#our legacy to valm | worldbuilding

[jasperlion]

question hour, if celica and alm did not have their own offspring for whom they will leave valentia to?

I think if they decide on not having children, or are unable to have one (whatever the reason may be), there’s two calls they could make and I’m pretty sure their court would not like either of them one bit. Then again, considering the massive amount of changes implied to be done during their reign, that’s likely... the norm.

The first option would be for them to adopt, be it one child or several, especially orphans left behind by the war or famine. Their heir would not have their blood at all, and likely be a commoner, hence the likely protest of the courtiers, whom likely still believe in the class system. I think Alm would feel better handing the reins to someone who isn’t ‘supposed to rule’, and would likely love the child(or children) as much as if they were his own. As much as he desired that bond of a family, it’s by then that he’d have learned that the family he made and forged himself is just as important, even if he lost most of his blood ties.

The second option would not involve adopting at all, merely selecting an heir they would instruct as if passing down a job position. The person would likely not be a child in this instance, and would have more of a choice for actually wanting this responsibility on their shoulders. This is, admittedly, the option he’d be the most comfortable with... regardless of the uproar that comes with it, considering that this would completely shed the illusion of power inheritance by either blood or found family ties, and instead base it on who is most likely to continue ruling with what they hope is good values and a good head on their shoulders. If this is their option, it’d likely happen well into their reign rather than while they’re still young, and in that way would know the best way to show the new person the ropes.

-

There are, of course, other options: If Conrad had a heir, or one of the distant members of the Rigel clan, their children could become potential heirs by blood. It’s just... not an option Alm would be comfortable taking, for many reasons.

In any case, I can see many a reason as to why Alm and Celica would not have children, either due to medical reasons (Celica did get fucking impaled in the torso, it could have unforeseen consequences, and then there’s the very real chance of either of them being infertile), or due to Celica simply... not being comfortable at all w the concept (considering her history, it’s reasonable to think the idea of having children, or at least a lot of them, would not be her cup of tea), among others. Much to think about

[jasperlion]

💗 = Any unique traditions where your character is from that wouldn’t work or apply in the real world?

Fantasy Character Development | Accepting!

Before Mila was removed from Zofia and thus her bounty, there was a tradition in Zofia that would basically count as overhunting otherwise. Once a year, at the height of summer, coastal cities and towns had a festival where they would compete to catch the most fish, some bringing in a haul that would be considered unethical by today’s standards. Villages and towns near lakes and rivers partook as well, although the catch wasn’t as plenty, but it was still pretty much what you’d consider dangerous to the environment in a normal setting.

Considering how sharply things declined after Mila’s removal by Rudolf’s hand, it suffices to say that by the time Alm left Ram the festival proper hadn’t seen as much fanfare as it did in its hayday.

[jasperlion]

🐉 or 💗!

Fantasy Character Development | Accepting!

🐉 = Of the fantastical elements in their world what does your character actually find strange, or hard to believe?

The whole concept of the Turnwheel and it’s capacities were extremely alien to Alm, despite having experienced and witnessed it himself a ton of times. It’s likely partially because he can’t really use magic, and it’s an object imbued with Mila’s, well, magic! It’s likely his only experience with the craft that wasn’t complete and utter failure, and feels completely and utterly weird to use for him. Especially considering, you know, that it uses him and not the other way around! It’s... really strange.

💗 = Any unique traditions where your character is from that wouldn’t work or apply in the real world?

A good place to start is probably the making of dragonspit torches, and the ritual to obtain said dragonspit respectfully from either the Gods theselves or the wyrms that live in the area (or, sometimes, that people risk fighting necrodragons for it). Dragonspit from the Gods in particular is normally only obtained by higher clergy, really, and there’s a whole ritual to both obtaining said spit to making it into torches.

[jasperlion]

Dogs of Rigel and Zofia

Note, this is a preliminary worldbuilding post that will tie onto another I’m making about hunting in Zofia and Rigel and how it varied (as well as the dog type used for each), so I figured I’d get the dog part out of the way first.

Dogs do not have ‘breeds’ in Valentia, as ‘breed’ is not quite a concept conceived at this time; there are no feature or look standards to the dogs, but rather characteristics that aid towards their work and duties. They are raised and trained for a specific ability, and breeding for specific traits for that duty does not include the aesthetics. Dogs that class under the same type can look rather different from one another even if they accomplish the same job.

Rigelian dogs vs Zofian dogs

There are some general structural differences in the dogs depending on the part of the continent they live upon, much which was caused after the continent was split in two by the dragon siblings. As the dogs of Rigel had to adapt to a harsher climate, the dogs of Zofia had to adapt to far more temperate region with hardly any temperature changes that are relatively drastic.

Zofian breeds tend to have thinner fur coats that only shed once a year, none have double coats. Rigelian breeds, however, tend to have thick coats regardless of fur length; they shed biannually(and sometimes more, if the weather has a rapid change) and have a double coat. Rigelian dogs tend to be stockier in general from Zofian dogs, generally from the food they are fed so they can stay warm and healthy while working outside. A thin dog can be a death sentence, after all, in constantly hostile weather.

Dog types in general

Dogs in Valentia are split in fairly simple categories, but some see more or exclusive use in one country over the other. No dogs have set coat color standards, but some dogs tend to certain coat color types (back splotches, spots, brindle, solid colors, or tricolors).

Companion dogs: are dogs kept as pets. They tend to have lower energy than their working dog cousins, are very people oriented and usually reach up to knee in height, although some have been taller, reaching even waist height at the haunches! Their coat is usually silky or fluffy to the touch, with the silky companion dogs having long and elegant fur while fluffy companion dogs are, well, fluffy. They’re generally social animals that have a low territorial drive. These dogs are generally only found in Zofia.

Guard dogs: are dogs whose duty is to protect something from strangers. They are divided into three sub-types: livestock guards, town guards and home guards. These dogs will also be trained to fight in Rigel, and are thus nicknamed ‘Wardogs’ despite being of the Guard type.

››Livestock dogs: They are large, imposing and tend to have long ears (perky or semi perky) and a strong jaw to fend off intruders, thieves and large animals. Livestock guards are raised among the herd they will protect, and if not raised properly might even turn on the owners of the herd or their family, so they require rigorous training and socialization with the people who are meant to work with the livestock. Some tails curl upwards, but they tend to be lowset and fluffy. These dogs are generally found in Rigel and northern Zofia.

››Town Guards: They have shorter ears, strong bone-crushing jaws, strong muscles, big paws and are generally shorter than their livestock coworkers, legs built for running and with a very loud bark. Their duty consists of doing rounds around their designated territory during the night, so if a stranger is spotted they will howl and bark to raise the alarm. They are generally brave and gung ho animals, but also sociable towards the locals. These dogs are generally only seen in Rigelian towns and villages, although the rise in bandits has seen some nobles import the animals to the towns under their lordship.

