Viera

A leporine race closed-off from the rest of the world.

Culture

The Viera people are commonly found in Southern Othard. While the majority of their population resides isolated from the rest of the world in the Golmore Jungle, in recent times more have decided to leave the safety of the forest to explore the world. As such, it is estimated that the Kingdom of Dalmasca is comprised of around 5% Viera.

The Viera in Golmore Jungle live under a strict code, the "Green Word" (also known as the Word of the Wood), that forbid them from interacting with the outside world unless strictly necessary. Those who leave to discover the world are forever banished, never to return.

It is estimated that around 80% of Viera are born female, with males and females being identical at birth until they leave adolescence and reach adulthood at around age 13, which is when males become distinguishable from females. Viera live for hundreds of years, easily longer than three lifetimes of an Elezen, who are known to live longer than many other races themselves. Viera retain their physical youth for centuries, making it nigh impossible to discern the age of a Viera from their outward appearence.

Viera tribes are a matriarchal society that is ruled by, and mostly comprised of, women. Viera men are rare and remain deeply solitary, except when they return to their village of birth every three to five years to mate and claim any youn males that have not yet entered adulthood but still live in the village. While the men are the primary defenders, Viera women still defend the forest but they also devote time to responsibilities such as clearing the undergrowth, removing fallen trees, planting seeds, and eradicating vermin among other tasks.

Despite being excluded from villages, male Viera still play an important role in Viera society by taking on the mantle of Wood-warders, serving as protectors of the forest. The duty of a Wood-warder is to ensure that the domain of their tribe is untouched by the destructive whims of outsiders. It is standard that Wood-warders attack from the shadows, often shooting first and not even bothering with asking questions

Lineages

Rava

The Rava and Veena clans share many traditions, thus making it difficult to tell the two apart. The Rava primarily live in the lush, colorful Golmore Jungle, distinguished by their melonated skin. They sport bushier eyebrows than the Veena, as well as slightly smaller pupils and more vibrant eye colors.

Male Rava inhabit the forest surrounding the village in which female members of their clan reside, forming a sort of perimeter in defense of both the wood and its people. They believe that their purpose is to maintain the natural balance of the six elements in their dual polarities— to ensure harmony between the twelve aspects that comprise the star and the heavens above. In accordance with this philosophy, each Rava surname begins with a syllable to represent either the celestial realm or the worldly realm, followed by a word that represents one elemental aspect within it. It is believed that those sharing a realm or an element possess a bond that grants them insight into one another's minds, and as such are wont to join forces when the need for collaboration arises.

Veena

The Rava reside in the mountains of the Skatay Range that rise above their forest home in its foothills. The Veena have paler skin than the Rava. They possess thinner eyebrows than the Rava, as well as slightly larger pupils and more dull eye colors.

In the mountainous region inhabited by the veena, villages are frequently enveloped by heavy snows. A male Veena's surname marks him an integral, albeit small, part of this landscape, combining references to snow crystals, Unlike the Rava, the Veena are not known to regard their Wood-warders as sharing any particular affinities or bonds due to their surnames.