Steelios
02-10-2008, 06:43
Government.
The Iron Lord, ruler of the Iron Kingdom, is a god among men. It is he who controls the Witching Isles, keeping the barbarian hordes in check, and attempting to destroy the hostile Troll population. He is the Conduit, the Speaker of the Gods, and if the Iron Lord were to leave the capital and march to war, anything less than an alliance of nations would crumble before Him. But only if He had the Pantheons blessing to do so, and that has never been granted in the history of man. Therefore, unlike his predecessor, He remains in the capital, keeping a close eye on the High Council.
The High Council consists of the five High Marshals, the Guildmasters, and the Ministers of Agriculture, Trade, Foreign Affairs and Internal Affairs. Anything on a national level is decided by them. Each city has its own council, while the High Council controls Steel Home.
The High Marshals are the generals of the Iron Men, those trusted by their Lord to oversee any war undertaken by the Kingdom. Each controls a branch of the military might of the Isles. One for the Army, one for the Navy, one for Riders, one for the Berserkergang, and one for the Beastkin. None may rise another in power, each equal in his own right. They regard each other as brothers, and the Iron Lord their father.
Iron Men.
The armies of the Kingdom are a well oiled machine, each working to take the Kingdom to the next step as a world power. The Army is the ground-pounder, the largest force of arms the Isles have to offer. A huge and ponderous group of men and women, each willing to fight and kill for their Lord, it is slow to wake and furious when it does.
The Navy is not generally offensive in itself, rather transporting the armies to their destinations. All fighting on the sea is conducted by ships of the navy and men of the Armies. Only on very few occasions has the Navy fought by itself, and then usually against pirates.
The Riders are everything the Army is not. Compact, fast, easily moved from one location to another. They are the first to respond to an invasion from the southern tribes or from a foreign power. Riding great destriers into battle, the armored wedge drives deep into the enemies thickest point, running them down and trampling them.
The Berserkergang, originally part of the Army, charge in to battle without armor, dressed in the hides of wolves and bears. They are terrible to behold, howling and screaming, killing men with their bare hands and seemingly unkillable. They were seperated from the Army because the rages they flew into had a damaging effect on the health and morale of the other warriors. Now, the High Marshal sends them where they will do the most damage, hammering the weak points in an armies line, breaking through and sometimes panicking their enemies.
Last but not least, the Beastkin are totemic warriors, the last remnant of the old northern tribes. Whereas the Berserker focuses on the animal spirit, allowing it enter and enrage him, a Beastkin becomes the spirit, allowing it to change his mind and body until he becomes a mix of man and animal. The most common totems are Wolfkin and Bearkin as warriors, Eaglekin as scouts and harriers. There are other totems, and some Beastkin are not of the Iron Men, but these are not recorded or studied.
Culture.
As the Iron Kingdom serves the Aesir, the militant aspect of society is dominant. Ragnarok is nigh, and Odin will need many more Einherjar if victory is to be assured. Therefore, the Aesir have decided that it is time for the Men of Midgaard to prove their worth in battle. Civilian life revolves around mostly around farming and hunting. In these times of war, even some of the lower classes own Thralls to do their bidding, after the great war of conquest far to the south. People favor the fashion of wearing gold and fur together, and ever more intricate and complex designs arise from the newfound ability to hunt the exotic southern beasts, and the burgeoning gold trade with the West. Another fashion is to plait ones hair and, in the mens case, the beard, which should be long, but not impractically so. A rich mans garb usually consists of a heavy fur cloak, a tunic that reaches to about mid-thigh, trousers, boots and gold finery such as rings.
A rich woman will probably wear a fur coat, a dress or tunic with leggings, gold earrings, gold rings, and gold hair ornaments. As you continue through the classes, styles remain the same while quality becoming less and less.
A farmer will have no gold finery except what he provides his wife, and his cloak will probably be wool. His wife will almost always wear a dress of wool with small gold ornaments worn on special occasions.
Civilian Life.
All of the larger cities have become military powerhouses, artisans working day and night to provide the weapons and armor the Iron Men will require. Magi work themselves to exhaustion casting protective enchantments and spells upon the walls and towers of any township, while still more do the same to the armor of the warriors of Midgaard. People pour into the larger cities, leaving their homes in favor of the safer inner circle, where the Iron Men can easily protect them. Woodsmen clear great swathes of land for architects to build on, and laborers take wood and stone to create even larger settlements to hold those who cannot find a place in one already made.
