[Valdorian Age] The IceRaven Clan

[AliceTheOwl]

Josh asked me for some character background, and, before I knew it, I'd created an entire barbarian clan. He asked me to write it down for him, then suggested I write a Digital Hero article about it. Since that sounds like FAR too much work, I'm dropping it here, instead, in hopes that someone else may get some use out of what I've come up with.

 

In the year 75 VA, as ever, the Iceraven clan battled with rival tribes. That year proved to be harder than others, until the chief of the tribe declared that there would be no more tributes to Anyu, the god of war; they would win the next battle on their own talents of cunning, bravery and ability. His wife, however, talked the other women of the tribe into paying a large tribute, even larger than usual, to make up for her husband's words.

 

He returned from battle, victorious and boasting that the Iceraven clan was only being dragged down by gods. He didn't know of the womens' tribute until that night, when he dreamt he was before Anyu. Anyu said to him, "Because of your pride, I have a gift for you. From now on, all Iceraven woman shall thrive."

 

When he woke, he found that five of his best warriors had died in their sleep. Throughout the next ten years, the men of the tribe seemed cursed; it was they who caught illness or injury, they who grew weaker when their women should have been unable to bear burdens. Additionally, the women began bearing more daughters, and sons died more readily.

 

By the time he realized what he had wrought upon his tribe, the gods would no longer answer his prayers. They had left, having vanished from the world with the last hero, Valdor.

 

(continued)

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: [Valdorian Age] The IceRaven Clan

 

(continuation)

 

Initially, the womens' reaction to the loss of husbands was to use the men they had for breeding, to keep themselves from dying out entirely. This led to many incestual pairings, and the children came out disfigured, or with their minds only half-formed. These abominations were slain and burned, and the practice outlawed among the Iceraven clan.

 

At a loss of what to do, some women snuck out to find males willing to fill out their numbers, but found none. Rather, any men they encountered were most eager to simply bed them and return to their own tribes. With this discovery came a new tradition; all Iceraven women were expected to seek mates from outside the tribe, and bear a child. In this way, they would keep from dying out, despite the curse on their men. Their reputation as seducers of men spread, and soon they didn't have to travel far to find strong men willing to donate their seed to keep the Iceraven clan alive.

 

The idea of rape is unheard of by Iceraven women, as any man strong enough to overpower an Iceraven woman deserves the conquest, in their eyes, and is strong enough to hopefully produce strong sons. Any magic user who seduces an Iceraven by force using his magic is hunted down and castrated, but any resulting offspring is raised as a legitimate clan member.

 

(continued)

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: [Valdorian Age] The IceRaven Clan

 

(continuation)

 

Today, the Iceraven clan has 105 people, only 16 of which are men. The chieftain of the tribe is determined by the first male of every other generation to reach the age of 25 after passing the tests of adulthood. If the clan leader dies before being replaced (which has only happened twice - men who survive to adulthood tend to be long-lived), his place is served by the clan matriarch until the new chief is selected.

 

Most children pass into adulthood at the age of 15 or 16, though many males don't pass until their 19th year, if at all. The trials of adulthood include a trial by combat, one by survival and one by dance.

 

Any males who have only female relatives in the tribe are forbidden to produce any offspring, though their needs are well taken care of, otherwise. They are not coddled, but encouraged to grow strong and wise, and are given a series of concubines in their cousins. Iceravens are not repelled by the idea of incest, but rather the offspring that result from such pairings. As such, pregnant women are encouraged to meet the needs of the lonely males in the clan. Iceraven males, heirless or no, are treated as respected and valued members of the clan, but those who are expected to contribute to the chores of hunting, gathering and fighting just as any other. Any who leave the clan are written off as dead, since that is often what happens to a lone male attempting to infiltrate another tribe.

 

Another practice which is not usual for the barbarian planes is the pairing of women. Iceraven women often form life partnerships, with all that is entailed in such an arrangement. They share the raising of children, the gathering of food, and sleeping chambers. Girls are shown at an early age that women are capable of enjoying one another's company, but cautioned that such arts are a clan secret.

