Vedalken

The Vedalken are a series of blue-skinned humanoids who value perfection and organization above all things. They tend to live in small cities, but highly efficient ones: sanitation, public order, and education are kept at a very high level.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Vedalken are taller than humans, blue-skinned, but not very muscular.

Genetics and Reproduction

They reproduce slower than humans, and gestation takes usually longer: a baby is born after 12 months.

Growth Rate & Stages

The Vedalken grow very slowly, only reaching adulthood at the age of 40. When they age past 300 years, they tend to grow wiser and more intelligent, despite losing much of their physical mobility and strength. Most live to the age of 350, but some reach 500 years.

Ecology and Habitats

The Vedalken have since long abandoned their tribal origins, and now most if not all of them live in high protected cities.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Their dietary needs are mostly the same as humans, but vedalken culinary tends to rely less on meat and more on vegetables.

Biological Cycle

Winter has always been a hard time for the Vedalken. Historically the Vedalken have not been physically strong, so they have imprinted on their memory that winter is a time of death and starvation. While other races hold winter festivals, the Vedalken mourn.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Vedalken cities are governed by a council. The council are composed of only the oldest members in the city and is not elected, but participation is decided on lifetime achievement. When a member of the council dies, another one is selected by the remaining members to take their place.
In general, Vedalken societies tend to have a layered but fluid structure, where positions in the hierarchy change constantly due to proof of skills, while the hierarchy structure remains the same. A vedalken could be a boss or master of a guild in one month, and in the next month cede the position to an underling who has performed a greater feat in skill. The Vedalken do not take such occurrences as humiliation as the humans do, but rather as a challenge to do better.
Wizards, clerics, sages, and researchers are held in high regard, as is anyone who dedicates their life to a single purpose: like the creation of a jewel or the protection of the city. Merchants, farmers, guild members, and foreigners, while essential to the city, are seen as a lower rank. This way of seeing the life of the Veldanken creates much attrition, but Vedalken have little patience for politics, so the pleas of the working class are generally ignored. Many Vedalken have emigrated to human towns in search of better living conditions.
People whose work require little to no intelligence are seen on an unfavorable light, little more than vagabonds.
The Vedalken prize themselves on their education and they have educational institutions for most of the jobs. Wizardry, clerical and artistic institutions are highly sought-after, which causes these institutions to adopt rigorous testing practices, and it usually takes months before a candidate is accepted. Nevertheless, children are inherently in the bottom of society, no matter where they study, until they graduate and begin to work earning them a position in society.
Families are not a strong concept for Vedalken. The Vedalken do hold marriages, and once they are married the accord is held for their lifetime, but a couple's offspring is usually, if not always, donated to institutions responsible for raising them. The Vedalken have no special connection to their parents or their ancestors, and most of them do not know who their parents are.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Mercenaries. Vedalken tends to interest themselves more for challenging jobs in term of intelligence and wisdom. They make for excellent strategists, wizards, clerics, and historians. The Vedalken are ill-suited for jobs that deal with people, or for leadership positions, as their dispassionate attitude tends to be unsettling for people of their other races. When living in cities belonging to other races, the Vedalken prefer to work on isolation on tasks that rely on their wits.
Slavery. Registry of vedalken being used as slaves is rare, as their high protected towns are usually a deterrent for poachers and most Vedalken spend their whole lives within their walls. Their lack of physical power also contributes to lower demand for Vedalken slaves. Some Vedalken tend to see other races as inferior or no more than animals in comparison to them, however, so a few of them who become mercenaries end up as poachers, failing to understand the ethics or controversy regarding their actions.

Facial characteristics

Their faces are hairless and beardless. They do normally have pupils, and their eyes appear in either a white or yellow coloration.
They always appear distant, rational and dispassionate.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Live in their own cities. Their cities are usually highly protected by wizards and clerics trained by the vedalken.
The Vedalken do not like immigration because they think it brings imperfection, so they are very loathed to let others enter the city and immigration are accepted only seldom. However, a recent movement has pressed Vedalken to be more open-minded about the issue given the advantages the open immigration policy has brought to humans.

Average Intelligence

Highly intelligent species, rivaling the gnomes.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Vedalken is partially amphibious, being able to swim underwater for about an hour.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

The Vedalken receive names when they are born, but they usually change their names when they reach adulthood for one more of their preferences.

Major Organizations

The city of Montris. On Tundra Island, this fortress of the Vedalken is one of the oldest and largest cities of the Vedalken. Built on the edge of an iceberg, the city has for long been at war with their neighboring elvish country of Nyhenas, though the war has always been hindered by the deadly tundra between the two countries. Recently, a peace treaty has been signed, and the council master has conceded on the marriage of her oldest son to the princess of Nyhenas as a piece settlement. The Vedalken look at Montris with both foreboding and as a sign, as the result of the events happening on the city, will be considered as evidence for other Vedalken cities regarding their immigration policies.
The city of Gondis. A magical city, where magical power decides the position of a person in society. A whole sector of the city is entirely dedicated to magical schools and research into magic, and the whole city passes the sensation of being a gigantic university. Gondis is seen as a source of knowledge for the Vedalken, and many of them dream of one day walking on its crowded streets. The city is mostly closed off to outsiders, however, as the populace fears sharing the results of their research with outsiders.

