Norland

Norland was one of the earliest and strongest outposts of norl power on the Moonshae Isles. It is a cold and primeval island filled with untamed wilderness, the norl dwell only on the fringes where the sea meets land.
The norl of Norland cling to the old ways, believing in strength of arms and the sea will provide everything needed to survive. The warlike nature of the norl has allowed them to survive on this barren island against the dangers that lurk here.
Norland, as one of the most northerly islands of the Moonshae Isles, is bitterly cold, constantly blasted by freezing arctic winds blowing down from the north, and regularly struck that the southerly islands rarely experience.
The people of Norland (the norl ), are incredibly hardy, and one of the few races that dare to settle the northern islands. The norl respect only the rule of the sword; where the strong take what they can and hold it from others as long as they can. The weak and the old are left to farm and to serve others, and when they cannot do even that they are left to die.
Norl society in Norland and Norheim is as pure to its ancestral roots as any other society on Faerun. Other island kingdoms of the north succumbed to influence from Illuskan migration and conquest, but Norland and Norheim were isolated from their kin after a string of disasters struck the northern islands, beginning with the formation of the Dvarstoldt Tar Pits on the northern coast of Norland, swiftly followed by the collapse of the eastern arm of the Jotunspine Mountains into the sea and subsequent devastation of fish populations in and around the northern Moonshae Isles.
Visitors from Ruathym, Tuern, and Gundarlun declined precipitously in the decades after these disasters, and it wasn’t until the formation of Gnarhelm that norl from these islands returned to trade with their kin. Over time the norl of Norland and Norheim developed their own identity distinct of the stronger island kingdoms, and wanted to keep their cultural heritage distinct from Illuskan influence (although that attitude has waned over subsequent centuries with the success of the kingdoms of Gnarhelm and Oman).

