Varisia and Varisians

[DrPete]

Hi all,

Just trying to understand the Varisians... the material in the Setting more or less describes them as gypsies, but that doesn't work for a whole country (as far as I can tell) and there seem to be three groups which you might call Varisians. Here's what I make of them

1) The Shoanti -- ruthless nomads and/or confidence men

2) The Varisians of Varisia -- formerly herders and horsemen who've adapted to the presence of the Chelaxians, and become farmers

3) The Varisians of the diaspora -- Gypsies moving between settled areas in caravans, entertainers mostly

I base this on the idea that you can't wander from city to city if there aren't any cities, and there don't seem to've been any in Varisia before the arrival of the Chelaxians. Meanwhile, the areas of influence of Korvosa and Magrimar cover all of the arable land "near" them, so they've reshaped those areas of the country in their image.

Make sense?

What I'm not sure about includes: who are the Varisian Council? They seem to be something like "elders", but they are primarily described in a way that makes them seem like land holders. As I put it together, the Chelaxians brought their feudal system to Varisia, and transformed various leaders into landholders. Their people became the Varisians, and settled in to work the land for city states.

Towns like Sandpoint get created by the creation of a charter between the land owner (some part of the Varisian Council) and the town founders, who then owe a tax to the owner. Ok, I don't fully understand the system, but that's my first stab at it.

Dr Pete

[vagrant-poet]

DrPete wrote:

1) The Shoanti -- ruthless nomads and/or confidence men

I really don't see the shoanti being seen as confidence men, at all, some very odd members of the race maybe, but it wouldn't be a common thing.

The Sczarni, who are Varisian thief families, and tend to be more settled, are confidence men, thieves and small-time gangsters and hustlers.

[KaeYoss]

Shoanit are barbarians, plain and simple, with all the trimmings: raging warriors, honour as important concept, tribal society, coming-of-age rituals, often nomadic lifestyle...

The ethnic Varisians (which isn't really the same as "someone living in Varisia") are basically what you'd call gypsies, including the bad rep they often get (which is mostly thanks to a minority of black sheep, so nothing new there, either).

The settled Varisians have moved away from their traditional lifestyle and set up permanent residency somewhere, but they still have many of their other traditions.

As I said, Varisian, and inhabitant of Varisia isn't always the same: There are ethnic Varisians beyond Varisia's borders, and there's other inhabitants of Varisia beyond the Varisians - many of them natives themselves (in fact, I think the Shoanti have been around longer than the Varisians.

[Seoni, Portella]

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We are not bad people.

[The black raven]

KaeYoss wrote:

in fact, I think the Shoanti have been around longer than the Varisians.

Both people emerged from the fall of Thassilon. The Shoanti descend from the military caste, while the Varisians are mentioned as nomadic survivors of the fall. Which also explains why the Shoanti see the nomadic Varisians as distant cousins.

[Jarod Darkblade]

Seoni, Portella wrote:

We are not bad people.

Lousy subjects, though.

[Seoni, Portella]

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Lousy?! No, not lousy just misunderstood plus we are subjects to no one. From all who live in Varisia, we and our cousins have the right to this lands over any invader that call themselves civilized.

[Jarod Darkblade]

Seoni, Portella wrote:

we are subjects to no one

That's right. We dumped you. You were not worth Cheliax's trouble.

[Akasharose]

A true Varisian would never die from the Crimson Curse. But we still can't get one to take the throne.

[Seoni, Portella]

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@ Jarod Darkblade

I am glad you think that way.

@ Akasharose

...

[Jarod Darkblade]

Seoni, Portella wrote:

S

I am glad you think that way.

Yeah. I'd much rather we keep you as informal hunting grounds. It might be a dump, but Varisia's still a decent place to practise manhunts!

[Ayedah]

Jarod Darkblade wrote:

Seoni, Portella wrote:

we are subjects to no one

That's right. We dumped you. You were not worth Cheliax's trouble.

You just wanted to avoid the embarrassment of everyone finding out our people are better at handling hellish conditions than yours.

Jarod Darkblade wrote:

Yeah. I'd much rather we keep you as informal hunting grounds. It might be a dump, but Varisia's still a decent place to practise manhunts!

Please send more Hellknights. Steel is very valuable up here and our cousins don't have much of that to trade with us so much as food and beautifully woven scarves.

They are very pretty, cousins. It's just that they're also flammable... :(