Crowner

Historians have pondered where the Crowner culture arose from, due to the similarities between their culture and Theran culture. They worship similar gods, art shows clear relation between itself, and even the architecture shows some crossover. However, due to Crowners tendency towards myth and lack of recorded history, there is still no way of truly verifying this theory. Some speculate modern Crowners are descended from a lost colony of Therans from eons past. Others believe that the Therans came from the islands.   What is certain is that though similar at times, they are distinct now. Crowners are a quiet people; stoic in the face of outsiders but humble in the presence of the natural world. Sea-farers who raid close to home, yet also explorers capable of travelling far to sea.

Crowners believe in the strength of a community—that the group is greater than the individual—though the concept of national unity is still estranged to them. This is mostly due to efforts by both The Radiant Empire and The Second Kingdom of Thera to isolate them and use them as proxies. Regardless, villages and clans hold true to themselves and are generally wary of outsiders. That said, if an outsider is welcomed into the village, that person would be hard pressed to find a more loyal community anywhere in the world.   Additionally, nearly all Crowners hold deeply set beliefs in the natural world, paying homage to various nature gods including Hakkon Wintersbreath and Shanix. Druids, rangers and barbarians are very common among adventurers from the Crowns.

Crowners are considered somewhat primitive to continentals, though this is rather unjustifiable. They are more than capable of producing steel weapons, armours, and tools. Their medicinal practices, while more holistic, are very effective. Magically, they are just as capable as any on the continent, though they do prefer divine magic to arcane. Their strongest technological strength is their shipbuilding, producing fast moving longships which can sail both heavy storms and silently up river systems as well. They are accomplished navigators and reports of them travelling to far-off lands all around the continent and even beyond have been rumoured of.

Outsiders visiting Crowner villages frequently note that the people seem to speak very little and that when they do speak they do so in quiet hushed tones. In truth, Crowners are just as talkative as any other people— they are just extremely reserved around people not from their village. When amongst their own company, they are quite chatty and communicative. Indeed, it is rare to not hear laughing, children playing and music.   It is considered rude to be overly friendly or to use physical touch when with Crowners. They appreciate space and find comfort in being alone with others. It is always considered poor form to invite yourself into a space without being invited first, whether that be a campfire, longhouse, or village.

There are a variety of ways Crowners typically dress but the largest distinctions can be seen between the remote villages and the larger cities and travellers. In the remote settlements, dress is primitive in appearance but sophisticated in design; incorporating beads, bones and paints on leathers and furs. Their dress is often accentuated with feathers, facial paints and occasionally metallic accessories. In the few cities in which they dwell, Crowners wear more metal and leather, often looking as though they are always dressed for battle. Indeed, many inhabitants are Vikeengrier and are simply ashore for a rest. That said, thicker woollen tunics, dresses, and trouser pants are also very common.

Typically, Crowners create large semi-permanent longhouses in log-walled communities. These longhouses will house numerous families, with little privacy and are often filled with cooking fires, crafting areas and even sparing rings. However, in Undvik and Burford—the only two cities in the Crowns—stone walls and fortresses are often seen. The farther the major cities settlements are, the more communal and "primitive" these buildings become.   In art, Crowners use highly stylized and symbolic depictions of the natural world around them. Most conventional art shows animals but some more mystical themes are also explored. Another interesting aspect of Crowner art are ceremonial masks which are used during festivals and rites.

Gender is fairly stratified in Crowner culture. Women stay close to home and practice medicines, lore keeping, law-giving and act as spiritual guides. On the other hand, men are warriors, hunters, leaders and traders. The Crowners also have the concept, translated loosely from Crowner "One who chooses path,". If a female shows sincere interest and outstanding talent at fighting, she will be considered male, regardless of her biological sex. Likewise, if a male shows great skill in home-tending, they will be known as female.   The exception to this is when the topic of Vikeengrier comes up. When one is a viking, both men and women can participate and rise to positions of power. As a Vikeengrier, a woman can be both a warrior and a woman. For the rebellious young woman, becoming a Vikeengrier is typically the only path to finding relative independence.

The legendary Vikeengrier crew and ship the Hakkon's Fang are all Crowners. Though they held an allegiance with The Radiant Empire, they were known as being particularly vicious raiders.