Here's what I wrote years ago about this tiny 'Amazon' community of Norwold. In the following days I'll post also a small map of the area (which shows the position of Berekeva and of the allied Viaskoda tribes) and, if you're interested, also the background of Ishenya.
Here it is (and is quite long). If you have any suggestion to improve the description, or any idea about something you'd like to see introduced of modified, post it!
Some additional notes:
1) All reference to Norwold are linked to the map posted in the first post of this thread. The Viaskodas mentioned below are the Viaskodas you find in the first post.
2) I'm still developing a 3.5 list of arcane spells available among Nainartas; I'll update this part as soon as possible.
3) The religion issue has been written with Marco Dalmonte's Codex Immortalis in mind; the goddesses you'll find below and their names are taken from his version of the Antalian pantheon (the so-called 'Asatru').
4) Some references in the history part could seem misleading; they're linked with our (mine and of some friend of mine on the Italian MMB) version of the history of Norwold (again, I can post it also if you're interested).
The Nainartas
by Simone NeriThe Nainartas are a female culture that rule an alliance of barbarian tribes from a small community located high in the Goddess' Diadem.
History
The origin of this people goes back some hundred of years to the events following the failure of the second Alphatian attempt at colonising Norwold (the first was Alinor's attempt). This happened under Emperor Volospin III, and eventually failed because of the opposition of the Wyrmsteeth dragons (according to the events of Dragonlord Trilogy, when the Alphatian war fleet is destroyed by dragons - which should happen around AC 510).
After the Alphatians' defeat, the lands they had conquered in the region around the Sabre River were occupied by barbarian Norse and Vatski tribes. The land fragmented into many small petty kingdoms where a small number of Alphatian immigrants lived alongside the barbarian conquerors. In some of these petty kingdoms (mostly located in central-western Norwold, from the Pierced Crown range to the Giants' Mountains) the barbarians assimilated some cultural traits of the Alphatians, settling down in their surviving communities and villages. Within years some of these kingdoms had crumbled, others had stabilised.
In the following two centuries, these kingdoms had to fight the surrounding barbarian tribes and the humanoid hordes which coveted the riches and the slaves of their villages and keeps. The battles became increasingly hard, until a great humanoid invasion launched by a great ogre chief coming from the east broke the defences of the small kingdoms and led to their fall. The ogre leader wanted to build his own realm upon the ruins of these kingdoms; to keep local ruling families from rising against him and to break the morale of the conquered peoples, he took female hostages from local noble families to form a sort of personal harem. After some years of undisputed rule and continuous military campaigns against other barbarian tribes, the ogre chief was killed and his "kingdom" crumbled, giving way to another wave of barbarian conquerors. Their goods plundered, their warriors killed or enslaved, the people of the small kingdoms reverted to the barbaric way of life within years. All vestiges of Alphatian civilisation disappeared shortly after; only some ruins stood as an hint of a past Alphatian occupation.
When the humanoid horde shattered, the harem of the ogre chief managed to flee the barbarian conquerors together with other former female slaves taken by the humanoids. These women were born in civilised villages and towns and preferred to find peace away from their homeland, which was reverting to barbarism. Being mostly daughters, wives or cousins of noblemen, these women were rather cultured and some of them were able to use magic in Alphatian tradition. After a difficult trip, they hid in a secluded mountain range in the Icereach Range.
In the Icereach Range, through the use of enchantment spells known to those of them that were wizards, this group of women managed to obtain the alliance of some Viaskoda tribes. These tribes, whose chiefs had been charmed by these women, allowed this female community to settle in an ancient complex of dwarven ruins, upon which the Viaskoda helped them to built a new village. In turn, they received help from the women, which possessed more advanced knowledge (like magic, writing, and so on).
This community of women came to be known as the Nainartas (perhaps a corruption of the Viaskoda word nainirtä (which means "free women"). The small fortified town they had built was called Berekeva ("peaceful house") and was inhabited only by women. The Nainartas finally elected a queen, that was to rule on Berekeva, helped by six Councillors.
Only women were permitted to get inside the town; only in a given time of the year the Nainartas consented to the Viaskoda tribes to send in Berekeva their most beautiful and healthy warriors, among which these women would have chosen their mates. Each mate could stay in Berekeva for six months at most, before returning to his tribe. Giving a child to a Nainarta was considered a great honour among the Viaskoda tribes. The Nainartas raised all their sons, then kept among them only some of the females and sent the other to their fathers among the Viaskoda tribes.
