Baldrhold

An Introduction...
Legend has it that a new nation - in a new world - was founded by a group of fearless explorers who braved the treacherous seas and harsh wilderness in search of a new home. Led by a chieftain of legend, these intrepid settlers carved out a new kingdom amidst the frozen wilderness, their strength and determination earning them the favor of the gods.

In the frost-kissed lands of the far north of Abexilas, nestled amidst towering mountains and icy fjords, lies the freshly fostered Nordic nation of Baldrhold. Named in honor of a deity of light and purity, Baldrhold is a realm steeped in rugged beauty and fierce warrior tradition. The people of Baldrhold are fiercely independent and proud, with a deep reverence for their Norse heritage and traditions. They are skilled craftsmen, renowned for their mastery of shipbuilding, blacksmithing, and seafaring. The rugged landscape of Baldrhold yields abundant natural resources, from precious metals and gemstones mined from the depths of the earth to timber harvested from ancient forests.

At the heart of Baldrhold stands its capital city, Asgardhiem, a majestic fortress perched atop a towering cliff overlooking the icy waters below. Here, the great hall, Valhalla, stands as a testament to the valor and heroism of Baldrhold's warriors, where feasts and celebrations echo throughout the halls in honor of the fallen. But Baldrhold is not without its challenges. The harsh climate and unforgiving terrain test the resilience of its people, while threats from rival clans and marauding invaders lurk on the horizon. Yet, the spirit of Baldrhold endures, forged in the fires of adversity and tempered by the wisdom of its ancestors.

A Brief Summary


The Baldari are a Nordic warrior people who are strictly independent and prefer living in coastal settlements in cool regions, where they live out a life of building, brewing, seafaring, and warfare. As a militaristic culture made up pre-dominantly on warriors, raiding and pillaging are to be expected - enacted via organized campaigns and explorations. Baldari society itself is structured via a military hierarchy, where the Marshall governs the lowers raanks and directs appointed officers. While violent in practice, relations are held with some nation of whom the Baldari come to respect. Warriors of the nation are also open to being hired as mercenaries should another nation require their assistance. However, it must be understood that the people of Baldrhold have immense pride in themselves and their heritage, and so will also see themselves as an independent folk, as so must be recognized as such by those who consider themselves friends to the Baldari. In battle, it is more convenient to fight alongside a Baldari Warrior than against one.

The Baldari also enjoy the smaller things in life, such as mineral riches and decorated homes, distinct armor and weapons, fishing, beer and other strong alcoholic beverages, and the mystic arts! Their faith centers around the power of symbols, fabled to have been discovered on shed scales of sea serpents and dragons left on shores and mountains - found, recorded, and interpreted by the shamanic order of the Baldari (More info in the religion) section).

So when coming upon a Baldari Warrior - should they not be in a berserker-frenzy - show of your trinkets, share a beer, and you'll have a good time!

The Legend of Gunnar Ironheart
In the rugged land of Baldrhold, where icy peaks pierce the sky and the roar of the ocean echoes through the fjords, there lived a renowned adventurer and dragon slayer known as Gunnar Ironheart. Born of noble blood but raised in the wilds of the north, Gunnar possessed a spirit as untamed as the wilderness itself. From a young age, Gunnar's thirst for adventure knew no bounds. He roamed the vast expanses of Baldrhold, honing his skills as a warrior, hunter, and tracker. Tales of his daring exploits spread far and wide, earning him a reputation as one of the greatest heroes the land had ever known. But it was his legendary feats of dragon slaying that truly cemented Gunnar's legacy. For in the dark caves and mist-shrouded mountains of Baldrhold, fearsome dragons lurked, their fiery breath and razor-sharp claws striking terror into the hearts of the people.

Determined to rid his homeland of this scourge, Gunnar embarked on a quest to hunt down and slay the dragons that threatened Baldrhold. Armed with his trusty sword forged from the heart of a fallen star and clad in armor as strong as the mountains themselves, he ventured into the depths of the wilderness, facing danger at every turn. One by one, Gunnar hunted down the dragons, each battle more harrowing than the last. He faced fierce blizzards, treacherous terrain, and the relentless fury of the dragons themselves. But with unmatched skill and unwavering determination, he emerged victorious time and time again. As news of Gunnar's triumphs spread throughout Baldrhold, the people hailed him as a hero, a champion of their land. They looked to him for protection and inspiration, knowing that as long as Gunnar Ironheart stood against the dragons, their homeland would remain safe.

