Va'ia (The Cursed Land) is the northermost nation of the West Olor'im. While its territory is spacious, very little of the land is currently inhabited by any humanoid civilization, as much of its holdings are treacherous and home to many dangerous creatures. Of the existing population, most are native humans, though some elves and half-elves also call the region home. Due to its nature, Va'ia maintains very few permanent civilizations.
Va'ia is best known for its anachronistic artifacts, as prior to its fall it was the most technologically advanced of the Olorimic states.
History
Va'ia was originally founded by humans, possibly transplants from the northern deserts. As the area was resource-heavy and easily defended, the Va'i people were prosperous and quickly became a technological power, thanks in part to the prophetic abilities and occult knowledge that their religious beliefs brought them. The Va'i people were generous with their knowledge, and their contributions to Noravian civilization would inspire a widespread interest in education.
A small population of wood elves had called the region home before the arrival of the humans, although they rarely left the mountain rainforests of the northeast.
The Curse
Around 2,000 years ago, prior to the fall of the Illhad'orian Empire, Va'ia was struck by a cataclysmic event. While the details of its occurrence have been lost to time, The Curse, as it was known, led to the destruction of the fertile lands and a vast majority of the human and animal life as well, decimating Va'ia's population and destroying the society that had been built. A further half of those who survived the cataclysm would die to further monster attacks and the region's weather conditions. The tragedy would push some of the human survivors in the north to flee to the mountains, where they would eventually join and integrate with the wood elves.
While the cause of the cataclysm is officially unknown, Va'i citizens generally agree that it was the act of wrathful gods, brought on by humanity's hubris. In the aftermath of these events, the remaining citizens of Va’ia made a commitment to outlaw further practice of their native religious traditions, lest a catastrophe on this scale occur elsewhere in the world.
Geography
Aside from the heavily-forested mountains and river valleys of the eastern Highlands, most of the Va'i territory is flat and arid, with few natural resources or bodies of water. While nature has largely reclaimed the remnants of previous civilization, some of its most prized structures have withstood the test of time, dotting the landscape with strange, futuristic-looking landmarks interspersed with ruin and wasteland. What space is not claimed by nomadic groups is prowled by aberrant fauna of all sorts – some, like the Hu'i, fill the ecological roles of fauna lost during the Curse, while others, like the great Tshu'i worms, serve to change the character of the land entirely and introduce new challenges to life in the region.
To the east, Va'ia is strikingly different. The rivers running through the mountains provide the region with enough water to support a wide variety of plant and animal life. In response to over-foraging, many of the plants in the region are poisonous, including those most commonly eaten by the local civilizations. The region is home to dangerous fauna as well, though few are as vicious as the creatures in the lands beneath.
Weather
Va'i weather is often unpredictable. The plains are subject to strong winds, capable of displacing large amounts of loose earth, and occasionally hazardous weather conditions, such as traveling fires or acid rain. The eastern Highlands receive the majority of the Va'i rainfall, with the easternmost side taken up by rainforests. During fertile periods, these rains often coincide with the release of toxic spores, creating a poisonous mist that spreads throughout the canopies.
Politics
Va'ia has no united system of government between its disparate tribes and groups, and as such has no nationwide position on a majority of issues. As a result, Va'i society has few shared laws and policies, which makes the unanimous denunciation of the Old Gods particularly potent, but the punishment for partaking in rituals varies from group to group.
Most laws and law enforcement are the purview of community leaders, who are commonly chosen from among their people through trials of might and intelligence, or elected via democratic system. In Highland communities, it is also especially common for community leaders to serve as spiritual leaders as well.
Se'an
As the only permanent settlement in Va'ia, Se'an is home to representatives of many Va'i tribes and communities. The city is largely the only outlet for international trade, and is famous for its relaxed trade regulations, as well as for the continued sale of Va'i artifacts. Rather than follow any particular group's system of values, Se'an has its own laws and enforcement systems, built largely on compromise but often favoring the Highland's strict enforcement of rules preventing religious artifacts from leaving Va'ia through trade.
Economy
While previously one of the most wealthy nations in the Olor'imic sphere, Va'ia has struggled to retain its wealth since the Curse. With a general lack of agricultural land or resources to produce manufactured goods, much of the Lowland economy depends on the use and trade of historical artifacts, many of which must be scavenged from dangerous locations and operated without instruction. The Highland economy benefits more strongly from the production of food and artisanry, although such trade is rare on an international scale.
Va'ia is often the site of various guildwork, although the Va'i people themselves rarely see much economic benefit from such missions except as guides or merchants. It is often debated whether the presence of adventurers in Va'ia is a positive or a negative for the population, as while writs and quests do increase the nation's visibility, this is often at the cost of local resources and reputation, and creates a degree of fetishization of Va'i artifacts and concepts. Goods leaving a community's land are often taxed, but there are few other regulations common to the Lowland groups.
Culture
Lowlands
Va'i Lowlanders are rugged survivalists and often carry a reputation of brutality. While those who can often leave Va'ia, many remain out of a sense of pride for their nation, regardless of their belief that the Curse was meant as a punishment. The Lowland people tend to be rather emotionless like their Highland counterparts, but in the Lowlands this is more commonly a means of protection from psychically-enabled monsters and trackers relying on sound and scent. Those who remain in the nomadic communities of the plains are almost always skilled fighters and inventive users of the scattered technology, with some of the best available knowledge on the ruins and the benefits they contain. While the various Lowland groups occasionally clash, they are often collaborators, especially when facing colossal threats.
Highlands
The half-elven people of the Va'i Highlands are noted spiritualists and strict stoics. In response to their belief that it was the folly of humanity that caused the fall of Va'ia, they have largely dedicated themselves to altering all "human" aspects of their lives – many of the Highlanders find divinity in the plants and animals around them, and strive to gain full control over their emotional and mental state. They apply the same discipline to their physical bodies, enabling them to build up resistances to the area's poisons.
The Highlanders consider themselves morally obligated to prevent further damage to the rest of the world, and as such many Highlanders train to seek out and recover Va'i artifacts from the rest of the world. Many become proficient in the use of poisons and weaponry, and some even use these skills to find work as mercenaries or assassins in the wider region.
Language
The Va'i lands retain their own language separate from that of Noravia and Laertagne. While the Va'i language has historically lacked a written form, its contemporary speakers have developed various writing systems based on oral tradition and these are taught and used across various tribes and communities. It is noted as sounding "exotic" to speakers of other languages, and consists largely of strung syllables. As described by Semnibel, the language consists largely of abstract concepts, codified by their suffixes.
Religion
Current Va'i religion is largely a creation of the Highlands, based on the melding of human shamanistic practices with the animistic beliefs of the wood elf population. While widespread in the mountains, however, this sort of belief system is looked upon cynically in the Lowlands outside of Se'an.
There is evidence that the Lowland people have begun to return to the worship of the Old Gods, though no proof of this fact has been recorded.
Notable Inhabitants
Ma'arkus Deadwood
Isi