This belief hews closely to the idea of the Enheri of the Dwenir, which is unsurprising given that the Dwarves are considered to be tutors of the Northruners.
Showing posts with label l:Northrun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label l:Northrun. Show all posts
The Afterlife: Hall of Heroes
The Northruners believe that upon their death, those who are worthy will be conducted to the feasting Hall of the greatest heroes of their kind. There they will join the celebration and await the next battle.
History of Man in Four Books: Introduction
By 3000ey the mighty Vyrum Empire had come to end. It’s last ruler, Io the Great, went into exile. The remaining Princes were pried out from behind their impregnable walls of stone and were led way in chains. The great alds were left abandoned and ripe for the taking.
The vassal rulers among the five races were left in uneasy
peace. For 150 years they had known only war – first against the rise of the
Old Ones and then, beginning even at the Battle of the Dry Rift, against each
other. The eventual end of their conflicts is fixed as 2991ey. They did not end
by treaty, but instead from a general unwillingness to fight any longer.
Constant struggle had depleted the treasuries and armies of the Besnir. Their
mighty Cavaliers -- guardians of peace and justice for seven centuries, were no more. Into this whimpering peace the human race came to the fore.
The rise of man was noted first by the Hierophants of the
Continuum. They sent emissaries to each of the remaining Ranes reporting that
the wild primitives who had long been in the shadows were now coalescing into
bonafide tribes and putting down roots in permanent settlements. The humans
were observed having ceremonies for their dead and though they had an unknown tongue, it was nonetheless language. At the Peace of Dovaris in 3024ey, the Grand Hierophant
declared to all the assembled Besnir that the 7th Age had begun.
This was not a popular finding among them, and least of all the Urok – for they
had long anticipated their own return to power.
In the Four Lands of Northrun, Southrun, Eastrun and Westrun the tribes of man slowly ascended.
Norwatch and Damon's Wall
Before the Eight Kingdoms Pact, the men in what become Bolden and Collonia were considered the Sudlanders or South Men by their barbarian cousins to the North. The Lords of Sudland, originally issued their lands in grants from Northrun jarls, had a long practice of paying tribute to their one-time patrons.
After the establishment of the Eight Kingdoms Pact, the practice was continued out of convenience more than loyalty to Northrun. Beginning with Fergus II, the High Throne had assumed the burden of the cost from Collonia and Bolden and it was lost in the ledgers handed down for 200 years. The silver paid was a trifle in the eyes of the Westrun lords and, at any rate, was far less than the cost of fielding an army. And while it was a nominal sum from them, it was a substantial portion of the income that Northrun relied on. The clans split the silver and used the sum to purchase wheat and corn from the very Westruners who paid it.
Damon named the practice extortion and sought to end it, by fortifying Bolden against attack and with the planned construction of a wall which would not only hold back invaders but provide an overwatch to the sea, as well as a fortified road to Peakshadow
The construction of the Wall began under Jan II the Bricklayer and continued for the next century. Averaging about twenty-five candels in height, the wall is uniformly fifteen candels wide at its top and as many as thirty wide at its base. This allows for easy passage of carts traveling in two different directions at the same time and allows for the quick movement of men and materiel along its length. Even the High King's Highway does not guarantee that.
The Moon of Winter
Long ago, when the kingdoms of men were still young, a bitter and unrelenting winter descended upon the land. Crops withered under frost, rivers froze solid, and entire villages succumbed to the cold. The common people whispered of a curse cast by a lesser god, enraged by humanity. Desperate for salvation, the High King of the realm turned to the Grand Temple of Divines.
The priests, steeped in forbidden knowledge, revealed that a god named Vyel had been rebuffed by his one-time paramour - a half-mortal woman named Irenee, daughter of the Goddess of Night. Because Irenee would not continue to give herself to Vyel, he cursed all the land with perpetual Winter.
The priests sent an emissary to convince Irenee to give herself again to Vyel, but Irenee fled far to the North to avoid such a fate. There she died atop a frost-bound glacier. Before breathing her last, a single tear is said to have fallen from her cheek, and fell into a deep chasm becoming a precious gem -- the Moon of Winter.
The stone was said to be like a piece of the moon itself, encased in flawless crystal. The priests of the Grand Temple claimed that giving this last tear of Irenee to Vyel would turn aside his wrath and release the curse of perpetual Winter upon the Eight Kingdoms.
The High King dispatched a company of knights to retrieve the Moon of Winter from its resting place in the frozen wastes of the north. After months of perilous travel, battling frost giants and evading packs of ravenous wolves, the knights found the gem guarded by a ghostly spirit—an avatar of the demi-goddess.
