History of Man -- Book I: Westrun Part 3

The 33rd century saw the arrival of the Fahr humans in Westrun. The Fahr were a great stock of Northruners with fair hair and great stature. Their own legends said that they were the bastard children of giants who generations earlier were pushed out of the artic snows. Those who settled in Westrun were pushed South by competition among their clans, or were perhaps drawn by the lure of agriculture over hunting and raiding. Whatever the case, there were two main settlements straddling the Silverlode Mountains: Wanderhalt and Sudland.

Wanderhalt was encircled with great timbers hewn from evergreen forests and under the control of a single Jarl. Sudland was a loose collection of farming freeholders who went as far South as the City of Wood permitted -- generally the north banks of Red River. Wanderhalt was entirely too remote to be of concern to the Nandi of Westrun, and because the men of Sudland were content with living peaceably in their new homes on what was considered only seasonally viable farmland, they were allowed to thrive on the north fringes of Westrun.

Over the course of the next century, the Jarl of Wanderhalt established himself as credible Westrun nobility, even if foreign born. The men of Sudland struggled among themselves to establish what might be considered a permanent noble house.

The fishing villages of the Bal consolidated and finally put aside decades of superstition to occupy Ald Saloren, renaming the city Balsrest and slowly becoming the preeminent power in the Southwest. 

Battle Song of the Fell

The Urgamesh were a tribe who apparently worshipped the elemental powers of one they called Mother Earth, along with her sons, Wind and Fire. Their unnerving repetitious chant was heard by all at the Battle of the Black Princes in 3012ey. However, it was preserved as nothing more than a beat or cadence with nonsensical grunts by the Northruner skalds who were there. Those skalds passed it down in their oral histories -- mostly to bring color and fear to their audiences at the appropriate time.

Apparently the Urok had a greater audience than anyone suspected. The song was also adapted by several goblin hordes. In 4224ey, animated with a religious fervor, goblin armies returned with the so-called Chanters' War. They believed that the endless repetition of the chant rendered them all but invulnerable. 

Again at the Battle of Wanderhalt 5284ey, Northruners fought alongside of Westruners against goblins. Over a period of six days, this song was heard time and again. The skalds were dumbfounded to hear the same battle cadence they had preserved, and when it was over, had the lyrics translated. Learned Westrun sages gave them the true words and their meaning from the Fell Speech.

In practice, the first two verses are sung by lonely voices in their vast horde. Perhaps one in one hundred are singing, while the rest are quiet. The third verse is joined by all and at the conclusion of it, the horde surges forward attacking. The final chants are made until the battle is won or they are beaten off.

A Song of Urgamesh: a chant of Earth, Wind and Fire.

Behold the battle before us
Behold the mighty wind
Behold the raging fire
They will be with us bringing death
Returning ash and blood to earth

See how the gods will fight with us?
See how we win the spoils of kings?
Ride all the wind and fire
True warriors bring earth its due
Leave all the ash and blood behind us

We attack screaming like true heroes
We fight the foes who stand before us
Ride all the wind and fire
The gods go with us and are pleased
Feel their power of blade and brand

Ride all the wind and fire
Ride all the wind and fire
Ride all the wind and fire
Ride all the wind and fire

The Coin Barns of the Oxmen

The common name for those buildings in use by the most popular banking system in Erenth, the Coin Barns are administered by a peculiar society in league with Church in Westrun, and are under the protection of the famed Oxmen. The Coin Barns are the clearing houses for most writs the world over. They charge a 1% fee for those transactions.

Deposits and withdrawals can be made at locations in

• Peakshadow
• Wanderhalt
• Bolden
• Menea
• Treft
• Laketon
• Watersedge
• Balduren
• and Rath in Westrun;
• Old Darios in the Free Provinces;
• Byza and Tradepost (Sabaha) in Southrun;
• and the Imperial City of Shu in Eastrun.

The Coin Barns will take any deposit of any coinage. Withdrawals can be made at any location, but they are not allowed until a 90 day waiting period has elapsed. After that initial waiting period, amounts can be withdrawn on any Firesday, after notice has been given on the previous Moonsday.

For some, the greatest service that the Coin Barns offer is to vouchsafe (by the honor of the Oxmen) the average size of their depositors accounts per annum. Far from being seen as a breach of privacy, this actually allows nobility and other institutions to determine how credit worthy their potential customers and trade partners are.

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.

Order of Watchmen and Guards Upon the Marches

The chapel of this peerage is in Wanderhalt of Collonia.

The Guardians have specifically tasked themselves with keeping the Northern Marches from being overrun by Goblinkind. In the absence of a King of Collonia to administer monies collected for that end, the Guardians formed together in order to ride to and fro across the marches, destroying and interdicting bands of marauding Orcs and the like.

Since the throne of Collonia is occupied, the Watchmen continue in their original task but are now funded by the King. Sometimes mistaken for Rangers by their light armor and tendency to remain outdoors, the Guardians are master horsemen, with proficiencies in hunting, tracking, wilderness survival, and weapon smithing. Any Paladin without that skillset need not apply.

Their symbol is a black lance superimposed over a white horse rampant.

College of Fritoss

The college of Fritoss is located in the City of Wanderhalt, in Collonia of the Eight Kingdoms in the Land of Westrun.

Fritoss


The Primus is Nondt. The students wear white robes with a yellow hood.

The Oxmen have rated the college at 3 gold bars.

College of Vongasik

The College of Vongasik is located in the City of Wanderhalt in Collonia, one of the Eight Kingdoms of Man in the Land of Westrun.

Vongasik himself is known as

The primus of Vongasik is Sarnos of Wanderhalt. The students of Vongasik wear a black robe with a yellow or green hood.

The Oxmen have given the school a rating of 7 bars.

The City of Wanderhalt

Wanderhalt is located in the Kingdom of Collonia in the Land of Westrun. It is the capital of Collonia and the domain seat of the kingdoms monarch.

It is the "Last City" in the Eight Kingdoms and perched on the very edge of the Outlands, surrounded by great fields of maize which provide food to men and livestock across the known world. It is also home to massive sand dunes left over from some ancient evaporated inland sea. These dunes provide the raw material for Wanderhalt's unique and most expensive export -- stained glass.

Physically, the city is large and imposing. Boasting some 50,000 residents and surrounded by a massive octogonal wall. A large castle, and two immense towers are located within the city limits, all three buildings are outfitted with glittering and resplendent glass windows which can be seen and admired for miles.

Wanderhalt itself is an adventurer's paradise. Men and demi-humans, of every stripe can be found within it's walls enjoying its protections and bringing their various goods and services to markets.

Its most famous residents are King Rigel and the Wizards Von Gasik and Fritoss.

Magister Von Gasik

Greedy : Avaricious. Foams at the mouth when excited.
motto : Cut your coat according to your cloth.

Magister Fritoss

Exacting : Punctual. Dreamy.
motto : Don't confuse foolishness with bravery.