Greetings, welcome to Sword of the Nation’s seventh lore preview—and the first one since the completion of the third draft.
This one is not centered around characters, tech, or concepts. Instead, it is focused on the main stage of this saga, the Nation of Vaifen, where all of the events of Sword (and most of the events of its planned sequels) take place at.
Disclaimer: these previews aren’t 100% final and may be subject to change before the book is published, in addition to that, certain information will be withheld for spoiler purposes, and all graphics and imagery are to be considered placeholder until further notice. This is still a learning experience for me, so please excuse the bumps and turbulence.
Let us begin,
The Nation of Vaifen is one of the last remaining nation-states in Orbis, a proud and prosperous people bearer of a unique legacy and a picturesque history riddled with periods of war, natural disasters, man-made tragedies—but also with long lasting periods of peace and prosperity
Vaifen is not a grand nation in terms of territory, nor it stands among the mightiest in terms of military power. It is a nation that accepts the ever-evolving realities of the present and eagerly looks towards the future, without never forgetting the past, nor ever being shameful of it. It bears the scars of its tragedies with its head held up high, and flaunts the banners of its triumphs and best moments with joy. Much of its historical architecture has been preserved throughout the centuries, some of which now coexist with the modern conveniences of today’s technology.
Three core pillars of governance hold together the nation’s foundations. The first of these pillars is the Crown, represented by the Royal House of Starsong, Vaifen’s constitutional monarchs and heads of state since the wars of yore. The Crown is also in charge of the Nation’s diplomacy, as well as a few select branches, organizations, and agencies that directly answer to them. The current regent of Vaifen is Sulwyn Starsong, who ascended to the throne by line of succession after the death of his father, Cadmus Starsong.
The second pillar is the Senate—Vaifen’s legislative branch and the only one that’s directly elected by its citizens. It is led by a Prime Minister that’s chosen from among their ranks, who, at the moment of its appointment, is tasked to form a cabinet of Ministers: Health, Defense, Culture, Security, Work, Educatio, Economy, Energy, and Development, with the tenth one, Diplomacy, being directly appointed by the Crown. The Nation’s current Prime Minister is Andre Callahan.
The third, but not least important of the trinity, is the Tribunal, Vaifen’s judicial branch. Tasked with interpreting the Senate’s laws, dispensing justice through its courts, and keeping the balance between all three powers.
Rich in culture, it is home to unique expressions of folklore, and with a vast and extensive repertoire of mythological tales, such as the legend of the Krosah river, a long riverbed that the legends say was formed by the remains of a gargantuan maritime creature of the same name that once ruled the seas.
Ever since its inception, the Union of Nations has extended an invitation to Vaifen to join their fold and their global unified vision of the world—a calling that the Crown of Starsong has always rejected time and time again, leaving Vaifen as one of the last remaining truly independent nation-states in the planet Orbis.
When the Nasivern race made contact with the humans of Orbis they took a special interest in Vaifen itself, much to the dismay and bewilderment of the Union. The reasoning for the unexpected alliance between Vaifen and the self proclaimed Heirs of Sin is not public knowledge, and perhaps will never be revealed.
Three decades past, the people of Vaifen found themselves amidst a cruel one-sided war against the full might of the neighboring Republic of Svarzfal. The truth of the circumstances and series of events that gave forth to this conflict continue to be cause for speculation and debate. Certain conspiracy theorists claim that the war itself was orchestrated by the Union as a means to decimate the Starsong rule and bring Vaifen to its knees, which would’ve forced a then crushed nation to join the Union. Another conspiracy states that the Starsong family is to blame for it and it was all part of a devious scheme to cement their waning rule.
Whatever the truth may be, it was a gruesome war that Vaifen was losing, and had it not been for the intervention of the Nasivern (most notably in the form of Aeoros Isthal and the Daybreak group under his command) Vaifen would’ve surely lost the war. The Nasivern’s aid turned the tide from a decisive Svarzfal victory into an armistice between both belligerent forces. The armistice still holds to this day, even after the fall of the Nasivern race, who the rest of the world considered to be Vaifen’s deterrent against the much larger and powerful Svarzfal.
The Nation of Vaifen is divided by seven regions or administrative areas, which are described as follows:
TERNION
The central region of the nation and Vaifen’s smallest. The region takes its name after the City of Ternion, the nation’s capital city, which encompasses most of the area’s territory.
Ternion is the oldest city in the nation, and the seat of its power, the word Ternion being a reference to the trinity that shapes and guide Vaifen: The Crown, the Senate, and the Tribunal. All three of these are located at equal distance from one another, with the Crown at the north of the city, the Senate at its south east, and the Tribunal at the south west.
