Valla

Valla (透魔 Toma in the Japanese version) is a country that lies between the nations of Nohr and Hoshido in complete isolation in Fire Emblem Fates.

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Valla is a nation hidden beneath the Bottomless Canyon, completely undisturbed and with little interaction with the world with only the royal families, specially the both the kings and queens of both Hoshido and Nohr knowing of its existence. The kingdom boasts strange geometry, as the land and sky itself seems to be rent in pieces, and floats about seemingly at random. It is unknown if the kingdom was always like this or Anankos did this when he destroyed it. At an unspecified point in time before the game's events, the king was slain by its dragon Anankos. Anankos developed a strong grudge against humanity, eventually wiping out a vast majority of Valla's inhabitants and usurping the throne of Valla as its self-proclaimed god-king. Several fled from the dragon's wrath, among them being Arete and Mikoto, two sisters who later became the respective leaders of the countries of Nohr and Hoshido, which also means that Azura and the Avatar are cousins by blood. Anankos then placed a powerful curse upon the kingdom, causing anyone who attempted to reveal the existence of Valla outside of its borders to die instantly. As a result, its existence is known only to a small handful of people.

Due to Anankos' control over its people, the soldiers of Valla are also known as Invaders. They share the same appearances as the soldiers of Hoshido and Nohr, but are wreathed in ghostly flames and appear as translucent humanoid figures outside of Valla itseld, most likely as a precaution to prevent anyone from knowing where they came from. However, they can still be sensed, as during the Before Awakening DLC, Chrom is unable to see them but can detect their presence.

Valla acts as the central culprit behind the events that transpire within the game, such as the death of Mikoto. Its inhabitants now are little more than puppets enslaved to Anankos' will, with only a few hidden from his sight.

After the death of Anankos in Revelation, the original Valla is sealed away with the final and permanent closing of its portals, but the kingdom is not forgotten as before. Hoshido and Nohr cede land from their northern territories, as well as a third of their combined population, to form a restored Valla. The Avatar is then crowned as ruler of the new kingdom.

Known People From Valla

 * Avatar - Prince/Princess of the nations of Hoshido and Nohr, child of Anankos and Azura's cousin.
 * Azura - Daughter of the Valla Queen Arete, former princess of the Nohrian royal family and cousin of the Avatar.
 * Arete - Azura's mother, former wife to the king of Valla, wife of King Garon of Nohr and the Avatar's aunt.
 * Mikoto - The Avatar's mother, sister of Arete, wife of Sumeragi, the leader of Hoshido and Azura's aunt.
 * Lilith - The "sister" of the Avatar, created from Anankos' madness.
 * Anthony - A servant of Anankos.
 * Anankos - The Silent Dragon, King of Valla and the Avatar's father. Also the game's true antagonist.
 * Ryuurei - The former king of Valla and the father of Azura. Said to resemble his grandson Shigure.

Etymology
Valla is most likely derived as a shortened form of Valhalla, a divine hall of Norse mythology in which Odin, king of Asgard, receives the souls of those slain in battle. This mirrors Anankos's role as king and his ability to raise the spirits of the dead to act as his soldiers.

Many other Norse mythological references are present in Fates, especially on the Nohrian side - Xander's legendary sword Siegfried and Leo's legendary tome Brynhildr are named for the hero and heroine in the Niebelungenlied, an epic poem revered in Norse and later Germanic myth, and the termn Einherjar, used to describe units recruitable by visiting their own My Castle and those of other players, referred to those deemed worthy by the gods to fight in Ragnarok, the final battle between good and evil at the end of the world.

The name may also be a play on the word "veil" as the kingdom is hidden from the rest of the world.

Its Japanese title, "Touma", is made up from two kanji logographs: "Tou" meaning "transparent" or "to appear", and "ma", which translates as "magic" or "devil".

Trivia

 * During the credits, Valla is represented by Water Lilies.