Velatha
Velatha is the region of Nilandra that is home to the Tabaxi race. It is divided between two regions: the jungle area known as The Prowl and the southern region that is home to the cities run by the great houses.
The Great Houses
The southern portion of Velatha is run by the four great houses. Each house has a city that it runs. The four great houses are each responsible for one necessary function of society. The city-dwelling Tabaxi consider themselves to be more civilised than their tribal counterparts.The Prowl
The Prowl is the jungle region in the north of Velatha. It is occupied by the three nomadic Tabaxi tribes. The tribal Tabaxi live the lifestyles of their ancestors, keeping to traditions that have been passed down through generations.Structure
The Great Houses
Although Velathan society is divided between the tribal Tabaxi and the great house Tabaxi, it is effectively the great house Tabaxi that organise and run the government, especially from the perspective of foreign nations. Since the tribal Tabaxi are completely insular, the great house Tabaxi effectively run the nation. There are four great houses in Velatha:House Rilandis
House Rilandis is responsible for the administration of Velathan government. They run the beaurocracy, keep records, and generally keep the nation functioning. Their city is Hemora, the capital of Velatha.House Belralas
House Belralas is responsible for trade between Velatha and outside nations. They control all imports and exports to Velatha. They control the city of Gallera and the nation's only major airship ports.House Gorvayne
House Gorvayne is responsible for the military of Velatha. The military's high ranking members are all of House Gorvayne. They are responsible for defending the nation from outside threats, for keeping the tribal Tabaxi at bay, and for training new soldiers. They control the city of Scarrus.House Dolomo
House Dolomo is responsible for administering and controlling the use of magic in Velatha. They run a guild for mages and provide schools to train citizens in the use of magic. All magic users in Velatha must be registered with the mages' guild, though it is not necessary for them to be members of House Dolomo. House Dolomo controls the city of Sierra.The Tribes
The tribal Tabaxi that occupy The Prowl live a nomadic lifestyle. There are three tribes in The Prowl, each with its own leaders and ideals. Tribal leaders tend not to have absolute authority over their tribes; rather, they provide counsel and guidance. They are in charge of deciding when and where the tribes move throughout The Prowl. The tribes meet annually at a location in The Prowl known as The Scar. This meeting place is considered sacred and only tribal leaders are permitted to enter. The tribal leaders meet each year to agree on each tribe's movements and the resources of the jungle each will use.History
Ancient Velatha
In ancient times, Velatha was home to a species of dangerous wild cats that made settling in the jungles impossible for the ancient races. Ancient elves built some small settlements in southern Velatha, but the region was too harsh for them to move there in large numbers. That ancient species of large cat evolved to become the Tabaxi. Before the Collapse, the Tabaxi lived a nomadic lifestyle in the jungle, similar to how the tribal Tabaxi still live today.The Schism
After the Collapse, there was a schism between the tribal Tabaxi. Some wanted to build permanent cities and militarise. After the catastrophes they suffered during the Collapse, many Tabaxi sought strength and assurance that they would not be vulnerable again. They had also witnessed much of their southern territory be conquered by the Carenthian Empire and the occasional raiding of the northern jungles by Draconian slave takers. All of this lead to a strong push by many Tabaxi for a militaristic transformation of their society. Over time, many Tabaxi left the jungle to build defensible cities in the south. During this time, they fought with Carenthia. The four great houses formed and began running the cities.The First Velathan Civil War
In 433 PC, tensions between the tribal and city Tabaxi led to a civil war. The great houses wanted to control The Prowl and expected conquering the tribal Tabaxi to be easy. The great houses, especially House Gorvayne, were humilitated by the tribal Tabaxi pushing them back. The tribal Tabaxi were far better adapted to life in the jungle and proved to be proficient guerilla fighters. The civil war was destructive and deadly for both sides and the resulting failure of the great houses to control The Prowl left House Gorvayne humiliated. Distrust between the houses and the tribes continues to this day.The War of Claws
Around 503 PC, Carenthia had taken the eastern portion of Velatha, including the cities of Scarrus and Gallera. It was this conquest that helped lead to the militarisation of the Velathan great houses. House Gorvayne recruited soldiers from across Velatha and fought fiercely to reclaim their eastern territory. The Tabaxi emerged victorious and drove the Carenthians back across the River Scarrus. Later, the victory was largely credited to the military prowess of House Gorvayne.The Second Velathan Civil War
In 1027, there was a second civil war between the great houses and the tribal Tabaxi. In the years leading up to this, the Aramoor Sea (known as The Flood in Velatha) was being drained of water by Carenthian farmers in an expansion of agriculture in the area. The great houses had a longstanding agreement with the tribal Tabaxi that they would not intervene with affairs in The Prowl, however the decrease in water coming down the River Scarrus was intolerable to the great houses. Within the cities, tribal Tabaxi were accused by many within the great houses of sowing discord and even of being traitors for failing to fight for The Flood. Tribal Tabaxi, meanwhile, had no history of taking any interest in the affairs of foreign nations. Their insular tradition was to ignore anything that happened outside of The Prowl, and since there was still enough water in The Flood for the tribes, they did not see this as their problem. The second Velathan civil war was fought over the great houses gaining access to The Flood and the River Scarrus. Tribal Tabaxi remained fiercely opposed to the great houses interfering in The Prowl. Like the first civil war, the second civil war was bloody and deadly for both sides, but House Gorvayne was unsuccessful in penetrating far into The Prowl. It was House Rilandis that ended the second civil war by reaching a diplomatic agreement with both the tribal Tabaxi and with the Carenthian Empire and the wood elves of Thaerwood. House Rilandis operatives realised that the wood elves of Thaerwood also relied on the water from the Aramoor Sea, and so they combined diplomatic efforts to pressure Carenthia to agree to limits on water usage from the Aramoor Sea. House Rilandis also got the tribes to agree to similar limits on water usage, however this was largely a move to save face for the great houses, since the tribes had never been using large amounts of water. Today, there is a tense peace between the tribes and the great houses. There is a desire to avoid any further violence on both sides. The great houses take seriously their commitment to never set foot in The Prowl and the tribal Tabaxi vehemently avoid leaving their jungle.
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Capital
Demonym
Velathan
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
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