Within time, some Viaskoda tribes developed a stable relationships with the Nainarta without the need of magical suggestions. The Viaskodas were often helped by the Nainartas against the barbarian tribes ruled by the white dragon Quesa and against the humanoid hordes. The Nainartas taught magic to the Viaskoda women that seemed more skilled, and eventually invited many of them to live in Berekeva herself. In turn, the Nainartas bought from the clans the basic food and goods they needed.
As the years passed, the queens of the Nainartas came to be considered the she-protectors of the allied Viaskoda tribes, a sort of ruler both of the Nainartas and of the tribes. The Nainartas' queens tried to enforce and preserve a seeming of superiority and divine purity around their people, by choosing only beautiful females to join them in Berekeva, sending the old to live with the clans and keeping some crafts secret to the Viaskodas. So far, this policy has been successful and has been instrumental in the creation of this small realm, formed by a number of barbarian tribes allied with an all-women town.
Recently, a young but fierce white dragon of the Icereach Range gathered around him enough humanoid support to launch an offensive on the Viaskoda tribes of the White Banner. The Nainartas under Queen Kalaya entered the fray on the Viaskodas' side and fought a number of bloody battles against the humanoid foes. Kalaya herself died battling the humanoids. When hope seemed lost, a sorceress and warrior of outsider heritage came from the east, putting her skills in service of the Nainartas: she was Ishenya, an exiled Alphatian princess who had begun to wander the north some years before. Thanks to her skills the Nainartas managed to forge an alliance with some rakasta clans, and with the help of these allies, of Ishenya's magic and of her personal valour, the Nainartas and their Viaskoda allies fought back and defeated the humanoids. Ishenya personally slew the dragon leader of the humanoids and was acclaimed as heroine and then as queen of the Nainartas. Thanks to her sorcerous and fighting skills, Ishenya was not only made queen of the Nainartas, but received a sort of worship from the allied Viaskoda tribes, who regarded her as an heroine sent by the gods to save them in their darkest hour; they began to call her "Sonya the Golden" (for in their tongue they can't properly speak her name 'Ishenya', and because of her golden hair and armour). Since then, Ishenya has ruled well as Queen Sonta the Golden over Viaskoda tribes and Nainartas alike.
Appearance
Nainartas are all human females descended from an old mix of Common Alphatians and Norse peoples; in the past centuries their heritage has also mixed with Viaskoda blood.
Nainartas tend to be rather healthy, strong and beautiful due to birth control policies practiced by their rulers. A Nainarta is rather tall for a woman (from 5'8" to 5'15" tall), slim but generally well-muscled (weighing about from 120 to 190 lbs.). Their skin tone is generally light, but some individuals with stronger Common Alphatian blood in their veins have a bronze complexion. Their hair are usually fair, blonde, red or light brown, but there are also darker hair colours. Their eyes can be of any colour, most often blue or dark brown.
Nainartas are educated from birth to preserve a standard of beauty, and they dedicate to the cures of the body a good portion of their free time: they keep themselves clean, shave their body hair, use various herbal concoctions to preserve their skin and regularly keep their hair well-washed and done. Some of them make also use of cosmetics created from certain stones and plants.
Nainartas' clothes are rather well-done if confronted with those of nearby Viaskodas. They dress with shirts, blouses, loincloths and trousers made of wool or animal skin, covered by pelt surcoats and fur mantles in winter. Gloves and boots are common in winter, as are sandals in summer.
In combat, Nainartas use stout spears, short bows and short curved swords. The most powerful warriors don a metal or scale breastplate, while others rely on chain mail and studded leather, generally with a wooden or metallic round shield. All Nainartas don plumed steel helmets in battle, that cover their head and partly or wholly also their face. Nainartas don't use horses in battle; only their leaders do, but usually dismount when entering a fight. Nainartas' armour and weapons tend to be rather elaborate, carved with ritual blessings and engraved with silver symbols and stories of the past.
Berekeva
This small town hosts about 500 inhabitants; at any given moment, about one quarter of the population is composed by adult Viaskoda men, the rest are females of Nainarta ethnicity. The town is located on the southern slopes of the Goddess' Diadem, and climbs the mountain up to the top of one of the lesser peaks of the range, where the Hall of the Queen is set.
The town is protected on two side by the mountain slopes and on the other two by a stout stone and wood wall. From the southern gate the town rises up to the mountaintop. The roads through the town and between the homes are few, but their floor is made of hard rock. There is a small pond at the centre of the town, generated by a tiny waterfall that springs from the mountainside; the pond's water is canalised also in a few wells and cisterns. Few meadows here and there separate the Nainartas' homes in the lowest areas of the town.
