Bjorngard

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Bjorngard was the collective name for three separate territories bordering Lesser Automatica and, by extension, culturally part of Cimmeria and Hyperborea. The three said territories are the island of Drakenoya, the island of Norfae, and the mainland called Wendoland. The area was a county within Shireroth and was founded, according to legend, by Fafnir Dyrason, a Volsaarn Paladin from Hyperborea. It was part of the now defunct Duchy of Northhold.

The Bjorngarders ruled their land from the great wooden citadel of Hyfrost, located in Wendoland. The countryside is only sparsely settled, with many areas simply open swaths of forest marked by deep fjords (inlets). Hyfrost remains the most notable settlement and is reportedly the location in which Fafnir Dyrason dragged his longship ashore and built a fortress out of it (see the Legend of Hyfrost below).

Socially, the Bjorngarders are similar in stock and culture to that of the Cimmerians and Hyperboreans. They do, however, retain a great majority of their neolithic rites and ideals. The Wendol are the dominant ethnic group, having populated, albeit sparsely, both the mainland and Drakenoya thousands of years ago. They have however, since the coming of the Volsaarns, fused and mixed with the Hyperboreans. Thus today's Bjorngarders are a mix of the two. As a result of this mixture, the Bear Guard culture arose to dominate, first the Wendol, and later all of Bjorngard.

Original flag of Bjorngard.


The Lands of Bjorngard

Wendoland

The land of the Wendol is a heavily-forested area of the northeast continent of Micras. It has remained throughout its history a relatively sparsely populated region. The original neolithic stock of the Wendol tribes only minimally populated the area with small villages and encampments, which sometimes extended to hunter's camps on Drakenoya. But for the most part, Wendoland did not see larger growth until the rise of Fafnir Dyrason and the subsequent opening of the region to settlers from Cimmeria, Hyperborea and Elwynn. The founding of Hyfrost brought Volsaarns and others to the region, diluting the original Wendol ethnic dominance and helping to establish the present extended-Hyperborean culture, known locally as Bjorngarder. Modern Wendoland is still sparsely populated, with Hyfrost remaining the largest city of note. But gone are the Wendol villages, and in their places now stand the great wood and stone forts of Volsaarn architecture. Although the Wendol themselves have blended with the Volsaarns, Wendoland remains predominantly adherent to the Jusbjorn, or Bear Law, which was codified by Dyrason and is a mixture of Volsaarn and Wendol rites (see religion section for more details).

Drakenoya

Dragon Isle is the northernmost region of Bjorngard and also the least populated. It is a surprise for most to discover that the island is inhabited primarily by Volsaarns rather than Wendol. This is due to the fact that the first Count of Bjorngard, Lord Fafnir, opened the island to settlers from Hyperborea while focusing the Wendol under his rule on populating Wendoland. Since the Wendol on Drakenoya only existed in temporary hunter camps, the Volsaarns quickly displaced them entirely. This gave rise to the Dragonship Volsaarns, a local culture which has developed over the years since the first settlers from Volsung arrived. The island is mostly flat tundra with centrally-located rolling hills. Some trees grow in sheltered forests, mostly composed of pine and scrubbrush. Almost all settlements on Drakenoya are made of stone quarried from the island itself, as lumber is mostly imported from Wendoland. Locals are known for the construction of sturdy dragonships, longships fortified with metal and slate. The need for these ships arose from the scarcity of lumber, thus accentuating the need to preserve their longships for longer amounts of time and against the rigors of use. Drakenoyans, or Dragonship Volsaarns as they are equally called, still populate the island and build their traditional vessels.

