Lloegyr-People

 The People of Lloegyr

There are six major cultures of the North. The Heorots dominate Lloegyr and share the isle with the Aels and the Wahla. On the continent, the Vincians and Kraki vie for land with each other, and both have a significant presence in Castus'Great Hall at Caerlot. Finally, there are the Guth, who dwell in the East, are rarely seen in Lloegyr, but their presence is felt none the less.

Of the six, the vast majority of the inhabitants of Lloegyr are Heorot and Aelic, and a traveller to the Great Hall is most likely to meet a member of one of those two cultures. Due to the tribute the Duke of Vincia pays Castus, Vincian nobles are not uncommon either. Finally, with the marriage of Draught to King Rolf's daughter, Solde, there are a number of Kraki who now inhabit Lloegyr.

= Heorots = The Heorots are the ascendent people of Lloegyr, although you wouldn’t know it from their attitude. Above all else, the Heorots are a warrior people: all men in court are (supposed to be) warriors, and the older ones have known decades of war… a war they were not supposed to win. Their children have not yet been bloodied, and worst, influenced by foreigners such as the Vincians, and so there is a significant generational gap within the Heorot. They are at a distinct disadvantage in times of peace: they cannot compete with the administrative skills of Vincian courtiers, and it is thought they lack the cunning of their Kraki cousins. What they do have, however, is a fierce sense of honor, and woe be unto those who challenge it.

Social Structure
 Who are they?

It will probably help players to understand the inspirations for the various cultures. While each one is based on a particular real world culture, some of them are looser representations than others.

The Heorots are based on the Anglo-Saxons of the Heptarchy. In this setting, there never was a Roman occupation, so their struggle against the Scandinavians serves as the basis of Arthurian myth (as opposed to Romanize Breton struggle against the Angles and the Saxons themselves).

The Aels are primarily Pictish, although I'll borrow from any Celtic culture I can, and are designed more around thematic concerns than historic ones.

The Kraki are thematically the Danes from the days of Beowulf, although they're really more related to the Frisians.

The Guth are analogous to Norwegian seafarers, like those that constantly harried Anglo-Saxons lands.

The Wahla are, of course, the celtic people who became the Welsh.

The Vincians are a late addition, and are essentially the Franks. While the Vincians kept their relatively advanced culture and complex political system, their military fortunes in this world are reversed... a device contrived to give me a reason to have Merovingians in an Anglo-Saxon court. A Heorot honors three individuals above all: his father, his earl, and his king. They are a patriarch people, with a relatively simple social structure. A son takes his father's name (i.e. Castus, Son of Gunter) and serves the same Earl. Every Heorot is born free but in service to his or her Earl and father; while not tied to the land as the Vincians are, each Heorot still acknowledges the legal authority of Earl to whom his or her father was sworn. This is because Heorot culture is centered around a House: a group centered around a father or mother.

At birth, a child is considered to belong to his or her parents, and will remain in their charge for as long as their parents live. A father holds the titles, land, and property (livestock, gold, weapons, ect.) of the entire family until he dies, after his death his wife continues to head the household, holding all lands and property, but his titles pass to his eldest surviving son. When the mother and father are dead, their lands and property pass to the eldest surviving son, and his siblings are released to start their own Houses. Property and land can pass to daughters if they have no living brothers, but titles must be held by a man.

When a Heorot weds, the land and property of the two individuals combine, and the wife joins the husband's house. If his father or mother still live, the couples property is added to the groom's parents as long as they live. However, the lands that are brought into a house by marriage are considered to be a dowry, and that dowry is returned to the couple when the grooms parent die, an exception to the normal rules of inheritance. Couples whose parents still live remain with the groom's parents until they die, as do any children they bear.

Women generally have the same freedom as any man: while they must honor the head of the House, they are not particularly subservient to a husband until he starts his own house. Even then, when the husband dies, his widow is due the same honor from their children as he was. Heorot culture does have a somewhat rigid gender roles regarding labor, however, with most trade and all warfare being a man's work, while a woman keeps a household and raises children. The Heorots also have a strong norm against adultery, although this norm very focused on sexual intercourse (to prevent unwanted children). They do not have much issue with very public displays of affection or take offense at lewd acts; for a woman embrace a man other than her husband or two men to show affection is not cause for alarm or scandal in their culture.

Dress and Technology
The Heorots have a relatively advanced state of technology, due to their trade with the Vincians and Kraki. They have worked steel for centuries, although it is still rarer than iron, and most noble warriors can afford chain mail. They are a horse culture, with advanced saddles and stirrups, and their culture supports such innovations with a proud tradition of skilled craftsmen. However, they do not have the innovations for which Vincia is known.