››House Guards: Dogs that are only sociable to the people who live in a homestead, they generally look similar to town dogs, but tend to be on the larger side. Some have droopy ears. They tend to guard homes and private property, detaining intruders with their jaws and alerting the family and workers with their barks. They are normally only owned by Zofian and Rigelian nobles or richer merchant families, as they generally do well in defending merchant caravans as well.

Pastorial Dogs: dogs whose duty is to work with livestock, but not live alongside them like Livestock Guard Dogs. They are divided into two groups.

››Herding dogs: Herding dogs tend to be on high alert and very high energy, although they do not have the stamina to compensate. Generally used to herd cattle, they are prone to nipping at the feet of livestock and people alike due to their job. Alert and attentive, it’s generally discouraged to own one if you have no livestock for it to herd, or it can turn fairly destructive due to its high energy. They are very dependent on their handlers and instructions to work. They have a pitched bark, perky or semi-perky ears and generally reach knee height at most. These dogs are found all throughout Valentia.

››Driving dogs: Dogs that drive livestock to move them from place to place, they’re a rarer breed, as most owners of livestock tend to have a more sedentary lifestyle at present. Most. Still, they’re useful for moving the animals around for trade, and so still see use today. They are very dependent on their handlers and instructions to work. They have high energy and stamina, short tails and very wide and big perky ears to hear commands even among the stomping of the herd. These dogs are found all throughout Valentia.

Sled dogs: dogs kept in teams and used to traverse through dangerous, snowy terrain, their paws are generally semi-webbed and large to work like snowshoes, usually coming along with ‘slipper feet’, or fur between their pawpads. Their tails tend to curl and perk upwards, and they’re generally stocky and fluffy animals. They see a lot more use in the mountains of Rigel to traverse goods through the harsh environment, and sometimes even messages when the weather is too harsh for even the bravest pegasus knight. They will often be used to transport ice throughout Rigel. These dogs generally are only found/used in northwestern Rigel or its mountains outside of specific circumstances.

Hunting dogs: the most varied group of all, there are many kinds of hunting dogs, which are used for different purposes and have different focuses. There are five sub-types.

››Water dogs: are semi-large hunting dogs that flush out animals hiding in the water, and otherwise will retrieve kills shot down above lakes and the like. If directed properly, they may even drive pray towards water, where it will be harder for deer to escape from shots by the hunter. Their coats are semi-curly and water-proof, have big, semi-webbed paws, and outside of their job they tend to be very low energy. Their ears tend to droop, and their mouths are able of softly and gently handling prey. These dogs are found in Zofia and on the southeast of Rigel, where (swimmable and/or unfrozen) water is more common.

››Retriever dogs: sometimes also classed as a sub-type of water dogs, these semi-large dogs generally will retrieve kills hunters have made, usually fowl, as it can sometimes be hard to tell where the prey landed. As they will retrieve the prey regardless if it’s fallen into the bushes or a lake, their coats tend to be waterproof, but less curly than that of a water dog proper; they share their soft mouth and semi-webbed feet with water dogs. They are friendly and sociable outside of their work, and tend to require owners who will have them play practice retrieving to keep that energy from being destructive. They are common througout Valentia, but more popular in Zofia.

››Terrier dogs: Dogs raised to hunt vermin, they are generally shorter, with short tails, long snouts and thick fur so they may be harmed less from rat or mouse bites. Their ears are short and semi-perky, and they are prone to digging, as it is how they try to flush out vermin to then kill them. These dogs are generally not used for hunting proper, but are kept in farms and barns to keep them free of rats. Fairly independent dogs, people generally will train them for their job and then set them loose without worry of the animal slacking. They are common throughout Valentia, although Rigelian ones tend to be a lot fluffier and require grooming to keep fur out of their eyes.

››Hounds: Dogs who rely on scent to track prey, they tend to be on the shorter end to more easily put their nose to the ground, although there are exceptions and it is not mandatory. Their noses are usually bigger, and it’s more common for their ears to droop. They prefer to hunt in groups and even socialize with other dogs than people, but can easily be trained to work as a team and scent out prey. With teamwork, they can even bring down or corner their targets for their owner, and they’re generally very independent after being commanded to search. At times, they are also used to search and rescue people who have been reported as lost in a forest. These dogs are generally found all through Valentia.

››Bearhounds: referred to as such due to being famous for their bravery and determination, these dogs have been known to fight even bears, boars and elk for their owners. They can work alone or in a team, and are generally bred to fight the prey that their owner is hunting, strategically targeting the nose or jaw of the animal until the prey is shot. Due to their protective and bold streak, they are sometimes referred to fondly as Fighting dogs. These dogs tend to be more common in Rigel than in Zofia.

[jasperlion]

Valentia and the afterlife

When Mila and Duma were still around and venerated, the belief of Mila’s devout was that when one passed on, Mila would ‘call them home’. Belief of an afterlife was very much there and present among Zofians and Rigelians alike; they each thought their respective dragon would look after their souls when they died, keeping them safe in this vague place described to as ‘home’. 

(Funnily enough, they likely thought this ‘home’ was where the Divine Dragons had come from, which was... Archanea. Imagine how weird it would be to realize that a continent ‘next door’ was where your ancestors believed your soul went, hahaha.)

It was believed that when one died, Mila or Duma would call their soul and take them to the beyond from their respective temples: 

From Mila’s scriptures, it was a peaceful place, where none would suffer and all would be part of what can best be described as an eternal party. As long as one was kind and generous, they would find themselves rewarded with such a life after death. 

The Rigelian thought of the afterlife is more like a place for those who respected Duma’s tenants to finally rest from the battle of life: it was said that as long as one died fighting (be it a true battle, or one against the body in illness, etc) instead of giving up, Duma would reward their struggles with a proper and fitful afterlife, wherein one could rest to be ready to fight again, should the need ever come. 

It was said that if you were not welcome in either sanctum, your soul would never depart the lands, and thus would eventually doom your corpse to become a Terror should the Divine Accord ever be broken. 

However, after the Gods passed, the people found themselves wondering, well... what now? Where would their souls go? And what happened to the souls of those who came before? Uncertainty and dread over this would fill the masses eventually, who would likely fear their loved ones becoming Terrors with no Gods to grant them passage to a safe afterlife. And so, this was one of the many questions posed to the new, united religion that would form in Valentia under Nomah and Halcyon’s cooperation, one that would have to be given answer to as soon as possible.

To ensure no diseased loved one from the war and beyond would become a Terror as well, bodies began to be burned instead of fully buried, with only their ashes left on graves to ensure they would not turn to Terrors while the sages ruminated upon what the answer to their question now was. It was later agreed upon that Mila and Duma would, from the afterlife, give their weary souls salvation so long as they upheld the new tenants: to be strong and kind in equal measure, and thus follow the teachings.

