Races

Humans of Imarel and Ishaela - by T.A. Saunders ©2009 v1.7

Racial Articles Humans of the North (Northlanders or Zodasians)

The Humans of the North tend to be tall and ruggedly built barbaric nomads. They are the descendants of the last survivors of an attempt to colonize Zoda by the Dwarves some time before the War of Eternals. There are few records from that time that survived, save to say that the colony had been massacred by an unknown enemy, possibly Masoq. These are a proud warrior people, that show heavy influence from both the ancient Dwarves of Ishaela and more recently the Voraath,that will sooner die fighting on their feet, than succumb to the cold climate they have adopted.

The typical Northern Human can reach height to nearly seven feet for the males, and six foot five inches for the females at their tallest. Average is always on the statuesque side however. They also tend to be fair-haired and eyed, though brown eyes and hair are possible. The males tend to favor facial hair and braid their beards from a tradition that was carried down and learned from the long since lost Dwarves of Ishaela. Females tend to wear their hair long and will also braid that to keep it from their face while fighting. It's not uncommon for such warrior-maidens to braid a blade into their hair. This too is believed to be a tradition picked up from the Dwarves of Ishaela.

These Northlanders have have very little contact with other races, besides some of the humans of the South, whom they will trade and the Voraath with whom they trade with if there is a state of peace with that particular tribe. There are many Voraath that actually live amongst Humans in the larger cities. This has led to a strong kinship between the two peoples and a trading of knowledge. Wild Elves are known to the Northlanders, though only adventuring sorts usually end up in the cold steppes of their homeland.

These people are scattered amongst the freeholds that sprouted up some years after the fall of Blackgate. Those that did not settle in these various freeholds took to adopting the nomadic lifestyle the Voraath favor. Save the two war-like tribes of the Voraath and most Masoq that war with everybody, the Humans and Voraath of the north rarely war with each other, though skirmishes between freeholds happen from time to time.

Myth and legend has it that once, during the long forgotten age when the Giants' population was engorged and they held much of Zoda, those who followed the barbaric ways of Hidul took it upon themselves to capture the scarcely civilized Northlandic women so as to dramatize their conception. These women would be raped and brutalized, yet kept alive through Shamanism. Strangely, the offspring born of this ritual were always female. Unsurprisingly grotesque Half-Giants, they were kept as fodder with which to deal with things too small for the Giants' cumbersome size. As Imarel grew civilized, though, outsiders trickled into Zoda to oppose the savage ways of the Hidulan Giants. Many of these women born into slavery died in the resulting conflict, but some didn't. A scarce few, abandoned by their fathers to wander the barren wasteland of ice, were taken notice of by the deceased Hidul's father. Perhaps out of some lingering sentiment for his slain son, or simply for his own amusement, he guided the survivors together with whispers in the frigid wind. Uniting once again, albeit for survival instead of servitude, they named themselves the Miroudǿtr.

In the modern age, this matriarchal and nomadic society of warrior women still isolate themselves from civilization. The matter of reproduction involves seeking out the finest Northlandic men and challenging them to battle; if the Miroudóttir emerges the victor he is taken hostage and molested by the woman until she is confirmed pregnant, then released. If a boy is born, he is escorted to the nearest town by the Miroudǿtr with the father; these unusual sightings are practically the only readily apparent evidence of their existence. The coming of age ceremony for a Miroudóttir is a week following her first period, prepared or not. She is sent to draw first blood from a Borjah and survive nine minutes without being slain or fleeing. If successful, her supervisors will arrive to assist in slaying the beast. The Borjah's body is blessed by their holy women and used to oufit the newest Miroudóttir.

(Lore summary for Miroudǿtr submitted by Steven R).