The knights, driven by loyalty to their king and the desperation of their people, deceived the goddess, seized the gem and began their return journey. The knights never reached Peakshadow. On the eve of their return, their camp was attacked in the Silverlode Mountains by a warband of orcs, led by a shaman named Gragrith Frostwalker. The orcs overwhelmed the knights in a brutal ambush.
Gragrith claimed the Moon of Winter as a prize, dedicating its moon-like glow to Gruumsh, the one-eyed god of orcs. When Vyel learned that his intended gift had been dedicated to Gruumsh, he forgot his wrath against humanity and went to war against Gruumsh. But the orc's god emerged the victor and Vyel was banished for 100 years from the mortal realm. The stone passed to Magrul Sharpfang and with him it remained -- a sign of his horde and a symbol of divine favor upon his line.
Druid, Bard and Witch
There is no formal ecclesial organization in Northrun. There are three roles that are played by the Speakers in society.
Lawspeakers are Druids who strive to keep their clans on a neutral path. They revere nature and the continuous cycle of birth and death in all living things. It is the Lawspeakers who are given charge over remembering the edicts of individual chieftains and the contracts that might be issued between two free clansmen.
Lawspeakers are Druids who strive to keep their clans on a neutral path. They revere nature and the continuous cycle of birth and death in all living things. It is the Lawspeakers who are given charge over remembering the edicts of individual chieftains and the contracts that might be issued between two free clansmen.
Lorespeakers are Bards who are committed to remembering the legends and oral histories of great heroes and clansmen of renown. They are called on to perform at all meets.
Lathspeakers are also called witches. They are often bringers of ill-tidings and bad omens. The men of the clans are both deeply respectful and equally resentful of these crones, whom they fear beyond reason.
Inheritance and the Men of the Four Lands
Nothing in human law prevents the use of a written testament to record how personal property will be disposed of in the untimely death of a nobleman, but the will regarding real estate and titles will generally follow the presumption above, or the lord will make sure that his liege is well-informed of any desired deviation.
The Games of Northrun
The Games of Northrun occur every year around the week of the Summer Solstice. Every spectator and contestant arrives and drives their spear in the ground, creating a tournament ground. They then place their token in the barrel. A witch is invited to pull the token which starts the festivities and also indicates which clan will host the next year's games.
No combat can occur during the games. Feuds are forgotten for the tournament week. The referees for each event are composed of the clan Druids.
The first night is given to feasting and revelry as the clan leaders, their bards and druids meet to propose marriages, negotiate treaties, and sue for peace. The contests begin the following morning.
A trophy is given for each of the events. The clansman of a winning contest with garnish their spears with laurels to indicate their pride.
A trophy is given for each of the events. The clansman of a winning contest with garnish their spears with laurels to indicate their pride.
The six events that occur during the games are:
- The Axe Throw
Contestants attempt to throw a traditional stone axe with the greatest accuracy. - The Spear Throw
Contestants attempt to throw a spear the farthest. - The Stone Throw
Contestants attempt to throw a heavy rock over a line suspended one staff height in the air. The line is raised in one foot increments until there is only one contestant left. - The Pit
A mass event in which all contestants attempt to be the last man standing in the center of the pit. All others are evicted if any part of their body leaves the boundary of the sand pit. - The Run
A mass speed event in which all contestants attempt to run a certain distance and ring the bell first. - The Barrel
A mass endurance event in which all contestants push a leaking one-wheeled barrel around a track. The cart is refilled with water on every lap. If the contestant either spills his water, or runs out of water before completing a lap. He is disqualified from continuing. The contestant with the greatest lap count will win.
The Vicenary Pharoi
Seafarers are frequently greeted by the comforting loom of the Vicenary Pharoi. In most places, this light can be seen at about 25 miles distance, weather permitting. For the seafarer, this means not only a safe port and a journey's end, but subjecting himself to the rule of a political structure larger than that of the absolute rule of his ship's captain. Learned men of the sea refer to this political structure as the vicegerency.
The vicegerency is measured as the offing, or the farthest point visible from each Pharos in each direction. A matter is "in the offing" if it comes under the jurisdiction of the Viceroy. In like manner, a sailor considers himself under the power of the Viceroy (except in the case of piracy) whenever he can see the loom of the Pharos -- the light of the tower.
