scholarship of erenth: k:Talir

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Westrun Commoner Clothing (Talir, Treft, Balduren)

Durges Stylys Broadside from Talir

Proclaimed from Talir, 5287ey

Hearken, all children of the True God, across Erenth!

For too long the Patriarchate has claimed authority over the priests, shepherds, and faithful, while hiding behind symbols and empty words. Canon 15 speaks clearly: the High Priest is the head, and all the church hierarchy, save the Patriarch himself, answer to him. I, Durges Stylys, elected by the conclave of Talir, am the only High Priest in all Westrun. Therefore, the specific authority of Canon 15, rightly understood, reside in me alone.

The Patriarch, as a figure of reverence, is symbolic. He may bless and speak, encourage and discourage, but he cannot command the clergy of the Church. From this day forth, the faithful and clerics alike must acknowledge that the High Priest is their lawful authority all organizational and juridical matters.

Let no Prefect, Shepherd, or Paladin doubt the authority given by God’s own will, expressed in Canon 15. The time of empty obedience to mistaken tradition is past. Rise faithful, and follow the true head of the Church. Will not miracles and fervor prove the truth?

By the will of God,

Durges Stylys, High Priest of the Church of Westrun

History of Man -- Book I: Westrun Part 5

By the middle of the 35th century the Meni refugees had diluted into separate people using intermarriage as a tool of peace and generational conquest. The two major subgroups were the Menes along the north coast and the Talir along the South.

Some of the Menes merged with the men of the City of Wood and eventually gave their name to that place, Menea; while others reached still farther North of the Red River into Sudland and married in among the exiled northmen -- there becoming the Boldi. The other Sudlanders were still fiercely independent and lived as a dozen distinct, but settled clans.

While the Menes moved northward, the Talir largely remained in Watersedge, and following the example of the Tren, allowed large numbers of the Nandi to enter their midst both as general labor and as men-at-arms. Some of the Talir intermarried with the men of Treft where their High Vyrum tongue and mannerisms were prized. At Watersedge, because of the 100 learned Meni who had settled there as refugees, was built a place of learning intended to rival the colleges of old. If any evidence of their skill and knowledge was needed, Talir soon had it. By the end of the century, the men there had drained the marshes turning it into rich farmland, and raised a colossus of the previous age which had been toppled into the sea.

Inland, the Rathor still controlled a vast swath of territory in the middle of Westrun and used their power to regulate and tax trade. Over the course of the century the Nandi of that confederation slowly entered permanent settlements and consolidated into three large and wealthy kingdoms: Rath, Gere and Palo.

To their West were the minor kings of the Saks and the Tari -- both of who seemed closer to the elves of the Mistwood than of their fellow man. In the far Southwest the Bal were firmly ensconced in the ald they now called Balrest and demanded fealty from the tribes of Aras, Du and Ren.

In and among these kingdoms, some Nandi still roamed with difficulty. Nadi, Sahna, Numin, Shina, Anis, and Duvi were known as itinerants and raiders, reluctant to give up their nomadic ways. Moving seasonally between hunting grounds, these people groups increasingly found their way inhibited by permanent settlements and found their lifestyle costly. Meanwhile the settled men of Westrun continually disputed with each other -- testing borders and resolve. Not infrequently, these disputations erupted into armed conflicts and even minor wars.

Tal the Just

After the Desolation of Lanaria, Tal, a younger son of the Emperor, took five score refugees, across the Dagger Sea and settled in the land of Westrun. There, they found themselves at war with the Nandi tribesmen and were forced to carve out strongholds in the marshes of that foreboding land. Tal resisted calls to become the leader of this new people, creating instead a set of laws and a juridical body, under which they all would live.

In time, the refugees intermarried with the more peace-abiding savages, turning them from hunting and gathering to permanent habitations. Chief among these habitations was the New Ald Casera on the Edge of the Water, which came to be known more simply as the City of Watersedge. From that city-state many provinces would come to be ruled; and the kingdom which descended from the principality would come to bear the name of its founder: Talir.

It is a natural place then for the colossus of Tal the Just to have been raised. This great statue was a gift to the people of Talir from the last of the Vyrum craftsmen, Hlaloreon the Bard. Hlaloreon had taken refuge among the people of Watersedge for many years while he was hunted by those who sought vengeance upon him.

The colossus stands astride the walled harbor of Watersedge, one foot upon each terminal point of the sea wall. While the years and the salt have been unkind to its pockmarked surface, the structure is still intact and fills visitors with wonder. The lighthouses under each of its feet have guided many ships upon the Dagger Sea to safe harbor.

Arcade

The Arcade is the foremost theological depository of the Church of Westrun. Located in Watersedge, it is the place that all aspiring priests must attend to learn the tenets of that faith.

As an institute of higher learning, the Arcade is well-regarded for its study of languages, history, and accounting.

The Arcade also houses the head of each of the Five Canonical Orders and the Cardinal Prefect elected over each.

