Vervand

• Government Type: Parliamentary Democracy
• Symbol: Red Wyrm
• Major Races: Humans, Elves
• Capital: Glendyr
• Demonym: Vervish

With a name meaning “green,” Vervand is a lush land on the western side of the Oxis Alliance, and often acts as a gate between Western and Eastern Cahyali. Its lands are rolling hills and lush temperate forests, with the ancient Crideann Mountains acting as a border between Vervand and its neighbor of Arenti. Vervand has faced much hardship over the years, from Shinnean occupation to Dahabi rule. However, it is now a thriving nation.

The people of Vervand have spiritual tradition stretching back centuries, as the land is highly connected to the Dreaming. It is thought that visitors from lands west of Dahabu came to Vervand tens of thousands of years ago, imparting some of their spiritual traditions - while these people are almost entirely unknown now, some of their ways stuck. In Vervand, the Dreamt are known by many names: most chiefly, Fey and Daliad.

Vervand is a parliamentary democracy, with no singular leader. All decisions are voted on by the Parliament. They have no standing military, with much of their armed forces being made up of minuteman volunteers that heed the call when needed.

For more information on the history and culture of Vervand, follow this link: Vervand History & Overview

Vervand has five provinces, officially recognized by the government: these are named Arfordir, Keird, Kompezenn, Oileánach, and Sreapadaireachd. There are, though, six broad geographic regions.

Contrary to popular belief, “Beag Isles” actually means “little islands” in Vervish Geleik. North of the mainland is a group of islands that make up the Oileánach Province. Each of the isles contains at least one settlement with intricate roads of mossy stone leading to the settlement from the sea. The capital of the province is Paicoire.

A dense forest that runs through the center of Vervand. The city is a beacon for fae and monstrous creatures. Many of the magical plants that Vervand is known for grow here, but fetching them is not an easy task. The capital of all Vervand lies on the other side of the Digonedd River: Glendyr.

Rising from the land, the Crideann Mountains tower over Vervand and Arenti, acting as the border between the two. The mountains are dangerous to traverse by foot, most opting to use the services of a teleporter to reach the cities atop the mountain.

Twisting through the lower corner of Vervand, the Digonedd River Delta is a series of channels that carry from the capital to the ocean. The water cut across the land has given way to vibrant wildlife throughout the region. This area also acts as the border for the Arfordir province. The capital of this area is Dadeni.

Quiet and peaceful, the Gàirdean Fada is a lightly forested area generally used as farmland. For some reason all sound here tends to be muted with the paths being so quiet with not even the sounds of nature being heard. This area is the location of the Keird Province. The capital of the province is Maendour.

The western edge of Vervand is characterized by a bay area constantly barraged by storms, heavy rains, thunder and lightning. Due to this the area is prone to flooding and tends to be rather muddy and difficult to traverse. This area is also populated by many divots in the ground filled with rainwater and surrounded by standing stones. This is the area that makes up the province of Kompezenn. The capital of Kompezenn is Guldiun.

Vervish history details an island once located to the south of the mainland, known as Mordrik. It was home to one of Vervand's founding tribes, but disappeared without fanfare nor reason on Irkusk 12, 2930 BF. Most have forgotten Mordrik ever existed, but some scholars still wonder as to where it went. In the late summer of 2557, Mordrik reappeared, and is now considered an autonomous administrative division of Vervand with its own government and culture.

The police force of Vervand is a glorified government-funded security team. They are not as organized or well-funded as many other police forces across the world, but in general they manage to get the job done. Some major crimes and their punishments in Vervand are:

• Severe mistreatment of individuals (hate crime, domestic abuse, etc.): Remedial classes and fine of up to 500 gc.
• Tax evasion: Incarceration from 1 - 3 years. Payment of missed taxes and 150% of weekly income.
• Theft of property less than 100 gc: Fine equal to the value of the stolen items or 100% of weekly income, and incarceration for up to 5 months if items are not returned.
• Theft of property greater than 100 gc: Fine equal to double the value of the stolen items or 150% of weekly income, and incarceration for up to 1 year if items are not returned.
• Carrying deadly martial weapons without state license: Fine of up to 500 gc.
• Assault and battery: 2 years incarceration. Fine of 10,000 gc or 250% of weekly income.
• Murder and rape: Depending on degree, incarceration for 10 years to life, with parole possible. Fine of 600% of weekly income.
• Treason: Incarceration for life, or exile.

