Songster Gecko — Roleplayer Guild

EDIT: Alright, got it to an acceptable state at last.

@Wavy Wallaby Also, I forgot to mention earlier, but I think that's a pretty good map for a start on Inkarnate. I remember I had troubles with using the ground paints when making biomes. It's tough trying to make them segue into one another as naturally as possible.

Official Name: Priikjakonvai Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe (Sjamyykoettai) / The Sjamyyki Kuunkoe Concessions (Dawnhilt common tongue)

Capital: Kaash-Paijy (Hegemon's seat)
Nestled between mountains and the coast, Kaash-Paijy is both the center of trade and power of the Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe. Her harbour boast enough drydocks for an entire fleet with smaller piers and wharves for countless smaller vessels. 

Other settlements of note:

<>< Hjuunkoo (Seat of Clan Ekkas)
The smallest of the nine major clans, Clan Ekkas prides themselves in their defensive prowess. Colonising a strip of land just south of Ystrakki, they have turned their holdings into a veritable fortress. When it comes to construction - be it military or civil - it is hard to find any who can beat the Hjuunkoo within Concession lands.
<>< Ystrakki (Seat of Clan Maimar)
Ystrakki sits at the northern-most point of the north-eastern peninsular. Its distance from the rest of Dawnhilt makes this snow-bound city a mystery to most. Rumours abound of Clan Maimar adhering to the more grisly aspects of Sjamyyki tradition, including offering human sacrifices to their Serpent-God. It cannot be denied, however, that Maimar warriors are second-to-none in terms of ferocity and vigour in battle. 
<>< Tjashkyyp (Seat of Clan Sukjoemuun)
Clan Sukjoemuun has long since claimed to be the best shipwrights of not just the Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe, but all of the Sjamyyki. To illustrate their point, half of Tjashkyyp is essentially built upon massive hulls lashed together to form platforms stretching into the sea. Situated right in the middle of the long coastline, the harbours of Tjashkyyp are instrumental in the defence of Dawnhilt from the northern raiders. Ships launched from there can be expected to engage the enemy within the day no matter where they may come from.
<>< Raikaassi (Seat of Clan Vunsjii)
The second major city to be founded, Raikaassi is located just north of Kaash-Paijy. Founded as a market town, it still plays a major role in the trade network of the Concession lands. Clan Vunsjii has thus grown rich off tariffs on luxury goods coming from far afield. Their floating market is considered the pinnacle of melding Sjamyyki and Dawnhilt cultures, with flat-bottomed skiffs nimbly navigating narrow canals flanked by storefronts of all sorts.
<>< Okkava (Seat of Clan Umyn)
The most inland of the Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe clans, Clan Umyn is likewise the most Dawnhilt-esque, having eagerly adopted the customs and styles of their new home. This makes them the subject of ridicule and scorn from the more traditional clans, particularly The Wandering Fleet, who see their settling away from the coast as a sign of them losing their Sjamyyki identity.
<>< Kvyskaariikenvai Hjesjakkyn / The Wandering Fleet (Seat of Clans Taivaa, Kiikaanshi, Yraimmar, Okyytai)
Not every Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe clan has fully settled. The four wandering clans still keep to the ways of their ancestors, roaming the open seas on massive vessels serving as both population centers and warships. Much of their practices are unknown to the rest of Dawnhilt - they have an air of mystery greater even than Clan Maimar - but they do serve as the first line of defence against any northern threat. It is hard for anyone to mount and invasion without first having to contend with the Wandering Fleet. 

Demonym: Sjamyyki

Claimed territory: Coastal region in the north-eastern peninsular, from mountains to the northern-most point.

Overview

"Beware the followers of the Serpent-God. They who profane our dead; who flay our flesh from bone; who turn our ancestors and kin against us. Oh, sorrowful wanderer, let our doom be your warning. When dragons crest the waves and gulls cry, run and hide. Run and hide." - found on a hastily carved runestone in the Ervassi Archipelago

Little is known of the Sjamyyki peoples prior to first appearance off the north-eastern peninsular of Dawnhilt. Their ships simply appeared out of the ocean mist one day, sails billowing in the southerlies and filled to the brim with vicious warriors hungry for battle and plunder. Villages, towns, even entire cities caught in their sights suffered greatly. Their treasuries would be emptied, their homes looted, and the population either enslaved or sacrificed in the name of their chief God, the sea serpent Vakkomaaimar. Attempts to fight them on the field of battle proved fruitless. On the field, the Sjamyyki were implacable warriors eager for blood. In victory, they showed no mercy. In defeat, they simply melted away into the foggy seas of the north. Any captain foolish enough to give chase would quickly find themselves foundering in unfamiliar waters or worse, facing the Sjamyyki on the high seas. 

