Traditionally, the berserker goes into a trance in battle and manifests most often as skin impervious to blades and fire. Other gifts manifest from time to time that vary with each berserker. The danger with the trances that these warriors enter is that they sometimes cannot control the fury that is unleashed and will kill friend and foe alike.
Dame
[Daym]
Mistress or Lady. A polite form of address toward a woman of superior position or status. Also used as part of honorifics for female Hird of unknown station.
Damer
[DAH-mur]
Plural form of address for a group of women.
Domari
[doh-MAH-ree]
A judge
A special sogumathr that also knows the legal code by oral tradition, and only used for criminal trials at a Thing. He is the final word on a legal matter. Although a domari is always present at a Thing, not all Things require their services.
Fredlause
[FRED-la-ohss]
Outlaw
A shunned person who is outside the law who has no protections, just like a wild dangerous animal. A person expelled from the protections of the law in Society.
Froeken
[FROH-ken]
Miss. An unmarried woman or maiden. Form of polite address to an unfamiliar equal.
Frue
[FROO]
Madam. A married woman. Form of polite address to an unfamiliar equal.
Herr
[HAIR]
Mister. Polite form of address to a man.
Herre
[HEH-reh]
Master or Sir. A polite form of address toward a man of superior position but unknown status.
Herrar
[HEH-rahr]
Plural for gentlemen or a group of men.
Karl/Kerling
[KARE-ling]
Free man or woman
This is the status of all people not under judgment of the law, or not a member of the Hird with royal status.
Meistari
[my-STAH-ree]
Sir (as in knight)
A term of formal address used exclusively toward huskarls or berserkers.
Niding
[NIH-ding]
Protected Exile
A conditional outlaw, someone who has been punished with skoggang or had his freedom or protection under the law constrained. A prisoner.
Sjef
[SHEHF]
Chief
The leader for a group of warriors. Sometimes an informal title of respect, similar to the term ‘boss’.
Sogumathr
[SOH-goo-MAH-tur]
A Lawspeaker
The second highest ranking member of a Thing. Required to have complete oral knowledge of the law and the ability to speak on the behalf of the accused or victim in a trial or settle civil disputes and arbitration.
Thrall
[THRAW-uhl]
A slave
This may be a temporary status like an indentured servant.
Viking
[VY-king]
A raider, pirate, cutthroat, brigand
This term is a pejorative and insult, but also applies to those engaged in the actual acts of piracy, raiding and brigandage.
The Kyrkja
The Kyrkja [HERE-hyah] is an offshoot of the Roman Catholic Church by the proxy of several monastic orders that were active in Scandinavian lands at the time. This included the Benedictine, Franciscan and Dominican orders while influence and heritage from Carolingian colleges and Cistercian traditions are evident.
In 1266 and the beginning of the Isolation Era, being cut off from the Roman Catholic Church, they have gone off in their own directions to fit the unique circumstances of the land and their monastic traditions. Their stated mission purpose is to preach the Word of God to all those willing to listen and to protect those who request salvation. They have engaged in the spiritual war against the lords of the land and members of opposing Skaerslinger paganism. They war against all those who serve the demons and their masters. Each sect is organized around a set of gifts in the spirit or societal duties associated with those gifts to form a cohesive whole like that of the separate parts of the body of Christ.
Sects of the Kyrkja
Anjars (Anja)
Order of Charity, Healing
Colors – Red, Blue and Gold
Ankarites (Ankar)
Order of Preaching, Teaching and Ministry
Colors – Green, Black and White
Havarians (Havar)
Order of Preservation, Protection, Knowledge
Colors – Grey, Dark Blue and White
Koenraadians (Koenraad)
Order of Counseling & Wisdom
Colors – Brown, Red and Green
Ragnarites (Ragnar)
Order of Holy Warfare, Defenders of the Faithful
Colors – Black, Crimson and White
Sanaadians (Sanaa)
Order of Prayer and Prophecy
Colors – White, Light Blue and Dark Blue
Taitians (Tait)
Order of the Arts, Praise and Worship
Colors – Blue, Purple and Red
Things
Currency
The primary currency is the Silver Penning, with commonly recognized coin variations in the forms of Ertogs, Oeres and Marks. Coins can also be found in other metals such as gold and copper which have a variable value based on the local market. On rare occasions bronze and platinum coins have been minted. Although it is valued against silver, there is no universal standard of conversion and often devolves into haggling on what the participants need. In this manner gold is worth far less than silver in some areas, while in others far more. Silver is used as the baseline for precious metals in the Akiniwazi Union and the spot price set by the Crown banks.
