King-Consort
Midvinter, as seen from orbit during the coldest time of the year.
Name: Midvinter.
Region: Tingel Arm.
System: Beornskald System.
Suns: 1; Rôrik [Yellow Star].
Orbital Position: Habitual Zone; Position 3.
Moons: 1; Aéros.
Coordinates: North of Selvaris, at the very centre of the same hex.
Rotational Period: 52 Standard Hours.
Orbital Period: 565 Standard Days.
Class: Terrestrial.
Diameter: 11,525 km.
Atmosphere: Type 1; Breathable.
Climate: Temperate, verging on completely frozen during wintertime.
Gravity: Standard.
Landscape during springtime.
Primary Terrain:
A single, huge landmass houses the Valkyri species and the wildlife, with deep coniferous forests and vast mountain ranges littering the landscape. Much of the planet is encased in ice and snow, save for a few months during the hottest time of the year. Surrounding the enormous landmass it the Great Maw; a massive ocean feared and respected by the Valkyri. Rites of passage involve young Valkyri sailing across the mighty sea, from one side to the other, travelling around the world in doing so. Other than that, many minor lakes and rivers allows for fishing.
Native species: The Valkyri.
Immigrated species: None.
Primary languages: "Runian" [Ancient Valkyrian Language] & Galactic Basic.
Government: Tribal Monarchy.
Population: 1.25 million, with the Valkyri being the only sentient species.
Demonym: Valkyr [singular], Valkyri [plural].
Major cities: Tháinbroek.
Major imports: Various types of food, increasing amounts of technology.
Major exports: Trinkets, sculptures, alcoholic beverages.
Affiliation: None.
A shrine dedicated to Helm, God of War and Justice.
Culture:
The culture of the Valkyri centres around their beliefs regarding the afterlife, where if a warrior dies in honourable battle, they will be brought to the land of the immortals, Beornskald; a place where legends of old and warriors of today feast and fight alongside eachother eternally. A warrior culture, the Valkyri try to remain in peak physical condition throughout their lives, males and females both, thereby making it a highly equal society where men and women alike have risen to high offices, even having granted the title of High Queen to those deserving of it throughout their history. The brave Shieldmaidens, the elite among female warriors, are a force to be reckoned with and are worthy of just as much respect as the best male warriors. The elders are treated with the utmost respect, with some living upwards to 200 years. These few are hailed as Fathers and Mothers of the land, and rank almost as high as the King himself.
Their government consists of several minor tribes, each with a Chieftain leading and representing them. These minor tribes then come together and choose among the Chieftains a High King, the one to unite them all and serve as the highest office. Every member of a tribe has a say in the election, thus avoiding any unnecessary bloodshed. Should one of the Chieftains disagree with the decision, and refuse to abide by the decision, they usually turn to civil war, where the supporters of each figure meet on the field of battle to determine the more worthy. Should the nay-sayer succeed with the uprising, he or she will be given the crown, although those having taken the throne by bloody force are generally looked upon with less favour than those who do so peacefully. The current High King, Beorlund the Bold, is one exception to this statement, although his recent policy of bringing in more advanced technology has raised quite a few eyebrows among the populace.
Despite their reputation of drunken louts who do nothing but fight eachother, they are shrewd merchants and traders, and the fine trinkets they manage to sculpt from ice and bones from the large local animals are regarded as exquisite and rare collector's items. Other than that, they keep themselves afloat with what they find in the harsh yet beautiful, cold and mountainous nature surrounding the planet of Midvinter. Their population have never seen a decline, even through war-time due to them not being many in numbers to begin with. Each tribe holds no more than a thousand members, all in all, and the often occurring in-fighting helps to regulate the population further. They have lived off the land for many years, and they believe that bringing in more people would quickly diminish their already scarce sources of food as well as have people occupy the few habitable places left on the planet.
Technology:
Severely lacking when compared to the major powers of the Galaxy; the Valkyri have never craved advanced technology and thus have none to show for it. They do possess great skills in craftmanship and smithing, enabling them to make quality items provided they had the resources.
The winding path leading to the Gates of Tháinbroek.
