GAME.NFO

.START.
Index of main topics:

* ABOUT                 * THE LEGEND<br>
   .WORLD                  .THE BEGINNING<br>
                           .THE INEHMO (the people)<br>
                           .THE FIRST WINTER<br>

* NATURE                * CULTURAL TOPICS       * LIVELIHOOD<br>
   .TERRAIN                .CULTURES               .HUNTING<br>
   .WEATHER                .NORTHERN PEOPLES       .FISHING<br>
   .ANIMALS                .WESTERN PEOPLES        .TRADING<br>
   .PLANTS                 .EASTERN PEOPLES        .AGRICULTURE<br>
   .MARKING OF TIME        .MYTHOLOGY<br>
                           .VILLAGES<br>

* CHARACTER             * ITEMS                  * COMBAT<br>
   .NUTRITION              .WEAPONS                 .MISSILE COMBAT<br>
   .SKILLS                 .ARMOURS                 .MELEE<br>
   .PENALTIES              .ARMOUR MATERIALS        .INJURIES<br>
   .SPELLS                 .TOOLS<br>
   .MOVING                 .VALUABLES<br>

In addition, you may want to browse our Wiki for more information:<br>
http://www.unrealworld.fi/wiki
***

.UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
Topics tagged as "under construction" are either outdated or pending to be rewritten.<br>
You may want to browse our Wiki for more recent information:<br>
http://www.unrealworld.fi/wiki<br>
***



.WORLD.
The world of the game is strongly based on and inspired by finnish iron age, about 800 - 1000 A.D.
The game takes place in The Unreal World, which is an imaginary world based on finnish history and
folklore.<br>
<br>
The game is completely open-ended and you decide whether you wish to lead a life of a fisherman, a hermit searching for the peace,
a brave adventurer, a rough hunter, a trapper or a tradesman. There are infinite ways to play the game, to live off the land and
to find excitement in surviving everyday life. You are free to choose your way of life in this very detailed, deep and realistic game world
in which northern folklore, knowledge and way of life play an important part.<br>
<br>
  We use finnish-like words in many names in the game. See LANGUAGE for more information.<br>
***


.MARKING OF TIME.YEAR.
Seasonal and climatic factors are of crucial importance for people who live off the land.
As Unreal World simulates a more ancient time that is more tied to the seasons, it also
marks in-game time differently. The old northern calendar and concept of the year we use
goes as follows:

The year is divided into two halves, summer and winter.
These halves are marked respectively by a midsummer and a midwinter point, creating four
quarters of the year. Each quarter of the year is of equal length consisting of 13 weeks
of 7 days each, for a total of 364 days in one year.

Time is also marked by twelve lunar months named to remind people about seasonal work and
duties at hand, or natural phenomenons about to take place.

People count down weeks from one quarter to the next. The beginning of a quarter is marked
as week 13. As weeks pass, the count is decreased marking the approach of the next quarter.
Counting weeks in reverse between the quarters comes from people's need to be aware of how
close the next transition period is - as changing of quarters is particularly magical time.
At the beginning of each new quarter, the people renew the count at 13 weeks.

The following month names are in use. They are correlated with Julian calendar names and
equivalent northern-hemisphere seasons for reference.

Summer:<br>
Swidden month, Seedtime month, Fallow month   (Spring: April, May, June)<br>
Hay month, Harvest month, Fall month,         (Summer:  July, August, September)<br>
<br>
Winter:<br>
Dirt month, Dead month, Winter month          (Autumn: October, November, December)<br>
Center month, Pearl month, Soil month         (Winter: January, February, March)<br>
***

.THE UNREAL WORLD.
Among the peoples there are several different runes and myths
about the origin of The World, and how it became Unreal.
However, a common core is clearly visible, which is not
a surprise, as all the peoples are of same origin.<br>
The basic myth goes as follows;<br>
<br>
   In the Beginning The World was bare and silent. The Wind,
The forest and all the animals were formed out of the song
of Sky Father and Earth Mother. As all the creatures sung
together The Inehmo woke up and joined the singing. But the
harmony was broken when The Inehmo had to build a lodge
for a shelter in The First Winter. And when The First Winter
was over, the wise ones among the peoples realized that
the world was no more Real.<br>
<br>
For more details, see:<br>
  [THE BEGINNING], [THE INEHMO], [THE FIRST WINTER]<br>
***

.THE BEGINNING.
   In the Beginning The World was bare and silent. Sky Father
and Earth Mother were close to each other. They thought that The
World was all too silent. They sung, and their song filled the
silence. The song is The Wind, and The Wind travelled wild and
free. As The Wind walked, something green appeared to grow
in its footprints. Soon there was The Forest, and all the birds,
all the fish, all the mammals and all the other animals. Except
for The Inehmo (The Human-being. In Unreal Language there is no
separate word for female and male beings, "inehmo" refers to
both he and she), who was still asleep.
***

.CULTURES.CULTURE.
As The Inehmo spred on the surface of The Earth some of them felt
an urge to travel far into the north as the others settled down
near the great lakes and watercourses and some never left the
forests they were born into. The places they started to populate
had a major influence on the people. It affected to their thoughts,
their look, their physique, their habits and their source of
livelihood. Thus were the different kind of tribes and cultures born.<br>
<br>
Cultures can be separated to NORTHERN PEOPLES, EASTERN PEOPLES
and WESTERN PEOPLES.
%POP
horisontti.jpg
***

.THE INEHMO.
   Sky Father and Earth Mother wondered why The Inehmo did not
wake up. "Maybe our dear child is waiting for a light", Earth
Mother said. So they called all the creatures to gather for The
Circle of Life. All the creatures sat in a great circle and they
did sing together. As their tune went on, The Stars, The Moon
and finally The Sun came in to the existence. The Inehmo woke up
and joined The Circle.<br>
<br>
   The Inehmo understood everything that was sung. The Inehmo
could easily communicate with The Animals, with The Stones and
The Trees. There was no pain. As The Sun and The Moon walked
along their paths, air became cold and harsh wind rose. Soon the
earth froze, it was snowing. The Inehmo felt cold, and had to
build a lodge.<br>
<br>
It was The First Winter.
***

.THE FIRST WINTER.
   There are countless stories, legends and myths about The
First Winter. During The First Winter The Inehmo became many, 
men, wifes, children, the heroes and the wise ones walked the
earth. The heroes made the fire, they made the bow and the arrow
and they hunted. They made clothes, they made tools and
shelters, they made skis, and they made drums and the kantele (a
kind of a harp).<br>
<br>
  When The First Winter was over, inehmoes could
not understand The Wind singing, nor The Bear and The Forest
humming. The wise ones among the people said that The World was
no more real. The World was Unreal. Still, inehmoes can return
to the Real World in the dreams and with the spells. The Shamans
became negotiators between the people and the spiritworld, the
otherworld, The Real World.
***

.TIETŽJŽ.
"Tiet„j„" means literally "the one who knows the road", e.g.
the sage, the sorcerer or the wise man.
***

// edited by Erkka at 25-Nov-2017
//
.MYTHOLOGY.SACRED.
The most well-known spirits are those of the dead and the ruler and guardian spirits of nature.
Although everyone can have an occasional direct contact with the spiritworld, there often is a need
for the special knowledge of a gifted person who acts as a negotiatior between humans and the spirits.<br>
<br>
Northern peoples have shamans as negotiators between the humans
and the spiritworld. Among eastern and western peoples the
equivalent of shaman is a tiet„j„. But there are some differences
in techniques used by shamans and tiet„j„t. A shaman masters
a special drumming technique, and a tiet„j„ is familiar with
techniques of verbal exctacy and rune singing. The social
role of a shaman or a tiet„j„ is a very demanding one, for they
are responsible for the welfare of the entire community.
The position is often handed down from an old master to an apprentice,
but there are also some self-thaught healers who become a shaman or a tiet„j„ when
the local people regularly come to seek their servives.<br>
<br>
 The basic relation between the humans and the spirits is that
humans should respect the spirits and not to anger them. Ultimately the spirits can affect
every aspect of human life, like ailments and healing, starvation and the luck with hunting and fishing.
So, always when someone is healthy and well-fed, one should be thankful for the generous gifts
of the spirits. This relation is maintained by the various spells, sacrifices and and magic means.
***


.THE DEAD.DECEASED PERSONS.
The dead of the northern people live in an otherworld
which is very far away in the north, behind the black
river of the death. It usually is the duty of the
shaman to negotiate with the dead ones.<br>
<br>
  The dead of the eastern and western people live in
the otherworlds near the villages. The living relatives
can and should communicate with the late ones. If the
dead feel that they are not respected, they are eager
to cause harm, such as diseases and madness. Almost
anyone can consult his or her late relatives to ask
help, for example. But when there are some more
serious problems, such as restless souls of the violently
killed people, it is the duty of the tiet„j„ to
restore the normal situation.
%POP%
kaarme.jpg 400x300
***

.GUARDIAN SPIRITS.SUPERNATURAL GUARDIANS.DWELLERS.SUPERNATURAL DWELLERS.
Guardian spirits and supernatural dwellers are special spirits
and beings taking care of their own area. These spirits dwell in
the forests, in the buildings, in the lakes and so on.
  The guardian spirit of the forest is one of the strongest
spirits, and has many more lesser helpers. He looks after animals,
trees, plants and even stones. So when in the forest you
should be constantly aware of all the signs and marks which can
tell you whether the guardian of the forest is pleased or not.
  The lake dweller is also a powerful spirit. The underwater
spirits are very highly respected. They do not only take
care of fish, they can also send storms, water monsters,
or the most powerful creatures ever seen in the world.
  Whatever you do you should keep the spirits on your mind.
For example, if you happen to find an empty cottage in the forest,
you should (if you know how to) ask the spirits for a permission
to sleep there. Or when you get a great catch of fish or a prey you
should thank the proper guardian spirits for that. When you keep
the guardians pleased they will look after you and help you. If you
anger the spirits they may revenge or make your living on their area
difficult.
%POP
supernatural.jpg 200x190
***

.SINGLE FARM.SINGLE FARMS.
Among the eastern peoples and western peoples the basic unit of
settlement is a single farm. It has a main building and some
additional buildings like store-houses, animal-shed and sauna.
A small farm is run by a family, usually including grand-parents
and maybe some unmarried brothers or sisters. Bigger farms might
have a couple of servants.<br>
<br>
The northern peoples don't have farms, but camps of families.
At some regularly used camp-sites they might build small buildings,
like sauna and store-houses, but otherwise they use portable tents
called kota.<br>
***

.VILLAGES.
A group of single farms is called a village. Northern tribes don't have
proper villages at all. Kaumolaiset and Islanders also tend to live in
rather isolated single farms. In the Driik one might find villages which
are dense groups of four to five farms interconnected with roads. The rest
of the cultures have somewhat looser villages. 
***

.EASTERN PEOPLES.
The eastern peoples are:
KAUMOLAISET, KIESSELŽISET and REEMILŽISET
***

.WESTERN PEOPLES.
The western peoples are:
DRIIKILŽISET, SARTOLAISET, ISLANDERS and KOIVULAISET
***

.KAUMOLAISET.KAUMO.
Kaumolaiset (Kaumoan People, Those Who Live In The Kaumo) live in the
vast forests. The families don't live next to each other, so instead
of proper villages their houses are scattered around sparsely. They
tend to be tough, tall and strong people whom are proud of their freedom.<br>
<br>
   They live mainly on active hunting and fishing. On their hunting
trips Kaumo men can spend weeks alone in the wilderness, tracking and
stalking for prey. They are well known for their kaumolais spear, which
is specially designed for hunting big animals.<br>
<br>
   Kaumo region is rich of game providing fine quality furs. That is why
Kaumolaiset have to defend their homes and hunting grounds against
Njerpez raiders. In combat situations the kaumolaiset are fearless and
furious, putting up heavy resistance with a spear, a knife or even with
their bare hands.<br>
***

.KIESSELŽISET.KIESSE.
Kiessel„iset (Those Who Live In The Kiesse) have small, loose villages,
usually located near lakes or rivers. Kiessel„iset earn their daily living
mainly by the means of fishing, hunting and slash-and-burn agriculture.
Typically they cut down a small area of forest each year, burning the trees,
which yields them fresh fertile land for cultivation. This kind of field
is exhausted in five or six years. After that the area is left as a pasture
for animals. When a kiessel„is family finds that there is no more old forests
near their home, it is very common for them just to take down their buildings,
to move in a new place with plenty of old forest to cut and burn.<br>
<br>
  The kiessel„iset are peaceful people. They like to joke about everything,
to tell stories and to avoid fighting. 
***

.DRIIKILŽISET.DRIIK.
Driikil„iset (Those Who Live In The Driik) live on the south-west
coastal area. They live in villages and towns, which are usually
protected by walls, watchtowers and fortresses. Driikil„iset are
traders. They send their ships abroad, they trade with inland
peasants and with the fishermen of the archipelago. From time to time
Driikil„iset are attacked by foreign pirates and bandits who may
sometimes sail from a great distance to attack Driik coast.<br>
<br>
   Driikil„iset can be considered to be more organized than rest of
the peoples of The UnReal World. They have differentiated
professions - merchants, soldiers, sailors and so on. If needed,
Driikil„iset can afford crossbows, metal armours, swords, battleaxes
and full-metal shields.
***

.REEMILŽISET.REEMI.
Reemil„iset (Those Who Live In The Reemi) live in the
south-east part of the UnReal World. They have prosperous
villages and they earn their daily living mainly by means
of agriculture. Regular fishing, passive hunting and trading
adds a steady flow of wealth.<br>
<br>
  Reemil„iset like to build big, protected houses. They
have a deep respect for the spiritworld and their ancestors.
***

.SARTOLAISET.SARTOLA.
Sartolaiset (Those Who Live In The Sartola) have their
home in the western coastal area of the UnReal World. 
They have settled to live in small agricultural villages,
farming for food and trapping for furs.<br>
<br>
   Sartolaiset trade mainly with Driikil„iset, trading
furs for salt, tools and luxuries. They are proud of their
wealth, which they display by building big houses. They
like wrestling for fun. And if the situation gets serious,
they draw their knives.
***

.ISLANDERS.
Islanders inhabit the archipelago in the most south-western
part of the UnReal World. They live on fishing and hunting
seals and birds. They are skilled carpenters.
***

