Darkus has always been curious before, whether the Lord of the Abyss in the Elf pantheon, Marcelan, and the sea god Mannann in the old world are the same god, just like the pure girl Lilith trapped the goddess of the lake in Bretonnia. Same as the vest.
But how should I put it... Marcelan is very strange. Although Darkus is Marcelan's divine choice, Marcelan never interfered with him and asked him to do something. Instead, he directly gave him a gift from the beginning. Extraordinary items, and then... then there was no movement at all. The frequent triggering of dreams after coming to the Sea of Claws was because Marcelan was telling him that there was something. In his opinion, that thing was very important to him, but to Marcelan It's not that important to say, otherwise why would it be put there all the time. He didn't know if Marcelan was too weak, or if Marcelan's nature was like this, just like Edreze, she frequently helped him but never showed up.
In fact, Darkus wanted Marcelan to appear directly in his dream once. He had some questions that he didn't understand and wanted to find out about Marcelan, such as Marcelan's system.
The sea in the medieval world was a very magical existence, with various gods. In addition to the elves' Marcelan and the humans' Mannann, there were also some strange beings, such as the ancient holy water god Zongqi.
For example, Sturmfel, he is the god of sharks, a predator that brings death from the deep sea, a destroyer, and the wrath of the ocean. It is said that the earliest origin was a Norscan god, but the Norscans quickly abandoned him. There are many theories, for example, he is probably an aspect of the blood god Khorne.
To his followers, Stromfield is not the son or brother of any god, or an ascended mortal. Followers claim that He is Mannann, that He is Mannann's true form. But this statement is heretical in the eyes of the mainstream, whether it is humans or elves.
Before the Empire signed a friendly trade agreement with Ulthuan in 2150 of the Imperial Calendar, the worship of Stromfel was considered a crime, and Asur even listed the persecution of Stromfel's believers as his own. One of the terms, which makes Sturmfels one of the few gods whose worship is itself a capital crime.
Darkus asked Belloda once, and Belloda told him that those Old World ship captains and ship chaplains who dared to plunder the Assur fleet usually believed in Stromfil, which was something Assur could not tolerate. One of the main reasons for Sturmfield believers.
Sturmfield's followers are usually pirates, raiders, or shipwreckers who revere the sea out of fear and believe they can take whatever they want. They pride themselves on swift kills and daring raids, and although illegal and considered heretics, they have nothing in common with the forces of Chaos or those obsessed with needless cruelty. The consequences of their actions may be cruel, but that cruelty is a side effect... not the purpose.
Sturmfel's followers detest Mannann's cultists, viewing them as hypocrites who dare not acknowledge the true nature of their gods. Likewise, the Church of Mannann responded tit-for-tat, having the Cult of Sturmfeld banned in Marienburg and persecuted along the empire's coast. Believers on both sides regard the other as mortal enemies, and both sides will hunt each other to death.
With the exception of the Seaman's Temple in Bjorlinskjöld, dedicated to Stromfel, the only publicly operating temple to Stromfel is in Sartusa in Tilea, which was a pirate den and had Norse. For the existence of the Ka people, it is very likely that Sturmfield was brought there by the Norscans. The temple originally belonged to Myrmidia, but after being occupied by pirates, it was decorated with the loot and treasures that the pirates had stolen during centuries of raids, and became the Temple of Stromfield.
There are also semi-secret shrines of Sturmfield in the sailors' guild halls of human ports in the old world, such as Briogne and Bordeaux. After all, sailors can also become pirates when necessary.
After abandoning Queen Sturmfell, the Skelling tribe turned to Mermedus, a sea demon who was regarded as the evil incarnation of Mannann, the god of the sea. He is even more cruel than the shark god Sturmfel in his pursuit of the life of the drowned.
The Skellings believe that the entity of Mermedus resides in the depths of the Sea of Claws, describing Mermedus as a pale, bloated figure covered with protruding eyes. Memedus was said to linger on the ocean floor, causing raging waves that capsized ships and drowned sailors.
Secondly, there are other strange existences, such as various Leviathans, sea beasts and inexplicable things.
The fleet traveled eastward from Skjold along the north of the Claw Sea and arrived at the territory of the Skelin tribe, which is a rugged coastline with towering cliffs, deep winding fjords and countless rocky islands. Although cold and dark, the land is not barren, and the valleys and southern slopes are covered with fir and pine trees. The waters are filled with seals, killer whales and whales, as well as sharks and more terrifying sea monsters.