Even so, with how the people would deify both Alm and Celica during their reign as they did what humans had never done alone before (rule), upon their passing the belief eventually became that it would be the Saint King and Queen who would greet souls upon their passing and bring them into a safe and calm afterlife, one free of strife and full of balance. 

If he had somehow lived to know this, Alm might have laughed.

[jasperlion]

Rigelian Two-step (and Alm)

If there’s a dance Alm knows well that actually originates from his homeland, it’s the Rigelian Two-step dance, a dance that evolved from military marches and ceremonial dances to Duma, eventually becoming it’s own form of entertainment and training for marching, dodging and rigorous, precise movements.

He learned this dance from Mycen himself, a former Rigelian soldier who used to fight alongside Rudolf before he was made the next heir to the throne; both to pass on some of Rigel’s actual culture to Alm and perhaps give the boy a connection to his father, even if it would be one Alm was not aware of. The two-step is used in several settings, from formal to even while playing music, and the old soldier saw no harm in passing this down alongside of actual teachings of combat.

It did, of course, further aid Alm in the future in his effort to connect with the hearts and minds of his people during his period as Emperor, aside from his military background and training. However, Alm’s knowledge of the two-step is closer to that done alongside music during festivals(dancing with an instrument while still playing it, the flag dance and the cape dance are forms of this dance), rather than the formal two-step on the dancefloor, but with practice, it’s likely he’d get that one down as well. He’s also familiar with the military march the dance is based off of, and its oldest form, the military two-step.

Note: the Rigelian Two-step is a fictional dance based off of a real, military march-inspired dance called Pasodoble, which has its origins in Spain, but can be traced back to French and even Roman marches.

[jasperlion]

Zofia as a hub for an artistic boom

As it is, nations with long periods of prosperity, peace or at least security within its borders often goes through an artistic boom. Normally, a large part of it is reserved to the upper echelons, but in Zofia, that was not the case. After all, much of peasantry in other places had a lot of work to do to make ends meet, yet before the famine struck the country, planting and reaping the benefits was far simpler and more reliant on the Divine Dragon that made her home there.

Rigel itself had its own form of arts, even if they tended to be more practical and stuck to sprucing up necessities or telling tales through it, as well as their own theater, but Zofia was where the arts prospered and bloomed.

Thus, theater, music, dance, poetry, sculpting, painting and other such artistic endeavors saw themselves growing as a pastime and profession, both for festivities and celebrations to simply enjoyment. 

Singing while working, dancing after a long harvest, or simply enjoying makeshift theater was simply a part of Zofian lifestyle among the commoners, with more complex entertainment saved for those who could pay for the services of skilled painters, artisans or theater tropes.

Art was very much a livable way to live and make coin, and perhaps was far more appreciated than other forms of ‘lesser’ work by the nobility for the entertainment it provided. So appreciated, in fact, that mural work for Rigel as well as paintings and other such frivolities was even commissioned to Zofians, who had more time and energy to put into their craft, just as Rigelian soldiers were sometimes requested by Zofia to help with a political crisis.

When the famine hit, however, it is perhaps the artists without much coin in their pocket who were hit the hardest, obligated to have to try and work the lands so at least something came from their dying breath and failing harvests. Just as art had prospered in a country with no want for necessities, it is when the necessities vanished that the frivolous went first. At least, for the poorer artists.

Upon Valentia’s return to stability after reunification and the official end to the famine, art would boom in the One Kingdom once more. It would take some time for the styles of the north and the styles of the south to harmonize into something more unifying as an identity for all Valentians alike, just as it’d take time for the country to find itself again and its own identity after a long time riven apart. 

It is said by historians that the unity of the people could be told through the surviving artwork that was produced during the first King and Queen’s reign.

[jasperlion]

Valentia and it’s famines

I’ve seen a few misconceptions here of what a famine entails, and so I’d rather clear it up and, at the very least, define it officially over here so what I am referring to is completely understood. 

Note: this will contain a lot of reference to extended material found in the Valentian Accordion.

First things first: we need to discuss Mila and Duma’s constant terraforming of their respective territories.

Mila constantly kept the weather pleasant and the rains consistent on her side of the continent. Her divine protection even kept the cold from the north out of the country, and ensured there was never a crop failure due to lack of rain or un-cycled sediment. This made it so the people had little work to do (like crop rotation, ensuring there’s enough water storage in case of a long stretch without rain) aside from plowing and sowing the seed, and they did not depend on the mercy of the weather remaining consistent for healthy crops.

This ended a few years before the start of the game, when Rudolf invaded Zofia after a great famine hit Rigel and they were denied supplies by Lima IV. This is the point in time where Rigel occupies the northwest of Zofia as well as the Mila temple, and they take Mila prisoner, sealed with Falchion. Without Mila to oversee the lands and ensure everything was completely regulated, nature took its usual course to re-stabilize after centuries of manipulation.

Duma, in turn, kept the weather challenging and harsh, ensuring that his people always dealt with struggle to make them ‘tougher’. While it didn’t mean they were under constant famine, they were under constant threat of famine. Three years was the worst the country had as of yet when Rudolf had to ask for help, and it was likely manipulation on Duma’s behalf to push for reason for Rudolf to invade Zofia (as what he wanted in his maddened state was to conquer both).

The people of Rigel were, as such, used to dealing with farming and inhospitable sediment, having to learn to upkeep the soil by swapping crops and other such techniques to keep water for longer for irrigation and as such not depend so much on the weather for their yield.

And now, for what a famine consists of and why it was so devastating to Zofia, land of the bountiful crops.

A famine can occur for different reasons, and Zofia’s was caused and driven by several at once. 

 - Crop failure was the most notorious, as based on the dialogue of the villagers in Ram, rains had started to fail and the well was running dangerously low, lower than Alm had ever seen it in a while. One of his dialogues to it is, actually, ‘the village lives or dies by this well’: it is essential that it rains, and it really hasn’t been while the weather restabilizes from being constantly controlled and regulated. Crop failure means “an absent or greatly diminished crop yield relative to expectation, caused by the plants being damaged, killed, or destroyed, or affected in some way that they fail to form edible fruit, seeds, or leaves in their expected abundance”, and these failures can have several causes, leading among them being droughts and soil degradation.

 - Government policies, however, also had a hand in how severe it was. With how the country had never dealt with a famine in its... history, really, it was entirely unprepared to handle how to deal with half or more of the country suddenly falling in dire straits. It was so bad, the whole area near Mila’s temple degenerated to outright desertification in the short timeperiod she had been absent thus far. With no planned distributions and, basically, expecting every district to fend for itself well enough, there was simply no failsafes if there was not enough to go around, making the famine much worse than it could have been otherwise.

