Islemen

A small population of mostly-Tensys individuals, the Islemen occupy the small collection of four islands in the cold northern waters above Nalys.
While the Islemen simply call their homes, "The Isles", they are known by many names across Syshir. Collectively, they are known as The Speak Isles in Enthar or Toryskel in Tinobi, the three of the four islands are typically undifferentiated by most cultures. The exception is Xue, the largest of the four islands, which is commonly called such due to the myth of Xue's Song.
This myth is accepted among most Islemen. Xue is considered sacred territory, and the Islemen refrain from hunting while standing on Xue’s soil. The other three islands are fair game, however, and given the Islemen’s skill with water-travel, those who live on Xue do not find the need to travel for hunting too inconvenient.
The Isles are cold and lightly populated, by both people and animals, given the small landmasses and temperatures that make it difficult for plants to survive the harsh winters. During those times, the Islemen rarely leave their cave-like homes, instead subsisting on whatever they had managed to hunt, cure and store from the more pleasant seasons.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Kiaq, Maruq, Naaluk, Uki

Masculine names

Kullik, Miqom, Soluhk, Timoq

Family names

The Islemen don't have family names, although they are typically referred to by their profession and given names.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Most Islemen are short, thanks to their Tensys roots, and thickly built, thanks to their need to sustain themselves for long months without fresh food. In recent years, there has been a cultural shift in attraction. As more foreigners brave the oceans and weather to visit The Isles, Islemen females have started to value any appearances vastly different from their own. Tall men, thin men, and clean-shaven men, are among those that have caught the eye of most Isle women.

Parent ethnicities

• Tensys