Noord

Travel in Noord is a dangerous venture. Glaciers and enormous cliffs give way to dense forests where becoming lost is all but guaranteed. A mountainous nation with craggy ravines and dark pine forests, the folk of Noord are often said to be as brooding as the landscape itself. Relying on shepherds, fishers, and foragers for much of the nation’s food, the Noords supplement their economic needs through extortion, aggressive trade, and outright banditry when needed.

Academic.

Noord maintains a handful of small schools for education in various fields. Young people are not allowed to attend schools and asked to serve their people through physical labor of some kind. Older folk who are no longer capable of intense physical labor are encouraged to attend school and commit their minds to the betterment of their nation.

Aristocratic and Political.

Noord does not have a traditional aristocracy, but the older humanoids who have attended schooling are treated with respect and deference. They receive free food and lodging when they travel within Noord, and those who complete their schooling are looked to as community leaders. Regional governors and a national chancellor are self-selected from within this pool of educated elders. Noord’s current chancellor is Grumhilda Iceblack, a stern and grandmotherly mountain dwarf. Grumhilda is close friends with the Starborea’s governor, Dencassan Briarye. Thanks to their friendship, Noord and Doshairiel have become close trade partners.

Mercantile and Trade.

Noord is well-situated with both a large forest and a mountain range that each contain many natural resources. Gathering food, game, and lumber from the forest, and minerals and iron ore from the mountains, Noord could be self-sufficient if it needed to be. Trading with and raiding other nations is a supplemental source of goods and income.

Militant.

Every young adult is required to serve in the military and their training begins before they are ten years old. At sixteen, they join the ranks, and after four years’ service they may remain in the military or pursue an apprenticeship and career elsewhere in Noord society. The Noord military is highly competent, large proportional to its population, and well-equipped. The military will engage in months-long thieving expeditions where they march into the steppes of Bishal and Kandif, looting and pillaging whenever they find small trade caravans or stray ranchers.

Religious.

Noord has no official religion. So long as a Noord puts the needs of their country above their own personal needs, they may practice whatever religious beliefs they wish. Many worship winter as a cruel but necessary deity that hardens and strengthens them through adversity, and they worship the northern lights as an omen of luck and fortune.

Social.

Noords are a proud folk, and easily angered. They take pride in both their personal valor and the strength of their nation. A careless insult is punishable with a magnitude of broken bones, and while duels to resolve conflict are strictly forbidden in the military, they often happen both within and outside the confines of the military order.

Underworld.

Each of Noord’s towns and cities have gangs that scrap over territory, but they are frequently snuffed out by the military only to form again after a few months of silence. There is no nation-wide organized structure to these gangs.

Phalanx

The mountainous capital of Noord, Phalanx resides in the northernmost stretches of the nation. Built on the icy cliffs on the northern end of the mainland Cloudpiercer Range, Noords believe Phalanx to be utterly impregnable. The elders of Noord have invested much time and energy in expanding Phalanx to the point that the capital now stretches across four mountain peaks, but is only accessible through one. In the unthinkable event of Noord’s military suffering a crippling defeat, the entire population of Noord could fit inside Phalanx. It has two freshwater springs underneath it, not to mention the vast quantity of snow and ice, so Noords would only need to worry about their food supply in the event of a prolonged siege. The harsh winters would then force any rational foe to retreat. While it is built to survive warfare, Phalanx also offers amenities such as a sports arena and an orchestra hall.

Points of Interest

The Glowing Forest. On the west side of the Cloudpiercer Range, strange trees grow in oddly regular patterns. These trees seem to be made of some synthesis of vegetable and metal matter, and they grow pear-shaped glass bulbs that occasionally glow from within. Noords are generally hesitant to enter the forest, but will occasionally go out and collect these glass lights, which they use to illuminate Phalanx.

Quest Ideas

• The Noords ask the heroes to harvest resources from the Glowing Forest.

• In the face of invasion from a terribly powerful enemy (perhaps fiends from Inferno), heroes need to help the Noords evacuate to Phalanx and then must endure a harsh winter fighting a supernaturally strong foe.

• The Noords are on a rampaging war path, so representatives from Kandif ask the heroes to infiltrate Phalanx and destabilize its defenses or assassinate its leaders.