User blog:Ilniaj/The Norse

In the cold north of the world, across the stormy Sea of Claws lies the country of Norsca. This is a harsh realm of snow, where deadly forests of ice and mountains of frost reach skywards to the heavens, marching down to its impregnable coast. This region suffers from extremes of climate and geography unlike anywhere else. The dense dark forests, high barren mountains and long winter nights conspire to make life here short and hard. Cold and forbidding, it would seem unlikely that people could live here in significant numbers. This cruel land is home to the Norse, a race of man that is as fierce, brutal and unforgiving as the landscape itself. The Norse are a populous people and their settlements reach towards the pole to the very borders of the world. The Norse men are a distinctive race; they have large frames and are extremely muscular. They have the pale skin of more southern peoples, but are taller and stronger. They tend to be fair-haired, blonds and reds being the most common. All wear their hair long in braids, sometimes weaving feathers and beads into the knots. They lesser warriors don fur and hides as armor while greater warriors wear suits of mail and plate. They are much given to singing, drinking and laughing but are also quick to anger and relentless opponents. Because little grows on the rocky soil of the north, the Norse turn to the sea for their livelihood. Though they craft and produce many great things in their inhospitable homeland, many resources can't be wrested from their home and must instead be seized from foreign soil. Many times have their dreaded longships brought terror and destruction to the shores of people from around the world. Though they worship the Chief God and the pantheon she rules like most of the nations of man, the fact that they would raid the lands of other worshipers makes them suspicious allies most of the time.

The Norse are raised from an early age to wield a weapon and shield and many of their youngest warriors are but 14 or 15 years old. The harsh climate and rugged lifestyle of the Norse means they are used to hardships and their love of battle means there are few inexperienced warriors in a Norse Warhird. Most of the time they will trade or hire themselves out as mercenaries in return for goods but when this is not possible, they will simply fight to get what they want. Norse love war songs and ale but most of all, they love battle. Through battle a warrior not only gains resources for his clan but honor. Excellence in battle not only brings honor to the warrior but to their forebears. Occasionally, their attack on a settlement may be compelled by the gods when a Seer receives visions that they interpret as invocations to war. Though they strike fear into the hearts of most, they are surprisingly honest and fair merchants, mercenaries and traders due to their strange code of honor. The Norse are also some of the oldest seafaring humans in the world, at home among the waves and spray of salt water. They are master shipbuilders, their sleek ships famous for their speed and durability. Their keen sense for navigation and wanderlust has carried them across the oceans. While most voyages are taken out of curiosity or to appease the gods, some are opportunities to prove their mettle against whatever new enemies they encounter. If they acquire new weapons, thralls, gold and silver, all the better. It is believed there's nowhere in all the world that at least one Norseman has not traveled.

Norse society is made up of distinct clans that venerate their own heroes and their own visions of the gods but all share similar social structures. Each clan is ruled by a King who distributes hunting grounds and territory to his lords, the Jarls. The Jarls bestow favors and gifts onto their loyal warriors, who occupy a vaunted place among their fellows. The rest of their society consists of the elderly, the infirm and children. At the very bottom are the thralls, slaves taken from raids for menial labor or as consorts. Norsemen who lack skill or ability at arms are considered weak and inferior, relegated to serving the Jarls, tending the fields and thralls and herding animals. They may not have the prestige of warriors but it is understood that without them, Norsca would die. The ideal person in Norscan society is the young virile slayer, the warrior, the hunter, the raider, the defender and the hero. Becoming a warrior involves taking certain rites of passage, which vary by tribe or even settlement. The life of a warrior is brief but exciting. Between raids, these men provide meat for the clan by hunting. In times of war, they clamber aboard the Longships bravely setting sail for whatever battlefield awaits them, knowing destiny is at hand. When not hunting or fighting, warriors enjoy the finer aspects of Norse culture. They spend their time in sweat lodges, swapping lies and telling tales of their contests. Norse warriors are unforgivable boasters, claiming impossible things to outdo their rivals. Sometimes these boasts lead to physical contests, which are rarely lethal since killing a warrior in a time of peace is a grave crime. To an outsider, Norscan warriors are all the same; bloodthirsty bands of killers but there are distinctions among the various clans. Loyalty to a particular Jarl engenders peculiarities that all the bonded warriors embrace. Differing fighting styles and weapon preferences, unusual hairstyles, topknots, a particular braid of beard or lack of beard altogether characterize the differing groups of Norse.

