Name: Oleg Semonov
Titles: Honored Brother of the Holy Order of Russ, Župan of Kolegrad and Sovece (local; these titles have no in-game function whatsoever and are just background fluff)
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Age: 25
Profession: Paladin, landed noble
Languages: Common
Accent: Nordic
Physical Information:
Height: 6'1"
Weight: ~190 lbs
Body build: Broad-shouldered, muscled
Hair style: Small ponytail, with two braided locks on each side of his forehead; long mustache and sideburns
Scars: One long scar on his chest and his back
  Coloring:
- Hair: Dark-brown
- Eyes: Hazel
- Skin: Fair coloration
Mental Information:
Alignment: Lawful Good
Philosophy: "Your honor is your life - let none dispute it. Serve the cause of honor and justice in all things. Defend the innocent and rule your subjects well."
Deity/Beliefs: All of the Aesir, but Rurik above all (see below)
  Personality:
- Honorable - Like many from Midgard, honor is at the core of Oleg's being. For Oleg, this is compounded by the code of conduct he follows as a paladin of the Holy Order of Russ. He considers poison, assassination, and mental manipulation to be the tools of cowards, and is likely to take issue with those who partake in such actions, labeling them nidings. In addition, he will not tolerate the torture and killing of prisoners of war, instead opting to either hold them for ransom or, if their crime is particularly heinous, try them before a court of law. Above all, he will not conscience the deaths of the innocent.
- Honest - Going hand-in-hand with his code of honor, Oleg is honest in his dealings with others. When in a position to provide hospitality, he does his best to let no harm come to his guests. When he gives his word, he will not break it. However, when negotiating with hostiles, although he will not tell an outright lie, he is not above exaggeration and half-truths. To deceive a foe is acceptable in warfare; to give one's word in bad faith is not.
- Proud - Although not (consciously) arrogant or condescending, Oleg takes considerable pride in his station and his membership in the Holy Order and considers some actions beneath him. Most of the time, this goes hand-in-hand with his honor, but other times it finds expression as self-righteousness or an unwillingness to perform actions he considers "unmanly". When not in battle and not among friends, he maintains a stately, stony demeanor; with friends in private, he is considerably more relaxed and emotional.
- Diplomatic - Oleg glories in battle, but when faced with a conflict, it is not his first instinct to draw steel unless the other party should draw it first, or in a combat situation. His experience in statecraft lends him a calm and steady demeanor and a strategic outlook when negotiating with others.
- Studious - Oleg is an avid reader, and eagerly devours any book knowledge that comes his way. He is particularly fond of histories, sagas both fictional and historical, theological texts, and anything concerning warfare, and applies the lessons therein to his governance and his life in general.
- Vengeful - When honor is slighted, Oleg does not forget or forgive. He will pursue enemies who have shamed him relentlessly and offer no quarter. Allies who have wronged him will be shunned until they have fought him in the holmgang, a non-lethal duel, whereupon he considers the matter settled, whether he wins or loses.
Additional Information:
Gear: Oleg is a veritable walking arsenal, with three different swords, a mace, a long seax, a bow, and a blunderbuss all on his person. He goes into battle wearing heavy lamellar armor and carrying a tear-shaped kite shield with a golden tryzub on a light-blue background painted onto it. He wears a wool cloak dyed red, with a wolf pelt draped across the shoulders and a white valknut painted onto the back of the cloak. His spectacle helmet has two opaque lenses in each spectacle, and an Aegishjalmur is carved onto the front. Outside of combat, he wears a red tunic of either cloth or troll-skin, and sometimes a golden circlet or a pair of laurels.
Jewelry: Two wooden pendants - one a mjolnir hammer and the other a shield with a yellow tryzub painted on a light-blue surface - hang around his neck and act as his holy symbols. In addition, he almost always wears a golden sphere amulet around his neck, as well as another, silver holy symbol depicting seven stars surrounding a pair of eyes, that of Selune.
Habbits/hobbies: Oleg is an avid collector of maps, and studies them as thoroughly as he would a book. He is also known to play hnefatafl, a board game similar to chess.
General Health: In rude health
Favorite Drink: Oleg usually drinks mead, but always abstemiously.
Oleg worships a homebrew deity native to his culture:
Rurik
Lesser Deity
Symbol: A golden Tryzub on a light-blue shield
Home Plane: Ysgard
Alignment: Lawful Good
Worshippers: The Russ, barbarians, fighters, paladins, leaders, nobility
Portfolio: War, conquest, leadership, justice, honor
Clergy Alignments: LG, LN, NG
Domains: Good, Law, Nobility, Protection, War
Favored Weapon: Longsword
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Rurik is the god of those native to the Lands of the Russ, and it is from him that the Russ take their identity. Before his coming, the petty princes of those lands waged war with one another and ruled without honor or wisdom. One evening, on the edge of total anarchy and civil war following the death of their Grand Prince, the town of Durzino invited a young warrior from Nordheim, Rurik, to lead them.
