Valnir (Vahl-near)

Overview

The Valnir are those of the northern region beyond The Border Mountains. Finding their home in the icy tundras of Skalgræða, the Valnir are a hardy folk who have learned to live in the harsh winter land. While sometimes despised by their southern neighbors within the The River Kingdoms. However, they are still often welcomed at least as far as Dawnbreak within Zenithyr. Very seldom do they go further south save perhaps some brave adventurers seeking fame and fortune beyond their home.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

The Valnir have, for quite some time, diverged from the common language of 'Common' and instead have formed their own language for as long as they can remember. While Skalgr has some ties and roots within the Common tongue, it is so far divergent that knowing one will not get you anywhere with the other. Even the writing script has changed so drastically that those who speak Skalgr instead use a runic script to convey messages. However, the runic script is not often used in everyday life. instead it's primarily used to record important information, history, legends, and stories.

Shared customary codes and values

The Valnir are a simple people who worship their deities and live their lives as a community. Everyone contributes in some way to the clan and ensures that everyone is taken care of and provided for. Hunters gather meat, pelts, and other essentials from animals while those who work with the pelts turn them into blankets, armor, and clothing for the rest of the clan.
Aside from their sense of community, Valnir also tend to lead incredibly free lives. Not governed by the the sort of political ties that their southern neighbors do, they value personal freedoms and the ability to make chocies for themselves. This has, of course, led to most Valnir despising slavery in all forms, believing it to be an affront to the values they have lived by for as long as they've known. However, this has not stopped some clans from still raiding the coasts to the south and capturing prisoners and forcing them to work... Despite this, many do still go to Spækona for guidance regarding particularly impactful life decisions such as leaving their clan, or perhaps marrying another member. Whatever the case, the Valnir tend to turn to these individuals and the elderly whom have years of experience to help them decide what sort of life they wish to live.
This leads into the important facet of Valnir life that is religion. While not all Valnir are devout worshippers of The Tölyr, many are and sometimes beseech their deities for power or guidance. Perhaps they might turn to Heimdallr, The Eternal Watcher for protection or Fiskyr, The Shipwright to protect the fishermen of the clan. Whatever the case, the deities of The Tölyr are very important to the day-to-day life of most Valnir.

Common Dress code

Unlike their southern neighbors, the Valnir do not tend to wear silk and tend to shy away from full metal armors. Instead they prefer hides and furs, even wool. Their dresses are often made out of wool and their standard clothes a mix of hide and fur. Their warriors do sometimes use metal for extra protection but also tend to mix in several heavy furs to keep warm in the harsh tundras of the north. It should be said, just because the Valnir do not use standard cloths, silks, among other materials as heavily as those to the south might, they still spare no expense on the detail of the things used by their leaders and notable individuals. Be they runic inscriptions or otherwise.

Art & Architecture

The Valnir tend more towards wooden structures as resources and climate for making bricks are not readily available to them. Fortunately, their ability to work with wood and make it far less susceptible to fire and other disasters has improved greatly. Some of these techniques are borrowed from their shipbuilding, some even said to have been found by Fiskyr, The Shipwright himself.
Overall the only other oddity about Valnir architecture is that for their community buildings they favor large and open floorplans with rooms divided usually by wool curtains though sometimes using a door if greater privacy is desired. A great example is their Great Halls where a clan all comes together to feast and celebrate where there is a large room centered by a table and spots for cooking where the clan gathers. Usually there are side rooms and maybe even a cellar to store goods. However, entering from the outside will put you directly into the meeting hall.
Art within Valnir culture has a lot to do with their culture and religious practices. They do not tend to create portraits of their leaders or important figures within their life. Instead, they focus more on scenic art and a path that they might be taking in their faith such as being guided by a ghostly spirit wolf.

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

The Valnir have numerous celebrations that take place throughout the year that bring an individual clan or even several clans together to celebrate, some are far more important than others depending on the spiritualism of an individual clan but almost all of them are celebrated by all the Valnir in some form or another.
One of the more important coming of age traditions that the Valnir observe is Holfast which is an annual celebration of the Great Hunt on Seyla 16 of every year. The Great Hunt itself is a very special coming of age ceremony for the Valnir clans where many parents, or sometimes the clan's hunters if they parents are not able, take the younglings out to hunt deer and other beasts to bring back for the feast and taught how to provide for their families.
Perhaps one of the more personal and spiritual holidays for the Valnir is something known as The Volgstadt where the spirits of those departed to the Valnir afterlife may return for one evening on Necrolyr 7, to rejoin their family and grace them with their presence. For many, it is a time of mourning for those departed, and for others, a solemn celebration of the lives of their ancestors. Many families place offerings of food for those departed in the afterlife and ask for guidance in their lives while venerating and giving thanks to their ancestors.
One of the largest celebrations of the Valnir people is the Hildingrblót, a twenty day festival from Beylari 16 to Surma 4 in honor of Asger Baldersson, The First Jarl. In fact, many tend to travel to Asgerokarrheim to celebrate amongst the Jarl's own home and hear the best skalds reenact the mythical tale of how Asger found their home and settled their people. Not only is it an important festival for the people, however, as many clan leaders make the exodus as well to talk politics and alliances amongst themselves as well, making it a good time for celebration and politics.
There is a tradition perhaps not so seeped in joy and happiness as others, and that would be Snærharskrblót, held between Elimatra 9 to 18 of each year. Snærharskrblót, or the Festival of Bitter Snow, is an annual tradition, especially among the clans who live further north where they offer up a great sacrifice to prevent the Coming of Eternal Winter, said to be brought forth when 'Calder,' The Bitter Snow awakens from his slumber within Nahail'gar. Typically, clans offer up a sacrifice of the greatest beasts in their land as well as 10 gallons of Jotunale, a very strong mead that takes years to make and a large sum of gold or fine-crafted items left out in the arctic snow.
Knarresmed Blót -
Hjaldersigrjól -
Wyrdmót -