Tendersole is the affliction unique to Halflings which cause painful blisters to appear on the bottom of the feet and hair to fall out in tufts from on top. The sufferer often finds that in order to maintain their usual movement rate, they will need shoes to protect their feet from the elements.
It causes the complete disruption of dark vision, the inability to sneak or move silently and an increased clumsiness that makes them easily surprised.
Among the Halfling people, Tendersole is considered the just deserts of those who love adventure. It is contagious and virulent. It will last from 2 to 5 weeks and some small number of sufferers will occassionally have flare ups that are not contagious, but nonetheless require the patient to wear shoes for a period of not more than one week.
Showing posts with label Halfling Scholars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Halfling Scholars. Show all posts
The Necessary Record of Yesternonce: A Complete History of the Entire World pt. 1
by Blondo Butterchurn
Schoolmaster of Merrydale
with approved text suitable for use
in all classrooms across the Several Shires.
Tamb Greenthumb and the founding of Dalenas
Before the keeping of years, the Folk of Erenth fought always and made havoc without ceasing. Great was the storm of their fighting and all the wide world groaned from the shame of it. Eventually the noise of their strife disturbed the God of All things, so he raised the Old Ones to bring peace and tranquility from the chaos. But the rule of the Old Ones was stiff and so the God of All things was not entirely pleased.
Then great Yomallor, mightiest servant of the God of All things, obtained permission for the humblest and least troublesome of all Erenth’s Folk to rule the known world. Those Folk were given authority to draw whatever laws were needed and to mete justice as required. Those were the days long before Drofo Drumbeater was born. That was long before even the dawning of the Big Folk. There are no dates for those times, as the Scribe had not yet come away from the Elfin Folk with a calendar and he would not do so for many long ages. Nonetheless, those days were called the Second Age, for the First Age had been one of naught but strife.
In those days, Baere the Fertile greatly favored Erenth and her Folk grew strong. The Folk of Baere are all manner of things which have leaf and root. Great tangles of plants and vines ran over all the soil and all things that grew were called Mulnechir – which is to say, “the wild green”. It pleased Yomallor to walk upon the Face, and to know the fields and paths of Erenth, talking to Baere, and wrapped in Hobbit form.
There was only one Hobbit people then and they were as chieftains for all the other folks. Dwarfin Folk and Gnomm Folk there were, and also others which time has forgotten. There were no Big Folk at all, in that day, for their time had not yet come and the Elfin Folk had not yet revealed themselves.
Likewise, there were no nations to contend with one another, for the world was chiefly dedicated to enjoying great talks and pleasant companionship. All the Hobbits lived in a wide green place, ringed with mountains, that was called Dalenas – which is to say, “the comfortable grass”. There, inside the highest hill in the center of Dalenas, the Hobbits founded a great academy, at which the most learned of them taught all the folk of Erenth. There also were pictures made upon stone.
The Hobbits were the most learned people of the day. Their knowledge of Mulnechir was highly sought after by the other folk, which could neither reap nor sow, but only lived upon the wild fruits as the Folk of Baere saw fit to provide. Among the greatest scholars was Tamb Greenthumb. Though his knowledge of planting and cultivation was great, he was but one of several peers, among whom great knowledge was shared, and from whom knowledge was continually sought.
So it was that the various folk of Erenth came, time and again, to the Academy of Dalenas to inquire of the scholars there. The questions were not limited to Mulnechir alone, for many had questions about how Folks of all places ought order their lives together. But the scholars resisted answering such questions, for they seemed to them to be as foolishness. Finally, it was Tamb who stood in the middle of Dalenas and spoke for all his learned peers, saying:
“Of rules and methods you have no need to be taught. We are the Folk of Erenth who think and speak, not like Mulnechir which simply grows and cannot reason. What need could there be for treating a person as if he were a crop. Will a person be guided in a row or weeded as a garden? Our ruling, therefore, is this – that every person of every folk ought simply to do what they will, if it harms none. Of this you have no need to be reminded. For this, no rule is required. Live and let live upon the Face!”
This wisdom proved too great for the other folk, however. Even as the Hobbits celebrated the ruling with a great merrymaking beneath the Oak of Fellowship, the other folk strove one with another for understanding. Finally, they came again to the Academy of Dalenas and sought which of them should be considered greatest, after the Hobbit.
Tamb stood as before and with gentle reproach said, “The people of Dalenas are as many nuts. Some which grow higher or are sweeter are nevertheless no greater than those which are low grown and bitter. For who will eat one and not desire the other? Let us then put such foolishness aside and say that all are, as all are. For Dalenas hath no profit in the devising of ranks or orders. For are we not even greater than the nuts, for which no such devising is necessary?”
Then the other folk took leave of the Academy and went from that place to argue one with another about rules and ranks. But of such business the Hobbits would have no part. Neither did they recognize that the decisions of others should become a ruling unto all. For the ancestors of old were like the Hobbits of today and though it had not yet been said, “In all the world, all I require is a quiet garden of good earth and a shady spot to watch it grow,” it was nonetheless regarded as true.
But the other folk would not keep still and so the learned men of Dalenas were forced to pronounce one commandment upon them all. “Argue if you must, and decide as you will, only keep silence and peace near the Academy of Dalenas.” Then boundaries were set for one day's walk in all directions and these were called the Shires. Then was Tamb Greenthumb appointed Reeve of the Shires, to forego his planting and to live from the abundance of the gardens of others. He was to keep the tranquility of that place and the inhabitants therein. And after Tamb, his sons were made Reeve and his grandsons after them.
And so it was that Tamb Greenthumb and the ancestors of old made a place for themselves in the greenest of vales. It was the home of silence and peace in the midst of strife. All the gardens were calm and all the soil rich. In time, no weed even dared grow therein. The vegetables came in large and plenty was had by all, but the other folk would know only strife in the rest of Dalenas.
The Restless Rage of Coglin Longstride
In the days of the great grandsons of Tamb Greenthumb, there was born a Hobbit named Coglin Longstride who knew gardening as all Hobbits do, but he loved an evening’s walk all the more. He walked across the breadth and width of Dalenas and drew many maps of the hills and woods therein. Every stream and path was known to him and it seemed no blade of grass escaped his notice. Whenever he was not walking, Coglin was making maps upon sheets of bark with the charred wood of a cook fire.
Thus the day eventually came when Coglin, having unsurpassed knowledge of Dalenas, went forth from that place to walk. Truly he was the first of those who were afflicted with the Restless Rage and he was gone many nights without returning. His garden became a place of tangled vines and small rodents. So his neighbors were greatly troubled and murmured against him and the peace of the Shires was greatly disturbed.
