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The Kingdom of Valkar and the volmour

Appearance:

The Volmour are large orc-like people with white hair and skin which ranges from grayish on the western side of the landmass and in the mountains to grayish-beige in the lowlands. There once was a race of volmour who had green skin and lived in the western islands, but they were wiped out by the conquering Valkarans. Volmour are about 6-7ft tall, very muscular, have broad sloping foreheads, pointed ears, and short tusks. They also have silver scales on their forearms, backs,calves, and cheeks. Their eyes can be gold, red, or green colored, red being the most common and green being the most rare.

History

The were once many clans scattered across the northern landmass. Centuries of constant feuding and warfare kept the clans from ever having any chance of unifying. However, the last several decades have seen the rise of several small kingdoms strong arming control over small areas of the map. Approximately a century ago, when the Almyer clan was driven into the Krarlok mountains (now called Valkar Mountains) by its enemy clans, they discovered a new method of fighting that would change their clan forever. This clan, led by their lord, Brona of Almyer, captured several young dragon whelps and were the first to tame and master them. They moved down to the other side of the mountain, away from most of the other clans, and began to build their empire. There was once a race of green skinned volmour on that side of the mountain, but they were wiped out by the early Valkarans. Valkar is named after Brona of Almyer’s (now known as Brona Fyretongue) dragon: Valkarian. After conquering the few clans that existed on that side of the mountain they were able to live in relative safety and build up a strong and unified kingdom. The people of Valkar is a militaristic nation whose specialty is warfare, weaponry, and dragon riding.

Government

Valkar is a meritocracy that elects its succeeding lord after the previous one has died. When the former lord, whose title is the “Lord High Dragon of Valkar”, they hold a competition across the kingdom. Every volmour who is a noble, general, or higher for at least a decade is eligible to enter the competition. This competition includes deuling, marksmanship, dragon racing, dragon fighting, and chess playing (highest number of points awarded in this section). Whoever has the most points at the end of the competition is crowned as the new lord. If there is a tie, the two draw lots to decide. The rest of the government positions are held by a council of generals of the different military branches and then below them are the noble’s council. The nobles rule over the individual regions within the kingdom, chose who will represent them in the noble’s council, and are chosen in the same fashion as the lord, but any citizen born in the region is eligible. The noble’s council makes the laws for the country, the lord accepts or vetoes them, and the generals enforce them.

The capital is the fort city of Garnhol, located high in the mountains, it is an impregnable fortress which, in addition to being a bustling mining city, also houses the military academy, lord’s castle, and council’s headquarters and housing of the general populous of the city.

Culture

Their economy is mostly in mining, weapon forging, and dragons. They are excellent weapon and metalsmiths. They breed dragons and livestock, mostly large wooly horse-like beasts called yurkas, and farm animals. Their dragon come in four types, brownish red Fyre dragons what breathe fire, blackish gold Maudsfyre dragons that breathe lightning, silvery white Ice dragons that breathe ice, and greenish black Crolsclaw dragons with no special breath weapon.

They value strength, honor, and freedom above all else. They believe that all beings should strive to be the best and the strongest they can be, if they can't be strong enough, they ought to die. Taking away another's ability or right to be strong is a mortal sin. They abhor slavery and imprisonment; most punishments for crimes are simply beatings and physical punishment, they don't take slaves, and prisoners are only taken under certain circumstances. They are very militaristic and value warfare, conquest, and law. They love freedom, but also love conquest, this may seem like a contradiction, but it works out pretty well. When Valkarans conquer a people, they incorporate the people who did not resist and their territory into Valkaran Society; building roads, wells, walls, and allowing them to elect their own nobles and law enforcement, as long as they follow the laws of the land and enough of their young adults enlist in the military. The volmour love of freedom makes them a generally happy people as well.

They are very militaristic and love warfare and conquest; considering military service to be one of the most honorable professions. They have a very strict and complex moral code, and deviance from the moral code is considered extremely dishonorable. Most who have committed serious dishonorable acts or have greatly dishonored their families generally become depressed and suicidal. Honor suicides and honor killings are unfortunately not a rare occurrence.

All Valkaran children who are going to go into military service, go into the Air Force service (30% of the population, 70% total are active or reserve members of the military) are given dragon whelps when they reach the age of ten and are expected to raise and train them. Valkaran dragon riders have a very special connection to their mounts and the two usually become extremely close. Honorable leave from service is always given to riders whose mounts have died, as it is considered to be like losing half of one's soul. The dragons also have a close bond with their riders, usually becoming extremely violent when their rider has died (manifesting as a sort of suicidal charge during wartime) and then becoming very protective of the rider’s family and offspring.

