Nord Description

The Nords are the children of the sky, a race of tall and fair-haired humans from Skyrim who are known for their incredible resistance to cold and magical frost. They are fierce, strong and enthusiastic warriors, and many become renowned warriors, soldiers and mercenaries all over Tamriel. Eager to augment their martial skills beyond the traditional methods of Skyrim, they excel in all manner of warfare, and are known as a militant people by their neighbors. Nords were known for a time for their nautical prowess when they migrated from Atmora. There are two things most Nords love: music and mead. Most Nords wear animal skins or cotton clothing. They are generally tolerant of outsiders to Skyrim, though often do not make them feel welcome. In particular, Nords often still hold a bitter resentment towards elves. Nords tend to be superstitious, and their folklore reflects this. Any unexplained misfortune is often blamed on the Falmer, or Snow Elves, a race considered extinct.
Although Nords intermingled with other races over the years, it is primarily to Atmora, the northernmost known place on Nirn, that they trace their lineage. Legends say that Atmora was once very green and prosperous, until "the freezing" turned it into an inhospitable wasteland plagued by civil war, causing its people to migrate to Tamriel in waves throughout the Merethic and First eras. During this migration, the chieftain Ysgramor rallied people from all sides who desired to live in peace and set sail south, eventually arriving at Hsaarik Head, at the extreme northern tip of Skyrim's Broken Cape.
The Nords are considered to be a devout people with grim religious beliefs. Among other things, they have long believed that Alduin, the World-Eater, would eventually return and bring about the end of the world. As dark as their belief systems are viewed to be, all Nordic traditions extend one bright, shining hope for Nords: Sovngarde, the Hall of Valor, where Nords who have proven their mettle in battle or died valiantly are welcome to experience euphoric bliss and camaraderie, free from time and boredom.
Ysgramor and the Atmorans brought with them the worship of animal gods: the hawk, wolf, snake, moth, owl, whale, bear, fox, and most importantly the dragon. Over time, as Nord beliefs evolved, the traditional Nordic Pantheon of Divines emerged as personifications of natural forces and ideas. Many scholars believe that the Nordic Pantheon is the same as the orthodox pantheon, merely with different names (there are certainly many parallels), and many Nords who have adopted the Divines evidently have this understanding.
The isolated Nordic tribe in Solstheim, the Skaal, carry on a tradition very similar to the old tradition of animal worship. The Skaal venerate all of nature, believing that certain parts of their environment, such as the winds, the trees and the sun, were given to them by the All-Maker, a benevolent, unknowable creator deity. Wolves and bears are especially sacred to the small tribe. All aspects of nature must constantly be in harmony, for this is what gives the Skaal their shamanic powers. The Skaal also tell tales of the Adversary, the enemy of mankind, and his lieutenant, the Greedy Man. In this regard, the faith of the Skaal is nearly the opposite of the pantheon of their kin in Skyrim. Although the Skaal do not worship them, they also acknowledge the existence of the Daedric Princes.