Within the town, houses are made of stone and most of them are digged partly within the mountainside and underground, with slate roofs. All the houses are fitted with a large place for the fire and the chimney, and have one or two floors with generally one to three small rooms each. Nainartas make full use of civilised furniture, beds, carpets, tapestries, and the like, which they manufacture themselves. No glass is used here - windows are covered by a thick layer of tapestry in autumn and spring, or shut with wooden panels in winter.
Important sites in Berekeva are the Holy Shrine (see 'Religion', below), the House of the Silver Seal (a sort of local mages' guild, see 'Magic', below), and the Queen's Hall. The latter building sits atop a large stone stair that goes up from the town to the mountain top, about 50' above the upper town. It's basically a stout square building with two floors and a round tower above it, with four smaller towers on its corners. This is where the Queen, her six Councillors and their guards and attendants live. The Hall is well-built and its interior is decorated with many sculptures and filled with wall paintings, tapestries and other fine works of art. The Queen resides in her own quarters in the higher tower, above the throne room where audiences are held.
ACTIVITIES AND TRADES
Activities in town range around the manufacture of raw materials (potters, seamstresses, jewellers, wood-carvers, blacksmiths, etc.), while Nainartas involved in hunting, goat or sheep herding, gathering, wood-cutting, and so on are quite rare. In fact, most of the pelts, the game, and the animal of agricultural goods are bought from the Viaskoda clans and exchanged with the fine pottery, jewellery, tools, crafted items and weapons of the Nainarta. Metal and stone supplies are taken from nearby mines with the aid of tough Viaskoda labourers. So, while the Nainartas' crafts and works are rather specialised ones, those of the Viaskodas are rather basic; and so these two peoples are well-joined from the trading point of view.
All in all, the Nainartas lead a pleasant life, being always stuffed of all they need by their Viaskoda followers. They represent a sort of "elite" class in Viaskoda society, attending mostly to the rulership of the tribes, and to the providing of otherwise unaffordable crafts, knowledge and roles.
Society and Government
THE ARDRAVAS
There isn't anything like family in the life of Nainartas. Each woman regards other Nainartas as sisters and friends: the individual is not important to the Nainartas, the community is.
Therefore, Nainartas are grouped into ardravas ("bonded companies") of two or four adult (14 years old or more) members each. Each ardrava is a sort of family and represent a woman's circle of nearest friends and loved ones. Each ardrava lives in a house in Berekeva. The queens have always tried to discourage the formation of larger ardravas, and the current custom is that every ardrava which includes more than four adult members splits into two different ardravas. Exceptions exist, but must be confirmed by the queen.
Each ardrava is required to have at least one of his components to be part of the Queen's Guard or to the Order of the Silver Seal (see below for both). Moreover, at least one member of each ardrava must be employed in a craft or activity of some sort (artisan, hunter, and so on). This is due to preserve the autonomous sustenance of the Nainartas, and to make sure that all Nainartas take part to the main activities and to the defence of their people. Note that taking part in the two above mentioned orders isn't an activity that excludes other types of work; one Nainarta can be member of the Queen's Guard and still practice a craft in her spare time.
The ardravas cooperate to the greater good of the Nainartas, helping each other every time they need, offering goods and food to other ardravas in distress and in general receiving strong support by the rulers themselves. In times of crisis, the Nainartas can call on the Viaskoda tribes for help, but this is considered the last resource as more than often they're the Viaskoda tribes which need the Nainartas' assistance.
The ardravas are also the basic cells of the Nainartas' political structure. Each ardrava must choose one of its components to be the group's speaker at the Nainartas' Assembly; each ardrava choses its speaker with the means its components consider more useful - the speaker is usually the older member of that ardrava. The speaker of each ardrava is also responsible for watching the behaviour of its members, and he must report to the Queen or to the priestesses if someone among them is guilt of some crime. A speaker of another ardrava can report to the Queen a misdeed of a Nainarta also if the guilty isn't a member of her ardrava. The Queen, with the advice of her Councillors and that of the priestesses, judges the case, examines the tests and finally emits the sentence.
THE QUEEN AND THE RULERSHIP
The Nainartas are ruled by a Queen elected by one adult speaker (14 or more years old) sent from each ardrava to the Nainartas' Assembly. The Queen stays in charge for life, but can abdicate (another election is held) or be deposed by the Nainartas' Assembly if unworthy. The Queen chooses six Royal Councillors to receive help and advice in political matters; these Councillors are instead chosen by the queen herself, even if a new Queen tends to leave in charge at least one or two Councillors of her predecessor, if they've been capable. The Queen and her Councillors are chosen out of their past deeds, their courage, skill in battle or lore or magic, and of their beauty.
