White Bear

White Bears are elite Elven forces, who are trained to be the Champion's vanguard, in case the Champion from the Prophecy of the Champion arises during their lifetime. To become a White Bear, one must track a nanuq and defeat it in hand-to-hand combat, swear an oath to remain in peak form and serve the Champion, and become tribeless. White Bears are afforded a great deal of respect in Elven culture, and are privileged with guaranteed food and access to the greatest weapons and armor produced in the Wuthering Wights. They live in an unknown settlement together, and are only seen by the tribes (and visitors) at great moots.

Hunting the Nanuq

One who wishes to become a White Bear must first single-handedly track a fully grown nanuq and slay it in hand-to-hand combat to prove their courage and their prowess in tracking, survival, and martial combat. A nanuq is a large white bear that can grow to weigh over a ton; the males are larger than the females, but the females are known to be more aggressive, especially when around their cubs. Nanuqs live out on the sea ice of the Gelid Sea and hunt seals. No other animals live out on the sea ice.
Hunting nanuqs is not uncommon for fur and meat, but it's usually done with the aid of domesticated wolves and with bows and arrows. Without the wolves to track their scent, it's nearly impossible for an Elf to find their tracks on the smooth sea ice. The hunt can take days, and without access to food and water, many aspirants die to the elements without ever finding a nanuq. Those who do are then in for the fight of their life. Nanuqs are twice as fast as an Elf, magnitudes larger, and strike with powerful blows that can crush or shred the life out of a person with a single blow. The weapon that an aspirant chooses to hunt the nanuq with is the only weapon that they may use if they become a White Bear - spears are the most effective and therefore most common; all other weapons are relatively rare and hold more prestige. Only one White Bear in history has killed a nanuq with his bare hands - Yste Winterhowl.

Swearing the Oath

Once an aspirant slays a nanuq and takes its hide, they must wait until the next great moot to sweat their oath. Among the White Bears, there is a shaman - also a White Bear - who advises on spiritual matters and accepts the oaths of proven aspirants. The oath is short and simple - they swear to remain in peak physical condition, train everyday in their weapon, and serve the Champion once they arise. They swear this oath in front of everyone at the great moot, which is to say every single Elf and usually a few visitors from non-Hymbran, non-Human cultures. All witnesses are instructed to kill the aspirant if they ever see them break the oath.

Becoming Tribeless

Being tribeless is usually a mark of great shame in Elven society. Elven culture necessarily an emphasis on the tribe, family unit, and making oneself as useful as possible; being tribeless is usually a result of a grave and/or purposeful action taken against one of those ideas. Outside of the White Bears, there are incredibly few tribeless individuals, because tribeless individuals are exiled and usually don't last more than a week on their own in the Wuthering Wights. When a White Bear becomes tribeless, it is a thing of honor. The White Bear gives up their position in their tribe and serves a higher purpose - to serve the Champion when they arrive.

Type

Religious, Military