Joric (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
drawsblood) wrote2020-12-02 06:42 pm
drawsblood) wrote2020-12-02 06:42 pm
(no subject)
CLAN Vængrskr (wing-like)
AFTERLIFE Folkheim (home of the people)
FAMILY
Parents: Hrolmir and Gerhyld
Siblings: Hjorunn, Brigette, Karl, and Astrid
PERSONAL HISTORY
Joric comes from the nation of Fjelldalr: a loose confederation of mountain clans that band together in times of war or to trade women between clans. In his late teens, Joric left the Vængrskr clan to join the nation's army where he showed a knack for military tactics, especially coming up with new plans on short notice. After years of service, he volunteered for a magical experiment to enhance a warrior's berserker rage in battle to make him a living weapon. Unfortunately, the magic laid on him worked too well, and he was deemed too dangerous to remain unsupervised. His rage episodes would manifest outside of battle and would cause him to black out while his body took over, trying to destroy everyone around him. He was assigned a mage healer to be his handler, but once it became clear that the mages didn't know how to reverse the spell they put on him, he ran away from the mountains in search of a cure. As he traveled, he discovered a calming potion from an alchemist that could often hold back the rage if he caught it early enough, but after a year of taking the potion regularly, he began to notice it no longer worked as well as it once had, and he continued his search for a cure, often taking short mercenary jobs to make a little gold in between stays alone out in the wild, away from people.FJELLDALR ARMY
The army consists of mostly men from across the mountain's holds. In the old days, invaders would wreak havoc and claim land that was only won back after brutal losses to the hold, or once reinforcements arrived from a neighboring hold. In was decided that infighting between holds needed to stop in order to protect their culture in the mountains from outsiders and so the holds formed a confederation of sorts with a standing army and other benefits such as clearer trade laws.There have been two great wars in the last twenty years. the first was against invaders from the south who moved into the valleys after a natural disaster sent them from their homes. They were pushed back by the army and forced to flee to the flatlands to the west instead. The second and longer war was fought with a country to the east who for years had tried encroaching into the mountains to mine mineral ores. After several lengthy battles came the Battle of Endless Night, in which Joric's brother was slain. There were great losses on both sides and it was after this that the Fjelldalr army's mages decided on their plan to make their fighters more ferocious in battle. Joric was their first — and only, to date —test subject, and he had a complicated spell placed on him that was meant to trigger in battle. Unfortunately his rage was too great to contain and in the next battle the chaos was so great that no one could be sure if Joric turned on their own side or not. After that, he was put under watch and given a mage healer to heal him when the bouts of rage threatened to crop up. The mages were unable to reverse the spell, and their experimenting was at times painful. Unwilling to be a leashed dog, Joric made his escape, using his familiarity with the camp and of the surrounding area to slip away unnoticed. He needed to leave the mountains completely after that, because those who abandoned the army were branded as cowards and executed.
THE CHOSEN FESTIVAL
Every ten years the clans meet in a central valley to have a festival and exchange women. It's seen as a great honor to be one of these women, as they're seen as the ones who keep their people strong. In days past when there was isolation between clans, people married closely to their own bloodlines and their children started being born in a weakened state, often not living long. It took many years and a complete deterioration of some clans to force them to put aside their petty differences and work together to solve the problem.The concept works thusly: when a girl is born, her mother can chose to give her up as a Chosen. As the girl is raised, she's taught that the clan she lives in is not her clan, and she is needed elsewhere. When she's deemed old enough (usually between 15 and 25; it depends when the festival is), she and the other Chosen are sent to the festival with a selected widow of the clan called the Old Aunt. The girls from all the clans are mixed up, put in a line, and the Old Aunt from each clan walks down the line, taking as many girls as her clan gave. She doesn't skip a girl unless she is of her own clan. In this way, no girl is singled out or passed over. They are all valued equally. Once they arrive in the clan that claimed them, they live with the Old Aunt until such time they are asked for their hand in marriage. It's also possible to refuse to be Chosen, if the girl can find another to take her place.
THE GODS AND FOLKHEIM
There are four main gods in the pantheon:With additional minor gods that are usually local gods of certain clans.
Folkheim is the afterlife for the mountain people that is only attainable if you are brave. This can take many forms and doesn't necessarily mean bravery in battle. Folkheim is a place of peace and plenty where a person will have everlasting life. People who are deemed cowards are denied the afterlife and there is nothing once their mortal body dies.
Vængrskr visuals
