Nord

The men of Skyrim, hearty and fair, are known for their proud warrior traditions, raucous behavior, and fierce traditionalism. They are descendants of the animistic Atmorans from a continent to the north now uninhabitable under steadily-expanding ice and snow. They brought with them Dragons, who they worshipped as gods, and conquered the land now known as Skyrim from the Snow Elves.

Frostfall

According to myth, humankind was created when Kyne, the goddess of wind, breathed life upon the Throat of the World, the largest mountain in Tamriel. From there, men moved north to a region called the "Elder Wood" or Atmora. In a war against the elves, the land split apart, and Atmora drifted north through the Sea of Ghosts.
Human-kind spread through the world, to Yokuda, to Akavir, and to Tamriel. Those who remained became Atmorans, whose culture is carried forward today through the Nordic people. For reasons lost to time, the climate of Atmora changed, brining an eternal winter that creeped across the land over the course of thousands of years. This change forced Atmorans to migrate south into the land they knew as Mereth, the home of elves. The northern region of this continent, lined with fjords and high peaks so much like home, they called Skyrim, and while at first, they tried to live in peace with their neighbors, conflict soon arose.
The oldest known settlement by Atmorans is called Saarthal. It was overrun by the Snow Elves in the middle Merethic Era in what is remembered as the Night of Tears. The settlers are believed to have uncovered an artifact which attracted the attention of the elves, who burned the city in an attempt to keep it out of human hands. By some miracle, the city, and its assailants, were buried in the collapsing tunnels, protecting the secret discovered there. By legend, the sole survivors of the attack was a mythological hero called Ysgramor and his sons, who fled back to their homeland to prepare their revenge. Bringing only an army of Five Hundred Companions, Ysgramor began a campaign of conquest that would bring Skyrim under human rule, and drive the Snow Elves underground.

The Dragon War

The ancient Atmorans brought with them a deep spiritual reverence for the cycle of nature. They worshipped a pantheon of animal spirits who took part in the Wheel of Time, the cycle of Kalpa in which the world dies and is reborn anew. Three Houses watch the wheel, while one tests mortal's resolve and faith. Animals are believed to be living aspects of the spirits, and were treated with great reverence. The most sacred of all were dragons.
Dovah, or dragons, were the living gods of the Atmorans. An immortal, sapient race with a natural drive to conquer, the Dovah took full advantage of Atmoran animism. Content with offerings of wealth and supplication, the Dovah left the administration of their Dragon Cult to their most powerful acolytes, the Dragon Priests. They taught these priests the way of the Thu'um, the use of the dragon language to bend the laws of reality to their whims. While separate from the Jarls who ruled the provinces of the Nordic Empire under the High King, this clergy were the true powers of Skyrim, ruling with brutality and fear. This eventually erupted into the Dragon War, which waged throughout the final years of the Merethic Era.
According to legend, the goddess Kyne saw the plight of men, and gifted them with the ability to speak as the dragons do. Mortal warriors who learned the dragon language became Tongues, warriors of the Voice, and quickly eclipsed the Dragon Priest's power. When their hold on the people was broken, the dovah finally intervened. One dragon was a match for an army of mortals, even wielding the Voice. The tide of the war only turned when they discovered a new Word of Power which the Dovah did not. With this power, they surpassed the dragons, and broke their control of mortal-kind forever.
Since this victory, dragons have been hunted to near extinction, reducing them to myth and folklore. The animal spirits have gradually been reinterpreted as singular gods with strong association with the Imperial Divines. While these gods watch the wheel in the same way their animist predecessors did, the old ways are only preserved in isolated villages and underground cults.

The Four Houses

The Dead Gods

This House are gods of the previous age, before the world was reborn. They have no earthly temples, as they reside in Sovngarde, where those who die honorable deaths live for eternity among heroes. When great heroes and Clever Men, practitioners of magic, visit the land of the honored dead, they return with a symbol of their visit, and are respected by the people for the accomplishment. The role of the dead gods is to prepare the souls of mankind for the next rebirth.

