Blood and Thunder OOC (always open to everyone)

Hello good people of Lit. Slippedhalo and I have been working on this idea for awhile and it's finally ready. We're inviting anyone to join our new world and help us write this story. This story will take place in the land of Nirea (or Cathviall depending on who you ask) mostly on the islands of Nirhart and Cathviona. I have a lot of background on the Nirans and the Cathvion, but basically the Nirans are Vikings and the Cathviona are a medieval type society. These two cultures have been at war as long as recorded history, and even further back than that. The starting point of our story will be my character, Relk Wavebreaker, kidnapping members of the royal family (slippedhalo's characters) and taking them back to Nirhart. Where the story goes from there is up to all of the writers who join. If you decide to join you can play as anyone or anything within the world. The two main races are the Niran and the Cathvion, but if neither appeal to you, you can play as an unaligned character. There will be a lot of sea and ship stuff, so you can be a pirate or sailor, you could be a Niran raider, a Cathvion knight, pretty much anything you can come up with. The only limits are no magic or supernatural powers (sorry) and no guns. Any type of sword, spear, axe, and any other melee weapon is allowed, as well as crossbows and regular bows. And any weapon you create yourself as long as it meets the rules.

So I hope to see some people join in. I'll post all of the background information soon, so everyone can get a better idea of the world we'll be playing in. I'm going to start the IC thread Friday, but even if you miss the beginning feel free to join in.

Maps:

https://awwapp.com/s/ec35d5f3-a14f-4fa7-b249-5731d3c4f6e8/

https://awwapp.com/s/a9395553-00e0-41d2-b41a-7000521cd1a8/

https://awwapp.com/s/256aa5cf-c76a-4855-af63-d2620d778411/

So these are the places the story will take place. The gold dots are capitals, the purple are cities or towns, and the black are small villages or settlements. The red lines represent a noble or jarls territory. Most of the places don't have names, so feel free to give them a name.

This is how each society society is set up. These are options for characters, but the characters don't have to be limited by this list.

Niran social classes

Oberjarl- the elected king of Nirhart. Every seven years the jarls form a council and choose the oberjarl from themselves.

Jarl- the elected leader of a district of Nirnhart. All adult men who wish to be a jarl meet in the town hall and fight until one man is left standing. This man becomes the jarl. A new jarl is selected yearly, but there is no limit for how many terms a jarl can serve.

Warriors, craftsmen, sailors, business owners, farmers, shamans, etc.- any man or woman born in Nirhart is free and equal to any other. The only people above anyone else are the jarls and the oberjarl.

Slaves- Niran raiders often capture slaves on their trips to Cathviona. These slaves are taken back to Nirhart and used as servants, laborers, and sex slaves. Any Cathvion in Niran lands can expect to be treated as less than a dog.



Cathvion social classes

The king and the royal family

Nobles

Knights

Guards, soldiers, and navy soldiers

Craftsmen and business owners

Workers and farmers


Cathvion religious heirchy:


The High Guardian- the leader of the church and mortal voice of The Creator. The High Guardian is selected at birth and serves for life, and at his death a new child is chosen as a replacement. The High guardin serves from the cathedral in the capital and often advises the king in holy matters.

Guardians- The Low Guardians are the main council of the church. These twelve members are personally selected by The High Guardian and serve for life, or until The High Guardian that chose them dies.

Speakers- Speakers are the voice of the church. The reside in a town or city's cathedral and lead all religious events in that town. They are also the voice on all religious matters in their town, unless a guardian is present.

Walkers, monks, and acolytes-
Walkers are speakers with no set cathedral. They travel from place to place and perform whatever religious service may be needed.

You won't really need to use these words if you don't want to. I'm pretty much just adding them for flavor.

Niran glossary

Berayans- the Niran word for the Cathvion. Literally translated as "betrayers of the Gods"

Berayia- the Niran word for Cathviona. Literally translated as "the land of the betrayers"

Fiirb-Niran- first born of Nira

Morella- Heaven

Morrdwell- Hell

Morrt- Purgatory/ Limbo

Nirea- Nira's land. The Niran word for all lands (the planet).

Nirhart- the heart of Nira. The island that the Nirans live on.

Rothea- the capital of Nirhart

Gods:

Niran Gods:

Rotheus

God of the seas and skies. King of the Gods.

Season: Fall

Element: Water

Morrd

God of war, passion, and the guardian of the afterworld.

