TBNES - 2: Forging The Dawn

Sorry, Defacto, forgot about that. Answer from the council is a shrugged yes.
 
OOC: I hope I've done the way you wanted and also that the order is not confusing or wrong. Probably the text will have some meaningless phrase. I revised but that always happens. Blame the translator in that case. I do not know why, but for some reason I felt more comfortable in describing a political conflict scenario.

I'm awaiting a careful evaluation to know just how much messed up my order is. :cry:

IC:
Detailed History: This period of two centuries to the elven tribes settled in rainflorest of Aellystim was turbulent and promising. While the influence of Seuridil and villages were growing, in another sphere Namti, the current political leader of Sibalrar, was fighting a greater foe: the Order of the Sisters of the Veil - a religious order, ancient in its origin, formed entirely by female elves which they were taught the Song of the Veil, teachings given by the Mother of Trees to the first Elves.

This Order has no political power in Sibalrar and much less in other tribes; The Daughters of the Veil, as they are called, are only religious figures, able to conduct rituals in worship of The Mother of Tree - and it got the attention of large clans Sibalrar. Their actions, like sending their "Daughters" to a distant tribe in order to conduct the rituals in shrines sounded like an affront to the importance of Sibalrar to the religion and political matters.

On the other hand, with the caravans traveling to the distant lands of the north and bringing new foods, the people are more than ever happy with the Orc people. And so breaking, even though slightly, the taboo of lands beyond Aellystim; the search for new tribes along the shores of Sisurnu and in the heart of rainflorest was also intensified. Gradually Sibalrar despite its twisted religious matter, has become the center of trade along the elven tribes.

Historical persons: Namti, current political leader of Sibalrar; Irasa, warden and matriarch of the Sisters of the Veil;

Cultural Changes: The most remote villages are adopting a new religious identity by creating small shrines in honor of the Mother of Tree and while influenced by the Sisters of the Veil their are gradually losing the necessity of religious pilgrimage to Sibalrar.

In this cultural background, the Sisters of the Veil has become increasingly influential and required in other tribes. And all this dust raised by them, has been bothering leaders in Sibalrar, putting them in a complicated position: a Daughters of the Veil is almost untouchable, it is believed that they, after accept chastity and go through the ritual of acceptance, won the blessings of the Mother of Trees and exterminate an Order like this would be almost as an act of civil war.

With constant trade with Coruman Orcs, Sibalrar has increased its population numbers, naenastips¹ are being created and villages are forming around these roads and on the shores of Sisurnu.

Military Efforts: To try to stop the advance of the influential Sisters of the Veil in political terms, the leaders of Sibalrar begin a policy of sending religious emissaries to all surrounding villages in order to encourage the elves on a pilgrimage to Sibalrar, reminding them of the spiritual connection of the elves to The Mother of Tree and the necessity of spiritual renewal in the Mother's Grove.

Aellystim is a dangerous place and to keep everyone safe, the tribes have their own militia, but sometimes they can not prevent the various dangers and threats in the rainforest. And to maintain security, the elves follow a centuries-old tradition: when an elf becomes young, male or female, the village in which he lives may offer the unique opportunity to become Guardians of the Veil, a group of scouts, affiliated to the Sisters of the Veil, that protect the woods, caravans and help those in need. And yet, the number of guardians is very low and sometimes the villages end up without sending up new elves for more than 10 years.

In other words, thanks to the constant sending of caravans by the dense rainforest, more elves are becoming scouts to fill the need of protection.²

Geographic Errata: Yatheria, is an encampment that arose at the bottom of the mountain Teror, being the most noticeable thanks to their growing influence over the years. Other villages that are emerging are Ildue, Adahai and Cal, all on the shores of Sisurnu.

¹The most common passage between villages to others is performed on roads called Naenastip. They appeared with the duty of the Guardians of the Veil to protect and mark with stone and wards the safest places for the passage of caravans, travelers and pilgrims.

²This does not mean that all scouts are controlled by the Sisters of the Veil. Only the Guardians are controlled by the Daughters - a tiny number of scouts on purpose of maintaining peace.
 
Still waiting on a response from Merciary, but that doesn't affect the orders all that much.
Spoiler :
Detailed History:
Following increased contact with outsiders, the Kojai-Ishi were unable to effectively come to an organized response among the tribes. The tribal elders and the Kahei realized that the Kojai-Ishi would need to become closer and stronger, so that they could respond quickly and firmly to outside influence or threats. At an annual meeting in the shadow of Mount Senjin, events were begun that would lead to the rise of the Kojesh Confederacy. This meeting later came to be known as The Forging.

During The Forging, the tribal elders and few permanent officers of the Kahei argued over and hammered out the model of unification. The meeting ended up lasting the entire year, bleeding over into the next summers greet meeting. Much of the reason for the length was arguments over tribal independence. While all agreed that the tribes would remain as distinct units, there were those who argued for a central authority to have near complete authority over tribal life, with others arguing for the Kahei to be simply given a slight increase of authority over foreign affairs. Thanks in large part to Juughun Idai Oba Sheljeh (later called Mother Sheljeh a retired Kahei officer, The Kahei came to be the central government, acting as much more than a simple militia.

Nearing the end of negotiations, the current council overseer succumbed to his old age. The new overseer, Uedai Hiji Mieja (later, Mother Mieja), shocked the council when she vetoed Mother Sheljeh’s proposal, resulting in the meeting grounding to a halt and lasting another five months. Mother Mieja stated she agreed with the Kahei being the muscle and flesh that connected the Kojai-Ishi, but said that in would fall to nothing if it did not acknowledge and strengthen the bone of Kojai-Ishi, the independence of the tribes. She was concerned that the Kahei would lose its connection to the tribes, and could become the regime of tyranny that the forefathers of the Kojai-Ishi had fled from to hide in the very shadow of Mount Senjin that the great meeting was now held beneath.

Following in her words, another woman, Nidai Kajka Oba Chekare (later, Mother Chekare) a tribal elder from the metal-working tribe of the eastern Gelke Mountain, and Mother Sheljeh formed a model for the Kahei that the great majority of tribes came to agree with. The tribal council and the Kahei would be merged, with two ex-Kahei officer elders of the council being elected to act as Consuls of the Kahei, the highest officers. This was in the hopes that the Kahei, the Consuls, the Council and the Overseer would act as checks to one another, if ever a power struggle emerged. All permanent officers of the Kahei would also be required to return to their home tribes for one year every five years, to keep the bonds between Kahei and tribes strong. Tribes would also be allowed to entirely withdraw from all Kahei programs, meaning they would not be required to enter the circulation of resources and commodities, along with forfeiting all social programs and Kahei security.

The Forging ended after 13 months, with the unification of the Kojai-Ishi into the Kojesh Confederacy. The majority of tribes consented to the Confederacy, though a handful of high altitude nomadic tribes decided to remain separate from the Confederacy, though would still attend the great meetings. The only tribes of note to defy the Confederacy were a number of tribes in the lower Meghadi Valley.

After three generations, the Confederacy was fully established. In comparison, those in the Meghadi Valley found themselves in a society which had ample food productions, but lacked in the fine tools from the mountain working tribes, resulting in difficult work days. The ample crops did not translate to a healthy population, as a feudal-like society arose around the power holding elders. Civil unrest grew as the workers and lower-folk began calling for a merging with the Confederacy, and on the brink of a peasant uprising, Kahei rangers poured into the valley, quickly separating and disarming the factions, with the most powerful feudal elder, self-styled Meghadi Lord Idai Kelse, believing the Kahei would allow him to remain in a leadership position. He had had forgotten the ways of Kojai-Ishi Justice; peace returned to the highlands, but its flavor was cold. To judge the crimes of the elders, a justice committee was formed from esteemed Kahei officers and elders, named after one of the Mothers of The Forging, the Hall of Sheljeh dispensed Justice among the feudal lords. Nearly a quarter of the Meghadi population was executed.

The tribes have expanded naturally, though the Kahei have sent specially mandated tribes to the southern Minkawa river for settlement. The tribes also have generally stayed within the mountain range, with even those farming dwarves who spread down the Jihi river into the Nishke [biome] being uncomfortable when out of sight of the mountains.

Cultural Changes:
- The Kahei have grown into much more than a simple militia, though still every member, even those involved simple bureaucracy, have undergone five years of armed service, and must still go through regular martial drills.