Glendyr, The Realized City: A sprawling city that is a splendid mix of the olden naturalist Vervish architectures found in the 4 of the 5 providence capitals, and modern building styles that create a spectacle so grand it’s hard to not be in awe. As a mixture of all the different lands of Vervand, it features the stone structures of Paicoire, the fires of Oneamh, the lights and electricity of Guldiun, and finally the shifting landscape of Dadeni.

Paicoire: The island that Paicoire sits upon slopes into a crevice, making a giant cauldron that the city is built upon. Paicoire is defined by the verticality of its architecture. It’s rare to find a structure shorter than 100 feet. These buildings are connected via stone bridges running between them, and it’s common for these buildings to have pathways built through them for easier travel. It’s known that one can travel from one side of the city to the other without once touching the ground.

Oneamh: Throughout the year, every night the streets of the Oneamh are adorned by flames attached to the buildings and on the streets. From the mountain base these lights coming from the town appear like stars in the night sky. The center of the city is the town square with castle-like structures surrounding it and other stone buildings extending out to the four gates where after the buildings have more wood mixed into their architecture.

Dreitresan, The Tripeak City: Although technically within Vervand’s territory, the city is a headquarters for meetings regarding the Oxis alliance. The city is stunning as it’s unique combies Arenti, Vervish, and Shinnean architecture. The city is also characterized by 3 “flower towers”, diplomatic spires. Each tower is adorned with one of the iconic flowers of the Oxis: Vervand's lily, Arenti's rose, and Shinneok's dogwood.

Dadeni: Built atop the delta traversing the city is a unique place due to the the winding rivers that run through the city. While roads and bridges exist, the public transportation of the city revolves around boats and using water magic to shift the flow or cut an opening through the rivers.

Maendour: This city has a large mixture of Shinnean and Dahabi architecture, as it acted as the capital during Shinnean and Dahabi occupation. Worship of the Cahyalic pantheon is most common here, having large temples to the Fourteen and smaller ones for other, more minor gods. The city also has walls along the sea border that were established long before Shinneok ever came.

Guldiun: Due to the tumultuous circumstance of the surface, this city exists underground, though there are many routes to the surface. Many of the standing stones in the area have been modified to be portals into the city. The city itself is powered by the constant storms, with lightning rods extending above the surface and traveling down into the city. The city also has many waterfalls flowing down into it. This all culminates in a city of lights and water features that create beautiful patterns on the cavern above as the light travels through the water. The wetlands above are used as farmland.

Vervand is the capital for art and literature education across Cahyali. While making sure to keep their own culture alive, Vervish schools also prioritize teaching about the cultures of the world, often reaching out for experts of other cultures to come teach at their institutes. Due to the focus on education, 87% of Vervish citizens are literate and they have some of the best educator support on Cahyali. While there is a history or oral storytelling, there’s also a heavy emphasis on codifying everything that can be found for future generations.

Vervish cities tend to have a striking variety of architecture. Major cities are structured around a large castle of Shinnean origin but with any Shinnean or Vervish imagery replaced with Dahabi imagery and styles. Many of these large halls have been repurposed as cultural centers filled with markets, performances, and more. From there the buildings surrounding it follow the same idea of Shinnean-inspired, Dahabi-built. The further out from the center one gets, geometric and rigid shapes give way to cylindrical buildings with rounded or conical roofs. This newer building style is termed Neo-Vervish, calling back to the structures of old that have since disappeared.

Similar to other countries traditional Vervish culture was not completely lost during the Dahabi occupation, however, a lot more of it did disappear during it. As a result Vervish religion is ever changing as it is a meld of 3 religious practices, Vervish druidism, Dahabi worship, and Ninite worship. Though druidic faith has been on the rise as time goes on and more relics of the past are discovered.

The most commonly worshiped Cahyalic gods are Thoth, Arakh, Osiris, Vahrun, and Anpu. While other gods are respected, they see much less worship in this country and priests of them are rare, and notably worship of Anpu is more similar to the Jearnian aspect Anubis than the Cahyalic Anpu.

Many different druidic circles exist, each tracing their roots back to one of the original tribes of Vervand. These druids are often wielders of spiritual power, capable of crafting incants and communing with beings from beyond the pale.

Làn-Dìom, translating a mystical lights, the Làn-Dìom are an aurora borealis-esque event caused by the elemental energy radiating out of Mistik Ravine in Ulos. WHile many areas can see the Làn-Dìom, it's notable in Vervand as when it occurs, the land reacts. The standard flora of Vervand start to emit a soft glow, while the magical flora emit a stronger flow. In the past this aligned with the arival of the Dawnstrom, the Vervish dragons who seemed to dance with the lights in the sky. It was the belief of the ancient peoples of Vervand that this was a way of revitalizing the land and the magic within it.