[center][h1][b]The Skrælingjar Isles[/b][/h1] [img]http://i.imgur.com/ehVfSCI.png[/img] [/center] [i][center]To know of the Skrælingjar is to know of the Two Great Gods that made the world and how it was the land and sea came to be. First there was nothing, only dark. Then they came, the Twin Gods, Sara and Sil. They burst from the womb of the dark and in its opening, light came forth. This light illuminated the faces of Sara and Sil, and when they saw the other’s face, they became lovers and did wed. Then Sara did make the lands, and did make the plants, and did make the animals, and last did make the people - who were her children and she did love them. Sil became wroth for Sara’s love, so he did make the seas, and did make the storms, and did make the predators, and last stole a child from the breast of Sara – who he took unto the sea and did punish cruelly and remade them in his nature. Thus the Skrælingjar were made.[/center] [/i] - Skrælingjar Creation Myth [hider=Overview] [h2]Overview [/h2] The Skrælingjar are a people of seven clans spread over ten isles. They are a fierce people, driven to raid the green lands by the nature of the rocky isles they call home and by the command of their vengeful and wroth Father-God, Sil. They believe they are his chosen people, and will only escape his wrath through the promise of even greater blood in exchange. Thus for centuries they have pillaged the coastal lands in order to protect their own homes and ships from disaster. In accordance with the nature of Twin-Gods, the men are of the sea and the women are of the land. All the land belonging to a family or a clan is therefore owned by and passed down unto the female children. Conversely, all ships belonging to a family or clan are owned by and captained by the men. This duality appears and again and again in Skrælingjar culture. The domain of women is fertile and productive, therefore all children born of women belongs to her clan. The domain of men is destructive and takes, therefore all thralls taken by a man belongs to his clan. During the coldest and stormiest moths, the men winter at the houses of the clans or their wives, and then leave come the spring to sail and raid until autumn forces their return. In times gone past this would be only to war, but as the Skrælingjar learnt to eek riches out of Sil’s domain and even the harshest of Sara’s land, they have become voyages of trade as well. The isles are poor for agriculture and mining, but Sil begrudgingly provides fish and the great grey ones to his children. With thralls to work the fields and the mines, some isles yield iron and grains, but many are still are dependent upon temperamental Sil for their sustenance, either by force or by choice. [/hider] [hider=Clans and the Tinvaal] [h2]Clans and the Tinvaal[/h2] The clan culture of the Skrælingjar is based on matrilineal descent, children are primarily raised by their mothers and their uncles, not necessarily by their fathers. Each of the clans have a dual nature and this is reflected in their two chieftans. The island the clan is based on and all it produces is overseen by the Heimóðir, or the Mother of the Hearth, or the Mother of the House. The title is generally passed down to the first born daughter, but it is not unheard of for it to be passed to a younger daughter, a sibling or even a cousin if the heir apparent is deemed unworthy. They rule from strong houses, small defensible stone keeps that stand in the middle of their primary settlements. The clan fleet and all it produces is overseen by the Gunnarr Jarl, the Chief Warrior or the War Chief. This title is almost always selected through merit. From spring to autumn they rule the seas from their ships, during the winter they return to either their Hearth Mother's strong house or a specific Warriors Hall on a different island (normally the one their spouse is on) - these exist due to proscriptions about allowing warriors from other clans to sleep in the strong houses of the clan mothers. However, these figures do not exercise complete authority over the clan. Independent farmsteads and ship captains have a great degree of autonomy. Obedience is only required in calls to war and not breaking explicitly formed alliances. There is also the Seiðr to compete with, an independent structure of mystics, prophets and priests that interpret the will of Sil for the clans. Recently, however, the isles have become more unified than ever with the founding of the Tinvaal, a gathering of Gunnar Jarls of all the clans. It came about when the legendary war-chief Ragnar Blood-Reign of the Clan Baldauri married the Heimóðir of the Clan Namestdir. They then entered into alliance with Ragnar’s half-brother, the war-chief of the Soiti Clan. With three of the most powerful clans united in alliance, the others were forced to follow suit or face obliteration. Thus the Tinvaal was created. The Tinvaal votes on the matters of war and trade that the Skrælingjar take as one. However, once again the clans have great autonomy and its rule is not secure, even in its third generation of existence. Currently the Clans represented in the Tinvaal are: [b]Clan Baldauri[/b] - the greatest traders of the Skrælingjar, their chief port, Thirsk, is the largest town in the islands. They inhabit the archipelago's central isle. Many consider them arrogant and resent their previous dominance in the Tinvaal. Their sigil is the Boar. [b]Clan Freynir[/b] - fiercely reputed warriors of the northern most isle, they raid even in winter. They cling most to the old ways of raiding and war of all the Clans. Their sigil is the Wolf. [b]Clan Soiti[/b] - Inhabits the isle to the east of the Baldauri, they largest fishing fleet in the isles. They have a large population relative to the size of the island and their number of warriors. Their sigil is the Leaping Fish. [b]Clan Sheska[/b] - The small northeastern isle is their home. Few in number, they are well renowned mystics and the best hunters of the Great Grey Ones. The Sheska are considered mysterious and strange by those on other isles, their culture and dialect is the most distinct. Their sigil is the Narwhal. [b]Clan Gromdis[/b] - The northernmost of the three southern isles. This island yields iron from it, the largest source in the isles. Even on this island though, armour is still rare, ring mail is reserved for captains and cheiftans, most warriors will not even have helmets. Their sigil is the Bear. [b]Clan Namestdir[/b] - The middle of the three southern isles, the most agriculturally rich and fertile. Traditionally one of the most powerful of the Clans, their importance seems to wane in the increase of imported food goods and trading. Their sigil is the Ram. [b]Clan Oddel[/b] - The southernmost isle. Voyagers who travel further than all others. They have the most links with the lands far to the south and often the most exotic goods in the isles land there first. Their sigil is the Eagle. [/hider]