Guidebook

Culture Simply put, a character's culture is where their values originate, regardless of where they are physically located. Your culture does not tend to change as readily as your citizenship can. Each nation listed has its own culture(s). The culture you pick for your characters will likely influence their backstory and their beliefs, and will certainly have direct ramifications in terms of how NPCs view you and how you operate in the world. The cultures of Sonder, which can transcend geographic lines, are as follows:

Highlander loyal, free, untamed (Rionnach)	Lowlander patient, peaceful, studious (Rionnach)	Mainlander practical, efficient, shrewd (Rionnach)
Èirelander feudal, unique, creative (Éireland)	Ildhrunan intolerant, disciplined, religious (Ildhrune)	Da'Iran fair, judicious, circumspect (Da'Ira)
Outlander you tell us

Deeply superstitious and clannish, Highlanders are wary of upsetting the balance in the natural world. They are deeply loyal to their family and are difficult to impress. They admire strength and skill over most all else, and they believe in common Gaelic superstitions and folklore, including the Fae. For quite some time, Highlanders made the best soldiers due to their skill. After their queen was ousted from the throne of Rionnach, however, they were demoted from most militant positions within Rionnach and many have joined unsanctioned militias or assimilated into more traditional professions. It comes as no surprise that most Highlanders are ill-concealed Jacobites. All Highlanders typically speak Scottish Gaelic and English.

Hardworking and peaceable, Lowlanders are "people of the earth" so to speak. They're less absolute in their morality and have a tendency to maintain a position of neutrality. Most Lowlanders find themselves cultivating gardens or seeking lives of medicine. A fair number become scholars as well. A heterogeneous group, Lowlanders have no particular affiliation. Some relate to their Highlander kin, others have grown fond of the crown and throw their lot in with Mainlanders. Many see the value of a democracy. Most all Lowlanders speak English and have at least a rudimentary understanding of Scottish Gaelic.

If not a tad materialistic, Mainlanders are shrewd, structured and resourceful. They know how to make life more organized and, consequently, more complex. They are skeptics in the face of superstition and tend to rely on the rule of law and order over all else. Mainlanders run the gambit of professions and most are Royalists. Mainlanders typically speak English and/or another distant language, such as French or Italian. Their knowledge of Scottish Gaelic tends to be choppy at best.

Èirelander are freedom-oriented and feudal. Almost all wolves belong to small packs with traditional structuring (alpha, beta, etc.) and are content to continue on that way, without a higher power trying to unite their extremely different families and factions. To many other cultures, Èirelanders seem uncivilized and primitive, but they see themselves as uninhibited and free. Èirelanders likely only understand Scottish Gaelic and may be able to read English.

Disciplined and unforgiving, Ildhrunans find comfort and community in their religion and constantly vye for the blessings of their gods. They admire dedication, knowledge, tradition, and respect. They are rigid and theocratic, and most find themselves in religious professions as priests, scholars, or evangelists. However, many find themselves called to a different cause and pray to their gods with sword and steel. They are intolerant of outsiders and are known to be hostile when their beliefs are questioned.

Democratic and fair-minded, Da'Irans live by the voice of the people. They welcome the weary and downtrodden, and their community way of living allows many to thrive. They are equalists, believing that no one person "owns" anything individually, so no one is very wealthy. They admire compassion, leadership, and living by example. They do not believe in violence and, thus, do not condone a standing army but have a loose cohort of militia volunteers on standby.

Diverse and unique, Outlanders have no unified culture. When Outlanders have a political opinion, they span the whole spectrum. Outlanders may know any number of languages as is pertinent to their respective cultures.