Valbestia

Valbestia is a country on the west coast of Sellinos populated by the Valbestians and their magical beasts. It is separated from the rest of the continent by The Collean Mountains to the east and The Mistlands to the north. The land is home to many diverse ecosystems like jungles, hills, volcanoes, grasslands, and other more abstract landscapes nearer to The Mistlands. It is also home to just as diverse a population, its peoples divided into numerous tribes based on their beliefs and the needs of their beasts.

The various tribes each have their own local leadership, but the nation as a whole answers to the beast king who resides in the capital "city" of Telbesdra. Telbesdra is an ever-changing place in the plains at the nation's heart, typically being destroyed and rebuilt every year and serving as little more than a home to the beast king and their most loyal subjects rather than a proper city. This destruction is the result of the yearly ceremonial battle between the tribes known simply as The Royal Selection.

The Valbestian populace is rather interesting from an Atrian point of view. For a yet unexplained reason, nearly every Valbestian is born a wizard, and they all share the same Affinity of beast-bonding magic. At the same time, they seem unable to cast any spells outside of that. Because of this, while they are physiologically the same as Atrian wizards, Atrian scholars consider them a different sort of being and refer to them simply as "Valbestians" instead. Currently, even Atria-born Valbestians are referred to in that way.

Valbestians
A Valbestian's body looks and functions identically to an Atrian wizard's; it requires ether to function, creates that ether by processing ethernano, and can use ether to perform magic. However, their magic and even their whole lives are shaped by their shared Affinity of beast-bonding magic.

From birth, all Valbestians are drawn toward a single magical beast usually living somewhere near them. The strength of the mysterious force that calls them to their beast varies for each person, so there are some who take longer to find their partner than others. Once bonded, the Valbestian and their beast's ether pools are as one. They are both able to use any magic the beast could, and they can distribute their ether freely between each other. Their minds become linked to the point that they experience the other's thoughts and feelings as if they were their own, even when they're apart.

The four pillars of magic still seem to apply to Valbestians. Their Body pillar is exceptional as it is shared with their beast. Their Mind pillar has as much to do with their own vision of their magic as it does with the depth of the bond with their beast, implying that the beast's vision or mental state also has an impact on spells. The same can be said for the pillar of Spirit.

Valbestians seek out a beast to bond with from a young age, typically between ages 3 and 6. When asked why they chose their particular beast, most say that "it just felt right." But there are some who never find their beast, or never inherit their bonding magic. These people are treated as outcasts by most of the tribes, the specifics of this treatment varying with each tribe.

When either the Valbestian or the Beast dies, the other feels as if they've lost a part of themselves. The way people who've lost their beasts are treated varies by tribe, but generally depends on how they lost their beast. Killing one's own beast is treated as the ultimate betrayal, while losing one's beast in battle is treated with far more respect. In situations where people can't know how the beast was lost, they often assume the latter considering the war-ridden life of Valbestians. A day is taken each autumn to honor the fallen, and for Valbestians to fight each other on that day is shameful.

Re-bonding is very rare but not entirely unheard of. Perhaps if the beast can find another partner similar enough to their original or vise-versa then it can be done, but the concept as a whole is documented only in stories and rumors.

The Royal Selection
Every year in the spring as the first flowers bloom, each tribe sends a representative force to Telbesdra for The Royal Selection. With the whole of Telbesdra as the battlefield, the tribes fight until one has killed or captured the current king, with the winning tribe earning the right to select the next king. If no tribe has defeated the king after three days and three nights, the current king wins that right, and typically chooses themselves as the next king.

To this end, Telbesdra is always built in a way that grants the king and their forces an advantage, be it a grand tower for a skyfaring tribe, an artificial lake for a tribe with aquatic beasts, or even underground for beasts who excel in the darkness.

While it is essentially a battle royale, The Royal Selection is not just a matter of brute force. With so many tribes of varying strengths, the year leading to the battle is spent making alliances and treaties with each other. Be it by sharing political beliefs, having an something valuable to trade, or forcing them through other more nefarious means, the most popular tribe tends to be the winner.

History
Unlike the nations east of the Collean Mountains, Valbestia's early history is actually documented, if vaguely. It tells of a god who gave his life to create them, and grant them the power to survive in a world of chaos. In the early days the beasts were aggressive and constantly attacking until the Valbestians learned how to connect with a select few and fight back.

With the help of the beasts, the Valbestians learned to survive and thrive, each new Valbestian born meaning a new beast ally as well. But the beasts had lived in these lands long before mankind, and thus had a complex history amongst themselves. They turned on each other, as did the people they had bonded with. From this carnage arose the first of the beast kings, who declared the land they'd cultivated his own and dared any to take it from him. None who challenged this claim were capable of the deed, and as such had no choice but to obey.

The presence of this greater power forced the people to take a step back and seek new lands to call home. Beasts and people with similar needs congregated to form the tribes, setting the framework for modern-day Valbestia. The title of beast king would change hands several times before The Royal Selection was officially recognized and agreed upon.

This culture created a nation of warriors and conquerors who did not take kindly to the beastless men who would come to their lands and attempt to take what they'd shed so much blood and sweat to build. These men were the Atrian Empire, and this would be the beginning of a long history of war between the two countries. The tribes had constantly fought among themselves, but the beast king was able to unite them all into a single, terrifying force against their new enemy.

The early battles against Atria were greatly in Valbestia's favor, as the various different beasts gave them more options to maneuver, and their greater experience in battle let them make full use of those options. Aerial attacks and night ambushes were especially effective. But as Atrian magitech developed, the forces on both sides evened out and reached a stalemate. Even so, the fighting would continue on and off until only 15 years ago, in the year X769 when the Atrian Emperor and the Valbestian King signed a treaty for peace.

Modern Day Valbestia
Even after its peace with Atria, Valbestia remains a nation of conflict. Alliances for The Royal Selection are now decided by the tribes' foreign policies, with the nation divided on how to handle relations with Atria.

Valbestians can travel freely into Atria after a simple vetting process, and through this many desire the technological and magical luxuries the Atrians enjoy. Advanced medicine, electricity, and better plumbing chief among them, but peace and security are also very alluring for those tired of all the bloodshed that yet continues in their country.

Others instead see homogeneity of the empire, the way so many former nations were completely assimilated, and fear losing their proud traditions. They believe needless luxuries of the previous group will be the seeds of that, and as such want all things Atrian, including the Atrians themselves, to stay out.

And yet others only see them as the same conquerors, biding their time until their next assault. These people won't soon forget all the people who were lost in the wars of the past, and want nothing more than vengeance for their kin.

The current beast king insists on seeing how the situation develops on both sides before doing anything rash. While she is respected by the tribes, their frustration grows after failing to dethrone her for the past 6 years.