Jump to content

Deórhyrst/Deórhyrstas Culture


YankeeJack
 Share

Recommended Posts

Deórhyrst/Deórhyrstas Culture

 

aNZW1zPTSkc3C8_oR8JTMjzPaZu2qIYoFD8m5xlHVHPvb0H-YPiscMCKs1CaO4L2eZWdSqp2gVAlMuabPtCs3tkEoRLTgx-yju7jQYDRj1k8x3go2GnxfcZfp0qb1ZdunaERfjO6

 

TLDR

 

The culture/religion is composed mostly of warriors, farmers, and merchants. All of whom are religious zealots with various cults being the most fervent in their faith to the gods. They lived in isolation until clan wars forced most into migrations toward current nations. The people are human supremacists with the most common demographics being Highlanders and Heartlanders. Farfolk members often only have a place among the faithful as converts, usually forced. The Deórhyrstas hate the other races due to religious values viewing them as the children of cowards or weaklings.

 

History

 

The Deórhyrstas are a foreign and hardy folk. In the far northern lands among the fjords they lived and fought amongst each other. There has never been a prominent kingdom before the Second Age when clan wars came to a head causing great migrations of weaker clans and exiles to the major continents including Almaris.

 

General Values

 

The average Deórhyrst are a deeply religious people. Zealotry is what keeps this religion alive in the hearts of its believers. No room for compromise is the common mindset for most believers when dealing with those outsiders who they call the Dwolla. All true men and women of the Deórhyrst abide by a short but strict code of honor with severe punishments guaranteed for breaking it. These virtues are called the Ambhetness and are taught to all boys and girls taught the Dómbóc.

 

A people bred for war must show discipline to survive and and with clans often fighting for dominance an unspoken rule was adopted. All offensive wars or raids must end by the time of the first snows. The warbands always return to their hearths by the first day of winter with most choosing to return even earlier to reap the harvest of the fields. This practice has allowed for seasonal warfare and prevented their population from being turned into nothing but piles of dead on the battlefield.

 

The Deórhyrstas are an extremely proud people who are proud to be human and see their fellow man as the pinnacle of creation. They are balance and the chosen of the creator, Bahri, and of his child Wyrd. It is the mission of this the Deórhyrstas to save mankind from other faiths by conversion or death. This view of supremacy leads many to look down on the other races for various reasons. Elves are seen as cowards and frail not fit to fight alongside the gods. Dwarves are greedy who should stay bellow the earth as to not offend the eyes of mankind. Orcs are often given respect for their proficiency in a fight, but their savage ways and failure to live up to the same codes makes them still impure.

 

Gendered Values

 

In most clans a Deórhyrst boy learns to wield a sword by age nine, and to fight in a pike wall by fifteen. He is taught from the moment he can understand language the importance of the Ambehtness, the code for men. There is great attention put on men and warriors to die by the sword with honor. A wound in the back is a disgrace, and it is seen as dying a cowardly death because you were not facing your opponent or were unable to recognize your true opponents. This train of thought leaves many kings in disgrace and is an easy way for clans to take over another, for oddly enough there is no dishonor in using or being an assassin.

 

The Ambehtness

 

Valor

Save the foeman by blade and blood

Fidelity

Stray not from love

Family

Like any nation a family needs a leader

Brotherhood

Confide in a shield brother and no other

Cunning

Listen long and speak short and last

Death

Meet the sword with a braced chest

Faith

Trust in Wyrd for she wills all


 

The girls are often taught to use a shield by age twelve, so that they may learn to defend the homes of their future husbands whilst he is away in the Summer seeking fame and riches with the warbands. Particularly combat gifted girls are taught to fight like the boys, and in rare cases permitted to fight with the warbands. As said though this is rare for most clans, and it often requires the clan leader’s direct permission. Female lead clans may be an exception to this rule, but they too are rare with only a few being ever known to exist.

