Gaz F10 The Kingdom of Kaarjala - Vaults of Pandius

SOCIETYthey can be depended on to help theirfamily or community. Their attitudes arecharacteristic of the peoples who livenorth of the Great Bay, but the Kaarjalanscarry it to an even further degree. Cut offfrom other “civilized” nations anddependent on a magical artifact for theircontinued prosperity, Kaarjalans feel theyhave little luxury to dwell on possibilitiesor be introspective; threats to survival arevery real and require quick action.The everyday perils of life in the farnorth have inured the Kaarjalans toadversity; the struggle to survive isconsidered a part of life, just as theseasons’ progression and the weatherpatterns are seen as elements of existencethat cannot be controlled by mortals.This stoic acceptance of the challenges oflife, encompassed by the Saamari wordsisu (“grit and guts”), is often viewed asmelancholy by most others, save perhapsfor the dwarves whose own attitudes aresimilar in some respects.To the Kaarjalans, sisu expresses thesheer determination that allowed theirancestors to build their kingdom and towithstand the suffering they enduredwhile driving away invading forces thatwould take away their hard-won lands.This carries forward into a deep regardfor the value of hard work, theimportance of the common struggle tosurvive, and the need to do whatever isnecessary to keep what one has.The Kaarjalans hold a deep reverencefor nature in all its forms. This attitudestems in part from their nomadicbackground – a lifestyle still practiced bymost Vaarana – but also from theirenduring respect (and fear, to somedegree) of the capriciousness of nature.Most Saamari express this reverence byenjoying nature’s bounty whenever theycan, and holding festivals to mark theturning of the seasons; the Vaarana, asdiscussed above, tend towards the directworship of nature in all its forms.Another nomadically derived feature ofthe Vaarana culture is the use of unique“family runes.” These runes serve thesame purpose as branding and denotewhich reindeer belong to whom. Vaaranawho still herd reindeer will alwaysrecognize another family’s rune on sight.JokamiehenoikeusA commonly-held notion amongKaarjalans is that of jokamiehenoikeus(“everyman’s right”, or more commonly“right to roam”). The people have theright to access all open, uncultivatedland, be it public or privately owned.Thus, gardens and farmers’ fields areconsidered off-limits, while pasturelandand forests are not. This right carrieswith it responsibilities – trespassers areexpected to make their passage as tracefreeas possible, and those foraging orhunting are expected only to take asmuch as they need to eat in the now.Those who deny jokamiehenoikeus toothers are ostracized.This practice arose during thekingdom’s early years, when the landwas still cold and brutal. Saamari chiefsat the time agreed that their collectivesurvival would be dependent on sharingresources, and property restrictions wereloosened. Some of these attitudespersisted even as the realm became moreorganized. It should be noted, this beliefdoes not extend to personal possessions.Currency and TradeMost Kaarjalans conduct their businessthrough barter – this practice is commoneven in Kaarja – but the kingdom hasminted coins for well over a century. Theinitial purposes of the currency was topay mercenaries and for the settling ofaccounts between the noble families thatcould not be met with livestock or othergoods. As trade deepens with Littoniaand foreign mercantile interests operatingthere, currency is becoming moreimportant as a medium of exchange.The Kaarjalan currency system is basedon the markka (gp, plural markkaa),which is subdivided into the penni (sp,plural penniä), and the oren (cp, pluralorenissa). Foreign coins – primarilyLittonian santīmu (sp), but also Alphatianmirrors (sp) and judges (cp) – are used inlarger Kaarjalan settlements; the formervalued by weight, the latter at face value.Where coins are exchanged domestically,it is almost always silver or copper thatchange hands; few people are wealthyenough to have markkaa. Cutting coinsto make change is a common practice.Due to the beneficial effects of theGreat Sampo, Kaarjala produces enoughbasic foodstuffs (primarily grains andpotatoes) to feed itself in all but the worstyears. There is significant logging andfishing, but most production is fordomestic consumption. Growing marketsexist in Littonia and Alpha for Kaarjalanhides – particularly reindeer, bear, andringed seal.The semi-nomadic Vaarana rely on theherds of reindeer during the wintermonths and farm ancestral lands inKaarjala during the summer. They storea portion of their harvests in stonestorehouses dug into the ground to helpsurvive the lean times. Other than sellinghides or cured meat, they contribute verylittle to Kaarjala’s economy.GovernanceAlthough it is an organized kingdom,Kaarjala lacks many of the trappings andinstitutions, e.g. codified laws, penalcodes, and bureaucracies that KnownWorlders would expect to see in a nation.The often harsh environment militatedagainst developing more complex socialsystems. Nevertheless, Kaarjalan societyhas a stable monarchy with a strong,independent-minded nobility.The most important locus of authorityis the town or village council (thekäräjäoikeus). Local nobles wieldinfluence with these councils, butcommunities under their jurisdiction aretypically allowed to run their day-to-dayaffairs themselves. The exception to thisarrangement occurs during times of crisisor war, in which case it is understood thatthe nobility will assume responsibility forprotecting the people in exchange fortheir obedience. The king is a distantfigure who figures infrequently in dailylife, but his visits to communities aremajor events, and the details quicklybecome the stuff of legend as they areretold and embellished.Traditionally, only the king or hisdesignees may collect taxes. At the timeof Kaarjala’s founding, there was onlythe people and their leader. Even afterthe nobility arose, this arrangement hadremained, but this once-personal connectionbetween liege and subject grew ritualizedthrough the tax collection system.17