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settings:cahyali:buyukvahsi [2021/02/28 18:52] eliusettings:cahyali:buyukvahsi [2024/03/10 03:27] (current) – [Regions] quiddlesticks
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 ====== Buyuk Vahsi ====== ====== Buyuk Vahsi ======
- * Government Type: Theocracy/Anarchy +  * Government Type: Theocracy 
-  * Symbol: Rose+  * Symbol: Peacock & Rose
   * Major Races: Elves   * Major Races: Elves
-  * Major Cities**Ahlaan Bika**+  * Capital: Ahlaan Bika, Andherbagh 
 +  Demonym: Buyuki; Vahsians
  
-{{settings:cahyali:buyukvahsimap.png}}+{{settings:cahyali:vahsi_map.png}} 
 +{{settings:cahyali:buyuk_map.png}}
  
-Buyuk Vahsi features a sprawling rainforest above ground, and a strange, unconventional rainforest below ground. The underground rainforest has an entirely different ecological makeup than the one above it, and has almost alien-like fungi, plants, and creatures, all adapted to thrive in low light and damp conditions. Weaving through the small continent is the Wayfir river, which forks in the central mountains, one branch flowing west to east above ground, and the other branch spiraling counter-clockwise below ground.+===== Overview ===== 
 +Buyuk Vahsi features a sprawling rainforest above ground, and a strange, unconventional rainforest below ground. The underground caverns have an entirely different ecological makeup than the realm above, and has almost alien-like fungi, plants, and creatures, all adapted to thrive in low light and damp conditions. Weaving through the small continent is the Wayfir River, which forks in the central mountains, one branch flowing west to east above ground, and the other branch spiraling counter-clockwise below ground.
  
-Encircled by a chaotic rainforest, the people of Buyuk Vahsi live in one of the twinned realms of their nation. Buyuk refers to the underground jungle that lies just beneath the surface - holding most of the world’s elves in a free-form, if slightly negligent, societyThe surface is where most travelers are familiar with - referred to as Vahsi. Incredibly welcoming and open, self-expression and freedom is the predominant cultural trait. Vahsi is notable for a lack of a proper legal system or documentation, holding nothing resembling a code of law or legal constitution. +The people of Buyuk Vahsi live in one of the twinned realms of their nation. Buyuk is the name of the underground caverns, while Vahsi refers to the surface world. Both worlds are ruled by the same theocratic triumvirate, with Vahsi providing much of the nation's food and Buyuk returning the favor with its military might developed out of necessity due to the caverns' hostile environmentThe three leaders of Buyuk Vahsi are: 
  
-These twinned nations, while similar in their general pacifist nature, differ in demeanor and which race is in the majority. The elves of Buyuk are largely Saedic Elves characterized by gaunt bluish pale skindark eyes and hair. These elves are sometimes referred to as 'Drow' or 'Dark Elves' but are known to resent those terms. These elves also widely hold the cultural belief that, due to their strong ties to the ancestral grounds, they hold greater power and significance to their god than those of mixed or differing descent. The elves of Vahsi hold no such belief and are widely Dahahbi elves characterized by their tanned skingolden hair and bright crystal eyes.  Dahahbi elves are so named due to their original ancestral migration from Dahahbu to Vashiwhere they then eventually adopted the worship of nature.+  * The Sultan of Aakaash, of Cahyalic faith 
 +  * The High Druid of Kaivalyiof nomadic faith 
 +  * The Umbral Minister of Buyuk, of Cahyalic faith
  
-=== Major Laws === +The island of Buyuk Vahsi hides many mini-climes in its forests and mountains, ranging from hot tropical forests to snowcapped mountain peaks. Much of the population lives near the island'center, where the Wayfir River splits in two and provides access between the twin realmsVahsians are mostly elven, with medium brown skin, dark hair, and brown to green eyes. Buyuki are also elven, but many refer to them as "dark elves" or "drow". They have gray, blue, or purple skin, white hairand brown to red eyes.
-  * No explicit laws or law enforcement; bands of community members are largely responsible for each other’safetyHowevercitizens do not take kindly to violent actions.+
  
