Valvyr'Kethen
Covered in a perpetual fog, Valvyr'Kethen is a nation shrouded myth, with a reputation both feared and misunderstood. The land is closely associated with the infamous gate to the underworld, and this causese their not entirely undeserved reputation, as the presence of the gate has led to numerous legends of spirits, monsters, and supernatural occurrences. Yet, those who reside in Valvyr'Kethen understand that while the gate can be dangerous, it is also a source of profound power and connection to their ancestors, a duality that outsiders rarely grasp.
Economy
Valvyr'Kethen is heavily focused on agriculture. Lacking in large cities, most villages and hamlets devotes land to crops, both for food and for plants with magical properties. These plants grow well thanks to the fertile land provided with the mist, which makes even the frailest of crops grow with ease. Mages and alchemists often thrive in the nation due to the supply of goods and their favor with the jarl. Much of the land's trade relies on these goods, in exchange for other goods such as metals from the neighboring countries. The agriculture is often supplemented with hunting and livestock such as sheep and goats, as well as other practices such as foraging for herbs and berries in the misty forests. Hunting plays a vital role not only in providing meat but also in yielding hides, bones, and other resources that are essential for clothing, tools, and rituals. Livestock, particularly sheep and goats, are highly valued for their resilience in the misty terrain and are used for wool, milk, and meat.Law and Order
The nation is ruled by the Jarl, who can trace their lineage back to among the first people in the nation. While an affinity with magic is appreciated for them, it is not all who have an affinity, which strongly influences how their councils interact with them. The Jarl's council typically consists of the thanes that rules their own regions within the land, and high ranking members of the Mistweavers and Wardens, who take care of the nation's safety. The Mistweavers are a faction of mages, who are tasked with keeping the balance of the land. This often means they learn how to keep ancestors and the spirits residing in the land happy, and that they warn when the threats within the mist of a region is gaining an overhand, so that the wardens can be dispatched. The Wardens are warriors with a sinister reputation. Their tasks are to guard the gate to the underworld that moves within the deep mist, to keep both outsiders away from it and to keep the beings within contained so that they do not ravage the land. Their other task is to hunt the beings that dwell within the mist. From monsters and the undead, to outlaws that have made their home within it. They are aided by powers that they siphon from the gate and a bond with it that puts them on the edge between the worlds, hence their reputation. The law of the land is enforced by warriors answering to the Thanes and Jarl. These warriors are skilled in walking the mists surrounding their villages, though most keep to the marked paths and the villages themselves. The justice is typically swift, with offenders being brought before a jarl for judgment and often forced to pay their victim for a crime, or for particularly hard crimes may be sentenced to jail or work. Those who commit treason, among which would be the non-wardens seeking out the gate to the underworld, the only punishment is to be exiled into the deep mist, far from the villages, where monsters often lurk.Culture
Daily life in Valvyr'Kethen tends to be rather peaceful, as large walls tend to keep any possible danger away from the villages. The communities are generally small and tight-knit, with an emphasis on cooperation and mutual support, which makes daily tasks and festivities highly communal. Celebrations occur often thanks to the abundance that each harvest brings, and each celebration is filled with singing, dancing, and storytelling, which strengthens community bonds and honors their ancestors. The people work together to secure the harvests each year, with a strong communal spirit guiding them through sowing, weeding, and reaping. Outside of the agricultural cycle, they focus on improving their villages, working on maintenance, construction, and beautification projects. Among these are the frequent gatherings to work on embroideries and other textile crafts, using the wool from their sheep and fibers from their crops, transforming these into beautifully intricate garments and banners. The textile work is not only functional but also a medium for storytelling, with many pieces depicting important events, local legends, or protective symbols, making the villages colorful displays of history and tradition. When the time comes for paying their respects to their ancestors, the people often visit shrines both within and outside their settlements. These shrines are adorned with offerings such as flowers, carved wooden totems, and woven charms that represent the hopes and prayers of the people. It is also common for families to bring food and share it at the shrine, believing that the spirits of their ancestors partake in these offerings. Ritual chants and songs are performed, often led by the eldest members of the clan, adding a sense of reverence and solemnity to the occasion. These practices not only honor their ancestors but also serve to strengthen the bond between the living and the departed, reinforcing the importance of tradition and lineage in Valvyr'Kethen culture.The Mist
The nation is covered in a mist that seems almost perpetual, saved for the borders where it lightens up. The mist itself persists for most of the day, only lightening up for a short period during dawn and dusk. Within villages, it tend to be faint or near non-existing, with it gradually getting deeper the further from civilization and roads one gets. The fog is home to many things, and it is believed that both it and the things held within it are either caused by, or influenced by the underworld gate that hides within it. The same way that plants touched by the fog becomes supernaturally resilient, the monsters that hides within it becomes so as well. Most of these will rarely approach the villages where the fog thins out, but remain a threat to the unwary who walks away from the paths. Shepherds, farmers, hunters and others who walk into the mist tend to be wary of such dangers, while travelers are often warned to stay on the paths to avoid risking their lives or worse.The Entrance to The Underworld
The Gate, as the people within the nation calls it, is a place where the realm between the Underworld and this world thins. The place itself moves, taking many forms though two things always remain the same of it: It always appears as an entrance, be it to a hole, a cave, a hollow tree or a doorframe in a ruin, and that those that approach it become numb as the entrance attempts to draw out their souls. The gate is typically guarded by the Wardens, who are dedicated to find it each time it moves. Their duty is to keep the things within it there, and to keep people out of it. For this duty, the Wardens draw power from the gate itself, channeling the magic of the underworld for their purpose, at the risk of the corrupting effect it has on mortal beings. To do so, the wardens have an initiation ritual: They are to find the gate, and stand on the border of it, without giving in to its power. Those that succeed are marked by the experience, often appearing as if they are hollow or uncaring, while those that fail will be unable to return to the mortal world as anything but the undead the Wardens oppose. Most prospective initiates fails this test.History
Origins
The first people who came to the lands, did so in search of their ancestors. Back then, it was rumored that people long thought dead had been seen within the mist that covered the valleys, a fact that was not untrue, though not quite accurate either. With the gates being unprotected, the beings held within it; resentful souls and monsters without shape, were able to exit if they found the entrance within the underworld itself. Though the first expeditions were harsh and inflicted with casualties, they eventually found the entrance, yet discovered the harsh truth: Those who wander past it, were unable to return in anything except twisted mockeries of who they once were. Denying to give up on their ancestors, and learning that little held the things within the bay, the people began to settle the valleys, creating the first Wardens as they dabbled with the powers that came from the very gate in an effort to protect it, and during the journey realized that yet nothing could exit, little prevented communing with the ancestors within. Thus the leader of the expedition became the first Jarl of what would eventually become known as Valvyr'Kethen
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Related Ethnicities
