Kamal is one of the four main nations in Akavir and also the name of the race of snow demons who live there. The word means "Snow Hell".
The snow demons spend the winter frozen solid, but when summer comes they thaw out and attack Tang Mo, always unsuccessfully. On one occasion, the Kamal invaded Tamriel under their king, Ada'Soom Dir-Kamal. The invasion had some success at first, including the sacking of Windhelm in Skyrim, but was eventually defeated by Almalexia and the Underking in a battle at Red Mountain. The date of this invasion is not known precisely, although it is definitely after the War of Succession in 1E 420 and about 300 years before the accession of Tiber Septim to the Imperial throne, suggesting a date of around 2E 550.
The Kamal have not been seen recently in Akavir, partially due to winter, though many suspect that they've done the same as the other natives, and receeded into their own lands following the cataclysm. For many, this is something to be celebrated.
Culture and Society
Little is known in detail on the culture of the Group of Nomadic raiders known as the "Kamal". The assertion that they are literally frozen to the ground is taken with a grain of salt by many prone to skepticism, who are more than likely to believe these legends have arisen due to a period of rest in the Kamal's nomadic cycle they spend deep into the North.
What is however known for certain is that the Kamal do indeed seem to disappear from the borders of what has been acknowledged as their seasonal territory from early winter to late spring annually. Basically they are a community of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location.
Rare escaped captives would liken their interactions to be quite Tribal, slaving practices however have taken root in the form of indentured labour. Their leadership is based on dominance, both physical and strategic, with no hereditary system in place but simply power to the greatest.
On average, a Kamal could expect to live around 5 Centuries in optimal conditions. They grow to an enormous build, most being reported as around 7 to 8 feet tall. Kamal do not seem to reproduce often, due to the burden on their livelihood caused by raising young. They seem only to do so to replenish their numbers. This is most apparent in the Northern tribes, whilst in the South they strive to destroy their enemies and make more of an effort to breed an Army to little avail.
Due to these practices, compounded by the uncomparable similarities between generations of Kamal would have it seem that Kamal are extremely long lived. An example would be the Ada'Soom line of 'Kings', a long and direct line of kingship passed from Father to Son but regularly confused for one and the same.
Characteristics
Kamal, by all reports, are large and brutish, while lacking much in the way of greater intelligence. Content almost entirely to do nothing but war and pillage, they have no interest in the arts, philosophy, or any religion more complex than superstition and sacrifice. They are very strong, and adept at most weaponized combat, including rudimentary seige engines. Their size and mass slows them down though, and a fast man or mer could outstrip them in standard conditions.
Kamal religion is a subject without much information, but it seems that they worship a variation of Molag-Bal through Shamans, sacrifices, and ritualistic ceremonies. Their worship is almost akin to fear, and as a race they're typically superstitious, fearful of the unknown, and prone to devise new reasons to shed blood.
The race's origins are sketchy, but with the information gathered, it's speculated that they could be descended from ancient Frost Trolls, Frost Giants, or Orismer. In their culture, they refer to Rhakus-Baal (their substitute for Molag-Bal) as having had some influence in their shaping as a race, which is also entirely possible.
Kamal have some knowledge of smithing, though it's limited and they typically use weapons they've taken from others. Because they're nomadic, they've become excellent at jury-rigging equipment to their needs, and the same philosophy is used with structures, land, and resources. This means that the Kamal have very little in the way of physical culture, and that maybe the only real product of the Kamal industry is fairly crude weapons.
Kamal have rugged skin of brown-red color, and are covered in thick, matted white hair. They have two eyes (which have dark sclera) and a flat, brutish face, often with tusks or large teeth protruding from their lower jaws.