Brundswag

The Brundswag is a polyglot collection of hundreds of Brund tribes held together by the military strength of the lords. These High Lords hold sway over large swaths of land and owe fealty to nobody; except in the rare cases when one lord has become powerful enough to declare themselves the Overlord. In place of bonds of fealty and homage, political maneuvering and secret deals hold the lords together. The fact that one lord may have deals with other lords that are currently at war with each other is simply a fact of life in Brundswag.

• Name: Brundswag
• Location: Endless Snows, Miran
• Ruler: Overlord (currently vacant)
• Etymology: Brunder
• Land Area:
• Population:

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This nation controls the largest territory in the north. Originally, there was a tribe of humans called the Brundar. They conquered their neighbors and took what they had for their own. As their conquests grew their people began to marry and rear children by other tribes. Now the idea of a Brundar is more associated with anyone born within the claimed territory of Brundswag, than any notion of blood or heritage. Those tribes and cultures that were absorbed first (those along the western shore) no longer even think of themselves as anything but Brund. While those on the eastern fringes still cling to their heritage and cultural identity. While this would seem to make rebellions more common in the east this is not the case. Those Brund who live in the west rebel as often against unruly lords as those in the east. With a tradition of pulling down oppressors with the sword and axe - any lord that pushes their subjects too far will soon find their keep burning down around them.

The nation of Brundswag covers much of the Northern Wilds and is subdivided into the regional holdings of over two hundred lords. Most of these lord’s holdings are minor and they could never gather the strength to make a bid for Overlord. There are only eleven lords that possess the strength to strive for the title of Overlord; these lords are usually called the High Lords.

This large and occasionally active volcano marks the south-western boundary between the Brundswag and Stoneheart. Because the volcano still vents noxious fumes and every twenty years or so erupts the Brundswag keep no permanent keeps in the area. As such, the northern plains around the volcano are usually thick with thieves, rebels, and outcasts from society. They seek the protection within the shadow of the volcano and the extremely ancient dragon that lives within its heart. Living here does have its share of problems, but it is better than facing Brund justice.

Far to the north this forest of pine and evergreen is rumored to be home to elves and fae alike. The Brund themselves are not exactly sure as few leave the wood alive. Trappers and hunters that live for years on the northern plains have seen small golden-red haired elves walking the forest paths; although most are so scared by their visage that they remember little more. Most are smart enough to stay as far from the forest as possible

This large lake is frozen over for most of the year. However, for nearly two months every year the weather warms up enough that the ice melts and the lake is again open to the animals that live in the area. The lake is about 85 miles east to west and 250 miles north to south. It averages almost 200 feet deep although there are channels and holes that descend to just over 800 feet deep. Local legend talk about a large turtle-like creature that lives in the lake's depths and surfaces every summer to feast on those that get too far from the shore.

This large frozen peak is not only known for its thin spire-like top, which peaks at nearly half a mile over the surrounding land - but also the fact that it sits in the middle of a flat plan. Exactly what crazed god placed this peak here and for what purpose is unknown. The only thing that is known is that the peak is one of the few places the white lotus can be found in large numbers. This flower is so valuable that many have braved the high winds and sheer walls in search of the riches that even a few fresh blossoms can bring. Still, far many more fail that succeed in recovering this rare bloom.</P>

The nation of Brundswag ruled by strength and wealth, sex or race count for little in determining who makes and enforces the laws. It all comes down to what you can control through personal strength and force of arms. In most cases regional control is held in the firm grasp of the various landed lords. They maintain their own standing army, tax the population, and deal with all matters of trade. Each smaller city will have a town Burgher to oversee the daily matters for their lord. Their words a backed by the strength of the local garrison. There have been some temporary uprisings; however, the lords put these rebels to the sword. Any uprising that gains enough support could threaten their privileged lives.

These are the eleven most powerful lords and often considered the only people capable of claiming the title of Overlord. While there have been several Overlords that rose from the ranks of the minor lords, most have come from one of the High Lords. However, as the High Lords have gained in status and power they are reluctant to see the rise of another Overlord and many have made secret alliances to see that none of them gain enough power to claim the title.

While not all of the lands of the high lords are equally wealthy or powerful they are are large enough to set themselves apart from the lesser lords. Most current high lords can trace their lineage unbroken back to the original Brund war leaders that conquered this land. However, because even the high lords are not immune to losing a challenge to their rule - some of the smaller holdings have changed hands several times.

• Kjeholmen
• Fidje
• Idefjorden
• Pyttegga
• Erdalsfjell
• Maalö Skarholmen
• Göyna
• Avløysa
• Kagelven
• Aesvik
• Tranøya

Occasionally one of the local lords become so powerful they try to set themselves as the Overlord of all Brundswag. This would-be ruler will have to defend their title against any lord that challenges their proclamation. The civil war that follows has toppled every lord that attempted to take the title of Overlord, and their lands were divided among the victors.

