Peoples of Thulean ancestry are deemed such because they are descended from the first humans to arrive on the island continent; hence, they are the most numerous and diverse of Thule's inhabitants.
Originating from the Far North, the Thuleans' ancestors crossed the boreal seas at a time when they were still frozen over by the grip of the Pale Death, yet had just begun to recede as the Earth started to warm back up. By the time other peoples arrived in Thule from across the flooded world, the Thulean tribes had already settled down across all corners of the continent.
Barbaric, Deeply Spiritual Tribes
Like their ancestors before them, most Thuleans are barbarians who form closely-knit tribes. Most tribes are semi-nomadic or nomadic; if the territory they inhabit suffers from scarcity or danger, they may move to another territory seeking better prospects. Every tribe relies on a slew of important roles taken up by each member or family-clan, working in sync for their collective survival. Thulean tribesfolk may be free from the strict laws and protocols of a civilized state, but the risks that come with living near or within the savage wilderness force them to abide their local customs. These customs may be primitive or bizarre to a civilized observer, but they are undoubtedly time-tested, having taught multiple generations how to survive nigh impossible odds.
Few Thulean tribesfolk acknowledge distant hero-gods like the Seven, who are worshiped in the cities. Since before humans even set foot on Thule, their ancestors worshiped nature spirits grounded in their immediate surroundings. These were hunter-gatherers living under the reign of the Pale Death: an icy age of utter scarcity, in which flesh-meat was the primary source of food around. But rather than resort to cannibalism—a euthanasic practice damning any tribe to certain doom—the Thuleans preyed on the great woolly beasts with whom they coexisted.
These early humans struck primeval pacts with the most powerful kind of animal spirit: the Beastlords. Only with the lords' permission, they were given the chance to hunt their bestial subjects for food, warm pelts, and ivory tools. In exchange, the lords demanded beast-blood for man-blood. As per this "eye for an eye" rule, humans would be considered prey-animals as well; of course, both parties to a pact were allowed to defend themselves. And each side of this savage yet honorable rivalry promised to leave enough time between hunts for the other to proliferate.
For those who face dangerous beasts and enemy tribes, it is all about survival of the fittest. Play the game, or starve. It was none other than desperate hunger which drove the ancestors to follow the prey-beasts as they migrated into the promised lands of Thule. No Thulean claims to have "discovered" Thule; the beasts were the first ones there.
Relations between humans and beasts have not always been so heated. Some tribesfolk have achieved companionship with dogs, cats, horses, birds-of-prey, and other wild animals for mutual survival. Whether they be bloody or amicable, the symbioses between Thuleans and animals are important. There is no wonder why so many tribes fashion themselves after a particular beast: Raven Tribe, Malamute Tribe, Spotted Horse Tribe, Dwarf Mammoth Tribe, Porcupine Tribe, etc.
Besides the many animal spirits, who are tied to various spiritual blessings and curses, the Thuleans hold all things in nature to be spirits of more or less importance. Prayers to the spirits of earth may improve chances of finding useful herbs, wood to build with or light fires, and stones to fashion tools or lay cairns over the dead (a practice that comes from when the earth was too frozen for digging graves). When humans first crossed the boreal seas, they were greeted by Thule's coastal mountain ranges, which served to wall off the warm interior from floods and chilling winds; knowing this, many Thuleans proclaim the mountain spirits to be "great protectors" who shield them from evil weather-spirits like the Pale Death.
Today, some Thulean tribes have become more sedentary. They've adopted blacksmithing, carpentry, tanning, farming, and other advancements introduced by urbane foreigners. Even so, their worship of the nature spirits hasn't waned; it has merely shifted, with more favor given to river and rain spirits who irrigate croplands, wind spirits who blow upon the sails of longboats, or to ore spirits who give strength to forged tools and weapons. So have their enemies changed; many Thulean farmers hold the Lord of Blight and Curses, Nethys, to be chief among evil spirits.
