KvinneKvinne’s GeographyKvinne is a relatively large island, covered almost entirely in snow and ice. The eastern and western shores are the only natural portions of the island that show little snowfall throughout the year, while the elven ruins to the south of the village of Bifrost experience a lessened amount of snow due to magical crystals absorbing the vast majority of it.
Kvinne’s northwestern quarter, where the village of Bifrost is located, is the warmest portion of the island on a whole. The northeast is generally not much colder, though during the winter season, the northeast and west are often blocked off from each other by extremely heavy snowfalls that the east is known to experience around this time of year. The Lifson port village of Gnarm on the northeastern coast has therefore had to learn to survive on its own during these months. The southern half the island, known as Nifl, is by far colder than the north, experiencing the heavy winter snowfall of the northeast all year long, and below freezing temperatures at nearly all times. Nifl has fewer woodlands than the north of Kvinne, for Nifl’s climate has made it near unhabitable for wildlife. Instead, the many creatures of Nifl have learned to feed off each other, rather than plant life, and for the herbivores that still roam, and are often preyed upon the most, there are many thousands of caverns dotting Nifl, often with mushrooms of varying types to feed from. Beyond Nifl’s southern edge there is a drastic climate change where the tundra melts. The cause of this is a large, active volcano at the southern edge which keeps the small portion of land there well heated. The ocean to the north of Kvinne is known as the Wyrd Well by the Lifsons, and South Sea by those of Fenmyr.
North of Kvinne is the continent of Fenmyr. Fenmyr and Kvinne are connected during the spring season of each year by a land bridge called “The Drowning” that rises from the water during the low tide, extending from Kvinne’s Iron Shore to the shores of the Silillnyme forest, near the Valron wood, a wood known for undead and particularly vampiric influence. Surrounding Kvinne are a series of other islands known “The Shroud.” The Shroud ranges from tiny, uninhabited islands, to fairly large islands (though nowhere near Kvinne’s size) populated with tribes and cities.
Near where the shroud meets Kvinne, there lays a massive cave system. Far beneath this cave system is the city of the Merfolk, who in ages passed have been mostly peaceful towards the Lifsons. In the past few years, however, the Merfolk have been a rarer sight on the surface. Reasons for this remain unknown, as none have been to the city in some years. The cave system have apparently changed and become more dangerous to travel. Back when the city was more accessible, a large portion could be visited by surfacers, as it was not engulfed in water as one might imagine. Though all the Merfolk reside in the portion of the city below water, where none may travel.
(For details on specific locations on Kvinne, see Oni's post:
fenmyr.proboards33.com/index.cgi?board=biareas&action=display&thread=1193632345)The Lifsons and SindriThe Lifsons are a human tribe that in ages past were a nomadic group. The Sindri, though dwarven, are considered brothers to the Lifsons, and had been a part of the same nomadic tribe generations ago. The Lifsons and Sindri have a deep respect for bravery and combat prowess. Though they are not always accepting of outlanders, if these traits are displayed, they often will warm up to the outlanders. They are untrusting of outside influences, and untrusting of magic, particularly the arcane. They honor the gods, particularly Thunaer (Thor), who is their patron deity, and the Alfather (Odin) who is the leader of their gods. The Lifsons, though not fanatics, tend to be religious, though some of course more so than others. The Sindri on the other hand, tend to not follow any god, despite still honoring them. Sindri are charged with the working of metal, brewing of mead, and construction, both above and below ground. The Lifsons are charged with gathering of resources, hunting, and making of leathers and clothing to be worn. They also drink the majority of the mead.
History of the Lifsons and SindriThe two tribes joined together a few decades before sailing across the sea to Kvinne. Some of the Lifson long boats did not make the journey to Kvinne, having gotten lost on the way, or sunk by the harsh sea. Those that did make it to Kvinne, found a harshly cold land inhabited by creatures they had never encountered before. Minotaurs, lycanthropes, giant insects, and of course, the Jotun (giants.) The Lifsons and Sindri had the fortunate luck of encountering a small village of Silillnyme elves from Fenmyr. The Silillnyme taught the Lifsons and Sindri how to combat these new threats, and aided them in combat when the time came. At a loss of about half their numbers, the Lifsons and Sindri were victorious over all but the Jotun. The Jotun were too numerous and too powerful to be driven back, and remained while the majority of other beasts were forced down into Nifl.
Over the next fifty years, the Lifsons and Sindri fought hard to establish the village of Bifrost near Kvinne’s northwestern shore, using the Silillnyme village as a starting point. The Silillnyme left Kvinne around this time, crossing back to Fenmyr, as the threat of the Jotun was not worth remaining in Kvinne. The Jotun began to forcefully breed with captured Lifson women, a practice that enraged and sickened the Lifsons, as well as shaming them for failing to protect their women. Those that were born of these unions, known simply as giant-bloods, were cast out from Bifrost. Growing up on their own in the wild, these outcasts grew into a small but powerful tribe, and held a strong hatred for the Lifsons. Once their tribe had gone through a few generations of breeding, the giant-bloods began to raid the small village of Bifrost. This is when Vidar Gerirrodson, the first chieftain of the Lifsons, challenged the giant-blood chieftain to a fight to the death and won. The result was reuniting the giant-bloods with their Lifson cousins, and making the two peoples one again.
