The Northlanders, or sometimes Northmen, were a seafaring Illuskan people who inhabited the island realms of the Sea of Swords and the Trackless Sea, including Gundarlun, the Purple Rocks, Ruathym, Tuern, the Whalebones, and northern parts of the Moonshae Isles, notably the realms of Gnarhelm, Norheim, Norland, and Oman, as well as the Korinn Archipelago.[1][3][4]
Description[]
Northlanders were a tall, sturdy, war-ready people.[1][5] The savage and harsh environments in which their societies developed had in turn created a people of fierce, hardy, and barbaric disposition.[6]
They were of Illuskan heritage, and had blue or gray eyes, fair skin, and light hair, often blonde but sometimes red or light brown.[5][7][8] They were said to often have tattoos on their faces which represented their specific island homes.[9]
Northlanders were descended from raiders and settlers originally from Ruathym.[7][1] It was believed that they were related to the Uthgardt[10] and to the tribes of human barbarians who roamed the High Moor.[11]
Outlook[]
Northmen most valued the qualities of courage, cunning, fierceness, strength, and skill in sailing,[12] and took great pride in their own personal accomplishments in these domains.[13] They were not interested in the subtle beauty of nature, in contrast to the Ffolk with whom they battled over the Moonshaes, and were more comfortable out at sea.[1] Their proficiency in both fighting and sailing meant that they frequently embarked on raiding or pirating, often posing a threat to those who might visit their island realms.[4] They tended to distrust outsiders, merchants, or anyone else they suspected of trying to manipulate them, but once a new friend gained their trust, a Northlander's loyalty was nigh unshakable.[13]
Northlander warriors did not believe in "peace", and instead saw it as only a lull between the endless and inevitable battles of life. Such battles were not to be feared but sought out as a test of one's strength.[13] A true Northlander lived for conquest and plunder.[14]
Culture[]
Warriors were revered in Northlander culture,[13] and their ferocious fighting spirits and triumphant war cries made them feared all along the Sword Coast.[14][15] Many young warriors were pushed to seek life as adventurers in order to prove their mettle.[13] It was seen as more honorable to live as a raider than as a farmer, and so most Northlander realms produced only the bare minimum of food to feed themselves, and sought to acquire more through pillaging other lands.[16] Those who did not make their livings through sailing or raiding tended to be fishers, farmers, or miners.[8] Warrior-poets known as skalds served as the keepers of Northlander histories and legends, and would sing songs of battle to rally the warriors.[17]
Leaders among the Northlanders were little more than warlords, although they often styled themselves as "kings". Leadership was hard-won, generally through a combination of strength and cunning.[16] While no king technically ruled over any other, it was always true that those who could muster larger fleets held more power in their royal councils.[18]
Shamans typically held a lower status in Northmen society than warriors,[2] with magic and spellcasting being considered taboo save for divine magic bestowed by the gods.[17] Arcane magic was regarded with suspicion if not outrighted hated, and natural-born sorcerers were often killed or exiled.[11][19] They were superstitious and fearful of fey.[7][20]
Northlander culture was fiercely independent and resistant to outside change,[20] but they were also curious if not welcoming of visitors from far off lands.[21][22] They were said to be largely male-dominated, with women typically not allowed to participate in raiding or fishing and instead expected to maintain the homes, farms, and forges of Northlander settlements.[4]
Religion[]
They revered the violence and savagery of the sea,[20] and it was said that some of their fearsome reavers drew primal power from the sea and its storms.[15] In the 14th century DR, Northmen primarily worshiped the deities Auril, Tempus, Umberlee, and Valkur. The worship of these gods was often little more than cursory for the Northmen and dependent upon whether or not they were residing in the god's sphere of influence.[2] The Northmen faith expanded in the 15th century, introducing the deity Talos to their pantheon and giving Valkur much more prominence. The latter became viewed as the most important among the gods, embodying the qualities the Northmen valued most in life.[12] Missionaries of other gods were often met with violence.[18]
Those who lived in Gundarlun were typically more religious than the average Northmen, while by contrast those of Tuern typically paid no reverence to their gods and would even go so far as to claim that none existed. Northmen who lived on the Purple Rocks were known to portray these deities as having many tentacled arms.[23]
Being the bringer of winter, Auril held a prominent place in the lives of Northmen and was often gifted offerings of food or drink around autumn or winter, set out to drift in the sea upon a raft. In times of dire need the Northmen would instead sacrifice a human prisoner or slave.[23]
The Northlanders' worshiped Tempus in a specifically stormy aspect that preached the need for plunder,[18] and he was particularly venerated by warriors and berserkers. He was considered the patron of berserkers and their protector during times of frenzy, and both groups would pay reverence to him before battles and sacrifice prisoners taken in battle.[23] Berserkers who were particularly bloodthirsty were occasionally known to worship Malar.[2]
Being a seafaring people, the Northmen held both great respect and great fear for the goddess Umberlee. They believed she was the cause of shipwrecks and drownings, as well as the mistress of sharks. It was customary to make a sacrifice to her before setting off for a journey, with larger sacrifices being given depending upon the expected length of the journey. And much like their other gods, this would sometimes entail the sacrifice of a human.[23]
Northlanders held great respect for their clan ancestors, and believed that their ancestors' spirits called them to seek glory in battle.[15] Among the Northmen of Petathal and the Korinn Archipelago was a belief that one day the gods would decree that it was time for the dead to awaken. As a result, it was a practice to bury their noble dead alongside presents, treasures, weapons, boats, and even servants so that they would have their favorite things when it was time for them to arise.[24]
History[]
A group of Northlanders pulling a longship to shore in the North.
