Vahendi

Vahendi is a fictional culture and language in the fantasy setting of Eldara, created for literature and game-world building. The term refers to both the people of the Windvale Basin and their speech, which storytellers often describe as melodic and tonal.

Geography and society: The Vahendi traditionally inhabit the Windvale Basin, a highland valley with terraced fields and braided streams. Settlements cluster along hillside ledges, with communal homes linked by stone stairways. Their governance is a council of elders drawn from major clans, with a rotating chieftain who serves as a ceremonial figure.

Culture and language: The Vahendi language belongs to the Eastern Varan language group in the fiction taxonomy. Oral literature includes epic songs, oracle verses, and ancestor tales. Material culture emphasizes textile weaving, bronzework, and carved cedar utilities. Religious life centers on river spirits and seasonal harvest rites; festivals celebrate water, renewal, and community kinship.

History and modern status: In their in-world history, the Vahendi emerged during the Great Migration era and established trade ties with neighboring polities along the Nyra river routes. They experienced periods of conquest and autonomy, and in contemporary settings are portrayed as a semi-autonomous cultural region within the wider Eldaran confederation. Language preservation efforts and diaspora communities maintain Vahendi traditions in schools and markets.