Borlanders

The Borlanders are a fictional ethnolinguistic group created for fantasy literature and role-playing contexts. They are described as inhabitants of the Borland region, a broad upland area with river valleys and forests in the northern part of their world. In most depictions, the Borlanders have a long-standing presence in Borland, shaped by agriculture, trade, and seasonal migration.

Geography and settlement: The Borland region features mixed forests, pasture, and networked rivers. Borlander settlements range from hill towns to fortified villages. Urban centers serve as trading hubs that connect inland producers with coastal routes, while seasonal migrations move communities between highland and lowland zones.

Language and society: Borlanders speak Borlandish, a language with conservative phonology and a rich oral tradition. Social life centers on kin-based clans and councils, with a customary emphasis on hospitality, mutual aid, and craft production. Crafts such as woodworking, textiles, and metalwork are central to local economies.

History: A provisional chronology traces Borlander origins to early agrarian communities that coalesced during the region’s formative centuries. They maintained neighborhood-based autonomy while engaging in trade and occasional alliances with neighboring peoples, with centralized kingdoms later introducing bureaucratic changes while preserving local customs.

Culture and economy: Distinctive festival cycles, music, and storytelling mark public life. Religion or belief systems center on nature spirits and ancestral reverence, with regional variation. Economies combine farming, crafts, and long-distance trade, supported by networks of kinship and guild-like cooperatives.

Modern status: In contemporary reference works, the Borlanders are presented as a historical or fictional culture within a world’s canon. Their demographics and territory vary by author, but they are typically portrayed as a resilient, trade-oriented people with a strong communal identity.