Some of the common archetypes found in Iskaldur are:
The Galdrken (”GAHL-dur-ken”) are wandering spell-slingers, mages who have taken up the quest for adventure and growing their magical power. Many Galdrken take up Enchanting as another avenue to enhance their already formidable magical skill, though the degree of mastery of the craft varies between individual Galdrken. They are somewhat infamous within Iskaldur, due to how many stories there are about Galdrken opening Vaults that should’ve stayed closed or performing rituals they weren’t able to handle safely. Though their hunger for arcane power is a defining feature, they can be heroes just as often as they are villains, providing valuable magical services to the Holds they visit by cleaning up arcane afflictions and helping the Hold’s guards vanquish monsters that are resistant to mundane steel.
Every band of warriors and every longship needs a leader, and for the Skaldings the Hersirs (HER-seers) are the battle-captains who fill that role. Whether in a Hold or a Helm, the Hersir isn’t necessarily the best fighter around, but they must be the wisest and cleverest, able to lead their comrades through uncertainty and danger towards victory, riches, and glory. Many Hersirs on longships also act as leaders of the ship’s mercantile efforts, seeking the best deals and making decisions about where the ship will go to find more profits, while also making sure that the other members of the Helm keep up with their combat drills in case they run into a problem that’s best solved with steel instead of words. Hersirs in a Hold are often placed in command of a portion of the Hold’s territory, leading a band of warriors alongside the local Vorðrunar to ensure that the Hold’s security is maintained.
The Hrafnalar (RAF-nah-LAR, singular Hrafnar) are a shrouded class of folk in Iskaldur who use stealth, subterfuge, and a bit of magic to work their way into places they’re not allowed and make off with information or treasure that isn’t theirs. They are spies and thieves who worship Zur, dedicating their work to the Shadowed Saint’s glory. Most Hrafnalar work for a Jarl or Hersir, either as part of that leader’s intelligence network or as warriors with a side gig of infiltration and theft. Some, however, are independent contractors, joining the Grey Hand or Red Shepherds and accepting contracts to build up their own glory and wealth.
Hrafnalar are a known quantity in Iskaldur; while many Skaldings look upon them with distaste and will happily kill a Hranfar if they catch one in the act, there’s still a lot of respect given for the skill needed to spy and thieve and get away with it. An elderly and wealthy Hrafnalar is someone who every Skalding knows to be wary of, for they’ve thrived in a profession that is notoriously difficult to survive or prosper in for very long. Those Hrafnar who grow sufficiently in wealth, fame, and capability that they no longer seek to hide their activities are known as Fjalanar, after the mythical rooster Spirit that is said to crow before some great and terrible deed is performed. Younger Hrafnar who brag of their exploits without care are derisively called “roosters,” and tend to not have very long life expectancies.
The Jortrken (”YOR-tur-ken”) are the quintessential Holders, the “folk of the earth,” those who work the forges, workshops, market stalls, farms, and fields of Iskaldur. They are the lifeblood of the nation, the ones whose effort and cleverness give it much of its prosperity. Many who are not full-time crafters also train as warriors or mages in their spare time, but their primary interests lie outside of combat and on doing the jobs around their Hold that need to be done. Jortrken often find creative ways to show off inside a Hold; plowing contests between farmers in spring after the ground has thawed, for example, or cooking and baking contests between chefs in the autumn to use up any food that will go bad before winter arrives, and more. They are sometimes looked down on by the elites of the Peninsula, but they can be just as brave and ambitious as a Sverð, especially when a Jarl makes the dire mistake of offending a large number of them with a disrespectful comment.
The Skaldings were the first to rediscover the Old God’s runes of power, and they are the undisputed masters of them. The Runavejar (ROON-ah-vay-yar) follow in the footsteps of the Runeweavers of old, Arcanists who learned how to use the runes to read the weave of Fate and give it subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) nudges to aid themselves and their compatriots and humble their foes. They are respected as seers and advisors, and are given equal status as the Valkhovs in Skalding society, albeit with a bit more wariness given their reputation for being skilled at curses and maledictions. Many are the stories of a Runavejar who uses cunning, insight, and a touch of precisely-applied magic to bring about the doom of their enemies, but equally common are the stories of a Runavejar who uses cryptic warnings and visions to guide a hero to triumph through adversity.
The Skalds are famed as warrior-poets, using words, blades, and magic with equal skill on and off the battlefield. They are a cultural institution throughout Iskaldur, and it’s considered a bad omen for a Hold or Helm to not have at least one present to lift the hearts and sharpen the minds of their comrades. Young Skalds often venture out alongside Sverðnar and Hersirs, seeking adventure, glory, and new tales to bring back and prove their skill with word and song; the greatest amongst them are said to be able to hold their own on the battlefield while reciting poetry or singing a rousing hymn of battle. Though a life of battle and adventure is often the aspiration of ambitious young Skalds, in practice there are many who choose to focus entirely on mastering music, lore, and storytelling, entertaining and teaching all who come to listen to their tales. There is no shame in being a Hold-Skald rather than an adventuring one, for their songs, stories, and the work they do to teach the next generation make them a treasured fixture of any Hold.
The Sverðnar (SVURTH-nar) are the cultural descendants of the Vikings who once pillaged and plundered the shores of Rivermark, Tomarr, and beyond. In modern times they may have left their raiding ways behind them in exchange for a thirst for trade and profit, but they still hold fast to their martial traditions and are just as capable in battle as their forebears were. They travel the shores of the Continent, often venturing well beyond their traditional hunting-ground of the Skarren Sea, searching for new deals to be made and new opportunities for adventure. Many Sverðnar style themselves as wandering heroes or mercenaries, offering their blades and shields to the folk they meet upon their voyages in exchange for coin and trade goods. Though most Sverðnar are wanderers at heart, finding great satisfaction in sailing beyond the horizon and into the unknown as part of a Helm, a fair number work for a coastal Hold, acting as well-defended merchants moving goods to and from their home. Despite their keen interest in making a profit, every Sverðnar has a yearning for strife inside their hearts, and few die of old age — they still hold to the old Viking adage that the best death is one full of glory, memorialized in a Skald’s song.
The Vorðrunar (VOR-throon-ar) are folk — whether warriors, mages, or particularly capable Jortrken — who have been granted land outside of a Hold by their Jarl, and whose duties revolve around maintaining the productivity and security of that land. The grant traditionally lasts even after the Jarl who made it has been replaced, but Vorðrunar who don’t cultivate their own political support base within a Hold often find themselves evicted and replaced by one of a new Jarl’s supporters. Vorðrunar are usually given more respect than the average Jortrken, simply because of the sheer work and danger involved in making a living on land outside the walls of a Hold, as well as the political connections and/or martial achievements that got them the land in the first place.
The Valkhovs (VALK-hawvs) are mystics and clerics, the folk who tend to their fellow Skaldings’ souls, guiding them through hard times and helping them reach their greatest potential. They are most frequently followers of either Bakharos, Vallaros, or Oruunos, helping their communities by offering advice, counseling, and magical services. Every Hold must have at least one Valkhov to be recognized by the Althing, and the largest Holds are host to hundreds or even thousands of them, each in charge of a temple somewhere within the Hold and tending to the needs of the folk who live and work nearby. They are the shepherds of their people, the guides who light the way through the long darkness of winter.