A country undergoing a famine doesn’t mean a land with dead wild plants and wild animals, it means a country with less crop yields, less animals surviving through the weather, and lack of food in general.  While Zofia’s was dramatic, with even loss of farm-ready habitat (the hecking desert), greenery or lack thereof around isn’t an accurate indicator of famine, it’s the crop failures, farm animal deaths, and such.

A famine isn’t just a lack of food on the table and lack of rains, meaning less water for everyone, it is defined when more than 20% of households face extreme food shortages, and child malnutrition rises over 30% of the entire population. It also means that, yearly, the death toll from it climbs pretty high. In modern day standards, it’s around 10k people per day, but for a population in Zofia, I feel the numbers are likely less. Basically, it’s an extremely dire situation, and one that is not marked by greenery in the wildlife, to reiterate.

In short, from the constant terraforming by Mila and Duma, both lands have suffered and are out of balance naturally, as with the people having habits to live in this artificial environment, the Zofians simply had no tools or experience to deal with a famine that has lasted well over three years.

[jasperlion]

Nobles and Enlistment

In both Rigel and Zofia, it is only nobility that can partake in knighthood and, therefore, the armed forces of the country. All soldiers from both are knights in title and noble in blood, as it should be in a place where your status at birth defines what you are able to do and not do. This is, partially, what has lead to such a great divide between the commoners and the nobles: the common folk of Valentia have far more limited rights, and no access to climb the social ladder to the level of nobility without being granted a title and land by the reigning monarch (which was, in itself, extremely rare).

Serving under the crown of the ruling monarch is considered an honor in both Zofia and Rigel... as well as a way to climb up the social ladder further should performance on the field merit being granted more land and a better title by royalty. As such, it is not merely for the honor of protecting the people and the King/Emperor, but at times done for personal gain alone. This has further escalated the more both countries corrupted, to the point that most knights in Valentia entire have joined out of want for more status and power. Protecting the countrymen and country has taken the back-burner, especially as distaste for them grew as the gap between the social classes widened. Even to the most stalwart of Knights, like Clive, a villager is far more expendable than a noble, even if one must do their best to protect them. It is considered merely ‘a regrettable loss’, but nothing more.

To the point of recruitment and enlistment, however:

Rigel has mandatory enlistment laws, as all children of nobles must be taught arms if possible, or magic if necessary. While families with only daughters will not be forced to enlist them into the army (although they will be very much welcome), at least one son from the family (preferably the firstborn) must join the knighthood and thus the soldier ranks. The more the better, however, and families will often have most of their children enlist for a shot at more political power.

In Zofia, there is no mandatory enlistment, but most families would prefer if at least one son or daughter joins the rank of the Zofian Knights, particularly the sons. It is a station most noble children would readily agree to, as since the Zofian Knights were a force made out of voluntary recruitment, it’s seen as heroic (and cool) by noble kids, and as an opportunity to propagate their name and gain power when they get older. Many a Zofian Knight will leave the order once they start a family, and some might even leave it some time after they have obtained what they wanted (provided they wait long enough so their new position is assured and not removed).

For both armies:

Being that the calvary is the art both Valentian countries excel at, most soldiers who enter the ranks are trained to become calvary units, making up the bulk of the army. However, both countries allow leeway for the recruit to choose their specialty, should they be adept at something enough to want to take a different role in the ranks.

As a final note:

All of Valentia as a whole favors sons over daughters as warriors in the provided canon material: it is likely a cultural perception based upon their two deities, as the brother specialized in war and the sister specialized in the growth of crops. While there are certainly women who take up arms in the royal armies (like Mathilda) and thus are met with surprise but not direct opposition (based on the DLC/memories of Mathilda/Clive/Fernand), it’s not looked down upon and often instead admired. Still, it seems women there often feel like they must outperform to be of any note, so its likely that sexism still exists within the ranks.

Any Knights who retire and leave either order could be called upon again by the crown upon an emergency, and it is often that most heed this call (failure to do so is also a risk to their title).

A lot stated does not apply in a unified Valentia.

[jasperlion]

Dances in Rigel and Zofia

Rigel and Zofia both have used dance as a means to worship their Gods and to celebrate, as well as for courtship. Even when the land was not yet riven, the united Valentians had many a use for dance (and song, but this might be more touched upon later if I survive) that they would pass down the generations. After the division of the continent, many of the dances were re-purposed or even completely forgotten.

There were many uses for what was considered an act of worship, entertainment and storytelling. While this will focus on dances, sometimes songs will also be mentioned, as song oft comes along with dance.

Religious 

Dances in Rigel and Zofia to appease, please or otherwise thank their Gods were commonplace in nature, especially within the Priories and Temples that dotted both countries. Even within the more abandoned of temples at present, many a traveler might stop to offer a dance, song or simply a meal for passing through, especially if they used the place as a shelter.

Hymns, music and dance were said to bring one closer to the God they were praising, and the dances tended to flow in tandem with their God’s Tenants.

Zofian dances to Mila tended to flow like the water and sway like the trees and flowers shaken by a gentle breeze. Many, especially priests and priestesses, would dance barefoot to have a closer connection to the Earth Mother, and many of the movements imitated the nature she blessed with her magic. Twirls, the swaying of arms to imitate the elements, and motions to express growth tended to form part of these dances, though there was no set script for them. It was to be as wild and unpredictable as nature, but as comforting as the Mother. To dance properly in her honor, one had to lose themselves to the dance and flow with their feelings of gratefulness. Music that would sometimes accompany these dances tended to be rhythmic but airy, percussion keeping the beat and strings or winds carrying the melody. [valentian instrument samples]

Rigelian dances to Duma tended to be more rigid in nature, and normally they take in air before striking forward upon the exhale with their next movement (almost like a kata). The movements are forceful and powerful, but no less graceful than their Zofian counterparts. Their dance is meant to be a display of strength, and so their forcefulness oft sees the dancer being capable of pushing back the winds and conquering the earth around them. It is rare to dance barefoot, although some feel emboldened to do so during harsh winters while outdoors just might to prove their worth. The dancers move from one strike to the next with vigor, but upon completion will stand, take breaths, then bow. Oft times the music accompanying the dances is percussive, although instead of rhythmic, the beats determine the pace the dancers must dance in, like war drums. As a note: while sparring before a Temple of Duma is not uncommon and often done to challenge foes so that Duma may witness the result of a spat, it’s not a dance of worship.

Outside of dances on temples for thanks, a dance in common between Mila and Duma was one for the request of Sight, a power the Gods shared. A priest or priestess of their respective order would dance upon an area covered in sand after a prayer, letting their God guide their motions. What is drawn upon the sand after the dance is done is meant to help predict what is to come or something that can be prevented.

