<div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">If you beat at least 10 on an Intelligence (history) check</div><div class="spoiler_body">Llangefn was originally a settlement called Whiteport, but barbarian tribes took over when they were raiding these parts, about a century ago. As part of the peace treaty with them, they were allowed to keep some of the lands they conquered, including Whiteport, that they renamed and many settled in. Templars and other soldiers are rare in these parts, so the reason why Weepingstone settled in this harsh region, with none of his past allies near. </div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">If you beat 15 on the same check</div><div class="spoiler_body">All the information you'd get for the DC 10 result, plus cultural lore on the locals:<br/>The northerners were an aggressive raiding and conquering culture in the past, due to their homelands having poor resources. After they made peace and were given lands in this region, they settled down somewhat. They are still a warrior culture who value honor and strength, but have outgrown their former bloodthirst. While they delight in a good fight and take pride in strength and victory, they shun dispays of uncontrolled violence and action without purpose. They are a shamanistic culture, believing that the spirits and strength of felled beasts adds to their own. They likely enjoy life in these lands because the climate and the challenges the hills, mountains and sea offer: they can continue testing themselves without waging war on nations with a much larger and organized military. <br/>Their communication is rather direct and loud-spoken, formality and double meanings are incredibly rare in the Northerner's culture, even between political leaders, veiled threats are obvious at best. Physically they keep very little distance to "share warmth and ale", something that other cultures find a little intrusive on their personal space. Distance is only kept from the greatest of warriors and their leaders, as a sign of respect.<br/>They are a patriarchal and mostly male-dominant culture, polygamous and claiming mates is often done through challenge. When two people wish to bond, the two must fight a honest duel before witnesses. They are only allowed to bond if the man wins, otherwise deemed weak to pass on his seed. The strongest female warriors, the shieldmaidens rarely lose such a challenge, and often find companionship with other woman. When a shieldmaiden is bested by a male warrior, it is a great occasion with celebration to follow, with high expectation put on the couple's offspring. Children born outside the bonds of marriage, while not treated badly, have a lot more to prove than someone who comes from a strong lineage. This custom however can also lead to a man taking a woman as their mate against her will, if he can make her to accept the challenge and defeat her in a fair fight. Men are legally allowed to have multiple wives, however such a case is very rare these days.<br/>A polite greeting custom is pounding one's chest once with their own fist, and inquiring how the current hardships treat the other person, with the expected answer being "better than I treat them", implying that the person is well and conquered their challenges. This is usually followed by cheers and drinking.<br/><br/>Also, upon meeting a ruler or staying somewhere as guests, it is traditional to offer a gift to the ruler or host.<br/></div></div><br/>The initial tents and longhouses that surrounded the city itself started to become scarce as the group moved further in. Old stone buildings were mostly dominant in the inner parts of the city, maintained but clearly not of the local's architecture.<br/><br/>Arriving at the keep, a pair of guards wearing bearhide warned the travelers.<br/>"Show respect in the Jarl's halls and you may take part in our festivities as guests. Should you draw steel here, you also better be prepared to meet your ancestors." With that they were let in without any further distractions, greeted by the sights of merriment, drinking, dancing, brawling and laughter resounding everywhere around the great hall of the keep. On a fancy carved wooden throne, the jarl was having a conversation with a woman at his side, the blonde clearly just having reached adulthood not long ago. The middle aged human jarl offered a toast to his people and drank from his goblet, before kissing the young woman,  who could have been his wife. Both seemed physically fit and well trained, what one would expect from a warrior culture.<br/><br/>Over at one table, a bearded warrior was making love to his woman in the open, the girl spread across the table and seemingly having a great time, plentiful breast freed from her tunic and swaying with each powerful thrust her man delivered under her pulled-up skirt. Other men and women around cheered and toasted the couple, wishing them a good life and strong children.<br/><br/>The party seemed to calm a bit when the group arrived, the Jarl standing up from his chair to greet the guests.