.KOIVULAISET.KOIVULA.
Koivulaiset (Those Who Live In The Koivula) are farmers.
They have considerably large fields, cattle, sheep and
horses. They have their homes near the lakes and rivers
in the mid-west part of the UnReal World.<br>
Twice a year they might spend couple of weeks in the
wilderness, hunting, trapping and fishing, returning home
with dried fish, smoked meat and furs. Otherwise they don't
travel so much. They trade with the peddlers regularly
visiting the Koivula.
***

.NORTHERN PEOPLES.NORTHERN TRIBES.
Northern Peoples live in the northermost part of the
UnReal World. They do speak a language of their own.
Altough they have common ancestors with the rest of
the UnReal Peoples, they have some typical features
which set them slighly apart from the Southern Peoples
(ie. the rest of the UnReal Peoples). They are somewhat
smaller, usually darker, and are considered to have some
supernatural abilities. All the Northern Peoples
dislike swords and fighting.<br>
<br>
The Tribes of The Northern Peoples are KUIKKA-TRIBE,
 OWL-TRIBE and SEAL-TRIBE
***

.KUIKKA-TRIBE.
Kuikka-Tribe is one of the Northern Peoples, and they have
kuikka (black-throated diver) as their totem animal. They
live in small cottages, earning their daily life by means
of fishing, hunting and small-scale reindeer rearing.
***

.OWL-TRIBE.
According to a tale told amongst the Owl-Tribe they have been
born out of the echoes of a shriek of The Owl. And indeed
they still do travel like echoes in the forests, bare
mountains and bogs of The North. They live mainly on
nomadic reindeer rearing. They travel twice a year,
since they have their summer camps up in the extreme
North, and southern winter camps in the vast forests.
***

.SEAL-TRIBE.
The Seal-Tribe lives in the most Extreme North, on the
northern coast of the UnReal World. They do have small
reindeer herds, but their main source of daily food
is the sea. The Seal is their totem animal and also
their most important prey animal. So they have developed
various rites to maintain the good relationship with
The Seal.
***

// upd 11-Dec-2014
.NJERPEZIT.NJERPEZ.
Njerpezit are of eastern race. Black haired Njerpez men are considered notorious bandits. 
Njerpez men do attack other people, killing, robbing and raiding. 
Their typical melee weapons consist of spears, scimitars and roundshields. 
Chieftains might have helms and lamellar armours, and more rarely mail gear.
Njerpez are interested in furs, those of squirrels, bears, wolves, beavers and lynxes. 
Animal fur is of the very best quality in The Kaumo, and the merchants of the southern
domains are willing to pay plenty for the finest northern furs. Njerpezit strive for
conquering the hunting-grounds of Kaumolaiset, and this is what they have been doing for decades.
***

.LANGUAGE.
Most of the names are left untranslated. Words such as "Kaumo"
or "Kiesse" are so old, that no one knows their original
meaning, and thus translation is impossible. "Kaumo" just means
a certain region of The Unreal World.<br>
   Some words could be translated, but are left as such for the
sake of the spirit.<br>
<br>
See language inflexions table for further information.
***

.LANGUAGE INFLEXIONS.
<br>
 REGION     AN INHABITANT   MANY INHABITANTS   ADJECTIVE <br>
----------------------------------------------------------<br>
 Kaumo      a kaumolainen   kaumolaiset        kaumolais<br>
 Kiesse     a kiessel„inen  kiessel„iset       kiessel„is<br>
 Driik      a driikil„inen  driikil„iset       driikil„is<br>
 Reemi      a reemil„inen   reemil„iset        reemil„is<br>
 Sartola    a sartolainen   sartolaiset        sartolais<br>
 Koivula    a koivulainen   koivulaiset        koivulais<br>
<br>
Examples:<br>
<br>
 He is a kaumolainen = He comes from Kaumo<br>
 He is a driikil„inen = He comes from Driik<br>
 They are drikkil„iset = They come from Driik<br>
 This is an kaumolais spear = This spear is made by kaumolaiset<br>
 These are kiessel„is punts = These punts are made in Kiesse<br>
 This is a driikil„is town = Driikil„iset live in this town<br>
***

.TERRAIN.
The main terrain types are forests, mires and lakes. Terrain type
affects to what kind of trees, plants, berries, mushrooms can be found at the
area and so on.<br>
<br>
This topic is under construction. 
***

.WEATHER.
The most important general features of the weather are the
seasons. Seasons have a great influence on the daily living.
  In the wintertime it is rather cold, about -10 to -35 degrees
Celsius. There is usually more than half a meter of snow
on the ground, and lakes are covered with thick ice. You should
protect yourself against freezing. Animal furs and woollen
clothes are very valuable. And remember to have good shoes,
for walking in the snow with bare feet is a deadly thing to do.
  In the spring snow and ice melts - be careful when
travelling on the ice. Hibernating animals (such as bears)
wake up, migrating birds return and fish spawn.
  In the summertime temperature might rise up to 30 degrees
celsius. But generally speaking the weather is very unstable;
heavy rains, long dry periods, frosts or thunder storms
come and go without any regular patterns.
  In the autumn migrating birds leave, hibernating animals
seek and eat a lot of food. Usually it rains a lot in the autumn.

This topic is under construction. 
***

.PLANTS.
Almost all of the berries are edible. With mushrooms you should be more
careful. Some of them are very poisonous and can cause varying symptoms from
a harmless stomach ache to severe poisoning or even nervous disorders. Some
mildly poisonous mushrooms can be eaten after boiling them by using your
cookery skill.
Although wild plants, berries and mushrooms are commonly utilized people also
grow crops, turnips and broad beans. This calls for agriculture, where
the slash-and-burn cultivation is the most common method.
%POP
puolukka_400x300.jpg
***

.TURNIP.TURNIPS.
Turnip is the basic vegetable. It is easy to grow, the first ones are ready
to be harvested already at mid-summer, and when stored in a cellar they will
last the whole winter. Stewing turnips buried in hot embers of a burnt-out
fire is a common and probably the most delicious cookery recipe for turnips.
***

.BROAD BEAN.BROAD BEANS.
Broad beans grow strong and provide nutritious food. After harvesting the
beans are dried. Harvested beans will automatically begin to dry, but fresh
ones can be used also. Dried beans will last for years, although they require
quite a long cooking time. A commonly used cookery recipe for broad beans is
the bean stew.
***

.HUNTING.
Hunting can be separated into active and passive hunting. Passive hunting
means using traps. Active hunting means encountering the animal and killing
it down by using hunting weapons, of which various bows and spears are
the most commonly used.
Animals can be encountered randomly - which is especially the case with
the widespread small animals like hares, squirrels and birds. Or one can
use his tracking skills to find and follow the tracks of his prey.
Sightings of big carnivores - bear, lynx, wolf and glutton - are usually
such a news that you'll most likely hear about them if you talk to the people
you meet.
***

.TRAP-FENCE.TRAP-FENCES.
Carnivorous animals can be lured into traps using baits. But non-carnivorous
animals, like an elk or a reindeer, are not so interested in baits of any
kind. For them a hunter might build a trap-fence. Leaving small openings in
the fence and placing the traps in the openings is the sure way to force
wandering animals to go into the traps.
A trap-fence is not necessarily a proper fence, as sometimes it is enough
just to fall down trees as obstacles. The smallest trap-fence is just one
trap with a piece of fence on each side. Typical trap-fence is around hundred
meters long and has a trap every five meters or so. The longest trap-fences
reach for a kilometer. Such a massive trap-fences are stable constructions,
which the hunter maintains for decades, and might even leave his trap-fence
for his son.
The traps used with trap-fences are usually trap-pits, as the trap-fences
are usually built for non-carnivorous big deer, but other kind of traps
can be used as well. Especially the wolves are hunted with a trap-fence
and deadfall trap combination - and as always when trying to hunt carnivores
with traps, a bait is required.
***

// updated Jan-23-2016
//
.FISHING.
Fishing is a significant source of livelihood and commonly practised by all the cultures of the UnReal World.<br>
<br>
There are two kinds of fishing methods, active and passive. Active fishing means using a fishing rod or 
certain weapons to catch a fish. Passive fishing is practised with nets.<br>
<br>
The idea of fishing with weapons is to stand by the shore waiting for a passing fish and try to spear or club it.
This fishing method is fruitful only with relatively big fish, and most often the catch is a pike. 
It's possible to try fishing with any spear or club this way, but tridents are specifically designed for it.<br>
<br>
Nets can be used only in deep water. They are set and left in place for a day or two, and then retrieved - hopefully
with some fish caught in. To get out into deeper water for setting and retrieving nets a punt or raft is often needed.
<br>
The fish to be caught depends on the fishing method, equipment and the fishing site. Different kind of fish 
live in shallow or deep waters, lakes or rivers. Perches, roaches, breams and pikes are the most common fish living in lakes.
Salmons are found only in rivers, and especially in rapids during their spawning season. 
There are also lavarets, trouts, pike-perches and so on.<br>
<br>
Fishing is started either by using the fishing skill and choosing the preferred method, or by applying 
fishing rod or net from the inventory. During the wintertime when the lakes are frozen you need to a make hole in 
the ice first. That is also done by using your fishing skill.
***

.TRADING.
You can trade goods from the villages or barter with individual people for their personal belongings.<br>
<br>
Goods in the villages are owned by the whole community and you can start trading for them with any adult village member. 
It doesn't matter in which building the goods are stocked, they are all available for trading. In short, obtaining village goods
by trading goes as follows;<br>
<br>
Pick up the items you want from buildings and in around village and start trading for the collected items when you are ready
by talking to an adult villager. Collecting items you want to trade for can be done by picking them up, starting to move them,
or packing them on your pack animal. You can collect several items from several different buildings and start trading only when
you've got everything you want.<br>
When trading is started you then need to offer enough goods from your own inventory to pay for the items you've collected.<br>
<br>
Villagers can also start self-imposed bargaining if you have held the unpaid items in your possesion for too long. It's wise not
to hesisate when you've been asked to pay.<br>
<br>
It's easy to change your mind if you don't want to trade for something you happened to pick up. Dropping unpaid items back to 
their place, or close by, removes them from your debt list. There's also "I can't pay" trading chat option which can
be used if you've picked an excess amount of debt and find it impossible pay what they want. 
If that option is chosen villagers will reclaim their goods from your possession.<br>
<br>
To barter with individual people to obtain items from their personal inventory you should talk to them 
and choose trade option. If they have something to trade you can then select the items you desire
and the bartering starts. One-to-one trading with villagers is not possible if you are carrying 
unpaid community owned goods. In that case they will ask you to pay for the goods you taken first.<br>
<br>
Your trading manners affect to your reputation with village.<br>
***

.MELEE.
To use melee weapons you should first [w]ield them. When a weapon is wielded you can use it to attack
a target in an adjacent tile by pressing [1] or [2] depending on which of your weapons you want to use.<br>
<br>
After the attack has been initiated you get to choose weapon aspect and location where to hit.
The combat system is detailed and realistic with numerous complex factors in the mix.<br>
You may also want to see weapon class and tactical advantage.<br>
<br>
<br>
Due to complexity of combat rules this topic can be classified as being under construction.
***

// updated & proofred Dec-05-2011
.WEAPON CLASS.ATTACK CLASS.DEFENSE CLASS.
How effectively a weapon can be used in combat is foremostly determined by your mastery level
of the applicable weapon skill, but unique properties of each weapon can also affect the result. The structure,
reach and weight of a weapon can make it more or less advantageous for combat use. Moreover, a single weapon
can perform differently on attack or defense. For this reason all the weapons have their individual attack and
defense class - two separate attributes that can gain one of the combatants a special bonus for using more
suitable weapon in the given combat situation. If a weapon is used to perform an attack maneuver or to
counterstrike, its attack class comes into an effect. When a weapon is used to block, its defense class is used.
These attributes together are referred as weapon class.

The combatant whose weapon class is superior to their opponent during the given combat round (attack maneuver
vs. defense maneuver) gets a bonus to the success of his action. Only one combatant can get this bonus, but
it's not guaranteed - there can be a standoff where equally performing weapons bring no special advantage for
neither. The weapon class comparison only favours the bearer of the advantageous weapon and never leads to
either combatant getting a penalty instead. 

The bonus varies in a range from 5% to 25% based on the difference between attacker's and defender's weapon class. 
When both combatants use similar weapons this is often of minor significance, but can be remarkable if the weapon 
combination is truly unequal - like with foolish attempts to block a battlesword with a small knife. 
The weapon class comparison can also favour the defender - blocking that small knife with a weapon of high defense
class such as roundshield, reasonably earns a bonus. If a target is unaware of the attack or doesn't defend himself
the weapon class bonus is most effective.

It should be noted that dodge is the only unarmed defense maneuver that also has an effective defense class.
When dodging weapons with a short reach the weapon class comparison slightly favours the defender.
This effect is diminished when dodging weapons with higher attack class and in case of weapons with remarkable
reach and attack performance the odds turn to favour the attacker.
***

// slightly updated Jan-23-2016
//
.WEAPON ASPECTS.WEAPON ASPECT.
Weapons can cause differing amounts of damage depending on the aspect selected and the target's armour, or
thickness of animal's skin or fur.<br>
<br>
There are three different weapon aspects - blunt, point and edge - and you get to choose the aspect to use
upon executing an attack. Some weapons may have all three aspects, whereas others may only have one.<br>
<br>
For example, you can use a sword to edge or point - or even blunt. Spears can be generally used for pointing
and blunting with the shaft. Axes can be used to edge and blunt with the dull end.
***

.ATTACK MANEUVER.ATTACK MANEUVERS.
This topic is under construction. <br>
***


// updated & proofred 24-Oct-2011
//
.TACTICAL ADVANTAGE.TACTICAL ADVANTAGES.
In the heat of the combat one can sometimes gain a tactical advantage after performing an
especially succesful or effective combat maneuver. This breaks the usual combat sequence
of exchanging attack and defend maneuvers in turns and allows a flurry of activity by the
advantageous combatant. A tactical advantage can be gained for several reasons and represents
a situation where the opponent is swiftly and efficiently put into an awkward position.
This buys the advantageous combatant some extra time to instantly make their next move.

A character wins a tactical advantage when he causes an opponent to fall down, drop a weapon,
or manages to exploit the opponent's poor combat performance - be it an attack or a defense. 
All this may result from a direct hit to a proper bodypart but also from a weakly performed 
attack maneuver against a strong defend maneuver - or vice versa. Whatever the cause, the game 
will display a message if the combat round results in somebody gaining a tactical advantage.

