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Description
Just a simple piece for now, as I am very busy IRL.

The Valkyrie are a tribe of humans who live in the far west fringes of the Human Empire. Not much is known of the world beyond these snowy mountains, as it is a journey of many months from the most western city of the Empire to just reach the Valkyrie tribe, and then months more to travel across the lands that the Valkyrie rule, due to the blizzards and mountains. Airships can make this journey much more quickly, but the frozen air of the east makes air travel extremely dangerous.

The Valkyrie tribe is a group of hardy humans that have built a few dozen larger settlements of a about ten thousand each, with hundreds of smaller villages within a half day walk of these settlements. One would consider this to be a small country rather than the tribe, but the human empire is reluctant to recognize such a far away group officially.

There are two main subspecies of human here. Pictured is the blonde pale skinned subspecies, and there is also a darker skinned, darker hair subspecies (Coming in a future commission (: )
The Valkyrie have an extensive woodcarving culture. Every girl undergoes a coming of age ritual where she carves a wooden statue or statuette of herself. This carving she can decorate with clothing, beads, feathers, and she keeps in her home all her life. When she dies, it is buried with her. Pictured, the Maiden has carved an image of her mother onto her shield.

The Valkyrie have an age based hierarchy.
Girls under ten years of age are considered to be akin to animals. They need to be kept clean and fed and looked after, but due to their uselessness they are treated with a bit of contempt by all who aren't direct family members. A girl of this age can prove herself to be useful by doing chores and work as young as possible.
Once a girl proves herself useful, she is called a Daughter. This is when she begins training as a profession. Many Daughters are put to work in the various forms of food gathering, as the snowy wasteland offer low amounts of nutrients. Some begin military training, and there are also a handful of other roles vital to the Valkyrie.

Girls who complete their training - which is usually takes until they are about 19, 20 or 21 years of age - mark this by carving a wooden figure of herself, and become known as Maidens. The woman pictured above is a Maiden. Maidens have officially completed their training, but are not yet considered fully mature. These act as scouts, squires, apprentices and in general juniors in their jobs.

It is not until they are 30 when they are finally considered adults and women. A Maiden who finds a husband before she is 30 - which is only 10-20% of Maidens, even if many Maidens marry a single man - is permitted to leave her job or the military and become a housewife. Those who cannot, or choose not to marry a man - as lesbian marriages are permitted but do not exempt from jobs - become Sisters at the age of 30.
Sisters are finally fully adult women. They are at the prime of their lives; physically fit and with experience. These form the bulwark of the Valkyrie fighting forces.

Sisters are expected to work at least 20 more years before retirement becomes an optional choice. When they turn 40, they become Mothers, and when they turn 50, they may retire and become Grandmothers, or continue their service to the tribe as advisors.

Description
Just a simple piece for now, as I am very busy IRL.

The Valkyrie are a tribe of humans who live in the far west fringes of the Human Empire. Not much is known of the world beyond these snowy mountains, as it is a journey of many months from the most western city of the Empire to just reach the Valkyrie tribe, and then months more to travel across the lands that the Valkyrie rule, due to the blizzards and mountains. Airships can make this journey much more quickly, but the frozen air of the east makes air travel extremely dangerous.

The Valkyrie tribe is a group of hardy humans that have built a few dozen larger settlements of a about ten thousand each, with hundreds of smaller villages within a half day walk of these settlements. One would consider this to be a small country rather than the tribe, but the human empire is reluctant to recognize such a far away group officially.

There are two main subspecies of human here. Pictured is the blonde pale skinned subspecies, and there is also a darker skinned, darker hair subspecies (Coming in a future commission (: )
The Valkyrie have an extensive woodcarving culture. Every girl undergoes a coming of age ritual where she carves a wooden statue or statuette of herself. This carving she can decorate with clothing, beads, feathers, and she keeps in her home all her life. When she dies, it is buried with her. Pictured, the Maiden has carved an image of her mother onto her shield.

The Valkyrie have an age based hierarchy.
Girls under ten years of age are considered to be akin to animals. They need to be kept clean and fed and looked after, but due to their uselessness they are treated with a bit of contempt by all who aren't direct family members. A girl of this age can prove herself to be useful by doing chores and work as young as possible.
Once a girl proves herself useful, she is called a Daughter. This is when she begins training as a profession. Many Daughters are put to work in the various forms of food gathering, as the snowy wasteland offer low amounts of nutrients. Some begin military training, and there are also a handful of other roles vital to the Valkyrie.

Girls who complete their training - which is usually takes until they are about 19, 20 or 21 years of age - mark this by carving a wooden figure of herself, and become known as Maidens. The woman pictured above is a Maiden. Maidens have officially completed their training, but are not yet considered fully mature. These act as scouts, squires, apprentices and in general juniors in their jobs.

It is not until they are 30 when they are finally considered adults and women. A Maiden who finds a husband before she is 30 - which is only 10-20% of Maidens, even if many Maidens marry a single man - is permitted to leave her job or the military and become a housewife. Those who cannot, or choose not to marry a man - as lesbian marriages are permitted but do not exempt from jobs - become Sisters at the age of 30.
Sisters are finally fully adult women. They are at the prime of their lives; physically fit and with experience. These form the bulwark of the Valkyrie fighting forces.

Sisters are expected to work at least 20 more years before retirement becomes an optional choice. When they turn 40, they become Mothers, and when they turn 50, they may retire and become Grandmothers, or continue their service to the tribe as advisors.