Gwinn (The Sea Lords)
These places are claimed by the nation/Lords of Gwinn, under the auspices of the “revived empire” of Gwinn (descendant of the fallen Sea King Empire) which encompasses all the Seaborne Isles and Valdeysian Isles (Yvaldeysian) now.
Cultural Analog(s): Russian (naming/speech + culture)
Important Groups & Individuals
Businesses and representatives of the Bank of the Silver Stacks are allowed in some places here.
Traditions and Activities
RAUKET: For the Gwinnish peoples of the isles, the ancient game of Rauket is one of their prized cultural traditions. Despite its small size, the islands can field over a dozen teams – those members are held in high regard wherever they go in the kingdom.
Funerary: Most of these traditions carry over from the Sea King days.
- Death Voyage: “The Cold Embrace of the Currents” – The currents are symbolic of life, and the cold of the sea symbolic of death – a sloop is made to sink over time. The body of the noble is encased in ice in the hold. All his friends and relative tears are gathered in a “Cup of Tears” and placed on board as an offering to Elancil. The ship is prepared to look magnificent, but is a shadow of real glory – all items are fake or cheap. The body and ship are taken into the ‘undercurrents’ and sail with Elancil forever on seas that go into the cold forever. Sometimes professional criers are hired when a person is reviled. The tears are required for Elancil to accept them.
Important Groups & Individuals
Noble Clans and Houses of Gwinn
Gwinn is steeped in tradition from the days of the Sea-King Empire. Each “kingdom” was ruled by a clan. The clans themselves, not recognized by any institutions officially, were “purged” from the archives – their nature and function stripped and their titles and powers divested and forced to fit into the familial structure of the realms. Legends persist that some resisted, and shadowy organizations from the newly formed Green Council sought out their remnants and hunted down and destroyed their leaders – and that some went into hiding in places far, far away… such things are meant only to frighten young princes though.
- Dawn Breaker Clan
- Mirror Light Clan
- Kraken’s Coils Clan
Green Council
The so-called Green Council is the large council representing the noble families of Gwinn that decide trade regulations and foreign policy of Gwinn.
Laerthian Council
The council is made up of a the three greatest Clans Houses of Gwinn, who trace their lineage back to the days of the Sea-Kings. The council is essentially the “security council” for the nation in time of crisis and war. These houses, without exception, send their scions into the martial and religious orders of Gwinn… their dedication to the goddess Elancil is absolute.