The lowest rank in Norscan society are the Thralls, made up of the indebted, the landless and prisoners captured in battle. A Thrall is owned by a noble until they earn their freedom by servitude for an allotted amount of time or performing a redeeming deed. Most Thralls are used for labor, building things, mining ores, working the fields or as servants. Some are taken as fourth or fifth wives selected based on physical beauty. It requires a powerful Norscan to take a monster as a wife, even should she be willing, the Seers and Vitki will condemn it and few will not listen to such a condemnation. Norsemen who do take a monster as a wife must either keep their wives monstrous nature a secret or leave for other lands before their disgrace is found out.

Norsemen as a cohesive people do not exist. The Norse live in clans, each of which consists of a number of settlements. The smallest clans have a single settlement, but the dominant clans can number over a hundred settlements and thousands of warriors. Each settlement is a self-contained entity, the leaders of each settlement owing fealty to the clan leader. In this way the running of the day to day life of the clans is supervised at a local level, but hunting rights, organizing Warhirds and other large scale enterprises is made by the council of elders who advise the clan King. Above the clans are the various tribes, of which there are seven in Norsca (Aeslings, Graelings, Baernsonlings, Bjornlings, Sarls, Skaeling and Varg) with a High King as the ruler of the tribe. However, the High Kings grip is tenuous at best and civil war troubles are common within the tribes. Each of the tribes have varying relationships with the other tribes and outsiders of Norsca, though in general, the northern tribes (Aeslings, Graelings and Vargs) are more hostile to those outside Norsca than the southern tribes (Baersonlings, Bjornlings, Sarls and Skaeling). The northern tribes as the more savage half largely interact with those outside Norsca and even with those within Norsca through war. When the gods send messages to the northern tribes, they will often interpret the messages as calls to war. The southern tribes are less savage and easier to reason with, most friendly interactions with Norscans and non-Norscans is when the Norscans are members of southern tribes. While they raid and plunder when necessary for survival, they are more interested in acts of heroism and adventure over the carnal slaughter of their northern kin.

In order for a city to thrive and grow, it must have substantial farmland and resources. Due to the climate and terrain, Norsca cannot support the same sized settlements other lands can. Instead, the Norsemen congregate in small communities consisting of a few families scattered throughout the territory controlled by the tribe. Each community is led by a Jarl who is often advised by a Seer or Vitki and propped up by a cadre of loyal warriors. Certainly, there are larger and smaller settlements, with the bigger ones being held by the tribe's King and the smaller ones struggling to survive until they are eventually wiped out by the elements, a rival tribe, or some man-eating horror. It may seem that the land of Norsca is a bleak place with little to offer but the mountains are rich with veins of silver and iron and the farmland that does exist is fertile, enriched by the minerals carried down from the mountains by snowmelt. Ivory, iron, fine woods and other materials are readily available for the taking, but given the importance of warriors in Norse culture, labor falls to the thralls taken from raids and the peasants who manage them.

The Norse are great warriors, and their Reavers are feared all over the world. Working themselves into a battle frenzy, an enraged Norseman is a terrifying opponent to face. The Norse Warhirds consists of all manner of terrifying warriors and monsters, from the lowly Bondsmen and Marauders that makes up the core of the armies, to the mighty Frost Giants and War Mammoths that makes the earth shake as they pass. Huscarls make up the elite, supported by immortal Einherjars, ferocious Ulfwerenar and frenzied Berserkers. Shield Maidens make stoic defenders, while the Sleipnir Riders trample the enemy underfoot. Norse longships and kingships have raided as far away as Lustria, and constantly attack small settlements along the coasts of the sea of claws. In battle, Norse manage to sweep away their foes simply by the raw aggression they unleash, screaming shrill battle cries as they charge across the field. The reason they excel at war is due more to the fact that they are ferocious and well trained fighters rather than any particular wealth of tactical skill or strategic knowledge.