• Shor - The Fox: The son of Shor is the god of Sovngarde and the creator of the mortal world. He was the king of the pantheon, who led men to victory time and again against the elves who would oppress them. He was finally captured and executed by the Elven Gods. Storms and natural disasters are the result of his wife Kyne's grief for Him.
• Tsun - The Bear: God of trials against adversity and shield-thane of Shor. He died defending his King from the Elven Gods.

Stuhn - The Bear: The twin-brother of Tsun, Stun took His elder's place in the living pantheon. Also a warrior, He taught mankind the benefits of holding prisoners of war for ransom. Stuhn exists without a House, and although He is a part of the old tales as the brother of Tsun, it is believed by scholars that He was elevated to the modern pantheon due to Imperial influence in the late First Era.

The Hearth Gods

The trinity of the Hearth represent the living world, and the present moment. They have temples across Skyrim. Their purpose is to guide humanity through whatever trials they face in life, large or small.

• Kyne - The Hawk: Wife of Shor and creator of humanity. Kyne's breath is the very lifeforce which permeates nature and the literal air itself. Sometimes called the Kiss at the End, Her most sacred duty is to gently guide the dead to the threshold of Sovngarde, where She hopes to catch a fleeting glimpse of Her lost love. She is the head of the Nordic Pantheon, and Her temples are built high in the mountains.
• Mara - The Wolf: Handmaiden of Kyne and Goddess of Love and Marriage, although Her exact role in the oldest traditions have been obfuscated by time. As Mara and Her equivalents are the most common among mortal pantheons, elven and Imperial influence is strong in Her modern form. Her role in the Wheel is a secret kept by the Witch Covens whose gathering places in the wilderness are Her temples. Nords will wear an Amulet of Mara to advertise that they wish to be courted for marriage.
• Dibella - The Moth: The Goddess of Beauty also has unclear origins in Nordic myth. Her temples are found in the halls of important wives, from the nobility to village matriarchs. Devotees are artists, bards, artisans, chefs, and bakers. The Moth motif brings a great deal of speculation from Imperial scholars.

Jhunal - The Owl: God of Runes and Secret Learning. Jhunal is the muse of Clever Men, practitioners of magic and sorcery. The role of these Clever Men in society has shifted over time, and Jhunal's worship by common Nords is almost unheard of. He is not a Hearth God, but a greater spirit, said to have been born from the souls of trees that were cut down, pressed together, and imbued with knowledge in the form of tomes.

The Twilight Gods

Heralds of the end of one cycle, and the beginning of the next. The House of Twilight is a dyad with no temples, as their arrival marks the end of any need for such things.

• Alduin - The Dragon: Worshipped as the God-King of all Dovah in the age of the Dragon Cult, Alduin is better known as the World Eater by modern Nords. In their ancient myths, Alduin is said to consume all of reality at the end of one world to make way for the next. This God of Destruction is feared by all, and he is said to slumber beneath the world. On the winter Solstice, Nords gather outside of ancient Dragon Cult temples to leave offerings and sing lullabies to keep Alduin asleep for another year.
• Talos - The Dragonborn: During the course of a cycle, new gods are born, destined to carry over into the next cycle of the world. The first and most celebrated is Talos Stormcrown, the last son of Atmora, who founded the Septim Empire before ascending. Other Dragonborn Emperors have been venerated as gods before Him, especially Reman Cyrodiil, but none have captured the attention of the people of Skyrim as Talos has. Sometimes known by the name Ysmir, given to Him by the Graybeards, this god is believed to be the son of Shor and Kyne, and is destined to rule the heavens in the next life. An ancient prophecy holds that Ysmir will return to do battle with Alduin at the end of days.

The Testing Gods

The final House is that of the enemy gods of man. Tricksters and bringers of misfortune, the Testing Gods serve to bring trials which mankind must overcome.

