Thuvia

Thuvia

(Nation)

Alignment

Lawful neutral

Capital

Merab

Ruler

Ilepodus, Prince Zinlo, Queen Zamere, Kharane, and Guldis

Government

Loose association of independent city-states

Demonym

Thuvians

Adjective

Thuvian

Languages

Osiriani, Polyglot

Religions

Gozreh, Nethys, Pharasma, Sarenrae, Usij

Images of Thuvia

Source: The Inner Sea World Guide, pg(s). 186–187 (1E)
World Guide, pg(s). 56–57 (2E)

Situated on the northern Inner Sea coast of Garund between ancient Osirion and godless Rahadoum, Thuvia (pronounced THOO-vee-uh) is a land focused almost entirely on the export of a single product. For over 3,000 years it has been the sole manufacturer of sun orchid elixir, an alchemical brew which, if taken regularly, reverses the aging process.

History

See also: Timeline of Thuvia

Tekritanin League

At the beginning of the Age of Destiny, Thuvia was a harsh land settled by nomadic desert tribes. These tribes eventually united in -3250 AR to form the Tekritanin League, a confederation of city-states built along the region's coastlines and rivers. This league, alongside the neighboring Jistka Imperium to the west, played a crucial role in re-establishing civilization in the Inner Sea region following Earthfall.

As ancient Osirion expanded westward into the lands of the Tekritanin League, the pharaohs forged an alliance with the nomads in -2764 AR to support Osirion in its conflict against Jistka. During the height of this war, the infamous Pharaoh of Forgotten Plagues ventured deep into the desert of what today is Thuvia, far from the League's reach, to construct the House of Oblivion. This vast structure was designed to attract a powerful extraplanar entity named Ahriman from his realm in Abaddon. Ahriman responded to the call, bringing with him a corrupted genie army known as divs. In exchange for the House of Oblivion, Ahriman pledged his support to the Pharaoh of Forgotten Plagues, not only in the destruction of Jistka but also in consolidating the Pharaoh's dominion over his other realms. The combined forces of Osirion and the Tekritanin League defeated the Jistka Imperium that same year. In -3047 AR, the Pharaoh of Forgotten Plagues was overthrown by his successor, the Song Pharaoh, which led to Ahriman's defeat. Nevertheless, the central deserts of Thuvia have remained home to Ahriman's malevolent div minions and his cult, the Usij, to this day.

Vassal of Osirion

The defeat of the Jistka saw the Tekritanin League reduced to the status of a vassal of their erstwhile Osirian allies. Even that came to an end in -1452 AR, when Osirion razed some of the city-states and absorbed the rest into its empire. It gave its new province the name of Thuvia.

However, it was roughly at that time that Osirion went into one of its periodic declines. Six hundred years later it abandoned the province entirely (seemingly by default) when the Osirian government did not replace Thuvia's governor after he was assassinated in -841 AR. After this, Thuvia fell back to self-rule and barbarism, and all but disappeared from the pages of history for nearly two millennia.

Sun orchid elixir

Everything changed in 1140 AR when Artokus Kirran, an alchemist living in the city-state of Merab, discovered the sun orchid elixir. The elixir's ability to temporarily reverse the ageing process quickly attracted the attention of a number of foreign powers. Supplies of the elixir were necessarily limited by the scarcity of the sun orchid and the dangers of the div-infested regions in which it grew. Various competing foreign nations drew up plans to invade Merab to ensure they gained control of the elixir.

Merab sought allies amongst the other four city-states of the region, offering equal shares in the elixir in return for protection against the threat of foreign invasion. The offer was accepted, and the cities united under the old name of Thuvia in 1142 AR. It was agreed that seven vials of the elixir would be produced each year—one vial would be consumed by the alchemist Artokus himself, while the other six would be auctioned off by one of the cities. The auction's host city rotates annually. Thuvians decided that they would sell the elixir only to foreigners, as they were unwilling to incur the wrath of the goddess Pharasma in postponing her judgement.

This system has remained stable ever since. Foreign powers that were once prepared to go to war over the elixir now bid grudgingly for it instead, and the barren land of Thuvia is sustained by foreign gold.

Geography

Thuvia is in northern Garund, bounded by the Inner Sea to the north, Osirion to the east, the Barrier Wall Mountains to the south, and Rahadoum to the west. Its territory also includes two islands in the Inner Sea: Wyvern's Roost and Glasswall Isle. Much of the land is desert. The two main river systems are at the country's edges. The Junira river in the east forms the border with Osirion. In the west, the Turvanar River rises in the Barrier Wall and flows in a roughly northwesterly direction until it meets the Uta River. The Uta then continues until it reaches the Inner Sea.

Settlements

The influential Thuvian city-state of Merab.

The only large settlements are the five allied city-states:

• Aspenthar, the second largest city, ambitious and martial, located on the Inner Sea coast;
• Duwwor, which attempts to live in harmony with the desert, located close to the source of the Turvanar;
• Lamasara, famous for its artisans and performers, located on the Junira River;
• Merab, the largest city and the birthplace of Artokus Kirran, also located on the Inner Sea coast;
• Pashow, the smallest of the cities and the most proficient with magic, located in the south.

Other settlements include Zaltir on the Junira River.

Government

In theory, the five city-states are equal, but in practice Merab has the most influence. The cities pursue their own interests, and Prince Zinlo of Aspenthar is particularly ambitious in his aspirations. It is widely acknowledge that Queen Zamere of Lamasara is one of the nation's best diplomats, and she is usually called upon to represent the alliance in negotiations with other nations.

Economy

Despite being covered largely by deserts, Thuvia is remarkably self-sufficient economically. It does rely, however, on the yearly sale of the sun orchid elixir to remain internationally relevant.

Society

A building in the Sunswept architectural style. The glass walls are curved to invoke the petals of the sun orchid with features arranged in groups of six to invoke the namesake elixir of immortality.

Thuvian society centres around whichever city is currently host to the elixir auction, and each of the cities has been built to accommodate the huge influx of visitors who arrive twice a decade. Entertainers and merchants descend upon each city in turn in a five-year cycle, thronging to the city's massive open-air market and then abandoning it when the right to the elixir passes on to the next city.

In order to protect themselves from foreign invasion, each of the cities has also strengthened their magical and conventional defenses. Foreign gold has also been spent lavishly on palaces, irrigation projects, centers of learning, and entertainment venues.

Outside of the cities, the desert tribes cluster around the various oases where they pursue nomadic herding and mining of ore and salt. Each of the tribes is controlled by a local warlord known as a Water Lord. Many of them are little better than bandits.

Religion

The people of Thuvia revere four main deities:

• Gozreh is worshipped in the city state of Duwwor, where the people strive to live in harmony with nature;
• Nethys is revered in the small, magically adept city state of Pashow;
• It was a priestess of Pharasma who convinced the country's leaders to forego immortality;
• Sarenrae is the patron deity of Merab, the largest of the five city states.

In addition, the dangerous Usij, the cult of Ahriman, can be found in the central deserts.

Inhabitants

The nomadic Shemtej catfolk roam amongst the most remote and dangerous reaches of Thuvia's deserts in free-wheeling caravan trains. Believed by many in the region to be the divinely blessed children of the cat-headed protector goddess Bastet, they are also believed to ward against many of the deserts most dangerous and evil spirits.

Divs

The desert is home to numerous divs, centred around the House of Oblivion where their god Ahriman was called to Golarion millennia ago. In theory, the divs still serve the absent Ahriman, but it is whispered that they have links to some of the Water Lords. The divs in turn are served by the nihilistic cultists known as the Usij.

References

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