Subcategory: Festivals

Dancing during festivals, of course, varied per country, but also per location. 

In Zofia, dances in festivals were usually for harvests, fertility or blessings for the next season cycle. The dance, however, was not the same across the board: being a different age (child, adult and elderly), gender, social status or even being a member of the Devout meant your dance would differ during the festivities, as well as your position around the bonfires and stages set for the festival. In Ram, there wasn’t as much a difference in dances due to the fact that social status and religious positions were not a part of the equation, and as such everyone danced closer to the bonfires and only the village’s leader would dance upon a raised stage (Mycen possibly applied for such honor but may have refused). In the capital, by comparison, the stages had to be set to have multiple steps, with the commoners dancing upon the floor with the lowest noble houses (with the nobles closer to the bonfires), while the social pecking order dictated who went higher and higher upon the ‘steps’ afterwards. The dances for nobility and royalty tended to be more refined and had a flow in the sequence of movements, while the dances of the commoners had far less complexity and often enough was relegated to sways and cheers. Members of Mila Devout would, often times, lead the festivity alongside the monarch, and their dancing took place directly below them or on the same position. Married pairs were expected to dance together, especially pairs capable of bearing children, during dances for fertility. Considered a shameless display by Rigelians, the dance between a pair of Zofians tended to be intimate and fluid, to the point where they were almost always touching in one way or another.

In Rigel, dances in festivals tended to be before the main tournament events or otherwise to praise Duma for the strength granted through the year. For the former, it tended to be closer to the war dances that all children normally learned since five, but had a playful air to it that alluded to the nature of the tournaments being games and tests of strength rather than an actual battle. On the latter, the head of the ceremony will dance first, then pass on a sacred vase onto the next until all have danced and held the vase, which is then deposited at the feet of the God or his substitute effigy. It is meant to symbolize the passing of strength and teachings, from the first to the last, which in the end will return to Duma and with it they will be granted honor, as well as perhaps a chance to seize a personal wish. The scale of this dance will vary greatly depending on the size of attendance (a sizable one will have several vases to help the process along) and the people sectioned by place of providence. If the head of ceremony is the head of the government, they must dance with all the vases, one by one, and hand them off to the next per group. Symbolically, it is also seen as the head of the Empire offering protection to the people as Duma’s chosen ruler. On hunting festivals, a war dance was performed instead.

Subcategory: War Dances

Zofia lost their own war dances long ago when Mila and Duma divided the land in half, almost as suddenly as the battle ended. It is said Mila’s divine decree was to stop such tradition, which was lost in the span of two generations.

War dances in Rigel continued long after the land was split in two, a dance taught to all Rigelian youth since general training began at age five. While those who would never enlist would go on to not repeat the exercises after a certain period, it is a dance never forgotten and even oft used outside of the purpose of battle to energize oneself for a task that requires nimble feet, like hunting. The Rigelian war dances were not as much formal as much as it was a way to limber the body, especially in the cold, and prepare for battle. Warriors with nimble feet dodged weapons easier, and could just as easily move through tougher terrain with more agility — and thus it was believed for a time that a war dance allowed for Duma to grant the dancer with a little of his power so they may succeed. The dance tended to consist of slowly picking up pace side-pacing from one side to another as a common dodge maneuver, and as the overseer of the dance played on the welsh Valentian bagpipes, he would pick up the pace. The dancers would then start to sing the song being played, many of them songs of old lore that told of the War Father’s exploits in an unknown land. As the dance progressed, crouches, backflips, leaps back and other such maneuvers would be employed to exercise every part of the body while practicing such.

Subcategory: Ceremonial

In Zofia, for ceremonial dances for fertility, rain and protection, an important member of the Mila Devout in a town would dance alone to the beat of the instruments played by other Devouts, although the role tended to be relegated to priestesses in particular, dressed in thin robes and adorned with flowers to resemble the Mother. In presenting themselves as a representation of Mila, they hoped to both appease her and inform her that her aid is required in that particular area. Like in temples, the dancer and musicians are meant to lose themselves in the dance, to connect to the earth and the sky and the rivers so that the Mother may hear their joy and laughs, and know they await her aid eagerly. It is done around a bonfire, with other citizens allowed to bear witness to the event.

Similar to Lion Dances, the ceremonial dances practiced in Rigel are done in pairs in costume akin to Duma’s draconic likeness to the beats of percussion. However, instead of a dance to bring fortune to the people, it is a dance to represent Duma gifting his people the knowledge and strength of survival by demonstration. Some complex costumes used in ceremonies in the capital may take up to three people to pilot, making it extremely difficult to coordinate (three-people costumes often include his wings as mobile). At times, the dance is not performed by the Faithful physically and, instead, several magic-using Faithful will move the costume with magic. It is, either way, a taxing endeavor and said to reward the dancers most of all, but the population in general will always see benefit. These dances are normally done after a particularly harsh trial of weather or famine to demonstrate their tenacity to Duma as well as their strength.

Storytelling

Dance as storytelling was often used to tell tales of the past, rather than fabricated ones. Legends, myths and history had long since been passed down through the act of dance, motions evoking emotions and events. While normally seen as entertainment, dances to tell the tales of the past were often treated quite seriously in both countries, as the dancers would have to practice tirelessly to correctly interpret the tales and lessons of the past. Usually, these dances are done by the Devout or Faithful, but it can be done by nobles uninvolved with either sect (in the form of active worship) or even commoners… provided they have their God’s approval. Usually, music played along the dance came with lyrics sung by the master of ceremonies and their choir, which tended to add to the narrative.

Dancing as storytelling for entertainment or teaching history is more common in Zofia than Rigel during the events of the game, as long since has come a time to pass down history through writing, not through dance, song or theater. Even if it is a more accessible form none the less to pass down history, Rigelian weather is fairly inhospitable, making it difficult to hold storytelling dances outdoors outside of the rare good moments of weather. If a town lacked a Hall, it likely did not see storytelling dances performed often.

Stories told in Zofia center around Mila’s blessings, but many also describe both the heroics of their first monarch as well as Mila and Duma’s arrival from the sea. In Rigel, the focus was instead on Duma’s accomplishments in war long ago, along with the heroics of their first monarch and the arrival of both Gods from the sea.

Entertainment

Often during festivities, festivals and perhaps even just parties of something or another, dancing for entertainment is more common in Zofia than Rigel due to their outlook of life. Zofian commoners have more time to dance for fun than Rigelians do from the extra toil required to yield crops or other resources from the more inhospitable land. Even so, both had those present, and both were dances that tended to flow in movement (much unlike the common Rigelian flair outside of storytelling). There are several types of dances that fall under this category, however, but Rigelian dances for self entertainment and the entertainment of a crowd tend to approach that which is similar to tango or paso doble. Meanwhile, Zofian dances for entertainment lean more towards something akin to Zorba and Flamenco.

