Author's Note: These are tidbits of information that can be considered fan-made lore for the mysterious Viera of Ivalice. Everything from their social structure to their history to my idea of who Lente was. Mostly pertains to any of my stories including Salikawood Viera like Neyva (Also known as "Stitches") or my forum character: Guild Master Ay'ada. Also, before I go any further I wanna say… Zodiarksavior (and whoever else may read this that knows the lore of Ivalice) I know your probably gonna read this and go "That's not true, this is." and review with what is true about something. I'm not trying to be a bitch, but as I said before- this is FAN-LORE! It does not necessarily follow everything that we know to be true about the history of Ivalice, it is here to make sense of my creations: The Salikawood and Feywood Viera. My rant said, on with the lore!
Foreword
By Professor Astraella Rorikk,
Head of the Social Science Division of the Royal College of Archades
Of the races that inhabit Ivalice, few are as mysterious and intriguing as the reclusive Viera. Often a common sight in cities like Rabanastre or Balfonhiem, the tall snowy haired people are considered exotic enigmas- both personally and as a people. For any who may be curious about these elegant beings- we have now comprised a codex of sorts that details all of the information found by the Royal College of Archades on the subject of their history, social structure, and other topics pertaining to not only the well known Viera of Golmore Jungle- but also about two lesser known variants of this proud race. Beginning with how these villages became what they are today, we shall enlighten you on all of these subjects in the hopes that perhaps everyone may better understand why the Viera are who they are as well as develop an understanding for their ways.
Separation of the Villages:
Long ago before the age of the Dynast-King, the Golmore Jungle, Salikawood, and Feywood were once a single forest. It is unknown exactly how long ago the forests became separate woods, only that something destroyed the area between them that would not allow for new trees to form. Between the Salikawood and Golmore, a massive desert formed; while a wall of stone rose out of the ground to separate the Golmore Jungle from the Feywood, allowing mist to thicken and condense among it's boughs- warping and defiling the creatures within.
The Forgotten Viera of the Feywood:
Before the condensation of mist, there was once a Viera Village deep within this mysterious forest. These Viera were Master-Smiths, creating weapons and armor from various metals… including magicite. When the magicite in their armor began to react negatively with the new overabundance of mist, their minds snapped and they were driven mad with rage… as a result the entire village was destroyed nearly overnight. Travelers to this wood would think this a mere fable as no trace of the village can be seen anywhere; but they would be fools to think so. This village was hidden in a secret valley, reachable through a tunnel hidden by magick and sealed by their last Shaman: Dywena, the very last Viera of this forgotten village to maintain her sanity long enough to seal the village to protect the forest and cast a scroll containing this information outside the barrier. The name of this village is lost to the ravages of time, as the scroll only seemed to mention the name once near the bottom; the section containing the name in question seems to have been torn off. However the last three letters of the name are legible: -rst. Also all attempts so far to dissolve the barrier have failed, leaving us no choice but to abandon the archeological investigation of the Village. Should the barrier fall on it's own, anyone reading this is advised to exercise caution and inform the proper authorities immediately; under no circumstances should you enter the site, as there is no way of knowing what is inside… and if all Viera within are truly dead, or simply warped by the mist.
It is unknown what these Viera looked like, but we surmise that they also had the signature long ears situated on top of their heads like others of their race as well as naturally tan skin. There are rumors however that these Viera had dark silver-colored irises; whether this is true or not can not be proven until the barrier can be brought down and the ancient village explored for any visual representations of the former inhabitants.
The Blue-Eyed Viera of Salikawood:
The Viera of Salikawood, exist in Ivalice to this very day; although they are never seen outside their Wood save for a small handful scattered to the winds for their own reasons. This is due to the fact that these Viera have less reason to leave as they are not nearly as hostile than their red-eyed Golmore cousins, and allow travelers free passage through their domain; going as far as patrolling the pathways for travelers in danger. While talented warriors like their Golmore cousins, most of their variant are actually healers or a specialization unique to them called: Spell-Weavers, a kind of mage. Please refer to the section dedicated to social structure for more details.
These Viera are known to anyone aware of their existence by their distinct blue irises; the lighter the shade, the older the Salika Viera. Their current Shaman, Ks'ata, is an example of this fading coloration: as her eyes are a startling pale star-light blue; which leads us to believe that she is of incredible age, as no other Viera in the village of Xerys has eyes that even match hers. In addition to this, Salika Viera appear to be lighter in skin tone: their Veena being comparable to Humes, and their Rava akin to average Veena. Another odd trait of these Viera, is that their life span seems to be close to half that of Golmore Viera; this is thought to be due to their exposure to Humes and their diseases. Were a Hume can live to be around 90 if they live an active and healthy life, Salika Viera commonly live to be around 110 compared to the seemingly limitless lifespan of the Golmore Viera. In addition, the Salikawood Viera appear to have a higher tolerance to mist and it's effects; the cause of this is unknown, but speculated to be due to living in close proximity to natural magicite.
The Fierce Warrior Viera of Golmore Jungle
The most well known of the Viera race, this variant is often thought to be cold and ruthless to strangers… and those who believe this are often right. The dark passages of the Golmore Jungle are rife with dangers and hardly anyone dares to enter it's foreboding foliage; in fear of both monsters and it's Viera guardians. Little is known about this secretive Viera, though we have spoken to several Viera who have left the seclusion of their home in Eruyt Village; they never gave much information, saying something about the "Green Word" forbidding them from divulging the secrets of their village and it's history. Though our information about the forests once being the same wood came from these interviews and set us on the correct path towards discovering more.
This variant of Viera is the one nearly everyone envisions when they think of the race as a whole. Tall, white haired, with varying shades of red eyes and iconic tall ears positioned on the top of their heads. Though of the Golmore Viera, the darker skinned Rava seem most common compared to the paler Veena.
Common questions and misconceptions
Many people wonder about the mysterious Viera… the most common question is- how do they reproduce if they are all female? The answer to this question is quite simple- they are not. For each known Viera village, there is a brother-village where the males live in even closer guarded seclusion than the females. While the reasons for this separation is unknown, it is speculated that it is for population control. Since the Viera have such long life spans, living alongside the males of the species could tempt many to procreate faster than the forests they live in can maintain. No Viera we have spoken with has ever divulged the location of a Male Vieran village, which leads us to believe that neither village knows of the other's location and that there may be a set date for gatherings and perhaps even small hideaways where couples can be alone.
Another question that comes up among those who know the true answer about male and female Viera, is if they marry or are pairings simply one night stands? While we have yet to learn of Vieran marital rituals, we are certain that at least the eldest among the villages are indeed married to their partners. This is because all Viera we have interviewed seem to value family about all else but the "Green Word". What this dogma the Viera follow has yet to be fully understood and seems to vary slightly based on the two known villages; perhaps the answer to the question is written somewhere in this seemingly universal teaching.
So this is what i have so far, if anyone has questions: either PM me or ask in a review and the topic will be covered in the next update- if anyone reviews anonymously, please leave a name that i can call you in the questions section! I'm probably gonna do this in each chapter.