Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Nov 24, 2005 14:21:08	I am creating a lvl one fighter for Living Greyhawk and I would like to know is there anything like a northern tribe of Scottish type Highlanders in Greyhawk? I see this guy wearing a Kilt and no shirt. Long blonde hair in braids, and tattoo's all over. His name is Thorgrim "Thor" McMasterson. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.
#2 Mortepierre Nov 24, 2005 17:22:06	With that kind of name, your PC sounds more like a member of the Frost/Ice/Snow Barbarians. Or Ratik maybe.. That said, yes, there seems to be a highlander culture in the (former) Great Kingdom. Take a look at the Highlander Castles, and the Armies of the North in the Ivid the Undying accessory (freely available on the WotC website, download section)
#3 Greyson Nov 24, 2005 19:52:38	Here is a link to the RPGA's Living Greyhawk board: http://boards1.wizards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=464 Check out your region's meta organizations for in-character oppurtunities to develop your fighter. Regrettably, everything east of the Harp Rriver and south of Bone March is Core (generally). Living Greyhawk has little to offer in that area. Perhaps after the Blight on Bright Sands story-arc is over, the eastern Flanaess will see some campaign development.
#4 zombiegleemax Nov 25, 2005 5:48:10	That said, yes, there seems to be a highlander culture in the (former) Great Kingdom. Take a look at the Highlander Castles, and the Armies of the North in the Ivid the Undying accessory (freely available on the WotC website, download section) The Imperial Highlanders always struck me more as a regiment title than a cultural grouping, in fairness. I never saw Prince Shalaster commanding a mass of kilted, woad and lime-daubed maniacs with claymores and bucklers, Braveheart style, but rather a disciplined corps of Aerdi soldiers - hard as nails and locally born and bred in the rugged hills of the western North Kingdom, but not Highland Clansmen. Ratik and the barbarians of Rhizia (the Fruzti, Schnai and Cruski are kind of highlander-ish, but are more nordic in flavour - think Vikings, Varangians and Danes rather than clansmen). I think Perrenland has more Scottish-types lurking in the Yatils and Clatspurs, but I could be wrong. Geoff has a strong Welsh/Britonic feel to it - not quite highlander, but at least Celtic. And they have the mountains to go with it. Hope that helps, P.
#5 Mortepierre Nov 25, 2005 6:28:47	The Imperial Highlanders always struck me more as a regiment title than a cultural grouping, in fairness. I never saw Prince Shalaster commanding a mass of kilted, woad and lime-daubed maniacs with claymores and bucklers, Braveheart style, but rather a disciplined corps of Aerdi soldiers - hard as nails and locally born and bred in the rugged hills of the western North Kingdom, but not Highland Clansmen. The two aren't so incompatible. After all, after fighting the englishmen for centuries, highlanders became a rather feared part of Great Britain's armies (even back when Scotland was still rebelling). I could easily see regiments of "hard as nails, and locally born & bred" soldiers fighting with kilt, buckler, and claymore. No, they wouldn't be covered in woad and lime but they could sport elaborate tattoo's as part of their cultural heritage (as well as to inspire fear among their opponents).
#6 thanael Nov 25, 2005 14:28:46	The Living Greyhawk Gazetteer notes that Aerdi and Nyrondal Oeridians favor plaids and checks, and that the colors and patterns used once showed clan allegiance, but htis practice is fading in favor of personal color preference. OTOH the ancient nomadic Flann were known for body painting and tattoos with mostly the Rovers of the Barrens still practicing those. Large pockets of Flan are known to live in Geoff though and the name does not strike me as very Aerdi-like nor Nyrondese. I could also picture a Dwarvish Culture of kilt wearing highlanders. So mayhap he comes from a place where Oeridian and Dwarvish ways have mingled? Check out the Living Geoff page here: http://www.living-geoff.com/modules.php?name=Grand_Duchy_of_Geoff&pa=showpage&pid=1 This non-canon article might interest you too: http://www.canonfire.com/cfhtml/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=617 It posits a Highland Subculture of the Rovers of the Barrrens. (As usual copy/paste the links into your browser manually or you will be misled by the freaking WotC boards cry baby page)
#7 crag Nov 25, 2005 14:56:44	Have to agree, I always saw the suel barbarians and to a lesser extent ratik more as a nordic viking template. As for Perrenland, it does have the clan structure but I think it is obviously based on the swiss not scot. At first I dismissed the idea of Aerdi but looking at it closer, while the bulk of forces are drawn from the valleys and is relatively uniform, elite units are more "colorful". ItU does provide support: Imperial Highlanders Plaid wardrobe Drawn exclusively from Rakers and Blemu Hills Tattooes Extermely fierce fighters Extermely loyal to fellow highlanders At first blush it does look possible, after all ;)
