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✦ Part 1 of ?? I. Adolescence 1749, Imperial Time A young girl, clad in lavish frocks and shining jewels, hopped and skipped down a street in Oren to greet her parents at the door. Food lined the table, servants bustled about. “We bought the whole street!” her father cackled, gently ruffling her hair. She really hadn’t paid attention to the folk she’d seen moving out of the manors beside them . . . poor folk. “Ai. There’s just one other family - they own the other half. They have a son, your age, you know . . . Lloyd.” Viktoriya blinked and warily shuffled upstairs, crossing her arms. She closed her eyes, and suddenly, when she opened them again, she was overseeing a livery meeting, with some odd Pertinaxi Prince monologuing to her too close. Lloyd was only a memory, now, except for when he showed up outside of her home with a crossbow in-hand. A jealous one, he was! She was sixteen, now. “Lady Viktoriya! You … and I. We’d make a powerful couple, don’t you think?” the man quipped, grinning down at her. He already had little gray hairs peeking from behind his ears, and the woman grimaced and shuffled away. Yet every time, he’d follow, speaking about this and that - until another man stooped down and waved her off into one of the Livery offices, the Lord Mayor. “I saw that man was bothering you! We can have him removed, if you’d like. We try to hold these meetings in . . . relative peace,” the man chortled. The girl bobbed her head, already reaching for her pouch of mina. “Oh. Uh, no . . . bribe needed. I don’t like him, anywho! Ha, ha. Name’s Philip Pruvia de Cantal.” An aggressive knock sounded at the door, that Prince's voice resounding from outside. “Lady! Lady! I need to speak with you.” She cast a nervous glance at Philip, and he cast one back, before opening the door. “What business have you with my wife?” It didn’t take much more than that to have the man sent off. Viktoriya snickered, poising a brow as she sipped from a teacup in the palace. A marble bust of Peter III stared down at them, ever stoic and mighty. “That was a bold move. He believed it!” “Ai. But, you know, if you’re looking . . .” He was silenced by her frown, but continued a moment later. “If you’d like, think of it as a political marriage. Elevation in society, protection. Any problem you have, it’s gone!” The girl uncomfortably shifted, her gaze pinned on the lukewarm tea in her cup. After a long while, she nodded. ”If … you can prove that, sure. There’s this guy - I . . .” “I don’t really know him,” she lied. “His name’s Lloyd. Just get him to stop bothering me, please - and I’ll believe you.” “Consider it done,” Philip hummed. Certainly, this single decision would impact her forever, for when she woke and exited her manor, the body of her once-lover, Lloyd, was splayed not far outside covered in dirt, grime, and blood. Even then, he still moved. It was a slow, and gruesome death, and not one passerby dared stop it. A familiar figure hunched over him, surrounded by other masked hooligans, who quickly dragged it off and dumped it in the horrifyingly disgusting canal. A few days later, she was getting married. It was a grand affair, and they were sent off with gifts galore and a new estate to themselves. She tried not to think about what she’d seen - that man had wanted her dead, anywho. It was just one life.