In the vicegerency of that port, the seafarer considers the Viceroy as having ultimate sway to resolve disputes and to represent seafarers before the land residents of Erenth. They do not generally take notice of landed nobles or the customs of the princes and rulers of the land. They will not avail themselves of their courts
The Pharoi of Northrun
The Sapphire Tower of Samarabad (Ald Ciula)
The Emerald Tower of Tamar (Tirgus Holm)
The Pharoi of Southrun
The Coral Tower of Uruda (Rak Gremluuk)
The Blue Tower of Byza
The Copper Tower of Qahira
The Bone Tower of Kalani (Calleny)
The Pearl Tower of Istada
The Ivory Tower of Sabaha (Tradepost)
The Jade Tower of Danab
The Topaz Tower of Isnafar
The Crocus Tower of Anshabajan
The Pharoi of Eastrun
The Gold Tower of Susa (Shu)
The Bronze Tower of Lahara (Laster Shores)
The Crimson Tower of Fah Tawaj (Free City)
The Pharoi of Westrun
The Cedar Tower of Bezapur (Bolden)
The Silver Tower of Walashabad (Watersedge)
The Ebony Tower of Tamisand (Treft)
The Rust Tower of Dabil (Dor Inur)
The Ruby Tower of Bilishapur (Balduren)
The Sable Tower of Kashir (Tradestop)
While there are 20 different Pharoi, and the turret of each is painted for its unique name, each of the towers has the same basic architecture. The towers are four hundred feet from base to lantern tip.
The barracks, cellars and wellroom take up the first three floors of the tower. They are only accessed through massive ironbound doors and sally ports.
The great hall of the pharos is 36 feet above ground level and can be accessed from the internal ladder or the great sweeping stone stair which spirals up the outside of the tower. It boasts a 50 foot high ceiling on a 70 foot diameter room. The floor of the great hall boasts a massive map which depicts the known seas and its shores.
The great hall of the pharos is 36 feet above ground level and can be accessed from the internal ladder or the great sweeping stone stair which spirals up the outside of the tower. It boasts a 50 foot high ceiling on a 70 foot diameter room. The floor of the great hall boasts a massive map which depicts the known seas and its shores.
The next four floors are 60 feet in diameter and 12 feet high.
The next floor is 55 feet in diameter and 12 feet high.
The next two floors are 50 feet in diameter and 12 feet high.
The next three floors are 45 feet in diameter and 12 feet high.
The Viceroy's Hall is 40 feet in diameter with a 75 foot ceiling.
The Vicereine's Apartments are 40 feet in diameter and boast two floors with 12 foot ceilings.
The Wanderer and the Glorious Lady
I have undertaken this treatise with the intent of passing on what I have learned. My eyes grow dim and my hands cramp with the pain of too many years behind the quill and inkpot. My knowledge is hard won and did not come quickly. Many seasons spent I, wandering here and there across the frigid highlands of Northrun. At long last, I made contact with my quarry. The hunt alone might make an interesting tale on another roll of parchment. For this one, I give only the facts which I was able to glean.
The Glorious Lady is not loathe to speak when a soul is fortunate enough to have found her, but her voice comes as a song and she takes great pains to say things in verse which might have been answered in a brief word or two. As for the Wanderer, what can I say. A more sullen and withdrawn person I have not found. He laughs robustly when that reaction can be teased from him, but mostly he just glowers from behind a brooding chin and furrowed brow.
In Northrun, she is sometimes called the Forest Mother, but the Glorious Lady is an ancient being who has existed on Erenth since the beginning of time, perhaps before there was any such things as forests. She sometimes refers to herself as the First Person of Erenth and seems to think that every other being upon it is but a passing visitor.
To the naked eye she appears to be a middle-aged humanish woman of uncommon beauty, who nonetheless arouses none of the baser passions. Her golden hair is long and untamed, bearing bits of bramble and leaves in it like that of a ungroomed peasant child. She wears nothing of paint or perfume, but carries in her the scents of dark tilled earth, quick clean water and fresh mown hay. Her clothing appears to be woven of the finest tendrils of greenest grass and festooned here and there with flowers. I found her, easy to gaze at without feeling the least self-conscious.
For her part, she neither encouraged not discouraged my behavior, but simply seemed to accept that as her normal course. The fact of her own beauty was not lost on her, but she carried no pride in it. More than once, early in our conversations, I looked at her fully and embarrassed myself by announcing some version of, "You are beautiful." Her only reply to those statements was something answering, "Yes," and "I know," in her usual singsong manner.
The voice of the Glorious Lady sounds like many bells ringing. Somehow high and sharp and yet also, low and soft. She has songs for every moment and every thought. Never quite silent, she simply reduces herself to low humming. I don't know that she is always singing, yet In her mouth, everything sounds like a song.
The Glorious Lady seems to subsist solely on nuts and honey. There is never a meal time for her, but these things are continually brought to her in a steady trickle by birds, squirrels and even bears. For drink, she has only water. Usually stooping low to taste of every stream and pool. She rests but a few hours each night and I can attest that she softly snores.
