Ilagiit People of the Frozen Wastes

The Ilagiit People of the Frozen Wastes are a hardy folk that survive in one of the harshest, most unforgiving landscape found on the continent. They are nomadic, never remaining in one area for longer than a month, following the herds of massive herbivores in order to survive. They know the snow-covered land better than anyone and can find landmarks even in white-out conditions.
There is an unspoken hospitality rule that all Ilagiit follow. All are welcome around the fire, regardless of personal feelings. Refusing someone safety around the fire and under the shelter of their homes is seen as unforgivable, even amongst warring tribes. Differences are to be set aside at the hearth; the cold kills all equally and preventable deaths are the gravest insult to their ancestors. Explorers are not exceptions to this rule and are often saved by the Ilagiit because they chose a poor spot to set up camp. A wise explorer will seek out an Ilagiit guide; a foolish one will need to be saved.
While hospitable, Ilagiit hosts do not forget slights against them, their family, or their tribe. Some grudges can span generations before they are resolved completely. Some have only ended because the two families have wiped each other out. Gifts of meat and fur can be used to help soothe small offences while gifts of service are necessary to alleviate major offences. A major offence would be insulting a tribe, implying that the father is a poor hunter, or that the mother cannot manage her children. A minor offence is often a conflict of customs; eating with three fingers instead of four, complimenting the mother before the father, or hanging sodden clothing over the fire before attempting to wring them out. Ilagiit are more forgiving of missteps by outsiders to a certain degree.
One custom that outsiders should know before approaching an Igaliit tribe is the "wife sharing" custom. There is a great deal of ceremony and honor behind this custom and is where most outsiders blunder and find themselves unwelcome at all firesides, fed the worst portions of meat, and heavily encouraged to leave before dawn. The custom of wife sharing is tied into the limited interactions that tribes will have with one another during the long, cold months of the year. Most tribes do not have more than thirty members at a time and have unique genetic composition as a result. In order to avoid inbreeding, a visitor from another tribe will be offered to share the bed of a young woman with the hopes of adding new bloodlines into the tribe. Only the young woman may make this offer and it is greatly frowned upon for any senior member of the tribe to pressure her. Matriarchs are protective of their girls and will void an offering if they find the man disrespectful, too ill, or suspected to be abusive. Outsiders are advised to wait to be approached about the custom before discussing anything pertaining to "wife sharing".
Raw meat and fish are common meals. While cooking the food is also done, it is time-consuming and impractical while on the move. Igaliit hunters are quick, efficient, and incredibly adept at gutting, cleaning, and preparing the meat of the animals they have caught. They are very forgiving about outsiders balking at certain foods, but still urge them to eat so that they don't starve to death. One exploration team spoke at lengths about the eagerness of children to eat the seal eyeballs when the massive sea mammals were caught along the coasts. Others have discussed the texture of the food, saying that it was strange, but not unpalatable and encouraged those receiving the hospitality of a hunter should at least nibble the food being served before resorting to their own rations.