The Viteshan Domain

**The Viteshan Domain,** otherwise referred to simply as *Vitesh*, is an island-state and Kingdom renowned internationally throughout the Valiant Sphere as a green paradise; once claiming to possess the floral life of every region in the known world within it's borders, as well as having several forms of unique plants never seen outside of its borders which refused to grow outside of it. With innumerable plant species still to be discovered, the Viteshan Domain was a nation considered to be paramount to the fabled Holy Grail for botanists; and it's agricultural sectors and wood workers once were, and for those that managed to survive, still are, some of the greatest in the world; known for producing vessels of incredible durability.

The former home of a grove of unique trees referred to as Treasure Trees by the Viteshan people; as well as the region containing one of the Wonders of the World in the natural megastructure referred to by the Viteshan people as their Sanctuary, unfortunately, the Viteshan Domain was overwhelmed overnight in an incident known as the Rot, leading to the deaths of the majority of the inhabitants of the Domain. The mystery of what exactly occurred that night is known as the *Green Conspiracy*; with investigators ranging from civilians to Legionnaires to Desperados once hailing from the Viteshan Domain with a place in their hearts for their homeland.

## The Verdant

According to the Origin Myth of the Viteshan Domain, the island-state at some point in it's ancient past had been particularly favoured by the goddess of nature itself, an entity referred simply as Mother Nature. As a result, said entity bestowed upon the Domain the honour of having it consider it's national borders her special dwelling place, taking up residence within the Kingdom and creating a vessel through which she could exert direct influence on said Kingdom, known to the world today as the Sanctuary of Vitesh, one of several Wonders of the World. It is said that the shape of the Sanctuary is reflective of the true form possessed by said entity, being molded and crafted lovingly as a gift to the people in her visage so they might know she watches over them.

However, in addition to this, they were also granted a unique boon; referred to by the Viteshan people and the international community as **The Verdant**; considered to have affected the manifestation of floral life in the Kingdom in profound ways unseen before in other regions of the world. Considering that most of the Viteshan Origin Myth is extremely hard to come by and exceptionally vague; as well as partially carried down from generation to generation by route of oral tradition, the credibility of the Origin Myth to describe The Verdant is heavily debated; and typically dismissed in attempts to describe the phenomenon.

The Verdant encompasses the Domain's possession of the world's largest concentration of floral biodiversity of any particular region; seemingly possessing floral life that should not logically exist within the climates of the Kingdom growing in perfect health. In addition, The Verdant is responsible for the existence of the nation's unique paraflora; possessing unique capabilities and characteristics that appear to be the logical extension of the capabilities of traditional flora, or characteristics that appear entirely unnatural altogether. It is often considered that the Kingdom may very well have every plant species, they may just have not yet been discovered. That being said, that too is debated.

### Economic Importance

The Verdant is the unique phenomenon that allowed the Viteshan Domain to rise to such a level of agricultural productivity that they became renowned as one of the premiere bread baskets of the Valiant Sphere; capable of producing in abundance and high-yield vast amounts of a variety of different forms of food crops, and thus capable of then providing for larger and more varied livestock at any one time than most.

The soil of Vitesh was considered to have unique restorative properties on any plant resting on it; seemingly restoring withered flowers back to the peak of health incredibly quickly; and as such a method of utilizing the properties of Viteshan soil to imrpove food production around the world was and is sought after, though unfortunately these efforts have not proven successful. Interestingly, these properties appear to be carried over outside of the borders of Vitesh if the person putting said plant into soil from the Domain claims the Domain as their birthplace *and*homeland.

### Cultural Integration

The Viteshan people were renowned for blending their unique flora into every part of their daily lives in unique and creative ways, making life easier and seemingly functioning alongside the technology used by the wider world to create unique solutions to problems in every day life one would not have usually encountered. For example in the past before the widespread usage of lanterns, the Viteshan people would keep bioluminescent flowers in pots around their houses that appeared to glow brighter in intensity the darker the surrounding area became.