For several years Coglin was absent from his home, but he returned by and by and spent many long hours in the art of mapmaking and his garden was still left unattended. So the wrath of his neighbors was stirred against him and few invited him to their merrymaking. But if Coglin noticed his estrangement, it did not bother him, for he received many late night visitors of many sorts of folk and this too, became occasion for the Hobbits to distrust him. Soon enough he would leave again and be gone without notice of his return.
So when word reached the people that Coglin had died in a distant place, he had not earned the respect of his neighbors. All shunned him and his funeral was sparse attended, and then only by his closest of kin, for his body was not brought back to the Shires. The maps he had drawn became artifacts in the Academy of Dalenas and some of them are housed now in the Hall at Merrydale and serve always to remind the people of Coglin’s wasted life.
The Noisome Home of Yondalla Goldenhair
In the days of the great grandsons of Tamb Greenthumb, there was a hobbit goodwife named Yondalla Goldenhair. She was a wife of great frugality, powerful industry and a mighty womb. In the first year of her espousal she bore her husband a son, in the second a daughter, in the third another daughter, in the fourth a son, and she continued after this fashion until the fruit of her womb numbered three tens and six. In all she bore 31 daughters and 5 sons and her name was celebrated across all of Dalenas.
It was said that her home was like the sound of a great party which new not the coming of morning, and others likened it to a great game of Running at Bat. Often her neighbors heard the crying of babes and the laughter of those at play and yet she was not despised, for it was the noise of fertility and of the perserverance upon the Face. So it was that Yondalla was the mother of many and considered to be the mother of all who raise children. For though time has forgotten the name of her goodhusband, it has ever remembered her name.
The Songs of Sheela of the Flowers
In the days of the great grandsons of Tamb Greenthumb, there was a maiden named Sheela Peryroyl who was often called Sheela of the Flowers. Now Sheela was a comely lass and high-spirited and she spent many hours plaiting flowers in her hair and singing, even as she gardened. Now many were those who sought her hand in marriage, but Sheela had purposed that she would not give it save to one who might equal her mastery in voice.
Then Peryroyl, the father of Sheela saw that she was much desired among the Hobbits and even among the other people, so he spoke to many of them making promises of her hand. And yet, all of those promises turned to naught, for none who sought her captured her heart with their singing. For she had each come before her to perform and each brought words and made music, but none had voices as fair and as strong as she.
So it was the father of Sheela sought to marry her against her will and delivered her bound to the home of one with whom he made the contract. But it was sad that her song could not be quieted even in captivity, so that before her bedding a Wood Spirit heard her voice and carried her off to safety. When her father pursued a Water Spirit drowned him for his folly. To this day it is said that her voice is heard in the blowing wind and the running water. She remains the patroness of beauty and chastity and firmness of resolve.
The Hearth of Syrolalee
In the days of the great grandsons of Tamb Greenthumb, the Hobbits of old ate of the soft fruits of the ground and gathered the nuts of the trees for eating. But they knew not grain of the fields, save as feed for their livestock, for they did not know the secret of cooking.
At that time there was a crone named Syrolalee, who was so old that none remembered her father, nor mother. Since she neither had siblings nor children, there were none to say from whence she had come, and even the oldest of that time remembered her as stooped and aged, even from when they were children.
And Syrolalee was exceeding old and toothless such that nuts were closed to her and the skins of fruits were too tough. So she drank only water and sucked the leaves of plants to sup. Then it was that she happened upon the idea of putting foods in a pot to boil and she discovered that such cooking made them soft, but also sweet to taste. Soon all the people were following her example. This is why Syrolalee is remembered even now as the mistress of the hearth and the patroness of hospitality.
The Shield of Arvovreen the Defender
In the days of the great grandsons of Tamb Greenthumb, many folk had become troublesome across Dalenas. They took the tools of the field and made them into weapons of great cruelty. Some of them came then to Shires to take and destroy. They happened first upon a farmer who was called Arvovreen. He was quiet in his garden and repairing the wheel from his barrow. So these cruel ones said, We shall take of your farm and cause you to swear us obeisance." But Arvovreen would not be cowed and said, "Come the morrow I might, but not today, as I am busy in my rows."
So a second time the troubling folk raised their tools and menaced him saying, "We shall take your farm and cause you swear us obeisance. For as of old we have practiced war and with these tools we shall surely hurt you." But a second time, Arvovreen said, "Come the morrow I might, but not today."
A third time they spake thus and a third time Arvovreen answered. By now, all the people had come to witness and the troubling folk were angry for he did not surrender his farm nor swear obeisance. So they swung their tools as if to break him as one might break up a firm clay, but Arvoveen lifted the wheel from his barrow and deflected their blows. One after another they came, but none could hurt him for the circle of the wheel protected him.
So it was that the troubling folk grew tired and were driven off by the shouts of Arvovreen's neighbors and the coming of the great grandsons of Tamb. But all who made trouble now knew the power of the shield and would use it to defend themselves even as they harmed others.
As for Arvovreen, he was the last of those that knew not natural death. Long after the first Grimgoreniht that was to come, he was slain by a goblin named Grustmak the Bloody, in the War that Consumed the Shires. For in that war Arvovreen had cast his shield as a spear and thus beheaded the goblin king. But then, left defenseless, he fell victim to Grustmak's stone axe. His body was carried to the Academy of Dalenas and he dwells in Arvanaith with his kin to this day.
The War that Consumed the Shires
Eventually the troubling folk could not be put off. No device of Avrovreen nor grandson of Tamb could withstand them. In great numbers they came, again and again. For their only desire was to take what others had acquired and to destroy what others had made. The hobbits suffered greatly until the other folks came to defend them. Gnumm there were, and Dwarven Folk, and Elven Folk and others which time has forgotten. Eventually the war came to an end, as all wars do. The troubling folk were driven off, but the Shires had been reduced to ash and rubble.
The Departure of Yomallor
For many years before the war, Yomallor had kept a neat home and well-groomed garden near the edge of Dalenas. Many were those who saw him and treated with him on the topic of planting and harvesting. Some brought him pies and breads such as the women might make and Yomallor invited all who did so for tea and honeyed milk. For in those days, he still clothed himself as though a Hobbit. Hobbit or not, he was the most neighborly of all Dalenas.
But the day came after the war, when Yomallor walked across the Shires and tarried a moment at each garden gate. The time had come, he said, that he must leave Dalenas and return from whence he came. For the Second Age was ending and a Third must begin. There were many tears in Dalenas then, and none had the strength for proper merrymaking. But Yomallor gave them comfort and said that though he must depart, he would surely return in the due course of time. His departure was to mark the beginning of the Third Age, and his return would be at the beginning of the Eighth.
Schoolmaster of Merrydale
with approved text suitable for use
in all classrooms across the Several Shires.
