Post by Head Moderator on Mar 18, 2013 0:22:45 GMT -5
The Skegg Islands are made up of seven islands, each of which has their own governor and assembly which handles the matters of the land and its people. They speak Skeggan. There are about 12,000 residents of the islands.
Unlike the Rumerians which conquered the Skegg Islands many generations ago, the Skeggan folk rarely leave their home and most certainly do not attempt to conquer any neighboring areas. They have an uneasy relationship with Alzorc due to being officially part of Rumeria, and have a good relationship with the Shalott Kingdom.
The islands are rugged and rocky with some low peaks; the coasts are mostly cliffs. The highest point is Grosfjall, 2,760 ft above sea level. The islands are dominated by basalt lava.
Many of the islands are linked by bridges, others reached by ferryboat. Deep-sea fishing is popular, and whaling, and farming.
Culture
A young Skeggan person is normally handed down a set of children`s clothes that is then passed from generation to generation. Children are confirmed at age 14 and normally start to collect the pieces to make an adult outfit which is considered as a rite of passage. Traditionally the aim would have been for the outfit to be completed by the time a young person was ready to marry and would have been worn at the ceremony, although it is mainly only men who do this now.
Each piece is intricately hand-knitted, dyed, woven, or embroidered to the specifications of the wearer. For example the male waistcoat is put together by hand in bright blue, red, or black fine wool. The front is then intricately embroidered with colorful silk threads, often by a female relative. The motifs are often local Skeggan flowers or herbs. After this, a row of Skeggan made solid silver buttons are sewn on the outfit.
Women wear embroidered silk, cotton, or wool shawls and pinafores that can take months to weave or embroider with local flora and fauna. They are also adorned with a handwoven black and red ankle-length skirt, knitted black and red jumper, a velvet belt, and black styke shoes with silver buckles. The outfit is held together by a row of solid silver buttons, silver chains and spectacular locally made silver brooches and belt buckles, often fashioned with Viking style motifs.
Both men's and women's national dress are extremely costly and can take many years to assemble. Women in the family often work together to assemble the outfits, including knitting the close-fitting jumpers, weaving and embroidering, sewing and assembling the national dress.
Traditional Skeggan food is mainly based on meat, seafood and potatoes and uses few fresh vegetables. Mutton is the basis of many meals, and one of the most popular treats is skurjot, well aged, wind-dried mutton, which is quite chewy. The drying shed is a standard feature in many Skeggan homes, particularly in the small towns and villages. Other traditional foods are rastkot (semi-dried mutton) and rastfisk, matured fish. Another specialty is grinspokt, pilot whale meat and blubber. Meat and blubber from a pilot whale means food for a long time in the Skegg Islands. Fresh fish also features strongly in the traditional local diet, as do seabirds, such as Skeggan puffins, and their eggs. Dried fish is also commonly eaten.
There is one brewery called Bjortalle, which produces a rich golden ale. It is located on the island of Svartur.
Climate
The climate is classed as Maritime Subarctic. The overall character of the islands' climate is influenced by the strong warming influence of XXXX. This, together with the remoteness of any source of warm airflows, ensures that winters are mild (mean temperature 37 to 39°F) while summers are cool (mean temperature 49 to 51°F).
The islands are windy, cloudy and cool throughout the year with over 260 annual rainy days. The islands lie in the path of depressions moving northeast and this means that strong winds and heavy rain are possible at all times of the year. Sunny days are rare and overcast days are common.
Flora
The natural vegetation of the Skegg Islands is dominated by arctic-alpine plants, wildflowers, grasses, moss and lichen. Most of the lowland area is grassland and some is heath, dominated by shrubby heathers and marsh thistle. Skeggan is characterized by the lack of trees.
Fauna
Seabirds--
Mammals--
Three species thrive on the islands, Mountain Hare, Brown Rat, and the House Mouse. There are also domestic sheep, and a varieity of feral sheep on some of the less populated islands.
Grey Seals are common around the shorelines. Long finned Whales are hunted, and sometimes killer whales make it to the fjords of the Skegg Islands.
There are species of the following animals that are found only on the Skegg Islands: Skeggan Pony, Skeggan Goose, Skeggan Cow, Skeggan Sheep, Skeggan Duck.
SVARTUR
Svartur is the largest of the Skegg Islands and most populated.
Fiska
The center of the fishing industry in all of the Skegg Islands and considered the capital of the Skegg Islands. The largest city in all of the islands.
ROKUR
Sigura
Self-claimed as the highest village in the world, Sigura sits high in the mountains, almost above the treeline. Wood is scarce, and most food comes from imported grain and indigenous mountain goats. The Siguran mines are valuable for the precious and semi-precious gemstones, mostly sapphires and rubies, that they produce. While friendly as a village, the penalties for theft and claim-jumping is high, ranging from amputation of the offending hand to hanging in the public square.
NORDUR
Tonn
Moon Valley
The valley is ringed by mountains, creating a deep basin valley. There is a large, flat placid lake in this valley, near to the center point. The mountain line creates it own peaks and hollows. The largest and most dramamtic of these hollows frames the largest of our three moons as it rises for half the year (equinox). This is called Moon Pass, because it lets the moon come from the sky to the world. Other hollows in the mountain line occur at astrologically useful times. The valley is clear most of the time, so moonrise is fairly spectacular. A full Moon, shines brightly in the dark lake. The Moon and its "Bright Shadow" all in one place.
Because of all the associations with the moon and spirit, the valley is magical in many ways. This valley touches many worlds and fey realms. If you walk in the wrong places at the wrong time, you will find yourself elsewhere. There is a village of lycanthropes and lycanborn near Moon Valley, as well as a hidden village of moonfey.
Moon Valley Temple
This temple is sacred to the Priests of the Celestial Sky. It is located clinging to one of the mountainsides, giving them the best view of Moon Valley that can be found, which they use in their studies.
DREYMUR
Spyta
The Frozen Palace
They say that there used to be a castle on that northern hill, but evidence is quite unclear in this regard. If one comes here in summer, nothing is found, not even digging reveals anything from the past. Most of the year the place is empty, a little grass survives, but no animal would stay around to feed on it.
Then comes the winter.
As the snow falls, it will fall into the right form. Walls will arise, and hallways and rooms between them, growing in height, closing to create a roof, and then another floor, and another, freezing into towers and courtyards, places and furnishings, even people. As winter progresses, a truly large palace will be born. It is a memory, an echo of a place that was here long ago. The people do not move, and it melts in the spring. It is even possible to destroy it. But with the next snowfall - or the next winter, it will arise again.
KALDUR
Hovd
Hovd was built on the edge of a mineral spring and the locals have exceptionally good health. This good health has lead to increased vim and vigor among both the men and women, there are consequently very few single women of age and most couples have seven to ten children.
MIDDAGUR
Blekka
KVINNUR
Nattgren
Also known as the glowing village, Nattgreen, or "Green Night" is known for the fact that the stone mined from it's quarry glows a phosphorescent green color under the light of the moons. As the moons wane towards darkness, the stone glows brighter, until at the new moon it has a radiant gold color. During the full moon, the glow is a barely noticeable green hue to the stone. This luminescent effect only lasts within a four mile radius around the village, and stone removed from this area retain their glow for one rotation of the largest moon.
