Hrimthurs live in large clans. They are ruled by a tyrant called a herre who is usually the strongest, most ruthless male. He will have up to ten wives, who form a political council to support him in clan politics. If his mother was part of a similar council, that council will serve as support as well, mostly for advice, mystic support, and subversive activities. Hrimthurs rule til they die or are forced out. Those who are forced out are traditionally exiled if they are allowed to live. This has led to new clans being formed and great rivalries and feuds.

Children in hrimthur clans are raised by the unwed women. They are taught to fight, farm, herd, and use their natural powers by these women. When they reach the age of 10 or so, they are brought into one of the lodges if they are male. Each lodge belongs to a different occupation within the clan: herders, hunters, warriors, farmers, craftsmen, fishers, sailors, merchants, or scholars. Any other occupation is rarer but there are sometimes specialized lodges within clans. Hrimthurs who choose not to be part of these lodges are left to survive on their own. Female hrimthurs are brought up with the unwed women until old enough to marry. Other genders exist, of course, but are suppressed.

Between the ages of 17 and 20, they reach their final growth spurt. If this does not happen, they are exiled or enslaved. Once it does happen, they are tested in their lodge. If they prove worthy, they are allowed to take a wife and begin their own herd, ranch, farm, etc. If they fail, they must wait a year and try again. Anyone who fails five times is killed, exiled, or enslaved. Slaves are always owned by the herre, though he may allow another to use them.

Women are taken as wives without much choice. They vie for attention in order to get the best husbands, and gossip is common among them about the various characteristics of the men. Before marriage, coupling and even some courtship are not uncommon, but a wife is bestowed, never chosen. A herre or his appointed deputy bestows wives. One must never request a wife, or that woman will be given to someone else. Showing affection before marriage is considered a crime. Brides are selected based on their perceived positive qualities--mystic skill, weaving, child-bearing bodies, sexual skill, cooking and cleaning, fighting skill, wit, poetry, singing, sailing, or medicine. The better one is at any or all of these, the more favored one will be. The herre will give the best to his favored hrimthurs. Of course, personalities sometimes get involved, though none would ever admit it.

The herre must be a powerful, strong warrior, as well as cunning. He may be challenged at any time save on midwinter day/night (infighting on this day is pointless and only leads to the destruction of property and land). Issuing a challenge requires a public declaration in front of at least ten witnesses. Once the challenge is issued, the herre must be informed if he was not present. Once informed, a day must be chosen, and the whole clan gathers for the battle. The battle ends when one is dead or incapacitated. If the herre incapacitates his enemy and does not kill him, he will lose respect, so he must kill. A challenger may show mercy, but this is only a poltical move if the wife-council (fru rad) is powerful enough to threaten him after herre falls. Sometimes, if a herre is maimed to the point of permanent unconsciousness or significant disability, he is sometimes allowed to live as a display of the challenger's power. This is considered the worst possible fate among hrimthurs.

Once a hrimthur reaches the age when they begin to senesce, they must be ever on guard. Some choose to step down if they feel too weak to continue, naming a powerful successor and retiring to be with their fru rad. In these rare circumstances, they become an elder (aldre) who is revered and feared until too feeble to speak. At this time, they are mercy killed by the fru rad, who then become a dowager council to the new herre.

There are four festivals every year for hrimthurs: midwinter, late thaw, early autumn, and Halloween. Midwinter is their largest festival, and many clans come together to celebrate it. Each herre feasts together, their fru rads feast in their own are. The warriors engage in war games, and the rest of the community engages in sports, games, contests, and feasting. Only slaves must work. The late thaw festival is a final commemoration before the hard months, preparation for the flooding. This is a somber, clanwide festival where the feast is considered a formal affair for the leaders and powerful only, and the rest of the community engages in prayer and fasting. The return of the cool is celebrated in early autumn. Each clan has their own ceremonies for this, most of them revolving around slaughtering a special cow, pig, or alg. Sometimes it involves a big fish if the clan is more focused on that. Halloween is a nationwide celebration. The children camp out in the night and sleep among the herds; the unwed women (jungfru) find someone to sleep with; the leaders stay in with the priests and hear old tales; and the rest of the hrimthurs engage in dark, happy rituals.

Personal feasts among hrimthurs change by class, occupation, and gender. Birth is commonly celebrated by women. Succeeding at becoming a master in a lodge is a major feast. The herre's anniversary of rulership is always celebrated.