Conversion Chart
Penning
Ertog
Oere
Mark
Penning
1
10
30
240
Ertog
1/10
1
3
24
Oere
1/30
1/3
1
8
Mark
1/240
1/24
1/8
1
Trotes
Trade Notes
These are pieces of paper currency usually for large transactions backed by a specific commodity owned by the bank or company. The note itself is essentially a sophisticated I.O.U. that promises the issuer will keep on hand or provide in a timely manner the commodity backing the note. They help facilitate large scale trade between the lands and companies.
For example, a transaction may be purchased with for a specific sum backed by timber from a local lumber camp to meet payroll. This Trote can be taken by the purchaser and traded in for silver at any of the Crown or jarl banks. It may also be used to purchase other goods from a business or by anyone willing to redeem it for a large scale purchase at that amount. This cycle may continue till the Trote finds its way back to the original issuer, where they would pay the Trote in either silver or the backing commodity, or a combination of the two. If traded in to a bank, they are used between the banks in a similar fashion but never re-enter public use.
The most common trotes are found for timber, peat, grain, fish, cut stone, building materials, bulk products like sand, manufactured items like glass, leather or paper. It is not mandatory to accept a Trote as payment, but is considered good manners if access to a bank or other repository of legal currency is possible.
Many a feud has started over failure to honor a Trote.
Gems
Precious and semi-precious stones are a fluid market often subject to the tastes of the buyer as well as availability. Cut gems are always worth something, though their value is wildly inconsistent, often applying their aesthetic value to its price. Set jewelry is worth the most but is even mo
re inconsistent in value. The Hird and Kyrkja are patrons of lapidaries to help increase their wealth when provided with raw stones.
Food and Drink
Aquavit
[AH-kah-veet]
A potent liquor of clear to golden color. Strongly flavored with fennel, licorice or anise. Occasionally served from bottles frozen in blocks of ice.
Brennevin
[BREH-neh-vin]
An unsweetened liquor similar to schnapps. Sometimes spiced with caraway .
Clapbread
Small loaves of bread made from oats or barley.
Kex
[KEKS]
Cookies. Often made with cinnamon, molasses, ginger, nuts & dried fruits.
Switchel
A refreshing drink made with apple cider vinegar and water, often with honey, salt and cinnamon added. Used to make water safe and work in the fields .
Wastel
An expensive good quality bread made with refined flour.
Keeping Time & Canonical Hours
Time is kept in Akiniwazi on land in three hour blocks. If time is specifically known, it will be referred to as either the 1st, 2nd or 3rd hour of the period. (e.g. 7am would be Second Primae) Time after that is broken down by quarter hours at the most precise after that. These quarter hour delineations are are called early, mid and late (e.g. Mid Third Nocturne would be 2:30am).
Nocturne Midnight-2am
Matins 3am-5am
Primae 6am-8am
Terce 9am-11am
Sexte Noon-2pm
Nonae 3pm to 5pm
Vesper 6pm-8pm
Compline 9pm-11pm
Ad Segregationem
[AHD SEH-greh-gaht-seeoh-nem]
After Separation
All dates are commonly referred back to the date in which Fimbulvetr closed the passage to the Gamleverden through the Kisiina Sea in 1267 AD, trapping the Forsamling, separating them from their ancestral Viking homelands.
Miscellany
Karvi
[KAR-vee]
A small sailboat mostly used for fishing or shallow water. Rarely over 50 feet long.
Knarr
[NAR]
Similar to a viking longship, a knarr’s draft is deeper, but is a far wider ship. It is a standard non-military vessel in Akiniwazi. They range from 100 - 400 foot long.
Skoggang
[SKOH-gahng]
A sentence for criminal activity. Literally meant “to go into the forest”. It is a partial exile and shunning from society. Those who have been been given the punishment of skoggang are restricted to a certain area where they remain protected by the law, or a restriction on who may associate with him.
Steamknarr
[STEEM-nar]
A specific style of knarr unique to Akiniwazi that utilizes a steam engine and paddlewheels to sail. This class of vessel looks like a combination between a cog, caravel and sidewheel steamboat. Key features include multiple decks, often enclosed with a raised fore and aftcastle.
Thing
[TING]
An official gathering or trial, often presided over by an elder or sogumathr or domari.
Sport & Games
Knattleikr
[NOT-ly-kurh]
The most organized sport of the Akiniwazi Union. It is a modified version of the ancient game into a more organized competition. It is a combination of baseball and rugby. It can have unequal sized teams where players can come and go as they please. Games can last all day, ending because of dark, a set point score is reached or one team surrenders the pitch.
