Akrithos

The culture of the Akrithos is strongly influenced by them, embracing military training and athletics as part of their lives, and this is reflected in their belief that one can only gain honour if it's through a purpose, and that a life without purpose is not only a life without honour but also a waste of the gift from the gods. Despite them being militaristic, their view on what sort of purpose can bring honour is fairly wide; it can range from taking up a leadership position, service in the military or even be an artist. The only requirement is that one finds purpose in their life through their work.   While many of the Akrithos are not fighters, their young still participate in games that involve training in wrestling, javelin throwing, running and rhetorical debates, and extra pressure is put on the nobles as they are expected to be an inspiration to the people.   The people still have a strong clan-city identity from when they before the migration lived in a couple of small city-states and to this day, these identities still form the basis of marriage negotiations, patronage networks, political alliances and which festivals are being celebrated where and at that time of the year.   The aristocrats who claim to be descendants of old war chiefs and some even from mythological figures can often be found to be in positions within the military or having a seat on the council of nine, the advisory body that helps the Grand Prince in governing the Principality of Clifia and they are often those families selected to govern provinces for a set amount of years.   There are also the merchant class, with merchant families often possessing wide foreign connections, with some families being wealthier than some noble families and being able to gain political leverage through sponsorships.   The more common Akrithos, the farmers, artisans, fishermen, and so on, take pride in their local traditions, festivals and their own athletic games, and they make up the majority of the armed forces of the Principality, where they form the Clifian Phalanx.  

Relationships With Others

The Akrithos, no matter the social status, often respect other cultures that, like themselves, have a clear hierarchy and strong warriors; they have a begrudging respect for the Crienia Crienia and their imperial culture, but will often add, after having praised the Crienia, that they are still too soft. They have a tense relationship with elves such as the Sárvannen whom they find as being to unstructured and uncultured in general.