The standing military is usually a collection of long-term mercenaries. In fact, most of the better-known mercenaries have been patrolling the same area for generations. Their commanders are rich enough to be the equals of the more successful merchants and lesser lords. Each mercenary group is paid in coin or jewels. The mercenariers are then responsible for renting their quarters, equipping their troops, and maintaining the peace in their area. They are allowed to recruit from the local populace and typically turn away applicants since many believe the life of a common mercenary is superior to a farmer.

The only other military force is the professional troops that each lord keeps for their own protection. Even the largest northern city is not completely safe from attack, so these troops are not just parade soldiers. Most lords even pay comprehension to their local mercenaries for their most battle skilled soldiers.

This mercenary company only serves to protect and enforce the laws of the current Overlord. During those times when there is no Overlord sitting the throne they enforce the power of a future Overlord. In this manner they are the only mercenary company to garrison Unster, which serves as the Overlord’s capitol. Each of the regional lords are permitted their own personal bodyguards, but the sum total of all the lord’s bodyguards is but a fraction of the size of the Black Axe soldiers.

Only once have the entire Black Axes had to ride to battle in recent times. This was during the reign of Overlord Poul, when several lords tried to ban together to overthrow his rule. The Black Axes found the lord’s encampment and attacked during the night. Few of the would-be rebels escapes, though they outnumbered the attackers 5-to-1. The Black Axes returned to Unster with the rebel lord’s heads on their battle standard.

This company typically numbers nearly fifty strong and each man is required to be skilled in horsemanship, sword and lance. Riding the large shaggy ponies first bred by the Goth this company was formed during the Bitter War when the other mercenaries of a local lord was besieging his keep after he refused to pay them. The Dragon's Fang not only routed the other mercenaries, but forced the local lord to cough up the money he owned the mercenaries - including the money for a proper burial. This reputation for not only strength, but fairness has made them one of the most respected mercenary companies of the Brundswag.

First created by Lord Johann the One-Arm, these mercenaries pride themselves on being so skilled in the art of tracking and fighting on the deep snows that they often make raids into Goth territory just to prove themselves superior. It is well-known that nobody fights in the deep snow as the Goth, but the White Guardsmen seek to meet and surpass any Goth raiders. The White Guardsmen currently have more than a hundred mercenaries in their ranks and are still growing.

This orcish mercenary company is mostly comprised of Blackblood orcs with a few replacements taken from orc villages controlled by Brund lords. Brutal warriors that have shown no fear in the face of impossible odds, they have never retreated from a battle - more than once defying the direct word of the local lord just to engage the enemy in deadly battle. Still, the Lords of Brund continue to hire the company because they have never known defeat.

Main Article: Vykir

Several times the Brundar have attempted to expand their northern borders. Each time they have been pushed back by these fierce barbarians. The Brundswag military strategy of conquest and absorbing the survivors doesn’t work well with a nation that would struggle to the death. Even the children take up arms to fight invading armies rather than allow a foreigner to capture them. Currently the various northern Brundswag lords have put up a series of forts to mark their outermost territory. In addition to keeping the Vykir raiding parties in check, they will be used as forward staging areas for the next war.

Main Article: Goth

The Gothites are a nation of fierce warriors, powerful wizards, and religious fanatics. Unlike the Vykir, they refuse to fight to the death - in fact, several villages have given up without even a small struggle. However, the Gothites are the only people to successfully lead a Brundswag rebellion. Lady Camille led her troops into southern Goth, capturing several villages and much needed herding land, with little loss of life. In three years the Gothites were completely integrated into Brundswag society, with several former Gothites working for Lady Camille directly. The next summer Wa’terck challenged Lady Camille for the right to rule.

Wa’terck easily defeated her champion and banished Lady’s Camille from her own lands. Lord Wa’terck then succeeded from Brundswag and rejoined with Goth. Those not of Goth were allowed to continue to work the lands for their new leaders; however, any mixed Brundswag-Goth children were given into the hands of the Gothite gods. This is the only incident where a successful war campaign resulted in the reduction of Brundswag. The normal method of conquest and absorption will not work on the Gothites, so most military planners say &quot;Let sleeping bears slumber&quot; when talk turns to expanding the southeastern borders.

Main Article: Stoneheart Hold

Brundswag has very tight economic ties with Stoneheart. They do extensive trade in fish, meat, and rare northern crystals. While it’s true the dwarves could easily mine these crystals themselves, they choose to trade for them instead. In return it's dwarven steel that fuels the Brundswag military. These ties are kept strong by the presence of one or more dwarven trading posts in each city. In fact, a few of the smaller village’s also have a dwarven trading post.

Compared to the more wealthy southern nations, Brundswag’s economy is very primitive. The local lord owns between 80 and 90% of the wealth within their boundaries. They own the land the villages use and control the larger trade markets through their moneylenders. The larger Merchants, Burghers, and Garrison commanders control another 5% of the wealth, with the rest divided among the population, with most having only enough to pay their taxes and save a small amount for more difficult years.