Upon gaining a tactical advantage a character may immediately make another extra action regardless 
of whose combat turn it is. Quite often this is chosen to be an immediate strike back at your opponent, 
but it can be any single game action; move, pick up something, wield another weapon or even attack 
somebody else than the original opponent.

If the both attacker and defender gain simultaneous tactical advantages the result will be no 
extra actions for either. It is not possible to gain an additional tactical advantage during a 
free action gained from a tactical advantage.
***



.DEFENSE MANEUVER.DEFENSE MANEUVERS.
Refer to counterstrike, dodge, block.<br>
<br>
This topic is under construction. 
***

// added & proofred 28-Feb-2012
// 
.BLOCK.
A defense maneuver where the defender attempts to block or parry the attacking 
weapon with one of their wielded weapons. Declaring the blocking weapon is not a free choice,
the wielded weapon or shield with highest defense class will be always used. If you are 
wielding weapons of only insignificant defense class, blocking won't be possible at all.

Having a decent blocking weapon can pay off in many ways. Although the success of your blocking 
attempt is primarily determined by the applicable weapon skill, using a weapon with high defense 
class can improve your performance - blocking a knife with a shield is easier than warding off a 
battlesword with a club.

When weapons strike together, as a result of successful block, the impact may cause damage to
weapons involved, make combatants lose their grip - or both. The success and strength of combatants'
weapon usage will determine whose hand will shake the most. If fumbling does occur, maintaining one's
grip is a matter of their character's dexterity. The damage the weapons may suffer can be considered
a downside of blocking, but it can be also be advantageous if the defender's weapon is of superior quality.

Block is an applicable defense maneuver only against armed melee attacks. 
***

// added & proofred 06-Nov-2011
.COUNTERSTRIKE.
A defense maneuver where the defender attempts to strike the attacker back - and preferably first - 
instead of defending themselves from the attack. It is possible to use any of your wielded weapons
to counterstrike, but as combat results tend to be bloody and slightly favour the attacker it's wise to 
choose a weapon you are very skilled with. Nearly always when an attack is answered by a counterstrike 
one or both of the combatants gets struck. Simultaneous strikes may occur as well. Against an equally 
or more skilled opponent counterstrikes are always a gamble, but one lucky counterstrike may also turn 
the tables to the advantage of the underdog. Should the counterstrikes be by far superior to the 
attacker's strikes, the defender can usually bring the battle to a quick end.

For human characters a counterstrike always requires usage of a weapon, but animals can also make 
counterattacks - and that's what raging or desperate beasts usually choose to do - and very effectively. 
An angry bear that constantly keeps attacking back at you can be nearly impossible to bring down by one man alone. 
***

// added & proofred 09-Dec-2011
.MISSILE COMBAT.MISSILE ATTACK.MISSILE ATTACKS.
Missile combat refers to attacking with a ranged weapon, which can be anything from bow and arrows
to throwing weapons. Compared to melee combat, missile attacks feature somewhat different factors to
determine an attacker's chance to score a hit as well as a target's defense possibilities.

Success at firing an arrow or throwing a weapon depends on the applicable weapon skill. This is a common
combat rule and missile attacks are no exception, but your performance only determines the initial quality
of the shot/throw, ie. how much your aiming is off and how accurately you manage to send your missile on
its course. The worse your performance the wider the cone of spread is possible, so it's not always guaranteed
that a good shot/throw will result in a good strike at exact location of impact. Even a minor deviation from
the intended trajectory will accumulate over distance. Any shot/throw is bound to hit better at close range,
and the further the target, the more precision is required. Should your missile miss the original target or 
even fly completely wild, it can still hit something else on its course - unfortunately this could be
also your own dog.

When you manage to hit a target - mistakenly or as intended - the target's size, its actions and the final
hit accuracy may further modify the true result of the shot/throw.<br>
For further information on such modifiers see: [RANGED TARGET]
***


// added & proofred 09-Dec-2011
.RANGED TARGET.RANGED TARGETS.
Ranged target refers to a living target being attacked by means of missile combat.

When you manage to hit a ranged target - mistakenly or as intended - the target's size, its actions and the final
hit accuracy may further modify the true result of the shot/throw. In practice, even a steady shot/throw rarely
lands exactly at the center of your aiming point but often deviates somewhat. How off-target your missile is when
it arrives at the location of impact determines the final hit accuracy. Depending on the final hit accuracy the
actual missile strike may vary from a mere scratch to an impact of full force - or in some cases, it could also
be a narrow miss.

The smaller the target, the more accurate shot/throw you need to actually hit it. For man-sized targets
even the poorest final accuracy always results to a strike of some degree, but anything smaller needs that 
much more precision. If the final hit accuracy isn't good enough compared to target size the missile won't
hit at all.

A target that is being attacked by a missile weapon can't choose any conscious defense maneuver as in
melee combat, but moving targets can still avoid getting hit. This defense possibility for moving targets is
automated and it doesn't matter if the target is aware of the attack or not. A target is considered 
moving if it is actively running, flying, escaping etc. from one location to another, but also when it's
making fast movements in its place like when engaged in a fight. The faster the target is moving the better chance
it has to make it out of the way or to make a lucky movement in its place and unintentionally dodge the missile.
This is based on the target's actual mobility and manner of moving, so if the target is slowed down due to physical
penalties or for whatever reason, its chances to avoid missile attacks are lowered accordingly. Naturally, it's not
only the target's speed that matters but the missile velocity as well. It's easier for any moving target to make
it out of the way of low-velocity missiles, but very fast animals will be challenging to hit even with bow and
arrow - and exceedingly challenging if they are both fast and small. 
***

// upd 7-sep-2014
.BOWS.BOW.
Bow is a missile combat weapon usually made of wood and used to propel an arrow. 
There are different bow types and designs varying in size, shape and strength:
SHORTBOW, LONGBOW, JUNIPER BOW, NORTHERN BOW and HUNTING BOW.

In addition to these regular bows there are also crossbows which are mostly of foreign origin.
***


// updated 10-Sep-2017, proofred 25-Nov-2017
//
.SPELLS.INCANTATIONS.
Spells are both a way to communicate with the otherworldly beings such as spirits, and to affect to the mundane
environment with magical means. There are spells to seek favour in hunting and fishing, sacrificies to keep the
nature spirits pleased, means to follow in order to assure ones livelihood, and so on. The ways how 
the unseen can affect the tangible world are numerous and varied.<br>
<br>
  Spells should be respected and not performed without a proper reason. Spirits of nature are always present and your 
deeds will be noticed by them. As the spells get you in contact with the otherworld it should be understood not to disturb the spirits needlessly, 
nor to take advantage of their generosity or favourableness. Sometimes it will be clearly notified if the spirits like you or not. And if
it's the latter case it might be worthwhile to try remedy the situation with a right spell or a sacrifice.<br>
<br>
 Every character knows some spells to start with and may learn more during their life. Key-command [F4] shows the list of known spells,
along with their descriptions. Merely selecting a spell from the list doesn't make the magic happen. To perform a spell read the spell
description and follow the instructions by using the ordinary game mechanics. For example, if the spell instructions would
say "throw three rocks at a spruce tree before the sunrise and your loop snares will be favourable" 
the spell would be performed by actually throwing three rocks at a spruce tree before the sunrise.<br>
<br>
  Some spells are simple, some are more complex, but most often they consists of seemingly ordinary things that have underlying magical
meaning once you know it. Effects of the spells often seem vague and subtle. There rarely are evident results to be noticed, but nevertheless
the magical, ritualistic and mythical actions learned and performed do have impact on the unreal world.<br>
<br>
Spells are strongly linked to the cultural mythology so you should learn about that too.
***


// updated & proofred: 11-Sep-2011
//
.INJURIES.INJURY.
Your character can get hurt several ways, but most often injuries result from combat and hunting situations.
There are a wide variety of possible injuries such as bruises, cuts and bites - resulting from a varying attacks
or causes - generated for specific body locations and having different levels of damage. In general all the injuries
lower the victim's physical performance according to their severity in a form of physical penalty.
There are additional effects that may result from bleeding wounds and limb injuries.

To improve healing of your injuries, use the physician skill for wound treatment.
***

// updated & proofred 11-Sep-2011
//
.BLEEDING WOUNDS.
The most severe of all injuries are the bleeding wounds. These will cause the victim to bleed to death unless 
treatment is given by means of the physician skill. There are different rates of bleeding wounds which will 
accumulate the bloodloss accordingly. The bloodloss meter shows your character's total bloodloss. When it reaches
the maximum, based on your character's endurance, you will first pass out - and finally die. Thus it is of utmost 
importance to take care of bleeding wounds before loosing fatal amount blood.<br>
<br>
Even after all the bleeding is succesfully stopped a threat to life may still exist as recovery from bloodloss
is a lengthy process. Blood regeneration is a natural, automatic process and over time you will gain
back the lost blood, but as complete recovery can take several days you may want to avoid spilling any more of your
blood during the healing period.
***


.HEALING.
This topic is under construction. Refer to injuries.<br>
***

// updated & proofred 11-Sep-2011
//
.WOUND TREATMENT.
It is possible to self-treat your injuries by using the physician skill. The necessity and the method for wound 
treatment varies depending on the type of the injury. Minor wounds will usually heal by themselves, but grievous
wounds can develop serious effects or impair you for a long time unless properly treated.

Wounds can be treated on a daily basis for as long as the injury persists. There can be several different
treatments available for a single injury of which you can choose the ones to use - or the ones possible for you at 
the moment. Certain equipment and/or supplies, such as water or bandages, are often necessary. For almost every 
treatment it's also possible to use healing herbs in the process. For bleeding wounds the further treatment
is possible only after the bloodloss is halted.

The treatment result depends on your physician skill and quality and properties of the equipment and supplies 
used. A successful treatment will improve the healing of an injury and lower the risk of complications, but 
mistakes are also possible and can worsen the healing process. For serious wounds, however, some first-aid is always
recommended over no treatment at all. After that, it's up for your consideration whether you think you can do 
better for a specific wound today, or should it be wiser not touch it at all. 
***

// added & proofred 11-Sep-2011
//
.LIMB INJURIES.
Any amount of injury to a limb will have its effects, but these are most dramatic
when a limb is injured so extensively that it becomes completely unusable. Sometimes even a single grievous injury 
can render the entire limb unusable, but this can also happen gradually from several lesser wounds. Limb injuries 
play a great role in combat situations and in hunting animals that would be impossible to catch by running 
unless their mobility is significantly slowed down. 

Leg injuries obviously affect the victim's ability to walk, run or stand up. Leg injuries always lower the
victim's mobility based on their severity, and if an entire leg becomes unusable the victim either falls prone or 
starts to limp seriously. Quadruped animals can stand up and walk as long as they have three usable legs, but the 
mobility of a limping animal is significantly lowered. For humans, an unusable legs means not being able to stand 
up and being able to move only by crawling. When an arm is injured to the extent of becoming unusable, any items 
held by it are dropped and wielding or handling items becomes impossible. The unusable limbs will gain back their 
functionality after the wounds have healed enough. This can be improved with proper wound treatment.
***




.COMPRESS.
Simply applying a cold compress to the wound.
Necessary equipment/supplies: WATER and BANDAGES.
***

.CLEAN/DRESS.
Cleaning and dressing the wound.
Necessary equipment/supplies: WATER and BANDAGES.
***

.SPLINT.
To set and splint the bone you need some kind of a splint (usually
any stick, branch or even a spear will work) and BANDAGES.
***

.BANDAGE.BANDAGES.
Bandages are strips or slices of cloth, leather etc. used to tie
up wounds with the PHYSICIAN skill.
***

// slightly updated Jan-23-2016
//
.SKILLS.
Your character knows many skills and the outcome and success of nearly every action is determined by some skill.<br>
<br>
The skill mastery level affects to how well you manage to perform skill based activities.
However, the effective mastery of skills is often impaired due to physical penalties your character may have.<br>
<br>
Success of skill usage can be seen in time required to complete a task, quality of crafted items and so on.
The effect of skill mastery is very significant, but it should be noted that a beginner can have some luck too and
even an expert can make a mistake.<br>
<br>
All the skills can be improved by using them and there's also a learning curve to it.
The lower the skill mastery level is the faster the skill will raise upon succesful usage, even though
you can sometimes learn from mistakes too. Skills also improve faster or slower according to how challenging or educational
the performed task is. For example, you'll learn more about timbercraft by making boards than by chopping firewood.<br>
<br>
Craft and lore skills:<br>
 AGRICULTURE, HERBLORE, FISHING, PHYSICIAN, TRACKING,<br>
 COOKERY, HIDEWORKING, TIMBERCRAFT, WEATHERLORE,<br>
 TRAPPING, CARPENTRY, BUILDING<br>
<br>
Physical skills:<br>
 CLIMBING, SWIMMING, SKIING, STEALTH<br>
<br>
Combat skills:<br>
 WEAPON SKILLS, DODGE, UNARMED<br>
<br>
***

// added & proofred 28-Feb-2012
// 
.DODGE.
Dodge refers to one of your characters's skills, and is also one of the defense maneuvers. 
As a skill, it determines your ability to dodge melee attacks. The initial level of dodging 
skill is based on your character's agility, but like any other skill, it can be improved by experience.

As a defense maneuver, dodging is an attempt to evade attacks by ducking, leaping, or otherwise
trying to get out of harm's way. Dodging is always a demanding feat of agility, and can result in 
stumbling or falling if performed clumsily. At its very best, a swift and graceful dodge 
not only saves the defender from getting struck, but may also grant him/her a tactical advantage. 
When an attempt to dodge is only partially succesful, the defender gets struck, but the force
of the attack is decreased accordingly.

Dodging is most effective against weapons with a short reach - this also covers unarmed attacks. 
When trying to dodge weapons with a good reach and high attack class dodging gets that much more challenging.

Dodge is an applicable defense maneuver only against melee attacks. When being attacked by means of 
missile combat, the factors determining the defender's chances to avoid the attack are calculated
differenty.
***

.SHIELD.
Shields can be used to block enemy strikes and to protect yourself against missile attacks. In melee combat, merely having a shield  wielded allows
you to use it for blocking when a defense maneuver is to be chosen. To cover yourself against 
missile attacks, you need to be holding the shield in protective position. 

Shields can be held in many ways to cover different body parts and to protect from varying lines of missile attacks. 
It also depends on the shield size how much of your body it can cover. When a shield is held in protective 
position missile attacks to covered body parts are automatically blocked as they hit the shield instead of you. 