To present a protest of discontentment, at least 50 members of the Nainartas' Assembly must gather and ask an election to remove the Queen and/or one or more of her Councillors. If they manage to be at least 50, a new election is held or the Queen is forced to remove the indicated Councillor or Councillors.
The Nainartas' Assembly isn't a standing political body. It's gathered only every given time, when something of great importance for the whole people is about to be decided by the Queen. Even if the Queen theoretically holds quite absolute power, it's custom that every important decision by the Queen (wars, relevant judgments, and the like) be approved with a 2/3 majority vote of the Nainartas' Assembly.
THE LAW
There aren't written laws in Berekeva, only a code of conduct for the Nainartas, engraved in some stone tablets inside the Holy Shrine. This code sets some general principles to which each Nainarta must obey (i.e. regard other Nainartas as daughters, sisters or mothers depending on their age; be generous toward the community and its members; be always courageous in service of the people and in defence of the Nainartas; obey the word of those elected to rule the Nainartas, as they're more acknowledged than you; be strong as a bear, keen as an eagle, swift as a deer and beautiful as a swan; and so on). These principles are enforced through suggestions and advice by the priests. Those who don't obey them are politely invited to leave Berekeva.
If some Nainarta does a deplorable act - killing an outsider without reason, stealing from them, etc. - she's usually given for the punishment to the Viaskoda tribes. If a Nainarta breaks the abovementioned principles in a severe way - killing another Nainarta, stealing from the community or disobeying orders with severe consequences - she is usually subject to the judgment of the priestesses and to that of the Queen's Councillors and of the Queen herself. Exile is usually the penalty for non-lethal offence, while more serious ones are punished with death. This is often done throwing the guilty down a mountain slope or abandoning her tied in the dangerous Plain of Skulls.
Customs and ways of life
CHARACTER
The Nainartas have always preserved a seeming of superiority in front of the Viaskoda tribes; these in fact consider themselves more backward of the Nainartas and needing guidance and assistance from them. In order to preserve this relationship, Nainartas are required by their customs to hold an upright character, be courageous and generous when facing Viaskodas and outsiders in general, and those who don't are kindly asked by the Queen to leave Berekeva and go to live with the Viaskodas or elsewhere. To preserve these standards, the past Queens have also tried to make the Nainartas more healthy, proud and beautiful by allowing only women of at most 45 years of apparent age to reside in Berekeva. Older ones are sent to live with the Viaskoda tribes, providing advice and knowledge and receiving help and sustenance from them.
BIRTH CONTROL AND CHILDREN EDUCATION
Another way to control the health, strength and beauty of the Nainartas has been the birth control. Berekeva is to be small if it wants to survive. Whenever a Nainarta has a female child, the baby is educated and trained as a daughter by all components of her mother's ardrava, and of the whole people in general. After two or three years the baby is passed to another ardrava who take care of her, and this goes on each year until the child reaches age fourteen, which among Nainartas means adulthood. Then the Nainartas' Assembly - in a special gathering held once per year in which they are presented with the Nainartas that have reached adulthood since the past year - decides if the child will live among the Nainartas or will be sent to live with the Viaskoda tribes. A child's strength, wisdom, intelligence and beauty are what's important when the Assembly makes her decision. Generally only a small fraction of the female childs is allowed to live in Berekeva.
Male children are instead sent to live with the Viaskoda tribes a few months after birth; they're given generally to the father's family, or to some relatives if he's dead or missing. Refusing to host a Nainartas' children is a severe offence among these Viaskodas and is punishable with exile or worst. Male sons of the Nainartas are not allowed to mate and give childs to other Nainartas; they must marry with Viaskodas or outsiders.
MALES AND MATING
No males are allowed permanently into Berekeva; only some individuals are selected as eligible to stay in town, and even so they can stay only for six months, during which they generally become mates of one or more Nainartas and often give children to them. These males are selected among the most healthy and beautiful of Viaskodas.
Each year the Nainartas visit the Viaskoda tribes and select a few eligible males to follow them into Berekeva; those of them who really wish to go with them (refusing isn't an offence) are hosted in the town, where they can stay for up to six months, but can leave whenever they want.
These males help the Nainartas in the day to day activities and mate with some of them. They're hosted by various ardravas, who receive support from the community to take care of them. Living six months among the Nainartas is an important experience for many Viaskoda warriors, who have the chance of learning advanced knowledge, fine fighting tactics and useful crafts. Many of the males that return to their tribe from Berekeva after months passed among the Nainartas often acquire prominence within their tribe.