Norfae

The island of Norfae (Realm of the Northern Fae) is home to the Ice Fairies of Bjorngard. Encircled by strange mists and enchanted with ancient majiks, Norfae has no permanent human population and the isle is regarded as a sacred site among the locals. Indeed, the only people from Bjorngard or elsewhere to visit the island have been the priestesses of the Temple of the Frost Bear, starting with the first journey of Viruja. The Ice Queen of the Norfae is said to be a beautiful creature, whose gaze casts a spell upon all men who view her. The Norfae are rumored to travel beyond their island home when other magical creatures are in need of their aid, or there is a threat to Bjorngard which the Bjorngarders themselves cannot surmount. The island itself is densely covered in trees and mists, so that is is always obscured to outsiders. The priestesses who have visited it describe it as an enchanted forest where fae and other magical creatures frolic throughout the wood. It is said that the Ice Castle of Norfae is hidden deep in the center of the island behind the shroud of the outside forest.

Original extent of Bjorngard's boundaries.


Important Landmarks

Temple of the Frost Bear

The temple is the oldest landmark in Bjorngard and dates back to the earliest days of the Wendol people. It is, in fact, more a natural feature than a man-made one, as the temple itself is a series of large caverns which delve deep into the mountain under Hyfrost fortress. The outer coastal villages of Hyfrost remain only slightly above sea level, but the land quickly rises at a sharp angle to the highlands. At the level where the land begins to form a level grade, Hyfrost fortress was built. But along the lower angle of the hillsides is a large chasm which leads into the mountainside. Here, it is said, the first Wendol made their camps among the bears, sharing the caves with them during the long ice. It is also said that during the long ice, the Great Bear God, a massive polar bear of extreme wisdom, came to them in the caves and taught them how to fashion a primitive civilization. The caves have been revered as a holy place ever since. Until the time of Count Fafnir, the caverns were only lightly modified and painted with neolithic symbols. The largest - and still most prominent - feature of the temple being the immense statue of the Great Bear God carved from granite and polished to white marble about 600 yards from the cave entrance. The deepest caves extend around one mile into the ground (length-wise) and travel around two-thousand feet down at the lowest elevations. An underground river also wells up within the caves and travels under Hyfrost village and into the ocean. Since the coming of Count Fafnir, the caves were modified somewhat and more intricate designs carved into the walls symbolizing a mixture of Wendol and Hyperborean religions. Indeed, some areas of the caverns have been so well carved that they resemble large cathedral halls rather than a bear cave. Although no further changes have been made since the Priestess Vaka (Viruja's daughter) ordered a halt to more modifications. Today, the temple is protected by a large granite door fastened to the cave entrance, but is still open to visitors and worshippers, and maintained by the Frost Priestesses.

The Ice Castle of Norfae

Deep within the forests which obscure Norfae to outsiders, there lay a great castle of ice. Constructed and held together by the majiks of the Ice Fairies, the castle has existed for countless centuries and serves as the home of the Ice Fairies and their Queen, Riasha the Ageless. The castle has only been described by the High Priestesses of the Frost Bear, who at times travel to Norfae to seek advice or aid. They are the only humans ever allowed on the island, though it is rumored that other magical creatures and deities also visit the fairies for their counsel. It is said the the thick forest near the castle is nearly impenetrable, filled with ancient trees taller than any seen elsewhere. Tall and thick enough to obscure the great castle from sight, both above and around it. Great rocks protrude from the ground at the base of the castle, and stretch up around it like a great natural foundation. And from the stone the ice extends up in sheer cliffs as far as can be seen. Although small openings and balconies - naturally only accessible to the flying fairies - can be seen across its surface.

Cape Dragonbane

The cape called Dragon's Bane is the northeastern corner of Drakenoya upon which Fafnir Dyrason first landed in Bjorngard. Never a heavily populated area, even during domination by the Wendol tribes, the cape today is a protected national forest. The site of Dyrason's landing is marked by a large stone monument showing him overturning his capsized longship. The area was settled at the nearby village of Estvik by Volsaarns following the opening of the sea lanes between Drakenoya and Hyperborea, one of the first non-coastal routes used in this region.