• Orkey - The Serpant: Known as "Old Knocker", Orkey is the god of mortality and enemy of man-kind. Orkey was said to have stolen years away from man-kind, explaining their shorter lifespans compared to elves. He is associated with the Orcs who come down from the mountains to bring destruction and plunder to humanity. In recent years, priests of the Imperial god Arkay have worked to redeem the image of the serpent god, taking charge of Halls of the Dead to prepare bodies for the hereafter. Nordic superstitions persist, and these halls are avoided unless necessary.
• Herma-Mora - The Woodland Man: A trickster, tempter, and hoarder of secrets. Many tales of this spirit involve His attempts to trick or thwart Ysgramor. In one notable story, He disguises Himself as a hare, and nearly tricks Ysgramor into becoming an elf. He was stopped when Shor, disguised as a fox, kills the hare and warns Ysgramor to "Eschew the tricks of the Elves, lest ye become one."
• Mauloch: Another god associated with the Orcs. Mauloch sends Orcs, Ogres, and Goblins to test the Nords through warfare. Mauloch was created when the Elf Gods slew Tsun, and threw His body into the misty woods of the dead, Pyndamora. The body's lungs filled with the mist, and rose as a warrior of malice. This new being tried to return to the people of Shor, but Tsun's twin brother Stuhn saw Him as as a fake and fought Him until He was forced to retreat to the mountains. Mauloch swore vengeance against men and mer alike for casting Him aside.

Heart and Throat

If Cyrodiil is the Heart of the Empires of Man, Skyrim has been their Throat, proudly roaring its might. In the late Merethic Era, the Nordic Empire was rapidly expanding through Skyrim. This empire came valiantly to the aid of Alessia the Slave Queen, who was fighting a losing war against her people's Ayleid oppressors. They sent their most experienced Tongues as tacticians and advisors, each worth a hundred men in battle. What they found, to their shock, was that the humans of Cyrodiil had allied with Ayleids to fight the Ayleids! If this slave would prostrate herself before an elf for aid, then she was not fit to lead the men of the south to their salvation. They threatened to slaughter the elves and execute Alessia. They proclaimed they would return to Skyrim and bring an army to conquer the heartland themselves. In response, the Slave Queen shouted the Tongues to their knees in the language of the Voice. She revealed the Amulet of Kings and proclaimed the covenant she made with Shor to become Dragonborn, fated protector of man. The tongues doubted her no longer.
With the help of both her Nord and elf allies, the Alessian Slave Rebellion freed the human slaves of Cyrodiil, and the Slave Queen was crowned Empress of the First Empire of Man. These two empires became close-knit allies. During the early part of her reign, Empress Alessia spent time in Skyrim, studying the ways of the Voice as well as their spiritual beliefs. In her life as a slave, Alessia was a priestess, keeping the traditions of the Nibenese River Peoples alive. But her subjects were also of Colovia, of Skyrim, and elves. When she returned to the throne, she brought about a new pantheon, which all of her peoples could see their traditions reflected in. This became the Imperial Cult, which would have a profound effect on Nordic spiritual believes over the coming millennia.
Relations with the Alessian Empire faltered during the era of the Alessian Order, a xenophobic cult that came to rule the empire after Alessia's dynasty ended. In their histories, Saint Alessia had revealed that just one Divine existed, the god Akatosh. This cult drove the remaining Ayleids out of Cyrodiil, and persecuted elves and beastfolk. They also reached beyond their borders to attack even human heretics in High Rock and Skyrim. To the Nords, Akatosh was a foolish southern corruption of Alduin, whose attention mortal-kind did not want to get. Relations with the Imperials fell apart, and Skyrim would have numerous border wars with the Empire for over a thousand years before its collapse.
At the end of the First Era, forces from Akavir, a mysterious continent to the east, invaded Morrowind and Skyrim. This overwhelming force pushed through both territories in a matter of weeks before finally stalling at the Jerall Mountains. A general called Reman united the factions of Cyrodiil to stop the invading force. This effort was aided by an alliance of Vivec, one of the living gods of the Dunmer, and the Trident Kings of the Dreugh who blockaded the sea to stop any Akaviri reinforcements. Unable to push past Reman's army, and unaware of the blockade up north, the Akaviri invaders retreated to a captured mountain fort known as Pale Pass. Unaware that their reinforcements and supplies would never arrive, the Akaviri ran out of food and were forced to surrender. In another version of the story, some of the Akaviri were a part of a secret society in search of the Dragonborn, and sabotaged their own people when they realized that Reman was the fabled hero. Whatever the case, Reman's army absorbed the surviving Akaviri, and continued to march north into Skyrim. Seeing the power commanded by the Imperial general, the Jarls surrendered with little resistance, and Skyrim became an enthusiastic part of the new Second Empire of Man.

