What is a ves, and where did it come from? And how does this affect the economy?
TThe ves are a species of intelligent, highly social humanoid creature. They're very sensitive to arcane phenomena. Originally, they belonged to a single race, one that no longer exists. They had pitch black skin and hair, golden eyes and a long, skinny tail. They came "from trees," a meaning which means very different things depending on who you're asking.
The ves are native to the primordial rainforests of what is now Kenor, and they developed their societies in the darkness beneath titanic trees. In these early days, they developed staples of their common cultures. They learned a common language, now known as Deitic- the language the gods speak. While other languages would come and go over time, Deitic has not changed from these prehistoric days.
Over time, their numbers grew and they began to spread across the continent of Rhodinia. As the wandering tribes began to settle new lands, they were affected by the latent magical energy in these places. They began to change, until they no longer resembled their ancestors. The first migration wave settled Valbaara and Grenvel, and the people became the nenn and the iroth, respectively. Next, the Ves who reached Ypsen became the kurai. Around this time, many of the Ves who ventured across Kenor were becoming the Mirken. The Ves who travelled further east became the sephid of Amasa. What remained of the original ves wandered Rhodinia for a long time before finally settling in Uir and becoming the naiko. No new ves of the original race were ever born, and that common ancestor has been long lost to time, molded like so much magical clay.
"Ves" comes from an ancient, pre-Deitic language, and roughly translates to "from trees." The common understanding is that the ancestral ves lived arboreal lives before they began understanding their world. Before they were truly ves, so to speak. Then they came down to the forest floor and started building and doing other typically vesian things. The name, then, is in honor of how their ancestors would have lived.
The iroth believe otherwise. Their race has been shaped by mountains and dense forest, and some cultures have built purely arboreal civilizations. They see the forests of Grenvel as sacred beyond sacred, and Grenvel is also the only place on Rhodinia that seems to have "sentient" trees. And so, the iroth believe the ves were once sentient trees who took on different forms. This is why the only people who have ever learned to "hear" trees are iroth- they're the only ones who recognize that their ancestors are also the ancestors of the trees. And they do not want to hear anyone else's opinion on the subject. No one else is half as invested in "from trees" as they are, and no one else wants to die on this hill.