The Narvauk Of Skrhaur

[Narthok 10416]

 

The Narvauk

By Narthok and jjac319

 

The Narvauk people are a people with a passionate love affair for honesty , hard work and mead. The Narvauk people arrived in Athera during the exodus of Thales, fleeing the freezing climes of their home they isolated themselves in the wastes of the northern clay belt. They constructed a vast fortress city Polaris, the North Star. The city stands as an edifice of hope and sanctuary to the Narvauk providing solace from the rest of the realm. Within its walls the Narvauk or north folk spend their time labouring in the fields, participating in the eternal construction of the Polar Shield. Committed to protecting their northern sanctuary at all costs the Narvauk created the Polar Wache. The Polar Wache were charged by the people to defending Polaris from any threats focusing on keeping the north clear of bandits and highway men.

Appearance

The Narvauk on average are a strong and hardy. They usually average around a height of 6’0”-6’5” and are extremely built physically. The Narvauk tend to have blue or hazel eyes along with extremely pale skin. Narvauk men and women usually have long braided hair that is usually a light colour such as blonde or light brown. Narvauk men also tend to have beards that if long enough are also braided too. Narvauk appreciate functional clothing preferring few bold colours with minimal decoration to vibrant arrays of flamboyant decoration. 

Culture

The Narvauk  culture is extremely dominated by the ideas of honour, goodwill, and equality. They take their religion known as “Relajiun” very seriously having numerous festivals and events in their calendar along with numerous symbols and writings all originating from the ideas of their faith. The Narvauk although very faithful enjoy their drink and pleasure seeing it as a gift from the creator.  The Narvauk people tend to focus on and have more respect for those who work hard and earn their keep with actions rather than fancy words. It is considered incredibly poor taste to brag or boast of accomplishments as truly great actions should speak for themselves. Most Narvauk typically have a sizeable beard by the age of twenty, this has resulted in Narvauks viewing beardless males as children and only acknowledging someone's maturity once they have acquired a respectable collection of facial hair.

 

Society

Narvauk society is traditional and hard working, the lives of the Narvauk are centered around the development of the Polar Shield and various related work projects. Building is seen as an art in Narvauk society as the construction of shelter and defenses are key in maintaining the security and sanctuary of Polaris. It is typical of males to be builders spending the majority of their time working on the Polar Shield. Women take on the role of farmers and gatherers. Whilst men spend most of their time collecting raw materials to put towards various construction projects women are left with the responsibility of providing food and clothes while the men build shelters and monuments. However in Narvauk society both men and woman are seen as equals seeing that their faith shows examples of both females and males combat, construction and farming roles performing highly in their chosen profession. Narvauk’s tend to be up with sunrise and do not rest until midnight working hard during the day and enjoying mead during the evening.

 

Religion

The Narvauk culture is heavily based on the  religion of the Narvauk people. They follow their religion known as “Relaijun” or. The Narvauk people believe in the creator and the creation of the world as described by the Wandering Wizard. However the ideas of the divine, Anguedameons, the holy light, the revelations and the Mercy of the Creator do not exist in the Narvauk Religion. The Narvauk people address the creator as the “All-Father” or in their language “Alfadr”. It is said that the All-father created the world and gave life to the four “Jrait’norvi`drv” or “Great Brothers” of the world. The Narvauk people worship individuals as Paragons of certain traits. Narvauk people who have done great things may earn the title of Paragon after their death and and be called upon in prayer as a sign of thanks. For example, the Paragon of hunting will be called upon before a hunt by the hunters in order to ensure a successful hunt. There are two types of paragons: Arch-Paragons known as “Jrait’norvi`drv” and Paragons known as “norvi`drv”.

The Arch-Paragons are the four brothers the All-Father created.  The following traits are related to the listed Arch-Paragon.

