Ice Bears

Appearance:
When in their animal form, Ice Bears are the largest and heaviest of all Efferii. Their white cape of fur enables them to keep warm no matter how cold the winter gets. They are bulky and sturdy, with powerful hindquarters and black claws.

In their humanoid forms, all Ice Bears have white hair that gets more yellowish as they age just like their fur when in animal form. The males are very big and strong, while the females have more slender frames. Usually, men keep their beards and also grow their hair long, often using tresses.

Abilities:
Ice Bears are the strongest of all Efferii. When in their animal form, they could crush a skull with their paws or jaws. In addition, their claws are so hard that they could possibly break through some metals with them. Their most fabled skill is their metallurgy, for they are able to make nigh impenetrable armours strong enough to shield them from bullets.

Diet:
Ice Bears love meat but their meals are actually quite diverse. They are omnivorous and thus enjoy all sorts of foods, having a sweet tooth for beer.

Behavioural Traits:
While most tribes despite their differences consider they share something in common with all Efferii, Ice Bears have a different perspective. They do not like to be grouped with the rest of the Efferii as they are so proud they think Ice Bear should be considered a race of its own. Furthermore, they also have a strong sense of individual pride and constantly strive to show their worth in challenges to prove their strength and bravery. When they speak they do so loudly and rather intimidatingly, and they adore fighting. One of the biggest pleasures for an Efferii of this kind is to be flattered.

Habitat & Architecture:


Another big difference between the Ice Bears and the rest of the Efferii is that the former actually have what humans would call a “civilized” city. Why? It is not only because of the houses made of stone and the walls but also because they actually do have a type of city life within, with restaurants, houses, shops and a system based on private property and individual wealth.

It would be rare to find an Ice Bear roaming any part of the world if it is not winter.

They are creatures of the snow and do not tolerate hot weathers. It is only when temperatures drop that Ice Bears leave their eternally frozen city of Svanteberg

Industry:2bf4391955b6ca195c19f06b25f31d8e7dc3ea39.jpg
As any city, Svanteberg does produce several goods. The best-esteemed skill of Ice Bears is metallurgy, and their product sell very well. When winter falls, sloths leave the city for different purposes. Some go in adventures to find treasures and resources, others become mercenaries, and a couple of travelling merchants visit distant cities to sell their goods and buy new ones. Ice Bears enjoy going out and returning before spring warms up, to tell stories and great adventures to those who stayed at home. It earns them honour.

Social Structure:
The North Bears have a monarchy of their own in which the king is chosen through a tournament in which the strongest fighter obtains the crown. Even so, very little ruling is actually done by the king. Most of the North Bears stray from their city as they seek to fulfill their individual needs.

Family Life:
In Svanteberg, children are typically raised by their mothers, as the fathers’ services are usually required elsewhere. The children interact with their community freely and, provided that they do not leave to find their own calling, grow up to take on a role similar to that of their parents. Bear’s have a family structure similar to humans.

Education:
All members of the Beast Kingdom learn to hunt—and sometimes fish—from their elders. Being primarily Efferii of action, they learn best by example. Skills passed by the Bears include cooking, medicine, metallurgy, and trading, and fighting. Bears do not fancy books much, but they do like singing after drinking.

Culture & Arts:
The Ice Bears value strength above all else, and so most of their higher positions are given to the strongest bears. Skills they practice include hunting, fishing, mining, blacksmithing, and all-around combat. A more artistic profession is sculpting—usually depicting the grand ferocity of their ancestors. Loners by nature, the bear Efferii usually react hostilely to new faces, though once one earns the trust of a bear, that Efferus will fight for him tooth and claw. There is little dishonesty among the Ice Bears; if they have an attitude toward something or someone, they find it difficult to hide it

History
Ice Bears trace their racial memory back to Fort Stormcrow in the old world. At that time they were more isolated and in a quite peaceful place. It was a dull life. If asked what world would they prefer, they would eagerly affirm Nyxheim, because they enjoy the danger, their travels, the fighting, and their generally more active lives. Currently, Svanteberg is allied to the Ice Prince Adonis. They guard the passage to the ruins of Epentar.

-- Royal Seal 03:05, July 18, 2013 (UTC)