Rothurland (pronounced ROW-thur-land) is a region that remains wild and relatively sparsely settled, populated by a people best known as great seafarers, explorers, and warriors. Though their era has mostly passed, the activities of some Rothurlandic vikings still keep alive the old legends. Massive redwood trees grow inland, used to build the signature ships of the region.
Geography, flora, and fauna
The geography of Rothurland varies greatly, from the rocky islands and fjords of the coast to the marshes, bogs, and forests of the interior. The region has a broadly cool climate, with extremely mild summers accompanying winters that can be bitterly cold.
Most settlements in Rothurland are to the east of the Eyjara Bay, where the coastline is significantly less rough than the fjords that characterize the north and west of the region. Forests cover much of Rothurland - while most of the forests are oak, birch, and other trees common elsewhere, it is the gigantic redwood trees for which the region's woodlands are famous. Hundreds of feet tall, these redwoods primarily grow in groves between the Minka and Hvitna rivers.
Two mountain ranges surround much of Rothurland. To the south, the Sentinel Peaks separates the region from the land surrounding the Alkyonides Sea, though historically many Rothurlanders have sailed around to settle this coastline as well. In the north, the Ialgrike Peaks run along the coast of the Invelaust Ocean, a spectacular landscape carved by glaciers. These mountains are broadly quite cold and rugged, with few permanent settlements.
The rocky Serpent Islands, to the west of the Eyjara Bay, are named after the sea serpents that are common in that part of the world. These oceanic creatures are simultaneously feared and respected by the inhabitants of the islands and are frequently hunted to prove one's worth.
Innumerable rivers begin in the mountains of Rothurland before flowing out to the Eyjara Bay or Invelaust Ocean. The most significant of these are the Vara, Hvitna, and Minka rivers, though they are joined by countless small tributaries and streams.
Mundane animals that are common in Rothurland include moose, cave lions, bears, wolves, and some megafauna that can also be found in nearby Talgazan, especially giant elk, cave bears, and mammoths. The mountains, forests, wetlands, and waters of Rothurland teem with animals, and much of the region remains untouched by permanent habitation.
Fey are extremely common in Rothurland, especially in the forested parts of the region.
History
It can be difficult at times to separate the legends of Rothurland from the actual history of the people and region. Tales of great heroes and villans are widely told - while many are doubtless factual, others straddle the line of truth and myth. The history of Rothurland is inextricably tied to its legendary seafarers, explorers, and warriors, who have become cultural heroes to Rothurlanders.
Over past centuries, people from Rothurland have established settlements far outside their homelands. From the icy islands and coasts of the northern reaches of the Invelaust Ocean, to the Coldwind Islands, the coasts south of the Sentinel Peaks, and even farther afield, Rothurlanders have founded communities across a large expanse of the world. Wherever they go, their traditions and practices eventually fuse with those of local peoples to something new - while they usually recognize their history, after a few generations many in these far-flung settlements eventually begin to consider themselves less Rothurlandic and more something else entirely.
Demographics
Despite the relative remoteness of Rothurland from other significantly populated parts of the world, the region is demographically quite diverse. Most Rothurlanders are humans, orcs, or half-orcs, joined by significant numbers of kobolds, tengu, and others. Dwarves are somewhat common in the region, especially near the communities of Anvil Rock and Grimfell.
Multiple kinds of giants can be found across Rothurland, especially frost, stone, and taiga giants. While most giants in the region live in the eastern hills, mountains, and woodlands, they can be found as far afield as the northern fjords and western islands as well. A very small number of rune giants are present in Rothurland as well, though they tend to be highly reclusive, almost never leaving their hidden mountain abodes.
Trolls, especially of the ice and scrag varieties, are widespread across Rothurland. Other types of trolls, such as jotund trolls, are significantly less common.
Due at least in part to the cultural acceptance of lycanthropy in Rothurland, werecreatures are comparatively common in the region.
Culture
Religion
Most Rothurlanders worship the gods of the Talgazan pantheon, evidence of the close cultural connections between the two regions. Nemedaz, Vihansa, Runo, and Austron are particularly widely venerated. The deities of the Chaskan and Hellean pantheons have gained some adherents in Rothurland in recent centuries, but these religions remain minor in the region.
The practices of having large physical temples and organized churches are not particularly prevalent in Rothurland. Most worship is much more personal - if a location to pray or give offerings is required, small shrines or secluded places are usually used instead.