 

(continued)

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: [Valdorian Age] The IceRaven Clan

 

(continuation)

 

All men who father children within the Iceraven clan must meet a series of guidelines. The first is that he must be a strong fighter. This is often tested in mock combat. Many men make the mistaken assumption that the woman is not interested (and who can blame him?), but the response to seduction with violence is merely their way of assuring that the man is worthy.

 

The second test is that he must be brave enough, at least, to approach the Iceraven woman himself, without prompting. Iceraven women are not interested in a man whose spirit is so weak that he will be frightened off by a strong woman.

 

The third test is that of intelligence. This is the least important of all of the factors, but, especially for the less intelligent amongst the Iceraven women, a man must stand out as being clever, if only once.

 

Iceravens believe that breeding these traits into the clan will eventually produce sons strong enough to live to adulthood. The ultimate reward, of course, is the chance to be the mother of the current clan leader, and all of the luxuries that affords. The chief's mother need never fight or forage or hunt for the rest of her life.

 

Iceraven women recognize that their ways are unique in the world, so they caution all of their children of the ways of foreigners. As they don't understand outsiders' customs very well, children grow up with only a vague understanding that other people's mating habits are handled "wrong," and not to offer a contrast when faced with these differences.

[Steve Long]

Re: [Valdorian Age] The IceRaven Clan

 

Josh asked me for some character background, and, before I knew it, I'd created an entire barbarian clan.

 

Hee -- I love it when players do stuff like this to contribute to the campaign (as long as they're willing to tweak as necessary to take into account things they might not yet know). Good stuff!

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: [Valdorian Age] The IceRaven Clan

 

Campaign Usage

 

The Iceraven clan will only be encountered on The Endless Savannah on the Abyzinian Plains (usually referred to only as "the savannah"). Their migration path tends to take them toward the northern edge of the plains.

 

Any party passing through can expect, almost certainly, combat with the Iceraven clan. That they are fighting mostly women will not be immediately apparent, nor will the fact that they're not fighting to the death. When battle is complete, no matter the victor, the women will help bandage their wounds and offer tents to stay in and warm food to eat. Males in the party will be almost self-consciously aware of being watched and assessed by the women (who will greatly outnumber the males).

 

Should any party member choose to take advantage of the attention given him, he will find himself welcomed into an Iceraven's tent, and not allowed much sleep.

 

Should the party lose against the Iceravens, they will still be welcomed in, but any advances toward a woman will result in single combat. This is not because she is insulted at the affront, but because she's interested, and testing her suitor.

 

Another usage for the Iceravens is in their rivalry with other clans. Perhaps a woman in a rival tribe is angry with an Iceraven for seducing her husband, and hires the party to avenge the insult. Perhaps the Iceravens hire the party to help even the odds in a battle against a rival tribe.

 

Bear in mind that the Iceraven clan has a very deep-seated sense of honor, so they will never hit a man who's down, or attack someone without a weapon. They recognize that some fight with only their fists, and that magic users are dangerous without appearing to be, though, so such fighters are fair game until they're unconscious and/or incapacitated.

 

Ultimately, though, the Iceraven clan should be played as an intelligent group of women, headed by a male mostly for the sake of appearances, who is fighting to keep their tribe alive in whatever way they can.

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: [Valdorian Age] The IceRaven Clan

 

Hee -- I love it when players do stuff like this to contribute to the campaign (as long as they're willing to tweak as necessary to take into account things they might not yet know). Good stuff!

^ v ^

 

Thank you!

 

And yes, I've been letting Josh figure out where they fit in his campaign world, and tweaking it as necessary to fit in his view of the Valdorian Age. I don't yet know exactly how he's going to use all this, but he asked me to write it down for him. As you can tell, it's a lot to remember.

[mayapuppies]

Re: [Valdorian Age] The IceRaven Clan

 

Very cool stuff

[RPMiller]

Re: [Valdorian Age] The IceRaven Clan

 

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to AliceTheOwl again.

