Ɖein

Kuno

Django Jane
Original poster
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Posting Speed
  1. One post per day
  2. 1-3 posts per week
  3. One post per week
Writing Levels
  1. Intermediate
  2. Adept
  3. Advanced
  4. Prestige
  5. Adaptable
Preferred Character Gender
  1. No Preferences
Genres
Fantasy, Sci fi, Romance, Historical, Modern, Supernatural
Ɖein


From the blistering winds and jagged mountains of the North, beyond the balmy sands of Greece and the wooded wild of the Badlands, there rises the wintry kingdom of Ɖein. Covered from mountaintop to hidden valley in snow, the perpetually cold nation is not for the faint of heart. Many have tried and failed to conquer its reaches only to meet their fate against the elements. Its borders remain undefined; at the very Northern edge rises a massive dividing wall of fog that few are brave enough to traverse. It is called Skym by the natives, and it is synonymous with their afterlife or certain death. None who have passed through the fog have ever returned.

To the South, the country, while still harboring the same frigidity, remains more habitable. Summer and spring paint the cold landscapes in transient warmth, and it is in those scant months that the people and flora of Ɖein find reprieve for the coming winter. Most of the terrain is covered in mountain ranges and dense forests. The villages of Ɖein exist within the valleys, although the main exception to this tradition is Yaggr Hall, a massive building carved from the very side of the mountain, resting above the icy Oyl river. Enacted as a neutral territory between warring chieftains, it is here that tribal leaders can meet and communicate without fear of breaching disputed territory. Barring this, it is an oasis of warmth in the center of the land; all are welcome to take shelter here, even outsiders.

Ɖein remains as of yet ungovernable. The harsh environmental divides between territories has isolated the majority of the tribes of the nation; unification, as of yet, is impossible. There are nine total tribes in the country, and within these tribes smaller pockets of towns and villages grow and flourish wherever they can. Agricultural resources are the most fiercely coveted things in Ɖein; without the protection of numbers or a tribe, a man or woman can quickly find everything belonging to them seized by someone with superior strength and forces. Some have sought out the assistance of the Iqinile, a tiny community of North Africans whose strength have made them formidable foes to contend with. This is not something that can be counted on forever. They say the Iqinile are dwindling in number, and no one is really sure why...

Due largely in part to the land's unforgiving climate, Persia's relationship with the Northern country is almost nonexistent. To try and integrate their peoples into the Empire is considered a task of mammoth proportions; the Persians themselves show little desire to pursue it, and Ɖein is quite content to remain unbothered politically. In the past, some of the most egregious Persian criminals have been exiled there. It was said that if they reached Yaggr Hall in the center of the country, then their sentence would be rendered "commuted" and they could return to Persia within five years.

The majority never made it past the first mountain range.

 
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People of Ɖein


As fierce and hardy as the windy bluffs of their nation, Ɖeinians have managed to make the harsh landscape of Ɖein their own. Ɖeinian – also known as Pales – are remarkable in appearance. Naturally tall and strong, the exceedingly pale nativemen are often decorated in various tattoos and warpaint; typically a man or woman’s tattoo will signify their tribe and chosen trade. Out of the nine main tribes of Ɖein, only three occupy the land north of Yaggr Hall, the center fixture of the nation. Known as the Elder tribes, they are considered the oldest of the tribes and as such are still deeply tied to Ɖeinians’ old ways. There are roughly 400-800 people within each Elder tribe:
  • Ölmur - known for their forges
  • Mysnfelt - known for their pelts and traps
  • Logra - known for their stone masonry

To the South of Yaggr lies the remaining six tribes. Scattered roughly throughout the forests and valleys – with one exception dwelling in a cave – these tribes, while warring occasionally for supplies and territory, have a kinship and relationship void from their ties to their Northern brethren. Outsiders are more welcome here, and trade even more so. The average number for each tribe to South is roughly 300-600 persons:
  • Allfar - known for their sheep and livestock
  • Vilkas - brother tribe to Trilkas. Fishermen of the east
  • Trilkas - brother tribe to Vilkas. Fishermen of the south
  • Auður - known for their orchards
  • Jarnarys - known for their bows and slings
  • Grunnar - a cave-dwelling tribe known for mining

There is a unique ability inherent to Ɖeinians that cannot be shared or replicated by others. The Pales have naturally developed the ability to project: that is, the ability to share their voice within another’s mind. They cannot read another man’s mind, nor can they grant their subject to do the same to them. By projecting, the Ɖeinian’s words automatically translate to the target’s native language, thus crossing language barriers. Most Ɖeinians utilize this gift while hunting or eluding dangerous predators out in the wild. Those who take the time to hone this gift are capable of projecting their voice into multiple target’s minds at once.

THE IQINILE

Roughly translated from Xhosa as "the stalwart," the Iqinile are, as their name suggests, exceptionally suited for the hostile environment of Ɖein. The small clan of North Africans originally lived in West Nubia hundreds of years ago amongst the natives. A diaspora, they were never quite considered one with the peoples of Nubia, and soon growing resentment at their numbers and climbing strength sparked a genocidal campaign against them. While the Iqinile were indeed stronger, they were vastly outnumbered; the ensuing war ended in their bloody defeat, and the small remnant fled north, seeking refuge where no one else dared to reside. They quickly found respite with the tribes of Ɖein, who welcomed their strength and numbers against enemy tribes and dangerous fauna.

The Iqinile possess an extraordinary strength to their bodies. Their bodies are exceptionally durable, with the average iron blade unable to cut their granite-like skin. The Iqinile attribute this power to Qamata, alleging that He took pity upon their former weakness millenia ago and forged them with bodies like the weapons they so desperately desired. A quiet, dignified peoples, the Iqinile are scattered throughout the Southern tribes of Ɖein. Many often lend their services as mercenaries to smaller villages with no protection. The amount of Iqinile, however, has dwindled throughout the years.
 
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