CHRONICLES OF NORSCA

The People of Norsca

The Norscans have held the lands of Norsca since before recorded time.  They have fought against Chaos to hold the lands they have, and they have fought their neighbors to the south in order to expand those lands.  They are great warriors, skalds, merchants, and farmers.  Above all, they are great seamen, and their ships range far and wide across the oceans and seas of the known world.

They are a tall people, averaging six foot in height, with fair skin, blonde or red hair, and blue eyes.  Many of the men wear full beards, and long shining hair is considered a mark of beauty for a Norscan woman, especially if it is golden.  Men are admired for their strength and their height.  Tall, ugly men or women, though, are distrusted because they appear to be troll blooded.

The Norse men wear long-sleeved, knee-length jerkins of wool or linen, tapered at the waist.  The cuffs may be trimmed with lace or embroidered with gold thread.   Underbreeches are also made of wool or linen.  Their are two styles of trousers: untapered and ankle length; or wide and knee-length, with gardered leggings worn on the lower legs.  A cloak of wool or imported silk is worn inside or in good weather.  A winter cloak make of pile wool and looking like it's made of shaggy fur is worn in bad weather.  The cloak is pinned with a brooch at the right shoulder so that it hangs to ankle-length in the front and back but leaves the wearer's weapon arm free.  It can be thrown back leaving both arms free.

They wear a belt made of leather with a metal clasp.  It may be decorated with precious metals or plaques of bone or ivory.  A man's knife and purse are tied onto this belt.  The sword scabbard hangs from the belt or from the baldric, a strap across one of the shoulders.  Hands are protected by mittens or gloves make of wool.   Mittens would only be worn when there is no chance of combat, as gloves give a better grip on weapons.  Socks are made of fine wool and may be sewn into leggings.   Soft leather shoes are worn indoor and in good weather.  Winter shoes are made of furred leather.  Boots are made of the skin of a cow's hind leg with the hairy side out and the dewclaws on the heals for traction on icy ground.

Norse women wear a sleeveless chemise of linen or wool under a lined robe of wool, perhaps made of linen or imported silk.  The robed shoulder straps hang from a pair of brooches pinned to the chemise at the collarbone.  These brooches are linked by silver chains or by  a necklace of bone, ivory, or imported beads.  From the right hand brooch hangs other chains from which dangle keys, a knife, scissors, purse, and a sewing case that holds needles and thread.

Unmarried girls wear their hair loose with a headband across the forehead.   Married women pin their hair back at the neck and let it fall down their backs.

Men and women both wear much jewelry of silver and gold.  Many wear finger rings, arm rings, necklaces (often with talismans or pendants), the hammer of Thor, or an image of Tyr, or if they are high ranking warriors, the thunder bolts of Odin.

Equipment of War

The Norse take pride in their weapons, and no two are ever identical.  Many have names.  Most weapons have decorated hilts and/or scabbards inlaid with gold, silver, ivory, copper, or niello.  A blade may also have inlaid silver patterns, or for the very wealthy warrior inlays of gold.  Many carry runic inlays giving them magic properties.

The sword is the most prestigious of Norse weapons, and every Norse of sufficient funds will carry one.  Many swords are family heirlooms passed down from Generation to Generation, and many have had magical runes of one type or another cast upon them.

The seax, or sax, is a short sword with a heavy slashing blade, and is used mainly by the lower ranking warriors.

The Norse hand axe is a common farming tool that is also used in warfare.  It has a heavy head set upon a long shaft, sometimes bound with iron and spiked at the bottom end so they can be used as a walking stick or end as a short spear in times of need.  A farmer never knows when he might have to defend himself against the attack of a wild animal, an enemy, or a monster, so he is never without his axe.

The bearded axe has a long axe blade with a trailing spike that is set upon a long haft, and the trailing spike is used for grappling ships and enemy shields, and the long blade for cleaving the enemy.  The bearded axe is difficult to dodge or parry because even if the blade misses you the spike may get you.

The broad axe is a full axe with a foot wide blade and a very long haft, and is swung two-handed, giving it extreme momentum.

Many axes have been ensorcelled and enchanted through the use of magic runes.

The spear is a low prestige weapon carried only by Bondi in times of war.  It is between 12 feet and 14 feet long and has a leaf shaped head that is 18 to 24 inches long.

The Norse bow is a very heavy and powerful bow made of yew and strung with a linen bow string.  Some bows have strings made of silk, or female hair.

The mail byrnie is the most prestigious of armours worn by the Norse.  Many of these byrnies were named, one chieftain even named his byrnie for his mother, and many are family heirlooms and items of prestige.  It has a knee-length skirt and often has long sleeves.  It is made of flexible metal rings and is worn over a padded leather jerkin.  The upper class Norse wear metal helms with nazel and ear guards.

Lesser warriors will wear a simple mail shirt, ring mail, or a padded leather jerkin.   The helmets of these lesser warriors will be made of hardened leather reinforce with strips of metal or bone.

Many warriors choose to fight without armour and bareheaded, believing that no armour can protect them if it is their day to hear the Valkyrie's call.

The Norse carry large, circular, wooden shields with a central metal boss and a metal reinforcement strip running all the way around the shield approximately four inches in from the edge.  This is done so that an enemy's weapon will cut into the wood of the rim and lodge so that the weapon will be useless.

