The Lament of Clangeddin

O stone that stood when flesh was taken,

O wall that watched and did not break,

You held the sky from falling waters

Yet did not shield my hearth from death.

Where are the voices of the morning,

The feet that ran along the hall?

The hearth is cold, the Deepward silent,

And still you stand—you stand at all.

Let fire undo what hands have fashioned,

Let frost take hold of measured stone,

For walls that outlive wives and daughters

Are monuments to grief alone.

Yet if the dead yet hear the living,

If love is stronger than the grave,

Then give them back not to my seeing,

But to a world no foe may brave.

I ask no joy, I ask no glory,

I ask no crown nor final rest—

Only that stone remember flesh,

And loss be forged to guard the blessed

The Tables of the Histories of the Stoneborn of Dynkyr - Table VI

When Clangeddin had sallied forth from Dun Dynkyr he sought the storjarl of the giants in vain, for Yrsog Firemane was not where the prophet Caros had foretold. But rather than returning home, he marched next at Oromir and then to Balnolmar to defeat the enemies of his sons. And when their battles were ended, he returned home at the head of a great host and found Dun Dynkyr in ruin and the Deepward of Mir Vath a tomb of women and children. Only the curtain wall remained intact for it was knit of finest craftsmanship and blessed by Baere herself.

And it seemed to Clangeddin that the wall was a silent witness of grief, a testament enduring long after the lives it protected were expired. So he cried out in the pain and wrath of his loss and cursed the wall and cursed Baere whose blessing had kept it.

Then she who was imprecated appeared and beheld all that was lost and saw the sorrow that lay upon the Dwenir, for none of their women remained and their race imperiled. And so she did not come with wrath for the words which Clangeddin spoke, but with pity.

Then Clangeddin sank before her and lifted his eyes saying, "If the grace of this wall had been with our wives and daughters, they would yet live. Fire and frost take this wall and cast it asunder, for it now has no purpose beneath heaven."

So moved with pity was she, that Baere removed her blessing upon the wall, and spread it instead upon the spirits of those which imbibed the poison of Caros, saying, "No more shall the Dwenir fear the depredations of their enemy. Their wives and daughters shall return to them, but from this day forth, no eye shall behold them, nor shall any hand be raised against them. Within their Deepwards they shall remain and at their head shall be Mya the undying."

Then were raised the Valkauna of our people, and the spirit-wives of our worthy folk. And this is a great mystery which the Besnir understand not, neither do we speak of it. It is the blessing of Baere and the salvation of our race.

And the spirit-wives shall ever give themselves to those Dwenir who prove worthy, and they shall rear their children in the realm beyond sight. Sons shall appear among the Dwenir full-formed when they come of age, and they shall seem as though they are born of stone itself. Thus we call ourselves the Stoneborn, and the secrets of our people are held close.

Neither shall the Stoneborn who are made worthy taste final death. For when their bodies are extinguished, their spirits shall endure as Enheri—champions and guardians in realms unseen.

The Tables of the Histories of the Stoneborn of Dynkyr - Table V

In the days that followed the reunion of Mya and her spouse, it came to pass that frost giants from the North were found slain within a day’s walk of the wall. It became clear to the Dwenir that sons of the Yotinir had pursued Clangeddin to his last refuge from distant battles.

There was also an emissary in Dun Dynkyr at that time. His name was Caros, and he had recently come from Dun Ur, the redoubt of Duma the Regn. He was a prophet full of wisdom, able to see things afar off, and an interpreter of dreams. He arrived bearing the ear and confidence of Duma, and thus enjoyed the same from Mya and Clangeddin.

At his counsel they sent forth their remaining sons from the hearth as captains of hosts of spear and hammer. These went to the Duns of their people, to relieve those sorely pressed and to bring back news of their holdings. Thard, Dugma, and Martham went out to relieve their brothers, and Verga went first to Duma and then to Bathor, to aid his distant kin.

Thus Dun Dynkyr learned that Dun Ur had fallen into shadow and would allow none, neither friend nor foe, to enter. Those within had delved deep into the ground to escape the predation of the giants and were seen no more upon the surface.

Festog, Oromir, and Balnolmar were sorely pressed, and those of the House of Bathor who were not warriors were sent for refuge to Dynkyr. So it was with the other Duns. In this way Dun Dynkyr again became the refuge of women and children too young for war, while the sons of Mya chased giants from the lands of their kin.

Then Caros beheld a vision: the storjarl of the giant throng was encamped in the Salt Marsh. Clangeddin led three companies to surprise him, perchance to strike down their ancient foe. But while the sons and spouse of Mya were gone, along with the spears and hammers that had defended the wall, Dun Dynkyr was attacked by the very throng that Clangeddin sought.

And there was treachery behind the wall, for Caros was not what he seemed. In the eye of deep night the gate was unbarred, and the giants were let in. Two companies of spear and hammer remained within Dynkyr, and these were forced to face the giants without benefit of the wall, while sleep still lay upon them.

Before his treachery was discovered, Caros counseled Mya that all was lost. She gathered the women and children into the Deepward of Mir Vath while the sounds of battle raged above. Caros gathered with them and spoke words of deep malice into her ear, urging that they take their own lives and thus deprive the giants of victory.

So Mya relented. All those who sheltered in the Deepward drank the draught that Caros prepared. One by one they succumbed to sleep, and then to death itself.

The Tables of the Histories of the Stoneborn of Dynkyr - Table IV

In the days when Mya ruled Dynkyr alone, she raised to herself nine hundred and ninety spears, born behind the wall and trained to war. These she placed upon the ramparts, and they kept the safety of that place, overseeing all that came within its sight.

The weapons and armor that the Dwenir made were without peer and greatly desired. But most prized of all were their coigns. So sought were they that all the Besnir traded to obtain the gold, silver, and copper minted in Dun Dynkyr. Far and wide it became known as the center of trade, and a great market grew in the shadow of the wall, bringing grain, goods, and livestock from across Westrun and the Four Lands beyond.

Far from the wall, the wars with the giants continued, and those who sought respite from them came to Dun Dynkyr for peace and safety. Day and night they came and rested in its fastness. Then, on a morning at first light, a vagabond company appeared and stood unmoving within sight of the wall. They bore no banner and displayed no insignia that was known. Neither was their raiment recognized by any who held the watch.

The captain of that company stepped forward and fell upon his knees before the wall, and he wept openly for the relief he felt. When he was helped again to his feet, he called out in a loud voice to those who warded the wall.

They answered him, demanding to know his name and purpose, for they thought him a brigand from the North, or a deserter from Ur or Festog to the West.

Then the captain declared that he was the sharp silver blade that had slain giants beyond number. He named himself Clan, husband of Mya, who had survived the cataclysm of the Valley of Summer and fought across distant lands to be reunited with his bride. When his name was given, Mya was sent for, and she ordered the gates thrown wide. She herself went out from the wall to receive him. She who held the reign of Dun Dynkyr was once again the mother of sons, and a wife of her youth. She ran forth and embraced Clan as one long lost.

Great was the celebration of that day. The vagabond Dwenir were received into their own, and much was learned of each other and of the years that had passed. Thus Clan learned of his brother Duma, who had founded Dun Ur, and of Bathor, who had founded Dun Festog. And Mya learned of Dun Usega, Dun Balnolmar, and Dun Oromir, which had been founded by her sons Mith, Fesig, and Mireh.

The Tables of the Histories of the Stoneborn of Dynkyr - Table III

In the days when Mya and her company came upon the Sahr, they lived in peace, for their abode had not yet been discovered by the giants, and they were not harried. But the wars at Dun Ur and Dun Festog continued apace, and their fortresses were greatly contested.

Then Mya, and the Dwenir who were with her, founded a great city of stone in that place. They were guarded by the sea on three sides and bounded by the great mountains on the fourth. Because the mountains rose suddenly in their majesty, they were nearly impassable in their own right. Only a cleft between two of them allowed passage between Mir Nahr in the West and Mir Vath in the East.

So it was that Mya had the pass sealed. Stones were quarried from deep within Nahr and Vath, as if taken from their very roots, and from them she made a great curtain between the two. In the midst of the curtain she placed a gate, with a rampart above it, and on either side tall towers from which the wall might be gained and its breadth reached with arrows. Together it became a thing of beauty, for she had with her the greatest of miners and craftsmen, and they sought only to please their queen and mother. Thus they raised the wall in many courses, until it grew as tall as the mountains beside it.

They called that place—the wall and the city it protected—Dun Dynkyr, and named it for the pain of the loss of Mya’s husband Clan and the seven sons she had borne him. For though she was a great leader and wise in her years, she was also called the Mournful and the Widow. Many among the Dwenir sought her hand in marriage, but she would not take any to spouse, and poured herself instead into the defense and grandeur of her people.

At Dynkyr they built furnaces anew and began the smelting of many metals. With kohl stone in the heart of their fires, they softened even iron and worked it into steel. For a time iron was thought to be the Promise of Numli, a treasure long sought since before the cataclysm. Because iron was both superior and more plentiful than copper, they became masters of steel and made great strides in its craft.

Though iron was prized, the softer metals were not despised. Gold, silver, and copper were also melted, from which they minted coigns and began the custom of money. Thereafter the Dwenir feared neither mice nor rot, for their vaults were not filled with grain as those of the Stonekin had been. Neither was labor exchanged unevenly among them, for all worked and bought with the coins they had made. In time the other Besnir prized the coigns of Dynkyr, and for want of them brought trade and commerce to market before the wall.

Then Baere herself came round to the wall of Dynkyr and marveled. For though she had seen many bulwarks in her course, there were none to compare with the curtain that stretched between Mir Nahr and Mir Vath. Not only was it unsurpassed in height and depth, but it was to her an object of great beauty.

And since the stone blocks of Dynkyr were quarried from the heart of the mountains, the shafts and cuts made by the Dwenir were hidden from sight. For this Baere was grateful, for she hated the scars of mining and the splintering of rock as other Besnir had done. So she blessed the wall, saying it should never be broken by the craft of any born on Erenth. Thus, behind that wall the Dwenir prospered, and among all the peoples of Erenth, Dynkyr was counted the greatest and the envy of many.

The Tables of the Histories of the Stoneborn of Dynkyr - Table II

When the Dwenir had escaped the deluge of the cataclysm, they came to the Four Lands. Among those who came to Westrun was Duma. He was a great warrior, brave and accomplished, and greatly esteemed among our people. He made a refuge and named it Baldardin, and it withstood many attempts by the giants to unmake it.

Now the brother of Duma was Bathor. After many battles he desired not to remain behind the walls of Baldardin, for he said that it was a place of death, cursed ever to be. He named Baldardin Dun Ur and spoke a prophecy that was known in all generations thereafter. “This is the hearth of blackness,” said he, “and the dead alone shall own it.”

So Duma bid his brother to leave, but would not join him, for he ever believed that Baldardin was one battle from victory. Yet he prevailed upon Bathor to take the women and children with him. Then Bathor took such warriors as would come, and also the women and children, and together they left that place. They came upon a rich sea of green grass that had no end in sight.

Among those he took was Mya, the wife of his brother Clan, for she was comely, and it was believed that Clan had not survived the deluge. For her part, Mya also desired to depart Dun Ur, but she would not consent to become the wife of Bathor—not even after many days.

She said, “If my husband is dead, then I shall marry not again. For I have borne him seven sons and shall never bear another.”

But Bathor would not relent and said to her, “Look now, my scouts have found mountains to the North. Let us go and see if they possess the ore necessary to raise a Dun. Over such a Dun, I swear by my life, that I will make you a queen.”

But Mya replied, “This place we have found is safe and fertile for now. From here we can see enemies from afar off. We shall remain. If it seems right to you, you may go and make a place for us. Then, if it be sweeter than these fields of green, we shall accompany you there. As for becoming your wife, it shall not come to pass.”

So Bathor left able warriors to defend the women and children, and he went into the mountains that lay to the North. There he encountered giants and was engaged in many battles. In time he founded Dun Festog, for the winds of that place blew without ceasing. Against the giants he erected a wall, and behind it raised a great fortress that rivaled any that had been raised before.

When word came to the Dwenir who remained with Mya that Bathor had encountered giants, they grew fearful, for the plain was not as safe as it had first seemed. So the women and children, and the warriors who remained with them, continued into the East until they came to the Sahr Mountains. These overlook the great sea that had once been the Valley of Summer. In the midst of them was a cleft through which the waters could be seen, and the Sun danced upon the waves and made glad the hearts of all who beheld it.

