Vandir
Vandir are those nomadic Jolnir tribes that roam interior the grasslands and tundra of the Yfirland in central Heimval.
Settlements
The Vandir are on the move for most of the yearly cycle. During this time, they roam the great plains of Yfirland. Their magunir beasts of burden carry their supplies in pulled carts, including the large hide huts in which they reside on the plains.
In winter, the Vandir return to their wintering grounds around the three glacial lakes, living in large lodges. Most lodges contain a husband and his wives, children and his or his wive's unmarried sisters. Unmarried men live in bachelor lodges when they aren't ordered to the nearby grasslands to guard the herds.
Appearance
The Vandir are the largest of the Jolnir peoples. Men average 2.2 meters in height and women 1.9 meters. Most Vandir have straight black hair, eyes of green, hazel or brown with bronze skin. Their faces are wide and rugged with high cheek bones. Males are heavily tattooed in blue and red inks. These are largely sigils and signs of protection and battle-luck imbued by Daenir priestesses. Other, mundane black tattoos are visual boasts of their past victories in battle, games, drinking or lovemaking.
Vandir women belonging to the Daenir are also tattooed, with marks of devotion and visual aids in summoning, invocation and divination. Women not belonging to the Daenir do not usually posses tattoos, though they are arrayed in a wealth of jewelry comensurate with their status.
Men dress in clothing of dadyr hide, in the form of short tunics and kilts. These are usually sewn with bone beads in intricate designs. Women dress similarly, though their tunics and kilts are longer and fringed, the fringe dyed with red ochre. Holy women wear beaded headdresses of hide and dadyr horn. In storms and cold weather, Jolnir wear hooded overcloaks of magunir hide that retains the protective double coat of plumage.
Way of Life
Vandir live a cyclic, nomadic life. They are primarily pastoralists, herding breeds of dadyr for food, bone and leather as well as magunir, which they also use as mounts and beasts of burden. They are the only people to have mastered the domestication of the shaggy, massive horned ornithischians.
During the warmer months, the Vandir roam the rich praries and tundra, fattening their herds. As autumn approaches, they move south, where they often engage in raiding of settled communities or take tribute from those that see fit to offer it in exchange for peace. These raids involve the taking of slaves as well as goods.
As winter approaches, all the Vandir tribes migrate to the heart of Heimval where they winter around the three massive glacial lakes, mostly along the southern coasts of these lakes. Here they maintain massive timber lodges and spend the winter hunting, fishing, merrymaking and competing in games as well as having intertribal meetings to settle disputes, arrange marriages, discuss developments and coordinate raids.
The Vandir consider themselves separate from other Jolnir, calling both them and other civilized peoples svaglinge (weaklings). Vandir despise farming and generally only eat plants as medicine or in ceremonies, although they do drink alcohol made from fruit and grains.
The Vandir conduct war by shocking lightning raids. Lancers are mounted on magunir while archers ride on large chariots pulled by magkurnir or larger breeds of dadyr. If necessary, they will dismount and fight with spears and axes. Most Vandir clans disdain shields however, trusting in the magic of their tattoos and salves and their own skill.
Their weapons are coated with a substance blessed by their Daenir holy women. This substance inhibits clotting. They are also painted in another blessed substanced, red ochre in color that stems bleeding, as well as enhances agility and focus. The secrets of these substances and others are closely guarded secrets of the sisterhood.
Vandir clans are led by the strongest and most clever and ruthless man whose influence flows through his kinsmen. Disputes are often settled through combat or trials of skill. Death is not an uncommon result and if not killed, the vanquished will be banished or commit suicide.
More so than other Jolnir, the Vandir utterly despise old age in men, considering it the curse of the gottir. A man is considered old when he cannot perform all the duties of a man. As that time approaches, men are expected to take on greater and greater risks in raids and hunts, especially those that benefit the tribe or their families.
Those unlucky enough to not die violent deaths through these activities are expected to take their own lives by the blade or by the blade of their eldest son in combat. Any that do not do this are strangled and their bodies thrown to the scavengers.
Spiritual Practice
The Vandir, like most Jolnir, worship the gottir and revere the spirits of the land and those of their ancestors. Offerings are made to all three according to the Vandir version of Salehrung.
The Daenir sisterhood, and thus worship of Ragna is strongest among Vandir and the gottyans of the three moons to a lesser extent. The gottir Thalkun and Eltan are also very popular among men. Being a landbound people, Thera is given little heed, as is Kynaz.
Foreign Relations
Everyone who is not Vandir is either a foe or pays them tribute. Their greatest enemy are the Thalkunir kingdoms to the south and the Skjoldir to the east. These folk, hungry for land, continually push north or west to increase their territory into the fertile, virgin plains. The Vandir, always on the move, cannot continually guard these lands. But at the same time, great fields of grain cannot be continually guarded and the Vandir think nothing of burning fields of grain, barns and graneries for which they have no use.
This stalemate has existed for centuries, but in recent years, with the steel weapons and armor gotten through trade and plunder from the Kalmasans, the Thalkunir and Skjoldir have begun to make more permanent gains. They also have horses and have eagerly learned the art of riding these beasts, more biddable and of greater strength, endurance and intelligence than their dadyr mounts.
Even their most ancient enemies, the ettnir of the mountains, have been seen to wield weapons of the new metal. For their part, the Vandir hold fast to their traditional methods of warfare, but some have begun questioning the decisions of their chiefs and even the Daenir.
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