EditProto-Saxon Warriors of the Rugged Highlands- Tone: Fractious clans of roguish clansmen.
- Timeframe: -600 years to Present
- Artifice: Low
- Region: Albizia
- Capital: N/A
- Notable Settlements: Wesserlond (~251,000), Northerlond (~150,000), Albalond (~141,000), Cumberlond (~93,000), Wooster Isles (~71,000), Avalond (~51,000), Barwilond (~32,000), a few smaller lands
- Government: Hereditary Monarchies
- Ruler: various
- Races: Human (~1,100,000)
- Languages: Linnorn
- Religions: The New Gods (Icus Pantheon)
- Coinage: Inoerni (2gp), Noerni (1gp), Laroerni (1sp), Amoerni (5cp), Vicoerni (.5cp).
EditSynopsisA collection of tribal kingdoms of related peoples, sharing a common language, culture, religious pantheon, and mythology. Any given kingdom might be at war with or in alliance with any other at any given time.
The Linnorian people are organized into loose clans first and into fiefdoms second. Clans are both lines of heritage and also of familial alliance, and Clanlords have authority to rival or exceed that of kings within the confines of their own clans. Clan ties span fiefdoms, thus for instance members of the Mogdool clan might reside in both Cumberlond and Wesserlond. Rulers of a fiefdom are called Coinigs and their power within their fief is high, but the complicating factor of the dual loyalties of Linnorians to both their Coinig and their Clanlord cannot be underestimated.
The Linnorians share a common ancestry and roots with Anoria, and they have many similarities with their cousin culture. However, while the Anornians have turned to sea reaving and coastal raiding and have drifted from their principle worship of Honoricus (whom they call Anor), the Linnorians still hold fast to primary worship of Honoricus (whom they call Linnor). As they hold a god dedicated to the principles of honor to be preeminant, as a people Linnorians have a cultural obsession with codes of personal and familial honor, and as such that Linnorians are often referred to as "noble savages" by the more civilized Falcorians with whom Linnorians often trade.
Unlike the Anorians, Linnorians do not subscribe to overly complex systems of vassalage; rather they practice allegiance to clan and country. Personal boldness is still favored, but gainful service to clan and king is more favored.
Linnornian fiefdoms do change from time to time, but are more static and geographically stable than among the Anornians. The greatest Linnorian fiefdoms have been intact for several hundred years in more or less their current configuration. Also unlike their Anornian cousins, Linnorians spread across the hinterlands and highlands of Albizia rather than hugging the coasts. Some Linnorians take to the sea, but their ships are less advanced than their Anorian cousins, and their agenda is usually trade oriented rather than piratical.
Linnorians are somewhat suspicious of outsiders, but a lack of clan ties can be seen as a useful thing from a political standpoint and thus outlanders sometimes are found in positions of surprising authority under crafty Coinigs.
EditMagicThe Linnorians have a rich magical tradition.
The Linnoria mythology is dense and colorful and continually appended to by professional Skaals who travel the lands and tell tales, educate children, and carry news. All of the Icus Pantheon is worshiped in one form or another in Linnoria; even the mischievous and untrustworthy Mali; however most Linnorians identify with the god Linnor (at least primarily). Ecclisiastics, generally called "Devoteds", are somewhat common and generally live among the populace rather then being sequestered or organized; almost all practice some other trade in addition to their duties as holy men and women.
The Dridd of Beogren (Grenicus) are an exception; they live apart from civilization and reside in the wild typically organized into "circles". The Dridd are very closely aligned with / functionally indistinguishable from the Anorian Dryd of Groen aside from semantic / dialectical differences.
There is also a strong tradition of Occultists, and Alchemists, and a more modest tradition of Runecrafters, referred to by their specialty or by the catch-all term of "Magni". As with the Devotees, Magni generally live among the populace and either ply their magic for profit or have some other trade in addition to their magical abilities.
Daemonologists sometimes crop up and usually work alone or gather a small cult. The Linnorians find Daemonolgy to be abhorrent and steps are taken when a Daemon infestation is suspected.
EditDetailsLinnorians have a runic alphabet which has glyphs that serve both as individual letters and also as symbolic devices with complex meanings; the Anorian and Linnorian alphabets are approximately 85% identical, and the remainder can usually be figured out contextually. The Linnorian and Anorian alphabets originated from the Karadak / Dwarven alphabet and the simplest runes are basically the same, but the majority of the alphabet is a divergence.
Several clans have a high number of bloodlines that produce "goergs", brutish and larger than normal men and women believed to be favored by the god Goer. Most notably the influential Alonga highland clan, the ruling Magdonor family of Barwilond, and the spread out Ogohrli clan consistently produce strapping men and women of storied strength and durability.
Professional warriors and nobles among the Linnorians have a preference for a distinctive sword with a hand-and-a-half hilt and long quillons, sporting a blade of between 3 and 4.5 feet. Common folk favor hand axes and heavy bladed utility daggers. Simple wooden bows are used by hunters for bringing down deer and are very common, and some people are adept with hunting small game with slings. The archetypal Linnorian battle dress consists of leather reinforced with metal plates or bosses. However, wealthier folk will often wear sturdy leather-backed chainmail. Most Linnorian warriors wear distinctive skull-cap based helmets with bar nasal guards and hinged ear and cheek guards on more expensive versions, though some traditional Linnorians still sport more Atladian-influenced helms (winged or not); however these are not in vogue as the style has come to be associated with the Cymthonic people in the modern era.
Humans
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