Heorots tend to dress in well-spun wool and sometimes cotton, but not the finer fabrics of the continent. They favor trousers and tunics, and tend towards a simple style of dress. However, they do favor ornamentation, such as brooches, rings, and leatherwork, and it is a sign of high station to be able to afford items of high craftsmanship. Men may be beardless or shaven, and women tend to wear their hair long and loose. Heorots tend to eschew color in general, usually wearing subdued tones of gray and black.

Language
 The Kraki woman from Kraki who speaks Kraki

Language is very important to this setting, and the languages in this setting all have a history. The Aelic tongue is of the same language family as Wahla, while Guth and Heorot share a common ancestor with Wahla. The two oldest languages are Wahla and Kraki, and if you notice, the name of the language, the adjective for the culture, and the place name for these two languages is all the same. While the Guth come from Guthlund, the Vincians from Vincia, and the Aels from Aelia, the Kraki are from Kraki, and the Wahla are from Wahla. This is actually a clue as to the prehistory of Lloegyr... Wahla is an older language than Aelic, despite the similarities. Why Aelic derived from Wahla, instead of the other way around, indicates the Wahla, and not the Aels, have lived in Lloegyr longer than any other culture. All Heorots speak Heorot, which is a language closely related to Kraki and Guth. Unlike other cultures, Heorots pay very little attention to the written word, resulting in widespread illiteracy. They are, however, famous tellers of stories, and also known for their poetry. Like the Guth, they are known for their dark sense of humor and fatalism in most of their works of literature.

Religion
All Heorots practice the The Faith of Arim, having converted a little over a century ago. Before that time, they worships a strange sort of "dragon" religion that may have resembled the Draytem of the Dunmar Gog. However, almost all vestiges of this religion have faded away, except for their sense of the Wyrd. The Wyrd is a concept native to the Heorots, and they regard it as both a fate and a duty... each person must follow the Wyrd. They have reconciled the Wyrd with the Faith of Arim somewhat better than their Kraki neighbors: they believe all things must die and perish from this earth, and the manner in which they do it is predestined. A common Heorot saying is "All men must die," reflecting this attitude.

Game Mechanics

 * Add Brawl 2, Ride 2, Weaponry 2 to physical skills during character creation. Heorots purchase these skills at 2 XP x new dot (as opposed to 3XP).
 * Add Intimidate 2 to Social skills during character creation. Heorots purchase these skills at 2 XP x new dot (as opposed to 3XP).
 * All Heorots speak Language (Heorot). Unless they purchase Language (Read Heorot), they are illiterate.
 * Heorots purchase Holdings (see Character Creation), Retainers, and Status at half cost.

= Aels = It is said the Heorots don’t understand the Aels, and that is a fair assessment. Aelic culture is essentially tribal, with large extended families that have their own internal hierarchies. Typically, these hierarchies are matriarchal, and just as the Heorots have a generation gap between the blooded and those who have not seen battle, the Aels have their own. A generation of living with the very patriarchal Heorots has tainted the youth of the Aels, and the young warriors have begun to whisper that maybe they, and not the priestesses, should lead the tribes. This is compounded by the fact that Jenevra’s heir is not a priestess… Ala is faithful to Arim. Still, oaths mean much to the Aels, and so far her swords (in particular, Angus, Lion of the Aels) have not deserted her.

Social Structure
 Postmodern History

Rather than ignore the problematic attitudes towards women and homosexuality, Ubi Sunt is meant to examine them, and offer refuge from them. While medieval Britian wasn't progressive, there's no reason Lloegyr needs to be the same way. The Heorots and Aels are written in a manner such that Aelic values are meant to challenge the Heorots, and the Heorot culture is not going to gasp at the existence of gays or powerful women. The Aels exist in a remarkably egalitarian society: they do not possess the strict social structures of the House and Earldom, but instead focus upon the excellence of a given individual. While a Heorot honors his or her parents and earl, the Aels honor experience, and in particular age. An Ael will often defer to an elder, and those who are acknowledged for their ability or wisdom are often called upon to make decisions. However, at the center of their social structure is the Dunmar-Gog and its priestesses.

The clan is the social center of the Aelic world, and a Clan is defined as having a priestess of each month (except for Viltem). Smaller clans come and go based on their ability to support such a priesthood, and if a tribe of Aels cannot do so, it must seek out a larger Clan to see to its religious needs. A clan is headed by its priestess of Danna, who shares authority with the priestesses of each moon. In her own moon, a priestess essentially leads the Clan, with limited interference from the priestess of Danna. The priesthood is matrilineal, with each woman working to secure an heir. If she cannot produce a child of the appropriate moon to succeed her, the priestess will foster a daughter not of her loins, and this contributes to the Aelic practice of communal child-rearing. If she fails to produce an heir, her position is usurped by another; this is considered a very bad omen by the Aels.

