Inhabitants of the Ancestral Valley

State:
the Valley of the Ancestors

Form of government:
Confederation

Rulers:
The Ancestral Valley is ruled by the burgomasters of the four Great Cities – Eavette, Dalaal, Konolwar and Mata-Mata. Smaller towns and settlements of the Valley belong to one of the Great Cities, and the power of the burgomaster of a particular Great City stands above the authority of the burgomaster of a smaller city. The issue with the disputed territories is the most acute. When laying new market places, etc. there are often clashes of interests of the burgomasters. In the conflict situations and when making important decisions, the Council of Four gathers, but if the four burgomasters can not reach a unanimous decision, a Popular Assembly made of all the inhabitants of the Valley can be convened. A huge role in the Council of the Four and in the Popular Assembly is played by clans acting as advisers in disputable issues, but at the same time having a huge impact on the burgomasters and the population. Clans are separate factions defending interests in politics, trade, science, art, law and order, etc. In fact, behind the backs of real power clans lead a covert rivalry for dominance in the Valley. There were precedents when wars started in the Valley because of the clan dispute. Cases when wars started because of the conflict of the burgomasters of two cities are not fixed in history.

Language:
Common.

Largest city:
In different years, the number of cities varied, but if we take the average values, the cities were always evenly populated. Most often, Mata-Mata emerged as the leader in terms of the number of residents, but he was repeatedly subjected to the most terrible devastation.

Capital:
Each Great City is a kind of capital - Eavette, Dalaal, Konolwar, Mata-Mata. Spiritual, historical and sacred center of the Valley can be called the Stone of the Ancestors.

Other large cities:
are Min-Mirif, Til-Mirif (subordination to Konolwar), Bonikum, Muo, Chail (submission to Dalaal), Kawa, Grey Moss (subordination to Eavette), Rabutapra, Iknilaka (subordination of Mata-Mata).

Geography and climate:
Mild climate. Warm winters, low summer. Snow falls rarely. Farmers collect three harvests per year. Trees, dumping leaves, almost immediately covered with a new one. There are no storms, hurricanes, cyclones.

Borders with:
the Great Desert in the South, the lands of the Bronze Chekatta in the Southeast, the prairies of the Chekatta in the East, the Ito Empire in the North, the Dockol-Mo forest in the West, the Nanol-Mo forest in the South-West, the geographical boundary with the Celestial Plateau in the North-West, the sea borders with the Fellow Islands in the South-East, the Reyro Kingdom in the North-East.

History:
The residents of the Valley of the Ancestors are Chekatta, who at some point abandoned the nomadic way of life and settled on the shores of the Lake of the Ancestors. Very soon, the inhabitants of the Valley lost the cultural heritage of Chekatta and followed the path of their own development. The first step was to build a market economy, the second - the rejection of the cult of ancestors. More precisely, they abandoned it gradually, but in the Valley, from time immemorial, it was possible to have any ideology, even the one different from the others (in the event that this ideology is not criminal. Naturally, the cults of the Bukta were rejected and prosecuted according to the law.) The first was laid the city of Mata-Mata, as evidenced by the early chronicles. A few decades later, Dalaal and Konolwar began to be built, two centuries later - Eavette.

Little is known about the history of small settlements, probably some settlements remained, some perished for unknown reasons. Of the modern large settlements, Kawa has the longest history.

The fate of the development of Elinor and the formation of the eight nations was predetermined by the Great Exodus. In a period of about a hundred years, the settlers moved North, led by Tosho, to the South, led by Marawie, and Westward into the forest of Dockol-Mo. The history did not preserve the name of their leader. However, the departure of this detachment is usually considered the beginning of the Exodus.

The reasons for the Exodus can only be guessed. The version that the Valley was overpopulated and lacked resources does not have clear evidence. After all, the fertile soils of the Valley are able to feed its inhabitants to this day, when their number has increased significantly. Perhaps there was a sharp demographic explosion. But still it is unclear why people went to live in difficult conditions, when in the Valley there was a lot of unoccupied land. Many historians explain the Great Exodus by a series of coincidences. A simple expedition of adventurers and explorers went to the Dockol-Mo forest, and the exodus of Marawie and Tosho took place only at the will of their leaders.

Formation of the Great Peoples took place throughout thousand years. The last caravan in the Valley was led by Taurs, but it can be argued that the formation of them as a people began earlier than one of Tuasmatus. The first trade with the Valley began with Djunites, then Guawars. It happened three or four centuries after the beginning of the Exodus. Five hundred years after its’ beginning, the Common Language began to form, which was fully established a thousand years later. Great nations did not develop as quickly. They already communicated with each other, but it took time for the formation of their own states.

The population of the Valley, in fact, was the ninth great people, the people-progenitor. However, young people began to fill the Valley with their own traditions and culture.

After discovering of the Golden Ruins, the Academy announced the start of the Fourth Era. At the same time, the Academy sent its advisers to the Valley for political and economic life, because most cities developed chaotically, conflicts began to happen more often. Then the Council of Four was established, the vassalage of small settlements from large settlements was established, guilds and first clans were established, very quickly becoming a real political force.

This time is considered to be the Golden Age of Elinor, the development of art, culture, science and trade. However, everything collapsed quickly, after a series of heavy wars. First between Vedichs and Taurs, then in the Valley itself. Confrontation of several warring coalitions between the clans resulted in an armed conflict. The war was suppressed by the Taurian troops, who afterwards established the Justice clan and created their protectorate over the Valley. Very soon another war broke out between the demons of the North and the Kingdom of Reyro.

To the former greatness and power, as well as the usual peaceful life, the Valley of the Ancestors and other Elinor states were able to return only after another century.

Renunciation of the rulers of the Great Desert and the Fellow Islands from centralized power gave a new impetus to the development of the Valley od the Ancestors.

Industry, agriculture and economy:
Historical development of agriculture. Agriculture and livestock began to develop immediately after the establishment of the first settlements on the shore of the Lake of the Ancestors. Fishing is also popular, and over the ages the fish population in the Lake of the Ancestors and the Huma River has not declined. Hunting, as a more complex and costly way to extract food, so it is not popular. The Ito Empire is completely dependent on the Valley of the Ancestors in terms of food supplies. The Kingdom of Reyro, leading marine trade with Guawars, needs provisions to a lesser extent, but still has dependence. Food is also delivered to the Great Desert, but in smaller volumes. The industry is developed in the South of the Valley, the cities of Til-Mirif and Min-Mirif supply the ores and metals of the city of the Valley to this day, some of the industrial resources are delivered from Reyro. The geographical position of the Valley initially put it in a situation that contributes to economic growth. The Valley economy could take a dominant role in Elinor. But the Guawar Trading Company actively challenged the championship. The preponderance leaned toward her side after the victory of the Guawars in the war against the demons and the payment of a million gold salds by the Mechanics of the Guawars.

Life and culture:
Valley culture, in fact, is a collection of cultures of the peoples of Elinor. All areas of art are developed. The main priority of all residents of the Valley is to live in accordance with the moral and cultural characteristics of their people, while not insulting their behavior by representatives of other peoples. Although conflicts on national soil at the crossroads of cultures are still quite a frequent occurrence. The life and culture of the Valley is also affected by a constant clan confrontation.

Ideology:
The inhabitants of the Valley do not have their own established worldview, but respectfully accept the worldviews of other peoples. Probably the most obscure for them is the cult of Ayduen, so uplifted by the Taurs. The inhabitants of the Valley themselves are very cautious about the Stone of the Ancestors, the essence of which remains a mystery. Stone is a kind of symbol of ambiguity and misunderstanding of higher forces by mere mortals.