Rather than go for the easy win of "vikings and ice and stuff" I instead did some research and tried to do something different. Raiders that build their homes atop massive Mountain-Whales or Gerathim, the Jarn are one of the two peoples that hail from the ever frozen lands of Bor, north of Othebea and Ainesia. Thanks for reading. And as always, let me know whatcha think. Input always helps makes these things kewler.
The Jarn
Jarnish Culture Aspects: Gerathim Born; Might Makes Right; Death Before Dishonor; Ironfolk Medicine
The nomads of Jarn had long raided the lands across the icy seas of their frozen peninsula. Hunters and herdsman, the nations of Jarn in Bor only have recently been brought under the heel of Othebea to the south. Strong, hardy, the Jarn value survival.
Jarn human society has remained nomadic, even after the introduction of a number of technologies in the last century. They have established cities, none of which keep the same location, always on the move. Jarn villages are built atop Gerathim, or Mountain-Whales. Each Gerathim is huge, colossally so. Mammalian and yet relatives of Dragons, Gerathim hibernate during the coldest parts of the Borish winter. During the summer, they can be coaxed into crawling at speeds that surprise outsiders. Jarnish cities are built among herds of Gerathim. Each herd numbers from four to thirty.
Each Gerathim can have three to four buildings built atop it. Jarn have adapted outside techniques for their homes on Gerathim, using foreign materials to augment their own herdsmanship of each massive creature.
Aside from the Gerathim, the Jarn have always elected their own Chiefs based a variety of qualities. Noble heritage is one. The adherence to chiefly virtues, namely Honor, Bravery, Fortitude and Charity. Societies cross tribal boundaries. These vary from caste to caste for the Jarn. Most are of two forms: ones for Warriors and those for Elders. Warriors exist for young men and women who hunt, police and serve their tribes. Elder societies form the basis of law creation and politics within a tribe, which individual Chiefs are elected to enforce.
Other societies exist amongst the Jarn, like the Whitewalkers, the Nightsisters, or the Devilcallers.
These are outliers. Some are magical, others become trouble that Jarn Chiefs sometimes have to act to contain.
Jarn Tribes
The Jarn are a coalition of tribes. The idea of any sort of central executive, even a king, disgusts them on multiple levels. Each tribe elects two to four Shirts, who traveled between tribes to settle
quarrels and coordinate between tribes. Often young, they also deal with foreigners first hand.
In recent years, the Shirts of each tribe have met in a Jarn Assembly, the Moot. Yearly assembled, the Moot handles national matters that contact with Ainesia, Ith and Othebea require. Othebea has
assigned Jarn a "governor" who typically handles all international contact with the Moot and the Jotnar's Queen (see below for how the Jarn and the Jotnar in Bor get along). Along with other concessions, the Moot is one of the central conceits the Jarn of Bor agreed to when they signed
their treaty with Othebea in 1698.
Harsh, Bor has many different kinds of prey the Jarn have become adept at hunting. Walrus, which coastal Jarn have learn tactics to wrestle. Mammoths and Elk, whom northernly Jarn have learned to endure great cold to track. Mountainous Jarn have become adept climbers chasing after the giant eagles.
The Jarn can be found throughout the Maru Sea. Their Gerathim cities had been able to navigate the cold ice around Bor. They raided Othebea and Ainesia. They've scattered, settling in places that they could conquer or raid.
Gerathim can't survive in the warmer water or lands of the Maru Sea. Even on land, the warm temperatures cause Geruthim to overheat. Jarn survived. They assimilated into local cultures, to a degree. Although most Jarn are worshippers of the twins, they've always also kept their own tribal forms of medicine in addition to the Clerical practices of the Church.
The long list of superstitions are central to the medicine their holy shamans practice is hard to convey here. They know how to deal with the dead, help Gerathim go into heat, purify a meal and more. Jarn scoff at outsider's sciences and claims that their medicine doesn't work.
Conflicts with the Jotnar
Where the Jarn dwell upon the Gerathim and wander, the Jotnar live atop the central plateau of Bor. Both Jotnar and Jarn of Bor are bound by treaties with Othebea from centuries ago. The Jarn of Bor have never had any kings or united government, except for the recent Moots. Even those are only a conceit to Othebea.
The Jotnar have a monarch, their Queen, and a series of central settlements throughout the Bor peninsula. The Jotnar and Jarn's history of trade, conflict and dealings stretches back to even before the Ursyklon invasion. The Ursyklon didn't unite them, they sided with the Jarn against the Jotnar that they perceived as weaker for building their ice-spires.
Jarn speak their own tongue of Jarnish. The Jotnar speak Ferrit. For trade between the two of them, they have a separate language, Borish. This is the tongue they use when dealing with the Othebeans.