Tamb Greenthumb and the founding of Dalenas
Before the keeping of years, the Folk of Erenth fought always and made havoc without ceasing. Great was the storm of their fighting and all the wide world groaned from the shame of it. Eventually the noise of their strife disturbed the God of All things, so he raised the Old Ones to bring peace and tranquility from the chaos. But the rule of the Old Ones was stiff and so the God of All things was not entirely pleased.
Then great Yomallor, mightiest servant of the God of All things, obtained permission for the humblest and least troublesome of all Erenth’s Folk to rule the known world. Those Folk were given authority to draw whatever laws were needed and to mete justice as required. Those were the days long before Drofo Drumbeater was born. That was long before even the dawning of the Big Folk. There are no dates for those times, as the Scribe had not yet come away from the Elfin Folk with a calendar and he would not do so for many long ages. Nonetheless, those days were called the Second Age, for the First Age had been one of naught but strife.
In those days, Baere the Fertile greatly favored Erenth and her Folk grew strong. The Folk of Baere are all manner of things which have leaf and root. Great tangles of plants and vines ran over all the soil and all things that grew were called Mulnechir – which is to say, “the wild green”. It pleased Yomallor to walk upon the Face, and to know the fields and paths of Erenth, talking to Baere, and wrapped in Hobbit form.
There was only one Hobbit people then and they were as chieftains for all the other folks. Dwarfin Folk and Gnomm Folk there were, and also others which time has forgotten. There were no Big Folk at all, in that day, for their time had not yet come and the Elfin Folk had not yet revealed themselves.
Likewise, there were no nations to contend with one another, for the world was chiefly dedicated to enjoying great talks and pleasant companionship. All the Hobbits lived in a wide green place, ringed with mountains, that was called Dalenas – which is to say, “the comfortable grass”. There, inside the highest hill in the center of Dalenas, the Hobbits founded a great academy, at which the most learned of them taught all the folk of Erenth. There also were pictures made upon stone.
The Hobbits were the most learned people of the day. Their knowledge of Mulnechir was highly sought after by the other folk, which could neither reap nor sow, but only lived upon the wild fruits as the Folk of Baere saw fit to provide. Among the greatest scholars was Tamb Greenthumb. Though his knowledge of planting and cultivation was great, he was but one of several peers, among whom great knowledge was shared, and from whom knowledge was continually sought.
So it was that the various folk of Erenth came, time and again, to the Academy of Dalenas to inquire of the scholars there. The questions were not limited to Mulnechir alone, for many had questions about how Folks of all places ought order their lives together. But the scholars resisted answering such questions, for they seemed to them to be as foolishness. Finally, it was Tamb who stood in the middle of Dalenas and spoke for all his learned peers, saying:
“Of rules and methods you have no need to be taught. We are the Folk of Erenth who think and speak, not like Mulnechir which simply grows and cannot reason. What need could there be for treating a person as if he were a crop. Will a person be guided in a row or weeded as a garden? Our ruling, therefore, is this – that every person of every folk ought simply to do what they will, if it harms none. Of this you have no need to be reminded. For this, no rule is required. Live and let live upon the Face!”
This wisdom proved too great for the other folk, however. Even as the Hobbits celebrated the ruling with a great merrymaking beneath the Oak of Fellowship, the other folk strove one with another for understanding. Finally, they came again to the Academy of Dalenas and sought which of them should be considered greatest, after the Hobbit.
Tamb stood as before and with gentle reproach said, “The people of Dalenas are as many nuts. Some which grow higher or are sweeter are nevertheless no greater than those which are low grown and bitter. For who will eat one and not desire the other? Let us then put such foolishness aside and say that all are, as all are. For Dalenas hath no profit in the devising of ranks or orders. For are we not even greater than the nuts, for which no such devising is necessary?”
Then the other folk took leave of the Academy and went from that place to argue one with another about rules and ranks. But of such business the Hobbits would have no part. Neither did they recognize that the decisions of others should become a ruling unto all. For the ancestors of old were like the Hobbits of today and though it had not yet been said, “In all the world, all I require is a quiet garden of good earth and a shady spot to watch it grow,” it was nonetheless regarded as true.
But the other folk would not keep still and so the learned men of Dalenas were forced to pronounce one commandment upon them all. “Argue if you must, and decide as you will, only keep silence and peace near the Academy of Dalenas.” Then boundaries were set for one day's walk in all directions and these were called the Shires. Then was Tamb Greenthumb appointed Reeve of the Shires, to forego his planting and to live from the abundance of the gardens of others. He was to keep the tranquility of that place and the inhabitants therein. And after Tamb, his sons were made Reeve and his grandsons after them.
And so it was that Tamb Greenthumb and the ancestors of old made a place for themselves in the greenest of vales. It was the home of silence and peace in the midst of strife. All the gardens were calm and all the soil rich. In time, no weed even dared grow therein. The vegetables came in large and plenty was had by all, but the other folk would know only strife in the rest of Dalenas.
The Restless Rage of Coglin Longstride
In the days of the great grandsons of Tamb Greenthumb, there was born a Hobbit named Coglin Longstride who knew gardening as all Hobbits do, but he loved an evening’s walk all the more. He walked across the breadth and width of Dalenas and drew many maps of the hills and woods therein. Every stream and path was known to him and it seemed no blade of grass escaped his notice. Whenever he was not walking, Coglin was making maps upon sheets of bark with the charred wood of a cook fire.
Thus the day eventually came when Coglin, having unsurpassed knowledge of Dalenas, went forth from that place to walk. Truly he was the first of those who were afflicted with the Restless Rage and he was gone many nights without returning. His garden became a place of tangled vines and small rodents. So his neighbors were greatly troubled and murmured against him and the peace of the Shires was greatly disturbed.
For several years Coglin was absent from his home, but he returned by and by and spent many long hours in the art of mapmaking and his garden was still left unattended. So the wrath of his neighbors was stirred against him and few invited him to their merrymaking. But if Coglin noticed his estrangement, it did not bother him, for he received many late night visitors of many sorts of folk and this too, became occasion for the Hobbits to distrust him. Soon enough he would leave again and be gone without notice of his return.
So when word reached the people that Coglin had died in a distant place, he had not earned the respect of his neighbors. All shunned him and his funeral was sparse attended, and then only by his closest of kin, for his body was not brought back to the Shires. The maps he had drawn became artifacts in the Academy of Dalenas and some of them are housed now in the Hall at Merrydale and serve always to remind the people of Coglin’s wasted life.
The Noisome Home of Yondalla Goldenhair
In the days of the great grandsons of Tamb Greenthumb, there was a hobbit goodwife named Yondalla Goldenhair. She was a wife of great frugality, powerful industry and a mighty womb. In the first year of her espousal she bore her husband a son, in the second a daughter, in the third another daughter, in the fourth a son, and she continued after this fashion until the fruit of her womb numbered three tens and six. In all she bore 31 daughters and 5 sons and her name was celebrated across all of Dalenas.