-=== Religion ===+==== Regions ==== 
 +Buyuk Vahsi is broken down into five broad regions between the twin realms of the country. 
 + === Wayfir Meanders, Vahsi ===  
 +As the Wayfir River twists and turns through the landscape of Buyuk Vahsi, it leaves a fertile and lush environment in its wake. Most of Buyuk Vahsi’s population lives along the Wayfir Meanders, and much of its food is produced on the Meanders’ Vahsi side.  
 + === Rainshadow, Vahsi ===  
 +Named for its place in the rain shadow of the Wayfir Mountains, the Rainshadow region is quite a bit more arid than the rest of the continent. No major cities exist in the Rainshadow, though a smattering of small villages do exist, mostly concerning themselves with mining or subsistence. Many of these villages are populated by Dahabi immigrants. 
 + === Northern Petals, Vahsi ===  
 +Along the far northern coasts of Vahsi are a few curved peninsulas, vaguely resembling the shape of petals on a map. This region is mostly known for its fishing, and has been the origin point of more than one ill-fated expedition out into the ocean beyond the continent. Many religious havens have taken a place in the Northern Petals. 
 + === Wayfir Meanders, Buyuk ===  
 +Underground, the Wayfir River continues before flowing out of the caverns, presumably back to the ocean. As on the surface, the Wayfir’s banks host civilization. In the hostile land that is Buyuk, in fact: the only major civilization at all. 
 + === Gray Lands, Buyuk ===  
 +Away from the Wayfir River, water is hard to come by within the caverns, and low light combined with hostile fauna and flora makes these underground realms an extremely dangerous place - even for those accustomed to the dark. The Gray Lands are not inhabited by any people, save for convicts that have been exiled. Their primary inhabitants are creatures such as giant spiders, carnivorous mobile plants, strange blind mole-creatures, and venomous lizards.
  
-The people of Buyuk Vahsi generally believe in and worship these gods:+==== Laws ==== 
 +Policing is much more stringent in Buyuk than it is in Vahsi; crime rates are low in both locations, though, as most citizens believe that crime sullies one in the eyes of the divine. A general overview of some major laws in both Buyuk and Vahsi follows, though exact punishments vary some between the two locales. The death penalty does not exist in Buyuk Vahsi, though many see a punishment of exile to the Buyuki wilderness as tantamount to execution, as the hostile flora and fauna in the caverns make quick work of convicts.
  
-  * Hestapheous - The Knowledge and Secrets of Life. Followers believe in the act of seeking knowledge as an attempt to better understand nature and its glory. They also regard knowledge as precious and something to be protected.   +  * Minor destruction of the environment: Fine of up to 1000 gc and incarceration for up to 30 days 
-  * Julius - The Bounty of Life. Followers believe that nature is a bounty, and it is to be protected. They believe that wealth should only be taken if similar wealth can be given in return.+  * Harm to endangered species: Fine of up to 3000 gc and incarceration for up to 2 years 
 +  * Stringent tree law. 
 +  * Theft: Fine equal to double the worth of the stolen goods 
 +  * Violence based on religion: Servitude in offended religion’s holy places for up to 50 years, depending on degree 
 +  * Worship of demonsfey entities, or eldritch beings: Exile to Buyuki wilderness 
 +  * Ownership of another intelligent humanoid creature: Exile to Buyuki wilderness 
 +  * Assault and battery: 10-15 years incarceration 
 +  * Murder and rape: Depending on degree, up to 250 years incarceration or exile to Buyuki wilderness 
 +  * Treason: Incarceration for life
  
-While the citizens of both Buyuk and Vahsi recognize these godsonly Buyuk has a somewhat organized theocratic structure. There are generally six holy titles that govern the church in Buyukabove all The Revered Mother/Father. Then comes The Herald, a vice leader of the church. Below The Herald comes the three Honored Fathers/Mothers, which each possess separate duties within the church and government. +For more information on the history and culture of Buyuk Vahsi, follow this link: [[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FNHdZh4GYWrfWzwhhKTndCFljGgSMpuZjwrccYg8QTQ/edit?usp=sharing|Buyuk Vahsi History & Overview]]
-  * The Revered Father: Alphonse Granin, who manages the different sects of druids and generally keeps order. +
-  * The Herald: ??? +
-  * The Honored Fathers/Mothers: +
-    * ??? +
-    * ??? +
-    * ???+
  
