/vnug/

▲Symbol of /vnug/.

/vnug/ Union (/vnug/: Vinägy Hanhöm, Mujigae: Bakdaunnara-ui Yeonmaeng) is one of the three constituent states of /kr/.

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Etymology

The name /vnug/ is a transliteration of the word vinäg (/ˈvinəg/). It is commonly analyzed as:

• vi- is the root of a verb in southern /vnug/ language, meaning “to shine” (vi-da). The ultimate origin of the word is believed to be hvitna in the language of the refugees, replacing the native bolg-da, although a native origin based on pï(l) (“fire” or “light”) has also been suggested.
• -n- is the verbal suffix for gerund-forming.
• -äg is theharmonized place suffix -ag, primarily found in northern /vnug/.

Together, vinäg can be translated as “(the) place which is shiny”, or “shining land”. This is considered the official meaning of the name by /vnug/ government, and is the basis for Bakdaun-nara, its official name in Mujigae language.

The expression itself came from the Etherna Saga, the foundational compilation of mythology and folklore across /vnug/. In the poem describing the refugees’ exodus from their conquered homeland, the people were on the verge of despair after losing everything they had. It was at the time where they received a divination. Later attributed to Liora, the goddess of the Palkyrie faith, the divination praised the unyielding bravery of the refugees, and as a reward, they were given a new homeland in the far south, “a place which is shiny even in the darkest night during the coldest months”. With their faith strengthened once more, the people continued their perilous sail southward, until they reached modern day /vnug/ on a winter night, where they witnessed polar light for the first time. Seeing this as their promised new homeland, the refugees made landfall near what is today Palhalla. During the Mujigae period, the Etherna Saga was commonly read as an allegory for the struggle of the /vnug/ people under foreign rule, and as such, vinäg came to represent both the free wilderness where Mujigae control was weak, and the future of an independent /vnug/. It was commonly used as a rallying cry in the years leading up to the Great Uprising, and the new /vnug/ government soon adopted it as its official name following the collapse of the old Kingdom of Mujigae.

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Geography

▲The weathered wilderness of /vnug/ is dominated by dense viridian forest and long winter nights.

/vnug/ occupies the southwestern tip of the /kr/ peninsula, including the westernmost and southernmost point of the country. Its entirety is located beyond the 60th parallel south, and a combination of exposure to polar easterlies and subpolar cold current results in a frigid, boreal climate across the country, with the southern coast and northern hills being too cold to support tree growth. The open sea around the south pole resulted in limited sea ice, but seasonal ice is a regular occurance along the southern coast of /vnug/ during the long winters.

Because of the cold, dry weather, almost the entirety of /vnug/ is covered in boreal forest. The snowy forest is primarily dominated by pines, spruce, and birch. Firs can be found on the moist western coast, and aspen trees are present near the more temperate northern border. Around the hills and at the southern coast of the land, extreme weather results in larch becoming more prominent. Due to the dominance of conifers, the soil is highly acidic and poor in fertility, allowing only cold-hardy plants, mosses, and lichen to grow outside few irrigated, fertilized farmland alongside river banks.

Extensive permafrost beneath surface means the coastal lowland is constantly waterlogged. Although difficult to traverse, especially during the short summer months when the soil partially melts, harvested peat plays a major role in /vnug/ economy and culture as fuel, fertilizer, alcohol flavouring, and sources of furniture material.

Geology

Like the rest of /kr/, the majority of /vnug/ is orogenic in nature. Believed to have been formed during a warm period of the planet’s history hundreds of millions of years ago, the tectonic activity that drove the mountain formation has long ceased, and the mountain ranges have since been weathered down to the relatively small hills across /kr/. As a result, /vnug/ is primarily sedimentary rocks and their metamorphosed equivalent, although surviving patches of weather-resistant igneous rocks can also be found inland.

Due to the exposure of deeper rock layers caused by prolonged weathering, /vnug/ is known for its abundance in unusual mineral resources, chief among which being high-grade black coal and especially anthracite. Traditionally used for indoor heating, its high carbon content makes it exceptionally useful in advanced metallurgy in recent times. The weathering also results in an abundance of iron ore, since has since supplanted biogenic ore as the primary source of iron in the region.

Landscape

▲Despite having mostly disappeared, the glaciers that once covered most of /vnug/ nonetheless left its marks across the region.

Topographically, /vnug/ is generally flat but rugged. Most of the land is covered in glaciers during the last ice age, which further eroded the already-weathered terrain through abrasion and plucking. As the planet warmed up, the glaciers gradually retreated, exposing the unusual landscape underneath. Although many of the less stable features have since been obscured or destroyed by natural and artificial process, the land of /vnug/ still show prominently the marks left behind by the ancient ice sheets. Due to their unnatural shapes, many believe these formations to be artificial in nature, crafted by either gods, lost and forgotten cultures, or schizos who still roam the land beyond the light of civilization.

The periodic retreats of glaciers leave behind rows of rocky debris in their wake known as moraines. Resembling more-or-less continuous walls of stones and boulders before and across mountain valleys, these structures were believed to be built by some unknown people or schizos by ancient /vnug/ people. The process of their formation means a number of them are positioned in strategically valuable locations with freshwater supply. These places are often settled by /vnug/ and later Mujigae settlers, which is often reflected in their name including kï, a /vnug/ word for such formations.

Topographically, the majority of lowland /vnug/ can be considered a kame-and-kettle topography formed at the wake of glacial retreat following the end of the last ice age. Despite how barren the exposed land was, it was soon colonized by pioneer species and later conifers, transforming the tundra into a vast boreal forest. Although they are mostly covered by vegetation and, in some case, weathered away by environmental and biologic processes, most of the jumbled array of mounds and lakes are still noticeable today. In the native /vnug/ language, these irregular, often forested hills are called molek, and are sometimes seen as houses with unknown entombed beings. During the Mujigae period, moleks gained notoriety among the urban population as dangerous places both naturally and supernaturally, although at the same time some kames are converted into dwellings by the local population.

Seasons

▲While not the only country to experience it, nightless night is considered a symbol of /vnug/’s natural, if occasionally hostile, beauty.

Located close to the south pole between warm and cold waters, /vnug/ weather changes significantly across the months, giving rise to multiple distinct seasons. In traditional /vnug/ culture, a year is divided into seven seasons (shel). The concept of seven-season reckoning was first documented during Ethernation period, although it was not based on codified calendar, and was used to describe periods of harvesting, foraging, and hunting. It was only after /vnug/ was conquered by Mujigae that calendar was introduced to the region. Around the same time, domestication of reindeer also influenced the then-fledgling /vnug/ calendar, and it was tied to the yearly life cycle of reindeer as well as more observable change in the environment.

Vom

/vnug/ year begins around the winter solstice, which generally falls in the middle of Vom, making it the first season of the year. The native name is sometimes translated as “season of digging”, and is also occasionally called the “dayless season” (nachepseun shel) due to the extremely short and sometimes absent daylight during the season. This is the coldest time in /vnug/, where the temperature never rises above freezing even during the brief daytime. As a result, the land is often covered in thick snow or frozen wetland, making outdoor farming impossible. During this dark winter, most /vnug/ people are confined to indoor activities, relying on stored food for subsistence. Reindeer and other non-hibernating herbivores, on the other hand, survive by digging for lichen and sedge under snow and thin layer of topsoil, giving the season its name.

Nokeum

The next season is called Nokeum. As the name implies, this transitional period between winter and spring sees the return of longer daytime and warmth. Most places in /vnug/ experiences above-freezing temperature for the first time of the year during this season, leading to its name of “season of melting” as open fields and streams begin to melt.

Tanam

Starting soon after the spring equinox, Tanam is sometimes considered the /vnug/ equivalent of spring. Outside of the highest peaks and the southernmost coast, most of /vnug/ become mostly free of ice and snow during this season. The melting of winter snow and ice results in widespread mud and swamps, rendering off-road travel extremely difficult if unprepared. The name Tanam translates into “season of emerging”, as this is the time where pregnant reindeer give birth to their young. With sunlight and water, many of the faster-growing, usually herbaceous plants bloom during this time, providing ample food for animals beginning to wake up from hibernation.

Nam

The months leading up to the summer solstice is called Nam, the “season of growing”. During this time, the mild condition of the land allows for plants and animals alike to grow and develop the fastest, with herbivores grazing on new growths of mosses, ferns, lichen, and fresh shoots of conifers. In the more temperature north, this marks the beginning of the brief growing seasons for more traditional food crops, while reindeer herds are moved to cooler high grounds to avoid heat and insects. Owing to its high latitude, most of /vnug/ will begin to experience midnight sun. While only the southern half of /vnug/ experiences true midnight suns, where the sun remains fully visible during midnight, most of /vnug/ observes civil twlight around the summer solstice.

Mekeum

In /vnug/, the summer solstice is a major festival celebrated across /vnug/ as the “nightless night” (pamepsun pam). This marks the beginning of Mekeum, the “season of feasting”. During the nightless night, the majority of food storage from the previous seasons are shared and consumed. Following the grand festival, the rest of Mekeum is spent gathering food and other material for the upcoming winter. During this season, most plants from wild berries to planted grains have ripened, and the warm water also leads to an abundance of fish and other marine animals. The rich bounties of nature and the last blossoms before snow makes Mekeum a season of revelry and intimacy, even more so than the preceding Nam. As such, it is also known as Ketum, the “season of harvesting”.

Eleum

Eleum marks the end of the short warm period of /vnug/, where leaves of deciduous trees begin to turn bright and eventually fall off. Most migratory birds leave /vnug/ to escape from the cold season, and the temperature drops to the point where colder regions begin to freeze. Traditionally, the beginning and end of Eleum is marked by the first snow in the coldest and warmest corners of /vnug/ respectively, giving the season its name of “season of freezing”. This season marks the last harvesting of plants and fruits for the year, and is the time for domesticated reindeer and hibernating animals to fatten themselves and fight for mating rights. After the fall equinox, polar lights become significantly more noticeable due to the darker environment, and the relatively mild weather of Koseum makes it the best season to observe the phenomenon for both secular and religious reasons.

Koseum

Traditionally considered the last season of the year, Koseum sees the majority of the land beginning to be covered by snow and ice. As plant- and mushroom-derived food sources dwindle, this is considered the primary season for hunting animals due to them being fattened and less active in preparation for the long winter nights. This is also the time where weak reindeer in the herd, ones that are not expected to survive the harsh seasons, are slaughtered for their food and other body parts. As such, this is called the “season of harvesting”.

According to some folk tales, poor harvest had led to some of the old and infirm departing from their communities during Koseum to reduce the strain on resources during the long winter seasons, although non-literary evidence of such practice is rare. Nowadays, it is believed to be inspired by the Palkyrie tradition of hunters preferring to die in combat to ascend to heaven. It is known that in cases where a lack of sufficiently strong enemy or ferocious beast has led to elder hunters requesting their disciples to kill them in one-sided “combat” to fulfil such religious requirement.

Biodiversity

Biogeographically, /vnug/ comprises the boreal and polar region of the southern hemisphere, which it shares with the rest of /kr/, /haha/, Anya-Petra, /rose/, and /yeah/. Despite its subpolar and tundra climate, /vnug/ is home to a diverse and extensive range of flora and fauna, including multiple species of plants and animals endemic to the region. It is believed to be facilitated by a combination of its dense taiga and rugged glacial landform providing shelter for wildlife against hostile weather and predation, as well as the abundance of background chuubanite level within the ecosystem encouraging different directions in speciation.

Plant adaptations

Despite its high latitude and exposure to the frigid polar wind, /vnug/ is home to dense boreal forests and a myriad of plants usually found in more teperate climate. The thriving ecosystem despite the harsh environment is a result of multiple adaptations utilized by the indigenous flora to better acclimatize to the otherwise polar weather of the land. It is believed that one of the main causes for the unusual biodiversity of plants in /vnug/ is the predominance of dreamworts. In addition to its ability to penetrate the hardened soil pan of the podzol and gelisol to access additional nutrition buried deep in the subsoil, its chuubanitic chelation also led to the presence of various different, chuubanite-enhanced organic compounds in the ecosystem, many of which are absorbed by the local flora and fauna for their own use. These organic compounds serve as the basis of many uncommon biological processes for the native flora, and some scholars hypothesize that their affinity to other organic compounds encourage development of new species.