The warleaders of Norse society and the highest class of individuals are the Kings and the lesser Jarls beneath him. Jarls are great warriors loyal to the King of his clan. In exchange for devoted service, the King grants the Jarl hunting grounds, warriors, treasure and thralls. The Jarl is the absolute lord of his lands but is expected to be subservient to his master, and when the winds of war blow, the Jarl is expected to come to the aid of his King, and lend his warriors for the cause. Should the King die without an heir, the Jarls fight a bloody contest to take the throne. Whilst it is expected that Jarls be utterly loyal to their monarch, it's not unheard of for a Jarl to slay his master and usurp his position. Such a coup is always dangerous since it invites reprisals and further treachery. But in times of weak leaders, it is expected for a Jarl to step up and seize power. The Jarl of a Norse army is the most battle hardened veteran of the group. He has seen many battles and is used to bloodshed. While some Jarls command their forces with strategy, most run into the fray with the rest of the warriors. However the Jarl runs his force, all the other warriors respect and look up to him. The most powerful Norscan in any tribe is the King. Most Kings were once Jarls, but occasionally one inherits the title from his father.

Seers and Vitki advise the Jarls and Kings in matters pertaining to the will of their ancestors and the gods. It falls to such privileged people to interpret the winds of magic, the whispers of the gods and the spirits of fallen warriors to guide their lord on the proper course of action for the clan. A Seer is a useful source of information in both arcane and mundane matters, and as such, are in constant demand by people from all walks of life. Those Seers who live among a community will face a constant tide of petitioners throughout the day. To weed out those who come with trivial nonsense, they'll dwell in remote locations where only the most persistent will make the journey. The gifts the visitors bring sustain the Seer. A few Seers see themselves as prophets speaking for the gods and travel from settlement to settlement preaching of the omens they have seen. However, when their words warn of doom and woe, they quickly outstay their welcome and are driven out into the wilderness. Some Seers take up a wandering lifestyle, travelling between farms and villages to offer their services in exchange for food and shelter. They also present themselves at the birth of a child and search it for marks that might betray the gods favor... or displeasure.

The Norse are not without their own traditions. Only the greatest events and stories are engraved in stone, the rest is passed down by storytellers known as Skalds. Part warrior, part entertainer, these individuals are held in high esteem for their wisdom and knowledge. A Skald is almost always a member of a Jarls court. Even Seers and Vitki will give a Skald respect for their learning. When the call to war is sounded, Skalds are often given their patrons Battle Standard to bear. When they sing their songs and tell their tales, the warriors who listen become enthralled and inspired by whatever motif the story is about and fight all the harder in according to it.

Should a Champion survive the endless battles while still finding favor in the eyes of their gods, they may attain the ultimate reward for their decades of dedication. Their patron will elevate the Champion to their side as an Archangel, a being of godlike power. They are mighty beyond compare, lordly creatures of awesome might. There are few who don't seek this metamorphosis where they shrug off their mortal shell and become a being of divinity but for every champion who roars their triumph as a newborn Archangel, untold thousands perish on the field of battle or simply fail to gain the acclaim necessary before their mortal form breaks down. Archangels are vast in stature, their gigantic forms twisted into new shapes. They wield powerful magic items and strange abilities and the variations between these beings are uncountable. Nonetheless, it is common for the Archangels to retain their intellect and memory. Some are awesome warriors full of martial discipline and pride. Others are master magisters with the ability to reshape reality itself. Others are peerless marksman, wielding bolt throwers like crossbows or small cannons like rifles or enormous bows. Upon ascending most Archangels go to heaven, leaving the world behind so that there is room for others to attain greatness. Sometimes, an Archangel is sent back to the mortal world to serve as the commander of a faithful army. At other times, a newly transformed Archangel continues to lead their followers who view their leader as a demi-god, which is not far from the truth. In fact, some of the oldest and most powerful Archangels are worshiped as deities becoming local gods for villages, tribes or even countries, acting as an intermediary for their patron deity.