Season: summer

Element: fire

Nira

Queen of the gods and wife to Rotheus. Goddess of life, earth, and nature. She created the land and all of its inhabitants.

Season: spring

Element: Earth

Aariea

Goddess of time, space, thought, and all the unseen and unknown.

Season: winter

Element: air

Niran religion:

The Niran believe that all men and women were created by Nira, as well as the land and all other living things. They believe that they were the first humans created by Nira, and that they are her favorite children, hence the name Fiirb-Niran (usually shortened to Niran) which means the first born of Niran. The view the Berayans (Cathvions) as heretics and worshipers of a false god.

According to ancient Niran legend Rotheus split the land in two out of outrage for the Berayans creation of a false god. He moved all of the loyal children of Nira to Niran and moved the faithless ones to Berayia (Cathviona) as punishment. This feud had carried on for hundreds of years causing countless wars and murders between the two peoples.

Niran Religious leaders:

There is no official church for the Niran religion. There are no true religious leaders or sermons. Any man or woman who wishes to spread the messages of the gods can if they feel a true calling from the gods. If a person does feel this calling, they usually make a pilgrimage to the temple of Aariea located on the small island off of the coast of Nirhart. There they learn from older shamans about the truths of the gods, as well as basic herbal medicine and healing. Niran shamans often wear simple brown hooded robes, and carry white wood staves.

Cathvion god

The Creator

The only god in the Cathvion faith. He is the creator of all things and is the only divine being.

Cathvion religion:

The Cathvion believe in The Creator. In their eyes anyone who does not worship The Creator is a savage and should be put to death. They believe that the Niran and their gods are demons that have been unleashed upon the world to torment the faithful.

Cathvion religious leaders:

The church of The Creator is strict and rigid. All members know their place and station within the church. The leader of the church is The High Guardian, a man chosen by The Creator to speak for him and spread his message to the world. The High Guardian is chosen at birth by divine rituals, and serves until death. After The High Guardian dies, the choosing process is repeated. The High Guardian is trained by the monks until his twentieth birthday. Then he takes over his role of leading the church. The High Guardian chooses twelve people of the church to serve as Guardians, or his council. The Guardians serve until their own Death or the death of The High Guardian.

So that's all of the background information I have. That stuff probably won't have a huge impact on the story, but I like to make up histories and stuff for my worlds. So if there's anything I should add or any questions post here and ask me.

Name: Relk Wavebreaker

Age: 24

Appearance: Relk stands at 6'6" tall and is very muscular. He has light blue-green eyes and many scars on his body, the most noticeable being a long scar on his left leg that he got in a ship crash. He has long red hair which he keeps in five long braids that go down his back. He also has a thick beard that he keeps in two braids that reach his mid chest.

History: Relk was the first born son of a seamstress and a sailor. He, and after two years his younger brother Vear, grew up in the town of Ocate. They helped their mother run her shop until they were old enough to learn sailing from their father. Relk took to sailing naturally, while Vear preferred to help his mother run her shop. Relk spent as much time at sea as be could until he was nine and his father died at sea.

After their father's death, Relk and Vear's uncle Wulfrund became a large part of their lives. Wulfrund was a skilled warrior and taught the boys how to fight. Relk took to fighting almost as well as sailing and soon his entire day was spent training, while his brother stayed home and helped their mother with the shop.

Once Relk turned sixteen he was old enough to choose his role. He decided on being a raider, a job that would combine his love of sailing and fighting. In the next few years he became a skill and well know raider, eventually making enough money to purchase his own ship, "The Red Bastard", at the age of 21.

At 23 Relk accidentally became the jarl of Ocate after he wandered into the town hall and won the brawl while drunk. Relk enjoyed his elevated status as jarl and won the brawl for the second year in a row. Relk spends his time raiding the Berayia coasts or drinking at his brother's tavern, letting his advisors do most of the work in running his fief.

Clothing: Relk usually wears a pair of seal-skin boots, a pair of dark colored pants,a simple tunic, and a belt. In combat he wears a long chain-mail shirt that reaches his knees and leather gauntlets.

Weapons: Relk always carries his seax knife with him, and in combat he carries a large war hammer

Placeholder for post describing sisters, Princess Catherine, Princess Roseanna, little Princess Margaret, and their older brother, Prince Henry (deceased) and older sister, Princess Laurelyn (deceased).