Religion

They have a polytheistic religion and are perfectly fine with adding foreign deities into their pantheon if that deity’s domain isn't already taken. Their chief god is Maud, the dragon god of the sky, birth, and electricity. Next is Crol, the god of hunting, order, and protection. Banan is the antlered goddess of warfare and savagery. Dolf is the long tusked god of mining and economics. Saska is the whale goddess of the sea, water, wisdom, and agriculture. Hols is the gender-neutral deity of law, the stars, and the moon. Marnanon is the veiled goddess of death, the afterlife, chaos, and ice.

Volmour don't bury their dead, but instead feed it to dragons, to protect their souls from Marnanon by giving them to Maud and Crol. Each deity is given sacrifices when they are being prayed to; typically of money, food, or small animals depending on the preferences of the deity. Offerings are burned in large fire pits in temples and their symbols adorn most Volmours. The symbols are the following: lightning bolt for Maud, sword for Crol, Stag for Banan, mountain for Dolf, wave for Saska, skull for Marnanon, interlocking circles for Hols.

All Volmour, both Valkaran, Gallish, Manëish, and Rulossi, believe that Hell is the Goddess of Death and Ice, Marnenon. While out stalking the icey tundras and forests, riding blizzards in search of mortals to devour, she collects whatever souls she can find and devours them too. In Valkaran myth good souls are protected and put in the god of hunting's (Crol's) satchel and brought to the sun god, Maud, who protects them under his golden wings and trains them for the end days. When the end comes, all the dead souls will rise up and do epic battle and Maud's forces will defeat Marnenon and conquer death itself, then everyone will ride Maud's wings up into the heavens. They believe Maud is the head of the pantheon because he is the strongest and most important (he is a giant golden dragon and sun deity that provides warmth and light to the world, after all).The Rulossi don't believe this part of the tale, but believe that all souls, regardless of whether they were good or not, will be devoured or destroyed by Marnenon when they die. Any that aren't caught by Marnenon, or are able to hide in this world, are snatched up and incinerated by the dragon-tyrant Maud. The Rulossi believe that Marnenon is the head of the pantheon because she is the goddess of death and nothing can surpass death, not even the other gods. They believe that in the end times the goddess and all the souls she collected will do battle against Maud, Marnenon will slay him, and the world will end in darkness because the sun itself will be dead and Marnenon will devour everyone to sate her post-battle hunger. Manës believe Crol is the most important deity because he is the Lord of the land and he protects souls from both Maud and Marnenon by hiding them in his satchel so that they won't be caught up in the final battle between the two at the end times. When the end comes they believe he will collect all the souls of the world and leave while the other two destroy this world. Gals believe what Manës believe, but also say that he will shoot both Marnenon and Maud with his fatal arrows and end the world, because he's a grumpy old bastard and got sick of their fighting. Valkarans and Manës believe the gods are generally good, while Gals and Rulossi believe the gods are generally evil.

The Hells in Valkaran myth are the different parts of Marnenon herself. Where one's soul goes depends on how good or bad they were in life and one cannot move from one place unless they become worse people and go further down, or are strong enough to go higher up (strength is a virtue and strong people are seen as good in volmouran culture). It is also believed that those who commit the sin of cannibalism turn into wendigo-like demons. The hells are listed here from least to worst:

- Marnenon's Feet: Those who were good people, either get rescued by Crol and Maud (except in Rulossi myth), or just get crushed and destroyed under Marnenon's feet, free from the afterlife altogether.

- Marnenon's Lungs: Those who weren't good or bad just sit in the extremely windy caverns of her lungs for eternity. It's the least terrible place one can end up, because it's just *really* windy forever.

- Marnenon's Veins: The next level is where people drown in rapidly moving rivers of boiling blood for all eternity through Marnenon's body. It's for people who were kind of bad.

- Marnenon's Toes and Nails: Those who were traitors or back-stabbers get stuck between her toes or impaled on her nails and must watch her stomp and claw through good souls and eventually Maud, for eternity.

- Marnenon's Stomach: Here is where people are digested in a lake of acid for all eternity. They are completely dissolved, then regenerated, only to be dissolved again for eternity. It is for people who were worse than those in her blood.

- Marnenon's Guts: People here are forced to wander her endless, stinking, pitch black intestines for eternity. They are like an elaborate cave system that only leads to either the acid lake, or the bowels of hell. Demons, killers, and homicidal madmen prowl the caverns to butcher people and rivers of acid from Marnenon's stomach occasionally flood these caverns, but souls never leave. People of course are regenerated soon after, only to be murdered again and again. It's a lawless place for all the psychopaths and murderers as well as other really terrible people. It is also a common curse among the volmour.