Beauty Ideals

Vedalken in Elmincia is not much different from each other. As such, they are more likely to fall in love with the personality or the realization of others than physical appearance. Vedalken that are dirty, dress poorly or let their bodies grown fat can be seen as lazy by society. They do not judge others by appearance, as long as the appearance is within their norms.
Arranged marriages are very common, as a good marriage can very well settle a Vedalken in a higher position in society.

Gender Ideals

As the Vedalken has evolved from a society where they didn't depend on physical might, contrary to most of the other societies in Elmincia the women are seen in a generally better light than men.

Average Technological Level

Most of their cities are at a medieval level, but with a high quality of life. The biggest cities are on the verge of the renaissance. They do not like mechanical devices of engineering, preferring to rely on magic and traditions, and this has hindered their evolution somewhat.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

The Vedalken are educated in common, vedalken and elvish from childhood. A Vedalken who does not know how to read and write in the three languages is very rare.

Common Etiquette Rules

The Vedalken can be very secretive about their research until it's ready. As such, appearing uninvited in a Vedalken house or office is a great offense; even though they will gladly receive visitors when invited.
Vedalken appretiate directness and reason: trying to appeal to their emotions makes them feel awkward and is seen as inappropriate.

Common Dress Code

Important Vedalken dress in big robes, of lush green, yellow or brown colors. Below that they use practical and sturdy clothing. Clothing is very important to a Vedalken, as presentation is seen as essential to communicate clearly and efficiently the position of one in society to the others. But their clothing customs follow complicated rules that are very difficult for non-vedalken to follow.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Despite their diminutive number, the Vedalken have made a lot of progress in the fields of magic and art, especially in literature; although their literature can be seen by others as too serious. A genre that the Vedalken are very famous for and is incredibly popular among them is a mystery: these are written more like puzzles, and the Vedalken can spend weeks or even months trying to figure out the solution before reading the ending. While the books are incredibly popular, some of the Vedalken feel like this is a waste of effort.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

A marriage is always forever: when a person marries to another the couple is now seen as a single unit and both obtain their same position in society as one. A separation would overly complicate matters, so they don't do it. Even if it was allowed, very few Vedalken would take this path, as their more rational and silent demeanor make discussions among themselves rare.

Common Taboos

Alcohol and hallucinogenic herbs. These are seen in a very negative light by the Vedalken, as they impair the use of their intelligence. Most Vedalken don't drink and see the hobby as an aberration, and Vedalken cities usually do not have taverns.

History

The Vedalken are one of the newest races of Elmincia. They were generated by some of the old gods as a race with a strong understanding of magic. Their tribal stage didn't last long: their first nomads soon found out about cultures more advanced than their own, and the Vedalken incorporated the knowledge quickly, adapting to their way of life. At first, Vedalken grew attached to human and elvish cities, but before long they found out that they were not very fond of dealing with the politics on these societies, and emigrated to create their own.
In some aspects, they were successful in this: their cities are highly organized and educated, but they lack the festivity of the human towns. For elves especially the Vedalken cities look like more funeral places than a proper city, with people going busily tending to their own projects without music and exhibitions on the street.

Historical Figures

Zirve. Zirve was a powerful wizard from the time of The Archwizards. The result of her research is still highly valued and studied in Vedalken universities. Her research occurred in parallel and resemble much of what the Archwizards have also produced, and the Vedalken regard her as the patron of Wizardry.

Common Myths and Legends

The Vedalken have little time for religion, and even clerics see the Light more as a source of power. Their exercise of faith is more geared towards study and understanding than belief. They resemble more wizards than clerics to the average looker.
Notwithstanding, the Vedalken believe they came to the word with a purpose. Some believe their purpose is to impose order and rationality in this chaotic world, some believe that being (in their opinion) the most intelligent and rational race is an indication that they were born to rule others, and the world will have peace and order when the Vedalken come into power.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Humans. Humans and Vedalken have good relations. The average Vedalken feels like humans are chaotic and simpleminded. The Vedalken also have no respect for nobility, which has soured many a relationship in the past. When living on the same island, the Vedalken rely on humans for food and goods, as they tend to avoid manual tasks and go for more intellectual endeavors.
Elves. Vedalken and elves don't have much contact. Both races are very isolated, and while both have an interest in magic, their approach is completely different. Elves seen the Vedalken as too serious and they think they take the fun out of everything, while for the Vedalken the elves are frivolous and they waste too much time with unimportant things.
Dwarves. Vedalken like to hire dwarf mercenaries for the protection of their cities, as they have the physical power that the Vedalken lack.

Lifespan

350, with some living up to 500 years.

Conservation Status

Vedalken is not very numerous, but their cities are well protected. They are in no risk of extinction. Vedalken cities usually train battle wizards and clerics to guarantee their sovereignty.

Average Height

1.8m - 2m

Average Weight

70 - 90 kg

Average Physique

Tend to be weak and not very muscular. Not especially agile either.
The Vedalken have survived for so long relying on their wits and strategy, not on their raw power.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Their skin is always blue, with very little variation on the tones.