#8 zombiegleemax Nov 28, 2005 19:48:45	The plaid / checks / tartan / etc. clothing style was established as Oeridian in the 1983 boxed Greyhawk set and affirmed in later products. Reviewing the PDF version of Ivid, it seems that the old Imperial Highlanders are well imagined as primarily composed of mixed Oeridian-Flan (Of?) people, predominantly armed in studded leathers with the relatively few light cavalry in chain mail. The light infantry do not wield claymores but instead pikes or spears (and short swords) along with full body shields. The highlanders also bear tattoos, including a crossed-lance design on the forearms of the cavalrymen. Below are two relevant excerpts from Ivid the Undying: >>>>> The military force within these castles was originally known as the Imperial Highlanders, since many were well-trained hillsmen used to skirmishes in the Blemu Hills and Rakers. They are tough, strong, exceptionally disciplined men with very high morale. They still call themselves Imperial Highlanders, but now they obey the dictates of no ruler other than the one they have chosen. They have, in effect, seceded from North Province. Their war leaders swore an oath of allegiance to Baron-General Shalaster, who commands them from his base at the southernmost castle. <<<< Ivid the Undying, p. 51 Also: >>>>> Imperial Highlanders: A second elite unit, like the Rakersmen the Highlanders are well used to hill fighting. However, they also have a long history of forest warfare and mixed unit types. While most (80%) are light infantry, the use of light cavalry (10%) in particular has been a hallmark of their operations, and their longbowmen (10%) are justly feared. Their studded-leather armored infantry employ pikes or spears, and short swords. Some 20% are also trained in the use of crossbows, with the others often employing full body shields to protect the crossbowmen during their reloading operations, and to protect the longbowmen units which usually only have short swords in addition to bows. Cavalrymen use chain mail and are equipped with longswords, heavy maces, and lances. Their horses are not usually barded, however, since the advantage of light cavalry is speed. The great body shields of the Highlanders display their own symbol of crossed gray lances over a shattered rock-like symbol. Some say it resembles a crumbling xorn in brown, on a green background, with three small brown chevrons in the top left quadrant. Many Highlander cavalrymen have tattoos of the crossed-lance design on their forearms, and indeed tattooing is a characteristic of most Highlanders in general. More than any other northern army, the Imperial Highlanders always have had a primary loyalty to their own fraternity and fellowship. They are deeply proud and stubborn men, silent and often infuriating to deal with. But they have superb morale (16) and in their near-250 years have virtually never been known to retreat willingly even in the face of an overwhelming force. They are greatly feared by the orcs of the Bone March, who refer to them as "the wall fiends" (a reference to the solid protective wall of body shields they use in defensive formation). <<<<< Ivid the Undying, p. 148
#9 ripvanwormer Nov 29, 2005 11:34:10	I am creating a lvl one fighter for Living Greyhawk and I would like to know is there anything like a northern tribe of Scottish type Highlanders in Greyhawk? I see this guy wearing a Kilt and no shirt. Long blonde hair in braids, and tattoo's all over. His name is Thorgrim "Thor" McMasterson. Any ideas? Thanks in advance. He sounds like a character of mixed Oeridian/Suel/Flan origin, the descendent of Suel Barbarian raiders mixing with Oerid/Flan clans in the highlands on the Solnor coast near Ratik or the North Kingdom. His appearance and first name are classically Suel Barbarian, but his surname and manner of dress harkens back to the Oerids. Tattoos are a Flannae custom. Presumedly he's mostly Suel in bloodline, but his ancestors have long since adopted the traditions of neighboring people. Such a group could easily exist somewhere in the area.
#10 zombiegleemax Nov 30, 2005 11:57:07	A friend of mine had a "Scots Highlander" themed character that hailed from the Sepia Uplands in/near Perrenland. He wore nothing but a kilt, swung a claymore and was as crazy as the day was long. Adrian McMillan was his name. More crazy than Adrian was his other character in the group (we each had three to make different combos depending on the adventure, we were kind of like Oerth's version of the Harpers only we were waaay cooler) Madmordac. He shaved himself and every horse he owned because he had a phobia of lice, fleas, etc.