These early survivors migrated as deeply as they could, eventually happening upon what at first seemed to be a cliff face so tall it was lost to the gleaming canopy above and so vast it stretched infinitely in both directions. Upon reaching the cliff, they astonishingly discovered it to be the root of a colossal tree—the likes of which had never been encountered before—converging upon its trunk. Swaddled by this living monolith they would name the Umdala, these bones planted roots of their own from which sprouted a caste-based society of ascetics. From the cradle of the mother tree, they would eventually emerge from the forest’s limits to find the land healed by that most equally auspicious and unforgiving of phenomena: the passage of time. The Valan Torav would expand into the fertile plains and marshes of the north, assimilating any communities they came across into themselves along the way. Their domain would eventually encompass the entire southern continent, sundering it into several provinces under vassalship to the Viridian City—now hallowed ground—at the base of the Umdala. Time would see its role change largely to a ceremonial one, with the functional center of government having moved further inland by the time of the Great War.
Personal accountability and discipline are the foundational pillars of their societal values. Bones are encouraged to pursue personal excellence within the confines of their caste and in turn seldom harbor prejudice around one’s station. At one point their army stood nearly unmatched among its contemporaries, known for its size and well-drilled soldiers. The nation has written and compiled vast stores of texts on the art of war, all of it meticulously documented by accomplished military leaders throughout its history. The Hegemony’s emphasis on strategy and rigorous preparation makes them particularly confident in a positive outcome to their plans.
While the use of contingencies has served them historically well, obstinacy and inflexibility can present itself when met with the unprecedented. The Hegemony owns more territory than any other faction, laying claim to the entirety of the southern hemisphere. While no nation involved in the Great War would emerge from it unscathed, the ravages visited upon the continent by the ubiquitous conflict would carve a wound as deeply into the collective psyche of its denizens as that of the once verdant—now marred and scorched—land of Valan Torav. It was all that could be done to halt the predation of rival nations pushing deeper into the Hegemony’s territory, that they turned the entirety of the northern provinces into a charnel field of apocalyptic proportions.
Miles of disheveled trenches, cratered killing grounds, and abandoned minefields forever serve as recusant reminders of the violation wrought at the height of the war. Yet for all the destruction heaped upon the land, life endures with great vigor deeper still into the heartland. Fertile plains, vast grasslands, and lush forests teeming with life paint the picture of a society that seeks to live harmoniously with its surroundings. In truth, this is as much a result of the land’s own unyielding resistance to expansion as the abiding sentiment among the Valan Torav.
At the very center of the largest and densest forest in the southern hemisphere resides the Umdala, primogenitor of the Sempiternal Forest. As if drawing from an infinite well of vitae—the empyrean particles found within all things on the planet, the gargantuan tree distills this normally inextricable concentrate of cosmic forces through its ever-expanding root system. At the base of its impossible bulk extend mountainous roots that spread themselves in every direction, unfazed by attempts to resist or divert them from their path. The terminal roots of the offshoots of the Umdala’s colossal aerial tubers are colloquially referred to as life root, and are highly sought after for their powerful healing properties. While the Hegemony have jealously guarded the Umdala for a millennium and continue to do so even on pain of annihilation, they have agreed to the Council Accords requiring them to ensure unperturbed access to life root via known kin tree locations by rival nations through strictly defined and heavily monitored highways manned by the CoK. Even with this conditional access to the precious resource, no nation has been able to replicate all the myriad uses the Valan Torav have devised in their long tenure of the land. The most ferociously guarded secret in the Hegemony is that life root originating from the Umdala is far more potent than that which comes from its offspring, giving them a distinct advantage that remains poorly understood among their contemporaries.
The Umdala’s roots stretch into every forest biome on the continent, slowly incorporating itself into the flora and eventually fauna. Few specimens are as illustrative of this relationship as the children of the forest—the Craybore. These nimble creatures subsist purely on the nectar produced by flowers that sprout commonly above life root. Though estimated to be few in number, Craybore have remarkably long lifespans attributed to the astonishingly regenerative effects of the Umdala’s potently filtered vitae. Throughout their entire life, their horns will slowly continue to grow in size and complexity; in this way their age can be loosely estimated.
Eventually, their horns will outstrip their bulk and force them to become sedentary for the remainder of their life. Before this, ancient Craybore will travel as far away as their bodies will take them; always in a direction away from the Umdala. Because the Craybore are so long-lived and have no observable natural predators, the passing of a Craybore is a rare occurrence that marks a momentous occasion: the birth of a kin tree; genetic offshoots of the Umdala that are believed to be capable of one day reaching the Umdala’s size. Wherever kin trees take root so too does life with explosive tenacity; these mighty trees form the epicenter of the large forests that span the southern half of Valan Torav. Thus they play a crucial role in the careful balance woven by the primogenitor’s influence in the self-propagating ecosystem. The Hegemony has outlawed the killing of any Craybore, decreeing it to be the basest of sins—a direct affront to the Umdala. Offenders of this decree forfeit their lives and the funerary rites afforded to all citizens upon death, barring them from final communion with the Kin Trees and the Umdala itself.
The children of the forest are lithe, peculiar unions of flora and fauna endemic to the continent of Valan Torav but better stated as a reproductive function of the Umdala. Ancient Craybore sport crowns of twisting bark and flowers in perpetual bloom atop a large, powerfully built frame covered head to hoof in large tufts of matted fur. When an Ancient Craybore begins its final journey, it is considered a culturally significant event for the Hegemony—citizens will line the streets and leave offerings along the predicted path of the exalted being.
While the Hegemony’s leadership was initially recalcitrant to the concept, the arena system was accepted with surprisingly little friction by the populace. The martial traditions and liveries of old were revived in earnest; bones from lineages with a military pedigree once more sought to add their deeds and titles to their family’s honor roll. With CoK laws forbidding nations from exceeding 1,250 combatants, training is designed to push its candidates to well beyond the limits of what most bones can handle. Organized into cadres, initiates are put through countless hours of grueling physical conditioning and relentless drilling. While afforded medical care when possible to avoid unnecessary casualties, initiates succumbing to this unforgiving regimen by exhaustion or injury is regarded as a well-understood occupational hazard on the road to becoming an arena combatant. In the arena, the Valan Torav act as one, reacting to changing battlefield conditions with what appears to be preternatural speed and organization. While they have performed historically well in melees, rival nations more regularly out-pace them in skirmishes and duels; outdone by the raw potential or inventiveness of their foes.
