The Sköda, or Snow Barbarians, are one of three Thaldain ethnic sub-groups.
The Sköda reside in the Northern Wastes and the Thalar Islands. Their people are fiercely independent from the kingdom of Marundi, and there is much hatred between the two groups.
Ever since their people were defeated in a disastrous war two decades ago, the Sköda have been at the mercy of the vengeful Marundians.
Today, most Sköda eek out a living in the frozen tundra of the Northern Wastes and the northern regions of the Khorlann Steppes.
Due to the fact Sköda men and women dress mostly in furs and seal pelts; they have the derisive nick-name of ‘Sealskins.’
Many of them are nomadic and travel from season to season, depending on climate conditions and availability of food.
The Sköda are similar in appearance, coloring, and speech to the native peoples of Marundi, but their cultural differences are stark.
There is also far more violent group of these northern peoples, who are called "Variags." From their coastal villages in the Thalar Islands, the Variags sail their Dragon-ships to raid northern settlements of Derianor, Iskandar, Orrek, and Marundi.
History
Back in the late Third Age, the Sköda were the dominant race in the North. Around the year 800 of the Third Age, they founded the city of Al-Enoth.
In the the Year 27 of the Fourth Age, a Sköda lord named Algerd Baranov founded the Kingdom of Thalar.
After the terrible Storm of the North, Thalar and its capital were destroyed and the Sköda people were scattered across the region, where they reverted to barbarism. Most fled into the Northern Wastes or the Thalar Islands, where they still reside today.
Role-Playing Guidelines:
+1 constitution, -1 Dexterity, +2 bonus against cold and cold-weather effects, suffer -2 penalty in warm or hot climates on all ability\skill checks\attacks.