All property of an individual belongs to that individual alone, although land is held by the Clan as a whole (and thus belongs to the priestess of Danna). If an individual dies without leaving any instructions as to their belongs, it is divided amongst his or her kin by a priestess of Wraun. There are virtually no gender roles within Aelic society except for the priesthood, and the institution of marriage is somewhat foreign to them. The only real family an Ael knows is that of her mother and siblings; all children born of a woman are considered "her" children, and there is no concept of "half-siblings" or bastards in Aelic society. Similarly, there's no real concept of extended family, such as cousins or even grandparents: all members of a clan are considered kin, although some might be called "blood-kin" if they are particularly close. There is only one real sexual taboo, that being incest. Apart from that, Aels do as they will.

Dress and Technology
The level of technology varies greatly from clan to clan, with some able to support agriculture, trade, and crafts, while others are true hunter-gatherers. Generally, Aels can produce iron weapons and some metal armors, although most Aels fight unarmored. Almost every clan is entirely self-sufficient, with relatively little external trade. Apart from the seven major clans, most Aels don't even have much use for coins: an Ael is probably blood-kin to the individual who made his or her shirt, boots, and tools.

As they generally make their own clothes, most Aels will have simple, rough attire. They favor bright colors and have little modesty, although it is often quite cold where they live. They are more likely to have fur and leather clothing than any other culture, and if they have any jewelry, it is likely an heirloom, religious, or both.

Language
The Aelic language is utterly unrelated to Heorot, being very close to Wahla. They very rarely learn to read or write, and instead rely on a complex oral tradition to transmit their stories. The Aels, more than any culture of the north, are known for their music and song, which often is involved with the worship of the Dunmar-Gog.

Religion
The Dunmar-Gog are at the center of Aelic life, and have been for as long as any Ael can remember. While other cultures whisper that the Aels once worship other gods, the people of the Dunmar-Gog will have none of it. An intensely insular religion, the Aels don't have much of a norm for interacting peacefully with other religions or dealing with converts, so most simply chose to ignore the existence of the Faith of Arim. This works to the advantage of Ala, the apostate High Queen: it is more important that she is the daughter of Jenevra than anything else, and if she is possessed of some madness about unseen spirits, well, she wouldn't be the first Queen to be a bit mad.

Game Mechanics

 * Add Crafts 2 to mental skills during character creation. Aels purchase these skills at 2 XP x new dot (as opposed to 3XP).
 * Add Archery 2, Weaponry 2 to physical skills during character creation. Aels purchase these skills at 2 XP x new dot (as opposed to 3XP).
 * Add Intimidate 2 to Social skills during character creation. Aels purchase these skills at 2 XP x new dot (as opposed to 3XP).
 * All Aels player characters speak Language (Aelic) and Language (Heorot) (most NPC Aels just speak Aelic). Unless they purchase Language (Read Aelic) or Language (Read Heorot), they are illiterate.
 * All Aels gain Unseen Sense during character creation.

= Other Cultures =  A Tale of the Aels and the Heorots

'''Ubi Sunt takes place in Heorot Lloegyr, and the two main cultures are the Heorots and the Aels. Because of this, they receive the most attention in this section, and players are highly encouraged to focus on Aelic and Heorot characters. The Kraki, the Vincians, and Wahla make for fascinating characters, but the focus of the story is on the Aels and the Heorots.

Vincians
The Vincians are all foreigners here, and almost all of them are extreme opportunists. Vincia is a vassal state to the Heorots, and their Duke makes his nobles send their eldest sons to the Heorot Great Hall. This keeps the Duke secure, the Heorots ascendent… but more importantly, it means the Vincians have a chance to excel. Your typically Vincian noble can both read and write, has been trained in history and in numbers, and has from a young age has learned how alliances, marriages, and land can matter much more than how one swings a sword. The Vincians possess a much more complex nobility, with the Duchy divided into Counties, and each County divided into smaller fiefs for Barons, and the barons being served by both Lords and freemen. However, their titles can be bought and bargained for, as some sort of commodity, and as such the Vincians have a much greater understanding of politics and economics.

Vincians speak Vincian (a language unlike any other spoken in the North), and are taught Heorot before coming to court. It is not uncommon for them to speak Tibernian, and many can quote the scriptures of Arim by heart. While a man typically rules, Vincian primogenture does not make any allowance for gender, and so a husband’s power might be through his wife’s title. Virtually every Vincian is faithful to Arim, and have been much longer than the Kraki or Heorots. They are also by far the most technologically advanced culture of the North, with sophisticated windmills, buttoned clothing, and strange liquors.

