Icereach Range, Final Range and Wyrmsteeth
by Marco Dalmonte English translation by Gary DaviesGreat One - Dragons and lizardkin, creation, justice, knowledge, magic
Karaash - Humanoids, war, victory, conquest, tactics, strength
Bartziluth - Fury, battle, bravery, strength
Hel - Death, darkness and cold energy, reincarnation, corruption, evil shapechangers
Jammudaru - Evil giants, vengeance, violence, torture, fear
Ka - Protection, prosperity, knowledge, healing, wisdom, rakasta, lizardmen, stone giants
White Claw (Ninfangle) - Rakasta, bravery, hunting, travel, adventure, battle
The Executioner (Malinois) - Lupin, hunting, war, courage, just vengeance, weapons and armourers, hunters of lycanthropes
Zalaj - Cloud and mountain giants, knowledge, magic, strength
Diamond - Lawful dragons, order, wisdom, justice, tolerance
Opal - Neutral dragons, lizardmen, vengeance, perseverance
Pearl - Chaotic dragons and lizardmen, instinct, hunting, greed, domination
Surt (Zugzul) - Power, conquest, fire, war
Loki - Deceit, lies, betrayal, intrigue, guile, fire
Notes:
1. The mountain ranges of Norwold, in particular Wyrmsteeth, are famous for being the refuge of an indeterminate number of draconic creatures for time immemorial. This so-called Kingdom of the Dragons is a constant legend handed down by the human and humanoid populations of Norwold, but its real extension and the type of government (if it even has one) that the dragons have has always remained a mystery. The most insistent rumours and the opinions of the most erudite sages on the argument insist on the fact that the kingdom is divided into “hunting territories”, each administered by an old dragon that under him has untold younger dragons. The various territories often fight between themselves, but by common accord the dragons have never provoked an all-out war with their brothers, in order to avoid benefiting their enemies. There must also exist a hidden site in the Wyrmsteeth, a city of dragons excavated in the heart of the most impenetrable mountains, in which periodically the sovereigns of these territories assemble in order to keep council on their affairs and on the movements of the other races within of Norwold. It is said that this council is led by the three most powerful dragons of the world, each in representation of one of the other ethos to which are aligned the dragons (Law, Neutrality and Chaos), known also as Diamond (the Dragon of the Sun), Pearl (the Dragon of the Moon) and Opal (the Dragon of the Stars), and that the Great One visits this place at least once each year, during a sacred day in which the majority of draconic creatures of the continent are able to pay homage to him.
2. The numerous humanoids that live in the wild land of Norwold are followers of Karaash and Bartziluth, following to the letter the ancient martial code and the way of the berserker famous both among the humanoids as well as among the humans.
3. Various humanoids worship Hel, considered the dark mother of their race and the protector of their refuges (the shadow embodied by Hel is considered sacred and sure, for this many of them live in the heart of the mountains and act at night), the one that brought the death of their enemies and perpetuate the lives of their disciples through the reincarnation constantly determined on the basis of their brave actions (pillaging and killing of enemies) completed in life.
4. Jammudaru has a discrete following among the tribes of the more ruthless humanoids (especially ogres and orcs), among the more brutal giants of the region, and is considered the lord of vengeance, incubi and torture.
5. Ka and White Claw (Ninfangle) are worshipped by the various tribes of rakasta (mountain rakasta, lynxmen and snow pardasta) that are found especially on the Wyrmsteeth and in the Final Range. Ka also has followers in the communities of lizardmen and among the stone giants that live in Norwold as creator and protector of the species.
6. In Norwold roam many lupin tribes of various races, but all pay homage to the Executioner (Malinois), the lupin Immortal patron of hunting, courage and war, whose dictates allow the lupin to remain independent and survive in the wild lands.
7. The majority of cloud and mountain giants that live on the highest peaks of Norwold worship Zalaj as father of their race and supreme Immortal of the land and sky.
8. Many fire giants and some tribes of humanoids worship Surt (Zugzul) as the lord of fire, Immortal of destruction and war, and in his name carry forward a crusade against the humans by destroying the settlements and conquering new territories in his name. All the tribes that worship Surt directly answer to his authority, even if they don’t act in cooperation very often, but avoid making war on each other in order to avoid the divine punishment that in the past various guilty clans of giants in fratricide fights, according to the legend submerged by the volcanic eruptions provoked by Surt.
9. The cult of Loki is popular both with some communities of giants (in particular fire giants renegades who are opposed to the influence of Surt and his followers) and with other tribes both of humans and humanoids, usually barbarians dedicated to raiding and that only act in order to add to the confusion that already disrupts the kingdom of Norwold.