"I sail all the waves of this world, for they are all my home. However, by far I prefer the waters of Qualaxi, where sunshine is ever-present, and the waters move smoothly from isle to isle."

-The Great Wayfinder, Alas

 

The Cultures of Qualaxi

Qualaxi is less a continent as it is a huge collection of islands, spread across the Sun Soaked Sea and the Great Southern Sea. In these seas there are countless inlets, atolls, keys, and archipelagos. There are also a collection of larger islands, capped off by what is either a small continent or an enormous island, the land of Valentera. Many of these islands are tropical paradises, while others are deserts with no life, and most of them, particularly the Sun Soaked Isles, are inhabited by the children of the elements, Genasi, who are said to have been thrown into the world long ago by the gods. The inhabitants of the islands are largely characterized by their love for trade and travel, and most have traditions that involve sailing to new islands in search of adventure. This exploratory spirit has led many of these people to venture away from Qualaxi, and some bring those they meet back with them, making the populations of these islands often to be quite diverse. This welcoming and exploratory spirit is in stark contrast to the elves of Valentera, who live in permanent isolation from the rest of the world, and who violently patrol their lands for illegal foreigners. Whereas the island peoples live in communities, usually with a village elder, but rarely a chain of command, the Valenteran elves live under the totalitarian rule of the Dictadora, and rebellion from this rule is punished harshly. Caught in-between these two are the pirates of Qualaxi, who take advantage of its lack of unity to raid and patrol its waters with impunity. While most islands in Qualaxi are inhabited by happy folk, many are home to pirate dens.

          Therefore, in Qualaxi there exists a great clash in ideas, though unlike elsewhere, there is very little actual conflict over this tension. The people of the islands are happy to leave the elves well alone, and the Valenterans despise leaving their land unless it is of the utmost importance, while the pirates care about merchant ships, and are far too afraid to attack Valenteran ships. Too, it is important to note, that the isles of Qualaxi are thousands of miles apart, spread over massive distances. In the center of it ominously sits the Dragon-Tail Islands, the homelands of all Dragon-kind, and travelers know well to give those islands a wide birth. Not only that, but there are few reasons for merchants to travel through the isles, as few have the deals necessary to get them into the lucrative cities of Valentera, and even fewer can travel safely in the knowledge that they will not be attacked by pirates. Therefore, few have any idea how fantastical the creatures are that inhabit these seldom travelled lands. In addition to the exotic Genasi, Mermaids and Kalastar also call these waves home. The mermaids call all of the ocean their home, but meet and collect on Golek's Isle, at the Maidis Conclavis. The Kalashtar live in complete harmony in their Commune of Kalashtraum, where they rehabilitate those who are haunted by their pasts, leading them on a path to redemption and happiness.

          The most common races found in Qualaxi are elves, genasi, mermaids, dwarves, and humans. You might want your character's culture to be of Qualaxi if they are innocent to the world's darker side, have a ferocious appetite for discovery, believe that people should stick to their own kind, want to control all aspects of their and others' lives, or have a deep kinship with the sea and all its creatures. This is of course very broad-strokes, and you should have a look at the following cultures to learn more about the subtleties of each:

 

Kalashtari Culture: The Kalashtari people fuse their souls with spirits of light from the Realm of Dreams, and run a commune on the Isle of Dreams.

Mermaiden Culture: Almost all who call the mermaid culture theirs are, obviously, mermaids. They collect at Maidis Conclavis.

Sowsokain Culture: This culture is of the people inhabiting the Flaring Islands and Alasi Islands in the Great Southern Sea.

Sunsokan Culture: This culture is of the people inhabiting the Sun Soaked Isles, a majority of them being Genasi.

Valenteran Culture: The people of Valentera, those who live under the despotic rule of the Dictadora, are of this culture.

 

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