ANTALIA
Location: Northeast coastlands of the Ostzee on the continent of Iciria, east of the Beastmen Wastes and north of the Krugel Horde's lands. HW
Area: 322,854 sq. mi. (836,190 sq. km.).
Population: 100,000 living in villages of up to 500.
Languages: Antalian, Neathar.
Coinage: None (barter only).
Taxes: Corvée labour and levies of in-kind produce prevails in individual lordships.
Government Type: Numerous independent lordships governed by chieftains.
Industries: Agriculture, fishing, herding, leathercraft, piracy and raiding.
Important Figures: Kjodar Triudar's Son (Chieftain of Kiefstut, human, male, F16).
Flora and Fauna: Sub-arctic; hardy grasses, evergreen forests, hill, stone, and frost giants, bears, wolves, white dragons.
Further Reading: Hollow World boxed set, previous almanacs.
Description by Theukidikies the Historian of Corisa.
This is a hostile land of warriors living in a harsh environment.
The Land
The Antalians live in rugged, sub-arctic lands on the shores of the Ostzee, at the foot of snow-capped mountains. The lands are thick with evergreens. There are two rivers here, the longer one being known as the Fym. The inhabitants mostly live along the coasts and fjords, the latter of which are shrouded in fog. A cold wind seems to constantly blow out of the north, making survival here difficult. The mountains and harshness of the land protect the Antalians from invasion, but do not prevent the Antalians from venturing out, either by land or sea, to raid and make war. Fierce wolves and even more dangerous creatures infest the land in large numbers.
The People
The Antalians are a grim, fatalistic and stern people, made hard by the lands they live in. They are a pale race, most having golden hair, though brown and red are not uncommon. Both men and women wear their hair long, with men also having beards. Blue, grey, green, and brown are their eyes. They dress in heavy garments of leather, wool, linen, and furs to protect themselves from the cold. The Antalians dwell in many small villages, in long, single-story halls that hug close to the earth where the winds do not penetrate, surrounding them with stockades to not only keep out enemies (including those from neighbouring villages) but the winds as well.
The Antalians are a hard-living, rough people who lead short lives. They hunt and fish their lands, but like the Traldar they most enjoy raiding and piracy, sailing the seas to sack neighbouring settlements with wild abandon. The highest aspiration, it is said, of an Antalian is to command his own pirate vessel, raiding the coasts until brought down at a young age by either hordes of enemies in overwhelming numbers or by an enemy so strong it is deemed an honour to be slain by it.
Those few Antalians who live to see wisdom try to counsel their youth against such a rough and early end of life, but few hearken to such advice, as the lure of the sea and of combat runs strong in the blood of these people. They challenge all strangers who come upon their villages to a duel to first blood with their finest warriors. Those who win are welcomed as guests and feasted, those who fail the test are bludgeoned and enslaved. The Antalians do not enslave each other, but only other people, subdued in such tests or captured in battle.
The Antalians look upon life as a ruthless and harsh test that they are destined to fail in the end, but they feel they prove their mettle by facing it with unwavering resolve. They believe that this struggle against hardship and fate is what makes life worthwhile. They love fighting, but are clever about it, and use trickery to gain for themselves every advantage, seeing nothing despicable in stacking the odds in their favour. After all, it is a matter of life and death to them, and death comes early enough. Antalians fight most often with each other, but occasionally enter into grim wars against the Beastmen and the Icevale elves.
Like the Milenians, they respect their men over their women, though some women among the Antalians do become warriors. These live in one hall in each Antalian town, as the others are uncomfortable and suspicious of them. Many Antalian women warriors end up going out into the world as a result of this. The Antalians respect the Immortals, primarily their patrons, Wotan, Donar, Fredar, Fredara, and Lokar. But they are suspicious of magic that does not come from the Immortals, and Antalian wizards are few, and treated harshly, often exiled from their communities, where most die. Those that do live have become quite powerful, however, and a number of these sorcerers rule over their villages.
The Antalians are governed by arls, who preside over them like the kings of the Traldar rule over that people. Other than that, their laws are simple but hard, like the people. The Antalians trade little, preferring to raid instead. They have domesticated the large reindeer who are found in these lands, and even use them as mounts when raiding or travelling by land. By sea they move in long ships with oars and a single mast, descending upon the coasts at will.
Do Miss
This is a harsh and unwelcoming land, inhabited by a harsh and
unwelcoming people. There is little of
note to see here, just the cold and the wind and the axes of the Antalians.