Volantene

The **Volantenes** are reclusive and distrustful by nature, due to their centuries of hiding behind their walls to stay within the sacred city of Volantis, located in the Valley of the Fallen within Valyria.

## Physical Characteristics

Volantene peoples have East Asian or Caucasian facial features, mostly Chinese. Their skin is mostly pale, and their hair ranges from black to blonde, depending on their lineage. Native-born Volantenes possess Asian features, while foreign Volantenes show more Caucasian features, as their family trees trace back to many foreign peoples of the surrounding cities and settlements before the city closed itself off.

## Society

The leader of the Volantene is the *Nahhu*, the single authoritarian monarch that rules over the city, most often a King. The *Nahhu* is trained to brainwash the Volantene that any people outside of their walls are poisoned, and only their land, behind the walls, are sacred. Because of this, Volantenes will not leave their walls to hunt, so they rely on farms. Although they are blessed with much fertile land, if things seem to get dire, for example if a drought hits and their crops dry, they will turn to cannibalism, often eating the elderly first. Since they never travel out of their walls, the Volantene make do with the materials they have, and have learned to live off of as little as they can. Therefore, their most recent homes are run down, either tents or huts. Their normal buildings are stone or wood.

The people of Volantis are closed off, and are aggressive to any who travel to their city. They do not ever form alliances, no matter what money or materials are offered, and they will always put themselves first. Within their society, the Volantene are more accepting of each other and possess a generous enough spirit, but they tend to be reserved with most strangers.

Volantenes are fond of sweet beets, which they grow in profusion and server in most major culinary dishes in the city. They make a cold soup of the beets which is as thick and rich as purple honey. The Volantene were known for their sweet red wine before the city walls closed off.

## Religion

 **Main article:** Breesha and Drema
Click above to read about the religion *Breesha and Drema*.

## Fashion

Red, black, and green are common colors within Volantene culture. The darker colors are most worn by men. Blue is reserved for higher-class gentlemen. Meanwhile, red and tan are worn by women, regardless of status, though high-class women will adorn themselves with jewelry, so it is easy to tell a high-class woman from a low-class woman. Men will wear loose cotton or fur with lengthy waist-pieces that reach their ankles, almost like a skirt. Women wear ankle-length dresses with loose sleeves, and a draped scarf around their necks.

## Language

Vuucan is the main language of the Volantene. It is very similar to Mandarin, and can even be described as a sort of dialect. Although English is also spoken in the city, it is very rare, and is considered to be a dying language within the city.

## Trivia

* The name Volantis comes from the city of the same name in A Song of Ice and Fire. However, there are many different aspects to their cultures between the source and the Éternel version.
* The Volantene are one of the few cultures in Valyria that support both homosexuality and trans people, due to their religion. However, they call trans people "bulls."