Vidar Gerirrodson had two daughters by a woman known as Sigrdrifa, said to be the Valkyre queen. The Valkyre are minor goddesses of Kvinne, and amongst mortals are some of the best warriors alive. Sigrdrifa is believed to have been their leader, and her daughters by Vidar were thusly known as the Twin Valkyre. These twins lead the Lifsons after the death of their father and mysterious disappearance of Sigrdrifa. It was by their leadership that the giant-bloods were driven into Nifl. They, along with a mysterious individual said to have aided them with the power of the son, led the Lifsons and Sindri in a massive offensive against the giant king and his fiendish allies. With the death of the giant king, the fiendish allies of the Jotun were banished, said to only return should another king ever reunite the Jotun. Their forces without leadership became nomadic and scattered, and a vast majority fled to Nifl. The Lifsons of course took many casualties of their own, having lost one of the two Twin Valkyre, and a large number of theirs and the Sindri warriors. Even their mysterious ally vanished.
In centuries since these events, the Lifsons have established only two noteworthy settlements outside of Bifrost. Gnarm on the northeastern shore, and Jorith on the southwestern shore of the shroud of Zephrikon. Both are port villages directly across from one another. Zephrikon is today used for Lifson right of passage. A young man must travel there, fight the inhabitants, and gather honey to return to Bifrost for the brewing of mead.
Deities(To be written at another time after deity info is worked out.)
The Jotun (Giants)The Jotun are not much unlike the Lifsons habitually from when they were a nomadic people. Jotun travel often in small, close-knit groups, as they lack leadership ever since the death of their king in centuries passed. Some Jotun are seafaring, and even known to pirate along the shores of Kvinne and its shrouds. The main difference between the Jotun and Lifsons would be the Jotun’s natural malevolence. Both are certainly a war faring people, but the Jotun do so without mercy or cause, other than the fact they simply hate the other races of Kvinne.
There are many different types of Jotun. Ogres, trolls and ettins are often referred to as “lesser Jotun.” Mountain giants, hill giants, and the rare cyclopes are known simply as Jotun. Frost giants, stone giants, and the fire giants of the far south are known as “greater Jotun,” and are by far the most dangerous. Fortunately, these greater Jotun are seldom seen north of Nifl.
The MaraudiansWhen the Lifsons first sailed across the sea with the Sindri to arrive in Kvinne, some ships were lost at sea. The Maraudians are one of the results of this. They landed on a shroud, it seems, though which one is unknown. They are much like the Lifsons have become culturally, no longer being a nomadic people, but seem to have taken on the war faring nature of the Jotun. They also speak the giant tongue, and as of yet have shown no signs of speaking any other language. The Maraudians is merely a name given to them by the Lifsons, for being “Marauding Barbarians.” Very little is actually known of them, as they have only appeared within the last year and came from the east. Their exact purpose in attacking the Lifsons these past months remains unknown, and is strange as the Lifsons are their distant cousins.
Presence of the Fenmyrian NationsThe Fenmyrian Nations have set up presence at Frost Harbor Cove on the northwestern coast of Kvinne over these past few months. In particular, the Empire of Pherin has established the most presence. The natives of Kvinne are worried of their presence, and in particular worried that they may have a bad influence upon them. After what happened to the natives on the island of Syrkos, however, this worry is not without reason. The Fenmyrians have come to Kvinne, though, to get their hands on a metal known as “truesteel.” This metal is known to be extremely powerful, and deadly (or lively, as some jest) to undead. The Lifsons are reluctant to allow any of the truesteel to fall in the hands of outlanders, as it is quite precious to them as well, though are willing to do so in exchange for whatever the outlanders by have to barter. There is worry, however, that the denizens of the Valron region of the Silillnyme wood will cross over the Drowning when it rises from the sea and attempt to cause the Lifsons and Fenmyrians trouble in their attempts to acquire the truesteel.
The ShroudThe islands of the Shroud surround Kvinne. Not all of these islands have been fully explored, and so, information is not available on all of them. In fact, only two have been thoroughly searched by the Lifsons, though others have been explored to a smaller extent.
Zephrikon - An island inhabited originally only by massive insects. This island is used by the Lifsons as a right of passage for young Lifsons to become men (or women for those inclined to seek such in combat). They must travel from the port village of Gnarm on Kvinne’s northeast shore, across the Wyrd Well to the port village of Jorith on Zephrikon. From there, a young Lifson must travel to the giant bees’ nest and combat their way through the insects. There they must gather honey and return with it to Bifrost to be used in the making of mead.
Syrkos - An island northwest of Kvinne, Syrkos was once inhabited by a single long boat’s worth of Lifsons who got lost when initially coming to Kvinne. Their tribe grew, though remained significantly smaller than that of the Lifsons on Kvinne. Discovered by the Lifsons about sixty years ago, the two did not unite into one tribe again as was expected, but did remain peaceful and open trade. Fifteen years ago, Emperor Blake of the Empire of Pherin in Fenmyr commissioned a city to be built up along the large mountain that covers the center of the island. The city was named Syrkos after the island itself. The Imperials later legalized slavery on the island, and began to enslave some of the smaller tribes of natives there. This infuriated the larger groups of natives, as well as the Lifsons on Kvinne. Today, the Imperials attempt to convert the remaining free natives to their own deities of Fenmyr, which is a widely resisted movement, and has fueled a deep distrust between the Lifsons and outlanders.
(More shrouds will be added to this list as information on them is fleshed out further.)