Dunlendings as a Heroic Culture

[Halbarad]

Here are my initial thoughts on a Dunnish character option. It's in very early stages and I would be happy for input from other members of the community. Lots of things up for discussion.
I have in mind that these fellows would be, visually and culturally, very similar to the Highlanders from Braveheart. There would also be Irish and Welsh influences in there(perhaps Welsh style names?).

First things first.

Does the blurb need to be extended or can we leave it that further cultural clues will be found throughout the descriptions for virtues, rewards and backgrounds? Also, does anyone feel that the blurb does not make a fair representation of what Dunlendings might be like?

Dunlendings

Beyond the gap of Rohan, in the western foothills of the Misty Mountains, lies the region known as Dunland. The people of this land are crofters and herd folk for the most part, dwelling in fortified hilltop strongholds.
Merchants and traders who have journeyed along the Greenway know that these folk are not merely 'Wild Hillmen', contrary to the disparaging remarks of their Rohirric neighbours. Culturally, they count poets and artists among their number that rival any among the Northmen and common folk of Gondor.
However, having spurned the friendship of the Dunedain, it is in the crafting of metal and political organisation that they lag behind their hereditary foes, 'The Forgoil'.

When the Éothéod arrived on the plains of Calenardhon in the 26th Century TA, they were a united people, whereas the Dunlendings lived in extended family groups, fiercely independent of each other and often bitter rivals. Such alliances as the fractious Dunlending Lords mustered could not stand in battle against the veteran horsemen of Eorl's army. The Dunlendings of Calenardhon were driven from their homes and into exile among their kinfolk to the west of the River Isen.
Ever since there has been a bitter enmity between the two peoples, one which often spills over into bloodshed in the Westfold and in the hill country, west of the Isen.

Of late, several of the clans lying closest to the Westfold have fallen under the sway of Saruman. He has made some vague promises to them, regarding their long desired vengeance against the 'straw heads', in return for their fealty and an agreement not to raid in the Westfold without his permission.


Appearance

They are descended fromthird second house of the Edain and are marginally smaller in stature than the descendants of the other two houses. Their skin is slightly darker and they have dark eyes. Blue eyes are rare, but are usually found among clans dwelling between the Isen and Adorn rivers, due their proximity to and occasional intermarriage with the Rohirrim. Hair colour ranges in tone from mid brown to black and the average warrior is heavily bearded. This and a general lack of concern for their appearance has caused them to be referred to, somewhat condescendingly by the Rohirrim, as Wild Men.

Cultural Blessing: (?)

"The oppressed can only take so much...."

Cultural Virtues

Salmon of Wisdom - Affects Lore and Riddle and Wisdom checks
Buck Leap - combat movement oriented
Soul of a Poet - Song and Courtesy
Sharp Tongued - affects opponents Stance
Fell Runner - affects travel for both character and companions.

Cultural Rewards

Belly Spear
Iron Torc
(?)

Backgrounds

Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Wild Man of the Fells
Home is where the Heart lies.
The Blood of Heroes
A Weaver of Tales
Dunlending Rider(?)

Body - Medium
Heart - Low
Wits - High

[Falenthal]

For Cultural Rewards some kind of protective tattoo might look great. Thus they could still go around armor-less, which seems to be the preferred image for them. Add Valour to Parry or something like that.

In fact, I was thinking of a totally different configuration for their Attributes:
We know how much they have endured in the hands of other folk, even with their own inner wars, but they still endure. In my eyes, that requires a lot of Heart. And, on the other hand, they're probably not very clever (low technology, for example) or strong willed (Saruman is a Maia, of course, but he didn't seem to have a hard time seducing them for anything but words).

This is my proposal:
Body - Medium
Heart - High
Wits - Low

The Protective Tattoo Virtue would go along well with the low Wits for Parry.

