And then there are the giants.
The mountains are home to a number of tribes of the creatures, each of which clings to a territory, usually around a particular peak. Grandfather Stone Face, however, is divided between a number of tribes, each of which controls a section of the mountain. This arrangement came about because of a bloody civil war fifty years ago, where a struggle for control of the tribe that controlled the mountain led to it shattering into a number of smaller, mutually hostile, tribes. They share the mountain, frequently war against each other and make life difficult for anyone who wishes to climb the peak. The summit is particularly fought over: a tall standing stone on the top is held to be sacred by the giants and is believed to be the site of the pact that created them in the first place. A group of elders actually tend the stone and keep out of the way when trouble starts, as their days as warriors are over.
War is the natural state of the Giant tribes, against each other, against the towns throughout the mountains, and against the monsters that also call the Red Veins home. They are extremely territorial and violence is to be expected when entering their lands, especially if you go close to their shrines, which are always central to their domains. In turn, the borders of different domains are marked by large cairns or other markers. Ignorance is no excuse, and even the most bitter of the humans dwelling close to the mountains does not fault the Giants for their way of marking their territory and will warn against taking them lightly.
These things are just facts of living in the mountains.
The chief industries within the Red Veins are mining, stone quarrying and trapping, with a small amount of forestry and furs , though the trees that grow in the mountains are only slightly stronger than the ones that grow out on the steppes. They are sufficient to construct basic buildings and stockades, and these form the basis of the towns that cling to the edges of the mountain range. Few grow larger than hamlets and villages, though the town closest to Sharoban, Istoynt has begun to construct stone walls and a keep, in part because of the money it has earned trading iron ore with the city, and in part because there are enough people flocking there that the mayor, Bolaslav Blackhead, fears that the number of citizens in the town will attract the attention of the Giants or worse.
There are a variety of mines in the mountains, though tunneling is seen as slightly safer than open cast mining. The latter tends to attract the attention of Giants if carried on too long, and stone quarrying carries similar dangers. Adventurers and mercenaries are welcome here as the mine and quarry owners are always looking for sentries and guards to protect their workers. The pay is not particularly high; most owners prefer to pay in board and lodging with bonuses for Giants slain. Mines within the mountains attract less attention, whilst the Giants do not like their mountains being cut into for reasons that the miners do not understand, they can do little to stop it,. Iron is the most common product of the mines, but there are other veins too, notably silver and tin. Sapphires and rubies are frequently found too, though their quality is usually poor and only attract middling prices. Higher quality gems are usually sent west to the Empire, in the hopes of getting more money.
Mining is a dirty, unpleasant industry. The mines are small and cramped. Many of the miners are children or teenagers, who go on to to operate the smelters and forges when they become too big to work the mines. The profession is open to both men and women, with the latter particularly valued for their ability to find their way into small spaces. Most mines are considered to be haunted, owing to the number of deaths that inevitably occur within them. Small rituals are enacted to appease the ghosts, usually taking the form of small food offerings and salt. Most mines have a small statue of an androgynous figure by the entrance where the offerings are left.
Iron is blessed as it leaves the mines, to make it ready for the road and to protect it from Giants, who often raid the ore stocks and carry off the mountain bounty. More practically, this is another job that mercenaries undertake in the mountains, and they are always in demand, partly because there is a high chance of death.
The people of the mountains are a mixed bunch. Some of them are slight and dark and are believed to the descendants of the original settlers, who made the pact. Other groups have moved in since, from nomads who have settled to people from the western kingdoms and even a few runaways from the Witch Tribes in the eastern parts of the mountains. There is a great deal of intermarriage and families are composed of many peoples. Whilst it is frowned upon by outsiders multi-parent families are not uncommon, though they usually arise from deaths in the family. There is an expectation that widows and widowers will be supported by the rest of the family and the larger community. Marriage is seen as a public commitment rather than necessarily a matter of love or even lust. This being said, it is not that uncommon for sexual relations to occur between a widow or widower and the spouses they marry after their primary partner has died.
The mountains are noted for their smoked meat, goat's cheese and fish which are seen as delicacies elsewhere, but the locals smoke food simply to preserve it. They also drink goats milk, which they ferment with berries to create a strange, sickly liquor.
Besides Istoynt, notable towns are Ruda Gorod, a prosperous mining that has successfully negotiated a peace with the local Giants, though the price has been high. Krazny Mill sits beside a waterfall and smelts the ore its mines provides. Important landmarks at the western end of the mountains include Utyug Ozero, a lake with red water, and the Charodei Rok, believed to be the historic home of an enchanter, Marius. A mysterious figure there are many stories that concern him, including some that name him as the father of magic and the creator of the pact with the mountain spirits that created the Giants during the Dragon War.
Next time: Giants, lots and lots of Giants!
No comments:
Post a Comment