Government

The norl follow three simple rules that govern their daily lives and determine who governs the settlements and kingdoms of the norl . The Right of Arms, Right of Vengeance, and Right of Equal Share means that the strong may take whatever they wish, the wrong may seek vengeance upon their attackers without fear of reprisal, and everyone is entitled to an equal reward for their endeavours.
Following these simple rules means that the strongest or most skilled in battle will inevitably rise to the top of norl society following the Right of Arms (occasionally the most charismatic may gather enough loyal followers to compete when his own strength or skill is lacking). Subjects are expected to obey their lord or suffer punishment under the Right of Vengeance, while lords are expected to ensure everyone profits from the endeavours they join (such as raids) under the Right of Equal Share.
The common-folk and Landr must often (in long-settled areas where political boundaries are well established and the freest land is claimed) swear a Shield Oath to the nearest Jarl and pledge to obey his commands and provide a man from his longhouse to serve in any call of The Gathering Storm (a muster).
The Jarls in turn must swear a Shield Oath to the Kunngr (if someone strong enough emerges to claim the title of Norland) and promise to obey his commands and provide an agreed number of warriors to any call of the Gathering Storm. Norland is an island filled with many settlements (and thus many Jarls), all constantly warring among themselves over ancient (and recent) feuds, territory, wealth, and raiding rights. Norland has had a number of Jarls of sufficient strength (and luck) that have managed to get the other Jarls to submit and swear a Shield Oath so that they can claim the title of Kunngr and beat off any rivals that dispute the claim. Some lucky few Kunngr have even managed to hold onto the title for the duration of their reign.
Norland and the norl do not take naturally to Monarchy. When a Kunngr dies, his territory and his titles are divided among his children and heirs (adoptive heirs are entitled to inherit as well) under the Right of Equal Share. The eldest heir usually inherits the title of Kunngr, but lacks enough land and title to enforce such a claim and quickly abandons the title or loses it to opportunistic Jarls.
Kunngr: Norland currently has a reigning Kunngr in Grunnarch the Red, who managed to secure the throne through allies and relatives on the neighboring Island of Norheim. Kunngr Grunnarch has managed to secure two of his most loyal warriors as Jarls of nearby settlements to keep a stronghold upon Norland.
The duties of a Kunngr are similar to the duties of a Jarl, Gorrf, or Landr, to keep those who have sworn a Shield Oath to them happy so that they are less inclined to attempt to claim the title for themselves. The Kunngr must seek to provide adequate resources for the Landr of their own settlement, while also ensuring there is enough wealth-generating opportunities (raids) for the Jarls under his banner.
At the same time, a Kunngr must regularly prove that he is the strongest of all the Jarls and does so by raiding rivals, hunting great beasts, or performing great feats of strength. It is not uncommon for a Kunngr to be slain on the tusks of a direboar, or to go missing at sea hunting a great whale or to be killed while raiding a norl or ffolk settement.
Jarl: Norland is divided into many Jarldoms (there are currently 23 as of 1346 DR), each of which is responsible for ruling over a single settlement of 100 individuals or more. The Jarl is expected to have acquired a Shield Oath from every Landr in the settlement, and any in the surrounding nearby area that he cares to attempt (as per the Right of Arms).
A Jarl must keep his subjects happy or else expect gangs of angry warriors knocking their axes on the door of his longhouse intent on solving their problems through the Right of Arms. A Jarl need only ensure that the Landr have the means to generate enough food for their family through fishing, farming, etc in order to keep most men happy.
When times are difficult most Jarls will organize a raid to acquire wealth and food (or if they have a reigning Kunngr they will beseech him for the right and a target to raid). Beyond the duty to keep his subjects happy a Jarl need only prove he is strong enough to be a Jarl (through his own strength and skill or those of his warriors), for norl society has no notion of a service industry or any community beyond what a man is willing to provide for himself.
Council of Wintersnight: The Council of Wintersnight is named for the early and extended winter that lasted for much of 256 DR and prompted the norl to call a great council before deciding to leave their island homes in search of new lands to settle.
The Council is a collection of all the Jarls of Norland and Norheim and meets once a year in a great moot somewhere on the islands (Norland or Norheim) decided by the skalds (who usually claim a vision chose the moot location). Here the Jarls gather to settle their differences and swap information and stories that they have heard under a banner of peace, for it is forbidden to bring a weapon to the Council of Wintersnight (under pain of being abandoned naked in the Skor Forest).
The main purpose of the Council of Wintersnight is for the Landr (for all norl are entitled to attend) to air their grievances against the Jarls without fear of reprisal. If a dispute is raised at the council then all the Jarls (including the transgressor) will decide on a resolution that is a binding decision. It is here that most Landr seek vengeance for bloodthirsty Jarls that raid their farmsteads. Witnesses are called, evidence is gathered, skalds are consulted, and a decision is made in accordance with the 3 basic rights of the norl (the Right of Arms, the Right of Vengeance, and the Right of Equal Share). If insufficient evidence is available to make a decision then such a dispute is usually decided by Right of Arms and the aggrieved must battle the accused (or one of his Shield Wall).
The Council of Wintersnight also decides how to settle feuds between Jarls, but during the reign of a Kunngr, these feuds are almost always settled and decided by the king before it gets to the council.

