Lore

Aluvair

A vast alluvial plain of fertile soil, crossed by rivers and defined by its floods.

“The present is here only for a moment, the future unknown. Why then would you place all this value on an object when it will eventually depart?”

Aluvair is a vast alluvial plain of fertile soil crossed by rivers flowing south from the inland sea and down from the mountains of Eltiel. Lying almost entirely at sea level with a scant few rocky and inhospitable plateaus, Aluvair is most known to other nations for both the bounty of its crops and for the floods that wipe out entire years’ harvests. These floods define the geography, politics, and culture of Aluvair, making for a people of unparalleled resilience and determination. Loss is such a part of life to the people of Aluvair that it is greeted as a friend and companion instead of a danger to be avoided.

Geography, History, and Climate

Lying at sea level south of the Inland Sea and at the foot of the mountains of Eltiel, the plains of Aluvair are gentle and hospitable terrain crossed by countless rivers and streams. This has created an ideal fertile land for the cultivation of crops and a land easily traveled both on foot and by boat. All the pastoral bounty of this land comes at a price however, with the low-lying nation vulnerable to the extreme to floods that inevitably come, though with no predictability to their schedule. The floods are not always the same in scale, but for every minor flood that washes away only a few animals and fields there is another that covers entire settlements and changes the course of rivers. The only difficult terrain in Aluvair occurs in the three areas known as the Tors, large plateaus where generations of floods have deposited rock and debris to such degrees that they now stand solid against the very waters that created them - dry but miserable plateaus barren of life standing in contrast to the water and growth below.

As a floodplain, Aluvair is temperate in the winter and can drift toward unbearably hot in the summer. Humidity is a way of life when one lives at the level of the sea. Close to the largest rivers and along the north and south coasts the breezes off the water keep the climate most consistent, and as a result most settlements are found in these places. It helps that the soil is best closest to the largest rivers as well, making their banks the ideal areas for living. Only on rare occasions has Aluvair suffered extreme cold in years where storms from Eltiel have been extreme through the winter and lingered westward over the plains.

It is said that in ancient times another nation stood in the plains of Aluvair. In the tradition of Aluvair, the name is not known, as it has washed away along with the buildings they built to fight against the floods. The legends of this nation say rituals and prayers were offered from their people to Eilona to provide land that would always be bountiful and rich - a land of easy plenty. And Eilona responded true to the deal. But in nature growth requires change and Eilona made the land certain to provide in a natural way - floods to till the soil and enrich the land. The people of this land fought against these floods building dikes, levees, dams, and channels but all to no avail. In time each settlement washed away, and all cities were eroded and washed beneath the soil, lost in time. Those who survived in this land were those who chose not to fight against nature, but to accept it and adapt to it. Thus did the people of Aluvair come into being as a people who know that all things can change, and all things can end. The only certain thing is that nothing is permanent.

Politics, Government, and Economy

Off the southern coast of Aluvair is found something that seems grossly out of place with the rest of the nation. A single city, small by the standards of other nations, built on an island close enough to shore that a determined and fit swimmer could easily cross in an hour. This city has walls and enchantments that protect it from the ravages of time and salt water, and buildings are built of stone in contrast to the wooden and natural structure of all other buildings in Aluvair. This is Durade, the capital and center of politics for the nation of Aluvair. A remnant of the nation that came before, Durade hosts the government of Aluvair for the simple reason that it is easiest to maintain a government if outside governments can reliably and safely visit. Found here are the major ports of trade and the largest Threshold of Aluvair, as well as the People’s Forum. The People’s Forum is the governing body of Aluvair, made of one representative from each settlement over 50 members strong. These representatives are called Tributes and are chosen in various ways to travel to Durade and serve in the Forum for 5 years, after which they may never return to sit the Forum again. The Tributes arrive not on a schedule determined by the Forum, but rather by their home so changes of membership are frequent, which serves to prevent large, segmented blocs from forming and helps to preserve the democratic nature of the body. The power of the People’s Forum mostly lies in their ability to regulate foreign relations, and domestic matters are very often left up to the settlements to handle. Normally only irreconcilable conflicts between settlements come to the attention and decision of the Forum.

