Drafferingsters

The Drafferingsters are an ethnolinguistic community traditionally inhabiting the Draff region, a river valley along the Draff River and the adjacent coastal belt in the northern part of Valoria. They have a distinct language and cultural practices and have long interacted with neighboring groups through trade, settlement, and intermarriage. Contemporary communities are centered around the towns of Draffhaven and Lowport, with smaller settlements scattered along the river and coast.

The name Drafferingster derives from the river Draff and the local suffix -ingster, meaning 'people of.'

The Drafferingsters are first mentioned in mid-15th century chronicles. A loose confederation formed by three major clans achieved de facto autonomy during the late medieval period and maintained a degree of self-government under regional authorities through the early modern era. In the early 19th century, they joined the Valorian Federation, retaining limited customary law and cultural autonomy, with periodic clashes over taxation and land use.

Draffering is the traditional language, a Germanic-leaning tongue with Norse and coastal trade loanwords. It is written in a Latin-based script and is commonly bilingual with Valorian in public life.

Social structure is clan-based, organized around an elder council and bilateral kinship networks. Important rites include a spring harvest festival and a midwinter vigil. Music features reed instruments and drum-based ensembles; weaving and metalwork are notable crafts.

Historically reliant on fishing, timber, and metalworking, the Draffering economy today emphasizes sustainable tourism, artisanal crafts, and river-energy projects, with crafts sold in regional markets and online.

Cultural institutions include the Draffering Institute, which documents language and folklore, and annual cultural events like the Draffer Festival.