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The Movarian people are from the plant Movaria in the Monar System, which is part of the Jaka Galaxy, one of the two galaxies that make up the Central Systems. Movaria is a land full of rich resources and drastically changing environments, making the complexion and body composition of the Movarian people uncharacteristically diverse when compared with other humanoids in the wider universe. There are Movarians of differing heights, skin color, eye color, and cultural identity, though every Movarian has smooth skin, is a biped, and has a fairly hairless body.
Little is known about Movaria’s early history, but records began to be recorded when the first widespread kingdom of Hatchala (meaning “new beginning” in the ancient texts of the Movarian people) became stable under the rule of a Movarian known only as Gaston. It was under his rule that the religion known as the Qahalor became widely practiced and a temple was built to house sacred relics that were protected by monks faithful to the ways of the Qahalor.
Though Gaston’s rule was harsh, the son that took his place was fierce and cruel. His name was Habor and he ruled the Movarian people so atrociously that many fled to lands (presumed to be uninhabited until this time) across an ocean that divides the two main continents of the planet. Habor declared these deserters to be traitors and renamed his kingdom Northang to spite those who fled to the south. It was from Habor’s lies and evil rule that the great strife between the Northern and Southern hemispheres of Movaria took root. It was not long, however, until his own people overthrew Habor and a new and kind leader was put in his place.
The new king was Kavara and he brought a revival to the ways of the Qahalor, placing Qahalor monks in positions of honor in his court to tell the stories of the old religion. Because of the rising influence of the monks a hope was revived among Kavara’s subjects that one day a Light Bearer, or Orthev, would come to save them from their troubles. As the Qahalor teaches, a hope was sparked among the people that the final Othev would come and defeat the Hoshek (evil creatures bent on destroying the universe), after which Ava, the creator, would come and establish his kingdom and set all things right. During Kavara’s reign peace fell over the lands of Movaria as the two opposing kingdoms, Northang in the north and Southernland in the south (ruled by King Forgane), searched their own lands and established new costumes and practices.
After the death of Kavara, Heatherford took his father’s place. He was a good king and well loved by many of his subjects, but he ruled during hard times of sickness and famine. It was not long until a new king in Southernland, named Gratch, devised a plan to weakened Northang. Gratch sent spies to entice wicked subjects against Heatherford, causing many of his own people to rebel against him and take the kingdom for themselves. Old fables tell that in the chaotic times of the overthrow of Heatherford the Qahalor of the king’s court took sacred relics and hid them away before Heatherford was killed and his kingdom fell to pieces.
After Heatherford’s death, Northang crumbled apart and split into various groups of warring tribes all seeking power for themselves. It wasn’t long before Gratch crossed the ocean with a large army and took over many of the lands of Northang. The remaining followers of the Qahalor took up residence by the Shevla Mountains where they alone kept the stories and traditions of their past, naming themselves the “Remnant”. Even so, not all of the old religion’s stories were lost on the rest of the warring tribes of Northang, even under the brutal rule of the southern kings.
After many years of subjection to the southern kingdom, the tribes left of Northang fought back against Southernland and retook the northern lands for themselves again. Peace would have reigned once more, but one tribe or another often rose up to seek power, and war would break out over the northern lands. Years and years trudged on in this way, all the while the Remnant waited for the Light Bearer to come, living in small villages scattered along the mountain range.
After several centuries, the tribes of the northern lands began to work together in more civil ways, primarily for the purpose of trade. A democratic system was established among the differing tribes and good relations even began to be established with the southern lands, whose kingdom had fallen into disarray. It was during these years of new commerce that many people slowly begun to forget their torrid past and to think of themselves simply as Movarian’s, not people of the north or south. Only the Remnant remembered the old stories and the old hope, but as time went on fewer and fewer people were willing to listen to them.
After hundreds of years in this way of forgetfulness the people groups of Movaria completely forgot about Ava and the Qahalor and simply lived for the joys of each passing day. They started to make their own way in the world and depend on their own intuitions and inventions, leaving behind old traditions and old beliefs. The Movarian people are a resourceful and clever people, which made it easier for them to fail to realize that they cannot make their own way in the universe.
Soon trade became central to the economies of the nations of the lands of Movaria and local companies started to gain more power than many of the governing authorities. A political party naming themselves the “Liberalists” supported this change in the northern countries, but an opposing party rose up naming themselves the “Traditionalists”. The Traditionalists called for a weakening of company power and supported a return to traditions of the past. They even called for a reinstitution of the traditions of the Qahalor, or the Old Way, as it was now known. Even so, the Traditionalists only remembered the rules, not the stories that went with them. They used the old religion as a means to their own ends rather than a love for the story of the Old Way itself. The Traditionalist party was eventually over run in the northern and southern lands by the Liberalists. Those who were left of the Traditionalist party were looked down upon and derided by most.
After their victory, the Liberalist party encouraged the pursuit of science and technology, which brought with it a new age of naturalistic thinking and scientific progression. It wasn’t long before space travel was made possible and Movarian companies were forming new colonies on uninhabited planets throughout the solar system.
However, all was not well. A fight for rare resources in the far reaches of the Monar System led to the revival of ancient prejudices and a final war was fought between the southern and northern countries, which simply became known as the “Great Civil War”. The war was quick, but tragic, with many deaths on both sides. It served to weaken the Liberalist party and propelled the rise of various companies that gained much revenue from the bloody ordeal. After the Great Civil War the real source of governance fell to several powerful companies that hid behind the veil of a weak democratic structure that unified the planet under the Movarian Federation.
Shortly after the Great Civil War a deadly illness known as the “Black Plague” hit the populations of both the northern and southern hemispheres. The Black Plague had two effects on the planet: it served to unify the remaining populous and turn their gaze to the stars in the hopes of finding a cure.
It was not long before first contact was made with humanoids from outside of the Monar System. Through the combined efforts of the Consumer Coalition (a council of various C.E.Os throughout the planet) and the Movarian Federation a doorway to other galaxies was opened. Movaria and the rest of the universe would never be the same again.
If you enjoyed this post be sure to check out my book The Bright Abyss where you can learn more about the characters and cultures of this strange, yet familiar universe. Just follow the link here to get a copy.