Veloras

An advanced country in the mountains

Veloras is a large country situated in the northeast of the Known World. Thanks to the collective efforts of its citizens, it is the most technologically advanced country on the continent, with new devices being invented monthly.

Geography

As most of the country is high in the mountains, Veloras snows heavily in winter, and has the sun shine on it in the summer. However, the sun isn't enough to thaw the frost on the ground and the ice covering the lakes. And in early winter, thunder often comes with the rain.
The country of Veloras also extends to the floating islands above the main continent. These islands have fewer cities, because they are covered in boreal forest. The islands also snow heavily in winter, and are warmer in the summer months.

Citizens of Veloras

Veloras is not as racially diverse as other countries, due to its geography and location. The largest race are the versatile Humans, who founded the country. They live mainly on the main continent and are represented at every level of society. Humans do many professions, but tend to do menial jobs like blacksmithing and plumbing.
The other species are the artistic Elves, who tend to live on the floating islands. They also do many jobs but tend to be found doing design and architecture. In recent years, many Elves have also taken up engineering and sculpting.

Modes of Transport

On the main continent, people mainly use trams to move withing cities and steam trains to for long distance travel. If a person is wealthy enough, they can own a car, which is a tram carriage fit for the average family. These cars drive on designated tracks to avoid collisions and injury.

Cable cars over forest by Quang Nguyen Vinh

To move between islands, the best way is to travel by cable car. There is a large station on the cliff edge of Veloras where cable cars arrive frequently. Occasionally, some daring people will use jetpacks to travel, but this isn't recommended. Veloras is very windy and has a lot of thunder, and people can fall thousands of feet into the sea if they aren't careful.

Culture

Velorans place a lot of importance on collaboration and loyalty, sometimes at the expense of individuality. This core belief affects everything from family relationships to jobs and work-life balance. It can even affect how people interact with others on their travels.

Education

Childhood

Almost all children younger than ten train to use their powers in a dojo. They also learn the theory behind how Mechano, Fulgo and Ferro work, but the curriculum still includes play time. It's often joked among new parents that they should make sure their kids enjoy most of their childhood, because in adolescence, there's not much time for leisure or play.

Adolescence

During their teenage years, people learn core subjects like physics and mathematics. This is to prepare people for the world of work. Some schools offer technical qualifications like engineering and blacksmithing, but they are longer than a usual qualification. Once they are completed, a person is fully qualified in their chosen field.

Further Education

For those that didn't do a technical subject, they go onto university to study in greater detail. There are plenty of tech and science subjects, but they are competitive and have high entry requirements. The upper and middle classes preferred university degrees, while the lower classes did technical qualifications. In recent years, more young people began taking technical qualifications so they could work at the same time.
There are also many options for those who want to learn new skills, or to do a different job. People often learn in technical hubs across the country unless they are studying for academia, where they learn at university instead.
A common criticism of the education system is that there is a narrow field of study. This has lead to more hands-on art, which can also be taken up after people finish their core studies. People can learn pottery, sculpting and paper-mache, but the government is keen to stress that these are hobbies that shouldn't take the place of work.

Type

Geopolitical, Country

Demonym

Veloran

Economic System

Mixed economy

Major Imports

The citizens of Veloras import a lot of fruit, as the weather conditions don't allow people to grow much fruit or vegetables.