It was said that her home was like the sound of a great party which new not the coming of morning, and others likened it to a great game of Running at Bat. Often her neighbors heard the crying of babes and the laughter of those at play and yet she was not despised, for it was the noise of fertility and of the perserverance upon the Face. So it was that Yondalla was the mother of many and considered to be the mother of all who raise children. For though time has forgotten the name of her goodhusband, it has ever remembered her name.
The Songs of Sheela of the Flowers
In the days of the great grandsons of Tamb Greenthumb, there was a maiden named Sheela Peryroyl who was often called Sheela of the Flowers. Now Sheela was a comely lass and high-spirited and she spent many hours plaiting flowers in her hair and singing, even as she gardened. Now many were those who sought her hand in marriage, but Sheela had purposed that she would not give it save to one who might equal her mastery in voice.
Then Peryroyl, the father of Sheela saw that she was much desired among the Hobbits and even among the other people, so he spoke to many of them making promises of her hand. And yet, all of those promises turned to naught, for none who sought her captured her heart with their singing. For she had each come before her to perform and each brought words and made music, but none had voices as fair and as strong as she.
So it was the father of Sheela sought to marry her against her will and delivered her bound to the home of one with whom he made the contract. But it was sad that her song could not be quieted even in captivity, so that before her bedding a Wood Spirit heard her voice and carried her off to safety. When her father pursued a Water Spirit drowned him for his folly. To this day it is said that her voice is heard in the blowing wind and the running water. She remains the patroness of beauty and chastity and firmness of resolve.
The Hearth of Syrolalee
In the days of the great grandsons of Tamb Greenthumb, the Hobbits of old ate of the soft fruits of the ground and gathered the nuts of the trees for eating. But they knew not grain of the fields, save as feed for their livestock, for they did not know the secret of cooking.
At that time there was a crone named Syrolalee, who was so old that none remembered her father, nor mother. Since she neither had siblings nor children, there were none to say from whence she had come, and even the oldest of that time remembered her as stooped and aged, even from when they were children.
And Syrolalee was exceeding old and toothless such that nuts were closed to her and the skins of fruits were too tough. So she drank only water and sucked the leaves of plants to sup. Then it was that she happened upon the idea of putting foods in a pot to boil and she discovered that such cooking made them soft, but also sweet to taste. Soon all the people were following her example. This is why Syrolalee is remembered even now as the mistress of the hearth and the patroness of hospitality.
The Shield of Arvovreen the Defender
In the days of the great grandsons of Tamb Greenthumb, many folk had become troublesome across Dalenas. They took the tools of the field and made them into weapons of great cruelty. Some of them came then to Shires to take and destroy. They happened first upon a farmer who was called Arvovreen. He was quiet in his garden and repairing the wheel from his barrow. So these cruel ones said, We shall take of your farm and cause you to swear us obeisance." But Arvovreen would not be cowed and said, "Come the morrow I might, but not today, as I am busy in my rows."
So a second time the troubling folk raised their tools and menaced him saying, "We shall take your farm and cause you swear us obeisance. For as of old we have practiced war and with these tools we shall surely hurt you." But a second time, Arvovreen said, "Come the morrow I might, but not today."
A third time they spake thus and a third time Arvovreen answered. By now, all the people had come to witness and the troubling folk were angry for he did not surrender his farm nor swear obeisance. So they swung their tools as if to break him as one might break up a firm clay, but Arvoveen lifted the wheel from his barrow and deflected their blows. One after another they came, but none could hurt him for the circle of the wheel protected him.
So it was that the troubling folk grew tired and were driven off by the shouts of Arvovreen's neighbors and the coming of the great grandsons of Tamb. But all who made trouble now knew the power of the shield and would use it to defend themselves even as they harmed others.
As for Arvovreen, he was the last of those that knew not natural death. Long after the first Grimgoreniht that was to come, he was slain by a goblin named Grustmak the Bloody, in the War that Consumed the Shires. For in that war Arvovreen had cast his shield as a spear and thus beheaded the goblin king. But then, left defenseless, he fell victim to Grustmak's stone axe. His body was carried to the Academy of Dalenas and he dwells in Arvanaith with his kin to this day.
The War that Consumed the Shires
Eventually the troubling folk could not be put off. No device of Avrovreen nor grandson of Tamb could withstand them. In great numbers they came, again and again. For their only desire was to take what others had acquired and to destroy what others had made. The hobbits suffered greatly until the other folks came to defend them. Gnumm there were, and Dwarven Folk, and Elven Folk and others which time has forgotten. Eventually the war came to an end, as all wars do. The troubling folk were driven off, but the Shires had been reduced to ash and rubble.
The Departure of Yomallor
For many years before the war, Yomallor had kept a neat home and well-groomed garden near the edge of Dalenas. Many were those who saw him and treated with him on the topic of planting and harvesting. Some brought him pies and breads such as the women might make and Yomallor invited all who did so for tea and honeyed milk. For in those days, he still clothed himself as though a Hobbit. Hobbit or not, he was the most neighborly of all Dalenas.
But the day came after the war, when Yomallor walked across the Shires and tarried a moment at each garden gate. The time had come, he said, that he must leave Dalenas and return from whence he came. For the Second Age was ending and a Third must begin. There were many tears in Dalenas then, and none had the strength for proper merrymaking. But Yomallor gave them comfort and said that though he must depart, he would surely return in the due course of time. His departure was to mark the beginning of the Third Age, and his return would be at the beginning of the Eighth.
A Necessary History of Yesternonce, part 2
by Blondo Butterchurn
Schoolmaster of Merrydale
with approved text suitable for use
in all classrooms across the Several Shires.
The Gnummorong and the Closing of Dalenas
For many long years there was quiet and Baere the Fertile again greatly favored Erenth. Her Folk grew strong and Mulnechir which have leaf and root grew from the destruction which had been.
Then came the Third Age, it was after Yomallor departed, but still before the keeping of years. The Gnomm made a great noising outside of the Shires, such that across Dalenas all had heard it. Eventually they came to the Academy of Dalenas with tools of their own devising. For they were the first to affix rocks to shafts of wood and also to make blades of hammered copper. We have much to teach, they said, and at first the Hobbits were glad to have them.
But then the Gnomm saw what beauty there was in the Shires and said that they should dwell there, as well. But Bobel Greenthumb would allow it not, for he was Reeve of the Shires at that time. It was he who forewent planting to see to the tranquility of all. So the Gnomm were bitterly angry and went away and they compelled some of the Hobbits to go with them, but only to teach in the manner of sowing of reaping. But those Hobbits were never seen in the Shires again.
