No wonder this barbarian dares to swagger around, it turns out he’s already been officially recognized, Laine thought to himself.
The Northern Barbarians haven’t always worshiped the Chaos Evil God; they once had their own deities and their own beliefs.
After the arrival of Chaos, the Northern Barbarians were indeed among the first to kneel before the Evil God. Besides being the closest to the Chaos Gate, the harsh environment of the Northern Wasteland was also a significant reason. The Northern Wasteland is extremely cold; if Nord has three months of warmth a year, the Northern Wasteland is eternally frigid, with land that is nearly impossible to cultivate, making life very difficult.
Even though the vast majority of barbarians chose to submit to Chaos, a few refused to bow to Chaos and chose to leave their homeland. Many of the barbarian tribes that migrated inland live in Nord’s territory, and most are unwilling to settle in cities and mix with others. With the King’s permission, they establish their own settlements in the mountain ranges or barren canyons, and many tribes still hold onto their original faiths. Laine even witnessed a ceremony to the God of Beasts, though the God of Beasts had fallen during the arrival of Chaos, but these tribes persist in this custom.
But this isn’t necessarily clear-cut, because deities are immensely powerful beings; it’s hard for them to truly die. Some deities leave means for reincarnation, while others choose to relinquish some of their power to save themselves and feign death.
As long as some of a deity’s power remains in the world, there’s still a chance for renewal.
"I see... Have you been well over these past hundreds of years?" Laine looked at Hodalen Mountain shrouded in mist in the distance. The mountains weren’t particularly towering, but they stretched far, concealing unknowns waiting for them.
"We’re doing alright here. Though life is tough, with the great Lady of Ice and Snow with us, we can sustain," Rost caught a snowflake in his hand and pressed it to his face, letting it slowly melt: "It’s the Goddess’s power that shielded us from corruption."
"But your Goddess has since fallen into a deep slumber and has not awakened," Laine whispered. The Ice and Snow Goddess remained in slumber, and aside from occasionally receiving a few oracles from her slight awakenings, the barbarians gained no real benefits, yet had to offer a great deal of faith and sacrifices. The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the N()velFire.net
Yet without faith, humans wouldn’t unite strongly; without faith, they wouldn’t muster the courage to confront the overwhelmingly powerful Chaos Evil God and the encroaching darkness.
"Faith makes us strong," Estelle appeared on horseback among the group. The Half-Elf rode a tall horse, clad in a hood, an elegant, moon-white cloak, and a geese-yellow robe made by Elves. Her demeanor was elegant, and her tone calm: "Billger has sent word that we can stay the night at the designated location, though there’s no one there, but..."
"But what? Don’t tell me there’s no one, but there are demons!" Oliver shouted exaggeratedly from the driver’s seat of the carriage, causing the guards and mercenaries to burst into laughter. All eyes were on Estelle.
They were waiting for an answer too.
"The old village reserved for hunters and passing caravans has been badly damaged. I think... a lot of us might have to sleep outdoors tonight," the Half-Elf was still smiling: "So, everyone hurry up; if we reach the campsite early, we can repair some of the houses for everyone to stay overnight!"
"Alright! Let’s pick up the pace!"
"Hurry, hurry, hurry!"
As the sun left its last remnants on the mountaintop, the large convoy finally approached tonight’s campsite.