Northerners

The Northers are Men whom make their homes along the Parthanax foothills in the very north portion of the Kinship. They are a close knit group of men whom do not suffer strangers much and fools nothing.

## Physical Character

**Build**: Strong and stocky, often with defined and rugged musculature.

**Coloring**: Universally fair, with blonde hair and blue or green eyes.

**Endurance**: Rugged. They are capable of travelling for 24 hours before needing rest.

**Height:** Men average 6'3" and weight 260 pounds. Women average six feet tall and weigh 180 pounds**.**

**Lifespan**: Typical for humans. They live into their seventies.

**Resistance**: Notable. They are a hearty and healthy folk capable of resisting or recovering quickly from most diseases.

**Special Abilities**: The Northmen have a very special affinity with horses. To them, their steeds and mounts are not pets; they are family. A rider and his horse is an unbreakable bond. They can approach and tame wild horses with little difficulty.

## Culture

**Lifestyle**: The Northmen live in long wooden huts in family groups of 7-12. Solitary dwellers are almost unheard of. Their daily lifestyler consists of men going off to hunt or working the forges while women tend to the household chores. They keep large comfortable pens for their horses and guard these pens religiously. They have tamed and domesticated the local grey wolf, which act as pets, companions, and guards.
Women are not considered lessers or second class. Women have the exact same rights, skills, and priveledges that men enjoy; it is common to see a Northman, his wife, and their children rushing into battle together.

**Clothing and Decoration**: Utilitarian and stark, with little thought given to fashion or accessories. Leather trousers, deerrskin fur-lined boots, and heavy fur-lined tunics consist of daily wear. Females are fond of wearing their hair in long and intricate braids often decorated with feathers or flowers.

**Fears and Inabilities**: More than all Men, the Northmen fear death. Their vision of the afterlife is one of eternal toil and tribulation and none of them look forward to it. However, this does not mean they are cowardly. On the contrary, they are extremely fierce fighters whom will charge into battle with battle shouts, death or no.
Funeral ceremonies are short. The deceased is buried, a few prayers are said over the grave, and the family members go off to tend to their daily tasks. The Northmen do not grieve the dead, though the do miss them very deeply.

**Marriage Pattern**: Monogamous and for life. The line is traced through the male. Proposals and marriage ceremonies are very minimalist. The man simply asks the women he wants if she will have him. If she says yes, the local Missionary, doctor, or elder will perform a hand binding ceremony, wherein the man promises to provide and protect and the woman promises to give him strong children. Once the vows are exchanged the ceremony ends, and the two are now wed.

**Religion**: The Northmen are surprisingly devout and religion makes up a large part of the life. Northmen families tend to worship the One, Dari Alur, or K'Tith. Religious holidays and mandates such as meatless days or days of fasting are adhered to unfailingly. Prayers are  often short, direct, and to te point; the Northmen believe the gods don't have the time to sit around and listen to long-windedness before the worshipper gets to the point. For example, a Northman going into battle may pray with "Lord K'Tith, let my hammer strike true", and that is sufficient.

## Other Factors

**Demeanor**: Northmen tend to be quiet, attentive, direct, and recalcitrant. They seem so aloof that they are often mistaken as being cold or intolerant when neither are true, they're just a people that keep everything close to the chest. However, when they let their hair down and party they party hard. They consume vast amounts of alcohols which opens them up and allows them to brag, needle, laugh, or sing boisterously.

**Languages**: Among themselves, the Northmen speak a dialect called Libmut. It is a very gutteral, deep-intoned language. Everything is oral, they neither write or keep documented records of any kind; history and education are passed along by mouth. Most Northmen also learn Dunnish for trading and bartering, and some of them also choose to learn another language as well.

**Relations with Others:**: Above everything else the Northmen hate orcs and show them no mercy. When orcs are spotted a dozen Northmen will mount up and hunt them down to decimate them. They dislike Dunlanders and despise Easterlings, but have fairly good relations with all other species. They adore the Udun.

**Other Names**: In addition to being known as Northmen, they are also called the snow people, children of the bear, and the fierce.

**Restrictions on Callings**: Northmen tend to only produce the Disciplined. Northmen called to be the Wise are uncommon but do occur. They produce no evil or Untouchable callings.

**Common Vocations**: Most Northmen follow the vocations iof Animal Handler (horses), Smiths, Craftsmen, or Lumberjacks.

**Other Skills and Talents**: Northmen men and women are exceptionally good at intimidating a foe in battle. By baring his musculature, releasing a blood curdling yell, and brandishing his weapon at an enemy the Northman may automatically gain initiative, as his foe does a quick backstep and reconsiders gettin into a fight.