The Legend of Hyfrost

Hyfrost was, according to legends passed down through the ages, founded by Fafnir Dyrason. Fafnir was a Volsaarn Paladin, born around ASC 600, and hailing from the Isle of Volsung in Hyperborea. At this time, the Volsaarns were quite prosperous and were known to have begun exploring the seas beyond Hyperborea. The Volsaarn longships carried them to Cimmeria, and the mainland coast of Elwynn.

Although it is known that the Volsaarns travelled far and wide, there are many instances where it is not known which lands they ended up in. One such instance can be traced to the explosion of Mount Yaanek in Hyperborea, which forced Volsaarns to flee to the Cimmerian archipelago and there build Volsaria as a new homeland. The establishment of Hyfrost chronicles a similar tale. Dyrason, the main character of the legend, was a sailor hailing from Port Tyrsgaard in Volsung. Stories relate that the tale is recorded directly from Dyrason's personal diary, which states that he had chartered a vessel and crew to begin exploring the mainland coast beyond Cimmeria.

Dyrason's charter was granted and he obtained a longship with the money and hired a crew. The first, rather uneventful, days were spent preparing and sailing across the seas from Hyperborea to Cimmeria. He arrived in Volsaria without much trouble and there obtained fresh supplies in order to make the extended voyage along the mainland coast, intending to sail south. He first, however, determined to stop at Wolfraven, the capital of Cimmeria, where he would pay his respects to the Cimmerian Chieftans. This did not come to pass though, as a freak storm obscured the skies and sent his ship flailing out of control northward, past Cimmeria, and deep into unexplored territory.

Dyrason's longship was tossed about and sent northward instead of south, along and past the coast of Elwynn. Somewhere off the coast of Drakenoya, Dyrason's longship capsized and all the crew save for himself drowned. Losing consciousness but clinging to the overturned ship, he lasted the storm and was washed ashore at Cape Dragonbane, the northeast tip of Drakenoya. At the time, Drakenoya had not been discovered yet, and was inhabited only by small native hunter villages. Fafnir's location was entirely uninhabited, and he survived by his skills, eating berries and wild fruits. During this time he also managed to restore his longship, realigning it with ropes of vine and axe-hewn wood.

The smoke from his fires and, eventually, the tall prow of his ship which was carved as a large dragon's head, attracted the attention of the local natives - the Wendol. But their numbers were equally sparse on Drakenoya, their own homeland being across the bay. Alarmed by the dragonship, they saw the well-groomed Dyrason as a god visiting from the great beyond. The Wendol of this time still adhered to their neolithic roots and were largely still a barbarous society. The chieftan of the hunter camps, Bolgnar, was the first to approach Fafnir, offering him tribute in the form of furs and meat.

The first cultural exchange was rather quiet and reserved. Fafnir, fearing for his own life, kept his distance from the Wendol. Bolgnar, fearing Dyrason to be a god, held him in reverence and thus reserved the otherwise barbaric rites his people were accustomed to. Eventually the two became more amiable towards oneanother and, as winter approached, Fafnir was invited to travel back to the mainland (Wendoland) with Bolgnar to the main Wendol settlements. Fafnir agreed and sailed his longship, accompanied by Bolgnar and Wendol in canoes, to Bjornmunn (Bear's Mouth) Bay.

Here he encountered the main Wendol settlement - a smattering of squat villages along the shoreline. Although his prestige had somewhat lessened due to his relations with Bolgnar, Fafnir was nonetheless still respected as a divine being from beyond. His longship was towed into shore and Bolgnar introduced him to the great chief of the Wendol, Himlir, who immediately surmised that Dyrason was not a god and distrusted him from the start. Although Bolgnar, an elder, was respected and believed among his people and quickly spread word to the contrary, thus staying Himlir's hand in executing Fafnir.

Dyrason wintered with the Wendol, introducing to them many techniques brought with him from Volsung. Although at first he did not attempt to curb their barbaric rites, such as human sacrifice and cannibalising their dead. He knew that such opposition would surely result in his death. He also noted that with the severity of the winters in this region, cannibalism had arisen from necessity and lack of education for these people, not out of sheer barbarity. So it came to be that Dyrason pitied the Wendol, rather than hating them, and resolved to stay amongst them and teach them as best he could.

