Hyperborean Tribelands

The Hyperborean Tribelands are the lands beyond the Vorg and Alama, and they stretch for north beyond the known world. Hyperborea is often also called Hyrelia, based on the native's own word for their land. It's a land of harsh cold weather, thick primordial forests with many giant beasts, like large fur-covered elephants, big cats with teeth the size of daggers, and wolves larger than found anywhere else. The Hyrelian tribes who live here often are small and spread far between them. They are dedicated hunters and tough survivors, forged by the land of their forefathers. The Hyrelians rarely ever venture south, for they have no reason for it, and the journey is perilous and long, but when they do, they often bring trophies made of unheard of beasts and great tales to trade with the civilized realms in the south.

Structure

Hyrelian tribes are small, almost familiar structures rule by a chief patriarch. The tribes are aware of each other but make little contact except when the trade is needed for survival or it's necessary to arrange a marriage. Marrying out of tribe is seem preferable, as there are often strong blood ties within the tribe, and it's not uncommon for a Hyrelian warrior to 'steal' a bride from a neighboring tribe. This is sometimes a legit act of abduction and violence, but just as often is a mere act, a nudge to old traditions. When the bride is a willing victim to her own abduction, the chiefs of both tribes will often parlay and come to amicable terms of reparations, in which the tribe of the bride will be paid a small compensation for the loss of a fertile woman. But Hyrelia is a harsh land and sometimes warrior take captives by force, and the tribe where they are taken can hardly afford to lose them. When this happens, the tribes go to war. The loser tribe is often either assimilated entirely by the winner, else there's a good chance one or both tribes might starve during the harsh Hyrelian winter due to the time spent fighting that could've been using for hunting and gathering, and the loss of some of their hunters during the skirmishes.