She has an enormous facility with green things and is thought by some to be the goddess of plants. It might be more accurate to say that she is the enlivening spirit of every intelligent thing that grows as a plant. There is no term for this in the common tongue of Westrun. Other tongues are not so limited. The men of Eastrun have a name for this enlivening spirit which they call Huang. If that is what she is, then surely the Glorious Lady is the most personable and most capable of them.
The Glorious Lady is not loathe to speak when a soul is fortunate enough to have found her, but her voice comes as a song and she takes great pains to say things in verse which might have been answered in a brief word or two. As for the Wanderer, what can I say. A more sullen and withdrawn person I have not found. He laughs robustly when that reaction can be teased from him, but mostly he just glowers from behind a brooding chin and furrowed brow.
In Northrun, she is sometimes called the Forest Mother, but the Glorious Lady is an ancient being who has existed on Erenth since the beginning of time, perhaps before there was any such things as forests. She sometimes refers to herself as the First Person of Erenth and seems to think that every other being upon it is but a passing visitor.
To the naked eye she appears to be a middle-aged humanish woman of uncommon beauty, who nonetheless arouses none of the baser passions. Her golden hair is long and untamed, bearing bits of bramble and leaves in it like that of a ungroomed peasant child. She wears nothing of paint or perfume, but carries in her the scents of dark tilled earth, quick clean water and fresh mown hay. Her clothing appears to be woven of the finest tendrils of greenest grass and festooned here and there with flowers. I found her, easy to gaze at without feeling the least self-conscious.
For her part, she neither encouraged not discouraged my behavior, but simply seemed to accept that as her normal course. The fact of her own beauty was not lost on her, but she carried no pride in it. More than once, early in our conversations, I looked at her fully and embarrassed myself by announcing some version of, "You are beautiful." Her only reply to those statements was something answering, "Yes," and "I know," in her usual singsong manner.
The voice of the Glorious Lady sounds like many bells ringing. Somehow high and sharp and yet also, low and soft. She has songs for every moment and every thought. Never quite silent, she simply reduces herself to low humming. I don't know that she is always singing, yet In her mouth, everything sounds like a song.
The Glorious Lady seems to subsist solely on nuts and honey. There is never a meal time for her, but these things are continually brought to her in a steady trickle by birds, squirrels and even bears. For drink, she has only water. Usually stooping low to taste of every stream and pool. She rests but a few hours each night and I can attest that she softly snores.
She has an enormous facility with green things and is thought by some to be the goddess of plants. It might be more accurate to say that she is the enlivening spirit of every intelligent thing that grows as a plant. There is no term for this in the common tongue of Westrun. Other tongues are not so limited. The men of Eastrun have a name for this enlivening spirit which they call Huang. If that is what she is, then surely the Glorious Lady is the most personable and most capable of them.
While she can seemingly go anywhere on Erenth with great speed, she prefers that bit of Northrun now inhabited by the men of the clans. She has hinted in her way, that she loves that place most, but it seems to be but the place she saw first upon arriving in Erenth. By her reckoning, it is but one step from the great stair she descended to arrive upon this plane. I might surmise that her point of arrival was the Rampart Mountains at the edge of the Free Provinces. She readily admits she has not much cared to explore elsewhere.
The Glorious Lady is called by many names in various realms. Indeed all seem to have heard of her. This is not surprising given her long life. In the Eight Kingdoms she is often called Mother Nature. To the elves, she is Baere. To the Dwarves, Berronar. In Eastrun she is Linghua (sacred flower) and Sakuyomi (the blooming world beauty). Northruners speak of the Glorious Lady, while Southrun calls her Bahareen. The Halflings and Gnomes call her Alarvenya.
In regard to her long life, I can surmise that it must number 6,000 to 10,000 years, or more. When asked, she merely sings that she has seen the sun rise and set more times than there are grains of sand on the shore. Surely this is poetic license on her part for a number not easily reckoned. Or perhaps Erenth is a great deal older than any of us might think.
From what I have seen, she will remain in an area for a few nights and then walk off with steps that begin small and then increase in length until she is striding across fields in a single step and then over mountains. Twice, I made a fool of myself attempting to keep up with her during these movements, only to return to our last camp dejected. Each time, I found the Wanderer packing up and preparing to move after her.
He is difficult to pin down in his own right as he travels at a more natural pace (despite his injury) but never seems to tire. Indeed he will travel night and day until he finds her again, then unpack his bedroll and resume as if she had never left. He always seems to know where to find her next, though he will not answer any queries about how.
The Wanderer is a strange being in his own right. I have heard the Glorious Lady called him something which sounds like My Wota, perhaps a pet name. When I tried to use it, he merely scowled and I knew not to do so again.
In regard to her long life, I can surmise that it must number 6,000 to 10,000 years, or more. When asked, she merely sings that she has seen the sun rise and set more times than there are grains of sand on the shore. Surely this is poetic license on her part for a number not easily reckoned. Or perhaps Erenth is a great deal older than any of us might think.
