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 Gulf, 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, reindeer, and some megafauna that can also be found in nearby Laurentia, 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.
Demographics
Culture
Government
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, 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 eight 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
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 nearby communities 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 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.