Rjurik
The Rjurik inhabit the taiga and highlands of north-western Cerilia. They're a tall, broad-shouldered people with blond or red hair and fair complexions. Both men and women wear their hair in long braids. The Rjurik are stubborn individualists who don't swear fealty to anyone besides their own kin; the family is most important part of Rjurik life.
Living in the wind-swept land north of Anuire, the Rjurik make their living by hunting across the hills and moors of their territory. The Rjurik rely on individuality to see them through, yet they also place a strong bond on the clan. They are nomads in the summer, but return to their halls at first snowfall, there to keep the cold at bay with feasts and roaring fires in the mammoth hearths. They venture out into the cold in hunting parties, replenishing their larders as necessary. Because of the harshness of the landscape and the ever-present danger of monsters, the Rjurik almost never travel alone.
There's little war in Rjurik. For one thing, the Rjurik people don't see the need to glorify themselves through massive battles. For another, the nearest clans are usually a good distance away, making the logistics of battle uncertain. Finally, the Rjurik prefer to face off in one-on-one challenges when an insult is dealt or when an upstart seeks to become the new jarl, rather than wasting precious lives.
This is not to say that the Rjurik will not fight wars. When foreign armies invade the tundra, the Rjurik can mobilize better and faster than nearly any army in Cerilia. Since they know their land well, they can travel across it far faster than their enemies, and reinforcements seem to arrive at supernatural speeds.
The Rjurik themselves are a hardy race of foresters, hunters, and warriors. Their jarldoms and clan-holds are scattered along the forbidding coasts of the Mhiere Rhuann and the icy Thaelasian passage, although a few small holds can be found as far east as the Krakennauricht. The Rjurik are a free-minded people who place little importance on titles or rulers; a Rjurik jarl reigns by the consent of his folk and can be replaced if they don't like the way he's doing his job.
Naming Traditions
Feminine names
Ada, Adelind, Aesa, Alfhild, Alof, Anneke, Arnora, Asa, Aslaug, Astrid, Aud, Bekkhild, Bera, Bestla, Birditta, Bodvild, Borghild, Borgny, Brandi, Brynhild, Busla, Dagmar, Dagny, Dana, Eadith, Edda, Edny, Elke, Emila, Etta, Eyfura, Fjotra, Freya, Freydis,Galumvor, Geirrid, Geralda, Gerta, Gisela, Gjaflaug, Greta, Grimhild, Groa, Gudrid, Gudrun, Gullrond, Halldis, Hallfrid, Hallveig, Hedda, Hekja, Helga, Herborg, Herkja, Hervor, Hildigunn, Hildirid, Hjordis, Hjotra, Hleid, Hrafnhild, Hrodrglod, Inga, Ingibjorg, Ingigerd, Ingrid, Isgerd, Jannika, Kallan, Kara, Karela, Karelina, Karena, Kay, Kolina, Kolfrosta, Kostbera, Leoda, Linna, Lofnheid, Lofthaena, Lyngheid, Nauma, Malena, Oddrun, Olga, Olvor, Ragnhild, Rana, Rowena, Rjbekka, Saereid, Sigrid, Sigrlinn, Silksif, Sinrjod, Skjalf, Solvig, Svanhvit, Swanhild, Sylgja, Thjodhild, Thorgerd, Thorunn, Throa, Thurid, Tofa, Ulrika, Unn, Uta, Vaetild, Velda, Yrsa
Masculine names
Abeodan, Abrecan, Aella, Aethelbald, Aethelbjorht, Adalbjorht, Adalhard, Aethelhere, Aethelwold, Aethelwulf, Agdi, Agiefan, Agnar, Aiken, Aldbjorht, Aldfrith, Aldred, Aldwulf, Almund, Alrek, Alvin, Alwalda, An, Amalwin, Anders, Angantyr, Anhaga, Anwaelda, Aran, Archibald, Aric, Armrod, Arnfinn, Arngrim, Asmund, Atli, Auda, Audric, Awiergan, Axel, Baldlice, Bard, Barri, Beiti, Bild, Bern, Bernhard, Beowulf, Bjorhtwald, Bjorhtrek, Bjarkmar, Bjorn, Boden, Borg, Borgar, Brodric, Bosi, Brand, Brynjolf, Budli, Bui, Ceolfrith, Ceolred, Ceolwuld, Cuthbjorht, Cuthwin, Cynric, Dane, Drott, Eadbald, Eardwulf, Eberhard, Ecgfrith, Eddval, Edric, Einar, Egil, Egbjorht, Egfrid, Einar, Eirik, Eitil, Emmon, Eric, Eorp, Eorpwald, Eylimi, Eyolf, Eystein, Fafnir, Fardolf, Finnbogi, Fjolmod, Fjolvar, Fjori, Franmar, Frans, Freki, Fridleif, Frithjof, Frodi, Frodrek, Frosti, Fulbjorht, Fyri, Gardar, Gauk, Gauti, Gautrek, Geirmund, Geirrod, Geirthjof, Geomar, Gerold, Gilling, Gjuki, Glammad, Godric, Gothorm, Gunnar, Gunnbjorn, Guntbald, Gust, Guthorm, Hadding, Haeming, Hafgrim, Hagal, Hak, Haki, Hakon, Halfdan, Haltigar, Hamal, Hamdir, Harald, Hardrad, Harek, Hauk, Havard, Hedin, Hegibjorht, Heidrek, Heimir, Helgi, Hendrek, Herbjorn, Hererinc, Heretoga, Hertholf, Hervard, Hildigrim, Hjalmar, Hjalprek, Hjordmund, Hjorleif, Hjorolf, Hjorvard, Hlodvard, Hlodver, Hlothver, Hodbrodd, Hogni, Hoketil, Holmgeir, Holt, Hosvir, Hrefknel, Hrani, Hreggvid, Hring, Hroar, Hrodmar, Hroi, Hrolf, Hrollaug, Hrosskel, Hrotti, Hunding, Hunthjof, Hymling, Idmund, Illugi, Imsigull, Ingjald, Ingram, Ivar, Jan, Jarnskeggi, Jokul, Joris, Jormunrek, Karel, Kareloman, Kenric, Ketil, Kjar, Knui, Kol, Krabbi, Kraki, Lars, Leif, Lodevjek, Mathfrid, Meginhard, Melnir, Neri, Nordbjorht, Odd, Odolf, Olaf, Olvir, Orkning, Orr, Osmund, Osric, Oswald, Otgar, Otrygg, Ottar, Pieter, Poul, Raevil, Rainer, Raknar, Ref, Rennir, Rikhard, Rodstaff, Rolf, Rudolf, Runolf, Saemund, Sigmund, Sigurd, Sihtric, Sinfjotli, Sirnir, Sjolf, Skuli, Skuma, Slagfid, Smid, Snaeulf, Snaevar, Snidil, Snorri, Sorkvirm Sorli, Soti, Starkad, Steinthor, Storm, Storvirk, Styr, Svafnir, Svafrlami, Svart, Sven, Svidi, Svip, Thjobald, Thjodor, Thjodrek, Thor, Thord, Thorfinn, Thorgeir, Thorir, Thormod, Thorstein, Thrand, Thvari, Tind, Toki, Tryfing, Ulf, Ulfhedin, Vidgrip, Vignar, Vikar, Vilhjelm, Vilfrid, Visin, Volund, Vulfhere, Vulfric, Vulfrum, Yngvi
Family names
Most family names are derived from your line of decent, your place of origin, or your occupation. Rjurik names are 80-90% patronyms. This makes this list doubly useful as you can select both a first name and a family name from it. Males follow their father's name with "sson" and females follow their father's name with "sdotter" as though you are adding a possessive and your relationship to the character's father. Patronyms are not inherited among the Rjurik.
A few houses have adopted place names as family names.
Other names
Common names are in there, including interesting variants from Nordic or Anglo-Saxon sources. Anuireans may know some of these names, but will not use these forms, but when they translate them, they will pick the standard English form, and Brecht will pick the standard German form. So the Rjurik jarl, Vilhjelm, will be known in Anuire as William and in Brechtür as Wilhelm.
Culture
Average technological level
In a historical context, the Rjurik are an amalgamation of that of the Nordic Vikings and the mythic Celts. Rjurik technology is not particularly advanced and can be viewed as roughly equivalent to the technologies of the Middle Age cultures.
Common Customs, traditions and rituals
They have a summer and winter camp so they do not overuse the land. There are many clans that have different colours and things that their clan focuses on (e.g. maintaining trails, trading with larger cities.)
Funerary and Memorial customs
Burial mounds
Common Taboos
Witchcraft (Any magic that is not Erik's gift or druidic)
Common Myths and Legends
Most Rjurik follow the god Erik, old father of the forests, and druids are revered throughout Rjurik society as teachers, leaders, and advisers. Common Rjurik have a deep respect and love for Cerilia's wilds, and carefully avoid over-hunting or clearing virgin forest.
Major organizations
Though the Rjurik have jarls to lead them, and can demand the jarls step down if they fail to do a good job, the true rulers of the people are the druids in their groves. They bend the Rjurik opinions, and conduct the rites that keep the Rjurik mighty. The jarls seek out the druids in the oaks and taiga, searching for words of wisdom to guide their people.
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