_Elrith_

We gamble.

The Kingdom of Norland's borders are not properly documented here, at least in reference to roleplay. The Western region is essentially a Swiss Canton headed by the Principality of Wessrik, not beholden to much of the political machinations of the Kingdom itself. I don't know if you care to trouble yourself with Roleplay boundaries, but at minimum the OOC bounds are correct.

least controversial james2k take

TREATY OF NUREMBACH THE BLACK HILLS COLONIZATION Bound in Blood, Faith, and Flame in the Year 24 AOD | 5th of THOROMIRSANGR, IAÁ 535, AGE OF DRAGONSFYRE Between the Krol & Sejm-Rada of Wessrik and the Kingdom of Norland THE PRINCIPALITY OF WESSR AND HIGH KINGDOM OF NORLAND Who are hereby designated as the SIGNATORIES agree to a pact of complete non-aggression. No man of the KINGDOM OF NORLAND nor the PRINCIPALITY OF WESSR shall draw blades upon the other, nor shall the constituent vassals of either Kingdom or the armies of their respective Sovereigns come to meet each other in battle. As per ancient Narvaukiaan tradition, a Purifier shall be sent to the PRINCIPALITY OF WESSR to deliver a sword forged in the flames of the Hearthfire, & from a branch of the Ashwood Tree. Any breach of this term shall be resolved through the appropriate diplomatic channels of either State. ARTICLE I: RECOGNITION OF SOVEREIGNTY, COLONIZATION, STATE LOAN & PAYMENT The HIGH KINGDOM OF NORLAND will recognize the sovereignty of the PRINCIPALITY OF WESSR; that NO INFRINGEMENT of their sovereignty will be made past the outlined borders. The KINGDOM OF NORLAND will provide to the monetary funds not covered by the Wessr for the colonization of the Black Hills as well as a momentary standing force to repel the daemons that lurk there. In RETURN, the PRINCIPALITY OF WESSR will provide an annual tribute of furs, fish, and weaponry & that coin which is made from the sale of these until the DEBT is paid in FULL to the KINGDOM OF NORLAND. ARTICLE II: MARTIAL INTEGRATION & ALLIANCE The SIGNATORIES hereby engage in a full martial alliance in time of war. If war is ever waged against either signatory, the other shall muster arms to defend their mutual ally’s territories, claims, & titles. If war is ever waged against the enemies of either signatory, the other shall muster arms to wage war alongside their ally’s armies. Henceforth the SIGNATORIES will commit to a martial integration in said times of war, the Wessr providing adequate heavy Dragoon/light Huzar, livestock, gunpowder & cannonry; the Norlander providing daemonsteel, ferrum, and other raw resources. BUREAUCRACY ARTICLE III: SUMMONING OF THE PURIFIERS Hereby the SIGNATORIES establish the right for the Wessr to summon, at will, the Purifiers. In efforts to handle any potential threats of ‘Darkspawn’; by classification of the Red Faith. The Purifiers will act as auxiliaries to the Sovereign of the Wessr, taking direct order from the Sovereign itself & functioning as elite guards for the Sovereign. The Purifiers will act as per the laws of the Red Faith & will adhere to the honor of the Red-Lord. Furthermore, the KINGDOM OF NORLAND will extradite Maleficarum of the Wessr, returning said individuals ‘unspoiled’, to the best of their ability. ARTICLE IV: EXTRADITION Hereby the SIGNATORIES establish the right of both nations to request extradition of criminals to one another’s nation. To incur such, a letter must be sent to each respective government to call for the extradition of the criminals for trial. Once such is arranged, the respective lands shall prosecute as they see fit without intervention. ARTICLE V: TRADE Hereby the SIGNATORIES establish the right for those who consider themselves as merchants to trade & sell in the signatory states, provided it breaks no known law of the land. ARTICLE VI: DURATION Hereby the SIGNATORIES establish the duration of the treaty to be indefinite. Should leadership change on any side, the parties involved reserve the right to reevaluate this agreement as they see fit. Any changes to the terms of this agreement require the unanimous approval of all signatories. If one of them opts to depart the alliance at that time, it will be done without complexity. AND SO IT SHALL BE, BY THE WILL OF THE FATHER, High Regent of the House of Ruric, Regent of the Ashwood Throne, Master of the Order of the First Flame, High Keeper of the Red Faith & the Flame Imperishable, Ellenore av Eiriksdóttir