The economy of most villages could survive without the import of foreign goods and services. In these villages hunting, fishing, and herding keep the people alive. Leathers and excess food are traded to merchants in a nearby town for those goods that cannot be grown or found. The larger cities and garrison forts require the steady import of food and workers to maintain their level of growth. The nearby villages replaced their fishing and hunting with the production of manufactured goods to trade in the markets.

With most of the population making little wages there is no need to mint coins of any sort. Instead, the common form of transferring wealth among the rich is through jewelry and rare goods. While many families may have a few crude chunks of silver or maybe even some silver jewelry that is as much family heirloom than money. Instead of coins, the people of Brunds use a complicated system of bartering.

For larger purchases or trades the people turn to the services of a moneylender. The money lender often sets fair trade for good as well as exchanges the transfer of goods. These lenders are usually financially supported by the local lord and are solely responsible for tracking all large trades for the purposes of determining the proper tax owed to the local leader.

The Brund are humans that are much larger than those of the Irillian descent. Males average just under five foot ten with females only on a few inches shorter. They tend to favor large shoulders, thick limbs, and are covered with hair. While the majority of Brund have dark brown or black hair, the amount of breeding with people of other tribes has led to the appearance of auburn and dark-blond amoung the populace. The more recent addition of Vykir, Goth, Dwarven, and even several orcish villages into Brundswag by the more rural lords may cause some even more changes farther down the road (like a non-human lord). But for now none have the political and military power to challenge even one of the lesser lords.

Brundswag is not a nation in the same manner as the nations of the Western Realms where one people have formed a cultural bond based upon mutual race and heritage. Instead, it is a large collection of villages that are held together by the standing army of the local lord. For this reason the people Brundswag do not have any centralized culture or religion, as each village is more independent than a western town.

Most of the people live in small villages or towns, far from the larger capitol cities. In most ways these outlying villages can be considered independent, since most only see their lord’s tax collector once every few years. In fact, entire villages have moved on the outer borders of a lord’s land to avoid paying taxes for years. In terms of total population approximately 75% of the people live in villages of less than 100 people. The people of these small village are of a hardy stock, made to survive in the long winters with as little outside help as possible. When necessary they have fought back invading armies and their own lord’s mercenary troops. They are fiercely independent, only recognize the law of their local lord as trumping their own law when the lord's soldiers are standing over them.

There are hundreds of smaller clans and tribes within the north that do not owe allegiance to any of the larger nations. It is this land that Brundswag continues to conquer. Still, most of the villages have remained independent because they offer no benefit and remain fiercely combative. If the only useful thing a village can offer is warriors, then that village is very difficult to conquer.

Most of the local lords have made the practice of worshiping any deity illegal within their lands in order to reduce the number of rebellions they must put down every few years. The idea of most organized religions is to unite the people under a common bond for the good of all. When coupled with the fact that most religious organizations can become quite wealthy and politically influential - this represents a clear danger to the lords. This was made very clear during the Twilight Rebellion. A church dedicated to strength and independence encouraged their followers to rebel against their oppressive lords. For ten years a blood guerrilla war was fought until the high priestess was captured and impaled upon Traitor’s Gate at the capitol.

The only religion that still survives in Brundswag is the older druidic beliefs. These mostly passive beliefs encourage their followers to worship the land and its natural order. Several lords have tried to crush the druids and their followers, but their complex leadership and secret meeting places make moving against them with soldiers difficult.

These are the shrines maintained by the druids and those who worship the elder gods. When the lords moved against the druids in force they destroyed hundreds of shrines, but the vast majority of them were moved into secret hiding places. This is not an easy task as each shrine is composed of solid altar rock topped with a stone statue.

A few of the major cities have a several masters that teach their apprentice the arts of magic; however, the tradition is stronger in the villages. The village shaman is the one that turns back the devils and their evil servants and protects the village from those that come to steal their children during the cold winter nights. To the villagers, the shaman is highly respected, greatly feared, and considered mostly insane to dabble in the spirit world.

Unlike the druids, the shamans are not watched closely. The Academy of Mystical Arts has assured the lords that any act of rebellion by the shaman would be put down immediately by their power. Also, the druids represent respected leaders, while the shaman often seem a different part of the same society - respect and feared at the same time.

The art of magic runs strong in the history of the northerners. Powerful magicians have stood shoulder to shoulder with the greatest heroes of Brund legend. So, it is quite natural that several master magicians would band together and open an academy dedicated to studying and teaching the mystical arts. So many students came to enroll in the academy that the master's were forced to build smaller academies in most of the major cities in Western Brundswag.

Main Article: Mākstag

Located on banks of the Mäk River, this town has changed a great deal over its existence. It was always a small hunting village until the Brund discovered a vein of copper in the nearby hills. Now it is large enough that merchant wagons will visit at least twice a year. In addition to the native population of Brund, a dozens of dwarves live here solely to work the mines.