Aevervahs Island

## Aevervahs

Aevervahs is an island located in the Paradise section of The Grand Line noted for being an island overtaken by vegetation.

## History

In ancient times, thousands of years ago, the island itself was a series of disconnected islets, isthmuths, isles and large islands, the biggest island being the one that became the name synonymous with the entire region.  The people back then were nomadic, shamanic and very attuned to nature, revering it higher than their own lives.  the nature of the nomads stopped one generation when as chance would have it on Aevervahs itself, one tribe came across a grove that they had not tread upon before, one where they could cultivate and finally settle down.

This is where the island's true history began.  While other islands had their tribes moving from landmass to landmass, the one First Tribe as they had been called later, began to work as farmers, gatherers, hunters, and cared for one tree in particular above all of the others at the behest of their head shaman at the time.  A strong tree unlike they had seen before, with bark as strong as steel and the healthiness that outlived an elephant. Becoming the cornerstone for their society and assumed connection to the stars above, this tree would become known as the Bridge to the Stars.

Over the years, the decades, generations, centuries even, the tree grew larger and larger. It grew wider at that, roots taking their way throughout the main island before it would come to overtake the island itself.  It was seen as the end times for the islands at first, especially when the roots spread their way to the other islands, starting off smaller trees of their own. It was sink, swim, or adapt, and the people of the islands sought to adapt, forcing their way into the trees as they became large enough to overtake the land itself, and made their homes in the growing tree.

As it stands to this day, the tree is visible easily on the horizon when in vicinity of it, breaking through the clouds, roots reaching far down to the shelves of the ocean and deeper.

## Geography

The island is noted for breaking high through the clouds, the top of which is eclipsed by the blanket of clouds high up into the sky.  It has been estimated that the massive tree easily reaches close to thirty miles up into the air while its subsidiary bodies run the gambit of five to two dozen miles up into the sky.

The main tree body is noted by having a layer of bark around the central layer that spirals up high into the sky.  Alcoves have been hollowed out, allowing light through and the growing of vegetation within the bark itself.

While there are large patches of earth and buildings in the island, the levels at which they can be found must be reached through waterways and balast systems to allow boats to move from town to town within the island.  Large leaves can be tied to ships high up in the tree looking to head back down tot he ocean below in a quicker manner by using them like parachutes.

The tree's roots resemble a cypress tree, spreading for miles throughout the ocean, causing disturbances to the waves.

* A clearing found out in the wilderness.
* The outskirts of a village.
* A segment of the mass known as the High Branches.
* A patch of the wilderness found throughout the island.
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## Flora and Fauna

Tropical plantlife can be found throughout the island with more sentient plantlife, similar to Pop Green, looking for a quick meal the higher up the tree you go.

Large insects of many different species are located in the wilderness of the tree, the most dangerous types found in the High Branches.

Raptor-type birds (large flightless birds like emus and several capable of flight like the flamingo) can be found in the wilderness of the island along with some being domesticated as pets.

## Locations

Tinder Town: A heavily wooded village located close to the roots of the island, here they work day in and day out to hone their craft to ensure that the tree does not grow beyond its limits, sending their lumberjacks all over the island to trim and keep the tree in line.

Flint village: A town known for supplying the pyrotechnics for every holiday on the island.

Spark town: A village filled with many trade and commerce spots. Located in the middle section of the tree and spanning the entire ring of it. It is here that many people trade supplies, conduct business, and ship things to and from other locations all over and off the island itself.

High Pyre: The capital of the island itself, located in the center of the tree itself, surrounded by Spark town.  Here, the eight main families make their homes and many warriors are trained in this city, sent out to the High Branches for the sake of culling incursions.

Torchland Docks: Similar to Spark Town, this is a disconnected series of docks spanning large openings in the roots of the island, serving as the means for many boats to visit, regardless of the crew type.

High Branches: The forbidden lands to normal citizens. These are the proving grounds to many warriors, fighting off large insects, working to keep them from travelling too far down on the island itself. There are many small outposts for camping located throughout here.  It is also here that fighting crews of pirates/marines are urged to go to keep the safety of the people in mind while they have their go at one another.

Garden of Altars: The highest point of the tree, it has been cleaved cleanly off and allows for the people on it to come to many different stone altars that have been carved out and arranged for different purposes.  Whether it be the marriage between two members of high families, the crowning of a new island king/queen, the funeral of the previous leader or a meeting to be held by the heads of the Eight Families. As this location is sacred to the entire island and located through the High Branches, only those given express permission may enter here, off-landers are not welcome here at all and will be made a target for the entire populace itself, a stark contrast to their beliefs of judging a person by their actions on a first-hand basis.

## Culture

The people of the island believe in being attuned to their guardian spirits, discarding their old tribe names when the island became well known to the world.

* Last names are the guardian spirit of the person, they are believed to watch over and guide their named children
* Middle names are the star they are born under, believed to shape the personality of the child further down their path in life, whether it be adherent to the star or contrasting to it
* First names are the hearth and home spirits that watch over the family as a whole and shape their beliefs

There are as many as twenty holidays held on the island, revering many different spirits on a single day. It is believed that if they were to have a holiday for every spirit, they would only work half of the year. As such, the days of celebration are grand and very frought with revelry.

There are eight main families on the island, believed to breed the strongest of warriors and originate from the eight largest islands throughout the collection of lands.

It is not uncommon for arranged marriages to be formed on the island between these big families and minor families, but any marriage between two main families are adherent to special rituals to be held on special days.

The people of Aevervahs do not believe that anyone should be judged by their actions off of the island, that they should only be judged by what they may do on the island itself or what they witness first-hand.  This has gone in contrast with the three marine outposts on the island, refusing to sell out pirates even if their wanted posters are seen. In the event that

## Trivia

* The island's name comes from a combination of the words "ever" and "vast" to refer to the reach and size of one tree.
* All pictures used for the island are property of Etrian Odyssey, and are not being used for profit whatsoever.
* The people all have pointed ears while still being referred to as Humans, a tip of the hat to the Jak & Daxter game series
* Every person on the island uses a naming device combining notable names from the following games: Bastion, Pyre, Ori and the Blind Forest
	+ Last names have one letter altered from the original and/or one letter tacked onto the name in a random location
	+ Middle names are direct names from the reference material
	+ First names are a combination of two names from a single game
	+ All three names stem from the same game
* Most locations are named after means of starting a fire or methods of conducting fire.