From what I have seen, she will remain in an area for a few nights and then walk off with steps that begin small and then increase in length until she is striding across fields in a single step and then over mountains. Twice, I made a fool of myself attempting to keep up with her during these movements, only to return to our last camp dejected. Each time, I found the Wanderer packing up and preparing to move after her.
He is difficult to pin down in his own right as he travels at a more natural pace (despite his injury) but never seems to tire. Indeed he will travel night and day until he finds her again, then unpack his bedroll and resume as if she had never left. He always seems to know where to find her next, though he will not answer any queries about how.
The Wanderer is a strange being in his own right. I have heard the Glorious Lady called him something which sounds like My Wota, perhaps a pet name. When I tried to use it, he merely scowled and I knew not to do so again.
He appears to be a older human male, dark-skinned with a snowy beard. He is broad of shoulder and thick of neck. His hands have seen labor and war. His face is lined with worry and regret which seldom subsides. He never eats nor drinks, nor sleeps. Yet, he is not spared from decrepitude. In his hand is a staff which he leans on heavily while walking. I have seen it transform into a great axe when threatened and I did not doubt for its lethality.
Aside from his staff, he is dressed as a vagrant with a bag upon his back, a tin cup at his side and a feet strapped in dry skins. He wears a worn-out shirt and hood, patched with scraps of leather and cloth alike. My first impression upon seeing him was that he was an escaped prisoner or a madman. That last description may not be far off. For the Glorious Lady once called him mad with grief.
I have surmised that the Wanderer found the Glorious Lady late in life and has pledged what remains of his to be her consort. He seems to follow her from place to place, whether she will have him or no. They have no relationship, per se. Save that the closest he comes to smiling is when she sings and the only time I have heard him laugh is at the lyrics of her songs.
The song she sings most often about her Wota goes something like this:
I come from mountains to the shore,
from valleys keen, to oceans roar.
I wander long and joyless here:
with sighs asking, Where? Oh, where?
Their sun appears to me so cold,
their breezes soft, their lives so old;
and what they speak of, empty fare:
I the stranger everywhere.
Where are you, home, beloved home?
Imagined, sought, but never known!
The land, the land, whence love will flow,
the land where all my passions grow.
My friends are perished lost in vain,
in fables dead, and selfish gain,
I wander here and careless true:
Oh land, oh land, where are you?
Some might think that they have some romantic relationship. I think not. First, the Glorious Lady seems utterly incapable of caring for anyone with any degree of partiality above the affection she seems to hold for every living thing and for everyone. Second, aside from occasionally dancing with her in my presence, her Wota never touches her, and only rarely speaks to her, except when sharing a song.
When prompted enough by her, he will sing snippets of a song about a family and a far-off land. It is hard to tell if it is autobiographical:
I left my wife when she was young
And left her without children,
Now I wander aimlessly,
and shall see her not again"
I cross the lake, I cross the sky.
The mother comes to meet me.
I cross the mount, I cross the vale
The mother calls to greet me.
"Let's go, let’s go, let's go my son,
To the house you've called a home,
Where no one misses her husband,
And all his wee are crying."
The relationship between the people of Northrun and the persons of the Glorious Lady and the Wanderer is a curious one. Not quite seen as gods, they are nonetheless revered greatly. The Druids of the Clans see her as the best of their number, though few can admit that they have ever seen her and it stands to reason they are of a different kind than her. The Wanderer, seems to be all that the Warriors of the Clans can stand to have as a paragon. No worship is offered either of them, but as both are great and powerful beings, their intercession is often asked or imprecated before certain undertakings.
In speaking of this strange relationship, the Lorespeakers of the Clans seem to agree that the Wanderer is of a different kind than the Forest Mother. She simply is and has always been. This is not true of the Wanderer. For he was once a great enemy of all mankind -- a would be slaver and reaver from a far-off land. This facet of his life they do not seem to hold in any contempt, actually paying it some level of respect. As their stories go, the Wanderer and his companions reaved and raided until their own dissensions broke them apart. His companions stranded him here as a kind of punishment. His wrath was tamed, it is said by the mercies of the Glorious Lady.
That is all the tale I have to tell for nearly sixteen years of wandering and learning. I have resisted sharing this knowledge for many years, but now I tire and the light grows dim. Perhaps I shall not get to that other tale I meant to tell, but I mean to have this one as a testament to my life's work.
Aside from his staff, he is dressed as a vagrant with a bag upon his back, a tin cup at his side and a feet strapped in dry skins. He wears a worn-out shirt and hood, patched with scraps of leather and cloth alike. My first impression upon seeing him was that he was an escaped prisoner or a madman. That last description may not be far off. For the Glorious Lady once called him mad with grief.
