Vargus Archive

Salevia

Overview

Once a place of war and strife, Salevia is now a place of festivity and joviality. In the capital city, there is always a large festival going on. The kingdom has become prosperous due to the large quantity of merchants that go there to sell their wares, and the many bards who go to perform.

Most who visit the festival these days are foreigners, with the actual citizens mainly living quietly outside of the festival district. It is said that the king partakes in the festival posing as a wine merchant, but no one has been able to prove it.

Additionally, Salevia is home to the famous Bards' College, which has been training practitioners of the arts in every form for centuries.

History

Before the time of the Orelian Empire, Salevia was a warlike kingdom focused on martial prowess and fighting with the other kingdoms. When the Orelian Empire rose to power, the two nations clashed in a battle that nearly destroyed Salevia entirely.

The Salevians who survived chose to change their views on the world. Instead of being resentful towards the Empire, they were grateful to be alive. So, when the time came that they were able to rebuild after the fall of the Empire, Salevia became a place of gratitude and life. The festival serves as a reminder of this, even when the citizens do not attend.

The Bards' College

The Bards' College was founded after Salevia was rebuilt as a place where one could study music, but over time the College started catering to other forms of the arts as well.

Presently, one can study the arts in nearly every form at the College. The College is known for the quality of the work that comes out of the students and is considered to be quite prestigious. This reputation has led some to believe that the College has an elitist mentality, but this could not be farther from the truth.

Most of the students view the College as a place to learn from one another and practice their trades freely and not as a place to learn the "acceptable" way. There are some who have the latter view, but those who do are much less common than those who use the College to expand their knowledge.