[Listen to this while reading!] “Born of cold and winter air, and mountain rain combining. This icy force both foul and fair, has a frozen heart worth mining!” ‘The Tsecsars’ Brutes of the North Authored by TreeSmoothie Co-Authored by Jcbeno [for making sure I didn’t forget about writing + great first drafts of certain areas!] Lair Lore The five following links display our main lore & what we practice - I (TreeSmoothie) & co. also intend on writing a more in-depth religion for what No2TypeB wrote on Skjoldier’s beliefs! “So cut through the heart, cold and clear! Strike for love and strike for fear!” Proposed Location The yellow circle is our most preferred, blue is second, and red is third. “See the beauty, sharp and sheer -- split the ice apart, and break the frozen heart!” Lair Build & Infrastructure: We hope to begin building once a piece of land is settled on (as the terrain in this part of the map is _very_ extreme and would be difficult to adjust to if we’d prebuilt), but here’s a general gist of how our build will look using examples of things I’ve built in the past. I’d like to reiterate, these are not pictures of the actual build (as it doesn’t exist yet). Just examples of what we’ll likely start out with. These are also very old builds! These 2 tents were built by Unwillingly! This is Aq’sarnitt, an Inuit/Viking-esque town I lead with a few friends on a separate server. Thrawcliffe will start out as a tiny ring of tents that we (hope) can be gradually added to with very tiny pastes / pastes in waves once a month or two if adequate RP is done to grow the lair like how Nomadic Lairs are allowed to move once a month. Personally, I and the other players dislike how settlements just suddenly pop up without RP (i.e., how nations arrived at Almaris with builds pre-made). So, we hope to change it up a twinge and promote better ‘survival’ RP by doing this! Alongside the ring of tents, we hope to expand downward to create a true ‘thieves’ pit’ - literally, an underground market, where much more rare artifacts and creations (like those of Infernal / Common alchemy) will be sold and services like infiltrations, assassinations, etc. could theoretically be offered. Though they're not going to be displayed outright (I've gotten a few alchemist-players angry in my messages for publicly offering services, haha), we still hope to make obtaining them a bit easier for players without connections to those groups. Much later, if we decide we finally want to build up to settlement, we’ll use these walls that I made below; though any other plans for expansion aren't very detailed, as our playerbase is fairly small at the moment. “Beautiful, powerful, dangerous, cold! Ice has a magick, can’t be controlled!” Why can you not accomplish the niche of this lair’s roleplay in an existing settlement or nation? The Holy Orenian Empire: Tsecsars have had multiple aggressions with the Empire, from insults to lesser skirmishes. With their Matron’s banishment from their borders, they’ve only become more hostile; generally, disliking any and all of Heartlander ilk. Alongside that, Orenian land is expensive, and has no land in the North that would suit Thrawcliffe. TLDR: `Rivals`, No land that suits Lair’s environment, Taxation, Canonism The Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska: Though some Tsecsars are fiercely loyal to the Hanseni state, their beliefs don’t quite align. Tsecsars aren’t Canonists, and also wouldn’t have the expenses to purchase land from the Royal family nor pay its upkeep of a few hundred coins each Saint’s week. Alongside this, they own very little tundra-land, and even less capable of being settled, leading the Tsecsars to look elsewhere in the cold domain of the Bride. TLDR: Taxation, Canonism, Limited land Elvenesse & Druidic Order: Though they share beliefs with the two parties in that the Mother’s earth ought to be respected, the differences in ideologies towards both natural practices and that of the void cleave a distinct barrier between possible lasting relations between the Tsecsars and those of the Druidic Order and Elvenesse. Along with this, they have no tundra-land that suits Thrawcliffe. TLDR: Void-practicing, Tropical Climate, Elven nation Krugmar, Sutica, & Talon’s Port: The tropical climate of the three states makes it an unsuitable place for the cold-hardened Tsecsar people. The tributes and taxes that are asked for as well would be a drain on the funds of the group and make roleplay difficult. TLDR: Only takes Tributary States/Taxation, Inactive, Tropical climate, Canonism / Shamanism Norland: Norland is somewhat inactive, and considered inhospitable because of their religion. Tsecsars hold no knowledge on what the Norlandic folk practice, but their impressions on them are incredibly poor - as the Red Faith worships the Father, and in Skjoldic culture, the Father could be almost compared to