 

M’lyn (Malin)- Knowledge

Krug- Strength

Urguan-  Work (Labour)

Haren (Horen)- Honour

These 4 traits of Knowledge, Strength, labour and honour are major aspects of Narvauk Society. Every Narvauk believes that they must follow the traits of the Arch-Paragons in all their choices and actions. The Narvauk people however uphold the idea of Honour the most seeing that Horen was the original human and therefore the Narvauk people see him as a closely related Arch-Paragon.  An example of how serious honour is taken in Narvauk society is the possible punishment of breaking a promise or lying which is death.

Due to the Narvauk people believing in Malin, Krug and Urguan as Arch-Paragons as well. They see Elves, Orcs and Dwarves as complete equals to themselves. The Narvauk people believe their blood lines to be sacred just as much as theirs is and therefore have respect for those races.  Due to this ideology it is quite common for Narvauk’s to be very accepting and in fact seen angry or disgusted when discrimination occurs.

The Narvauk religion has a strong opinion on evil within the world. It is said in the creation story of the world that Iblees known by the Narvauk people as the “Oathbreaker”  was the fifth son of the All-father who betrayed his brethren and turned to evil. The Narvauk people believe evil comes from the corruption of the soul that is the “breath of the All-Father”.  Eventually with more and more evil acts (breaking Narvauk law, dishonour, etc.) the breath is slowly taken away by Iblees making the person lifeless and non-human.  The Narvauk believe that the presence of evil is everywhere and must be fought both physically and mentally. They believe it is their duty as followers of the All-Father to keep evil at bay within their world and their souls. It should also be known that magic is associated with evil in Narvauk culture due to it corrupting the body.

The Narvauk faith is usually told through the stories of the paragons that have been passed down through the generations by elders. These stories usually describe how the paragon got their title and give a lesson related to the trait they represent. Paragon’s are never worshipped as idols or statues as it is seen by the Narvauk people as “primitive” way of worship. Instead the Narvauk people will engrave names or symbols into their houses wooden walls, their swords and even sometimes themselves. These symbols are what are known as “smblrn” and usually consist of symmetrical designs and complex patterns usually made from regular shapes. The most common “smblrn” is that of the All-father’s. This symblrn is one larger circle with four other circles connected much like rings at the top,bottom, left and right. The larger circle represents the All-father and the four smaller rings represent the Arch-Paragons. Each Paragon has their own symbol however when engraving the symblrn it is quite common for the Narvauk doing it to make it very personalized and unique as their connection to the paragon would be seen.

The Narvauks worship the All-Father in two types of ways. The first way is through sacrifice. Sacrifice does not necessarily mean slaughtering livestock or enemies. In fact the Narvauk people believe that to be an inhumane way of sacrifice. Sacrifice to the Narvauk means working hard in the community, giving to charity, protecting the people. Anything where the Narvauk has to work and sacrifice their labour mentally or physically is worship. Depending on what field they sacrifice in, the paragon will be different who they are worshipping or giving thanks too. The second way is pleasure. The Narvauk people believe pleasure is one of the greatest gifts from the All-Father. The use of pleasure is believed  to demonstrate that the Narvauk people are enjoying the gift of life and world that the All-Father has given them. Usual ways of pleasure are Alcohol, tobacco, sex, and feasts.  It is said by many Narvauks however that in order for great pleasure there must be great sacrifice.

The Narvauk also have a set of laws that come from their religion as well. These laws are called “Jrait’ln`i” meaning “Great Law”.  It is said that Halvar`Arrnr (The Paragon of order and justice) was given the Jrait’ln`i by the All-Father himself after his journey to the uncharted north seeking fortune. The jrait’ln`i outline the rules and punishments that all Narvuak’s live by. If the crime is questionable or the punishment extremely serious (i.e death, exile), the Drakv`ni may hold a trial where the accused and accuser discuss the matter and the Drakv`ni makes the final decision. This rarely occurs but it is known as a “tr`yl” by the Norvauk people and is taken very seriously.