Since the formation of the country Vitesh has always possessed levels of agricultural wisdom and knowledge of methods of farming and food cultivation that would without the aid of the nation take generations to be developed in other countries. This is due to the Verdant, the wisdom of the first King and the guidance of the ancient Delacroix. The First King was reputed both as a philosopher and military general in his own right, and believed that the ability to have food and have food in abundance is the bedrock upon which civilization is built. In addition to that, he believed that as the nation that has this bedrock perhaps in greatest abundance int he Valiant Sphere it is their duty to share pertinent information, agricultural techniques, crops that would serve well in the climates around the world and be the foremost innovators in this field to do their part in keeping humanity progressing. This policy and particular philosophy is recorded in the **Dubois Doctrine**, and would go on to be the basis for the nationwide adoption of Do Ut Des as the national motto.

When the Valiant Empire came knocking, the Viteshan Domain gave them a warm welcome, the First King aware that it was the best method for the nation to achieve what he had stated to be the nation's policy. As a result, since then, the Domain would send ambassadors to any prospective island capable of large-scale agriculture, helping the various nations develop their own methods tailored to the nature of the land and soil that they may have. The Viteshan Domain took the national motto and applied it to their relations with foreign nations, being one of the primary donors to areas that may have needed a form of emergency relief in the form of food, and supported the war effort (Thorne Insurrection) with agricultural prowess.

As the bread basket of the Valiant Sphere, the Viteshan Collapse caused an acute food shortage within the realm, causing increased pressures on the seasonal isles that was slowly mitigated over the years.

## Culture

The Viteshan Domain was a very culturally rich place, with its inhabitants taking pride in its culture and their national heritage, often uncovering and attempting to redevelop the practice of age-old customs or modify them for the present day. The Viteshan people used the plants in their homeland as building materials, for healing salves and remedies, for sustenance and even in some case to create weaponry on a scale that in some ways rivalled and may have in other ways surpassed the conventional methods used to produce these things outside of the Domain (*looks at Future Evie)*.

* Viteshan medicine was deeply rooted in their culture, as a variety of unique and easily producible medicines for diseases could be created from the saps of various trees, and the fallen leaves.
* Viteshan architecture was also culturally distinctive, making use of the remarkably powerful life forces and structural integrity of some plants in order to make huge living structures for homes and schools.
* Viteshan music was produced from relatively unique instruments (not to say typical instruments were not in use, but as their culture developed they made their own musical instruments from thenature around them.)
* Viteshan shipwrights were among some of the greatest, having the ability to work with some of the most durable and resillient woods across the Valiant Sphere and Purgatory, constructing mighty vessels. When combined with aquatic Loa, the Viteshan Domain's navy was not one to be underestimated.

#### National Motto

**Do Ut Des**, *(lit, I give, so that you may give.)*is the central philosophy held by the people of the Viteshan Domain towards the plants and forests they lived with; and as a central pillar of their culture served as how the people managed to create and sustain a successful and symbiotic relationship with the ecosystem they themselves were a part of. Through a series of careful replenishment and sustainment programs instituted from the very establishment of a society on the island; the Viteshan people have managed to live off of nature and contribute in turn to nature; placing a high cultural significance on the balance of positive andd negative consequences on the flora of the Kingdom.

For every tree cut, a tree is planted without fail within the lumber regions of the Kingdom and done in a manner that does it's best to not disturb the wildlife of the nation, the soil is fertilized continually and cyclically according to the nutrients it needs without fail despite the remarkable fertility of Viteshan soil, the fruits of one's harvest are used to feed their people, and Viteshan culture highly favours those who give to those who have nothing to give; as the epitome of **Do Ut Des.**

It is for this reason that despite the inescapable nature of poverty in any economy, Vitesh was said to be a country where no-one goes hungry; as one of the world's premiere food baskets, it being considered an insult to the honour of a Viteshan to watch another Viteshan go hungry if there was anything they could do themselves about it. After the Rot and the separation of the Viteshan people across the Viteshan Sphere in an attempt to rebuild their livelihoods elsewhere; the meaning of Do Ut Des appears to have become individualized, with different survivors choosing to interpret it differently to adapt to their new environments and in some cases, activities.

