Vokya

**Vokya,** or **New Vokya,** is a city-state who's age spans several centuries (Although is now in utter disrepair). Its ruler is chosen by random at birth, via a inherently magical process. This ties deeply with its religion, called the Cycle of the Scarlet Eyes. It was founded by Vokya the First, the first Scarlet Eyes. It also has a calendar split into 2 eras. KV (Kingdom of Vokya) and CV (Castle of Vokya).

## Founding

### Founders

Vokya the First

KV would start roughly 1100 years before the server grace period ended, and CV would be right around after the comet had passed Efthar.

## Etymology

The name Vokya comes from the name of its founder, Vokya the First. The name itself means "Red" or "Burning", at least in the old tongue of the predecessor tribes.

## History

### Pre-Scarlet and Ierak

The time before Vokya was formed was referred to as Pre-Scarlet by historians. The time of Pre-Scarlet is not well recorded, as at this point it was over a thousand years ago, so any forms of records that may have kept history on it is most likely long gone.

What knowledge has been known though was garnered through ancient relics like pottery, jewelry, murals and ancient stone writing. Because of this, a lot of it is educated guesses, but is the best that can be garnered.

Before Vokya, there was its predecessor city-state known as the "Ierak". Ierak was an ancient city of stone created in the plains, who's city and history is far gone except for a few details. Ierak was a very theological city, worshipping a deity with 4 arms and the head of a wolf, or in some depictions the head of a man in the shape of a wolf.

Ierak practiced cannibalism, along with human sacrifices. Supposedly this would be to keep the hunger of the wolf god satiated so they could be blessed with good harvests and prosperity. This, however, would not keep them free from overpopulation.

As the population grew, the city could not keep up. Food ran out and this is where history diverges, where either the population was led out the city by the ruler, Kayvo, or a civil war broke out as the ruler refused to do anything about the lowering food and rising population.

Whichever happened, the city of Ierak would be no more. However, its population would not fully die out. As the city was abandoned, either through battle or a brave march from the city to find new land, it would lead to the creation of 2 tribes. The Keira Tribe and the Berama Tribe.

### Founding of Vokya and the 2 Tribes

As many generations passed since the city of Ierak, the population would find themselves split into 2 different and nomadic tribes. The Keira and the Berama. The Keira would retain the tradition of cannibalism, but would keep it to a lesser degree. They would follow herds and do their best to live as easily as they could, avoiding danger and situations that could pose a risk.

The Berama, on the other hand, kept the tradition of human sacrifice and the worship of the wolf-headed god. However, over generations the god was diluted to a more human being of canine-like teeth and red eyes. They were aggressive, having hunters and

From what could be discerned from what was left behind, the tribes would eventually meet each other again far after the fall of Ierak. Few oral stories were remembered in either tribe about the city of Ierak, but they were remembered nonetheless. The two tribes, both knowing of their ancestry, agreed to travel together for the time being.

However, the "time being" came to be forever, as the two tribes would eventually merge into one. After the tribe had existed for several generations, which again is a assumption from historical relics, a child was born. This child had red (Or more specifically, scarlet eyes). Due to the merging of both tribes, the tradition of cannibalism and the worshipped red-eyed god also merged, leading to the fractured old religion of Ierak to be sort of born anew.

This child was worshipped as they grew up, idolized heavily as the reincarnation of Ierak's last ruler. The child's name was Vokya, and they would lead the tribe to a less nomadic lifestyle. Gradually they would settle in one spot, near the border of the old plains. There Vokya would found the city-state... Vokya. Original, truly. This would also be the start of KV.

### Rise of Vokya and Conquest

Vokya, much like the city of Ierak, would be a city created from stone. Vast workforces would mine out large quarries and caverns for stone, masonry's making them into material useful for building. As this happened, a man by the name "Geriah" (Surnames were not a thing yet.) would discover a unique process. The process would be alchemical in nature, creating a material called Bloodstone. When light would hit it, its surface would refract and move like blood.

Bloodstone was incorporated into Vokya's architecture, however, due to its expensive process of creating, was only used in the important buildings such as temples and the residence of Vokya. However, as time grew, so did Vokya. Eventually they grew old, and eventually a new child would be born, with scarlet eyes.

The news quickly spread about this new child, who was much like Vokya, until Vokya announced what would happen. A child, born like them, must mean they were surely chosen to be the next ruler. And so, when the child turns 13, a ceremony shall be held. A ceremony of festivities and worship, and where at the end, Vokya would be slain by the hands of the Scarlet Eyed child and thusly be consumed, to keep this new cycle perpetuated, and in Vokya's place a substitute ruler will be appointed until the child turned 16.

And it was so, when the child was 13, Vokya knelt down on one knee and hung their head low in respect, old in age, as the Scarlet Eyed gripped a dagger in one hand. After the death of Vokya, the body was moved elsewhere for the Scarlet Eyed to consume, where the ceremony would be officially completed.

After this, a decision was came to to give families surnames. This was because, if the cycle was true, then the families of the Scarlet Eyed must be remembered. This would be an early form of the nobility system. And, thus, the Scarlet Eyed's name would be Melera Nuar.

Melera, upon turning 16, would ascend to the throne, replacing the substitute ruler. Upon ascending to rulership, she supposedly had a vision. A vision from Vokya, speaking to her in a form not like their last. They said to her that upon the ceremony being completed, they had ascended to divinity. Vokya said the same would happen to her, and any other Scarlet Eyed who went through the same ceremony and died. Vokya told her that they had become the deity of eternity, and that she would become the goddess of conquest. This vision would give the new and present name of the religion, the Cycle of the Scarlet Eyes.

