The World
This is a small TL;DR version of the lore. I don't want to spoil everything, and writing an entire setting with every little thing thought out from the start would be impossible before the holidays.
The Northern Continent, the continent where all of our adventures are going to take place, is a remote continent in the north of the world. Only part of it is civilized, which is the only part visible on the map. This colonized area, commonly referred to as the Northern Lands or the Lands of Ice are divided into states, city states and tribal territories. Winters (and summers too) are cold in the Northern lands, and the less fortunate members of society, those living in the villages and tribes, must constantly fear for their lives.
Geographic LocationsSt. Nicholas:
The city of St. Nicholas, officially called The City Of the Noble and Benevolent Saint Nicholas, Protector of the Poor, Giver to the Needy and Feeder of the Hungry (Commonly referred to as Saint, Nick, or St. Nick's), is by far the richest and most powerful city. It is a true metropolis and trading hub, and the only place on the continent where one could possibly find a ship from the other continents. The city is ruled by a council of wise elders, and most people in the city obviously worship Saint Nicholas. The surrounding city-state, called Nicholas' land, is more advanced and populated than any of the other areas in the Northern Lands.
Kerst:
Kerst is the capital of the country of Kerstenland, and the second most wealthy place on the continent. Kerstenland is ruled by the Kersten King, a king that wants the best for his people but fails to understand their needs. Most of the people from Kerst are hunters, poachers and whalers, and animal products are their main export. They organize a yearly event called the Island Clubbing. Anyone that participates gets put on a boat that sails to one of the uninhabited Eastern or Western islands, where the participants are then allowed to club and take any seals, walruses and other aquatic mammals that commonly reside on these islands with them.
Cape Black and Cape White:
Cape Black and Cape White are two very similar states that have an immense rivalry between the two of them. Their struggle for power has caused plenty of quarrels, conflicts and outright wars. The most well known of these was the XIVth War for the control of the Bay of Claus, which took many innocent lives because the cities of St. Nicholas and Kerst were not able to trade with the other cities. This conflict ended five years ago, when the combined fleets of St. Nicholas and Kerst obliterated the armies of Cape Black and White, executed their cruel tyrants and vassalized them (White to Nicholas' Land, Black to Kerstenland). However, the old nobility is currently trying to start revolts to get the child of the previous ruler on the throne, in both cities.
Rudolfstown:
Rudolfstown is quite a strange city. It wasn't founded by southern colonists, like the other major cities, but built by the native tribes on the ruins of an old and forgotten civilization. Many of the inhabitants of Rudolfstown, mostly Goliaths, Dwarves and humans, worship the pagan Rû-Dölphýsk (called Rudolf by non-natives). The Tiefling population in this city is way higher than normal, and Tieflings are priviliged, and not shunned as in most cities. Rudolfstown is governed by a democratically chosen red-nosed Tiefling. The surrounding city state is quite small, and divided among tribes close to Rudolfstown.
West Channukah:
A small and relatively irrelevant town, surrounded by the lands of Channukah. Most of the inhabitants are farmers and craftsmen.
Navida:
The most southern city in the Northern Lands. It is considered the centre of education and magic, and in its center stands the great Northern College of Alchemy and Arcana, a school where all kinds of magic are studied. It is one of the very few schools in the Northern Lands, and the only school teaching the magical arts. Any child whose parents can afford the costs gets sent to this prestigious college for their education. The city of Navida is protected by a magical shield of heat, keeping out the frozen winds and snowstorms, but also driving up the prizes of housing immensely. There's a lot of corruption in Navida, and it is (unofficially) lead by organized criminal gangs.
Jül and Mikulas:
The cities of Jül and Mikulas are both part of the Jülish-Mikulasian Tribal Commonwealth, JMTC of the Commonwealth for short. Most of the territory of this large state is owned by the various tribes in the region, whilst a few small enclaves are owned by Jüland or Mikulasia. Their main exports are wood, grain, furs and slaves. These slaves are sold to the merchants in the cities by the tribal leaders, and shipped to the south via St. Nicholas, where they fetch high prices because of their toughness. The Commonwealth is ruled by the King of Mikulasia, the Dukes of Jül and the council of elders.
Karampusz:
Karampusz is the most northern city of the continent. It is the city of the Demon Krampus, and the capital of Krampusel. The city and lands are mainly inhabited by greenskins and creatures often considered as non-sapient. The city consists of slums, brothels and barracks, and usually a tenth of the population dies during the winter. The high birthrate of its inhabitants compensates for this however, and the city is still slowly growing. In the middle of the city, atop a great cliff, stands the obsidian fortress of Krampus himself. Krampus used to rule the lands, but after his dissappearance fifty years ago, the leader of the Cult of Krampus rules the lands with an Iron fist.
Religion and CultureMost of the inhabitants of the Northern Lands worship Saint Nicholas. He was once a mere mortal, who ascended to sainthood and even godhood due to his good deeds and generous gifts. Now he appears every year on his golden, reindeer-pulled sleigh to deliver food, warmth and gifts to those in need. Because of his influence, most of the people in the Northern Lands speak Nikolaian. St. Nicholas is often depicted as a jolly man, dressed in red and white clothing, with a curly white beard and a stomach of considerable size.
The opposite of Saint Nicholas is the demon Krampus. This black fiend travels the world all year round in his slave-pulled carriage made of lead, stealing, killing, raping and pillaging, only to be stopped by the benevolent powers of Saint Nicholas. He is covered in a coarse black fur, has two long horns atop of his goat-like head and his split hooves scrape over the ground when he walks.
The battle between the Order of Saint Nicholas and the Cult of Krampus fifty years ago, resulted in Krampus being grievously wounded after many of the belligerents had perished. He managed to escape with the help of the cult leader, but hasn't been heard of ever since. Lately, rumors of him coming back on Christmas day have started to circulate, though these are usually dismissed.
Other gods include: The Reindeer god, Uther the Mountain, Rûlith the Tundra Breeze and many others.
If you want to add something like a minor god, small village, tribe or something else to your backstory but it isn't on here, feel free to do so but please consult me first.
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Topic: Holiday Forum RPG (OOC) [4/6] IC up! Two Free spots! (Read 6944 times)