The after-life is an important part of Narvauk religion as well.  It is said that that if a Narvauk has kept faithful  to the All-father and worshipped the paragons accordingly they will join the All-father in “valhor”  where they will be seated at a never ending table eating and drinking with the All-Father, the paragons and their fallen brothers. It is said that the wine never runs dry in valhor nor does the feast. Narvauk’s believe honourable men and women who die are guided to valhor by a paragon they were closest to and from there are taken to feast forever. Those who do not live honourable lives or commit acts of crime against the Narvauk are said to be damned to the world. There sould will remain wandering forever,powerless and with no purpose.

 

Elders

The Narvauk culture is kept alive by the elders of the people. The wisdom accumulated by the elders is seen as precious and almost sacred by the Narvauk people, this results in an almost reverent treatment of elderly members of their society. Therefore Elders or “Yldr” in ancient Narvauk are very respected by  Narvauk society. Usually elders will visit the “Skrhar” or home settlement of the people and come to teach the new kin of the Narvauk faith, language and culture. However after this they will return to their humble abode in the uncharted norths of Athera where they will worship the Paragons of their faith through rituals and prayers only Elders will know how to perform.

 

Political Structure

Although elders have a important role in decision making of the Narvauk people, the “Drakv`ni” or in english “High Thane” is the ultimate leader of the Narvauk people. The Drakv`ni is responsible for representing the voice of the Narvauk and is usually chosen by the elder(s) of the culture. The Drakv`ni will reside with in the Narvauk settlement with his clan members and represent the Narvauk people in Athera. He/she will lead festivals, events, battles and almost everything that involves the Narvauk people. It is quite common that the Drakv`ni will venture to the uncharted norths to seek guidance from the elders who speak to the All-Father.

Under the Drakv`ni there are numerous leaders who are responsible for certain clans within the Narvauk  and are known as “Drakv” or “Thane” in english. The Drakv are usually current leaders of existing clans that make up the Narvauk culture. The Drakv are responsible for their own peoples well being and making sure they follow the Narvauk way of life. When summoned by the Drakv`ni due to an issue impacting the entire Narvauk people, the Drakv’s will journey to the Drakv`ni in “Skrhar”. From here the Drakv’s and Drakv`ni discuss the matter at hand and in the end make a decision as whole.

 

Clans and community

The Narvauk people are made up of numerous clans and groups that come together as a whole to create the Narvauk culture. These groups become “clans” or “((cool word for clan))”  and are usually associated with a trait all members of that group share. The leader of the group after joining the Narvauk people will then become a Drakv under the Drakv`ni.  Clans usually live together with their Drakv in the home settlement of the Narvauk people or their own settlement nearby to the Narvauk home settlement.  The names of groups and their people tend to change after assimilation in order to demonstrate loyalty to the Narvauk people. The original founding clan of the Narvauk culture are known as the “Arrnr” literally meaning original. Although the Arrnr were the first to follow the Narvauk way of life, they do not see themselves as superior or above other clans and instead see themselves as equals.

The community part of the Narvauk people is extremely important. The main community or settlement which the Narvauk people reside is titled “Skrhar” meaning “Home of Snow”. The “Skrhar” is the first and largest settlement of the Narvauk people in a new land.  The reason for this tradition is the “foundation” story which describes the Arnrr clan living in the north and discovering their homeland in Athera through the guidance of the All-Father.  To live in Skrhar or any settlement as a Narvauk is a privilege and a responsibility. Narvauk’s believe that contributing to society and following the Narvauk culture gives you the right to be part of that settlement and the perks that come with it. The Narvauk community functions as households taking care of themselves. There is no taxation nor collecting of resources. Instead Narvauk people work their land and have what they have made. Although this may seem selfish the Narvauk people do numerous acts of charity as it is a sign of worship in their religion. Narvauk people are known to take in strangers and nurse them.

Religious Writings.