Law and Order

The norl follow the orders of their Jarl, and the Jarl follow the orders of their Kunngr, to disobey these orders is to invite punishment. The norl have no codified set of laws and so a Jarl or Kunngr can order his subjects to do whatever he likes.
Norl society does however have 3 guiding principles that ensure everyone in society is treated fairly. To break one of these laws is likely to result in an attack from the aggrieved party, unless of course, the transgressor is more powerful (such as the aggrieved’s lord), in which case such a dispute may be taken to the Council of Wintersnight.
The Right of Arms: Norl society is based upon the principle that the strong rule the weak. A strong warrior is entitled to take whatever he can secure for himself and thus claim the right to it until another stronger warrior comes to take it from him.
This allows for strong young men to secure a future by taking land from the elderly that are unable to defend themselves. Many young warriors must be careful not to try and take the land and wealth of those in favour with the local Jarl, and must usually seek the permission of the local Jarl before making a claim (although swearing a Shield Oath after taking the land is usually accepted by most Jarls).
Right of Vengeance: Those aggrieved by another under the Right of Arm may seek to avenge themselves upon the transgressor without any punishment or interference from other parties. Typically when someone attempts to claim another's property or land for themselves or injures another in a raid or a common brawl, or even speaks unkind words about another, puts themselves at risk of being attacked by the aggrieved in order that he may take his vengeance.
It is widely understood that the vengeance should be of a proportionate measure equal to the damage done (i.e. theft is countered with theft, injuries countered with blood, death with death, etc), but it is not uncommon for an insult to result in transgressors death to reduce the possibility of further reprisals under the Right of Vengeance.
The Right of Vengeance removes the possibility of outside interference, so that only members of the same family may become involved in any dispute. It prevents a Jarl from punishing a man who slays another for stealing his farm, it prevents bystanders from intervening in a fight and even prevents a Kunngr from preventing a warrior from having his vengeance. The Right of Vengeance does not, however, prevent those revenged upon from seeking vengeance against the originally aggrieved, as a result, a single insult can easily escalate into feuds involving extended families.
Right of Equal Share: Everyone in norl society is entitled to an equal share of the profits from any endeavour they participate in. This applies from simple farming and fishing to the raids of Jarls and Kunngr.
While this might imply that everyone is equally wealthy, what typically happens in norl society is that the strongest take the share they desire (under the Right of Arms) and then those that are left claim a much lesser share, but as long as everyone receives something of value from it then the laws are satisfied. If anyone wishes to dispute their share then they may do so under the Right of Arms and the Right of Vengeance.
For the Landr, the Right of Equal Share means that the entire family, including those adopted into it, must benefit from the work of the slaves. Indeed the Right of Equal Share is also what entitles the slaves to freedom after many years of work.

Structure

The norl do not adhere to the typical ideals of hereditary nobility that are found in much of the rest of Faerun. To the norl, the ability to rule is determined by one’s strength; not solely measured by their physical strength but also included their allies and family.
Anyone can become noble in norl society by receiving a Shield Oath from a landowner (known as Landr), thus adding the oath givers wealth and lands to his own. When enough Landr have been subdued to claim an entire settlement then the noble can declare himself a Jarl (Lord). If all the Jarls in a region (island) are subdued then a Jarl can declare himself Kunngr.
Shield Oath: The Shield Oath is a form of servitude that pledges one man to serve under the banner of another. As part of the Shield Oath a Landr is expected to pay an annual boon to his Gorrf (the amount determined at the time of the oath), and serve in the Shield Wall when called upon.
Landr: The Landed are the minor gentry of the norl , the head of a family that has established a claim on a tract of land and erected a fortified longhouse to secure that claim. Typically a Landr will have acquired slaves to work the land, or his wives and daughters will work the land to provide enough food to survive. The Landr and his sons will spend their time defending their land and claim from those who seek to take it.
The above is true for unclaimed land, for land within the territory of a Jarl (usually along the coastline) the claim is usually awarded by the Jarl to strong men in return for the Shield Oath. Those wishing to seize the claim from another must first approach the Jarl for permission or risk punishment after attacking one of the Jarl’s Shield Wall.
