Skapa Clan
The Sturdy Bones of Orri
Skapa Clan is one of the five Great Orrian Clans that populated and controlled the country-continent of Orri. Situated further north than most of the other clans, though not quite as far north as Fånga Clan, the Skapa are used to a life of cold temperatures, limited food, and attacks from woodland predators.
Skapa Clan's territory is dense with great fir forests, easily making them the largest exporter of lumber in Orri. Most of the other clans count on them for the wood to build their homes, perimeter walls and longboats.
Northern Defense
The Nordvæg, or North Wall.
The vast expanse of land north of Fånga's territory is yet unsettled by humans, in no small part because of the dangerous creatures that inhabit it. Both the Fånga and Skapa clans were plagued by frequent attacks from predators like snow cats, dire wolves and even greater threats, such as giants. In response, the Fånga and Skapa worked together to construct a twenty-foot-tall, fortified wall of fir tree logs called the Nordvæg. The wall spans nearly from one coast of Orri to the other; it runs parallel to and north of the Kväva River and is bookended by the Elvfjell and Tannfjell mountain ranges to the west and east. Fånga warriors patrol the wall in shifts, and Skapa builders perform repairs as needed.
Structure
Like every Great Clan, the Skapa are ruled by a jarl. From the regional capitol, the jarl holds jurisdiction over all of the clan's land. A jarl is typically attended by a thane, or advisor, who offers council and acts as interim ruler if the jarl needs to leave the capitol.
Smaller settlements and hamlets are usually overseen by a lendmann appointed by the jarl, but villages have occasionally been known to choose their own leaders with the jarl's permission.
Orri has never been ruled by a High King. Instead, each of the Great Clans lives semi-autonomously, each governing themselves but united with the other clans by the Orrian Accord. In times of crisis, any of the jarls can call a moot, to which every jarl is obliged to attend. The issue can than be discussed, debated or argued by the combined leadership of the entire nation.
Assets
The sprawling fir forests of Orri.
While Skapa's territory is not well-suited to farming, nor is it rich in any precious minerals, it more than makes up for these deficits with its monumental supply of lumber. Towering fir trees dominate the landscape, and Skapa Clan's entire economy has been built around the exportation of wood to the other clans. It would be incorrect to call Skapa Clan wealthy, but the constant demand for lumber ensures that the Skapa receive enough through bartering to survive.
Demography and Population
Most Skapa settlements, including it's capitol Virkestad, are built adjacent to the Nål River so that their waterwheel-powered lumber-mills can function. Virkestad is home to approximately 10,000 Skapa, and the typical Skapa settlement has a population of around 1,000.
Military
All of the Orrian Clans are well-equipped and capable of fending off aggressive wildlife, but aside from that, Skapa is not particularly militarized. Their efforts are more collectively focused on the demanding task of processing and shipping lumber.
The probability of being invaded is minuscule for Skapa Clan, since any attacking force would have to sail or march through Fånga Clan's territory to reach them, which would spell a quick end for the would-be assailants.
Technological Level
The Skapa make tremendous use of the flowing Nål River for their production of lumber, employing great waterwheels to operate their lumber-mills. They are perhaps the only Orrian clan with the means, or the need, to use this technology.
Like all Orrian Clans, the Skapa rely heavily on longboats for travel and transportation of goods.
Religion
The Orrian Clans hold a belief system descended from Ashraism. Rather than worshipping Ashra as a chief deity, the Orri revere Ashra's five Solars as gods in their own right. These five "gods" make up the Orrian Pantheon, and are named as follows:
Veja, Goddess of Fertility and Agriculture (Vita, Angel of Life)
Låch, God of Fire and Light (Lux, Angel of Light)
Fornak, God of Creation and Invention (Fornax, Angel of the Forge)
Proceyya, Goddess of Wind, Rain and Sea (Procella, Angel of the Tempest)
Bellor, God of War and Conquest (Bellum, Angel of War)
The sixth and final god in the Orrian Pantheon is Lura, the trickster god. It is said that Lura can take any shape or form and exists only to toy with the lives of mortals and meddle with the work of the other gods. When misfortune occurs, many Orrians are quick to blame Lura for their ill luck.
As builders, Skapa Clan often calls upon Veja and Fornak to strengthen their fir forests and guide the hands of their crafters.
Foreign Relations
Skapa Clan is valued by every other Orrian Clan for the invaluable lumber they provide. As for foreigners, the Skapa seldom have reason to meet or interact with visitors; they are located far away from the accessible port cities of Äbenhamn and Fiskandel, and only venture there when delivering lumber by boat. Many foreigners, and even some Orrians, have come to view them as reclusive. Whether that is true actually varies from settlement to settlement, rather than reflecting the Skapa as a whole.
Agriculture & Industry
Lumber, lumber and more lumber. The cold climate of Skapa's territory prevents the cultivation of any other crops, and the demand for wood from the other Orrian clans is such that the whole of Skapa Clan can be kept busy processing and shipping logs from their great fir forests.
Trade & Transport
The size and weight of Skapa's exports require that they be shipped exclusively by longboat. The capital city Virkestad hosts a sizeable port on the Nål River, and ships can sail all the way out to the Orrian sea along it, picking up lumber from the smaller settlements on the way. From there, they can sail to each of the other four clan territories.
There are still roads that lead to most Skapa settlements, and visitors can bring goods and supplies to the Skapa quite easily in this manner, so long as they are wary of forest predators.
Education
There are no official educational institutions anywhere in Orri. Everything, from language to trades to history, is passed on orally from each generation to the next. Some jarls keep libraries or historical archives, but they are typically small, mostly containing logs and records written in Orrian runes. Journal-keeping is not unheard-of, but certainly not commonplace for the average Orrian.
Orrian expertise in the trades and in warfare is recognized by most of the civilized world, and have been known to travel to Orri seeking an apprenticeships from locals in various fields.
Infrastructure
Like most Orrian structures, Skapa construction relies heavily on wood, but doesn't implement stone as often in their roads or foundations. Generations of working with wood have turned the Skapa into artists, and they can create buildings and boats with equal mastery of both form and function.
Orri leverantören, vi skulptörerna
(Orri the provider, we the sculptors)
SKAPA CLAN
Type
Geopolitical, Clan
Capital
Demonym
Skapa
Government System
Oligarchy
Power Structure
Semi-autonomous area
Economic System
Barter system
Major Exports
- Lumber
Major Imports
- Grain and crops
- Steel and metal goods
- Alcohol
- Wool and leather
Location
Official Languages
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
The Skapa capital Virkestad.
South Orri, before The Impact.
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