It is a time of expansion and opportunity for all in the Iron Kingdom, because with war comes economic growth, and what with the army buying up great supplies of food and stock, many a common man is finding that he has enough money to purchase a higher quality of life. Thralls mean a more productive farm, which means more money and more luxuries. Better clothes, more land, more gifts for wives and lovers.
The largest Iron City is the Steel Home, a massive fortress built on the cold northern coast where Witching Isle connects to the mainland, containing the largest population and trade center in the country. As a rule, the nearer you are to the Steel Home, the larger and more prosperous the town you'll find. As you continue south, the climate becomes warmer, but the ground is hard and sustains less and less farmland. Apart from Steel Home, the towns counted as cities are, in order of population and prosperity:
Ironmouth Bay, built on the west coast where the first ships landed on the Isle, the major port is situated in a bay that holds out from the worst weather. The Iron Kingdom trades heavily with the Westerners, supplying their allies with what they consider second-rate surplus armor, in return for thralls and gold, both of which can be found in vast quantities there.
Firedeep, an industrial powerhouse that is home to the Armourers Guild, and the largest producer of weapons and armor in the Isle. It is placed on an enormous iron mine. Also in the city is the Runekeeper Guild, allowing the city to turn out Rune etched weapons and armor at a prodigious rate.
Galien, the capital of the native country that was replaced by the Iron Kingdom, and the largest economic producer, situated at the point where the ground is most fertile.
While almost entirely populated by men, the Iron Kingdom has it's share of the fantastical races, mostly Dwarves, but also some Elves, though few and far between.
History.
The Iron Men have lived on the Isle for a relatively short time, having left the Unknown West three hundred years ago, ending up on the northwest coast. Immediately ousting the primitive natives who named them, the hardy people controlled the entire northern coast of the island in less than three years.
The first city to be built was the capital city of what was to become the Iron Kingdom, Steel Home. The inhabitants of the kingdom remember and pay homage to their Old Gods, who in answer drive them onward to conquest and glory. It was in one such campaign that the Iron Men swept south, tripling the size of their homeland and establishing it as a true Kingdom of Man.
The southernmost reaches are very recently acquired, only in the last decade, and the Kingdom is working to cement their clam to it. However, there is a stirring in the south, as barbarian tribes who did not take part in the war with the Kingdom. An even more powerful army marches on the cold north, and the warriors who crushed the last attack are away, in another land.
The Iron Lord, ruler of the Iron Kingdom, is a god among men. It is he who controls the Witching Isles, keeping the barbarian hordes in check, and attempting to destroy the hostile Troll population. He is the Conduit, the Speaker of the Gods, and if the Iron Lord were to leave the capital and march to war, anything less than an alliance of nations would crumble before Him. But only if He had the Pantheons blessing to do so, and that has never been granted in the history of man. Therefore, unlike his predecessor, He remains in the capital, keeping a close eye on the High Council.
The High Council consists of the five High Marshals, the Guildmasters, and the Ministers of Agriculture, Trade, Foreign Affairs and Internal Affairs. Anything on a national level is decided by them. Each city has its own council, while the High Council controls Steel Home.
The High Marshals are the generals of the Iron Men, those trusted by their Lord to oversee any war undertaken by the Kingdom. Each controls a branch of the military might of the Isles. One for the Army, one for the Navy, one for Riders, one for the Berserkergang, and one for the Beastkin. None may rise another in power, each equal in his own right. They regard each other as brothers, and the Iron Lord their father.
Iron Men.
The armies of the Kingdom are a well oiled machine, each working to take the Kingdom to the next step as a world power. The Army is the ground-pounder, the largest force of arms the Isles have to offer. A huge and ponderous group of men and women, each willing to fight and kill for their Lord, it is slow to wake and furious when it does.
The Navy is not generally offensive in itself, rather transporting the armies to their destinations. All fighting on the sea is conducted by ships of the navy and men of the Armies. Only on very few occasions has the Navy fought by itself, and then usually against pirates.
The Riders are everything the Army is not. Compact, fast, easily moved from one location to another. They are the first to respond to an invasion from the southern tribes or from a foreign power. Riding great destriers into battle, the armored wedge drives deep into the enemies thickest point, running them down and trampling them.
The Berserkergang, originally part of the Army, charge in to battle without armor, dressed in the hides of wolves and bears. They are terrible to behold, howling and screaming, killing men with their bare hands and seemingly unkillable. They were seperated from the Army because the rages they flew into had a damaging effect on the health and morale of the other warriors. Now, the High Marshal sends them where they will do the most damage, hammering the weak points in an armies line, breaking through and sometimes panicking their enemies.
