Uvia

Uvia is one of the Terran nations that Explorers may come from. It is in the continent Kalinoa.

A Brief History

Uvia is the largest of the Kalinoan Islands. Its people were early innovators in the design of seacrafts and navigation, and during the third and fourth centuries Uvian navigators settled a number of nearby islands; this could sometimes lead to conflict, particularly with Waloa, which has been alternately Uvia’s main combatant or closest ally for many centuries. Uvia is governed by a council of chiefs, of any gender, who represent the five main tribal groupings of the island: Vaia, Mete, Ailele, Hetua and Ko. The dominant religion in Uvia is O’loa, a polytheistic tradition not widely practised outside of Kalinoa. Uvia became known as the ‘Kalinoan bazaar’ in the 17th century as it became a major trading partner with Southrun, Cajara, Engol and Jionstan, all of whom sent regular ships back and forth. In the 19th and 20th centuries, Uvia became a more multicultural society as it received an influx of immigration from around Kalinoa and beyond.

Today, Uvia is one of the last remaining Kalinoan Islands. The impact of climate change has meant that many of the smaller islands were completely flooded during the last century, and Uvia has also lost several beaches to the ocean. Overcrowding is also an issue due to huge surges of evacuees from these islands moving to Uvia. Most Uvians work in the fishing industry, as orchardists, or in the tourism and hospitality industries, but the government is currently being lobbied to reduce tourism due to the impact of international tourists on already limited resources.

Geography

Uvia has a more temperate climate than most of the other Kalinoan Islands, and is still known for its lush natural forests and abundance of fruit trees. Uvians’ traditional diets were seafood-based, though the starchy harralo fruit became a major staple when introduced in the 13th century. Ancient Uvians ate the mu’lili bird as a staple protein, but it was hunted to extinction.

Major Cities

Latu, Vaiana, Morani Beach.

National Foods and Beverages

• Manaberry, a bright red berry that can be eaten fresh, stewed, or dried.
• Sawasoo, a pale green mushroom that grows mostly in caves. It can be eaten fresh or fried.
• Alo'lai. The alo’lai grows best in sand, and is often found on Uvian beaches. It bears large yellow fruit that can be eaten fresh or fermented to make the traditional Uvian beverage bruva.
• Harralo. The harralo is an Uvian staple crop. Harralo are purple tubers that can be eaten boiled, baked or fried. They can also be dried out and ground into harralo flour.
• Polola. The polola is an orange vegetable that grows on a vine. Polola are spicy and savoury. Although they are too spicy to eat raw, the effect is mellowed when they are cooked.