The Pact

In time, even the Reman Empire fell, and the Interregnum began. Skyrim would be divided for a time between an East and a West kingdom, and the Ruby Throne sat empty, save a rotating cast of pretenders and upstarts. Fate struck when another army from Akavir landed on Skyrim's shore. These were the Kamal, the snow demons of Akavir, in search of an unknown relic. They sacked Windhelm, killing the reigning queen and princess of the kingdom. When their treasure proved nowhere to be found, they traveled east into Morrowind. The princes of East Skyrim gathered their armies and gave pursuit as the Kamal engaged with the Great Houses of the Dark Elves. The snow demons made their stand, cornered by the two armies at Vivec's Antlers along the coast. The Kamal fought tirelessly, fending off both armies with minimal losses as they awaited the return of their ships for evacuation. Just when hope seemed lost, a contingent of Free Argonians arrived unexpectedly to lend aid. The fresh reinforcements broke through the Kamal line and scattered them, allowing the elves and men to capture or kill the bulk of the invaders, as only a few survivors disappeared into the wild.
The three armies met at the nearby city of Ebonheart where they formalized their alliance as the Ebonheart Pact with the goal of mutual defense. In time, the Tribunal gods of the Dunmer discovered a plot at the heart of Cyrodiiil, and the Pact had a new holy mission to liberate the heartland from the Cult of the Black Worm and put a stop to the designs of the Daedric Prince Molag Bal on Tamriel. Their secondary, but equally important goal was to form a new empire before the other contemporary alliances, the Daggerfall Covenant, and the Aldmeri Dominion could take the throne for themselves. In the course of the war, the elder prince of Windhelm, now Jorunn Skald-King was elected High King of the Pact, and was chosen as the ideal Emperor should they take the heartland. Unfortunately, the dreams of the Pact never came to fruition. While the Worm Cult and Bal were defeated, the Three Banners War raged on for years, until all three factions began to splinter from the inside. The war puttered out without resolution, and East Skyrim left the Pact after decades to pursue reunification with the West.

The Dragonborn

The long period of Interregnum came to an end alongside the Second Era with the arrival of the last known immigrant from Atmora, a warrior called Talos. This brave hero pledged himself to the cause of the King Cuhlecain of Falkreath to finally retake the Imperial City. As general, Talos demonstrated a power of the Voice unseen since Reman Cyrodiil himself. The Graybeards, a monastic order who study the Voice as a means of solemn communion to Mother Kyne, called out across the land the word "Dovahkiin", the Dragonborn. It was Talos who answered their call. He climbed the 3000 steps to their monastery atop High Hrothgar where the monks named him Ysmir, after Atmoran king Ysmir Wulfharth of legend and blessed him with divine purpose. From then, it is said that Talos brought with him a halo of clouds and lightning whenever he went into battle, earning him the moniker of Stormcrown.
When the Nords of the Jeralls saw that the general was Dragonborn, they joined his cause and marched on Cyrodiil at his side. Cuhlecain had quickly conquered the heartland, but on the eve of being crowned Emperor, an assassin slit his general's throat and slew him. Miraculously, Talos survived the assault, though he would never Shout again. The Imperials named him Tiber Septim and crowned him emperor instead. This new dragonborn emperor ruled for 81 years, and went on to conquer all of Tamriel. On his death, it is believed that Tiber Septim became a new god, Talos: The Ninth Divine. The Nords heralded Him as the fulfillment of the prophecy, and believe that He will return to do battle against Alduin at the end of days.
Under the Septim dynasty, the people of Skyrim have been largely enthusiastic participants in the Empire. Many Nords serve in the Imperial Legion and earn land in conquered territories. The provincial ruler is the High King in the capitol of Solitude. Although the Jarls still select their ruler among themselves, the Crown has a say in the appointment as well. Nords are enthusiastic colonizers, spreading their culture especially into Morrowind, but are far less thrilled by Imperial efforts in their own province. Imperial forts throughout the landscape have often grown into safe settlements for the Imperials, and the Imperial Cult has taken an increasingly insistent role in Nordic spiritual matters over the centuries. Nords have firmly drawn the line at the imposition of Imperial Guilds, refusing any concessions to the Mages Guild or the Warriors Guild in competition with their own institutions. Both have only a small presence in Imperial fort-towns, while the Companions and members of the College of Winterhold handle both niches in Nord settlements.

