The Seolhi
The Seolhi flag, displaying their credo, "Leszcä Dir Surke"The Seolhi
The Shoal-eeAppearanceThe differences between the Seolhi and outsiders, known as Dryfolk or
Wertrak in the Seolhi tongue, are as numerous as they are extreme. As such, they are one of the most easily recognizable peoples, though this is marked through their way of dress rather than their features. For the limited breeding pool they have, the Seolhi are actually remarkably different in appearance from family to family, though it can be agreed that on average, the Seolhi are shorter and skinnier than their well-fed Dryfolk neighbors. Some are tan and dark-haired, others are pale and light-haired, others still are a mix of the two.
However, these features are usually hard to surmise due to the Seolhi's custom manner of dress. The Seolhi cover themselves in a thin paste of ash and mud each morning, which is used to protect them from being sunburned by the light reflected in the snow and water they spend most of their lives near. Aside from their protective layer of mud, the Seolhi will also occasionally cover themselves in animal blood before important battles and hunts, which is used as a rudimentary form of psychological warfare. The men typically cut their hair into short mohawks, while women similarly shave the sides of their heads while keeping their hair long enough to pull into a bun or ponytail.
In lieu of fabrics, the Seolhi dress exclusively in leather and furs -- particularly seal pelts -- which are usually waterproofed with whale blubber. Many Seolhi wear bone and ivory jewelry in the form of necklaces and piercings, which are either in their earlobes or through their nasal septums. In addition to their piercings and jewelry, some Seolhi file their most visible teeth to points. Due to the lax stance on cannibalism held by the Seolhi, many have varying degrees of Hermit's Fever and can be recognized by their yellowing sclera and tremors. This is frequent enough in the Seolhi to make their name in the XXXXXXX native language "Stavkinre", which translates roughly to "Stewers of kin".
CultureTo an outsider, from what little is known about the Seolhi it is easy to assume they live short, wretched lives. Their diets subsist almost entirely of fish, scavenged from the shore during low tide, caught by hand, or harpooned with barbed spears of sharpened stone. They have no nets, nor boats any more advanced than canoes, and what little agriculture they have is mostly done by their thralls who formerly worked as farmers. The Seolhi live in mud huts with thatched roofs and dirt floors, and rarely speak more than a few words of the common tongue. Though they are the most primitive peoples, their strange, barbaric customs and extremely territorial nature have always kept Dryfolk a safe distance.
Roughly one and a half centuries ago, the Seolhi made their sole diplomatic agreement with the YYYYYYYY, which has impacted their culture significantly. Every year, the Seolhi are given a handful of men and women -- Usually the diseased, turncoats, prisoners of war, and other similar undesirables, in exchange for allowing YYYYYYYYY to build docks on Seolhi territory and sail unharmed through their waters, which has allowed them to fish an abundance of food for the winter and grow wealthier as a result. Though the use of the men and women given to the Seolhi was not specified in any written form, it remains an unspoken agreement that they are used as slaves; The truth of the matter is that only some are used as slaves, whereas others are used as translators, concubines, or even livestock. The overfed children of thralls used for breeding is considered a delicacy, though not an extravagant one that is particularly hard to find.
History
