Norska

Situated in the middle of the Northern Sea, Norska is an island north of Ascaria, but south of the Dark Circle. It is a harsh, unforgiving landscape, home to creatures that time has long since forgotten. That being said, the myriad peoples who make up the populations of Norska have grown stronger in the face of such adversity, and such hardships have become a part of their daily routine.

The Reaches
When enough peoples of Norska gather in a single location and decide to settle, they will create what is referred to as a Reach. While ostensibly a simple location that Norskans have chosen to live, a Reach performs multiple roles for the Norskan's way of life. While the Norskans themselves lack a centralized government, the Reaches provide a network of communication throughout Akuhara, and word from one Reach is very quickly spread to the rest. Moreover, the Reaches are often centers of trade, allowing the Norskans to acquire vital materials that their homeland otherwise lacks.

While the Reaches will often cooperate in times of hardship, they will often turn on one another in friendly rivalry in times of plenty. Young Norskans will often travel from Reach to Reach, seeking to challenge those who call it their home in the name of glory of their hometown.

Norska Reaches
Norska has four Reaches, one in each corner of the island.
 * Hangrammr Reach, located by the Bay of Fins, and home to some of the most vicious warriors Norska has to offer.
 * Ossenkrast Reach, located on the eastern side of Frusenfel's Rift. The Norskans who call it home are farmers by trade, and help keep the rest of the island fed.
 * Drakkerjorg Reach, located on the southeastern coast. From here, Norska launches ships to the rest of the world.
 * Lestvyrm Reach, nestled among the Wayfarer Foothills in the southwestern quadrant of Norska. The people here are quieter, more reclusive, and offer the most skilled thieves on the island.

Other Reaches

 * Grier Reach is located in northern Immerstrad. Their boisterous nature puts them off from the rest of the peninsula, which has, in turn, made them wary of outsiders, occasionally bordering on outright hostility.
 * Wraeclast Reach is on the southwestern coast of the Dark Circle. It is beset on all sides by unnatural enemies, and has become a popular location for Norskans who seek either a glorious fight or a glorious doom.
 * Terrakin Reach was located on the western coast of the Dark Circle. It has since been overrun, and only the particularly brave or stupid would dare to venture there.

Hoelbrak: the Great Norskan Hold
The only known Norskan settlement that isn't classified as a Reach is the Great Hall of Hoelbrak, located at the very heart of Norska. A vast, snow-covered city, Hoelbrak is the first recorded Norskan settlement in the history of Akuhara, and remains the largest settlement affiliated with the Norskan peoples.

Given that the Norskans are collectively resistant to bend the knee to any singular ruler, Hoelbrak operates as a formally neutral meeting-ground for all the tribes. The various peoples affiliated with Norska gather here in relative stability, plying their wares and raising their families. Should any two tribes choose to fight within Hoelbrak's walls, the rest of the tribes present will quickly fall upon the aggressor. Thus, while the peace is tenuous, it is maintained.

The Founding
Hoelbrak was originally founded when the Spirits of the Wild guided the people of Norska to a vast clearing, beyond a ring of central mountains. There, the tribes found an ancient, ruined city, and were forced to unite in a tremendous battle against an army of ice-encrusted undead. The fighting was fierce, but the tribes won out, driving the dead out and staking their claims on the land they had paid for in blood.

Since then, Hoelbrak has been completely renovated and expanded, with very few traces of the decaying city it once was remaining. It remains the closest thing the Norskans have to a "civilized" city, and they will defend it to their dying breath in the name of the Spirits and their friends.

The Spirits of the Wild
Mysterious, ephemeral demigods, referred to as the Spirits of the Wild, are the center of the Norskan religion. A single Spirit represents one of the great animals of Norska, along with certain values and vices associated with that animal. For example, Raven is associated with wit and cleverness, whereas Bear is associated with strength and protectiveness.