You get to choose how to hold a shield upon wielding it. The chosen mode can be changed anytime by attack commands
keys [1] or [2] - depending on in which hand you're holding the shield. 
These are the possible shield modes:

CENTER - Neutral position where the shield is held in front of you close to your center.
In this position roundshields protect from neck to knees. 

HIGH   - The shield is held up in front of you. In this position roundshields protect the head and upper body.
It's a good way to cover the vital upper body, but your vision is restricted as you have to peek from behind the shield.

SIDE   - The shield is held raised by your side. In this position roundshields protect your side from shoulder to knees.
If the shield is your primary weapon it's held on your right side, otherwise on the left side.<br>
<br>
All of these shield modes make you walk and run slower as the chosen protective grip and stance is carefully
maintained during movements. For this reason it's advisable to use protective shield mode only when necessary.<br>
<br>
NONE   - Shield is carried in relaxed fashion and not held in protective way. As the shield moves freely along with your movements there's no
automatic cover provided except for the hand and arm holding the shield.
***


.WEAPON SKILLS.
Skills such as knife, sword, axe, spear, flail, bow, crossbow etc.
are automatic combat skills for each weapon group. These are automatically
activated everytime you use some weapon.
***


.UNARMED.
Unarmed fighting (kicking,punching etc.). This is an automatic skill and
it's activated everytime you execute unarmed combat maneuver.
***

.CLIMBING.
General climbing ability. Used to climb to the mountains and the trees.
***


.SKIING.
Skiing is an automatic skill and checked out when you ski. High
mastery in skiing doesn't make you ski faster but with less effort -
you won't get fatigued so soon. To ski you need skis and a sti stick.
***

.CARPENTRY.
The ability to work wood in order to make various handcrafts, utensils
and tools. 
***

.SKIN.EMPTY SKIN.
A skin as an item refers to a container made of leather. Other meaning
for the word refers to a skin of an animal.
***

// slightly updated Jan-23-2016
//
.TORCH.
Torches are useful to light up caves where you normally can't see anything. They can
also become very handy in providing extra light if you need to travel or work during the dark autumn and winter nights.
Torches are lit by using apply command.
***

// upd 29-Jun-2014
//
.ARROW.ARROWS.
A regular arrow which has a spearhead shaped tip attached to a wooden shaft. These are most 
common and good overall arrows in hunting and war. They cause small but deep puncture 
wounds and have the best piercing capabilities of all arrow types.<br>
<br>
There are no special types of arrows for regular bows and crossbows so any arrow can 
be shot with any bow. In addition to regular arrows there are also broadhead arrows
and blunt arrows.<br>
<br>
After [w]ielding a bow you can shoot arrows by [t]hrow command. To carry a bow readied
for a quick first shot you can also wield an arrow beforehand.
***

// upd 29-Jun-2014
//
.BLUNT ARROW.BLUNT ARROWS.
An arrow with a blunt head used to hunt small game without damaging the hide. Blunt arrows have
a large club shaped heads and the whole arrow is usually carved from one piece of wood. 
Blunt arrow impact can be enough to kill fragile animals immediately, but their ability
to knock animals unconscious is just as effective in order to obtain undamaged hides.
Blunt arrows are rarely used to shoot anything bigger than a fox as the impact doesn't
hurt larger animals that much - unless they are shot to joints or head from a close distance.
***

// upd 29-Jun-2014
//
.BROADHEAD ARROW.BROADHEAD ARROWS.
An arrow with the widest cutting head of all arrow types. They usually have two blades 
which are sharpened very carefully. Broadheads are designed to cause large cuts 
and inflict as much bleeding as possible. These arrows are effectively used to hunt large 
game. Even if the hunter wouldn't score immediately fatal hits the bleeding wounds that broadhead 
arrows can cause are often enough to kill the prey sooner or later.
***


.WOODEN CUP.WOODEN BOWL.WOODEN MUG.
A wooden container. Can be used to carry water, milk etc.
***

.WEATHERLORE.
Weatherlore is the ability to predict and observe the weather. With
a succesful attempt you may be able to predict the weather for
future hours. Sometimes you don't find out more than just how the
weather is. Of course it's possible to make faulty predictions,
sometimes even just the opposite.
***

.AGRICULTURE.
The ability to grow crops and harvest wild plants for seeds and leaves. 
Commonly cultivated plants include turnips, broad beans, hemp, rye and barley.
However, it is possible to grow any plant as long as you manage to obtain its 
seeds. Agriculture consists of tilling, sowing, harvesting, threshing and 
grinding.

Before it's possible to sow a field, the soil must be prepared in order to make 
it fertile and cultivable. 
This is most commonly done via slash-and-burn cultivation, which can be done by
felling trees and burning them in the field. When the fire has burnt out the 
soil can be tilled. As this is hard work, you may find yourself satisfied even 
with a small field.

When the soil has been tilled, the sowing can take place. 
The main sowing season is in the early summer, but as different plants mature
at different times this may vary. Some fast-growing plants may even be able to 
produce two harvests a year. It is also possible to sow some crops in the late 
autumn so that they will start sprouting as early in the spring as possible. 
This is commonly practiced with rye.

When the plants have ripened it's time to harvest them. 
Most wild plants and crops also may be harvested by merely picking them up,
but grains must be harvested via the actual harvest option. In addition, this
is the only way to collect the seeds from a plant - and also the fastest way to
process large quantities of any crop. The harvested crops must then be threshed.

Threshing is an act of separating the usable parts from the rest of the 
harvested plant. It is most often done with grain to separate the grain itself 
from the straw, but can be done with any plant. When threshing is complete the 
separated grain, seeds, roots, leaves etc. may be collected.

Grinding is used to produce flour from grains. This is done by hand, using two 
grinding stones. The resulting flour tends to be coarse but valuable. 
***

// added & proofred 10-Oct-2012
// 
.STEALTH.
The ability to move silently and without being detected.

Stealth-skill is checked every time your character advances while sneaking. You can start sneaking by using [h]ide
command. It should be understood that sneaking doesn't make you invisible. Foremost, stealth is a skill that helps to
decrease the noise you make while advancing. To some degree stealth-skill also determines your character's ability to
use available cover to avoid being seen directly. If you sneak in front of someone in the open, they probably can see
you as well as you can see them. Therefore it's always best practice to sneak upon your target from behind, and along
a path that provides reasonable cover. Stealth-skill is also subject to physical penalties for it's more difficult
to move silently if you are injured or carrying heavy loads.

There are also additional factors which may interfere with the success of sneaking upon on your target. Distance to
target, available cover and the acuity of the observers senses all affect to how easy, or difficult, somebody is to
detect. Many animals have superior hearing and sense of smell and therefore sneaking on animals can sometimes result
in getting just a few steps closer to your prey before it spots you. But often closing the distance even a little
can be a crucial advantage in hunting.
***


// updated & proof-red 06-sep-2010
//
.BUILDING.
Building is the ability to construct forms of shelters and housing. Durable wooden buildings are usually for 
permanent occupation but this skill can also be used to construct other dwellings such as kotas, and more simple, 
temporary shelters, as well as other structures like fences. Timbercraft is a secondary skill to building, 
since the wood that trees provide will be used extensively in the construction process. 
***

// updated & proofred 11-Aug-2011
//
.PHYSICIAN.
A skill to treat wounds, injuries and medical ailments. A successful wound treatment will improve the healing.
***

// updated 21-jan-2016
.TIMBERCRAFT.
Timbercraft is a general ability to cut down trees and produce rough lumber like logs, boards, firewood and such.
Cutting branches and peeling bark from a tree are also covered by the timbercraft skill.
***

.SWIMMING.
General swimming. Swimming is possible on the zoomed in local map.
Use this skill while facing the water to move forward. If you have
a low swimming skill you could be in danger of drowning.
***

.TRACKING.
The ability to recognize and follow tracks. Upon finding some tracks you will 
gain information from them according to your tracking mastery. Tracking can be 
used both on the zoomed-in map and the wilderness map. On the wilderness map 
tracking is signficantly more difficult if you don't have a good idea of the 
animal's location beforehand, but random tracking is still practiced by hunters 
searching for new game. On the zoomed-in map animal tracks can be visually 
spotted from a close distance if the print left matches the level of your 
tracking skill. Obtaining more information calls for using the tracking skill 
at a preferred track's location. Sometimes it's not worthwhile to use the 
tracking skill on every new track you find, but to draw a conclusion as to 
where the animal may be heading to and hurry ahead.
 
Whether the animal leaves a visible print at a given location or not depends 
greatly on the type of ground as well as the type (especially the weight) of 
the animal itself. Winter is the best season for tracking since even the 
smallest animals will leave prints on the snow - which even an inexperienced 
tracker can find.
 
Tracking and spotting tracks while moving about can be used not only in order
to actively follow your prey, but also as an indicator of animal activity in a 
certain area - for it's wise to set your fox-trap in an area you where find 
signs of recent fox activity. However the success of your traps is measured by
your trapping skill.
***

// updated & proof-red 9.Sep.2012
//
.HERBLORE.
The ability to recognize individual plants and their properties.
The most common plants are known to everyone, but knowledge of the rest depends on
your character's culture and their herblore skills. Herblore skill is used not only to
recognize unknown plants but also to display plant properties and medicinal effects as you
know, or have learned them. If a plant to be examined is completely known to your character,
its true name, properties and medicinal effects will be shown in full. Otherwise you'll gain
only the bits of information that meet your level of knowledge.

To truly improve in herblore it's almost mandatory to experiment with plants in every possible
way you can think of - or feel safe about. When there's a noticeable effect from any kind of
plant usage, it is memorized by your character and their knowledge of the plant increases
accordingly. So it is possible to find herbs helpful in wound treatment or mushrooms that are
poisonous by trial and error, even if the plant's indentity stays a mystery for your character.
Some herbal effects, however, aren't clearly noticeable and that's why it pays to improve your
herblore knowledge to a level where you will be able to recognize the plants and their properties completely.

In general, the more common the plant, the easier it is to recognize. In the case of plants that are very rare
or unfamiliar to your character, it takes more experimenting and higher herblore skills to come up with the 
recognition. But do remember that every herblore attempt will benefit your character's overall knowledge of the vegetable kingdom. 
***


// updated & proof-red 2.Sep.2011
//
.TRAPPING.
Trapping is a skill that not only covers your ability to construct various
traps, but also determines your success in setting said traps. Tracking is a
useful skill that most trappers also learn, but it can only tell you whether or
not there is any animal activity at that site. Actually catching the animal
depends on your trapping skill.

Even the most perfect trap may fail to catch anything if set by an
inexperienced trapper, for they will have overlooked important points such as
clearing all traces of human scent from both the bait and the surrounding area.
Badly set or badly made traps may even scare off certain animals, though an
improperly set trap more commonly results in premature triggering or the trap
not managing to catch the target animal, causing light or no injury at all.

The more complex the trap is, the higher skill will be needed to make a decent 
trap. With luck, clever trap placement, and by using simple traps (like loop 
snares and trap-pits) even the least experienced of trappers can expect a catch 
from time to time. A master trapper can draw in hungry predators from far away, 
lured into a perfectly concealed trap complemented by irresistible, seemingly 
harmless bait.
***

.HIDEWORKING.
Hideworking is used to skin animals and process the resulting hides. Success in
hideworking determines the quality of the hide produced. Poor quality furs and
leathers are worth of only a fraction of the good quality ones and hides of 
some animals are more valuable than others. Hides of fox, lynx, beaver and 
pine-marten are for example very sought after. Furthermore, a thick winter fur
is most valuable.
  There are several hideworking options available:

  SKINNING - To skin the dead animal you must stand beside the carcass. Fresh 
animal skins should be tanned within a few days or be cured for preservation - 
otherwise they will start to rot.

  CLEANING - First of all the fresh skin needs to be cleaned of all remaining 
flesh and fat. Only then can it be tanned or cured for preservation.

  CURING - As tanning can be a long and laborous task, curing can be used to 
preserve the skin for later processing. Curing means basically drying a clean 
skin to keep it from decaying. Cured skins will stay good practically forever 
and can be tanned later on.

  TANNING - Tanning is a multi-stage task requiring soaking the skin, applying 
tanning material, rinsing the skin clean again and finally mechanically 
softening the skin. This calls for several "Tan the skin" commands per skin 
until you'll finally obtain a fur or leather - depending on the animal whose 
skin was processed. Each tanning step also affects the skin quality and the 
whole process should be carried out with no delays to prevent the skin rotting
during the process.

  DEHAIR - Dehairing is used to remove the hair from the hide of a fur-bearing
animal. This way tanning the hide will produce leather, which one can sometimes
prefer.

Tanned fur or leather can be used in the making of clothes - or in trading.
Fresh, cured or only partly processed skins are not considered valuable.
***

.COOKERY.
Cookery is the ability to prepare and preserve food. The simplest cooking 
methods, such as boiling and roasting, are often used when preparing food in
the wild and can be used for practically any kind of raw food: meat, fish or a
wide variety of plants. More complicated recipes use more advanced cooking 
techniques, a larger range of ingredients and more cooking implements, though
they also produce a much larger variety of food. Some source of heat is almost
always required. A knife, a pot, bowl or cup are the most basic cooking
utensils.

Different plants have different effects. Some may be poisonous, have medicinal 
values or other effects. For this reason, plants (especially mushrooms) are 
often boiled first before use, and this is the method most commonly used to 
create herbal beverages.

In addition to cooking food for immediate consumption, cookery also covers
three basic preservation methods, which are drying, smoking and salting. 
These are used when large quantities of meat or fish are obtained and must be
preserved for later use. Depending on the method used the meat will last for
different lengths of time. Preserved food can stay edible for weeks or even 
months, extremely useful in times of scarcity, such as the harsh winter.
***


// updated & proofred 15-Jun-2011
//
.PHYSICAL PENALTIES.PHYSICAL PENALTY.PENALTIES.
Your character's physical performance and mastery of skills will be impaired 
due to physical penalties which are classified as encumbrance, fatigue, 
injury and starvation. These penalties reflect the fact that a character who
is carrying extensive load, fatigued, injured or starving cannot function 
normally. 

There's a meter for each physical penalty showing the percentage value of the
negative effect. The sum of all four penalties is your character's total 
physical penalty - a negative percentage value working against you when using 
skills and also lowering your mobility.

When using skills that require even a moderate physical activity your 
character's total physical penalty is substracted from the skill mastery level. 
For example:
If your swimming mastery level is 45% and your total physical penalty is -15% 
the effective swimming success is modified down to 30%. 

For a better skill performance in demanding tasks it's wise to pay attention 
to your physical penalties, and if possible, ease the physical strain by 
dropping excess load, resting away the fatigue or even waiting for your wounds 
to heal or to recover from starvation.
This is especially important when using weapons, crafting or building and
anytime your life is at stake or you aim for the best result possible.
***

// updated & proofred 13-Jun-2011
//
.STARVATION.
Your character may start to starve from poor and insufficient nutrition. 
The basic cause of starvation is an imbalance between energy intake and energy
expenditure. In other words, you expend more energy than you take in as food. 
Starvation is a severe condition which will affect your character's physical 
performance and can eventually lead to death.

The nutrition dialog box will tell when your character is starving. For as long
the condition lasts, starvation gets more and more severe, increasing the 
starvation penalty - which impairs your ability to function normally, like all
the physical penalties do. Severity of starvation is shown by the starvation 
meter which also displays the amount of said penalty. 

Recovery from prolonged starvation can be a lengthy process. In general you 
need to eat more often and ensure that the food provides enough nutrition and 
energy. To gain back lost energy reserves it's also advisable to avoid 
unnecessary strenuous activity. When your character's is back on sufficient
diet, starvation will start to ease bit by bit.
***
 
.FATIGUE.
Fatigue is one of the physical penalties, accumulated by strenuous physical activities such
as fighting, running or swimming. The level of physical effort affects the fatigue accumulation
rate. In one's daily activities, there can be slightly fatiguing tasks, extremely strenuous jobs,
and everything in between. The character's physical attributes and carried load also play
important parts in fatigue accumulation. Characters with low endurance will accrue fatigue more easily
and any physical activity is naturally that much harder if you are carrying an excessive load.

Fatigue can be alleviated by resting or doing light tasks that do not accumulate fatigue.
Even peaceful walking without excess load will decrease fatigue.

Fatigue has the same effect on animals as it has on humans. This is something to remember when hunting
as fatigue also decreases mobility. Animals have distinct species specific fatigue rates which play an
important part in their hunting and escaping behaviour. It is not always about how fast an animal can run,
but how fast it will tire or how much endurance it has as a runner.
***
 

// slightly updated
// Jan-24-2016
.ENCUMBRANCE.
In general, the more weight a character is carrying, the harder the physical activities come. 
As one of the physical penalties this is called encumbrance.<br>
Character's endurance attribute has a significant effect on how much encumbrance penalty they suffer
from carried load. 
***

.MOBILITY.
Mobility refers to your character's movement rate - how fast you can
walk or run. Your initial mobility value is based on your character's 
speed attribute, but in practice you rarely travel at top speed. 
Mobility is subject to physical penalties like the load you are carrying, 
fatigue and injuries. Your manner of moving also affects effective 
mobility as it will be different from your walking speed if you are 
running, swimming, crawling or skiing. The mobility indicator shows your
effective mobility in kilometers per hour (km/h). That's the speed your 
character will move with all your current penalties and your current 
manner of movement taken in the consideration. 
***

.VALUABLES.
//
// added Nov-25-2017 by Erkka
//
Valuables are decorated items made of rare materials. They have little or no practical use, but are mostly worn
or carried as a sign of wealth and prosperity. However, some of the symbols used in valuables do have magical 
associations, and silver is even used in certain sacrifices.<br>
<br>
Many different types of valuables are crafted by the cultures of the Unreal World. Finer and more expensive valuables are bartered from
the foreign traders.<br>
<br>
Valuables in UnReal World are:<br>
BROOCH, BRONZE HORSE-ORNAMENTED COMB, BRONZE FLOWER-ORNAMENTED COMB,<br>
SILVER CHAIN BRACELET, BRONZE BRACELET, SILVER BIRD BRACELET,<br>
SILVER RING, BEZEL RING,<br>
BRONZE BEAR PENDANT, SILVER SUN-SYMBOL PENDANT, BRONZE BALL PENDANT.<br>
***

// valuables
//
// added nov-19-2017
.BROOCH.BROOCHES.
A round, decorated brooch made of bronze. Small brooches are commonly used to hold the front of a tunic or a shirt closed.
Larger ones are used to fasten cloaks and overcoats, or worn as mere ornaments.<br>
   Different variants of the bronze brooch are manufactured by craftsmen in Driik, Koivula and Reemi. Ones crafted in Driik
and Koivula are typically decorated either with lines and dots, or flower ornaments. Craftsmen of Reemi decorate their brooches
with engraved figures of elk, bear or horse.
***

// added nov-19-2017
//
.BRONZE HORSE-ORNAMENTED COMB.
Palm-sized comb with the back of the handle crafted into a shape of two horse heads facing to opposite directions.
Different variants of the comb are manufactured in Reemi. Similar type of comb is also imported by foreign traders. 
The comb is not for common day-to-day use, but carried as a decorative item on special occasions.
***

// added nov-19-2017
//
.BRONZE FLOWER-ORNAMENTED COMB.
Palm-sized comb with the handle decorated with engraved flower ornaments. Different variants of the comb are manufactured both in Driik and
imported by foreign traders. The comb is not for common day-to-day use, but carried as a decorative item on special occasions
***

// added nov-19-2017
//
.SILVER CHAIN BRACELET.
Three finely crafted thin silver chains braided to form a single bracelet. This kind of valuables are crafted overseas, and sold by
foreign traders. Both the amount of silver and the decorative quality make this bracelet a highly valued item.
Wearing one is a sign of wealth and status.
***

// added nov-19-2017
//
.BRONZE BRACELET.
A simple bracelet decorated with engraved curly lines and dots. Craftsmen of Driik and Koivula make this type of bracelets. The bracelet is worn by women of western cultures.
***

// added nov-19-2017
//
.SILVER RING.
A ring made of silver with a decoration composed of dots and curly lines running all around the outer side of the ring.
This type of rings are sold and imported by foreign traders, but also produced by skilled craftsmen of Driik.
***


// added nov-19-2017
//
.BEZEL RING.
A ring with a wide bezel decorated with a relief figure. Common figures are an eagle, a bear head, and an aquatic bird.
Imported by foreign traders, this type of ring is favored by the wealthy men among eastern and northern tribes.
***

// added nov-19-2017
//
.SILVER BIRD BRACELET.
A small figure of an aquatic bird is attached to the other end of this thin bracelet. These bracelets are imported by the foreign traders. 
This type is worn by women of eastern and northern cultures.
***

// added nov-19-2017
//
.BRONZE BEAR PENDANT.
A relief figure of a bear head and forepaws, cast in bronze. This type of pendant is imported by the foreign traders. 
The pendant often comes without a chain, so it is often attached to a simple leather cord. It is worn on rituals, celebrations and other special
occasions by men of eastern cultures.
***

// added nov-19-2017
//
.SILVER SUN-SYMBOL PENDANT.
A round pendant nearly two inches wide, picturing a sun symbol inside a decorated rim.
This fine piece of jewelry is imported by the foreign traders.
Northern and Eastern peoples like this pendant, as they believe the sun symbol is associated with fertility, health and good luck.
***

// added nov-19-2017
//
.BRONZE BALL PENDANT.
A hollow bronze ball, usually a little less than an inch in diameter. The ball is decorated with embossed pebbles, forming lines round the ball.
The ball hangs from a thin bronze chain. This type of pendant is sold by the foreign traders and worn by women of western cultures.
***


.UTILITY ARTICLES.
Some of these items are descriped here:
 SALT, POT.
***

.SALT.
Salt is used in cookery, e.g. in the making of salted meat/fish.
***

.POT.
Pot is a useful tool in several COOKERY based activities.
***

// slightly updated Jan-23-2016
//
.TOOLS.
There are several special items in the game which are commonly called tools. 
You can use these items by [a]pply command. Their use varies widely as does the method of application. 
The most common tools are described here:<br>
 TRAPS, PUNT, PADDLE, SESTA, NET, FISHING ROD, TORCH, SHOVEL, SKIS, SKI STICK, VASTA<br>
***

// added & updated Jan-23-2016
//
.FISHING ROD.
A common tool for active fishing. You can start angling with a fishing rod either by using the 
fishing skill or by applying the fishing rod from the inventory. 
***

// added & updated Jan-23-2016
//
.NET.NETS.
Nets are tools for passive fishing. They are set and left in the water for a day or two, and then retrieved hopefully 
with some fish caught in.<br>
<br>
Nets can be set either by using the fishing skill or by applying the net from the inventory.
To retrieve a net you can simply pick it up.<br>
<br>
Every time a net is set and retrieved it wears out a bit, and the bigger the catch
the more it can damage the net. How fast a net wears out depends greatly on your fishing skills. 
A talented fisherman can handle the net so that it doesn't get tangled upon setting or retrieving, nor unnecessarily
damaged upon releasing the fish. A novice fisherman is prone to handle the net in more clumsy fashion which
results in wearing it out faster. 
***

.WOODEN SHOVEL.
A proper shovel made of wood. Designed mainly for digging snow and
soft soil.
***

.SHOVEL.
Shovel is used to dig trap-pits. (Used in passive hunting --
see TRAPS for more info)
It's also used to prepare the soil in order to plant/sow
something with AGRICULTURE skill.
***

.RAFT.
Raft is a primitive watercraft made of tree trunks which are tied
together with a rope. Sesta or paddle is needed to shove the raft ahead.
***

.PUNT.
Punt is a light watercraft which may be carried over the land from one 
waterway to another. You can transport heavier loads than you could carry
by loading them into the punt. You need a tool called a sesta to move the 
punt through shallow waterways. A paddle can be used to move the punt 
through deeper waters.
%POP
info-punt.jpg
***

.SESTA.
It's a long staff which is used to shove primitive watercrafs like
a punt and a raft ahead. In order to use a raft or a punt; wield
a sesta, have punt on the ground at the shore and jump in. Then
just move normally.
***

.PADDLE.
Paddle is used to shove punt or raft ahead.
***

.TRAPS.TRAP.
Traps are designed to catch wild animals. Basically there are two kinds of
traps - those which kill, and those which aim to make the victim immobile. 
Most of the traps are so constructed, that the one who triggers the trap will
get stuck and be unable to escape. 

See also: LOOP SNARE, FOX TRAP, DEADFALL TRAPS, TRAP-PIT, TRAP-FENCE
***

.PASSIVE HUNTING.
At its best, passive hunting is very effective and safe. While a hunter 
himself is sleeping at the comfort of his home, the traps wait for animals 
to come. In the morning the hunter goes to check all of his traps, and if he 
is lucky, he can get a lot of game in couple of hours. Of course he then has 
to spend time fixing and re-setting the traps, but it is nice and safe work 
compared to active hunting. Typically a hunter has a so-called trap-path, 
which is a regular route he can walk and check in the time of a one day.
Along the trap-path there are different kinds of traps for different animals,
and maybe a whole trap-fence. Smaller traps can be used in a more short-term 
manner, for example when travelling long distances, or when exploring new 
hunting-grounds.
***


.LOOP SNARE.
Simple loop of cord set to catch mainly hares.
***

.LIGHT LEVER TRAP.
A light lever trap ("loukku") is a trap for small animals suchs as
hares and grouses. It consist of two part trigger stick mechanism which is
holding up a slender tree trunk. Moving the trigger stick will release the 
trunk and drop it on the prey. Should the prey not die upon the impact
it will at least get stuck under the weight of trunk, which is usually
increased by placing a heavy stone on it. As the light lever trap is
used to catch small non carnivorous animals baits aren't used, but the
trap is placed on the known paths of the animals.
***

.SMALL DEADFALL TRAP.
Small deadfall trap has a primitive wooden lid made of slender tree trunks
and some stones on the top of it to make it heavier. The lid is hold up with
an upright stick with a bait tied to it. When the prey pulls the bait, the
lid will drop on it. Small deadfall trap is used to catch foxes, gluttons,
badgers and other small fur bearing animals.
***

.BIG DEADFALL TRAP.
Big deadfall trap is mainly targeted for wolves, but it works also for foxes,
gluttons and the like. It's made by setting several slender tree trunks in a 
relatively wide roof construction and placing heavy stones on top of the 
trunks. One trunk is used to lift the deadfall roof up and a stick, with a 
bait tied to it, is then set on a round stone as a triggering mechanism. As 
the stick is carefully placed on the stone even a very light pulling of the 
bait will drop the deadfall roof down.
***

.HEAVY DEADFALL BEAR TRAP.
A deadfall trap designed for bears is a heavy construction which is 
practically impossible to even trigger by less strong animals. Several big
tree trunks are used as a deadfall weight and be set in various formations.
Sometimes stones are used to bring some extra weight to get the bear 
properly immobilized as the trap collapses on it. Bait is fixed to a 
triggering pole which needs to be strong enough to hold up the heavy trunk 
construction.
***

.DEADFALL TRAP.DEADFALL TRAPS.
Principle of a deadfall trap is to have a varying weight deadfall to drop 
on the prey then the trap is triggered. Deadfall traps vary in size and in 
weight of the deadfall depending on what animal they are designed for.

See: SMALL DEADFALL TRAP, BIG DEADFALL TRAP and HEAVY DEADFALL BEAR TRAP.

%POP
info-deadfall_trap.jpg
***

.TRAP-PIT.TRAP-PITS.
Trap-pits are commonly used to hunt big deer such as elks and reindeers. 
A shovel is needed to dig a pit which can then be covered. This is the
most simple form of a trap-pit. It's also possible place sharp wooden stakes
at the bottom of the pit, which makes it an improved and more lethal form
of a trap-pit.
   In case of trap-pits, fences are commonly used to guide the prey more
efficiently into the trap-pits. Fence constructions can be rather long,
having an opening with a trap-pit here and there. An animal following along
the side of the fence will drop into the pit when trying to go trough the
opening.
***

.PAW-BOARD FOX TRAP.FOX TRAP.PAW-BOARD.
The paw-board fox trap is a nearly two meters long board-shaped piece of wood, set in upright position. 
It's upper end is pointed and has two sharp wedges on the both sides. The pointed end holds the bait so that the fox
has to jump to try to catch the bait. Usually the fox ends up trapped by its forepaws stuck into the wedges.
The paw-board is therefore useless without a bait which makes the fox to jump to fetch it.
***

// updated Oct-6-2019
//
.FENCE.FENCES.
A typical fence is made of slender tree trunks tied together with withes made from spruce saplings.
A well-made fence can last for tens of years. The best material for fences are slender spruce trees growing on mires.
Fences are used to keep the animals away from fields. Also, a fence can serve as a pen to keep animals in. A special
type of fence is a trap-fence used to direct wild animals into traps. 
%POP
info-fence.jpg
***

.MOVING.
There are two main ways of moving around; walking and
using a punt or a raft.
See also: MOBILITY and CARRYING LOADS.
***

// updated & proofred 13.06.2011
//
.NUTRITION.HUNGER.THIRST. 
Your character needs to eat and drink regularly to stay alive. There are meters
for both hunger and thirst showing your current level. The bars of both meters
change their color depending on the long-term level of hunger or thirst - 
starting at green and gradually turning red when a level of alarming 
malnutrition or dehydration is reached. Without water you will die in couple of
days, so remember to stay close enough to water or carry water with you. 
Without food you can survive up to a month, but poor diet and insufficient 
nutrition intake eventually leads to starvation.

Eating isn't just about filling your stomach. In order to keep yourself 
properly fed you shouldn't rely only on hunger cues as your character's feeling
of hunger is based not only on stomach content, but also on your body's energy 
reserves. It's possible to satiate hunger by filling one's stomach with even 
the poorest food but that doesn't mean your diet contains sufficient amounts of 
energy or meets your character's nutritional requirements. Even though equal 
amounts of nearly any food will fill your stomach equally, different kinds of 
food will give you different levels of nourishment. Nutritional value of the 
food eaten affects your energy intake and the body's energy reserves. These 
factors determine how long you will feel satiated and have enough energy in
your system.

It is possible to increase your character's energy reserve beyond daily needs 
by constantly eating food with high energy content. After practicing this kind 
of diet you'll find yourself not being too hungry the day after. When eating a 
light diet or at times of scarcity you'll notice that you need to eat more 
often as food with low nutrition and energy content doesn't keep you satiated 
very long. For the information about your character's nutritional status and 
body energy reserve you should refer to nutrition dialog box which tells you 
whether your nutritional condition is starving, malnourished or scarce - good, 
well-fed or abundant - or something in between.
***

// upd 11-Dec-2014
.ARMOUR MATERIALS.
Clothes can be made of wide variety of materials with variying techniques. 
Materials used in clothing in the UnReal World can be separated into two groups.<br>
Those originating from the vegetable kingdom are:

LINEN, NETTLE and BIRCH-BARK

and those originating from the animal kingdom are:

WOOL, LEATHER and FUR<br>
<br>
<br>
Metal armours are not usually worn nor made among the local cultures of The UnReal World. 
They are brought in with foreign traders and warriors. In general metal armours are very rare, 
and even the foreign warriors need to rely mostly on fur and leather for protection. 
Helms, cowls and pieces for spot procetion are far more common than body armours.
Wealthy villages of Driikiläiset, Sartolaiset, Koivulaiset and Reemiläiset may very
rarely have some traded metal armours available.

Metal armour materials and techniques are:

MAIL, IRON and LAMELLAR

***

.NETTLE.
Nettle is a useful wild plant used as a source of fiber.
The process of separating fibers from a nettle and spinning
them into a thread is somewhat similar compared to the 
process of producing linen out of flax. Some even say that
garments made out of nettle-fiber are more beautiful than the
ones made of linen. Nettle is commonly used, but not as largely
as linen, for all sorts of clothes.
***

.LINEN.
Linen is produced from fibers of a flax which is a commonly
known cultivated plant. Linen, like wool, is largely used
material for clothes but the process to make serviceable
linen is more laborious than in the case of wool. For the wealthy
this is no problem since there is also imported linen in the
UnReal World.
   Linen clothes are very comfortable. The more you wear a
specific linen garment the softer and more comfortable it will
become. You'll also feel cool in a linen garment when the weather
is hot but still it will keep you warm when it's cold.
***


.WOOLLEN.WOOL.
Sheep's wool is largely used material for all kind of clothes.
Occasionally little amounts of fur or hair from other animals is
added to shorn wool as well. Woollen clothes are warm to wear
and also give a little defense against concussion. To wear
a woollen cloth directly against your skin may however tickle at
first before you get accustomed to it.
***

.LEATHER.
In clothing leather is used mainly for shoes, boots and belts. It's
also used to complete some other garment for example with bands and
thongs. More commonly leather is used in making of numerous pieces
of equipment.
***

.FUR.
Fur is mainly used in the winter-time when many pieces of clothing
which are usually made of linen or wool are replaced by fur
counterparts. Fur is mainly used to keep its' wearer warm but it
can also give some considerable protection - although it's cumbersome
to move about especially in very big, heavy fur garments.
***

.BIRCH-BARK.
When birch-bark is used in clothing its use is restricted to
shoes, head-dresses and small pieces for spot protection or to
be used as ornaments etc. This is because finished birch-bark
equipment isn't very elastic and feels coarse against the skin.
   More commonly birch-bark is used in making of various artifacts,
knapsacks for example.
   Birch-bark garments give some protection against edge and tear
attacks but for point or blunt strikes they are somewhat useless.
***

.LAMELLAR.
Lamellar is eastern armour type used by Njerpezit. Lamellar armours are made of square
or rectangular iron plates tightly fastened to each other with leather straps passed through
openings along the edges of the plates. Lamellar technique is used mainly to create cuirass
and hauberk type armors, but it's also suitable for some spot protection pieces like shin guards
and forearm guards. Lamellar armour offers better protection than mail, especially in case of blunt attacks.
***

.MAIL.
Interlocking metal rings, usually half an inch or less in diameter.
Mail may be butted, coiled or rivetted, these considerations are
reflected by armour quality. While mail is a superb defence against
edged weapons, and reasonable against the point, it does little to
reduce force of a blow, and may be driven into its wearer's flesh.
Because of this, leather or wool garments are usually worn underneath.
***

.IRON.
Armour which forms a rigid continuous covering and is made of iron. 
Iron armours are relatively rare. Its use is generally restricted helms, and small plates for spot
protection. Iron armours offer good to excellent defense against all strikes.
***



// upd: dec-11-2014
.ARMOURS.
Most of the cloth and armour names are self-explanatory.<br>
Here's a list of some specific armours and their descriptions.<br>
<br>
Head:<br>
 COWL, HELM, SPECTACLE HELM<br>
<br>
Body:<br>
 HAUBERK, HABERGEON, CUIRASS, OVERCOAT<br>
<br>
Legs:<br>
 KNEECOPS, SHIN GUARDS, LEGGINGS<br>
<br>
Arms:<br>
 REREBRACES, COUDES, FOREARM GUARDS, MITTENS.<br>
<br>

***

.APRON.UNDERGARMENT.DRESS.VEIL.
A piece of woman's clothing - usually made of wool or linen,
sometimes nettle is used. Typical woman's dress consists of
long-sleeved undergarment worn under a short-sleeved dress.
A decorated apron and a belt is also commonly used. Head is
sometimes covered with a veil.
***

.COWL.
Piece of clothing or armour covering the skull and neck (short cowl)
and sometimes the shoulders (long cowl). Cowls may either be separate
garments or an extension of body armour.
***

.COUDES.
Elbow armours, usually of iron.
***

// upd 11-Dec-2014
.CUIRASS.
The combination of breastplate and backplate to cover the thorax and
abdomen. Breastplates are often worn on their own.
A cuirass can be made simply of leather, but the most common type is 
a lamellar cuirass worn by Njerpezit.
***

.HELM.HELMS.
A piece of armour that covers the skull. A typical helm is made from one piece of iron hammered into shape.
***

.SPECTACLE HELM.
A type of helm covering the skull and face. It has a spectacle-like covering for the face, extending 
down to wearer's chin. Some spectacle helms also have cheek-pieces for additional protection.
From the outside, spectacle helm presents a frightening visage to the opponent. These helms
are often forged not only to protect their wearer's head, but also to make them look more fierce.
***

.GREAVES.SHIN GUARD.SHIN GUARDS.
A piece of armour for the legs. Their primary purpose is to protect the outer bone in the calf from attack. 
The bone in the calf is very close to the skin, and is therefore extremely vulnerable to just about any
kind of attack. Furthermore, a serious injury on the shin may result in that leg being rendered useless,
greatly hampering one's ability to maneuver in any way.
***

.HABERGEON.
An armoured short sleeved shirt that covers the shoulders, thorax, abdomen, hips, groin,
and upper arms. Habergeons are always made of mail.
***

// upd 11-Dec-2014
.HAUBERK.
A coat made of mail or lamellar. Hauberks cover the shoulders, thorax,
abdomen, hips groin and thighs. Long hauberk is lengthened to cover the knees
and also has short sleeves to protect the upper arms. 
The skirt is usually split to facilitate mounted use. 
***

.KNEECOPS.
Armour for the knee, usually iron, generally secured by leather thongs.
***

.LEGGINGS.
Separate pieces of clothing to protect legs; actually the hips, groin,
thighs, knees and calves. Leggings are tied on with leather
thongs or cords. When worn with pair of trousers leggings give extra
protection and warmth. Some leggings can be worn also instead of
trousers.
***

.MITTENS.
A gloves without separate fingers. In the winter-time wool or fur
mittens are commonly used. Foreign people also make mittens from metal
to protect hands in a battle.
***

.REREBRACES.
Armour for the upper arms.
***

.OVERCOAT.
A long coat which extends to the knee and has long sleeves to cover the whole arms. Overcoats are made of wool
or fur and most commonly used in winter when warmth is more important.
***

.FOREARM GUARDS.VAMBRACES.
Armour for the forearms. They can be made of lamellar or leather.
***

// added 5-Oct-2015
//
.HARE'S PAW.
An item believed to bring good luck to its owner. Typically the hare's paw is applied and
stroked prior to forthcoming attempt where extra luck or success is desired. 
It's said that charm of hare's paw will wear out over time and therefore it should be applied with care.
<br>
Not just any paw from a hare is useful as a charm, but it needs to be found in certain conditions which aren't common knowlegde. 
***

// added & updated Jan-23-2016
// this is skill reference
.SWORD.SWORDS.
Swords are most commonly used by only the wealthiest western peoples and are relatively rare elsewhere in the UnReal World.<br>
See weapons for more information about different types of swords.
***

.WEAPONS.
There is further information about missile attacks.

Knives:<br>
 KNIFE, SMALL KNIFE, BROAD KNIFE, HUNTING KNIFE, FISHER'S KNIFE,<br>
 KAUMOLAIS KNIFE, NORTHERN KNIFE, SKRAMASAKSI<br>
<br>
Swords:<br>
 SHORTSWORD, BASTARD SWORD, BROADSWORD,<br>
 BATTLESWORD, SCIMITAR, NJERPEZ SCIMITAR<br>
<br>
Axes:<br>
 HANDAXE, CARVING AXE, SPLITTING AXE,<br>
 WOODSMAN'S AXE, BROAD AXE, BATTLEAXE, SICKLE<br>
<br>
Clubs:<br>
 MAUL, CLUB, MACE<br>
<br>
Flails:<br>
 GRAINFLAIL, SMALL FLAIL<br>
<br>
Spears:<br>
 SPEAR, KAUMOLAIS SPEAR, NORTHERN SPEAR, ANGO,<br>
 JAVELIN, STAFF, HARD STAFF, TRIDENT, SMALL TRIDENT, WIDE TRIDENT<br>
<br>
Bows:<br>
 SHORTBOW, LONGBOW, CROSSBOW, HEAVY CROSSBOW, JUNIPER BOW,<br>
 NORTHERN BOW, HUNTING BOW<br>
<br>
***

.CARVING AXE.
An axe with longish, thin blade. Ideal for shaping logs so that they
would fit each other in the walls and corners of a building.
***

.SPLITTING AXE.
An axe with rather heavy, wedge-shaped blade. Designed for splitting
blocks of wood into firewood. On the other hand, splitting axe is not so
good for any other work.
***

.WOODSMAN'S AXE.
This is the tool to cut down big trees. Woodman's axe works also as a
heavy-duty all-round axe. It is heavy, and suits also for splitting
wood.
***

.BROAD AXE.
Broad axe has a very heavy blade. It is specially designed for cutting
the sides of a round log to make high-quality wall-logs. 
***

.KNIFE.
The all-round tool used when eating, making handcrafts, fighting
and so on.
***

.SMALL KNIFE.
An ordinary knife with a blade of about three inches long.
The small knife is mainly designed for making fine woodworks.
It is also commonly used when cutting ropes, removing
birch-bark etc.
***
.BROAD KNIFE.
The broad knife has a blade wider than ordinary, and it
is mainly used for hideworking and fighting.
***

.HUNTING KNIFE.
The hunting knife has a blade usually more than five inches long.
It is designed especially for efficient butchering and cutting the carcass, but works as a good
overall tool in many different hunting related tasks.
***

.FISHER'S KNIFE.
A knife with long, thin blade, which is of especial use for
fishermen when preparing fish.
***

.KAUMOLAIS KNIFE.
This is rather a heavy knife. A Kaumolais-man esteems his
knife and it is usually of great personal value to him.
***

.NORTHERN KNIFE.
The knife is one of the main tools used by the Northern Peoples.
The northern knife is one of the largest knives, and it is
used when killing reindeer and in hideworking, eating and building.
A lot of tales is told by the southern peoples about the mighty
northern knife, and it is commonly held that northern peoples
use special incantations and magical spells to drive supernatural
powers into their knives.
***

.SKRAMASAKSI.
Also known as the "power-knife", "v„kipuukko" in UnReal Language.
"V„ki" could be translated as "power" and "force", specially
in the meaning of vital force connected with supernatural powers.
The skramasaksi has a blade as long as 8" long.
***

.STONE-AXE.
A crude but effective weapon which can be used to cut
down trees - although any timberwork with a stone-axe
requires patience.
***

.BASTARD SWORD.
Any hand-and-a-half sword 40-48" in length. They have a longer hilt
than a broadsword, and their name derives from the fact that they may
be used either one-handed or two-handed.
***

.BATTLESWORD.
Any large sword intented for two-handed use. Most battleswords have
broad, straight blades 48-60" in length.
***

.BROADSWORD.
Any one-handed sword 30-40" in length. Broadswords are usually
double-edged with broad, straight blades, but there are various
regional variants.
***

.NJERPEZ SCIMITAR.
A heavy scimitar almost exclusively made and used by Njerpez warriors. The Njerpez scimitar incorporates wood in its
construction and is sometimes referred to a bladed club. The particularly broad blade, and the heavy lumber make it
an awkward weapon, but one with a lot of impact.
***

.SCIMITAR.
A short, single-bladed scimitar. Scimitar is relatively heavy for its
length, which is rarely more than two feet, and is often considered to
be a short falchion.
***

.SHORTSWORD.
Any double or single edged, straight-bladed, sword averaging 24 inches
in length. The point of a shortsword is usually no sharper than the
edge, but it may be designed to have a real point at the option of
its maker.
***

.BATTLEAXE.BATTLEAXES.
A single bladed foreign axe designed for battle. 
Battleaxes have large curved heads with a long and narrow lower portion. 
This design provides a wide cutting surface while keeping the overall weight of the axe low. The curved blade also concentrates
the force of the blow into a small section of the edge resulting in considerable impact. The axe head is mounted on a shaft around
four feet in length. 
Despite of their size, battleaxes are carefully balanced weapons and therefore somewhat usable also with one hand.
***

.HANDAXE.
Regular single bladed axe used in timberwork.
***


.SICKLE.
A thightly curved blade on a short (usually wooden) shaft. Most sickles
are farm implements, but in some regions they are used as secondary
weapons.
***

.THROWING AXE.
A light handaxe that is balanced for throwing.
***


.CLUB.
Any one-handed club constructed primarily of wood or similar material.
Clubs are peasant or outlaw weapons and are not usually made by
weaponcrafters.
***

.MACE.
Basically a reinforced club. Most have metal heads, oftern with an
elaborate pattern of knobs and ridges, affixed to wooden shafts between
24 and 38 inches in length. Some maces have metal shafts.
***

.MAUL.
A two-handed club/mace with a 4-6 foot shaft. Most have wooden heads,
sometimes reinforced with metal studs.
***

.FLAIL.FLAILS.
Flails are threshing tools for separating the usable parts from the rest of the 
harvested plant, but flails can be also used as a weapon.<br>
Threshing itself is one of the actions covered by agriculture skill.
***

.GRAINFLAIL.
The common threshing tool favoured as a peasant weapon is basically an
articulated staff. They consist of two 18-36 inch wooden staves, joined
together by a short leather thong. The handle stave is usually longer
than the impact stave.
***

.SMALL FLAIL.
A light version of the grainflail consisting of two short rods joined by
leather thongs or a short chain. The rods are generally made of wood,
but are often reinforced with metal bands and/or studs. Effective use
of small flail takes great skill. They are primarily a defensive weapon
intented to disarm a lightly armed opponent.
***


.JAVELIN.
A light spear balanced to be thrown as a missile weapon. They can be
used in melee combat, but their light and thin shafts make them more
fragile.
***

.STAFF.
Just a wooden staff usually about three feet long.
***

.HARD STAFF.
A wooden staff reinforced with metal heads.
***

.SPEAR.
The spear has a long wooden shaft and blade specially designed
for melee combat.
***

.KAUMOLAIS SPEAR.
Kaumolais spear is designed for efficient close-combat. The spear
has a wide, longish iron blade. Immediately behind the blade is
a "haitta", a cross-piece, which prevents the blade from thrusting
too deep - thus several fierce blows can be dealt rapidly one after one.
***

.NORTHERN SPEAR.
The northern spear has a long, sharp blade and it is used in
hunting. It also has a special cross-piece usually in the dull
end of the shaft, so that the spear can be used as ski stick.
***

.ANGO.
A spear used in seal hunting as well as in combat. It has very
long metal blade with a pointed hook so that it will stuck in
the seal (or an opponent or his shield for example) and thus
make it harder for the wounded seal (or an opponent) to escape.
***

.TRIDENT.TRIDENTS.
Trident is a triple-pointed spear. Trident is commonly used
in fishing. When used as a combat weapon it attacks no
better (sometimes worse) than a spear, but its three prongs
gives it a somewhat better defensive capacity.
***

.SMALL TRIDENT.
A smaller version of trident used in fishing.
***

.WIDE TRIDENT.
A wide trident may have, in spite of its name, more than three
points. It is mainly used in fishing, because its width makes
it rather a clumsy weapon for fighting.
***

// upd: 29-Jun-2014
//
.CROSSBOW.CROSSBOWS.
A missile combat weapon which consists chiefly of a powerful shortbow mounted
horizontally on a wooden stock which has a trigger device to cock and release
an arrow. Compared to regular bows they are easier to shoot accurately even for the
unskilled as releasing an arrow by pulling the trigger is always quite 
steady. Unlike other bows they may also be carried loaded and ready to be 
fired instantly, but this advantage is offset by their longer time to reload.
Crossbows are mostly of foreign origin and rarely used by local cultures.
***

// upd: 29-Jun-2014
//
.HEAVY CROSSBOW.
A crossbow with a heavier bow strengthened by bone or metal. Heavy crossbows are
more powerful than any regular bow but their long reloading time rarely allows
a second shot if the target is approaching or escaping fast enough.
***

.JUNIPER BOW.
A simple bow made of juniper. The bow is usually about five feet
high.
***

.COMPOSITE BOW.
Any bow composed of several parts. A typical composite bow has
four pieces; back piece of hard wood, belly piece of soft wood,
and two points usually of bone or hard wood. The pieces are
glued together by glue made of fish skin. The bow is also
bound with straps of animal skin or birch-bark, which
prevents it from breaking apart so easily.
***

// updated 15.8.2018
//
.NORTHERN BOW.
A laminated recurve bow made of two different types of wood, and covered with birch bark to
protect it from the elements. The belly is made from special reaction wood of pine trees 
which gets developed when the tree grows aslant. The back and recurved ears are made of birch. 
The laminates are glued together with a glue made from perch skin. 
Different characteristics of the two wood types used gives the northern bow its outstanding 
performance and these bows are the finest and and fastest ones used among the peoples of the UnReal World.
%POP
info-norbow.jpg
***

.HUNTING BOW.
A composite bow usually made of birch, pine and bone,
and covered with animal skin.
***

.LONGBOW.
Any bow between four and six feet high, generally the same height as
the archer. The bow is carefully cut from the heartwood and bodywood
of a branch, and is in effect, a natural composite bow. The tips are
usually sheathed with horn and the string is generally made from hemp.
The longbow has amazing power and accuracy, but it takes years of
training to become proficient in its use.
***

.SHORTBOW.
Any bow less than four feet high. They are most common among tribesmen
and are made from bone, metal, or composite hardwoods, and are often
recurved.
***

.ANIMALS.
The most common animals of the UnReal World are descriped here:

 Big deer:
 ELK, REINDEER, FOREST REINDEER.

 Seals:
 RINGED SEAL, GREY SEAL.

 Big carnivores:
 LYNX, WOLF, BEAR, GLUTTON.

 Smaller carnivores:
 FOX, ARCTIC FOX, WEASEL, ERMINE, POLECAT, PINE-MARTEN.

 The rest:
 BOAR, HARE, SQUIRREL, BEAVER,  OTTER, BADGER

 See birds separately.

***

.BIRDS.
The most common birds of the UnReal World are descriped here:<br>
<br>
 Forest game birds:<br>
 BLACK GROUSE, WILLOW GROUSE, HAZEL GROUSE, CAPERCAILLIE<br>
<br>
 Aquatic birds:<br>
 KUIKKA, GOLDENEYE, SWAN, TUFTED DUCK, MALLARD<br>
<br>
 Birds of prey:<br>
 GOSHAWK, EAGLE OWL<br>
<br>
 The rest:<br>
 RAVEN<br>
<br>
***


// upd 10-Nov-2014
//
.GOSHAWK.GOSHAWKS.
Goshawks are strongly built hawks with short, wide wings and a long tail. They nest in older forests throughout UnReal World
and hunt other birds and small mammals, sometimes as large as hares.

Goshawks are migratory birds, leaving in late autumn and returning in spring.
***

// upd 14-Nov-2014
.EAGLE OWL.
The eagle owl is a very large owl. Their plumage is rusty brown with black markings, legs are covered with feathers,
and their claws and beaks are black. They have large heads with striking ear tufts and fiercely glowing orange-coloured eyes.

Eagle owls breed in scarce number in forests almost throughout UnReal World, except for the unforested mountainous areas
of the extreme north. Their deep, hollow and far-reaching mating calls can be heard during winter nights.

Eagle owls are birds of prey and hunt hares, small mammals and birds. They are active at night and very efficient hunters.
***

// upd 25-nov-2014
.GOLDENEYE.
Goldeneyes are common aquatic birds breeding around inland and marine waters throughout UnReal World
and thriving well in harsh conditions. They are stocky medium-sized diving ducks with large rounded heads
and a golden yellow colour irises as their name suggests.
<br>
Goldeneyes are migratory birds. They leave in autumn and are among the first migratory birds to return in early spring.
***

// upd 13-Nov-2014
.KUIKKA.
Kuikka is a rather large aquatic bird named after its' distinctive call. Their far-carrying and haunting "kwee-kow" call 
is typically heard in early summer by many kuikka inhabitated lakes. 

Kuikkas have dark backs with white markings. There's dark grey colouring on the head and the back of their thick neck. 
Their underparts are mainly white. Their sturdy and pointy beaks are dark and their irises are red. 

Kuikka breeds throughout Unreal World by wilderness lakes with clear water. It eats fish, typically perch and roach.
People commonly appreciate and respect kuikkas, but they are especially sacred for kuikka-tribe.

Kuikkas are migratory birds, leaving quite early in autumn and returning in spring. 
***

// upd 10-Nov-2014
//
.RAVEN.
Ravens are large, completely black birds with strongly built beaks. Ravens prefer extensive areas of forest
and exist throughout UnReal World in rather scarce number. They are sensitive and cautious, but also inquisitive.

Ravens are mainly scavengers feeding on carcasses of dead animals, but their diet may also vary widely and
ravens can be considered quite omnivorous.
***

// upd 12-Nov-2014
.BLACK GROUSE.
Black grouse is the most numerous forest game bird and widely hunted for meat. They are about the same size as domesticated hen. 

Black grouses can thrive in all kinds of forest habitat, but particularly in well-lit sparse woodland 
and near the margins of open areas such as mires and shores.

Black grouses nest in the ground. The nest is well concealed, often beneath a tree or bush or among dwarf shrubs,
and lined with spruce twigs and feathers. During their mating season in early spring cooing and tuneful babbling calls
of black grouses are often heard.
***

// upd 14-Nov-2014
.WILLOW GROUSE.
Willow grouse are medium-sized game birds. Of all the forest game birds willow grouses are the least numerous, 
but nevertheless found all around UnReal World and commonly hunted for meat. 

They nest on the ground in a dry spot by a tree trunk, beneath a small tree or bush on the edge of a marshy area.
The eggs are laid in early summer. 

Willow grouse can thrive in very diverse terrain, but primarily occupies sparse pine forests, mires and slopes of cliffs and fjells.
They are accustomed to cold, harsh and rugged environment, but favour having birch and alder trees around their territory.

The legs of willow grouse are covered with feathers, except for their grey-coloured claws. They have varying seasonal
plumages, with white wings in all of them. On cold nights they may dig burrows in the snow for shelter. 
***

// upd 10-Nov-2014
//
.HAZEL GROUSE.
Hazel grouses are the smallest forest game birds found in Unreal World, and the second most common game birds
after the black grouse. They have rounded bodies, small heads and thin black beaks. Their attractive plumage 
has brown, grey, white and black markings. 

Hazel grouses mate in early spring and nest on the ground, concealed beneath a tree, bush or branch. 

Their typical habitat is thick forest with both conifers and leaf trees. In thick forests hazel grouses can survive
better from goshawks. It is said that hazel grouses are more often heard than seen. Their high-pitched whistle
is often heard in the spring and autumn when the males announce their territories.
***

.ELK.
The elk is the biggest animal in The Unreal World. Its height is about
2 meters and length about 3 meters. A bull elk can be as heavy as 600 kg.
Only the bull elk have antlers. The fur is dark grey and brownish year-round.
An elk is a very rewarding kill for a hunter. Typically one gets about
180 kg of meat from an adult and about 80 kg of meat from a calf.
Elks are most active during the twilight time, around sunset sunrise.
Elks eat leaves, shoots, twigs and aspen bark.
%POP
cre-elk.jpg
***

.STAG.
A bull elk. This in-game term was in use until version 3.40 and was then removed. Now stags are called bull elks.
%POP
cre-bull_elk.jpg
***

.REINDEER.
The Northern People have domesticated reindeer for the sake of its milk
and as a draught animal. Reindeers roam free most of the year. The
Northern People gather their reindeers to herds only two or three times
a year. Reindeer gatherings are very important events, when the new
calves are marked, some are killed for meat and the number of reindeers
is counted. Counting is essential to find out how many animals are missing,
lost, dead or stolen. Stealing reindeer is considered a serious crime.
Incantations and magic is often used in order to protect one's reindeers
against beasts and thieves.
 For a physical description see FOREST REINDEER.
%POP
cre-reindeer.jpg
***

.FOREST REINDEER.
The forest reindeer is somewhat bigger than the reindeer. Its height
is about 100 cm, length 200 cm and weight about 100 kg. Both males
and females have antlers. The colour of the fur varies from snowhite
to almost black. Individual hairs in the fur are hollow and filled
with air which makes the fur extremely resistant to the coldness.
   In the summer reindeers dwell in the peaceful backwoods eating
grass and herbs. In the winter they travel to pine forests where they
seek lichen for their food. Commonly they sleep overnight on ice of a lake. 
%POP
cre-forest_reindeer.jpg
***

.BOAR.
The boar a is very uncommon species living in the south-eastern part
of The Unreal World. Boar's weight is about 125 kg. Males have small
but sharp fangs.
***

.RINGED SEAL.
Adult ringed seal's length is 100-170 cm and weight 50-130 kg. They
live in the sea, usually in small herds. Ringed seals are also
met in the biggest lakes of the Kiesse. 
***

.RINGED SEAL.
The ringed seal lives in the sea and can be found on coastal regions of the UnReal World. 
They are relatively small seals, weighing less than 100 kg and rarely greater than 1.5 m in length.
Ringed seals have distinctive patterning of dark spots surrounded by light grey rings.

Ringed seals are less common than the other seal, the grey seal, and they are more solitary animals too. 
They spend most of their days in the water but occasionally come to rest on rocky surfaces or ashore.

Seal-tribe, islanders and sartolaiset sometimes hunt the ringed seal in similar fashion they hunt 
the grey seal.

Ringed seal fur isn't very thick but still nicely warm. 
***

// upd 13-Nov-2014
.GREY SEAL.
The grey seal lives in the sea and can be found on coastal regions of the UnReal World. 
They are large seals, with males weighing up to 300 kg. 

Grey seals live together in colonies of varying size and feed on a wide variety of fish. They spend
most of their days in the water but do regularly come ashore to rest and pass time in carefully
chosen locations. During open water season they prefer to rest on rocky surfaces of the utmost skerries
and islets of the sea. In the winter they do live near the edge of the ice, spending the lazy hours on the ice. 

The grey seal is most the important prey animal for seal-tribe, but also islanders and sartolaiset hunt them.
Seals are most commonly and effectively hunted on the ice, relying on stealth or patience - and ango. Islanders
and seal-tribe who are familiar with the local seal colonies also hunt them during summer using a bow and
arrow to shoot them from the islets and skerries.

Seal furs aren't very thick but still nicely warm. Because of their rarity seal furs are more valuable than the furs
of most of the commonly sought after land animals.
***

.HARE.HARES.
The weight of the hare is typically about 3 kg but can be even 5 kg.
Hares live mainly in the forests all around the Unreal World. It is
actively seeking food in the twilight and in the night-time. In the
day time it sleeps in any simple natural shelter. The hare fur is
snowwhite in the winter and sandbrown in the summer. 
%POP
janis.jpg
***

.SQUIRREL.
The squirrel is very small, weight 300 g, length 20 cm. Squirrels
are very common, living mainly in fir forests. It is active
in the daytime. It is hunted for its fur, especially in the midwinter,
when the fur is gray.
%POP
cre-squirrel.jpg
***

.BEAVER.
The beaver's length is about 75 cm and weight about 10 kg. It
lives in small lakes and ponds. It is mainly hunted for its
brown fur.
***

.LYNX.
The length of the lynx varies from 70 to 120 cm and weight from
20 to 30 kg. The fur is reddish-gray in the summer and grayish-white in the
winter, always with black and brown dots and streaks.
The lynx dwells in areas with hills and jagged rocks. It is
active in the night and twilight-time, sometimes also in the
daytime. Lynxes eat almost everything from small rodents to
reindeers. Reindeers and hares are its most common prey. Its
hunting method is to sneak close to the prey and then to catch
it with one or two leaps before the prey animal gets alarmed.
It is not easy to see lynx because it can hear the hunter from
a long distance.
%POP
lynx.jpg
***

.WOLF.
The wolf is like a big, strong dog. Its length is typically
over one meter and weight about 50 kg. Wolves live and hunt
in packs, but a lone wolf can also be strong enough to kill an elk.
Usually wolves eat elks, reindeers and hares. Wolves are very fast
and sturdy runners. They avoid humans and it is not easy
to see them.
%POP
cre-wolf.jpg
***

.FOX.
The fox is much smaller than the wolf. Its length is 70 cm and
weight about 7 kg. The fur of the fox is often reddish brown.
The fox is active in the night and in the twilight. In the day
it sleeps in a small cave or in any other well protected natural
shelter. It eats almost anything; eggs, berries, small rodents,
hares, birds and carrion.
%POP
cre-fox.jpg
***

// upd 12-Nov-2014
.ARCTIC FOX.
The arctic fox is slightly smaller than the ordinary fox. The fur is graywhite in the winter and dark grayish brown
in the summer. Despite of the smaller size artic fox furs quite a bit more valuable than ordinary fox furs.

Arctic foxes are most common in the north, but can occasionally wander everywhere else in the unreal world too. 
In addition to wandering in coniferous forests and mires they can also thrive in rough terrain such as 
barren heaths, cliffs and fjells.

Whereas ordinary foxes are most active in the dusk and at night, artic foxes are active all day around. Artic foxes 
are also more curious and less intimidated by humans than ordinary foxes.
%POP
arctic_fox.jpg
***

.BEAR.
The bear is considered to be the most important creature living in
The Unreal World. Peoples take the bear as their ancestor, they
talk about The Great Bear, whose children they are. Therefore the
bear is not merely an animal, it is also a spiritual being linked
with The Otherworld and the primordial Beginning. Killing a bear is
a matter of great ceremony and rites.
   Physically a male bear's weight is usually about 200 kg, females
being slightly smaller. The fur is tufty and its color ranges from
blackish-brown to yellowish-brown. The bear is quite an agile animal,
it can easily swim and even climb trees. It also uses its forepaws
in hunting.
   Bears hibernate over the winter. People hunt hibernating bears,
altough it is really dangerous - a disturbed bear is extremely
angry and willing to kill all the intruders. 
%POP
cre-bear.jpg
***

.PINE-MARTEN.
The pine-marten's length is about 50 cm and weight about 1 kg. It is
very fast and able to climb trees. It is usually active in the night
and in the twilight. It is hunted for its fur.
***

.POLECAT.
The polecat's length is about 45 cm and weight about 1 kg. It is
active in the night. It is hunted for its fur.
***

.ERMINE.
The ermine is a small and fast animal. It's length is under 30 cm,
and weight under 500 g. In the winter its fur is snow-white or
yellowish-white. In the summer the fur is sand-brown. The tip of
the tail is always black. The ermine is hunted for its fur.
%POP
cre-ermine.jpg
***

.WEASEL.
The weasel looks like an small ermine. The main difference is
in the tail - the weasel's tail is shorter and never has black
color in its tip. The weasel is also hunted for its fur.
***

.GLUTTON.
The glutton's length is about 75 cm and weight about 20 kg. Its
fur is darkbrown. Gluttons keep far away from settlements. They
live alone, even males and females have their own hunting grounds.
Glutton hunts reindeers, hares, foxes, birds, frogs and mice.
It also eats eggs and carrion. 
%POP
cre-glutton.jpg
***

.OTTER.
The otter's length varies from 50 to 100 cm and weigth from
3 to 15 kg. Otters live near rivers and they eat mainly fish
but also frogs, birds and eggs.
***

.BADGER.
The length of the badger varies from 60 to 90 cm. In the summer
its weigth is usually about 20 kg. The badger hibernates through
the winter. Its fur is gray with black and white, wide streaks
in the head. Badgers have strong claws which are good for
digging. Badgers are active in the night. They eat almost
everything, like frogs, eggs, berries, insects and grain.
***




// added 27-Oct-2017, proofred 25-Mar-2017
//
.SACRIFICE.SACRIFICES.
Sacrifices are a way to thank, to worship or to reward the many otherworldly beings. They are most commonly practiced
to keep the nature spirits pleased. Sometimes a sacrifice can also be made in memory of the dead.<br>
<bt>
Every character knows how to perform a general sacrifice. When combined with detailed instructions of other known spells,
the general sacrifice becomes more specialized, offering to a named spirit for a specific purpose.<br>
<br>
The sacrifices to the spirits are usually taken to various points in the wilderness or the countryside, to trees and rocks for example.
It is most commonly meat or fish that is offered, but some sacrifices can be also cookings such as porridge or bread.
On rarer cases shards of silver valuables can also be offered, usually as a part of performing designated spells.<br>
<br>
A common example of a situation where a sacrifice is considered necessary is right after killing a significiant game animal, or getting a good catch of fish. 
The custom is to sacrifice a portion of the very catch to thank the spirits for what they have given you, thus ensuring your future luck with catching the said species.
<br>
There are numerous other occasions where a sacrifice can be worthwhile. It is advisable to pay attention to omens and signs you consider meaningful, as they might
give a hint if a sacrifice is needed. Also, as you'll learn more spells they sometimes comes with information on how and when to use them for a purposeful sacrifice.
***




.BLOOD-STANCHING INCANTATION.
This powerful incantation is used when you get a bleeding wound. The
blood-stanching incantation should immediately stop all your wounds
from bleeding.
***

.GREET THE SUPERNATURAL GUARDIAN.
If you feel like not too welcome to some region you may use this
ritual to greet the supernatural guardians and spirits to feel a bit
safer and more welcome.
***

// slightly updated Jan-23-2016
// 
.SKI STICK.
In addition to skis you also need a ski stick in order to be able to ski.
Apply or wield a ski stick to equip it for skiing.<br>
***

.SKIS.
Skis are essential for travelling longer distances at the winter.
It's very slow and fatiguing to walk in the deep snow without them.
You are not likely to chase down any animals at the winter without
skis.<br>
Apply skis from the inventory to wear them. You'll also need a ski stick in order to ski.
***

// added Oct-10-2019
//
.WITHE.SPRUCE WITHE.BIRCH WITHE.WITHES.
Withe is a tying and binding equipment made from flexible, slender saplings. 
Withes are commonly used for example in costruction of fences, but they are also general tying equipment
in many different handcrafts.
<br>
To make a withe, either spruce or birch sapling can be used. In case of spruce withe, the sapling
is pruned and cut in half which gives two withes at once. Birch withe is made by first peeling the sapling
and then twisting and swirling it gradually to make it nicely bendable.<br> 
Spruce withes often come out as sturdy bands, whereas birch withes have finer appearance.
***

.CORD.
Used to tie and bind things together. Cords may vary in lenght,
thickness and firmness.
***

.LEATHER ROPE.ROPE.
Used to tie and bind things together. Ropes may vary in lenght,
thickness and firmness.
***

.WOODEN STAKE.
Wooden stakes are made of slender tree trunks by pruning the trunk
and cutting it into stakes of proper length.
***

.SLENDER TRUNK.SLENDER TREE TRUNK.SLENDER TREE TRUNKS.
Slender tree trunks are trunks of young trees. Use your timbercraft
skill to fell down trees.
***

.LOG.LOGS.
Fell down a tree and cut the branches away, and you have a fresh log. Logs
are usually stored for couple of months so that they will dry a bit. Logs
are mainly used for building or burning. Best fire-wood comes from 
birch-trees. For building the best are fir and pine-trees, which are cut 
down in mid-winter. 
***

.HOUSE.BUILDINGS.
Buildings are made of wood, typically logs of pine-tree. The roof can be 
made of birch-bark, wooden boards or even from spruce-twigs. Basically there
are two kinds of buildings - those with fireplace and those without.
Buildings without fireplace will be freezing cold in the wintertime, and
serve as storehouses and sheds for animals. Buildings with fireplaces are
either saunas or houses for people to live in. Constructing a log-cabin
requires skilled use of proper axes. When raising a wall, the bottom side of
a log has to be carved so that it will perfectly fit the top side of the
earlier log - a proper carving axe is an essential tool here. Then the ends
of the log have to be so carved that they make a good and steady corner with
the logs on the other walls. Actually it is the corners which prevent the
building from collapsing. A well-made corner will hold the building in
upright position for hundreds of years. When the walls are all done, the
outer side of the walls are finished with a broad axe. Basically the
procedure is about cutting very thin chips away from the outer side of the
wall. A surface cut this way is weather-proof.
***

.VASTA.
Vasta is a kind of broom made out of leafy birch twigs and used during sauna bath
to gently beat oneself with in order to get the muscles relaxed, body massaged and skin cleansed.
Vasta can be made only when there are good sized leaves in birch trees. The best season for this
is during and after the midsummer when the leaves have matured to robust enough stage.
Vastas do wear up in use so during the summer a new vasta is usually made for each sauna session.
Using vasta is an essential part of taking a sauna bath.
***

.SAUNA.
Sauna is the place for giving birth, and it also is the place where the dead 
ones get their final wash before the burial ceremony. Sauna is place for 
washing up, relaxing and healing. Sauna is also used for smoking meat and
malts. The heart of the sauna is a big fire-place made of roundish stones.
To heat up the sauna man burns fire in the fireplace until some of the stones
begin to glow red-hot. Usually this takes four to six hours. After that man
has to wait until all the smoke goes out. Then people can come in and climb
up the benches of the sauna. Water is tossed on the hot stones to release soft, 
pleasant steam into the sauna. This can be done by applying a water container
you are carrying. People also use vasta during the sauna bath to gently beat 
themselves for relaxation and cleansing.<br>
      The temperature is from 120 to 60 degrees celcius. In the beginning the sauna
is the hottest, and cools down slowly. A sauna with good fireplace can last warm for twelve
hours. Occasionally it happens that a sauna is heated too much, or there might be
something wrong with the fire-place, and the sauna-building will
catch fire. In that case the building will burn down very fast and there is 
nothing to do, unless one manages to stop the fire right in the beginning.
For that reason saunas are usually built far enough from any other buildings,
so that a burning sauna won't spread the fire to the rest of the village.
***

// updated & proof-red 06-sep-2010
//
.KOTA.KOTAS.
A kota is similar to a large tent. All cultures know how to construct and use 
them, but they are most common among the northern people. The framework of a 
kota consists of several interlocking slender tree trunks. After that, they 
are covered by animal leather or fur to protect from rain and wind. The cover 
is then secured with more slender tree trunks. Reindeer leather is most common, 
but other large animals' pelt can also be used. In the cold of winter, a kota 
must be covered with fur to be warm enough to sleep in.

Kotas vary in size and are usually cone shaped. Larger kotas are used as 
dwellings, and can house a single person or even a family. Smaller ones can be 
used for a number of purposes, like storing goods or cooking. A fireplace is 
kept in the middle, with a hole in the center of the top of the kota for the 
smoke to escape. The back of the kota (opposite of the entrance) is considered 
sacred. 
***

.SLASH-AND-BURN CULTIVATION.BURN-BEATING.
To obtain some soil for his own agricultural purposes, man has to cut down
some forest. The easiest and most effective way is to burn all the trees
which are cut down. Yet it is heavy work, as all the tree-stumps have to be
taken up before burning. While burning man has to be careful not to let
the fire get loose. But after succesful burning man has turned an area of
forest into a soil for agriculture. Typically the freshly burnt area is used
to grow turnips for one or two years. After that the area is used to grow
broad beans or rye or barley. After those the area is still good enough for
linen to grow. But after that the area is pretty much exhausted, and is left
for animals to graze. By years the area will turn into a nice meadow, slowly
growing some willow, and later some birch, and after twenty or thirty years
the same area is ready to be burnt again. With that kind of a cycle a family
can every year burn down a new area near their home. But if the
slash-and-burn cultivation is very extensive, farmers will have to go farther
away from their homes to find enough suitable areas for burning. Eventually a
family might even pack their stuff and move deeper into the wilderness, build
a new house and have a fresh start every thirty years or so.
***

// Added in the self-sufficiency mod

.ROAD.
A simple gravel path to make it easier to find your way.
***

.WELL.
A simple well lined with stones to make it easier to gather water every day.
***