Valtarans

The Valtarans have a single export to the rest of Fortis: mercenaries. It's said that a single Valtaran fighter is equivalent to twenty trained men on the battlefield. They are barbaric, cruel, and efficient, the most highly prized warriors in the world. For reasons that are still not entirely understood, originating from a land with no more than a few sigils makes them highly resistant to magic of all kinds. Additionally, they refuse to wear enchanted armor, although they will wield magical weapons when employed as mercenaries. Many more civilized folk snicker at Valtarus, saying that they are dumb barbarians with no comprehension of the forces of magic. However, one will observe that these deprecating remarks are never made within earshot of a Valtaran. It is true, however, that there are no great edifices in their region, no fertile fields or lush gardens. Simply low, squat buildings and farms with half-barren fields and animals kept in squallor. Not surprisingly, the primary imports to Valtarus are armor, weapons, riding gear, and the occasional case of sour barghumberry wine, which is considered a great delicacy in that region.

Culture

Culture and cultural heritage

The culture of Valtarus prides itself on living without the support of protective magic. Only the largest village halls are permitted any sort of protection sigils, and those are highly regulated to ensure that they are not used for comfort, but solely for the purposes or survival in case of a catastrophe.

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

Valtarans are a brutish people, quick to settle any disagreement with the use of intimidation or outright violence. Children are starved and beaten to ensure their survival as adults, and many perish before adolescence. Due to the incredibly high rate of death among children, they are not considered part of the community until their naming ceremony. Every midsummer, all the villages of a region come together and the parents of children that have survived their first fourteen years of life are honored with a feast and given the opportunity to name their child. Once given a name, the child goes on to a two year apprenticeship with a master tradesperson in another village, where they are given an education in exchange for their labor. If the apprenticeship is completed successfully, the individual returns to the community of their birth as an adult. If the apprenticeship is not completed, or if their master is not satisfied with their performance or level of skill, they are put to death. In order to escape this fate, many of these young people flee into the nearby mountains where they are presumably killed by wild animals or the forces of nature.

Common Myths and Legends

It is said that some of the runaway apprenctices survive, that they are wilder than the mountains themselves and crueler than the vicious slakmars that live among those craggy peaks. However, these stories are often disbelieved as no living person has ever had an encounter with one of the Lost Valtarans. Some say that they are vengeful spirits, or that the Lost have made a pact with demons. Still others claim that, if any survive even briefly, they live as bandits until the mountains claim them.