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It took time for Rurik to grow accustomed to Durzino's ways, but within five years, he had transformed the struggling town into a mighty city and won the adoration of its citizens. He led the city's soldiers on a war of conquest against the other princes and united the Lands of Russ under his just rule. When the wars were finally over, he proclaimed himself King of All Russ and formed the Holy Order of Russ from his surviving companions; they would be the King's bodyguards and his agents of law and justice.
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Rurik ruled well into his old age, and the Valkyries came to bring him to Ysgard in his 87th year of life. At that moment, he suddenly bolted from his deathbed and fled them with all the speed of his youth. Though he ran across the breadth of his lands, he could not escape the Valkyries and he was brought to Ysgard. The council of the Aesir, however, invited him into their ranks - perhaps out of Odin's amusement at the chase, perhaps because they had seen the despair of Rurik's people at his passing, or perhaps because the Norns had destined it at his birth.
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Dogma
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Rurik values shrewd, conscientious leadership. He demands that his followers go out of their way to lead - to provide direction where men are listless, to mediate and reconcile where others are divided, and to provide and uphold a common law where communities are mired in unrest and anarchy. That said, there is no dishonor in following another, provided his rule is just.
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A leader's first duty is to his people, else he is no leader at all. As such, the responsibilities of his station come before all other pursuits, and he must be ready to sacrifice his own comfort for the well-being of his people if the situation requires it. Those responsibilities include the meting of justice and the defense of the community.
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Conquest to expand the breadth of one's borders is optional, and war in the defense of the community and all that is just and good is rewarding for the spirit and brings great honor, but a leader had best ensure his people are prepared for the burden of war, and that he is able to provide for any new peoples who fall under his dominion.
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Clergy & Temples
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Rurik's followers are the nation of Russ, and as such, the line between public officials and clergymen is blurred in the Lands of Russ. Kings come and go, and so too do their decrees, but the laws and institutions created by Rurik are venerated and have lasted to the present day.
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One such institution is the Holy Order of Russ. Originally created to guard Rurik's person and enforce the laws when he became King, they have expanded their mandate to fighting evil and injustice in general. Paladins of the Order have been known to travel across Midgard to that end, righting wrongs, vanquishing evils, and forging their own legends as rulers.
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Outside the Lands of Russ, however, Rurik is not well known. A few "missionary expeditions" which behave akin to traditional temples exist in the more civilized towns and cities of Ruovellir, and Russ living elsewhere worship Rurik in private.
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Despite being a god of law, justice, and war, Rurik is not particularly strict. He does not enforce a rigid chain of command amongst his worshippers - as a mortal, he allowed the Veches of every town, village, and city to choose their own leaders after he conquered them, and the Holy Order of Russ "officially" counts each member as an equal, although older and more prestigious members might hold more influence - and he does not forbid drink, sex, and other leisurely activities within reason and as the law allows. Indeed, he encourages his followers to win land for themselves and their followers. However, indulgences at the expense of the people's welfare will summon his wrath.
Excerpt from the Journal of Oleg Semonov
Before you is the journal of Honored Brother
Олег Семонов
of the Holy Order of Russ. This is his property and all others are advised to return it to him if found, and not to peruse its pages without his leave.
(Behind the cover page are several maps, each with annotations in the margins)
Russ, my home. I am sworn to defend these lands, where the law is equal and just and each man is free except for the fealty he owes his liege. There are no thralls here; Rurik's defiance of Heimdall, no doubt. Locations of note include Kelisetr, which was the staging ground of a Nordheimer warlord who thought to use it as a base to raid the mainland and was forced to bend the knee to the King when he was discovered before he could launch a single attack, and Koschei's Redoubt, home to the ancient lich Koschei "the Deathless". Koschei came into being hundreds of years ago. He looks old - older than the oldest wiseman I have ever seen, yet able to lift a sword as though he were in his prime. He hid his soul inside a needle, inside an egg, inside a duck, inside a rabbit, inside a golden chest. With his newfound immortality, he attempted to conquer the lands of Russ, but a warrior named Ivan of Lenusa destroyed his phylactery anyhow, and he sued for peace and bent the knee. He has been a "wild card" ever since, sometimes helping, other times resisting the rule of Russ. Only the larger geopolitical concerns prevent me and my brothers from destroying him for good.