Where war failed, diplomacy prevailed. After decades of merciless and incessant raiding, and the near depopulation of the north-east, one of Dawnhilt's kings secured a treaty with a splinter group of the Sjamyyki. In return for a strip of fertile coastal land north of Wynterwood and no small amount of gold and treasure, this group - now calling themselves, the Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe, or 'Southern Sjamyyki' - would guard Dawnhilt against their former brethren. Though the exact amount of the 'gift' remains unknown, the deal is commonly seen - and blithely referred to - as extortion. 

Out of this treaty, the Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe Concessions were born. Though the name was not one of their own choosing and rather what their detractors called them, they have since adopted it as their official title. After all, to be given a concession is a form of victory.

"Ships will founder; shields will break; spears will splinter; a word given is a word kept. Let all who pillage the north-sea know; the Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe are why for drowned men, widows wept." - Inscription on one of Kaash-Paijy's entrance totems

Regardless of what one may think of the Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe - be it that they are mere savages or extortionists - none can say they have not kept their word. It has almost been a century since the signing of that fateful treaty, and while the raids have not entirely stopped, they are nowhere as fierce or rampant as they were before. Indeed, for many living on the coast, the sight of sails emblazoned with the Concessions serpent emerging from the ocean mist is one most welcome.

The Concessions is nominally ruled from the city of Kaash-Paijy. To the natives of Dawnhilt, the wooden palisades, buildings of rudimentary construction, and dirt paths would make the city more of a fortified harbour town. They would be right. Though the Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe have settled, they still hold onto some of their old traditions. The sea is, and always will be, their home. It thus their longships where they place the most care and offer the best artisans and workmanship. The clans of the Kvyskaariikenvai Hjesjakkyn take this to the extreme, voluntarily remaining landless and continuing to roam the waves of the north sea as their ancestors once had. 

As promised, the lands they inhabit include some of the better farming plots in the north. The fields of wheat and barley still offer bountiful harvests, but the Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe's lack of agricultural knowledge resulted in over-farming in the early years of the Concessions. With the help of the Dawnhilt court, they have prevented the worst from happening, but the damage had been done. In some areas, what had once been beautiful meadows and farmland are now little more than wastelands of loose dirt where only the hardiest of weeds can grow. Still, the Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe are nothing if not hardy. Even in such dismal lands, one can expect to find these settled sea nomads eking out some form of existence.

Society

"It has been noted, on occasion, that these northmen would engage in the barbarous rituals and customs as if they were not civilised at all! Anecdotal evidence would suggest that the north-most holdings - Ystrakki is mentioned the most - even practice human sacrifice in times of woe. What the savages of their Wandering Fleet do is anyone's guess, but I will not venture forth to propose suggestions for fear of turning your stomach, dear reader." - excerpt from A Visitor's Guide to the Concessions, author unknown

In a single word, Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe society can be described as such: martial. Almost everyone a visitor might meet - a merchant, an innkeeper, or even the innkeeper's daughter - would either be a veritable warrior in their own right, was once such a warrior, or works to keep current warriors equipped, fed, and ready to wreak havoc on their - or Dawnhilt's - unfortunate foes. Barring the very young, very old, and the diseased, one can expect every Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe to be able to fight to a decent degree with at least the axe and shield. Thus, it is often said that the Concessions is not so much a land with an army as it is an army with a land. 

However, if asked, a Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe would insist that they are not professional warriors and rather just citizens with regular jobs, called to arms only when needed. Indeed, the bonesmiths and carvers of the Concessions are second-to-none, only if because few others outside of their lands work with bone. Through ancient secrets passed from parent to child, they have mastered the art of turning the hard-but-inflexible material into something that can be used for anything from pliable armour, to viciously jagged blades, or even just jewelry. 

Where their craftsmanship truly shines is in their woodwork, particularly when it comes to ship-building. Their longships, sleek and slender like a well-made sword, are often decorated in elaborate carvings and given fearsome figureheads. Sails of hemp or cotton are often painted with clan sigils or entire verses from the Sjamyyki codices. The construction of a ship is almost treated as an religious affair, with rites undertaken to consecrate the very wood with divine strength, to grant the builders dexterous hands and keen eyes, and to request protection from the Gods for the completed work. A skilled shipwright, in the eyes of the Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe, is held in as high regard as the strongest warlords.

