RP Database Backup
Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.

Minor things of note in Adrila

Go down

Minor things of note in Adrila Empty Minor things of note in Adrila

Post by Berserker Mon Oct 28, 2013 7:35 pm

The many small details of Adrila, noted down in no particular order.

"It would appear the peasants have risen up and found SWORDS!"

As a matter of fact, Adrilan peasants have military training. In an Adrilan's 5 years between his 20th and 25th summer, he is conscripted into the army, serving as a soldier for five years. During this time, he is taught to wield a sword and defend himself with a shield.  Therefore, Adrilan peasants gathering to defend their village are not just rabble; they are off-duty soldiers, ready to rejoin the army when they are recruited. Adrilan bandits tend to be particularly crafty for this reason; they rarely attack grain carriages, instead looking for foreigners as their chief prey. A footnote is that Adrilan peasant uprisings are usually far more violent than other places, because the Adrilans themselves are trained in battle and are notoriously stubborn in battle, as is their heritage. Most peasant uprisings thus only end when two or more knight companies engage the peasants, and only when most of the peasants have been slaughtered will the peasants quit.

Plant life

Adrilans, despite their warlike nature, hold a certain regard for natural fauna. Some believe this is attributed to those in western Adrila descended from Dimberg barbarians. Either way, they regard nature as a good thing, providing them wood, stone and food, and they returning it all whenever they relieve themselves or die.

Fear of death

Some Adrilans fear death. Some don't. Most are rather unsure what to think about death, but they accept death as a part of the cycle of life. They know that they will one day die, be it to sword or old age, and for that reason are less overly careful with their lives than the more "civil" peoples of Ivellea and Elthern.

Farming

Adrilans generally try to run their farms all year. In southern regions, like Orbush and Rockden, they usually leave them be during the winter colds, as snow-covered wheat makes a poor harvest.  As a whole, they are not very bound by seasons. Windmills are becoming a trend in the Lowerfell and Higherfell provinces. Other provinces stay true to their horse-powered ones.

Adrilans and boats

Despite Adrila having no coast, Adrilans in certain provinces have a sturdy boat lying around. These are for traversing the rivers flowing through the country, and on some occasions, battles have been won by a contingent of knights from another province showing up at a beachhead and assaulting the enemy from the rear.  Other times, boats serve well for simple transports, both downstream and upstream.

On rugs in the kitchen

It's considered good luck to have a sturdy rug hanging on the wall in the kitchen. This is in no small part due to the fact Adrilans use open fireplaces for cooking, as these are cheaper and easier to build than it is to have a stove crafted. To put out fires, the Adrilan housewife will tear the rug off the wall and put it on top of the fire, thus preventing her house from burning down. On occasion, this rug is made out of the cloaks the wife and husband wore while they served in the army; couples who met while serving do this to signify their bonding.  They are also used to chase out unwelcome dogs.

Dogs

Often, an Adrilan village will have three or four large dogs. These dogs are usually allowed to run around the village at random, but their hunting instincts are very sharp, and the dogs can be considered feral by an Ivellean. Sometimes, these dogs will venture out of the village to hunt, and in similar fashion to a pack of wolves, they will take down a large animal to feed their 'pack', in this case the village. One dog will then return to the village, and two or three villagers with a horse will bring the dogs' prey back to the village.  A dog can often be found in front of a fireplace inside a home. This home is most commonly decided by the dog itself, unless the owners of the house decide to chase the dog out. A resulting event is a dead hare found on the stair the next day, but no one has yet been able to determine if this is meant as a threat or as a parting gift.

Horses

More common than the dog, the horse is a usual sight in Adrila. They are strong and durable variants of the breed, as able to carry a heavily armored knight into battle as pulling a plow through a field. The Adrilans treat their horses fondly, though none bond quite as strongly with the horses as the Sherfelders.  Beyond that, not much is special about the Adrilan horses, except that they are deeply loyal to kind riders. A horse whose rider has died will often be found returning to the rider's place of death.  Some wild horse packs can be found roaming old battlefields due to this, as each new generation of horse has stayed at the home of its forefather; perhaps because of this, Adrilans are reluctant to tame wild horses. Some knight orders still do this as a rite of passage, however; riding a horse descended from such a loyal sire is considered great honour to both horse and rider.

Varying weaponry

Adrilans most commonly wield swords and spears in battle. War axes have occasionally been seen as well, in addition to some individuals wielding maces.  Mace wielders are often laughed at by swordsmen, but axes are welcomed as bladed weapons, not being crafted specifically to pierce armour and are thus accepted as honourable weapons.  Considering this, it is no surprise that guns aren't accepted in Adrilan armies. Even bows are barely accepted by the most valorous knights, and crossbowmen face extreme prejudice.  Mages are also treated with some disdain, though it is mostly those who choose to stay at range and leave the melee to the knights who get this treatment. Mages who wear armour and fight alongside the knights are usually accepted as comrades and friends who have the courage to march into the thick of it. Some mages have declared the knights hypocrites because of this, while the knights have usually responded by calling the mages cowards. The ensuing arguments have left many mages unwilling to work together with knights, unless they are specifically the melee-range fighters in armor.

Nobility

Adrilans accept their nobles. They sometimes respect their nobles. It depends very, very much on the nobleman, and a young and arrogant noble is often found drunk and naked in a moat before he reaches his 20th summer. The nobles who choose to serve in the military usually end up good fighters and good men, having the combination of status and serving alongside common men to temper his arrogance into confidence and his status into leadership capabilities. Those who do not serve in the army are rarely accepted as men worthy of respect, unless their upbringing was harsh enough to beat some sense into them.  Spoiled nobles are the single largest hatred of commoners, just above summers with nothing but rain.

Uncultivated plains

"They are windy, open, and there is a lot of grass on them. What else is there to say?" - An Adley woman in her late 60s
Open plains are common in Adrila. They are excellent battlefields and good travel routes, but not much else. The grass is tall enough to hide a crawling bandit, however, so most travelers are moderately cautious while out traveling. This, of course, works both ways.

Cowardice

As good as nonexistent. Nearly every single Adrilan is willing to face danger to achieve something, something that was firmly beaten into them in their time in the army. Even during peaceful times, the soldiers undertook practice battles, often putting one unit up against three to teach them to stand firm against overwhelming odds. Any who retreated were beaten and given what the Captains refer to as "intensive morale training"; assigned to follow a Knight into the knights' exercise battles until they were jaded enough to bear with the stress.  The Knight would in turn show the coward what courage is by protecting him in the way the coward should protect the knight in return.  If the coward still would not fight, he would follow a single knight south to the wilds, staying with him for a month and learning how important it is to be able to rely on others.

Stubborn

The single most unifying trait for Adrilans. They rarely allow others to have their way with them, something the different provinces displayed during Arrendal's conquest. It took great deals of diplomacy to have the various provinces conform to Arrendal's rule. While an enormous issue for Arrendal twenty years ago, it is today one of his greatest weapons; Adrilans will hold their ground against nearly any foe.

Berserker
Admin

Posts : 132
Join date : 2013-10-28

Back to top Go down

Back to top

- Similar topics

 
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum