People of the Mountains

Before the war the people of the mountains, as they are known in Rusfaeris, inhabited the great northern mountain range between Rusfaeris and it's northern neighbour and were scarcely seen. Now many of them have been forced to flee their villages and they have been scattered to the four corners of the world.

Culture

Shared customary codes and values

They are a very tight-knit community, children are looked after by everyone with food and meals often being shared. However, they are very defensive of their villages when strangers arrive.

Common Dress code

Given the cold climate they live in, they wear thick cloaks when out of doors. These cloaks are made for children by the women of the village and feature elaborate patterns and symbols that are meant to bring them good fortune, they also fold out into blankets that they sleep under at night.

Art & Architecture

Their houses are built into the ground with stone walls and wooden roofs with a hole in to let out the smoke from the always burning fires. The walls are often decorated with tapestries with beautiful pictures on, before they get married young women are required to make two of these to show off their skills. During the day, sleeping mats are rolled up and stored behind the tapestries and at night the mats are laid out on the stone floor against the walls.

Foods & Cuisine

Their food is simple, what can be cooked in a pot over the fire and is made of root vegtables. It is not always pleasant but it is warm and keeps them fed.

Birth & Baptismal Rites

When a child is born, all the women in the village will gather in the mothers house to prepare food for the family. They also work on the child's cloak for hours on end until it is a masterpiece worthy of the new member of the community. 
When the child is a week old, they are wrapped in this cloak and taken on their first trip out of the house to be shown the outside world, for a winter baby this trip need only last a minute or if the weather is nicer they can be shown the whole village on this trip.

Coming of Age Rites

Both boys and girls come of age at fifteen and they under go different ceremonies as part of this. 
For boys, at the winter solstice following their fifteenth birthday they are all taken to meet the hunting wolves. They are paired with a young pup who they will train for the following six months. At the summer solstice they are then taken with their trained dogs to go on a hunting trip with the other men of the village. 

For the girls, at the summer solstice of their fourteenth year they are presented with the tools required to make their tapestries. By the next summer solstice they are required to have completed two which then mean they are eligible to marry.

Related Items

• Blanket cloak