Tuvas

The Tuvas are a fictional ethnolinguistic group created for worldbuilding and speculative geography. They are described as inhabiting the Valaran Basin, a highland region in the eastern foothills of the Indaran Range. Traditionally pastoralists, the Tuvas also practice agriculture in terraced valleys.

Etymology: The name Tuva derives from a self-designation found in some texts, said to mean "hill people" in the Tuvaric tongue. Other scholars propose derivations tied to riverine or trade-based terms. Because the group is fictional, competing etymologies are common in in-universe lore.

Language: The Tuvaric language family is described as agglutinative, with consonant-vowel harmony and extensive noun incorporation. It has several dialects, some of which are presented as literate in a script derived from Cyrillic or a Latin-based system in different fictional sources.

Society and culture: Tuvas organize themselves into kin-based clans led by elders. Social life centers on seasonal gatherings, pastoral migration, and craft specialization such as felt making, bronze work, and weaving. Music features polyphonic singing and throat singing traditions. Religions range from animist ancestor worship to syncretic forms incorporating Buddhism or Islam, depending on lineage.

History and modern status: In the fictional chronology, Tuvas emerged as a distinct group during the early medieval period of the world’s history, trading with neighboring polities along caravan routes. In contemporary settings, Tuvas are depicted as a minority community within a larger state, with cultural preservation efforts and some language revitalization programs.