As for the Cultural Blessing, Gamling the Old said something that points into a kind of berserker condition. That could be a Cultural Blessing or a Virtue. Care should be taken not to copy the beornings Cultural Blessing, though:

They are fierce folk when roused. They will not give way now for dusk or dawn, until Théoden is taken, or they themselves are slain.’

In fact, maybe the Blessing should be more related to the hills and rocky terrain, and the berserker ability should be a Virtue for the warrior types.

Just my two cents.

[Rocmistro]

I love it, Halbarad. I've always loved the Dunlendings.

I'm trying to come up with another reward for them, so I'm kind of just looking over Celtic warfare. What about a bodhrán (uiellann pipes seem too sophisticated for them)

[Glorelendil]

How is this for a berserker ability: every time they succeed on a fear test in combat, they get a bonus die for that combat.

[Rocmistro]

Tattoos: I like this idea a lot, but are Dunlendings ever described as having tattoos or is this a modern association given the popularity of them currently?

Berserk: Glor, I think that's pretty good. I'm wondering if it should be their cultural blessing? It would obviously prioritize Valour over Wisdom, which is, I think, part of the 'nudge' one would want for the Dunlending culture. Do you think it will be useful enough? I guess it's up to the Loremaster's style and if they use a lot of fear-generating opponents. Hrm...I'm actually wondering about this. What if...what if..>Dunlendings do not shed shadow in the normal way (Craft, Song, etc.). So...what if their cultural blessing is linked with Shadow removal. So they do the berserk thing, like you said, but also, when they succeed with (normal? great? extraordinary success) on a test that would leave them "daunted", they go berserk, like you said, but they also heal 1/2/3? (or maybe 0/1/2?) points of shadow?

[Falenthal]

Tattoos: I like this idea a lot, but are Dunlendings ever described as having tattoos or is this a modern association given the popularity of them currently?

Just MERP's association with the Highlanders.

But, just for flavour, it would be better called "War Paints" or "Body Paintings of Protection" or something. Tattoos are really a cultural trait from the Polinesian (I think) and not very related to the background of Tolkien or Middle-earth.

[Falenthal]

How is this for a berserker ability: every time they succeed on a fear test in combat, they get a bonus die for that combat.

I like the idea of relating it to Valour tests. It might even be linked with their superstitious nature, and their tendency to fall prey easier to the schemes of the Shadow. They fear elves, undead, sorcery,... everything that feels unnatural or magical to them. It seems that they're very passionate, so that dunledings either hate enemies, or fear them.

A first draft of Blessing could be:
When rolling a Fear test, roll the Feat die twice and keep the best result. When rolling a Corruption test, roll the Feat die twice and keep the worst result.

Of course, it doesn't have any balance and it sucks as benefit , but I think that, as a draft, it is in line with the little we know about them.

[Halbarad]

@ Falenthal

I'm agreed on the Attributes. You make a really good case for your choices.

Not so sure about a berserker blessing though. My interpretation of Gamling's statement leads more to a notion that they will not give up the fight easily. Stubborn and doggedly determined are things which spring more readily to mind upon reading it than berserker tendencies. An Irish/Ulster Scots term is Thran or Thrawn which pretty much translates as obstinate to the point of sheer bloody mindedness. It's a common enough trait among the modern Irish, Scots and Scots Irish/Ulster Scots. I think it would fit our Pseudo Celtic Dunlendings perfectly. Berserking is kind of covered already under the Beornings.

[Halbarad]

The idea of Warpaint is a fairly good idea, though I wouldn't call any proposed Virtue by that name. It conjures up too many images of B Movie Westerns for my liking.
The Pretani were the Celtic/Pre Celtic(?) inhabitants of Britain and Ireland before the coming of the Gaels. I believe it's a latinised name for the Prydyni and that it meant 'people of the shapes' and was in reference to painted symbols upon their bodies. I think that the term Picts is derived from this as well.

Anyhow, what about 'Painted Man' as the name for a potential virtue?

[Halbarad]

@Rocco

Glad you're enthused mate.

Bodhrán is good. What are your thoughts on it?