Nation Name: Malkor’Kurz Flag: N/A Region/color on map: Calxus Capital: N/A Capital Population: N/A Other Major Settlements: N/A Population: 150,000 Racial demographics: Del-korm (100%) Social dynamics: Fenris “Fenris? He isn’t a deity. He’s an icon—a symbol; a national hero or…whatever your soft people call very important not-so-soft people that do very impressive things. He looks like one of you actually, yet he doesn’t stand for your beliefs. He’s one with the Yeda Krills—the Great Clans—and is more del-korm than most del-korm. We don’t worship him; that’ll never happen. My people and Fenris? We’re just really close, and we help one another out from time to time. Worshipping gods is for people who don’t have a sense of independence. Worshipping gods is for people who are soft both in body and in mind.” Rather than craft a god from alien happenings, the del-korm species alternatively chose to fashion a quasi-physical being from their own core beliefs. This metaphysical entity, in the del-korm language, was christened ‘Hel’Jen te Bor’Den—but he is also known as ‘Fenris the Star-King’. To most, it may seem uncanny that the del-korm—with their anti-theocratic sentiments and fierce opposition to government—would ever brand a supposed ‘god’ with the title ‘king’. Even stranger still is that Hel’Jen is not portrayed as a member of the del-korm race, but rather is believed to be one of the race of Man, with fenrisian cave paintings, body tattoos and other representative imagery of their esteemed hero-god clearly identifying him as a larger-than-life human man of forty or so years. His visage gaunt, bearded and dark-skinned, Fenris’ comparatively lackluster attire consists of a grey-colored sleeveless duster, a simple tricorn hat, a pair of worn-out heavy leather boots, and a tattered undershirt tucked into a pair of travel-stained breeches. Though he is divine in spirit and appearance, Hel’Jen is not looked upon as a god nor as a ruthless tyrant, but more of a long-time friend, an icon and a miraculously influential ally to the del-korm people—a Companion to all yet a servant to none; an unrepressed and non-oppressive cosmic force that stands for revolution, resistance, sovereignty, and war, with the unification between the del-korm species and Fenris often observed as being the oldest standing Companionship in existence. Hel’Jen is not honored through worship, but by simply exercising the Absolute Right—the True Mission of All—which is to seek out challenges wherever they may be, to conquer them—to learn from them—and to ultimately develop one’s self whilst living life free of constraint, regret or concern. The actions of his longtime friends may be put to scrunity, but Hel’Jen, unlike most of his ilk, does not assicvely judge the decisions of his selected people, instead looking at them According to stories past between individual del-korm krills, Headhunting and the harvesting of Sk’li Perhaps one of the more appalling activities condoned and practiced by the vast majority of del-korm is the primeval tradition of the Sk’li Tyr-Ren (or loosely translated as the ‘Harvesting of the Skull’), which is typically known to outlanders as ‘headhunting’. In their culture, the skull—or Sk’li—is revered as a type of sacred ‘vessel’, ‘jar’ or ‘pot’ that houses the metaphysical essence—or soul— of a living organism, which manifests itself in the material universe as the creature’s mel’den-yel (‘soft and squish-squash thing’), which is the del-korm’s word for the brain. Souls are divided in two types, which are the souls classically ascribed to the ‘fighter’ and the souls attributed to the ‘meek’. Meek souls—or souls belonging to Malkor’Kurz’s prey animals like mammoths, jackadens or winter deer—are locally known as ‘tel’gien’ (or the soft soul); the brains of such creatures are believed to be chiefly concerned with survival necessities that aren’t principally linked with acts of violent behavior. As such, these brains are habitually consumed so that the souls contained within them can augment a del-korm’s skill in fairly nonviolent activities like fishing, (peaceful) socialization with peers, building or child-rearing. Fighter souls, or tel’drien (or the hard soul), belong to Malkor’Kurz’s predators or other living organisms that show talent in the art of war-making or hunting. Animals like the winter cat, the tusked sea lion, the northern leopard and even the indigenous del-korm are just some of the predatory fauna that tel’drien can come from. These skulls are especially prized aspiring collectors, as their numinous powers are believed to enhance the consumer’s hunting prowess, reflexes, sense of smell, situational awareness, and vision. Consumption of the brain is thought to additionally bestow supernatural abilities upon the consumer, gifting them with drastically increased strength, speed, toughness, and endurance. All Sk’li, regardless of their mel’den-yel types, are generally stored within a del-korm’s personal hording space (which is normally a small burrow situated within a concealed position or desolate area within Malkor’Kurz). The Sk’li of noteworthy opponents or particularly powerful enemies are worn as iconic neck ornaments or attached to sashes drawn across the chest; normally, this type of reverence is more ‘negative’ in function and an in representation, with these sk’li most often belonging to creatures that a del-korm may have a compelling hatred for. Like a del-korm’s hair, the number of skulls an individual accumulates is a direct sign of his or her deadliness, cunningness or martial prowess. It should