Within the settlements, economy is a strange subject. The people of Aluvair recognize a division of public and personal property, but also maintain a sense of obligation and moral responsibility to assist one another in times of need, especially in the times following the floods. Turning a profit in coin from the sale of excess crops or the findings from the floods serves little purpose, as stockpiling coin is simply asking for your wealth to be washed away to no benefit. Better by far to have wealth in animals, seed, or lumber that can make life easier for you and yours in the times between floods and maybe even give a greater chance that some will still remain after the next flood. This means that most settlements band together to export their excesses and import community needs rather than try and become individually wealthy.

For the nation of Aluvair as a whole, economy is handled in a similar way but on a much grander scale. Often a settlement will trade their goods to the Forum instead of attempting to find a nation or merchant to sell to, allowing the Forum to trade and deal on a much grander scale and maintain stockpiles of needed things for the settlements to purchase. This often gives a mistaken perception from the outside world that the economy of Aluvair is under government control when in fact they act more as a brokerage.

Everyday Life

Though it has been said many times, the lives of the people of Aluvair are defined by floods. While it is easy to leave that as a surface thought about loss and rebuilding, it in fact goes much deeper than that.

Impermanence as a concept guides most people of Aluvair. Though they are a determined people, working to produce an excess almost never happens. When enough has been done, there is no point in continuing a task at the expense of another task or even a diversion or simply rest. A stockpile will wash away, so why make one bigger than absolutely necessary? Likewise, loss, breakage, hardship, and even death are seen as simple inevitabilities, not things to be feared. That is not to say that they will not save someone in danger, repair a broken tool, or give aid to those suffering, but instead it means that when the fight against these things is over, failure is the same as success. You worked, you tried, you lived, but one cannot always win and one cannot always live. All things in life are impermanent, and that is why life is beautiful and precious.

Settlements in Aluvair range in size from under 100 to around 1000 people but rarely larger. Size of settlement is defined by what can be done in a given space by the available people, so when a settlement gets too small it often vanishes as the people leave and when it becomes too large it fragments off into another settlement. This means that along the largest rivers you will never travel far from one to the next and often an outsider would not recognize that they have moved between large settlements as they pass down the river. A person’s lineage and history are tied up in who they are, not in something as ephemeral as buildings, so patriotism felt toward a settlement is rare, replaced with a friendship and sometimes kinship with those who live and work within the same settlements.

The way the people of Aluvair live is very different from people who have not defined themselves by being ready to lose all their possessions. Construction is almost always done in ways designed to never fight the flood. Houses are not dug on pylons but instead built almost as ship’s hulls. Pens for animals are made of interlocked timbers and not of stone. Art is seen as an indulgence, but one nearly everyone chooses to indulge in. Favorite mediums are things that are designed to be destroyed easily, even without a flood. Drawing in chalk, sculpture of sand, pouring colored sand, and anything fragile are loved works, reminders that beauty is in the present, not the future. Following along with defining themselves by the floods, the people of Aluvair often mark time by floods as well. Contracts, Loans, and sometimes even Marriages can be marked by a count of floods. Though these things are rarely written down (a piece of paper does not survive a flood), a promise made “until the next flood” is thought a good solid promise and one made “Through the next 10 floods” can be an entire lifetime.

The Aftermath

Of course, in a place where floods are so common there must come a time after the flood where the people rebuild. This is commonly referred to as the Aftermath and is a rare departure from the general behavior of the Aluvain people.

As the waters recede, the people begin to scavenge immediately. Even before shelter is restored, they will take to the fields searching for what materials have found their way nearby, which people, houses, and animals have been lost, and what Findings have appeared. This is all gathered in the settlement so rebuilding can begin in earnest. This is often the time where the smallest settlements vanish, as if few enough people remain and few enough materials are found, then they simply turn and leave, seeking a new place to begin again.

