Morngard
A cold, barren land populated by strong warriors that is currently in huge disarray.
Structure
The nation is divided into several läns. Each of these läns is run by the Jarl. The läns are named after and worship a totem spirit each. There is:
- Varndur: The Land of the Wolf
- Bornheim: The Land of the Bear
- Utrai:The Land of the Otter
- Rainda: The Land of the Deer
- Ormbun: The Land of the Snake
- Lordu: The Land of the Lynx
- Grämling: The Land of the Badger
- Ugdren: The Land of the Owl
History
Since Morngard is an ancient nation, its origins aren't known and whatever the people of Morngrad will tell you, it will be difficult for you to separate myth from fact.
Origins
According to sacred texts, Morngard and its people were created by the gods just like the rest of the world. But the deity Torag was said to have used just the finest materials when crafting Morngard's warriors. At the same time, the spills of these materials landed on the floor of the forge and started becoming life on its own, creating the giants.
And so human and giant alike were set loose to roam Morngard. But soon it was clear that all was not well. The fighting in these lands were constant, not just between human and giant but between different humans. To solve this the deity Erastil summoned eight animal spirits and ordered them to divide the humans between them and guide their respective groups. And so they did, appearing before the humans and guiding them to the areas that would become their homes, creating the eight läns.
A Land of War, Man vs. Giant (approx. 1400-1900)
The people of Morngard has always been one of conquest and combat. Common enemies have been the elves to the east and the dwarves to the northwest. Raids along the coasts of close nations are a constant source of resources for the sea-borne läns.
However, one of the most important events of Morngrad's history is the War on the Giants. While the humans and Giants had never been friends, they respected the others presence and left each other alone. But this all changed on a fateful day. The very earth shook as the mighty Giants invaded, slaughtering every human in sight. They were lead by Cennus, King of the Giants.
His conquest of Morngard would have eradicated the humans, if not for the hero Valdemar Gjölren. He gathered the separate, broken armies of Morngard's lands into one and battled Cennus' armies. When face to face with the King, Valdemar challenged him to a Duel of Fates. Should the King fall, his armies would be forced to surrender, and vice versa if Valdemar fell. The King accepted confidently. The legends claim that the duel lasted for seven days in several areas of Morngard. Eventually they found themselves at the edge of a cliff, both fighters bloodied and broken. This final struggle was a hard fought one, but eventually Valdemar managed to bring Cennus to his knees, putting his sword against the Giants throat and gave him a offer. If he surrendered, left and never returned, Cennus would be allowed to live. With a defeated sigh, the Giant accepted the offer. But as Valdemar put down his blade and turned around to return with news of his victory Cennus lifted his axe and took a swing at our hero with a deafening roar. The unaware human would have lost his head if not an owl had descended from the sky and pecked out one of Cennus' eyes, blinding the Giant and causing his swing to miss. In retaliation Valdemar turned around and cut off one of the Giants legs. And so Cennus fell over the cliffedge, falling to his doom, screaming and cursing all the way down.
When Valdemar returned, the Giants grudgingly accepted the deal of the Duel and disbanded theis armies. While most travelled to the mountains in the north, many are said to still live spread out across Morngard. Valdemar returned as a hero, not only for ending the War but for bringing together the Eight Lands. But only a month after his battle, Valdemar disappeared. No one ever saw him again, but even now, 1'000 years later, many still believe that his spirit will return during a time of great need to save Morngard once again.
Battles of the Mountains
Over the centuries Morngard and the dwarves of the northen Mountains have had plenty of conflicts. Often this has been raids against each other that go back and forth until one has been forced to begrudgingly surrender. This has cooled off in recent years, but tensions are still pretty tense, especially in Lordu.
The Eastern War (2845-2857)
It was in 2843, during a cold winter morning, that the citizens of Morngard found out that the elves of Ergonai had kidnapped the daughter of Jarl Eon, the Jarl of Bornheim. This was supposed to be payback for the decades of raids that Morngard and Bornheim in particular had thrust upon the elves. Outraged, Jarl Eon wished nothing more than to slay every elf between him and his daughter. But the King of the Elves constantly threatened to end her life should anyone try to attack his people. Since Jeana, as her name was, was beloved by the people of Morngard, nobody wanted to see her dead. So for 2 years there was a stalemate, as the vikings of Morngard tried everything they could to bring back the Jarldaughter safely.
But one day, a man named Skjamo travelled to Ergonai. He was born a simple farmer and later sought out training as a soldier. Someone without a sliver of fame to his name. Yet still he travelled to Fjordell, the capital of Ergonai, with his friend Stev. Once they had entered the forests of Fjordell they were quickly seized upon by scouts, who captured them and brought them to the King. He scoffed at their attempt at an assassination and proclaimed that he might just slay Jeana for this. But Skjamo explained that he had not come to murder the King. Instead, he wished to end this conflict through a simple duel. Whoever is able to bring the other to the ground wins. Should Skjamo win, he, Stev and the Jarldaughter may return home. Should the King win, Skjamo will forever be his servant. The King pondered this, but accepted with a grin. The battle started and while Skjamo seemed to have the upper hand, the King was a sly one and wasn't one to play by the rules. With a wave of the hand he made a servant shoot Skjamo through the leg, bringing him to his knees. The King walked up to Skjamo and explained that he had no need for fools and sliced the Morngardians throat. Appalled by this, Jeana realized that the King had to be stopped, but she was the whole reason Morngard couldn't attack. Steeling herself, she ran out to the open balcony in front of them and leapt out of the window. Everyone, including the King, was shocked, but this gave Stev the chance he needed to slip out of their grasp and escape back to Morngard. When he returned, he explained the scene to all who would listen, and soon it was clear that all of Morngard was ready for war.
Skjamo and Jeana became martyrs for all of Morngard and their tale is still told across the land. Skjamo in particular is seen as an inspiration for Morngardians and represents very traditional values about how you should be, though his fight against the elves has made the people of Morngard less considerate of outsiders, and for some Skjamo is a literal symbol of this.
Military
From Boy to Soldier
The age of 18 is very important for every morngardian boy. It is at this age that you are written up for the next Trial of Strength. The Trial is a test conducted every year. Each län handles its own Trial. The Trial consists of several tests and challenges meant to find out who among the contestant's have the most potential in the län's army. Variations in challenges and rules occur across lands but generally they are similiar. Should you do well in the tests you will be signed up to become a "kriger", or soldier. This is considered a great honor. While you can technically refuse to join you and your family will most likely suffer from constant shame. Once you've managed this, you will be sent off to a military camp, where for several years you will be brutally trained into a living weapon. Upon finishing your training you will be assigned a mission. Your superiors can send you anywhere they deem you necessary, but usually you will get to return to the vicinity of your home.Composition and Strategies
The armies of Morngard are fairly small due to its low population count, but those few soldiers are in turn very strong. Most soldiers wear light or medium armor to focus on quick movement, due to their raid-strategies. In offensive situations, the strategy is to attack a weak spot quickly, steal and kill as much as you can and then retreat before the enemy has a chance to organize. Should Morngard be pushed to defense its strategies are simliar, but with a focus on war of attrition. During the winter months, moving through Morngard can be a death sentence unless you're prepared. Morngard's soldiers take the fullest advantage of this, striking at their inexperienced targets.Religion
While Morngardians believe in the same Pantheon of Gods as the rest of the world, it is far less common to pray to these for aid. It is believed that when the gods had created the world and put it in order, they ascended the heavens to observe, only interacting with the world in the rarest of cases. Thus praying to one of them is unlikely to do anything. Instead Morngardians mainly pray to their Land's Guardian Spirit.
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