The people in the cold

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Generally, people are named like sounds, since the names have to be so short, they can be said even in the harshest cold. Men are often named like sounds of the ice, while women are often named after the sound of the fire. The names can seem similar, but since most parents chose to try and imitate a particular sound by themselves, there is always something distinct to each name.

Beauty Ideals

Beauty is only important while inside the ancestor home that is for all. And beauty is warm. The natives try to imitate the colors of fire by painting themselves and pad the clothes they are wearing with fur, so that they might seem to weight more, for flesh provides the warmth everyone desires the most.

Gender Ideals

Both men and women need to be great hunters. A women also needs to be a good mother, since it's not always clear who the father is. The men are expected to take care of children as well though, since children need the warmth of a whole village to prosper into adulthood.

Courtship Ideals

The men are usually the ones that bring gifts to their women of choice. Some even bring gifts to other men, for the cold can be long and lonely and people will not judge. The greatest gifts are brought by men from other villages however, since they don't want to have made the long journey only to sleep in the ancestor homes alone.

Relationship Ideals

When the cold comes at night and even taking a step out of the homes hurts, the natives seek warmth from whoever it's available. Those that only have one partner for a long period of time are seen as selfish by the younger ones and are pitied by the elders.

Average Technological Level

While they have not made it themselves, the artificial fires are the most important asset for the Krishzi. They also found ways to turn the digestive system of some animals into fires that last almost as long as fires made with wood.

Common Dress Code

The Krishzi are usually covered by a lot of fur and it's difficult to differentiate between them, when they are outside their homes. In the villages, the Krishzi recognize each other by the distinctions in the fur. If they are in an ancestor home, they take off most of their clothes, and often paint themselves with colors made from animals.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

You pray before going hunting, so that the storm Gods don't surprise you. You pray for flowers and you pray for those that give life. Births are the most worrying thing of all, for the Creator God may chose to only gift you with the cold. Any birth is celebrated by the whole village however, though not necessarily by the mother.
Another huge celebration happens when the flowers of the Gods grow.

Common Myths and Legends

There are the stories of the ancestors and the stories of the Gods. They are often interwoven and the ancestors can also be seen as lesser gods. They did not create the world, nor do they influence it anymore, but with all the mysterious things they created a long time ago, they are still worthy of praise.
In more detail, there are stories of how the Creator God Nushta had to slay his brother Nishta for his hubris and then covered the whole world in his remains that quickly grew cold and formed the ice. Since then, no man nor God can make mistakes like Nishta again, for the only resources remaining are those that can be found in animals.
There are also stories of how the God of the Sun Radatuk hung snowflakes made out of the cold reflection of his light into the sky. The twelve brightest give the Krishzis their cardinal points.
Another story is of the pixies, the ancestors caught and made into toys. It is said, that after a flower fest, they come alive again and can be seen dancing in the sky. If you catch one, they'll grant you a wish. Many children try to stay awake the whole night after a flower fest, just to see them dancing; few ever did and those that have claimed to have seen them, usually also wake up in the morning.