This region is naturally dominated by the Skellings, who live, fight, and survive in the frigid lands and waters. They claim that they are more than just humans, and they attribute their origins to the giant ice dragons that once roamed the troll lands. So they honor this mythical ancestor with dragon tattoos, and they also pride themselves on their ferocity as warriors and their devotion to the dark gods.
While the Skellings acknowledge all gods, they worship Khorne more than anything else, and so the symbols of Khorne adorn their ships, weapons, and bodies. Their longships are very common here, and they are as good at sailing as the Bjorlings in the west. Darkus can see many longships fishing, whaling, or hunting seals. In Darkus’ view, Their attitude towards outsiders is variable to say the least.
At first, the longship tried to come closer after seeing the fleet. Darkus naively thought that these Yankees were exchanging goods. After all, the size of both sides was there, and it turned out to be a real tiger. Both the Sea of Claws manual and the mercenary leader have told that there are those timid southern traders who are unwilling to take the risk of landing on the mainland of Norsca to experience the cold and danger, while the traders of the Skelling tribe are willing to compromise and will do so in Li. Exchange items in the middle of the Claw Sea.
It is true that some people came to exchange items. However, most of the longships came to "build a plank." The so-called plank was a ritual duel among the Norscans, used to resolve various disputes and differences, thus avoiding a comprehensive war. Two long boats sailed side by side, blood and entrails were poured into the water to attract sharks, and a sturdy plank was placed between the two boats.
The two sides fight on the wooden board. The rules are very simple. There is no horse racing, no fighting first, just cutting. In the end, usually only the last warrior from both sides will return to the long ship, and he will serve as his long ship. The representative represents the victory of his longship, and the warriors of the other longship are all fed to the sharks as a matter of course.
Although Darkus could use the Reaper Crossbow to sink the longships that came over to set up planks, he seemed to have no reason, and he found that the Druchi seemed to be happy to engage in this kind of activity. They were able to gamble and use their blades to attack. Fight in the name of the Lord.
After several cuts, Darkus also went up to participate. Naturally, the Druchi won a complete victory, leaving only the empty longship floating on the sea of claws. But this group of Skellings who believed in Khorne was not a fool. After losing more than a dozen Druchi warriors, he lost interest in this activity. One is that he doesn't want his good players to lose here for no reason, and in his opinion, these Yankees seem to be able to refresh infinitely and will soon grow out of the grass. Just play and be satisfied. As long as the Luchis have fun, besides, he is in a hurry.
Through observation and contact, Darkus discovered that this group of Norscan Yankees living in the south are complex and wonderful. Not all Norscan raiders act out of practical necessity or greed, for example the Skellings are fervent worshipers of Chaos who do it for the thrill of battle and to please Khorne, the Skellings The raids are bloody, often life-and-death struggles unless forced back or impressed by the enemy's tenacity.
The Skellings perform blood sacrifices using both humans and animals, but human blood sacrifices to Khorne usually occur naturally in combat, whether in battles, raids, or ritual duels. People who were sacrificed like animals were regarded as animals, traitors, cowards, traitors and criminals who could not pay the ransom. Although bloody, most blood sacrifices are quick, and few Skellings indulge in ritual torture, as it is not combat to them.
The Skellings have more in common with the Salishi of the Knife's Bay, whom they consider their chief rivals in combat, territory, and shipbuilding skills. They believed that the Sali people were not enthusiastic enough about blood sacrifices and regarded it as a sign of weakness.
The two tribes would compete for territory, especially inland, but bloody conflict was limited, whether by sea or land. The buffer zone between the two tribes is the Knife Bay, which is sacred to each other. They will set up a plank to resolve disputes with honor and respect. Although Knife Bay is the territory of the Sali tribe, the Skelling people like it very much. Go, and the Sali are okay with it, maybe that's why the shrines of Nurgle and Memedus are there?
Likewise, the Skellings view the Bjorlings to the west as more merchants than warriors, and believe that the Bjorlings are not sufficiently fanatical about Khorne. But what is more interesting is that, perhaps because of kinship and other relationships, when they are threatened by external and common threats, or when they go south to plunder, the Skelling and Sali tribes will act together, and they form the Norscan Raiders. Group, then call the Bjorlings from the west, and the three brothers from the south of Norsca merge into one...
