General Information
At a Glance
Sask is not an actual kingdom but a patchwork of nobles who often squabble with each other, but will also unite against outsiders. Sask lies to the north of the Kingdom of Brydd and, often, acts as a buffer state between the kingdom and the nation of Helheim. Sask’s demands for performing this task are usually very steep.
Name
- Sask
- Other Names: The Black Mountains
Official Language(s)
Saski: Language is loosely based on the Kartvelian Georgian language and includes its own writing system.
Secondary: Comyn (Common Tongue or Traders Tongue)
Other: A few minority tongues from neighboring states but in general foreigners are despised.
Geography & Geology
Size & Location
Land Area: TBD
Location: Sask is located in an extremely mountainous region of north-central Cailleach. The mountains effectively divide the region into two areas, Northern Sask and Southern Sask.
Northern Sask
The only habitable area of Northern Sask is along the sea coast. Scattered along the rugged and rocky coast are a few fishing villages and one deep water port.
Southern Sask
This region lays just north of the Kingdom of Brydd and to the east of Claen Gael. They have one river port that is a moderately free city for trade goods. Foreigners venturing outside the port's boundaries take their lives into their own hands.
Borders
- West: Claen Gael
- North: The Sea of Storms
- East: Falcor
- South: Kingdom of Brydd, sliver of Dravos.
Climate
Highlands are generally cool with sometimes harsh winters. The valleys and sparse lowlands have short summers but can support growing seasons. There are high alpine valleys that will support a short summer grazing season for livestock. However, like all of Aereth, the climate varies with the Turns and the waxing and waning of the Ley (Gwydion’s rings).
Northern Sask consists of a narrow coastal plain and very rough and rugged shoreline. The storms that come in from the Sea of Storms are frequent and severe. The year-round climate tends to be cooler with thick snowfall during the winter months and often glaciated during the Long Winters (when Gwydion's Rings grow dark).
Terrain
The majority of Sask consists of very tall and rugged mountain chains. It is a harsh land suitable only for the hardiest people. There are lowland and highland valleys, the northern coastal plain, and numerous fast-flowing glacier-fed rivers and large streams.
Geology
Although Sask’s mountains are an extension of the volcanic mountain chains that make up Claen Gael, its mountains are much older and there is little to no volcanic activity. Here and there are valleys created when old volcanic craters collapsed and one can still stumble across hot pools and springs in them. Earthquakes do occur, but extremely large ones are rare.
Avalanches, rockslides, and landslides are common in the higher mountain ranges. There is also the threat of steadily advancing glaciers in higher mountains to the west that border Claen Gael.
Population & Culture
Race
Saski
Species
Homo Sacratus (Sacred Humans): 95%
The Saski are primarily made up of Murians (Aereth's indigenous human species). They are extremely xenophobic, so there has been little to no influence from the other races. As indigenous humans, Sask can mate with and produce viable offspring with Aereth's other hominid species (Sídhe and Drakeri) as well as Travelers (Homo Sapiens, Earth humans). Will they? That's another question entirely!
Note: The Northern Saski are slightly less xenophobic since they live primarily along the northern coast.
Population Numbers: 500K
Population Distribution
The majority of Sask's population lives in the mountain valleys with smaller pockets of people dwelling in the higher mountain regions. There are also a few small villages or hamlets that focus on fishing along some of the rivers, including the mighty Coldwater Rush.
The Northern Saski population live along the northern coastal plain and the rugged coast itself. They make the majority of their living from fishing, whaling, and trade with Helheim. There is actually less trade between Northern and Southern Sask due to the mountains that divide them. While there are a few treacherous passes via gorges carved out by rushing rivers, the trade is rarely worth the risk.
Physical Description
Like all human races, the Saski vary somewhat and run the gamut of builds, body types, height, and weight. Due to their rugged environment, they tend to be robust and strongly muscled. Their fair skin tends to tan easily in the summer and most have smooth complexions. Saski tend to have high cheekbones and refined features with large, well-shaped and wide-set eyes.
