Kuvalla

This article is about the country of Kuvalla, now known as the People’s Kingdom of Kuvalla. For the dimension, see Kuvalla Dimension.

Land

The People’s Kingdom of Kuvalla lies on the primary continent of Kuvalla, south of Tasnica’s territory in the same dimension. Although technically in the Core by dint of the presence of gates, it is somewhat isolated. Parts of the dimension, such as distant islands, have been claimed by Kuvalla but not fully explored or settled.

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Meta•Fact: Kuvalla is about the size of Washington State.

Population

Kuvalla is a nation of moogles; in fact, Kuvalla may even be the homeland of all moogles, everywhere, and indeed moogles of almost all varieties can be found here. (The human-sized Mana variety, though, have mostly emigrated elsewhere). As a result, everything in the country is built to “moogle scale”, about half-size of human scale.

Religion

Kuvalla has been somewhat more tolerant of religion than, for example, the Scandian League. Religious authorities are monitored and regulated—the Party is wary of any potential rival power center—but religious beliefs are still widely practices. Kusader himself was a Mana Moogle, so Elementalism is an influence, and the nearby Tasnican territories also and so Rainericism is fairly common. Chrystalians are also a significant contingent.

Magic

The most common “magic” in Kuvalla isn’t magic, it’s psionics. Moogles have a much higher average aptitude for psi than humans. The government has always had special schools for those with this gift to learn about their powers; in days old, some of these psionists would go on to become Mog Knights. Additionally, several moogles practice a tradition of geomantic dances. With the ability to reshape the terrain and call upon the spirits of the Earth itself, this is a powerful ability. Several dancers can link their dances together for more powerful effect.

Economy

Kuvalla was a fairly advanced and prosperous country at the time of the KMT War, and although its status as a technological leader has been eclipsed, Kuvalla remained a relatively prosperous country. Heavy trade with the Tasnica Republic has only slightly declined with the advent of communism and state planning. The communists of Kuvalla, unlike those in most other countries, inherited a fairly sophisticated and built-up economy. As a result, this is one of the few communist countries with a well-developed consumer goods industry. Nonetheless, the move towards a planned economy is causing some dislocation. A primary goal is increasing Kuvalla’s old achievements in the aerospace industry, while retooling some domestic consumer industries for export to other Communist countries. Kuvalla’s long tradition of socialism helped prepare the way for this step, however. The biggest difference is that previously Kuvallan socialism was concerned with helping the poorest citizens, and Kuvallan communism is trying to manage the economy to restore Kuvallan national greatness.

Law

On paper, the KUPO regime maintains many of the individual rights of the liberal and democratic rule that Kuvalla had previously. In reality these rights extend until they inconvenience the government. Free speech still, for example, still exists, as long as you don’t criticize the government. Trials are still free—except when they involve political criminals and enemies of the state.

Government

Kuvalla’s parliamentary system of government collapsed; in theory it still remains, but only one party is allowed to participate. That party is of course the Kuvallan Union Party Organization (KUPO), the Kuvallan communists. Elections are still held as a matter of course, but the only those candidates chosen by the Party are allowed to participate. On the local level, government remains semi-democratic. Nonetheless, the party remains loath to share power on “important” questions like foreign policy.

Nonetheless, it is important to note that Kuerra feels the need to be addressed as Premier, and therefore the head of the government, as opposed to her title as the head of KUPO. KUPO’s seizure of power left much of the old power structure in place, considering.

Internal Politics

There has been quiet acceptance of authoritarian rule since the breakdown of social order several years ago (chaos that, ironically, KUPO helped engineer). Kuerra rules the party with an iron fist, and surrounds herself with sycophants. Kuvalla’s other major political parties, such as the Liberal Democrats and the Conservative Democrats, have been banned and its leaders killed or forced into exile. KUPO, it should be noted, seized power based more on the failures of the old system rather than the merits of communist philosophy. There’s no serious opposition to party rule as of yet, but it remains to be seen if its leadership could weather a serious political or economic crisis.

Foreign Politics

Kuvalla previously maintained friendly ties towards the Tasnica Republic, which holds territory near it, and was largely ignored by the rest of the Web. A main goal of the communists is for Kuvalla to play a more active role in Web affairs. Today, Kuvalla is a member of the Communist Protectorate, which automatically makes it friendly with certain countries while drawing the ire of others. Nonetheless, its opened an important alliance with the Scandian League, who was partially responsible for bringing KUPO to power. Tasnica’s policy of détente towards Scande has made it relatively easy for Kuvalla to continue trading with the Republic.

Military

Kuvalla’s military received a huge boost with the return of the Yeti, the traditional protectors of the moogle people. Incredibly strong, immune to most elemental magic, and capable of using orbs to launch their own attacks, the Yeti are often clad in heavy body armor and given heavy weapons. These powerful beings form the core of Kuvalla’s ground forces.

