Novya (NO vee yah)

The People of the Heartlands

The term Novya have evolved to mean several things over the course of its use. Originally, and primarily, it is meant to be a term given to Humans born in the Northern Reach of Ethae, regardless of culture or kingdom. By the time of the rise of Lakorth it had come to mean only the people dwelling in the Heartlands of Novyum, with larger nations such as the city-state of Old Capedo claiming themselves as Capedian rather than Novya. In Lakorth the term Novya fell out of use for a few generations as all the Heartlands became part of Lakorth's nation and thus everyone was Lakortha. This persisted until the rise of the United Kingdoms of Novyum which brought the old term back into the lexicon, used for citizens of that nation. This became so pervasive that today the term almost exclusively means citizens of the United Kingdoms of Novyum.

Unlike Lakortha, which is a term that mean citizens of the lost nation, but also currently used as a term for citizens of the still existing city of Lakorth, Novya never had a solid foundational nation or city. Thus, it has quickly falling out of use again with the decline of the United Kingdoms. For most, Novya, has become a name of a specific nation in history rather than its original use as a name for all people of Novyum.