The Tables of the Histories of the Stoneborn of Dynkyr - Table I

In days of old, the Dwenir lived in the Valley of Summer, as did all the Besnir. They lived by the laws of Morad and under the blessings of Baere. All was right, for it was as if Summer never ended and Winter never came. The crops were thick at harvest. Plentiful and fat was the game.

The Stonekin had charge of Erenth in those days. Though they were small and ill-suited to war, they were masters of craft, having invented the great furnaces by which metals could be smelted. But the Stonekin were cruel taskmasters, and they brought the Gnummorong upon the Besnir. Under this rule the Hoflin suffered the lash and were treated as beasts.

Then the Ere All was wroth for the cause of the Hoflin. With a stroke of his hammer, he broke the Surround that held back the waters of Erenth from the Valley of Summer, and thus it was flooded in a great cataclysm. Great was the loss of that day. Many Besnir were taken by the waves, and many Dwenir among them. Even Harus, who was Paramount of them in those days, was taken by the waters and did not return.

But some of the Dwenir survived and made their way to the tops of the Surround, which had once held back the waters. There they found the Four Lands, as they are known today. The Four Lands were a place of great peril, for they were ruled by the giants, children of the Yotinir, who bore a great hatred for all the Besnir.

The Mountain that Does Not Move

"The Mountain that Does Not Move" was painted by Bentis, who is believed to be a human artist in the tutelage of the Vyrum during the Sixth Age. It is a famous work of art considered near priceless. 

There are two versions of this painting and the owner of each claims the title original, while indicting the other as a forgery. One hangs in the Old Temple of Moder, in the city of Treft. The other is in the Hall of Art at the Bard's College in Ald Ciula. 

To the Last Coin

"To the Last Coin" was painted by the Vyrum artist Duris in the Sixth Age. It is a famous work of art considered near priceless. 

Its subject and style have been imitated many times over and the value of its reproductions is based on how true they are to the original. 

The original hangs in the Bank of Aqilia in the Free Provinces.

Salt, Oil and the Widow's Cup

"Salt, Oil and the Widow's Cup" was painted by the Vyrum artist Duris in the Sixth Age. It is a famous work of art considered near priceless.

Its subject and style have been imitated many times over and the value of its reproductions is based on how true they are to the original. The original is in the Grand Cathedral of Westrun in Peakshadow.

Apples at the Dawn Watch

"Apples at the Dawn Watch" was painted by the Vyrum artist Alorin in the Sixth Age. 

It is a famous work of art and considered near priceless. Its subject is a basket of apples in a simple farmhouse at mornings light. The hourglass depicts the sense of a fleeting moment in time.

The original is in the Library of Lyosha in Peakshadow, behind glass.

Of Bread and Bronze

"Of Bread and Bronze" was painted by the Vyrum artist Alorin in the Sixth Age. 

A still life, it depicts a helm of the type in use at the time, a loaf of bread and a soldiers dagger. It evokes the sense of exhaustion and mundane pedantry of war.

The original is in the Library of Lyosha in Peakshadow, behind glass.

Worthy Vyrion

Worthy Vyrion, was a soldier of the High King's legions who was slain in battle in at Ald Calta in the Principalities of Vyruma Serpentis.

A man of great personal courage, he led a company of men over the wall of Ald Calta and opened the gate, holding it open while rallying others to that breach in the ramparts. One by one, those with him fell and still he waved his banner to allow the legions to take note of his position -- though doing so, without taking cover, meant his death by dozens of missiles. Because of his sacrifice, the legions arrived in time to penetrate the city through the portal he held open.

Dancing Woman of Fah Tawaj

"Dancing Woman of Fah Tawaj" was painted by Soran Haber and is a famous work of art. 

Its subject would appear to depict a tavern of Southrun, its patrons and its entertainment.

The original is rumored to hang in the Governors Mansion in Free City.

Coronation of Ash and Gold

"Coronation of Ash and Gold" was painted by Jal Halawir and is a famous work of art. 

It depicts Agronar the Conqueror after the Battle of Seabird Bay receiving a crown of laurels. This event would lead to his taking the title of "Ghost King."

