Winterlander Culture

A Winterlander camp.

**Winterlander** is the primary culture and ethnic group of the Empire of the Winterlands. For simplicity’s sake, the various cultures present in the Winterlands are combined and boiled down here.

## Appearance

Winterlanders are typically very pale, with light hair and eyes. Most Winterlanders are fairly lean due to their climate being mostly uninhabitable for crops. Height varies drastically with location, with some being as tall as six feet, though some being around slightly more than four. As a general rule, those in the South are often shorter than those in the North.

The Winterlands is mostly a frigid wasteland with the majority of the lands being below freezing constantly. To match these bitter conditions, Winterlander clothing is usually made of thick pelts, wools, and leathers. Lighter blues are common within the nobility, though dyes are often difficult to come by throughout the lands. As such, it’s more common to see natural colors like grays, blacks, whites, browns, etc.

## Arts and Literature

Due to the nature of the Winterlands dominant religion, Bosothy, the northern Winterlands is very literate, even amongst the peasantry. Due to this, books of all kinds have been written and much of Bosothy’s religious lore has been documented. The Library of Turmstadt contains an enormous amount of books, enough to rival that of Marjou Harbor before the Latoran Civil War. However, much of the other arts are often neglected, such as music and painting.

## Cuisine

The vast majority of a Winterlander’s diet consists of tubers as it’s one of the only crops that can survive in the harsh climate. Meat is also another primary source of sustenance, usually through domesticated oxen or hunting. Fruits and vegetables are very hard to come by anywhere in the Winterlands, but even more so in the North.

Alcohol is usually distilled from tubers and occasionally imported grains. Wines are practically unheard of in the Winterlands, having to be imported from the Hales or Latora for exorbitant prices. Nobles commonly drink gin whereas peasants drink liquors distilled from potatoes. Smoking is a very uncommon habit in the Winterlands due to its cost.

## Leisure

Leisure most commonly takes the form of dice games such as passe-dix. Hunting is also another common pastime, though it’s usually only partaken in by the nobility. Gambling is common, though not something that most Winterlanders approve of.

## Religion

Religion in the Winterlands is divided between Bosothists and Hedatists. The majority of Winterlanders are Bosothist, as the majority of Winterlanders live in the North or Valendoria. Hedatism is mostly locked to the southernmost portions of the Winterlands. This is a major point of contention in the Empire, as Bosothy preaches isolationism and faith to its sole deity; adopting Hedatism serves to do the opposite of both.

## Common Characteristics

The WInterlanders are very diverse and hard to condense into a few simple adjectives, though their isolationism is one of the key characteristics of the Winterlands. Many Winterlanders are also considered competitive, though this is obviously not true for all of them. Winterlanders are often characterized by their enemies as being unrefined and spiteful.

## Relations

**Hallengardians**: The Winterlanders view Hallengard in a slightly decent light, due to their common geography and history as Empires. However, little else is known about Hallengard by the people of the Winterlands.

**Aedwinians**: Aedwin is barely known by any Winterlanders. Therefore, Winterlanders have little interest in the nation and even less to say about it.

**Lauch**: The average Winterlander opinion of the Lauch is that they’re merchants looking to make money, but little else. Their fruits and wines are highly valued, but Winterlanders don’t particularly care for the people.