North Kingdom of the Fruzti
Amid the central spine of the Thillonrian Peninsula, where snow-blasted cliffs meet steel-gray seas, the Kingdom of Fruztii, or Frost Barbarians, endure in defiance of the elements and their enemies. Though called a “kingdom,” the Fruztii govern through tribal bonds, martial hierarchy, and the authority of a High Jarl who commands the loyalty of lesser jarls. This fierce people values strength, cunning, and ancestral honor above all.
Though seen by some southerners as savage raiders, the Frost Barbarians are a people of proud lineage, unbreakable will, and gritty resolve. They are shaped by a land of storms and steel, bound by ancestral oath and myth. Weakened but not broken, they wait for the right moment to reclaim their lost strength—and to answer the call of Vatun, should he ever rise from his icy tomb.
Structure
- The High Jarl of the Fruztii rules from Kristrand and is chosen by a gathering of jarls in a tradition known as the Ice Moot, held whenever the previous ruler dies, abdicates, or loses the people’s favor.
- Jarldoms are fiercely independent but sworn to uphold the will of the High Jarl in matters of war, trade, and sacred law.
- The High Jarl must walk the line between inspiring loyalty and projecting dominance. Failure to do so invites civil war, which has occurred several times in the kingdom’s past.
Culture
- The Fruztii prize martial prowess above all virtues. Every child is trained in the spear, axe, and longbow from a young age, and every adult is expected to prove their worth in battle or raid.
- Unlike the more tradition-bound Cruski or the diplomatically savvy Schnai, the Frost Barbarians are blunt, direct, and unrelenting. Among them, weakness is shunned, and glory is seized by deed, not birthright.
- Despite their warlike nature, the Fruztii exhibit a rugged sense of community and loyalty to clan, with longships serving not just as weapons of war but symbols of kinship and pride.
Military
- The Fruztii possess the largest fleet of longships among the barbarian nations and regularly raid the coasts of:
- North Province
- Bone March
- Occasionally Ratik and the Solnor Compact
- Though weakened by past losses in the Bone March, the kingdom retains a fearsome martial culture, and many young warriors seek glory through conquest or valor in mercenary service abroad.
- Shieldmaidens and berserkers are prominent within the Fruztii ranks, lending the kingdom’s forces a blend of disciplined ferocity and wild unpredictability.
Religion
- The Fruztii worship a pantheon dominated by Vatun, god of winter and war, whom they believe will return to lead the barbarians in a final conquest of the southern lands.
- Llerg and Kord are also revered—spirits of primal strength and courage—while Norebo finds favor among sailors and raiders.
- Shamans, called Wyrd-Speakers, serve as spiritual guides and prophets, interpreting omens in frost patterns, ice cracks, and auroral skies.
Foreign Relations
- Cruski and Schnai: The Frost Barbarians maintain a tense alliance with their northern kin. Though culturally similar, the three nations bicker over honor, inheritance, and the right to lead the eventual return of Vatun.
- Ratik: An occasional adversary, but also a potential ally—especially against Iuz or the North Province.
- The Great Kingdom’s remnants: Bitter enemies. The Frost Barbarians despise the despotic easterners and often raid their holdings to liberate slaves or burn outposts.
Geography
- The Frost Barbarians dwell in central Thillonria, where glacial highlands, pine-covered valleys, and windswept fjords form a landscape as unforgiving as the culture it shaped.
- Their capital and largest port, Kristrand, lies nestled at the mouth of an ice-choked bay. The city thrives in the brief summers and serves as a rallying point for fleets and warbands.
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