But Gunnar's greatest challenge lay ahead, for a monstrous dragon known as Nidhogg, the scourge of the north, had emerged from its lair to wreak havoc upon Baldrhold. With scales as black as night and eyes that burned with malice, Nidhogg was a terror unlike any other. Undaunted by the odds, Gunnar set out to confront the beast, knowing that this would be his greatest battle yet. With courage in his heart and the spirits of his ancestors by his side, he faced Nidhogg in a titanic clash that shook the very foundations of the earth. For days and nights, Gunnar and Nidhogg battled, their fury echoing across the land. Fire and ice clashed in a symphony of destruction, but in the end, it was Gunnar who emerged victorious, his sword plunged deep into the heart of the dragon. As Nidhogg's lifeless form crumbled to the ground, Gunnar stood triumphant, his spirit unbroken, his legend forever enshrined in the annals of Baldrhold. And though he knew that other dangers would always threaten his homeland, Gunnar Ironheart would never falter in his duty to protect the land he loved. For he was a hero, a dragon slayer, and a legend of Baldrhold.

The Three Families Of Baldrhold (The Ironheart Dynastie)
The fame enjoyed by Gunnar was eventually determined not to be a fluke of genetics, and his siblings Adler Ironheart and Freya Rivera began to make names for themselves as well. Eventually the iron grip that the Ironheart family had on Baldrhold's rulership was divided amongst the three siblings.

Adlers & Rivera
Adler Ironheart's son, Carl Ironheart would found the Adler family, Freya the Rivera family. The same would be assumed for the most legendary, Gunnar. But through history the reasons for why Gunnar failed (or chose) not to conceive a family of his own is a mystery. It is for this reason the Adlers would souly dominate much of the mainstream political world of Baldrhold, fashioning their familie as "The Ironheart Dynastie" and the Riveras fell into obscurity and thought to have died out for a short time until Smith Rivera the Second came forth and revived the family yet in a smaller state.

Ulmbrecks
Or so they would, if it weren't for the Ulmbrecks. While still able to claim genetic relation to Gunnar Ironheart (the basis upon which all ambitious Baldari must found their careers), as their founder Agnes was wife to Gunnar's uncle, the Adlers and Rivera often roll their eyes at acknowledging the House's claim to be a part of the dynasty. Though, as the years advanced, this divide weakened.

Baldari Faith & Practice
The Baldari faith is not one tied to deities, but to supernatural concepts and creatures. Tied back to legends of dragon-slaying heritage, Baldari generally believe in the existence of dragons as a contemporarily rare concept. While tales of large numbers like in the fabled olden times would be met with skepticism, it is generally accepted that one may catch a rare sight of a solitary dragon amongst high mountain peaks. As the Baldari settled in their coastal environments and sailed more out to sea, common held belief shifted to sightings of strange creatures from the ocean depths, which Baldari sailors came to understand water-bound dragons, or sea-serpents. Other entities of the supernatural are debated, but could occasionally be found in Shamanic text.

Tomystics Religion
Belief in these creatures were further enforced by the collected of purported scales found on beaches and in the mountains, believed to have been shed by the before mentioned Dragons and Sea-serpents. Of the collected scales were designs that came to form certain symbols, referred to as "Tomes" and revered then by the folk of Baldrhold as signifying their supernatural origin and holding certain powers. An order was therefore established to discern and interpret these symbols, overtime developing into The Order of Tomes, following a religious practice that would be officially classified for the wider-world as "Tomystics" (Tome-yst-icks). The order itself is a loose organization of shamans determined to discover, practice, and record elements of the supernatural, headed by the Magnis and mostly made up of regular Dagr. Members are largely solitary in practice, but come together in gatherings called Samlings in order share information and establish direction of the Order. Even a head of a distant branch, called an Ottarr, may organize Samlings in their local are, or attend those organized by other Ottarrs or even the Magnis themself.

Shamans of The Order of Tomes attend every part of everyday living, interacting with the rest of society in order to mesh findings of their belief into the broader Baldari culture. For example, it is regular practice to use Tomes discerned from dragon scales in fortune telling, writing of special texts, blessings of good luck, prosperity, and victory. Tomes would be written to call for victory and fortune in battle, to be sold to households for protection and luck, used to describe key figures on their burials, and bless special constructions and monuments. It can be good fortune to possess the Tomes, but some Tomes can be used as castings of misfortune as well. In fact, findings of such Tomes require the paid work of Shamans to dispel in spirit and destroy, for the physical removal of a Tome is said to leave behind "bad spirit" if not dispelled correctly. Shamans of The Order of Tomes participate in the military and hold rank in the military hierarchy as well - using their utilization of the supernatural to assist in military campaigns.

You can identify a Tomic-Shaman by the book they carry, identifying canon-Tomes and recorded histories and testimonies to events - a scriptwriter element which is another thing shamans of The Order of Tomes do as part of their role in Baldrhold society.