Later, the Gnomm returned and said that more teachers were needed by the other folk, but that none would be required if only the Gnomm might live in the Shires and read always from the library of the Academy of Dalenas. But Bobel would hear it not, and called upon Yomallor to return saying, “Spare only this home for which we have long labored so that its beauty will not pass.”
So Yomallor returned to Dalenas in secret and bid all of the Hobbits to depart save a few. And he showed them a new place called Dalefir where the Shires would be remade. And when the Hobbits had left Dalenas with great weeping, Yomallor returned riding upon a Spirit of Water. With him came a great and terrible host, riding like a great wave across all of Dalenas and chastening those who were there, but especially the Gnomm. And so Dalenas was hidden, no more to be seen by mortal eyes until the coming of the Eighth Age. Thus we say, Next year in Dalenas.
In Dalefir the Hobbits first tasted natural death. For though they could be slain, they who dwelled in Dalenas could not pass on of neither disease nor age. Yet all the children born in Dalefir did know the sting of death and were forced to seek out Arvanaith upon their passing.
The First Emptying of Dalefir
Long after Dalefir was founded there was a second cousin of the Reeve of that time named Boblo. He was a Greenthumb by blood but called the Wanderer by all who knew him, for he was taken ill of mind by the Rage. Like Coglin before him, Boblo was given to long travels and foolishness in far off lands, though he did not walk as Coglin had.
It was in a fit of the Restless Rage, that Boblo crafted a boat from a fallen tree and rode the streams through Dalefir and laughed and splashed while others kept their gardens. He often rode the streams, but would not enter the great river that the streams joined, for it looked like certain death in his craft.
In those days, it was considered impolite to require those afflicted with the Restless Rage to leave. For the Hobbits of that age did not know that the affliction could be caught by others. So it was that several boats were seen upon the streams and making disturbances across all of Dalefir. This lasted until the day that Boblo piloted his craft upon the waters of Coursing River and bid farewell to all who were watching his departure.
After several days had passed, Boblo had not returned. Many said that he had returned to Dalenas and some made ready to join him. One by one they rode the streams to the Coursing River. So Dalefir knew its First Emptying and what became of those Hobbits who left was never known to the people of that age, but that place in which they settled came to be called Dale Merril.
Feast of Grimgoreniht
When Dalenas was hidden and the Third Age was ending, Grimgoren, the brother of Yomallor, came to Dalefir. He was clothed in flesh and his face shown with the glory of his kind, but his countenance was fallen and his tears were as streams.
It was the night of the winter solstice when he came and he brought with him many gifts for all the Hobbits. It was, he said, in restitution for the loss of Dalenas and for the shame of the Gnummorong which the Gnomm had wrought. His head was hung in shame, but the Hobbits gathered together for merrymaking and to accept the restitution offered. Thus a great festival was born and is celebrated each year.
By this time, Dale Merril had grown and while its people were taller and less stout than their forebears, they were nonetheless a Hobbit people. With the coming of Grimgoren to Dalefir, there came also news of their lost cousins. And so there was all the more reason for great celebration, for the two people became as one again and the filled the land between Dale Merril and Dalefir with their children, so that Merril came to be known as a shire of Dalefir.
Now to this very day the Hobbits still gather to mourn the Gnummorong in anticipation of the solstice. After six days of mourning, the seventh is set aside for the Grimgoreniht. There is great merrymaking and Gnomm still come bearing gifts in celebration. To mark the unification of the Dales, Hobbits still go door to door bringing foodstuffs and introducing themselves to friends they already know by reciting the long lines of their families.
Schoolmaster of Merrydale
with approved text suitable for use
in all classrooms across the Several Shires.
The Gnummorong and the Closing of Dalenas
For many long years there was quiet and Baere the Fertile again greatly favored Erenth. Her Folk grew strong and Mulnechir which have leaf and root grew from the destruction which had been.
Then came the Third Age, it was after Yomallor departed, but still before the keeping of years. The Gnomm made a great noising outside of the Shires, such that across Dalenas all had heard it. Eventually they came to the Academy of Dalenas with tools of their own devising. For they were the first to affix rocks to shafts of wood and also to make blades of hammered copper. We have much to teach, they said, and at first the Hobbits were glad to have them.
But then the Gnomm saw what beauty there was in the Shires and said that they should dwell there, as well. But Bobel Greenthumb would allow it not, for he was Reeve of the Shires at that time. It was he who forewent planting to see to the tranquility of all. So the Gnomm were bitterly angry and went away and they compelled some of the Hobbits to go with them, but only to teach in the manner of sowing of reaping. But those Hobbits were never seen in the Shires again.
Later, the Gnomm returned and said that more teachers were needed by the other folk, but that none would be required if only the Gnomm might live in the Shires and read always from the library of the Academy of Dalenas. But Bobel would hear it not, and called upon Yomallor to return saying, “Spare only this home for which we have long labored so that its beauty will not pass.”
So Yomallor returned to Dalenas in secret and bid all of the Hobbits to depart save a few. And he showed them a new place called Dalefir where the Shires would be remade. And when the Hobbits had left Dalenas with great weeping, Yomallor returned riding upon a Spirit of Water. With him came a great and terrible host, riding like a great wave across all of Dalenas and chastening those who were there, but especially the Gnomm. And so Dalenas was hidden, no more to be seen by mortal eyes until the coming of the Eighth Age. Thus we say, Next year in Dalenas.
In Dalefir the Hobbits first tasted natural death. For though they could be slain, they who dwelled in Dalenas could not pass on of neither disease nor age. Yet all the children born in Dalefir did know the sting of death and were forced to seek out Arvanaith upon their passing.
The First Emptying of Dalefir
Long after Dalefir was founded there was a second cousin of the Reeve of that time named Boblo. He was a Greenthumb by blood but called the Wanderer by all who knew him, for he was taken ill of mind by the Rage. Like Coglin before him, Boblo was given to long travels and foolishness in far off lands, though he did not walk as Coglin had.
It was in a fit of the Restless Rage, that Boblo crafted a boat from a fallen tree and rode the streams through Dalefir and laughed and splashed while others kept their gardens. He often rode the streams, but would not enter the great river that the streams joined, for it looked like certain death in his craft.
In those days, it was considered impolite to require those afflicted with the Restless Rage to leave. For the Hobbits of that age did not know that the affliction could be caught by others. So it was that several boats were seen upon the streams and making disturbances across all of Dalefir. This lasted until the day that Boblo piloted his craft upon the waters of Coursing River and bid farewell to all who were watching his departure.
After several days had passed, Boblo had not returned. Many said that he had returned to Dalenas and some made ready to join him. One by one they rode the streams to the Coursing River. So Dalefir knew its First Emptying and what became of those Hobbits who left was never known to the people of that age, but that place in which they settled came to be called Dale Merril.
