Nuánszai

Nuánszai refers to a small ethnolinguistic community and their language in the highland interior of the fictional region of Valoria. The Nuánszai people number around 12,000 to 15,000 and live mainly in the Nuán Valley and surrounding uplands, with smaller communities in urban centers abroad.

The Nuánszai language is an agglutinative language with SOV word order, a rich system of noun classifiers, and a phonology that includes ejective consonants and several dorsal fricatives. It uses the Nuán script, a locally developed syllabary dating from the 19th century. Most speakers are bilingual in the regional lingua franca, which facilitates intercommunity communication while Nuánszai remains the primary language in homes and local rituals.

Historically, the Nuánszai trace their origins to early mountain settlements and formed distinct communities by the medieval period. They experienced periodic contact and exchange with neighboring groups, and in the modern era gained cultural autonomy within the Valorian state. Language preservation programs have been established in regional schools to support transmission to younger generations.

Culturally, Nuánszai society centers on extended families and village-based festivals. Traditional crafts include weaving, pottery, and leatherwork, with motifs drawn from mountain flora and fauna. Music features bamboo flutes and stringed instruments, and dances accompany seasonal harvests.

Economically, the community relies on subsistence farming—millet, barley, and tubers—alongside animal husbandry and handicrafts. In recent decades, cultural tourism and small-scale ecotourism have become important supplementary activities. Notable features include distinctive jewelry using tin and glass beads and sacred sites in highland caves.