Strom (Oros)

Victoria McKinnon
Jun 5, 2022
4 min read

Updated: May 30

Overview

Strom is a rugged kingdom in the southern Isles, separated from Aldemere by open water and bordered by the Galean Ocean to the east. It is a young nation built on old ground. Formerly called Oros, the land was overrun by orcs who fled Isandor after Armageddon. For a generation it was lost.

Twenty years ago, King Vidar Stromvald returned from a journey to the far north with ten thousand ancient warriors from Anash'col at his back. He drove the orcs out, shattered their alliance with Aldemere's court, and his jarls and vassals renamed the country Strom in his honor.

Strom's population is primarily Orosian, but experienced a large influx of human settlers from Anash'col who came south with Vidar and were given land. A single isolated settlement of orcs remains in the kingdom's interior; those who surrendered or proved themselves willing to coexist. Their status is uncertain and their future more so.

Climate and Geography

Strom is greener and lower than Aldemere. Where Aldemere is dominated by mountain ranges and pine forests, Strom is a land of rolling hills, river valleys, coastal cliffs, and wide boggy lowlands in the south near Greyfen.

The climate is cold but less severe than Aldemere. It is wet, windy, and grey for much of the year, with short summers that turn the hills vivid green.

Rivers run from the central highlands toward both coasts. Many pass through sites of old significance. Strom contains bog shrines and standing runestones that predate the orcish occupation by centuries. Halflings tucked into the hills hide away in tiny burrows dug out underneath hills. They are wary of outsiders.

Culture

Strom's warriors follow a code of ferocity, tenacity, and glory: the three virtues of House Stromvald. Longhouses, mead halls, and carved wooden halls define its settlements. Jarls govern their territories with significant independence, answering to the king but ruling their jarldoms as they see fit.

Beneath this martial surface runs an older tradition. Druids tend to their circles and interface with Fey from the Moors in the north. The Weald is practiced alongside older animistic customs that predate the Weald's formal organization, centralized around Remedia's runestones.

The Runestones

The runestones of Strom are ancient carved stones distributed across the kingdom at sites of significance to Remedia. They are conduits for nature magic trapped deep beneath the earth: the same leyline energy that feeds Aslaug and gave rise to Spectres, bog witches, hags, and other fey creatures in the region.

Each runestone is dedicated to one of six animal archetypes and grants physical boons to those who use them:

The Wolf — swiftness and pack coordination in battle
The Bear — immense physical strength and endurance
The Fox — cunning, stealth, and sharp instinct
The Badger — stubborn resilience and ferocity when cornered
The Hawk — keen perception and precision at range
The Serpent — patience, poison resistance, and striking at weak points

In past generations, Strom's jarls used the runestones to bless their warriors before campaigns. The practice fell out of use during the orcish occupation. Vidar has worked to restore it. The runestones are considered gifts of Remedia, left in the earth for her children to find.

Leadership

Strom is ruled by King Vidar Stromvald, who governs from the capital city of Stromgarde. In his youth, Vidar journeyed away from Strom after orcs razed his homeland. He returned with 10,000 warriors from the northern reaches of Anash'col and took the country back. He is a local hero and legendary figure.

One of Vidar's notable acts was breaking Strom's alliance with Aldemere's corrupt court. His jarls — many of them from Anash'col — govern Dúnvald and Greyfen and the territories between.

Vidar is revered by his people and respected by Hejong himself, who aided in the defense of Aslaug during a demonic assault twenty years ago. The name Stromvald carries weight across both Strom and Aldemere.

In recent years, the countries have entertained a new military alliance, but have not entered one and instead remain neutral neighbors engaging in trade.

Religion

Strom follows the Weald, though its practices vary wildly depending on local beliefs. It is not unusual for houses to dedicate themselves to a particular runestone and animal patron. Shrines to Remedia and her animal aspects are maintained throughout the kingdom, particularly small ones located inside the longhouses of regular commoners.

Hejong is also venerated in Strom, particularly among Vidar's warriors who kept his teachings alive during the orcish occupation. A shrine to Hejong stands in Strom, maintained by those who believe he will return to the land one day.

The Dark Below

Strom sits above an active section of the Dark Below. Tunnels beneath the kingdom have grown increasingly dangerous in recent years as vampires and dark elves push upward from below. Vidar's forces contend with incursions regularly. The orcish occupation left the underground access points poorly defended, and reclaiming them is an ongoing military priority.