But the Skellings are not as crazy and addicted as the Wagg, Aislin and Gaerling tribes in the north of Norsca. Blood and twist! There is an essential difference between the two. The Norscans in the north are more like madmen completely eroded by Chaos, while the Norscans in the south are fighting madmen. Although the two are very close, they are fundamentally different.
In addition to the Skelling tribe, the Sali tribe, like the Bjorling tribe and the Gaerling tribe, is a mortal enemy of the Aisling tribe in the north.
Although considered a cultural group that mostly followed the same customs and rules, the Norscan tribes were complex. While there are large tribes, there are also small tribes, kin tribes that extend through family ties, tribes that are named after settlements, areas, or fortresses they control, and often crews from the same longship consider them to be one tribe. Most tribes are intricately interconnected by kinship, oaths, debts, resentments, alliances, and enmities.
Outsiders must be careful not to say the wrong thing, as criticizing or praising the wrong person may offend a tribe.
Likewise, the Skelling tribes are many and varied, scattered between the coast and the mountains. If they have no immediate reason to fight outsiders, they can easily find reasons to fight one another, be it for territory, tribute, ancient grudges, because Khorne demands it, or simply for the thrill of battle.
The Sea of Claws manual records an extremely strange tribe of Skellings. They belong to the Skelling tribe, but they call themselves Snags. One of their chieftains pleased Khorne, so much so that Khorne killed him. Demonized. The tribe would henceforth worship both their chieftain and Khorne. The anniversary of the Chief's ascension is also known as the Moon Time. During this time, Snags will be temporarily blessed and transformed into a strange being similar to a demon.
Although the Snags belong to the Skelling tribe, they are not welcomed by other Skellings. Instead, they regard them as a thorn in the flesh of the Skelling tribe because they are too extreme compared to the Skellings. , they only fight for violence and blood and will not compromise.
The reason why Darkos was interested in this small piece of information was because he immediately thought of a wolf in human skin. Doesn't it fit in with the moonlight mutation? But after careful study, he found that it seemed not to be the case, but another kind of existence. As for what it was, he didn't know. After all, he had never seen it before. He didn't even know if the Snager was still there. .
Despite the many dangers, the Skelling tribe still attracts traders from the south. They are good at the forging of weapons and armor, as well as leather craftsmanship, relying on the rare wood of the mountains, and the rest is gone. Usually southern merchants would trade in the port of Kirkjugarlangskip, but it is more dangerous than Skjold, and unlike the Bjorling tribe, it is not the capital of Skelling. …
The capital of Skelling is located inland at Doomfort. Why a tribe adept at seafaring would place its capital so far away is a mystery, and the mystery has led to various speculations and legends.
According to the Sea of Claws manual, the capital located deep in the mountains is more difficult to attack, probably not because of safety. Nor is it closer to the Chaos Wasteland, as a symbolic dedication. But there are other secrets, and there is a very obscure saying that it was the place where a Skellin chief was buried after fighting a spirit called "Tree Blood".
As for the essence, there is nothing to talk about. Darkus once encountered the black willow tree that became an essence in the dangerous peaks. Dorian even came to have a close encounter. Now those black willow trees have been made into Got the staff. The species of spirits is not exclusive to Athel Loren. It can be found all over the world, including Norsca. It is said that the best ships in Norse are made of wood with spirits.
There is also a more legendary theory that there is an ancient relic there that must be kept away from the ocean, otherwise it will unleash the horrors that the world has forgotten. Usually when questioned, Skellings just shrug and change the subject, but these two statements were made by a Skelling who had had too much to drink.
The fleet did not stop at the Skelling tribe's Kilkyugarlangskip port and Kirkyugar Island dock, but went straight to the Knife Bay. At the junction, he encountered the omen from the Skjold female shaman.
Darkus was stunned when he saw it. It felt like the world's BOSS suddenly brushed on his face. He thought the nearly six-story-tall giant he killed in Conqua Tower was outrageous enough, but this turned out to be even more outrageous.
There is another paragraph that I can’t write anymore. These chapters are mainly about the Norscans. The previous three chapters of Delorme are specific and can be regarded as representative.
These two chapters are humanities and culture, making this group more specific, rather than the Yankees in the background, although it is useless... I guess no one likes to read it.
Delorme is the transliteration of the Norwegian Drm, which means dream. , it will end tomorrow, and then we will officially land in the old world.