History:
While the Valkyri follow their own calendar and count the years differently, outsider scholars have managed to deduce how old the people itself actually is in standard years. Over 250,000 years BBY they emerged as the first to conquer and tame the wildlife and harsh environment of Midvinter.
In 118,065 BBY the village of Tháinbroek was founded. In 115,718 BBY, it was made their capital city as it easily outgrew the other settlements both in number of people and housing. That same year, the first High King, Halmar the Hammer, ascended and sculpted the Ice Throne and constructed the mighty Hall of the Brave within the city as a place for the High King to reside.
115,637 BBY, the year that saw the death of High King Halmar, who died of old age in his sleep, well deserving to be taken to Beornskald for his deeds done in the name of his people. The first civil war broke out, as he had no descendants, which determined who would take the throne. This would sooner become integrated into their way of life, as often times some or someone would disagree with whoever was making a claim on the throne. The constant civil wars would also help regulate the population, keeping it around a million people.
10,543 BBY saw the first outsiders making contact with the planet, and the first records of the planet's history and natives were written down. While hostile at first, the Valkyri warmed up to the idea of welcoming strangers to their lands, as the intense cold would make sure there never were too many of them at once.
4,276 BBY saw the Valkyri setting up trade with the outside worlds, with them importing different foods as well as raw material to smith high-quality weapons and armour, and exporting goods like sculptures made of ice and trinkets crafted from tusks and animal bones. Prosperity increased as a result of this, making the natives of Midvinter appreciate outsiders more because of it.
In 835 ABY, the Valkyri learned of the Gulag Plague running rampant in the Galaxy. Due to the constant cold of their planet, however, the plague never reached them, and so they saw a boom in population as outsiders would seek out Midvinter to escape it. Once the plague subsided, the immigrants were sent home in goodwill. This helped improve how outsiders viewed the large humanoids, and trading as well as visitors became more prominent as time went by.
Today, the Valkyri and Midvinter alike are ruled by High King Beorlund the Bold. His unconventional tactics and policy regarding outsider technology has made his rule an uneasy one, yet he retains control through his shrewd politics and cunning tongue.
The Hall of the Brave, where the High King sits upon the Ice Throne.
General Information:
The planet of Midvinter is called such in the Runian tongue because of its near-endless winters, with only a few months of moderate warmth. To an outsider, any time of the year would be regarded as freezing cold, however, as ice and snow consistantly covers 75 percent of the landmasses. For many millennia, the planet was a cold and desolate place, with little to no sentient life. That is, before the Valkyri arose to tame the land and become its masters. They learned the ways of survival in the freezing winds and barren earth, building a natural resistance to cold. This eventually enabled them to journey across the far-reaching landscape as well as occupy and found new settlements all over. There are now numerous minor settlements containing no more than 10,000 souls, with the one major city located at the very centre of the huge landmass, holding more than a million people, called Tháinbroek.
Roaming the vast plains and far-reaching mountains alike are a multitude of great wild beasts, each of which are revered and respected by the locals, as they both serve as prey and allow for the Valkyri to hone their skills in hunting. They never hunt in vain, however, as these great animals are a gift from Éar, Goddess of the Hunt, and as such they are as much part of this world as the Valkyri themselves. The ultimate prey is the great and mighty Hrothwûrm; huge dragon-like predators capable of burrowing, making a highly deadly and worthy foe. Other grand beasts of Midvinter include the Vhaanir, a large herbivore who live in herds of hundreds and are often captured and trained to be used as mounts by the Valkyri. A tame Vhaanir is as loyal as they come, and are treated well as is expected because of it. Then there is the swift and cunning Frir, graceful saber-toothed cats wearing a white coat of fur with black stripes. They are the most common predator on Midvinter, and killing one is the sign of a great hunter. The main source of food for the Valkyri are called Älk, huge cow-like herbivores covered in long, thick fur, similar to Banthas in shape and size, and also supply the people with milk. They are commonly herded and used as cattle, and their pelts are made into clothes for the giant humanoids to wear, as it can withstand any freezing temperatures Midvinter has to offer.
Notable PC's: @Thurion Heavenshield; @Thyrian Ashborn
Intent: To provide a home planet for the Valkyri species, as well as a new world for other players to enjoy and explore.