Otkrytoye Polotno
A vast tundra and taiga environment with real world Russian and Nordic influences.
Contents
Description
Otkrytoye Polotno is easily the largest territory currently mapped in The Tapestry, yet only a small portion of it is actually inhabited or deemed habitable. The large area is cut off from the rest of The Tapestry by a mountain range known as Drevesnyy Ugol that runs along all of its land-to-land borders. This mixture of mountain and often freezing tundra means that most of the people you will encounter in this land are nomadic, traveling from area to area with very few permanent settlements in between.
Following the only safe route for carts through Drevesnyy Ugol will put you into one of these settlements called Coldhaven. Nestled at the foot of the craggy mountain range, Coldhaven was given its name by the traders from the warmer parts of The Tapestry for they knew, beyond its buildings lay cold that would test the strength and will of any being, Maestro or otherwise. Coldhaven serves as a safe market for international trade, as it is the only place in The Tapestry where certain valuable ores can be purchased without dramatic markups.
Beyond Coldhaven are separate territories, some which have patches of forest and hardy grasses, while others contain lakes for ice fishing (although a few months out of the year, one might find the water thawed enough for ordinary fishing). Beyond these areas, there is nothing but gray skies, snowy ground, and death. Years of traditions steeped in lore and story highly suggest (if not outright forbid at times) not venturing out beyond the settlements.
History
Since its inception the massive region of Otkrytoye Polotno has seen little change to it. When the Maestros were given the power and order to create the first guilds, Bjarke the Grizzled and Arnfinnr the Winded founded Stoneheart, bringing together competitive, strong, warriors that specialized in melee combat. Wrestling and feats of strength were predominant through the land and competitions were always in play, giving rise to bands and tribes centered around a champion.
Bjarke the Grizzled became thirsty for this strength and started to pit the champions against one another more earnestly, turning friendly competition into a bloodbath. His followers would leave the land and wreak havok, kidnapping and enslaving many to throw into these more violent competitions as fodder for berserkers to perfect their rages, feed their egos and poison their minds. Arnfinnr did little to stop Bjarke in the beginning, failing to notice the changes in fellow Maestro until the man started to declare himself equal, possibly greater than The Great Skald.
Bjarke, like the rest of the Virtuosos, would fall to the might of Battalgia when backed by the rest of the guilds seeking to put things back as The Skald intended, 300 years ago. What became of Arnfinnr is unknown, believed he perished in the battle, and so the guild Stoneheart disbanded. Its mark on the culture had not however...
The tribes/colonies behave separately from one another with their own leadership structures, but like the rest of The Tapestry respect and answer to the sitting guild and by extension the monarchy of Inizio D'Oro. The guild unifies them just as Stoneheart intended to originally, but instead of a warrior-clan type group they are Frontiersmen, hunters and fishermen living off the land and not minding a thing about what lies beyond the mountain pass.
Not unless they have to.
Culture
A people of strength and nature. Their abodes range from communal longhouses to yurts, huts and tents depending on the individual tribe/band. Dancers from the region are known for sword and cossak-style performances. Most are nomadic, following food sources but some have created semi-permanent abodes and moving seasonally to summer and winter locations.
Religion
- Skaldic (Primary)
- Stoneheart (Former Primary)
Economy
Population
~20000
- Mostly Shifters and Anthros
Main Exports
- Ice
- Fish
- Pelts, Blubber, whale bone.
- Reindeer, Wooly Rhinos (Mounts)
Places of Note
Cold Haven
A permanent settlement just outside of the mountain pass. Named for ease of reference for merchants from other regions, this place has a long house to take care of their warmer-climate visitors and operates as a grand open market otherwise. This place also functions as the meeting point for all-tribe encounters, festivals, and the like.