 

The Dómbóc

 

Fidelity

After marriage no longer can eyes wander

Family

No family can exist missing a nurturer

Hospitality

The fires of a home must be welcoming and defended

Cunning

Sleight-of-hand will deliver gentle hands success

Faith

Trust in Wyrd she wills all

 

Marriage

 

For common folk marriage is a one made of choice and freedom. The ceremony is not long but the celebration can last months depending on the individual's wealth. The ceremony itself is rather simple. The man gives his bride a shield to represent her position as the defender of their hearth while he is away. The bride in return gives her husband a sword as a mark of his responsibility to seek glory so that their children might learn to do the same. All of this happens before the highest ranking members of the clans involved along with the High King if one has risen to power. Now these happy and beautiful marriages of choice are only for the common folk. Clan leaders often hoard their sons and daughters as gifts to offer other clans to make peace or forge new alliances. It is not an unusual story to hear of spouses killing each other out of hatred and clan rivalries beginning anew.

 

Day to Day and Clothing

 

On the surface the Deórhyrstas are like many other people. They gather in town centers and trade markets to talk and share news. They dress for the weather of their settlement or where they are traveling to. Folks tend to their crafts be it trading, farming or or some form of a craft. All have a role to play in their society and the folk work hard to fill that role. 

Men often dawn tunics dyed with the clan colors and embroidered collars, and on their legs they where solid colored kilt or pants. The wealthier men may choose to replace tunics with a brigandine so that they may walk around proudly as fighters. A leather circlet or a fur hat are other accessories to the male ensemble. All men are expected to grow beards to show their masculinity. It is not uncommon for men who can’t grow facial hair to be disrespected or even forced to follow the Dómbóc instead. 

Women wear vibrant dresses with their hair grown out long. Jewelry is the mark of a rich woman, and a feather circlet is worn to show the ladies availability. A white feather shows she is available for marriage, while a black feather says she is married. This practice has made courting much more streamlined, and also helps to protect both men and women.

 

Architecture

 

The primary building material is wood. The only exceptions being the homes of certain cults, like a Cult of Tyw chapter houses, and any walls a clan may have put up being made of stone. The roofs of common folk are often thatched roofs to help keep home insulated. Great Halls are the home of clan leaders and kings. They are long houses with elaborate entrances often with intricate carvings displaying great battles. Inside there is room for a fire pit and seating for the clan. Animals statues take the place of banners as the most common way to show what household owns the land. Practices like this are what makes it more difficult to crush the fighting spirit of a clan. A more difficult task it is to remove a statue than a banner and claim that place as your own.

 

View of the Creator, Bahri, and the Gods

 

(Quick note here, all these gods will seem familiar to those who read the lore. That's because they are them just renamed by the Deórhyrst. Same characters different name and interpretations.)

 

The Creator

 

Bahri

 

They believe in the creator like many other faiths however they just don’t see him as anything more than the first. Their reverence of him is passive. They only offer small little trinkets as offerings to him as more of a respect rather than a true form of worship. Instead they worship the Primordial Gods Donnar, Vili, Wyrd, and a host of the Wælcyrge and Mares. It is these gods that have sway over their lives while Bahri, their name for the creator, is dead and gone. No more can he offer them blessing. Unlike Bahri the living gods still have sway over mortal fates.

 

Primordial Gods

 

Wyrd

 

Wyrd is the pale skinned Goddess believed to deliver death to mortals on the day Wyrd has deemed. If she offers you an honorable death in battle you are raised to join the Einherjar. There the Deórhyrst dead are to fight with her brother Donnar at the breaches of Irminsul against the Eotan. It is she who inherited the whole of creation and breathed life into mortals. It is for this reason that she alone decides the day they are returned to her.

 

 

Eqqpbo0WJlOtathflnD5hAUlKo03ErBa3jmWRRAAz44X3ZK9i5JqHLrN9KShGagm9lPu5-hlHOBi3u98QM7NGH6C9bm5tqUzZJbICsd58nb8WU-Du1OvINkfSaU0ucvjxoBMFfCq

 

Donnar

 

Donnar is the mighty one who fights back the void where it breaks through Irminsul, the Great Oak that protects creation from the chaos of the Void. It is through his effort creation is safeguarded making him a well loved deity among the Deórhyrstas. No cult has shown to worship him, but is possible all Deórhyrst men who seek a good death are worshippers of him.

 

nPLpxS5D1uch3GUtyhwsP4h5DiFrWZP1c-QqfHXKnxJRDBsoe9IZIDqmu9OqTe1pzsDzAsh7hIBnhfJmwawis_q-HS43Cn-lb9pttM452xXL7LQEBc7omRoItxKhI7nGakRhRT0O

(Artwork from Games Workshop: Warhammer Fantasy)

 

Villi

 

Villi is the most loved god for her gentle nature. She is the sweet and kind sister of Donnar and Wyrd. She was the one who helped their father Bahri in his creations and stokes the fires of Muspelheim at the start of each morning giving light to all creation until she goes to bed again, and only the light from embers of Muspelheim shimmer off Wyrd's pale skin. She smiles down at creation watching with such delight.

 

k2vuXOOuUCiQxUnE4U8yoxA2lQvtGzvhtl94-wVaqr-94zilz7SkyDZE03WpUSPgXv06HC-tAqQQnMZJcG2PfjdTSI4U0ipPp0jmbW2CRXHR1i03yQUtWvfUXPcnWAUYpFwoM6lz

 

The Wælcyrge and Mares

 

Frouwa

 

Frouwa is a collector and shepherd of the dead who present themselves to her. It is with these mortal dead that she wages a war on her rival Surtr as a way to comfort them, for a Deórhyrst there is no greater comfort than a battlefield, except maybe a mug of ale. Ever on they wage war in the heavens with one another after Surtr’s attempt to conquer the mortal realm. As for the dead who do not wish to join her she escorts to them to Wyrd who then may send the souls to Donnar.

 

Tyw

 

Tyw is a zealous crusader who seeks to purify the mortal realm of all corruptions. His view on the subject of said corruption is not a forgiving one. He and his followers seek to exterminate the faithless, the craven, the undead, and worshippers of Surtr. He calls for the removal of the the unnatural, the unneeded, and the unsafe. Tyw appears as a radiant Silver Stag in stories, and it is for this reason his followers often bear a stag as a symbol of their mission.

 

Hveðrungr

 

Hveðrungr is reclusive and rarely deals with mortals. His nature to hide his motives inspired the Deórhyrstas to do the same. They do not often openly lie, but this does not mean they won’t hide the truth with silence or listen through a cracked door. It is this that they owe to the sequestered Wælcyrge.

 

Vindlér

 

Vindlér is another defender of mortals like Tyw, but he does not demand the faith of his followers in prayer, offerings or zealotry. Instead he demands they lead their lives according to his rules of order and vigilance. Many take head of his model and choose to act as missionaries for the faith.

 

Fænir

 

Fænir is another reclusive god mostly due to his shame of being tricked by Surtr, but his pursuit of knowledge has inspired the Deórhyrstas to follow and seek knowledge in its rawest forms. He is hailed as a god of the scholarly pursuits. Very little is known about him, but the one thing known for sure is that it is he who made the dragons and also the one who locked them away.

 

Surtr

 

Worship of this Mare is strictly forbidden. Worshippers are hunted with extreme prejudice and the promise of a slow death. No mercy is awarded to the craven that worship the deity that sought destruction and enslavement of the mortal races. He is the pinnacle of evil and his followers and presence are treated as such.

 

An Overview of the Cults of the Gods

 

For most Deórhyrst their faith plays a prominent role in their life, but even the average man who is zealot by most other standards doesn't compare to any of the cults who give themselves over to the divine to completely embody the will of a god of their choice. The cults are fervent defenders of the faith. Others who have ascribed to anything other than the Deórhyrstas should not speak their faith. A regular Deórhyrst is hard enough to convert. A cultist will likely attack on the spot without warning or feign understanding to plot against you.