Bondsmen are young and inexperienced fighters. He is a warrior in service to a particular Jarl, expected to live in a Jarl's hall, share the Jarl's food and be steadfastly loyal. In exchange, the Jarl awards him with gifts such as weapons and armor, and to the best land and title. The worth of a gift is measured in the prestige is bestows on the Bondsman. Loyalty is everything to a Bondsman because it is only through loyalty that he can advance. A Bondsman with little talent beyond loyalty can advance to die a freeholder while a superb warrior whose loyalty is suspect will die an early death. A Bondsman who betrays or fails his Jarl risks losing everything so they obey without question. Relationships between Bondsmen are more complex. They must rely on each other and are loyal to the same Jarl but must also compete for the Jarl's favor, who will always have limited resources to distribute to the Bondsmen. Norsemen tend to be quarrelsome so infighting between Bondsmen is punished with death, mutilation or enslavement so a Bondsman that wishes to advance at the expense of a rival must be subtle, framing other Bondsmen for disloyalty or ensuring rivals die in the field of battle. Bondsmen fight with a shield and either a hand weapon or spear.

The standard warriors in a Norse Warband are the Marauders, having experienced bloodshed and been trained to fight since childhood. They flock to the banners of their champions, throwing their weight behind any cause, whether the bidding of the gods or simple hunting. Marauders do not fear death for they know that if they die, they'll ascend to an afterlife of fighting and drinking in Valhalla. No matter how skilled a Marauder is, they cannot last long on their own. One Marauder is simply a heavily armed madman running through a town, inevitably overwhelmed and slain so he relies on his band. A Marauder band is torn by savage violence, requiring a leader of almost supernatural charisma to hold one together for long. Bands will regularly splinter and form together into new bands. More powerful than Bondsmen, Marauders use either a single great weapon or a hand weapon and shield.

The seas of the world are filled with terrors, both human and inhuman. Among the most feared mariners are Norse Reavers, brutal warriors who plunder the coasts in search of food, gold and thralls. They are merciless, hardened by battles with marines and militia that stand against them. Reavers will live and die by the sword, their aim is not to expand any borders or put themselves at the top of a hill. Their legacy is violent, as are their songs and tales of heroism. Gold attracts them, as well as stories of successful trade routes and rich unguarded lands. The Norse Reavers are truly the image of a Norse Warrior. The life of a Reaver is tightly woven to the ship he works on, and the long days often start as the Reavers guide the vessel through the fierce northern seas. Unless some prey is sighted, the day continues as it began. Once a suitable target is sighted such as a ship or coastal village, the Reavers quickly bring the ship around to fall upon the target at full speed, seeking the element of surprise and to overwhelm the target quickly. As they approach, the bare minimum of men are assigned to continue crewing the vessel, while everyone else gears for battle and readies weapons. Reavers will strike with a hand weapon and either an extra hand weapon or shield. They sometimes wield Throwing Axes. When fighting alongside an army, they will usually use the speed of their ships to flank the foe.

Whaling is an important trade for Norsca and Whalers are respected even among the warriors. Swimming through the dark currents are enormous whales. These creatures can capsize ships and swallow hundreds in a single gulp. Thus, Whalers must be made of sterner stuff than ordinary fishermen. Every single part of the whale can provide something of use, the skin is used to manufacture rope, the gullet to make shoes, and the stomach used as floats. Even the lungs and intestines are eaten. The easiest way to hunt is for whalers to herd schools of small whales ashore and slaughter them. There is no honor in this and Norsemen prefer the thrill of setting forth in a longship to hunt the giant whales. When a whale is sighted, the rowers speed their vessel towards it, harpooners gathered at the prow to hurl harpoons when in range. A skewered whale can easily capsize a longboat, tow the vessel by the harpoon lines until it shudders apart or sweep the crew overboard so few ships return with the full crew of Whalers. The best Whalers can pierce its heart but most of the time, they must drag it to the ship to slay with hooks and skewers. A Whaling ship will not return unless it is towing a slain whale for the dishonor of failure means that Whalers prefer a watery grave. Although the Norse sagas romanticize whaling expeditions, much of a whaler’s time is spent waiting until a quarry is spotted. On the battlefield, Whalers form small units that run forwards and harass the enemy with Javelins and Throwing Axes. Though they are more used to using these weapons against beasts, any target works fine.

