The Human Tribes: The Remusians

The Remusians are one of the "Ice Tribes" although unlike most of the other human tribes of Northern Sarvonia, the Remusians live in fortified villages and towns. The City of Remusiat (their main settlement) is located north of the Gathorn Mts. on the southern coast of the bay of Calinth.

Appearance. Remusians generally have dark hair and sunken dark-colored eyes, they are of typical human height (about 1.8 peds), the men normally wear beards. The women are slightly shorter with dark hair and eyes. Their skin is weatherworn from the cold winds of their homelands which have carved as many deep folds into the faces of the elder as has the fight for survival and for food in this unforgiving region. All Remusians are very defensive, seeing their lands as holy and brutally slaughtering any who threaten the region.

Coat of Arms/Sign. The Remusian coat of arms consists of the skyline of the capitol of Remusiat. Above this skyline is an image of so-called Forsaken Blade - the tribe's symbol of power (in vertical position). The background can be red or black, depending on in which context the coat of arms is being displayed: When on a flag is usually red, so that the image of the Forsaken Blade does not blend in with a black background. If it is on a shield, standard, or tapestry (which are meant to be viewed at close distance), then the background is black, with a white outline between it and the sword.

Territory. The territory of the Remusian tribe consists of the land from the Heath of Wilderon to the Wastes of Despair from west to east and from the northern Ice Coast to the Heath of Wilderon in the south. The Remusians have three medium sized towns: Dorm-nak, Sorsokon, and Sudarok, and of course the large city of Remusiat itself. Most settlements, except Dorm-nak and Sudarok lie along the Iceland Coast as most Remusians supply themselves from the sea.

People. The Remusians are mainly renowned for both their ability as warriors, especially archers, and for their fanatical attitude towards the defense of their lands. Magic in general is abhorred by them as most of their land was destroyed by it in the Remusian civil war. Although mages are not generally welcome, several groups have been spared, most notably the Grey Order. The punishments for the practice of magic vary by area. They range from simple discrimination, to torture and death.

Housing. Dwellings in Remusiat vary greatly, from the small fur-covered huts of the slums to the rich merchant's villas and the tall, slender, tower of Drapt'na'at - the Lord's residence. The vast majority of Remusian homes are made of stone or wood. The common house is a small three room building made of wood or stone with a narrow, fur-covered, wooden roof which is weighted with stones to prevent the strong winds to blow away the shingles. For the same reasons only few houses have more than one floor and except the guard towers and castles no building has more than two. For storage most buildings however have a cellar carved into the ground which often freezes over the long winter and is perfectly suited to keep the vast supplies for that long period considerably fresh. The houses have often only one big oven which is used for cooking as well as heating. The room with the oven is usually kitchen and bedroom in one. In more advanced homes the oven is arranged in the middle of the house into the wall to heat several rooms at a time. Most houses of the peasants house several generations at once. The nobles in town own mostly several houses for themselves, stables and their servants, in the lands they often live in narrow but wide circular stone towers that serve them as home and the nearby villagers as a place for refuge in times of danger.

Defenses and Fortifications: Most walls in Remusian territory are simply wooden palisades (even the well sized town of Dorm-nak is protected by palisades). However, the more modern fortifications surrounding the capitol of Remusiat, are actually great works of engineering. The inner defensive line consists of the double inner walls. Both are made of stone and are 10 peds thick. The outer one leans outward at a 45 degree angle. The outer defensive line consists of trenches, earthworks, towers with ballista emplacements and a five ped thick stone wall. The only area not protected by both walls is the western gate, as it was damaged in an attack during the Fifth Orcish War. The orcish siege engineers damaged the ground surrounding the gate so greatly that it fell away into the bay. A bridge was built soon after so the gate could remain functional. The bridge and gate are still protected by the outer wall of the inner line, and all defenses of the outer line.