Canonism’s Devil. Lastly, Norland despises mages. TLDR: Inactive, Fatherism, Anti-Magick Urguan: Urguan is currently a bit overcrowded with vassals, giving less room to expand and makes Thrawcliffe less of an ‘inhospitable thieves’ den’ and more of one of the few dozen random lairs dotted around their land. They also do not possess land in the tundras, making it a no-go to settle within even if overcrowding, tax, and religious conflict weren’t pre-existing issues. TLDR: Overcrowded, Limited land, Taxation, Brathmordakist Haelun’or: The group does not consist of (open) High Elves, hence being under them will limit possibilities and likely lead to conflict. The Mali’thill are strict and uptight, as well as racial purists, meaning unpure human-presenting folk like the Tsecsars would be unable to request land from them. Along with this, the space their tiles boast is incredibly small and lacks tundraland. TLDR: Mali’thill supremacists, Limited land, Athiests “Stronger than one, stronger than ten, stronger than a hundred men!” What does this lair add to the greater world around them? The Tsecsars & their accompanying people diverge from other inuit/celtic/etc.-based cultures such as Haense and Norland, leading to a less refined setting from the eyes of the observer. I feel that LOTC lacks a true ‘merchant’-y center like last map's Sutica, a hub of crime & dangerous wares, and a little lair - far, far off, in the furthest reaches of the tundra, could definitely serve the aesthetics and the 'vibe' of one well. They work in acquiring all sorts of rarities in their town, in hope to branch out through its sources in order to create an underworld of black markets of which people can find suspicious goods and other items, potions being one of their main exports. With certain allegiances with other morally gray organisations, we hope to encourage non-road-bandit criminal RP; something I've never quite found to thrive before . . . Organized crime! We're incredibly excited and we hope that our little playerbase gets to thrive and do its thing if it gets accepted! “There’s beauty and there’s danger here, split the ice apart, beware the frozen heart.” https://discord.gg/77b4fx55fE

Main Lore A depiction of the Mother communing with a Seiðr [‘Shaman’] Art by Awanqi! Trials & Symbology Foreword This is an extension of the base culture lore the Tsecsar player base wrote, further defining trials & their culture’s symbology! This will include the three coming-of-age ceremonies, cultural tattoos, and ‘symbols’ of their faith. In the next Tsecsar DLC for $49.99, learn about their rankings & hierarchy! Eldars, Matrons, Eldar Initiates, etc. will be fully explained. I may or may not just be spitballing ideas. The Trials The Bride’s domain is harsh and unyielding, and to ensure a Tsecsar is capable of braving it, they’re put through three distinctive trials. A member of the family, or an ‘honorable’ member/bastard, once 15 sun-strides [years], may partake to unlock the path of an Eldar - a member of their family, and/or village, that aids their Matron/Patron in decision-making and governance. Art by Awanqi! “A test of control, be it of fear or anger. The Tsecsar will often be dangled over large drops, before bears, submerged just below nose-level in water, for a certain duration to gauge their trust in their kin and their ability to reason.” -- The Tsecsars | BRUTES OF THE NORTH Unlike the Father, a Tsecsar must be capable of controlling their emotions, and remain steadfast even on the steepest of inclines and deepest drops. A Tsecsar would be randomly selected by the Eldar or the Head overseeing their trial to test the hopeful initiate. Nights submerged in cold mudflats and hours dangling just above a deadly drop are but a few of many common tests - however, even though these are meant to be frightening, they’re certainly not meant to risk the death of the testee. After twelve hours of endurance: without complaint, nor request to concede, the Overseer will announce that the testee has succeeded in their first trial and allow them a night’s rest in preparation for the next. “Once having passed the first trial, they’ll then have to face ‘The Bride’s Wrath’. The Bride - after losing the Father to his woe, sought to destroy the Mother’s work through plaguing it in an eternal cold. The prospecting Tsecsar must face this wrath, and beat it, by enduring the tundra’s cold for half of a year on their lonesome. Should they return, they’ll then face the third trial.” -- The Tsecsars | BRUTES OF THE NORTH After their success in their first trial, the testee is then tasked to face what they’d been dangled over and submerged in head-on. With only the furs on their back and a meager few options between a spear, a shield, or a bundle of food, the initiate must venture out within untamed land and manage to thrive within the half-sunstride [half-year] they’re