Nordorian

Nordorian refers to a fictional ethnic group and language native to the northern regions of the continent of Elarion in the world of Valenreach. The Nordorians are a boreal-adapted people whose economy centers on fishing, forestry, and maritime trade. They inhabit coastal fjords, highland valleys, and island archipelagoes along the Nord Rift, with communities inland in river basins.

Origins lie in a federation of tribes that coalesced during the Early Iron Age for mutual defense and exchange. By the medieval era they formed the Nordmost Confederacy, maintaining autonomy within larger political systems and shaping coastal trade routes with southern realms.

Nordorian society is organized around kinship groups and craft guilds. Clan elders and elected representatives share governance in local assemblies. The people are renowned for shipbuilding, metalwork, woodcarving, and stone masonry. Traditional attire relies on wool and fur, with seasonal dress reflecting climate. Festivals mark seasonal cycles and ancestral memory; religion blends ancestor veneration with reverence for nature spirits.

Nordorian language belongs to the Northern branch of the language family; dialects include Coastal Nordorian and Inland Nordorian. It uses a runic-inspired script in inscriptions and literature, though literacy is also common in the dominant neighboring languages due to trade.

In the contemporary Northlands Federation, Nordorians maintain cultural autonomy within regional councils; there are language preservation programs, museums, and cultural festivals. A Nordorian diaspora exists in southern port cities.