 

Cult of Wyrd

 

The Deórhyrstas revere one main deity above all others, Wyrd. In their eyes it is she who inherited all of creation from the creator, Bahri. She is the god of death, poetry, and lords. Despite being the chief god she commands the smallest host of monks who devote themselves to her teachings. The Cult of Wyrd, also known as Wyrd’s Ravens, are known to offer willing or unwilling human sacrifices to her to provide the blood that flows in the river Gjøll. The sacrifices happen every twelve years at the beginning of Spring. The sacrifice is hung from a tree and stuck like a pig. They are then left hanging to bleed into a special trough that represents the river of blood. The cult is secretive and an ominous entity among the clans. Members can be spotted clad in black cloaks with silver chains around their waist. Common folk are wise to avoid eye contact with the Ravens. No lord or king of the Deórhyrstas has sway over these shamans of death, and crossing them is seen as crossing Wyrd the Grim herself. Thankfully Wyrd’s Ravens often keep to themselves tending to the Deórhyrstas corpses for mummification in the sacred burial mounds. Only those approached by members of the cult are allowed to join and learn the mummification arts of the Grim Ravens.

 

2SOShggKWOsmY5VnVyOcgYKWEvFxCmrG3CvO7BymhKZx2BP_3DKSHT3_c4D3Dlu1F0kXIbrFeQasG31uo8uk2BYfR0fMdra3ns5Mrle2LJTHSHllbsr2qUtkon699UdJ51nXr9Wq

(Art by Hasbro: Magic the Gathering: Cryptolith Rite Card)

 

Cult of Vili

 

The Cult of Vili leads a sizable cult of exclusively women. It is under Vili’s teachings do women learn to be the most desirable wives, and nurturing mothers. These women train as seamstresses, cooks, and are taught the value of feminine traits. They are soft spoken around men and attentive hosts to any guests to their hearth. Make no mistake though any who threaten their home will learn the phrase, “Hell hath no fury like a woman’s scorn.” Like many Deórhyrst women they know how to use a shield and will not hesitate to clobber a rude guest over the head from behind with it. These women are also fierce defenders of their husbands honor. To speak ill of her husband is to speak ill of her and her children, so a sharp tongued lecture is all any back-biter can hope to get away with. The Cult of Vili are the pinnacle of the average Deórhyrst man’s ideal woman. These women are the silent enforcers and the most pure according to the Dómbóc. Headed by a High Mother it is she who decides who are pure.

 

Cult of Frouwa

 

The Cult of Frouwa are a well sought after cult due to their practices. These female warriors seek service in life to Frouwa in hopes of reaping the Goddess’s boon. Upon death in battle they believe they may be offered a place amongst her guard the Disir. With Frouwa being the goddess of honor, fertility, and motherhood they look to sire a son or daughter whom they may raise to become a great hero or another member of the cult depending on the sex of the child. The Cult of Frouwa often seek out powerful human kings, or well known fighters to seduce. After they are pregnant they will return to their temple without even a word to the father. If the father was not of the faith he is wise to stay away if he hopes to have any kids ever again. There they will bear their child, and it will be raised by the cult with the members acting as it’s many mothers. This practice earned them the name of Frouwa’s Daughters. When in their temple they wear white gowns and flowers woven together into bracelets and circlets, but anywhere else they are clad head to toe in leather armour and furs with flashy, well maintained spears. Any woman who knows how to fight may apply to train with these elegant and deadly female warriors.

