception of having a darker, murkier blood color and extended lifespan. Trow employ halfbloods as emissaries frequently to manipulate things behind the scenes, and it is rumoured that even the Jarls of the Clan are halfbloods.

Leviathans: It is said that only the most stout of men tangle with the Pale Ones, giants and trolls, but none are so foolish to tangle with the Terror of the Seas incarnate. Leviathans do not care about men. They do not care about Pale Men, Gods or Demons. The oceans are their home, and everything that crosses their waters is for them to ignore or devour. Surprisingly, or perhaps unsurprisingly enough, Leviathans are actually known to leave humans for the most part alone, as long as they are left to their own devices. Indeed, even a longship would be insignificant for these great beasts. However, these fierce creatures are known to attack humans if they are roused or one stumbles upon their breeding grounds.

One of such places is located west of Windcaller's Folly, and makes the exploration westward into the great beyond a treacherous voyage of no Return.

Leviathans are related to Whales and Dolphins, are highly intelligent, and can form bonds with humans, thus allowing them to be trained, technically. However in order to do so, a leviathan calf must be separated from their mother and trained for decades, which implies that only someone really foolish or longlived could ever hope to achieve such a feat.

Crag Trolls: Crag Trolls are to be known to be one of the most pitiful and stunted species of troll. Living as scavengers to snatch rotten food from the tides, they are tall and gaunt creatures, larger than a grown man, with gray stone-like skin that clings to their emaciated bones. Solitary by nature, Crag trolls aren't much of a threat save to isolated fishermen, and are considered a pest rather than a threat in the most populated areas of the islands. Some islanders even hunt them for food, whom they consider an aphrodisiac after detoxifying the otherwise poisonous flesh by rotting it in seawater for weeks.

Sirens: Creatures related to harpies, the sirens used to rule the skies of the Tempest islands before they were colonized. Sirens tend to have smaller bodies than harpies, but a slightly longer wingspan in comparison. There is little sexual dimorphism among them, females being only distinguished from males due to a pair of brown-colored stripes under the eyes. Both sexes have a plumage that is mostly composed of blacks, greys and whites.

Sirens are intelligent and gregarious, and it is a known fact that they can employ human speech and even humanlike singing. This gave rise to the fact that these birds maliciously lure human ships with their call to feast in the carrion of shipwrecks, but no actual proof of that has been found.

Nowadays wild Sirens can only be found on the smaller uninhabited islands. However, the people of the Tempest islands have been breeding these creatures for a long time to harvest their feathers and meat. Females are also sought as prized slaves, due to their near-humanlike singing. Males are considered little more than poultry.

Location: Tempest Isles


Religion: The Runecarvers, although not the most religious sort, pay homage to the Gods of the Broken Land. Worth noting that the cults of Harkon and Ylwan are the most prominent among this clan.

Trowe religion, if it exists, is even more mysterious than the abhumans.

Clan Description: Clan Runecarver is not as old as many clans in the Broken Islands, having supplanted the fallen clan Stormraven in mysterious circunstamces. Fundamentally islanders, they are politely indifferent and neutral to most affairs, and rarely do seek out active war or to press on vendettas. Most if not all clan members are literate, and a sizable fraction of them have a passing knowledge of several subjects. They favour intellectual pursuits and exploration rather than reaving.

As such, Runecarvers have a small, but rather versatile flotilla of longboats as well as longer more ocean-worthy ships, and they spread themselves far and wide through the Broken Lands, always keen to exchange information or barter. Runecarver clan has served the High King with effectiveness...outside the battlefields. Indeed, while not a particulary mighty clan, the Runecarvers have been Royal Scribes, Tax collectors, Lawmen, Skalds and Healers. Clan Runecarvers are also excellent builders and masons, and have been commissioned in the past to create some of the structures throughout the domains of the High King.

Runecarver society is extremely influenced by their non-human allies, the Trowe, and such, women are at least equal if not more powerful than men, and Halfbloods are considered in good regard, albeit sinister in certain ways. Likewise, they see battle as a necessary evil, rather than a glorious endeavour. This makes them poor frontline warriors, but dreaded as spies, scouts, siege engineers and tacticians. The Runecarver clansmen also have high quality weapons and armor, thanks to their own hoarding of technology as well their non-human allies.

