The Vargaldi

The Vargald, or Vargaldi, are an ancient Northerners culture, sharing a distant ancestry with the Deno’qai and the Zimka. The Vargaldi worship the Zariya, small gods that share many similarities with other Northern Folk Religions such as the Gods and Religions/Gods/Tanshi/Tanshi and the Kestavo, and speak a language related to Old Zimkovan, but with many Eastros loan words. Long ago, the ancestors of the Vargald migrated from the west, moving across the Svinjo Mountains, to settle in the vast interior forests of the Northern Green Sea, where the Vargaldi have lived ever since.

With the threat of dragons to the north, and other dangers such as ice worms ever-present in the forests, some Vargald are willing to accept the conditions required for protection from the frost giants of Kaldhalla or the wizards of Ursk, and a handful of settlements exist along the northwestern borders of Ursk, in particular. Many Vargald have also settled in Ursk, accepting the limitations of the krev rite in exchange for safety.

Those who still eke out a living in the forests, however, rarely build permanent settlements due to the danger of dragons. However, in the winter, as the ground freezes and the summer muds solidify, dispersed bands of a few dozen people often gather in defensible camps, usually nestled in dense forests where attack from the air is more difficult, to guard against the ever-present danger of dragons.

In addition to hunting and animal herding, many Vargald make a good living trading monster parts to the markets of Ursk, especially at Zvervinka; others scrape by guiding hunting parties and other adventurers seeking fame, glory, and riches in the wastes.

The Vargald are particularly known for their unusual religion, worshipping what they call the Zariya spirits, and manifesting for many of them as an ability to shape shift into animal spirits, or to call forth their animal protector as a guide and companion. Their connection to these animal guides is central to their culture and art.

The Vargald are also unusual in being a mixed species group. Although humans are the most numerous among the Vargald, many bands also have halfling and stoneborn that live together in a united community and, uniquely, share the same religion and magic.

Names

Although the Vargaldi speak a language related to Old Zimkovan, it has many loan words from Eastros, and many Vargald names sound rather Eastros in flavor. Common male names include Radovan, Torsetn, Rurik, Sindri, Goran; common female names include Mila, Runa, Danica, Zora, Vesna.