 

 

1tAAQAKKifDsVsuZ8GnIUEtekAtdwGFpBcx8nE-Y_D4he-hF_isyoIRPd6PwbhDE0mjMYCBCX71XANypaFpoc-0ObOdH4nTefwt-wQTcQTwqOeNViDYvoXnwoIZfJtL_M6l3iJ6T

(Art by Dustplat)

 

Cult of Tyw

 

The Cult of Tyw is one of the most prominent and respected cults in daily life, and like the Cult of Wyrd is feared for its zealous members. Tyw is the god of justice, balance, and purity. He is by far the most zealous of the Wælcyrge. His followers share this trait with him, and as such are as likely to flog anyone they deem dishonorable in the street as they are to breathe. They wear heavy plate armour and wield massive two handed war-axes at all times when patrolling the streets. These monks are the local law enforcement for many of the larger clans, but their loyalty is to the Grand Judge of their chapter. Clan kings or queens often appoint a Grand Judge to the position of Marshal to gain their loyalty and have a reliable garrison to enforce their will. Traditionally only the most devout who prove themselves just and honorable to the chapters Grand Judge may join. Different chapters exist and infighting has happened on rare occasions. The feuds are often over differences in interpretation on how to dole out punishments for the craven. Despite this you can rest assured none are pushing for leniency just various methods of pain and death. And it is woe to the man that dares betray his oath to Tyw for he will find no comfort and spend the rest of his days looking over his shoulder. This cult views it as their duty to keep all Deórhyrstas on the path and to punish those who dare leave the faith.

 

kaYEef85ce5u33NhnKhF9oLTaxE_cZe4L_1IvwfH4jCVI-ueLMuvjwgVeJmWgQbK5LQjhWaTQBpZNOuj9E7SISlYP7cQS43nqCet-Oq6CXxQkFke3-snTxBZdF6V0wU-H63roM3j

(Deer Knight by SM Chun)


 

Cult of Vindlér

 

The Cult of Vindlér are close allies to the Cult of Tyw due to the close relation ship between the two gods. They often build their temples close to the chapter houses. Both cults seek to guide and uphold the codes and teachings of the gods. These two devout groups of worshippers are easily considered two sides of the same coin. Unlike their violent ally, the Cult of Vindlér are uncharacteristically peaceful for any Deórhyrst. They long brown robes that drag across the ground with the common brigandine over the top, and travel to foreign controlled lands. It is during these journeys that they seek new converts to Deórhyrst. They often do this by staying with the local population and growing close with them. The monks eat and drink with the Dwolla all while discussing their differences and highlighting the nature of the Deórhyrst. When they feel like a convert is possible the potential new Deórhyrstas are invited back to the respective temples under the cults protection. It is here the Monks of Vindlér really get to work. They treat and pamper their guests to show the hospitality of Deórhyrst culture. The guests are even treated kindly by other members of the clan and other cults out of respect for the noble work of Vindlér’s followers. As a matter of fact disrespecting these cults warrants the rather of the Cult of Tyw. After the visit is complete the monks escort the guests back to their homes ensuring their safety, but also ending the protection until the next invitation is made. Members are the most devout Deórhyrstas and are declared worthy by the Grand Monk of the temple.

 

Cult of Fænir

 

The final clan and easily one of the most respected is the Cult of Fænir. Fænir is the god of wisdom, history, and stewardship. His followers are the teachers, advisors, and scholars of the Deórhyrstas. While all men of the Deórhyrst are expected to grow beards, the Cult of Fænir, or the Unknowers, grow beards so long they drag on the ground to represent the vast well of knowledge they possess. If they are women they will grow their hair to touch the ground instead. No matter the sex of the the Unknower they all wear decorative bone headdresses. Stone temples are built to act as lecture halls, libraries, and homes to the members. All Deórhyrst, even members of other cults, often seek the monks in these stone temples when in need of advice or knowledge. Typically any can join this cult, but it often requires years of study before they can be accepted by the members. One must be fluent and knowledgeable of the stories of the gods, and also must be quick with their words. The Unknowers may seem friendly at first to any outsider, but they too still have a grim side. They often put on a smile for the unfaithful and trick them into coming to their hearths. Ultimately this often leads to being kidnapped and used as a test subject or interrogated for any scrap of knowledge the unfaithful has. All of this done at the order of the leader who is often simply called The Elder. The Elder is as the name implies always the oldest member of the local scholars. 










 

(No artwork shown here is owned by me. If known the artist was given credit under the image.)

Link to post
Share on other sites

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    No registered users viewing this page.



×
×
  • Create New...