Covering most of the southern portion of Belle'Ayn is the Kingdom of Vescaria, a land well known for its powerful mage population and once gorgeous lands.
Now it stands on the precipice of decay, with plants wilting, crops dying, and even the very soil itself becoming a harsh, desolate wasteland. The population now forced to live cramped lifestyles in the few areas that remain, civil unrest threatens to destroy the country from within.
Hope is not lost, however. Vescaria still trains its powerful mages, sending many out into the world with the hope of finding the way to restore their lost lands.
"May your quest be blessed by the Fairy Blue, lest we suffer a loss far greater than the dirt under our feet." - Tywin Tiberia, 24th King of Vescaria
Culture[]
In general, Vescaria is much more of a magic-oriented country than other, more technological areas of the world. Despite using something of an 'archaic' art, however, they have almost fully merged the magical arts with science-based principles, forming magic schools the like of which most of Rigel Prima simply cannot compete with.
See page: Vescarian Schools of Magic
The main reason for this development is the population. As every generation of Vescarians is born with a strong innate affinity for magic, as well as a generally large mana pool, it is incredibly important to teach the young how to hone and control their gifts, as careless magic use can spell terrifying consequences. However, because every Vescarian has such a solid grasp of magical power, most of their technology is easily based around it, being fuelled by magical power rather than things like fossil fuels.
Common Professions[]
Outside of the heavy focus on Academics and magic, however, the common citizen usually seeks out one of four careers; Farming, Teaching/Researching, Military or Spellsale. With Farming slowly becoming a dying art (due to the dying land itself), those who can partake in it usually find it very lucrative, but risky. Those who show a very high affinity towards magic and the knowledge surrounding it often go on to study it full time, whilst those who benefit from power or are best as offensive type magic often head into the Military.
Spellsale, however, is a catch-all term for Vescarians who sell their skills. Quite often mages will find something they are particularly adept at, or focus on something so much that they become proficient in it to the point of mastery. Popular examples of this include water mage plumbers, earth mage architects and wind mage couriers. Vescarian magic, however, is very flexible, and goes far beyond the range of mere elemental skills. It is not unusual to find very strange and unique spellcasters, like transformation or illusory mages, among the streets.
Religion[]
Perhaps one of the most striking parts of Vescarian culture is their common worship for their Deity, Vesca. Also known as the Blue Fairy or the Life-Bringer, she is actually an entity that exists on the mortal plane, residing in her temple home in the City of Vesca, which was named after her. She is well respected for her very unique form of magic that even most Vescarians find difficult to replicate, and even then not nearly to a fraction of her power; the element of Life.
A well-known tale from the early days of Vescaria is how a lonely man, named Geppetto, who had lost his pregnant wife to illness, was approached by the blue fairy, proceeding to provide one of his well-crafted wooden puppets with the blessing of life, who became known as Pinnochio. Whilst Pinnochio is often known as 'the first Golem', evidence of his existence can only be found in written records, leading to the tale of nearly two thousand years prior to be often referred to as a myth or legend, rather than a true story.
When asked personally about this tale, Vesca has been known to change the subject.
People[]
Main Article: List of Notable Vescarian Figures
Vescaria bases itself around a Monarchy that stands aside from Vesca herself. The Royal House of Tiberia has ruled the country for many centuries, and is supported by the Four Noble Houses of Scarforge, Lindblum, Vislocke and Ophelia, who each govern a different aspect of Vescarian life as Grand Dukes. From there, subsidiary families (Counts) and lesser nobility (Barons) often govern large/small towns and the local villages close by, creating a system of ruling that proceeds up a chain of nobility that eventually ends up with the King or Queen at the top, who places their final rulings on council held in the city of Vesca.
Vesca typically does not partake in political discussion, as she feels that the country is her gift to the people and thus they should be allowed to govern it as they will, though she has occasionally been known to present her own suggestions at times of great internal strife.
Aside from the nobility are those noted to be the best in their craft. Whilst the ruling families preside over the country, those that show incredible talent, effort and ability are often granted a special place in the heirarchy, or at least an important and likely well-paying role.
Technology[]
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History[]
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