Yuki-onna

The Yuki-onna are an ethnic group of humans who have historically lived mostly in the Far North. Due to their circumstances of living, many Yuki-onna have become adept at temperature-related magics.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Most Yuki-onna today speak Common, as a result of imperialistic forces. However, there has recently been a successful movement to preserve and maintain the Yuki-onna language, called Yukifuri.

Culture and cultural heritage

Historically, Yuki-onna were almost entirely nomadic. However, the rise of the Empire has obliterated most of this culture, and most Yuki-onna live in small settlements in the southern regions of the Far North.

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

In order to survive in the Far North, temperature regulation through meditation and magics had to be taught at an extremely early age for effective survival. Outsiders often saw this as teaching cryomancy, or ice and snow magics, and began to refer to the Yuki-onna as "Snow People" or "Ice People".
Following the teachings of these magics, individual Yuki-onna could passively gain complete resistance to cold, and be able to slow their heartrate and reduce their body temperature to the point where they could not be seen by monsters of the Far North who tracked prey using infrared vision.
This slowing of heartrate and lowering of temperature has significantly lengthened the lifespans of many Yuki-onna, whose elders have reportedly lived up to two centuries.

Common Myths and Legends

Traditionally, in the Yuki-onna religion, Tsurara-onna, it is said that the Yuki-onna were born from the Primeval Cow licking the icicles of the Far North.