Norse armies are primarily infantry forces. This is due to many reasons, the biggest being the difficulty of transporting horses long distances. The larger longships are able to do so but the fact remains that Norscans are more comfortable fighting on foot. The ones that do become quite proficient however. These Norse Horsemen are skilled horse riders that can cause havoc and disorder in enemy troops and are experts at wilderness lore, tracking and scouting. The mounts are a different breed than southern brethren, not just due to the cold but the rough terrain in the mountains and the horses attachment to their owners. These warhorses are smaller than other breeds used in war, but this means nothing due to their great strength and endurance. Norse Horsemen either use spears to charge enemies and then retreat to charge again, or throwing axes or javelins to harass at range.

The Huscarls are heroes blessed by the gods, forming the warrior elite of Norscan armies, forming almost impenetrable shield walls or smashing aside enemies with great weapons. They vary in background from accomplished veterans to minor nobles. These warriors have all earned a place in the hall of the chief who values their skill in combat, often being the chiefs honor guard in war. For their service, they are awarded with gifts and their lords protection. Among the Norse, this is a very good and secure lifestyle compared to many less fortunate ones. The Huscarls have no formal organization in social terms, they are simply a unit formed when the rest of the armies warriors get together prior to a battle, greeting old friends, swapping boasts and generally looking forward to the battle. When Huscarls march to war, they march to win and their timely intervention has swung many battles in favor of the Norse. On the attack or while defending an area, the Huscarl are equally formidable. Their blood freezing war cries as they charge makes seasoned opponents pale, while their stubbornness makes them virtually impossible to shift once they have taken ground.

The Ulfwerenar have been blessed by the god of death, able to transform into humanoid wolves at will. The dead don't rest easy in Norsca, such a cold land leads to many dying with regrets and coming back as ghosts or einherjar. These heroes are tasked with putting such restless dead to rest. The warchiefs of Norsca hold great respect for these Ulfwerenar. They are incredible fighters, their claws and fangs have a touch of magic (so that they may fight ethereal undead) and they move with inhuman speed. This combined with their strength and ferocity, turns them into whirling, snarling shadows of death which strike sudden and bowel churning fear in their opponents.

More dangerous than an Ulfwerenar are the Ulfjarls and Ulfkings. Although these mighty warriors have been known to accompany regiments of Ulfwerenar, they are equally capable of accompanying regiments of other warriors, hiding within their ranks until they are close enough to strike. They have far more control and speed in their transformations than others, able to put themselves into a mental frenzy and not transform, which is what allows them to hide or even fight in friendly units before revealing their frightening form at the best moment. When this horror is unleashed, there is no mere transformation; instead, a great fully formed wolf thing bursts from the body of a human, tatters of flesh and chunks of gristle clinging to its form.

The Norse believe that when a true and honorable warrior dies as a warrior should, they go to Valhalla to live an eternity of fighting, drinking and feasting. Einherjar are immortal warriors who have already been chosen to go to Valhalla. Usually, these warriors go to Valhalla immediately but sometimes their spirit is too attached to the world. In these cases, the spirit rises from his death and continues his life searching for his destiny, which will release him from his ties to the world. Until then, an Einherjar can almost never be truly killed, although they can be hurt enough to temporarily disable them. The only way to kill an Einherjar before his time is to completely destroy the body, thus making him unable to regenerate. It is unknown what happens to Einherjar unfortunate enough to befall such a fate. Over time, an Einherjar grows crystals along their body, either forming over extremities or replacing lost ones, forming natural weapons and armor. Their future holds nothing but blood and slaughter and they know it - when battle is called they are always the first to join the hird, hoping to finally earn their place in Valhalla by dying one last time.