#### Ginen

**Ginen** refers to the ancient form of supernatural power developed by the people of the Viteshan Domain in the ancient histories of it's past, having been popularly practiced in the days before the emergence of the First King and during it's rule, but having slowly faded into obscurity to the general populace as society progressed and advanced. Typically referred to by outsiders as the misnomers Vodun, or Voodoo, Ginen is an artform and a language capable of being utilized by an Awakened individual of any particular type contrary to popular belief. However, as the most prominent practitioners of the art today in the **Delacroix** are mostly composed of magical and Shamanic awakenings, the ability to perform Ginen is most extensively studied for these particular use cases.

Ginen was first developed as a means to commune with what were referred to the Spirits of Nature by the proto-Viteshan people, typically referred to today as Court Fey (as opposed to the considerably more accessible wyldfae) in an attempt to guide them and protect them against the harsh conditions of the country prior to the rise of the Dubois name. It is also rumoured that the First King himself was a practitioner of Ginen to an exceptional degree, though records of this are lost to history. Of the individuals to practice it however, the group of people not yet a clan in the traditional sense that would come to be known as the Delacroix were the first, and were seen as seers and shamans.

Those who utilize Ginen in the way it is known today must undergo a ritual where they go face to face with death by ingesting the ground up powder produced from the *Devil's Powdercap* and are brought back out of it by denying the reality of their own death with assistance from healing on the outside. If in the face of their own demise an individual has sufficient strength of character and self-assurance that one would face down what is almost the end of them, upon awakening, they find themselves intrinsically linked and greeted to a blackened fey-like existence referred to as a "Loa", or Iwa.

These entities along with the actual Fey are responsible for a variety of the apparent supernatural phenomenon that was associated with the Domain. For example, Iwa that persist in the world beyond their contracted individual are responsible for the Domain's reputation for immensely potent curses that destabilise the ranks of their enemies, opting to protect the homeland of their contractor. Indeed, those with the intent to exploit the Domain at times would find themselves the victims of an inexplicable string of bad luck that only grows progressively worse, depending on the whims of the Iwa.

Since the formation of the Legion, practitioners of Ginen have found themselves around the world, some employed as Legionnaires, such as Monique Delacroix of Nosferatu and Lucille Delacroix of Aegis. Male practicitioners of Ginen are referred to as Oungans, and female practitioners are referred to as Mambos.

#### The Greenheart

**The Greenheart** is a term and title that holds an almost mythical level of prestige and respect within the borders of the Viteshan Domain, and carries a fearsome reputation throughout the rest of the Valiant Sphere due to the accomplishments of previous Greenhearts in the major military conflicts that the nation was involved with. Among the Viteshan people, the Greenheart is a title that is respected to the same extent as if not slightly greater than that of the ancient Delacroix, and is perhaps respected the most by that particular family for reasons that the common populace of the Domain are unaware of.

Considered to be a bastion of hope for the Viteshan people, the Greenheart are the personally selected mortals that the Queen of Light believes have both the ambition and potential to allow the Domain to continue to serve as the beacon of her light to the rest of the world. However, all Greenhearts start in the unrealized phase, the phase referred to as an *Ember*, a flickering spark of what they might in the future become. This system was established in order to preserve the covenant she created with the **First King.** Universally, even as Embers, the Greenheart is driven by the passion and the tenacity observed in the First King in the ancient days.

Due to this passion, at some point in their lives each and every Greenheart has been responsible for inciting and being directly involved in the dawn of a new Golden Age of the Viteshan Domain. With far-reaching powers both supernatural and political, the Greenheart is the only individual capable of setting alight the fires of the *Gloaming Pyre* at the feet of the Sanctuary by invoking a sister of Tiandra in the archfey known as the Witch of Fate, allowing them to set a challenge that cannot be refused for any monarch of the Domain in combat by custom for the throne should it be the will of both Tiandra and her sister.