- Marnenon's Rectum and Bladder: This, one of the lowest levels, is were people rot in a lake of boiling feces and urine forever. Occasionally more waste and bad souls pour down on you, but otherwise you just rot and regenerate to rot again forever. There is no way out, you can't climb up and gods don't defecate. It's for really shitty people.

- Marnenon's Teeth: This is both the lowest and highest hell in the volmouran afterlife. It is physically the highest, and the ultimate fate of the strongest, who manage to climb up and out of the lower hells (because the goddess of death is just that cruel). It's is primarily the place for the absolute worst people in history, though. For all eternity, the goddess herself chews up the best and worst souls she can find, never letting them be swallowed and suffer lesser fates, or escape her mouth. Marnenon is always depicted with huge, jagged teeth and blood pouring down her mouth from her best and worst victims. Myths say this blood, the concentrated blood of the most righteous and most wicked, can either utterly destroy a being, or turn them into mighty heros, but it's a gamble as to which you might get if you are foolish enough to try to get it.

Technology

Their technology is a bit behind that of the eastern continent, but thanks to the increased unification into kingdoms across the land, they are quickly catching up. They still use shock troops armed with armor, swords, and shields, but have replaced their crossbows and battering rams with guns and cannons. They also prefer very large caliber guns, since much of their wildlife and they themselves are very big They are working (now they have it) on building bazooka-like weapons and Gatling guns, but haven't succeeded yet. Dragon riders use large guns and drop bombs on their enemies. Valkar has become much more advanced than the still feudal eastern side of the mountains and have plans to conquer all of the volmouran kingdoms.

There are some anachronisms with their technology, it is generally pre-industrial revolution, however they have things such as big guns, barbed wire, and batteries. Things such as batteries, refrigeration, and other things are due to their dragons. Studying dragon anatomy and being able to use parts from deceased dragons helped them invent technologies such as these. They have also been working on more steam technology, such as steam engines, and also have been working on utilizing the geothermal vents in their southern mountains for geothermal power plants.

Attire

Generally well tailored, fitted, layered clothing with fur sewn into or onto the clothes. Currently plate armor on the thigh is a trending fad in the Valkaran cities.

Holidays

They celebrate many holidays throughout the year, the planting season celebration, the summer solstice celebration, the harvest celebration, and the winter solstice celebration among others. One notable winter holiday is Kraushusda,

Kraushusda, or Day of Kraushus is a gift-giving holiday. On this holiday, a giant named Kraushus who goes around the world three times over the course of three days on his sleigh pulled by four flying Dyrhef and delivers presents to all the children by sprinkling gifts like shining dust off the edge of his sleigh. However, under his sleigh live a pack of sheaden basically 9 imps, that fly down and attack the naughty children and steal away their presents. -how it's celebrated- over the three days after New Years everyone gives each other little gifts wrapped in shiny paper. They leave ale and carrots on their front lawns for Kraushus (so he lands on the lawn instead of the roof, he's a giant so he'd crash right through) and little kids string cloves of garlic and holly around the front doors of their house to ward off the imps.

Wildlife

Dragons

The Valkaran dragons are large, flying, reptilian creatures with both scales and feathers. They never stop growing and can live to up to 150 years. They can fly by age 3, can use their breath weapon by age 5, and they shed their skin every 10 years. A group of wild dragons is called a rage and are usually in groups of 12, mostly offspring (called whelps, juveniles are also called drakes). A group of domesticated dragons is called a storm and comes in a group of 10 adults.

The Valkarans use their dragons in a variety of ways. Alive: transport, warfare, execution, disposal of the dead, and as pets and companions. They also use the dragon’s hide as leather and armor, which, depending on the breed, can be fire or electricity resistant. It is also a great insulator. Dragon teeth, claws, and other bones are used in weapon making, armor, and adornment. Dragon horns are ivory and are used to make the typical things ivory is made with, and are made into instruments, mostly trumpets and horns. Dragon feathers are used in clothing, writing instruments, and cushions. Dragons breath organs are used for a variety of things, from batteries to lighters, to even making freezers. All Volmour abhor waste, especially for the dragons they so revere, and this is no different in the volmouran kingdom of Valkar.