Dancing in these styles was often more possible for nobility than the common folk, as most of these dances required teaching and free time to do, something many commoners did not have due to the workload required to make a living. As such, for entertainment in villages if they had time and were celebrating festivities, their dances tended to be closer to what was done during festivals or otherwise just moving their body whichever which way along with the music.

Entertainment traveling troupes did handle dancing in their repertoire, and might often bring with them the entertainment dances of the nobles or even parody courtship dances. Many allowed to cross borders between countries may even bring with them a mix of styles, alongside of storytelling dances all around the continent, which they would perform for a price.

Courtship

In both countries, courtship dances are oft most common among the nobility, who hold balls and other such events for finding potential partners or… ‘associates’ to ally with. Dances of courtship in both countries tend to take something closer to rigidity of Rigelians for both, leaning towards formal dances akin to a waltz. It is said that when one dances and flows well with a partner, they may be a good partner in the dance of life as well. These dances, very formal and often taken extremely seriously, mean that nobles must from a young age learn how to dance as well as take their role within the dance.

[jasperlion]

Regular map of Valentia + proposed timezones.

[jasperlion]

The Valentian Calendar

The calendar used in Valentia was approved by Mila when made by a sage, and it became the first year of the Valentian Calendar (as such, years in that calendar will be written #vc).

They divide their year not in month, but in seasons:               Flostym ↔ Spring               Avistym ↔ Summer               Pegastym  ↔ Fall               Wyrmstym  ↔ Winter

The game itself will not cycle through the seasons as you grind due to how the game events are set. Alm’s journey is meant to begin on the first of Flostym, 401vc. It is then meant to end on an undetermined date on Flostym of the year after that (402vc). As such, the seasons will not end naturally in the game, going on to a ridiculous amount of days because instead they cycle through chapter based on programming.

Knowing this is how the game was designed, we have no way of knowing how long the seasons last officially. However, there are some things we do know:            ->The Valentian year begins at the start of spring            ->The story events take place during the course of an entire year, ending on the same season, but not the same day.            ->Alm sets out in spring. Celica sets out in summer. They meet up in the castle right after it’s been retaken, and so technically Alm retook Zofia Castle in Avistym.

Basing myself on real world dates on when the seasons begin and end, I have chosen to elect a static date for them for Valentia to make things easier, and so the dates will be as follows:

1st of flostym - march 21 | flostym lasts 92 days 1st of avistym - june 21 | avistym lasts 94 days 1st of pegastym - september 23 | pegastym lasts 90 days 1st of wyrmstym - december 22 | wyrmstym lasts 89 days*

*During a leap year, wyrmstym would have 90 days.

This is the date cycle this blog will function in when referring to the Valentian calendar, and so Alm would probably only celebrate the begining of the year on March 21st and so forth.

Because we know the Zodiac exists in Valentia and Archanea both (particularly, the western Zodiac), I have decided to base the ‘months’ upon them, as they all suit the seasons (Aries begins at the start of spring spring, Cancer heralds the start of summer, and so forth). Being seasonal divisions, they will serve their purpose here to mark the ‘period of season’ in which Valentia is undergoing (start | mid | end).

As Valentians write dates with basis on season and not ‘month’, these ‘months’ are instead delegated as modifiers for the season. I’ve decided to make their date nomenclature as follows:

# of [season], #vc (star sign) | 10th of Flostym, 401vc (Aries) 

real world equivalent as an example: 10th of Spring, 2019 (March)

Of course, it’s not a true equivalent, for march and aries aren’t the same month (they don’t occupy the same timespan), but you get the picture. The modifier basically lets the reader know what part of the season it’s in at a glance, similar but opposite of how, in Japan, dates are sometimes written as this:

31st of March, 2019 (Spring)

But the function of the month and season is flipped.

This is currently a work in progress, but you can see the dates specifics on this page custom page (mobile users, I apologize, you will likely be unable to see it unless you open the link on a browser and not the app). More will be detailed as I figure out how I want to display the information. PS: Apologies, there’s currently no scroller in place for the sections, so its gonna look wonky and some info is going to be cut off. It IS a work in progress and I have little time to finish the code I want to do for it, sorry in advance. If you’re having this problem on a wide browser window, making it small enough will make the sections take up more space each, making it all visible, so that’s a workaround until I finish my code.

Anyway thanks for coming to my ted talk.

[jasperlion]

Musical improv among Zofian commoners

Before the famine that would mark the tail end of Zofia as its own country proper, a frequent pastime among the commoners between chores of everyday life (which tended to be far more lax than Rigelian commoners in general, perhaps what earned them the distasteful moniker of ‘Lazy Zofian pigs’ among the Rigel common folk) was that of improvising songs for entertainment. While bards practiced the art far and wide and even brought the act to the Zofian court for the entertainment of the nobles, it was commonly practiced in villages and small towns.

Thought to be guided by Mila’s inspiring spirit, lover of joy and happiness, it was improv that had to rhyme and be played alongside an instrument similar to the Greek Pandura, often made about nearby objects, animals or people. If two players joined together, they would instead play a game by which they would have to ask questions and give answers in rhyme while playing their instrument. The loser would be the improviser who could not immediately provide an answer to their opponent. It was often said that the winner had been more favored by Mila and thus granted more inspiration for their improvised rhyme.

This practice would live on after Valentia’s unification, although it would only become much more widely practiced in the north and much of the south once the country was brought to complete stability. 

[jasperlion]

The role of the Monarchy in Rigel, Zofia and the unified Valentia

I want to start this off by saying that there will be overlapping things between all three and between different pairs of countries/ruling styles, so I tried to condense the similar things first, then slowly branch off. Of course, the biggest difference here between Rigel and Zofia vs a unified Valentia is the lack of a presiding God whom had to approve everything and directed the monarchs, giving more relevance and political power to the religious groups that served Mila and Duma.

This is based on a lot of reading I’ve done of Empires and Kingdoms run from around the Classical period to the Renaissance, as well as tidbits told to us through the SoV story (like the pilgrimage Zofian royalty takes to Mila).

It’s still a work in progress, apologies for that.

Without further delay

Index

Roles shared by all three governing bodies

Roles shared by the Zofian and Rigelian monarchs

Roles shared by Zofian and Valentian monarchs

Roles shared by Rigelian and Valentian monarchs

Role of the Zofian monarchs

Role of the Rigelian monarchs

Role of the Valentian monarchs

1 - Roles shared by all three governing bodies

› All three monarchies take care of legal punishment: they are expected to uphold the law (usually via usage of their order of Knights). From ensuring regulations are being followed to suppressing crime.

› They are to be judge and jury over squabbles nobility may have, having the final say over territory disputes, grudges, and even power struggles.

