Srazhedy

The Srazhedy are an agrarian culture of isolated farms and plantations, spread out across the north. They are a proud and warlike people, uncommonly devout, and most dangerous.

Appearance

The Srazhedy are of average height (5'6"-5'8") and muscular build, with black or brown hair worn long on both men and women, and almost universally brown eyes. Men tend to have closely trimmed beards or are entirely clean shaven. They wear leather or woolen clothing, or sometimes furs, thick and heavy to combat the cold.

Society / Government

The core of Srazhedy society is the farm or manor, an agricultural establishment run by a landowner, his family, and his servants. These warrior-farmers (Called Ozyain) and their families work the land, and employ and house any number of servants, in exchange for room, board, and protection. The smallest of these farms may consist of a single bachelor living alone and farming his own land, whereas the largest resemble small cities. More traditional is a man, his wife, sons and unmarried daughters, as well as two to five families of servants. Everyone works the land - even the Ozyain and his family.

The Ozyain typically lives in a large manor house, situated on the best elevation in the area, to keep his home safe from the same common flooding that feeds his fields. If the structure is large enough, the servants live there as well. If not, they live in cottages somewhere on the land. The Ozyain traditionally owns everything he can see from his house, but there are cases of two or more landowners living closer together, for mutual support and security.

The Ozyain himself is dedicated to one thing aside from his farm - his sword. Typically a masterwork Sabre or a Longsword, but occasionally a larger sword, even up to the Odachi, this sword is often a family heirloom, or the sword of a man he killed in a duel. All Ozyain are, by necessity, practiced swordsmen. Most are quite familiar with bows as well. In addition to protecting his land and people from bandits and the local aggressive wildlife, he is also subject to challenge (see below).

Duels, while theoretically an acceptable solution to any matter, typically occur over one of two things - women or land. Suitors for a woman's hand, if they are of the Ozyain class, will often duel to decide who gets her, if her father does not simply pick one of them. These duels are not always to the death.

The second type of duel is for an estate. Any young man with a sword over the age of 14 may challenge an Ozyain for control of his estate. The Ozyain normally sends out a couple of challengers first - typically a servant or two and then one of his sons. The challenger is supposed to defeat them without killing them, to prove control and skill, but this does not always happen. If the challenger is not driven off or killed by these battles, the Ozyain himself comes out and they face off. This always ends in Death. A new Ozyain cannot afford to have the old one still alive, so that his servants might think on his possible return, and the current Ozyain must strike down the challenger, to ward off future attackers and prevent this one from returning once more. Should the challenger win, he becomes the new Ozyain, and inherits the land and servant families. The family of the old Ozyain swears fealty to him and they become a new servant family, though he is expected to treat them kindly and may marry one of the daughters to secure ties. These types of events typically happen in the spring, when young men of age wander out to seek their fortune. Challenges usually occur no more frequently than once a year. In more remote manors, challenges may be few and far between.

An Ozyain who rules more than 20 or so families traditionally declares himself a Baron. The title does not come from anywhere - he simply lays claim to the title and from thenceforth he is. Baronies tend to develop into small towns or even cities, and are the closest to actual civilization found in Srzahedy society. Barons are traditionally not subject to being challenged, and most of them employ small armies to deal with any upstarts. Baronies are also trade hubs, where Ozyain can trade for anything their lands do not produce on their own. Barons tend to host festivals, balls, and feasts, and so baronies are the center of social life, where engagments, duels, and other formalities are settled. The New Year, the most important festival, is celebrated by all.

Barons with large baronies occasionally have neighboring Ozyain swear fealty to him. They pay a low level of tax and he provides them with a certain extra level of protection, as well as special services such as magic (if he can hire a mage) or rare goods.

Aside from Ozyain, Barons, and the people who work for them, there are a number of other types of people. While Ozyain normally hunt for themselves there are full time hunters and trappers. There are also merchants, who travel between baronies and occasionally to farms to trade agricultural products for rarer commodities such as salt and cloth. Young men wandering and looking for land, either to start a new manor or to challenge the owner of an old one, are a common sight as well.

