Gernium Confederation (Gh-ehr-nee-uum)

The Gernian Confederation, or simply Gernum, is a group of tribes that lived together in beveritan territory. During the cretian occupation, these tribes fled and hid in the dense flora of the Northeastern part of the Beveritan Woods, in Varsemia.
The Confederation gain notoriety when, short after the cretian ocupation, the invading army knew about the gernian resistance and drafted an army to wipe them out of their forests. No cretian man ever returned. The battle, known as the Battle of Apfelkralle, is nowadays considered one of the cretian empire’s biggest military vexations. It is said that the gernian general, Radagolf Nachtblut, better known in common as Radagolf of the Nocturnal Blood, and a group of guerrilla fighters infiltrated the cretian army’s ranks, using cretian uniforms and speaking perfect cretian. The ambush took place on a narrow road that led to the nearby settlement, situated in a valley amidst thick woods. It is said it was raining buckets that day. Reports say huge balls of burning hay rolled down the valley, colliding with the surprised cretian soldiers, whose mobility was hampered by the thick slough the road had become. Roars then started coming down the valley, the power of the united gernian tribes running towards the enemy. When the army tried to fight back, their ranks were already being thinned by Radagolf and his turncoats.
Up to this day, almost no nation can boast about wiping a whole cretian division. Even today, that company’s banner, a golden eagle, lies in the gernian community, displayed as a trophy for it’s people.
The Confederation has shown to be shrewd diplomats, who quickly forged an alliance with the nations of Noerican culture (Beveritan, Krin and Gernum) agaisnt the invaders. Their leader, Ataulf, the Old Wolf, is a tenacious man, quick witted and capable strategist. Currently, he works as the leader of the alliance, coordinating the joint armies movement and continuing to gamble on ambushes to cause dents on enemy forces.
Even though they found shelter in the Northeast of the region, the confederation doesn’t have their borders safe. While the conflict drags on to the South, news from the North arrive about a tribe from Western Ghobi, the Chunoi, who’s invading the region of Varsemia, leaving behind nothing but death and destruction.
A group of mixed tribes of zealous warriors, dauntless and expert in fighting in dense woods, the gernian don’t fear any superpower. Using the forests as their hideout and the night as their ally, these are exalted guerrilla fighters, capable of landing devastating ambushes. With each tribe having a role in their confederation, as a whole they are a capable army. One of the tribes, the Hari, idolize the night and anoint themselves in black paint before a battle. Another tribe, the Siones, are specialized in river warfare, building sturdy rowing boats for quick amphibious assaults.
Military wise, ther gernian armies are composed of both men and women. Their soldiers wear little armor for more mobility and the prefer to wield on heavy weapons, mostly two handed, for more impact. The ones that wield spears are usually the defensive force, using a short spear and a crude shield and changing to an axe or sword when the enemies penetrate the spears range. Not only night ambush specialists, they are known for the barbarism of it’s warriors. Capable of entering true states of unbridled rage on the battlefield, these warriors are strong in psychological warfare and, using the night and forest to their advantage and covered with bear, elk or wolf mantles, they spread panic between the ambushed, that while surprised think they are being attacked by fantastical creatures.
With an archaic economy, the Gernum Confederation relies strongly on livestock and hunting, allowing them to be constantly on the move. They dress themselves with animal skins, wash themselves in rivers, and have a diet based in milk and meat. Wine is forbidden in their society and trade is only made during the spoils of war, so little to no exportation.
Although slavery is not common, some chiefs practice it, gathering them for human sacrifices in honor of the gods. Gernum have a diversified pantheon, made of a mix of gods from the Noerican culture. Their altars are small and easy to dismantle, favoring glades to build them.
Even though wine is forbidden, other spirits are not and they are known for being skilled in the art of beer brewing. Their men can be identified by a hairstyle known as the “Gernian Tie”, that according to them, distinguishes a free man from a slave, thus serving as a symbol of social status. The hairstyle consists of a knot in the hair, on the right side of the head. Chiefs frequently use more elaborate versions.
Their flag and banner is a depiction of three men in the center, their chins pointing towards the center, forming a union with their beards, under a brown background.
A typical citizen of the gernian confederation has between 1.70 to 2.00 meters tall. They have light skin with long hair, with the right side usually tied. The hair varies between darker colors. Men wear thick beards, with higher hierarchy using ornaments, like links, and braided beards. Women are simple, they don’t use makeup and dress the same as men. Only in ceremonies they dress themselves with long and colorful dresses and braided hair.

Main Hub

Kieferrille

On the shore of to the Widowlore Inner Sea, and part of the northern part of the Pinus Silvae woods, the gernian main hub of Kieferrille serves as a strategic point for the gernians to launch swift strikes against the Cretian Empire, but also to delve in seafaring trade with the neighbouring nations, like the beveritans.
The settlement is part of the Sion tribe, but all tribes are welcome here. While the gernian are not know for their exceptional trade skills, the hub still functions as their main port and it's common to see merchants from the inner sea plying their trade here.
Besides sea route, there really isn't a road towards Kieferrille, making it hard for a non gernian to be able to reach it by land. But the gernian know their way around a forest and the Fort Niedrigschild and the Heiligmeite settlement are close enough and serve as strategic places of interest for the economy of the hub.

Type

Political, Confederation

Official State Religion

Gernian Animism

Gernian Traits

Gernian Life

+1 to climb, heal, intimidate, survival and swim skill checks. This bonuses get +1 every 5 levels.

Night Ambushers

+1 to Initiative checks and and +2 to stealth skill checks at night. These bonuses get +1 every 5 levels. These bonuses get +1 if also in forests.

Cretian Hate

-2 to Diplomacy checks against Cretian and Zancian characters.

+1 to attack and damage rolls against them. these bonuses get +1 every 5 levels.

Forester Robustness

+2 to Fortitude Checks checks. This bonus increases by +1 every 5 levels.

Heavy Hitters

+1 to damage rolls with two-handed weapons. This bonus gets +1 every 5 levels.

Heavy Armor Restrictions

A character with this trait can't use heavy armor or tower shields.

Oral Traditions

Characters with this trait begin play unable to read or write and must spend 2 skill points to be able to do so.

Clan of the ...

Chose one:

• Har - Night Predators : +1 to "Night Ambushers" bonuses. +1 to Attack bonus at night and outdoors. This last bonus increases every 5 levels by 1.
• Sion - River Folk : +2 to Swim skill checks. +2 to profession (sailor) skill checks. +1 to Attack rolls while on a river or river margin. These bonuses increases every 5 levels by 1.
• Hermund - Rangers of the Woods : +1 to Attack bonus with bows. +1 to Survival skill checks. These bonuses increases every 5 levels by 1.
• Varin - Beast Herders : Animal companions and familiars have the advanced template.
• Ingvae - Berserkers : +1 r/day of Rage. This bonus increases every 5 levels. +2 to all rage bonus and -2 to all rage penalties.
• Vandil - Demolishers : +4 to Attack and Damage rolls against objects and constructs. These bonuses increase every 5 levels by 1.
• Ghot - Magically Keen : +2 to profession (farmer) skill checks. +1 to rolls vs spell resistance. these bonuses increase every 5 levels by 1.
• Istvae - Animist Zealots : +1 to Attack and Damage rolls made with chosen god's favoured weapon. These bonuses increase every 5 levels by 1.