Constellations, called sky-stories, are given great spiritual significance by many Rothurlanders. They are not seen as deities, or as shaped by the gods, but they remain important aspects of Rothurlandic religion nonetheless. In their permanence they are believed to connect the modern day to the ancient past, and therefore provide a way of communicating with distant ancestors.
Traditions
Runestones, large raised stones with runic inscriptions, are widely used in Rothurland to mark great deeds, important events, or the passing of a noteworthy individual. This tradition has been performed for millennia, and ancient runestones can be found across Rothurland, many with their inscriptions almost erased by time and the elements. Runestones are used both for personal matters, usually created by a single individual or family to mark something of significance to them, and for communal concerns.
Hunts and feasts are popular events in Rothurland, almost always in connection with each other. Hunts are often organized to mark special occasions in a community and are seen almost as sporting events, an opportunity to prove one's individual skills. If successful, and they usually are, the results of the hunt are then used to provide for a large communal feast. Full of merrymaking and alcohol, these vary in duration from a single meal to multiple days long, depending on the reason for celebration.
Instead of clan daggers, Rothurlandic dwarves usually give their children hammers. These are designed and crafted to be intentionally slightly too heavy to be wielded effectively, either as tools or as weapons, in order to encourage the young dwarf to develop personal strength and as a reminder that nothing comes without struggle.
Vikings
To the broader world, Rothurland has long been known as the origin of fierce sea-going raiders. Many seaside communities even hundreds of miles away have stories of these viking raids and the valuables they stole, carried back to adorn the longhouses of the jarls. While these are undoubtedly true, historically the situation is more complicated than the tales told by either the Rothurlandic bards or the victims of the vikings. Trade and settlement was as common as raids, and many communities as far away as the Western Coast have significant populations descended from Rothurlandic arrivals.
In the last century or two, the viking traditions have declined significantly. While towns around the Kilche Sea remain easy targets, the rise of Eretrebus, Tamkaranu, and Korymbos as major maritime powers in the Chaska Sea have made raids there extremely dangerous and, to many, not worth the cost. Some Rothurlandic vikings remain active, keeping their old ways alive, but most jarls today are more willing to negotiate trade agreements with faraway nations over sponsoring viking expeditions to take by force.
Even as the vikings decline in prominence, they remain cultural touchstones in Rothurland. Many of the region's cultural heroes are daring sea-goers and warriors, and old legends of voyages far away and plunder taken continue to be widely recounted.
Though their exploits are less well-known outside of Rothurland, seafarers from the region have charted much of the northern reaches of the Invelaust Ocean. Charts and notes created by these explorers have been instrumental in mapping some of these lesser-traveled islands and coasts. Though his faith is minor in Rothurland itself, many followers of Lykekro come from Rothurland, a result of the region's culture of exploration.
Ships
The peoples of Rothurland use a type of ship vaguely similar to the Chaskan galleys but unique in many aspects of its construction. Unlike the Chaskan ships, these longships only use a single row of oars at most but feature larger sails. While some are constructed from planks and other pieces of wood like most ships, the people of Rothurland have a long tradition of shipbuilding that uses the region’s unique redwood trees. As these trees are extremely large, boats can be carved out of whole sections of felled trunks. Though very difficult to do well, this results in single-piece hulls that are extraordinarily durable and waterproof (repairs, however, can become significantly more difficult). The ability to create a ship in this method is seen as the pinnacle of Rothurlandic shipbuilding, only mastered by the most experienced and adept. All longboats are designed to be as light as possible and sit low in the water, so they can be used in the open ocean or in rivers, and picked up and portaged when necessary. Due to their long sleek hulls, longboats are quite fast, though they can be outpaced by Chaskan galleys that are particularly configured for speed.
Lycanthropy
The Rothurlandic people are far more accepting of lycanthropes than is typical in the rest of the world. Though werecreatures elsewhere commonly find themselves persecuted and hunted, even if they commit no crimes, in Rothurland the curse of lycanthropy is not only accepted but sometimes celebrated. A large number of jarls have been werecreatures, as have many heroes of legend. Rather than being feared, in Rothurland lycanthropy is seen as a personal struggle that can be harnessed for either good or evil. Of course, werecreatures who use their powers to hurt the innocent quickly find themselves on the run, but there is no presumption of guilt.