Despite Othebean occupation in their lands, the old blood feuds between the Jotnar and the Jarn keep them from attempting any sort of united front. The Jarn fear the Queen of the Jotnar and her witches. The Jotnar still deal with Jarn raids atop their massive Gerathim settlements. Should the two ever find some way to come together, it could create a new age for the lands of Bor.
Fashion And Wealth
Jarn prefer to wear things they've killed or taken. They don't like wealth, not the gold or silver that
Ainesia and Othebea have long used for trading. Even outside of Bor, the Jarn dislike paying for things. This inborn habit sometimes is misinterpreted by outsiders. What others see as intimidation and attempts at unconcealed theft, the Jarn view as a simple sign of strength.
That said, Jarn tend to gravitate toward Police work. It blends with their ideas of societies.
Jarn have long black hair. They always favor beads, the more exotic the material the better. They always hesitate to wear anything made of iron, which they think is a way to court death.
Jarn learned tattooing from the Ursyklon. Like the Urskylon, they enjoy tattooing their face. Their
tattoos, unlike the Ursyklon, are individualistic. Ursyklon tend to obtain tattooes to reflect their clan or their faith; Jarn tattooes vary from tribe to tribe.
Their tattoos always have a dark, blue tinge with them. This is from Gerathim blood. Its dark blue
blood leaves a permanent blue mark when used as tattoo ink.
Jarn Naming Conventions
A Jarn's name changes multiple times in his or her life. Whenever a significant event happens in their life, they change their name. Their old name dies, and their new name, their new self, replaces it.
Birth names are unisex. Since they last until a child reaches puberty, Jarn have never placed any importance of gender to them. When a child reaches puberty, they are given a family name that lasts until they join a society. This name is their family name, which family members might use, but otherwise they go by the name their society gives them.
When outside their tribe or gerathim, Jarn add a epithet to their name that reflects what Tribe and what Gerathim they come from. This double surname sometimes is confusing to non-Jarn.
Birth Names: Ghumani, Rhaytan, Uhawee, Cawa, Ohiyosa, Snana, Misat, Paytah, Tazatan, Vota
Family Names: Ulgoma, Atameda, Ogasga, Jaci, Nurit, Kachina, Tala, Tadewi, Vashota, Minovan
Society Names: Arn, Eyo, Awi, Ota, Oga, Rhay, Nuri, Vask, Uha, Yosa
Tribe Names: Ragesinger, Nightsinger, Ghostsinger, Mournteller, Joyteller, Deathteller, Seahunter, Furhunter, Icehunter, Devilhunter
Gerathim Names: Blacksleeper, Longgazer, Crimsonswimmer, Blindwalker, Rockeater, Whitescreamer, Linemaker, Shipcrusher, Ice-Crawler, Spiremother
Examples: Yosa Deathteller Spiremother, Tadewi Seahunter Blacksleeper, Arn Ghostsinger Rockeater
Jarn in Crux
Most Jarn arrive in Crux as traders and merchants from all over Ainesia, Bor and Othebea. Their population trails behind the Tomasi, Ramelin, Salish and Rosac. But the Ironfolk can be found there.
The Ironfolk societies in Crux are a uniting place for the Jarn. They cross tribal lines. Societies like the Ironhunters, Teadrinkers or the Southwanderers are bastions of their culture in a foreign land. Most visiting Jarn come to a local society, the closest one that matches one they belong to at home.
Jarn in Crux tend to join one of the byzantine police forces. Carrying over their own preference for societies to unite them, Jarn like serving the community. Of course, Tomasi and Salish compatriots have complaints about their Jarnish counterparts.
Jarn tend to never be punctual, eschewing clocks unless forced to. They don't fear stealing, even as police or city watch, even from the thieves they catch. Its hard sometimes to tell when a Jarn is a dirty cop, or just is claiming some right her people are used to having.
Jarn can be found in other places in Crux as well. Professor Uha Deathteller experiments on Gerathim biology at Crux University. His experiments are attempts to breed a mature Gerathim that can survive warmer climes. He also is open to modifying their biologies further, grafting or changing them into eidolons or other massive war engines.
The Justicar Tala abandoned her society and tribe ten years ago to become one of the vigilantes of the Wish Quarter. Her thirst for finding targets for the Iron Cage makes her popular among other Justicar, especially her talent for surviving whatever is thrown her way.
The Patrizo vampyre Yoza Patrizo Spiremother, came to Crux a century ago. Trained in medicine and as a Shaman of the most honored Jarnish mystic secrets, she mixes water magic, blood and Jarnish mysticism in her service to the Patrizo clan. She has been able to craft tainted poultices that can allow any vampyre to use their blood magic to dominate those who use them.
No comments:
Post a Comment