The Eldekai nomads of the Northern Steppes often viewed their communities as
extended family. Taking care of and protecting one's family was their first
priority, and most would gladly give their lives to ensure the safety of
those they cared for.

The people of the steppes were largely Eldekai, as it was their ancestral
home. While rare for them to take in people of other ancestries, it did
happen. And those adopted in were treated just as family. Thus, if one was
not Eldekai, something extraordinary such as a sacrifice or blood oath in
the past or that of one's parents secured that position as a member of the
culture, and regardless of ancestry, it was still a matter of family.

Denizens of the Steppes usually had a looser relationship with death
compared to other cultures. Death was commonplace on the Steppes, and scouts
would frequently give their lives to stave off a great threat so their
family could escape. Deaths were mourned quietly and quickly, with the
nomads believing that upon death, one becomes a kind of otherworldly scout
for their family, warning about dangers through dreams and omens so as to
safeguard the future.

This is perhaps in part why so many managed to make it to Altheria when the
Blight overran the Northern Steppes. The sacrifice of those who lured Beasts
away and the resilience of the survivors helped them find refuge, though the
new home they have found themselves in is a strange and unfamiliar one. Now
tied to a single place, unable to leave, some have expanded their view of
family to include all who remain, while others attempt to adjust to the
myriad peoples and cultures struggling to build a community together in the
face of so much loss.

---