Tulevaid

Tulevaid is a fictional ethnolinguistic group used in several speculative fiction and role-playing game settings. In these narratives, the Tulevaid are depicted as coastal peoples who inhabit a chain of islands and river valleys in a northern archipelago. They are commonly described as skilled navigators, metalworkers, and keepers of a fire-centered ritual tradition, with social life organized around clan and craft lineages.

In-universe etymology presents the name Tulevaid as originating from two roots in their language: tule meaning fire and vaid meaning people, yielding an interpretive gloss of “fire people.” The term is normally treated as an in-world designation rather than a real-world linguistic label.

Historically within the fiction, the Tulevaid are said to have emerged after a major volcanic event that reshaped the coastline. Their early society formed a network of hill-top sanctuaries and coastal ports, trading with southern maritime cultures. A recurring element in the lore is the gradual adoption of ironworking and glassmaking through contact with outsiders, which influenced their crafts and urban development without erasing traditional fire-centered rites.

Culture and social structure emphasize lineage-based clans with ritual roles focused on hearths, seasonal festivals, and warranting ancestral knowledge. Fire ceremonies mark rites of passage, harvests, and communal decisions. Material culture often features metalwork, pottery with ash glazes, and bronze-inflected tools, reflecting a blend of practical technology and ceremonial symbolism.

Language and writing are described as Tulevaid or Tulevaid, an agglutinative tongue with vowel harmony in many depictions. The writing system is portrayed using rune-like symbols, sometimes shown as carved on hearths, weapons, or trade goods to signify lineage and approval from elders.

In fiction, Tulevaid appears across multiple works and media, contributing to worldbuilding with its distinctive fire-focused culture and seafaring identity.