Southern and Northern (Culture)

The south and the north are two very different places, one is a land full of warm and sunny meadows, green pastures where horses graze upon, high mountains and small hills. The other a harsh and cold land but full of beauty, from the grey sand shores to the white summits of this world. In this world not only are the lands north and south different, but the culture also. Their influences hail from all sorts of places and peoples and their beliefs are held strong and high above all.

Southern Values
In the South people mainly value honour and chivalry, if someone chose to dishonour their deal or an oath they would be looked down upon by the people. A mans' duty in the south was to protect their homes and work to support their families, this was not expected of women but they still made an effort none the less, not only were men to take care of their families but also to respect women, such things like holding the door for a women, letting them pass first were seen as righteous and if a man rushed in front of a woman it would bring great shame upon them. Always before a battle leaders of two armies would meet to talk and parley after they would shake no matter what and then return to their respected armies, and always after the bodies of the dead no matter what side was buried and rites were given to all, every time royalty was killed their bodies were sent back to their families so that they may mourn their loss, the mutilation of any deceased would result in the execution of the person. Later on surgeons who had gotten permission from the people were allowed to operate.

A few of the other things people south of the green vale value is home and their families, always southerners would dream of home, at first when they leave it would not seem that important, but after the trials that be fall them and the work they do they always in the end dream of home, returning to a warm hearth with bread and wine, this was the case especially for soldiers who served long shifts in the borders or marched a great distance from home. To southerners unlike the northerners their home was not a land but somewhere they could return to after a long days' march or back breaking work.

Family was almost as important as their honour, for the safety of their family members, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters was valued far beyond gold. Killing one of your kinsmen was considered as one of the worst things you could do, in fact kin-slayers are normally humilated and beaten on the streets, this may also occur when someone kills a longtime friend or partner, because the bond they make is that important. Dying for your family was considered one of the most decent things a man could do other than saving the life of some one else, and people who's families had suffered such a thing such as families of soldiers and guardsmen were given lots of moral support and help from others. Men and the sons of the family were expected to provide and produce for them, and those without a family normally joined up with the army or enlisted in the border watches because they knew that if they did so they would not only be protecting their people but the countless families of those who had died or served valiantly.

Northern Values
Northern values are extremely different to southern ones, in the way that they are almost completely different and have only a few similarities. First they value gold and wealth over most of what they have, in fact it is said that a north man would slay his own brother for his sack of gold, this of course was not true but it was in the case of inheriting kingdoms, a prince would kill the other just so that he could become king and with such it shows their hunger for power, even the houses of the people fight over dominance in different regions and have a fair amount of in fighting.

Bravery is something extremely different to greed and also something they value a lot, a man who did daring deeds and did would no one else would dare do would be revered and honoured by the people, and killing such people would stir up the populace and cause them to revolt. Being brave and being the first to scale a wall, charge the enemy, venture down south, sail into the west, these were all things that would make the populace support them and sing songs in their name, no matter where you were from as long as you could do heroic deeds of daring you would be accepted (Provided that you survived).

A hard days' work is also something that is valued highly by the nords, whether it be a long days' work or a great march over high hills, the completion of such a task and such things were valued by the nords. A man who works hard and finishes his work early, or even someone who works hard and does more work, would be extremely respected by their coworkers and often receive raises in pay as well as extra moral support.