The city is home to some unique landmarks as locales, such as the Grand Royale district, Vaifen’s biggest and busiest commercial district. It is easy to get lost in such a grand city, and first time visitors often get awed by the imposing architecture of yore and the tall and modern edifices built in recent times. But for all the historic legacy and glamorous modernity, Ternion is not exempt from the natural chaos of a metropolis.
Traffic jams are often and abundant in peak hours, a malady that’s greatly alleviated by Ternion’s old train network, which has been constantly revamped through the years. Some of its oldest stations, such as Estival Station, have preserved its original architecture while replacing its trains and tracks with much modern and efficient counterparts.
From the nation’s most important universities and health centers, to a vivid nocturnal life, Ternion is a microcosm of Vaifen itself, and while life can be busy and noisy in the capital city, its citizens get to enjoy life in peace—nonetheless, there are areas of the city that the majority turns a blind eye to, or choose to ignore, areas whose livelihood is a stark contrast to the pristine Quintex district or the newly developed Apex lane.
DENUO
Often hailed as the second region, its cities are considered by many to be smaller yet more modern versions of Ternion. Home to some of the world’s most prominent tech conglomerates, such as Noveaux Tech. Denuo has been hailed as the modern technological capital of the Nation—a glimpse to the future itself, a denomination that’s not well taken by some.
While some hail and prefer Denuo over Ternion, others denounce that the region has strayed further from Vaifen’s architectural past and legacy, clinging further to a more modern, albeit sterile, gentrified approach to its development. Some rationalize this approach by saying that Denuo has always behind Ternion’s shadow, and that the region sought to find its own identity.
TALCEA
Talcea can be considered to be a polar opposite to Denuo, and is located in the westernmost area of the Nation. In times past, Talcea nurtured a culture of its own, down to their own peculiar accent that’s quite distinct from the rest of Vaifen.
Boasting and an exquisite and unique cuisine unlike anything else in the nation, and paradisiacal beaches with a water most crystalline, and a sand most soft and smooth. Talcea is not just the premier tourist destination in Vaifen, but it stands on its own as one of the most beautiful places in Orbis.
The late Queen Ellene Valmont was a natural of Talcea, and so is her daughter, Princess Vesper Starsong. Gale Lacroix, the yellow member of Gestalt, also hails from the region of Talcea.
QUAILE
Known for its massive mountains and hard to navigate terrain, the northern region of Quaile is rich in mineral resources, which, suffice to say, sealed its fate as Vaifen’s mining and industrial engine.
Jonathan Foster, the young founder and CEO of Noveaux Tech, was born and raised in Quaile.
JERA
The agricultural heart of the nation. While it lacks the grandiose architecture of Ternion, the modernity of Denuo, and the beauty of Talcea, it boasts a tanquility unlike any other place in the nation.
The air couldn’t be fresher in this southern region. Life in Jera goes at its own pace, and it’s hard-working citizens know how to appreciate the small things in life, like a starry night, the fruits of your labor, and the importance of family.
The Republic of Svarzfal, in their march against Vaifen, had managed to successfully control Jera, and while the land has healed in the decades since the war, the scars of that war are still present here and there.
Commander Erron Leitner, the blue leader of Gestalt’s team and the late General Michael Traxler were both born in Jera.
PENTAL
Pental is the least densely populated region of the nation, and home to some of the world’ most lush forests and unique fauna.
In recent times, the region was known for being plagued with certain insurrectionists groups that sought to oppose the rule of Starsong, these groups availed themselves of Pental’s great forests to build their encampments and stage attacks on not just Pental’s small towns, but on its neighboring regions, Jera and Nimir.
Whether these groups are a ‘resolved matter’ as Vaifen’s authorities claim remains to be seen, one thing is certain, the region has known peace for the past seven years.
NIMIR
The north-eastern region of the nation, it shares some of the unique flora and fauna of Pental, and is caressed by the mountains of Quaile.
Of all of Vaifen, Nimir was hit the hardest by the horrors of the conflict between Vaifen and Svarzfal. It was also the place where the Nasivern explorers landed and first made contact with the humans of Orbis.
Their encounter, and the eventual alliance between the Nasivern and Vaifen, charted the road for the region’s immediate future. Their mutual cooperation gave birth to new ventures in the fields of medicine and technology, and even a nascent aerospace industry that dreamed of traveling to the stars above—these dreams and ventures all came to a crashing halt when the Nasivern home world was decimated and their race brought to a near extinction.
—
While the entirety of Sword of the Nation takes place in the capital city of Ternion, the rest of Vaifen’s locations (and the world of Orbis) will be featured and explored in future entries of this saga.
As an added note, as I was searching through my old notes and crude maps of Vaifen I became aware that I’ve been working on this project for almost five years now, it’s been quite a long journey but I’m almost there!
If you want to know more about this upcoming book series please check out Sword’s hub page. Please stay tuned for more previews and info as I chart and walk the path towards publishing this dream of mine.
Until next time,
-Kal
