Eilanders

"Eilanders? Bah! Sometimes I daresay they're worse than them snooty Kemnin. You ask an Eilander a question, they'll give you a grunt and a curse in return. I think they recken thesselves the strong and silent type, but it's really jus' annoying. They can fish like no one else, though, an' the missus does love herself some good southern seafood."
--"Keshi", human blacksmith from Lycanfaust

Noble Fishermen

Eilanders are an ethnicity of human inhabiting much of the southern coast and the Crown. These lands are where the humans were first allowed by the Elder Races to settle, before the Ashen War. They were called by the first humans Eiland, meaning Sanctuary in the old human language. Modern Eilanders still live in these old lands, carrying out a tradition of fishing passed down through a dozen generations.
Eilanders also claim to be pureblooded descendants of an ancient noble clan of humans, from before humanity arrived on Ravengrin. There is little true support for these claims, but regardless of their validity, Eilanders are at the very least a visually and culturally distinct ethnicity.

Visual Distinctions

Eilanders are marked by strikingly pale skin. Hair colors are often some color to contrast with their skin, usually vibrant hues of red or orange, although more mundane shades of brown and sometimes black are not uncommon. Eye color is generally some shade of green or blue, ranging from a greenish hazel to light, sky blue.
Eilanders are generally of average build, but slightly shorter, rarely reaching above 6 feet. Despite their common professions, they tend to be leaner rather than bulky, but nearly every Eilander possesses a certain level of wiry strength.
Additionally, Eilanders often tattoo themselves with markings of family, stories regarding the individual themselves, and sometimes old human runes and glyphs. These tattoos are significant to many Eilanders, representing maturity, memory, and emotion.

Culture

Eilander culture is made up of dozens, maybe hundreds of isolated groupings of settlements and villages. These communities are for the most part left to their own devices, but there is an untold structure of government, where all Eilanders are expected to put aside their own differences for the betterment of their culture. There is no one individual that Eilanders associate as being a leader, instead there is an association of the more significant village leaders.
The larger cities of the south - Featherknell, Bleeding Eye - are not of Eilander founding, and often viewed with a certain level of xenophobia, though not outright hostily. The exception to this is Sturmbeak, an ancient Eilander stronghold, which they claim was the first fortress built by humans on Ravengrin.

Aquatic Export

To many, Eilanders only have one cultural feature of note: their seafood. Boats are not common in Ravengrin, but Eilanders make extensive use of canoes, skiffs, and even junks. They are known to catch all manner of exotic fish, eels, and other aquatic creatures. They are also known to be talented pearl divers, although such exports have become increasingly devalued in recent years.

Eilanders have had generations to hone their craft, as well as to map the waters of Ravengrin's southern coast. Along with mundane fishing methods, such as with polls, nets, and boats, Eilanders have developed many of their own techniques, which are taught to young Eilanders with alacrity and guarded with zeal.
Eilanders sell these seafoods to merchants, which distribute them north, usually via barge during the winter. "Southern Seafood" as it is called in the north, is highly valued by nobles, and is considered a delicacy.