As a general rule, the Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe are a very brusque and direct people. Where others find them rude, they themselves would say that they are showing respect and politeness by getting to the point as quickly as they can. Due to that trait, they are also typically quieter than most, preferring not to speak and unnecessarily waste their breath when they have nothing to say. As such, their people make poor diplomats but excellent negotiators, being able to cut through most obfuscations and addressing the matter at its core. Physically speaking, the Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe are on average, taller than most natives of Dawnhilt. Most sport eyes in varying shades of blue and skin so pale and alabaster that one might see their veins and arteries vacillating beneath when caught in just the right light. 

One point to note of Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe society is that they have a markedly different view on kinship than most. The family, clan, or tribe remains paramount, yes, but a shieldbrethren - be it brother or sister - is considered to be the ultimately degree of closeness one can have with another. Once a Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe names another shieldbrethren, it means that they are bound by oath to always take the other's side no matter the situation. Even turning against clan and blood-kin is expected when it comes to fulfilling such an oath. 

Religion

"Hark the calls of the Serpent-God; hark its calls for blood." - typically incanted by a priest or priestess prior to a sacrifice

Though the Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe are polytheistic, most view Vakkomaaimar as their chief deity. Though they go by many names; the Serpent-God, World-eater, They Who Brings the Waves, what is certain is that they are a God to be worshipped, respected, and feared in equal measure. It is rare for a Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe to set sail without first giving some form of tribute at an altar to Vakkomaaimar, be it a simple prayer or even a sacrifice. To go without the blessing of the Serpent-God is seen as being foolishly suicidal. Sacrilegious, even. 

According to their myths, the world as it is was created when Vakkomaaimar swallowed the Land Egg. Finding it distasteful, the serpent regurgitated it back up. Their saliva, now coating the Egg, formed the oceans and waterways of the world. Every now and then, it is believed that Vakkomaaimar will attempt to eat the Egg once more, either to consume its power or simply out of hunger. When this happens, storms and disasters befall the world. When they invariably spit the Egg back out, the waters are calmed and all is right. Sacrifices are thus made to sate the Serpent-God's hunger.

Other deities of the Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe pantheon include:
<>< Kiikaa, 'The Whispering Lady', Goddess of Death, Love, and Fertility
<>< Omaikairiin, 'He Who Warms the Home', God of the Hearth
<>< Ykkaimaa, 'Lady of the Divine Bow', Goddess of the Hunt
<>< Tivai, 'Shipwright of the Gods', God of Craftsmanship and Diligent Labour
<>< Pakjatte, 'The Cold Father', God of Winter
<>< Vytja, 'She Who Hides', Goddess of the Night
<>< Mjarkii, 'Lord of Battle', God of War and the Honourable Death
<>< Kjarkassii, 'The Blind Goddess', Goddess of Revenge and the Vengeful Dead
<>< Rassaikoon, 'The Law-Giver', God of Fair Justice and Sworn Oaths

Given the variability and diversity between clans, there are countless more deities. Indeed, one might expect to hear a Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe invoke the names of a dozen deities in a single breath when adequately agitated, and not all of them would be ones well-known by even denizens of Concession lands.

Politics

"The clans are but raw iron; only the strength of the mighty can hammer them into a blade." - Imakvainen, second hegemon of the Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe

The Concessions, as a polity, is an insular creature. Preferring to look inwards and focus on their own affairs, they have a very casual - even uncaring - attitude to the matters of other provinces. As far as they are concerned, the only people who have the right to summon them are those who descended from the king with whom they signed the treaty. Everyone else simply exists. They will make nice as much as they need to, but nothing more. 

Usually, a Hegemon would be elected every five years. This Hegemon would typically by that period's most successful clan leader or, in rare occasions, simply a particularly effective and capable warrior. Due to the lack of high-intensity warfare in recent times, however, the title simply cycles between the chiefs of each major clan. With everyone having the chance to take the helm, it reduces the chance of any one clan becoming too dissatisfied and rising up in rebellion. There are, of course, systems in place to deal with such eventualities. Chief of which would be the right for any one person to challenge the Hegemon to single combat should they find them unworthy of the position.

