Wetlanders

The Wetlanders are a sub-culture and ethnic group of Alettonic origin found within The Wetlands region of Andoras. They are found mostly only within their bogs and marshes and rarely leave their place of origin. The Wetlands are also known for a condition known as Peatlung.

Peatlung is a condition of the lung which results from a bacterial infection of Wetlander origin, whilst not deadly to the native population, it can prove up to a seventy-five to eighty percent mortality rate to non-native folk whom stay long periods of time in the Wetlands. Peatlung to Wetlanders is nothing more then a common cold or the flu, somewhat harmful but mostly easily taken care of. This condition is one of the main reasons as to why the region as a whole has never been conquered or subjugated for very long.

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A Wetlander Bog-Rice farmer.

History

The Alettonic peoples of Andoras are native to the continent as a whole and therefore there isn't a basis on how old the Wetlander population is, though it can be said that every scripture that survived stating early Adorasi culture before mass migrations does state the strange culture in some way, shape, or form.

Wetlander culture and traditions are probably the closest scholars will ever get to observing pre-edrossian life and customs of the Aletton peoples of Andoras. They have kept much of their ancient history well written and stories of kings of olden days, and alliances with powers that've been defunct since time immemorial not to mention several strange holidays that only the Wetlanders seem to celebrate, such as the Autumn Festival in which all families of neighboring regions bring together for bountiful feasts.

Physiology (and diet)

It's not common for Wetlanders to reach over five feet ten inches, their physiology is apparent and noticeable based on their diets, which mostly consists of meat with little to no vegetation. Though despite their short stature they are a very stocky people, with even the smallest Wetlander peasant men and women being broad shouldered and strong armed with thicker bones. Their hair colors include varying shades of brown, red, and sometimes strawberry blond. Eye colors include honey, hazel, most commonly green.

The diet of the populace mostly includes whatever they find, which is commonly found to be venemous snakes, frogs, (Which is where the Andorasi derogatory term 'frogeater' comes from), fish, alligator, along with whatever the locals can find. Wetlanders are not picky when it comes to cuisine, and tend to shy away from eating vegetables and fruit, due to most not eating such things regularly. However, a special type of grain that only grows in the region known only as 'bog-rice' is the only known crop export out of the region. Bog rice are the small seeds of a plant that grows in the thick peat-fields and is a staple in many dishes in Wetlander cuisine, being their only carbohydrate.

Language and customs

Andorasi Common-Tongue is the majority language of the entirety of the Wetlands, however it can be said that the pre-edrossian language has survived. The language known as 'Daoine-an-fhine' is one of the most widely spoken, if not the only language of Alettonic origin still used in day to day life within the Wetlands. It's a guttural throat-based language with melodic notes and nearly twenty-five percent of the sounds within it one would never hear in other languages today. Mostly 'Daoine-an-fhine' is only spoken in Wetlander homes, or among those who really seek to learn it as a whole, but for non-wetlanders whom haven't been raised around it's speaker have said it's abnormally difficult to learn.

Gardo-Wetland Bloodfeud

One of the best known Wetlander folk legends is an individual known only as the Kasser 'The Marsh-Lord' a bog-dweller of millennia past, who is said to of been one of the most violent and horrid men of his respective region. Legend has it that Kasser was the main reason as to why Gardorians are hated and why great prejudice is brought upon those of Gardorian ancestry and nationality. It is said that he and his band personally destroyed every single settlement along the Gardo-Wetland border with bloody violence and slaughtered the settlers down to every last man, woman, and child. And judging by the numerous old and decrepit ruins along the border of Gardorian origin, this is mainly though to not only be legend, but fact as well.

Gardorians, known for their grudges took this as a slight and aggression from every single Wetlander and compared bog-dwellers, to the normally very peaceful Wetlander people. Wetlanders began hating Gardorians and Gardorians began hating Wetlanders, (despite bogdwellers being extremely different in culture and practices), this act of aggression caused a bloodfued that has lasted for nearly one thousand years.

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An artists depiction of Kasser the Marshlord