Many plants in /vnug/, in particular trees, express clonality, a method of vegetative reproduction where new, genetically identical individuals develop from existing parts of their original plants, usually from the root structure. While some plants in /vnug/, such as white poplar, are known to reproduce asexually in other habitats, the prominence of clonal trees in /vnug/ is likely linked to its severe weather and poor soil nutrition. The long freezing seasons of the land inhibits seed germination for many plants, and the short growing season similarly limits growth rate. This, combined with the relative lack of nutrition in the acidic, porous soil of the taiga, means plants that can develop without reliance on seed or the nutrition of the soil – the vast network of roots of clonal trees are able to spawn and grow new trees using nutrition absorbed in other parts of the habitat. This allows the forest of /vnug/ to grow and expand at a rate not commonly seen in conventional vegetation in similar climates. The expansive root system also allow the forest to redevelop after its surface structure has been destroyed, such as by wildfire or logging, as the subterranean portion of the genets is unlikely to be damaged outside disease, poison, or other deliberate attacks. Local legends also claim that the trees or supernatural beings associated with the plants can communicate with others through the root system, although it has yet to be replicated reliably.

Similar to dreamworts, many plants in /vnug/ also utilize chuubanite as part of their biology. Although the precise effect of chuubanitic substance differs depending on the structure of the molecules and the hosts, it is believed that most, if not all plants in /vnug/ make use of the common effects of these chelates to enhance their cold resistance. As chuubanite itself is capable of releasing heat, its warmth allows for roots rich in chuubanite-infused saps to extend further into the permafrost, offering additional nutrition and water even in the coldest months. Many of these organic compounds also exhibit antifreezing properties, increasing the survival and growth rate of plants through increased tolerance to freezing cold. While likely an unrelated side effect, these adaptations also result in some plants having unusually sweet saps that is sometimes considered preferable as food ingredients.

Reindeer

Reindeer is a species of large deer common to the sub-polar and polar regions of the world. As herd animals well-adapted to the cold climate of the circumpolar region, reindeer are a common sight in /vnug/. With virtually no arable land outside the northern Symphoria valley, reindeer is a major source of food and animal-derived product for inland rural /vnug/, and its domestication plays a major role in the development of /vnug/ culture.

Reindeer are herbivores that mostly subsist on needle leaves and grass during summer. During the long winter, reindeer herds migrate towards the tundra region in the northern hills to dig for lichen as food. However, they are also known to gnaw on bones and anters as a dietary supplement, and there are reported cases of reindeer eating small rodents, fish, and even carcasses during times of famine. While the hypnotic effect of dreamwort means reindeer who consume it would be put in a vulnerable position, some herded reindeer are known for actively consuming them – it is not known if they have developed resistance to the most adverse effects of the consumption, or if they have learned to enjoy the effects through moderate consumption.

Reindeer husbandry is culturally considered the most important part of /vnug/ agriculture. In addition to providing meat and milk as a stable source of nutrition for the majority of population with no access to farming or fishing, reindeer hide serves as a major source of leather, and tamed reindeer are the primary source of transportation in /vnug/, either as mounts or as draft animals pulling sleighs.

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History

Prehistory

/vnug/ is one of the last places in /kr/ to be settled by humans due to its remoteness and forbidding environment. For a long time, only the northernmost part of /vnug/ - later known as the Symphoria valley - was considered habitable due to its relatively temperate climate. Cultivation of millet and barley was centered around the coastal north, while the south relied more on foraging of cold-hardy berries. The different subsistence patterns eventually led to the formation of two different, but closely-related cultures, later known as Ethernites and Penelites.

The growing population and pressure from nearby societies led to a gradual expansion of the hunting and gathering grounds. Remains of Penelite shelters and supplies had been found across the boreal forest, and Ethernite bone fishing hooks were found as far as the southeastern coast of /vnug/. While they had come into contact with the native non-human population of elves, the nature of their interaction remained unknown, although it is believed to be mostly peaceful due to a general lack of archaeological evidence of significant armed conflict from that period.

Ethernation period

The first documented event in /vnug/ history occurs in late 3rd-century VTE with the arrival of refugees from a faraway land. According to legends, “a great evil” befell their ancestral homeland. They were defeated despite their bravery and were forced to flee, eventually arriving and making landfall in the estuary of Symphoria river. Although few in number, the refugees were believed to be technologically advanced compared with the native population.

The refugees shared the secrets of iron-working with the natives in exchange for being allowed to build their own settlements in the uninhabited wetland near the estuary. Palhalla, one of the biggest settlements in modern /vnug/, is believed to have originated as one of these settlements of stilt houses - with its name possibly meaning “hall of raised floor” in their language.

According to local legends, a schism soon formed among the refugees. Unlike the natives, the tropical refugees were unused to the harsh winter of /vnug/. One of them, a priestess said to be familiar with the dark arts of the conquerors that drove them out of their homeland in the first place, proposed replicating this ritual to fuse the refugees with the natives in order to gain their resilience against the elements. While the proto-Palkyries agreed to it, some of the refugees were vehemently against that idea, believing that abandoning their current form would led to the people losing the connection to their homeland and thus the will to return. Unable to reach a consensus, those who rejected the fusion with proto-Palkyries, led by the sage Mimir, left the estuary and retreated further inland to brace for the coming winter.

Unlike the nomadic Palkyries and Penelites, the more sedentary Ethernites soon made use of their newfound knowledge in metallurgy and agriculture. As their sphere of influence expanded, their primary settlement at the coast of Symphoria valley grew as well, eventually becoming the city-state of Ethernation. It was believed that during its apex, Ethernation controlled the region of Symphoria, either directly or through vassal Penelites and Palkyrie tribes.

Old Symphoria period

The expansion of Ethernation eventually led to conflict with its neighbors to the north. While legends claimed that the hostile environment of Symphoria made them tenacious fighters and mages, it is believed that the small population of the boreal country eventually fell to external pressure and the coastal capital of Etherna was conquered by the enemy. According to later sagas, though, this was not the end of ancient Ethernation, as the last king in Etherna managed to escape from the besieged city with his most loyal followers and fled south. The actual name of the king is lost to time - in Mujigae language, he is called Bakdal-nim, meaning “Birch Lord”. While it is common for /vnug/ people to be named after plants, most modern scholars believe it is the result of similar-sounding words. The original name or title is sometimes reconstructed as Paktul based on its foreign translation as Pactulian.

It is said that Bakdal-nim was moved by the multiple tribes of Ethernites and Penelites who continued to follow him even after the fall of the kingdom, and was troubled by how they were treated by his predecessors as vassals. Eventually, the entourage arrived at the banks of Symphoria river, where they encountered a massive band of Palkyries. Tension brewed between the two groups, and both sides were prepared for a bloody battle. However, before bloodshed could occur, a Penelite advisor of the king volunteered to negotiate with the Palkyries. According to Penelite records, the wise advisor composed a moving and elaborate epic, detailing the stories and struggles faced by the northern people, allegorizing it to the refugees who came to the Palkyries in the past. This managed to convince the war band to lay down arms and agreed to join Bakdal-nim, but only if he promised his reign to be “just and fair for all under the banner”.

Under the guidance of the Penelite sage, the four groups of the convoy - the old royal court and the three peoples - settled down by the river bank and constructed a new settlement to symbolize the new union. The original, native name of the settlement is believed to be Kitilki, but nowadays it is more famously known for its translated name of Symphoria, which also came to represent the entire state. Bakdal-nim’s vestigial state benefited from the newfound manpower and influx of knowledge and thrived, with some claiming that it eventually defeated the occupiers of Etherna and reclaimed the capital for a while. However, the entire region was eventually conquered again and was absorbed into the Great Kingdom of Mujigae.

Mujigae period

Due to the more temperate climate, Etherna remained the centre of administration during Mujigae rule. The introduction of Mujigae technology and culture led to a minor cultural golden age for Mujigae Symphoria. As writing and literacy became more widespread, many of the old oral traditions were written down and propagated at a speed far beyond what traveling bards and sages could achieve beforehand.

The most famous story among them was the Etherna Saga, named after the city where it was compiled. Believed to be written by a group of unnamed Penelites, the Etherna Saga claimed to be a compendium of multiple oral traditions and epics already well-known at the time. Most known events from pre-Mujigae Symphoria, from the arrival of tropical refugees to the tales of Bakdal-nim, were primarily known from the Etherna Saga. This includes the name of Symphoria itself - a term Bakdal-nim used to describe his state being “carried together” by the different tribes under his reign.

The Etherna Saga was said to form the foundation of the unified Symphoria cultural identity, and later scholars considered the parallel between the semi-mythical struggles of ancient Symphoria and the then-current rule by Mujigae occupiers to be intentional. As corruption became widespread across the Great Kingdom of Mujigae, discontent rose as well, and more and more people in Symphoria used the Etherna Saga as a basis to argue for an independent, united Symphoria.

It is said that an increasingly restive population led to more and more suppression from the Mujigae-leaning authority, and the exhaustion of easily-accessible mineral resources resulted in the need to extract more wealth to support the development of distant rural mines. As a result, /vnug/ natives who wished to escape Mujigae rule, or simply seeking new livelihood, began migrating away from Symphoria valley towards the south. According to legend, one of these groups found themselves lost while traveling across the weathered, foggy valleys of the inland. There, they stumbled upon a community of strange people who nonetheless welcomed them to stay. Claiming themselves to be the offspring of those following Mimir, the valley dwellers had settled in the valleys and adapted to the heavy chuubanite-enriched fog from the local flora. With the influx of arcane, technological, and cultural development from the refugees, the people who would later be known as the Remlins furthered their development as well, leading to them becoming part of the wider Symphoria culture, as well as a hotbed for anti-Mujigae resistance.

The Great Uprising

The old Kingdom of Mujigae began to decline during the 10th century VTE, which corresponded with the waning of its control over /vnug/. At the same time, exhaustion of coal, iron, and tin mines near major settlements necessitated the development of remote mining bases and long, often poorly-defended transport routes connecting them to Mujigae-controlled area. Combined, this led to a drastic increase in expense and decrease in
output, further eroding the extractive economy of Mujigae /vnug/. In early 11th century, frequent raids by anti-Mujigae forces had resulted in most Mujigae mining operations in /vnug/ ceasing. The majority of outposts had been abandoned to the rebels as garrison and local pro-Mujigae powers retreated to the more defensible cities in Symphoria valley.

The years leading up to the collapse of the old Kingdom of Mujigae in 1045 marked a sharp increase in guerrilla activities in /vnug/ due to the weakening garrison and economic control over the region. This strengthening of rebel forces is sometimes considered part of the Great Uprising, although its definitive start did not occur until the winter of 1043. An alliance of major rebel forces, including a significant amount of semi-nomadic Palkyries and Penelite, was formed with the goal of liberating Symphoria once and for all. Gathering in the alpine meadows in central /vnug/, Palkyrie riders disguised themselves as reindeer herders and approached the city of Kitilki through the frozen river valley to the northeast – with the shrinking local garrison, this area of the perimeter was poorly-defended due to the garrison believing such an approach during the severe winter was impossible. This allowed for the raiders to invade the city and disrupt the defense long enough for the main force to arrive and liberate the city.

The liberation of Kitilki quickly led to further uprising across the rest of the region. The garrison in Palhalla was quickly defeated due to its isolation from other Mujigae strongholds, while battles in Penel and Etherna severely limited Mujigae ability to reclaim lost territories. In early 1044, the rebel forces opened the dams in Kitilki, diverting a large amount of meltwater to the Symphoria valley. The flash flood further exacerbated the spring thaw, rendering the divided Mujigae garrison and reinforcement unable to converge. They were gradually defeated one by one, with some surrendering after being encircled. The old Kingdom in Mujigae proper collapsed in 1045, and the final Mujigae units in Etherna surrendered soon afterwards, ending the Great Uprising and centuries of Mujigae rule over /vnug/.