The Yetis are backed up several units of geomantic dancers to provide magical support. Acting together, these dancers can induce weather effects or terrain changes to give important tactical advantages, as well as the more straightforward effects like dropping huge rocks on the enemy, huge air blades, and things of this nature.

Restoring the air force has been a high priority for the new government, and a new model of Thunder Moogle is in production. Kuvalla has also purchased a Scandian Kraken-class carrier and a smattering of other ships, although this is mostly to test carrier variants of the Thunder Moogle. Kuvalla has also begun a nascent space program, although construction of anything larger than a satellite is many years off.

The Kuvallan Intelligence Agency (KIA) has increased importance under the new regime. Although psionists are often picked up by The Celpo, the KIA hopes to convert moogles natural psychic advantage into a powerful intelligence gathering tool.

People

• Kusader

Kusader is still King of Kuvalla in name, though he has long been reduced to a figurehead. A hero of the Great War who confronted several Dark Gods and lived to tell about it, Kusader is an accomplished swordsman and one of the most powerful psychics alive. Although he had to give up his psychic powers to gain access to a bracelet that would allow the return of the yet, using an experimental Celpo drug he was able to regain some of his old power. Now in exile, Kusader has heard alarming rumors about the fate of his old friend, Shane Lile, and has sought to save him.

• Jay Peterson

A moogle raised by a human family, Jay Peterson was one of Kusader’s trusted advisers and served in the King’s cabinet as Minister of Foreign affairs. Like many of the King’s old cabinet, Jay died in a heroic and successful attempt to free Kusader and his family from house arrest.

• Kuerra

Kuerra is Premier of Kuvalla, and head of the ruling party, the Kuvallan Union Party Organiation or KUPO. Totally Machiavellian in her pursuit of power, she engineered the domestic chaos and civil war that led to the collapse of the old government. Since coming to power, she has sought to improve Kuvalla’s standing in the Web while being acutely aware of the limited resources of small countries. Kuvalla’s mantra so far has been to build capabilities and bide time, but it eventually Kuvalla will inevitably seek to make good its new position in the Web.

• Kukio

Vice Premier. A total brainless sycophant.

• Kubangi

Kubangi is general of the Kuvallan Defense Force. He is an ‘old guard’ Kuvallan officer, having with distinction in the Great War and the KMT War. Kuerra considered purging Kubangi but chose to keep him around to maintain the respect of the military and old guard generals. Kubangi after all, was responsible for killing the old Premier to bring the civil war to an end. Kubangi is not an ideological communist, but he is a proud nationalist who is proud to see a restoration of Kuvallan national power.

• Kukulele

The exiled former leader of the Liberal Democrats, Kukulele has set up a Kuvallan government-in-exile in the Tasnican-held moogle states. He has vowed to return to the country and restore true democracy. Something of an eccentic known for collecting rare objects d’art, such as life-sized jello-statue of Celiose Cole. His strange sexual habits undermined his position in Kuvalla before, and it is not known if they continue.

• ”Kupsi” aka Specimen 46

The tortured being known as “Kupsi” is one of the first experiments of The Celpo Minder program to increase psionic potential. As it was known that moogles had a high psionic potential, the Celpo decided to attempt to fuse several moogle brains together in one body. The resulting being was much larger than a normal moogle; at over six feet, Kupsi is taller than most humans. In terms of increasing psychic powers, “Specimen 46” must stand as a mixed success. Kupsi possesses extremely powerful matter manipulation abilities, including pyro-, cryo-, electro-, and telekinesis. However, Kupsi’s damaged mental capacity left him unable to use telepathy and other ‘pure mental’ powers. Kupsi also has the approximate intelligence and mental maturity of a small child. It is not known how Kuerra found Kupsi, but she unleashed him during her seizure of power to sow general discord. It is perhaps only a matter of time before the Celpo reclaims him.

• Kudrongo

Kudrongo is perhaps the most powerful geomantic dancer alive, and perhaps the strongest dancer since Mog Himself. Kudrongo is also old, and according to rumor, fought in the Great War. He is one of the very few moogles still very fluent in the old language of Mooglish. Kudrongo is the informal leader of all the dancers in Kuvalla. Kudrongo has vowed to destroy all the enemies of Kuvalla, ie, “those that don’t dance”, because “they don’t dance, and if they don’t dance, then they’re no friends of mine.” Kudrongo has also been said to dabble in the necromantic Dance of the Dead, which has been forbidden for centuries. If this is true, it would be highly ironic, as the Moogle Wars were launched to stop “necromantic communist moogles.”

Cities

• Kuvalla City

The capital and largest city of Kuvalla.

• Kranstonn

Another major city in Kuvalla, and a major manufacturing center.