- To create a greater national identity, and compliance with the Kahei, the greater philosophical minds strengthened the notion of Justice, while bringing a new element out from it to become a sister of Justice, Duty. This ideology of Duty soon grew to proportions only rivaled by that of Justice. The two are intertwined, with Justice fueling the need for equality among the tribes, and Duty pressing the obligation to serve not only the tribe, but the Kojai-Ishi society as a whole, through service in the Kahei. A third school of thought also grew naturally, and thus is not as prevalent as Justice and Duty, but is none-the-less influential in its own right. Unity, as seen as the all Kojai-Ishi being one among the stone, and more practically as the tribes and Kahei being one and the same.

- These three ideological schools have become attached to the Mothers of The Forging, with Mother Sheljeh being associated with Justice, Mother Chekare being seen as the modern founder of Duty, and Mother Mieja being the first adherer to Unity. Some have taken to a particular school more than others, with some from the younger generations being especially vocal supporters of their chosen philosophy.

- Two ‘cities’ of a sort have been founded. The great fortress-city of Senjin-Chu grew from the great meeting place, being the centre of resource distribution throughout the confederacy, and the mustering halls of the Kahei. The second city, Sugen, was formed along the Kithaj coast, where those tribes who find it in them to ride the waves fish. While the cities are large, they are mostly glorified military forts and trading hubs, with very few, if any, permanent residents.

- The great Gelke Forge Hall was founded following The Forging, it’s size is only rivaled by Senjin-Chu. The metal rich surrounding mountains feed the massive forgeries in the halls, which are tended by metal workers from across the Kojesh Confederacy. While being capable of massive scale production, its primary function is for advancing the art of metal work and weaponry, with the most skilled of blacksmiths and engineers using the facilities to experiment.


Military Efforts:
- The first large scale military use of the Kahei is used in the disarmament of the lower Meghadi Valley. It is executed well, though there is no heavy fighting, and most disarm peacefully.

- Borders are closed to outsiders, with the exception of non-aligned nomadic dwarves, who are allowed entry. Kojai-Ishi are permitted to leave Kojesh territory, but are never able to reenter without special permission.
- Ranging parties are sent west and northwest to explore beyond the Kusugha Mountains.

- If any other conflicts arise, the Kahei fight in continues guerrilla style warfare, with numerous small units of rangers weaving a fighting retreat through the harsh mountains, ambushing columns and destroying supply trains.

Geographic Errata:
- Cities of Senjin-Chuu at the base of Mount Senjin, and Sugen along the Kithaj coast (northern coast).
- Gelke Forge Hall in Gelke Mountain, southeast of Mount Senjin.
- Minkawa River (river between Kojai-Ishi and Dunak territory)
- The Nishke [biome] (whatever the terrain west of the Kojai-Ishi is)


Short Form
- Kojai-Ishi unify into the Kojesh Confederacy, power centralised in the Kahei.
- Short conflict with separatists.
- Ideological schools of Justice, Duty, and Unity defined.
- Borders expand within the mountain range and along rivers.
- Rangers explore west and northwest.
 
From the Kojai-Ishi Kahei
To the Dunak Clans


If any understand the importance of family and community, the mistrust of outsiders and freedom of independence from the outside world, it would be Dunak clans and the Kojai-Ishi tribes. Our people are mirrors of each other in many ways, and so our peoples may be the only ones in this world who can truly understand each other. But through this understanding, we know we are different.

Our peoples' glory has only just begun to blossom between the hard rocks the great tragedy that drove us to these cold steeps. The Kojai-Ishi tribes are growing closer together, showing the prospects of unification, and we are sure the Dunak clans will do the same in times to come. And so, the we feel the bonds with you, or close neighbours and cousins, should begin planting the seeds of friendship and cooperation, so that we may face the uncertainties of tomorrows world together, as the kinsmen we are.

We, the representatives of the Kojai-Ishi Tribal Council, formally propose to all of the major Dunak clans, that we begin limited trade of expertise. The Kojai-Ishi tribes possess extensive knowledge and experience in the art of metal work, while your clans have perfected agriculture in this harsh land through your terraced farms. An exchange in individuals knowledgeable in these arts would be beneficial for both of our peoples.

Also, our border tribes and clans will no doubt come into contact in the coming decades, and though we are both Dwarves of these high peaks, our peoples are different enough to no doubt cause friction if they intermingle. I would suggest we keep our people separate for the time being, until a common understanding is reached, to avoid unnecessary tension.

Your brothers in stone, the Kojai-Ishi.

(OOC: Sorry didn't see this)

Random Clans Near the foothills and a few up North: We would be willing to allow limited trade with you but be warned we will not tolerate and questionable actions from your merchants.

Other Random Clans: We will not let the Silent into our settlements. Perhaps if you can prove your goodwill and find some way to assure we might reconsider but for now we ask you to keep yourselves from our homes.

Clans in the Deep Mountains: No reply as your messengers' heads now adorn their clan borders.

OOC: At this point you will not get a unified answer from the clans, those that will trade with you will do so in an extremely limited manner and will likely not allow you actual access to their settlements.
 
The Night Sky:

The night sky is very different from the one that we are familiar with.

A large moon travels the sky on a monthly cycle of approximately 30 days, and many have informally begun to keep track of it’s predictable cycles. Larger than the earth moon, it is known to have a strong effect on the tides of Eran’s oceans.

Sharp eyed observers will see that the moon is accompanied by a dark shape, observable only because it blots out the stars behind it. Very rarely, the dark shape passes in front of the moon and can be determined to be a circle, smaller than the moon. When this happens, keen observers note that the moon appears to be crying blue tears.

In the southern sky, though moving ever north as one travels south, a dark red cloud can be observed, seemingly reaching and grasping for the stars around it.

Seven stars stand out from the restfor shining more brightly and for visibly traveling through the night sky, though their path appears erratic to the Eranbound observer.

Flora and Fauna:
The Flora and Fauna of Eran, aside for some major exceptions, is very similar to that of earth. Rainforests abound with colorful birds and venomous reptiles, and the rivers teem with fish and aquatic mammals, and the savannahs are home to numerous large mammals and, in a great exception to earth, a number of large pack birds, filling a number of Niches, most notably the carnivorous ones (the Lions, Hyenas, and wild dogs that hunt in the african savannahs are missing here). The Vauvran Straight marks the ecological boundary for these great birds, and on the western side, more familiar animals can be found.

The agricultural package known to the people of Eran is also very similar to earth, with wheat, barley, and rice all domesticated within a relatively small area, geographically. In addition, the fruit known to the people of Eran would be familiar to us, though so far tropical fruits are the only known ones.

The Dog:
The Dog was domesticated long ago and is here also the best friend of both Man and Spiritkin, Nearly all people know and have dogs. Laozi dogs have been bred to be medium sized animals, very comfortable with the ocean and able to hunt fish effectively. nearly all Olanglaut have at least one or two aboard as they are calm companions on even the roughest seas. Corunan and Dhessareib dogs are small, quick, and lithe, adept at hunting the various poisonous snakes that make their homes in the rice paddies of their masters as well as hunting the vermin that make their homes in their grain stores. Vauvran breeds tend to be larger dogs, steady and loyal, though vicious if they beleive that their owner is threatened. Vauvran dogs are often used as guardians for the tombs. The dogs of the Guardians are very similar in size and temperament to Vauvran breeds, but tend towards a silvery color and an unnatural intelligence. Narned and Jashari dogs are of the same stock, with long legs and coarse spiky fur to discourage bites from venomous reptiles and insects. The Dogs of the Dwarven people are well adapted to the mountainous environment, agile and quick. Most of these dogs have a double coat, and are as much at ease in the warmer lowlands as the coldest peaks. These dogs tend towards a very strong herding instinct. Of the people of Eran, only the Seuridil Marwolaeth do not make use of dogs. Instead, serving the same niche, the Seuridili have large cats, domesticated from the social cat breeds that on earth died out during the early paleolithic. As such, these cats are much more social than the domestic house cats that inhabit the rest of Eran. At ease on the high branches and passageways of Seuridil villages, these cats are companions, guardians, and hunting partners to the elves.

Magical Flora and Fauna
Coming soon.

The world around us. This post will be updated regularly with more context and whatnot.

Additionally, stories would be wonderful, as they'll help fill out the world.
 
Spoiler :
Corunan Orcs

Detailed History: Ever since the legendary fisherman rescued the fallen sun from the river, the long thin waterway became the nexus of power for the orckind. The gold that they gathered with pans and nets were worked into a strange metal in the flames of their forge, stronger than any bronze while easy to work with as copper.