Modern period

In the wake of the old Kingdom’s collapse, representatives from /vnug/ and the rest of /kr/ arrived at the capital city of Hanseong to discuss the future of the country. Despite popular demand for full independence, the leadership of /vnug/ ultimately decided to remain part of /kr/, although in a significantly more decentralized system to minimize Mujigae involvement in /vnug/ affairs. According to the provisional government of /vnug/ at the time, this arrangement was done because the interconnected economy of various states in /kr/ would collapse if it was to be severed immediately, although some believed it was also done to placate the Mujigae population in /vnug/, which by that point formed a sizable minority after centuries of rule.

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Economy

Agriculture

▲Land agriculture in /vnug/ is heavily dependent on the sprawling boreal forest and its reindeer population.

For most of /vnug/’s history, its people are primarily hunter-gatherers, a practice that persisted for a long time due to its mostly infertile soil and long, dark winters. During this period, the primary food sources of the people were boreal berries like lingonberries and cranberries, as well as meat from reindeers. Farming was first introduced from the north to the Symphoria valley, one of the few places in /vnug/ where the growing season is long enough for temperate crops. Archaeological evidences suggest that the first farmers in /vnug/ practiced slash-and-burn as a way to mitigate the poor soil fertility of the region.

The first crops grown in /vnug/ were rye and oat due to their higher tolerance to the poor and acidic soil that dominated most of the region. During the Ethernation period, development of irrigation allowed for barley to be grown in significant quantity. These crops were first used for brewing and as animal fodder, but had gradually become a major part of the local cuisine for their reliability compared with hunting, and ease of preservation compared with fruits. Around the same time, arrival of the tropical refugees also introduced different sources of food to the southern part of the region, including hardy orange and honey from winterized bees. Their superior seafaring technology and knowledge also allowed marine animals from beyond the coast to be hunted and harvested.

The Old Symphoria period saw the first extensive use of charcoal and manure in farming. This innovation is believed to be introduced by Palkyries and Penelites who had been utilizing them for horticulture. Following the Mujigae conquest, access to imported agricultural lime further improved soil condition, allowing for the growth of wheat and sugar beet. However, the reliance on imported fertilizer also allowed the importers and regulating government officials to exert control over /vnug/ society, and was sometimes considered exploitative by anti-Mujigae groups. The traditional ways of fertilization survived in rural area beyond Mujigae control, and once again became the norm following the fall of the old Kingdom of Mujigae. Construction of diversion dams near the capital city of Symphoria allowed melt runoff of the river to be channeled into Symphoria valley during the dry period of early growing season, further improving farmland productivity.

Nowadays, /vnug/ diet is relatively varied for a subarctic culture. Introduction of cereal-based diet, especially during periods of Mujigae dominance, has resulted in many living in Symphoria and riparian farmland subsisting primarily on rye, barley, oat, and potato, with the upper class often having access to wheat and imported rice. Growing of berries and vegetables like radish and lettuce in family garden is also commonly done to supplement their diet - it is said that almost every /vnug/ family, from sedentary Ethernites to transhumant Palkyries, has a garden plot somewhere to provide them herbs and fruits that would not be available to their diet otherwise.

Due to the low supply and thus the high price of cereal, the majority of people in /vnug/ rely on animal-derived food sources to survive. With the partial domestication of reindeer, they become more than just a source of meat, leather, and bones. Milk and cheese is considered a delicacy in the region for its strong taste, with some fortifying it with honey or beet sugar for brewing. Outside the few major settlements in the west, reindeer-drawn sledges are vital for rural communities to travel between villages, grazing grounds, and hunting grounds.

Compared with its limited agricultural availability, the cold shores of /vnug/ are home to many kinds of marine lifeforms. In addition to fish like cod, halibut, and salmon, the hunting of seals and whales like narwhal, beluga, and humpback whale also forms a significant portion of /vnug/ economy, especially for remote coastal settlements. This is especially prominent during the winter seasons, where increased nutrients in coastal water allow for replenished fisheries to feed the population of /vnug/ when the land is non-productive.

Bug Taming

▲Stylized depiction of a bitterbug.

A job unique to, and plays a major role in the economy and culture of /vnug/ is the bug tamers. While farming insects are far from uncommon, /vnug/ bug taming practices stand apart from them due to their extensive use of endemic insects collectively known as the bitterbugs. Believed to be a species of, or a group of closely-related species of flying insects, the bitterbugs are called so because of their bitter taste. They primarily feed on fluids like tree saps and animal blood. It is believed that in their wild form, bitterbugs feed primarily during the short summers when animals are more active. In order to preserve the nutrients, the fluid is mixed with their bitter secretion which stabilizes them and keeps them digestible during the long, cold winters. Because of that, it is believed that /vnug/ people have been harvesting them for food since ancient times despite their bitter taste.

As the people began learning to cultivate and farm bitterbugs as a more reliable source of food, they discovered that differences in the source of fluid change not only its taste but also its medicinal effects. This is most noticeable when the bugs feed on the blood of ferocious local fauna, where the stabilized mixture is able to enhance certain aspects of a human consumer’s performance. As such, the first bug tamers started experimenting with using bitterbugs as not only a source of food but also powerful medicines.

Unlike the relatively gentle bitterbugs, the ferocious local fauna proves impossible to domesticate or even tame, and their blood too volatile to be preserved without the bitterbugs’ secretion. This means in order to maximize the effect of these “bitterbug medicine”, the bitterbugs have to be brought to the target animals and released upon them. Once the bugs feed on their blood, the mixture is most potent when consumed fresh, although later preservation methods have allowed its potency to retain to a certain degree for a relatively long time. As such, bug tamers not only are responsible for the maintenance and breeding of bitterbugs, but they also bring their bugs alongside hunting parties to procure their special medicines, both for empowering the other hunters in situ and to produce weaker medicines for later use.

Due to a combination of varying effects based on the source animals, as well as the somewhat secretive nature of the bug tamers, there are no exhaustive lists of possible effects known to the public. However, accounts from hunters and following storytellers cite several common effects of these bitterbug medicines, including an increase in blood viscosity and quickened clotting when exposed to air, significant but brief increase in physical stregnth, and improved endurance. The same effects are observed in preserved forms of the medicine, although they are reported to be not as potent.

Magic

Magic (northern /vnug/: mor, southern /vnug/: galdÿr) is common facet of life in /vnug/, especially in inland regions like Penel and Remland, where the first native magic users likely inhabited. In its original form, /vnug/ magic manifests itself through the activation of organic chuubanite vapor released in the air by dreamwort, an endemic species of plants specialized in extracting nutrients, minerals, and chuubanite from the deep subsoil of the boreal forest covering most of /vnug/. The formation and subsequent release of organic chuubanite complexes into the air leads to their activation when exposed to specific sound waves that serve as their glyphs. While the source of chuubanite organic complex is no longer limited to the natural emission of dreamwort, as metabolized residues from other plants and animals, as well as synthetic ones are now commonly used across /vnug/ for their unique functions and properties, activation by sound like voice and musical instrument remains popular in the region.

History

According to Penelite legends, the first magic users of /vnug/ were talented bards whose mastery of music allowed them to work miracles using the chuubanite in the air. As their power was dependent on the local chuubanite concentration, it is said that ancient magic users were nomadic leaders who led their people across the dark woods to find places abundant in chuubanite, used their magic to accelerate healing and plant growth, and left once it was depleted to let the vapor replenish gradually in a manner similar to slash-and-burn agriculture.

During the Ethernation period, formation of relatively large permanent settlements and advent in techniques such as brewing also led to the extraction of chuubanite chelates from dreamworts and other plants. Compared with the natural vapor buildup in the forest, these chuubanite extracts are much higher in concentration and purity. Despite the cost of extraction, the extracts could be carried and used by comparatively unskilled magic, resulting in the popularization of magic in /vnug/ and the formation of the first magical schools that would eventually become the Quavers. In spite of the change in chuubanite source, /vnug/ magic at the time remained similar in terms of usage with a focus on healing and promoting plant growth, although some historical records suggest some skilled Quavers were able to use special mixture of chuubanite oil and herb to create illusions for entertainment of rulers and rich upper class individuals.

Foreign incursions during the Old Symphoria period, culminating in the conquest by the Kingdom of Mujigae, caused significant change to /vnug/ society, including how magic was used by the people. On one hand, the introduction of foreign concepts, technology, and new ingredients allowed better extraction and isolation of different organic chuubanite molecules, giving bard-magicians and alchemists finer control over the effect of their magic. On the other hand, resistance against foreign occupiers also led to the militarization of magic. While ancient magician leaders had engaged in combat before, and accelerated healing was likely used to wounded warriors in the past, the resistance saw the first known case of /vnug/ magic users using their power in an offensive role. In addition to healing and strengthening warriors, some bard-magicians were also known to imposing illusions and other psychological stress against their enemies. While examples of /vnug/ magic harming their enemies directly were rare, powerful bard-magicians like Boräsmor nonetheless served vital roles in the resistance, reinforcing their leadership in armed groups and, later, the new government.

Following the fall of the old Mijugae, use of /vnug/ magic became widespread as many bard-magicians and dreamwalkers previously in the resistance returned to civilian life. Influx of skilled magical users, combined with advents in chemistry to isolate or even create new chuubanite chelates, led to another boon in /vnug/ magic development. Nowadays, while skilled magical users and chemists remained in high demand, more and more of the general population has access to some degree of magic thanks to a combination of publicly accessible schools of magic, and the large-scale production of organic chuubanite products.

Chuubanite-dyed clothes

As /vnug/ chuubanite often exist in the form of complex organic molecules, dyers, weavers, and tailors in /vnug/ have learned to incorporate chuubanite-dyed material for special clothes. Known locally as moros, these clothes are sensitive to the magical music of the bard-magicians, allowing them to glow or even manifest magical effects when exposed to specific notes. Because of that, these magical clothes are commonly used across /vnug/, especially by individuals whose lifestyle or profession requires a careful monitoring of the use of magic in the surroundings, including bard-magicians and Dreamwalkers. Originally extracted from dreamworts, traditional moros tend to have a blue or purple color, with lavender and lilac being the most common ones. However, advents in both dreamwort breeding and chemistry allow for a much wider variety of chuubanite-infused dye for both colors and criteria of activation.

Archaeological evidences suggest moros has been used by people of /vnug/ since prehistoric times, likely discovered soon after the first Quavers discovered their ability to manipulate chuubanite-infused vapor in the foggy valleys of the land. Since then, it has been extensively used by bard-magicians, and is often seen as a part of the magic users’ identity. In addition to aesthetic purposes, the ability for moros to glow when exposed to specific magical music or its residue also allows the wearers to detect the presence of magic in the area, both from themselves or from others. As such, it is not only used by bard-magicians themselves to better monitor their own magic usage, but also by specific individuals to spot other magical users. Some stories and tales state that some Quavers used to wear clothes heavily imbued with chuubanite molecules to empower their magic, especially in locations with low natural chuubanite presence. As technology and technique in isolating chuubanite-infused substance develops, this use of moros has since been replaced by condensed chuubanite oil, which is easier to produce and carry than dyed clothes. However, some nonetheless prefer the ancient method due to it spreading across the user’s body by default, as well as its relative secrecy.

Mining

▲Extensive weathering of old orogeny results in a significant anthracite deposit in /vnug/.

Since the beginning of Iron Age /vnug/, mineral resources have been a major source of wealth and development in the region. Compared with the rest of /kr/, the landscape of /vnug/ experiences more severe weathering. As a result, it has an abundance of iron ore, chief among which include haematite and ironsand. The same weathering process also leads to a build-up of lead, zinc, and tin deposit. /vnug/ is also a major producer of high-quality coal - in particular anthracite - due to its access to exposed deep coal deposits.

Conventional underground mining is practiced primarily in the north, where the weathered mountain ridge offers relative ease of access to minerals that would normally be buried deep beneath the surface in newer mountains. The most prominent minerals produced in /vnug/ drift and shaft mines is high-quality coal, in particular anthracite. The high purity of carbon in /vnug/ coal has been utilized by the native population for both heating annd metallurgy since ancient times, although its use is becoming more widespread in recent times due to its higher efficiency as fuel.

