Vidrian

Vidrian

(Nation)

Land

Mwangi Expanse

Alignment

Neutral

Capital

Anthusis

Government

Representative council

Demonym

Vidrics

Adjective

Vidric

Languages

Polyglot, Taldane

Religions

Vidric variations of the worship of Abadar, Gozreh, Iomedae, Sarenrae, and Shelyn; Grandmother Spider; Kalekot; Lubaiko

Images of Vidrian

Source: World Guide, pg(s). 84

See also: Sargava

Vidrian is an independent nation located in the southwestern Mwangi Expanse. Previously a colony of Cheliax known as Sargava, Vidrian's native peoples won freedom for themselves in 4717 AR, and the country is still burdened by the scars of colonialism.

History

Vidrians pull down Sargavan-era statues during the nation's revolution.

Since the beginning of the Age of Lost Omens, Sargava has faced many hardships, from isolation from Cheliax to racketeering by the Free Captains of the Shackles.

Vidric Revolution

In 4715 AR, the native Mwangi folk decided that change was needed and enacted a revolt against their colonial overlords that became known as the Vidric Revolution. They were joined by some colonists who no longer felt any loyalty to Cheliax and disdained how their fellow colonists were running Sargava to the ground. The rebels soon took over the capital of Eleder, renamed it Anthusis, and overthrew the Chelaxian governor, Baron Utilinus. They soon renamed their new country Vidrian and returned it to local rule in 4717 AR.

One of the first acts of the new Vidric government was to stop paying protection money to the Free Captains, who had nevertheless protected Sargava from several Chelaxian invasions. Unwilling to lose an easy source of income, the Free Captains invaded Vidrian. After signing a quick alliance with Senghor, Vidrian managed to drive away the Free Captains and established itself as a new nation in a war that lasted over a year.

Geography

In addition to the jungles of the Mwangi Expanse, much of Vidrian is the lush but sparsely settled grasslands of the M'neri Plains. The Laughing Jungle dominates much of its southern border, while the northern border stretches through parts of the jungle known as the Kaava Lands. The Lower Korir River and the Lake of Vanished Armies mark Vidrian's southern border. The River of Lost Tears flows along much of the eastern border. A section of the Bandu Hills runs just north of the country's centre.

Government and international relations

Shimali Manux, admiral of Vidrian's navy.

Vidrian is ruled by a council consisting of representatives from disparate groups. While all are aware that their new nation could easily be reconquered and that they need to take steps to rebuild their economy and prevent any future conquests, different groups often disagree with each other on small details, sometimes leading to gridlock. Vidrian's alliance with Senghor remains untested; other allies, like the anandi, are unwilling to commit militarily; and although Vidric ambassadors have been welcomed in Absalom, Andoran, Osirion, and Ravounel, other Mwangi city-states have been reluctant to respond to diplomatic overtures, having no desire to give up their complete independence. Mzali, Vidrian's nearest neighbour, is inclined to view it as an enemy, as is Cheliax, which wishes to retake its former colony.

Vidrian's council is made up of many different organizations. Combined Mercantile Interests is ironically effectively a council in and of itself, comprised of many different trade guilds that are often at odds with each other. The Field Unions represent Vidrian's agricultural affairs. The Independent Banks of Vidrian recall how debt was used to ensnare the local Mwangi people and instead give work that only takes a small portion of the earnings of those without the means to repay them. The Represented Theologies lobby for the various churches of the nation. The Vane serves as Vidrian's intelligence network. In addition, there are many smaller organizations such as the Briars (which represent Vidrian's criminals), the Coalition of Medicine, and the United Laborers.

Economics

The people of Vidrian have different livelihoods depending on whether or not they reside in urban or more remote areas. Residents of the port cities focus on commerce so the nation can repay the debts that were incurred during the revolution. In addition to a unique blend of colonial and Mwangi economic practices, Vidrian oversees adventurers who explore the Expanse in search of lost treasure. While many residents perceive this as distasteful, it is seen as a necessary source of income. Vidric leaders carefully choose guides to ensure that items of cultural significance are returned to their rightful hands. The Pathfinder Society has regained influence due to their oversight of their own and willingness to apprehend looters who thoughtlessly procure artifacts. Vidrian is also allied with the Alijae, Ekujae, Song'o and other protectors within the Expanse who serve as a last line of defense against looters. Magical salvage divers from Vidrian and the Kaava Lands are also engaged in a thriving business, extracting artifacts and treasures from sunken fleets or the swampy aftermath of the Sodden Lands to the north.

Many residents of Vidrian call for a larger naval presence, as the Free Captains of the Shackles Pirates have disrupted trade routes in retaliation for not paying their protection fees.

