Jhordheim
Structure
All according to the Ordning.
The entire Kingdom follows a caste system based on the Ordning:
- Storm Giants King, Nobles
- Cloud Giants Mages, Artists
- Fire Giants Crafters
- Frost Giants Generals, Officers, Elite Warriors
- Stone Giants Builders, Seers, Farmers
- Hill Giants Workers
- All other Giant-kin
- All those not of the Giant blood
Demography and Population
There were ~9 Million people when the High King ordered their last Census
The largest city has a population of 36 thousand people, the second largest 18 thousand. There are 3 other cities of note in the kingdom, and 25 towns. The remaining population lives in numerous small villages, isolated dwellings, etc.
Most Common Peoples:
The largest city has a population of 36 thousand people, the second largest 18 thousand. There are 3 other cities of note in the kingdom, and 25 towns. The remaining population lives in numerous small villages, isolated dwellings, etc.
Most Common Peoples:
- Goliaths - 55%
- Frost Dwarves - 20%
- Frost Men - 10%
- Giants - 8%
- Shifters - 4%
- Human - 3% Less than 1%:
- Locatha
- Triton
- Tortle
- Sea Elves
- Grung
- Lycanthropes
- Kenku
Territories
The Kingdom of Jhordheim consists of a series of islands, each of which they have held for thousands of years. These islands tend to be rocky and mountainous with sweeping valleys in between. Fjords are common, and they protect ships in harbor from the harsh grey seas outside of them.
Between the outlying islands and the main island Jhordheim covers an area of approximately 227 thousand square miles. Of this, 22% (50 thousand sq. miles) is arable land, and 77% (176 thousand sq. miles) is wilderness.
Military
Due to the slow reproduction of Giants, the main body of forces that are set against the enemies of Jhordheim are made up mostly of Goliaths, Frost Men, and Frost Dwarves. Even then, these forces are meant to be a shield for the larger Giants that accompany a force, ensuring that the Giant can hurl devastating boulders at the enemy and their structures. The chain of command is loose, and much of the success of an army of Jhordheim is due to the sheer terror that Giants produce through their presence on a field of battle. Their warriors are fierce and deadly, but do not operate at a professional level.
Religion
The Ordning, as set in place by the All-Father is worshiped almost as prevelantly as the All-Father and his children. This society is held together by its faith in that Ordning and the All-Father. Stone caste Gothi are raised to interpret the All-Father and conduct the rituals required to ensure that the All-Father continues to bless Jhordheim and the Yotunn peoples.
Foreign Relations
With regards to relationships with its neighbors, Jhordheim has always had the upper hand. The fear of Giants easily outweighs the desire to conquer the lands they own. Or strike back after a raid on shipping or coastal towns. This relationship means that neither Scorland nor Umenor have good relations with them, if any relationship at all. Most try to avoid Jhordheim, unless there is nowhere else to go.
Agriculture & Industry
The Fire Giants use the labor of those whose place in the Ordning puts them beneath the Stone Giants and those captured in raids to mine the mountains of Jhordheim and fashion powerful weapons and armor for their fellow Giants.
The Stone Giants use the same sort of labor to sow fields and orchards of cold growing crops. There is however, little actual arable farmland in Jhordheim, so meals tend to focus on meat from the sea or hunted and caught. They are a much more pastoral peoples, goats and sheep feature heavily, though there are some cattle.
Trade & Transport
There is rarely trade, aside from forced trade when a raid is called by the Frost Giants under the direction of the High King. They have slow moving, massive ships to hold a Frost Giant commander and his troops. That is not the extent of their navy though, as they have ships still large in size but controlled by goliaths instead, due to the relatively fewer number of Giants left in the world, and the massive undertaking giant ships are.
Stone Giants have built and maintain the major byways of the Kingdom, arterial roads that move material and goods from one major center of civilization to the next. Travelers on these roads are treated to massive feats of Giant enginuity, but must also take care to pay proper respect to them, or face the ire of all the Giants, who rely on these roads as much as anyone.
Education
Rare is the educated in Jhordheim. The focus of its peoples is on professions, and the only education one gets is in the profession they have chosen. (Within their caste, if a part of the Yotunn culture) This does not make the people unintelligent, but it means that there are no formal education institutions. Giants do not believe that either they or those they rule need formal education, it helps to ensure that the status quo is maintained.
Wizards in Jhordheim are self taught and take on apprenticeships to those who are interested, but their ability to practice magic few others can often forces them to travel far and wide amidst Jhordheim.
There is however, a strong history of storytelling, the Cloud Caste ensures that the history of Jhordheim is never forgotten through epic tales of its foundation and its heroes. The young are raised on these stories, a travelling cloud goliath will bring the town's young to a public place and teach them the ways of Jhordheim through song and story.
Infrastructure
The stone giants are master builders when they are not also seers for the other giants. Aqueducts, sewers, bridges, the entire Causeway on the islands and beneath them were built and are maintained by stone giants and their stone goliath brethren. Even the walls of towns and stone harbors were constructed by them.
There are 181 active castles and 168 ruined within the boundaries of Jhordheim. Of these, 145 castles and 135 ruined are in civilized lands, and 36 castles and 33 ruined are in the wilderness, along borders, etc. All castles within civilized lands belong to the Storm Caste, each one a family of storm goliath or storm giant. Those in the wild serve the Frost Caste as coastal defense, dungeons, garrisons, and training grounds.
Honor, Gods, Dignity
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Demonym
Jhorden
Leader
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Feudal state
Currency
Glasst Breck - Platinum
Jä - Gold
Breck - Silver
All - Copper
Judicial Body
Storm goliaths are chosen to represent the High King and his rule of law. These adjudicators ensure that sentences given by frost goliaths are within the will and desire of the High King, and oversee the trials at which accused defend themselves, to include trials of honor, where there are tests conducted to prove a deed was done to protect the honor of an entity.
Subsidiary Organizations
Official Languages
Related Traditions
Related Ranks & Titles
Related Professions
Controlled Territories
Organization Vehicles
Notable Members
Related Ethnicities
Comments