Overview

The territory of Nulrath is considered to consist of the remains of the Northern Archipelago and most of the Northern Peninsula (the base of the peninsula has been claimed by Burcima, though since they tend to stay along the coastline and avoid the forest, most Nulrathi give little thought to the arbitrary line Burcima has drawn). Most of the Peninsula is covered in forest.

The northern coastline is an arctic desert, generally considered uninhabitable, especially during the winter months. The Strait of Hur and the waters north of the peninsula are frozen for the majority of the year, making sea travel north of Nulrath nigh impossible. During the summer months, travel to the northern coast is possible, though there is generally very little reason to do so. There is a significant difference in temperature between the southern coast of the peninsula and its northern coast. The Northern Forest seems to provide protection against the cold winds that blow in from the north; even just stepping into or out of the forest, there is a notable shift in temperature. The southern coast of the peninsula has significantly milder winters, at least in comparison.

Nearly all of the population of Nulrath live either nomadically within the Northern Forest, or are settled upon the southern coast. A singular road stretches across the whole southern coast, just outside of the forest, colloquially referred to as "the Surroad". Along this road, many people have set up small encampments and villages made up of tents, huts and wooden cabins; sometimes as permanent residence, sometimes as a place to rest between hunting trips into the forest.

Haven is the capital of Nulrath. Located on the southern coast of the peninsula, it is the largest settlement within the territory. The vast majority of trade into and out of Nulrath is done through this port town. Though the settlement of Haven was originally founded in 199 AR by Northshirians after the Second Surge, the original settlement was destroyed during the flooding of the Third Surge in 239 AR, and rebuilt over the following year.

Tents, huts and small wooden cabins dot the coast as far as the eye can see, silhouetted by the dense forest perimeter less than a mile inland from the settlement. Small makeshift docks jut out from the shoreline. In the center of Haven is where the marketplace can be found. This is the most active location in all of Nulrath. The marketplace is usually the first place that hunters and foragers visit upon returning from the Northern Forest, to unload the fruits of their labor. The Haven marketplace is also the most popular spot in Nulrath for merchants to gather, selling goods from across Ashriya as well as purchasing the various wares produced by Nulrath.

Culture

The Council of Elders, based out of Haven, consists of seven members, and is recognized as the highest authority in Nulrath. Membership onto the Council is considered to be a lifelong appointment. Appointments are decided by members of the Council, though almost every Councilmember shall have some recommendation regarding whom they believe would be appropriate to take their place.

The primary function of the Council is to resolve disputes between clans. While there are very few official laws within Nulrath beyond the general recognition of the Council of Elders being the highest authority, each clan usually has its own set of rules and guidelines to dictate acceptable behavior within the clan and when interacting with other clans. When disputes between clans arise, usually they are capable of resolving the issues themselves. When this is not possible, they may take their case to the Council and let the Elders decide on an outcome to the conflict. The Council is also responsible for dealing with any international issues that arise. This occurs infrequently, however, as Nulrath rarely involves itself in foreign affairs.

The following are currently the members of the Council of Elders:

  • Elder Shalak of the Sharpened Fang Clan, a Lynx Wyldling
  • Elder Kipla of the Coris Clan, a Human
  • Elder U’thga of the Ursa Clan, a Polar Bear Wyldling
  • Elder Noor of the Huul Clan, an Elf
  • Elder Rin of the Broken Shield Clan, a Ritika
  • Elder K’atho of the Dreamers Clan, a Krosan
  • Elder Kalis of the Dunra Clan, a Fox Wyldling

The people of Nulrath are largely self-sufficient, being able to gather nearly all resources needed to survive from the woods. The majority of their imports are related to components needed for ritual-work and crafting. Metals and ores in particular are highly sought after from merchants, as there is very little in the way of mining operations within Nulrath.

The primary exports of Nulrath are lumber, animal pelts and ivory, as well as oil rendered from seals and whale blubber. While they are unable to cut down trees of the forest, the Nulrathi are allowed to pull felled trees without issue. Some clans have taken to fetching wood from within the forest and selling them to carters traveling around the Surroad, usually to be delivered and sold in Haven. The Nulrathi also see varying amounts of demand for boat construction. Despite not having a significant worldwide presence, the Nulrathi are well known for their shipbuilding techniques.

While it is not exactly a frequent occurrence, raiders from Corsic ransack small villages along the coastline. Usually, this results in the loss of whatever valuables the small villages had, as well as food, and oftentimes components gathered by local provisioners. Particularly as of late, raiders from Corsic have begun to destroy or steal newly crafted ships.

The base unit of society in Nulrath is the "clan". One’s clan is one's family. Clans consist of at least two individuals; most clans consist of five to twenty people, though there is no limit to how big a singular clan can be (the largest clan that exists today is the Dunra clan, which boasts several hundred members). Newborn Nulrathi are considered to be members of the mother’s clan. At the age of sixteen, Nulrathi are free to leave their birth clan and choose, or make, one on their own. To date, there are hundreds, if not thousands of clans within Nulrath.