Although sometimes mined in conventional manner, a significant portion of iron and tin produced in /vnug/ came from deposits carried downstream by prolonged erosion. As such, they are often close to the surface around modern and ancient river banks, making them relatively accessible by local miners. However, most easily accessible deposits have been depleted by middle Mujigae period, resulting in more remote deposits being exploited as a result. This, combined with the long, harsh winter of /vnug/ and increased guerilla activities resulted in a significant decrease in profit until the end of Mujigae period. Nowadays, mining constitutes a major part of /vnug/ economy, with many strategically valuable deposits having an unofficial ban on foreign involvement in the production process.

Industry

▲While not as significant as its logging industry, metalworking has quickly become one of /vnug/'s staple industries.

Since the Great Uprising, the industrial sector of /vnug/ has seen significant growth – its vast foest and abundant mineral resources provide ample resources for its development, while the poor agricultural prospect and concentration of population for defense against wildlife forms both a relatively dense source of manpower and market. With its international trade no longer limited to Mujigae and its allies, /vnug/ is also allowed access to new markets that help bolster its wealth and diplomacy.

The traditional industry of /vnug/ is the logging of its vast boreal forest. Although coniferous trees grow slower than their broadleaf counterpart, and the short growing season in sub-polar climate leads to them often taking at least twice as long to grow to the same size as many tropical trees, the low biodiversity leads to /vnug/ forests being highly uniform and relatively easy to exploit in their natural state. As such, /vnug/ has been a major producer of wood products in the region since ancient times. First used as construction material for buildings and ships, the introduction of paper-making during Mujigae period led to the construction of numerous paper mills across the more populated north. Nowadays, a significant portion of general purpose timber and pulp produced in /vnug/ comes from dedicated tree farm, usually of spruce due to its faster growth, light weight, low density, and a relatively high strength for its weight, although other trees are also harvested for timbers with specific properties. /vnug/ artisans are known for venturing deep into the primary forest to harvest specific trees, and their high-quality handicraft feeds a niche market that is nonetheless deemed valuable for its cultural values and high unit price.

The rich mineral resources of /vnug/ allows it to build and maintain a significant metalworking industry. The relatively accessible iron sand and coal deposit in the hilly riverland allowed ancient /vnug/ to transition into Iron Age soon after the refugees brought the knowledge of iron working to the land. However, large-scale production of metal, especially steel, began after the Mujigae conquest introduced water-powered blast furnaces to the region. With sources near major settlements in the north exhausted during the middle Mujigae period, more remote deposits in the south and underground started to be exploited, which led to the discovery of major high-quality coal deposits. Such discovery further fueled /vnug/ industry, but difficulties in maintaining control over these new sources also led to more effective resistance against the occupation, and is sometimes cited as one of the underlying reasons for the eventual collapse of Mujigae rule in /vnug/.

Trade

Due to its limited resource and generally hostile environment, trade has been a vital part of /vnug/ economy since prehistoric times. It is believed that Ethernation was reliant on the export of food from its northern neighbor to support its relatively large population, and disruption of trade played a major role in its eventual collapse. As the westernmost part of the Great Kingdom of Mujigae, /vnug/ was a major exporter of iron, zinc, and tin, in exchange for grain import from the more hospitable north and east. Due to how vital importation of food was for /vnug/, the process had gained infamy of rampant corruption, and had later come to represent the objectionable nature of Mujigae occupation in the mind of pro-independent /vnug/ people and groups.

Following the collapse of the old kingdom in 1045, /vnug/ found itself still part of /kr/, but in a significantly more autonomous state. No longer restricted in trading with foreign countries, further influenced by lingering worries of future Mujigae domination of /vnug/ economy, led to a concentrated effort to expand /vnug/’s trade with other countries, especially those beyond the sphere of influence of Nijisanji, who had become the overlord of the weakened Mujigae.

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Demographics

▲The majority of sedentary population in /vnug/ lives in the more temperate north.

The long, harsh winter of /vnug/, coupled with its ferocious wildlife, severely limits its ability to support a large population compared with its northern neighbors. As of VTE 1030, the total population of /vnug/ is estimated to be slightly above 200,000, with a significant amount of them living in one of the few cities of the region or its immediate surrounding area. However, at the same time more than half of the population practice a nomadic or semi-nomadic lifestyle, with their residence changing according to seasons, usually determined by migration paths of reindeers between grazing grounds.

Regions and cities

Northern Symphoria

Symphoria valley (/vnug/: Anëlum Kol) is a glacial valley that comprises the majority of northern Symphoria. Formed during a cold, ancient past, the glacier that once covered the valley and most of the region had long since retreated to the treeless highland of the interior. It is surrounded by jagged, often steep cliffs that shelter the valley from the frigid polar wind, and its relatively low latitude leads to it having a comparatively temperate climate, giving it the name “unfreezing valley” in the native language. Before being settled, the valley was dominated by deciduous trees, instead of the conifers that covered most of the rest of /vnug/. This resulted in it having a less acidic and more loamy soil. Fed by seasonal meltwater and loess from the highland, the valley is one of the few places in /vnug/ capable of supporting agriculture, although it was still significantly less arable than the northern coast of the peninsula.

Like many parts of /vnug/, Symphoria valley has a rather rugged terrain. The wide bottom of the valley is littered with riegels, eskers, and moraines, intertwined with misfit, braided rivers, waterfalls, and paternoster lakes. While many of the smaller post-glacial features have long since disappeared due to erosion by flood and vegetation, as well as expansion of farmland, larger features still divided the land into a patchwork of farms, lakes, and groves. The cliffs around the valley also limited access to and from the valley on land, with most roads being snaking pathways built along kame terraces and into hanging valleys between truncated spurs. The main road connecting Symphoria valley to the rest of the region, Birch Pass, is located southwest of Penel. It is also the location of the drainage canal from the Symphoria river to the south, where excess water during the thawing season is directed to the valley for irrigation.

Because of its favorable environment, the valley is the first place in /vnug/ to be settled by humans migrating from the north. An influx of farmers during the Mujigae period drastically accelerated the deforestation of most of the valley, where cold-hardy crops like rye, oat, and barley fed the increasing population. Following the Great Uprising, a combination of destruction of farmland, increase in food import, and government-led reforestation effort has allowed the trees to slowly reclaim the valley, although the area surrounding the agricultural hub of Etherna continued to be the biggest producer of food crops in /vnug/.

Penel

Penel (/vnug/: Tyltoläg, Mujigae: Chuncheon) is located at the south of the Symphoria valley. The old city center was located within the glacial cirque of the valley, although the sill marking its old boundary had since been mostly flattened by subsequent future expansions. The Tarn of Penelope, a small lake around which the settlement was first built, continues to exist today as part of the irrigation system of the valley.

It is believed that similar to Etherna, Penel was first settled by humans migrating from the north due to its milder climate compared to the frigid taiga beyond. “The pond beyond the wall of till”, as it was described, provided a more stable source of water than the “capricious” braided streams further north, which also led to its shore serving as a haven for wild animals and temperate shrubs. However, there were significantly less archaeological evidences of pre-Mujigae agriculture in the area compared to Etherna, likely due to the dense woodland occupying the land, as well as seasonal flash floods and severe wind blowing from the steep headwall. As such, the early Penelites continued to rely upon foraging and hunting for subsistence.

Penel’s position near the interior highland and its proximity to relatively accessible slopes led to it being frequented by nomadic elves. Interactions between the humans and the elves were considered largely peaceful based on Penelite oral traditions and a lack of signs of conflicts in excavated sites. Intermarriage and interbreeding between the two human subspecies was common, and by the time it came under the hegemony of the Ethernation, Penel was already known for its significant half-elf population.

The integration of elves into its population also led to the discovery of dreamwort and its chuubanitic properties. It is said that early elves had transplanted dreamwort from their highland home to Penel as a gift or dowry to the humans. Although the biome differed from its native environment, careful cultivation and removal of competing weeds nonetheless allowed them to grow in the valley, eventually leading to the invention of organic chuubanite extracts that allowed /vnug/ magic to be used outside of the boreal forest. This is also seen as the point when the bard-magician orders of Penelight began to form as a means to preserve and develop their magical power.

Although considered a part of northern Symphoria, Penel is also influenced by its southern counterpart due to Penelite’s role in the establishment of old Symphoria. Although famous for its prolific bards and songwrights, Penelites also shares a similar warrior culture with palkyries in parts due to similar lifestyle. It is also sometimes hypothesized that increased push for interbreeding from the Mujigae period onward encouraged its martial tendency, due to many human-elf hybrids exhibiting traits making them better fighters than either human or elves, as well as the persistent resistance against the occupiers.

The more temperate climate of Penel also allows it to better house flora and fauna introduced by the refugees from their tropical homeland. In particular, domesticated junglefowls are highly valued by Penelites, likely due to their sonorous voice and a perceived strength in combat. Statues of chicken are common in Penel, and its law forbids unauthorized killing of them. Contrary to popular belief, despite the Penelite’s fondness of chicken, Tyltoläg, the native name of Penel, is not named after chicken (“small meadow bird”), but rather the southern shrike (“land of piercing bird”), which could be seen year-round in the forest surrounding Penel.

Symphoria

The city of Symphoria (/vnug/: Kitilky) is one of the largest cities in /vnug/. It serves as the capital city of Symphoria and, by extension, the de facto capital of /vnug/. The city is located behind a moraine near the middle of the Symphoria river in /vnug/, and serves as a midpoint for the roads connecting northern and southern Symphoria. Its position at the end of the river valley also let it connects the lowland forest and the highland moor. As such, Symphoria regularly sees travelers passing through its artificial-looking walls, from merchants bringing goods between the north and the south, and reindeer herders migrating between annual pastures. Because of that, while its permanent population is estimated to be around 12,000, the number can double during migration seasons. As a result, ever since its foundation during the Old Symphoria period, the city has been known as a major trading hub, its markets home to products from all corners of the country, if not beyond – dredging and straightening of lower Symphoria river during late Mujigae period has rendered the river navigable more consistently, giving the city access to the sea during the warm season.

Symphoria is believed to be the birthplace of “dung tax” in /vnug/ - right before the thawing season, reindeer herders are required to donate a certain portion of reindeer excrement to the city during their passage, which is used as fertilizer for the irrigated river banks to accelerate crops growth during their short growing season. The city is also home of Ptalginëpak’s Wake, a diversion dam connecting the Symphoria river to Symphoria valley through an intermittent canal. Since its construction a century ago, it has been used to divert meltwater to the valley for irrigation during the onset of the growing season. Because of its political and strategic importance, control of the city of Symphoria and its immediate surrounding often confers significant influence across the region. The moraine that marked the boundary of the old city has been reinforced since the foundation of the city, with newer walls being built to match its expansion and architectural development. Symphoria castle, one of the few castles in /vnug/, is built on a craig overlooking the southern bank of the river east of the old town. Previously the residence of exiled old Ethernation monarchs and Mujigae military garrison, the castle now serves as both the meeting place for the ruling council of /vnug/, as well as a church dedicated to the three goddesses of the land.

Southern Symphoria

Palhalla

Palhalla (/vnug/: Palhöl) is a major settlement located near the estuary of the Symphoria river. Originally built on the swampy shores around the estuary, the city retained its many elevated platforms of houses and bridges, divided by numerous small canals traversable by small boats. Palkyries, a human subspecies with possum-like characteristics, comprises the majority of its population, making it also home to a significant portion of sedentary palkyries. A combination of its more reproductive population, its accessibility to large ships, and the elevated status of the Palherjar religion in modern Symphoria, made Palhalla one of the most developed cities in /vnug/ outside the capital city.

Like many parts of coastal /vnug/, the area around Palhalla was dominated by low-lying marshland, but further expanded beyond the wooded area due to regular flooding caused by tides and seasonal flooding from Symphoria river. With its lack of lumber and prevalence of pathogenic mosquitoes, the land was considered inaccessible and undesirable by the nomadic Ethernites and Penelites, although it was said to be inhabited by proto-palkyries, a lost and mostly-unknown group of people said to have contributed to the ancestry of palkyries and palkies alike.

The settlement that would one day become Palhalla was first founded by refugees coming from a distant land to the north. Said to be chased off by invaders, they turned their faith to valkyries, in particular Liora. In exchange for their bravery against their foe, the valkyrie proclaimed that she “won’t scatter their sorrow to the heartless sea”, and would guide them to a new home. The surviving refugees eventually made landfall along the coast of /vnug/, and while their first contact with the native population was said to be mostly peaceful, many of the tropical refugees perished during the harsh winter of the subpolar land.