The Foundation story

 

After the creation of the world by the All-Father and the birth of the Great Brothers, the Arrnr roamed the earth.They followed their hunt as it journeyed through the scorching deserts, the thick jungles and the vast plains. The Arrnr were  always moving, never able to rest nor enjoy the pleasure that the All-Father had given them use for.  After many months of hunting and moving the Arrnr grew tired. They had ventured to the far north all the way from the far south hunting elk. The winds were high and the snow thick as the Arrnr followed the fading tracks of the elk they were seeking. The Drakv`ni, Eadik was struggling to keep his family happy. They were hungry, thirsty and now freezing in the tundra. Eadik however had faith that the All-Father would grant them a feast in the near future.

He told the Arrnr to keep pushing forward, and they did. The winds grew stronger, the snow became higher and the air cold as ice. The tracks that Eadik and his people followed were gone, as if the elk had been wiped from the face of the earth. Eadik was broken, he could not believe that the All-Father would let this happen to his people. So, in defeat Eadik told the Arrnr to make camp for the night

 

 

in  the harsh north.  Eadik sat by the fire, looking up to the night sky as the snow fell from it covering his fur  parka made from bear skin. Even though he was starving and his people dying, Eadik still had faith in the All-Father, and said his thanks by the fire as he did every night. As Eadik mumbled his prayer he dozed off by the fire, his death almost certain in the freezing night of the north. However, he awoke the next morning.

The winds now calm and the sky a clear blue, Eadik awoke from his slumber looking around in awe. A herd of elk stood right in front of him, grazing on what seemed to be an oasis in the tundra. The elk grazed on forest green grass and drank from a hot spring that seemed to have risen from the depths of the ice. Eadik walked over slowly without disturbing the elk and drank from the warm waters of the spring. His reflection showed his skin a very pale colour, his hair blonde as a ray of sun and his eyes just as blue as the water he drank. He had changed, the cold no longer bothered his skin and instead made him feel more alive and gave him strength. His people slowly awoke and discovered the same. As Eadik and the Arrnr drank from the water, Horen himself could be seen in its reflection.

“You were tested by the All-Father, and he is proud Eadik. This land of ice and snow is now yours to thrive from. Go forth and enjoy the feast of elk. For this place is now “skrhar” and forever will be your true home.”

Horen then disappeared as the sun glistened over the spring. The elk were harvested by the Arrnr and they feasted. No more would the Narvauk people be restless and hungry. Now they would live in the cold and prosper.

Halvar and the Stones:

It was a fine morning in Skrhar as Halvar awoke from his hut in the small settlement of Arrnr. The winds were calm and the snow fell softly on the ground. Halvar was a young Narvauk, he had lived around 19 winters. Halvar was a thrill seeker, he enjoyed exploring the creations that the All-Father had made. So after skinning and preserving the elk he caught for his family he grabbed his pack and parka and ventured to the far north. He wanted to be known as the most daring Narvauk, the Narvauk that travelled the farthest north facing the harshest winds. Now, Halvar always gave his thanks to the All-Father, but he never really gave much thought to his existence or the ideas of good and bad. He simply did what he thought was good and did not do what he thought was bad.  Many of the Arrnr thought like this, fights would break out and sometimes even chaos when the Drakv`ni was not able to intervene.

After packing his bag he sheathed his bow on his back and  ventured north into the snow covered mountains. Halvar enjoyed breathing in the fresh air, being away from the sometimes chaotic Arrnr. He inspected the wilderness with great awe yet eventually a storm brewed in the near distance. The winds were becoming stronger and the snow fell harder on Halvar, yet he remained venturing farther north. He climbed the mountains to attempt to escape the grasp of the storm yet as he ventured higher the storm grew stronger. The clouds now almost pitch black and the lightning striking all around him. So Halvar ran into a cave in the mountain side where he would make shelter. He built a fire and sat by it cooking some rabbit he had caught earlier.

