Wintermark look and feel

Flavour

The Winterfolk live in the most inhospitable terrain the empire has to offer – they stare death in the face every day without blinking. The Winterfolk are implacable foes, who stand unshakable in the face of the Empire’s enemies. For the people of the Wintermark, strength in battle is a joy and a good death is is the best one can hope for.

The Winterfolk consist of three people, the Suaq, the Steinr and the Kallavesi.

The Suaq homeland is in the extreme north on shifting ice floes and permanent bergs. They are consummate survivors who use every part of the kill and take nothing for granted. Most are hunters, scouts or guides and wear the traditional Suaq garb

The Kallavesi are mystics whose homeland lies in and around a great cold marsh. They provide the nation’s spiritual backbone, acting as prophets, sages and guardians of the dead.

The Steinr lands are warmer and their costume reflects that. They are warlike, but love to create things of beauty and purpose. They are warriors, smiths and artisans.

This is a land of ancient mysteries and obscure riddles, where no-one cares where you came from, but where you are judged on every deed. It’s about standing steadfast against the cold and knowing that sometimes you have no-one to rely on but yourself.

It’s about charging down the enemy chieftain, when you know you’ll be outflanked in the process. It’s about showing the rest of the Empire that they’d rule the world, if only they were a little more like you.

Overview

As a nation they are expert craftsmen, who take immense pride in their work and treat complex runic sigil-work as a necessary part of every piece they make. They are perfectionists, who value quality over mass production.

Winterfolk art tends to be intricate and detailed. Stone, metal and wood are carved with runes, and often painted, coloured or enamelled, so craftsmen can show off their skills.

The people of the Wintemark use bright scarlet for things like banners, because they can be seen for miles through snow and atop mountainsides. Runes feature heavily in decoration.

The Winterfolk are a blend of three subcultures, each with a unique style.

Suaq

Influences

Think of Lapp, Sami and Inuit. Independent scounts and hunters

Materials

Furs and hides, ivory, Scrimshaw carved bone items.

Colours

Light, washed out tones of cream, ivory, taupe, pale grey

Clothing

A long tight coat of animal skin (skin side out, fur side in) emblazoned with drawings and symbols of powerful creatures. When warm the coat is exchanged for tightly wrapped robes or lighter painted deerskins

Armour

Primarily heavy furs that offer protection against the cold.

Shields

Uncommon, but possibly leather stretched over wood

Weapons

Hunting weapons, bows, spears, staves for crossing treacherous ice.

Steinr

Influences

Rohirrim, Tolkien’s Dwarves, Beowulf (2005), Saxons, Skyrim, the Starks

Materials

Metals, furs, leather, stone, woollen cloth

Colours

Dark shades of green, blue and brown, also dark metals – iron, coppers, bronze

Clothing

Plain coloured woollen thigh length tunics, close fitting trousers, often with wrappings ankle to knee. Women wear the same or a close fitting dress. Viking apron dress exists but is considered very old fashioned. Higher status people have more decoration at the neck and hemlines.

Armour

Heavy, layered armour (chain with dark leather/plate over), intricately decorated and personalised so each person’s kit looks different.

Shields

Ideally tear-drop shaped kite shields, round shields acceptable.

Weapons

Long swords, spears, Dane axes - heavy and practical, decorated with runes

Kallavesi

Influences

Finland, Kallevala, the Crannogmen of GoT. Bog-dwelling shamans.

Materials

Wooden items, woven basketwork, leathers, cottons, linens, polished stones (semiprecious) and stones.

Colours

Greys, duns, moss, smoke, occcasional bright flashes of colour, dark feathers

Clothing

Heavy cloaks decorated with feathers, bones, animal skins and furs worn over close fitting woven or woollen robes embellished with heavy embroidery.

Armour

Light leathers and furs

Shields

Rare, but possibly small wicker bucklers

Weapons

They carry axes, staves, fishing spears and gutting knives.

Feel

Iron, hard, firm, strong, unmoving, earnest, craftsman, perfectionist, pragmatic (Steinr and Suaq), dreamer (Kallevesi), individual

Things to Avoid

• Vikings
• Horned helmets
• Celtic knotwork

Icons and important Images

Runes.

Birds are important, as are their feathers. The Winterfolk believe that birds carry your soul away on death. Designs of birds are common as emblems and banners.

The Three Tears is the national symbol, usually shown on a brilliant red background.

The Winterfolk prefer bright colourful banners that can be seen well from a distance.

Stringed musical instruments are traditional in Wintermark.

Details

Steinr Warriors

The Rohirrim in Lord of the Rings epitomise the Steinr warriors. Layered armour, leather or plate over mail, but with the armour intricately tooled and embellished. Gimli and the dwarves have the same ornate armour over mail look.

Steinr Clothing

Plain coloured woollen thigh length tunics, close fitting trousers, often with wrappings ankle to knee. Women wear the same or a close fitting dress. Higher status people have more decoration at the neck and hemlines.

Kallevesi

Kallevesi costume is tightly wrapped cotton and woollen layers. The Kallevesi wear furs with the fur side out. The Stormcrow mystic wears the traditional ragged but heavy cloak and a costume adorned with tatters of material and fetishes. Feathers in particular are important to the Kallevesi and the Kallevesi shamans in particular.

Shamans & Icewalkers

Steinr who study the mystic arts are most likely to become rune-smiths, powerfully built warriors who are at home wielding magic or a hamer in their forge.

Suaq Icewalkers use their magic to compliment their wits. They wear traditional Suaq clothing but supplemented with jewellery and amulets.

Kallevesi Shamans are practiced seers and mystics. They supplement the normal Kallevesi dress with feathers to decorate their hair and clothes.

Suaq

The heavy coats of the Suaq protect them against the cold. Reindeer and seal skins are turned fur side in for warmth. Ideally the heavy fur coats would be richly decorated with important symbols — designs of animals and enemies the warrior has killed.

Suaq children wear similar warm clothing to their parents, although less adorned.