Two things are always resultant from this time that are alien to the culture of Aluvair: Findings and the raids. Findings are relics and pieces of the ancient kingdom that stood in Aluvair long ago. These objects are often made of precious materials or empowered with magic and are found only in Aluvair after a flood - some strange and ancient magic prevents them from ever being found when outsiders have attempted to dig for them. Old legends say that the Kingdom was laid low by the waters, and only the waters can return them on high.

Raids are the second and more dangerous occurrence. On top of the Tors live the people who simply can’t accept the loss that comes with the floods. While some who feel this way leave, many instead move to the Tors and live a hardscrabble life of scant resources but one where what they have, they keep, and what they take is theirs. In the times after the floods, they band together to scavenge from the Aftermath and take what they can, even when what they find already belongs to the settlements. Findings are of course their primary target, but when you live on barren rocks even construction materials, tools, animals, and simple food can be precious beyond all else. While some raiders care only to make their life better, some are more aggressive, and it is not unheard of for raiders from the Tors to kill for what they want.

Current Events

The last two floods came only 18 months apart, and Aluvair has been in a lean time for the last year. This has placed a strain on even the largest settlements and has caused chaos in the People’s Forum as the membership has dropped significantly with the disappearance of many settlements. Into this chaos, Merchants from Myos have come seeking profit, knowing that two floods mean more Findings and more chance to trade the necessities of life for priceless artifacts.

From the Tors the raiders appeared both times but with little to be found after the second flood, the raids came more for the settlements than for the scattered flood debris, and many in Aluvair have for the first time began to speak in the Forum for an organized response to the dangers that the Tors represent. While the voices opposing this far outnumber the supporters, the fact that it is said at all is a dangerous departure from the norm.

Cultural Plot and Theme

Notes for Players

Demonym: Aluvain (singular and plural)

To be from Aluvair is to be accepting of the fleeting nature of life and possessions. A player who chooses to be from Aluvair should consider what has given them a cause to travel out and seek another life. Perhaps they left their settlement and simply found themselves wandering in search of a home. Perhaps that famous Aluvain acceptance of loss has created a warrior who doesn’t fear their own death. Perhaps they even found themselves unable to bear the loss anymore and have sadly turned from Aluvair in search of a more stable life. Whoever you are as an Aluvian, impermanence and loss has shaped you into that person.

Many times, when someone who has left Aluvair for a life of adventure is sought by those from home, it will often be because the aid of a more worldly individual is needed to assist at home. The majority of the folk of Aluvair are not prepared to take arms physically or in battles of politics, so when such things threaten Aluvair they are often ill equipped. Likewise, there is a great mystery surrounding the ancient civilization that came before Aluvair, and many would seek to exploit that for good or ill. Aluvain often accept whatever the world throws at them, so when they seek help there is always a difficulty that simply can’t be accepted and moved beyond.

Costume and RP Themes

While the acceptance of impermanence is central to the Aluvain way of life, not all residents are calmly at peace with the universe. Many folk of Aluvair will fight hard for their friends and family and hard for their way of life but be accepting when things are taken in the end. In fact, many folk of Aluvair live life with an almost aggressive passion, knowing that anything can be snatched away at any time so living to the fullest now is wise. On the flip side, one of the dangers that many face is drifting into Nihilism, believing that if nothing is permanent then nothing matters.

Clothes in Aluvair are often made for warm weather, favoring breezy fabrics and short sleeves. In colder weather they will often layer up rather than wear heavier single garments. While traditionally wools and animal fiber fabrics have been most common, those who live life largely will choose to sport more garish and rare garments, since they are fine to have while they last. Either way, styles that will not restrict movement in the event of a sudden flood are always preferred. Garments are almost always dyed brightly, and recently a trend toward Ombre styles has become popular to show the fading of color as a reflection of the Aluvain outlook.

Tattoos have become popular among young Aluvain, though they usually pick fewer more meaningful designs. This is in contrast to the more traditional outlook where skin inks were used as a decoration that would fade over time and could be treated as a temporary work of art.