WANDERING AND ADVENTURE
Nainartas are allowed to wander freely outside their town and visit the places they want in their spare time. If they want to embark in a longer voyage, they must communicate this decision to the Queen, which usually gives her permission; this is done to avoid an excessive weakening of the town in a given time. Until that person returns, she is considered gone in all regards; her place in her ardrava and her role in the town are filled as soon as possible by another Nainarta.
It can also happen that a Nainarta feels his life in Berekeva too constricting - perhaps she's hungry of experiences and adventure, has fallen in love with an outsider, and so on. The Nainarta must communicate to the Queen her wish to abandon the Nainartas' society and go along her way. The Queen sets the time for this to happen, usually a time when someone else can replace the person that'll leave. Then, in a ceremony, the Queen and a priestess break the link between that Nainarta and the community, giving her all their blessings for her life to come.
Many of these former Nainartas settle among the Viaskoda tribes, where they live honourably and revered; others seek adventure in far lands, and some eventually go back to Berekeva, asking to rejoin the Nainartas to share with them their experiences and riches.
In times of high death-rate or crisis, the Queens can invite former Nainartas living among the Viaskodas to rejoin their fellows in Berekeva. Very rarely, this invitation is also made to worthy women of outsider heritage (Viaskoda or other), who have shown their virtues in battle, knowledge or magic use.
Religion
Old Alphatian religious practices disappeared soon after what survived of Alphatian colonisation was conquered by the Norse tribes in early 6th century AC, and were replaced with the Asatru, the religion of all Antalian-descended peoples. The Nainartas, at the time of their flight from that region, took with them these religious practices, beginning to pray only to female Immortals and invoking protection and blessings from them only. With time, the cult of some Immortals dwindled, and only eight Immortals are still revered today as members of the Nainarta pantheon; these, in order of importance, are (with their real names and portfolios):
Freyja (-): love, sexuality, fertility, beauty, magic;
Sjofn (Valerias): love, sexuality, beauty, passion, peace;
Sif (Madarua): courage, battle, strength in arms;
Idunn (the Spring Maiden, one of the Korrigans): youth, spring, eternal beauty;
Gna (Arnlee): travel, hunters, adventure, departed Nainartas;
Eir (the Wise Healer, one of the Korrigans): health, healing, medicine, herbs and philtres;
Saga (the Mistress of Lore, one of the Korrigans): lore, knowledge, legends, memory;
Erda (Djaea): nature, animals, plants.
The Nainartas acknowledge the existence of male gods, of the patrons of the Viaskodas and of other deities of the Asatru, but pray only the Immortals listed above, as they consider them their patrons and the forces they need to prosper and live in happiness. Freyja and Sjofn are considered sisters and share quite the same portfolio; they're the heads of the Nainartas' pantheon.
Religious ceremonies are held in the Holy Shrine of Berekeva, one rather large stone building carved within the side of the mountain just below the stair that leads to the Queen's Hall. The temple hosts shrines to all Immortals of the Nainartas' pantheon.
The Holy Shrine is administered by a group of six Holy Priestesses (one for each lesser Immortal) under the guidance of the two High Chosen Ones of Freyja and Sjofn. The Queen herself, who need not to be a cleric in her own right, is considered the head of the religion as she's the one of the town. Under the guidance of the six Holy Priestesses and of the two High Chosen Ones, the church includes another 15-20 Adepts that worship the pantheon as a whole. Each priestess worships the whole pantheon, but carries on especially the practices used to receive blessings from the Immortal she's cleric of. Generally, High Chosen Ones and Holy Priestesses are clerics of 4th to 9th level, while Adepts are of 1st to 3rd level. Note that the role of priestess (whichever her rank) isn't exclusive: many of them are employed in other works in Berekeva during their spare time.
Nainartas are deeply in tune with their deities, and the town frequently holds a religious festival or a public ceremony at which most Nainartas are expected to take part as an important moment of the life of the community.
Arcane Magic
ARCANE TRADITION AMONG NAINARTAS
The Nainartas have a long standing tradition of arcane magic-use; when their slave ancestors fled their home kingdoms overrun by Norse barbarians, among them there where many mages. This was due to the fact that, after the formation of the petty barbarian kingdoms in the area of the former Alphatian colonies of the Sabre River, magic was only practiced by non-fighting peoples, and these were most of all women belonging to the upper classes, which had the time and money to study arcane arts without being worried with works of lower station.