Last but not least, the Beastkin are totemic warriors, the last remnant of the old northern tribes. Whereas the Berserker focuses on the animal spirit, allowing it enter and enrage him, a Beastkin becomes the spirit, allowing it to change his mind and body until he becomes a mix of man and animal. The most common totems are Wolfkin and Bearkin as warriors, Eaglekin as scouts and harriers. There are other totems, and some Beastkin are not of the Iron Men, but these are not recorded or studied.
Culture.
As the Iron Kingdom serves the Aesir, the militant aspect of society is dominant. Ragnarok is nigh, and Odin will need many more Einherjar if victory is to be assured. Therefore, the Aesir have decided that it is time for the Men of Midgaard to prove their worth in battle. Civilian life revolves around mostly around farming and hunting. In these times of war, even some of the lower classes own Thralls to do their bidding, after the great war of conquest far to the south. People favor the fashion of wearing gold and fur together, and ever more intricate and complex designs arise from the newfound ability to hunt the exotic southern beasts, and the burgeoning gold trade with the West. Another fashion is to plait ones hair and, in the mens case, the beard, which should be long, but not impractically so. A rich mans garb usually consists of a heavy fur cloak, a tunic that reaches to about mid-thigh, trousers, boots and gold finery such as rings.
A rich woman will probably wear a fur coat, a dress or tunic with leggings, gold earrings, gold rings, and gold hair ornaments. As you continue through the classes, styles remain the same while quality becoming less and less.
A farmer will have no gold finery except what he provides his wife, and his cloak will probably be wool. His wife will almost always wear a dress of wool with small gold ornaments worn on special occasions.
Civilian Life.
All of the larger cities have become military powerhouses, artisans working day and night to provide the weapons and armor the Iron Men will require. Magi work themselves to exhaustion casting protective enchantments and spells upon the walls and towers of any township, while still more do the same to the armor of the warriors of Midgaard. People pour into the larger cities, leaving their homes in favor of the safer inner circle, where the Iron Men can easily protect them. Woodsmen clear great swathes of land for architects to build on, and laborers take wood and stone to create even larger settlements to hold those who cannot find a place in one already made.
It is a time of expansion and opportunity for all in the Iron Kingdom, because with war comes economic growth, and what with the army buying up great supplies of food and stock, many a common man is finding that he has enough money to purchase a higher quality of life. Thralls mean a more productive farm, which means more money and more luxuries. Better clothes, more land, more gifts for wives and lovers.
The largest Iron City is the Steel Home, a massive fortress built on the cold northern coast where Witching Isle connects to the mainland, containing the largest population and trade center in the country. As a rule, the nearer you are to the Steel Home, the larger and more prosperous the town you'll find. As you continue south, the climate becomes warmer, but the ground is hard and sustains less and less farmland. Apart from Steel Home, the towns counted as cities are, in order of population and prosperity:
Ironmouth Bay, built on the west coast where the first ships landed on the Isle, the major port is situated in a bay that holds out from the worst weather. The Iron Kingdom trades heavily with the Westerners, supplying their allies with what they consider second-rate surplus armor, in return for thralls and gold, both of which can be found in vast quantities there.
Firedeep, an industrial powerhouse that is home to the Armourers Guild, and the largest producer of weapons and armor in the Isle. It is placed on an enormous iron mine. Also in the city is the Runekeeper Guild, allowing the city to turn out Rune etched weapons and armor at a prodigious rate.
Galien, the capital of the native country that was replaced by the Iron Kingdom, and the largest economic producer, situated at the point where the ground is most fertile.
While almost entirely populated by men, the Iron Kingdom has it's share of the fantastical races, mostly Dwarves, but also some Elves, though few and far between.
History.
The Iron Men have lived on the Isle for a relatively short time, having left the Unknown West three hundred years ago, ending up on the northwest coast. Immediately ousting the primitive natives who named them, the hardy people controlled the entire northern coast of the island in less than three years.
The first city to be built was the capital city of what was to become the Iron Kingdom, Steel Home. The inhabitants of the kingdom remember and pay homage to their Old Gods, who in answer drive them onward to conquest and glory. It was in one such campaign that the Iron Men swept south, tripling the size of their homeland and establishing it as a true Kingdom of Man.
The southernmost reaches are very recently acquired, only in the last decade, and the Kingdom is working to cement their clam to it. However, there is a stirring in the south, as barbarian tribes who did not take part in the war with the Kingdom. An even more powerful army marches on the cold north, and the warriors who crushed the last attack are away, in another land.