Background -- Jotun Tribelands

I always come back from GaryCon with a renewed sense of purpose to get more gaming in and to create some adventures to run at the next con. The demands of work and family tend to distract me from my resolve as the year progresses (as shown by my post history). Apparently I need to attend more cons.

So with my rekindled resolve, here's some background on the area I am going to concentrate on for my campaign setting and adventures, The Jotun Tribelands.

The Tribelands lay in the area between the north shore of the Sea of Strife and the southern foothills of the Jural Mountains with the heaviest population concentrated in the Barysthenes river valley. The chief cities are Chersonesus at the outflow of the Barysthenes into the Sea of Strife and Bas-Morheath which lies in the great bend of the Barysthenes.

Historical Background

In the years before the Dread Goddess led her people to the shores of the Sea of Strife, a small  kingdom, Taurica, arose along the banks of the Barysthenes River. The Tauri were a semi-nomadic people who lived primarily on raiding and plunder. The Tauri were also noted builders of Kurgans. They had two notable permanent cities, Chersonesus and Symbolon. Chersonesus was located at the outflow of the Barysthenes and was a noted haven for pirates raiding the Sea of Strife. Symbolon was located about 150 miles north at a bend of the Barysthenes.

When the Cyrenes began their encroachment into the basin of the Sea of Strife they were held back for a time by the ferocity of the Tauri; but the Tauri were not loved by their neighbors (and frequent victims) among the cities of the Sea Kings and in their last campaign aid was refused them and Symbolon was lost and the remnants of the Tauri scattered.

After the death of the Fell Empress the Cyrene Empire began to dissolve into petty satrapies and isolated garrisons with a few families huddled near the walls for protection. In the former kingdom of Taurica the descendants of the Tauri waged a guerrilla war against the remaining Cyrene nobility and bureaucrats who were attempting to carve a new kingdom out of the remains of the empire. To their lasting regret, the Tauri were successful in destroying what remained of the Cyrene power structures and Barysthenes valley settled into barbarism and tribalism. Into this relative power vacuum arrived the migrating Jotun and Vargr people. Their alliance was not numerous but was well organized and they quickly assumed the mantle of rulership in the Barysthenes valley and in the surrounding highlands.

The Jotun make no claim of Kingship in the valley, though they built a city, Bar-Morheath, on the site of destroyed Symbolon. This lack of overt ambition on the part of the Jotuns is probably what allows the uneasy peace between the remnants of the Tauri and the Jotuns; for the dream of lost Taurica lives on in the hearts of many of the Tauri.

Background - Jotun Tribelands

Far north of the Sea of Strife giants formed the earliest kingdoms. Giants don't make comfortable neighbors, even for other giants, and warfare among the various giant kindred was constant. During this long struggle sorcerors and shaman among the kindred began breeding new peoples by magically combining part of their own essence with that of various other creatures. Thus were born the beastmen, orcs, ogres, gnolls and the various goblin kin; servants of chaos all. These same breeding programs also gave rise to the Vargr, created to hunt the chaos beastmen, and the nearly human Jotun; both servants of law. 

All of the created people breed much faster than the giant-kin that created them and soon the skirmishes between chaotic giants and lawful giants were being almost entirely fought by their created servants. But the giants had made a mistake by including a portion of their own essence in the created people. As their numbers grew they began to chafe at the yoke of their giant masters. Their is no love to be found between the beastmen and the Jotun and Vargr; but a day came when their hatred of their masters burned hotter then their hatred for their longtime foes.

At the battle of Sigissmund's Fjord the servants people on both sides turned on the giant commanders. The subsequent rebellion was swift and bloody. Nearly all of the giant-kin were slain and of the various servant races perhaps one in five survived the destruction. The land was ravaged by the great magical forces unleashed by the giants in their desperate fight against their own creations. The remaining giant kin scattered to the mountains and remote places to hide and slowly regather their strength. 

The Jotun and Vargr moved south along the valley of the River Vol and eventually settled along the north east shores of the sea and along the Vol River, forming the Jotun Tribelands. The restrictive trade practices of the Sea Kings are hardly burdensome to a people long enslaved; and, so far, the various Jotun and Vargr Tribes live happily under the influence of the Sea Kings.

Background Cyrene Kingdoms

300 years ago in the far east beyond the headwaters of the Tiphrates River, the Dread Empress Cyrene forged a realm that reached the shores of the Sea of Strife. Her armies, inspired by equal measures of fear, love and lust for their Empress, held the lands in her name for 250 years. She was finally destroyed two generations ago by the greatest hero of his age, Rostam.

For some years following her death, the priests of her cult as Empress and Goddess were able to hold the empire together. Beset by dreams of power from the inside and the destabilizing influence of the Sea Kings, the once dread empire has dissolved into a patchwork of petty kingdoms and independent fiefdoms. The cult of Cyrene is still prevalent in the lands where she once ruled and the priests whisper into the ears of every kinglet and nobleman the dreams of reforging the empire and ruling it again in Cyrene's name.

Through trade, bribery and espionage the Sea Kings have been successful in keeping the various ambitious rulers at one another's throats. It is a risky game they play, the constant strife may create a ruler strong enough to subdue his neighbors and sweep across the region.

Background - The Sea Kings

The Tiphrates River is the large river that flows into the Sea of Strife in the northern part of the eastern shoreline.

In the dawn of time a thriving, agrarian civilization of humans arose along the fertile banks of the Tiphrates River. As their population swelled many extended family groups began to migrate along the river valley. Some followed the Tiphrates upstream and were lost to the people of the valley. Many more went downstream until they arrived on the shores of a large inland sea, the Sea of Strife.

These people began building boats, first for fishing, and then later for exploration and finally to trade along the other shores of the sea. As the first merchant venturers in the region, the wealth they were able to amass  was staggering. With this wealth they began to build war ships to "protect" the trade lanes. This was quickly followed by great forts constructed at important trading locations and the wealth of the great sea captains was poured into rich palaces and cities on every shore of the Sea of Strife. 

The reach and power of the great captains was such that they began to be called the Sea Kings by the other dwellers in the region. The captains themselves are rulers of the polities and are styled as Tyrant of their city. At times the Tyrants will issue some edict or proclamation jointly. When they do so they issue it from The Sea Kings to reinforce their combined power in the region.

Background

I have been working on the background info for the Sea of Strife and it is threatening to take on a life of its own and never be completed. So rather than post one overly long article I'm going to post a series of articles with a brief-ish background of the various regions on and around the Sea of Strife.