Every village in Skjaldvik traces its roots to a different part of the Norse world. Your heritage shapes your starting resources, your strengths, your weaknesses — and how the other villages see you before you've done a single thing to earn or lose their respect.
Choose carefully. You cannot change faction mid-game.
"The sea gives and the sea takes. Row harder."
They came from the hardest fjords of western Norway. Already lived a life of fishing in dangerous waters and climbing cliffs to tend thin strips of farmland. The crossing to Nýströnd was brutal — they lost two ships — but they survived because they always survive. They settled the Iron Coast because it looks like home and nobody else wanted it.
| Resource | Modifier |
|---|---|
| Boats | +3 |
| Grain | −50 |
| Gold | +50 |
| Passive | Effect |
|---|---|
| Seasoned Sailors | Storm damage to boats reduced 50% |
| Expert Fishermen | Fish production +25% |
| Shipwrights | Boats cost 15 gold instead of 20 |
| Thin Soil Farmers | Grain production −15% |
| Sea-Proud | Wooing pull slightly weaker |
Playstyle: Fish economy, naval strength, raid-oriented. Boom early from fishing. Raid when others are weak.
Patron God: Thor & Njörðr
"Every enemy is a future customer. Every friend is a future rival."
They didn't come as refugees — they came as investors. Danish merchant families pooled resources and funded the crossing deliberately, having bought information from Norwegian scouts. They chose the fjord mouth for market position. They brought more contracts than weapons.
| Resource | Modifier |
|---|---|
| Gold | +200 |
| Boats | −1 |
| Guards | Start with none |
| Passive | Effect |
|---|---|
| Efficient Administration | Tax collection +25% |
| Market Influence | Better buy/sell prices on market |
| Prosperous Reputation | Wooing pull significantly stronger |
| Mercenary Army | Guards cost 6 gold/year instead of 5 |
| Well-Connected | Crime/sabotage chance reduced 50% |
Playstyle: Economy and trade focused. Win by becoming so wealthy that rival villages bleed population to you. The prosperity victory path.
Patron God: Odin (wisdom) & Loki (market trickery)
"What you build outlasts you. Build accordingly."
They came with seeds, tools, and families — and no intention of going back. While Danes scheme and Norwegians fish, the Swedes are already building drainage channels in the Green Valley. They are also the only settlers who have sent organised expeditions toward the ruins. One elder believes the carvings are a warning.
| Resource | Modifier |
|---|---|
| Grain | +100 |
| Population | +20 |
| Gold | −100 |
| Passive | Effect |
|---|---|
| Master Farmers | Grain production +25% |
| Strong Families | Population growth rate +50% when well-fed |
| High-Ground Builders | Flood damage reduced 50% |
| Ruins Knowledge | Exploration events more favourable |
| Reluctant Warriors | Guard hiring limited — cultural friction |
Playstyle: Long game. Grow population, dominate farming, outlast everyone. Slow to militarise but overwhelming if given time.
Patron God: Freyr
"We were not wanted anywhere. We will be feared everywhere."
Exiles of exiles. Thrown out of Norway, then Iceland. They arrived last, on one ship, crewed by people with nowhere left to go and a unified contempt for authority. They are not here to build something lasting. They are here because there was nowhere else. This makes them the most dangerous faction in the region.
| Resource | Modifier |
|---|---|
| Guards | +10 |
| Food | −100 |
| Gold | −100 |
| Passive | Effect |
|---|---|
| Desperate Fighters | Attack power +25% |
| Raid Instinct | Raiding yields +30% more loot |
| Iron Stomachs | Endure longer before starvation penalties |
| Rough Reputation | Wooing pull significantly weaker |
| Volatile Population | Higher base crime chance |
Playstyle: Aggressive, high risk/high reward. Attack early and often. Cannot win the prosperity game — must win by force or die trying.
Patron God: Odin (war) & Hel (they've seen enough death)
"We have lived between worlds before. This is no different."
They came via the Orkney Islands and the Faroe Islands, crewing up along the way and arriving as a mix — part Norse, part already-changed-by-the-sea. They govern by assembly rather than a single jarl's word. Most adaptable group in Skjaldvik. Nobody quite knows what to make of them, which is exactly how they like it.
| Resource | Modifier |
|---|---|
| All stats | Balanced — no bonuses, no penalties |
| Passive | Effect |
|---|---|
| Adaptable | All production floors raised — fewer catastrophic years |
| Storm Wise | Moderate storm resistance (−25% damage) |
| Assembly Governance | Easier to form alliances and diplomacy |
| Jack of All Trades | No dominant strength |
| Beginner-Friendly | Narrower random ranges — more predictable outcomes |
Playstyle: Flexible and forgiving. Good for new players. Can pursue any victory condition. Will lose a head-to-head specialisation contest but adapts best to whatever the game throws at them.
Patron God: None in particular — they hedge their bets
| Faction | Best At | Weakest At | Victory Path |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🌊 Stormborn (Norway) | Fishing, Navy | Farming | Raid & conquer |
| 💰 Coin Speakers (Denmark) | Gold, Trade | Military | Prosperity / wooing |
| 🌾 Deep Roots (Sweden) | Farming, Population | Military speed | Outlast & overwhelm |
| 🗡 Unbound (Iceland) | Combat, Raiding | Economy, diplomacy | Conquest only |
| 🌐 Between-Folk (Orkney) | Flexibility | Specialisation | Any |