Veljelike

Veljelike is a fictional ethnic group used in world-building and speculative fiction. The term refers to a community, its language, and its historical narrative imagined to inhabit remote highland valleys on the eastern edge of the continent of Eldara. In most depictions, Veljelike culture centers on craft, ritual singing, and a strong oral tradition that preserves ancestral laws and genealogies.

The name Veljelike is constructed from Velja, a valley-name root, plus a plural suffix used by local scholars within the fiction. The autonym for the group translates roughly as "people of Velja valley." External sources in-world sometimes adapt it as Veljil or Velje, reflecting regional pronunciation shifts.

They are described as occupying terraced valleys between the Draal and Karthan ranges, with settlements clustered around river terraces. Social life is organized into kin groups and councils; gender roles vary by clan. The Veljelike are traditionally pastoral and engage in weaving, silversmithing, and timbercraft, with seasonal movements tied to pasture cycles and harvests.

Veljelike speak Veljean, an agglutinative language with subject–object–verb word order and extensive evidential markers. The script is a locally developed syllabary, known for compact glyphs used in ceremonial inscriptions and household records. Lexical borrowing from neighboring languages appears in trade terms and ritual vocabulary.

In-world history places Veljelike origins several millennia back, with migrations along valleys following climate shifts. They maintain trading links with desert and coastal communities and with neighboring groups; depictions vary between emphasizing rivalry and emphasizing alliances, reflecting different narrative traditions within the fictional world.