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: [Valdorian Age] The IceRaven Clan

 

^ v ^

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: [Valdorian Age] The IceRaven Clan

 

More plot seed stuff:

 

As mentioned above, in an attempt to save their tribe from extinction, the Iceravens experimented with pairings of close relations. The results were often deformed, idiotic or otherwise not fit to live. These abominations were murdered.

 

In an attempt to both appease the gods and hide what they had done, the remains of the children that were not meant to live were placed in a mass grave, along with a number of sacrifices. Several live children were placed in the grave, along with over half of the tribe's accumulated treasure. The grave was covered by a stone so large, it took the ten strongest tribe members to lift and push it in place.

 

They were satisfied that this would keep their secret safe, and, over time, forgot the significance of the Stone passed every year during their annual migration paths.

 

Until the grave was disturbed.

 

When the party arrives, the Iceraven clan has discovered that the Stone has been moved, revealing the mass grave within. By the small, twisted skeletons therein, it's obvious what had been hidden. The elders remember the tales of everything that was buried with The Twisted Ones. But there is no sign of the treasure.

 

It could be the party has something of value that the Iceravens want, and will exchange the location of the treasure for whatever it is (and the Iceravens very likely know who could've gotten to the treasure). Or, perhaps the party hears them speaking amongst themselves of what was lost. In any case, the Iceravens will likely not be willing to expend the energy to recover treasure they had considered lost already, but the party will find it worth their while.

 

This would be very well suited to an encounter with an evil necromancer. The spirits of the sacrificed children are likely to be still about, and quite capable of communicating with a necromancer. And a very strong necromancer would have access to the kind of power that could move the Stone.

 

Another possibility is that a rival tribe disturbed the Stone. Certainly if ten of the Iceravens could put it in place, ten of another tribe could move it. If they've been impinging on Iceraven territory, they would've discovered the Stone and allowed their curiosity to get the better of them.

[Bik Britelite]

Re: [Valdorian Age] The IceRaven Clan

 

Love the back story. Can't help but think of a joke running around in my head while I read that all.

 

"How do porcupines mate? Answer: Very carefully."

 

Those stories and backgrounds always have a way of taking off like a rocket. Especially if it is with a character you enjoy playing. I know I have played in many a campaign, with many characters. Only a handful of them I fell in love with and the background just seemed to develop with ease, compared to the "other" characters that just had a history for the sake of having one.

 

Anyways, keep it up, and who knows Steve may add something to a future expansion.

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: [Valdorian Age] The IceRaven Clan

 

Just a little more expansion on the concept:

 

The Iceraven clan, as long as anyone can remember, has had a deep rivalry with the Wolfrock clan. Their members often feud with one another over petty differences, and the death of one clan member often leads to retribution on the deceased's behalf.

 

The reasons for this are numerous, but they mostly boil down to how differently the Iceravens operate. They are a clan of mostly females, who perform all the tasks and functions of every other clan. The Wolfrocks cling to tradition and strength, and view the Iceraven's roles as unnatural. The Iceravens, on the other hand, value honor over tradition, and hold scornful opinions of the dishonorable Wolfrock clan.

 

This does not prevent interbreeding between the two clans, but Iceraven women are regularly kidnapped by Wolfrocks rather than merely seduced. They usually escape, often leaving their captors bruised and bloody for their efforts. Once in a while, a woman is convinced to stay, though feels stifled in the oppressive environment and longs to go home where her contributions to the clan are valued, rather than belittled.

 

More recently, it has occurred to the Wolfrocks that, without any menfolk at all, the women of the Iceraven clan would lack leadership. It has gotten into their heads to slay all of the Iceraven men and take their women, either as concubines or wives.

 

This goal has been stifled for many years by clever planning on the Iceraven clan leader's clever tactics, and battles with a third clan who keeps impinging on their territory.

 

The Iceravens regard the Wolfrocks as their problem, however, and will refuse any help in dealing with them. But any aid in providing information about their whereabouts or plans would come highly rewarded by the Iceravens' gratitude.