Nation of Kenlavein

## **Kenlavein**

Kenlavein is a nation in the center of the Eastern Continent within the central mountain ranges. The nation is comprised entirely of the Kösen race/people with a semi-theocratic government. The present day leader of Kenlaven is Rei, a prior Shaman of the Kissösa tribe. The national language of Kenlavein is Köva.

## History

The Kösen nomadic tribes may have originated from the arid grassy plains that dominate the western side of the Eastern Continent. They have long since been domesticating reindeer-gazelle as to hunt the local fauna. During a particularly harsh period of storms brought them into the mountains for shelter they transitioned into settlements creating the foundation of Kendam. It was during this period that the Shaman Rei of the Kissösa tribe started unifying the people under a singular identity in order to prevail against the year-long storm. They had transitioned from hunting to farming root plants like potatoes and onions, and feeding fungus, moss, lichens and bacteria to the cave bats, salamanders, fish and crustaceans to fatten them up for meals. The bats soon became a focus of domestication efforts as their eggs became a source of essential nutrition.

After surviving the legendary storm they started to look to the meadows, plateaus and fields to the East of Kistravas for wood, game and natural resources. They began to explore the caves with increasing confidence while mining resources when practical. They made many failed attempts in engineering projects but under heaps of failed projects were lessons that would fuel their masonry technology.

The people began counting their days under the new calendar, marking the first year as the year Rei united the nomadic tribes. They continue to adhere to this calendar today.

## Geography

### **The Capitol City of Kendam**

The City of Kendam, within the region of the same name, contains the entirety of the sacred Mount Kistravas. This region actually covers the singular mountain within the mountain range and even the depths below it. Along side the mountain are plateaus and ridges which also belong to this capital region. The city proper is in the very center of the mountain accessed by the many caverns and caves that intercept the city’s tall cavity. Rather than roadways connecting the city to the surrounding areas, these cave tunnels serve the same purpose of connecting Kendam to the other regions of Kenlavein.

The name Kendam translates from Köva to “Heart of the Mountain”. The bells within the city are often likened to the heartbeat of Kistravas. There are several waterfalls within the mountain glacier peak from which the city gets its fresh water. These waterfalls seep deep into the depths of the mountain forming a large underground lake.

The citizens living in Kendam City pride themselves in their pragmatic and scrappy solutions. It takes a lot of pride and stubbornness to settle within a mountain cave and its people are a bit ‘tunnel-visioned’ with their prospects.

### **Vassals**

1. Capitol Region of Kendam - Located within, under and on Mt. Kistravas.
2. Hoslaka — Located on the SE border of Kendam, directly below Moskila
3. Moskila — Located on the NE border of Kendam, directly above Hoslaka

## **Languages**

The national language of Kenlavein is Köva.

## **Technology**

* Level One Construction - The Kösen immediately after settling in Kendam, the heart of the caves in Mount Kistravas, they started mining and experimenting with stone cutting. Their skills in stone masonry would create the literal foundation of Kenlavein.

## Religion and culture

### **Shamanism - Vasnaxseis**

The Kösen have a three god pantheon with Vaska, Nâxys, and Seïs, collectively the religion is called Vasnaxseis from the three names. They believe that all of life can be divided into three classes:

* XXX - XXX have a soul in which they live, die and reincarnate conjoined by the divinity of Vaska. All those with Kistra, a beak, horn, or type of shell thought to contain the soul, join Vaska after death before reincarnating as a different XXX in their next life. There is no karma in this reincarnation and so one may reincarnate as any XXX.
* YYY - YYY are all life created that do not take part in the reincarnation of Vaska. Because of this there is no ceremony for the death of a YYY.
* Krei — Krei are those that were once YYY but have been infected by a divine substance called xysné (The Chaos). This lost and unbridled divine power was cast into the oceans of the planet entering the hydrolic cycle creating storms and acidic rains. These rains eventually infected the flora and fauna that would become Krei. Krei are typically seen as monsters or demons and are thought to terrorize the oceans.