Ruovellir is home to the most powerful and most advanced kingdom in the known world. Their industries are second to none, their armies clad to a man in heavy plate, and many of their soldiers man cannons or carry handgonnes. This kingdom is older even than Russ, with the Nordheimer warrior Ruo having conquered it long ago. Its capital, Ruoberg, has never been taken by force of arms. It is also the most diverse in its populations - men, halflings, alfar, and even some orcs live there.
The Eldfjall mountain is home to dwarves who have been known to trade with man and forge items for the gods themselves, but distrust both and are keen to sense betrayal in any action.
Not much to say about the isle of Arnheim, but Augaturn Tower plays host to a cabal of Seidrmen - wizards - dedicated to knowledge and learning. Perhaps once upon a time, I, like many, might have called them unmanly for it, but...Sigil has a way of erasing the old prejudices. And there is no doubting their power.
The Jomsborg is home to the Jomsvikings, heavily-armored mercenaries, and the most fearsome raiders in the known world. Other vikings from Nordheim will raid out of necessity or a desire to get rich, and concentrate their aggression on small villages whose people cannot resist them. The Jomsvikings will raid any target, anywhere, no matter the opposition, for the sake of proving their mettle and the worth of the "old ways". They are as like to slay a terrible monster as they are to enact a slaughter of the innocent. I do not treat with them!
Nordheim is home to the oldest peoples and the oldest ways. There is no king that unites all of Nordheim, although many have tried. It is best to understand Nordheim in terms of clans, families, personalities, not sovereign kingdoms. Most vikings come from here, but the peoples of Nordheim are not intrinsically hostile to outsiders, and I have treated with them many times. The only exceptions to that are the Orgeffberg, a fortress belonging to a powerful vampire lord, and Uruk-Goroth, an orc fortress whose inhabitants are hostile. The orcs of Uruk-Goroth are fairly typical - they are heavily-armored and warlike, but not particularly creative. They treasure iron as much as man treasures geld, and have fought the Nordheimers for it.
Aldaland is a warzone - once long ago, they had one king, but now there are many petty kings who vie for an empty throne, as their ancestors did before them. It is the mercenary's paradise - a viking who raids a village may soon find himself in the employ of an Aldalander nobleman - and the alf's playground.
It was thought that the alfar were part of the fair folk - fairies, nymphs, and the like - but since coming to Sigil, I have been reevaluating that assumption. Certainly they seem to accompany the fair folk, here in Midgard. Those following the Seelie live in Nordalfskogur, and those who follow the Unseelie congregate in Sudalfskogur, known by most as the Bower of Bliss. Neither of the fey courts are friends of man, but the Unseelie are markedly more cruel in their interactions. Still, neither demonstrate much care for the lives, feelings, and property of those they annoy.
Many have noted that the alfar command far more influence in Midgard than they could possibly project from these two small islands, and have thusly asked - where are they all coming from?! Many brave warriors have launched expeditions to the Bower of Bliss to find out. None survived.
For all that, there are still plenty of alfar - particularly in Ruovellir, but there are a few alf communities in Russ as well - who live side-by-side with man and worship the Aesir, Frey in particular.
Batmyrtur is another dwarf fortress, this one long abandoned. Some say a terrible calamity befell it, and the dwarves were possessed by a murderous megalomania. Perhaps I might find out one day...
Karlingheim is home to the Karlings, a civilization much like Russ...some of the time. Like Russ, it was united by a mighty warrior and leader, Karl Magnus, who declared himself High King and fashioned the identity of the Karlings. Like the later kings of Russ, he forged a controversial alliance, this one with the orcs of Uruk-Gorkil, who provided him and his army mighty weapons and armor - rather less controversial than the subordination of Koschei. Unlike Rurik, Karl Magnus had many children, and his lands were divided among his sons after his death - and so did Karlingheim descend into civil war as the separate kingdoms laid claim to the crown of their father. This always happens. You would think that they would have found a better means of succession by now.
When the Karlings are united, they are able to rival Russ in power, and have opposed us many times. When they are divided, as they so often are, they are irrelevant. Unfortunately, the former is currently the case. The current High King, Leufroy IV, came to power after slaying his brother, who was assisted to the throne by the previous king of Russ in an attempt to head off a rival. Now our current king is suffering the consequences.
West of Ruovellir are these islands. Sturmeyja was settled long ago, first by colonists from Ruovellir, and then not long after by Nordheimers. The two halves have been fighting ever since. No amount of intermarriage will change the fact that there is no sense of unity or common identity between the two groups.
