NORTHERNERS

The men who travel the icy fields of the north are a breed apart from others, these fair-haired powerfully built men travel the lands thought inhospitable by the civilized men of the world. Snow covered plains and harsh mountains serve as home to the northerner. Fearless and untiring in their nature, northerners are a proud people, more than capable of holding their own in the southern world. The tribes of the north have no true organized government, but they do meet once every year for a great trading festival that allows them to exchange alliances and settle scores.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Female Names: Ahnem, Frae, Lenia, Mor, Silia

Masculine names

Male Names: Fafhrd, Lavas, Mannimark, Nalgron, Skor

Family names

Names: The names found in the north tend to be breathier than a southerner's but not to a great degree. They have a wide variety of names, but the same ones come up often in their history. It is normally considered a great honor to be named after a fallen hero or friend of the family, so repetition of a name is very common.

Culture

Shared customary codes and values

Personality: The northerners have the almost reckless warrior mentality. These folk laugh at danger, enjoy dangerous challenges and bets, and take insults to heart. Northerners have a deep love of life, seeing all as a challenge or reward. Nothing is taken at face value, but questions are never pushed to far. Their weakness though is their superstition. The men of the north are constantly on the watch for omens in everything, ranging from birds overhead to unusual fog cover. More than a few civilized men have taken advantage of this fear to line their own pockets.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Physical Description: Northerners are bigger than most others. They stand taller and broader than the men in the cities of the south and tower well above the mingols of the steppe. Northerners have pale skin, that doesn't hold a deep tan, even with the constant exposure to the elements. Their hair is often blonde, but brown and red hair is not uncommon. The eyes of the northerners have as wide a range as the men to the south. The facial hair of the men is very common and very full. In fact the men consider a beard as a sign of maturity and adulthood, boys who cannot grow a good beard are looked at suspiciously by the elders of the tribe. Girls often grow their hair waste length, though a few of the more rebellious young ladies cut it off at their neck as a sign of defiance to the old crones who gather about to gossip. Northerners wear wool and hide made from the animals they stalk or keep. Ornamentation is popular, but jewelry is not extremely common in large quantities. The dress is always thick and full, a result of the severe weather that surrounds them constantly.

Courtship Ideals

Based on the writings of Tacit, most of the barbarians were content with one wife, which indicates a general trend towards monogamy. For those higher within their social hierarchy however, polygamy was sometimes "solicited on account of their rank". Of note, Tacit observed that "the wife does not bring a dowry to her husband, but receives one from him" and wedding gifts related to a marriage consisted of things like oxen, saddles and various armaments. Revealing the warlike nature of their society, Tacit also reported that wives came to their husbands "as a partner in toils and dangers; to suffer and to dare equally with him, in peace and in war."

Relationship Ideals

Relations: Northerners have skirmishes with the Eight Cities and the Mingol Hordes all the time. The northerners also enjoy sailing the seas, and these men aren't bashful about going after a lucrative prize. Still these men aren't as bloody or vicious as the mingols are. Northern traders are seen in the Eight Cities frequently, but less often in Ilthmar and Lankhmar. There are few northerners seen in the Eastern Lands and Quarmal. Occasionally a brave ship will sail down to the kleshite coast, but this happens only a few times at most each year.

Northerner Racial Traits +2 Strength, -2 Wisdom. Northerners are a strong people with a solid form, but unfortunately the warrior's code they live by makes them almost suicidal at times and none to wise. +3 to Survival. In addition this is considered a class skill for northerners regardless of their regular class skill list. Bonus Feat: Endurance. All northerners receive this feat for free, a side effect of the native environment. Automatic languages: Kvarchish. The northerners share the same language as the land of Eight Cities, though there is a slight dialect difference, any listening to one or the other will quickly pick up on the changes. Favored Class: Barbarian. These men lead a harsh, simple life.