Swampfolk

As swampfolk are mostly descended from merfolk, their main native language is Aquan. However, since they have had no contact with their sea-dwelling relatives, the language has evolved in a slightly different manner. This combined with the influences of non-merfolk members of the swampfolk ethnicity has caused the language to be almost incomprehensible to those who speak marine Aquan, though they are both just different dialects of the same language.

To most civilized people, swampfolk culture seems almost bestial. They live in family-based tribes which, for the most part, do not regularly interact with each other. Many of their cultural practices are based on those of the marine merfolk, but they have been adapted to match their swamp and forest-based lifestyle. In fact, much of why outsiders view them as uncivilized is the way they have adapted to their environment. Swampfolk are skilled at stealth, a skill necessary for hunting in the swamps, and, as they are not as technologically advanced as other peoples, their eating and social habits resemble those of other swamp predators.

Though they often are regarded as bestial and 'lesser' by the more advanced cultures of eastern Merterra, swampfolk would be considered extremely progressive in their cultural values if anybody cared enough to study them. They believe in hard work above all else, and that includes any arbitrary definitions between individuals, such as race, gender, or age. That said, they also believe in caring for the young, elderly, and disabled. Everybody is expected to do what they can for the clan, but they understand that different individuals have different strengths and abilities.   Swampfolk also believe in equity. They accept that genetic differences can impact an individual's ability to perform certain tasks (such as an elf being more skilled at hunting with finesse while their merfolk counterpart is more skilled at crafting), but rather than assign assumed traits based on perceived differences such as race or gender, they assess each individual's strengths and weaknesses unbiasedly and designate their position in the clan therefrom.

Swampfolk are not nearly as technologically advanced as most of the other peoples of Merterra. They have made use of basic tools, fire, and racial magic, but have not domesticated any plants or animals, precluding them from the advancements that naturally follow. As such, swampfolk value physical ability over intellect and view many outsiders' use of modern technology or advanced magic as weak.

For the swampfolk, gender is not much of a concern. Of course, there are the genetic differences between the sexes apparent in most species, but beyond that, they do not pay it much mind. Everybody is expected to contribute equally to the tribe when it comes to hunting and defense.