Located at the southern edge of the tundra, Veryelmihr is a hunter-gatherer village that was established shortly after some cataclysm befell the Great Glacier, a region originally in the Material Plane. Veryelmihr town is cut in half by a half-frozen riverbed, but this split seems to be reflected in its culture, as well.

Veryelian culture revolves around the worship of two deities: Estanna, often called the Hearth-Father, and Solonor Thelandira, the Hunt-Mother. Gender roles are strictly aligned within a hierarchy inspired by these deities. Men serve as gatherers, domestic workers, and sex workers, while women are the main leaders of society, trained from a young age as huntresses able to survive the harsh, wintry environment surrounding the town.

According to their law, men are not allowed to leave the village. Foreign men are welcome, but are only allowed to leave the way they came, for the Kanslari fears what might become of those unprepared for the tundra's dangers...however, for those who find a Kanslari's sponsorship and overcomes the Veryelian Trials, Veryelmihr opens its gates in all directions.

Important Terms:

Leithoyi: the leading huntress of the village - currently, Vintarreiza
Vakt: the Leithoyi's second-in-command, who assumes rule while she is away - currently, Ari
Kanslari: the council of five individuals who make important decisions for the village, including a representative for each of the five major areas of government: Hunt (Vintarreiza), Law (Ari), Craft (Harpa), Religion (Hálfdan), and Family (Anders)
Hyaukonu: the spouses of huntresses, who seem to be treated like concubines; the Leithoyi seems to have multiple

Vintarreiza

Leithoyi

Veryelmihr's head huntress acts as something of a chieftain to the village, assisted by her second-in-command, the Vakt. Together, these two oversee the Kanslari, a group of five governmental individuals who make important decisions for the village's welfare. Unlike other huntresses, the Leithoyi is allowed multiple Hyaukonu (concubines).

Vintarreiza is cold, intense, and stubborn, possibly in part due to her current state in isolation...or maybe because she found the corpse of her Hyaukonu, Kristjan. She has been away from Veryelmihr for at least a year, performing a pilgrimage in the form of a hunt. Her target: the Hare of Snow. Her base: a lonely cavern within a cliff-face.

Ari

Kanslari of Law

Rank: Vakt

Ari is the Vakt, or the second-in-command to the Leithoyi of the village. Anders is her Hyaukonu.

The current Leithoyi has been away for an extended time, completing a required pilgrimage. Ari has had to fill in and lead Veryelmihr in her absence. Firm and quiet, her style of leadership has been called into question by a few of the local guard for being too stringent. She was certainly harsh with her friend Vintarreiza when the latter brought Ari's brother, Kristjan, back to the village...dead.

Anders

Kanslari of Family

Rank: Kanslari

Handsome and soft-spoken, Anders is one of Ari's Hyaukonu. A regular of the Hearthtender's Embrace, his two vices are men and drink. With very little need for convincing, he agrees to sponsor the party's venture into the Veryelian Trial, and even offers additional advice on how to succeed.

Anders is displeased with Veryelmihr's politics, and seeks to invoke a revolution with the goal of improving the lot of Veryelian men. He and Frigg fundamentally disagree in this regard, but their discontent with each other runs deeper...

When they were children, Anders convinced Frigg to run away with him, trying to find a more equitable home. The two didn't make it far into the tundra before they fell unconscious from the cold, rescued by the mysterious song of a humanoid hare:

""Pride keeps us strong today, glory will be with us."

Harpa

Kanslari of Craft

Harpa is the town smithy. Lackadaisical and flirtatious, she seems to view men with little respect, and adheres to a more extreme version of Veryelian doctrine. She agreed to sponsor our heroes in the Veryelian Trials, but out of a desire to be entertained, not from any place of genuine belief that they'll succeed. She was also deeply shocked to see them succeed.

It appears that, with her ideology (personality?), she will never view outlanders or men as entirely human. Most of the other Kanslari seem to disdain her.

Hálfdan

Kanslari of Religion

Hálfdan is one of very few halflings in Veryelmihr. Gregarious and good-natured, he oversees Estanna's Shrine, and is rather knowledgeable about the doctrines of the village, including the tenets of both major religions: Estanna, and Solonor Thelandira. In his role as high priest of Estanna, he has many responsibilities, including overseeing the nursery within the shrine, and of course, his position as Kanslari of Religion also requires quite a bit of responsibility. He seems perfectly content to go along with the gender roles established in Veryelmihr.

Frigg

2nd Hyaukonu to the Leithoyi

One of the most powerful nonbinary Veryelians, Frigg is a renowned entertainer and companion whose services are available for purchase at the Hearthtender's Embrace. Soft-spoken and charismatic, they are reluctant to tell their spouse's secrets, for they are the 2nd Hyaukonu (concubine) to the village's Leithoyi. They sing of surrender at the Embrace, advising the other companions and patrons, through song, that "It's not up to you...no, it never really was." They are typically dressed in glamorous garments that are only available for purchase from a place called Mimisbrunnar, outside of the village. There is another song that they learned as a child, though it resulted in a lifelong disagreement between them and their friend, Anders.

When they were children, Anders convinced Frigg to run away with him, trying to find a more equitable home. The two didn't make it far into the tundra before they fell unconscious from the cold, rescued by the mysterious song of a humanoid hare:

"Bright keeps us strong today, glory will be with us."

Kristjan

1st Hyaukonu of the Leithoyi

Kristjan was Ari's brother, and Vintarraiza's first Hyaukonu. Apparently, he held some sort of political office, too. It seems that he and Ari were quite close, as his death has had a tremendous impact on her. He was found deceased in the wilds a little under two years ago.