Gorrf: Gorrf is the term given to a minor noble that has the Shield Oath of a number of Landr. The term Gorrf is relatively undefined because as few as 5 Landr living together can form a settlement and thus the Gorrf can claim the title of Jarl. Any man who can claim the Shield Oath of another is immediately considered noble and awarded special status within norl society.
Gorrf typically unite their neighbours under a single leader and together the small band (Shield Wall) help secure their homes from raiders as well as offer their services to nearby Jarls for raids. A Jarl will typically unite the surrounding Gorrf to claim his title, forming a complex web of Shield Oaths that underpins the ever changing political landscape of norl society.
Jarl: Jarl are the Lords of the norl, they command large numbers of minor nobility and the men under their control. In earlier times a Jarl was defined by the number of men he could amass under his banner, if it was enough to fill a longship then he was truly a Jarl. Once kings began to emerge among the norl, a Jarl was defined as the ruler of a settlement (which often arose around the longhouse of earlier Jarls) and was appointed by a Kunngr.
The Jarls of Norland are those who control the major settlements (a population of 100+) along the coasts of Norland. They provide their subject with access to the necessities while maintaining their reputations as great warriors and leaders of men.
The Jarls are a fractious lot and quite regularly raid and war among themselves for territory and resources, to settle old feuds, or to press claims to another’s titles.
Kunngr: The ultimate ruler of an island of norl is known as Kunngr (meaning King). A Kunngr commands all or the majority of Jarls on an island such that the remaining Jarls are unable to act against his orders for fear of losing their titles and power.
The Kunngr will claim at least one (or more) Jarldoms for his own and the settlements that go with such a title and territory. It is with the warriors of these lands and those of his trusted allies that a Kunngr enforces his claim to dominion over all other Jarldoms. A Kunngr must walk a fine line between rewarding his loyal Jarls and punishing disobedient Jarls, for those Jarls who amass too much land and power may one day challenge for the title of Kunngr.
A Kunngr has the right to demand services from any Jarl under his command. This right usually manifests in targeted raids against rich ffolk or norl settlements that are awarded to loyal Jarls, or targeted raids against well defended settlements for disobedient Jarls. Refusing the order of a Kunngr is usually a death sentence unless the individual possesses enough personal power to defend himself against the king and all his lords.
Unlandr: The Unlanded are the lowest of the low among norl society. The weak, the sick, the elderly, the mad, the stupid, and all those who cannot defend themselves from nature or man are considered to be without honour. Unlandr must rely upon the charity of others to survive. They typically roam from settlement to settlement and house to house, offering their services to Landr (or higher nobility if they have valuable skills) in return for payment. A Landr may take them into his house by offering them a place at his table, at which point he is honour bound to protect them (which includes protection from starvation, the freezing force of nature, and from other norl). The Unlandr must perform whatever task asked by his patron until such a time that he desires to leave his protection (and is then asked to leave the longhouse).
Most Unlandr are made to work the land as farmers or fishermen, which are jobs that most norl consider to be beneath a strong warrior. If an Unlandr can read and write or has skills as a weaponsmith or armourer then he may find work with a Jarl or Kunngr and perhaps live a very comfortable existence, providing he pleases his lord.
Slaves: Slavery is common amongst the norl. Their tendencies toward conflict and raiding lead to a lot of captives that can be sold for money or put to work as farmers and fishermen. A slave performs many of the same jobs that the Unlandr perform but a slave has no rights under the law of the norl and can be killed for refusing to perform the tasks demanded of him.
The norl are not normally cruel to their slaves (although some are), they just have little respect for the weak, and will enforce their orders with physical violence if necessary when dealing with reluctant or lazy slaves. Most slaves find adequate food and shelter among the norl, and if they can prove their worth they will find their freedom sooner or later.
A typical term of slavery lasts only as long as the master requires it. If a new, younger, and better slave is acquired then the old slave is freed (but finds no more assistance and is forced to make his own way in a hostile land). If the master dies then all slaves are immediately freed (and again enter a hostile land). Slaves that perform well in their duties for 10 years are often adopted, thus gaining their freedom and the protection of their new family.

