Lore:Icewalkers

SPECIES

Icewalkers

Other Names: Ice Cats, Hearthkin Related Pages: Ghost_Role_policy#Icewalkers Related Lore: Lore:Nova, Lore:Space Languages: ÆttmálA liturgical language passed through three centuries of Hearthkin culture, the only tongue which their literature is allowed to be spoken in; especially relating to their pagan practices. While Siik'tajrOverly complicated and with a turbulent history, this tongue comprised of short-form speech mixed with growls and meows is native to the Tajara. Due to the size of their Empire, countless dialects and different idioms exist - making a simple uniform way to teach this language almost impossible. After first contact, Humans describe the tongue as sounding somewhat similar to old Scandinavian languages in some form or another. It's rarely seen spoken by those not native to Taj, though certain genemodder groups have picked up a form of the tongue. is used as a trade language with outsiders, Ættmál remains sacred and mostly unknown to those outside the Hearth., Siik'tajrOverly complicated and with a turbulent history, this tongue comprised of short-form speech mixed with growls and meows is native to the Tajara. Due to the size of their Empire, countless dialects and different idioms exist - making a simple uniform way to teach this language almost impossible. After first contact, Humans describe the tongue as sounding somewhat similar to old Scandinavian languages in some form or another. It's rarely seen spoken by those not native to Taj, though certain genemodder groups have picked up a form of the tongue. for trading, Template:Uncommon, Sol CommonAnd when contact was established, the Admiral waved at the screen and said, "Mi parolas la lingvon de la Homines!" - I speak the language of Mankind. A simplified mix of Esperanto and Modern Latin, and the only recognized official language of the Sol Federation. This peculiar constructed language became popular during SolFed's earliest days, and was almost entirely overtaken by other popular tongues - it became widespread through heavy-handed political maneuvering with the help of corporate bureaucrats and other undesirables. Nowadays, it's a near-universal tongue and a must-know for any sentient being that plans to leap forward into space.

Policy

See; Ghost Role policy#Icewalkers

In-Game Lore

The Hearthkin are a culture of disparate Scandinavian groups all sharing a common origin as descendents from demihuman genemodders aboard the good ship Stjarndrakkr, or Star Dragon; an enormous colony ship almost 40km tall. This ship first reached the orbit of its last resting place three hundred years ago, before the advent of bluespace travel; coming from a world known to the Hearthkin as 'Asgard.' When it reached the atmosphere of the ice moon, or 'Niflheim' as they consider it, the vessel detonated in low orbit for unknown reasons. Large sections of the Star Dragon broke up and sealed themselves, coming to a rest all over the moon itself.

At first, life was incredibly difficult for the would-be colonists. Generations were very short, and most of the personnel able to even fix the vessel had died either on impact, or later on. While their genetic modifications and pre-existing comfort in frozen climates somewhat helped them, the Ancestors were said to have made one last desperate move to put all their resources together to fully modify and adapt themselves to the climes of Niflheim; forever.

Nowadays, the Hearthkin are removed from the original culture of the Ancestors, building one all of their own. Many of the original, largest segments of the Star Dragon are buried under ice and snow, and the Hearthkin have created a culture of building separate dwellings to keep them secret. Dwelling in longhouses and sleeping in the warm undergrounds of Niflheim, and hunting native creatures and those coming from portals to the moon's planet; Muspelheim. Their pagan faith has strengthened over the centuries, from occasional prayers for a blizzard to end soon, to now full-on worship and sacrifices to their various Gods. Hearthkin still hold immense reverence for their Ancestors, but tend to have varying opinions and speculation on what exactly they were like, and why they came to Niflheim in the first place.

Their names are two-part; a birth name, and a title. Their birth names still hold resemblance to 'Asgardian' culture, typically a Nordic name such as 'Solveig Helgasdottir,' or 'Bjorn Lukasson.' However, their last name is then exchanged for a 'Title' when the Hearthkin is no longer 'Unproven.' These are a two-parter, based on either great deeds, embarrassing moments, or aspects of the person's personality. Some examples would be 'Soul-Drowner' after the night of a Hearthkin drinking herself half-dead, or one might be known as 'Glacier-Shaped' for being abnormally large. These titles are always given by ones' kin.

The Hearth itself is an area that the kindred hold incredibly sacred, primarily hating Outsiders for more practical reasons. They think themselves as having been there first, many of them knowing they were 'promised' Niflheim by the Ancestors. Unlike the Ashwalkers of Muspelheim, the Hearthkin are a more technologically advanced society; having use for not only metal, but gold and silver for accessory. They are known to employ artifacts thought to be of either the planet their moon orbits, or leftovers from their Ancestors; however, for a variety of reasons from Kin to Kin, they tend to shy away from using modern human technology.

Physically, the Hearthkin always come in the form of demihumans; appearing similar to normal Earthlings, but with the tails, ears, and sometimes limbs of various arctic animals; wolves, bears, and felines to only name a few. They seem perfectly adapted to their lands of ice and mist, but find even the mild controlled temperatures of NanoTrasen stations to be swelteringly hot. Their view of 'station' genemodders is that of 'halflings': Ancestral bodies, but with the blood and spirit of the humans of Midgard, tending to look down on them even more than other aliens.

Work in Progress: Footer subject to change at a moment's notice. Do not take a red link's presence, struck-through or otherwise, as confirmation (or denial) of their canonicity.

Nova Sector Lore
	Common Species	Humans, Tiziran, Unathi, Moths, Ethereals, Azulae, Slime Hybrids, Teshari, Synthetic Humanoids (and assorted robots), Pod Persons
	Other Species	Genemodders (Felinids, Ice Walkers, Dwarf), Ashwalkers, Hemophages, Snailpersons, Ordoht (Formerly Skrell), Plasmamen, Flypeople, Vox (Primalis et al), Tajaran, Vulpkanin, Xenomorphic Hybrid, Rouges (Abductorkin), Miscellaneous Species
	Nanotrasen	Nanotrasen, Central Command, Emergency Response Corps
	External Groups	The Syndicate, Interdyne Pharmaceutics, DS-2, Cargo, The Spider Clan
	Nova	The Nova Sector, Indecipheres, Freyja
	Concepts	Bluespace, Plasma, Faster Than Light Travel, Resonance ("Souls"), Death
	SolFed	SolFed, Earth in 2565, The SolFed Armed Forces, The SolFed International Capital District