All serious craftsmen are highly esteemed by the Srazhedy, and most live and work either in a Barony or on a large manor, welcomed by the local Ozyain with open arms. Traditional village blacksmiths are among these craftsmen, and are quite common. Most Ozyain will employ at least one man with some smithing ability, to do repairs for the farm, if they are not close enough to visit a real one.

Swordsmiths, however, are held in what is essentially religious awe. They live almost universally as hermits, alone except for apprentices and sometimes a family. They spend all their time making some of the most high quality swords in the world. Iron is scarce in Srazhedy lands, but of excellent quality, and so no metal is wasted. The smith does all the polishing, handling, and finishing himself. In most cultures this is sublet out to specialists.

Magic users are held in similar respect as Swordsmiths. They too live often live as hermits, though many of them wander the countryside instead. They are usually treated as holy men, and this is a justified belief. See Religion and Magic below for more details.

Children and Family

Marriage is a rather informal institution for the Srazhedy. A very brief ceremony is performed by the Bride's father (or closest male relative if her Father is dead or unavailable). Divorce is quite easy, as the woman may simply leave or the man may simply cast her out. Despite this, divorces are rare. The Srazhedy take marriage very seriously and the coupling is assumed to be for life. In the event of a divorce, children old enough to speak stay with the father.

Naming Styles are patronymic. Children are called by their first name, a patronymic (-ovitch for men and -ovitchna for women), and a last name. For example, Sonya Petravitchna Prodov (Sonya, daughter of Petra, of the Prodov Family). Men occasionally add in extra patronymics, showing their male line, especially in formal settings.

The extended family line is considered important, and Ozyain keep extensive records of their pedigree. Despite this, distance, if nothing else, means that the practical bonds between relatives are restricted to a more nuclear arrangement.

Role of Women

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Warfare

Srazhedy do not usually engage in formal warfare, but there are exceptions. Baronies and the Ozyain who have sworn fealty to them occasionally go to war, but this is rare. It is also not unheard of for two Ozyain who despise each other to arm their workers and raid one another, but this is rarer still.

True warfare happens only occasionally, and usually when the Srazhedy are under great duress. At times like these several Barons and Ozyain get together and elect a Knaz, or Prince, who leads them to confront the challenge. The Knaz is sometimes a Baron but they have also been known to elect mere wandering young men looking for land.

A Knaz is only called up to deal with an external issue, and never to fight other Srazhedy. Such external issues include foreign invasion, interference, and the appearance of truly dangerous monsters. At the end of the conflict the Knaz is usually rewarded with land or a barony, if one of the barons has died, and then loses all special privilege.

While swords are the weapons of honor, the Srazhedy prefer to fight with bows during war, though they have no qualms about using their swords. With bows like the Great Composite Longbow on their side, however, many enemies are destroyed before they get so close. Barons and most Ozyain fight from horseback, and sometimes their sons as well. The nonlanded men they bring with them are infantry armed with whatever can be scrounged up, but they fight as fiercely as their masters.

A Knaz, rightfully chosen, is the only man who can command the wandering shamen of the land. This can make them more than powerful on the battlefield.

Religion

The Srazhedy worship three major Gods, as well as local nature spirits and powerful beings, including incredibly powerful mages. The three gods are very real and very powerful, and all of the more minor spirits pay fealty to them as well.

The God of Iron, Zehel, is sometimes called the Prince of the Gods, and is the primary object of worship by nearly all Ozyain. He is believed to bring strength and victory in battle. He is the personal god of every smith and a shrine exists for him in every house. He is not feared for his exceptional power, as Iron is rare in the north, but rather valued for his wisdom and judgement. Perhaps because of this he rarely manifests, appearing only rarely, usually in dreams. He is usually portrayed as an old man with pitch-black skin, white hair and a white beard, with Iron claws and carrying an Odachi.

The second major God is called the god of the Land, but for the Srazhedy the land extends to all plants, animals, rivers, oceans, and resources that grow or are produced there. Her name is Zemylli, and she is the most widely-worshiped of the three. The Ozyain worship her, for they are farmers. Those who work the land worship her, obviously. Travelers worship her, as she keeps the way. Her shrines exist all over the north, and there is one in every household. She is considered to be callous but giving and just, and is portrayed as a woman wrapped in furs with teeth tied in bracelets and necklaces all over her body. She too almost never manifests, though occasionally miracles occur that are clearly her work.