Powerful tribes of orcs, lead by the council of their wisest (or at the very least, most passionate and most convincing sounding) orcs, came to rule the river, backed by heavily armed militia of wealthy smithies and landowners with their Corugold weaponry and armors. The plains orcs, without a source of gold, were pushed to the sidelines, herding livestock and hunting for food in the plains of Tarnma, the unforgiving land full of dangerous animals and quick prey that surrounded the much more friendly river.

Two events happened in rapid succession, however, that swiftly changed the balance of power between the river orcs and the plains orcs. First was the discovery of a source of copper and tin. Long time of peace and a system of militia led the Coru Cora to dismiss equipping their soldiers with such 'inferior' metal. Disputes between villages that could not be resolved peacefully were resolved by battle between champions, each clad in Corugold armor. Only cities of Coru Maan and Coru Cora could afford a standing army-sized militia of such wealthy warriors.

Bronze was seen as an inferior weapon of inferior people.

Yet for the plains orc, who did not have such reservations the discovery of copper and tin sources out in the plains allowed them to arm themselves more effectively. Finally they had a weapon which could compete with the River orcs. The river orcs dismissed them still, for they believed wholeheartedly in the inferiority of bronze, and failed to see the superiority of numbers.

The second was the domestication of the Tarn birds, large terrestrial birds that roamed the plains in flocks of tens. Capturing their eggs and hatching them in hatcheries fueled by fire spirits, the innovative plains people acquired a great strategic resource. The tarns proved themselves to be greatly useful, carrying equipment and pushing carts for the orcs.

Eventually, one enterprising plainsorc tribe, led by their fierce warrior chief, Tolin, first of his name, managed to ride the tarn bird. Mobility granted by the tarns brought the plainsorc closer together. The seminomadic villages could suddenly get in contact with one another easily, thanks to the messengers riding the tarns. Marriages between villages no longer involved difficult logistics involving two villages meeting each other at a predetermined location at a predetermined time in their wanderings. The groom simply rode the tarn to reach another village to take his bride. Tarn-pushed caravans allowed trading of food to become more frequent and the plains orcs' quality of life began great improvement.

A generation passed. The denizens of Coru Maan were surprised one day when, in the distance, they saw a large caravan pushed by tarn birds approach their city. The leather-clad guards defending the caravan claimed that they were gifts for Hoynari the Elder, who was the patriarch of the family who, for many years, held great influence over the politics of Coru Maan. The sender of the gift was Tolin the Second whom, for his family and tribe's mighty warriors, great influence, and the greatst number of wartarns, was elected into a newly created position of King that ruled over 30 villages and tribes. The guards claimed that King Tolin the Second seeked one of Hoynari the Elder's daughters' hand in marriage, and that the King held only the most favorable opinion of the city.

The Coru Maan laughed at the proposal and slaughtered the guards, claiming the caravan for their own. King Tolin flew into a rage. He declared that all the river orcs shall suffer conquest for the injustice they had shown the plains orc for generations. Raising a host of twenty thousand leather clad or bronze clad soldiers, he marched to Coru Maan. The few militiamen that the city created could not halt all the soldiers that climbed their walls, and the city was taken.

Hoynari the Elder and few of the orcish patricians managed to flee the city as it was sacked. They travelled to the city of Coru Cora to describe the ferocity and the barbarity of the plainsorc. They described how the plainsorc refused any calls for trials between champions. They described daughters taken from mothers, mothers taken from husbands. They described Tolin the Second forcibily taking Hoynari the Elder's beautiful youngest daughter, Helma.

The orcs of Coru Cora were greatly disturbed. Fear and panic in the city only grew as they heard news of riverside villages and tribes being conquered, one by one, as the forces of King Tolin made their way up the river. Desperate situation called for desperate measures. For the first time in history of Coru Cora, they elected their own Prince. Ulathar. In his youth, he was the greatest warrior that Coru Cora has ever seen, never being defeated in his duels against even younger and stronger man. In old age, he became wise. Now granted unlimited powers by the council and with a scared population willing to listen to any command as long as they could survive the wrath of King Tolin, Ulathar was in a position to reform much of orc society.


It was important, Prince Ulathar decreed, that all the river tribes band together to face the threat of King Tolin. Messengers were dispatched, asking nearby villages and tribes for alliance under the banner of Cora. Nearly fourty villages sent word back along with their flag to place behind the banner of Cora. The Coran Confederation was thus created.

Secondly, he tasked the smithies and leather workers to create weapons and armors-any kind of weapons and armors. Bronze spears and armor. Leather slings and cloth. Even copper weapons were churned out by desperate smiths of the Confederation as the threat of Coru Maan approached. Here, King Tolin the Second made an error. If he had simply attacked without stopping, he would have nipped the threat of the Confederation in the bud, and all of orckind would now be living under his banner.

Instead, he took the opportunity to recreate Coru Maan into the capital city of his new empire, commissioning many arts and repairing much of the damage his men caused to the city. Many of his men returned home with the booty gathered from the sack.

As a result, when he took his diminished forces to attack the towns under Confederation's authority, he faced newly minted army as great as his own. The superior mobility afforded to the Coru Maan by the tarns swiftly turned the battle in his favor, flanking the opposing army. But the discipline and the great number of superiorly trained gold-plated warriors held their ground. The battle resulted in a pyrhhic victory by the Confederation. King Tolin retreated, but the Confederation lacked the means and morale to take advantage of the rout.

In the years to come, the means to domesticate the tarns would spread to Coru Cora, eliminating any advantage that Tolin’s kingdom had over the Confederation. An uneasy peace came to the region. Ulathaar retired from his position as the Prince of Cora soon after the war, allowing a new government composed of representatives of all members of the Confederation to form a new government. Still, despite the centralization and consolidation of power between the two entities: the confederation centered around Cora and the Kingdom centered around Maan, the war took a significant toll.

Coru Maan has never quite recovered from the sack that King Tolin the Second brought onto the city. A shadow of its former self, many of its once proud houses remain empty and covered in overgrowth. Dock once busy with trade down the river is much lesser, as the merchants of Confederation is much wary of traveling so far up the river to trade with whom they consider ‘barbarians.’

As for Coru Cora, war has brought many refugees from the fleeing river orcs into its walls, increasing unrest. Much was sacrificed to fight off the forces of Tolin. Instead of learning and debating, many orcs train instead in spears and swords. Frightened politicians sometimes turn to violence as they strive to bring to practice an act they believe whole heartedly to be for the benefit of the confederation. It is, in many ways, a different city than it was mere 40-50 years ago. A great city suddenly turned into heart of a nation.

Cultural Changes
A great upheaval has come to Corunaans over the last 200 years. In the east, a Kingdom, ruled by a monarch elected from the hereditary chieftains of its many villges and tribes that roam the plains and rivers, stands firmly in control of its populace, with its capital the great city of Coru Maan.

King Tolin has created a great palace for himself and future rulers of the Kingdom of Maan to please his wife, Helma. Destroying many empty houses and city blocks, he has created a large stone palace complete with beautiful gardens and gold sculptures: the Helmu Palace. Whether this large structure will last the test of time is another story.

In the West, the Coran Confederation still trudges on with its government full of squabbling lords and patricians who nonetheless band together to fight whenever the Kingdom draws near. The center of its government is at Coru Cora, inside a large palace-like complex called the Forge Hall, where representatives from almost all the towns and villages affiliated with the Corans stay.

Both the Corans and the Maan have developed a militia, abandoning much of its old way of warfare. Semi-Professional militia centered around elite warriors equipped with Corugold plate armor and supported by skirimshers with slings and tarn riders are fielded by both entities as they sometimes skirmish over the border towns and villages.

Military

Conflict between the Confederation and the Kingdom still continues, neither side able to gain much advantage over the other.

Growth of military has led many orc kind to desert the life of debates and knowledge seeking favored by orcs from older times. However, this has also led to new weapons of war being developed by the smithies of the orc, such as the bow and arrow or bronze cuirass.

Geographic

Orcs fleeing from war settles along the coast. Eventually, these villages, either by force or voluntarily, becomes integrated into the Confederation.

Many plains tribes defect to the strength of the Kingdom. Some of them join the Confederation out of convenience and protection afforded.
 
I’m just going to throw out some ideas as best as I can. I find it difficult to express what I envision; its very unlike what exists in OTL or that which I play in most NESes. Please bear with me.