Beneath the Hegemon would be the individual chiefs of the major clans. In peacetime, the chiefs are granted a high degree of autonomy and have the right to do as they wish within their own lands. As such, a visitor to Concession lands might find that the customs of one town might be entirely different to that of another just a few miles down the road, but within another the lands of a different chief. Some have chosen to adopt a more mainstream Dawnhilt aesthetic - or at least attempt to - while others may choose to stick with tradition. Some regions may use the common tongue more, others might still retain Sjamyykoettai as their language of use.

Under the first Hegemon Kahjooniik, the Concessions devised a system to equate their own ranks of nobility to that of Dawnhilt in an attempt to simplify diplomatic exchanges. As such, it is not uncommon to see typically Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe names attached to more familiar titles such as 'marquis' or 'count'. Of course, with the varied nature of Concession lands, some clans have walked back on this development and translated these Dawnhilt titles into Sjamyykoettai ('marquis' becomes 'maarkviisai', 'count' becomes 'konnotten', for example)

In contemporary times, there is a push by the current Hegemon, Ikkaimjaar, to encourage more unity and commonality between the clans. Whether or not his efforts to convince or coerce the clans to his will would prove successful remains to be seen.

Economy

"There is none sweeter than the prize one takes through axe-bite." - common saying in Concession lands

The economy of the Concession lands is a topic of controversy, and for good reason. Outwardly, the Concessions are poor, or at least they should be. Most farming is subsistence-based, with little going to the markets of larger cities. Trade is also largely internal; their preference for bone - be it animal or human - as a crafting material makes their goods acquired tastes for those beyond their borders. Granted, it is known that they build ships for sea-faring provinces with the coin and patience for a vessel crafted by skilled Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe hands, but such sales are far and few in-between. Too infrequent to be a regular source of income. There are rumours that the Dawnhilt court pays them a certain amount for every raider ship sunk or raider captured, but again, given the irregularity of large-scale raids, it is unlikely that such a pay could be relied upon.

It would not take a casual observer long, however, to notice that while the Concession lands are far from the wealthiest, they are nowhere as poor as one would think. Warriors are still paid enough to stay obedient. The people live austere lives, surely, but they are certainly neither starving nor hurting for simple pleasures in life. Towns and cities remain well-maintained with no crumbling walls or buildings. Even small villages might be able to afford building their own simply palisades. It thus begs the question, just how are the Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe paying for their expenses? The Hegemon's court would simply say that they are careful with their spending, or that they trade with other Sjamyyki clans outside of Dawnhilt that are less war-like.

Many critics of the Concession lands, however, would contend that the Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe are not as 'civilised' or settled as they would have others believe. Whispers of ships sailing from Kaash-Paijy boarding merchant vessels and seizing goods are rife within port settlements across the northern seaboard of Dawnhilt. Granted, even in the rumours such seizures are relatively bloodless affairs, but it is still enough for some to worry whenever Concession ships take sail. However, the existence of Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe pirates simply prove that there are such people who choose a life of crime. As of yet, no one has been able to prove a definitive link between such acts of piracy and the Hegemon's court, or any of the chiefs' courts, for that matter.

Still, this leaves a black mark on the already poor reputation of the Concession lands. Their tight-lipped nature as to the source of their funds helps little in the matter.

Full title and Name: Markviisavai Opahiin Paaimjartii Vaakjarki ekka Kiikaanshivai yn hjesjavai Tjammenvai Kjarkassiihjun
Translation: The Second Marquis Vaakjarki Paaimjartii of the Kiikaanshi, of the ship The Hammer of Kjarkassii
Gender: Male
Aliases: Vakjar (Diminutive), Vjarkki (Inner name), Raven-kin
Age: 24
Physical Description:
Like most Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe, Vaakjarki cuts a rather lithe build with his above-average height and slim physique. Sinewy muscles contain the strength needed for a life at sea in tight packages. Pale and alabaster like his fellow kin, Vaakjarki practically disappears into the landscape given enough snowfall. Under the right lighting, one can even see the eerie silhouettes of his veins and arteries vacillating beneath his skin. He sports a pair of striking, icy-blue eyes set into a face that looks far older than his twenty-four years. Salt-spray and hard life of a sea nomad, as well as constant combat, has granted him the rugged look befitting of a Kiikaanshi warrior. 
Background:

For centuries, the Paaijartii have kept the ancient art of Sjamyyki corvidry alive. From as early as Vaakjarki could remember, he had never spent more than a day without an avian companion. He learned how to understand their unique calls and squawks, how to read their body language, and most importantly, how to fight alongside them. This was all made even more complicated by the fact that, as part of the Kiikaanshi clan, he had to do all this while on the typically unsteady deck of a moving ship. Spending any amount of time on land was a rare luxury.