Clan History:

Regional Geography/Resources/Economy Details: Situated in a rather isolated but fairly well supplied island (although their food is far from traditional), the Runecarver cannot boast a wealth of resources, nor of military manpower. Indeed, while the lands have enough to maintain a sustained population and even a modest army, the only remarkable thing is that they're more or less self-sufficient in their basic needs, and they receive enough trade to supply the rarer fare. Runecarver clansmen, however, are known for their vast hoard of knowledge, both modern and past. Their runic scriptures, which can be seen all throughout the stones of the islands and, more recently, in the books of their vast library in the keep, are a comprehensive overview of the history of the Broken Lands.

One could say that the major Runecarver trade is runes, scriptures, and knowledge, both new and ancient. Runecarver clansmen even wage wars to obtain new artifacts, learn new techniques or implement new technologies.

The diet of the Tempest islanders is filling yet bizarre and often considered disgusting by many people. Seaweeds take the place of vegetables, and there is scarcely any meat, but plenty of fish and seafood. Dairy products are limited to some small herds of sheep and goats that can brave the odds grazing these islands. Meat, cheese and wine are considered delicacies.

Important Characters:

Jarl Erik Runecarver "the Listener": The latest Jarl to be chosen and leader of the clan, Erik is a young-looking but amicable and level-headed man. While he is no craven nor weakling, Erik prefers using the diplomacy of the tongue rather than the blade. His ability to keep his politeness and composture even in the most brazen of provocations is well known.

Headmistress Halja Trowe: A known halfblood, Halja is the most important scholar and the head of the vast library and runic knowledge compendium that exists in Runestone Keep. She is even privy to some of the Old Ones knowledge that Trowe have access to, and usually one of the few humans most Trowe would dare to listen besides the Jarl.

"Longshanks": The Trow nicknamed "Longshanks" is the one most likely responsible for Trow sightings both inside the lands of the Runecarver and outside. A reputed male Trow, a rarity among his kind, he is a seasoned explorer and adventurer, always running about to gather information and get a pulse of the world. It is rumoured that alongside the Rune Witch, participated in the war against the empire by aiding the Dratha.

"Rune Witch": The de facto leader of the Trowe and the oldest of them all (some say of the entire clan, given how much sway she has over the Jarl), it is the second most sighted Trow of the Runecarver land. A woman of great wisdom and knowledge, she is no stranger to the dark arts, and her wrath is rumoured to be only equal to her beauty. Some say that many a RuneCarver Jarl has been an hybrid get of hers, and that she likes to keep young burly men as pets like one would keep dogs. She is also rumoured to have participated alongside Longshanks in a joint venture aiding the Union.

Important Holdings/Territory/Possessions:

Runestone Keep/The Vault of Secrets:Runestone Keep and the adjoining town settlement and port accumulates a great deal of the entire population of the islands. The seat of the Jarl, Runestone is an ancient towering castle built upon a dead volcano, and heavily ornated with Runic scriptures, hence the name. It is said that the settlement had been continuously inhabited for centuries, and that the Runecarvers are the newest lords of such a place. Atypically for a Northern settlement, the Runestone Keep hosts an University and Library, where scholars impart and gather knowledge of all known things to man. However, underneath the Keep and the settlement, another exists. The Vault of Secrets of the Trowe, a veritable underground citadel situated inside the massive cave that was the magma chamber of the volcano. Here, guarded by thick, titanic walls of hard stone, the Trowe dedicate themselves to their fare,conscious than the underground complex keeps the danger of Ichor and the Old Ones relics inside as much as it keeps the meddlesome humans outside.

Windcaller's Folly: The second most important settlement of the Tempest Islands. Originally a whaler and fishermen town, the settlement came to importance as the Trowe erected a monument to their lost Queen, Windcaller, who once set sail from that point to never come back. Nowadays it is a place of solemn acts, and it hosts the major religious cults of the islands. The Greater Ossary, made entirely of the bones of dead Leviathans and humans alike, host the deceased Jarls of the Runecarver clan, as well as their Trowe allies. The ground is believed to be hallowed, and it is here that the priests and priestess of Harkon and Ilwan have their place.