be assumed that extraordinarily large del-korm with flowing manes of darker shades, elaborate braids and a heavy stash of sk’li is an incredibly lethal individual with an equal amount of astuteness to match. Skull thieving is one of the few offences in Malkor’Kurz that is punishable only by death, with sk’li stealers taking sever blows to their reputations in krills and yeda-krills. This reputation can be partially (if not entirely) regained by ending the life of the affronted party, though reactions to such disgraceful behavior varies between individual del-korm. As a general rule of thumb, stealing the skulls of a del-korm is a very rash idea that, like gambling, is prone to ending with a less-than-desirable outcome. Festival of the Star-King Every seven years, a carnival is held in Hel’Jen’s honor, with the gathering functioning as a means of strengthening the del-korm race’s internal bonds shared between individuals while also severely cutting down in internal strife. As customary, grudges and rivalries are buried; enemies become friends for the sake of merriment, food and drink, while Companionships are forged or re-forged. The copious amounts of psychoactives and Fashion: To physically communicate their perpetual love for liberty and the right to personal choice, all del-korm sport elaborate hairstyles woven from the thick manes that they finish developing upon reaching maturity, with the lengths and compositions of these hairstyles typically being elongated and broad. These manes, and thus a del-korm’s workable hair, never stop growing as he or she progresses through life, with long hair acting as a potent symbol of freedom, cunning and power in del-korm society, using their tribalistic hairstyles as literal public profiles and as appropriate foundation for the judging of an individual’s overall physical attractiveness, worthiness and personal merit. Each twist, knot, strand, tail, jewelry piece, or band represents an explicit word or phrase that, when joined by others, cooperatively specifies a significant tribute to a noteworthy exploit or—perhaps—a subtle sentence detailing one’s relationship status, family ties, acquaintances, likes, dislikes, allies, adversaries, ideological beliefs, and more. Piercings, especially those installed in the ear, lip or papilla (teat) are adorned by most del-korm; these nose rings, gages, labrets and other external body modifications are typically made from bone, but some sufficiently powerful or lucky del-korm may find themselves in possession of piercings forged from Hel’Jen Iron. Calendar: Art: Law: The del-korm people are perhaps most legendary for their fierce disapproval of anything that is even vaguely connected to the notions of established law or an all-encompassing governmental body. To every del-korm in existence, trepidation—or fear—is a completely alien sensation that they, collectively, are biologically and psychologically incapable of successfully comprehending or effectively expressing. Consequently, leaders of any type do not exist in Malkor’Kurz Education: Type of Government: “Never saw the point in kings and lords. Even good ones—if such a thing exists—make my head hurt. Why would you let someone else dictate how you live out your life? The only person that should be the master of your fate is you and you alone. None of that ‘lord’ nonsense here; it’s not for del-korm. Outlanders are strange. Kings are stupid; rulers put into power by Outlander Sky-Kittens are stupid. ” Because the del-korm species is one that holds a particularly powerful revulsion to the notion of government and established law, no formal leaders exist in their society. Some may consider this a mortal weakness for Fenris’ people, for a race that is divided and unguided is a race that requires little effort to overpower. In reality, this is wholly incorrect—at least in regards to the del-korm, whom harbor far more mental differences than similarities when they are compared to sentient species that have more human-like mental traits—chief of which is the del-korm’s total imperviousness to the deliberating effects brought on by the primordial emotion that is fear. In eons past, several would-be conquerors journeyed For a chieftain or ruler to take firm hold of his people, the population must be coaxed into dreading the consequences that are associated with disobedience. On some level, order is maintained through fear, which in turn promotes compliance to the laws outlined by the state. By their very nature, the del-korm have remained firm in their decision that laws and regulations simply do not apply to them, with this ideology gaining profound intensity due to the del-korm’s unique mental traits and their zealot-like devotion to anarchistic rule. Malkor’Kurz’s inhabitants group themselves into two distinct Influence and relations: None. Important People: Trading and tax: Major industries: Major Associations: Currency: None. The concept of ‘buying’ something never really was thought of by the del-korm, whom usually prefer to make their own possessions, find them, steal them, or kill someone or something for them. If anything, the conception of coins being exchanged Military: Malkor’Kurz has neither a professional army nor a navy Invaders are instead kept at bay by the presence Landscape: Wildlife: Notable places: (Optional) Summary: (Optional) History: (Optional) Name: Classification: (Animal? NPC? Or Sentient?) Appearance: Shared traits: Natural abilities: Lifespan: Relations with other races: History: (Optional) Languages: Religious beliefs: Preferred occupations: Famous people: