demographics of Midgard

Midgard has an estimate population of about 2 million mortals, which is about 1 in 15 mortals. This doesn't include the mortals living within the wild of Midgard, this only includes the cities, villages and farmlands. About half of the population in Midgard is Human. Most of (about half) the other races leaving their home end up in Midgard as it is friendly and open to all races.

Races

Total living: 2.000.000 ( = 6.66% of total Heimr population)

• Human: 50% of the Midgardian population (1.000.000 = 50% of all humans)
• Gnome: 20% (400.000 = 20%)
• Halfling: 20% (400.000 = 20%) Other races: 10% (200.000 = 1.5%)
• Elf: 2% (40.000 = 2%)
• Tellurians?: 2% (40.000 = 2%)
• Fae: 1.25% (25.000 = 1.25%)
• Slemmering: 1.25% (25.000 = 1.25%)
• Troll: 1% (20.000 = 1%)
• Orc: 0.8% (16.000 = 0.8%)
• Ogre: 0.55% (11.000 = 0.55%)
• Feyfolk: 0.45% (9.000 = 0.45%)
• Nymph: 0.4% (8.000 = 0.4%)
• Shanata: 0.2% (4.000 = 0.2%)
• Lizardman: 0.08% (1.600 = 0.08%)
• Merfolk: 0.02% (400 = 0.02%)

Religion

Religion is freedom within Midgard. No religion is banned (although some practices of some religions are against the law and will be punished for). However no religion is enforced or funded either. This makes churches temples and shrines of the good aligned versions of the gods less frequent than in the other two kingdoms but way more frequent than with the wild races. It also makes sure that churches, temples and shrines of the evil aligned versions of the gods are more widespread than in the other kingdoms as well, or at least, more common knowledge. Being evil is not at all illegal in Midgard and many evil gods are worshiped by cults openly. As long as not all members are arrested for wholesome slaughter of babies and the like there is nothing wrong with the cult itself. Of course because evil people are generally mistrusted, members do maintain more secrecy, privacy and anonymously, than one would expect from just reading the law to the letter. Atheism and godlessness is not a crime in Midgard but in a world where clerics perform miracles on a daily basis and openly for all to see, atheism and godlessness is not wide spread at all. Only about 4 thousand openly atheist or godlessness people exist in Midgard. However only about half of the population of Midgard frequently visits the churches because virtually no funding for sermons exists. The most wide spread religion within Midgard is that of Talor. Ganinisum being close second because of it's emphasis on enjoyment and Ranimsul as a close third, worshiped devotedly by most halfling.

Magic

The practice of Magic is not motivated in children in Midgard as it is in Asgard nor is it illegal is in Utgard. There are a few magic schools in Midgard, especially in the northern regions where the magical influence from Asgard is strong. Ul-Targash held the main mage guild in Midgard until the plague incident, now that New Ul-Targash is build way more to the south the mage guild has decided to relocate to Predator haven. Because of the low concentration of exposure to magic in early childhood little Midgardians develop a sense and talent for magic (around 20%) and even less have the ability, intelligence, concentration, funds or passion needed to learn the arts of manipulating the elemental forces (around 1%).

Size and Population spread

The size of Midgard (although never accurately counted, and constantly shifting) is about 200,000 square miles and includes the area's regarded as "Wild Midgard" (The centres of larger lakes, most of the mountains, the underground tunnels and caves and the three wild forests). None of Wild Midgard is considered arable land by Midgardians and even parts of non-wild Midgard are considered unable to convert into crop-lands because of soil conditions or vegetation. In conclusion, about half of the land is arable (About 100,000 square miles). Because Midgardian agriculture is slightly augmented by magic, about 200 people can be supported by a square mile of cultivated land. Because of this, Midgard could in theory support ten times it's current population.

The reason why Midgard is so sparsely populated (10/p.Sq.mil.) is because of all the dangers in Heimr, it is almost impossible to cultivate land without it being controlled from a walled town to ward off demonic attacks, raids and sieges (almost all towns in Midgard have wooden palisades, sometimes including a stone base). Single family farms are relatively rare and most peasants leave their walled town and walk to their farm every morning instead of living on their farmland itself.

About 10% of Midgard lives in one of the twelve cities with an average population of 16.000 ranging from 10.000 to 25.000, the rest ends up in one of the three hundred and forty towns and villages dotted across the land with an average population of 5.000 ranging from 20 to 10.000 or live with families on single farms. About a hundred thousand fall in the last category.

The area that these cities, towns villages and farms occupy is about 10,000 square miles. Almost all of this is farmland.