Ideas for northerner fantasy faction (NOT VIKING STRENGTH SAVAGERY SLOP)

[Kekw]

As the title says, im making a new writing project and I think ive got a general idea in my head about what to put on the northern cold fringes of the map: but thinking about what's typically put there just makes me bored out of my mind

Its always the same viking norse pagan proud and stubborn and strong and proud and independent and stubborn and proud and strong slop bullshit, and I think the most striking thing about these barbarian northerner slop factions is that ultimately they more often than not are just one-dimensional bandits cosplaying as the medieval vikings

They have no personality, its all raiding and pillaging and "kill the weak and be strong!", it comes off more as just your set mob faction that you can always expect to be there like the wood elves who are also the same: reject all notions of progress or ideas outside of the one concept the author wrote them to be, and thats it
rne

Does anyone have any ideas for this maybe? I'd like it even more if its not influenced by the second default northerner faction which is just Russia or anything slavic

 

[Kay_Ship]

Have you considered any of the natives on the north American continent? Like the inuit peoples or the Metis? There are also the Celtic cultures in Northern UK that have interesting cultures and legends.

You could base a faction off of one of these and tie it into your setting.

 

[Eldoria]

"This is Olaf."
"This is Olaf."
"This is Olaf."
"And you?"
"I'm Hendrick."

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Could go with the Finnish instead of Norse mold - more magical stuff, less focus on combat, honor, same focus on beer.

 

[Jerynboe]

I mean if we go with actual cultures that produced Vikings, raiding was only one thing they did. In fact it was mostly done by young dumbass men with something to prove. It just became a fixture in our perception of them because the swarms of glory seeking incels created generational trauma for everyone else.

They also did quite a lot of trade, colonization, and had pretty sophisticated craftsmen. They were really good at sailing too, with fairly advanced knowledge of ship building and astronomy. They did have a lot of respect for warriors what with Valhalla and such, but its not like it was Valhalla or bust the way a lot of modern stories present it.

Even just emphasizing different aspects of the real culture, like making them traders who sail around on rune-scribed ships that are dramatically faster than anything anyone else can manage would be a decent start.

 

[ArchlordZero]

Polar bears are the real northerners

 

[kosamsel]

Also worth considering: creating a more collectivist culture! Hostile environments don’t just drive people to pillage and conflict; they also push them to cooperate.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

Polar bears are the real northerners

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

As the title says, im making a new writing project and I think ive got a general idea in my head about what to put on the northern cold fringes of the map: but thinking about what's typically put there just makes me bored out of my mind

Its always the same viking norse pagan proud and stubborn and strong and proud and independent and stubborn and proud and strong slop bullshit, and I think the most striking thing about these barbarian northerner slop factions is that ultimately they more often than not are just one-dimensional bandits cosplaying as the medieval vikings

They have no personality, its all raiding and pillaging and "kill the weak and be strong!", it comes off more as just your set mob faction that you can always expect to be there like the wood elves who are also the same: reject all notions of progress or ideas outside of the one concept the author wrote them to be, and thats it
rne

Does anyone have any ideas for this maybe? I'd like it even more if its not influenced by the second default northerner faction which is just Russia or anything slavic

A more historically accurate take might be profitable. They were merchants and traders too~. Not to mention, artisans~. Pillaging was mostly the opportunistic outcome of their first activity.

The same was practised by merchants in the Mediterranean, where "trade" and private piracy often went hand in hand.

 

[Taufiles]

I'd love to see a viking story where the viking is a trader, perhaps with his own crew, and they travel around Europe, selling their wares.

Since it's fantasy, you can do alot with monsters attacking them for action, but even a slice of life with fantastical elements of a 11th century trader would be sick.

If you want to be really creative, you can make the expedition to Newfoundland and have the adventures set there!

 

[Placeholder]

> Does anyone have any ideas for this maybe?

Mashup of Yoruba, Aleut, Sicilian, and Sami cultures. Base food inputs and material culture on what they can source where they are.

Dark skin if they're hunter gatherers, light skin if they are agriculturalists and need the D.

Completely rename and rework any religious stuff, but it's fine to keep structures.

 

[DireBadger]

Don't forget the mongols!

They managed to use publicity and public perception to turn their basically cowardly, thieving, and murderous rapine and greedy tactics into a legend!

 

[ConansWitchBaby]

Idea: Smut

Bathe>Sex>Profit

Or go with the inhospitable theme of cold lands by focusing/making an origin story for something like a Banshee that struggles and starves.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

I mean if we go with actual cultures that produced Vikings, raiding was only one thing they did. In fact it was mostly done by young dumbass men with something to prove. It just became a fixture in our perception of them because the swarms of glory seeking incels created generational trauma for everyone else.

"Viking" was a verb in Old Norse - the seasonal act of raiding for livestock, women and sometimes land. Usually, it was young men who had dishonored their families trying to regain honor by raiding.

They also did quite a lot of trade, colonization, and had pretty sophisticated craftsmen. They were really good at sailing too, with fairly advanced knowledge of ship building and astronomy. They did have a lot of respect for warriors what with Valhalla and such, but its not like it was Valhalla or bust the way a lot of modern stories present it.

Valhalla was one of the two places the honored dead went to. The hall of Freyja was for those who did well in life but were not warriors, Valhalla was for those who died in battle or showed warrior spirit all their lives, and the cavers of Hel were the destinations for the rest.

Even just emphasizing different aspects of the real culture, like making them traders who sail around on rune-scribed ships that are dramatically faster than anything anyone else can manage would be a decent start.