The wind was howling making it almost impossible to rest. The thunder roaring and the lightning crackling. Halvar wished to be home with his mother and father. He wished to be with the Arrnr even though they could be chaotic at times. As these thoughts worked through his mind lightning struck at the entrance of the cavern. It socked the ground and split the rock. in its path It was heading straight for Halvar but the energy confronted the fire in front of him and began to swirl and merge with stone, fire and lightning. Then a bright light was seen. As Havlar opened his eyes two black pieces of stone laid in front of him. The stones were smooth and etched in them were words from the All-Father. So Halvar gathered his things and returned to Skrhar with the stones. He showed them to the Drakv`ni and read them out to the people. These stones were the law straight from the All-Father himself and were titled  “jrait’ln`i”, the great laws. From this point on the Narvauk maintained ordered and never returned to chaos.

List of Paragons

Jrait’norvi`drv” (Arch-Paragons)

 

M’lyn (Malin)- The Arch-Paragon of knowledge. His symbol is an oval with a line through its center vertically. M’lyn was given knowledge by the All-Father represents its power.

 

 

Kruj- The Arch-Paragon of strength. His symbol is a triangle upside down. Krug was given strength by the All-Father and represents its use both physically and mentally.

 

 

Urjuan- The Arch-Paragon or labour. His symbol is a rhombus with two lines running through it vertically parallel. Urguan demonstrated hard work in the depths of the earth and reminds the Narvauk of the great honour that comes through labour.

 

 

Haren (Horen)- The Arch-Paragon of Honour. His symbol is a circle with a line running through it vertically and another running through it horizontally splitting it into 4 equal halves. Haren represents honour, the most important trait of the Narvauk.

 

Norvi`drv (Paragons)

Eadik`Arrnr- The Paragon of faith. His symbol is a circle with a square overlapping it. Eadik showed his faith through the story of foundation and has been a reminder of his trait to the Narvauk People.

Halvar`Arrnr- The Paragon of order and justice. His symbol is a square with a triangle overlapping it. Havlar brought the jrait’ln`i to the Narvauk people which brought order to society.

Iver`Arrnr- The Paragon of agriculture. His symbol is a rectangle with a line through it vertically.

Gyda’Arrnr- The Paragon of war. Her symbol is a cricle with 3 lines running through it horizontally.

Eerika’Arrnr- The Paragon of love. Her symbol is a diamond with a square encasing it.

 

 

[_pr0fit 3084]

(( its not like there is a limit on cultures, i think the interaction between cultures would not lessen rp, in fact i can't really think how it would lessen rp at all.... if the other cultures rp with them, it would generate either no rp (as would having the same culture as the other person) or would result in some neat cultural differences rp. and i happen to know that narthok is intending this to be his cities culture, a city of about 30 or so people that has at least 2 people joining it everyday for the past week due to hardcore promoting that shows no sign of stopping. all in all, this culture is mainly for the (HUGE, like freaking really huge, rivaling the size of petrus huge.) city that narthok lives in and the surrounding cities, but is also for all that would choose to adopt it. ))

[Narthok 10416]

(( its not like there is a limit on cultures, i think the interaction between cultures would not lessen rp, in fact i can't really think how it would lessen rp at all.... if the other cultures rp with them, it would generate either no rp (as would having the same culture as the other person) or would result in some neat cultural differences rp. and i happen to know that narthok is intending this to be his cities culture, a city of about 30 or so people that has at least 2 people joining it everyday for the past week due to hardcore promoting that shows no sign of stopping. all in all, this culture is mainly for the (HUGE, like freaking really huge, rivaling the size of petrus huge.) city that narthok lives in and the surrounding cities, but is also for all that would choose to adopt it. ))

 

I just wanna rp the culture because it combines all the rp concepts I like with some cool twists. There are like three other culture groups in the city so I have no intention of forcing the entire city to join the culture.

[Dreek 1633]

Moved to the Great Library. It shall be sorted into appropriate category shortly.