Detailed History:

  • Economy: Even as the Laozi continue to trade with their neighbors, amongst themselves they will continue to practice an economy of sharing. They still believe in private ownership of goods but when they don’t need something, or when they see that another Laozi needs something more than they do, they will gift it to them. There is not expectation that the gift be returned, or that something be provided in trade. Its merely a gift. This occurs within a community and between communities. So what does trade with neighbors mean to them? Well, it took a bit for them to understand that they are pretty much the only people not to horde treasure/wealth and that they couldn’t expect unconditional gifts from neighbors (or that their own gifts would be considered charity with the associated social connotations thereof). So they trade, and they are shrewd traders perhaps because they take a long-view of their people’s entire communal needs instead of their own short-term needs.
    That said, they will begin to produce certain goods which will be destined for export, things like pearls, ceramics, leather-good, wood lacquer (they are really very good at this) and for these import metal goods and tools. They don’t import gold, silver or currency as there is no real need of these in their lands. Any they gain they will use to purchase goods before they return home. In a way they are the opposite of a mercantile nation- they don’t use any treasure or coins domestically- they just want substance and wealth in terms of goods and quality of life.
  • A Note on Trade with Foreign Peoples: When a lord or king denies his people the right to trade with us (or others), we’ll effectively ignore that order. The king has authority over his people, not over us. And so we’ll approach their shores, unarmed mostly, and offer to trade with people that want to trade with us. If they refuse, either out of loyalty to their king, or out of other reasons, that is for them to decide but we will not recognize the authority of an agent that would seek to limit the peaceful prosperity and experiences of its subjects.
    In effect, this means that if some of the dwarves want to go counter to their king and trade with us, we’ll do that. Also, we’ll trade with individual merchant houses from the Vauvra human lands that want to trade with us, and if the council doesn’t want to build us an enclave to trade from, we’ll try to make a deal with some of the richer merchant houses to establish Laozi enclaves in their lands- probably focusing on Aquinthar and Swerona, just because they are more accessible. We’ll probably flee the orcish lands once their civil war starts, only returning to trade with those tribes who can remain at the edge of the violence and not engage in it- potentially this may strengthen some of the outlying orcish tribes considerably – even at the expense of the orcish capital- but that’s not our goal or anything- its just a response to blood and murder. LoE’s elves who seek to subjugate everyone- we’ll mostly leave alone but if we can find small villages that are trying to do their own thing and aren’t so much into subjugating all non-elves, we’ll trade with them and if they want to hear about the ‘balance’ share that with them also. If their lords try to punish them for trading with us, offer to evacuate them to our lands and offer them sanctuary.
    In fact, that last part applies to anyone who is being oppressed by their lords or kings. If they need a place to withdraw to, offer them our islands- teach any who need our help our ways, both culturally (economically) and religiously.
  • Expansion and Exploration: The Laozi do not build ‘up’, the build ‘across’. They are constantly exploring, driven by a need to experience the world and see its wonders and so any single individual (or their family) will be moving frequently, and often a group will strike out on its own to seek new lands to experience new things. This isn’t driven by their ‘king’ (the Dau Tien), its just something they do. So they are aren’t going to be building huge cities- but they will be expanding to all nearby islands, and coast, exploring into the unknown, building small docks, and shrines, rice and fish farms, even small crafting workshops.
  • Contact with Spirits: I can envision us making contact, informally, with several spirits across the islands and the sea, especially if they have common opinion regarding philosophy, spiritualism, and religion. If they do, they'll be folded into our gift economies and we will just give them the material goods they might need. We're sure that, in time, they will provide their own gifts as appropriate and when the need is there. But of course, there is no expectation, as thats not our way.
  • Education: Perhaps the only real major change to the Laozi will be the implementation of semi-formal education for children. This will arise naturally and biologically from the lessons of the monks who will begin teaching the children things like literacy so they can read the Kōan or learn their philosophy when they move on and leave their scriptures behind. Generally their will be a move towards greater literacy that will soon translate into other areas- like mathematics (to help in ship building and navigation). And so we’ll develop semi-formal education fairly early.
  • Other than more education generally, there are no major historical changes for the Laozi as there are for the orcs or perhaps others. That is not our nature.


Cultural Changes:

  • Religion: We will continue our focus on the ‘path’, celebrating balance with the spirits, with our world, and even with ourselves and whatever strengths or limitations we have. I can envision a group of Laozi in a circle on a sandy beach, quietly meditating with a monk-guru and amongst their number might be a tree or sea spirit, come to learn from one of the monks of the way of Balance. Our culture will be heavily influence by our faith and there will be shrines everywhere- not only in our small villages but in house-boats (Olanglaut) and in our trading enclaves in foreign lands. A walk through the mountains or forest near Laozi lands will reveal weird artistic work made from the landscape, things like leaves stitched together, or small boulders balanced upon one another. These are meant to accentuate and draw attention to the beauty that exists in the world.
  • Government: The Dau Tien will remain a fairly minor figure but many aesthetics will make pilgrimages to his marble city half in ruins. This spiritual ‘patronage’ by the monks will provide him with an authority he wouldn’t otherwise possess. Generally, the Dau Tien will not make great pronouncements or try to guide his people but he will be taken aback by the arrival of the eastern elves (LoE’s group) and the civil war in the orc lands and will launch an operation to protect his people.
  • The Navy: So normally the Dau Tien would not involve himself too much in the mundane affairs of his people but the potential for foreign invasion (by human colonists seeking new lands, by refugee orcs, by elves seeking to dominate non-elves) will strike him as a real possibility that he must prepare for. And because the Laozi psyche is not prepared to think in terms of defense or protection, it will be his duty to do so on their behalf. And so he will send the word – there is need of a modern and powerful navy, one able to turn foreign adventurism and protect our shores. The people will take a long time to actually carry out his orders and despite almost the entirety of Laozi ultimately considering themselves as his (distant) subjects, many will simply not build a vessel built for war. Passing the buck perhaps, many will instead seek to send protective spirits or wards from the spirit world to protect those who do take up the call or to help with the Dau Tien’s fleet. And so a fleet will amass but it will not be as great as perhaps it would be from a more centralized people. Instead, it will bear with it the protection and blessings of the spirits, and sea spirits will guide its path through the seas and wind spirits will fill its sails and spirits of hearth and protection will take the ropes and trim the sails and should they need to, take up spear and arrow along with the Laozi aboard.
    With this the Dau Tien will turn back any foreign invaders. At the same time, many of the laozi captains, prone to do what they wish and not always what the Dau Tien wishes for them will simply use the ships to explore new lands and find new places for their families and friends to visit or live (ie explore into the fog).

Military Efforts: We’re not going to conquer anyone. We’ll build a navy to protect ourselves (see navy above) and explore many of the lands we do not yet know.

Geographic Errata: Use Vietnamese names please.



Sorry for not adhering too closely to what you requested. If its too far off the mark, we can talk and I can try to steer it back a bit.
 
unless I'm mistaken, that's everyone's orders! Congrats everyone, I'm starting to work on the update now, so please inform me if you modify your orders in any way!
 
My orders aren't in yet, sorry. I'll probably have them in Saturday.
 
Sorry for the double post, here's my orders:

Detailed History: History for the Dunak progressed fairly normally at first, but all of that changed when the first outsiders began to appear. These outsiders were Kojai-Ishi traders hoping to develop relations with their dwarven brothers. Most clans refused these strange “Silent” (Dunak term for any who they can sense nothing about) visitors. The Cron Clan, led by Nonat “The Open”, in the northern mountains however did not turn away these traders. Seeing value in the strange metal tools these traders carried Nonat welcomed them, as much as a Dunak can welcome any non-family, and listened to their proposal. These odd strangers offered the knowledge of how to make the metal they called bronze and in exchange they would like the secrets the Clan’s terrace farming. These being the paranoid Dunak this deal was not originally agreed to but unlike other clans the Kojai-Ishi were not prevented from returning. Over the coming years the Kojai-Ishi made many more trips and the Cron gradually became somewhat use to their Silent visitors and the deal was made.
Coincidently the Cron settlement was near deposits of both copper and tin allowing them begin producing bronze relatively quickly.

Despite this advantageous start Nonat would not see the full extent of the deal he brokered, dying shortly after the mines were opened. The clan leaders that succeeded him continued focus on improving their bronze-working while keeping it hidden from other nearby clans. A few decades later under the rule of Hanun “The Unifier” the clan made its move. Without warning they attacked the nearby clans quickly conquering them and slaughtering any who refused to submit. Word quickly spread that the Cron were moving aggressively and other nearby clans began to prepare for the inventible attack. Despite the advance warning these clans too fell to the Cron’s bronze blades. The tales of the invincible Cron warriors spread like wildfire and whole settlements were abandoned as the smaller clans fled to safety.