Supernaturally however, the Greenheart from the time of awakening is enveloped in a constant stream of natural energy incapable of being drawn away from them, permanently affixed to them by title. An awakened human capable of tapping into the powers of the Fey Court itself, the Greenheart beyond this Ember phase is capable of accessing a reserve of power that enables them to access a state referred to as *Big Wood Energy* (wip name), a state similar to but different in philosophy (how it is achieved) to Sage Mode.

Every Greenheart for an unknown reason even to the Court of Stars upon awakening has spontaneously manifested what the Court refers to as a feyling, a wyldfae that takes the form best suited to the users' subconscious at the time of awakening and demonstrates the potential to grow alongside the user. While not a Court Fey, this wyldfae demonstrates a pseudo-immortality as long as it's Greenheart is alive. However, in all cases the feyling serves as a guide, companion and provides moral support to the Greenheart, providing insight and assisting the user.

Upon the death of any Greenheart, they have the ability to persist even beyond the grave, though no longer capable of interacting typically with the normal mortal world. An echo of them is extracted from their bodies, maintaining their personalities, memories and ideas, and offered a position on the Court of Stars, serving as the ambassadors of humanity to the Court, and joining their predecessors in helping to make decisions that protect life itself.

The ranks of individuals that have been Greenheart include the First King of the Domain himself, as well as in his youth the fearsome warrior king \_\_\_\_\_ Dubois, the great general in the frontlines of the Thorne Insurrection carrying the relatively smaller Viteshan military forces to victory after victory, who then brought the nation into a time of peace and prosperity until 1 year before the Rot. (1 BR?)

## Landmarks and Locations

### Notable Locations

#### The Sanctuary

The Sanctuary is the massive head of a woman (he head of the ava

    tar of the Fey Queen Titania) made entirely of Vitesh's toughest trees, trees rumoured to be as tough as steel or w/e, appearing to be shouting at something, green eyes burning with a "Flame" coming out of them. Attempts to damage or cut through the trees that make up the Sanctuary have proven to be completely ineffective; as it simply reverts to its previous state nigh-instantaneously as if locked in time.

The inside appears to be far greater than the outside would have you believe; as within it is a building that appears to almost be a museum, recounting the first shoots to ever burst forth from the ground, the establishment of the first city on Vitesh, but is scant on the details to some extent; least within what the Sanctuary appears to naturally mark as it's safe zone. Trees and flowers grow from the floors, absorbing some of the light coming from the green-tinted sky, making the inside of the Sanctuary both a pretty and simultaneously alien picture; as if one had been transported to another planet. To go beyond the safe zone is to willingly ignore the deterrents placed by the Sanctuary to denote this.

Rumoured that deep within this building is a labyrinth that holds a great treasure within that makes itself seen only to those who earn the favour of the Sanctuary; though nobody knows what it even means to gain the favour of what is for all intents and purposes a building. It is said that those who enter without such favour are lost forever; forced to walk around in the labyrinth until they bleed out from their feet if starvation and dehydration doesn't get them first.

#### The National College

As a nation which prides itself on it's knowledge, the Viteshan Domain was known for it's educational system, having within it's borders a university in it's own right of international acclaim. The National College of the Domain attracted scholars from all over the world with a vested interest in the ability to learn, and at times would collaborate with the researchers of the Continental Academy to uncover secrets of the world around them. While most of the publications of the National College fell under history, archaeology, alchemy and botany; the National College was renowned for producing politicians, great artists that contributed to the Domain's National Library, engineers and architects given the unique perspectives of Viteshan architecture, among others.

## Notable Individuals

* **Royal Family**

* **Theodore Dubois:**

* '***\_\_\_\_ Dubois: '***
* **Louis Dubois:**

* **The Jouveres**

* **Evelyn Jouvere**

* **The Delacroix**

* **Monique Delacroix**
* **Lucille Delacroix**

## Trivia

* **Do Ut Des**, is the proper phrase that represents the typical intended meaning behind Quid pro Quo as used in English; and is used instead of Quid pro quo in French.