cease and desist fleeper

Narvaukiaan Bronze THE BLACK METAL OF MIR A Huskarl of an ancient Jarl of Mir, standing amidst a desolated field of battle, his armor dull & emblazoned in the dark patina of the Black Metal. NARVAUKRBRÚNN This alloy is known to the common tongue colloquially as ‘Narvaukiaan Bronze,’ accurately hailing its origins & composition but neglecting the specific detail that those of a much more ancient Highlander lineage may attribute to it. To the Highlander that keeps to the most ancient of rites, this bronze is further categorized as Rauðrbrúnn & Myrkrbrúnn, ‘Red Bronze’ & ‘Dark Bronze’ respectively. This distinction is essential, as the two forms of the Black Metal heavily influence its desired applications. Regardless of the linguistic nuance of Narvaukiaan Bronze, this metal is an alloy composed primarily of copper, having lesser quantities of gold & silver. It holds a weight only slightly heavier than steel but to a degree that is unnoticeable unless one opts to weigh it upon scales, & unlike the aforementioned, it holds a feeble constitution. As like other bronzes, it is normally brittle in comparison to the more commonly refined steels. Thus, Narvaukiaan Bronze is prone to snapping & chipping under adverse pressures, instead of warping or bending like low carbon steels or iron. Though, this detail neglects the two forms of the bronze, & only describes mutually shared characteristics. RAUÐRBRÚNN As Rauðrbrúnn, the unpatinated form of Narvaukiaan Bronze, it is a darkly hued reddish gold, bright & consistent in shade throughout its form. It catches the light quite pleasantly & gleams like fire, easily polished to a shine. In this way, it is capable of having a sharpened edge but is more prone to chipping & snapping when in excessive use. Most notably, due to the amount of gold & silver alloyed into the bronze, Rauðrbrúnn has effects similar to that of gold, but to a lesser degree akin to slayersteel. MYRKRBRÚNN As Myrkrbrúnn, the patinated form of Narvaukiaan Bronze, it is black hued purplish, similar in color to liver & may be further treated to become a much darker shade, more like pitch than anything in particular. It will not gleam like its previous form, but not necessarily be dull. It is still capable of being polished to softly shine under the light. However, it is not capable of having a sharpened edge whilst this way, & is, to a degree, somewhat more durable when subjected to adverse conditions. Further, unlike its previously mentioned form, Myrkrbrúnn does not have the effects gold might give it. REFINING METHOD Narvaukiaan Bronze is a metal that has gone by many names throughout various cultures. Thus, there are a variety of applicable techniques to create the famed alloy & of course, use it. So long as the ratio of metal is three parts copper, two parts silver, & one part gold, one may create ‘Narvaukiaan Bronze’ at their discretion. To apply the patina, one would need to use a chemical bath. This could be vinegar, copper salts, alum, or any variety of acidic liquids. It would take at least an IRP hour to apply a patina to an object the size of a shortsword. RED LINES Narvaukbrúnn, ‘Narvaukiaan Bronze,’ will never bend under pressure - it is a brittle alloy that is prone to snapping & chipping. This does not necessarily mean it has low durability, but how it breaks is specific to its nature. Rauðrbrúnn, ‘Red Bronze,’ has a durability comparable to that of slayersteel or iron in strength, somewhat weaker than other types of bronze and significantly weaker than steel. Rauðrbrúnn has the effects of aurum. Rauðrbrúnn will not cause a burning sensation upon contact with undead or other weak creatures to aurum unless cited otherwise. Rauðrbrúnn will inflict damage onto the undead and creatures weak to aurum like steel would do to descendants. For example, a sword of Red Bronze will do just as much damage to an undead as a steel sword does to a descendant. Myrkrbrúnn, ‘Dark Bronze,’ has a durability comparable to that of steel, placing it to be on par in relative strength & application. Myrkrbrúnn does not have the effects of aurum. Mykrbrúnn is Narvaukiaan Bronze that has formed a ‘patina,’ a layer of purposeful ‘corrosion’ on the surface of the metal. Thus, it impairs any potential. Purpose This is an intentionally light material submission with no strings attached; it is a widely known craft that is only exclusive in the sense that IRP, minerals like copper, silver & gold are all highly valued. Black Bronze is a real alloy more commonly known as Hepatizon (Greek Antiquity) & Shakudō (Classical Japan). Thus, such is already fully replicable on LotC. Still, for the material to have presence & support its aurum (gold) effects (harming undead), it is only appropriate for it to have a lore submission. I believe this piece works perfectly standalone & should not need further lore pieces attached to it. I wish for it to be simple & concise, working only as it is intended & nothing further. I have taken some creative liberties to enhance ‘Black Bronze’ beyond what real life describes, but nothing in any extreme.

