Fjellstrand People
My Arling may not seem to offer much, but we stay out of the way of the larger Easterner politics, pay tithes, and the mountain passes are kept clear.
Language
Dialect
Easterner - This is a term used by the people of Atemkyst and @Fjellstrand to describe everyone who is from the eastern side of the World Spine Mountains.
Traditions
Garments
Most Fjellstrand wear garments suited for mountain-life - layers of cloth garments, weather treated leather for over garments in snow and rain.
Local Law
Etiquette
Traditions
Coming of Age
Upon reaching the Thydian age of majority (about 16), the young adult is sent out of their hometown and told to survive for a year without returning in the meantime. Those who return are sent out after another year.
Wherever you go, you need to know how to survive.
Death and Memorial
Most of the dead are buried under stone piles used as way markers along the mountain passes and trails. If one marker falls into disrepair, the body is exhumed, cremated, and the ashes spread along the site of the marker where someone else will be buried. The names of the stone-buried are carved into the burial stones, leading to the oldest and most repaired markers to be towering structures of layered stones.
Food
Shepherding is a major industry in Fjellstrand, and the lower elevation towns tend towards logging and hunting as their own industries. In certain times of year, deer have been a more prominent feature, while older sheep are smoked and preserved into jerky.
Cities and Architecture
Most of the towns are built of interlocking logs, stone, and clay. Entire families live in the same building, leading to multi-generation homes.
Their burial traditions are really interesting, I'm looking forward to seeing this article grow!
I'm glad you also liked the burial tradition - I'd had this idea in my head of "the dead guide us across the mountains" and was like "That's pretty neat" so had a place to put that kind of tradition into.