His childhood, apart from the corvidry, was typical for any youth born to the Kiikaanshi. He learned to sail, to fight, and to celebrate after battle. He learned songs and select stories from the old sagas. As part of the Wandering Fleet, the Kiikaanshi see battle far more regularly than their land-based counterparts. Vaakjarki was given his war axe at sixteen. By the time he was twenty, he was already a veteran of countless fights. Most of them occurred on the open seas, where the Wandering Fleet could flex its muscles most easily. At twenty-two, Vaakjarki was granted a sword, thus marking him as a true warrior of the Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe and able to accept a title.

The title 'Marquis' - or any rank of nobility, for that matter - is largely meaningless when it comes to the Kiikaanshi. Lacking any permanent base of power, they own no lands. Instead, the title simply reflects their purpose. The Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe protect Dawnhilt from northern raiders, but it is the Kiikaanshi - along with the Wandering Fleet - who are the first to engage with any prospective raiding fleet. The Paaijartii, as an ancient tribe, were among the few allowed to use the title. Vaakjarki's father holds the title marquis Paaijartii, while he is given the hereditary title 'Second Marquis' to display his position in the line of succession. 

When word came from Wynterhold that the prince would be appraising would-be companions, the Hegemon's court settled on sending Vaakjarki for a number of reasons. The first was that it was hoped that should he settle on land, the Paaijartii, or even the entire Kiikaanshii, could be convinced to follow suit upon his ascension to full marquis. Secondly, the current Hegemon wasn't blind to the poor reputation of the Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe amongst the natives of Dawnhilt. It is thus hoped that should Vaakjarki be chosen by the prince, it would elevate the status of the Concession lands somewhat.

Unfortunately, there was one, big, glaring problem with the plan.

The Kiikaanshii, being amongst the most traditional of the Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe, know little of the common Dawnhilt tongue. As such, when they received a missive from the Hegemon, they had to translate everything into Sjamyykoettai. Whether the Hegemon's court was similarly confused, or if it was indeed the word chosen by the Wynterhold court is uncertain, but the crux of the problem laid in the word 'companion'. Translated into Sjamyykoettai, it could mean anything from a simple 'partner' to an honoured and oath-sworn 'shieldbrethren'. 

Seeing as it was a prince, the Kiikaanshii clan court settled on the interpretation that the prince was, in fact, looking for a shieldbrethren to bring to war. Vaakjarki, being the better warrior amongst the younger nobles, was thus chosen.

Personality:
Even by Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe standards, Vaakjarki is a quiet person. He takes the adage 'speak only when you have something worth saying' to heart and the logical extreme. Unless he has something he must say, or an opinion he feels is pertinent, he would far rather remain silent and let others do the talking. That is not to say that he is entirely passive; in his silence, he prefers to observe and watch others, to gauge how they might take to his suggestions (should he choose to give it) or a taunt (should they deserve or need one).

Dutiful and honourable to the point of it being a vice, Vaakjarki can be counted upon to keep his word once it is given, even if it means going to extreme measures. Of course, the trick is getting him to give it in the first place. He is more than aware of his own boons and flaws, and works hard to work with the former and mitigate the latter. It would be a fool's decision to mistake his silence for stupidity, and to not notice the sharpness hidden beneath his impassive veneer.

Skills:
First and foremost, Vaakjarki is a skilled sailor. Having lived his entire life on the seas, the tasks for maintaining and skillfully operating a ship is second-nature to him. Using nature's cues to predict the weather is something that he can do, but is far from being the most adept. However, it would serve for most cases.

He is also an experienced warrior, having fought with both axe and sword in both boarding actions and on land. With regards to ranged weapons, he is decent enough with the bow and javelin, although they are not his first weapons of choice. Rather, he uses them typically when hunting or when his ship is still closing with the enemy.

As a practitioner of Sjamyyki-Kuunkoe corvidry, Vaakjarki fights alongside his pet Sea Raven, Okaikaa. The two of them have been together for years, long enough for him to read her body language and understand her caws and squawks. When on the hunt, she seeks and hunts small game and leads Vaakjarki to larger ones. In battle, she is relentless in harassing the enemy, clawing at their eyes and exposed flesh while Vaakjarki delivers the finishing blow.
Songster Gecko Member

My last two braincells searching for a thought

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