Arcane magic, mostly enchantment, abjuration and divination magic, was useful to the Nainartas during their first encounters with the Viaskoda tribes, when these female sorceresses used their charm and suggestion spells to obtain the alliance and friendship of Viaskoda chiefs. Magic was also useful to defend themselves against beasts and hostile human and humanoid tribes, to help building their town and to shield them from the cold weather of the Icereach Range.
These types of protection and persuasion magic with time were appreciated also by the Viaskoda tribes - traditionally distrustful of arcane magic - which considered them "good" magic coming from the lore and blessings of the Nainartas' goddesses. In fact, Nainartas resented the use of offensive or dangerous magic and made use of these spells only when dealing with monsters and fiercer foes. They became known as wielder of nature, weather, divination and enchantment magic to the Viaskodas, who in turn received teaching in these types of magic and took advantage of the alliance with these magic-using women.
Since then, among Nainartas the teaching of magic has become very important and each generation has its share of magic-users, which are taught the ways of arcane spells. Today, this tradition goes on; Nainartas' Queens have always watched closely the number of magic-using people among their people, trying to make sure it don't decrease. The Queens themselves are often chosen among the ranks of magic-users.
THE ORDER OF THE SILVER SEAL
All magic-using Nainartas belong by law decree to the Order of the Silver Seal, a sort of magic-users guild that provides teaching and training in the ways of magic, and holds an important role in the defence of Berekeva and in preserving the influence that the Nainartas exert on their Viaskoda allies. The Order is led traditionally by the Queen (even if she isn't a magic-user) and must have always at least 50 magic-able members.
Apprenticeship
Each year some members of the Order go examining young Nainarta females (age 6 to 12) to see if they hold some potential for the learning of arcane magic. Those judged worthy are carried to the Silver Seal House in Berekeva and begin the training with senior members of the order. The training goes on continuously for the first three years - that are very exacting for the student -, during which the skills of the girl are tested more deeply. Then, when the student becomes able to cast her first cantrips, the training goes on more slowly for another five years, during which the student continues to learn magic but is also required to learn the tasks needed to the life of the Nainartas, like a craft, fighting and so on. After these eight years, a student usually becomes a 1st level wizard.
While it's very difficult for the Order to include more than fifty members, it often happens that some members die or leave on long journeys; in general the new members tend to be fewer than those who have died or departed. Whenever this happens, the Order's members go to the Viaskoda allies and offer them to train the most able women of the tribes the art of magic-using. Young Viaskoda women that want to pursue that path are examined by the Order's members and, if worthy, taken to Berekeva for their training. From this moment on, these Viaskoda women are required to abandon their old customs and to become part of the Nainartas, and are considered as such by other Nainartas for the time to come.
Duties of the Order
The Order of the Silver Seal take its name from a magical amulet that belonged to Ekajra, a long-dead Queen of the Nainartas who was also the founder of this association of magic-users. The amulet, known as the Silver Seal is passed from Queen to Queen after the death or the abdication of the former one. Each member of the Order is required to carry a smaller copy of the Silver Seal visible on her person, as badge of membership.
The Order has some very important and specific duties:
- Craft magic items: The Order must create magic items for the elite warriors, mages and priestesses of the Nainartas. These are usually potions, magical herbs, oils and charms which help the wearer in various tasks, but sometimes a weapon, armour or another powerful item is created for the Queen or a great warrior.
- Defend the Nainartas: The Order represents one of the cause of Nainartas' superiority over the surrounding tribes. Its members must take the battlefield when required and help whenever needed to defend Berekeva, fellow Nainartas and their allies.
- Preserve Nainartas' virtues: The mages of the Order are in many ways the iconic Nainartas; therefore they are required to obey the laws, respect Nainartas' customs, worship Nainartas' Immortals regularly, cure their beauty and so on.
- Teach the arcane arts: The Order must ensure that the number of magic-using Nainartas doesn't fall below fifty. This implies researching and examining potential new members both among the Nainartas and their Viaskoda allies.
- Upholding Nainartas' influence among Viaskoda tribes: As said, arcane magic is one of the main reasons that keep the Viaskoda tribes under Nainartas' banner. The Order must uphold the influence of the Nainartas among the allied tribes, both with advice and the use of enchantment spells; this is often done periodically by sending one or two members of the Order among an allied tribe, to offer advice, divination and training.
Organization
The head of the Order, as said, is the Queen herself; this can be a ceremonial title (if she's not a magic-user herself) or an effective rulership over lower-rank members.
