Nomads of The Southlands

There is a rich tradition of traveling people who make their lives in transience around the Southlands. Nomads - people who make such a lifestyle - have a myriad of reasons why they live such a way, from religious to monetary to desperation. There are many different Nomad groups, but they are often lumped together into one homogenous collection by the various governments of the 8 Nations. Below are some of the larger Nomad groups.
Merchant Families
Merchants often make long, arduous journeys in order to collect and trade their wares. It is a common tradition for the families of merchants to require their children to make such journeys themselves, working until they develop their own networks or are ready to take over the family business. The mercantile benefits of the Nomad Roads are an unspoken necessity in the Southlands, as many governments do not wish to admit that their country's economies can occasionally rely on the goods brought by such a transient population.
Defenders
Defenders are essentially Nomad guardians, dedicating their lives to protecting the pacifist or nonviolent people on the Roads. Defenders typically work in small guilds or companies, placing their focus on finding and following those in need. Unlike many Nomad clans, Defenders are not a unified culture, but instead find place among others, meeting and joining and departing as necessary. While all Defenders are expected to be combat-trained in some way, there are a few who cultivate great skill and a matching reputation. It is not uncommon to find a Defender's Lodge as a semipermanent settlement in certain well-walked areas of the Nomad Roads, where a safe place to stay, and an ally or two, can be gained for the journey ahead.
Defenders usually have some connections to all the different Nomad groups, but each individual Defender has a Lodge they call home and a specific group that they tend to travel alongside. Defenders often find themselves opposed to Blades, but there is not a guaranteed animosity between the two lifestyles.
Blades
Similarly to Defenders, Blades are individuals or small groups of Nomads who make their livings in combat. Unlike Defenders, however, Blades often make their way doing mercenary work of all kinds: Not just traveling with and protecting Nomads, but entering into battle, dealing with monsters, and sometimes even engaging in political espionage. Blades are synonymous with both violence and lack of loyalty: to be a Blade is to sell one's service, not to hold office for a particular country or faith. However, Blades often have a different system of morality altogether, one defined by the ancient Thesis of the Sword by Alexros the Younger.
Blades have a multifaceted reputation. While they are recognized as being out only for themselves, even appearing on both sides of a conflict to follow the money, Blades are often recognized as assistance available for anyone. They are the types of people who will take on the work that is seen as societally unacceptable or too dangerous for common folk. They are invaluable at times when guards or military groups have little to no presence. And due to the extremity of the Blades' individualistic lifestyles, they are seen as free, as people whose moral codes and goals are uniquely their own.
Riverfolk
The Riverfolk are some of the most mysterious of any Nomadic peoples. Often the Riverfolk make most of their travels along the various waterways of the Southlands, rather than the Nomad Roads. The ways that they built their floating homes is often imitated by others, but the specific techniques designed to help a humble houseboat stay durable are a guarded secret. The Riverfolk are famed for two major aspects of their lifestyles: The obvious idiosyncrasy by which they live their lives, and the incredible fighting skill that the most famous of them possess. Riverfolk often develop unconventional fighting styles, which incorporate the work they do to earn their livings on the water. It is not uncommon for some to develop schools of combat, which attract Blades, Defenders, and other warrior types to join them as students.
Riverfolk are indispensable to the many people who live on the riverbanks of the Southlands, and the visit of the familiar houseboats makes for a welcome sight to those who engage with them. Indeed, even the 8 Nations respect the influence that this group holds. Some naval battles have been postponed or prevented entirely by the presence or intervention of a fleet of houseboats.
Pistilwalkers

Pistilwalkers are a group of people who follow a tradition of plant stewardship. The Pistilwalkers are known for carrying pouches of pollen on their travels, creating useful things from the plants they collect, and pollinating flowers they come across. This practice is traditionally associated with a folklore hero named Channah, who planted rare Anaret flowers around the Southlands following the death of his wife; he planted them as he followed her ghost around the mountains, hillsides, and plains, and would return to feed those flowers throughout the rest of his life.
Pistilwalkers often carry rare plant materials with them as they journey. It is common to see many Pistilwalkers meeting at the shores of Lake Nord during the summer, but traveling alone or as part of another group at other times of the year. If one meets a Pistilwalker on the road, it is likely that they will have at least some unique and valuable items with them to share or trade.