Stafurleikr
[STAH-foor-LY-kurh]
The Stick game (lacrosse) played by Skaerslinger. Sometimes used as an alternative to war. Death while playing is not uncommon and considered honorable.
Supernatural Beings
Azhikwe Ozheginguay
[AHZ-hee-kway ohz-HEE-gin-gway]
Azhikwe for short. The Spirit of the Screaming Faces. A demonic scourge of the Skaerslinger that preys on powerful men. It corrupts their spirits and through them their followers, thereby destroying whole groups of people.
Draugr
[DRAO-gur]
The animated dead. Corpses of animals or humans that are controlled by manitou.
Manitou
[MAN-ih-too]
A generic Skaerslinger term for spirit, demon, devil or ghost. Always evil spirit, devil or demon from a Forsamling context.
Nibiagijioose
[NEE-bee-ah-gee-JOO-say]
Water Walkers.
Manitou who look like people made of mist and associated with those who drowned. Most active on calm foggy mornings. Known to cause mischief to sailors and ships.
Ogimaak Mikwam
[oh-GEH-mawk MIK-wahm]
The Ice Queen
Second most powerful demon in Akiniwazi. Has a shrine on the largest island in Akiniwazi located in Lake Ogimaque.
Ogimaa Nichiiwad
[oh-GEH-mawk NEE-chee-wahd]
The Storm King
The most powerful demon in Akiniwazi. It is said to rule from a mythical fortress somewhere in the northeastern Ondeandkorgfjell.
Wendigo
[WEN-dih-goh]
A demon of winter, starvation, cannibalism and madness.
Map
Acknowledgments
I would like to acknowledge the contributions of the following people:
Editor
Jane Lambert
Alpha Readers
Torfinn Brokke, Francois Henning, Matt Hurst
Beta Readers
Barb Dalstad, Jeremy Dietzman, Ted & Jessie Genske, Sean McDaniel, Chris Nesbit, Ken Porter, Caleb Smay, Ben Stepanek, Mike Tabor
A special thank you to
Austin & Judy Boncher, Dave Lawrence, and all the rest of my friends and family for proofreading, opinions, criticism and support.
Thank you all!
Akiniwazisaga
Copyright 2019 © M.D. Boncher
Dedication
Links & Social Media
Bibliography
1 Corinthians 6:10-11
Prologue: Steam, Sweat & Truth
1. The Hunt
2. A Desire For Home
3. Bedtime Stories
4. Confession and Revelation
5. For the Good of the Union
6. An Interrupted Meal
7. Breaking Bread with New Friends
8. Walking the Shore
9. Fjellporten
10. If Evil Must Be Done
11. Before the Domari
12. Friar Inge Arrives
13. A Voice From Stone
14. The Snares of the Wicked
15. Hidden Love
16. A Perfidious Conversation
17. An Unsettling & Imprudent Introduction
18. With Subtlety, a Brazen Scheme Is Discovered
19. Desire is the Midwife of Audacity
20. The Deception Begins
21. Doppelganger
22. Tugging At a Loose Thread
23. Missing Passengers
24. Ten Lashes
25. Disobedience Has Consequences
26. Alms & Rolling Coins
27. The Dove of Heaven Sings
28. To Whom Shall One Be True?
29. A City Robed In Black
30. A Grief Interrupted, an Absolution Denied
31. On Pins and Needles
32. Golden Promises & Purchased Allegiance
33. A Much Needed Consultation
34. The Distance of Family
35. The Intimacy of Enemies
36. An Unexpected & Boisterous Encounter
37. The Battle of Eitrfjord
38. Conditions, Restrictions & Honor
39. Out of the Darkness
40. A Hasty Retreat
41. Unearthing the Magnitude of Betrayal
42. Into Thy Hands
Encyclopedia Akiniwazi
Language
Slang & Colorful Colloquialisms
Places
Dyrrvatn Kastali Locations
Geographical Features
Political, Military & Miscellany
Society
Lineage of the Sveinnaettir Dynasty
The Statsraad
The Privy Council
Aettir Peerage
Hird Titles (In Order of Precedence)
Forms of Address and Social Status
The Kyrkja
Sects of the Kyrkja
Things
Food and Drink
Keeping Time & Canonical Hours
Miscellany
Sport & Games
Supernatural Beings
Map
Acknowledgments
Akiniwazisaga: The Inheritance Thieves Page 31