Relation to other Factions:

Clan Name: the Knarrlings
King Name: King Halvard Storstrand
Aliases: The Fisher King, Krakenkiller, Bonewhisper, Farsailer, Quickaxe, Seascorn, Manyfather

Government Type: More of a cultural identity then a government. Each community has its own chief, but amongst them they elect their 'King,' whose primary duty is collecting the tribute from each community that the Knarrlings then would pay to the High King. This position lasts for nine years and King Halvard has held this role for the last eight.

Non Human Species Descriptions: The Knarrlings trade with an aquatic people they call the Merrow. While roughly humanoid in shape they are far from it, with long powerful tails and monstrous heads they are inscrutable neighbours, as likely to attack a fishing vessel as leave it alone. The Merrow will often trade precious metals such as gold and silver or gems in exchange for steel and iron goods, usually weapons. There's a suspicion that the Merrow undertake their own wars deep beneath the water, though the Knarrlings dare not whisper of who they fight.

Location: To be decided.

Religion: Similar enough to other clans of the Broken Lands, though with an emphasis on sea and weather deities and spirits.

Clan Description: The Knarrlings take their name from the knarre, a particular design of longboat they prefer to fish and trade in. Smaller then the monster headed longships that many other clans prefer, they're well suited to then shallower waters between their islands and traversing up waterways inland. As a people, they are short and thin but wiry strong with hair bleached and skin darkened by the sun on the water.

Due to their homes being built into strange ancient depressions left by the Old Ones, the Knarrlings tattoo themselves with strange diagram-like lines that have been found there, the men favouring their arms and chests while the women prefer their legs and faces. The older members of their clan are covered in these strange markings, and also possessed of many names, given to them by their peers.

Until the peace brought by the first High King, the Knarrlings took up the favoured occupation of the Broken Lands: raiding their neighbours. While capable warriors, as a people they now prefer trade with their neighbours both human and otherwise, as well as gaining a great bounty from the sea. In the last decade, growing wealth has enabled them to grow in population and spread through their lands. Having never been a great people, they now have the chance to seize the opportunities available from this chaos, and a King ambitious enough to try.

Clan History: Once raiders, a man known as the King Who Kneeled submitted to the High King. Since they have been mostly traders and craftsmen, though the occasional skirmish is not a rare thing in the broken lands.

Regional Geography/Resources/Economy Details: The Knarrlings live on rocky coastlines and wind scoured islands. They make their homes in square rocklike depressions said to be left by the Old Ones with roofs made of driftwood and dry seaweed. Despite their coastal nature and lack of mining, the Knarrlings are rich in gold and silver from their trade with the Merrow. They then buy rough iron, smith it into what their watery allies desire and exchange it for treasures found from sunken ships or Old One relics.

Important Characters: Halvard Storstrad is the elected King of the Knarrlings and patriarch of a large family. Currently on his last year of his Kingship, the Knarrlings have grown wealthy under his leadership. He is known as an excellent seaman and fisherman; a dangerous profession on seas full of monsters.

Ingvild Storstrad is Halvard's eldest child and likely to be his heir. She is a powerful warrior and charismatic leader, though straightforward in her thinking. She's in her early thirties at the prime of her life.

Hjalmar Storstrad is the second child of Halvard's first wife. A serious and thoughtful man, Hjalmar has always stood behind his sister. Much less of a warrior, Hjalmar is studious and meticulous and takes to all intellectual pursuits quickly.

Knute Storstrad is the first child of Halvard's second wife. He is a sailer born and bred, perhaps even wiser then his father in the ways of the sea. He has a good relationship with the Merrow and counts himself a godly man, fearful and respectful of the capricious natures of the water gods.

Important Holdings: The Knarrlings hold only one grand settlement and are otherwise spread thinly throughout their lands. Oskandr is built over a large underground ruin from the days of the old ones. Three layers of great pillared halls linked by ramps form the central hub of the city, all of it made of smooth seamless stone. A more contemporary stone hall has been erected over top, and it is here the King resides and the chiefs meet.

The Laggard Tower is their most accomplished construction. It's a stone and mortar lighthouse, with a squat base to ward against the sea. The lantern room is a wonder, fuelled by by whale oil and built of panels of reflective material scavenged from Old One ruins.

The yellow dot is the stone lighthouse known as the Laggard Tower and the green dot is Oskandr, their largest settlement.


Relation to other Factions: Adversarial to the Runecarvers due to old grudges from raiding and sea skirmishes.