The Cron advance was only stopped when they reached the hardy, closed off clans of the deep mountains. Despite not being organized and their inferior weapons the Deep clans were able to use the narrow mountain passes and guerrilla tactics to drive back any attack. Most famously was Brado “Earthmover” of the Urda Clan who was able to cause a rockslide on the only pass into his clan’s settlement killing a large number of Cron.

Given breathing room by the stout defense of the Deep clans the southern clans began to organize themselves to be able to defend against what they saw as the inevitable attack from the Cron. The three strongest clans, the Aric, the Tarnuk, and the Mankun, called other clans to swear loyalty to them in exchange for protection. Not wanting to face the carnage of the north the weaker clans reluctantly agreed to support these clans. Using their newly gained resources the three clans began to improve their defenses in the northern passes as well as look into developing their own bronze.

Those that fled or were forced from their homes by the Cron found themselves along the Granout River (the on in the northeast) with minimal supplies and were forced to cooperate to survive. They rallied around a brilliant and charismatic woman named Theria who managed to convince the remaining clans and Muddied to found a new city of Dunva along the river where they could all live. This new city was controlled by a council of the various clans as none had the strength to take control of the entire city. Eventually new clans aroused out of the Muddied and were begrudgingly accepted into the council. This new city was ripe with intrigue as the clans compete for influence and power.

Cultural Changes: Overall the Dunak are going to split( or at least start) into four distinct cultures.

Cron: Controlling the North by destroying all other clans either through integration or death. Clans that surrendered but were not in a position to be useful are forcibly split and relocated amongst the Muddied. The Cron prevent anyone not of Cron blood from being in any position of power forcing their subservient clans to completely marry into the Crons effectively removing those clans in a generation. Those that can’t/won’t marry a Cron find themselves amongst the Muddied or are killed. Cron culture overall becomes very militarized and centralized.

Deep Clans: Living in the deep mountains these clans have barely changed and are incredibly xenophobic. These clans do not communicate between each other and will kill any in their territory. Viewed as barbarians by other Dunak.

Southern Clans: These are the clans that have banded under the Aric, Tarnuk, or Mankun in response to the Cron. They operate similar to a very, very weak feudal society with lots of petty rivalries going on between supposed allied clans. Larger, more trusted clans are used to oversee the smaller clans. The three major clans technically have agreed to work together but it is only a marriage of convenience. Each is also developing bronze working which they plan to use to solidify their rule.

River Clans: These are the refugees fleeing the Cron who have settled in the new city of Dunva. These clans all jockey for power amongst themselves, mainly through various unsavory means. Clans and blood mean less to the River Clans, still quite a lot though, as the Muddied had a significant hand in the formation of the city and quite often a group of Muddied will band together and form their own clan. These clans generally have as much validity as the older clans provided they have the strength to hold onto what they claim is theirs (and more often than not these Muddied clans end up turning into “proper” clans).

Military Efforts: Lots of internal wars, the Cron conquering the North and skirmishes with the Deep Clans.

Geographic Errata: Granout River (northeastern river), Dunva City (should be placed along the Granout River). UI’ll try to think of more names but also at this point the Dunak haven’t agreed on the names of many things seeing as they are just starting to unify.
 
So, I've completed the timeline of the update, and 3000 words of the writeup. I was hoping to have it all done by tomorrow, but, I'm moving away from Montreal on friday and my apartment still looks like this:



So, while I'm working on the update as a break between packing and cleaning, it's most likely going to be posted sometime next week. Sorry, folks.

However, here is a preview:

Spoiler :
Like the Dunva and indirectly the Dunak, with who the Jashari have some sparse river trade, the clan is everything, and to be without a clan is the lowest possible existence. Many clanless turn to banditry to survive. Though they have no central authority, and any one clan is different in habits and moors from it’s neighbors, the Jashari are united by a commonality of belief, and have been for as long as any can remember.

All Jashari believe that the sunken city of Ashar was once a thriving metropolis inhabited by the ancestors of the Jashari, the gleaming heart of an empire that stretched far into the northern sea and south into the hostile jungles. Ashar, and it’s empire, were ruled by a bickering triumvirate of Gods, Kadu, who ruled the waters, Denshi, who ruled the earth, and Nevu, who ruled the air. Each commanded large armies of spirits and mortals, and often each other. At whim, they’d destroy the world only to recreate it anew. Eventually, Kadu and Denshi forged an alliance against Nevu, who they believed was gaining too much power. The resulting war shattered the world and broke the city of Ashar, the elements mixing, the earth of it’s foundations combining with the water of it’s canals, until nothing remained but swamp with the skeletal remains of crumbling towers jutting from the murk. Nevu was bound by wards and bans and spells in the Great River, and his powered weakened such that he could never lay his chitinous grasp on the world of the living again. Worship of Nevu is considered strictly Taboo by Jashari. Despite this, most clan shamans keep a small shrine to Nevu in the back of their huts, and if asked, most jashari will say “Just in case. Better to have it and not need it then to wake up with dead hands clawing at your door.”

Jashari practice sky burial, wherein the dead are laid to rest on high rickety towers, so that their spirits may flow unencumbered and pure to the Sea of Dreams. It is believed that any who do not undergo this ritual are trapped in the world of the living, inhabiting the depths of the swamps and walking along the sunken streets of Ashar corrupted by the touch of Nevu and hungering for the purity of the living.

It is perhaps for this reason that Jashari settlements are usually built as far above the surface of the water as possible, either perched on high stilts or precariously attached to the sides of the ancient towers. Those rare settlements that are on the water are far from the sunken ruins themselves.

These fears and superstitions were crystallized quite solidly in the psyche of the Jashari in an event known as the “Night of the Dead” in year 22 of the Vauvran Calendar. On the night of the Equinox, the dead climbed down from their sky burials and mindlessly attacked the living, until, at sunrise, most of the dead returned to their place and lay down quietly.
 
So, I'm sort of moved into a temporary home, and am working on the update. For that, however, I need input from Southern King, Defacto, and Merciary.

Please describe to me your patron spirits/god's appearance.
Southern King: Kadu and Denshi
Defacto: The Mother of Trees
Merciary: The All-Father

Others amongst you, also feel free to describe your spirits and gods, but those are the necessary ones. Thanks!
 
I was originally thinking some sort of humanoid but I'm kinda digging that turtle spirit art you posted.
Edit: But either way the All-Father hasn't been seen since the war.
 
The exact form of Kadu and Denshi is not set in stone, and varies. However, Kadu is usually depicted as a colossal merman wielding a large, silver fisherman's spear, whereas Denshi is depicted as an even more colossal tree-being or wood-being, wielding a large, golden battleaxe. Nevu is usually depicted as a cloud-being who uses lightning as a weapon.
 
I was originally thinking some sort of humanoid but I'm kinda digging that turtle spirit art you posted.
Edit: But either way the All-Father hasn't been seen since the war.

The exact form of Kadu and Denshi is not set in stone, and varies. However, Kadu is usually depicted as a colossal merman wielding a large, silver fisherman's spear, whereas Denshi is depicted as an even more colossal tree-being or wood-being, wielding a large, golden battleaxe. Nevu is usually depicted as a cloud-being who uses lightning as a weapon.

Great, thanks, both of you! :) Obviously, all Gods/spirits have the ability to take the shapes they want... but, just as humans and spiritkin are creatures of habit, so are they, and most spirits have a form they prefer.
 
Update 1:
Walking With Balance

Part 1:



Once upon a time the moon had a little sister named Lorra she loved very very much. Every night, they’de dance across the sky and tell stories about the people who walked across the surface of Eran. Through their many travels, they’d come across many friends, from Sr Connill, who would scamper along with them for a bit before falling tired, to the somber Red Man, who would stop reaching eternally for his lost love to talk with them a bit, to Shaggypelt, howling his greeting to them from the top of a hill, to the Fog Father, who every night would offer the both of them a simple gift, a flower wrought of clouds, or a kitten made of mist. They enjoyed their life, their travels, and could not conceive of it ever changing.

One day, however, Lorra glanced down and saw, playing his flute on the top of the hill, a young shephard. And he looked up, and their eyes met, and both instantly fell in love. Every night, Lorra would linger a little longer, let her light flow over him just a bit more. Moon was both sad that her sister would spend less time with her, but was glad to see that her sister was happier than she had ever been. And so, Moon told all of their friends. Sr Connill was extatic at the news, and the Red Man simply offered his hope that Lorra’s love wouldn’t hurt her like his had. Shaggypelt promised to keep an eye on the Man and to keep him safe. However, the Fog Father only pretended to be happy for Lorra when he spoke to Moon. In his heart he grew bitter and jealous, for he had long coveted Lorra for his own.