Culture

Heraldry: The idea of a symbol or banner announcing one’s identity and or leal lord is something new to the norl. Following King Torgred Helmudsson’s conquest of Oman and his subsequent death in 947 DR, the illuskan tradition of heraldic symbols has been passed to the norl of Norland and Norheim. Many norl believe that any worthy lord should be recognised by his appearance and fame alone and should not need a banner to announce his presence. However, even the norl cannot deny that being able to identify one’s foes in a pitch battle by the symbol on their shield makes it an idea of merit.
The norl have taken to painting symbols onto their shields (disliking carrying bulky banners into battle) and onto the sails of their ships. Thus far only the Jarls and Kunngrs of the northern islands have taken up the practice, but it may not be long before Landr take up the custom. There is no concept of hereditary banners among the norl. Every norl chooses his own symbol upon becoming a Jarl, and it remains with him until death. His sons will choose their own symbols when they gain lands and title, and while it may be similar to their father, it will be distinct enough to indicate a separate individual.
The known banners thus far are:

• Kunngr Grunnarch Rogarrson – Scarlet Sword on a grey background.

Raids: Raiding one's neighbours is a time honoured tradition among the norl. Under norl law, the Right of Equal Share entitles the norl to a share of the fruits of the land, even those lands farmed by the ffolk (which are more fertile than the ones the norl are forced to farm). The Right of Arms allows any norl warrior to take their entitled share of land, food, and wealth if they have the strength to do so.
A Landr on his own usually does not have the manpower or a longship required to perform a raid on ffolk settlements (although he may raid his Landr neighbours if he wishes and is not afraid of reprisals under the Right of Vengeance).
A Jarl is typically the first level of nobility (although some exceptionally rich Gorrf also qualify) able to gather enough martial strength, and own a longship capable of transporting warriors to foreign settlements. A Jarl will announce a raid (usually after seeking permission from his reigning Kunngr – if there is one) and offer up places on his longship to able warriors. A Kunngr may also grant the honour of performing a raid against a target of his choosing to a Jarl (this may be considered a privilege or an order depending upon the Jarl’s relationship with the Kunngr), it is however up to the Jarl to organise the raid and gather warriors to join it. Once every few years the Kunngr will announce he is leading a raid to prove his strength, such events attract the greatest of warriors.
To join the raid every warrior must bring a weapon and a shield as the minimum requirements. Depending upon the prestige of the Jarl and the choice of target, a number of norl warriors may be attracted to the settlement and ask to join the raid. Those warriors of renown and success may be allowed to a seat on the longship for free (truly famous warriors may even be paid to join the raid). Warriors from the Jarl’s own household may also expect to join for free. Other warriors may join for a fee or a reduced share if they cannot afford the fee.
Assuming the raid is successful (or partially successful), all participants receive a share of the plunder, even deceased members receive a share (given to their longhouse). The Jarl and the greatest warriors can be expected to claim a greater share of the plunder, while other warriors must content themselves with a reduced share unless they can claim more through the Right of Arms.
In times of plenty, raids are often performed against other norl settlements on Norheim or Norland (with the permission of the Kunngr). Such raids typically less fatal for attackers and defenders who both understand the purpose is to take plunder not slay the opponent. During harder times the norl will raid ffolk settlements and have found that the ffolk are unwilling to share and will try to kill those norl who come to take their property.
Equality: Norl society does not discriminate between the sexes, a man and woman have equal standing in society and are expected to look after themselves and follow the guiding principles of the norl. A shield maiden (warrior woman) is able to join raids and the Gathering Storm just the same as any man, she can claim the land of another under the Right of Arms, take vengeance upon transgressors under the Right of Vengeance, and is entitled to a share of all profits. In order to do these things a shield maiden must be strong and skilled, and many norl women are the combative equal of their male counterparts.
However, the norl equivalent of marriage is the same Shield Oath given to a Jarl or Kunngr, and binds the woman to her “husband” as a loyal subject. By taking the Shield Oath a woman often gives up her status and position in society to her husband who is then expected to defend her and provide for her, while she, in turn, must obey his commands and it is expected that her role is now as a mother and wife rather than a shieldmaiden.
When it comes to inheritance, because a woman has sworn a Shield Oath to another man, she becomes part of that family and forfeits any inheritance rights from her former family.
Inheritance: The Right of Equal Share entitles all heirs to a share of an inheritance. Under the Right of Arms the heirs are entitled to take a greater share if they can seize it from other family members, and such conflicts are not uncommon when land and titles are involved.
For Landr this would normally mean that the fortune of the father is divided among his heirs (sons and unmarried daughters). The land; if it forms part of a greater lord’s estate, is kept whole and given to the eldest heir, if the father has multiple farms then a farm is given to each heir starting with the eldest first (who receives the biggest).
Jarls similarly divide their lands and titles among their heirs, preserving existing political boundaries (Jarldoms are not split, but a Jarl with more than one Jarldom will see those titles divided among his heirs). A Kunngr often has more than one Jarldom (a necessity to acquire the martial strength necessary to claim the title of Kunngr), the titles are split amongst his heirs and this often results in the next Kunngr not possessing enough land and Drengr to maintain his claim to the title of Kunngr.
Ships: The norl love to sail, some say they favour their longships more than their houses or their families. Every norl aspires to own a longship, and once they have one, they love to sail it out in the wide open ocean, discovering new lands and raiding for spoils.
Every longship has a figurehead, often personally crafted or commissioned by whoever is to be the new owner. The norl of Norland (and Norheim) favour figureheads that depict monsters and creatures of legend; dire wolves, the bjornyr, dragons.