I have surmised that the Wanderer found the Glorious Lady late in life and has pledged what remains of his to be her consort. He seems to follow her from place to place, whether she will have him or no. They have no relationship, per se. Save that the closest he comes to smiling is when she sings and the only time I have heard him laugh is at the lyrics of her songs.
The song she sings most often about her Wota goes something like this:
I come from mountains to the shore,
from valleys keen, to oceans roar.
I wander long and joyless here:
with sighs asking, Where? Oh, where?
Their sun appears to me so cold,
their breezes soft, their lives so old;
and what they speak of, empty fare:
I the stranger everywhere.
Where are you, home, beloved home?
Imagined, sought, but never known!
The land, the land, whence love will flow,
the land where all my passions grow.
My friends are perished lost in vain,
in fables dead, and selfish gain,
I wander here and careless true:
Oh land, oh land, where are you?
Some might think that they have some romantic relationship. I think not. First, the Glorious Lady seems utterly incapable of caring for anyone with any degree of partiality above the affection she seems to hold for every living thing and for everyone. Second, aside from occasionally dancing with her in my presence, her Wota never touches her, and only rarely speaks to her, except when sharing a song.
When prompted enough by her, he will sing snippets of a song about a family and a far-off land. It is hard to tell if it is autobiographical:
I left my wife when she was young
And left her without children,
Now I wander aimlessly,
and shall see her not again"
I cross the lake, I cross the sky.
The mother comes to meet me.
I cross the mount, I cross the vale
The mother calls to greet me.
"Let's go, let’s go, let's go my son,
To the house you've called a home,
Where no one misses her husband,
And all his wee are crying."
The relationship between the people of Northrun and the persons of the Glorious Lady and the Wanderer is a curious one. Not quite seen as gods, they are nonetheless revered greatly. The Druids of the Clans see her as the best of their number, though few can admit that they have ever seen her and it stands to reason they are of a different kind than her. The Wanderer, seems to be all that the Warriors of the Clans can stand to have as a paragon. No worship is offered either of them, but as both are great and powerful beings, their intercession is often asked or imprecated before certain undertakings.
In speaking of this strange relationship, the Lorespeakers of the Clans seem to agree that the Wanderer is of a different kind than the Forest Mother. She simply is and has always been. This is not true of the Wanderer. For he was once a great enemy of all mankind -- a would be slaver and reaver from a far-off land. This facet of his life they do not seem to hold in any contempt, actually paying it some level of respect. As their stories go, the Wanderer and his companions reaved and raided until their own dissensions broke them apart. His companions stranded him here as a kind of punishment. His wrath was tamed, it is said by the mercies of the Glorious Lady.
That is all the tale I have to tell for nearly sixteen years of wandering and learning. I have resisted sharing this knowledge for many years, but now I tire and the light grows dim. Perhaps I shall not get to that other tale I meant to tell, but I mean to have this one as a testament to my life's work.
A Catalog of Ancient Humanity: the Nandi and Meni
The first humans known to history were a loose collection of tribes known as the Nandi or Painted People. They were primitive and brutish without a written language or permanent habitations. They were nomads who followed the migration of beasts in each of the lands that they were found. The Painted People lived by hunting and gathering. Little mention of them is found in any of the histories of the first five ages. It may be that they were regarded as little more than beasts by the Elder Races.
During the Sixth Age, the Dragon Princes elevated some of these humans to servanthood. They were clothed, taught High Speech and civilized -- some were tutored in the arts and sciences. These Meni lived and bred apart from the Nandi and by the end of that age were almost a race unto themselves. At the conclusion of the War of Four Lands, having taken no great part in the conflict, these civilized Meni were positioned to inherit that which was abandoned by their masters.
In most places, the Meni were eventually reabsorbed by the Nandi, but some continued, in notable pockets among their distant cousins and were distinguished from them by their propensity to settle, develop agriculture, and animal husbandry. Among these were the Tren of Westrun, the Shan in the great valleys of Eastrun, the Fahr in the Ice Plains of Northrun and the Saba on the Sea Coasts of Southrun. Each of these went on to develop cultures and languages that were distinct from one another.
The most prosperous of the Meni, however, were those who lived near the seat of power of the rapidly eroding principalities in what is presently called the Provinces. Their speech and culture was heavily flavored by their former masters and their way of life. While they were never able to rise to the glory that had been their estate, they lived on in close approximation of it and only slowly lost ground in the arts and sciences.
During the Sixth Age, the Dragon Princes elevated some of these humans to servanthood. They were clothed, taught High Speech and civilized -- some were tutored in the arts and sciences. These Meni lived and bred apart from the Nandi and by the end of that age were almost a race unto themselves. At the conclusion of the War of Four Lands, having taken no great part in the conflict, these civilized Meni were positioned to inherit that which was abandoned by their masters.
In most places, the Meni were eventually reabsorbed by the Nandi, but some continued, in notable pockets among their distant cousins and were distinguished from them by their propensity to settle, develop agriculture, and animal husbandry. Among these were the Tren of Westrun, the Shan in the great valleys of Eastrun, the Fahr in the Ice Plains of Northrun and the Saba on the Sea Coasts of Southrun. Each of these went on to develop cultures and languages that were distinct from one another.
The most prosperous of the Meni, however, were those who lived near the seat of power of the rapidly eroding principalities in what is presently called the Provinces. Their speech and culture was heavily flavored by their former masters and their way of life. While they were never able to rise to the glory that had been their estate, they lived on in close approximation of it and only slowly lost ground in the arts and sciences.
Northrun
A Definition of the Land of Northrun
a treatment by Sage Lochro of Peakshadow
Northrun is the least inhabited and least civilized of all the landmasses of Erenth. The central expanse is ruled by Clans of Nordmen and its eastern expanse by the Tribes of Mumin. Additionally, Northrun is home to Elven Wood of Darmalas; the Dwarven Dun of Balnolmor; the Gnomish Strongholds of Graetosselodi; the Halfling Shire of Snowrift and the Giant Grandholds of Dhagherjhot in the east, and Nhelherjhot in the west.
Northrun is everything from the polar cap down to the inlet to the Seas of Ice, and also from the Seas of Endless Fury to the Seas of Certain Death. It sits like a crown upon Erenth and joins the lands of Eastrun and Westrun, and is rumored to stretch entirely around the world. The lion's share of this land is the Vastness -- my calculations lead me to believe that this is a full one quarter of all the land mass of Erenth, though few have sampled more than a sight of it from afar. I have stepped foot upon that Glacial Frontier only once, and prefer not to return.
a treatment by Sage Lochro of Peakshadow
Northrun is the least inhabited and least civilized of all the landmasses of Erenth. The central expanse is ruled by Clans of Nordmen and its eastern expanse by the Tribes of Mumin. Additionally, Northrun is home to Elven Wood of Darmalas; the Dwarven Dun of Balnolmor; the Gnomish Strongholds of Graetosselodi; the Halfling Shire of Snowrift and the Giant Grandholds of Dhagherjhot in the east, and Nhelherjhot in the west.
Northrun is everything from the polar cap down to the inlet to the Seas of Ice, and also from the Seas of Endless Fury to the Seas of Certain Death. It sits like a crown upon Erenth and joins the lands of Eastrun and Westrun, and is rumored to stretch entirely around the world. The lion's share of this land is the Vastness -- my calculations lead me to believe that this is a full one quarter of all the land mass of Erenth, though few have sampled more than a sight of it from afar. I have stepped foot upon that Glacial Frontier only once, and prefer not to return.
The Realms of Northrun and their Recognized Monarchs
An index for the use of all Royal and Noble Houses.
- Dun Balnolmor: (King Nordri Fesginhak)Hearth of the Barren Lords; ancestral place of the Mountain Dwarves
- Darmalas: (King Altarion Dardereian) The Darkwood; ancestral place of Wood Elves
- Snowrift: (King Diran Firefoot) ancestral place of Tallfellow Halflings
- Graetosselodi: (King Rodi Eltheast) Graetheim a.k.a Stronghold of the Master Makers a.k.a The Hearth of the Chosen; ancestral place of the Tinker Gnomes
- Dhagherjhot: (unknown) Grandhold of Sunrise; ancestral place of the Frost Giants
- Nhelherjhot: (unknown) Grandhold of Sunset; ancestral place of the Ice Giants
The Noteworthy Clans among those of the Northrun Barbarians
The so-called Barbarian Kingdoms of Northrun are actually small geographic jarldoms ruled over by the most powerful freeholder in a given area from long established Hearths built near, around or upon a hearthstone that is the most valuable and visible symbol of a Clan's authority. Each clan member shows his allegiance to their Hearth by the Weave. This Weave is used to trim their tunics, decorate their belts or blankets, or to make up the scarfs or the leg wrappings that bind their trousers.
That Jarl rules by the acclaim of his fellows and takes oaths of allegiance from the freemen living closest to him. Note that the members of a clan may or may not be related to each other by blood or by marriage. In some cases, the present ruler of a Jarldom has little or no relation to the original clan which settled the area, if that clan is even still known or has any living descendants. The clan boundaries are not permanently drawn and wax and wane according to the strength of the clan.