Himlir, however, retained an ever-growing hatred for Dyrason and for all which he stood. Especially the changes he was introducing to the Wendol. As spring approached, Fafnir introduced farming techniques to the Wendol, hoping to subtly curb their cannibalistic nature. To his surprise, it worked, and a great majority of the Wendol took up farming open fields with barley and oats. But he had also been learning too, and had become fluent in the Wendol language and system of writing, taught to him by Bolgnar, who became a close confidant and friend.

Bolgnar also vowed to take Fafnir inland, beyond the coastal village, to the Wendol's Temple of the Frost Bear. A great cavern under a hill which was devoted to their highest god, Isbjordin, the Great Ice Bear, and maintained by their high-pristess, Viruja. Although Himlir kept stalling Fafnir's travel inland, saying that no foreigner could ever enter the great caves. So for several years, Fafnir was kept from seeing the temple.

But after a time, and after much teaching of the Wendol, Fafnir resolved to see the great caves and temple. But Himlir stopped him before he could journey there. Tempers flared and the hatred the two had been keeping inside began to boil over. Bolgnar, attempting to resolve the conflict, stepped in-between the two quarreling men and was killed when Himlir angrily stuck a dagger in his back. Enraged at the slaughter of his friend, Fafnir grabbed his battleaxe and fought a great battle with Himlir before cleaving it into his chest as all the Wendol watched their chieftan die in disgrace.

None tried to stop him as he, bloodied and battered, buried his friend Bolgnar in a nearby meadow filled with flowers. Afterwards he wearily staggered northward out of the village, determined to see this temple he had for so long been forbidden from viewing. The great caves soon stood before him, where a small entrance lay at the bottom near the river and a great hill crest above it. Not even the guards tried to stop him, noticing the whole village following him and themselves knowing the great Fafnir from his many years of servitude. Inside, the cave was a labyrinth of tunnels and passages, but he followed the largest central corridor, marked by large sconces.

After much walking he entered into a large room which was obviously the center of the temple and home of Viruja. The priestess, at first shrouded by fine furs, was revealed to be a beautiful maiden. Seeing this wounded man for the first time she was shocked and afraid, although her servants soon informed her of who he was. She pitied him and asked what had happened, at which he told her of all that had occured. The distraught Viruja burst into tears at hearing of the death of Bolgnar, who as fate would have it, was her father. In the darkness of the temple, the two wept together for their lost brethren.

It eventually came to pass that Viruja and Fafnir fell in love, and emerged from the temple as a new union between two peoples - the Volsaarn and Wendol. By virtue of their religion, his marriage to Viruja, and his victory over Himlir, Fafnir was proclaimed great chief of the Wendol. Dyrason's first task was instituting reforms. He forbade cannibalism and turned the meadow where Bolgnar was buried into the Wendol's first true cemetery. No more would they be a backwards people, for now the blood of the Volsaarns flowed in their veins.

Adopting a mixture of his own religion and that of the Wendol, he proclaimed the formation of Bjorngard - the Bear Guard - over all the lands populated by the Wendol people, including Drakenoya. Enlisting a company of one-hunded men, they dragged his great longship with ropes to the summit above the Temple of the Frost Bear and there turned it into a fortress overlooking the village below. Fafnir proclaimed the fortress to be Hyfrost, and so the great city of Wendol and Volsaarn was founded. Thereafter both Fafnir and Viruja ruled Bjorngard with benevolence and intelligence, leading their people to prosperity in these great north lands.

Anthem

Lo, there do I see my father

Lo, there do I see my mother and my sisters

and my brothers

Lo, there do I see the line of my people back

to the beginning

Lo, they do call to me

They bid me take my place among them

in the Halls of Valhalla

Where the brave may live forever...