Hoelbrak is more than just a massive population center for Norska. For the tribes, the city is also their religion's magnetic North. Some Spirits of the Wild have even taken up residence in the city, and whole halls have been hollowed out and rededicated in their honor. Special Norskan shamans, called havrouns, tend to the Spirits' respective needs and interpret their wills. A single Spirit may have a single havroun under their tutelage, but a havroun may choose their successor when the time comes.

While the Spirits of the Wild are many, four have chosen to dwell among the Norskans directly in Hoelbrak, and therefore are often venerated before the others. They are as follows:
 * Raven, who represents wisdom, cunning, trickery, and knowledge and is the animal spirit that is associated with the Underworld and the spirits of the dead.
 * Bear, who represents fortitude and self-reliance and is said to be the mightiest of all the Spirits of the Wild in Norskan culture.
 * Snow Leopard, who represents independence, strategy, and laughter in the face of danger. She is considered to be stealthy and solitary.
 * Wolf, who represents the virtues of loyalty, ferocity, and strength in numbers. He is often invoked for help in tracking prey in Norska.

The Norn
The norn normally have the appearance of large humans, but they are able to shift into a were-creature of one of the Spirits of the Wild. In their humanoid form they are not only tall, at around nine feet, but their proportions are much broader and more heavily muscled than a typical human.

A norn might live to 120 and maintain their good health and vitality for a long time, though very few die of old age. A norn is also able to generate a considerable amount of body heat at even the slightest exertion.

In their transformed shape they take on an upright half-norn half-animal form, taking after one of the animals of the Spirits of the Wild. The were-form is furred, fanged and clawed and grants the norn attributes depending on the animal they transform into.

The transformation between norn and were-form is described as a blurring between the two with the form transformed into gaining a solid appearance over a short period of time. Any clothing or armor worn by the norn is covered by the were-form. While the were-form is generally stronger and more durable, wounds and poison do not appear to be cured by the transformation.

The Dwarves
Dwarves of Akuhara are generally hardy folk, but the dwarves of Norska are exceptionally hardy. While characterized by their short stature, Norskan dwarves have shown a surprising resistance to cold, and choose to eschew armor in favor of enhanced mobility (although this is a stretch of the term, as dwarves are virtually never considered mobile).

Given the severe nature of the Norskan landscape, the dwarves of the Reaches have become known for taking on the Slayer Oaths of their people. They shave their heads and take on their iconic mohawks, tattoo their skin with intricate symbols to enhance their strength, and swear to never stop fighting when engaged with an enemy until death claims one of them. The rest of the Norskan peoples quickly learned that these oaths are taken very seriously and stopped challenging such dwarves lightly.

The Loxodons
The loxodons, or "mammoth-men," are the steadfast allies of all Norskan peoples. Driven by a herd mentality, they will defend their chosen allies to the death, and their tremendous size aids them more often than not in such endeavors.

Long ago, the loxodons fought alongside the other Norskan peoples in a terrible battle for central Norska, on the site that would become Hoelbrak. Victorious, the loxodons swore to protect their newfound allies, and their children have continued to follow in their footsteps.

Loxodons are known for their calm and balanced council, and are incredibly slow to anger. Their nature should not be mistaken for placidity, however; when a single loxodon is offended, the entire tribe will turn against the offender. Depending on the severity of the fault, this can range from the tribe ignoring the offender to outright violence. Moreover, loxodons have an inherent gift for memory, and will never forget a blow against them. Some loxodon grudges have been maintained for decades, with the burden of their ire passing on to the offender's children and their children's children.

Unlike the rest of the Norskan peoples, the loxodons do not tend to stay in one place for very long. Every three to four months, the tribe will gather in the Reach center, pack up their belongings, and move to another Reach. This may be a holdover from the people's earlier, nomadic days, as most loxodons cannot provide a proper answer when this behavior is questioned, and they tend to grow increasingly irritable when staying in one place for an extended period of time.