Berserkers are a rightly feared warrior cult, worshiping the war god Enyo. Their feats fill the sagas and they loom large in the stories of soldiers that face them. Berserkers are the most ferocious warriors in any hird. These lawless, near uncontrollable warriors are considered maladjusted even by other Norse. In combat, these madmen work themselves into an almost suicidal fury in eagerness to come to grips with the foe. Once they see their enemies they lose control, even attacking foes many times more powerful than themselves. Berserkers care little for their well being, they disdain armor as a sign of weakness and some even fight with weapons in both hands, though more often than not they use great axes to cleave through foes. Once a Berserker unit reaches an enemy regiment they turn into human whirlwinds of blades, spinning, slashing and chopping with a strength only achieved by a madman. Because of their complete immersion in their psychotic state of mind, the Berserkers have no comprehension of the rest of the battle and can come dangerously close to attacking their compatriots in their fury.

In Norse society, men are hunters and fighters, while the woman's duty is to look after the homes and raise the next generation. Many Norse wives run whole estates of farms and hunting lodges, their husbands too occupied with defending his land and rights to worry about crops and cows. While women are expected to stay behind during raids and war, it falls to them to protect the home and it is believed that both bloodlines must be physically strong to birth strong children so most are competent or even skilled warriors. The blood of warriors flows through all Norse and may flow strong through a woman. That women, once their warrior blood is awakened, would seek to join battle during times of war. Sometimes, this means joining a typical band but other times, they'll form bands of Shieldmaidens. Shieldmaidens are skilled fighters, and their lithe grace and economy of movement moves them swiftly from one foe to the next. They specialize in a defensive style of warfare using shields to block and parry both blows and missiles, as well as wielding javelins to soften the foe. Shieldmaiden bands are recognized by the gods for their skill and they enjoy a blessing that makes them tougher. A Shieldmaiden band can be harder to shift than a Huscarl band though they lack the killing power of one.

Norse have few laws and none are written. Many young warriors find they have run afoul of some tradition they have never heard of and are cast out and banished, or perhaps they were fully guilty and aware of their crimes. A clan rarely takes in the outcasts of another as this is both an insult to the banishing clan and a blow to the dignity of the adopting clan. These outcasts form their own communities far from others and scratch out an existence by hunting and foraging. Despite being outcasts, it seems that some god favors them, these Hunters are heroes like the Huscarls and Shieldmaidens, and have been granted the ability to sense the vitals of both beasts and man to fell them with well aimed arrows. When battle comes, these hunters get pardoned for short periods of time so that they may use their skill at woodsmanship and hunting to launch ambushes and strike deep in the battleline. They aren't entirely trusted so when battle is over, rather than drinking and carousing with the other warriors they return to their camps, snatching any loot they can from the fallen. Particularly skilled Hunters become Rangers. While most Hunters would need multiple strikes with an arrow to fell a massive beast, Rangers can even slay a mammoth with a single well placed arrow aimed at the heart. These Rangers become the unofficial leaders of Hunters, and the greatest among them even form new settlements from the outcasts of their bands.

Sleipnirs were once ordinary horses but the blessings of the gods have caused them to transform, growing to a massive size and sprouting two additional pairs of legs. They are faster than even horses of elven descent and can outpace anything on land. Sleipnirs are highly prized as steeds, and one not raised from an ordinary horse is very difficult to tame to a new master. Those that raise a horse to a Sleipnir or tame one that has lost its rider will find themselves with the fastest horse imaginable, basking in the glory of the gods. Sleipnir riders are known as Thunder Riders, so named for the sound of their charge being like thunder. They are considered arrogant by other Norse but none can deny their usefulness to a warhird for when the charge of the Thunder Riders hits home, it is like lightning has struck the enemy.