Angels of Aladinus

Aladinus was a famous Colonello in the Provinces before the Taming of the Serpent. He was loyal to Agronar the Conqueror and one of those who would not fight against him during the War of Subjection. Aladinus set sail from the Principalities and landed in Watersedge, where his guild was first headquartered. The current Aladinus is almost certainly not the same one as the Hall is very old, numbering its age in centuries. Either some magic protects Aladinus from aging, or he is a demi-human, or the current Aladinus simply continues to take the name of predecessor.

The Angels are primarily a light infantry company when fighting in formation.

The Angels have a guildhall in Watersedge of Talir, and Wanderhalt of Collonia.

Tigers of Talir

The Tigers are primarily a pike company when fighting in formation.

Pious and Impoverished Sons of Charity

The chapel of this peerage is in Watersedge of Talir.

The Pious and Impoverished Sons of Charity exist to build orphanages in Talir, to serve the orphans of Balduren and the rest of the Eight Kingdoms.

To fulfill their primary mission, the Protectors, will often do battle with evil and take the accumulated treasure of such beings to fund their programs. There is a large gulf between this method and simple thievery. One, the Protectors make no secret of their intent nor methods. They neither skulk by night nor use subterfuge, but engage evil where they find it -- openly and proudly. Two, the Protectors cite what they call the ancient Law of Spoils, to take what belongs to the victors in the absent of any competent authority. Applying the Law of Spoils can be difficult at times, but Protectors take great pains to do so properly, for their Paladinhood rests upon it, properly done.

The Protectors believe that the best outcome for any orphan is to become a Paladin, barring that, a Cleric or Consecrated Woman. Failing that, they will settle for an educated and God-fearing, productive member of society. To promote the first end, each of the individual Sons will have at least one page and one squire, and often have many more.

The symbol of the Peerage is a set of gilded scales with a loaf of bread outweighing a stack of coins.

Peers of Brede

The chapel of this peerage is located in Belfalas of Talir.

Under an edict of the High King, the Peers of Brede have a license to arrest and punish, and even execute, those that they suspect of breaking the law.

Brede was a loyal paladin sworn to serve the deceased Patriarch Cronaste from the time he was first appointed Prefect of Bolden. When that Patriarch died under mysterious circumstances, Brede became convinced that the Theives Guild was responsible. He formed a Peerage dedicated to the eradication of the Guild. His Peers are men of great power and with little regard for theivery.

The symbol for the Peerage is a red saltire.

A List of the Cities and Provinces of Westrun by Kingdom

There are two basic political subdivisions in Westrun. The first is the Province and the second is the City. Both of them pay tribute to their monarch.

The Provinces vary in size and composition, but all are ruled a lord who is vested in it and responsible for it to the King. The lord may be a minor noble as a baron, a middling noble as a count or a greater noble as a Duke. Sometimes a lord who holds a province on the border of another Realm is considered a Margrave. If the lord of a province is a King in his own right, he is considered a Prince of any other province over which his royal prerogative does not extend. The lord of a province is considered the highest authority there. They have the unlimited chartered power to lay and collect taxes from their residents, to license marriages and other enterprises, as well as to keep the peace on their lands. They also enjoy the right to a trial before their peers and cannot be divested from their land except for cause and then only by trial.

Freeborn men and those who have been liberated from the role of serfs or slaves often find themselves settling around the open-air markets that rise at crossroads and near common river fords. With the permission of a lord they may settle a town on his land which still falls under the jurisdiction of his Reeve and must draw up a contract to pay him taxes and/or rent.

Once a town is in place and has grown to the size of 1000 free men (usually 3-5000 people), they can petition their monarch to fortify the town with a wall. Upon entertaining the petition, the king holds a hearing at which the populace and their lord have the right to be heard. If the hearing finds for the populace, the town contract is replaced by a royal charter. The town then becomes a city, independent of the rule of the lord whose land it was. The city then pays a tribute to the King as any province might. The city also gains the right to enforce its own laws, tax its own citizens, and elect its own mayor. Anyone born in a city is considered a free man, regardless of his parent's social class or condition of servitude. City air makes men free!

The Kingdom of Balduren

Capital City of Balduren
City of Gate
City of Pitglen
City of Tradestop

The Kingdom of Bolden

City of Aberford
Metropolis of Peakshadow
Capital City of Bolden
City of Daymarch

The Kingdom of Collonia

City of Gryondell
Capital City of Wanderhalt

The Kingdom of Menea

City of Ascar
City of Blunden
City of Heltorun
Capital City of Menea

The Kingdom of Rath

City of Bradtilly
City of Gregor
Capital City of Rath

The Kingdom of Saklan

Capital City of Laketon
City of Sheptoft
City of Sutbree

The Kingdom of Talir

The Kingdom of Treft

City of Diestamp
City of Harborkeep
City of Northpoint
Capital City of Treft
City of Southpoint

Kingdom of Talir

Name: The Theocratic Talirean Oligarchy, commonly called the Kingdom of Talir

Ruler: High Priest Elect Stafon Strathurst, commonly called "King"

Government: An ecclesiocracy -- rule by a powerful minority of religious leaders.

