Barenskar

The Barenskar are a tribal group of humans native to the frozen lands of Vastiaria. They are a pragmatic people of hunter-gatherers, who endure in an otherwise inhospitable place, living even farther from the warmth than the Rostordians. With little growing, they live mostly off hunting and fishing, competing with native predators for ressources.
The Barenskari are a people shaped by their harsh enviroment and they do not flinch from the necesitty of blodshed. If the need is great, they will raid and pillage to survive, something that has brought in into conflict with Rostordia in the past.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Barenskarn: The Barenskari themselves refers to their tongue mostly just as "speaking," but outsiders have coined it Barenskarn to avoid confusion.

Shared customary codes and values

The major values of the Barenskari are cameraderie and survival. In the frozen wilds where they live, danger lurks around every corner. You must be able to trust that your mates will have your back. Even Barenskari villages seperated from each other will come to each others assistance. And if they cannot save a comrade, they will do their utmost to avenge them. Survival is also important. When it's a question of life and death, one cannot afford to be too soft. The Barenskari will prefer trade, but have no qualms stealing or raiding if it means survival. They also don't balk at the consumption of sentient creatures, knowing that creatures like dragons or pantheons would return the favour without hesitation.

Average technological level

Life in the frozen wastes has made major industry impossible for the Barenskar. However, they are a ressourceful people, well known for making hardy, effective tools, such as bows, spears and similar.

Common Etiquette rules

The Barenskari puts a lot of value on the meal. If one offers you a seat at their table, you should express great gratitude. The exception to this are children. There, it is considered parents duty to provide them a table to sit at. It is a great shame for ap arent not to be able to feed their kids.

Common Dress code

This, warm furs are the norm. Most hunters wear a part of their greatest kill as a lucky charm.

Art & Architecture

Barenskar architecture is practical, using wood, hides and stone to create warm havens. Their arc consists of intricate scrimshaw figurines, sometimes arranged in elaborate hanging displays to tell stories. Important events are sometimes carefully burns into massive skins or furs.

Coming of Age Rites

Hunting has a important place in everyday life for the Barenskari. The First Hunt is an important event for all members. This hunt is not expected to be necesarily succesful, but the prospective hunter must demonstrate willingness to work, to listen and to try, proving themselves and a member of their tribe. However, should they be successful, it is considered an omen of a promising future.

Funerary and Memorial customs

The Barenskari believe that the journey to the afterlife is as dangerous as the one they live in. Their dead a dressed in their best furs and given their trusted weapon, before a procession take them to the funeral grounds, usually a highland caverns or similar. Here, they are placed among the bodies and bones of their ancestors. It is believed that the dead who are buried together, travel together, helping them all reach the warm safety of the afterlife.
At times, circumstances meanst here is no body to bury. In that case, a scrimshaw figurine is made and engraved with symbols of protection, before it is left in the funeral grounds alongside gifts of fur and weaponry. It is believed it will help guide the soul back to their family and that the gifts will help compensate for the equipment that was lost with them.

Common Taboos

Kinslaying is considered sacriligeous and grounds banishment, with the offender being branded so that none may take them in by mistake.

Common Myths and Legends

The Barenskar tell tales of their first hunter, who came to these lands. They say that the hunters family was starving and the lack of food drove them to hunt further and further into the white wasteland. There, they came across a wild bear of terrifying size, its roar shattering the skies, it footsteps shaking the ground. The first hunter fought the bear for seven days and seven nights, before finally besting it. The bear revealed itself as a spirit of the wild. Having bested them, they blessed the first hunter and their family with hardiness and strength, allowing them to thrive in the frozen wastes. It is said that all Barenskar descend for this first hunter.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

The Barenskar value a rugged apperance, showing strength and endurance. Thick body hair is considered good signs of a healthy person.

Gender Ideals

In most matters, Barenskar are very unisex, though families usually have the father hunt and the mother stay home to protect the village.

Courtship Ideals

Offering the meat of a succesful hunt is considered a very romantic gesture. The more dangerous the prey was, the more serious the giver is considered to be.

Relationship Ideals

Due to the hostility of their enviroment, it is considered very important that partners share everything from joys to sorrows. A household must support each other through thick and thin, or they might endanger themselves and the tribe.