 +{{settings:cahyali:buyukvahsi_flag.png}}
 +== The national flag of Buyuk Vahsi. ==
 +
 +===== Cities of Buyuk Vahsi =====
 +==== Vahsi ====
 +**Ahlaan Bika, Cutting Viridian Edge:** The capital of Vahsi, located in a bend of the Wayfir River. Ahlaan Bika is a prosperous city, open to trade from the Oxis Alliance and Ulos. Additionally, it is a center of technological advancement, especially where it comes to the technology of living abaci. Two temples sit at the center of the city: one dedicated to the Aakaashi-Cahyalic faith and one to the Kaivalyi-nomadic faith. Many come to Ahlaan Bika to witness the incredible architecture of the city, with beautiful stone buildings in organic shapes contrasting and intermixing with buildings grown carefully out of towering trees.
 +
 +**Srivastava, Home of Scholarship:** Located in the larger Ahlaan Bika area, Srivastava is a college town home to the Vahsi Panditudu School, the premier educational institute of Buyuk Vahsi. The town is far more diverse than most of the country, as scholars from Ulos and Ruefang often travel to Srivastava to study or work for the university.
 +
 +**Riversource, Gate to Above and Below:** This city is built at the top of the Wayfir Mountains, where the river begins, bubbling up from the peaks and flowing out in two directions. The triumvirate meets here when necessary, with the three leaders and their respective cabinets having temporary homes in the city. Until recently, Riversource was the only access point between Vahsi and Buyuk.
 +
 +**Ludhiana, Prospering Without Divinity:** A druidic haven in the north of Vahsi, and the only city on Buyuk Vahsi to restrict priestly activity within its jurisdiction. No temples to the gods exist here, and their worship is only permitted at a personal level. Many nomads and druids from Buyuk Vahsi, Vervand, and beyond gather in Ludhiana to discuss, meet, and share. A single portal to Jaern connects Ludhiana and Gryf'shion, in Jaern's Ageron region.
 +
 +**Ghaziabad Port, Gate to Medius:** In the northeast of Vahsi is this bustling port, the first stop of mercantile ships from the east. For one reason or another, Ghaziabad still retains Dahabi influence in its architecture, a holdover from the occupation millennia ago. Many Dahabi live in Ghaziabad, most taking up professions as merchants or artisans. Oxians are also frequently found here.
 +
 +==== Buyuk ====
 +Much of Buyuk is untamed, with only a few major settlements existing. There may be others, outside the light of the Prakasamu, but those are not known at this time. Most find it unlikely that any stable settlement could find a foothold in the caverns' wilderness.
 +
 +**Andherbagh, Light in the Dark:** The capital of Buyuk, located directly under Riversource where the Wayfir falls from a great height into the caverns. In addition to leading Buyuk, Andherbagh is also the military capital of the nation. Soldiers and officers are trained and deployed from here. Floating above the highest building in Andherbagh is the Prakasamu, a mystical light of fantastic dimensions that illuminates the city. Many believe that the Prakasamu is a gift from Peregrinus.
 +
 +**Dehradun:** A town in the Andherbagh area that functions mainly as a military base, with most of its soldiers being trained to defend Buyuk from the hostile creatures that often launch attacks on outlying villages. Rumors abound in Dehradun that the creatures are not simply beasts, but something worse...
 +
 +**Kukuramutta Town:** A village in the Andherbagh area built entirely into the stalks of giant fungi. Due to its unique construction, Kukuramutta is frequented by tourists, and has built much of its identity as a tourist town.
 +
 +{{:a_rocha-thewebkingdom.jpg}}
 +== A wild place in the Buyuk caverns. By Andreas Rocha; used with permission. ==
 +
 +===== Culture =====
 +==== Venerating the Land ====
 +Many of Buyuk Vahsi’s cities are research centers or places of high art, and Buyuk Vahsian culture puts a great emphasis on the idea that one’s purpose in life is to elevate mortalkind with new knowledge or new works. Intellectuals are highly prized in the country, and many Buyuk Vahsian citizens are sent abroad to study and further their worldviews. Whether scholars of industry, magic, art, or something else, the learned are considered to have potential to do anything they desire in life. Despite this emphasis on knowledge, literacy rates in Buyuk Vahsi only hover around 70%; it is considered just as noble of a pursuit to live out in nature, learning all one can about their surroundings and eschewing society. Buyuk Vahsian family structures are often joint, with an extended family living under one roof.
 +
 +The people of Buyuk Vahsi believe in living in harmony with nature, and so many settlements are filled with wild animals that are given space to coexist with people. The architecture of these cities is filled not only with elegant, organic lines wrought from stone and wood, but with constructions carefully grown from living material. Trees are grown over time into houses, moss made into carpeting, and leaves magically hardened and used as shingles. Pollution is near zero, and attempts to harm the ecosystem are punished both with shame from peers and by the law. Nature is considered the great stage on which the play of mortalkind takes place, and to destroy this stage is to destroy all that mortalkind has worked towards.
