Setting - Vielstinn

✦ About

Vielstinn is a small northern country known for its significant advancement in technology and science. Veilstinn was once a collection of small settlements spread across the northern peninsula, many of which were founded by nonmagical families fleeing from the magical revolutions going on at the time in other countries. Because of the harsher conditions and the fact that most of them had no magic to speak of the people of Veilstinn had to be resourceful and inventive to work the land. 

Sterotypes ect:

Many other countries where laws are stricter view Veilstinn as 'the land without morals' This partially comes from the reputation of the many street gangs formed in the cities, that run gambling dens, bars and are involved in organised crime as well as it's different cultural values, such as social class not being dependant on magic. 

Veilstinn is also seen as a growing powerhouse of trade and business as faster, cheaper and more efficient modes of transport means that the once isolated country has begun to take on a more important role in international politics. 

Magic:

There are two kinds of magic that people can use, referred to as Innate and Acquired in Veilstinn. Innate magic is an ability that only those who are born with an instinctive sense of it are able to use. While generally more powerful, it tends to be volatile, especially in regards to the user's emotions. Some users of Innate magic are naturally more skilled at controlling it, but even then it can end up being very destructive. 

Contrasting that is Acquired magic, which can technically be learned by anyone, though it takes a lot of time and skill. It usually relies heavily on components and is much weaker than Innate magic. Acquired magic is more regularly used in Veilstinn (though neither are particularly common) as it is much easier to use in engineering and is being studied more widely in academia. Using magic in medicine is also been a more recent field of study and is something that isn't very well understood. 

Different parts of the world have different understandings of how magic works and where it comes from through a common tie among them is the concept of Innate users drawing magic from themselves and Acquired users drawing from the world. Deities or personifications of magic are also a common similarity but the characterisation is typically different from place to place.

Education ✦

Education is highly valued and while not completely compulsory it is very much expected. Schools have become more mainstream and there is heavy competition at the top ones, even from a young age. Tutoring is also not uncommon.

Literacy 

Literacy is on the rise in Viselstinn. This is mostly due to the increasing pressure on a good education and the cultural importance of the idea of traditional views of intelligence. Books are also widespread and becoming more so, with science and magical essays especially being quite common. The three universities each have a large library and are known as some of the biggest centres of information in the world.

✦ Major Cities

As technological advancements increased more of the population migrated from small farming towns and villages to one of the three major cities for work and education. 

Charward -  The capital city of Vielstinn

Leri-  Leri is the smallest of the three major cities and the only one with a university of magic. 

Jorahaviin 

Customs - Superstitions - Beliefs ✦

Deities:

- Inona, Goddess of Ingenuity, Science and Magic 

- Vak, God of Commerce

-  Holene, Goddess of Prosperity

- Afion and Dortia, God Of Sleep and Goddess of dreams

Death and Funerals:

A common custom is for mourners is to leave a small jar containing a few coins as a sign of respect for the deceased and it is considered incredibly bad luck as well to steal from them. A superstition that has stemmed from this tradition is that discussion of business in a graveyard will bring bad luck and will cause the people involved to fall into debt. 

Graveyards tend to be well looked after and filled with trees and flowers, this and the fact that parks are not as common, make them often visited for picnics as well as mourning.

 Cremation is not commonly done. 

Marriage:

Marriage is considered very important to the people of Veilstinn. Businesses are often kept within the family and so a strong and loyal marriage is considered a key part of success. Divorce while legal is thought to be somewhat shameful. While social class is not considered an important part of marriage, many upper-class families hold the view that skills and education as essential things to consider before marrying.  

Food: 

Due to the cold climate most meat is preserved with salt or smoked and dried. Fruits and vegetables, such as potatoes and a Veilstinn variety of apples are not uncommon and are typically baked. Popular with children is Gishar, a hardboiled sweet similar in taste to liquorice. 

Symbols of Luck:

Birds have often been associated with good luck in Vielstinn culture and are common pets, especially ones that sing or can be trained to talk. Many people will keep a small songbird at home but richer families often have large aviaries filled will exotic birds from all over the world. The goddess, Holene, is often portrayed with a bird sitting on her shoulder, which is said to represent fortune.  

✦ Politics and Leadership

Veilstinn is run by a group of eight people voted into leadership, known as the Prime Council. The candidates have to already be a member of government but the voting is completely public.

The system has been around for a long time as it started back when Veilstinn was still just a collection of 4 small clans, each one having an elected leader who represented them. Over time the clans dissolved into more structured towns and cities, causing the number councillors to increase and the connection to an official clan to be unnessicary. 

Public opinion varies widely. Supporters of the current leaders see them as forward-thinking and believe the continued advancement in relations with other, more powerful nations is rightly their most important focus, while vocal critics, particularly those from poorer districts, see them as power-hungry and uninterested in the plights of the poor, such as workers rights and rising crime.

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