I am not sure how to describe the people of the Isle of Skona. They are not colonists or descendants of colonists. They mostly keep to themselves, and their heavily-forested island dictates the way in which they fight - they are lightly-armored or even bare-chested, usually carrying javelins, setting traps and ambushes instead of fighting openly as a true warrior should. The men of Skonavik are open to trade, but I find they don't have much to offer me.
Kraken's Doom is a monument to folly - long ago, its founder, Hrolf Krakendoom carved the entire keep out of the side of a mountain to prove to the gods that he could match them in skill. As a work of craftsmanship, it is very impressive; as a keep, it is defensible; but as a land holding, it is very poor. There are no farmers here; all who live in Kraken's Doom are either warriors, sailors, fishermen, or all three. All they have to trade is fish.
Roughly southwest of Ruovellir are the Borkriklif Mountains. The mountains are a popular target for raids by both orcs - who stand in contrast from most other orcs by being willing to trade - and vikings wishing to test their mettle against the mindflayers, who live in a great underground society beneath them. They are fearsome foes individually, but my understanding is that they have been torn apart by internecine struggle. Small wonder why man and orc alike are so willing to challenge them; they sense weakness.
With that in mind, I was actually rather surprised to learn that the mindflayers were such a terrible threat elsewhere in the multiverse. Here, at least, the threat of the mindflayers is well-contained.
When Ragnarök finally arrives, it is said that Loki shall take the field with all of Hel's people - the living dead.  Hel has her own realm of Niflheim, which I now know to be in the Gray Wastes - yet here, in what men have named Daudaeyja, the dead are amassed under the rule of the "death kings", liches, draugar, and other powerful undead devoted to Hel.  They have even been known to sail from this island in rotting keels to raid villages in death as they did in life.  I am not certain of their relationship with the various vampire lords, such as the one who rules Orgeffberg in Nordheim; I would imagine they are allies, being Hel's people.  Some have said that Daudaeyja is the "staging ground" for Loki's invasion of Midgard, come Ragnarök.  I could not say.
Regardless, the prospect of taking the fight to the enemies of the gods inspires more pious warriors to raid the island; this current map is essentially stitched together from those of multiple expeditions to the island, and even then, there is much we do not know. Â Among the most infamous are the Blood Knights of Odin. Â Hailing from Aurnes and other parts of Ruovellir, these knights, with their winged and horned great-helms, commit their lives to defending Midgard from the monstrous, playing host to paladins in a very similar fashion to the Holy Order of Russ. Â But where Russ's bogatyrs are dedicated to defending our people and ruling well, the order of the Blood Knights have acquired a taste for conquest and have become far more ruthless as a result, reflecting all the evil of good. Â At times, there is little separating their actions from those of the Jomsvikings. Â Even Russ has been a victim of their campaigns of aggression, up until they were defeated on the ice by the forces of Oleksander I.
More often, their aggression is taken out on the neighboring islands, whose natives are similar to those of the Isle of Skona in their methods - a necessity, given the heavy armor and martial training of their foes. Â Sometimes they band together to defeat the forces of Hel, but if this should result in a lasting alliance, I will be pleasantly surprised.
East of Ruovellir is Elgeyja, whose people are besieged by monsters, vikings, and each other. It is good, then, that the Brotherhood of Eikthyrnir, a monster-hunting order of paladins like us, make their home there, in the fortress of Eikarvikir. They draw their members from the isle's greatest and most honorable warriors, almost exclusively wielding spears and throwing axes - the latter being a custom adopted from the Karlings, surprisingly. They are an odd bunch. They demonstrate power over thunder and lightning, which would lead me to associate them with Thor, but I do not see a warhammer among them besides the mjolnir pendants all pious men of Midgard wear. The brotherhood is loosely organized, and its members are expected to abandon the grudges they had against their fellows to better serve the realm. Such grudges are hard to forget, however, and the Brotherhood has been ripped apart by old feuds coming to life more than once in its history.
Nonetheless, their presence is welcome, for just across from Elgeyja is the fabled Jarnvidr, the home of trolls, freakish jotnarr, giant wolves, huldrekall and huldres alike, and other such monsters, all sired by the jotuness Angrboda. In the oldest times, before the people of Nordheim had even begun to explore the world in their longships, these monsters made their way across the world, though I could not say how. They pour from that benighted forest still, and a man who goes there shall know no rest - he shall be constantly assailed by its inhabitants, attacked in mind and body. In fact, the island Jarnvidr was situated on was thought to be in another world, "east of Midgard". Since I have begun exploring the planes, I have begun to consider that the Jarnvidr situated in Midgard may not be the true Jarnvidr - but if it weren't, I do not know where to begin to find the real one. All of these monsters must come from somewhere, after all.