Veliuona
Of all the species that inhabit around the Sea of Fallen Stars, the long lived elves of Elyn'aran are the most recent change. Being slow to act and change due to their long lives, it struck most as strange that a civil war would break out in the south inside the elvish nation of Elyn'aran. Even more so when it broke off, became its own country, and started aggressively grabbing land from its neighbors.
As a new country, Veliuona has had a rocky if incredibly successful start. However, it has been fueled by the volatile fires of racial superiority, backed by the skill of warriors with human lifespans to train, as well as the notorious Dragon Riders. Veliuona has few friends, but as shown by its expedient growth and show of military force, nothing has seemed to stop them yet.
Veliuona is born, and it has every intention of keeping itself alive.
History
The history of Veliuona is the history of the southern elves. However, what needs to be known is the difference of the elvish races, and the pecking order that goes among them. The differences are easily identifiable both on the surface and personality wise, and as such some may find themselves better than others, and assert their dominance as such. The first and oldest of the Elvish realms in the region, Sildeyuir ruled by the Sildenúr who claimed dominion over the rest of the lesser races. This order stood for hundreds, if not thousands of years until Impiltur arrived from the north with the intention of conquest. The struggle wasn't ended by military conquest, but rather by undermining by the humans, causing Sildeyuir to collapse from within, opening the gates to the invaders after decades of siege. The Mithral Elves were slaughtered by Man, Elf, and Dwarf alike in a extensive racial genocide.
Impiltur ruled over the entire sea for several more centuries before it ultimately collapsed and the elves seized the opportunity for independence, recalling the nether years of their old empire and founding Elyn'aran. Centuries more ticked further, but it would again be internal strife that would fracture the People into division and war.
A series of events through the late 13th century and into the 14th would fall like dominos to the doomed birth of Veliuona. Namely being the ruling caste of Elyn'aran, repeating the mistakes of their Sildenúr predecessors, the Anorenúr (Sun Elves), who put themselves a step above the others, with the Ithilvanúr (Moon Elves) just beneath them. Playing second fiddle was becoming tiresome for the Moon Elves, and many felt they would do better for themselves outside of the influence of the haughty Sun Elves. This racial discourse caused the different races to split up into different geographical regions, practically divided already by region.
This coupled with a famine from 1279 to 1281 in Western Elyn'aran, causing the ruling caste to make extensive demands for aid from the rich and fertile east, who were annoyed by the entitlement that was being thrust upon them. Feeling rather alone and put upon, the Moon Elves began to push back against the ruling caste, at first by rebellious anarchists, but the cause was taken up increasingly by the common folk. Simultaneously, Beregnúr (Wild Elves) began coming out of their wastelands and raiding all parties, taking advantage of the brewing chaos.
As attacks were struck against Western Elyn'aran, the Sun Elves were unsure of how to deal with the current crisis, as it seemed as much a political drama as it was interracial. The leaders of two separate breeds, who were content supporting the Sun Elves' claim to rulership, came together and formed two different plans of how to deal with the rebellious actions. The Grey Elves were harsh, and wanted to assert strength through a show of force, believing that the entire fold could be held together by proving why their side held the right to rule. The Wood Elves suggested they let them run their course, and that inaction would be the best course to let the Easterners tire themselves out to the point of disinterest.
Elyn'aran decided to follow the Orodilnúr plan, and declared war on their eastern half of rebels.
It wasn't difficult for the Moon Elves to be crushed. The Moon Elves hadn't prepared a standing army to contend with the militaristic Sun Elves, with the elite Duskblades at their side. However, a secret force had been in development for several centuries within the Ithil Stones. The magic of Dragons is famous for appearing in the humanoid races, and the power a draconic sorcerer can unleash rivals many well trained wizards. Dragons are notoriously dangerous and independent creatures, and utilizing them consistently is impossible. But the army that had the great creatures on their side would be unbeatable, and as such the people of what would become Veliuona developed new techniques in the Ithil Stones, with the Luricbennúr at the forefront. The cruel treatment it took to tame a dragon has made the elves of Veliuona abhorrent to most onlookers, for it robbed the dragons of their personality, their mind, and much of their power, leaving them little more than destructive winged lizards.
With their brain dead dragons and their riders, the tide turned as a wave rushed out of the mountains in opposition of Elyn'aran's army, and decimated the standing armies there under the breath of their newest superweapons. Elyn'aran was routed, and with the taking of the great city Cael'akadi, the Moon Elves declared their own nation, Veliuona.
With skilled negotiation, Veliuona convinced the marauding Painted Elf tribes to join the fold of Veliuona, promising equality and wealth from the conquest of Elyn'aran. As a footnote, the majority of High Elves lived in Veliuona, and joined forces with the Moon Elves. Within a decade, Elyn'aran was on the backfoot, and losing territory and armies quickly, with only the heavily forested highlands and mountains of their western territory holding. While a stalemate has been had by the impossible terrain of Elyn'aran's homeland, they are also under pressure of starvation, with all the rich farmlands now in Veliuona's borders.