As the days went by, he grew ever more jealous and more angry, and resolved that he’d have Lorra no matter what the cost. He extended his cloak across the entirety of Eran, clouding it all from view, and, as Moon and Lorra travelled across the night sky, all they could see was a great expanse of grey.

In sadness they called down to the Fog Father “Why do you do this? Why do you hurt us so?”

“Because, Lorra, I love you, and you will be mine. The people of Eran will never see your light again until you agree to marry me.”

Lorra was sad, but saw that she had no choice, and so she agreed to marry the Fog Father. But, every night, she’d sneak out to watch the Man she loved, as he stood forlornly on the hill where they had first met. Every night, she’d sneak a little closer, longing to touch him, to bath in his presence again.

And, one day, the Fog Father caught her at it. “How could you do this to me? I gave you everything!” he cried. He raised his hand to strike her, but Lorra took off running, to find her lover.

Shaggypelt saw her running, and lopped over to her “What’s wrong, Lorra? Who is after you?”

“The Fog Father caught me with the man I love, and wants to kill me.”

“Climb onto my back” the wolf answered “And I’ll carry you to him.”

The pair ran across the night sky as the fog father grew ever closer. The Red Man tore his gaze from the distance, and tripped the Fog Father, but he quickly got up again and began to draw ever nearer.

“I cannot see!” Shaggypelt suddenly stumbled. “The Fog Father has made my eyes wet with mist.”

“Thank you for all you’ve done.” Lorra answered as she fell off the wolf’s back. “I’ll always remember it.” She ran towards the hill where she could see her lover standing in the distance, but the fog father caught up with her and struck her hard across the back of the head with a blade made of water.

Lorra stumbled and fell, knocking her head against the hard stone of the ground. As her blood lay pooling around her, the Fog Father jerked, as if torn from a dream. “What have I done! What have I done!” He cried.

Moon saw this and came down to comfort her friend.

“What’s wrong, Fog Father? Why are you so upset?”

“I did this to her! I killed her!” Moon saw the her sister’s body, and flew into a great rage. She cursed the Fog Father with all the curses known to Man and Spirit, and he stumbled away in fear and sorrow.

Meanwhile, the Man had seen his love fall and had run towards her. He cradled her in his arms, and as tears poured down his face, he swore that he and his descendants would protect Lorra until she grew well again and they could be reunited.



Sir Connil



Vauvra:

The great city of Vauvra stood secure in it’s power and might as the period of time eventually known to historians as the Century of Vauvra began. Colony after colony was established, and the old cities of Aqwinthar and Swerona grew into regional powers with their wealth flowing into Vauvra itself. It was said that even the poorest Vauvran gong farmer possessed a treasure from another land: A Narned ornate pot, a Jashari bone carving, a Corunan gold ornament.

The Vauvran council encouraged this rampant expansionism, lining their own pockets as surely as the city was filling its coffers. Campaigns against the tribes of the west and the fishing villages of the east resulted in the establishment of a standing military and navy. Few sights were as impressive, or feared, in the last years of the Century of Vauvra than the shining helms of a Vauvran Phalanx on the horizon, and few sounds as demoralizing as the rythmic thump of spear point on dry ground.

Unfortunately, in the waning years of the Century of Vauvra, the tribes began to learn and adapt, striking from angles the rigid formations of the Vauvra were unable to respond , and the frontiers were lost to rebellion. Many frontier forts were burned while Vauvra sat idle on it’s wealth, scarcely able to comprehend rebellion. The importation of Tarns to be ridden as a quick and agile response force from the Corunan allowed Vauvra to stem the tide of losses. The Vauvran council was unable to truly respond to the threat as the army was kept to use enforcing order in the colonies. The situation tenable, barely, but it was clear that something had to be done.

The solution was proposed by recently elected councilor Shan, a necromancer who saw that the current state of affairs would lead to the doom of Vauvra. Coercing and cajoling his fellow councilors, Shan forced through a series of sweeping reforms meant to stabilize Vauvran rule. Each city would be allowed to elect a magistrate, an individual who would liaise with Vauvra and act a regional governor, allowing each area a certain amount of independance. At the same time, seeking to bind the colonies even more closely to Vauvra, The Council of Shan created a mint and began to print money in the style of the Narned elves. Within a few years, Vauvran Bacic was accepted currency by most merchants of the known world, and many states began printing their own.

The Council of Shan also marked another cultural change for the Vauvra, as necromancers began using it as the marker for year zero of a new age of Vauvran ascendancy. Quickly adopted by all walks of life and spread by merchants to other states, the ease of the Vauvran Calender meant that it was adopted, if even only peripherally, by many others.

However, this proved to merely be a stopgap, a poultice applied temporarily lessening the issues that were plaguing Vauvra, issues that grew more and more dramatic, especially in the lands ruled by the of Aqwinthar, which, over the course of the next century grew less and less ethnically Vauvran. Migrants from neighboring people, Corunan escaping the civil war, Dheissarib trying to make a better life, a large Laozi Lorelet Enclave, and even a Narned colony, all with the belief that the Vauvran appointed magistrate was not the best representative of their society. These tensions came to a head when a religious group of growing prominence, known as the Word of Etia, with faithful within many of the ethnic groups in the city, sought to ban entrance to the Marble ruins around which Aqwinthar had been settled declaring them both a holy place and a site of great ancient evil. Many of the Vauvran elite as well as many administrative buildings were in the Ancient city, and so dismissed the cult’s beliefs. For the Word of Etia, this was exactly the pretext they had required to leverage the tensions between the Vauvrans and the somewhat disenfranchised ethnic minorities. In a single night of bloodshed the Word of Etia launched a successful rebellion, employing the use of a number of minor Huacas known as Utukkus to ensure their success.


Utukku

Despite expectations, however, the Word of Etia did not declare themselves master of the city, but simply enforced local elections in the manner of Vauvra itself, demanding only that the Ancient City was left untouched.

The city of Swerona, still reeling from the outbreak of Reeking Red, has also demanded independence, though most cynically believe that this is simply a ploy for greater say over the politics of Vauvra.

Jashari

Long had the Sailors of the Vauvra and Narned sailed past the great sunken city-swamp of Ashar and traded with the simple orcish tribes who inhabited the semi submerged ruins. Employing small catamarans, the Jashari row out to passing ships with many local trinkets. Similar in many ways to the dwarven clans in the mountains upriver from them, the core of Jashari society has been for as long as any can remember the clan.


Ashar

Like the Dunva and indirectly the Dunak, with who the Jashari have some sparse river trade, the clan is everything, and to be without a clan is the lowest possible existence. Many clanless turn to banditry to survive. Though they have no central authority, and any one clan is different in habits and moors from it’s neighbors, the Jashari are united by a commonality of belief, and have been for as long as any can remember.

All Jashari believe that the sunken city of Ashar was once a thriving metropolis inhabited by the ancestors of the Jashari, the gleaming heart of an empire that stretched far into the northern sea and south into the hostile jungles. Ashar, and it’s empire, were ruled by a bickering triumvirate of Gods, Kadu, who ruled the waters, Denshi, who ruled the earth, and Nevu, who ruled the air. Each commanded large armies of spirits and mortals, and often each other. At whim, they’d destroy the world only to recreate it anew. Eventually, Kadu and Denshi forged an alliance against Nevu, who they believed was gaining too much power. The resulting war shattered the world and broke the city of Ashar, the elements mixing, the earth of it’s foundations combining with the water of it’s canals, until nothing remained but swamp with the skeletal remains of crumbling towers jutting from the murk. Nevu was bound by wards and bans and spells in the Great River, and his powered weakened such that he could never lay his chitinous grasp on the world of the living again. Worship of Nevu is considered strictly Taboo by Jashari. Despite this, most clan shamans keep a small shrine to Nevu in the back of their huts, and if asked, most jashari will say “Just in case. Better to have it and not need it then to wake up with dead hands clawing at your door.”

Jashari practice sky burial, wherein the dead are laid to rest on high rickety towers, so that their spirits may flow unencumbered and pure to the Sea of Dreams. It is believed that any who do not undergo this ritual are trapped in the world of the living, inhabiting the depths of the swamps and walking along the sunken streets of Ashar corrupted by the touch of Nevu and hungering for the purity of the living.