given. Once found after the timeframe, they’ll be gauged on how their shelter was built (or a lack thereof), their supply, and physical condition. An addition - after finding that this alone had been too simple a task, was to slay a beast and make a pelt of its fur. If maimed and starved by the time they’re found, they’re forced to repeat the Bride’s trial. This often weeds out weaker descendants - some are even found deceased within their encampments. Yet, for someone eager to ascend their society’s hierarchy, this is none more than a dip in the road. “The Mother was proud of her creations, regardless of their flaws and weaknesses. Despite her death, her gaze lingers on upon her children - upon those of the Citadel, especially. The third trial is a test of strength against a fellow Kinsmen, and he who manages to turn the other combatant on his back is deemed triumphant.” -- The Tsecsars | BRUTES OF THE NORTH At last, a final task. A last challenge, before a Tsecsar may begin their path toward becoming an Eldar. Donning their pelts and wielding an axe customarily gifted by their Trial Overseer, they’re to face another Tsecsar attempting to graduate and brawl until one is turned on their back. Magick & Alchemy is customarily outlawed in this last trial - the Tsecsar must depend on themselves, and themselves alone lest they want to be seen as weak. If there isn’t another testee available, someone who’s graduated the Trials most similar in age to the current testee is selected. One prevails, and one fails. Upon failure, they must wait until another initiate comes to brawl - and this cycles, for each individual that flunks the combat. Using magick, alchemy, or other ‘trickery’, means an immediate failure for that testee - and an immediate victory for their opponent. Ranking Symbology Tsecsars are marked by what occupation they take in life; often, those who’ve not undergone trials or do not participate in military decide on their own markings, but those who do seek traditional standards are rewarded with the following ‘tattoos’. [Note! This is my (TreeSmoothie’s) own art. Please do not use these markings on your character or take inspiration without my explicit permission. Thank you!] Named the ‘Matron’s Crown’ for its semblance to a royal circlet, and for its creator, Dame Viktoriya I ‘the Undauntable’. Upon their forehead is scrawled the symbol of Holy providence of the Mother, on their chin, the symbol of an Elk, and around their throat, their House’s motto: “Sic Semper Tyrannis”. Named the ‘Heir’s Horns’ for its semblance to stubby Oryx horns. Upon their chin is scrawled the symbol of an Elk, and around their throat, their House’s motto: “Sic Semper Tyrannis”. It only misses two features of the Matron’s marking - its crown, and the Mother’s sigil. Named the ‘Eldar’s Wreath’ for its to a Polar Grass circlet bestowed to an Eldar upon their ascension to the rank. The sigil on their forehead represents governance and community, while the four around it are meant to depict a crow’s feathers - those of the Mother’s. The loops beneath their eyes and atop their chin represent a Polar Grass weaving; strength and maturity. Named the ‘Acolyte’s Plumage’ for its semblance to the sprouting feathers of a chick. The four loops are meant to depict a crow’s feathers - those of the Mother’s, and the link upon their chin represents the beginning of an Eldar’s Polar Grass wreath, symbolizing their path onward to ascension. Symbology Sometimes in the Tsecsar’s script, Icescrawl, letters were too complex to scrawl out in a hurry. Thus, they developed single symbols for certain words that were commonly used, like Mother, Battle, Hunt, et Cetera. Along with this, a regurgitated blurb on Icescrawl, from The Tsecsars | BRUTES OF THE NORTH; ‘Ice-Scrawl’ was an archaic script developed by Adelheid I, and refurbished by Viktoriya I centuries later. They included complex runes in order to encrypt messages between villages - of assaults on the Fjarriagua North, to the locations of storages and stashes, though did still employ the use of ‘Common-Tongue’ grammar and spelling. Their numbers consisted of; And all other symbols, like question marks and dashes, consisting of only two; The first, denoting blunt wording, while the second denoted a question or an emotional phrase. It wasn’t exactly well developed, meaning something like the phrase ‘Interesting!’; Could’ve been misread as a sarcastic [‘Interesting?’] gesture. The lack of commas also made long sentences hard and odd-sounding, so many folk-writers often created their own sigils as a replacement for the lack thereof, dawning the creation of generalized symbols. Thanks for reading! Just a little addendum to Tsecsar culture; some friends advised me that some bits were a little vague, so I opted to spitball and put some more clarification out on some of the bigger aspects. Written by me [TreeSmoothie!]