Vaalian

Vaalian refers to the ethnolinguistic group associated with Vaalia, a coastal archipelago in the eastern sea. The term encompasses the people, their language, and many cultural practices that developed around seafaring and trade.

The name Vaalian derives from the self-designation Vaali and from external exonyms used by neighboring cultures. The Vaalian language is part of the Vaaloid language group and features two principal dialects: Northern Vaalian and Coastal Vaalian. A standardized form is used in education and formal writing, while regional dialects remain common in everyday speech.

Vaalia comprises a cluster of islands and a narrow mainland coast. Historically, Lirath served as a ceremonial capital, though political influence is distributed among several city-states that cooperate through the Vaalian Compact. The social structure centers on guilds, clans, and councils of elders, with a strong maritime orientation.

Vaalian culture appears in historical records during the late Bronze Age to early Iron Age as seafaring communities. A period of maritime expansion produced a loose Vaalian umbrella state in the medieval era, and later political reorganizations led to the current arrangement of semi-autonomous communities within a regional federation.

Vaalian culture emphasizes navigation, shipbuilding, and oral poetry. Festivals mark solstices and notable voyages. The economy combines fishing, trade, ship repair and light manufacturing, with craft specialization in woodwork and ropework. The Vaalian script is a syllabary known from inscriptions dating to the early medieval period.