The most powerful (9th level or more) members of the Order are awarded the rank of Keepers of the Seal; these are usually only three to five in the whole order and are those who really administer the Order's day-to-day activities and report to the Queen.
Under these are the Silver Hands (level 6th to 8th), usually 5-10 in number; then come the Seal Mages (level 3rd to 5th), generally about twenty in number; and finally the Seal Students (level 1st or 2nd), who are a sort of apprentices in the Order, often still in training. Note that members of the Order aren't required to follow the Order's duties to the exclusion of all other tasks; most of them are instead encouraged to pursue the development of other skills, like hunting, craftsmanship, fighting and so on. A member of the Order will most often be a multi-class wizard than a wizard only; this means that among Nainartas you will not find many high-level wizards, but most of the lower-level ones will be wizard/fighters, wizards/rangers, wizards/rogues and so on.
Lore of the Order
Basically, the Order doesn't teach many spells to its members; a Nainarta who has learned magic from the Order of the Silver Seal will start at a rather high level, will receive assistance and help from fellow members, will be respected and honoured among the Nainartas and their Viaskoda allies, but will also know not too many spells. Arcane tradition of the Order is in fact based upon few useful spells, and given the isolated position of Berekeva and the relative aloofness of the Nainarta people, it's difficult for it to acquire new knowledge. That is not to say that sometimes a new spell isn't discovered, but this is more often done when a travelling Nainarta comes back to Berekeva sharing with other members of the Order what she has discovered in the outside world.
Here's a brief list of the spell taken from Player's Handbook v. 3.5 known to the Order of the Silver Seal:
- 0 Level (Cantrips): Arcane Mark, Dancing Lights, Daze, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Flare, Light, Mage Hand, Mending, Message, Read Magic, Resistance.
- 1st Level: Alarm, Burning Hands, Charm Person, Comprehend Languages, Endure Elements, Expeditious Retreat, Feather Fall, Hypnotism, Identify, Jump, Mage Armour, Magic Weapon, Obscuring Mist, Protection from Evil, Shield, Sleep, True Strike, Unseen Servant.
- 2nd Level: Alter Self, Bear's Endurance, Blur, Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace, Continual Flame, Darkvision, Daze Monster, Detect Thoughts, Eagle's Splendour, Fog Cloud, Fox's Cunning, Glitterdust, Gust of Wind, Locate Object, Obscure Object, Owl's Wisdom, Protection From Arrows, Pyrotechnics, Resist Energy, Scorching Ray, See Invisibility, Spider Climb, Summon Swarm, Touch of Idiocy, Whispering Wind.
- 3rd Level: Arcane Sight, Clairaudience/Clairvoyance, Daylight, Deep Slumber, Dispel Magic, Displacement, Fireball, Flame Arrow, Gaseous Form, Greater Magic Weapon, Haste, Heroism, Hold Person, Keen Edge, Magic Circle Against Evil, Protection from Energy, Sleet Storm, Slow, Suggestion, Tongues, Water Breathing, Wind Wall.
- 4th Level: Arcane Eye, Charm Monster, Confusion, Fire Shield, Ice Storm, Lesser Geas, Lesser Globe of Invulnerability, Locate Creature, Polymorph, Rainbow Pattern, Remove Curse, Scrying, Solid Fog, Stone Shape, Stoneskin, Wall of Fire, Wall of Ice.
- 5th Level: Animal Growth, Baleful Polymorph, Break Enchantment, Cone of Cold, Dismissal, Dominate Person, Dream, Fabricate, Feeblemind, Hold Monster, Mind Fog, Permanency, Prying Eyes, Rary's Telepathic Bond, Sending, Telekinesis, Transmute Rock to Mud.
- 6th Level: Analyse Dweomer, Antimagic Field, Control Water, Geas/Quest, Globe of Invulnerability, Greater Dispel Magic, Greater Heroism, Legend Lore, Mass Bear's Endurance, Mass Bull's Strength, Mass Cat's Grace, Mass Eagle's Splendour, Mass Fox's Cunning, Mass Owl's Wisdom, Mass Suggestion, Move Earth, Repulsion, True Seeing, Veil.
- 7th Level: Banishment, Control Weather, Greater Arcane Sight, Greater Scrying, Insanity, Limited Wish, Mass Hold Person, Power Word Blind, Prismatic Spray, Spell Turning, Vision.
- 8th Level: None.
- 9th Level: None.
A Nainarta wizard usually is taught spells according to the progression indicated for the wizard core class in Player's Handbook v. 3.5. The new spells she learns are chosen by the Nainarta's master and tend to be always the same for each apprentice; the reasoning behind this is that all Nainarta wizards must be able to perform the basic duties required by the Order.