The only ensured commonality of a clan is that there is one “Clan Leader.” The clan may actually consist of multiple leaders as far as its members are concerned (in fact, many clans do), but there always needs to be one person who is responsible for representing the collective group outside of the clan. Some clans, especially those that travel through the woods and encounter Devorik, will have at least one person who is responsible for ensuring their clan is capable of repairing equipment, concocting simple medicines and elixirs, and having at least basic medical training; this person is usually referred to as the clan’s “healer.” Sometimes, they are referred to as “shamans,” usually suggesting that the healer is learned in the more mystical arts, such as astrology, bone reading, or ritual magic.

No two clans are exactly alike. The interests and focus of the clans can vary wildly. Many clans enter the woods and primarily hunt for food or scavenge for provisions whilst fighting the Devorik, always staying on the move. Some clans take to the ocean, and may engage in fishing, seal and whale hunting, or trading. Though there isn’t a lot of land available for it, and the land that is available is not particularly fertile, some clans take up farming and animal husbandry.

Due to the cold climate of the region, most Nulrathi adorn themselves in animal hides, especially during the colder months. Typically, clans will wear pelts of the same types of animals so they will match in color and aesthetic, even going so far as to find interesting and unique ways to dye their clothes while out in the wild as a means to stand out from other clans.

The two most represented Gods in Nulrath are Death and Sarik. There is also a significant number of Simonists, Zinaarists and Domadists.

Ward is a small village located on the northern coast of the peninsula. Originally a penal colony for Northshire, there is very little reason for people to make the dangerous trek to this desolate place save to pray at the Temple of Domad that resides here.

History

The current inhabitants of Nulrath descend from two groups of people; survivors from the nation of Northshire, which originally existed on the Northern Peninsula, and survivors of the Wyldlings who migrated from the Northern Archipelago to the peninsula due to the extreme changes to their climate following the Second Surge.

The forestation brought on by the Second Surge in 198AR wiped out the vast majority of towns and settlements upon the Northern Peninsula. It is estimated that less than one in ten Northshirians survived this event. Most of the survivors, cast into disarray, either attempted to flee the Northern Peninsula, or attempted to build new homes on the southern coast on the stretches of land that were not consumed by the forest. Getting to and persisting on the coast was a struggle, however, as traveling through the woods was always incredibly dangerous, between the threat of being lost, or encountering an incredibly dangerous type of Tormentor known as the Devorik. Devorik are terrifying Tormentors with razor-sharp, venomous claws and fangs. They are incredibly quick, and blend into the forest with unnatural ease. Even for those who avoided the forest, it was common for the Tormentors to leave the woods in search of prey.

Starting during the Second Surge, temperatures near the Frozen North and Frozen South dropped significantly. During the first winter following the Second Surge, the entirety of the Strait of Hur froze as dangerously cold winds whipped from the arctic north. The tribe of Wyldlings from the Northern Archipelago known as the Nulrathi were forced to abandon their land after food became extremely scarce during this time. They migrated east, in the direction of the few traders they were familiar with. By the time they had reached the Northern Peninsula, over half of the tribe had perished. Disagreements broke out among the group as tensions ran high. Once the tribe reached the shore, they began to split off into separate, smaller groups, generally referred to as "clans".

As the various clans of Nulrathi traveled further east, they began to encounter Northshirians more regularly along the coast. At first, there were skirmishes between groups. But as they realized they had a mutual enemy, the Devorik, they began to work together. The Nulrathi were incredibly skilled fighters and hunters, and were quick to adapt to the new terrain. The Northshirians, who were previously renowned as crafters, made use of their trades in creating tools, medicines and dangerous concoctions that were of significant benefit to both groups. There are various accounts of smaller groups of Nulrathi and settlements or traveling groups of Northshirians pooling their knowledge and resources together. Generally, once the two began to work together, their groups would become permanently integrated.

Eventually, groups made contact with the Glibben Court of Frost, who resided in the local woods; curiously shy, they generally tried to avoid Outsiders. They had observed the survivors dealing with the Devorik, which were also considered a blight upon the Court. Thus, the Glibben were willing to offer a deal with them; they could reside within the woods, so long as they did not build within the forest, treated the land with the respect it was due, and eviscerated every Devorik they encountered. While fighting a Devorik was a nontrivial task, the amount of resources and protection offered by the woods was not something that could be easily passed up.

In the year 220 AR, one clan known as the Nor clan began to call for reunification of the Nulrathi tribe. The following year, there was a large summit in the settlement of Haven, attended by what is generally believed to be the majority of those inhabiting the peninsula. It was at this meeting that Jorth, leader of the Herrus clan, is quoted to have said, "I am leader of Herrus clan second, and member of Nulrathi tribe first."

This summit is considered to be the official founding of the territory. The use of the term "Nulrath" to refer to the territory is considered to have become widespread as a result of this meeting. And although reunification of the original Nulrathi tribe was never fully achieved, agreements between the various clans attributed to this meeting evolved into the current leadership that exists today. The term “Nulrathi” in modern times is used to refer to anyone from the territory of Nulrath.

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