In her region, foods come in the form of starches, sea foods, hearty meats, and berries/veggies that can survive the harsh winters a bit better than the southern foods. That being said, they can still have more decadent meals like seen in the south, caviar is native to Fjallgard thanks to a plentiful population of sturgeon.

Grilled salmon, bison, boar, turkey, lamb, herring, plaice, pollock, and white fish make up much of their meals. Each meal is served with some form of meat or fish, and potatoes or bread. For veggies, you can find kale, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, green beans, leeks, onions, garlic, zucchini, etc. For fruits, juniper berries, cranberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, lingonberries, black/red currants, pome fruits, and apples. Some of these are seasonal, and only seen during the short summer months.

In the mornings, a typical breakfast is something along the lines of smoked salmon with dill on a slice of toast, a serving of fruit and goat's milk yogurt. Lunches tend to be higher in veggies, with lighter meats like white fish, herring, and turkey can be seen in these meals. Dinners are the hardiest and heaviest of the meals, typically with a heavy meat like bison, boar, or lamb and starches with kale salads or other veggies. Pickled and fermented foods also typically accompany dinners to aid in digestion. Desserts are typically pastries, custards, cakes, cookies, tarts, or ice treats like shaved ice. Eistlja's favorite dessert is Lagkag, which is a vanilla sponge cake typically made with a mixed berry jam and vanilla custard cream and topped with a whipped cream icing and berries.

Eistlja's favorite holiday for a long while was Yule, the winter solstice. Her favorite Yule treat is sugar-iced juniper berries. Her favorite Yule meal is a hearty bison pot roast over mashed potatoes. During this time, a tea very similar to chai is popular---she loves that as well!

After meeting Hagford and being invited to experience their holidays, she fell in-love with Mabon and Samhain. Something about all of the leaves changing put her in awe, so spending autumns in the Isles of Glenroch became a true favorite of hers. Apples quickly became her favorite fruit, so apple pie is a real favorite during these holidays. Hagford then introduced her to wassail, a warm apple cider-esque drink, and shepherd's pie and those quickly followed.

This may be a long one!

Fjallgard is split into five major tribes that were believed to have begun long ago, by five warriors chosen by the goddess Skathya herself. They were meant to embody the traits that Skathya valued most---strength, wisdom, connection with spirit, diplomacy, and survival/connection with nature. These traits would allow the people of Fjallgard to survive it's harsh conditions, to overcome whatever climate the lands threw at them.

Fjallgard, geographically, consists of vast mountain ranges. There are six major and sacred mountains that stand taller than any other. Five of these mountains serve as homes to the five tribes, and the sixth mountain---the tallest mountain in Tarenthia---is considered the most sacred and is considered Skathya's mountain, known as Nottfjall---or, Night's Mountain.

At the base of this mountain is a temple to Skathya, and every five years every tribe makes a trek to the temple where a feast is held with most, if not all, of Fjallgard's people (exceptions are made for those who cannot face the journey.)

Fjallgard's leadership may be chosen one of three ways: lineage, vote, or through challenge. Depending on the tribe, the approach can vary. The resilient and blunt warriors tribe, Bilskirnir, may choose to re-elect through a sacred challenge rite, whereas Eistlja's tribe of Thrymheimr tends to use a medley of the three in their history. Either way, the future leader may choose which title best suits them---"Fjallkonan", or "Lady of the Mountain," "Fjalldrottin", or "Lord of the Mountain," "Fjalllithugr", or "Sovereign of the Mountain."

The current tribe leads go as follows:

Eistlja Vetrhan, Fjallkonan of Thrymheimr
(She/They)
Soren Rodmyr, Fjolllithugr of Glathsheimr
(They/Them)
Styrmir Verlithi, Fjolldrottin of Fensylar
(He/Him)
Ljufa Gunnleif, Fjollkonan of Bilskirnir
(They/Them)
Freythr Skjoldven, Fjalldrottin of Drengrheim
(He/They)

I plan on sketching up what they look like, but honestly there's so many side characters I have planned out!!

Eistlja was the adopted daughter of the "Fjolldrottin," which means "Lord of the Mountain." He had no other children, as his mate had died from sickness just a year before he'd found Eistlja and he chose to never remarry. As such, Eistlja was raised as a princess, essentially.

Her childhood was a tight schedule of tutoring, lessons, meetings, and all else fit for a future "Fjollkonan"--"Lady of the Mountain." Her father was a boisterous man who loved telling stories and tales of old and also adored spoiling Eistlja.

Socially, Eistlja had a rather lonely childhood--she isn't very good at small talk, is rather quiet, and doesn't express much, and overall the other children found her "odd," so she grew up finding companionship in her nursemaids. She DID spend a lot of time in the kingdom, with very light travel to the other tribes of Fjallgard---she found that the children of the blunt, warrior tribe of Bilskirnir were easier to make friends with.

Overall, a lonely and busy childhood. :)