Overview Of Kumul

 
Far to the northeast of the lands of Men lies Kumul, Realm of the Valkyrie. It is a subarctic, mountainous region bordered on the east, southeast and west by boreal forest, on the north and northeast by the Great Frost Glacier, and on the southwest by the nearly impassible Shartham Range. Kumul's mountains are arranged in great ridges that contain some of the continent's highest peaks. In the valleys between the mountain ridges there are several large lakes, each surrounded by forested hills.

Kumul has a strong magical connection to the Elemental Plane of Air; according to legend, it was the location of the Gate of Winds, one of four elemental gates that played a key role in the creation of the world. Whether the gate exists today, or if it truly ever existed, is not known to any mortal. One strange phenomenon in Kumul points to elemental Air influence: in the center of the largest lakes there are enormous, permanent storms called whorls. Since the whorls do not move across the land or dissipate like normal storms, it is assumed they are sustained by some supernatural force, presumably connected to the Plane of Air.

Map of central Kumul

Kumul is also the sole source of a mysterious, magical substance known as Windstone. Though named for a stone, Windstone is not a mineral at all, but a delicate lattice of iridescent crystals. It is as strong and ductile as metal, but lighter even than air. The gnomes of Kumul have learned to build floating airships from Windstone, though the material is rare enough that only the wealthiest buyers can afford such a vehicle; these airships are almost never seen outside Kumul and its immediate vicinity.

The dominant race in Kumul are the Valkyrie: a winged, demi-human race distantly related to Orcs and Elves. Valkyrie are very tall (2m for females, 2.5m for males) and slender, with bronze-colored skin, golden hair and golden irises in almond-shaped eyes. The Valkyrie have a distinctive, double-pointed ear shape which some have compared to the ears of Dragons, though there is no known connection between Valkyrie and Dragons. Valkyrie wings resemble the wings of eagles -- male Valkyrie have brightly-colored wings of gold, white, orange and/or pale blue; female Valkyrie have white wings with pale blue highlights.

Valkyrie can interbreed with Elves, though such unions are very uncommon; the nearest elven communities are very distant, and Elf-Valkyrie offspring are usually sterile. Valkyrie can also interbreed with Orcs, though the offpring are indistinguishable from pure Orcs; this union occurs surprisingly often, usually between male Orcs and female Valkyrie.

Valkyrie have a capricious, tempermental nature, but are not considered evil by most other races; in the D&D alignment system, most Valkyrie would be called chaotic neutral. Like their elven cousins, Valkyrie are talented in magic, but unlike elves, they have a wild lust for battle; fortunately for their neighbors, most of this warlust is spent fighting each other. One of the most bizarre aspects of Valkyrie culture is the courtship and mating ritual. A large group of males take to the air and attack each other wildly; strangely, the male's goal is not to defeat the other males, but to impress females with his fighting skill, then to be slain. If he has caught a female's eye, she will catch his body as he falls dead from the sky, then carry him to the Mating Shrine, where clerics ressurect him; after he is raised, they retire to the shrine's inner chambers and mate. Needless to say, this ritual results in the untimely death of many males, so female Valkyrie outnumber males by about 3:1.

Other races living in Kumul include terrace-farming gnomes (not dominant, but most populous), orcs, and frost giants. The gnomes have a subservient posture toward the Valkyrie, whereas the frost giants are their mortal enemies.