Feast of Grimgoreniht
When Dalenas was hidden and the Third Age was ending, Grimgoren, the brother of Yomallor, came to Dalefir. He was clothed in flesh and his face shown with the glory of his kind, but his countenance was fallen and his tears were as streams.
It was the night of the winter solstice when he came and he brought with him many gifts for all the Hobbits. It was, he said, in restitution for the loss of Dalenas and for the shame of the Gnummorong which the Gnomm had wrought. His head was hung in shame, but the Hobbits gathered together for merrymaking and to accept the restitution offered. Thus a great festival was born and is celebrated each year.
By this time, Dale Merril had grown and while its people were taller and less stout than their forebears, they were nonetheless a Hobbit people. With the coming of Grimgoren to Dalefir, there came also news of their lost cousins. And so there was all the more reason for great celebration, for the two people became as one again and the filled the land between Dale Merril and Dalefir with their children, so that Merril came to be known as a shire of Dalefir.
Now to this very day the Hobbits still gather to mourn the Gnummorong in anticipation of the solstice. After six days of mourning, the seventh is set aside for the Grimgoreniht. There is great merrymaking and Gnomm still come bearing gifts in celebration. To mark the unification of the Dales, Hobbits still go door to door bringing foodstuffs and introducing themselves to friends they already know by reciting the long lines of their families.
A Necessary History of Yesternonce, part 5
by Blondo Butterchurn
Schoolmaster of Merrydale
with approved text suitable for use
in all classrooms across the Several Shires.
Dalto the Scribe
It was the Elf Folk who broke the long silence of the Wide World. The fourth and fifth ages had passed and the Hobbit people went unnoticed by the outside world. But in the sixth age, an Elf prince, Ronoar Silverlimb, arrived outside Dalefir seeking the Hobbits of whom their ancient tales spoke. Dalto was the dean of the academy in those days and treated with the Elf Folk on behalf of the people. He learned many things about the way of the world and of the writing of words and of the keeping of time.
Dalto himself was invited to live among the Elfin Folk for a time and he forsook his garden to bring knowledge back to the people of Dalefir. Upon returning, he taught all what the Elf Folk had shown him. He recorded much of his travels in great volumes and these remain hidden to this very day.
Dalto traveled much and was gone long, but he was not afflicted with the Restless Rage as some have been. His heart ever longed for Dalefir while he was away and his garden did not suffer neglect after he returned. Though he was without harvest for the season of his return, his neighbors were not troubled. Though he sometimes received strange visitors at strange times, they were never noisy.
The Library of Dalefir
Now when Dalenas was closed, much of the learning of the Hobbits had been lost. So too, the people had forgotten the manner of marking pictures upon stone. But when Dalto returned from his many travels, he brought with him the manner of writing he learned from the Elfin Folk. This he taught to any who would be troubled to learn. So his home became a school of sorts. In time all the people were taught in the manner of writing, so that all their children were also taught and Dalto was no longer the schoolmaster to many. However, his home became a great repository of all that was written by the people and so it remains to this day.
Brandobaris the Stealthy
During the sixth age there was born one Brandobaris of the Stoutbrush Shire. His youngest years were unmarked by any peculiarity, but by the time he had become a man, he was unrivaled in the sport of Hiding While Sought. There were many who believed that he could become invisible at will, such was the testament to his ability. For eleven years he won the Golden Gourd trophy and news of his accomplishment was eventually noised abroad.
So it was that his great skill brought him fame outside of the Dales and Prince Erevan Ilesere of the Elfin Folk sent a delegation to honor Brandobaris and bring him to the woodland realm. But while there, among the Elfin Folk, Brandobaris was taken ill with the Restless Rage. So he passed from that place into many other realms and kingdoms in search of relief from that illness and was not heard from for many years.
When Brandobaris returned to the Dales and to the Shire of his birth, strange folk rode with him. He came with a train of wagons bearing treasure and an armed retinue in escort. Great were the rumors of his adventures and he had many names, Pathmaker, Urokbane, Wyrmtamer among them, but among his neighbors he was called nuisance, and peculiar.
The Discovery of Stoor Leaf
It was the Stoor family of Merril Shire who first discovered the Nicotia plant which grew as Mulnechir along the banks of the Nico Stream. Holdo Whitewreath thought to expand his garden plot and so gathered this wild plant to be burned in a bonfire. Thus was discovered a pleasing effect. Soon he committed rows of his garden to this enterprise and sold the Stoor Leaf to all the people. In time the genius of the People gave way to cultivating a second strain of the Nicotia plant with a brighter leaf. So Stoor Leaf spread across all Dalefir and was eventually carried even to Lochdale, where that strain is still known as Brightbrittle Green.
The Great War
The end of the Sixth Age was the time of the Great War. Dragons filled the skies breathing their murderous breaths and Titans walked the earth conquering all. The Folk of many races all fought, one against the other and even the Dales were not spared the violence. In those days great heroes came among the people, these were hobbits of strength and skill at war who defended the Dale and smote all those who would disrupt its peace. There were mighty Curates in the day such as Fluro Firelord and Chorobar Brandobarkin. There were great warriors too, such as Dradon Drumbeater, Belero the Mighty and Bobben Bradagoon. Their tales are amply told elsewhere and have no need of repeating here.
Schoolmaster of Merrydale
with approved text suitable for use
in all classrooms across the Several Shires.
Dalto the Scribe
It was the Elf Folk who broke the long silence of the Wide World. The fourth and fifth ages had passed and the Hobbit people went unnoticed by the outside world. But in the sixth age, an Elf prince, Ronoar Silverlimb, arrived outside Dalefir seeking the Hobbits of whom their ancient tales spoke. Dalto was the dean of the academy in those days and treated with the Elf Folk on behalf of the people. He learned many things about the way of the world and of the writing of words and of the keeping of time.
Dalto himself was invited to live among the Elfin Folk for a time and he forsook his garden to bring knowledge back to the people of Dalefir. Upon returning, he taught all what the Elf Folk had shown him. He recorded much of his travels in great volumes and these remain hidden to this very day.
Dalto traveled much and was gone long, but he was not afflicted with the Restless Rage as some have been. His heart ever longed for Dalefir while he was away and his garden did not suffer neglect after he returned. Though he was without harvest for the season of his return, his neighbors were not troubled. Though he sometimes received strange visitors at strange times, they were never noisy.
The Library of Dalefir
Now when Dalenas was closed, much of the learning of the Hobbits had been lost. So too, the people had forgotten the manner of marking pictures upon stone. But when Dalto returned from his many travels, he brought with him the manner of writing he learned from the Elfin Folk. This he taught to any who would be troubled to learn. So his home became a school of sorts. In time all the people were taught in the manner of writing, so that all their children were also taught and Dalto was no longer the schoolmaster to many. However, his home became a great repository of all that was written by the people and so it remains to this day.
