The Kingdom of Winter

Current population of Winter Magical Creatures is less than one hundred.
Before Findius was banished, it boasted numbers of over eight hundred thousand.

As a kingdom of warriors, the societal classes are based upon one's battle prowess. The better the warrior, the higher in society they are based.

The social rules ignore gender and sexual orientation, as well as religious beliefs, most occupations, and marital status. It is, however, frowned upon for a member of a "higher class" to marry a "lower class", as it is perceived as favoring the weak over the strong. There are occasionally exceptions to this, when there is no "equal" in class for a member.

It is more widely accepted that an exceptionally skilled warrior is more attractive, but physical appearance closely follows, as far as mates are concerned. Appearance has little bearing on social class, as skills are considered more valuable.

Two joined mates (married) bearing child is preferable and individual mates bearing child is acceptable, however, many individuals frown upon it and often consider the child illegitimate and refuse to aid in its upbringing. Raising children is considered every citizen's civic duty, held above battle prowess. It is more important to bring up the next generation than defeat an enemy.

When an adolescent comes of age, a tournament is held to establish their adult social status. Members of the lower class battle in one on one combat, escalating in class with each round until the adolescent yields or until first blood is drawn. The class that bests the adolescent determines their social class as one just below their own. In smaller communities, the default is rather tribal in nature with a single warrior of each class. In larger communities, there are larger pools of each class.

While a warrior could be any occupation, there are some who are revered and held in higher regard than others, such as a shaman (doctor), monk (one that teaches the way of battle), and strategists (various engineer types). They are generally exempt from establishing their roles in the social hierarchy, but they are less socially acceptable occupations, favoring more functional and dual roles where one could maintain their battle skills.

Affinity. In smaller communities, affinity is rarely considered in judging one's character. So long as the creature can hold its own, affinity is of little concern. However, in larger communities such as the capital, the less common affinities of Findius are discriminated against in favor of the most common. Essentially, if you're not like everyone else, regardless of your ability, you're a goddamn weirdo and nobody wants to associate with you. It is a similar story where race is concerned, and may the god or goddess you believe in have mercy on your soul if your seasonal affiliation is not that of Winter.

Elders are also revered in society despite their social class, with every class showing respect and giving honor to a long living creature. Children and the handicapped are also shown respect. It is the duty of every capable member of society to defend those who cannot defend themselves.

All duels are fought until first blood or until a warrior yields. Killing another warrior in a duel is punishable by exile to the tundra. Duels to claim the highest social rank in a community are until death or yield. The yielded combatant is considered cowardly and is exiled to the tundra.

All disputes are settled by the community's highest ranking warrior, commonly ending in a duel between the two.

Elders, handicapped, shamans, and strategists are not permitted to carry a weapon or practice combative magic, and therefore, are not permitted to participate in a duel. Instead, they may name a challenge that tests their individual strengths, such as shamans creating a potion or salve of greater quality than the other duelist. The losing combatant is publically humiliated, shamed, and subsequently cast out of their community. The victor gains higher social status.

Thievery is accepted, except within the castle walls. Theft discovered in the castle walls is punished by public humiliation and shaming before the offending party is relieved of a hand or finger and exiled to the tundra. Lesser theft, when exposed or caught, is punished by public humiliation and shaming, and in rare cases, the loss of a finger... Or eight, depending on the value of the theft.

Rape is strictly forbidden. When questionable, a special duel is had, in which the conditions of victory and defeat determine if the accused is innocent or guilty. If found guilty by defeat or evidence, the punishment is public humiliation, shaming, mutilation of genitals, and exile to the tundra.

Owning slaves is illegal as fuck. Bet you can't guess what happens to a slave owner? Nah, they ain't exiled to the tundra. They're subjected to humiliation and shaming, as well as relieved of all of their possessions, stripped of their societal class, and cast out of their community.

Breaking an oath is punishable by public shaming.

Insulting royalty will see you reprimanded by the Royal Guard and shamed.

All the young creatures eat tide pods.
No for real. They're little bite size sea creatures exclusive to the northern shores of Inspera that wash up. They're colored vibrantly, making them easy to spot, and the adolescent creatures dare each other to eat them. Tide pods are primarily harmless, but full of enough rancid seawater to make even the most iron stomached creature lose their lunch.
Kids are wild.

Music tastes are wildly regional, with communities closer to the mountains favoring chants and shanties and the capital favoring opera. The nomadic nature of communities keeps music diverse among the land. With little to entertain themselves except bleak landscapes, music is more important to Winter creatures than other kingdoms.

The value of books and the ability to read and write is lost beyond the capital, with only those who follow intellectual endeavors in the smaller communities making the effort to maintain them.
History is of the greatest importance to Winter creatures, passed down through oral tradition by elders. It is offensive to pen history into a book.

Throughout the land, the smaller communities favor temporary housing, such as tents made of furs and natural materials, although some call upon their magic to provide shelter from the climate.
Within the larger cities, the architecture of the capital is repeated, with castles and homes built into cliff sides and glaciers. The royal castle of Findius is built around the seat of power, designed with defense against those with intentions of capturing it for their own. It has no towers, but instead, hundreds of intertwining tunnels protecting the true seat of power.

Hunting, sparring, lacrosse, creature races, and surprisingly, magical chess.

See official map for accurate sizes.
Findius is the largest Kingdom in terms of landmass.

Exclusive flowers (insert floras) and a fuchia dye, called "Deora", wood, fish, berries, furs, and medicinal herbs.

Tundra/subarctic. Cold winters, mild summers. Precipitation, if any, is hail or snow.

Long before time was recorded, the winter creatures liberated themselves from the warring tribes of the other seasons, travelling over the mountain range to settle in the now capital of Findia, far from the ancient settlement (now called "Goria", the capital of Gorias) near the Inland Sea. It was here they had found another Seat of Power, claiming it in the name of winter for their own. With distance on their side, the winter creatures lived in quiet secrecy of their discovery, naming their first King, Fin, as their ruler and the keeper of winter.
Eventually, as the other creatures grew weary of the silence, they came in search of the winter creatures through the mountains and ice sheets that plagued the land, discovering the winter creature's secrets. Outraged, the other tribes attempted to reclaim it in the name of all creatures. Having lived in the cold for centuries now, the winter creatures had adapted to their climate, providing them with a territorial advantage, driving the other seasonal creatures back and out of the mountains.
The story repeated itself with each season, with each finally settling on a border for their lands. Of course, the other seasons were never content with their borders, and a slew of territorial wars broke out until the respective seats of power travelled to the neutral grounds of the stone of destiny to agree upon borders.
And thus, the Kingdom of Findius claimed the lands north of the Vindius Mountain Range.

Ancient times

lord almighty so many of them. Lore pages for wars? This is dependent on other kingdoms I think.

Primary Affinities

Ruin Fluvia Lune

Primary Races

Elves, Merfolk, Dryads, Minotaurs, Selkies, and Dobhar-Chus