Eye colors range from near black through darker shades of brown. Blue eyes are not uncommon. However, odd colored eyes such as hazel, green, or gray are very rare. Saski tend toward thick, somewhat straight hair with a smooth texture. Common colors range from near black through very dark brunette. Lighter shades of brown are uncommon and blonde is very rare. It is thought that those born with blonde hair probably have Vanir somewhere in their ancestry.
Lifespan: 80 - 100 years
All Murians, (Humans, Homo Sacratus, Sacred Humans, indigenous humans) have the genetics and the protection of Aereth’s magical fields that allow for longer lifespans. Although the Saski are a strong and healthy race, they live in a harsh and demanding climate. Additionally, most do not trust healers and would not take advantage of their services if any were actually available. Aereth's physicians are relatively advanced in their medical knowledge but Sask is very insular. Few trained physicians live within Sask's borders and even fewer Saski will travel outside their own borders for training.
General Personality Traits
The people of Sask tend to be hard workers. However, they are very insular and distrust outsiders. This tendency toward xenophobia and abhorrence of magic make them rather hard to get along with...unless you are bringing cool trade goods. Generally speaking, like Earth’s humans, Saski tend to run the range of personality traits.
Religion
Church of Seros
The Sask follow a very strict interpretation of the Church of Ceros. They do not follow or obey edicts from the Archbishop of Elysia. Sask broke with the orthodox Church of Ceros when it aided Talorc Arilan in defeating the other four Houses and forming the Kingdom of Brydd (approximately 250) years previously. They changed the spelling of Ceros to Seros to distinguish themselves from the heretics in Brydd.
Magic
The Sask decry magic as witchery and heresy. It is simply not tolerated. Any person found practicing arcane arts will be arrested, put to the question, and executed - usually by fire. The Sídhe and Drakeri tend to be very careful not to trespass onto Sask lands.
Wealth
Varies by State: If all of Sask's wealth was pooled into a centralized government, it would probably be considered very wealthy for a rather small geographic region. However, the majority of Sask's wealth lies with the nobility. The peasantry do manage a decent living off the land and there is a burgeoning merchant class. It is about the only time that the Saski welcome strangers - when they have something cool to trade.
Stability
Medium: Overall stability comes and goes based on how things stand amongst the nobility, their alliances, and who is getting the drop on whom. The Saski tend to be very warlike so peace never breaks out for long.
Things to Know
Danger to Outsiders
High!: Unless you are a merchant or trader with cool things, you are in danger. On a good day, the Saski are suspicious of outsiders. On a bad day, they will kill you on sight.
Naming Conventions
Preferably, use Norman, Medieval French or German names. Avoid extremely fantastical names such as those used by the Drakeri and Sidhe.
Form of Government
Patchwork of feudal states ruled by a vigorous and warlike nobility. Basically, anarchy to the eyes of an outsider though alliances make things more complex than that.
Current Ruler: None
Last Saski king was overthrown, and his family wiped out almost a century earlier.
Capital: None Designated
Since no state or noble has been designated - or declared themself - king, there is no current capital city.
Hierarchy and Structure
The various nobles exercise personal control over government, finance, and diplomacy. Some towns have their own charters and non-noble governments, but few would challenge the nobility in most matters.
Major Laws
Regulations and statutes are very complex as they vary depending on noble, community, tradition. There are some traditions common to the Saski though. Punishments for violations of major laws almost always involve the death penalty often in brutal fashion. Torture is an accepted form of gaining confessions of guilt. Giving one’s word is as binding as a written contract.
Freedom and Oppression
Varies: The nobility enjoys total freedom from oppression unless they lose a conflict with a neighboring state. As far as the remainder of society, the amount of freedom is dependent on their state's ruling class. Some are fairly benevolent, some are very dictatorial.
Military
Saski armies are built around a strong core of nobles and their retainers forming the cavalry, then the commoners might be called out for major confrontations to serve as infantry - mostly armed with spears and crossbows. There are a lot of castles up in the mountains, hard to attack and even difficult to besiege given the difficult terrain. These are almost always defended to the death. In Saski history, whole communities have been known to commit suicide if starving and at the end of their endurance rather than submit to capture by their besiegers.
The Saski are excellent soldiers, tough fighters but lack both the unity and numbers to have ever become a major power. They have long been inveterate raiders of their neighbors.