The Fourth Era

Tiber Septim's dynasty ended in 3E 433 when the Emperor and all of his heirs were assassinated by a cult of Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon. This disrupted the Firmament, allowing hordes of Daedra to erupt from fiery gates across the land. For months, the forces of Dagon burned cities, kidnapped civilians, and targeted places of spiritual significance. Nords fought valiantly, but as the Legion was recalled to protect Cyrodiil, the daedra gained the upper hand. The Companions mercenary guild were nearly wiped out. One of the only safe locations was the city of Winterhold, which welcomed refugees from Morrowind, who helped bolster the mountain-top city's magical and physical defences, and took in Skyrim's displaced civilians in their time of need in turn.

Imperials claim that an incarnation of Akatosh defeated Dagon and ended the Oblivion Crisis, but Nords believe this to be extremely wrong-headed. The golden dragon which manifested in the Imperial City was clearly incarnation of Talos who emerged from the Amulet of Kings to finalize Alessia's covenant with Shor. In the decade since the Crisis, Nordic worship of Talos has reached an all-time fervor, while respect for His Empire is at an all-time low. Public support for Skyrim to march south and take the throne to protect the Septim legacy is growing, with High King Thian a favorite to take the throne. The High King has not commented on these calls, and has focused on rebuilding infrastructure through the province, and the exploration in the Sea of Ghosts in search of lost colonies of Atmora to bring into the fold. In the south, a witch-priestess of Shor known as Jsashe has gained uncanny popularity throughout the Hold of Whiterun, and her influence appears to be spreading. Public opinion is rapidly shifting to her to overtake first Skyrim, and then the Empire.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Britte, Eria, Finna, Freida, Frilgeth, Fredo, Fjotli, Friga, Freydis, Froda, Greyf, Grosta, Grunilda, Hela, Helgi, Helgreir, Hranvard, Inga, Jofrior, Katisha, Koralla, Lahpyrcopa, Laicifitra, Liesl, Lilija, Mabjaarn, Macalla, Macke, Nette, Nurnhilde, Ogra, Reyda, Ruelde, Sorga, Tyra, Vunhilde

Masculine names

Abbard, Adding, Aenar, Agning, Alfbrand, Alfhedil, Allding, Alof, Asuf, Brold, Guthrum, Henrik, Jan, Jonathan, Lond, Ollrod, Rodulf, Sirfing, Thondar, Thorbjold, Ulfgar, Urfing, Valgeir, Valund, Velfred, Vigunn, Vilfred, Virgerd, Vongvild, Yngling