Its subject and style have been imitated many times over and the value of its reproductions is based on how true they are to the original. It hangs in the High King's Gallery at Kathmbir Keep in Peakshadow.  

Worthy Vyrion at the Broken Gate

"Worthy Vyrion at the Broken Gate" was painted by Jal Halawir and is a famous work of art.

It shows Vyrion the General at Ald Calta as he held the open front gate for the legionaries of the High King to enter behind him.  

Its subject and style have been imitated many times over and the value of its reproductions is based on how true they are to the original. It hangs in the High King's Gallery at Kathmbir Keep in Peakshadow.  

Last Light at Ald Calta

"Last Light at Ald Calta" was painted by Jal Halawir and is a famous work of art. 

It depicts the beginning of what would be the utter destruction of Ald Calta during the Taming of the Serpent.

The original hangs in the High King's Gallery at Kathmbir Keep in Peakshadow.  

Parade of Lanari

"Parade of Lanari" was painted by Sylvio Firena and is a famous work of art. 

It depicts the fall of the house of Lan after the death of the would be emperor of Vyruma Serpentis.

Its subject and style have been imitated many times over and the value of its reproductions is based on how true they are to the original. It hangs in the Hall of Art at the Heralapix of Ald Ciula. 

The White Stag

"The White Stag" was painted by Sylvio Firena and is a famous work of art. 

The painting evokes the image of a hunter of Rath and his hound, overcome by the awe of meeting his prey, the fabled white stag of Mistwood.

The original hangs in the court of the King of Rath at Longmeadow Keep.

Deluge of Dalenas

The "Deluge of Dalenas" was painted by Sylvio Firena and is a famous work of art. 

It depicts the cataclysm at the end of the Fourth Age. In the foreground are halfling scholars of the Academy of Dalenas (as the artist envisioned them), blissfully unaware of the coming of the great deluge in the background. Also in the background are others fleeing for safety. Another of Firena's ahistorical perspectives it nonetheless has great value. 

The work has traded hands many times and now resides in the hall of the King of Collonia. 

Siege of Ald Dovaris

"Siege of Ald Dovaris" was painted by Sylvio Firena and is a famous work of art. 

It is his rendition of part of the Taming of the Serpent. Like many of his works, sages of history question its accuracy as Agronar the Conqueror is not known to have had siege equipment at Ald Dovaris or elsewhere. 

The original hangs in the High King's gallery of art at Kathmbir Keep in Peakshadow.

Fair Berronar

"Fair Berronar" was painted by Sylvio Firena and is a famous work of art. 

Some argument exists whether it was an attempt to render the famous "Glorious Woman" colossus as a human girl. Gone are her wings and cup, but the facial similarities are unmistakable.

The original hangs in the Hall of Art at the Heralapix of Ald Ciula.  

Cavalier Resplendent

"Cavalier Resplendent" was painted by Sylvio Firena and is a famous work of art. 

Firena's curiousity about previous ages again emerges in this work. Its subject would appear to be that of a Vyrum Cavalier, but historians find the work incongruous as there is no evidence of the widespread use of bears as mounts during the 6th Age. Some have called this "Sylvio's Whimsy" as a result.

Nevertheless, its subject and style have been imitated many times over and the value of its reproductions is based on how true they are to the original. It hangs in the Hall of Art at the Heralapix of Ald Ciula.  

Favored Pet

"Favored Pet" was one of the latter works by Sylvio Firena and is a famous work of art. 

The subject is that of a dragon and a maiden asleep. Its title is a question and many sages of art have argued over which of the two is the pet.

The original hangs in the Hall of Art at the Heralapix of Ald Ciula.  

The Fisher Baron

"The Fisher Baron" was painted by Sylvio Firena and is a famous work of art. 

Its subject was reportedly a jumped-up baron of Bolden who enjoyed his trade long after he had any need of it. The picture is a curious juxtaposition of two different styles of fishing and it isn't clear that the baron would have practiced either. 

Sometimes called Sylvio's Folly, it was painted while Firena was still a student at the Heralapix. It lacks the presentation of his later work and is often presented as a case of the artist not knowing his subject well enough to communicate it to his audience. Despite it's odd character, it is a painting held in very high regard. 

The original hangs in the Hall of Art at the Heralapix of Ald Ciula.