The jungle plantations of Sargava are now under the control of the workers. To the farmers of these more rural areas, foreign powers and the Free Captains remain a distant threat. With the aid of the government of the capital Anthusis, their grains and luxury foods have become one of Vidrian's greatest strengths.

Crime

While some criminals have been reincorporated into more legitimate enterprises, others continue to thrive in Vidrian. In order to ensure economic stability, the government has agreed to sanction crime as long as it does not threaten Vidrian's security. In exchange, thieves' guilds disallow stealing essential goods such as food and medicine, along with those of certain companies. Smugglers and fences prefer to turn in any cultural artifacts they find to the government so they can receive a fee. Even guides that have not been approved by the government ask if their clients have visited the local Pathfinder lodge before going on their hyperbolic tirades. Like any other enterprise, criminal proceeds are taxed to ensure Vidrian's financial stability. More than one effort to destabilize the region has been disrupted by the willingness of Vidrian's criminals to turn in potential saboteurs.

Inhabitants

Vidrian's people agree that the Mwangi must be free, but each has their own idea of freedom. Some focus on removing diabolism from the nation, while others wish to return to a time before Cheliax colonized the region. There is also debate as to whether Vidrian should keep to itself.

They work hard to take advantage of the resources that originally drew Cheliax's attention to stabilise Vidrian's economy, and some enact trade along the western coast of Garund with the ships seized from the Free Captains. However, the stark differences between Sargavan and Vidric cultures have become new sources of conflict between their respective peoples.

Vidrics

The Vidric people named themselves after Vidrian, and many are former slaves and servants of Sargavan colonizers. After many generations of subjugation, most Vidric people don't know their ethnic heritage, and many likely have very mixed origins. Many Vidrics look to other Mwangi cultures for their fashion, philosophies, and faiths, but others choose to craft a unique Vidric identity.

Sargavans

In addition to the native Vidric peoples who compose a majority of Vidrian's population, the nation is also home to a sizable group of Sargavans, Chelaxian descendants of former colonists who earned their citizenship and protection by law after aiding in the overthrow of Sargava and the new country's battles against the Free Captains.

As Sargavans are descendants of its former Chelaxian colonial rulers, they closely resemble them with skintones of pale to pink. Their fashions are derived from Cheliax's Golden Age and cultures appropriated from across the Mwangi Expanse.

The Sargavan people persisted after Vidrian's rise, with most distrusted by the indigenous Vidric people or hated by others, such as Sargava's former slave-trading partners among the Bekyars. Sargavans who aided in the Vidric Revolution retained their citizenship but lost power and face ongoing but justified aggression from former slaves, and many struggle to find gainful work.

Religion

The goddess Lubaiko.

Religion in Vidrian is a highly individualized affair. In the larger cities, one can find faiths from throughout the Inner Sea region, while more remote areas share the faiths of their neighbors. The most prominent faiths within Vidrian are variations of the worship of Abadar, Gozreh, Iomedae, Sarenrae, and Shelyn that have been syncretized with the gods of the Mwangi Expanse and modified to suit local affairs. For example, worshippers of Abadar in Vidrian prefer to take sides as his dedication to neutrality is scorned. By contrast, Sarenrae became popular due to the aid her Church provided during the revolution. She is depicted as a motherly figure with streaks of grey-blonde hair, similar to the matriarchs revered by other Mwangi. These are not the only deities that are worshipped in Vidrian. Diabolism and the worship of Asmodeus is still practiced behind closed doors by deceitful colonists, while priests of many different gods of the Expanse have flocked to Vidrian in pursuit of opportunities. The revolution even catapulted some obscure gods of the Mwangi to the mainstream, such as Lubaiko. Lubaiko, Cayden Cailean, and Milani are the three members of the Freeing Flame, a pantheon notable among the people of Vidrian today for, according to local stories, literally sparking the first flames of revolution with a fiery explosion of a cartful of casks that led to the initial confrontation at a plantation on the outskirts of Eleder.

Holidays

In addition to local festivals and colonial holidays, Vidrian celebrates some holidays of its own. On 19 Sarenith, Vidrics celebrate the Day of Remembrance of Mwangi Sovereignty, marking the day in 4717 AR when the last of Sargava's colonial government was removed from Vidrian. Founders' Day on 7 Calistril recognizes when the Mwangi tribes first came together to form Anthusis, although the year in which this occurred is a source of debate. Tides' Changing is celebrated near the end of Gozran and coincides with the departure of many merchant vessels for the year. It is a rowdy festival that was initially intended to distract pirates, but which now marks the alliance between legitimate and criminal enterprises in Vidrian.

References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.