Vesper
Vesper is the land of shadow and ice. While the lands in southern Vesper experience the four seasons in distinct patterns, the further north into Vesper you travel, the darker and colder it gets. Most residents of Vesper regard the land as sacred, in one way or another. The overall culture of Vesper is that everything is for the good of all of us. An obvious display of this sentiment can be seen throughout the various nomadic groups that travel Vesper's forests. Different family groups and clans will ally together during the harsh seasons and create temporary settlements. Even in Vesper's Collective of Mystic's the general sentiment can be seen at Temples where small groups of Mystics will often trade with hunting parties or open the temple doors during the coldest weeks. While cities and villages exist many are more like extensive outposts, often times trade items are worth more than any coin a person may carry, though gold is still widely accepted. The peoples of Vesper are too busy trying to survive Vesper to bother fighting amongst each other.
While religious practices in Vesper are still extremely common, they have no large organized temples or regularly tended alters to specific deities. Most people in Vesper worship and pay respect to many deities, rather than claiming one or just a few. It's popular to pay respect to whose domaine you are touching or interacting with. Magic wielders in Vesper are more common than in it's neighbor, Davian. While some types of magic are still deemed widely taboo, as long as wielders are not caught causing unjust harm, The Collective is not often going to do anything about it. Similar to their neighbors, Mystics in Davian monitor magic users, a user is also given an imbued token showing they have been blessed by The Collective, this also protects them from being sanctioned when visiting Davian. Anyone with gifts can travel to a Mystic and receive a token after they take their Vow of Regard.
Also unlike the other two nations on Tema, Vesper does not possess a military system. While large cities and settlements may have militia that help keep the peace, but because most of Vesper is nomadic clans and small settlements self moderate in accord with their own morals and values.
Geography
The forrests of Vesper are dense and full. Full of life, full of creaturs, full of people, and full of flora. Certain sections of the woods are so old and undesturbed they feel almost haunted.
As you go north, rolling hills begin to form soft peaks until you reach mountians, some of them almost impassible.
On the Eastern coast the ancient mountians have broken harshly across the shoreline leaving a rocky and sharp coast, dangerous for trade ships manned by inexpierenced crews.
The west coast spreads into ice sheets as the frozen land meets the Chunma Ocean. The area is know for ice fishing but because of the Chunma's warm waters it is often dangerous during the spring and summer months.
The Mirielle river runs the length of Vesper, leading to the Shivering Glow, is a shared resource with Davian. The Shivering Glow is the largest land bound lake on the Contient.
Localized Phenomena
People swear that the Rivers of the Mirielle are capable of miricales. Whispers and stories litter the countryside about people who came to the Mirielle on death's door and were restored by sinking into it's waters. Stories of the water from Mirielle healing women who were dying, saving children from illness, and restoring spoiled foods are popular. Everyone seems to know somebody whose uncle's, sister in law's, best friend's, fiancee's, sibling has been saved or seen someone saved by the Mirielle. Even groups of hunters who pass close to the Mirielle will dip their weapons into it's waters to bless their hunt if they have been struggling to provide for their families or make ends meet.
The Moonglow mountians are said to sing to those who pure of heart. The moonglow mountians are filled with minerals that imbue magical abilities.
Climate
Vesper gets cold, quickly, as soon as Ashe hits the temperatures start to drop. In the summer it may get plesantly warm, but not enough to cause a sweat itself. Sometimes thundersnows will plague the eastern coastline during the Warrin.
Fauna & Flora
The animals that inhabit this region are well suited to the cold, many sporting luxurious furs that are rich and thick through Warrin and may shed to be sleek during Aurn. Wolves, bears, foxes, deer, elk, moose, are just some of the creatures that wander the deep and sometimes old woods. As one travels north into the Moonglow mountain range it's not strange to encounter types of mountain goat, lynx, and once you head towards the ice sheets polar bears. The mountains are particularly full of large birds of prey, and rumors circulate about a Green Dragon that has made it's den there, a real oddity considering the frozen land surrounding it.
The flora in Vesper are as varied as it's people with old hardwood and deciduous trees occupying the southern portion of the nation, and coniferous forests moving into the tagia.
Natural Resources
The main exports of Vesper are magical minerals and herbs, cured meats, and furs. There are pleanty of large beasts roaming the woods in Iyan especially, but the majority of the land is rich with woods. The peoples of Vesper also utilize the strong woods that grow hearty in their forests to build strong ships on the East Coast.
History
The general history of Vesper is as follows, while many people practiced various forms of spirituality and worship to many differnt deities, the trecherous landscape of Vesper was not enough to protect the people from the Holy Wars waged by Davian. The people were scattered, and unified efforts were hard to gather. Little by little Davian chipped away at Vesper, at one time holding all of the Shivering Glow. Vesper was the first Nation to offically join The Alliance of Tema, and while they refused to participate in efforts to overtake Inzali with people on the ground, they ecinomically contributed by offering food, wood, and various supplies. After the Alliance of Tema was completed and Inzali finally surrendered, Vesper created it's own Theocratic leadership to remain in compliance with the bylaws of The Alliance. This is when The Collective Mystics was born.
Much to the ire of the Priesthood of Davian, the Collective is much more loosly structured and their organization allows for the practice of many more deities without strict oversight into what deities most benefit the peoples of Vesper. The tentative peace between Vesper and The Alliance is held taught due to the position of The Moonglow Mountians and the rare minerals that are mined from there. Because of their importance and uses in developing different imbuded magical items, Davian's Priesthood tolerates Vesper's more spiritual and loose style of leadership for fear of losing access to the minerals.
In this most recent era, more magic weilders are born in Vesper than in Davian, they also refuse to regulate magic wielders in the same strict format, causing increasing tension between the members of the Alliance.
Tourism
Most people who visit Vesper, tend to travel by Ship up the coastline or boat up the river to avoid the long and sometimes trecherous hike north. The Capital of Vesper, Glissglow, is a stunning place surrounded by crystal and ice. Many people travel to the Moonglow Mountians with hopes to hear their song.
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