Vadya

Vadya is a country in the Vasterlands bounded by Huon Sa in the west and Yerlen in the east. It possesses the only pass through the Mountainfolk realm, bordering Kafetra on the southern side of the pass. Vadya's capital city is Sahl, and other centres are Ofkia, in the Amruiv region near the Huon border and Astel by the mountain pass.

Much of central Vadya is unusable due to the presence of the Silklakes. These are seasonal mudflats that, during winter, become deep impassable fens. Their name stems not from the fabric silk, but from the nearby town of Tzilkar.

Vadyan religion is complicated. The country is currently in flux as Talrycg infuses from the south, while the north of Vadya still strongly believes in the gods of the Efulian Pantheon. To complicate things further, the somewhat-primitive residents of the Silklakes are still fire-worshippers.

The reason for Vadya's disunity is simply that the Vadyan culture is confined to this region. It is an offshoot of the Armedean culture, though separated from other Armedeans by geography, and alienated over time. Furthermore, its three neighbours are all completely different cultures as well, meaning there is no international consensus on Vadya. Kafetra views Vadya as a valued trading partner, Yerlen simply trusts them not to invade and leaves the kingdoms to their own devices, while Huon Sa sees Vadya both as disunited barbarians who must be tolerated, and as trading clients for the Huon merchant fleet.

 History

Vadya has existed in much of its current state since the end of the Great Gap. Beforehand there were tribes in the area, but they were less unified, less powerful and also of a different, unidentified culture. During the Great Gap it is clear that Vadyans, as the descendants of Armedeans, moved into the area and emulated the societal structure of the natives before wiping them out. These invaders also infested what would later become Kafetra, though the mountain pass at Astel means the Vadyan and Kafetran tribes had little communication and slowly grew apart.

However, some vestiges of the natives still remain. Tribes in the centre of Vadya, around the Silklakes, have lighter complexions and hair colour than other Vadyans and worship different gods - while southern and northern Vadyans have historically been believers in the Efulian Pantheon, Silklake Vadyans are fire worshippers.

Lately, Vadya has joined the Dalforean League in a rare agreement between the five most powerful tribes. These five, known as the Pentarchy, are responsible for the relative peace between the various tribes of Vadya, and seek to enhance the country's economic prosperity even while they jostle for leadership in the quickly-unifying region. The formation of the Pentarchy in 412 is widely regarded as the foundation of the unified Vadyan state, though the country is still fractured between the many tribes.

## Geography

### **Location**

Vadya is located on the eastern shore of Turquoise Bay, at the western edge of the Vasterlands. It borders Yerlen to the east and Huon Sa to the west, while the south of Vadya is bounded by the Huon Range and Mountainfolk realm, with a wide mountain pass providing access to the Trade Lake basin through Kafetra.

The country itself is wooded in the south, giving way to marshes and fens in the centre, and eventually vast plains in the north. The most fertile land in the country is near Ofkia in the far west due to the proximity of the Yang River.

### **Climate**

Like its neighbours, Vadya enjoys warm but windy summers due to strong northern winds coming in from the sea and rebounding off the mountain ranges in the south. Winters are harsher, but still temperate.

## Politics

### **Government**

There is no formal Vadyan government. Like the the Spur, Vadya is more a region than a kingdom. The Vadyan tribes are roughly organised into petty kingdoms, and the agreement of the Pentarchy makes the capital city of Sahl off-limits to the armies of the five most powerful tribes, and by extension it is bad etiquette for any Vadyan to wear a weapon inside the city. Sahl is governed by a council of thirteen, made up of two representatives from each of the Pentarchal tribes and one extra from the most powerful tribe, and another two to represent the city itself. This council governs the city and its surrounds, and has leverage over the minor tribes. Legally it also has control over the Pentarchal tribes, but this is never actually the case. In reality the Pentarchal tribes govern themselves akin to small kingdoms, while the minor tribes lie within their spheres of influence as far as government is concerned.

### **Legal System**

Due to its unique political situation, Vadya has no formal legal system. Instead, tribes act according to a code of honour which is mostly identical across all the tribes. Punishments for breaking this code of honour are relatively harsh, most involving some form of temporary or permanent exile.