Enclaves

The Ironlanders have formed communities of varying sizes and forms. Most of them living in small villages and settlements. Depending on their surroundings varying cultures and ways of living have formulated. These ways have been categorized and named as enclaves and the major ones are

Forest Enclave

These enclaves were living near forests and have thus adpoted the craft of woodworking and herbalism as their most distinguished features. The forest provides them with food, shelter and medicine. They respect the forest and are also aware of its dangers, constructing walls around their villages to protect against wild animals invading them during the night.

They trust the wisdom of the old, most often being their most skilled healer in the village. The village elder has the highest authority and decides on all manners that are disputed.

Plains Enclave

The wide plains provides ample space to grow crops and tend to livestock. When they are lacking resources they trade for whatever their current need is with other villages and have become masters in negotiating and bartering.

When conflict and dispute arises in a village, they will hold a thing, a gathering of the people. There the matter will be discussed and voted on. Every person, be it young or old, male or female, has one vote and the majority wins. Should there be a tie, the leader of the thing (voted by the majority of the people) has the final say. The leader will also act as a neutral moderator for both (or all) sides of the dispute.

Mountain Enclave

Where the terrain gets tougher so are its inhabitants. The harsh environment demands its price but the reward are precious metals, amongst them the most precious of them all: Iron. As such these enclaves are the most trained in mining and smithing this metal into various shapes and forms, to be used as tools or weapons of war. In contrast to other Enclaves, they build their homes of solid stone - a material abundant in the rocky mountains. What they lack in food they trade.

To outsiders the culture of the mountain enclaves seem barbaric. They believe in the survival of the fittest and only the strongest and bravest are fit to lead their people. As such, the current Jarl can be challenged to trial by combat. Disputes might also be settled by such a trial, most often to the death.

But their loyalty and bond to each other is far greater than in any other enclave. For most of them, the whole village is their family and they go above and beyond to help each other out and support each other. Should one disobey this bond they will be cast out without clothes and food into the mountains to die alone.

Sea Enclave

This enclave has tamed the seas around Jarneyna to their will (or so they think). The best seafarers and fishers hail from sea enclaves. In order to navigate the tracherous seas, they also learned to read the stars and became well-versed navigators. Having a difficult terrain, their exterior might be mistaken with that of a mountain enclave. The sea takes its toll as well as the mountains. But they couldn’t be more different.

The sea enclave doesn’t believe in leadership. “It comes and goes as do the tides”, as they would say. Only the sea prevails. Disputes are settled then and there between those that are in conflict. It can be brutal but rarely ends in death. “Only the sea is allowed to take a live”.

As fresh water is hard to come by on ships they developed a form of brewery and distillation to bring something drinkable along on their voyages. But often then not, they also drink when they are on land, where enough drinking ends up in a good old tavern brawl.