The World

Families roam the Icy world that earth has become. They exist as wandering tribes of often diverse individuals. Though their social structure might seem primitive they follow a set of rules to enforce order.

• There is safety in numbers. Smaller families may be consumed by larger ones, such that they agree to follow the larger family's leader and rules, as long as their needs are met. Families can survive at a minimum of 6-7, and a maximum of about 80. Any less, and they might as well give in to the cold and the hunters; Any more, and they will eat the land barren before starving to .
• Leadership is chosen semi-democratically, with most adults getting a say in who they will follow. Actual leadership skill, and charisma are usually the deciding factors. The individual is then undisputed leader until their , when a new leader is chosen.
• While technically bound to a group as long as their needs are being met, nothing is really stopping individuals from simply packing up and leaving. This is what tends to keep large groups from becoming too massive. Smaller groups may break off, and pick a leader from among them to be in charge of the new group.
• The children in this world tend to be raised in ‘it takes a village’ environments. Their mothers may be hunters, who don’t have time to look after young ones, or they may not be alive. Adults imposing life lessons on children in a family makes the most sense. In some cases the mother may have a number of potential fathers. In cases that aren't rare enough, the child may have no idea who their mother OR father are. As long as the family is there for them it doesn’t truly matter.

Certain settlements do exist in this world. A requirement is that they must be at least partially self-sufficient. If they can’t send hunters to catch all their meat, they have to get it from somewhere. They can’t survive entirely on meat, and need some plants from somewhere. They must stay warm somehow. As a settlement, they are basically sitting ducks for a raid party, they have to protect themselves somehow....

Raiders and bandits are hiding everywhere, and roaming just as fierce as the Families. Recently, the raiders in your area have decided to start enslaving those that they capture in their attacks, rather than complete slaughter. Some might see this as a mercy, you are smart enough to realize that it isn’t. Other groups may have taken to cannibalism, to stave off hunger.

For the right price you may be able to hire a mercenary group. Usually small, but always well equipped, mercenary groups will do nearly anything for something deemed ‘of value’ to them, be it better gear, clothing, food.. That is, if they decide not to just take it from you.