Of all the terrible beasts that roam the frozen north, few are as dangerous as the mammoth. These creatures footfalls shake the earth and are capable through sheer bulk of demolishing buildings, trampling forests and crushing anything smaller than themselves into a bloody smear. Although not possessing the sapience to be evil, they are belligerent and uncaring beasts that cut a swath of destruction wherever they go and respond to any creature that has so much as irritated it or gotten into its path by smashing it into the ground or goreing it on its tusks. These mammoths are much sought after by wealthy Kings who train them for battle or command their Vitki to enchant the mammoths to their service. These War Mammoths make fearsome foes against which few have hope of standing against. To make them even more dangerous, marauders of the tribe ride on wooden platforms tied to the mammoths back, hurling javelins and thrusting spears at those below them. A War Mammoth is made even more dangerous by the Norse who tame them, who place armor plates wherever they can, attach steel sheaths to its tusks and spiked collars around its ankles and hang lengths of chain between their tusks. The tamer directing it usually only tries to prod the beast in the right direction, and lets the animals own ill temper drive it into (and through) the enemy army. Mammoths are difficult to control and if badly hurt by ranged attacks, they can go berserk and scatter in a random direction, which might be into Norse allies.

The Frost Giants or Jotun are the rarest and most intelligent of giants that can be found throughout the world. Common giants are considered to be more primitive versions of Jotun. Frost Giants live in the forests and caves along the coastal mountains where access to the sea away from humans is available. They feed themselves by fishing for whales and sea serpents and raising mammoths like livestock. A Jotun built ship is as large as a longship, though their size often means there is only room for the Jotun and their catch. Jotuns resemble the southern giants, but with blue skin and a more stout build. Unlike regular giants, Jotuns are intelligent enough to dress in leather made from Mammoth hide and are also capable of shaping ice like men shape stone and steel, these ice weapons sap the will of those nearby, making it harder to strike them. Frost Giants fight with either enormous maces and axes or by hurling enormous boulders. Occasionally, a Jotun makes common cause with the Norse and marches alongside them, either to defend territory or for a chance to loot what they desire.

Wolves are dangerous creatures that roam the mountains and deep forests of the world. The hunting packs of these beasts have been known to attack and destroy well-armed caravans. Rather than consider them a threat, the Norse worship and respect wolves as a great hunter and are an important and respected part of their religious beliefs. The wolves of Norsca are incredibly fast and vicious and Norse tribes have trained entire packs of these that they lead into battle much like the warhouds of other lands.

Dragon Ogres, or Shartaks as they call themselves are a race of the demons of chaos, led by the god Tholrek Suneater, a chaos god that is strong enough to reject the changes brought by the Demon Lord. The Norse have bastardized his name as Thor. At a cursory glance, they appear to be a composite race similar to centaurs, with the lower half of some great reptile, and the upper half of an Ogre of the previous age with reptilian features on this upper part. Dragon Ogres are among the most ancient of the world's creatures. They cannot die of old age and reproduce slowly, so they spend most of their lives in hibernation. However, their spirit wanders the world during this hibernation, so they are quite well informed of current events despite their long periods of sleep. Dragon Ogres awaken only by the lightning of storms. Believing these storms to be Tholrek calling them to battle (and at times they are right), the Dragon Ogres awaken, climbing the mountains to bathe in lighting and be energized. Once stirred, Dragon Ogres descend from their reclusive mountain homes and hidden lairs to fight alongside warhirds in battle. Such instances are thankfully rare. As fierce as they are, Dragon Ogres are loathe to lay down their ancient lives and will retreat when the battle goes against them.

Dragon Ogres continue growing throughout their immortal lifetime and so the most ancient among them are enormous beasts of incredible power. Dragon Ogre Shaggoths are living legends of carnage and devastation. Truly gigantic and as old as the mountains themselves, the Shaggoths are perhaps the most ancient of monsters to inhabit this world. A Shaggoth is a towering monster of muscle and rage, going to war with massive weapons that would take a half dozen or more men to lift. When its wrath is raised, lightning crackles within the Shaggoth's eyes and mouth and thunder rumbles in its throat. Only the mightiest of thunderstorms can awaken one and it is fortunate that such tempests are rare.