Eventually, a group of the refugees settled in the unclaimed land around Palhalla alongside the proto-palkyries. Upon realizing that they would soon die out due to the hostile weather and small population, it is said that the refugees and the proto-palykries agreed to merge with each other using the “dark knowledge of the distant conquerors”. Those who agreed to the process were transformed into the first palkyries, who were much better adapted to the cold environment, and were also more resilient against the “miasma of the land”. Using their foreign knowledge, the palkyries expanded their settlement into the wetland with stilt house, where they also extracted the first iron of the land. Although the knowledge of ironworking soon spread across /vnug/, and iron mines among the weathered mountains became the primary source of metal of the land, Palhalla is nonetheless still known for its metalworking to this day.

Palhalla saw major expansion and development during and after the late Mujigae period as a major port in /vnug/ due to its natural harbor and access to the lower Symphoria river, allowing it access to a wide range of resources from both the nearby area and overseas markets to compensate for its relative lack of natural resources. The rise of the Palherjar faith also granted it significant influence, leading to its budding industry of steelworking, tinworking, and shipbuilding. It has also gained a reputation as a minor tourist spot due to its ease of accessibility, canal-laden architecture, and cuisine with strong taste.

In addition to its industry, Palhalla is also home of the Palherjar, also known as the faith of the valkyries. It is a very martial religious order, with many of its branches dedicated to the training, organization, and support towards well-trained hunters, warriors, and soldiers. Originally meant to fight against the ferocious monsters of the land, Palherjar has since expanded its targets to include other people and invaders, a role that earned them prominence above other groups during the Mujigae period. As such, the modern /vnug/ military is primarily run by Palherjar, although other sanctioned armed groups also exist, primarily as local defense forces and auxiliaries.

Remland

Remland (Southern /vnug/: Reml, Northern /vnug/: Remläg, Mujigae: Kkumnara) is a major settlement in the valleys of the hilly forest of central /vnug/. Its population, a mixture of humans, elves, and Palkyries, is collectively called the Remlins. Unlike most other settlements, almost all buildings in Remland are mobile, often temporary tents of various sizes, giving it the nickname of “City of Tents”. With few exceptions, the entire city migrate semi-regularly between the various valleys of the region, with the tent buildings either dismantled and transported by reindeer and sledges, or moved in one piece on wheeled platforms along cleared roads.

Most indigenous people of /vnug/ were nomadic or semi-nomadic for the majority of their history, owing to the cold climate preventing the growth of most food crops and necessitating a reliance on a hunter-gatherer lifestyle until the introduction of cold-hardy crops in the north, and domestication of reindeer in the south. The ancestors of modern Remlins also relied on foraging and hunting for food. However, their nomadism was also motivated by their need for dreamwort and their volatile chuubanite emission, as their culture revolved around the oneirogenic effect of dreamwort, and /vnug/ magic relied on airborne chuubanite molecule to function. As the wooded valleys of /vnug/ inland proved conducive to the growth of dreamwort and accumulation of chuubanite-rich fog, the ancient Remlins had adopted to migrating between the valleys for their herbal harvest and magic, leaving for greener pastures once the resource had been depleted to let the land heal for the next visit.

The Mujigae conquest and the resulting southward migration into Remland led to the extraction and isolation of organic chuubanite compound, allowing magic to be used without relying on natural accumulation of airborne chuubanite particles. While this development was soon adopted by the Penelite bard-magicians for greater control over their magic, it did not completely remove the need for Remlins to migrate between the lush valleys, as dreamwort required deep, chuubanite-rich subsoil to function. This, combined with differing soil qualities leading to different qualities of dreamwort, means many Remlin Dreamwalkers continue their migratory customs to this day, moving their entire tent-houses between harvesting sites. Similarly, the lack of major rivers in central /vnug/ also necessitate Remlins to obtain their food and resource from reindeer herding, leading to them migrating alongside their herd between seasons.

Because of its unusual nature, Remland is sometimes considered a region instead of a mobile and ever-changing settlement. However, not everything in Remland is mobile and transient – the valleys were home to numerous hamlets only inhabited seasonally, and shrines were erected in spots considered sacred to the Dreamwalkers, usually dedicated to specific advanced rituals and magic due to their conducive environment. As trade between Remland and the rest of /vnug/ became increasingly common, outposts and markets were built along cleared roads, both to accommodate traveling merchants and to serve as points of trade for the nomads.

West Coast

Defining the western edge of /vnug/, the Solstice strait separates the Nijicontinent and Neutral continent, and connects the Maximus Ocean to the more temperate water to the north. Because of that, the climate of the western coast of /vnug/ is relatively less seasonal than the more continental Symphoria, with its northern half having a subpolar oceanic climate while its southern half being an extension of the south coast tundra climate zone.

Because of its location, the West Coast is likely the first place in /vnug/ discovered by the refugees sailing from the far north. While the main group of the refugees made landfall along the estuary of Symphoria river, it is believed that most of the West Coast was visited or even settled by stray refugees as well, either as splinter groups or castaways due to the volatile weather of the strait. Although many of these groups had long since been subsumed by the wider /vnug/ cultural identity, traces of their culture could still be found, especially in more isolated settlements.

Amoria

Amoria (/vnug/: Amörag) is a coastal city located near the northwestern-most point of /vnug/. Its location near the converging point of ocean currents flowing from the strait and the gyre dominating the northern inland sea allowed it connection to the wider region by sea long before the dense conifer forest was traversed on a regular basis. Its original population was likely a mixture of native Ethernites and Penelites, and small groups of refugees from beyond the ocean who made landfall as soon as they reached the coast of /vnug/. Favorable hydrographic conditions led to the development of Amoria as a fishing village benefiting from the rich and mundane fishing grounds, and ample lumber supply from the inland allowed ships to be repaired and resupplied.

During the zenith of the old Ethernation, Amoria was likely under its nominal rule or existed as a tributary to Etherna. As its core in Symphoria valley collapsed, some of its population did not follow the last king southward, instead using the ocean current to escape to Amoria. These refugees brought previously-unknown knowledge to Amoria, including its expertise in refining and utilizing chuubanite. This influx of knowledge and skilled magicians allowed Amoria to develop into one of the most magically-adept places in /vnug/ despite its lower concentration of natural chuubanite stemming from dreamworts.

The native name of Amoria, Amörag, contains the toponymic suffix -ag. The root, amör-, stems from the verb meaning “to heal”, although in popular history it is sometimes reconstructed as a compound meaning “female magic”. Both etymologies emphasize Amoria’s focus on the development and use of healing and nurturing magic, a magical tradition dating back to Ethernation. Its seclusion on land meant Amoria was not as impacted by the conquest of /vnug/ by Mujigae, allowing it to preserve more elements of Ethernation culture long after its fall. However, its relatively autonomous status also made Amoria a hotbed for anti-Mujigae movement and militant groups, introducing the militarization of magic to the region. This culminated in the foundation of MAHO, a private military organization similar to the Palherjar.

The majority of Amoria’s population is human, the descendants of the first settlers and refugees from Ethernation. Many of them worship the magician goddess Amoria, “the daughter of healing”. In addition to its longstanding history as a major fishing port, Amoria’s focus on magic also leads to its extensive dreamwort agriculture. Compared to inland arcane settlements like Penel and Remland, Amoria’s environment is not as conducive to the growth of dreamwort, as the more temperate climate diminishes its advantage over other competing plants. As a result, additional labor is required to maintain production of dreamwort and its chuubanite chelates fueling the magical development of the city. A side effect of this largely-artificial condition of cultivation is that the lower acidity of soil leads to dye extracted from dreamwort having a pink colour instead of the more common purple or lavender. As a derived product from its agriculture, this pink dye is commonly used by the people of Amoria, and has since become part of its cultural identity.

Himnasmuga

▲Himansmuga is most famous for its mostly underground rock-cut architecture, first driven by necessity and later by aesthetics. Himnasmuga (northern /vnug/: Hanörag) is a series of settlements located along the southwestern coast of /vnug/. Unlike most other settlements, Himnasmuga is located almost entirely underground, in the expansive cave system within the coastal hills and fjords that define the coastline. Due to its high latitude and direct exposure to the frigid south pole of the planet, the southern coast of /vnug/ is dominated by tundra. The region is frozen for most of the year, and even the short, cool summer is too cold for most plants to survive.

As the land was covered by glacier until the end of the last ice age, most of its surface remained a combination of exposed rocks and poorly developed soil. Without vegetation, most of the land not already covered by foggy wetland is exposed to intense wind from the polar vortex, resulting in the top soil being blown away. As a result, the land surrounding Himnasmuga is considered a hostile barren wasteland, uninhabitable to most. Despite that, the region had been sparsely populated since prehistoric times. The earliest settlers of Himnasmuga were believed to be hunters and fishermen following migrating reindeer and sea creatures to the region. They were likely the first to set foot in the vast cavern system connecting the various fjords of the region, using them as shelters from the frigid wind and occasional sandstorm. Still, many of the known ancient settlements were likely seasonal, with the inhabitants migrating further north during the coldest months of the year.

The current inhabitants of Himnasmuga can trace their origins back to the Mujigae period. In the wake of Mujigae conquest, many dissidents in /vnug/ fled the Mujigae-controlled regions to the borderlands. While many settled in the relatively temperature Amoria and Remland, some of them instead opted to move further south, believing the hostile environment would protect them from future invasions. Despite the harsh conditions, the people managed to survive the initial years in the caverns and fjords. Due to a lack of wood, use of lumber was strictly regulated, and thus most people constructed their home by carving the rocks.

Like most of /vnug/, the cold weather mandated the people to obtain most of their food from hunting and fishing. As such, tools, weapons, and ships were some of the few cases where wood was used in early Himnasmuga. Eventually, however, the people also discovered several species of edible fungi inside the caves, leading to them using composts and other organic wastes to begin cultivating mushroom for food and brewing. The hardened people and large fleet necessitated by the environment also led to the people of Himnasmuga relying more on raids and trade with other nearby people to obtain resources otherwise unavailable to them. As a side effect of the underground excavation, Himnasmuga was, and still is a major producer of mineral resources, and the vast, barren flood plains in the surrounding area has now become the main source of tin in /vnug/, following the exhaustion of tin deposit in Symphoria in late Mujigae period.

The local population of Himnasmuga called themselves sinners, and many of them worshiped the angel Amano Serafi. Officially, the faith preaches that the Mujigae conquest was the result of divine punishment for the sinfulness of the people, and it was only by divine intervention that the refugees managed to survive in this otherwise hostile land. In exchange for this divine grace, however, the surviving sinners are to repent for their sins lest they lost their divine protection.

Languages

Races

“United, Colorful and Free” — Motto of Mujigae volunteers during the Great Uprising

/vnug/ is remarkably diverse despite its relatively small population and severe weather. It is home to different races of human, human subspecies, and non-human sapient beings, with human being the only one that is not endemic to the region.

Humans

The first humans who arrived at /vnug/ were settlers from the more temperate north, likely migrating into northern Symphoria valley following alongside their prey in the wake of the last ice age. Due to the relatively mild climate at the time, early /vnug/ humans had similar lifestyle to its northern counterpart, surviving on a combination of foraging, hunting, and horticulture in some cases. As domestication began to spread to /vnug/ and the climate fluctuated, humans living in the Symphoria valley started diverging culturally as well. In the warmer north, the majority of the population became sedentary and relied more and more on agriculture; while in the colder south, the population retained their semi-nomadic ways, influenced by both a lower availability of food crops and the similarly nomadic elves living in the region. The two groups were the ancestors of the Ethernites in the north, and Penelites in the south. While interaction between them were mostly peaceful, the Ethernites would eventually found the first polity in the region and dominated the entire valley, leading to some Penelites and elves migrating southward to the Symphoria river region and beyond.