It is perhaps for this reason that Jashari settlements are usually built as far above the surface of the water as possible, either perched on high stilts or precariously attached to the sides of the ancient towers. Those rare settlements that are on the water are far from the sunken ruins themselves.

These fears and superstitions were crystallized quite solidly in the psyche of the Jashari in an event known as the “Night of the Dead” in year 22 of the Vauvran Calendar. On the night of the Equinox, the dead climbed down from their sky burials and mindlessly attacked and consumed the living, until, at sunrise, most of the dead returned to their place and lay down quietly.

The Jashari subsist predominantly on plants and animals hunted in the swamps, though limited agriculture for berries and manioc is not unknown. Birds and small reptiles abound, and even the youngest orc is usually able to bring something home for the clan. However, in the past few centuries, the populations of Jashari has risen more quickly than the available food, and border tensions between clans has grown.

The establishment of a Vauvran trading post in the ruins of the White Tower has shaken the precariously balanced Jashari system, providing an inordinate amount of strength and wealth for the orcs at the mouth of the delta. These clans have acquired weapons and concepts unknown to clans of the inner delta, and many young orcs have already banded together to raid less fortunate groups.

The Corunan

The Corunan, at the start of the Century of Vauvra, seemed to be heading down an entirely predictable path, as power centralized into states surrounding the major settlements of Coru Cora and Coru Maan. While, ultimately, a number of distinct states would emerge, the manner in which this happened would have shocked any who had prophesied it. Two factors directly played into reshaping the history of the Corunan.


Tarn with saddle

The first of the two was the ability to ride Tarns. For centuries, outside of the focus of the “civilized” centers, the Corunan who inhabited the plains had exploited and domesticated Tarns, the large family of flightless and semi-flightless birds that occupied many of the ecological Niches of the Corus plains. These birds offered the plains Corunan a steady supply of protein as well as being of limited use to pull sleds over the grass. However, this use of tarns provided very little advantage in communication, until, as legend states, an Orc, Tolin, son of the elected leader of the Rour tribe of plains Corunan, bested a Tarn Spirit in a trial of strength, and was taught the knowledge to ride Tarns. This triggered a revolutionary change in Plains Orcs society. No longer were orcs of different tribes forced to meet at prearranged location for marriages and alliances. Instead, almost overnight, intricate networks of trade and relationships were built up along long distances.

The second factor was a direct result of the first. The large scale trade networks developed by the Plains Corunan brought into contact tribes having access to copper or tin. For the first time in Plains Orc History, they had access to a metal that could almost rival the Corungold produced by the river orcs. Though river orcs had long ago developed bronze, they had determined that the metal was of inferior quality, and more importantly, much less holy than Corungold. Historically, the river orcs had solved disputes between settlements by ritual combat between champions adorned in Corungold armor and wielding ornate corungold weapons, and according to most taboos and cultural laws, only those wearing Corungold could serve as champions. While most settlements could afford to field one champion, only Coru Cora and Coru Maan could afford large, standing armies of champions. This rigid adherence to established ritual combat proved to be their undoing.

In -13 on the Vauvran calendar, the guards of Coru Maan were surprised to see a large caravan led by armored war tarns. They were, the orcs clad in bronze leading it said, gifts for the most powerful Patriarch of the city, Hoynari the elder, from Tolin the Second. In exchange, they said, Tolin simply wished for the hand in marriage of one of Hoynari’s daughters, word of whose beauty had spread wide and far. The Maanites laughed at the plains orcs presumption, and the caravan guards were slaughtered. King Tolin flew into a great rage, and declared war on the city of Coru Maan. He raised a great host of bronze armored soldiers, leveraging both the Plains Orcs’ resentment against the River Orcs as well as the complex network of ties and alliances uniting them.

The city of Coru Maan futilely tried to resist, sending what few Corungold armed champions they had to fight for a peace. Instead, they were slaughtered and Tolin’s Army swarmed the walls. In a panic, the shamans of the city invoked all of their alliances, calling forth hundreds of spirits to combat their assailants, but the army’s shamans responded in kind, and, as neither side could call in the favor of any kind of Marid, the superior armament and numbers of King Tolin’s army prevailed. The city was sacked as Plains Orcs looted, pillaged, and raped their resentment and anger. Tolin took for his wives all of the daughters of Hoynari, declaring that “If he would not give me one, than I shall take them all.”

A small number of orcs escaped the slaughter, key among them Hoynari the Elder, who was forced to leave much of his wealth behind. Smuggling himself and his wife, but not his children, upriver to Coru Cora, Hoynari brought word of the supposed barbarisms perpetrated by the Plains Orcs.

Responding quickly, Coru Cora sent word to it’s client states, declaring that the river orcs had to band together to fight the barbaric onslaught, that all must stand together or die apart. This ad-hoc alliance was spearheaded by a man named Ulathar. A former champion of the city, victor in many combats against lesser villages, Ulathar was given the title of prince by the council of elders of Coru Cora.

It was here that King Tolin made the mistake that cost him the rule of all Corunan. Instead of pressing forward and conquering Coru Cora while the city was reeling and weak, he instead turned inwards, rebuilding Coru Maan and making it his capital. Great works of art were commissioned and a large stone and gold palace was built. However, this allowed Prince Ulathar to call his subject smiths and artisans to produce as much armor and weaponry, any armor and weaponry, as they could. Corungold forges lay still, the spirits within dormant, as leather, bronze, and even copper weapons were forged by the thousands. The wait also caused much of King Tolin’s army to dissipate, satisfied with the loot they had gathered from the sack of Coru Maan. Though he still commanded large numbers, the Maanite king no longer had the overwhelming army he had started with.

Therefore, when he made his move, King Tolin was met by a force that, though not his numerical equal, matched his in readiness and armament. No longer were the River orcs impressed by bronze wearing War-Tarn riding soldiers, nor were they shocked when their opponents refused the traditional Combat of Champions to determine a winner.

The final official battle of the war was a simple affair. The two hosts met at Turian Hill as the sun set. By luck, Prince Ulathar’s army had either outpaced or outwitted the Maanite scouts, and so suprised King Tolin’s army, which was just setting up camp. Though the initial offensive managed to shock and push back Tolin’s Army, Tolin’s war-tarn cavalry managed to rally, slowing the enemy offensive long enough for the tribal Shamans to summon forth a number of afrits to bolster their numbers. These afrits provided fire support, which the Coranites were unable to counter with their own mystical forces. The battle raged through the course of the night, the next day, and the subsquant night. By morning, it was obvious that neither force had the superior edge. Ulathar and Tolin met in Tolin’s tent, and agreed to terms. Both sides would pay significant tribute to the other and peace would exist between Coru Cora and Coru Maan forevermore.

Somewhat placated, King Tolin returned to Coru Maan to rebuild the city, and Prince Ulathar returned to Coru Cora and gave up his title, calling for elections to establish a ruling council over the allied villages.

By year 35 of the Vauvran calendar, the skill to ride Tarns had spread beyond the Maanites and into Coru Cora, removing the last advantage the Tolin’s Dynasty had over it’s neighbors. Tarns also spread deep into the Corus plain, inhabited by orcs genetically, though only distantly culturally related to the Corunan. These orcs adopted, along with the War-Tarn, much of the culture of the Corunan merchants they were in contact with, creating an amalgam with their local culture, most especially the holy site of Mara a crystalline crater in the plain, which was said to be the footstep of a God. Corunan merchants and priests largely claimed that Bast was the god who had left the footstep, as she was the only god to be associated with crystal, and many of the Corus Plains orcs internalized that belief. A religious settlement Coru Mara sprung up around the crater, which became the nexus for a large network of Tarn riding nomadic orcs.

The Dheissarib

The first news that the core regions had of the Host of Al-Dheissar were a small flotilla of ships emerging from the fog and setting upon a small colony of Laozi in the eastern part of the Long Lang (Or the Shattered Sea, as the Rahirim would come to call it,) taking and enslaving them.

This flotilla, led by an elf named Jaidrahir Nundarruc established a settlement, the refuge of Noldahad on the exact site of the Laozi colony, declaring that the Laozi, for their relationships with spirits were lesser people and therefore automatically subject to the Dheirssarib. For twenty years, the Refuge of Noldahad grew until it’s shining spires were known throughout the Shattered Sea.

And yet, despite their forced and violent entry into the known world, as others waited with bated breath, for twenty years the Dheissarib were content to sit behind their walls. The reason for this wait was made clear in the fourteenth year of the Vauvran Calendar, when a great host of bronze armored elves emerged from the mountains and made their way southwards, enslaving and enthralling many tribes, and settling numerous small settlements, the greatest of which was the cliffside refuge of Nangrahad.