You are one of the seven serpents of the end of days

Cool

Swfit really turned over a new leaf after villainy blacklists were implemented. +1

sold

The Rites of Funerary SCROLL OF HOLY RITES Issued by High Keeper Ellenore av Eiriksdóttir, on the 25th of SÓLSMANAÐR, IAÁ 528, AGE OF DRAGONSFYRE PREAMBLE The Narvaukiaan peoples have a long & storied history on the topic of burial or funerary customs, the traditions of such beginning centuries before the Descension of the Allfather. The tribes of Mir practiced various ceremonies & rites to commemorate the death of kinsmen slain in battle or those who had fallen into the eitrsleep. Though the oral sagas of our people only detailed such momentous occasions amongst the ennobled few, Jarls, Thegns, Hersirs, & Seiðrs, the Keepers have few records of what the serf may’ve partaken of to rest their dearly departed. Most notably, there is only a singular ‘text’ that the Keepers have quoted to be accurate & of historical significance - the death & burial of Ruric yr Mir, engraved unto the stone & carved in the runic script of our ancestors, erected highly atop a hill upon the isle of Avar. Regardless, this event exists notably contrarian to the popular customs of highborn Narvaukiaans of that Age. The most prominent practice of our forefathers upon Mir was the burial of the dead. Our ancestors believed death to be a ‘transitory’ affair, & that death itself was merely the passing from one world into the next. This tradition was further confounded by beliefs of material possessions & wealth being ‘possessable’ into the afterlife. Thus, the socially prominent, the ennobled man, had most often been buried within great crypts & barrows alongside their serfs, huskarls, & family. This served the dual purpose of offering leal warriors of a lordly man the chance of an honorable burial & continued service to his liege in life or death. Often, these dead warriors were buried with the intent for them to rise from entombment as draugr, spurred to undeath by the disturbance of their burial grounds. This would dissuade any would-be tomb raider from attempting to loot the graves of the honored dead. The practice continued long after the Descension of the Allfather; the elders of our people & the Keepers had yet to reach a consensus on funerary rites. This tradition continued & lasted up to the Age of the High-rock, where the High Keeper Arthas interred the dead beneath the fortress-city of the Krag, within an elaborate complex of crypts deep into the earth’s rock. The crypts of the Krag had begun to overflow with bodies of the many interred dead Ashguardsmen, Huskarls, & Thegns - the price paid for the Kingdom to endure the wrath of the Dvergr during the War of Grudges. And as the Keepers worked with great vigor to rest the many fallen warriors, not longer after would the first barrowwights soon emerge from the deep halls & sunken passages to possess the recently departed. Beneath the Krag rose legions of draugr, spurned from death by the whims of vile forces of darkness, much to the suffering of those living. The remaining Ashguard & the Purifiers began a mission to eradicate the darkness that had befallen their dead comrades - the Keepers; they had realized that this was a divine punishment set unto them from on high. By divine intervention, the Keepers had been given command that the dead must be burned, for only through fire might a man’s soul be freed from his vessel, & only through the Father’s mercy might salvation be had. By no coincidence, High Keeper Arthas Ruric would be the first to decree that those who died lives of valor or virtue were to be cremated. Thus, the first funerary rites were born from an age of strife, alongside many other rituals & ceremonies scribed to ensure that those who’d follow knew what was righteous, & not fallacy taught by oral traditions. It is by no surprise that Arthas would be the one to undertake these efforts, a Keeper more pious & righteous before any other. He recognized the importance of having