Overview of Alvania

By Virgil Shelton

Geography

In the tropical region of the southeast corner of Aropria lays one of the most beautiful and idyllic landscapes I have ever seen. Tucked away beneath the Tuasivi Mountains and the southern coast, lies the picturesque country of Alvania.

Body and Garment Decoration

The splendor and majesty to this place comes not from massive structures or monuments, but from the beauty that each individual there seems to have about them. The people of Alvania have a truly unique way of presenting themselves. The warm climate foregoes the need to use clothing for protection, so everything the Alvanians wear is there purely as decoration. And my oh my, do they decorate. The blending of simplicity and elegance is something to behold.

It is common for a small Alvanian town to have 4 or 5 clothing shops and a good seamstress is worth their weight in gold. It is traditional for the clothes to be made of local material. Fibers from the coconut trees there seem to be particularly popular, and a silk-like cloth made from a rare grass is coveted by the wealthiest Alvanians. The seamstresses use rocks, flowers, bird feathers, and seashells to decorate their creations. Even the simplest piece of work clothing isn’t considered complete without a strand of stone beads as ornamentation.

Many people from the western nations find the Alvanian style off-putting. Some claim that the clothing is barbaric in nature, really I think that they are not used to beauty being so common. In most other parts of the continent, beauty and decoration are used to set the haves apart from the have nots. In Alvania, beauty is a way of life, as natural to them as eating.

Matriarchy

Looks are not the only way the Alvanians set themselves apart from other countries. Their society has a certain, somewhat subtle, but distinctly different defining characteristic. They are the only nation to be universally led by a woman. Indeed throughout Alvanian society, it seems women take leadership everywhere. Many governors, mayors, business owners and skilled crafters are women.

The Queen of Alvania, Alasriea IV, is rumored to be the most beautiful woman in all of Alvania. I say rumored, as she is almost never seen in public. Queen Alasriea rules from the palace city of Moata at the foot of the mountains, only a select few hand picked individuals live there and serve the queen. The actual seat of government, Taita, is at the mouth of the Bangle River. There the popular city holds the royal council that oversees daily government affairs on the Queen’s behalf. Only if the nation was in dire peril would Queen Alasriea leave the palace city.

Navy

Due to its physical location, it would be very easy for the other nations to forget about Alvania if not for one very important fact. The Alvanian Navy is by far the largest and most powerful of all the nations. If anyone wishes to do any trade by sea, they are going to have to be involved with one of the Alvanian shipping consortiums. Many years ago, Alvanian congruence users mastered taming the sea. Each Alvanian vessel has at least one congruence user, who can affect winds, waves, and some can even conjure great storms. Their Navy established routes through the north sea and down into the heart of the continent. This has made Alvania one of the wealthiest nations on the continent, and the envy of many of the other great countries.

Diversity and Slavery

The trade has brought great diversity to Alvania. It is not uncommon to see Alium and Ophidians milling about in the market. Even the slave trade has made it to these shores. The wealthier Alvanian houses boast many slave servants.

Alvania has risen from humble beginnings to a major player in only a few hundred years. It will be interesting to see what is in store for them in the future.

Writers Notes:

• The inspiration behind the Alvanians is, What would have happened to the polynesian (or similar) culture if it had been allowed to develop naturally?
• Almost all of their advanced technology is wrapped up in their navy in some way.
• Alvanian jewelry would be sought by merchants from other nations. Also, there would be a lot of produce (fruits, vegetables, herbs, fish/seafood?) unique to Alvania. Perhaps the merchant guild has the technology to transport this food without it spoiling.
• Long standing conflicts with the Garshalla.
• By far the most powerful navy, but wouldn’t have large standing armies

Inspiration of the Alvania look: