Teijons

Teijons are an ethnolinguistic group native to the Teijo Archipelago, a cluster of islands off the northern coast of the continent of Veyla. The term Teijo originally refers to the people and their land, and the population is distributed mainly across Teijo Island, Hara, and Numa, with smaller communities in neighboring mainland ports. Estimates place the group at around 100,000 to 120,000 people, with a long-standing tradition of maritime subsistence and trade.

Language and culture are closely tied to island geography. Teijon, the group's language, features several regional dialects and has historically absorbed vocabulary through contact with neighboring trading partners. Literacy is widespread in Teijon communities, and bilingualism with a regional lingua franca is common. Cultural life centers on the sea, with fishing, boatbuilding, and crafts such as weaving and wood carving playing prominent roles in daily life and ceremonial practice.

History in brief: archaeological evidence suggests Teijons organized into coastal settlements by the late first millennium. They developed networked harbor towns that traded fish, salt, and crafts with inland polities. Colonial-era contact in the 17th to 19th centuries introduced new crops and technologies, accelerating social change. In the 20th century, Teijo attained broad autonomy within a federal framework, establishing regional councils to govern island affairs while maintaining a national constitutional structure.

Society is organized around kinship networks and village councils. Major rites of passage, seasonal festivals, and ancestor commemorations reinforce communal ties. The economy remains dominated by fishing and related industries, supplemented by aquaculture, artisanal crafts, and growing tourism focused on cultural heritage and maritime landscapes.