Following the Mujigae conquest, Mujigae settlers arrived in /vnug/ en masse, encouraged by the official policy to settle the land and build up support for the government against the restive native population. In the Symphoria valley, the majority of settlers were farmers, as the climate of the valley was similar enough to Mujigae heartland to transplant their expertise to the land. They were the biggest group of Mujigae migrants during the period, and their similar lifestyle to the Ethernites, coupled with the decline of the Church of Sun and Moon, led to its gradual assimilation with the Ethernite culture. Nowadays, the two groups are considered more or less synonymous, although individual heritage could sometimes still be traced to native Ethernites or Mujigae migrants based on language, habit of speech, and cultural practices.

Beyond the Symphoria valley, the majority of Mujigae migrants were independent traders. Despite government attempts to centralize the /vnug/ population for easier administration, most of the people retained their nomadic ways, rendering trade regulations difficult to enforce. Because of that, many governors and local administrators tolerated unsanctioned traders to facilitate the exchange of goods with the native population. Among them, monster furs and bones, medicine, and artisan goods proved the most valuable as they were difficult to produce in the developed and assimilated parts of /vnug/. The nature of these exchanges necessitated a close relationship between the independent traders and native population. Because of that, they were sometimes considered politically unreliable by the Mujigae government, as many of them were said to be sympathetic to the rebel cause. Compared to their northern counterpart, Mujigae traders adopted more of the native culture, although many still retain their own traditions as a separate cultural group in modern /vnug/.

During Mujigae rule, many Mujigae gentry and scholars were sent to /vnug/ to administer the region, which also made them popular targets of assassinations and assaults by restive natives. Although many of them either died or fled the country during or immediately after the Great Uprising, a few of them remained in /vnug/, either due to them being recognized as /vnug/ sympathizers or were resourceful enough to thrive in the new political environment. Compared with other Mujigae migrants, they were most similar to their ancestors culturally. While few in numbers, many of them were entrenched in the high society of /vnug/, making them a distinct, if contentious subgroup under the human umbrella.

Elves

Compared with many other human variants, elves are relatively similar to baseline humans with no obvious body parts of non-human origin. The most prominent physical features that set them apart from humans are their pointy ears and semi-digitigrade legs, although they are still usually considered similar enough to baseline humans that they can pass as one to untrained eyes.

Elves are believed to be the first sapient species to inhabit /vnug/. They likely diverged from human evolution during a previous ice age, migrating poleward to mammoth steppe. The cold and dry climate was dominated by grasses and shrubs with few wooded areas, and as a result, the ancestors of elves gradually adapted different physiological traits to survive in the new environment. Among them, the most significant change was their lower body. Unlike their arboreal ancestors, elves adopted semi-digitigrade locomotion for its higher efficiency in bipedal movement like sprinting. They developed longer feet and lower legs, and their differing muscle structure results in a standing posture with a noticeable bend to maintain balance. While elves can stand upright similar to humans, this unnatural posture can be exhausting for them. Because of that, although elves have longer legs, they often appear shorter than humans on average.

While their heels do not lift up as significantly as true digitigrades, elves walk on their balls of the foot and toes by default. The lengthier legs mean elves have a longer stride length than baseline humans, and the more efficient storage and recovery of energy in digitigrade locomotion allows elves to walk and run faster than humans. However, it also leads to a significantly higher ground pressure compared to plantigrade locomotion. To mitigate the stress caused by the increased ground reaction force, elves have a more significant build-up of fat and, in some cases, keratin in their balls of the foot and toes. Tarsal coalition is also common among elves, which together with additional tendons and ligaments allow for their feet to absorb the force better.

As a side effect, pelvis of elves is narrower than that of humans. Because of that, pregnancy is a more painful and lengthy process due to its needs to be widened throughout the course of pregnancy. As a result, elves do not reproduce as often as humans, and /vnug/ elven cultures are traditionally more inclined towards providing additional care to their offspring to compensate for their low birth rate and sometimes premature birth. Digitigrade legs also offer a less stable footing and a lack of locking knees, necessitating additional oxidative fibers in the legs to maintain a standing posture. Even then, elves are more vulnerable to fatigue during prolonged standing and endurance running than humans. They also have a lower lifting capacity for similar reasons.

In terms of locomotion, digitigrade arrangement requires more muscular movement and coordination than its plantigrade counterpart, and elves are usually described as having a more “exaggerated” and “animated” manner of walking and running. It is hypothesized that this contributes to superior muscular and sensory coordination exhibited by many elves, even in places unrelated to locomotion such as vocalization and hand-eye coordination. Coupled with a mostly human-like appearance, it means while elves can often be identified by their unusual locomotion patterns, trained elves are capable of disguising as baseline humans to untrained eyes.

Prehistoric elves are believed to be ambush and sprint hunters, relying on their quieter footstep, more acute hearing, and superior sprinting ability to hunt large animals in the cold steppes. Following the end of the last ice age, the decline of mammoth steppe due to rising sea levels and expansion of boreal forest significantly reduced the range of the elves. It is believed that expansion of early humans, who could breed faster and had a more advantageous form for unarmed combat, further limited their range to the colder subpolar biomes.

Palkyries

▲Artist depiction of two Palkyries. Compared with baseline humans, Palkyries generally have a less noticeable sexual dimorphism outside their chest.

Palkyries are a human subspecies with possumlike characteristics. This is most obvious in their possession of black, rodent-like ears and a long, hairless tail, although they also possess different internal biochemistry and other intangible differences. Palkyries are noticeably smaller than baseline humans, with adult Palkyries resembling that of old children or young teenagers in appearance. On average, a male Palkyrie has a height of 4’6 and a weight of 70 lb, and a female 4’2 and 60 lb. Despite that, adult Palkyries are only slightly weaker than their baseline counterpart in terms of physical prowess. Combined with their light weight and prehensile tail, this allows Palkyries to be nimble and deceptively strong, which is fully utilized in Palkyrie martial arts and combat theories.

Their non-human parts closely resemble that of Palkies, marsupials endemic to the boreal forest of /vnug/. According to legends, Palkyries and palkies share the same ancestors until the arrival of the refugees about a millennium ago. Back then, the proto-Palkyries resembled human-sized, bipedal palkies, who were sapient but uncivilized. Despite their hospitality, the refugees were unused to the sub-polar climate and few in numbers, and predicted themselves to die out within a few generations. In order to preserve their culture and lineage, the refugees merged with the proto-Palkyries using “strange magic”. The result of this ritual was the first Palkyries, human-possum chimeras capable of surviving in this alien landscape, while those who were not merged were reduced to their current, feline size as a side effect.

Compared with baseline humans, Palkyries have a slightly lower body temperature. In addition to reducing the energy required to maintain bodily functions in /vnug/’s boreal climate, it is believed that the lower body temperature renders them more resilient against many human pathogens and toxins. This innate resistance is believed to be related to the presence of fermentation sacs within their digestive system. There, food is fermented by gut microbiota to produce flammable lifting gas like hydrogen and methane. Besides reducing their effective weight and thus improving nimbleness, Palkyries can contract the sacs to eject the content through their mouth. Originally a self-defense mechanism, trained Palkyries have learned to enhance this function into some degree of fire breathing ability through mixing the gas with flammable liquid in mouth, as well as external sources of fire or spark.

In terms of physical characteristics, their apprehensive tail is adapted for grasping and holding. Some Palkyrie children can hold their entire weight with their tail, and Palkyries often utilize utility clothes and tools designed with their tail in mind. Unlike the nocturnal palkies, Palkyries are diurnal in nature, although their eyesight is somewhat better than that of baseline humans in low-light environments. While Palykries cannot feign death in the same way as actual possums, their biological functions slow down significantly in prolonged cold environments to conserve energy. It is believed that some Palkyries can train themselves to enter this state voluntarily, similar to a trance state. Contrary to popular belief, Palkyries do not possess bifid genitalia.

Like other human subspecies, Palkyries are capable of interbreeding with humans to produce viable offspring. As a culture, the Palkyries are heavily influenced by the refugees and the faith of the valkyries. They are believed to be the first followers of Liora, and nowadays makes up the majority of the Palherjar, although non-Palkyrie Palherjar and non-Palherjar Palkyries are not uncommon either.

Palkies

▲Stylized depiction of a palkie.

Palkie is a marsupial species endemic to /vnug/. An average palkie has a length of about 2’ from the top of the head to the base of the tail, with the tail often having a similar length to the body. However, most palkies are significantly more rotund, with some resembling a sphere. A significant portion of the body is fat, which when combined with the spherical shape, allows palkies to retain their body heat in the subpolar environment more efficiently. Palkies also have fermentation sacs in their body similar to Palkyries, although the sacs comprise a significantly higher percentage of their body volume. The build-up of lifting gas within these sacs allows them to become significantly lighter, with few allegedly becoming light enough to be fully buoyant. This is used not only to escape from predators, but also as ambush tactics - palkie hunters are trained to quickly release their built-up gas to dive at their prey, making use of their potential energy to deliver a heavy blow despite their smaller frame.

While commonly considered not as intelligent as humans, palkies are nonetheless sapient beings. They are closely related to the Palkyries, with the two people sharing the same culture in the boreal forest since time immemorial. It is believed that the physical characteristics of the two people complement each other well, as many /vnug/ folk stories often involve Palkyrie-palkie teams accomplishing epic deeds through cooperation, especially when hunting the deadly beasts of the wilderness. Folk legends teach that they once shared the same ancestors, with the Palkyries coming from those who merged with the refugees from beyond the sea, and palkies from those who did not.

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Culture

Despite being a constituent state of /kr/, /vnug/ culture differs significantly from Mujigae due to the difference in climate and geographic isolation. Even during Mujigae rule, the introduction of Mujigae culture did not displace the native /vnug/ culture significantly. This resulted in the land being a mixture of multiple different cultures, with its new government promoting the harmonious diversity as a source of strength.

Food

The limited supply of cereal results in cereal-heavy diets being seen as a symbol of status. While Symphoria valley and some of the more fertile alluvial plains in the region is capable of producing barley, oat, rye, potato, and millet, the majority of them are used as fodder and ingredients for alcohol. As such, /vnug/ is a major importer of grain, in particular, rice and wheat from more temperate regions of /kr/. In larger settlements, berries, vegetables, and fish play a vital role in the general population’s diet; in rural areas, animal meat and dairy products supplemented with wild berries are the staple food of the semi-nomadic people.

As only a few types of grains could be grown and with low yield, /vnug/ cuisine utilities different parts of conifer trees, first as a necessity and later as a staple of its culinary culture. Pine nuts and oak acorn flour are commonly used to supplement cereal in porriage and noodle, and conifer chewing gum and jelly is a popular confectionery and remedy. Spring tips of different conifer trees are also harvested for their unique taste, which is used for flavoring in many traditional /vnug/ cuisines.

The long winter months of /vnug/ necessitate the extensive use of fermentation and other food preservation methods. As a result, /vnug/ cuisine tends to be relatively strong in flavor compared with the more temperate regions of /kr/. Traditionally seasoned with salt, raw seafood, and honey, modern /vnug/ also import a variety of tropical spices for stronger seasoning. While vegetables are the most common ingredient to be fermented, meat and fish is also preserved on a regular basis for storage, transportation, and flavor alike.

Compared with the rest of /vnug/, Palkyrie cuisine tend to have a stronger taste, in particular bitterness and spiciness. This is believed to be related to their natural resistance, if not outright immunity against multiple types of poison and toxin leading to a dulled palate. This innate tolerance of toxin also lead to traditional Palkyrie cuisines sometimes making use of substance that would be poisonous to baseline humans, although their use has been in decline as Palkyrie contacts with humans intensify. At the same time, the preference for intense flavor also spread to other cultures in /vnug/ due to its perceived ability to ward off the long winter cold, resulted in /vnug/ human cuisines often being spicier than their northern neighbors.

Under the influence of foreign cultures, some in /vnug/ have begun experimenting with folded rye bread seasoned with cured meat and cheese, a specific folding method of which is commonly used in Palhalla. Introduction of relatively affordable foodstuff from warmer regions of the world also led to a partial displacement of local ingredients. In particular, imported spices and citrus has replaced juniper berries and sour ivy leaves in many of the more cosmopolitan recipes, although more traditional and rural communities continue to use locally-sourced material.

