Eastern Humans - Vallachia

Society:
The humans of Vallachia are scattered loosely across the Vallachian plains. There is only one major
town, Eckleton, which is located on the shores of the Tirian Sea. This town is autonomous, as are most
of the other small settlements. Some of these are little more than isolated farmsteads, others are
clustered together to form a small village or hamlet. These are particularly prevalent along the coastal
regions and around the Vallachian Mountains. The society in this region is based upon agriculture,
hunting and trade with other peoples. They have particularly strong connections with the residents of the
llsvall, on the !estern "ontinent, with whom they share a seafaring tradition. They also trade with the
agricultural communities of the Three #uchies and mar$a for produce such as grain that is not native to
the plains.
They live in long houses built of stone. These are generally warm and comfortable with benches for
sitting or sleeping on around the walls. These are covered with furs, skins or cloths for warmth and
comfort. %eds are only used in the wealthier houses. central fire is the main source of light and heat in
the hall. !ooden chests are used to store furs blankets and other household goods. bath house or
sauna near the farm is used for the weekly bath.
#espite being viewed by some as barbarians, the natives of Vallachia are renowned warriors. They
place great emphasis on the concept of honour both in combat and in the criminal justice system. To the
Vallachians The &aw has always been the same right from the beginning of time. The &aw represents
the balance between good and evil and has to be upheld. n imbalance could mean disaster. crime
creates an unbalance and has to be corrected by making the lawbreaker pay or be put outside the law.
"hanges in society make changes to the laws necessary, but are regarded as adjustments to keep up the
balance in the eternal &aw.
They are also competent sailors, adept in land warfare as well as at sea. Their ships are comparable to
the Viking longships of Terra, being long, narrow, light boats with a shallow draft. They are fitted with
oars along almost the entire length of the boat, but also sport a rectangular sail on a single mast which is
used to augment the efforts of rowers, particularly during unusually long journeys. 'n combat, the
variability of wind power makes rowers the chief means of propulsion. These ships are clinker(built and
waterproofed by moss drenched in tar. The ship$s low shallow draft allows navigation in waters
measuring as little as one metre deep, rapid beach landings, and its light weight allows for portage.
Their society is tribal, being headed by a chieftain known as the )ired. These are both political and
religious leaders, tasked to use their luck to secure the people daos *translated +good times+ ( nowadays
actually the word for peace,. &uck is considered to be the sign of the leader. -e is the appointed leader,
who possessed a great luck., but the luck could also abandon its bearer, and choose someone else as
carrier. .nder such circumstances the chieftancy of the tribe might be challenged by the new bearer.
The )ired presides over a "ouncil of Elders who are responsible for administering the &aw.
Their culture is primarily oral rather than literary with storytellers being the repository of the history and
legends of their people. 't is far less common for anything to be written down. 't is common in the harsh
northern winter for Vallachians to gather in the )ired$s long house to sit about the fire, share food and
drink, and listen to legends and sagas as told by the tribe$s storyteller. This is a position of significant
importance, as is that of the tribe$s shaman, and both command great respect, although neither are part
of the "ouncil of Elders.
There are no mages amongst the Vallachians as magic is not native to this race. -owever, they do not
perceive all magic as inherently evil. Some arts are forbidden nonetheless, particularly necromancy.
Vallachian Funerals
The ancestral funerary tradition of the Vallachian tribes is that of burying chieftains and renowned
warriors beneath burial mounds, accompanied by grave goods such as weapons, food and other useful or
valuable items. -owever, this tradition died out many centuries ago and has been replaced with that of
the ship burial. This is one in which a ship is used as the container for the deceased and any grave
goods. The deceased is placed in the centre of the longship, surrounded by his possessions and a number
of barrels of flammable material. The ship is then set afloat as the sun sets and allowed to drift from
shore before fire arrows are used to set the ship alight. 't is believed that a Vallachian can achieve
immortality if he dies upon a longship, his ashes becoming part of the sea that is such a vital part of their
culture whilst the flames and smoke carried him to the /ods. 't is said that if the colour of the fire
matches the colour of the sunset they had led a good life and they had gone to their home amongst the
/ods.
Vallachian Runes
"omparable to the Elder 0uthark of Terra, the Vallachian 1une system is used both as an alphabet and
with greater mystical meaning. Each rune has a different meaning, which are set out below, and these
meanings can be used in shamanistic rituals and divination by inscribing them upon runestones.
Feoh ( Vitality, 2ower, 2ersonal !ealth
Ur ( 1apid "hange, Shouldering new responsibilities, ability to sweep away obstructions
Thorn ( 2rotective, -elping hand of 0ate
Ansur ( "ommunication, &earning
Rad ( Travel, 'nner journeying, "hange
Ken ( /entle acts of creation eg. writing, music, 2rotective, "reative warmth
Geofu ( /ifts *giving and receiving,, -armony, 2ersonal relationships
Wynn ( -appiness, ffairs of the heart
Haall ( 2rimal forces of the universe
!ied ( 3eed, &ong term aims
"s ( $time out$, 1est, !inter
#ara ( "yclical return, -arvest, &itigation, %irth
$r ( Mystical, Spirit world, 2rotective, 1emoves obstacles
%eorth ( -idden things, /ambling, 'nvestment, 0inding lost items
Eolh ( 2rotection
Siel ( &ife force, Sun
Tir ( %attle, "onfrontation
&eorc ( !oman, Mother 3ature, 3urturing, 0ertility
Eoh ( "hange
'ann ( 1elationships, 1ational mind
(au ( 0emale, "reative, 'magination
"n ( Male, 2artner to &agu, 0ertility, "onclusions
)ae ( #aylight, See from all angles, 2ositive change
*thel ( Earthy, 2ragmatic, #omestic arena, 1esponsibility
'n addition to these, there is one more, represented by a blank runestone4
Wyrd ( Mystery, 0ate
*0or more information about the Vallachian language see -E1E,
Vallachian S+eat (odes
Sweat baths or lodges are favoured over bathing by Vallachians, a trend that becomes more pronounced
the farther north you go. These are generally a circular building with a domed roof whose roof and walls
are covered with turf and clay in order to insulate them. nimals skins are hung inside the door to block
any light penetrating from the outside. Slotted benches ring the walls of the lodge with a shallow pit in
the centre of the chamber. This is filled with hot rocks onto which water is poured to create steam. #irt
is removed using an implement similar to a strigil, that is a curved tool made of wood or metal that is
scraped over heated skin. t the end of the session the individual rinses outside in cold water.
Sessions are generally communal as most Vallachians $bathe$ once a week. Sometimes males and
females share a lodge, on other occasions a session will be single se5 only. 2articipants are generally
entirely nude and would not view this as e5traordinary.
Sweat lodges are also used for healing and other rituals. -erbs can be scattered over the hot rocks,
adding their scent to the steamy atmosphere. This can also be accompanied by chanting.