Living Flies
Flies are a symbol of death and the dry, hot summertimes in the Southlands. The beauty of the world still holds things that people find distasteful or unwanted. Living Flies are a religious cult which worship the concept of rot, and who roam the Southlands seeking out sites of pain or death. While typically not harmful to others, Living Flies are pariahs due to their propensity to eat flesh that would be unsuitable for other groups of people. They are often referred to as "The Carrion People" for this reason. Living Flies induct new members into their practices by feeding them a specific fungus, which alters the person's gut in such a way that allows them to consume most things that would be otherwise too rotten to swallow.
No one actually knows where the Living Flies keep their chapels, but there are speculated to be five hidden in the Lake Nord area. They are a reviled group, but sometimes are brought to a specific location as part of a cleanup effort. There is a belief that Living Flies are a portent of tragedy, a sign of great suffering or death to come, should they linger in a place for an extended period of time.
Dream Cultists
Dreams hold a particular importance in the language, culture, and religious structure of Dis. Following one's dream, or recognizing the power of the subconscious mind, is so influential that many people are even expected to spend a period of time leaving their homes and wandering in search of the things they dreamed of. These people act as a sort of mystery cult, weaving their way through the Southlands in search of the things they believe to have seen in sleep. Dream Cultists are erratic, all following a mysterious force that they seek to either understand or control, and often finding themselves at odds with people or groups who do not follow such whims.
Exiles and Refugees
Not every Nomad is making their way on the Roads by purposeful choice. Some are forced into the lifestyle as a form of legal punishment, or to escape tragedy at home. People forced into the Nomad ways are often take under wing by other Nomad groups, or ultimately settle somewhere else in the Southlands. Unfortunately, Exiles and Refugees make up the largest portion of Nomads at the current time. It is a regular occurrence for people who have been driven out of society to collect on the Roads, seeking safety in numbers until peace allows for settlement or a return home.
Encampments, Settlements, and Gatherings
There can be just as many reasons for Nomads to collect together as there are unique reasons to travel the Nomad Roads, but there are generally three main connections that are made - Sites of Encampment, where people regularly stop for a temporary rest; permanent Settlements, unofficial cities that exist to support the non-national populations of the Southlands; and Gathering Grounds, places where a specific event is held at the most important times.
Encampments
Not every Nomad is able to reach a city in time to sleep safely. Nomad Encampments are specified locations where it is expected that any who rest there are to act peacefully towards others. Many Encampments are incredibly temporary, lasting only as long as there is someone staying there. In fact, there are some parts of the Southlands where Encampments have almost never been in the same location more than once. However, there are some Encampments that have happened to be continually inhabited for remarkable lengths of time. The current longest-lasting Encampment is the Eastern Nord Encampment, north of the city of Encentrem.
Settlements
The Nomad spaces that become permanent settlements are both rarer and more secretive. To continue operation, and avoid interruption or persecution by Government authority, Nomad Settlements are protected through closely guarded location and unique camouflage techniques. Some Nomad Settlements are known quantities, a status which puts them at risk of attack.
Settlements are oftentimes incredibly unique, due to the necessity of their existences. Few cities are as structurally distinct as the Settlements that successfully hide themselves from the rest of the world. In these cities, life continues as normal, with Nomads making their ways in and out as needed. Trade can be just as competitive as in any capital city, and sometimes even more so. It is impossible to gauge the true population of any Nomad Settlement, but conservative estimates assume that the largest settlements hold anywhere from 10,000 to 20,000 permanent living people.
Gathering Grounds
Some Nomads celebrate unique festivals or holidays which require gathering together from across the Southlands. There are clarified locations in which these events take place, which range from Wildlands to the outskirts of major cities. These can range from religious festivals, to congregations of merchants, to marriages between popular people or families.  The Gatherings of these types are most often given a blind eye by the governments, as they tend to be a harmless source of entertainment and commerce for the cities nearby.
However, another kind of Gathering - which does not get the same kind of leniency, is the Martial Gathering.  As the average Nomad lives a more dangerous life than many others, the tendency for one to become a skilled combatant is likely.  Some Nomad traditions - specifically Blades, Defenders, and Riverfolk, among others - have developed martial arts communities, where practitioners keep regular training routines and compete to see who is the greatest fighter.  These kinds of Gatherings are typically exclusive, kept only to Nomads who have proven themselves in incredible situations, and are harshly treated by any Government who discovers their planning.