Frost Elf

Frost Elf is a broad ethnic group term encompassing the cultures and nations of the Winter Quadrant of the Elven Realm. While these cultures are not monolithic, they do have similarities due to living in the same environment and adapting accordingly. Features shared amongst Frost Elves include brown skin of multiple tones, monolid eyes, and prominent cheekbones with round faces. These features are only common generalities, and do not definitively mark Frost Elves. Frost elves are most likely to manifest ice and water affiinities, as shared by their environment. While Frost Elves have a shared pantheon, certain deities have more influence in different cultures than others. There are four major regional groups of Frost Elves, comprising the largest portion of their population by shared cultures: Northern Frost Elves Northern Frost Elves are most well-known for herding elven reindeer across the northern plains of the Winter Quadrant. They tend to have stripes on their faces, distinctly moving from the corner of their eyes to the edge of their faces, with solid spots on the rest of their bodies. They tend toward lighter brown and tan skin tones, and tan fur with white undercoats and bobbed tails ending in dark caps. Most Northern Frost Elves have medium to light brown hair, though blonde is not uncommon.

Northern Frost Elves are inspired by the real world Sámi people inhabiting the Sápmi region, which includes lands in modern day Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. Their cat features are taken from the Eurasian Lynx. You can learn more about the Sámi here.

Western Frost Elves Western Frost Elves are known for both their prowess as hunters and their buildings of ice and snow. They inhabit the western coast of the Winter Quadrant above the Frozen Fjord. They tend to have spots with thick, dark outlines and lighter middles, with gray fur and white undercoats. Their tails are long and fluffy, with spots turning into stripes towards the ends. They tend toward medium to dark brown skin tones, with black and brown-black hair being the most common. Western Frost Elves are also an ethnic group term comprising of muliple cultures with similar values and practices.

Western Frost Elves are inspired by the real world Inuit-Yup'ik-Aluet peoples inhabiting the northern most regions of North American and Siberia. Their cat features are taken from Snow Leopards. You can learn more about the Inuit-Yup'ik-Aluet here, here, and here.

Southern Frost Elves Southern Frost Elves are known primarily as fisherman and breeders of magical canids and ursines. They inhabit the western and southern coast of the Winter Quadrant below the Frozen Fjord, with some spread along the southern coast of the Paw of the Cold Sea - a large inner body of water fed by the Frozen Fjord. They tend to have spots that are solid dots on their faces, but thick, dark-outlined spots on the rest of their bodies. They tend to have blonde fur with a white undercoat with long tails. They generally have tan to medium brown skin tones, with black to brown-black hair being most common.

Southern Frost Elves are inspired by the real world Nivkh people inhabiting parts of northeast Asia, including the northern Sakhalin Island and lower Amur River. Their cat feautres are taken from the Amur Leopard. You can learn more about the Nivkh here.

Eastern Frost Elves Eastern Frost Elves are known for their craftsmanship and deep spirituality. They inhabit the eastern coast and islands of the Paw of the Cold Sea, with some settlements along the rivers branching out from the Paw. They have stripes on their faces, notably thick stripes from their inner eyes up their foreheads, with some also having stripes that do not quite touch the outer corner of their eyes. While the vertical stripes are also seen on their necks and shoulders, the rest of their markins are solid spots. Their fur tends to be light brown with a white undercoat, with long tails featureing bands of spots along the length. They tend to have lighter tan skin tones and black hair.

Eastern Frost Elves are inpsired by the real world Ainu people inhabiting the modern day regions of Hakkaido and Tōhoku in Japan. Their cat features are taken from the Tsushima Leopard. You can learn more about the Ainu here.

Informational sites used are, whenever possible, those that appear to the author to be indigenous-led. Wikipedia is the default if such a site cannot be found to avoid resources compiled by governments formed through colonization. If there is an indigenous-led site on a group the author has missed or a better resource available, please comment below.

Culture

Common Dress code

Northern Frost Elves Northern Frost Elves are known to wear bright colors, notably greens, reds, and blues. Long tunics with curled toe boots are the most common forms of clothing. Collars and hems of Northern Frost Elf clothing tend to have patterned appliqué, which may also include hat bands, belts, and ankle cuffs on boots. This clothing is often made from reindeer leather, and fur is often included in colder months. The specific colors and patterns of Nothern Frost Elf clothing identify where an individual is from, which is a point of great importance for their people. Ponchos and coats lined with reindeer fur are also common in the coldest months of the year. Most Frost Elves do not habitually wear boots, but due to their nomadic lifestyle, Northern Frost Elves do to preserve their paws while walking long distances with the reindeer herds. Western Frost Elves Western Frost Elves are known to wear furs and leathers as well, though primarily of seals. Long tunics and dresses are also common, though one of the most striking features of Western Frost Elf clothing is their beadwork. Different cultural groups each have specific patterns and traditions when it comes to the often eloborate beadwork, which can be as identifying as Northern appliqué. Western Frost Elves have leather boots, which are primarily worn while fishing to repel the icy cold water of the sea. Southern Frost Elves Southern Frost Elves are known to wear three-buttoned robes fastened on the left side of the body. Shorter robes are accompanied by kilts, with longer robes extending down to the knee. Sleeves often have ornaments such as coins or beads sewn to them. Like Western Frost Elves, Southern Frost Elves have water-tight leather boots used when fishing. While they use seal leather, fur often comes from smaller shore animals or dogs. They have conical shaped hats often made from tree bark. Ursine fur is connected to their patron deity, and thus only worn by shamans - most often as long coats. Eastern Frost Elves Eastern Frost Elves also wear robes, though most often made from tree bark and extended down to the calves. These are often secured with a belt, and usually feature large geometric patterns across the entire garment. Square hats and broad headbands also feature these patterns. In the colder months, underclothing made from animal skins and furs are worn. Eastern Frost Elves are also known for growing long, healthy beards - with many other Frost Elves growing only moustaches or small beards either due to cultural practice or biology.

Foods & Cuisine

Northern Frost Elves have reindeer meat, fish, and berries as staples. The meat is often smoked or dried for preservation. Flatbread is a common addition, along with local produce when it can be found. Western Frost Elves have whale and seal meat as staples. Grasses, tubers, berries, and seaweed are often used as well, depending on availability. Meat is often consumed frozen or raw, and fish is fermented as preservation. Southern Frost Elves have fish as their main staple, with seal and small mammals as common additions. Berries, leeks, flower bulbs, and nuts are often foraged. Fish is often preserved through air freezing. Eastern Frost Elves hunt mid-sized to large mammilian predators as their main source of meat, complimented with fish. They grow millet for both food and alcohol production, and forage wild bulbs and nuts. Most food is prepared as a soup or stew, with extra meat preserved through smoking.

Encompassed species

Related Locations