Nainartas and Viaskodas
Among the Viaskoda tribes, Nainartas' children and older Nainartas are well-treated, respected and given positions of importance within the tribes: they generally become councillors, chiefs, great warriors, sorcerers, shamans, great hunters and so on. For a Viaskoda tribe it's an honour to have a Nainarta's child within its ranks, and also to give child to a Nainarta.
The Nainartas have developed a steady and friendly relationship with some Viaskoda tribes of the White Banner. The Viaskodas of this Banner are quite divided and, unlike those of the Azure and Red Banner, their tribes often war among themselves. In particular, many tribes worship, fear and obey the will of the powerful and ancient white dragon Quesa, whose lair is found in Quesa's Massif. This old dragon has been an ally of the long-dead Witch Queen Akra, and now he's cursed to stay near the former lair of Akra, the Ice Cave which is also Quesa's lair. From the top of his mountain, Quesa commands nearby tribes of Viaskodas and humanoids, using them to protect his lair and enslave his enemies.
The other tribes of Viaskodas viciously fight these renegade tribes who follow Quesa's commands. Among these, five tribes follow the leadership of the Nainartas' Queen. Each of these tribes has its chief, and each chief considers the Nainartas' Queen his ultimate ruler and the other chiefs as friends and allies. These Viaskoda tribes have their own customs and worship their Immortals, but once every six months they send a rich offer to the Nainartas' Immortal patrons at the temple of Berekeva, to renew the friendship with the Nainartas and to receive blessings from their goddesses.
The five Viaskoda tribes allied with the Nainartas live in the huge forested valleys that lay south and north of the Goddess' Diadem and around the upper course of the White Bear River. They're mostly hunters and gatherers, but practice also a lot of agriculture - the product of which is partly sent also to the Nainartas. These tribes don't have nomad customs; instead, they've settled in small villages made of wooden huts and fur tents, that only very rarely are moved in a nearby, more favourable area. The old, the sick, the too young and the too weak stay always at the village, crafting items, gathering, farming and tending animals and herds. The hunters, warriors and healthier peoples periodically go hunting beasts and animals in the woods, fishing in the rivers, and descending the White Bear River in stout canoes, catching fish and trading with other tribes.
Contrary to other Viaskoda tribes, these five tribes don't fear nor distrust the arcane magic practiced by the Nainartas. Some women of these tribes have been trained by Nainarta sorceresses to wield the arcane power and are honoured and appreciated for their skill by their fellow tribe members. Other types of wizardly magic, in particular those wielded by outsiders, are however equally distrusted; only the Nainartas benefit of enough faith on these tribes' part to use arcane magic without being frowned upon.
The five Viaskoda tribes allied with the Nainartas are:
- Horned Helm Tribe: This tribe has 900 members and is so named because of the deer horns that the tribe's most famed and powerful warriors and chiefs put on their iron caps. The tribe lives north of Berekeva and has many great warriors who benefit of the Nainartas' support in crafting better weapons and armours.
- Eagle Friends Tribe: This 940 members tribe is the largest, more powerful tribe and that friendlier to the Nainartas. Its families are all extremely faithful to the Nainartas' Queen and do their best in every way to defend Berekeva. This tribe holds the eagle as a sacred animal; eagle-trainers are most often chiefs or important figures in this tribe. The Eagle Friends live in the valley to the south of Berekeva.
- River Stalkers Tribe: This smaller (550 members) tribe occupies the lands around the course of the White Bear River and some nearby plains and woods, south-east of Berekeva. Great fishermen and boaters, its warriors go often down the river's course to fish, trade with other Viaskoda tribes and fight the clans subservient to the white dragon Quesa.
- Scarlet Axe Tribe: The smaller of the allied tribes (430 members), this tribe lives south of the Eagle Friends Tribe and is so named for the custom of colouring the blades of their axes with a red dye obtained from resins and crushed red stones. The same dye is often used to picture ritual marks on the warriors' bodies before entering battles. This tribe often fights the fiery beings that come from the Arch of Fire.
- Squirrel Tail Tribe Another allied tribe (630 members), living north of the Horned Helm one, this tribe is composed by very skilled rangers and woodfolks, excellent trackers, trappers and hunters. Their favoured animal is the squirrel, with whom they make valuable furs; adult members of this tribe often show squirrel tails in various fashions (on hats, for example), hence the tribe's name. The Squirrel Tail Tribe fears the old crones of Mount Crystykk and avoids that mountain's slopes.