Aesvir Giants

"The swordsman's red hair was knotted behind him in an intricate braid down to his back. His tan skinned forearms glistened from the melting snow flakes, as he gripped his sword. His jaw was set as tightly as his fingers were around his blade. I dared not to move until I saw him advance toward me, in the hopes of predicting his movement. He took two steps, and before I knew it, he'd pivoted to my right and knocked my blade from my hand. Using my shield I tried my best to hold back his swings."

Northern Survivalists

The Aesvir peoples are rugged survivalists, with many of the tribes residing in the mountains between the current countries of New Thridea and Fjallinston, their lifestyles have adapted to the higher and harsher climates of the north. Sparse vegetation, freezing temperatures, and inhospitable rock formations have taught these brawny tribals the skills of ingenuity and resourceful approaches.
Though not outright war-like like the Goblin tribes they are contested by, the warriors of the Aesvir have fought against their neighbors on more than several occasions, either due to land disputes or resource control. The lack of large quantities of food, cloth, and malleable metal make excursions down the mountains common, which has led to skirmishes on more than one occasion. This increased with the arrival of the sea raiders who became the New Thrideans, as well as during the War of The Grain

The forced exodus of many of the tribes from the mountains by the New Thridean BludGuard in the winter of 601 RE(Rebirth Era) saw them entering the lands of Fjallinston, where the majority of the tribes in the region were Otan. Though tensions between the two cultures was widely known, it was through the negotiation of Prince Ivar, who convinced the Aesvir Chieftains to work with their Otan adversaries and the Fjalla peoples. Forming this new triumvirate, the forces repelled the New Thrideans that had begun to conquer the lands past the mountain range.

A New Home

While the rivalry between Otan and Aesvir people still persisted, and the general distrust of both from the Fjallinston towns that they camped outside of. Though they all had reson to dislike each other, the combined effort against the New Thrideans brought an understanding between them all, and where understanding built, integration soon followed. The exchange of cultural practice, as well as the knowledge of each respective group changed the views toward each other. Otan and Aesvir alike began to adapt to a more permanent home life, settling in the villages, and even inter-marrying into the populace. These unions could even be said to be encouraged, since Prince Ivar himself had taken an Otan chief's daughter, and fostered a son.
The rugged survival mentality stuck around, and morphed into the cultural synthesis. Usage of as much from as little given was a concept applied to livestock, crafting, farming, and even societally. Many Aesvir advocated the storage of materials from an entire towns farms be stored in granaries and pastures in a centralized area, divided between owners. This practice would ensure the protection of the resources that they had not so long ago seen little of. Homes were built low into the ground, digging into the earth itself to help shield from winds, and fire pits were dug into the middles of houses, to fill the living space with warmth. Private rooms were not a luxury that many of the nomadic peoples partook in, and their design philosophy reflected that.