Brandobaris the Stealthy
During the sixth age there was born one Brandobaris of the Stoutbrush Shire. His youngest years were unmarked by any peculiarity, but by the time he had become a man, he was unrivaled in the sport of Hiding While Sought. There were many who believed that he could become invisible at will, such was the testament to his ability. For eleven years he won the Golden Gourd trophy and news of his accomplishment was eventually noised abroad.
So it was that his great skill brought him fame outside of the Dales and Prince Erevan Ilesere of the Elfin Folk sent a delegation to honor Brandobaris and bring him to the woodland realm. But while there, among the Elfin Folk, Brandobaris was taken ill with the Restless Rage. So he passed from that place into many other realms and kingdoms in search of relief from that illness and was not heard from for many years.
When Brandobaris returned to the Dales and to the Shire of his birth, strange folk rode with him. He came with a train of wagons bearing treasure and an armed retinue in escort. Great were the rumors of his adventures and he had many names, Pathmaker, Urokbane, Wyrmtamer among them, but among his neighbors he was called nuisance, and peculiar.
The Discovery of Stoor Leaf
It was the Stoor family of Merril Shire who first discovered the Nicotia plant which grew as Mulnechir along the banks of the Nico Stream. Holdo Whitewreath thought to expand his garden plot and so gathered this wild plant to be burned in a bonfire. Thus was discovered a pleasing effect. Soon he committed rows of his garden to this enterprise and sold the Stoor Leaf to all the people. In time the genius of the People gave way to cultivating a second strain of the Nicotia plant with a brighter leaf. So Stoor Leaf spread across all Dalefir and was eventually carried even to Lochdale, where that strain is still known as Brightbrittle Green.
The Great War
The end of the Sixth Age was the time of the Great War. Dragons filled the skies breathing their murderous breaths and Titans walked the earth conquering all. The Folk of many races all fought, one against the other and even the Dales were not spared the violence. In those days great heroes came among the people, these were hobbits of strength and skill at war who defended the Dale and smote all those who would disrupt its peace. There were mighty Curates in the day such as Fluro Firelord and Chorobar Brandobarkin. There were great warriors too, such as Dradon Drumbeater, Belero the Mighty and Bobben Bradagoon. Their tales are amply told elsewhere and have no need of repeating here.
A Necessary Record of Yesternonce, Part 6
by Blondo Butterchurn
Schoolmaster of Merrydale
with approved text suitable for use
in all classrooms across the Several Shires.
The Great Peace
The dawn of the Seventh Age brought Great Peace to the Dales and all the Folk of Erenth were forced to leave the people alone, under pain of death. As surety for this peace it was Drofo Drumbeater and Bobben Bradagoon who brought three Wyrmtokens to the Dales to keep them under guard. To this day, the peace persists and has never been broken. Great is the fear of the Hobbits among the Folk of all nations and great is the power of the Wyrmtokens.
The Second Emptying of Dalefir
In the days when Drado Drumbeater and his brothers were accounted Reeves of the Shires, the news of the Nicotia could not be kept secret. It’s pleasing aroma was noised abroad and soon all manner of Folk were coming to the Dales and clamoring for whatever of the crop they might obtain. Then a sharp disagreement broke out among the people after what action might be taken to appease the other Folk. For some held, and still do, that the other Folk are worthy of only the uncultured strain called Pipeweed. They hope that this bitterest blossom might discourage further traffic and noise upon the roads of the Dales. There were others, however, who wanted to share the Stoor Leaf and reap the wealth that might be brought from such trade.
So sharp was the division between the People that even the sons of Drofo could not agree. One remained with his father’s grave in Dalefir, another re-settled in the far South and would not come North even on Grimgoreniht. So the Wyrmtokens were divided among the three sons and each kept one in each of the places which was to be his home.
With the Wyrmtoken in hand, Hairfoot Drumbeater gathered the like-minded farmers with him. They took what crop they could upon boats, in the manner of Boblo of old and so laden, they committed themselves to the river which they rode to the sea. After many weeks of travel they came to another Land and to a distant place and called it Hillsdale, though it was not known to those in Dalefir at the time. So the people of Hillsdale kept to themselves but made trade with the humans regarding Nicotia.
The Coming of the Big Folk
The Seventh Age also brought the Big Folk to the many shires of Dalefir, seeking trade and knowledge. Many of the wise debated whether the Big Folk were people or beasts, for their language was rough and sounded like the barking and whining of dogs. Some held that the Big Folk were the Hunamir foretold by the Elves and promised by the Ere of All, others felt that this could not be the case. In time the Big Folk proved themselves to be capable of learning and planting and some became people of note and the sort that all would like to have for tea. But by in large, most of them seemed to be given to anger and greedy. It was decided by all that Big Folk was the most accurate name that could be given and any others would have to be earned over time.
The Splintering of the Shires and the Last Emptying of Dalefir
Three years after the coming of the Big Folk, Drofo Drumbeater, Reeve of the Shires of Dalefir was called upon to make war, for a conflict had broken out among the Big Folk and it threatened the peace of the Shires. So, together with his militia Drofo left the Shires to walk and fight among the Big Folk and to bring his peace among their kind. When he returned a decade later he purposed that we Hobbits should live apart from the other Folk. He is famous for having uttered the words, "What does it prosper a soul to gain a neighbor; if his garden is lost?"
So the Hobbits of that age left Dalefir in three pilgrim waves and again emptied Dalefir, so that none remained there when they were done. The First Pilgrims, calling themselves the Stout, journeyed over the mountains and settled on the other side. They called that home Lochdale. The Second Pilgrims, calling themselves Tallfellows, journeyed over the mountains and upon finding their kin waiting, traveled another day before founding Merrydale. The Third Pilgrims journeyed by sea and would not settle in either Lochdale or Merrydale, but continued East. Some say that they became wanderers upon the face of Erenth, but they have not been heard from since.
The Discovery
Firol Chubb, also known as the Explorer was the Tallfellow who discovered Hilldale-across-the-Sea. And though those Hairfoots were a peculiar strain of Hobbit to those of Lochdale and Merrydale, they were nonetheless treated as family. So it was that on Grimgoreniht of 3565, as the Elf Folk reckon time, the Hobbit were one people again. Though since that time we have remembered those who became wanderers and those who were lost, and we wait for the day when all the Hobbits might live together again in the home sealed by Yomallor. Thus we ever say, "Next year in Dalenas."
Schoolmaster of Merrydale
with approved text suitable for use
in all classrooms across the Several Shires.