Drink

Drinks of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic nature are a vital part of /vnug/ cuisine and way of life. Non-alcoholic drinks are usually served hot or warm in /vnug/. In addition to warding off the frigid weather, hot drinks are also considered more flavorful than their cold counterpart. Some of these drinks, like lingonberry water and spruce beer are also seen as remedies for common subarctic ailments, especially during winter seasons where fresher herbs are unavailable. Mujigae rule introduced tea culture to /vnug/, which remained popular even after the fall of the Great Kingdom. To this day, tea brewed with barley and needle leaves are commonly consumed for their nutritional and medicinal values.

Alcoholic drinks, on the other hand, tend to be served cold or at room temperature, although exceptions are known to exist. In addition to relatively common liquor made of barley and rye, drinks with low alcohol content like beer, birch sap, and kvass are also often consumed, especially in social situations where soberness is valued. During Mujigae rule, Yeonil wine was considered a symbol of status of the foreign nobility, a connotation that, for better or worse, persisted to this day. Since the Great Uprising, Moriji wine has been imported and sometimes marketed as a less “Mujigae-leaning” alternative, although it never fully replaced Yeonil wine. Among Palkyries, though, a specific type of Moriji wine is commonly consumed in religious contexts as it is considered to be favored by their goddess.

Cocktails and other mixed drinks are popular in /vnug/ as well - a common Palkyrie cocktail recipe makes use of smoky whisky, spruce beer, and citrus juice. Due to their additional complexity, cocktails are usually served in important functions or affluent venues.

Architecture

Many features of /vnug/ architecture are developed and adopted in response to the frigid climate that defines the region. This often manifests in the form of excellent insulation properties and built-in methods to heat the interior of the building. First developed by the native people in prehistoric times, it is heavily influenced by neighboring cultures, in particular Mujigae due to the long history of its occupation. While many Mujigae-styled buildings have since been rebuilt in more native aesthetics, some of their features are nonetheless adopted across /vnug/ for pragmatic reasons.

Material

Wood, in particular pine, is the predominant construction material in /vnug/, as the vast expanse of boreal forest covering most of the region renders it an inexpensive and easily accessible material, helped by its superior thermal insulation properties compared to bricks and stones. The relative lack of pest and moisture in the cold environment mitigates the drawback of wooden construction, although some /vnug/ buildings also make use of cured pinewood, allowing some of them to stand for centuries without succumbing to rot and decay. Beyond ore-pines, some /vnug/ buildings, especially ones of religious significance, are built using skull-pines, which was produced in a similar vein as ore-pines, but further enriched with chuubanite through burying chuubanite-rich skeletons beneath the tree.

Stone is first used as the foundation of buildings during the late Ethernation period, although waves of invasions from the north also led to the construction of defensive structures making use of the more durable material. Its use became more widespread following the Mujigae conquest, both because of influence from Mujigae architecture and the introduction of tosuntol necessitating a more elaborate stone and brick structure. Despite its foreign origin, this underfloor heating system proved popular enough that its use persisted after the fall of old Mujigae kingdom, and is now adopted by the majority of /vnug/ permanent structures.

In addition to the core structure, /vnug/ buildings also make use of additional material to further improve insulation. The most iconic supplement material in /vnug/ is sod, which is plentiful and easy to harvest, especially along the tundra coast and alpine meadows of the highland. They are often used to cover the roof of buildings for insulation and reinforcing water-tight components of the roof. In colder regions, walls and even entire structures are sometimes supplemented with sod due to the adverse environment. In communities with ample supply, hides from cold-resilient animals are also used in similar manner.

Building styles

Traditionally, /vnug/ buildings are predominantly log houses due to the readily available straight conifers in the sub-polar forest. While round logs are still commonly used, many /vnug/ log buildings utilize square logs with locked joints to reduce the chance of leakage. For larger buildings, timber frames filled with vertical logs or planks are instead used to bypass the natural limit of tree height. Due to a lack of innate resistance to rot and weathering of most timber used, staining and finishing is common even for commoner housings. In mining and metalworking communities, a particular red paint made of residues is commonly used to paint houses to make them more resilient against the elements.

Before the widespread use of stone foundation, /vnug/ houses were typically raised from the ground, a feature also found in ancient Mujigae architecture. In addition to reduce rot cased by wet, melted ground during the warm seasons, sufficiently tall houses also prevents ground-bound animals from accessing them. While some of them make use of specifically-placed stakes, many of them, especially in wooded areas, are built on smoked and tarred tree stumps as they are considered more secure and easier to build. This “chicken-leg” building style has been in decline since the Mujigae period, where widespread introduction of stone foundation with underfloor heating render it obsolete. Nowadays, it is most commonly seen in the wilderness, especially among Palkyrie-dominated communities due to their reduced need for heating and arboreal lifestyle.

Many in /vnug/ are semi-nomadic or nomadic in nature, especially in the rural region where hunting and reindeer-herding makes up a crucial part of the economy. As such, outside of few buildings in fixed trading hubs, most of their buildings are temporary in nature, and many are designed with easy assembly and disassembly in mind. Among them, the most common structures are tents made of animal hide, animal bones, and timber.

Steam bathhouse

Like many other cultures living in subpolar climates, public steam bathhouses play a vital role in /vnug/ culture, and can be found in virtually all /vnug/ settlements from seasonal hunting camps to major cities. Depending on the size, wealth, and intended function of the settlement, steam bathhouses can be anything from wooden shacks equipped with a fireplace to ornate bath complexes with multiple bathrooms and amenities.

In addition to serving as public bathhouses, steam bathhouses in /vnug/ are also important social venues. Traditionally, steam baths are seen as the ideal place for socialization and diplomacy, as it contains multiple elements that are deemed conducive to interpersonal relationship. Due to the nature of steam bathing, participants are often naked or at least without most of their personal belongings, which is seen as a symbolic rejection of established social and wealth status in favor of common understanding. The same nature also mandates the serving of only cold, non-alcoholic drinks, allowing the participants to maintain a calm head in traditional /vnug/ physiology. In particularly complex bathhouses, the entire bathing process can be time-consuming, which also allows for more time for conversation and interaction with each other. Finally, because of the frigid, often hostile climate of /vnug/, steam baths are seen as a symbol of sacred hospitality, offering a peaceful neutral ground for factions otherwise hostile to each other.

History

The origin of steam baths in /vnug/ is lost to time, but archaeological evidence suggests steam bathing was already commonplace among Ethernites, Penelites, and proto-Palkyries alike in prehistoric times. Although the lack of contemporary written records rendered the exact functions of ancient bathhouses uncertain, their often central location to settlements, as well as relatively complex structure suggested they already played a significant role in ancient /vnug/ society.

According to later legends, the importance of shared bathhouses only further increased with the arrival of “those who had come across the sea”. It is said that when the proto-Palkyries saw the refugees suffering due to their unfamiliarity with the freezing winter of /vnug/, they took pity on them and invited them to their steam baths, saving their life and befriending them in the process. In exchange, the refugees not only shared their knowledge of iron-working, but also the use of steam baths for cleansing, healing, and common ground for diplomacy. This innovation soon spread across the land and its people, codifying bathhouses as the centerpiece of /vnug/ society - in Etherna Saga, the now-lost palace of ancient Ethernation was described as a great bathhouse with rooms for state functions and residence, and the foundation of old Symphoria involved the construction and use of a great bath by all the tribes forming the state.

While many traditional cultural practices of /vnug/ were suppressed during Mujigae rule, similarities between /vnug/ and Mujigae bathing resulted in a partial fusion of the two traditions as well as further innovations. /vnug/ public bathhouses during that period saw a significant expansion of functions, including dedicated facilities for serving food and drinks, lounging, reading, performing, and even exercising. The process of bathing itself was also expanded - additional bath pools of hot, warm, and cold waters were added before and after the steam bath, and a dry alternative was introduced by heating the room from beneath the floor. In the wake of the Great Uprising in 1044, there was a call for returning to the “traditional bathing rituals” of /vnug/, but the ambiguous source, as well as general popularity of many of these innovations means modern /vnug/ bathing complexes tend to inherit most, if not all of these developments.

Festivals

Bathing and going to bathhouses are considered regular, if not daily activities for most people of /vnug/. In addition to their hygienic and secular social functions, many of the larger public bathhouses are also used for religious functions, with some built specifically as a fusion of worship ground and bathhouse. As such, many /vnug/ festivals, both religious and secular, are held in bath complexes. However, there are also festivals specifically dedicated to bathhouses, with the most famous two of them being celebrated on winter and summer solstice respectively.

Due to its high latitude and exposure to the freezing polar winds, /vnug/ is subjected to long, severe winters. This is considered the most severe around the winter solstice, where a combination of short daytime, freezing temperature, and sometimes heavy snow and blizzard renders the world outside winterized shelters borderline inhospitable. In most settlements, inhabitants outside vital duties tend to spend the winter solstice in the relative warmth of public bathhouses. Believed to have originated as a practical means to conserve fuel by heating fewer houses, and to ensure everyone in the settlement was kept safe, it has since evolved into an indoor festival celebrating one’s survival against the year’s hardship with other survivors. Nowadays, the winter solstice is observed by most public services closing down after the early sunset, with public bathhouses opening to accommodate the majority of the settlement’s population. In addition to bath and celebration, the gathering also provides ample opportunities for social interaction, including bartering, dining, and performing in larger bath complexes. In these cases, celebrations often occur throughout the night, with larger bathhouses allowing for accommodations for participants to rest if needed.

The weather is reversed 6 months later in the short, mild summers. Around the summer solstice, long daytime and mild temperature create a deceptively temperate environment. While most communities utilize this period to gather resources and conduct trade with others in preparation for the long winter, the longest day of the year is instead dedicated to day-long celebration instead. Compared with its winter counterpart, the summer solstice festival is considerably less restrained in multiple ways. While public bathhouses are still the venue of choice for many of its activities, individuals are not confined indoors, with markets, processions and contests often housed in open space. The summer solstice is also notable in that it is one of the few country-wide festivals dedicated to Wiowa, a god-like “feline lady of chaos” symbolizing revelry and hedonism. Because of that, many /vnug/ social taboos are ignored or outright subverted.

Weapons & martial arts

/vnug/ as a whole has a martial culture due to the need to fight against the dangerous wildlife, and the boreal environment necessitating reliance on hunting for subsistence. This is particularly true for the Palkyries, who live deeper in the forest than other people in Symphoria. As a human subspecies, Palkyries are smaller and lighter than baseline human, but has similar muscular strength and a prehensile tail. The difference in physiology results in Palkyries developing martial arts capitalizing on their unique characteristics. Despite that, the long history of Palkyries resisting Mujigae occupation and their pivotal role in multiple uprisings leads to them having significant influence over /vnug/ martial arts following the Great Uprising, and their fighting styles have since been adopted by many humans living in /vnug/.

Weapons

In terms of weapons, Palkyries generally prefer pole-arms as a means to compensate for their shorter reach. In particular, bardiche is ubiquitous among Palkyrie hunters and fighters to the point they become practically synonymous. Similar to the more common halberds, /vnug/ bardiches are designed to be able to inflict multiple types of damage from a relative distance. Since the advent of firearms, bardiches are also used to support firearms too unwieldy for Palkyries. Another pole-arm commonly used in /vnug/ is swordstaff, a significantly longer pole-arm that often requires both hands and (in the case of Palkyries) tail to operate. The longer reach allows the user to strike from a safer distance, and the longer blade can penetrate deeper against larger monsters. Traditionally, the blade of Plakyrie swordstaff is modelled after longsword, a weapon closely associated with Liora, their patron goddess. However, other forms of blade are also used, sometimes giving them a more glaive-like profile. This is particularly common during the Mujigae period, where blades harvested from stolen or abandoned Mujigae swords were often remounted as swordstaffs.

In terms of ranged weapons, /vnug/ traditionally make use of small, reflexed composite bows. The short draw length is believed to be influenced by Palkyrie physiology, allowing their stronger strength to compensate for their shorter hands. During the Mujigae period, the introduction of more advanced metallurgy and smithing led to the development of /vnug/ crossbow, featuring an even higher draw weight while allowing for non-Palkyrie /vnug/ people to make use of it. The same technology also resulted in pelletbows being used for different kinds of projectiles, especially by bug tamers who use attracting substances to guide bitterbugs. Since the late Mujigae period, gunpowder-based weapons have become more popular in /vnug/ for their simpler construction and less reliance on physical strength. A need for heavier firearms against the local fauna and Palkyries’ smaller and lighter form leads to the prevalent use of bardiche as a monopod for supporting longer guns, which has since become synonymous with modern /vnug/ military even among non-Plakyrie soldiers.

