Yiv

The homeland of the Yiv is Naeda, but they are spread out across all of the countries now. They ruled Naeda long ago, but no longer. There are few Yiv left in the world of Laeta, but what they built remains. The Hall of Invris is of Yiv construction, the castle of Cliffreach in Naeda, and possibly Snowglimmer in the mountains of Eviv. There is debate between Yiv and Virlar which of the peoples built the now abandoned mountain ruins. Many Yiv believe their species to be superior to the others. Especially to humans. Most Yiv disapprove of mating with humans, but not all. There are some half Yiv half humans in the world, which are looked down on by the majority of Yiv. Many old buildings are said to be of Yiv construction. The Yiv always visit such places to verify these claims, not wanting to be connected to anything they believe to be of shoddy construction.

The Yiv are shorter than the average human, usually by about two inches. They have small bodies, but are much stronger than humans. They are pale, with black hair. Their eyes appear similar to those of humans, but reflect light. Their ears are longer on the end than those of a human, but are round on the end, rather than pointed like those of a Virlar. Yiv have the same excellent hearing and eyesight as Virlar and Fenbri. Very few Yiv are willing to marry people of a species that isn’t Yiv. As with Virlar and Fenbri, Yiv can only have children with their own kind or with humans.

Language

The language of the Yiv is Yvixaria. The words are all long. Some are rough, some soft and melodious. The Yiv don’t approve of anyone who is not full Yiv speaking their language.

Culture

Much of their culture has been lost to time. The remaining Yiv will not speak of the past, will not tell anyone what truly happened to drive them out of Naeda. If anyone asks about the scattering of the Yiv people, the Yiv will walk away. Some have suggested this is because the Yiv don’t want to talk to outsiders, that they don’t want to talk to those who aren’t Yiv, but others have speculated that whatever happened in Naeda is something the Yiv are ashamed of. What is known about Yiv culture before the fall of their people, is that building was taken very seriously.

Buildings

Castle of Cliffreach

The castle in Naeda’s main city of Cliffreach is the only remaining part of the city that was built by the Yiv. The castle is known across the countries of Laeta for how sturdy yet delicate it is. The stones are unlike any humans or Fenbri know how to make. The Virlar insist they can make stones just as well as the Yiv, but Yiv point out the stones of the Virlar look as sturdy as they are. The Virlar city of Frostpine compared to the castle of Cliffreach is like comparing plate mail armor to a silk dress, according to the Yiv. The castle has sweeping arches, finely carved columns, and wooden doors with silver patterns set into them. Despite the appearance of the castle, it has stood for hundreds of years without any part of it needing to be rebuilt.

Hall of Invris

While not as delicate as the castle of Cliffreach, this building has also stood for hundreds of years without needing any repairs. It is made of the same type of stone as the castle of Cliffreach, but has none of the arches or carved columns. The building is well suited to the no nonsense people of Invris who now use it. The hall serves as the gathering place for the king and court of Invris. Beneath the hall lies the Bright Waters, which have guided the country since its founding. No Yiv will say why the hall was built, or what purpose the waters originally served.

Snowglimmer

There is debate between Yiv and Virlar that these mountain ruins were built by the Yiv. Some of the bricks are of Yiv construction, but some are clearly Virlar. A few humans and Fenbri have dared suggest the Yiv and Virlar worked together to build the city, but the Yiv and Virlar will not hear of that.

Theories

There are many theories about the fall of the Yiv and why the few remaining Yiv are so reluctant to speak of it. Clearly the Yiv were once a proud kingdom when they still occupied Naeda. They retain that pride, but now have only a few ancient buildings left to show for it. The most popular theory is that there was some sort of threat in Naeda that the Yiv could not face. Being proud as they are, they would not ask any other country for help, but that does leave the issue of there being no apparent threat in Naeda now. The island is very peaceful. Nothing has threatened the humans, Virlar, and Fenbri who live there.

It is notable that no Yiv live in Naeda. The Yiv are few and have scattered across Laeta, but not a single Yiv lives in Naeda. This has given life to the theory that the Yiv or the land of Naeda itself was somehow cursed. It is unheard of for anyone to be capable of cursing an entire species or an entire land, but some say the Book of Curses could have been involved. The book is infamous for bringing about doom and death wherever it appears. But the issue with the book is that, though it may appear somewhere, someone still has to use it. Someone has to open it up and carry out the ritual for any given curse. That someone has to be capable of carrying out the curse. It still doesn’t rule out that the castle of Cliffreach itself was cursed.

Future

For now the Yiv continue to ignore that their future has become very uncertain. They have lost their homeland and most of their people. They will not tell anyone the truth of happened, will not ask for help from anyone. As their numbers decline and they continue to abhor mating with humans, it is likely the Yiv as a species will eventually die out entirely. They have a long lifespan, but it is thought there are already too few of them left to carry on the species. Regardless of this, the Yiv will continue to hold on to their secrets. They have had a lasting effect on the world through their buildings, which will remain long after the Yiv have gone.

"The truth of the fall of the Yiv, their culture, and maybe even their language will be lost with them, but their buildings will no doubt remain for many more hundreds of years." -Reginald of Cliffreach, Court Historian

Fragments of records have been discovered in the basement of the castle of Cliffreach. Most of these have decayed with time and are no longer readable, but a few bits and pieces have survived, allowing Reginald and a small team to compile a possible timeline for the fall of the Yiv. Most notably they discovered the orignal name of Naeda and of Cliffreach.

In the Yiv language, Naeda was known as Naendeniri. Cliffreach was called Clirifexeth. So far no Yiv have said what these words mean in their language. No non Yiv speakers of the Yvixaria language know the meanings of these words either. The records also mentioned several important dates, as well as the name of the founding king, Irivexel.

Fall of the Yiv Timeline

The Yiv have so far said nothing about Reginald and his research, other than to attest again that they alone built Snowglimmer and would never work with Virlar.