The Spine of the World is a mountain range that bounds the east of Illyria, three thousand miles long from the south of Illyria to the northern point four hundred miles north of the Wall where is connects with the Mountains of Mourn. Between the Mountains of Mourn and the Spine of the World is a massive colony of mountains called the Middle mountains, and it its here amongst the highest that the Iniki Halflings live.
These mountains are called the White Mountains for the light that spills from their tips, glittering peaks of enduring ice that shine for miles about. To the Halflings they are the Bright Peaks a land of perpetual snow and ice. The mountains of this range are more than eighteen thousand feet high and their tops are always covered in thick white snow, from which the sun reflects on a clear day. The Inki call these mountains home, and each peak has its own dedicated tribe. There are five major peaks that the Inki rest on - The White Road, Sunbright, Highsong, Burnbite and Frostwind. The tribes of these five peaks are the most respected Iniki.
The Inki themselves do not live on the peaks, but very high up - higher than most Humans would be comfortable living. Parts of each peak have been delved into, creating caves as homes and vats tunnel networks in which the Iniki live. Between each home is typically a set of bridges and walkways, constructed out of whatever materials can be found - bone, wood and stone. In saying this, the meeting chambers and trading places of the Iniki are usually well inside the mountain, far away from the cruel winds, ice and snow. Despite what one might think, mountains can actually support life, and many trees, herbs and such can be found upon the sides of a mountain. Streams are fresh and clean (for the come direct from the source) and even animals live on mountain sides. Most common of these are Arctic Hens which are kept by the Iniki alongside mountain goats for food and other domestic purposes - such as skin or feathers, milk or eggs - for the sides of mountains can make excellent grazing plains as the creatures burrow under thin layers of snow to get to well-preserved grasses underneath. During warm days from spring through to late autumn the snows thin during the day and are replaced during the night, meaning that the domestic animals have no problems in burrowing for their food for nine months of a year. Other creatures are known amidst the Middle Mountains though - the polar leopards and even some hawks can make homes here. Thus the Iniki have had to become skilled hunters for food as well and well practised in making the most of anything they can get their hands on. Admittedly the cold helps keep food for a long time too - so even during very cold winters Iniki do not go hungry.
The Iniki are naturally resistant to the Fae-flow, except for a spare few which actively mutate the flow about them. This development might be the evolutionary step towards Iniki magisters. Whatever the case it does appear that a handful of millions of years ago, when the Halflings were still mere animals and not sentient, these few individuals held sway over the other Halflings, directing them on the way to go. In this way herds of these ancestor animals could hide their presence in the Fae by the large number of them the repelled it, but still respond to its changes by listening to those few with the abnormality to feel it. Nowadays, however, such few individuals are called the Singing Man or the Singing Woman.
The name has developed from the natural affinity the Iniki have the world about them. Singing projects the voice out - which in a mountainous region means the voice echoes about the peaks and valleys, causing odd reverberations and echoes. Thus the Iniki tradition of signing their rituals - and also their history. In this way Singing Men and Women are like bards - telling the tribe of its past exploits and losses, religion and histories through the power of song, learning each thing by rote and word of mouth rather than written.
There is one peak amongst all the Iniki mountains that is respected more than the others and where no Iniki tribe lives. This place is called the ‘Winter House’ and is where the Singing Men and Women of all tribes journey to become Singing Men and Women proper. Typically they study under a full Singer until they can travel alone to the temple at the Winter House to become a full Singer themselves. The traditional trial of the Way Shamans at the Winter House is to sing a song of the tribe they come from - such trials and journeys are ones of faith, and religion is deeply important to the Iniki. Not that it is viewed as religion - for there is not central governing body and each god and goddess is fluid, representing many natural forces at once rather than godly beings - Iniki beliefs are more like a way of life. At the Winter House is the Ice Gate - a great frozen waterfall about a statue to Akna, the cruel winter goddess of vengeance. It is said that when the end of the world is nigh the waterfall will smash, and the Aknatakaket will flow free from the Winter House, heralding a winter without a spring.
Iniki culture is unusual for many other races to understand, for the gender roles are reversed. Iniki males tend to stay at home and look after the home, children and keep the domestic animals. This does not make them weak - for the males are competent fighters. It is simply that the males organise and are protective of their homes. Females on the other hand are typically brash and boastful - being skilled hunters and skilled in many forms of combat. When the Iniki go to war the men are usually the defensive fighters with the women taking up the more aggressive roles. Iniki society is highly matriarchal and the women have more power than the men. Iniki do not use a lot of technology for they have had no need to develop any, and thus the race is many hundreds of years behind the other races.
Each tribe of Iniki are lead by the Huntress and the Herdsman - usually a skilled warrior and a skilled trader. These two individuals are treated something like a king and queen and the position is usually handed onto their daughter - sons are sent to other peaks to forge alliances with the other tribes by marrying the daughter of that tribe’s Huntress and Herdsman. The decision of a Huntress and Herdsman is final - but the pair is guided in their decisions by the tribes Way Shaman - the leaders of the tribes Singers. The council of the Singers is not usually ignored as only they can interpret the will of the gods.
