Of Gods and Men
A tribesman in search for the truth.
It is year 750 AD. A reclusive tribe lives in the deep forests near the shores of modern Estonia. They are mostly hunterer-gatherers, locked in their ways handed over them from the years of antiquity by their forefathers and -mothers. They call themselves Osku, and are among the few remaining tribes that still follow the old ways.
Tribe is ruled by their shamans, who lead their worship of their gods they call Jomali. Jomali are strange beings of the forest for who the tribe brings animals as sacrifice. The offerings are tied and hanged on tree-branches some three or four meters high. As the old customs say, the sacrificial offerings must be alive and well-fed as the gods need their prey to be fresh.
Jomali are real, as real as are the men who worship them. Still, only a few of the tribesmen have ever seen a glimpse of their gods. But the ones who have say that they are tall, tree-like beings who move sluggishly on their long legs through the forest. The Jomali, just as the tribe that worships them enjoy their privacy above all else.
But the world is changing. More and more longships travel the waters that near the tranquil forests of the tribe. Vikings sail east and west, searching for plunder. But most of all, they bring new ideas and customs with them that can shake the world of those who have so long lived secluded.
Grains
- Jomali are real
- Jomali can't survive without men
- Jomali aren't supernatural
Koveri, a man of vision
Koveri is a lithe, small hunter of his tribe. From as long as anyone can remember he has been special. Where other children played with sticks, he asked questions. And when his parents were unable to answer him, they told him to bother the shamans.
But no matter how many answers the shamans gave, Koveri was never satisfied. And thus he grew to be a man not known for his hunting skills but rather his keen and troublesome mind. His brother warned him on several occasions, but his ways got worse and worse.
So it happened, that finally he claimed that Jomali were just a fabricated tale, and didn't exist at all. The shamans, horrified, sentenced him to become a sacrificial offering for the gods he denounced himself from.
No amount of pleas from his brother or from the rest of his family could soothe the shamans. Their decision was final.
| Traits | |
|---|---|
| 3 | Curious He is driven by curiosity. |
| 2 | Stubborn He doesn't turn from his path easily. |
| 2 | Resourceful He has learned a thing or two in his young life. |
| 1 | Tribesman Even though not one of the best, he is still an able hunter. |
| 1 | Family His family still cares for him. |
| Burdens | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Fanatic Compromises are not his thing. |
| 1 | Insensitive He doesn't always consider others in his endeavors. |
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