By −1000 DR, the Illuskans of Ruathym had begun to settle the many islands of the Sea of Swords, including the Gull Rocks, Gundarlun, Mintarn, the Purple Rocks, the Teeth, Tuern, Umukek, the Wave Rocks, and the Whalebones. These settlers would eventually come to be known as the first Northlanders. They avoided the Moonshae Isles at this time, believing them to be cursed by the fey of Sarifal that dwelt there. They would not arrive on the Moonshaes until the Year of the Thousand Snows, 256 DR, when they began raiding the lands of the Ffolk.[7]
The Northlanders developed a centuries-long conflict with the comparatively peaceful Ffolk. In the Darkwalker War of 1345 DR, the Northlanders united under the monstrous Kazgoroth, who had killed and impersonated the Northlander king Thelgaar Ironhand. The ensuing Darkwalker War devastated the Ffolk until Kazgoroth and the Northmen were defeated at Caer Corwell.[25]
The Northlanders quieted down in the mid—14th century DR when the Ffolk High King of the Moonshae Isles, Tristan Kendrick, made initiatives towards peace between the two populations of his lands, marked by the signing of the Treaty of Oman. This was continued by his daughter, Alicia Kendrick, who peacefully brought the Northlander kingdoms of the Moonshae Isles under her rule in the United Moonshae Isles. Further advances toward peace between the two peoples brought about marriages between Northlanders and Ffolk, almost forcing families to at least tolerate each other.[10][26]
In the 15th century DR, on Norland a woman arose as a leader among the Northmen. Calling herself the Storm Maiden, she claimed to have been blessed at birth by both Valkur and Umberlee. She led the Northmen on a campaign to conquer the Sea of Swords and during this was eventually defeated.[4]
Appendix[]
Appearances[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 148. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Jennell Jaquays (1988). The Savage Frontier. (TSR, Inc), p. 19. ISBN 0-88038-593-6.
- ↑ Douglas Niles (November 1987). Moonshae. Edited by Mike Breault. (TSR, Inc.), p. 31. ISBN 0-88038-494-8.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Steve Kenson, et al. (November 2015). Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 69–70. ISBN 978-0-7869-6580-9.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Reynolds, Forbeck, Jacobs, Boyd (March 2003). Races of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 92. ISBN 0-7869-2875-1.
- ↑ Steve Kenson, et al. (November 2015). Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 121. ISBN 978-0-7869-6580-9.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Brian R. James (December 2007). “Grand History of the Realms: The Moonshaes”. Dragon #362 (Wizards of the Coast). Archived from the original on 2009-06-01.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Richard Baker, James Wyatt (March 2004). Player's Guide to Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 16. ISBN 0-7869-3134-5.
- ↑ Steve Kenson, et al. (November 2015). Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 96. ISBN 978-0-7869-6580-9.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 168. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Steve Kenson, et al. (November 2015). Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 87. ISBN 978-0-7869-6580-9.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Steve Kenson, et al. (November 2015). Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 68. ISBN 978-0-7869-6580-9.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 Rob Heinsoo, Logan Bonner, Robert J. Schwalb (September 2008). Forgotten Realms Player's Guide. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 113. ISBN 978-0-7869-4929-8.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Brian R. James (June 2009). “Realmslore: Sarifal”. In Chris Youngs ed. Dragon #376 (Wizards of the Coast), p. 62.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Matt James (November 2011). “Character Themes: Heroes of the Moonshaes”. In Steve Winter ed. Dragon #405 (Wizards of the Coast), p. 2.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Ed Greenwood, Julia Martin, Jeff Grubb (1993). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 2nd edition (revised), A Grand Tour of the Realms. (TSR, Inc), p. 109. ISBN 1-5607-6617-4.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Steve Kenson, et al. (November 2015). Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 122–123. ISBN 978-0-7869-6580-9.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Ed Greenwood, Julia Martin, Jeff Grubb (1993). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 2nd edition (revised), A Grand Tour of the Realms. (TSR, Inc), p. 110. ISBN 1-5607-6617-4.
- ↑ Steve Kenson, et al. (November 2015). Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 136. ISBN 978-0-7869-6580-9.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Rob Heinsoo, Logan Bonner, Robert J. Schwalb (September 2008). Forgotten Realms Player's Guide. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 112. ISBN 978-0-7869-4929-8.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 149. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
- ↑ Douglas Niles (November 1987). Moonshae. Edited by Mike Breault. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 45–46. ISBN 0-88038-494-8.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 Jennell Jaquays (1988). The Savage Frontier. (TSR, Inc), p. 20. ISBN 0-88038-593-6.
- ↑ Aaron Allston (January 1987). Treasure Hunt. Edited by Steve Winter. (TSR, Inc.), p. 12. ISBN 0-88038-326-7.
- ↑ Douglas Niles (May 2011). Darkwalker on Moonshae. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 978-0-7869-5958-7.
- ↑ Shawn Merwin (November 2011). “Backdrop: Moonshae Isles”. In Steve Winter ed. Dungeon #196 (Wizards of the Coast) (196)., p. 2. Archived from the original on 2015-11-03.