Once feared and famed across the land as perhaps the most formidible soldiers in the Godswar, the Avwynni have undergone somewhat of a cultural revolution in the years that have since passed. At the command of their god, the Avwynni eschewed the practice of magic outside of that which their god "gifted" them, believing magic to be both a force of evil and a crutch for the weak. instead they devoted themselves to perfecting their physical skills and abilities to an extreme degree, enabling them to survive in the harsh climes of their homelands and rendering them legends on the battlefield. Even today stories are still told of legendary Avwynni warriors who preternatural skill with blade and bow were able to turn the tide of many a battle in the Godswar, much to the general embarrassment of the now largely peaceful people who would prefer to put their days of war behind them.
The discovery that the connection to the elemental magics of ice and snow was not a gift bestowed on them by their former god but rather an innate part of their being was but one of many was but one of many drastic shifts that would echo throughout the Avwynni in the years following the Shattering. Having spent so long as nothing more than a finely honed weapon in the gods squabbles, many amongst the Avwynni found themselves lacking purpose in this new world. Seeking to find a new place in society while not casting out everything about who they were, a wave of industry swept across their society as those who had once devoted themselves to the art of battle turned instead to artisanry in an attempt to turn their natural affinity for study and technique to something productive for the new life they wished for themselves.
Today, the Awynni are well known for the finely crafted goods that denizens of other realms flock to their frigid climes to buy, though the memories of who they once were remain unforgotten and perhaps will never truly fade. But regardless of how outsiders might view them, the Avwynni remain commited to forging a new path for themselves, even though none among them are yet sure exactly what that may be.
Physical Description
Typically possesed of angular features and pointed ears that often lead them to be mistaken for Elves, the Avwynni tend towards smaller builds with the tallest among them seldom measuring more than 5'8". Their appearance otherwise varies widely, though most commonly they sport dark colored hair and eyes which often range in color from various shades of blue and black.
Very rarely however, Avwynni children are born with flaming red or brilliant white hair though it is only in more recent days that traits such as these were not quickly and thoroughly hidden by their families. Known as "witchmarks", it was once believed that these traits were a sign of ill omen and that the child was destined to be cursed with terrible magics. In the days of the Godswar, it wasn't unheard of for children bearing these marks to be shunned from society as soon as they were feasibly able to survive on their own and, while this practice has largely faded in the years since, small pockets of prejudice still linger in more "old fashioned" members of Avwynni society.
Society
Famously insular, it's only in the years since the rejoining that much about Avwynni culture has become known to those outside of Avwyn. While once an incredibly strict a hierarchical culture, Avwynni society is currently in a transitionary period as newer generations that have never known the endless war of their forefathers have gradually come to have a stronger voice in their society. Traditionally, the Awynni were an isolationist people with a highly structured society based around blood relations, with the eldest male of a family line at the head, and many still favor the preservation of these ways as a means of holding on to what they believe is a fundamental aspect of their people's identity. Equally strong however is the inevitable curiosity that increased contact with the outside has brought with it as ever growing numbers of Awynni youth have begun to travel outside their homeland and explore the worlds in a way that was denied to their ancestors. These differences in outlook have not come without some amount of tension in their society as many struggle to adapt to the drastically changing world they now find themselves in.
Trivia
Traditionally, Avwynni were their hair long regardless of gender, with long hair having once been a requirement of military uniforms. Additionally it is custom amongst the Avwynni that when a loved one falls in battle a lock of hair is taken from the deceased and braided into the survivor's own hair as a mark of remembrance.