Primeval Speech and Relations
What sets apart every blooded Thulean from other humans is the Primeval Speech. It is a Thulean's innate ability to understand and communicate with the sacred "spirit animal" of their tribe. Talking to animals may seem bizarre to other humans, but for every Thulean it is a sixth sense definitive of their shared ancestry.
According to tribal elders and shamans who are responsible for recording the oral history and explaining the customs of their tribe, the Primeval Speech originates from each tribe's ancestral pact with one of the Beastlords. The Speech is humankind's last true connection to their animal past. It is not unheard for Thuleans to call upon their spirit animals or the Beastlords for aid or counsel when it is of dire need, to make alliances for battle against mutual foes, or to request access to a sacred patch of wilderness. However, as with any savage nature, dealing with Beastlords and animals always comes at a harsh price; Thuleans do well not to rely on this power, as it can be a double-edged sword. There have been times when tribesfolk have asked for more that they can give in return, thus angering the spirits and forcing themselves into exile among the civilized folk. After all, those who provoke the wrath of the Beastlords will suffer grave consequences. For instance, the accursed beastmen who haunt the wilds of Thule were once human, before they were transformed as punishment for breaking their ancestral pacts.
Appearances
Thuleans are fully human. Each individual exhibits a unique range of physical traits endemic to any member of the species. Thuleans do tend to have lighter skin complexions because their ancestors in the Far North received comparatively low sunlight exposure. Their ancestors also adapted to wintry temperatures by growing more body hair, a trait which many Thuleans inherit. For this reason, other peoples have stereotyped Thuleans as being "hairy".
Coexisting and mingling with Lemurian and Vrilerinnen peoples for the last thousand years has introduced even more genetic diversity, especially among Thuleans who live by the great cities. But many tribes are insular by nature, and members of the same tribe tend to share some visible similarities.
Thulean fashion is different from tribe to tribe. Most tribes aren't wealthy and can only access what is immediately available to them in their natural surroundings. A coastal tribe may incorporate shells and seabird feathers into their traditional dress, while a mountain tribe may wear goat horns and paint their bodies in white chalk. Other articles of fashion may be taken from the spoils of war. A few can afford cosmetics or cloth bartered from another tribe or purchased from civilized merchants.
Traits
Age.
You reach adulthood in your mid-to-late teens. If the perils of adventure don't take you first, you may live for at most fifty years.
Size.
The average height of your people is 5 ft., and you can grow no taller than 7 ft.
Primeval Speech. Long ago, we struck feral accord with the lords of beasts, ensuring survival for the strongest of both our kinds throughout the ebb and flow of the Pale Death. Pity those who fashion themselves "civilization"—who live behind walls for fear of the wilderness—who have lost the old ways, knowing only the riddles of steel and gold. When it comes time again to parley with nature, we must remember her Primeval Speech. Those who keep it shall survive the end of this age, and those who have forgotten it shall perish.
You can understand and communicate with beastmen, and one kind of animal—the spirit animal of your clan. Unless your spirit animal has a reason to be hostile towards you, they are friendly to you, and are neutral to your companions (unless they have the same spirit animal).
Once per adventure, you may call for the aid of the Beastlord who represents your spirit animal. The GM determines the details.
You may lose this entire ability if you or your kindred have offended a Beastlord in some way. The GM determines the details.
Survival Skillset. Cruel yet providing, nature is a double-edged sword. You and I can survive it, and wield it; our spirits, elders, and friends have taught us how.
Once per day, you may reroll an Animal Lore or Wilderness Lore (Int) check, without expending a die from your Reroll Pool.
Language. The peoples of Thule are many, with many different tongues to guide them. In our lifetime, we cannot learn them all. That is why we must treasure our native tongue; it is what binds us to our own kin and the lands we call home, and dispels the urge to claim what is not ours.
You speak the native language of your tribe.