For werecreatures who cannot control their transformation, many Rothurlandic communities maintain special houses for them to remain during full moons. The thick walls of these structures are often reinforced with silver, and stocked with food or live animals to further discourage any escape. There is no stigma associated with this - the houses are kept as a communal good, available to any who require them.
Hereditary lycanthropy is disproportionately common in Rothurland.
Language
Most Rothurlanders use Roeda as a primarily language. Common and ancestral languages, especially Orcish, Jotun, and Dwarven, are widely spoken as well. Other regional tongues see comparatively little use in Rothurland, though speakers of languages from nearby parts of the world can be found in most major settlements.
Art
Sagas, long stories and histories of heroes, villains, and those in between, are a well-established form of art in Rothurland. While most sagas have been written down, for much of the region's history it was more common for bards and skalds to memorize entire sagas and pass them along entirely as oral stories. Sagas are usually prose, though some incorporate more poetic elements in their text. Common subjects of these sagas include the deeds of past jarls, vikings, and creatures of the wilds. Their stories are often intentionally embellished and altered for dramatic purpose, though never to the point where it becomes clear that a saga is not faithful to the history it recounts. Many of these sagas take place in the frontier regions of eastern Rothurland, a wild land that provides fertile ground for the rise of heroes and villains.
Names
Rather than use family names, most Rothurlanders identify themselves through bynames, acquired through their accomplishments, feats, roles, or lack thereof. Rothurlandic culture emphasizes that an individual should become known due to one's own actions, and the use of surnames is widely seen as relying on the deeds of others to be recognizable.
Not all Rothurlanders follow this tradition. The dwarves of the region, for example, use more typical clan names, and most Rothurlandic giants prefer mononyms. Individuals of any ancestry who have become notable through their deeds frequently choose their own last name, usually from a word or phrase that reflects their experiences or personality. Particularly famous rulers, heroes, and villains usually drop the last name entirely in favor of an epithet.
Food and cuisine
Rothurlandic cuisine relies on a variety of ingredients. Along with plants and animals natively found in the region, Rothurlandic food adopts influences from their long history of contact with Hellea, Meklaw, and the communities around the Chaska Sea. Animals like cattle, chickens, geese, and sheep are kept for meat and dairy products, supplemented by significant amounts of hunted meat. These animals are important not only food food but also as a means of determining social status, for those with the largest herds and flocks are commonly believed to be the most successful.
Seafood is equally important, with whales, seals, and fish all large parts of an average Rothurlandic diet. Staple crops include rye and wheat. Fruits and nuts are commonly harvested from orchards or from wild plants. Flax is grown both for oil and to create linen.
Meals are often eaten communally, either in central meeting halls if in a settlement or around a campfire if in the wilds.
Apiaries are kept across Rothurland, producing honey that is used to create mead, a popular drink in the region.
Architecture and urbanization
There are few large cities in Rothurland, and even major population centers in the area tend to be small. Rather than centralize and develop into large metropolises, regionally important settlements tend to be places where people from the surrounding towns and villages congregate for important occasions. The vast majority of Rothurlanders live in small communities, though frequent trade and travel keeps them connected.
Architecture across Rothurland varies widely depending on purpose, location, and social status. Generally wood and stone are favored materials - oak is commonly used in most of Rothurland, but the timber of the giant redwoods is sometimes used in the eastern interior. Most dwellings, stores, and storage areas are relatively simple in design, built to be warm, resilient, and easily reparable if necessary, often constructed partially underground. In some of the outer islands, where wood is less easy to come by and the winter can be particularly harsh, turf houses are built. Jarls usually build large longhouses that serve as living space, throne rooms, and feast halls.
Travel
Travel across Rothurland can be dangerous and slow. Ships and boats are used wherever possible; as most major settlements are on the coast or along a river, this is very practical most of the time. Roads in Rothurland are rarely more than occasionally charted routes through the wilderness, maintained only by the footsteps of those that travel them.
Fashion
Rothurlandic clothing is commonly made from linen or furs. Clothes are usually designed for practicality first. Warmth and comfort are much more important than aesthetic styles, though the rugged appearance these outfits usually take has become a fashion in its own right. Cleanliness is generally valued highly in Rothurland, and most people from the region take care in grooming themselves.
Amongst Rothurlandic adventurers and warriors, wearing clothing or armor made out of the creatures one has defeated is seen as a status symbol. Pelts, horns, and other parts are used to make cloaks, helmets, weapons, and so on.
