Kryros tundra societies

There are people that live in the west of the Twilight Zone, in a tundra characterized by strong winds, albeit far less intense than their eastern counterpart. This harsh environment is home to two distinct peoples, on the south side the Kontra, mostly conformed by Neanderthals are descendants of Ezou tribes while in the north side live the Adar, a dwarven tribe who have inhabited these lands even before the rise of Dheurag. Despite their clear differences when the northern Adar and southern Kotnra are compared, they intermingle both culturally, and in composition in the transitional zones. One major trait both cultures share is a domesticated breed of the warg,  denominated wargdog, used both as a hunting companion and to pull their sleds.
Both groups trade with visitors of the burrows, gifting them with their warm hospitality in exchange of valuable useful tools and resources. The Kontra often buy magical sources of light, given their lack of dark vision. 

Religion

The religious beliefs among those people diverge. The Kontra follow the spiritual traditions of their Ezou ,  forebears venerating the traditional gods of their ancestors while the Adar are animistic, offering veneration to the spirits of the land, the moon, the stars,  the animals, the plants and the seas.

Naming Traditions

Unisex names

The names of the peoples of the tundra are unisex. While the Kontra use similar names to those of the kryros burrow society the Adar have their very own peculiar system of names, where each name is a eight syllables noun composed by the names of their parents, tradition dictates they must keep a syllable of each of their grandparents, but the peculiar order can vary and often is rearranged to give different names to each sibling. Examples of Adar names: Melomelo, Palidose, Medulastis, Mekadopia, Ferusine, Jarminepra, Misikayu, Yulodrafre, Lodrafroga, Jartomiyu, Aferegon, Palidopra, Keterete, Konkanoma, Mikadokon, Lomikaru o Noteyume.

Culture

Shared customary codes and values

Being a hard region with frigid winds and darkness, hospitality is considered paramount. Both being a bad host or a bad guest is frowned upon and can obstrasize entire tribes.

Average technological level

They have their technology much less advanced than the burrow society. Their most common tools are harpoons, knives, sleds, shovels, hide clothing, nets, and notably for the Adar very stable small ships prepared to withstand tempestuous waters called Fremoyu. While they craft snow goggles made of bone with narrow slits they prefer to use the glass versions produced in the burrows.
Some remarkable tools they made are armors made of wyvern scales or giant crab chitin and blades and spears made of the later pincers.

Common Dress code

Given the cold climate, inhabitants use thick hide clothing to shield themselves from the frigid winds of the area.

Art & Architecture

They inhabit huts constructed of mud or ice, often combining both and, if possible, adding wood to the structure.  They locate themselves at a prudential distance from the coast to avoid the consequences of sea storms but close enough to have access to fishing areas when the water is calmer. They build snow walls around their settlements to protect themselves from the wind.

Foods & Cuisine

Given their location, they predominantly rely on fish being the most popular ones catfish, sturgeons, and salmons. However, both cultures differ in their fishing methods, while the Adar venture into the sea with nets the Kontra prefer the use of harpoons and usually they dive into the waters, thus Kontra more often than Adar incorporate more seaweed, clams, crabs, and lobsters into their diets. Both complement the fish with the meat of bears, reindeer, seals, and other animals they can hunt as well as foraged items from close taigas, often in the form of berries and roots.
To diversify their diet they often trade their food with visitors from the burrows who also enjoy the opportunity to taste things they don't have available underground.

Funerary and Memorial customs

The Adar hold solemn burial ceremonies for their deceased, while the Azou opt for cremation, dispersing the ashes into the sea afterwards.

Ideals

Courtship Ideals

Although both societies follow matrilineal structures, they diverge in their specific family models. The Kontra maintain a loose familial structure with communal care for children. On the other hand, the Adar live in an extended family structure, with married couples residing alongside the extended family of the wife (in non-heterosexual couples they just negotiate with which family they reside).

Estimated population: 8.000 (About 60% Kontra, 40% Adar)

Encompassed species

• Kryros Dwarves
• Kryros Neanderthals

Related Organizations

• Black Fish Cult

Related Locations

• Kryros
• Twilight Zone