Military

The isle of Norland is well defended due to the warlike nature of the norl inhabitants and their martial skill which means any invaders may have to fight every inhabitant of the island in order to complete the conquest.
Despite almost every able-bodied man and woman of age being able to fight with skill and strength, there is no formal defence of the island, no standing army, and no defensive pact between settlements. Each individual farmstead and settlement is responsible for defending itself from threats and to seek outside help is to admit weakness and invite opportunistic attacks from norl peers. However, should a strong enough threat (like an invading army) present itself, then it is the duty of a Jarl to defend the lands of those he claims a Shield Oath from, and similarly, the Kunngr is duty-bound to defend the lands of those Jarls loyal to him.
When a sufficient threat presents itself and an individual seeks aid from his lord, that lord may call the Gathering Storm. Each longhouse that owes the lord a Shield Oath must send one able and armed warrior to the lord within 3 days of the Storm Horns being blown (riders are dispatched to every corner of the lord’s land to blast these large, curled rothe horns). Those households failing to provide at least one warrior can expect punishment later on (a fine or even forfeiture of claims).
When a Kunngr calls the Gathering Storm, every Jarl within his domain must provide an agreed-upon number of warriors (agreed when the Shield Oath is made) to the Kunngr’s army. Disloyal Jarls provide only the minimum agreed number, while loyal Jarls will exceed that number to prove and strengthen the relationship with their king.
Typically the Kunngr of Norland can gather 3,000 warriors outfitted with leather, axe, and wooden shield, and 30 longships to transport the warriors to wherever they are needed. A well-respected Kunngr (typically a great warrior) can command more than 5,000 warriors and 45 longships into battle.
Dreng: The average warrior of the norl is known as dreng (meaning warrior). Every Jarl is able to call a single dreng from each longhouse which has sworn a Shield Oath to him. Dreng are expected to provide their own weapon and a shield (failure to do so is in breach of the Shield Oath and incurs punishment). The dreng are the mainstay of any norl army and will employ tactics no more sophisticated than charge.
Skeldren: The Shield Bearers are the elite warriors of norl society. To become a Skeldren one must be offered the position by a Jarl (or Kunngr), or take the position by defeating an existing member in single combat. The Skeldren are typically seasoned warriors and veterans of many raids, equipped with the best weapons and armor available to the norl (usually an arming sword, round shield, and chain shirt).
The size and effectiveness of a Jarl’s Skeldren is a source of prestige and gives an indication of his wealth and power. The job of the Skeldren is to carry out the orders of the Jarl, they typically lead the vanguard of any raid or army. It is not unknown for one of the Skeldren to slay a Jarl when he becomes weak and his subjects are unhappy.
There are free Skeldren (not aligned to any Jarl) who form the famous norl mercenary companies that are feared throughout the Moonshae Isles, selling their services on raids and in battle.