Family names

Most nords do not have family names. Nords are generally referred to as the son or daughter of their father or mother respectively. The suffix "-sen" or "-dotr" are amended to the parental name.
There are some larger Clan names, which carry a significance of lineage.:
Axehandle, Bearblood, Bearfist, Berard, Bereouch, Bigtoe, Bitterblood, Blackfox, Blackrock, Blackvein, Bleakdawn, Bloodshark, Bluesky, Bonebreaker, Booklover, Brewmistress, Brightwind, Brittleblade, Cloudstomper, Coldhand, Coldmoon, Coldstone, Coldtongue, Cookpot, Crowheart, Daggerhand, Darkdawn, Darkhammer, Darksky, Darkstorm, Deepcrag, Direfrost, Eardwulf, Eversmiling, Fairsong, Falharth, Fireheart, Frostbrow, Frostheart, Frostiron, Furmender, Goldenhand, Goodsword, Graymist, Graysky, Grimlantern, Halfmoon
Another common motif are Nords who are given titles from their peers:
All-Friend, Axe-Beak, Axe-Head, Battle-Weary, Bear-Walker, Bird-Singer, Black-Bear, Black-Kettle, Black-Owl, Blade-Bard, Blood-Drift, Blue-Sky, Broken-Sword, Broom-Lover, Cat-Slayer, Chill-Owl, Chow-Master, Clod-Kicker, Cold-Raven, Corpse-Caller, Crag-Carver, Crow-Song, Crows-Watch, Cruel-Wind, Dagger-Lost, Dark-Dawn, Dark-Sword, Draugr-Eater, Dull-Axe, Dull-Blade, Fair-Hair, Far-walker, Fire-Belly, Fire-Hearth, Fish-Catcher, Five-Blades, Flat-Foot, Fleet-Foot, Forge-Fire, Four-Thumbed, Frost-Heart, Frost-Skin, Frozen-Fist, Gap-Tooth, Giants-Bane, God-Hater, Gray-Fists, Gray-Tongs, Green-Hilt, Half-Face, Half-Troll, Hatchet-Hand, Ice-Born, Ice-Breath, Ice-Eyes, Ice-Gale, Ice-Turner, Ice-Walker, Ice-Wind, Ice-Wolf, Icy-Mane, Ire-Heart, Iron-Kettle, Iron-Shield, Jagged-Peak, Last-Child, Lost-Hammer, Mad-Eye, Mead-Drinker, Mist-Born, Net-Mender, Nine-Toes, No-Shirt, Oath-Breaker, One-Eye, Owl-Watcher, Pine-Frost, Quick-Feet, Rat-Bite, Raven-Eye, Raven-Hair

Culture

Funerary and Memorial customs

• Ancient Nords of Skyrim - Ancient Atmoran settlements were built atop elaborate tombs, where the dead were ritually cremated and interred. These tombs were believed to be crossroads, where both Sovngarde and Pyndamora intersected with the living world. To protect these crossroads, Atmoran warriors agreed to remain in the world of the living, their bodies embalmed, and their souls bound to them through forgotten rituals. These warriors became the draugr.
• Modern Day- The introduction of Arkay worship in the Second and Third Eras by the Imperial Cult have spread fear of the draugr as necromantic abominations. Today, Priests of Arkay serve in Halls of the Dead beneath Skyrim's settlments, where the recently departed are treated by ritual prayer and incense which prevents them from rising again. Ancient Nordic barrows are respected as dangerous parts of the landscape, best avoided.
• Ancient Nords of Solstheim - The ancient ancestors of the Skaal designed their crypts to be as cold as possible to slow down the draugr. Dead who were believed to have been dishonorable were liable to escape Pyndamora as ghosts, and so were embalmed intentionally so they would be forced to take their physical body instead. As a final measure, they sealed the body in an open sarcophagus with a form of enchanted ice known as Stalhrim.
• The Skaal - The Skaal people of modern Solstheim tell legends of their monotheistic god the All-Maker who cursed the souls of ancient nords who practiced cannibalism with eternal undeath, creating the red-eyed draugr of the island. They believe that in death, their souls return to the All-Maker who sends them back into the world as a new creature, and through this belief consider themselves at one with all life on Nirn.

Sovngarde

The afterlife for Nords who die honorably in battle. It was created by Shor and ruled by Him from the Hall of Valor. The souls of this realm spend the remainder of this cycle of existence feasting and drinking with the greatest heroes in history. When called upon, they travel out from the great mead-hall to defend the realm from the vile creatures that creep out from Pyndamora through the Shadowed Vale, where the two realms intersect. They do this to protect the newly dead while they wade along the shallows of the Misty Wood.