Sports
Sporting activities are highly popular in Rothurland, especially among children and young adults. Though these sometimes focus around around developing useful combat skills, many sports in the region are undertaken purely for one's own enjoyment and the thrill of competition. Swimming, wrestling, mountain climbing, skiing, and hunting are all popular.
Burial practices
Rothurlandic burials usually include significant grave goods, both valuable items and more mundane objects connected with the individual's life. Jewelry, coinage, and tools connected with the profession of the deceased are all common to include when interring a respected individual. Any possessions they acquired in life are seen as part of their accomplishments, and theirs alone, and only in dire situations will the deceased not be allowed to rest with the fruits of their labors. Looting such a grave is seen as a terrible offense - calling someone a graverobber is one of the worst insults a Rothurlander can give another.
Sword-bending
In order to publicly proclaim their victories over their foes, Rothurlandic warriors and rulers sometimes engage in a traditional practice called sword-bending. When an opponent, group of enemies, or even entire army is defeated, their weapons are collected then deformed - though most commonly known as sword-bending, this might also involve the breaking of a spear, warping of a shield, or some other kind of damage. Magical weapons either have their enchantments removed, cursed, or otherwise rendered useless. In an event surrounded by great ceremony, these weapons are then either buried or sometimes thrown into the sea. Doing so has two desired goals. First, it proves that the victor was strong enough that they were able to not only defeat but also disarm their foes, granting glory to the victor and dishonor to the vanquished. As a secondary goal, sword-bending also makes it more difficult for the defeated to pose a threat in the future, as their prized weapons are rendered useless.
Government
See also: Jarl
Rothurland has no central government, nor has it ever. Instead, the region is ruled by a shifting series of jarls. Each jarl controls a part of Rothurland, called a jarldom, for as long as they are able to maintain their grasp. Rulership is usually highly contentious, with challengers to the jarls both inside and outside their realms. In this autocratic form of government, no standard method of succession exists. Some jarls manage to pass on their lands to their children, or to trusted friends, but if the new ruler is unable to keep control through force, or less likely through diplomacy, then they soon find their realms divided by their rivals. The culture of Rothurland prioritizes rule by the strong, and the constant replacement of rulers and reorganization of realms is seen as a necessary consequence.
Jarldoms are not fixed areas, like provinces or hereditary lands usually are elsewhere. Rather, they change regularly to reflect what a jarl is capable of controlling. If two jarls lay claim on the same territory, the inevitable conflict determines whose jarldom it falls within. Conflicts of these sorts may involve combat, but are just as likely to be resolved by trickery, payment, or some other method. Jarldoms usually follow natural geographic boundaries, but not always.
Currently, Rothurland is split between nine jarls:
- Jarl Bjorn Ironside, a dwarven werebear who controls the forests and marshes around the Hvitna and Vara rivers
- Jarl Hrimnir, a frost giant who has seized most of the redwood forests for himself
- Jarl Magni the Outlander, an aging human werewolf and former viking from far away who rose to power through his own prowess
- Jarl Hrafn Ovarr, the cunning tengu ruler of Icepeak Island
- Jarl Ingvild Stjornsamr, the young human ruler of the Serpent Islands who refuses to allow the viking traditions to decline
- Jarl Ladgerda the Swan, daughter of Ragnarr the Mad Boar and skilled hunter
- Jarl Aslaug the Star-Eyed, seer and another daughter of Ragnarr
- Jarl Ivar the Glass-Armed, son of Ragnarr and talented military strategist
- Jarl Skoglar Twice-Cursed, an orc warrior obsessed with defeating an undead linnorm for the second time
Beneath the jarls, there is no standardized form of government. Historically almost all jarls have ruled as autocrats, a trend that continues to today. Many have advisors or commanders they delegate responsibilities to and rely upon heavily.
Economy
While it has grown increasingly integrated into global trade, Rothurland remains largely self-sufficient economically. Most settlements produce much of what they need themselves and trade with communities relatively close nearby for other goods. Farming, hunting, fishing, and other food production is central to the Rothurlandic economy. The furs gathered by Rothurlandic hunters are valued in the broader world and are widely traded.
In the past, the vikings of Rothurland were very important to the region's economy, bringing back as spoils valuable goods and resources that could not be found in the area. With the decline of the raiding tradition this has become far less significant, and most goods that arrive in Rothurland are now brought by merchants under their own volition.