› Crime regulation is basically their duty. If crime is rampant, its likely to be blamed upon the monarchy for not doing enough or sending knights to suppress it. They’re usually right.

› Hold audiences with the people of any and all stations to hear reports on what is necessary to change or what the people demand or need.

› They are also usually judge and jury over crimes of all aspects*, by both nobles and the common folk, and will usually have final word in what the punishment will be. 

› Adding to this, the monarch is the only one nobles can defer to when wrong without losing face, making their administering of justice quite important, as otherwise the fights and squabbles would go on and likely turn violent.

› As such, managing the power and territory of nobles, especially when getting out of hand like that, is duty of the monarchy as well. Control of nobles could oft be dicey should get get enough backing or should the monarch not have the respect deserved in court to manage them — it is imperative that the monarch hold the respect of their court so that they can hold troublemakers down and accountable. With enough political backing and a strong enough face, a monarch in all courts within Valentia would be capable of swiftly divesting a noble of their title and lands, which was enough power to usually keep these people in line. This does not always work, as politically powerful and unruly nobles might try to take advantage of their position to turn the climate in their favor. This is oft when battles ensued instead.

› Fully trained Knights are all officially sworn into service by the monarchy.

› Trade and price regulation is oft done by the monarchy with oversight from the merchant guild.*

› The monarchy is expected to uphold the country’s values and failure to do so means a loss of respect.

› They are fully expected to attend to all festivities and partake in them.

*Some of these were regulated by the Faithful/Devout and even Mila and Duma themselves, in these instances it will vary from the Valentian monarchs, who answered to no Gods.

2 - Roles shared by Zofian and Rigelian monarchs

› Any and all new laws had to be run through Mila or Duma before being enacted, for the monarchs are meant to be a voice of the dragons due to having some of their divine blood, not rule by themselves.

› Any and all new changes had to be brought to them as well, as well as projects for roads and even the mobilization of an army against an enemy. Usually the last wasn’t a problem.

› Choices for politically critical events like a request for aid or even a pass into the other country had to be run through the Gods: like Rudolf’s plea for supplies(398vc) or Lima II’s request for Rigelian aid to take care of a political situation with a powerful but unruly noble (366vc).

› Failure to meet the expectation of the Gods could result in no longer being seen as a viable heir to the throne, as seen with Rigel IV, who was turned down in favor of Rudolf by Duma (picked over his stronger blood).

› Due to the importance of the Gods in the court, it meant the Faithful and Devout also had a powerful political position, especially the heads, and so they would also have a hand in choice making. While they could not say final word without proof it was Duma or Mila’s will, they could most certainly influence choices within the court.

› Considered above the law, as the monarchy was the voice of the Gods. ... Provided they follow the voice of the Gods. In short, the monarchy was only legally punishable by Mila and Duma.

› Punishments of crimes against the faiths or the Gods are usually dictated by the head of the religion or the Gods themselves, and so the monarchs have no rights over that.

› The monarchy can only hold council with consent of the Gods, and before that happens the monarchy must meet with their God first and listen to their wisdom or choice. It’s very rare for them to call for council, as usually the Gods had an answer of what they wanted done.

› Note, rather than a role: Only noble blood was allowed into Knighthood in both of these countries, not commoners, it is the honor of the nobility to protect the people and lands of the crown as well as that of their House.

3 - Roles shared by Zofian and Valentian monarchs

› It is important that the heads of the monarchy partake in Harvest festivities, especially the dances and rites for a good harvest. While for the Valentian monarchy it was symbolic, for the Zofian monarchy it was pretty literal, being that their God was still alive and present.

› The monarchy is expected to offer their blessings to the coming harvests as those of divine blood.

4 - Roles shared by the Rigelian and Valentian monarchs

› The monarchy is expected to partake in festive events that are a show of strength, and it’s often expected that they win. This is especially the case with the next in line for the crown and the reigning monarch.

› The monarchy has a bigger control over foodstuff distribution than the Zofian monarchy, although a lot of this has to do with famines and rough years of low overall food supply.

5 - Role of the Zofian monarchs

› They’re expected to make pilgrimage to see Mila every year, and thus communicate with the God directly and thus earn her wisdom.

› Often times, the capacity of a Zofian monarch to be able to both enjoy themselves and run the Kingdom was seen as keeping balance between work and play, and as such they are expected to often throw banquets and entertainment for the nobility while still keeping the peace (and as you can see, Lima IV was notoriously terrible at it).

› Zofian monarchy must abide by Mila’s tenants first and foremost, and thus know of religious proceeds and attend to them with diligence. They are also expected to display kindness and understanding (Lima IV failed this in denying Rigel food).

› As a note: due to the lack of regulation of foodstuffs in Zofia, the famine hit them worse than it hit Rigel, who often had famines (even if usually shorter than three years like the one Rudolf asked for help with) and as such a system to deal with it.

6 - Role of the Rigelian monarchs

› Sometimes for events like high treason, the Rigelian monarch is expected to not only be judge and jury, but also executioner.

› At the begining of their rule, they are meant to meet with Duma, who will then tell the new ruler of his expectations of the Empire and His Will.

› Failure to not follow through with Duma’s will or appease him could result in losing the title for a ‘better suited heir’ (hence Rudolf’s incapacity to not wage war against Zofia, which was one of the things Duma wanted of him).

› Rigelian monarchy must be as physically strong as they are politically, or it will cause a loss of respect — they are chosen by Duma and must encompass His strengths.

7 - Role of the Valentian monarchs

› Not limited by the Gods, the Valentian monarchs were capable of making all their choices without the need of divine approval, giving them unprecedented power over the entire continent. 

› They are to decide new trade routes, laws, traditions, food distribution and even building affairs by themselves. The term ‘saint’ for Alm comes not from him being kind or gentle, but from the fact that the first Valentian monarchs were the first people to manage duties that were before thought of as only available to the divine.

› At least, for the first monarchs, they were expected to work with the newly united faiths to try and figure out how to unite their festivities best.

› Due to their unprecedented political power, they were oft thought of to be above the law, but the first Valentian monarchs would eventually work out a system in case a future generation lost their way, as such making them the first of a long line of monarchs to have to actually abide the law instead of being considered above it (sans the word of their Gods).

› What begins as tradition due to their journeys ends up as expectation, and so future Valentians have Celica and Alm to blame for having to take time every four years to tour the entire continent and ensure its stability with their own eyes.

› Valentian monarchy can now call to council at any moment and summon their court for deliberation of events, something which could before only be done with consent of the Gods.

[jasperlion]

Food Storage in Valentia

Food storage throughout Valentia saw different practices depending on the country and climate, with Rigel seeing far more varied and successful methods than Zofia for the most part.

