Nordmen

The people of Nordmaar have seen more than their
fair share of trials and tribulations. The upheaval of the
Cataclysm changed their homes, but until the War of
the Lance, they prospered where many others suffered.
However, the War of the Lance was the beginning of
a string of misfortunes. The Dragonarmies occupied
Nordmaar’s cities during the war, and the occupying forces
weren’t driven out until some years later. The Knights of
Takhisis conquered Nordmaar just prior to the Chaos
War. That war brought shadow wights down on the land
like a great swarm, erasing whole families from existence.
Their losses in the Chaos War caused the Dark Knights
to withdraw from Nordmaar in the early Age of Mortals,
leaving the Nordmen to fend for themselves.
The outlook of the city dwellers and their nomadic
cousins is both similar and vastly different. The Nordmen,
as the more civilized people of Nordmaar are generally
known, have no problems with—and indeed embrace—the
trappings of society that come with living in an urban
environment. While still a somewhat suspicious and
insular people, the Nordmen have begun to look outside
their city walls and are opening their eyes to the lands of
Ansalon beyond their immediate borders, as indicated by
their recent acceptance of the Solamnic Knights in most
of their cities and towns. Regardless of how they seem at
outsiders, Nordmen are a fierce, independent lot who feel
they are capable of standing against any threat.
While their lives may not be as free and unbridled
as their Horselord cousins, the men and women of
Nordmaar’s towns and cities still love their freedom. They
do not shirk their duties and jobs; they are hard workers.
However, they feel that only one of their own has the
right to lead them. As the Dragonarmies and Knights of
Takhisis found, it takes a powerful army to hold the cities
of Nordmaar. Being subjected to those powerful armies in
the past has led to the Nordmen’s fierce love of freedom
today. The new king, Nacon II, is a Horselord nomad, but
he is coming to understand and appreciate the lives of the
city dwellers and how to rule them effectively.
The Solamnics once described Nordmaar as the last
stronghold of good in the north. The Nordmen of the
cities and towns are included in that statement. Since
the Solamnics deal mostly with the Nordmen, not the
Horselords, some Nordmen even say it is a statement
about them and not their nomadic cousins. Regardless of
who is referred to, Nordmen take great pride in the rough,
but good, nature that is generally attributed to them. This
overall goodness combined with a culture in love with
freedom makes the inhabitants of the cities and towns of
Nordmaar a people worthy of the trust and
respect of any ally.
Nordmen are of mixed Solamnic and Kalinese ancestry.
They are tall and fair-skinned, with hair ranging in color
from reddish-brown to pale blond. A number of darkercomplexioned
Nordmen, whose ancestors were inhabitants
of the island archipelago which rose from the sea after
the Cataclysm to become modern Nordmaar, populate
the coastal towns of the region. There is no prejudice or
thought given to differences in skin tone, complexion, or
background in Nordmaar, although the life one chooses—
city or steppes—says a great deal. King Nacon II is looked
upon by some Horselord nomads and cityfolk alike as
being an aberration, a nomad who has chosen to live in the
big city.