Barbarians, Northern Plains
Humans. Dark, leathery-skin, black hair, black eyes. Similar to Eskimos/North American Indians. Inuit. Nomadic. Hunters, fishers, and gatherers. Primitives. Speak their own language; few speak Common. Found everywhere in the Frozen Wastes and Minor Shatter Isles. Wear furs. Hunt and defend themselves with spears and daggers; nets and hooks. Disorganized, tribal governance, with no centralized government. They barter for supplies and materials from civilized society; do not value gold, silver, or copper; do not recognize the monarchy or the Queen’s sovereignty over their lands.
Dwarves of the Northern Kingdom
A culture of Dwarves that - over the centuries - have grown exceptionally close to the human monarchy of Floreth. They have tangled their currency, trade, and military prowess to successfully maintain hundreds of years of peace in the human region. These Dwarves are gregarious, prideful, generous; tolerant of human ideas, adore the monarchy of Floreth - in fact, they seem to often refer to each other as just two sides of a single coin. The dark shadow of greed, though, crawls through the dark cavernous underworld; there is angry talk in the noble halls of the Kingdom.
Giants, the Frost Giants of Rhackdalia
More information can be found in the Frost Giants of Rhackalia - a book discovered by Ma'yah while staying at the Overreach.
Floreth
Sovereign Monarchy. Predominantly a human matriarchal society dominated by an aristocratic class and absolute monarchy, and arguably the most powerful merchant and militant navy in all of Shae Tarhane. The capital of Floreth is the Port City; the capital of the Dwarven Kingdom is Pax Krull.
Houses
The bloodlines and mothers and daughters are Houses and the wealth that transfers from one generation to the next constitutes a House.
- A Matron speaks for the House. Traditionally, it’d be the eldest daughter in line of inheritance.
- An Heir is a surviving female of a House, part of the maternal bloodline.
- A Ward is an individual that is sponsored by a House but not of the maternal bloodline. A Ward could continue to receive the benefits and property of the House, but their standing could be contested by other members of the House.
Florian Traditions of Royal Succession
Traditionally, the Queen abdicates the throne when their Heir’s eldest living daughter reaches maturity (begins menstruating). An example: a grandmother may be the Queen and her eldest living daughter is the Heir Apparent; her daughter has children; the surviving eldest granddaughter - once menstruating - is a viable heir, and therefore the Queen surrenders the throne to the Heir Apparent (her daughter). This is done so that the reigning Queen will presumably have a viable Heir.
Symbolism: Crone, Mother, Maiden.
It’s public opinion and expectation that the Queen will surrender the throne soon after the time her granddaughter begins menstruating - within a year. However, the abdication of the throne is a voluntary action on behalf of the Queen. The Queen may choose not to abdicate, but doing so rails against public opinion and causes social unrest. The longer the wait, the greater the social anxiety, as they’ve been expecting the Heir to take the throne.
The Queen can designate their Heir. It is presumed that the eldest living daughter is the Heir, thus called Heir Apparent. Although, the Queen can choose any of her daughters, or, a ward of their House to become the Heir. Not selecting the Heir Apparent is contrary to tradition and may be met with resistance from the aristocracy to accept the appointed Heir.
The Heir may choose to become Queen. If they abdicate, then it’s presumed the next eldest daughter would take the throne. There has been historical precedence where the eldest daughter of the Queen does not wish/can’t have children, and thus would not be given the option to ascend to the throne.
The Ascension is a celebration throughout the land. It represents rebirth, renewal, and the passing of one age to another. In a larger context, it also represents a symbolic, ongoing maternity.
Florian Traditions of Property and Probate
All things in Floreth are the property of the Queen. The Houses control, possess, and use property and may pass it down through their bloodlines, but if there’s no suitable heir for the property of a House this is referred to as a “dead House”; surviving male heirs would be disenfranchised from all property; the property is then automatically surrendered to the Queen’s Designate who then takes control of the property in the name of the Queen. The Designate (or the Queen herself) then re-allocates property to other new or existing Houses. The timeline for transferring property could be contested and take decades.
Florian Traditions of Birth Control and Pregnancy
Women in Floreth have long used a herbal remedy to prevent pregnancy. It consists of water, a common fungus, a powdered mineral, mixed into a solution in measured parts which varies over the days in her menstrual cycle. Most women undergo a small prayer or ceremony when taking the remedy. When taken regularly, it’s completely effective in preventing pregnancy; if the sexually-active woman skips the courses for upwards of forty-two hours, it disrupts its effect and a pregnancy is possible.
The Goddess Ohnuava governs these rituals. Sisters of Ohnuava tend to women seeking help, advice, or solace for all matters concerning reproductive health.