consistent traditions for marriage, ones which were in accordance with the scripture & in recognition of our Narvaukiaan ancestry. With the suddenness of the barrowwights & the rise of proper ceremonies, funerals were conducted solely by the authority of the Keepers & the High Hearth - no longer would the dead ever be entombed, less they were of an evil profound & profane. AND SO IT SHALL BE, BY THE WILL OF THE FATHER, as High Regent of the House of Ruric, Regent of the Ashwood Throne, Master of the Order of the First Flame, High Keeper of the Red Faith & the Flame Imperishable, I, Ellenore av Eiriksdóttir, henceforth forbid the traditions of ‘burial’ & the entombment of the dead outside the will of the High Hearth. Any such barrows, tombs, or crypts containing the dead buried will be given the Father’s mercy. Only in cases that the most profound of evils unfold, might the dead be interred permanently in a rest cruel & terrible. Let it be known that the burial of the dead is an offense against the Faith & an offense against the Red Law. This is a crime whose victim is the very spirit, its dignity disregarded & essence corrupted by the parties involved. CONTENTS THE IMPORTANCE OF FUNERALS THE DUTIES OF THE CLERGY THE RITUAL THE IMPORTANCE OF FUNERALS Over many centuries of the Red Faith’s storied history, few things have been so closely held to be of significance than laying the dead to rest. To the Narvaukiaan, death is a beginning. To die is not for one’s story to come to closure but for a new saga to be written. Thus, long have funerals been of great importance to the living, as ensuring the departed pass peacefully into the next life is one of the greatest honors. Often though, it is mistaken that the funeral’s importance stems from whatever dogmatic ritual or ceremony is ascribed to it. This is a misguided belief deeply rooted within Canon traditions that the rite itself is of divine import & that there is a divine intercession in occurrence, or the indulgent displays of grandeur to be played out by skálds & minstrels & all the attendees lavishly decorated in their ostentatious wealth is to somehow aid the dead in passing. Death is one of the few great hardships that bears a weight both heavy on the mind & spirit. Through these times of doubt, the High Hearth deems it necessary to create means by which the faithful may come together. Thus, the funeral’s primary purpose within the Faith is to aid those yet still living with this burden. Be they friend, family, or lover, the death of a companion is a grief that only the most deranged of men may remain composed to. The funeral acts as a means of closure; for those gathered to come to terms with what has transpired. Though it has been stated redundantly that the High Hearth does not formally recognize any rite or ceremony for the Red Faith, there is a singular aspect of every funeral that must be adhered to. The dead are to be cremated till naught but ashes remain. This is to ensure that the dead may peacefully depart from their corporeal vessel & be received in the afterlife. THE DUTIES OF THE CLERGY The High Hearth has concluded that the Rite of Funerary is ritual of the Faith & that all Keepers of the Flame should be able to recite its proper with a high degree of certainty. Further, all Hearths should have the supplies necessary to deliver these funerary rites & appropriate materials to build a pyre. The Pyre, a wood construction assembled by those who have decided to stand vigil, alongside a Keeper. The size of such may indicate the status of the deceased, but enough wood & kindling is needed to burn any potential offerings & the body properly. The Vigil av Dawn, a vigil shall be held throughout the day before the ceremony & after its conclusion. Amongst the friends, family, or companions, one will be named by the Keeper, if able, to be the Vigilite. If there is no such person available, the honor rests upon the Keeper to stand vigil through the day & night. The Gjallarhorn, a horn carved from the greatest ram