After this vision, she would become a powerful ruler, quickly taking charge and spending most of her focus on the military of Vokya. Due to her rule and talent of expansion, its said that Old Vokya would've never risen to greatness had Melera not taken rule. Whether she actually had a vision due to the innate magical history of Old Vokya, or merely lied to garner loyalty and morale for soldiers en masse to great effect is unknown.

She would conquer tribes, city-states, and later on smaller nations. She would become just as well known as Vokya in present day due to her feats. And even after death, where the same ceremony that happened with Vokya had commenced, her influence had been left on Vokya, all the way to its end.

### The End of Old Vokya, Peran, and New Vokya

After many decades and generations passed, rulers came on gone, battles fought and won, there came Vokya's final enemy, Peran. Peran was a large ancient nation that served no god, and practiced alchemical arts. After many hard battles and strategic victories, led by the current and new ruler Freia Kreil, Vokya would conquer Peran. However, Peran would not settle for this.

A group of Peran Loyalists, who's name translated roughly to "Peran's Knights", would hide from Vokyan soldiers and gather materials and ingredients. They would make bribes to keep certain soldiers silence, and then venture out to the capital of Vokya. Although incredibly dangerous territory for them, they managed to get through on horseback. After many days of travel, they arrived at the capital.

There they started a fire, a fire with a hunger more dangerous and wild then normal flames. According to testimonies of the few that survived the passage of time and the fire, the flames consumed even the stone of the great churches and statues. The Peran Loyalists surrounded the capital, killing any who tried fleeing, citizens and members of high society alike.

In the castle, named Castle Arosha, valued members of the nation were gathered, at least though who were in the capital, including Freia Kreil, who had not been ruler for long. They were gathered near the tallest tower of Castle Arosha, and placed in stone tombs. A spell was used, one to protect them from the flames and place them in a slumber until it was safe.

However, something would go wrong. The spell would go dormant, and cast those protected into an eternal slumber. Until, one day, a comet streaked across the skies of Efthar. A glow would filter through the holes in the tower, which now barely peeked through the earth, and shine through its rubble and debris, until the light grew dim and dimmer, eventually hitting a single tomb.

There, Freia Kreil would awake, in a land once full of plains now turned to woodland, in a tower that once reached the skies now barely piercing the ground. This would be the start of New Vokya, and the era CV.

## Geography

### Physical Geography

Once rolling plains and hills, perfect for construction and agriculture, had turned to expansive and looming woodlands, chalked full of berries and foliage, accompanied by a winding river which, while not new, had become bigger over time.

### Climate

The climate is rather mild at most times, although has sporadic rains that will roll through, and when they come they come down hard. Although rather rarely, extreme weather such as tornados or floods may occur.

## Government, Politics, and Economy

The government type is a theocracy, although the ruler is decided almost at random. A short description is that, once the current ruler is marked for their end by the birth of a Scarlet Eyed child, marking them as the future ruler, the Scarlet Blood ceremony will commence when the child turns 13. A trusted member of the government will be ruler in their place as they mature, until they are eventually old enough to take the throne (16). Still, the substitute ruler will be kept as an advisor for the ruler.

Due to the nature of its current state, its military, economy, and foreign relations are all but gone. Although they are not not being rebuilt.

In Old Vokya, nobility was decided through if the family had a Scarlet Eyed child. If they did, they would become something like nobility, praised and treated highly during the Scarlet Eyed's reign. If the ruler left an impact large enough to be remembered highly, then the family will most likely stay in that level of treatment, becoming actual nobility for a long time to come.

Of course, if the ruler was simply not enough to be remembered for several generations, then most likely the family will not stay nobility and over a generation or three, return back to what they once were.

## Culture

Much of the culture is scattered in the past, either ashes or kept only in the memories of the few saved from the flames.

### Literature

Literature, as with almost all nations, was rather important to keep records and also for simple enjoyment. A big example of a well known author was Treia Opea, a Scarlet Eyes who was known for writing great works. From children books to in-depth books about war strategy and battle, they wrote it all. This is why they became known as the Goddess of Literature upon their ascendance. There most well known work is "Behind the Ruby Veil" (Rough translation), which was a book about what could be waiting for a Scarlet Eyed after their ascendance. It delved into psychological and theological topics, as well as dipping its toes into alchemical knowledge as well.

### Architecture

The architecture of old Vokya was reliant mostly on stone. For the great buildings like churches, castles, and even some noble houses, they have ornate details in the stone and symmetrical patterns. It also has a focus on the color red, through materials like terracotta and a special material called bloodstone.

Bloodstone is not actually made through blood, but a unique process which uses an alchemical process to create a bright and vibrant crimson stone used in important buildings.

### Fashion

The fashion of the people of Old Vokya often had no dresses, often defaulting to regular pants or clothes for peasants. Dresses were often reserved for nobles or for important events. The nobles and important figures of the kingdom also often times wore a article of cloth resembling a cape, which wrapped around the neck like a scarf and hanged off one side (Sometimes short or long). Although this is a outdated clothing choice that started becoming out of use towards the end of KV.

### Cuisine/Cannibalism

The people of Vokya have a odd tradition of cannibalism, although not a "Eat the flesh of my enemies" or insane way. In fact, its in a rather civil way if you can believe it. A great example is someone offering another a piece of their flesh (Like the size of your pinky nail). This act is seen as great intimacy, almost equivalent to kissing. It can be used in different contexts, be it platonic love, familial love, or romantic.

They also have a unique way of incorporating blood into their dining, such as blood wine, which is wine made through blood. They usually get this blood through criminals, as a kingdom using its own citizens for wine and food isn't exactly that sustainable (And not that moral). This wine and food made with human flesh is usually reserved for important events and festivals.