Swampers

To some, the term ‘swamper’ might be a scathing insult, but they take to the name as a point of pride. Swampers are the hardy souls that find ways to make a living amid the inhospitable Gray Mire . To do so, they must be adept trackers, hunters, and scavengers whose survival instincts outweigh their sense of propriety. They strike outsiders as downright weird. Most seem oddly cheery in their insular, muck-covered villages, living lives of brutal practicality in one of the most deadly places in the Free Kingdoms.

Naming Traditions

Family names

Swampers are extremely insular, and only a few hundred families exist in the whole of the Gray Mire. However, they are enormous, and composed of several dozen individuals.

Otherwise, Swampers follow the same naming conventions as Heartlanders.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Swampers speak Common. Many learn Draconic, due to the presence of lizard-folk in the Mire .

Culture and cultural heritage

The true bounty of the swamp are frogs. Frogs make up a staple of their diet, and their iconography depicts many of their croaking-kind. Hunting them is a privilege, and the great frog-hunters of the Gray Mire are local celebrities, although it is a position exclusive to men.

Common Etiquette rules

Since so many scoff at the ways of the Swampers, and as such, they have a mistrust of outsiders, and a sneaking suspicion that anyone from out-of-town looks down on them. Expect Swampers to be defensive and insular.

Funerary and Memorial customs

Historically, Swampers inter folk in burial bogs, where they would be mummified naturally.

In recent years, it has become a custom to build above-ground tombs and graves. This process is very expensive, and only the wealthiest Swampers can afford it.

Ideals

Gender Ideals

Men are traditionally hunters, fishermen, and scavengers. The most prestigious among them are allowed to hunt frogs, which are considered very important to the culture of the Gray Mire.

Women, conversely stay home, raise children, and maintain social order in villages. Women are called upon to be spiritual leaders, mediators, and artisans. The female parallel to the frog-hunter is the Swamp-Wife, who serves as a village elder and herbalist.

Courtship Ideals

Swampers are encouraged to find partners and have children young.

Like many isolated, clannish cultures, marriages are generally arranged by elders, the Swamp-Wives. This is usually done for those who seem unable or unwilling to find partners.

Parent ethnicities