available, & banded with Narvaukiaan Bronze inlaid with all varieties of decoration: bone, gemstones, precious metals & more. It will be tended to often by the presiding Hearth to ensure it remains in fair condition. It will be used at the final conclusion of the funeral, when the Keeper has determined that the departed’s soul has left. The Votive Offerings, an offering from the local Hearth, companions, or family of the deceased shall be given to the pyre. Often, the arms & armor of the deceased shall be sent with them to the Father’s Halls. These may be any variety of sentimental gifts, tools, food, & traditional trinkets that might aid in the dead’s journey. THE RITUAL The witnesses gather before the pyre upon the setting of dusk. Any who stood vigil shall offer a final silent prayer before taking their places amongst the witnesses. The Vigilite shall stand before the Pyre, facing the gathering of mournful, & the ceremony will begin when the clerical attendant snuffs out the candle. “Gathered here, before [deceased], who comes to pay homage?” the Vigilite will call. The Vigilite will then allow anyone who wishes to step forward to speak or offer homage. Each doing so must announce themselves & be received by the Vigilite. “Who approaches?” the Vigilite shall speak. “I, [companion/kinsman], [relation] of [deceased].” the companion/kinsman replies. “Then come,” the Vigilite accepts. The Vigilite will allow all to pay homage & make offerings. When concluded, the Vigilite will approach the pyre & begin to speak the final offerings. There, the Vigilite will lay upon the deceased three votive offerings from the High Hearth. “To satiate you during your journey, might your thirst be quenched.” The Vigilite will pour a bottle of distilled Ashwood spirit upon the body. “To guard you when the darkness encroaches, let it taste the foe.” The Vigilite will lay upon the chest of the departed a sword of Narvaukiaan Bronze. “And when the dark steps forth & the shadows lengthen, may it ward away the cold of night.” The Vigilite will lay upon the entirety of the body a cloak made of ram’s wool & dyed with Rauðr. If the Vigilite was not a Keeper of the Red Faith, then they would step aside to allow one standing by to come forth. The Keeper of the Flame will then speak the final invocation & set ablaze the pyre. “I, [the Keeper’s name], Keeper of the Flame Imperishable, speak now, as it has been avowed before the Flame of the Alföðr. This dawning, [day] of [month], [year] IAÁ; [Age], proclaim that [deceased] shall join with He on High, the Dawnlord, and forever devote his soul to the Father’s Sacred Cause within Verðrhölla!” “For it was the Alföðr’s light which guided you along the darkened path, to the steps of Verðrhölla.” Those who originally stood vigil may continue to do so; the Vigilite will remain alongside the Keeper throughout the night. They will tend to the pyre to ensure it burns well & properly. When the fire has finally died down, the Keeper will blow the Gjallarhorn, announcing to all those within its call that the deceased has finally departed into the afterlife. AND SO IT SHALL BE, BY THE WILL OF THE FATHER, High Regent of the House of Ruric, Regent of the Ashwood Throne, Master of the Order of the First Flame, High Keeper of the Red Faith & the Flame Imperishable, Ellenore av Eiriksdóttir Scribed by, Brother-Purifier, Ægir Edvardsson Ruric

"Erm..." The High Keeper muttered. "There be no need." She spoke firmly. "Sigrun 'Dragonslayer' Ireheart is my Grand Champion."

omw to your house @SimplySeo you're next @Josh3738

"And the old ways had died, and the wheel awakened. And weak men had ruled, so the wheel awakened. Now, the old ways return, and the wheel turns. Strong men now fight, so the wheel turns." The High Keeper knelt before a shrine of flame. "Regret nothing you do, Konan-thegn."

The High Fleeper makes investments to purchase more Grub-Stock

The High Keeper rested an automail hand upon a black, crystal orb. She wondered what needed to be done to have such power.