The clansmen of the lowlands or Myrrheim attempt to make their way through sustenance agriculture and sheep or goat herding. The clansmen of the highlands or Issheim eke out similar lifestyles, sometimes supplemented by whaling or mining, but also sometimes given to raiding. The harsh conditions of Issheim and its extended winters, often means having to take to the sea in search of plunder.
The Land of Northrun boasts a highly mobile society both in terms of social class and geographic location. Because it is built on the voluntary association of free men, many of whom are not land holders, it is not unheard of for a lower born man to belong to more than one clan in a single lifetime. Additionally, first cousins, brothers, and even fathers and sons, may all belong to different clans, though they share a common lineage. Much moreso than in the Land of Westrun, wealth, prestige and power can be won and lost and rewon in a single lifetime. In that sense there are no true nobles as men of Westrun understand the term.
That Jarl rules by the acclaim of his fellows and takes oaths of allegiance from the freemen living closest to him. Note that the members of a clan may or may not be related to each other by blood or by marriage. In some cases, the present ruler of a Jarldom has little or no relation to the original clan which settled the area, if that clan is even still known or has any living descendants. The clan boundaries are not permanently drawn and wax and wane according to the strength of the clan.
The clansmen of the lowlands or Myrrheim attempt to make their way through sustenance agriculture and sheep or goat herding. The clansmen of the highlands or Issheim eke out similar lifestyles, sometimes supplemented by whaling or mining, but also sometimes given to raiding. The harsh conditions of Issheim and its extended winters, often means having to take to the sea in search of plunder.
The Land of Northrun boasts a highly mobile society both in terms of social class and geographic location. Because it is built on the voluntary association of free men, many of whom are not land holders, it is not unheard of for a lower born man to belong to more than one clan in a single lifetime. Additionally, first cousins, brothers, and even fathers and sons, may all belong to different clans, though they share a common lineage. Much moreso than in the Land of Westrun, wealth, prestige and power can be won and lost and rewon in a single lifetime. In that sense there are no true nobles as men of Westrun understand the term.
Nhelherjhot
Race: Giant, Ice
Land: Northrun
Name: Grandhold of Sunset
Jarl:
Land: Northrun
Name: Grandhold of Sunset
Jarl:
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Population:
Population:
Description:
Dhagherjhot
Race: Giant, Frost
Land: Northrun
Name: Grandhold of Sunrise
Jarl:
Land: Northrun
Name: Grandhold of Sunrise
Jarl:
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Population:
Population:
Description:
Graetosselodi
Race: Gnome, Tinker
Land: Northrun
Name: Stronghold of the Master Makers
Rayn: Rodi Eltheast
Soror:
Cup Bearer:
Herald:
Eunuch:
Commander:
Shield Bearer:
Lawspeaker:
Noble Houses:
Resources:
Population: 400
Description:
Land: Northrun
Name: Stronghold of the Master Makers
Rayn: Rodi Eltheast
Soror:
Cup Bearer:
Herald:
Eunuch:
Commander:
Shield Bearer:
Lawspeaker:
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Population: 400
Description:
Snowrift
Race: Halfling, Tallfellow
Land: Northrun
Name: Snowrift
Rhaen: Diran Firefoot
Soror:
Cup Bearer:
Herald:
Eunuch:
Commander:
Shield Bearer:
Lawspeaker:
Noble Houses:
Resources:
Population: 300
Description:
Land: Northrun
Name: Snowrift
Rhaen: Diran Firefoot
Soror:
Cup Bearer:
Herald:
Eunuch:
Commander:
Shield Bearer:
Lawspeaker:
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Population: 300
Description:
Darmalas
Race: Elves, Wood
Land: Northrun
Name: The Darkwood
Rane: Altarion Dardereian
Soror:
Cup Bearer:
Herald:
Eunuch:
Commander:
Shield Bearer:
Lawspeaker:
Noble Houses:
Guardians of the Northern Elay: Aswar Dardereian
Southern Elay: Olaren Llordaner
Eastern Elay: Gilmad Fayloren
Western Elay: Elralad Ethanor
Land: Northrun
Name: The Darkwood
Rane: Altarion Dardereian
Soror:
Cup Bearer:
Herald:
Eunuch:
Commander:
Shield Bearer:
Lawspeaker:
Noble Houses:
Guardians of the Northern Elay: Aswar Dardereian
Southern Elay: Olaren Llordaner
Eastern Elay: Gilmad Fayloren
Western Elay: Elralad Ethanor
Guardians of the Northeast Marches: Elidyr Urlion
Southeast Marches: Halethenor Glifaren
Southeast Marches: Halethenor Glifaren
Southwest Marches: Silvanus Iliriel
Northwest Marches: Ilisan Loranor
Resources:
Population: 2000
Description:
Resources:
Population: 2000
Description:
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