They come in four types, three of which can breathe an element. The Fyre dragons come in shades of red and brown and are a medium sized dragon. The Maulsfyre (named after the Valkaran storm god, Maul) come in shades of black and gold and are a larger dragon. The Ice dragon comes in shades of grey and white and are the smallest, but also the most feathered of the dragons. The Fyre, Maulsfyre, and Ice dragons, store gases generated in their bodies in special gas sacs in their throats. These gases can be used as offensive weapons for as long as they have stored gas. When a dragon runs out of gas, it has an auxiliary organ in its chest near the lungs that can draw in air from the lungs that would be exhaled, add in small quantities of the elements the dragon normally uses for its breath weapon, and divert it into the gas sacs to be used as fuel for their breath weapons. However, this auxiliary gas is much less potent and can leave the dragon fatigued after use. Dragon riders try to not rely on the dragon’s breath weapons much during combat, instead using it in short bursts at close range. Several hours before battle, dragon riders will feed the dragons rocks and chemicals which contain high amounts of the gases their dragons use to help fill up their gas sacs for the battle. Dragons naturally eat these rocks, not only to refill their gas sacs, but also help in digestion. However, alcohol, while temporarily givng them a boost to their breath capabilities, also makes them rather gassy; it is advised that these dragons are not fed large quantities of alcohol.

Fyre- Methane from its stomach is stored in its gas sacs and when it breathes out its gas, it opens these sacs and reflexively closes its throat off, forcibly ejecting the methane gas. It's “flint teeth” which are a special set of teeth connected to two unique muscles within the jaw that cause these teeth to scrape together and create a spark. This spark ignites and sustains its fire blast for as long as the dragon breathes out the gas.

Maulsfyre- gases are kept in the gas sacs, and within the mouth’s “flint tooth” are specialized cells that release sparks when triggered. The dragon’s mouth, throat, and scales are all coated in a special type of cell which not only gives it give it a dull yellowish-black color, but also protects it from its own electricity. These cells have a protective sulphuric compound coating that protects the dragon from its own electricity by making it non-conductive and creating a totally non-conductive environment for the electrified gas, forcing the generated lighting to go to the nearest conductive source: its target.

Ice- this dragon stores nitrogen gas in its left gas sacs and converts it to liquid nitrogen through a series of complex chemical reactions. It also stores water in its right gas sacs so that when it breathes out both, the liquid nitrogen freezes the water and the dragon is able to blast out shards of ice and cover close targets in ice.

The fourth type, the Crolsclaw, does not have a breath weapon, but instead is larger, stronger, and much more heavily “armored” than the other dragons to compensate. These are the most selectively bred by the Valkarans, thus making them much more distinct than the other breeds. They have shorter muzzles and larger, curved horns and come in shades of dark green and dark brown.

Predators

While dragons are the apex predators of the northern continent, they aren't the only ones. There are creatures known as Aufnir, woolly saber toothed cats. They are a stocky big cat that prowls in packs of up to eight. They are well adapted to the icy environment with thick, well insulated, black and white pelts, great speed, strength, and endurance. They can both ambush, and chase down their prey until exhaustion when hunting. They are so well known for their might that volmouran generals typically where Aufnir-shaped helmets with black and white Mohawks, invoking the beast. Aufnir are hunted for their pelts and tendency to kill livestock, making them a loved and hated species. There are also dire bears, great dire wolves, giant snowy lynxes, and others across the continent.

Birds

There are many kinds of birds: turkeys, quails, ospreys, snowy owls, hawks, robins, jays, bluebirds, ducks, and more. One notable type of bird is the Ouffie. An ouffie is an awkward and spastic large brownish dinosauriod bird. These have the head and feather coloration of a turkey, but are tall, muscular creatures. They are also distantly related to the raknir, found far down south on the eastern continent.

Herbivores

Besides flying animals, there are also many hoofed, herbivorous animals. Some common types include: deer, caribou, woolly boars, mountain goats, and more. Dyrhefs, also known as the “lord of the forest” or Lord’s Elk, is a large megaloceros species. This beast is the largest of the cervidae family on Aeras. During the mating season the males will fight each other with their antlers. On occasion two males may get their antlers stuck together. This can lead to many unfortunate deaths during the season.

Another animal is the Yurka; a large, strong, woolly horned horse commonly used in the north. It's thick dark coat keeps it warm and it has excellent footing in mountainous terrain. They are used for their coat, milk, and for their excellent strength, speed, and endurance as mounts. It also helps that they are large enough to carry the 6-7ft volmour who ride them.

There are also several other kinds of mammals across the continent, including snowshoe hares, beavers, and woolly snow squirrels. And finally, there are Fyendars, woolly mammoths that roam the icy plains in large herds. They are prized for their ivory tusks and their warm, versatile, pelt.