Game Mechanics
 * Add Academics 2 and Politics 2 to mental skills during character creation. Vincians purchase these skills at 2 XP x new dot (as opposed to 3XP).
 * Add Empathy 2 and Socialize 2 to Social skills during character creation. Vincians purchase these skills at 2 XP x new dot (as opposed to 3XP).
 * All Vincian player characters speak Language (Heorot), Language (Read Heorot), Language (Tiberian), Language (Read Tiberian), Language (Vincian), and Language (Read Vincian). While most Vincians are illiterate, the ones who come to Lloegyr are generally quite well educated.
 * Vincians purchase Mental and Social specialties for 2 XP (as opposed to 3 XP)

Kraki
While they share many traits with their neighbors the Heorots, the Kraki have a reputation for cunning. They converted quite recently to the faith of Arim, and are still more than a little mercenary about it, further, they have spent enough time sharing the border with Vincia to learn quite a bit about trade and commerce. They are known to play the barbarian when it suits them, the noble warrior as necessary, and work intrigues if need be. But like the Heorot, every man is a warrior, and the Kraki understand war better than most. For them, it is a way to riches and power, and it is in the Kraki mindset to take what they want.

Unlike the Heorots, the Kraki have known great military success in recent years. They also did not suffer a long period of Guth attacks due to their kings tribute decades ago, and they have, in a way, stepped into the gap left after the Guth retreated to their homeland. While the Heorots feel as though they are in a state of decline, the Kraki attitude is that this is their age, and they generally want to make the most of it.

Game Mechanics
 * Add Brawl 2, Weaponry 2 to physical skills during character creation. Kraki purchase these skills at 2 XP x new dot (as opposed to 3XP).
 * Add Intimidate 2, Persuasion 2, Subterfuge 2 to Social skills during character creation. Kraki purchase these skills at 2 XP x new dot (as opposed to 3XP).
 * All Kraki player characters speak Language (Heorot) and Language (Kraki) (NPC Kraki just speak Kraki). Unless they purchase Language (Read Heorot) or Language (Read Heorot), they are illiterate.

Wahla
Very little is known of the Wahla, who live in the western reaches of Lloegyr. Generally, they keep to themselves, with the Red River and the Great Moor between them and Heorot lands. It is known they were once considered to be Aelic, but centuries of isolation has lent them their own identity, language, and culture. However, in recent years, they have been visited by missionaries of Arim, and slowly they have become known to the rest of the Isle of Lloegyr.

Recent events have led to them sending envoys to other kingdoms. On his deathbed, King Gwen converted to the faith of Arim, and bid his son and heir, Pryd, to do the same. He did so, and a great change change is sweeping over the tiny kingdom. Pryd has sent out his most trusted servants to Kraki, Heorots, and even the Guth, promising that all those of the faith will find a friend in the Wahla. Why he did so, after centuries of silence, is a bit of a mystery, but then, so are the Wahla.

Game Mechanics
 * Wahla players may select three skills to start at 2 dots. They purchase these skills at 2 XP x new dot (as opposed to 3XP).
 * All Wahla player characters speak Language (Aelic), Language (Heorot), and Language (Read Aelic).
 * While the Wahla do not gain the Unseen Sense merit for free, they may purchase it for 2 dots (as opposed to 3)

Guth
 Playing a Guth

The Guth are included here for the sake of completeness, and it is possible there might be one or two Guth characters in the game. However, playing a Guth is discouraged: they are the foreign threat to everyone in Lloegyr, and will only be admitted with a great deal of consideration. In truth, Guth culture is relatively similar to Heorot culture, although a century of war have made the Heorots blind to that fact. The primary difference is that the relatively small size of Guthlund has driven its people to the sea, where they developed a well-deserved reputation for raiding and piracy. The Guth are as war-like as the Kraki, and have been much more isolated. It is said that their kingdom is a rich one, and that Olaf Olafsson holds court in the finest hall in the north, but almost no man or woman of the North has ever travelled there.

Were a Heorot to go to Guthlund, he would find much familiar, as well as quite a bit of strangeness. The Guth are, like the Kraki, very recent converts to the Faith of Arim, and have yet to completely abandon their pagan ways. Rumors of Guth necromancy abound throughout Lloegyr, and it is no secret that the Guth banners bear the Dragon, a sign that the Guth have not forgotten their old gods.

Game Mechanics
 * Add Captain 2 to mental skills during character creation. Guth purchase this skills at 2 XP x new dot (as opposed to 3XP).
 * Add Athletics 2, Brawl 2, Weaponry 2 to physical skills during character creation. Heorots purchase these skills at 2 XP x new dot (as opposed to 3XP).
 * All Vincian player characters speak Language (Guth). Unless they purchase Language (Read Guth), they are illiterate.
 * Heorots purchase Fighting Styles, Guard (see Character Creation), and Resources at half cost.

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