/vnug/ also makes use of a myriad of sidearms, especially in situations where the long pole-arms are deemed too impractical or inconvenient. Like many other cultures, swords are the most common sidearm of choice for /vnug/. In particular, devout Palkyries are often seen with longsword for both versatility and religious reasons, while shorter daggers are more often used for their utility and, according to folk stories, mercy killing and assassinations. Since the advent of gunpowder weapons, pistols have become increasingly popular as sidearms as well.

Martial arts

“When all else fails, go for the legs.” — Many Palkyrie combat manuals

Like the weapons of choice, /vnug/ martial arts are similarly heavily influenced by Palkyries and their demi-human physique. While Palkyries have a muscle strength not significantly lower than that of baseline humans, their shorter form and significantly lighter weight mean they have difficulties fighting humans in unarmed combat, and cannot easily exert their full strength without unbalancing themselves in the process. As such, Palkyrie martial arts put a heavy emphasis on building up and utilizing one’s momentum. With their preference of long and relatively heavy weapons like axes and pole-arms, trained Palkyries are capable of using its inertia to enhance their mobility, resulting in their martial arts move looking more flourished than their human counterpart. Although the same cannot be easily achieved by humans, the same focus on mobility is still present in /vnug/ martial arts.

Palkyries’ need for fighting against large beasts in heavily-wooded environment also results in their fighting style involving more verticality than most human martial arts. Their light weight allow skilled Palkyries to use long pole-arms as vaulting poles to propel themselves upward, usually to reach high grounds like tree branches or roofs, although some also utilize it as a means to bypass enemy defense. In the most extreme cases, Palkyrie hunters and ambushes often hide on top of trees in anticipation for ground-bound enemies before dropping on them, using the momentum from the fall to deliver heavy blows difficult to achieve otherwise.

As a whole, /vnug/ martial arts are centered around mitigating enemy advantages in strength, endurance, and height. This translates to a common use of tripping opponents, as well as attacking soft spots like joints, calves and groin. While it has its roots in hunting large animals otherwise too difficult to take down, these areas tend to be relatively unprotected by human armors as well, allowing the principle to translate into combat and warfare despite its “dishonorable” approach. When combined with guerrilla warfare, this tactics proved very effective during the Mujigae period. Attempts to control the vast wilderness for resource extraction often ended up in failure due to persistent and effective harassment by Palkyrie rebels, giving them the nickname of “widowmakers.”

Armor

Due to their focus on mobility and strength of the local wildlife, /vnug/ is relatively underdeveloped in terms of heavy personal armament. Traditionally, most /vnug/ hunters and soldiers prefer lighter, warming armor intended to protect them from the elements and stray fluid instead of direct hits. While metal pieces of armor have been used since the iron age, the majority of pre-Mujigae gears were instead made of the strengthened bones and pelts of local animals, both for their warmth and as symbols of status. Following the Mujigae conquest, armor made of wood and metal became more common alongside leather from herd animals, as they were easier to produce outside the hostile taiga. They were most often worn by humans, who were not as dependent on nimbleness to avoid harm as Palkyries. Since the Great Uprising, Palkyries began wearing metal armors against human-sized opponents as well, due to open access to /vnug/’s urban centers and advent in armor-making technology. Still, many in /vnug/ continue to prefer traditional armor material due to a combination of traditionalism, comfort, symbolism, and the belief of it being able to repel wild animals.

Compared with body armor, shields are more popular among the natives, especially for Palkyries due to their lower weight and thus resistance against blunt force trauma. The first shields found in /vnug/ were round, and were believed to be introduced by the refugees from the north. Round shields remained in use until around the Mujigae conquest, where teardrop shields became more common, likely as a response to the advent of mounted warfare due to introduction of Mujigae warhorses or domestication of reindeer. Because of their smaller size, shields offer significantly more protection to Palkyries than to humans, where a raised shield can easily protect most of the body, leaving only the difficult-to-reach legs exposed. This led to the prevalent Palkyrie tactics of advancing with shield walls before striking against the legs of opponents once they reached melee range.

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Religion

Like many other cultures, the pantheon of /vnug/ consists of multiple deities. Each of the deities is associated with a specific people, as well as an assortment of sometimes overlapping domains. As a result, there is a strong correlation between ethnicity, career choice, and religion in /vnug/ society, although individuals choosing a career or deity not of their people are not uncommon either. While ostensibly not a theocracy, many state functions in /vnug/ are handled by religious organizations, giving them significant power over the general population.

Quavers

Quavers are a coalition of religious groups and individuals united by their worship of Penelope “Lofi” Wiseman, the chief goddess of the Penelites, as well as the patroness of rulers, bards, artists, hunters, scholars, and magic users. Although not as numerous as Palherjar, Quavers often hold important political positions in the government and secular institutions, giving them disproportional power over their population. The name Quavers originated from the legends that the first Penelite bard-magicians were so proficient in the art of arcane music that their performances were able to command the flora and fauna of the forest with ease, seemingly causing nature itself to tremble and quiver on their command.

For a long time before the introduction of writing to /vnug/, Quaver bards and storytellers were responsible for preserving and passing down oral tradition, especially among the nomadic Penelites. Even after writing became widespread, Penelites still played a vital role in the literary tradition of /vnug/, who was responsible for writing down many of the epics and songs passed down orally in the past. In addition to composing and preserving stories, some Quavers are also skilled in magic. Commonly called bard-magicians, they are able to activate and manipulate chuubanite-infused molecules either in the natural environment of /vnug/, or artificially introduced to the recipients. The vast possibilities of organic complex structure and songs allowed them to perform various arcane feats, although they are most commonly associated with songs of healing and illusion.

While all are welcomed to worship their goddess and be trained in musical performance of all kinds, formal membership of the Quavers was far more limited, requiring aspiring members to be able to utilize their music in an arcane manner. Traditionally, induction into the Quavers was done by a “trial of light” - a lamp was filled with a specific mixture of chuubanite-eriched oil, and the candidate was asked to ignite it with their performance. The mixture was prepared in such a way that it could be quickly set alight by producing a precise wave of sounds, and the length a performer needed to accomplish that was used to rate their arcane prowess, which eventually became the name of their ranks among the Quavers: the most powerful Quavers are able to pass the trial within a single quaver, while all bard-magicians are expected to achieve that with a minim. Those requiring longer notes are generally acolytes in training under bard-magicians.

Palherjar

“Let justice be done, though the heavens fall.” — Palherjar’s Creed

Among the various religions in /vnug/, the most prominent one is Palherjar, the faith of the valkyries. Centered around the worship of a deified valkyrie called Liora Walkyria, the faith is followed by the majority of the Palkyries, as well as warriors, hunters, guardians, sailors, judges, gamblers, and functionaries. Already popular in /vnug/ since the foundation of Symphoria, the Palherjar gained significant political prominence following the Great Uprising of 1045 due to its pivotal role in the revolution. As an organized religion, Palherjar is a highly militarized organization: its militant arm served as the professional military of /vnug/, with its members supported by the rest of the religion.

The tenets of faith of the valkyries are centered around the concept of glory in battle, and justice in peace time – its practitioners believe that the path of righteousness can guide the virtuous ones in combat to victory and glory, and the most worthy warriors would be elected by the valkyries, the choosers of the slain, to join their ranks in Valhalla, fighting and feasting forever as part of the heavenly host. The Palherjar considers itself a fundamentally lawful organization, and since the Great Uprising and the absorption of the Church of Sun and Moon, its meticulous structure has become the foundation of /vnug/ bureaucracy, gving it significant influence over the daily operation of the government.

Cult of Wiowa

▲Artist depiction of Wiowa.

The cult of Wiowa is sometimes considered a sect of the wider faith of the valkyries, although the relationship the two faiths can be contentious at times. As its name implies, the cult of Wiowa is centered around the worship of an entity known as Wiowa. While sometimes seen as an aspect of the valkyrie Liora, Wiowa is almost always depicted as having drastically different personalities, with a heavy emphasis on alcohol, revelry, materialism, and hedonism in her worship.

The origin of Wiowa or her cult is lost to time, with the earliest known depiction of Wiowa dating back to the mid-Mujigae period. This is considered by some to be evidence that Wiowa was a Mujugae deity or supernatural being introduced to /vnug/ during the occupation, although it is sometimes interpreted as the mystery cult gaining popularity as the Palherjar declined in power and influence during the period. The worship of Wiowa grew significantly during the late-Mujigae period, especially amount affluent merchants and entrepreneurs who believed Wiowa’s blessing would bring material wealth to them.

Due to her connection with Mujigae ruling class in /vnug/ and thematic opposition to the still-popular faith of the valkyries, there was an attempt to suppress the cult during the early post-Mujigae period for their “moral degeneracy”. However, this attitude has since been loosened, with the worship of Wiowa being absorbed into the wider pantheon as a relatively minor figure.

Nowadays, the worship of Wiowa is centered around the summer solstice, one of the few country-wide festivals dedicated to her. In /vnug/ popular belief, Wiowa is seen as a mischievous, amoral aspect of Liora. The dual goddesses rotate their domain over the year - during summer, Wiowa governs the north and Liora the south; during winter, Liora governs the north and Wiowa the south. As such, the southern wilderness is relatively mild and suitable for hunting during summer as Wiowa celebrates her festival with her fortune in the cities. During the harsh winter, Liora’s aegis protects the people from harm, while Wiowa roams the dark woods to recoup her generosity from foolish wanderers.

Dreamwalkers

The Dreamwalkers are practitioners of Dreamwalking, a collection of teachings and techniques centered around the induction, manipulation, and interpretation of dreams. In terms of mythology, they primarily worship Kokone Yurikago, the goddess of dreams and luck, as the traditional faith of the Remlins living in the eponymous Remland. In the mythology of the Dreamwalkers, their religion began in this current form after the sages of the people fell into a deep sleep after being exposed to concentrated dreamwort vapors at the bottom of a valley. In their induced dream, they received the vision of the divine figure of Kokone Yurikago. Claiming herself to be a goddess of dreams, she divulged the secrets of dreamwort and dreamwalking to the sages in exchange of their worship.

Since then, the people that would later become Remlins began making use of dreamworts for sleep, meditation, and divination as they grew accustomed to their new home. The leadership of the old sages gradually transferred to the new clergy dedicated to Kokone, their ability to interpret, manipulate, and even share dreams giving them the name Dreamwalkers. Later development of technology and technique, coupled with the influx of foreign people during Mujigae period, only furthered the Dreamwalkers’ mastery over their domain, helped by Remland’s naturally high background chuubanite level due to its abundance of dreamwort and valley topography. Nowadays, the Dreamwalkers play an important role in /vnug/ society as providers of comfort, interpreters of dreams, and producers of herbal medicine.

Church of Sun and Moon

The Church of Sun and Moon worship the twin goddesses of Helen and Celine, and is the first documented faith in /vnug/ as the state religion of Ethernation. There are multiple hypotheses on the origin of the faith of the fire and water goddesses - smithing gods representing the hot forging and quenching process, agricultural gods representing swiddening and irrigation, or bath goddesses representing heating and steaming of the bathing room. Regardless of origin, the twin goddesses were already widely worshiped by blacksmiths, farmers, and statesmen alike by the time Ethernation appeared in historical records.

Once the dominant organized religion of /vnug/, the Church of Sun and Moon has been in decline since the fall of Ethernation and spreads of metallurgy. Its organized structure and proximity to the north led to its assimilation to Mujigae beliefs during the Mujigae period, further weakening its position as an independent institution, as its existing social roles were absorbed by either Mujigae-originated groups or /vnug/ guilds and religious organizations. In the wake of the Great Uprising, most of the remaining churches of the twin goddesses integrated themselves into the beliefs of other goddesses, formally disbanding the Church. Today, most worship the twin goddesses as supporting sects within other religions, providing guidance towards occupations over which the Church of Sun and Moon once presided.

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