Zofians still needed to transport their produce and otherwise store perishable food excess, so it wasn’t as much more primitive as much as it wasn’t seen as imperative. There was always excess, or so Mila lead them to believe until her disappearance, and thus it was usually needless unless you had a large amount of workers in your keep (so, nobles) and thus needed to maintain a decent amount of perishable goods available instead of constantly retrieving such from outer sources.

Cool Storage

Zofians and Rigelians alike would store food underground, and in village communities the storage tended to be shared and, if available, dug enough so that the storage area was below a lake or river. This made it so the moist ground and generally cool air helped preserve the food better, especially on winter months. However, in Zofia, this tended to see much more use as wine storage, especially in villages and towns that exported wine and other alcoholic drinks regularly. Ram was one such village, and a reason for the fall of production of Ram Wine, along with the famine (which required the ingredients be used for actual food instead), was likely the rise in use of these storage facilities to store actual food.

Until Mila’s disappearance, there was no snow in Zofia. As such, only Rigelians made use of what is referred to as an ‘ice box’. Underground as well, but anywhere convenient, there was normally ice carved out from frozen lakes moved into the alcove to better keep the temperatures in the room very cold. It required constant maintenance, with the ice being placed near the walls then covered in insulating material like grass and tree branches. This was also used to chill specific drinks.

Dry storage/Curing

Meats expired quickly, even for the people of Zofia, and thus raw meat was often seen as a luxury one could cook. Generally, it tended to be eaten dried and salted, more so after the famine began. This is also true in Rigel, where one often found themselves curing most meat, even hunted, if there were any leftovers. Most meat is cured by being covered in salts and left in cool storage (another use for cold storage in both communities and keeps).

Drying foodstuff in the sun (fish, meat, vegetables, and the like) was also often used to store these meals for a longer amount of time, but was seen less often in the storage of nobility (it didn’t taste quite as good, so was their claim, and they could afford to simply not do it anyway). Instead, the nobility tended to keep their fruits and vegetables, among other slower perishables, in:

Root cellars, which were often also kept by the community in smaller villages. A cool underground storage but nowhere near water or ice, it tended to be a decent place to keep fruits and vegetables fresh for longer, as well as nuts and other such goods. 

Grains tended to be stored dry in sealed containers to avoid mice and other animals from eating them, usually in sacks. With their ease of storage and lack of need to be kept extremely cool to avoid spoiling, these sacks tended to be kept in home storages in villages or a community storage like a granary, or just the local root cellar. In keeps, it was kept in the root cellar as well.

Spices and herbs tended to be kept in sealed jars, but their preservation is not quite priority out of their long-lasting nature. They tend to be kept around the kitchen area in their containers instead of stored away.

Candying

Both countries practiced candying fruits to prevent spoilage, as well as for simply treats. Covered in syrup, it allowed them to last longer while making them tastier... for most people. Alm happens to hate candied fruit, unlike his friends from Ram.

Canning and Preservatives

The root cellar contained, other than fresh fruits and vegetables, preserved fruits and vegetables that were turned into jam to last longer and be used in meals. Jams, jellies and other such preserved fruits and vegetables were, in Zofia, mostly common as treats before the famine. In Rigel, it was commonplace to turn your fruit and vegetables to preserves before they spoiled to have more food in case of an emergency.

[jasperlion]

Zofia’s Devout: The Earth Mother and Her people

Long since before Zofia’s founding, Mila was a politically prominent figure in the south of the split Valentia as well as the presiding God. Her ideals rules the lands how she saw fit and so her Tenants became Truths to Her people on what to live by.

Mila nurtured the people and the land first and foremost, as well as served as protector and healer — it is her belief that those who are strong must shelter and protect the weak, and thus her duty to nurture her people and shield them from all hardships, rather than let them face these challenges alone, so that they may be happy and live a life of peace.

Her teachings to the Devout and thus her following was that of never suffering want. The core of her teachings were the following:

The strong must protect the weak: it is the duty of the volunteer army to keep the people safe from outer harm, and thus lessen the suffering of others. One must never rise to arms for want of battle, but for want to protect. As such, it is why the art of offensive magic is taught at her priories as well as the art of healing: protecting the people is paramount.

Never suffer want: The Mother will always provide, and so the land will always keep the people safe and fed. There will never be a need to worry for food and water, for it will always be plenty: the people need only plow and sow, and the rest she would take care of. All animals will grow hale, and fish will always be plenty. The people can take what they need of nature, and the Earth Mother will ensure more will return.

Seek to share your bounty: For as the Mother shares her own with her people, so too must you share your excess with your neighbor. Ensure their safety and that they are fed, the way of the Zofians is to look after each other as a community and share with each other the joys of living.

The Mother walks with you: and thus you shall never be alone in your trials, for Mila will protect you and guide you should danger present itself. Should you have doubts, pray to the Mother, and she shall show you a path with her Sight.

Merriment is the door to all pleasures: Songs, dance, and parties of all kinds will bring out the best in the people, for it will liberate them of inhibitions and thus allow them to be at their best. The people must know joy for them to truly know peace, and one of its many forms is that of sharing that merriment with those around him. As such, there is freedom in pleasure: To seek pleasure is to seek freedom. However, there is no pleasure in that which only appeases one of the parties, freedom of others when practicing one’s own freedom is paramount. 

Personal sacrifice for those around you: was seen as the ultimate belief of Mila and, thus, that which you must strive for when the time calls for it. To protect others, and to see to their safety and happiness, personal sacrifice was seen as the utmost of nobility and the duty of her Devout and, later on, also the crown.

Wine, food, music, dance, merriment, parties, plays, art and carnal pleasure were seen as the standard fare to Zofian ideals of the happiness and joys that Mila believed were the highest for men, and thus much of Zofian lifestyle before her disappearance and the famine would center upon it. Protection of others at the cost of one’s self was highly encouraged and seen as the ultimate closeness to their Goddess and her sacrifice, and was thus a noble standard to live by. Zofia had an army despite Mila’s peaceful beliefs for the thought that, in case of danger, there must always be a shield, and in case of enemies, there must be a ‘sword’.

...

But as the people of Zofia further corrupted in their gluttony and sloth, so too did their values lose meaning. Pleasure and want was paramount, the neighbor did not matter if they were not Zofian, and eventually perhaps even those around them. As classes rifted further apart, the importance of the commoner was seen as rote and replaceable, especially since crop came easy anyway. ‘They’ll just make more children, there’ll always be enough.’

There will always be enough. And thus the hubris of Zofians spiraled more and more out of control, just as the heartlessness of the Rigelians.

It is said that the people thought Mila blind to the dastardly deeds of Lima IV, for why should she scold her chosen child? Why shouldn’t she just turn a blind eye to all his crimes, and to all his lack of care for the rise of crime around him?

More and more the rich wanted, and more and more the commoners suffered for it.

A cycle of hubris and want.