Ekstru

An expanse of stark, frozen beauty stretching as far as the eye can see, Retis home to the enigmatic Ekstru. The brutal and unyielding landscape, where the term "harsh" is an understatement, has played its part in forging the Ekstru into a robust and resourceful people, whose very breath seems intertwined with the frigid air and biting winds.
The Daþwahrlu language, spoken only by this culture, carries the echo of ancient whispers, painting an auditory picture of a time when the Realm of Klar Bimment once stretched its icy fingers across this landscape. There's a certain music to it, a rhythmic cadence that harkens back to the storied past, when it was reportedly the common tongue of that far-reaching kingdom. Though considered a dying language by some, the Ekstru hold on to it as a vibrant part of their identity, a piece of their past that cannot be surrendered.
The ruins of a bygone era stand silent and sombre against the icy backdrop of Ret, a silent testament to the grandeur of Klar Bimment. Castles, now worn by time and weather, serve as the cores of the land's two main settlements, Thodwinda and Haravageneglen. Each stone, each fading mural, narrates a fragment of a story that the Ekstru and visiting scholars are eager to read. Despite the remoteness and severity of their environment, the culture exhibits an exceptional spirit of community and hospitality, a camaraderie that seems to grow stronger with each howling gust of wind.
A harsh life in Ret has honed this people's adaptability and resilience to a point as fine as a kipywep spear. They rely heavily on hunting and fishing, drawing sustenance from the land and the freezing waters. The brawny Yrkl, a species of seal native to the area, forms a substantial part of their diet and its skin provides them with the materials for warm clothing and shelter.
Spirituality amongst the Ekstru, as well as the smaller Veiq minority, runs deep and wide, like the rivers beneath Ret's frozen surface. Farang Paganism, with its shamanic practices, forms the backbone of their belief system. Communal rituals and personal meditations serve to connect them with the natural elements around them, an expression of respect and reverence towards the forces that shape their world.
Ret's enigmatic Irfast Isle, with its single settlement, Hals Morech, holds mysteries beneath its frozen surface. Ancient artefacts hint at a time when life thrived here, adding yet another layer of intrigue to the land's narrative. From Thygr's to Kyale Cove, ancient Ekstru lore speaks of a land bridge that once existed, tantalising scholars with the secrets that might lie beneath the icy waters.
Being an Ekstru is not just about surviving in the harsh landscape, it's about becoming one with it, about embracing the icy winds and frozen plains as part of oneself. The land, the language, and their ways of life are not just aspects of their culture, but an indelible part of their identity, etched in the ice and snow of Ret and the spirit of a people bound to a land as starkly beautiful as it is relentless.