Naeun Suam

**Naeun Suam** was one of the most famous figures of Velian history. A prominant mage of her time she was considered a visionary, both in magic and society. Her desire to see a more unified Velhellyiah, one where both sides of the magical chasm could work together for a greater good, was one of the driving factors of her life's work. It was this desire that eventually lead her to rise up against the current order and stage a coup to overthrow the government. Through combination of her immense personal power as well as the influence she held over the populace at large she was able to see her coup to fruition. Overthrowing the establishment and restructuring the government she was able to enact the reforms she spent her life dreaming of.

## Biography

#### Early life

Naeun was born to parents blessed with the gift of magic, a gift they passed down to their daughter. Talented as she was she enjoyed a privileged life in her younger years. But this privilege also brought into light the inequalities of Velian society. She had grown up witnessing the way those without magic were treated. Slaves in all but name only, forced to do the menial tasks that were 'beneath' their betters. While most in her station thought it to be fine, or simply the way the world is, she had ever dreamed of changing it. They were all Velian and so their servitude should be towards their community, magic or no.

#### Rising Prominence

Skilled in magic and talented with social grace, Naeun grew ever more popular. From school leading into higher education she attained more and more recognition for her theories, unique spells, and simple charismatic nature. It was in her early adult life that she began to sow the seeds of her rebellion. Using her status to create a network of like-minded followers and working to get them into positions of power. It was an endeavor that lasted decades. But with her rising stardom, so too did her power over the nation of Velhellyiah.

#### The Suam Coup

Once everything was in place, Naeun enacted her strategy. Using her magical prowess and connections she staged a revolt in the Capital. She could hardly muster up an army for a protracted civil war, but she could dismantle the heart of the government. And that is what she did. Within an hour the Capital was locked down and she and her followers were able to secure the governing officials and execute them. In less than a day she had seen her life's work come to fruition as she was now the leader of the nation. But such a role was never her goal and she soon got to work restructuring the government. Renaming the capital to Vysoria she began construction of a massive tower at the center of the city that would serve as the new seat of government for the Council she intended to form.

Velians of every walk of life should devote themselves to their communities, to their nation, and to the pursuit of magic so that all may benefit. This was her driving creed and so she created the Council of the Enlightened to guide and lead the nation to this end. The best and brightest were to be chosen to fill this council so that they might debate and come to the best possible solutions for the nation. Among her restructuring she also pushed for societal reforms that saw the outlawing of slavery and the elevation of non-magic users to equality with their magic-using brethren. There was push-back, of course, but Naeun was able to wield a combination of force and diplomacy to shove her reforms through.

By focusing on means to share the gift of magic with those who were cut off from it, the importance of magitek was one of her key reforms. Whereas the old government horded it, she shared the technology to the masses so they could benefit from their breakthroughs. Magitek was her bridge between the two groups and with it she would bring them closer together under a unified Velian banner where equality and dedication to the pursuit of knowledge would be the nation's legacy, not the supremacy of magic over those less fortunate.

#### Later Life

With her work done she stepped down from her role as acting leader and left the Council to perform it's duties. She remained as an advisor, as a helping hand, but officially she had no say within the government. Instead she spent much of her remaining years traveling the country to help mediate disputes and ease the transition her reforms had caused. You couldn't expect people to change overnight, something she was well aware of. And so she spearheaded campaigns to reeducate the masses to her way of thinking, to get their ire focused elsewhere than their fellow Velians and to advocate that anyone can find a place in society no matter their ability to use magic or not.

While she never fully saw this concept embraced in her life time, the reforms she implemented and the Council she formed managed to stay the course and over time the newer generations largely embraced her views. Today's Velhellyiah is the direct result of her life's work and she is often referred to as the Mother of Velhellyiah for it.