The Great Peace
The dawn of the Seventh Age brought Great Peace to the Dales and all the Folk of Erenth were forced to leave the people alone, under pain of death. As surety for this peace it was Drofo Drumbeater and Bobben Bradagoon who brought three Wyrmtokens to the Dales to keep them under guard. To this day, the peace persists and has never been broken. Great is the fear of the Hobbits among the Folk of all nations and great is the power of the Wyrmtokens.
The Second Emptying of Dalefir
In the days when Drado Drumbeater and his brothers were accounted Reeves of the Shires, the news of the Nicotia could not be kept secret. It’s pleasing aroma was noised abroad and soon all manner of Folk were coming to the Dales and clamoring for whatever of the crop they might obtain. Then a sharp disagreement broke out among the people after what action might be taken to appease the other Folk. For some held, and still do, that the other Folk are worthy of only the uncultured strain called Pipeweed. They hope that this bitterest blossom might discourage further traffic and noise upon the roads of the Dales. There were others, however, who wanted to share the Stoor Leaf and reap the wealth that might be brought from such trade.
So sharp was the division between the People that even the sons of Drofo could not agree. One remained with his father’s grave in Dalefir, another re-settled in the far South and would not come North even on Grimgoreniht. So the Wyrmtokens were divided among the three sons and each kept one in each of the places which was to be his home.
With the Wyrmtoken in hand, Hairfoot Drumbeater gathered the like-minded farmers with him. They took what crop they could upon boats, in the manner of Boblo of old and so laden, they committed themselves to the river which they rode to the sea. After many weeks of travel they came to another Land and to a distant place and called it Hillsdale, though it was not known to those in Dalefir at the time. So the people of Hillsdale kept to themselves but made trade with the humans regarding Nicotia.
The Coming of the Big Folk
The Seventh Age also brought the Big Folk to the many shires of Dalefir, seeking trade and knowledge. Many of the wise debated whether the Big Folk were people or beasts, for their language was rough and sounded like the barking and whining of dogs. Some held that the Big Folk were the Hunamir foretold by the Elves and promised by the Ere of All, others felt that this could not be the case. In time the Big Folk proved themselves to be capable of learning and planting and some became people of note and the sort that all would like to have for tea. But by in large, most of them seemed to be given to anger and greedy. It was decided by all that Big Folk was the most accurate name that could be given and any others would have to be earned over time.
The Splintering of the Shires and the Last Emptying of Dalefir
Three years after the coming of the Big Folk, Drofo Drumbeater, Reeve of the Shires of Dalefir was called upon to make war, for a conflict had broken out among the Big Folk and it threatened the peace of the Shires. So, together with his militia Drofo left the Shires to walk and fight among the Big Folk and to bring his peace among their kind. When he returned a decade later he purposed that we Hobbits should live apart from the other Folk. He is famous for having uttered the words, "What does it prosper a soul to gain a neighbor; if his garden is lost?"
So the Hobbits of that age left Dalefir in three pilgrim waves and again emptied Dalefir, so that none remained there when they were done. The First Pilgrims, calling themselves the Stout, journeyed over the mountains and settled on the other side. They called that home Lochdale. The Second Pilgrims, calling themselves Tallfellows, journeyed over the mountains and upon finding their kin waiting, traveled another day before founding Merrydale. The Third Pilgrims journeyed by sea and would not settle in either Lochdale or Merrydale, but continued East. Some say that they became wanderers upon the face of Erenth, but they have not been heard from since.
The Discovery
Firol Chubb, also known as the Explorer was the Tallfellow who discovered Hilldale-across-the-Sea. And though those Hairfoots were a peculiar strain of Hobbit to those of Lochdale and Merrydale, they were nonetheless treated as family. So it was that on Grimgoreniht of 3565, as the Elf Folk reckon time, the Hobbit were one people again. Though since that time we have remembered those who became wanderers and those who were lost, and we wait for the day when all the Hobbits might live together again in the home sealed by Yomallor. Thus we ever say, "Next year in Dalenas."
The New Manner of Elf Folk in the Keeping of Time and the Five Seasons
by Dalto Banderal, oft called The Scribe
The clever Elf peoples have taken to subdividing the four Seasons we bequeathed them. Instead of just referring to Planting, Weeding, Harvest, and Fallow, each season is comprised of three Mons or peaks.
But they didn't stop there. Each Mon is further subdivided into four weeks and each week of seven days. It can scarcely be imagined what use the Elves would have for such exactitude, but it is not without testament to their desire for clarity in language. I note that this developments will eventually make obsolete the words we often use in day to day conversation such as Yesternonce and Yondmorrow.
With so much innovation, it seems that new words must be made daily to keep up with the words that new words beget. At any rate, it seems that the Mons of the year have taken their names from the 12 Sorors of the Elven Regns. They are these:
So then, the days of the Elf week are these:
So the Watches of the day are these:
The clever Elf peoples have taken to subdividing the four Seasons we bequeathed them. Instead of just referring to Planting, Weeding, Harvest, and Fallow, each season is comprised of three Mons or peaks.
But they didn't stop there. Each Mon is further subdivided into four weeks and each week of seven days. It can scarcely be imagined what use the Elves would have for such exactitude, but it is not without testament to their desire for clarity in language. I note that this developments will eventually make obsolete the words we often use in day to day conversation such as Yesternonce and Yondmorrow.
With so much innovation, it seems that new words must be made daily to keep up with the words that new words beget. At any rate, it seems that the Mons of the year have taken their names from the 12 Sorors of the Elven Regns. They are these:
Wearily I note that the Elf Week is comprised of 7 days and each is also named. These for a specific creation of the Ere of All. First, the Forge of Life, Second the Lantern of Night, Third for Erenth itself, Fourth the Air, Fifth for Water, Sixth for Fire, and finally a day of merriment, dedicated to the Aenirasa, of whom the Satyr is the most given to celebration.
Fallow Season
Decelas
Janolas
Febolas
Planting Season
Marlenair
Aprenair
Mayalenair
Weeding Season
Junisil
Julasil
Augresil
Harvest Season
Settedair
Ottendair
Novendair
So then, the days of the Elf week are these:
SunsBelieve it or not, the Elf Day is made of Six Watches: Three of which are named by numbers and three are named with the event most associated with them. A day begins with the watch of Dawn. It is in this period that the Sun, the Forge of worlds, will rise, regardless of the Mon or Season.The 2nd watch follows after and it is sometimes called the short watch because it is drawn short in some seasons and some places by the swift coming of noon. The Noon Watch begins when the Forge is at its highest point in the day sky – directly overhead. And it is by this watch that their sages intend for all calendars to be adjusted each and every day. The 4th watch follows the Noon Watch, which is followed by the Night Watch, and finally the 6th watch
Moons
Thews
Winds
Waves
Fires
Satyrs
So the Watches of the day are these:
Dawn[the rest of this tome has been turned to dust due to the passage of time]
2nd
Noon
4th
Night
6th
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