Adamin Hawk said:
What is with nobles for the Native fractions?
MB is the brains behind the native nobles and native faith troops this is what he came up with:
KINGDOM OF NORD
Hirdsman -> Trollslayer
Hirdsman - 'Hird' is an archaic Nord term for poleaxes. While such weapons are not commonly used in Nord armies nowadays, certain groups use them as their weapon of tradition. Many Nord nobles keep small retinues of Hirdsmen for a variety of purposes; though their weaponry and fighting style is deemed unorthodox by modern Nord standards, Hirdsman can be a powerful force on any battlefield, using their massive poleaxes and halberds to cleave foes apart and to strike enemies from a greater distance during sieges. On-par with or even surpassing Huskarls on some fields, Hirdsmen act as enforcers and shock troops for their overlords.
(heavy melee infantry; similarly armed as Huskarls, but somewhat stronger, and better armored, and uses two-handed halberds/poleaxes. NO throwing weapons available.)
Trollslayer - Nord religion and legends are heavily based on Jotnar mythology, which sometimes tends to interpret historical events in an interesting way: replacing the figures of history with creatures, heroes and villains of fantasy. One particular fable tells the legend of the Trollslayers, Jotnar warriors who fought against the steel-skinned troll hordes of the Calradian Empire during the early period of the Jotnar-Calradian war. Scholars presume this tale refers to certain Jotnar clans who fought with two-handed axes and polearms to fight off the heavily armored knights and foot soldiers of the Great Calradian Empire. While eventually the Jotnar were overwhelmed in reality, the fable continued to linger around the later Nord populace and changed that the Trollslayers were actually victorious, and it was the lack of brotherhood among the Jotnar that caused their downfall. Whatever the case, such legends inspired many faithful Nords to follow the example of these famous fighters and band together, forming numerous tiny warrior-cults across the Nord kingdom. Fighting with large halberds and poleaxes, large foes and masses of weaklings alike fall before the Trollslayers of today like leaves during autumn. Their outstanding fighting skills and battle lust make them highly sought after by Nord lords.
(heavy melee infantry, similar to Hirdsman but better in every aspect)
Religious Note:
According to present SOD lore (look up the Jotnar Clan Guild texts !) the Nords are the descendants of Jotnar clans "assimilated" by the Calradian Empire prior to its downfall. I was wondering if I should incorporate viking deities to Nord religion (Thor, Odin, etc.), but ultimately I decided against it. We could say that the Calradian Empire didn't bother with converting the nature-worshiping Jotnar, 'just' moved in settlers from the Calradian heartlands to mix with the clans. Thus the Nord religion is very closely related to original Jotnar myths, and kept the "Don't pray, but act" attitude - they rarely build shrines and such, cos' they believe that faith should be expressed through deeds (hard work and valor in battle), not 'whining before statues'. But we have to note that Nord legends changed in content here and there throughout the decades.
That's just one section out of a full book lol! After you read it you should tell him what you think about it.