Sisters of Ohnuava has culturally been sanctioned to perform a ritual to abort unwanted pregnancies through the application of stronger version of the herbal remedy that they are trained to administer. It’s a dangerous mixture: many women have died in untrained attempts to abort their pregnancies. Sisters of Ohnuava play a special role in helping women and guiding them through such choices.
Followers of Goddesses Gaia and Ohnuava contend greatly on this matter. Gaia believes life is sacred and should be spared; Ohnuava emphases personal liberty and choice. Over-zealous followers of Gaia have shamed women who’ve failed to take personal responsibility for their daily regimen viewing skipping their courses as a personal failure. Meanwhile, over-zealous followers of Ohnuava may be compelled to murder children at birth if the child is unwanted, undesired, crippled, ill, or found mentally deficient. Arguments can be heated on these matters.
Culturally, there’s no rationale for a woman to take the course while not engaging in sexual activity. Women are introduced to the remedy when they start menstruating. All women of all social strata are trained how to prepare the remedy.
Floreth, Port City of
Major city. Capital of Floreth. Human, Dwarves, Halflings. Est. Population: 110,000 souls. Deep water port.
Pax Arcana
Pax Arcana is a university with shared occupancy between humans and dwarves, a lasting tribute to shared cultural experiences and knowledge exchange between the races; it's a place of learning, ancient knowledge, inter-racial cooperation, high magic, spies, and secrets. Est. Population: impossible to tell.
Pax Krull
Capital of the Dwarven Kingdom. Dwarves. Est. Population: 60,000 souls. A mutually beneficial relationship has existed for centuries between the monarchy and the dwarves - in exchange for protection and military cooperation, the Kingdom has access to the Port of Floreth to ship their trade.
Rhackdalia
Major city. The City of Rhackdalia - the Jewel of the Shattered Isles - is largely viewed as a capital city of Floreth although it carries no such official title. It is home to some 17,000 souls, and at any given day, up to another 5,000 would be traveling through its gates. More information.
Shyn-Khane
Minor city. Shallow water port in the Bay of Sorrows in the Minor Shattered Isles; trade destination for spices, literature/books, all sorts of forestry products, rare herbs and medicinals, people of questionable repute. Humans. Est. Population: 900 souls. Near the Bay of Sorrows, the first attempt at a port city founded 250 years ago by House Kharrig; House Kharrig died and the property was re-designated to House Song nearly a 100 years ago by Her Majesty. Shyn-Khane was a dismal failure: ships wrecked in the Bay, sank, and clutter the harbor still. It is difficult to load and off-load cargo. It’s in a depressed area that traps smoke, smog, and grime. The air is thick. The architecture is purely human, lacks aesthetics, barely functional - wood, plaster, cements, brick and blocks. Dilapidated. Run-down. Rickety ladders and stairs and ramps lead down from the city, high on a cliff-face, down into the Bay of Sorrows for smaller vessels to come ashore. The city’s homes and apartments are stacked on top of each other and against each other. Very little planning; growth is uncoordinated; alleys just dead-end; some buildings are left collapsed; there’s broken streets everywhere. However, city is known for its old books in a library spanning back since its inception. Rare items, artifacts, medicinals, and other fineries that require a certain discretion can be found here - it’s so wonderfully far away from the Port City of Floreth and its tax-paying Commercium; it’s got a reputation for keeping bad people with questionable reputations. A relatively unguarded city. A stark contrast against Shyn-Valour.
Shyn-Valour
Minor city. The only deep port in the Minor Shattered Isles; trade destination for wood, lumber products, fine cloth, foodstuffs and fresh vegetables, flora, spices, furs, exotics, art. Humans, Dwarves. Est. Population: 1,800 souls. Shyn-Valour is found in the Minor Shattered Isles, perched precariously on a cliff facing the Fathoms, offering a light that guides ships and traders from all around to a safe deep water harbor. The deep water harbor allows for more convenient and expedited trade; the harbor is one of the most advanced in the Shatter Isles with Dwarven and Human influences. The architecture is clearly influenced by Dwarves and Humans alike: smooth, rounded, large arches and windows, homes and buildings are constructed from the rock itself; elevations ebb and flow in this city with many ramps and inclines. The architecture protects from the wind and sea, captures cascading rain water efficiently, allows for an abundance of light. The city is comprised of multiple levels (apartments, harbor, farming, commerce, maintenance) that can be ascended and descended at will. It is well-policed. Its citizens are good-natured. Founded a 140 years ago by House Hawthorne, a statue of Bridget and Amica Hawthorn stand in the town’s square, where Bridget holds out a lantern to help guide the wayward vessels into port. The commercial district is to be envied - a trade destination for wood, fine cloth, foodstuffs and fresh vegetables, furs, exotics, art. It’s never known a siege.