 +
 +==== The Tri-Faiths ====
 +One of Buyuk Vahsi’s most distinguishing cultural features is the three primary religious groups that live in close contact, having come to a mutual agreement to live and let live. This diversity of perspective is found throughout the nation, and it is considered good to expose oneself to as many perspectives that differ from yours as possible.
 +
 +  * The Aakaash worship the Jaernian gods and live on the surface. They venerate Julius most of all, offering some reverence to the academic deities, Thoth and Vormaxia. Vahrun is also respected, as is Seherine. Aakaashi festivals are usually quiet affairs, taking place within households in the evening or night. Values of temperance and obedience are emphasized in Aakaashi culture, and one is expected to honor their elders in the family.
 +  * The Kaivalya do not worship the Jaernian gods, instead following a druidic faith led by sramana (holy people or shamans). They believe that spirits exist in all of nature, and in some creations of humanity as well; these spirits are to be respected, and respect will lead to good luck and health for those following this faith. When one thinks of Buyuk Vahsian festivals, it is most likely a Kaivalyi festival that comes to mind. These are organized in city centers, often involving bright lights, energetic dances and music, or splashes of paint all about the plaza and on those in attendance.
 +  * The Buyuki live underground, and worship the gods. The environment of Buyuk is notably harsher than Vahsi, and as such the Buyuki have come to worship the more warlike gods, such as Marutuk and Aremakh. Strength is important in the caverns, as natural threats in the form of aggressive beasts and toxic plants still exist to all but the most fortified cities. Respect towards nature is still emphasized, as taking the environment of Buyuk to be something conquerable by mortals is tantamount to throwing your life into the maw of a devouring plant.
 +
 +==== Samsara ====
 +A major philosophical concept in Buyuk Vahsi is the “samsara”, a worldly cycle that happens on many different scales. Aakaashi, Buyuki, and Kaivalyi all believe in reincarnation, though they do not put any special effort into seeking out the identity of one’s past life. The samsara is believed to exist from the creation and destruction of the world (some holy texts speak of a “watery abyss” world before Cahyali, which was destroyed in the current world’s creation), to the cycle of a daily routine. All the earth is believed to run in loops - neither positive nor negative, and breaking a samsara on any scale is considered to be a path to enlightenment and peace.
 +
 +==== Witch-Queen's Gambit ====
 +The elves of Buyuk Vahsi commonly play a game called [[settings:cahyali:dahabu:wcg|Witch-Queen's Gambit]].
 +
 +==== Technology & Ironwood ====
 +Once one has stayed a while, they may note the prevalence of very specifically grown plant life; in lieu of metal benches, one can find a bench grown from a single tree. Instead of metal supports for buildings, the casters of Buyuk Vahsi manipulate plants into perfect scaffold shapes. It doesn’t take long to see that Buyuk Vahsi is perhaps more technologically advanced than the rest of the world: just in a markedly different way. Instead of crafting their technology from metals and flame, they have grown every bit of it out of their natural surroundings.
 +
 +In 10028, a massive advancement in this technology was made: a magical and hyper-specific form of grown flora capable of making mathematical calculations. Many of these “machines” are the size of rooms, taking the form of tree trunks with bioluminescent burls capable of lighting up and turning off. These plants are broadly referred to as ironwood, after the shiny metallic appearance of the bark. Ironwood technology has advanced far enough such that many institutions have them, and much energy is being devoted towards advancing this new avenue of technology. Ironwood units are getting smaller and smaller with time, and many scholars think that they will be able to fit on a table or in the palm of a hand by the 11000s. 
 +
 +Ironwood units can be fed "code" in the form of magical runes engraved onto discs of inert plant matter, which can then be fed into the plant, functioning much like the punch cards used to code early computers of the E-yarth plane. This technology is quickly becoming a major export of the country, although national leaders warn against becoming too eager with it - after all, this technology in the hands of those without care for the natural world and its order could wreak havoc. 
settings/cahyali/buyukvahsi.1614556345.txt.gz · Last modified: 2021/02/28 18:52 by eliu