Pyndamora

The "Misty Wood", sometimes conflated with the Breton conception of "Hell" or the Daedric planes of Oblivion, is the underworld of Nordic mythology. It is conceptualized as a massive, stagnant, subterranean lake deep below Skyrim. The dead who fail to find their way to Sovngarde are condemned to either tread water as ghosts, or to sink below the surface. A human soul is weighed down by their sins, making it harder to stay afloat on the journey. Beneath the surface is an infinite forest realm, veiled in mist, where the damned wonder for centuries. As they succumb to hopelessness, they slowly transform into new trees of the wood. Herma-Mora is believed to have built a secret library somewhere in the mists of Pyndamora. Orkey is sometimes considered to be the embodiment of the surface of the water.
Many bedtime stories are told of Pyndamora. It is said to have been created when Shor was slain by the treacherous Elf Gods. They cast His heart into the sea, and a realm of emptiness spilled out from the unraveling of Him. From the emptiness, dark spirits like the Woodland Man were born. Undaunted, Shor gathered himself up, and built a cairn for His own heart, mourning its separation for 400 years. When He was finished, He swam up through the mist, and made the long journey to a place He could make a better afterlife. He marked His path along the way to make it easier for the men who would come after. He knew He reached the end when He found His faithful Shield-Thane waiting for Him, a Mead-Hall constructed at the end of a bridge made of Whale-Bone. Stuhn had prepared the location for Shor's return, and from His happiness at being able to spend a cycle with His best friend, the realm of Sovngarde was born.
It is believed that the Dwarves snuck into Pyndamora to steal the Heart of Shor in secret. When the Chimer discovered this, they went to war against the blasphemous dwarves, and sent a devil called Dagoth to ask the Nords for aid. When they heard what the Deep Folk had done, the Nords combined their Voices to call Shor back to the world of the living. Shor led His people in alliance with the Chimer and the Orcs against the Dwarves. But the Chimer were as treacherous as the deep elves, and turned on them just as Shor had gotten His Heart back. Before He could fully come back to life, the Dwarves and the Velothi killed Him again, and then turned on eachother. At the height of the battle, the Dwarf-King Kagrenac profaned the Heart, and an enraged Shor made one final Shout from Sovngarde which cast all of Dwarf-kind into the deepest part of Pyndamora, never to return. Although the Dwarves were defeated, the Battle of Red Mountain was lost to the Nords, and they were forced to retreat, abandoning the Heart of their twice-dead God to the Velothi.

Nord Traits

Your human character has the following traits:

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Skills:

You are trained in one of the following skills:

• Smithing
• Crafting
• Survival

Drawback

• Illusion

Battle Cry

You are immune to cold conditions or frost damage for up to ten minutes outside of combat, or five turns in combat.

Character Details

Humans range from 3’ to over 6’ in height.
Humans come of age around 18-20 years old and can live up to 100 years.
Nords are typically fair skinned with red, brown, or blonde hair color.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Cyrodiilic as well as Nordic. Both of these sister languages are heavily influenced by the Atmoran tongue of old.

Culture

Nords are known to be adventurous, boisterous, combative, and are highly superstitious.
They have an intricate martial tradition and are bound by honor to answer a challenge, be it direct or symbolic.

Modern Nordic religion is focused on living with honor and overcoming great trials in this life. A typical nords hopes to ascend to Sovengarde when they die. A realm of eternal glory for those who die in battle.

Skyrim

The icy homeland of the Nords is known for its vast pine forests, treacherous fjords, high snowy mountains, and dry grassy tundra. It is divided into nine Holds, ruled by Jarls under the rulership of the High King or Queen. Only a couple of its holds have significant farmland, so Skyrim feeds her people largely through fishing, trade, and in lean times, pillaging.

It was once a vast empire in its own right, having conquered lands stretching from modern High Rock to Morrowind, and has a long history of conflict with Hammerfell. An alliance with the Nordic Empire was integral to the creation of the first human Empire in Cyrodiil. Most nords are very proud of this heritage.

Parent ethnicities

• Atmoran

Related Organizations

• The Third Empire of Man

Languages spoken

• Cyrodiilic

Related Locations

• Skyrim