Nords



The Nords are the children of the sky, a race of tall and fair-haired humans from Skyrim who are known for their incredible resistance to cold and magical frost. They are enthusiastic warriors, and many become renowned soldiers and mercenaries all over Tamriel. Eager to augment their martial Skills beyond the traditional methods of Skyrim, they excel in all manner of warfare, and are known as a militant people by their neighbors. Nords are also natural seamen, and have benefited from nautical trade since their first migrations from Atmora.

History
Although Nords intermingled with other races over the years, it is primarily to Atmora, the northernmost known place on Nirn, that they trace their lineage. Atmora is likely a human corruption of "Altmora", a name found in old Elvish records which means "Elder Wood". Legends say that Atmora was once very green and prosperous, until "the freezing" turned it into an inhospitable wasteland plagued by civil war, causing its people to migrate to Tamriel in waves throughout the Merethic and First eras. During this migration, the chieftain Ysgramor rallied people from all sides who desired to live in peace and set sail south, eventually arriving at Hsaarik Head, at the extreme northern tip of Skyrim's Broken Cape. They named the new land "Mereth" in tribute to the Aldmeri Elves who had already settled most of the continent.

In 1E 241, King Vrage the Gifted (Harald's son) began the aggressive expansion now known as the Skyrim Conquests, which would culminate in the First Empire of the Nords. Within a span of fifty years, the descendants of Ysgramor ruled all of northern Tamriel, including most of present-day High Rock and the whole of Morrowind.

Dragons were revered as part of the Nordic religion. Dragon priests, on par with kings in terms of the power they wielded, acted as intermediaries between the people and the serpentine "god-kings", whose name could not even be uttered by the common folk. Temples were built to honor and appease the dragons, many of which survive today as ancient ruins haunted by draugr and undead dragon priests. The dragon priests in Tamriel became more tyrannical and the populace eventually rebelled sometime in the Merethic Era, leading to the legendary Dragon War.

Over the next few centuries, Skyrim expanded and contracted as battles were won and lost. The Conquests, and the Empire, came to an end in 1E 369 with the death of King Borgas, the last of the Ysgramor line, during the Wild Hunt. When the ruling council or Moot was unable to choose Jarl Hanse of Winterhold (considered the obvious choice by Imperial scholars), as the new High King, the ensuing civil war tore the Empire apart. The war concluded in 1E 420 with the Pact of Chieftains, but the Empire lost its holdings in High Rock and Morrowind, and Skyrim was divided into independent kingdoms. The Nords tried to reconquer Morrowind around 1E 700, but were rebuffed by united Chimer and Dwemer forces, and the Tribunal would protect Morrowind from invasion for thousands of years to come. The failure of the Nord Tongues in Morrowind prompted Jurgen Windcaller to begin a seven-year meditation to understand the failure, leading to the discovery of the Way of the Voice.

Late in the First Era, an invasion from Akavir cut through Skyrim. Even though Nords don't "meet invasions with pitchers of mead", they were unable to stop the mighty Akaviri Dragonguard, and it took the united armies of Cyrodiil to stop their advance at the Battle of Pale Pass. The Nords were understandably impressed, and for the first time, the whole of Skyrim pledged allegiance to one man: Reman Cyrodiil, one of the first Dragonborn recorded in history and the founder of the Second Empire of Man.

Religion and Society
There are two things most Nords love: music and mead. Most Nords wear animal skins or cotton clothing. They are generally tolerant of outsiders to Skyrim, though often do not make them feel welcome. In particular, Nords are still often quite prejudiced towards elves. The Reach, one of the nine Holds of Skyrim, has only a slight Nord majority, and cities in the east have become heavily influenced by the Dunmer. The northern and eastern holds- Winterhold, Eastmarch, The Rift, and the Pale - are known collectively as the Old Holds, where the influence of old Nordic traditions is still relatively strong and outsiders are rare. The young men there go out for weeks into the high peaks in the dead of winter, hunting the ice wraiths that give them claim to full status as citizens. The Reach and the Rift both have long histories of lawlessness, and are generally associated with criminal activity.

Nords tend to be superstitious, and their folklore reflects this. Nordic names, often chosen based on omens, are given in a special ceremony when the child is young. Unexplained misfortune is often blamed on the Falmer, or Snow Elves. The Falmer, long believed to be extinct thanks to the unmerciful Nordic invasion into their lands, were actually driven deep underground, where they became feral and purportedly seek to kill all those who dwell above them, so it's possible there's truth in some of these claims.

The Nords are considered to be a devout people with grim religious beliefs. Among other things, they have long believed that Alduin, the World-Eater, would eventually return and bring about the end of the world. As dark as their belief systems are viewed to be, all Nordic traditions extend one bright, shining hope for Nords: Sovngarde, the Hall of Valor, where Nords who have proven their mettle in battle or died valiantly are welcome to experience euphoric bliss and camaraderie, free from time and boredom. Some stories claim the place was built by, and still inhabited by, the elusive Shor. It is little surprise that cowardice is the worst trait a Nord can exhibit, for "a Nord is judged not by the manner in which he lived, but the manner in which he died".

Nord Characters
The following Characteristic baseline, Skills, Talents, Traits, and Powers apply to all Nord Characters. Although not every Race receives an Item in from every category. Traits: Elemental Resistance (Frost Damage) (50), Elemental Resistance (Shock Damage) (25), Resistance (Cold) (1).