Clothing. The poorer citizens prefer dark fur coats and wool jerkins. The richer Remusians prefer clothes of soft - almost pastel - tones of red, brown and green. The infantry and scout cavalry wear soft leather armor. The main cavalry wear studded leather, the heavy cavalry and commanders even chain mail where affordable. However, only the nobles can afford bronze or steel plate armor, the armor of the Lord of Remusiat, chased with jewels and precious metals in a truly royal manner is a prime example. Fur coats are standard clothing as well but they vary from class to class. Peasant women normally dress similar to the men. The noblewomen however, would look very similar to a noblewoman of a southern tribe and would probably own multiple, premium quality dresses and coats.

Diet. As for farming, the Remusians do not live in a favorable environment. Most of their agricultural food is obtained through trade. As for hunting: Meat enjoyed by the Remusian tribe includes the cuncu sheep, and the woolly boar. However, by far the most important food source for the Remusians is fishing. Whaling is also practiced by the tribe's braver sailors.

Weapons. The Defenders of Remusiat use a vast array of weapons, but here is a basic description from group to group.

Occupations. The common orofessions of the Remusian tribe include many that would be found in any other city throughout Caelereth. Although the tribes government is made up almost entirely of men, the civilization grants equal rights to both sexes. Men are normally the warriors of Remusiat, although there has been more than one notable exception. Men also make up the majority of miners, fishermen, and as noted earlier, almost all of the power holders are male. However, Remusian women are known for their fantastic weaving and jewellery making abilities. This making the general profession of smith about a 50/50 split gender wise.

Government. The City of Remusiat is traditionally ruled totally by the Lord, but in more recent times the Council of Elders, composed of the oldest and wisest of the city, has taken more control over everyday life. However, in times of war, the Lord can take full control of the city, but this power must be surrendered upon the return of more peaceful times.

The classes of Remusian society consist of the lower class which is made up of peasants, slaves, laborers, also nicknamed slum-dwellers, the middle class is made up mostly of wealthy merchants and craftsman, and the upper class is made up of the nobles and the Lord. The Remusians living in areas away from the capitol follow the Lord or council when the decisions apply to them. But some have set up local governing bodies. No matter how much power he is robbed of, the Lord is still viewed as supreme ruler of the people.

Production/Trade. Most of the more luxurious items including iron, gold, numerous kinds of gems, spices and also some food is obtained through trade from various sources. The Remusians main trade partners include the neighboring Tokarian tribe who trade furs and whale meat, the Kanapan who reach the northern lands often on dangerous and long routes through the Heath of Wilderon or around and on the Ice Sea. Some of the more friendly orcs trade furs and dried meat at times. And in the summer months many Remusian merchants set sail to the south to bring precious goods back to the homeland.

Natural Resources. The Avennorians have hardly any natural resources except from what they get from the sea. There is some lumber from neighboring forests, though. Most of what they have is either from the sea or trade.

Belief. The Remusians worship Kor'och, the "Winged Lord of the Eternal" as they call him. Kor'och is the God of Creation and War and is worshipped by all Remusians, without exception. Kor'och is normally pictured as a winged, hooded, warrior, riding a huge black horse. He carries a great axe and his beard is caked with blood.

Holidays, Festivals and Observances. The only festival celebrated by the Remusians is the Drag'nas'or, the "Day of the Light". On this day (21st day of the Month of the Changing Winds) all Remusian dead of the year are remembered by burning every candle, torch, and brazier in the city (bonfires are also often started on major street intersections). The resulting light can be seen faintly from up to three leagues away.

Important Achievements. Along with their many military victories, the Remusians established themselves as great architects and engineers with the construction of the Tower of Drapt'na'at (lit. "Home of the Great"). The Tower is made of polished granite and obsidian, with gigantic obsidian statues on each corner of the base. It is four dashes in height , and twenty five peds in width. Among the most notable of areas in the tower are the Armory of Lords, the Lord's Quarters, and the Secondary Guard's Barracks.

History. Originally the Remusian tribe was one of the larger ones in Northern Sarvonia, then came the War of the Chosen bringing with it their worst threat ever, the infamous Dark Chosen, Alteth the Tyrant, and his unholy weapon: the Forsaken Blade. Long ago the ancestors of the Remusians dwelled in the city of Sudarok, under the rule of a White Chosen known as Mirhan the Just, but the first war which is the Remusians' name for the War of the Chosen brought many changes, including the total destruction of their homeland by Alteth the Tyrant (also known as the Dead Lord of Modocia in later times). Alteth was a great warlord and the commander of one greater Chosen's army. Both, he and Mirhan fought later at their leader's disposal at the Battle of Winds and Mirhan killed the Dead Lord with Alteth's own sword, the Forsaken Blade, but died of his own wounds soon after. Surod, a brave Remusian who had followed Mirhan into the war, took the sword with him, which since then has been the symbol of Remusiat and played an important role in their history.

TIME TABLE OF THE REMUSION MEN

THE AGE OF THE BLOOD (YEARS 822 B.S. - 50 B.S.)
294 b.S.	The Remusian Civil War The Third Sarvonian war brings much hardship to the people of the White Citadel. The Lord at the time, Kellmon, has agreed in a pact with the darklings, while many of the nobles are not willing to deal with these creatures at all, despite the threat they pose for Remusiat as for the rest of the Sarvonian continent. Most of the Remusians stay neutral at first but the differences over the treaty and the growing demands of the darkfriends soon cause open conflict between the city factions. The ensuing war results in great destruction for the Remusian tribe and eventually ends with the assassination of Lord Kellmon. Thousands die during the civil war. It also is the reason for the tribe's rule of avoiding the elves, because it is them who send troops to steady the rule of Kellmon and order the slaughtering of all resisters to quell the resistance. It was not until the Battle of Rhemir when the Remusians finally defeat an army of Osther-Ocs, about 10 000 the Chronicles say, that made the darkfriends abandon their interest in Remusiat.
THE GOLDEN AGE OF KINGS (YEARS 172 A.S. - 547 A.S.)
447 to 452	War with the Tokarian Tribe Of all the other Tribes of the Icelands coast, none has had such a strained relationship with Remusia as the Tokarians. Not so much a tribe as a loose confederation of villages, the Tokarians are without doubt the most aggressive of the Ice Tribes. In 447 the Remusian Lord Gloroch decides to annex the town of Rhemir, where the Remusian civil war ended, from the Tokarians. The Tokarians object, and send a small force of 1.000 men to defend the city, but Gloroch wants the city, and he takes it. The Tokarian warriors are massacred. The following war lasts for 5 years, and ends with the treaty of Hargarth. The Remusians are given Rhemir, and the ability to extract tribute from the Tokarians, the Tokarians are given the ability to exist, and to trade with the Remusians.
THE TIME OF REUNION (YEARS 1.540 A.S. - TODAY)
1.654	The Rise of Timeras The Fifth Orcish War is still a fresh and traumatizing memory and has taken a heavy toll on the city. The western gate has almost breached and the Remusians have little hope of the city surviving much longer. Then news arrive which shock them all. Their scouts report that an orcish army moves towards them at an alarming speed. Normally this wouldn't worry the Remusians because of their defenses, but with the western gate almost down they know they have to act. A group of cavalrymen, under the Command of their lord Araman tracks the army for 3 days before he finds them. The Remusians charge down a mist covered hill and trap the orcs between them and a large lake and eventually crash into the orcish ranks. Araman is almost immediately killed, but his son Timeras takes command of the battle and defeats the orcs who retreat in disorder. The Battle of the lake is the most devastating victory in Remusian History. Timeras returns with 32 men and 13 horses (out of 300 each) and are made heroes. Timeras is crowned lord in his father's place and presented with the Forsaken Blade. The orcs have more or less stayed away from Remusiat since.