The third God is the God of the Skies, Netra. Much like Land, the Skies includes all weather and powers possessed by the heavens. Netra is a cruel and uncaring god, as he is responsible for the cold and dangerous weather of the North. Unlike the other two gods he occasionally takes form, harassing travelers, testing those he considers unworthy, cursing innocents, or even destroying settlements. He is a cleanshaven, pale young man with white hair and blood constantly dripping from his mouth, and usually attended by flocks of Ravens, his special animal. He wears white furs and attacks with terrible magic rather than a weapon. He is feared but generally worshiped directly only by those who wish his guidance in the magical arts. Blacksmiths, considered under the protection of Zehel, are said to be immune to his powers and even able to banish or command him, and his servants. He commands a terrible number of demons, weather sprites, and malevolent nature spirits.

Zemylli and Netra are generally portrayed as Brother and Sister, though they are not considered to be fond of each other. Zehel is sometimes considered to be their father, or their uncle, or unrelated, depending on the story. Zehel is the god of civilization, while Zemylli and Netra represent the nurturing and destructive faces of nature, respectively.

Srazhedy believe that in death they are escorted by the god whose domain they died under (in battle, Zehel; if the elements or weather, Netra; otherwise Zemylli) to a nameless land beyond a high stone wall. It is believed that some souls come back from that land and are reincarnated, though how many no one claims to know. It is also a popular belief that Netra devours the souls of the most wicked - traitors and cowards and the like - destroying them permanently.

Skills

Craft

Societies differ in what technologies they have developed. Here is listed the normal maximum for skilled craftsmen in this society - a character coming from such a society would have no higher a modifier than this (modifier being the specialization in that division of craft).

Items whose craft DC is more than the given number +15 will be rare, potentially costing twice as much as normal, and those whose DC is the given number +20 or higher cannot be attained. This rule may be broken in trading hubs, where items have been shipped in that are not domestically produced.

A zero here means that this society has no knowledge of this type of craft.

Division	Societal Maximum
Alchemy	0
Bowmaking	25
Calligraphy	3
Carpentry	25
Casting	4
Composition	2
Fletching	12
Forgery	1
Gemcutting	4
Glassworking	2
Leatherworking	23
Machining	0
Pottery	3
Sailmaking	5
Smithing	40
Stonework	9
Tailoring	2
Trapmaking	4
Weaving	14
Woodworking	20

Heal

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Division	Societal Maximum
First Aid	?
Long-Term Care	?
Surgery	?

Profession

Normal professions are virtually unknown. Most people do their own work (baking, weaving, house building) and special goods are made by craftsmen, covered under the Craft skill. In a culture where most people are farmers in one capacity or another, there is not much room or call for specialization.

Common divisions of Profession are:

-Farmer

-Merchant

Knowledge

Common divisions of Knowledge are:

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Perform

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Common divisions of Perform are:

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Other

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Magic

Magic users are quite rare in the North, but those that exist tend to be very powerful. Most are Adepts or Mages. Sorcerers are rare, and Wizards are rarer still, there being no formal schools to train them. This being said all four kinds do exist, though Wizards tend to be the weakest.

The traditional role for a mage is that of wanderer or Hermit. They walk around the countryside, making their living mostly from spiritual offerings, as they are considered holy, and hunting. Occasionally one will be hired by a Baron, but most are too proud. Generally they seek challenges to improve and test their magic.

It is also traditional for them to take pupils - usually at least three in their lifetime, but never more than one at any given time.

The basic disciplines are each considered to be the purview of one of the Three Gods, as listed below. Flesh and Cloth are shared by more than one.

Zehel:
* Metal
* Fire
* Cloth

Zemylli:
* Water
* Earth
* Life
* Mind
* Perception
* Cloth
* Flesh
* Plant

Netra:
* Air
* Cold
* Darkness
* Light
* Lightning
* Flesh

Adepts are usually considered to be the special chosen of the god under whose disciplines they fall. For this reason they are considered exceptionally holy.

Many master blacksmiths are also mages, usually with the Fire and Metal disciplines. There exist smiths who burn no fuel and shape their metal with no hammer. They are considered to be a link between Zehel and man, and are held in the highest esteem.