Vytuia

Vytuia was a member world of the Golden Empire. It was the homeworld of the land-dwelling Basca and the aquatic Zwushtu.

Geography
Much of Vytuia's surface was covered with prarie and steppe, ranging from loamy, arable soil to dry, arid dirt heavy with clay. Coastal regions experienced wide climatic variety, but many inland areas had only two seasons: a wet season, characterized by heavy rains most days, and a dry season which could bring sunny drought for months at a time.

The oceans of Vytuia were deep, with many landmasses and formations beneath the waves. The temperatures in the ocean varied immensely, leading to the growth and development of different flora and fauna which could not always thrive or even survive elsewhere.

Society and culture
The Basca thoroughly dominated the surface of Vytuia, and their culture defined existence on the world's surface. In early times (and to some extent even in later days), the hot summers were the war season, while the Basca remained at home in the wet season to grow and harvest. Several of the most unarable and desolate lands were set apart as the "usual plains of battle", where honorable soldiers and armies were expected to fight.

The xenophobic Zwushtu were the only sentients of the oceans, and they kept their own form of order underwater. Both predator and prey, they had a long history of acrimony with the Basca as well before the coming of the Golden Empire.

History
Though the Zwushtu were not entirely cooperative with efforts to be studied, xenobiologists from the Golden Empire theorized they had developed sentience first. The Basca began to organize into societies some seven thousand years before the. During the world's Iron Age, the Basca developed swords, which would lead to their central place in noble culture and the eventual birth of the Noble Order of the Pyriolari.

Basca warred with each other as societies grew and expanded, while Zwushtu activities during the same period remained mysterious. Early contacts between the species were violent, with the Basca preying upon Zwushtu like other fish and the Zwushtu organizing to sink Basca ships and drown survivors. For many centuries, each species viewed the other as monsters from an alien, unreachable world. The Basca eventually developed irrigation techniques, extending their habitability farther away from seashores.

It was not clear when each species realized the other was, in fact, sentient. Early attempts to communicate were disastrous, and while the Basca passed laws to prohibit fishing for Zwushtu, their intent was not clear to the Zwushtu, who continued to attack any fishing vessels. The Basca retaliated by poisoning water supplies and intentionally attacking the Zwushtu, leading to a long period of tension and knowing hostility.

Eventually, the Basca invented means with which to communicate to the Zwushtu, and some form of peace was made with many Basca nations. Others continued to treat the Zwushtu like fish, and even those who had agreed not to prey upon the Zwushtu grew irritated when the aquatic sentients would not aid them in war against their enemies. The Zwushtu, for their part, felt the affairs of the Basca were best left to the Basca, as they greatly resented any intrusion into their own affairs.

The Golden Empire arrived in 110 ABY and "convinced" the Basca to submit with a restrained but less-than-subtle show of its overwhelming Armada. Queen Rin Sakaros empowered her Consul to put an end to the strife between Basca and Zwushtu; both species were eventually granted exclusive zones of fishing rights and non-aggression was enforced strictly. Both fishing for Zwushtu and drowning Basca fishermen were punishable by death, and aquatic Centurions such as Kelto Nembask were sometimes called upon to arbitrate with the Zwushtu.