Population:

Description: As one of "Old South" realms of Westrun, Talir is a not a monarchy, though it is styled that way for the benefit of the Eight Kingdoms Pact. Instead, Balduren has a Supreme Holy Council of Oligarchs made of prefects emeritus who were orginally ordained by the Patriarch in Peakshadow and served the church. These prefects are largely divested of their prefectures and are in a form of retirement from their ecclesial duties. Despite having few formal ties to the church, they rule according to their own interpretation of the Canons and what they determine is the best application of the divine law. They elect, as titular king, one of their number to serve as the High Priest Elect, who is styled "king" for the benefit of the other kingdoms.

The government of Talir predates the ascendancy of the church. The Supreme Holy Council's unique style of governance owes much to their pagan past. It issues Edicts on all manner things from permissable manner of dress, to levels of taxation, to the treaties that bind it to other nations. These Edicts represent supreme judicial, legislative and executive authority. The Olilgarchs do so in the name of God through his servant the Patriarch in Peakshadow. Despite this deference of authority, the Patriarch enjoys no political sway over Talir. The prefects emeritus consider themselves bound to him and his hierarchy only in matters of faith and conscience, and will often clash with, and loudly criticise, even denounce, his decisions in matters of state. Despite its autonomy from the Church, Talir is popularly sneered at outside of its borders as a puppet state of the Patriarch.

That said, citizenship in the kingdom is reserved to those who are faithful members of the Church. While others may reside there, they are taxed more heavily, do not enjoy the same protections of law, and may not hold property in their own name. Sometimes unjustly considered backwards and primitive among the residents of the other kingdoms, Talir is home to a pious strain of Westruners for whom religion and devotion have day to day consequences.

In terms of goods and trade, Talir is widely known for its vast orchards of citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons. It is also highly regarded for its production of sugar cane and molasses and a sweet syrupy common wine known approprirately as sugarwine, which is often added to other wines and rarely enjoyed straight except by the lower classes of Talir itself. In addition, Talir boasts many shrimp and crayfish fisheries along its shores.

House of Beckley

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The Domain Seat of this House is located in the Province of Roania in the Kingdom of Talir in the Land of Westrun.

Its Primogenitor was Beckley, son of Beck.

Its verse is, "Year after year."

Its vexil is wavy blue and white lines.

The House Patriarch is Gaston, Baron of Roania.

The Heir Presumptive to the House is Gallick.

Its liege lord is Harlan, Duke of Harania

It has no vassals.

The Oxmen have rated this House at 18 gold bars.

House of Belfalas

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The Domain Seat of this House is located in the Province of Penaxia in the Kingdom of Talir in the Land of Westrun.

Its Primogenitor was Bradel Belfalas.

Its verse is, "Alone, if need be faithful."

Its vexil is a tower and boat.

The House Patriarch is Tomm, Baron of Penaxia.

The Heir Presumptive to the House is Tommet.

Its liege lord is Harlan, Duke of Harania

It has no vassals.

The Oxmen have rated this House at 10 gold bars.

House of Gudfyr

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The Domain Seat of this House is located in the Province of Iania in the Kingdom of Talir in the Land of Westrun.

Its Primogenitor was Llew the Black Knees

Its verse is, "Piety, Pride, Progress."

Its vexil is three green vertical stripes.

The House Patriarch is Reece Gudfyr, Baron of Iania.

The Heir Presumptive to the House is Renlor.

Its liege lord is Stafon Strathurst, called the King of Talir, High Priest Elect

It has no vassals.

The Oxmen have rated this House at 14 gold bars.

House of Gudstead

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The Domain Seat of this House is located in the Province of Jovia in the Kingdom of Talir in the Land of Westrun.

Its Primogenitor was Mered the Severe.

Its verse is, "Reaching beyond death."

Its vexil is three arrow heads in a bent red band.

The House Patriarch is Maddock Gudstead, Baron of Jovia.

The Heir Presumptive to the House is unknown.

Its liege lord is Stafon Strathurst, called the King of Talir, High Priest Elect

It has no vassals.

The Oxmen have rated this House at 8 gold bars.

House of Holiwud

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The Domain Seat of this House is located in the Province of Ludderia in the Kingdom of Talir in the Land of Westrun.

Its Primogenitor was Humphre the Executioner.

Its verse is, "Judgement by fire."

Its vexil is a straw man aflame.

The House Patriarch is Nerold, Baron of Ludderia

The Heir Presumptive to the House is Haron.

It liege lords is Stafon Strathurst, styled King of Talir, High Priest Elect.

It has no vassals.

The Oxmen have rated this House at 15 gold bars.

House of Howeworthy

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The Domain Seat of this House is located in the Province of Harania in the Kingdom of Talir in the Land of Westrun.

Its Primogenitor was Howerd the Pious.

Its motto is "In War and Peace."

The House Patriarch is Harlan, Duke of Harania, Count of the Free Provinces of Caribinia and Ligoria.

The Heir Presumptive to the House is Harris.

Its liege lord is Strathurst, King of Talir
Geldorf, High King of the Free Provinces

Its vassals are Umfre of Talir
Talinfur of Talir

The Oxmen have rated this House at 21 gold bars.

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