Society: A continental island with a turbulent coastline in the middle of the open expanse of the Great North Sea, the kingdom of Garrath is a land defined by both its isolation and its ruthlessness. A place where the horizon is always dark with the threat of storm, and the sea air carries the scent of salt, iron, and fire. The Garrathi are known as fierce seafarers, unrivaled in their ability to navigate the treacherous waters that surround their homeland. They are a people of warriors, artisans, and traders, though their trade is often taken by force.
Garrath has little in the way of fertile land, making it heavily reliant on its neighbors for food, precious metals, and other resources that are scarce in their barren, rocky soil. But the Garrathi are far from helpless. They are cunning, ruthless, and fiercely proud, believing that survival is earned through strength and daring. The people of Garrath rely on their legendary fleet of longships to raid the coastal towns and cities of nearby nations, seizing what they lack and making off before their targets can mount any serious defense.
Their ships are sleek, black painted vessels adorned with the fearsome visage of a Draco, designed for speed and stealth. Under the cover of fog or in the dead of night, Garrathi raiders strike, leaving their enemies reeling with surprise. Their raids are not just for treasure, they seek anything that can bolster their people: food, weapons, metals, rare herbs, and sometimes even slaves to work the harsh lands of their homeland.
The Garrathi are not cruel in a senseless way. They believe in a code of "honor among thieves" and treat those they conquer with a grim sort of respect. Plundered towns are often left with a warning: "The sea takes what is owed to it, and we take what is ours." Their raids are a calculated form of survival, and while they have no qualms about looting, they rarely make unnecessary enemies, instead maintaining an intricate network of allies who benefit from the Garrathi raids in exchange for protection or trade deals.
Garrath’s ruling class is a council of Sea Lords, each commanding one of the many raiding fleets that roam the seas. The Sea Lords are powerful and cunning, often engaged in political maneuvering both with each other and with the leaders of neighboring nations. The greatest among them is the Warlord of the Storm, a title held by the mightiest sea captain, who is said to wield the power of the storm itself in battle.
Despite their violent reputation, the Garrathi hold a deep reverence for the sea. Their shamans invoke the sea gods before every raid, and their legends speak of ancient sea creatures that grant their raiders strength and protection. The raiders are as much a part of the ocean as the waves themselves, and their people speak of an old prophecy that one day, the sea will rise up and reclaim all that has been taken from it.
In the end, Garrath thrives on the edge of the world, a kingdom that survives by its cunning and strength, ever at the mercy of the Great Gray Sea—but always ready to strike when opportunity arises. |