Religion

The norl are not known for their religious fervour, being a practical people (much like the ffolk in that regard), but taking it further and believing in only what they can see and experience for themselves, and revering only that which is useful to them now.
The idea of worshipping a vague being on a different plane of existence that cannot interact with the norl, or provide immediate relief to their ills seems like a huge waste of time to most norl. Furthermore, constantly relying upon another in times of need is the actions of a weak individual who cannot look after himself. Because of these reasons, the norl tend to regard the worshippers of gods as weak and pathetic individuals, and so treat them with scorn and hostility, often attacking and enslaving them to prove the strength of the norl.
The norl do however respect the power of ancestors who achieved greatness and will often call upon them in times of battle to bear witness to their own deeds and occasionally lend them strength in times of great need. Such ancestor worship takes the form of using an ancestor’s name as a surname (Rogarsson, Bjornsson, etc) to signify their relation to someone of greatness.
The norl do offer sacrifices and obeisance to those gods that represent primal forces that can negatively affect the outcome of one’s deeds. For instance the norl will often sacrifice a goat (by throwing it into the sea) to placate the Sea Bitch, whose storms can easily sink a raiding expedition. In times past the norl used to sacrifice slaves (or those brave warriors who volunteered) to Tempos the Bloody Horned God who represented the primal forces of death and violence (and thus warfare), but after centuries of warfare, Tempos has fallen out of favour and only has a few score skalds left among the norl.
Skalds are the primary conduit between the norl and their gods and ancestors. They are believed to be touched by the sea and as a result have a special connection to the Outer Planes where the gods reside (and where the souls of ancestors go when they die). A skald is a wandering herald of portents and prophecies that act much like the bards of the ffolk, spreading news between the settlements but with more doom and drinking (for they are often heavily medicated with ale and psychedelic substances to enhance their “connection”).
Most skald do not have a preference for any one god or ancestor above the others (although they are careful to remember the famous ancestors of the norl settlements they are visiting), and will happily perform services and sacrifices to any god the norl wish to make offerings to.
Tempos the Bloody Horned: Tempos is believed to be the eldest of the gods of the norl, the one who brought the norl to Faerun and helped guide them to the shores of the Sword Coast.
Tempos is a bloodthirsty and foul tempered god that encourages the norl to raid their neighbours as often as possible to prove their strength, steal wealth, and secure slaves to be sacrificed to the glory of Tempos (and to prevent him from venting his fury upon the norl themselves). Sacrifices to Tempos involve ritual bloodletting of animals or slaves (or willing warriors of proven strength) in return for Tempos granting the norl victory in battle.
Tempos was at one time revered by all norl, but as the influence of other cultures took hold on mainland Faerun, the worship of Tempos gave way to the Church of Tempus. On the islands the worship of Tempos was discouraged by those where the giants ruled for a time, but it survived enough to be brought to the Moonshae Isles and flourish.
After centuries of raiding, warfare and hideous losses (and victories) among the norl, the people have all but lost faith in the worship of Tempos which encourages them to sacrifice valuable slaves and strong warriors as well as raiding for things that can be acquired elsewhere (food and wealth). The past few decades however have seen the norl fall on hard times due to a string of severe winters that have seen a return to the old ways (raiding) and the old faiths (Tempos).
The Sea Bitch: The norl revere many primal aspects of nature that they attempt to placate in order to improve their prospects in life. The Sea Bitch represents the norl and their relationship with the Trackless Sea, she is a stormy, unpredictable being of incredible destructive power, and yet she provides an unlimited bounty of fish and wealth.
The norl do not worship the Sea Bitch in any formal way; there is no organised church or cult such as once existed with Tempos, however, the local skalds frequently claim to have visions or receive portents about the sea (usually involving incoming storms or calm seas) which supposedly come from the Sea Bitch.
Offerings to the Sea Bitch (to ward off storms or monsters, or to bring whales to hunt and shoals of fish) usually take the form of a goat or sheep thrown into the water from a longship or off a cliff. If the animal survives and swims to shore it is meant to be an extremely bad omen. The norl do not do anything so foolish as to throw treasure into the sea (animals can be replaced, gold cannot).

Trade & Transport

The economy of Norland is a subsistence economy supplemented with raiding to acquire riches and goods for trade. Every longhouse in Norland is expected to provide for their own needs, growing food, making clothes, crafting tools etc. Those that a family cannot make for themselves they must acquire by bartering with those that can.
There are no services for foreigners in a Norland settlement, no inns, no shops. Despite this lack of service industry there are resident blacksmiths and armourers, and every Jarl worth his salt has a mead hall. Such amenities and crafts are provided by those who are no longer able to raid or hold land (usually due to injury) and are often employed and housed by the Jarl who needs the services of a good smith or brewer.
The norl raid nearby rivals (for prestige), or ruins (for treasure), or the ffolk (for food mostly). The amount of raiding each year depends upon the whim of the seasons; years with long winters and short summers mean that most norl longhouse are unable to feed the entire family, and once their treasures are gone (traded for food), the norl will often resort to raiding the ffolk who are much better farmers and refuse to share the fruits of their labour. The norl Right of Equal Share and Right of Arms gives any warrior the legal right to take that of the ffolk if circumstances require it.

Founding Date

1332 DR

Type

Geopolitical, Kingdom

Demonym

Norl

Leader

Grunnarch Rogarsson

Leader Title

King

Government System

Monarchy, Elective

Power Structure

Client state / puppet state

Economic System

Barter system

Parent Organization

United Moonshae Isles

Location

Moonshae Isles