Social Classes

The Rigsjarl, or King, is the overlord of all the lands, ruling over his Jarls who in turn rule over the Thanes, who in turn rule over the Friedman and Thralls.

All Jarls owe allegiance to the Rigsjarl, and pay their taxes to him.  They in turn collect taxes from the Thanes and lesser land holders.  A Jarl will have a standing bodyguard of Huscarls, these may include Berserkers, a mage, or even shield maidens if the Jarl is of sufficient wealth and power.  The Jarl owes military service to the Rigsjarl and he must pay taxes to the Rigsjarl.  In times of war, he must bring his Huscarls and Bondi warriors to fight in the Rigsjarl's armies.

A Thane will have dominion over all the people who live upon his steading, but he must take all serious crimes before the Thing for judgement.  He must pay taxes to the Jarl, and he owes military service along with all the able-bodied warriors of his stead to his Jarl.

Every land holder is called a Thingman, meaning he has the right to attend the Thing, to speak and be heard, and to vote upon the matters brought before the Thing for judgement.  Theoretically, even the Rigsjarl is subject to the judgement of the Thing.

The Thing is a political body, a tribunal, and also a seasonal fair, where all in the kingdom of sufficient rank will gather for trials, lawsuits, and the merchandise mart.   Each area will have a local Thing and there is a nationwide Thing held at the Rigsjarl's court annually where all the most serious matters are adjudicated and the Jarls set as an advisory body to the Rigsjarl.

The base of the Norse economy and social structure is the land holder, the freeman who owns enough land to support himself, his family, and servants, through farming, hunting, fishing, and supplemented by trading and occasionally raiding.The landholder is known as a Thingman, meaning that he attends and votes at the local Thing, the seasonal or annual gathering at which debts are paid, lawsuits are settled, and criminals are outlawed.   The Thing and the religious festival are the major social events of the Norse calendar.  Many land holders are rich enough to build their own ships, stock them with their own trade goods, and crew them with their own men, drawn from their families, tenants, hirelings, and neighbors.  The key to the Norse defense system is that each coastal and border land holder is held responsible for defending his strip of shoreline or land against the attack of one or two warships or a band or raiders.  The Norse maintain a system of beacons to warn of raiding armies, fleets, and/or Chaos hordes.   Each land holder is responsible for maintaining these beacons and for lighting them in time of need.  The land holders can also be called up by a war arrow being sent around from Thing to Thing.  The war arrow might summon the Thingmen to mount an invasion of a foreign country or to protect Norsca from outside invaders.

Younger sons, as they do not inherit, often become Huscarls for a Jarl or even for the Rigsjarl.  Some go adventuring into other lands, looking for fame and fortune, but above all looking for land to call their own.

Some Norse farmers own their own land, but are too poor to defend it against raiders, or to meet the social obligations of being a Thingman.  They give their allegiance to one of the local Thingmen in exchange for his protection.  These small holders are called Bondi because the bind themselves to a more powerful individual.  Even lower in the social standing than these are hirelings, who are hired to do manual labour upon someone else's land.  The lowest ranking in the Norse social structure are the Thralls.  These are peasants who are literally the property of the steading.

There are individuals who are totally outside of this social structure.  These individuals are outlaws, and any man may strike them down.  They are without rights, and it is against the laws to give them shelter or aid.

There are also many Norse Dwarf steadings and fortresses dotted across the mountains of Norsca.  The Norse Dwarfs have a social structure that is much the same as the Norse Humans, and they trade and interact with each other.  The Norse Dwarfs have made many of the enchanted weapons, armour, and other items used by the Norscans.

The Berserks and Ulfhednars

Berserks and Ulfhednars ("the wolf-skinned ones") drink blood and eat raw meat to give themselves courage.  They eat the hearts of large animals and monsters they have slain.  They go into a frenzy at the prospect of a fight.  An Ulfhednar's wolf-life howl terrifies most people.  Once they have entered a frenzy they will attack their enemy, dispite and wounds they have received, until they are killed or until they have killed their enemies.  They do not attack people who have not threatened or insulted them.  Of course, they may interpret mild criticism as a deadly insult.

They are never afraid of anything they can fight: not of other Berserks, wild animals, or even aftergangers (walking dead).  As long as their frenzy lasts, they are immune to all other psychology.

Skalds

Skalds are poets and the reciters of the sagas.  They are the ones who carry news from steading to steading, from Thing to Thing, and from court to court.  A Skald is honoured and feared, for he can bring fame to your reputation, or he can destroy it by saterizing it.  The following poem will show how important reputation is to the Norse.

Before a man goes inside the gate
He should watch warily, look well around.
Often he may find a foe
Sitting on a seat inside.

If there's a friend that you fully trust
And want to get good from,
Mingle your thoughts, and give him fair gifts,
And visit him often.
If there's a man you never will trust
But want to get good from,
Give him fair words but false smiles.
Pay fraud back with falsehood.

Cattle die and kinsmen die
And someday each man will die.
There's only one thing that never dies:
The fame of the deeds you've done.

This poem is advice given by Odin to a King, and would be taught to each youngster by his father by the time he reaches manhood.  Besides telling a man to take care of his honour, it also teaches him to be prudent, for prudent young Norse are the most apt to become old Norse.