Stormlanders
All ahead, full sail! That wounded schooner is ours and all of us be damned for today we're ripping a meal out of the jaws of the depths! Be ready! Be ready!
Tairos is known for its many perilous environments but few are as harsh and unforgiving as the Stormlands... much like the people who call them home. Stormlanders are uniquely suited for the wind-blasted highlands and chill waters of the region. They're expert mariners, raiders, pitiless sellswords, and masters of ingenuity when it comes to stretching resources far past their breaking point. Stormlanders are survivors through and through and they do have the luxury of living by codes of honor, altruistic moralities, or a strict adherence to the word of law. Instead, they take what they need or die trying.
This cutthroat mentality has not made them popular with their neighbors. They are in a state of constant conflict with the Frostmerites whom suffer the brunt of their coastal raids. The Ghal Ankharans take every effort to bar the Stormlanders from gaining access to their mountain home and the relics there in. In fact, the only people they can trade with are the Duergarians and even then such meetings can end in violent betrayal.
Stormlanders outside of their home region suffer bitter resentment, distrust, and even hatred for the reputation their people carry. It's a rare thing for a Stormlander to flock far from the waters of their birth but those who do are often fleeing enemies at home and the constant threat of starvation. Those who truly do mean to start over often hide their heritage at all costs, choosing instead to blend in and adopt the culture of their new home. That said, there are places where a Stormlander can give in to their baser instincts and embrace who they are. Places such as the Tairuk Island Chain and anywhere the Black Thorn Society hold power.
Raider Cleric by Antti Hakosaari
Naming Traditions
Feminine names
Fiona , Éile , Searlait , Sorcha , Aíbell , Brigit , Ciara , Caireann , Órnat , Caitrín , Draigen , Blinne , Malesha, Róise , Ailionóra , Sláine
Masculine names
Adair, Aiden,Balfour, Boyd, Carrick, Earc, Tomas, Daimhín, Riain , Declán , Ágastas, Eogan , Breccán , Cillian, Faolán , Cellach , Rohan
Family names
Much of Stormlander society is ruled over by powerful families and warlords who maintain control only as long as their strength and reputation allow. Some of the most notable family names are as follows but be aware that status comes and goes very quickly here:
DeVane, Byrne, Mac Lochlainn, Kane, Whelan, Andarsan, Blair, Ó Mordha, Mac Liam, Flynn, Ó Móráin, Cullen, Ó Ruairc, Breathnach, Mac Tomáis, Domhnaill, Ó Móráin, DePaor, Riagáin, Mullan
Other names
Note on Names
Because of the raider lifestyle chosen by the Stormlanders since the earliest days of of their people many of the family names and first names will have been assimilated into other human cultures. Via raids, conquests, explorations, or migrations a fir amount of Stormlander blood made its way into regions as far away as the Balmoran Plains, Frostmere , even modern Ghal Pelor. These names often have regional spellings, pronunciations and meanings. It is difficult to identify a Stormlander by name alone though a skilled scholar may be able to do by using the chosen spellings and pronunciation
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
The Common Tongue is the most widely spoken language here though it is peppered with a great many elements from the old tribal days of humanity and terms brought back from their many raids across Tairos.
Shared customary codes and values
It is important to always be displaying one of two things: strength or loyalty. In a society built upon the rule of "survival of the fittest" one must either offer fealty to a greater power or show the strength required to be the greater power. Those choosing loyalty are expected to display the crest and colors of their chosen lord and to give offerings to them at formal gatherings. Those opting to walk the path of power must always be on the lookout for opportunities to show strength. This can be displays of wealth, martial prowess, the number and degree of subservience in their followers, and tales of their daring exploits. Giving wealth to the less fortunate is also a sign of strength but rarely is the amount given more than a token offering and compared to the givers total riches.
Art & Architecture
Despite the harsh nature of the region and the people they enjoy art as much as any other culture. Much of that art happened to belong to others before it was brought back to the Stormlands though. Art produced by the Stormlanders themselves comes primarily in the form of stoic poems and dirges which are handed down through family generations. Painting is also common and usually done on armor, shields, and sea ships. The Stormlands lacks a great number of materials that would be needed to create vibrant pigments though. Most of their works are generally done in shades of grey with only small pops of muted color. Paint and ingredients to make stronger colors are a cherished commodity that fetch good prices on the market
Birth & Baptismal Rites
Newborns are almost always baptized in the cold waters during a storm. The ferocity of the storm is believed to speak to the strength and destiny of the child. These ceremonies are carried out by Stormspeakers or by the lords to which the parents have sworn fealty to. However, if the child is born with any physical defects this ceremony takes on a different purpose. The child will often be "given" to the storm and drowned. Their bodies left to the waters to take. This is believed to grant good fortune to the parents and to whatever child follows next.
Funerary and Memorial customs
Funerary customs will vary from family to family but they almost always involve a burial at sea during one of the many storms that constantly assail the region
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
Stormlanders are a people born of violence and so they have little regard "soft" forms of beauty other than carnal urges and even then a collection of well-placed scars, missing digits and old wounds speaks to the battle prowess of an individual. And, strength in battle is a very attractive thing to them. They do find ocean waves, storm-wracked skies, and craggy islands of their home to be a thing of grim beauty as well. Much of the art they do create focuses on such harsh vistas and themes.
Gender Ideals
There are no expected gender ideals among the Stormlanders. Success in battle and surviving the trials of their dangerous homeland are all that matter and both are expected of each gender.
Courtship Ideals
Though their existence is one fraught with challenges that doesn't mean they reject the ideas of romance and love. While courtship between a pair might be somewhat "crass" compared to the flowery approaches of other cultures all the hallmarks passion are there. Gifting, the desire to share experiences together, even something as simple as taking a loved one to enjoy an meal or entertainment. The luxuries offered by the Stormlands are few and far between so these outings might not live up to the expectations of mainlanders but they are cherished none the less. It is also common for lovers to travel together on raids and even participate in battles side by side.
Encompassed species
Related Organizations
Related Locations
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