Relief came in the form of Veliuona turning its gaze to its neighbors, declaring war on the Orsinúr for their denouncement of the fledgling nation, declaring them warmongers. The result was a promise of war against the cursed elves, who lived within Rusulka. This series of war declarations brought the entire Bay of Ashes area into a chaotic firestorm of warring states against each other, siding for or against the two strongest powers, be it Rusulka or Veliuona.
That is where we find ourselves today, in the midst of a large scale war.
Territories
Veliuona's heartland sits around the Ithil Stones, a small mountain range of towering rocky peaks. Cael'akadi, the capital, sits at the foot of the northeastern most fringes, along the Krovitya River before it reaches the Sea of Fallen Stars. From the Stones, the land flattens out into rich flatlands, spreading out for hundreds of miles.
In the north, hugging the coast is the Beregnúdi Barrens, which has traditionally been the home for a populous of Painted Elves, to which the geography is named. The Barrens are walled in from the south and west by a craggy line known as the Crags of Dust for the towering cliffs, deep gorges and blowing sands.
In the south, the Rionnagan River flows from the Ithil Stones into the Sea of Voros, passing the Dragon Sword Peak and the lush hills before arriving in Dombrich. Two cities sit on the river, as it serves as their life blood.
In the west, the Velious River flows from the central mountains of Elyn'aran, snakes through the heartland, scrapes off the Ithil Stones, and curves north towards the sea beyond the northern reaches of the Barrens, at the furthest northwestern reaches of Veliuona's holds.
Military
Military strength is one of the main claims to fame of Veliuona. The elves, due to their long lives are able to train for decades longer than most other species, making them a martial race around the sword and bow. The strongest asset in Veliuona's arsenal is their Dragon Riders, and though it earns the ire of the free dragons, it cannot be denied having a number of the beasts raining death from the air is a super weapon few armies can fight against.
Perhaps the greatest weakness of Veliuona, and to an extension elvish fighting as a whole is their importance of the individual. Every warrior is a duelist, and must show his or her prowess singularly as opposed to being a member of a whole. This chaotic single mindedness is likely the cause of any defeats the elves suffer.
Religion
Religion is non-standard in Veliuona, as the elves that belong to the area are wont to do. However, the primary god of the Moon Elves, who are the primary species of the region, is Ketephys. He is the is the tight-lipped elven god of the hunt, often shown barefoot and clad in green and brown clothes. To him, his companions Meycho (a dog) and Falling Star (a hawk) are friends rather then helpers. His holy symbol is a hawk on a silver crescent. It is the reverence of the white moon Tethys that primarily draws the Moon Elves to him. Secondary faiths for Moon Elves also revere Acavna.
Secondarily, the wild elves of the Barrens revere nature spirits primarily, paying especial attention to fey creatures such as dryads, as well as elementals such as the genasi. In terms of gods they worship, primarily they worship Green Faith, a patron of their shamanistic druid circles, and Gorum for their ferocity in battle.
Agriculture & Industry
Perhaps the strongest claim to the strength of Veliuona is its agricultural might, holding most of the flat lands of the south, with hot winds blowing in from the Black Ash Plains and into the Sea before reaching the farmlands gives the area a consistently warm and humid climate, allowing vast plots of land to be dedicated to crops and husbandry. Because of this, Veliuona can field the strongest military force in the area and afford to feed it. This has caused a downward spiral for its neighbors, as the country continues to take fertile lands that would be necessary for its neighbors to continue resisting.
After all, an army marches on its stomach, and Veliuona has the best ability to feed that stomach.
Maps
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Veliuona
Founding Date
27 Sapientiae 1342
Type
Geopolitical, State
Capital
Demonym
Veliuonan
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Confederation
Economic System
Market economy
Legislative Body
A formal central government establishment hasn't been instated with much haste for the people of Veliuona, leaving the country more akin to a hodgepodge of estates and cities that govern themselves while agreeing to fall underneath the banner of a unified nation. As such, this confederation values the individual and it's neighbors over the good of the realm, but the uniting factors detailed in the History bring the collective into a greater whole. Without a formal government after the wars have passed however, Veliuona may become vulnerable, and those that have been fending off the country may find their chance for revenge.
Judicial Body
Justice is handled at the lowest level possible, usually squabbles will be forced to settle between the two parties, with a intermediary at most. However, should the crime fall under a worse offense, from extensive thievery up into murder, the governors of the area usually trust on the judgement of knights of Iomedae to act as judge, jury, and if need be, executioner. If the affront is even worse, the perpetrator will likely find themselves judged by many nobles, knights, and other people of influence. Such crimes will land someone in Cael'akadi Prison more likely than not.
Location
Official Languages
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Related Ethnicities
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