The Valley People

Warning: This article takes place in a different test timeline than the rest of Kathrir. Here is the alternate timeline.

In a land so closely connected to the heavens, the valley people lived peaceful lives laced with magic until something ripped them apart.

Introduction to the Valley People

This group of people lived far up in the mountains of Kathrir, sheltered from the winds in a large valley earning them their name. They apparently lived in the company of the five primordial gods, who granted them magical protection and guidance. The primordials had a very good relationship with their people, though when people sat down and learned about their power there was a little bit of uncertainty. This cleared up after a few years and some gold old-fashioned trust building.

How the kingdom fell

The tale of the valley people's fall has been documented in many stories, though there are many details left out or changed in each copy of the story. The most popular version simply states that a stranger came to immense power, destroyed the kingdom, and then got sealed away in a sacred realm. Although this does sum it up, its missing a lot of the story.
Another, more accurate version mentions that the fall of the kingdom was the fault of the primordials themselves, who accidentally traded away their power to someone asking for a boon. the stranger then destroyed all of the towns in the kingdom, and fled to muster a shadow army to conquer the rest of the world.
After a twelve-year war, the stranger was finally defeated and the power returned to the primordials. They sealed away their powers, making the five forbidden artifacts, and then retreated away from the rest of the world.

Influence on present-day

The valley people's short reign as the first 'kingdom' had a major impact on many parts of present-day Kathrir, particularly in buildings and artwork.

Architecture and art

The valley people's architecture involved a lot of complicated designs involving geometric shapes. Stone was a commonly used resources in these buildings, and reliefs of legends were often carved into the sides of walls, thought to be good luck. Crystals and glass were seen as near-sacred materials, used sparingly in the most important rooms of structures.
Early art from this time mimicked the geometric designs of the buildings, but this time full of color. Most art was made with berry paint on a rough paper canvas, though later on inks and dyes became more common. Having art in a home, especially of the gods, was said to protect against harm.

Traditions and Fairy tales

There were many traditions that were carried over form the 'empire's' fall, each of them with a some kind of story or fairy tale attached. For example, there was a story of a young prince who used shards of crystals ang glass to win over the favor of the deity of sanctuary, granting him protection from evil. This tale inspired the tradition of keeping a crystal in the important rooms of a house, as well as carrying them when traveling to keep the holder safe. Some people today still follow this practice.

All art drawn by me unless stated otherwise.