Refuge of Nangrahad

The Dheissarib remain largely insular, but escaped slaves, traders, and lower class elves who have migrated to other cities (mostly the Vauvran colony of Aqwinthar) have allowed other people to understand who the Dheissarib are.

Dheissarib believe that they were once the retainers to the gods in Heaven, serving them in their palace of stars. The gods grew indolent and lazy as the elves grew stronger and ever more powerful, until one day, Al-Dheissar led a revolt, rising against their masters. Unfortunately, the gods still had some power, and Al-Dheissar and those who followed him were banished from the Heavens. The Dheissarib swore revenge, declaring that they would one day take the Heavenly palace from the Gods and enslave them as they were once enslaved.

Forced into a nomadic lifestyle, searching for paradise on earth, the Rahirim tried to maintain the complex of families and hierarchies that had bound them together throughout their ordeal in heaven. As most of the heads of the families were once in charge of an individual god’s retinue, many of them had managed to make off with divine artifacts, most notably the Circlet of Dheissar, said to have three gems made from the heart of a dying star set into the brow. Though each patriarch, known as Jaidrahir, maintained near absolute power over their family, all have sworn fealty to the line of Dheissar, the scions of who always take the name of “Al-Dheissar” upon the death of the previous Udrahir.

The Rahirim Elves are fundamentally atheistic, declaring that it is mortal destiny to ascend beyond the gods and the spirits, and that worshipping them is a sign of weakness. Despite this, the Rahirim maintain some relations with different groups of spirits. The only reverence towards others that the Rahirim have is a great respect for their ancestors. As such, during the exodus, dead Rahirim were burned and their ashes scattered to the wind, so that their bodies may find Paradise on Eran even if the living haven’t. As they now believe themselves to have found it, the bodies of the dead are interred in labyrinthine ornate catacombs beneath the city.

Individual settlements, known as Refuges, are traditionally autocratically led by a Jaidrahir, and most are fairly self sufficient, with trade with other settlements occurring only for luxuries or for culinary variety. usually built of baked mud-bricks, these settlements are surrounded by crop fields and horses, which are the primary animal used by the Rahirim. Rahirim art tends towards ornate and stylized patterns of repeating shapes and motifs, usually painted or mosaiced onto building walls.

The Dunak

Life for the Dunak tribes had existed largely unchanging for centuries, and would likely have continued thusly but for the expanding world around their borders. More and more often traders, mainly from the Kojai-Ishi and the Jashari, but also from other, more distant groups like the Ziemelmen and the Cities of the Noa Pasason, would penetrate the borders and meet Dunak Tribes. Unfortunately for the majority of these traders, the Dunak tended to shun “the silent” those that they were unable to read. At best, outsiders were turned away, at worst, their skulls shaped into ornate pieces of art mounted on the gates of Dunak settlements as warning and their goods taken and used.

However, as time progressed, some tribes grew slightly more open, especially as the advantages provided by the looted goods were undeniable. Most notable of these was Clan Cron, based near the northern border of the Dunak lands. Negotiating with a Kojesh emissary, Cron Nonat learned the secrets of Kojai-Ishi bronze working. Using the weapons forged, Cron Nonat sought to lead Clan Cron in a campaign to unify the Dunak into a single people, led by Clan Cron. However, Nonat remained patient, knowing that to strike too early would simply unify the other clans against him. And so, he embarked on a slow process of improving Cron weaponry and building up a network of alliances and marriage ties with neighboring clans, an arduous task because of the natural distrust of the Dunak. Cron Nonat died long before his machinations bore fruit, as it was his grandson, Cron Hanun, known as the Unifier, who launched the war.

The armies of Clan Cron, backed by a number of related and allied tribes, set upon their neighbors, successfully conquering or eradicating all those who resisted, even as word of the actions of Clan Cron flew ahead of the war bands.

Within a year, nearly half of all Dunak land was in the hands of Clan Cron, the inhabiting tribes dispersed and broken and subject to Cron overlords. This advance was only stopped as Clan Cron moved into the steeper and craggier southern mountains. These clans used the geography of the land against their enemy, successfully repelling Clan Cron. Notable among these was Urda Brado, who successfully bound within himself the spirit of a mountain, and using the magic it provided him, brought down a cliffside into a large Cron Warband, killing the majority of the attackers. With the Cron on the back foot, the southern tribes met in a great conclave, attempting to determine a strategy to effectively repel the onslaught.

Three clans managed to gather enough support to effectively mount a defense, and, though a unified strategy was not established, Cron Hanun was repelled, and a border was established between the “Free” clans and the clans subject to Cron.

The decades of warfare fundamentally changed most Dunak, as only the very isolated and insular high mountain clans remained untouched by the war. For the other clans, a complex system of hierarchy and genealogy slowly developed, as blood vied with personal prestige for influence over the Dunak. Hundreds, if not thousands, of Dunak were evicted from their traditional homes, and for these refugees, settling in the lowlands on the rivers to the east, Clan became a nebulous concept, shifting into a concept of trust and brotherhood rather than actual kinship. Because of this, or perhaps despite, River Dunak, and to a lesser extent Cron Dunak have noticed that their ability to read people has become less sharp vis-a-vis their family, but honed towards those who are their immediate subordinate or superior.

The River Dunak are based around the city of Dunva, meaning clanless, with a number of small stone villages around. The city, founded by a charismatic woman named Dunva Theria, is ruled by a council of elected officials, drawn either from official clans or from the number of “unofficial” clans bound together by friendship and fealty, and is reputed to be a treacherous hive of betrayal and intrigue.
 
The Kojai-Ishi

Like their more southern cousins, the Kojai-Ishi underwent a fundamental shift in their way of life, as many tribal elders came to realize that, with the world around them changing, the Kojai-Ishi had to keep up or be be lost.

And so the Kojesh met, as was traditional for them, in a great moot to exchange news and make exchanges and alliances. However, as the elders talked, and factions formed, some arguing that the status quo had kept the Kojai-Ishi safe for generations, others stating that yes, the world was changing, but that to change who the Kojai-Ishi were was a betrayal against all that their ancestors had fought for. However, one woman, Mother Sheljeh, an Kahei officer, proposed a new system, where the Kahei would be more than simply the defense of the Kojai-Ishi, but rather a central government, respectful of the internal decisions of individual tribes, but responsible for governing policy towards the outside. Through compromise and argument, assembling a large coalition, her faction grew to dominate the debate, eventually pushing for a vote. She pushed her policy through, But the High Elder of the meeting, a woman named Uedai Hiji Mieja (later, Mother Mieja), shocked the council when she vetoed Mother Sheljeh’s proposal. Mother Mieja stated that she agreed with the Kahei being the muscle and flesh that connected the Kojai-Ishi, but said that it would fall to nothing if it did not acknowledge and strengthen the bone of Kojai-Ishi, the independence of the tribes. She was concerned that the Kahei would lose its connection to the tribes, and could become the regime of tyranny that the forefathers of the Kojai-Ishi had fled from to hide in the very shadow of Mount Senjin that the great meeting was now held beneath.

Heading her ruling, Mother Sheljeh and another woman, Nidai Kajka Oba Chekare (later, Mother Chekare) formed a model for the Kahei that the great majority of tribes came to agree with. The tribal council and the Kahei would be merged, with two ex-Kahei officer elders of the council being elected to act as Consuls of the Kahei, the highest officers. It was hoped that the Kahei, the Consuls, the Council and the Overseer would act as checks to one another, if ever a power struggle emerged. All permanent officers of the Kahei would also return to their home tribes for one year every five years, to keep the bonds between Kahei and tribes strong. Tribes would also be allowed to entirely withdraw from all Kahei programs, meaning they would not be required to enter the circulation of resources and commodities, along with forfeiting all social programs and Kahei security. This was known as the Forging, and the Kojesh Confederacy was born, and all dates thereafter were counted after the Forging.

One year in the Kojesh Calendar is approximately five on the Vauvran one, the count increasing every twenty season.


Gelke Forge Hall

The only significant grouping of tribes to resist the forging of the confederacy were those who inhabit the eastern Meghadi valley. Most had grown immensely sedentary and hierarchical, and for generations, very few had attended the meeting in the shadow of Mount Senjin. And so, they did not feel bound by the laws and decisions that had been made by the Meeting.

Despite inferior tools, life in the Meghadi valley was in many ways easier than that in the mountains, as low lying fertile grounds was easily tilled by dwarves enserfed by their elders. Over time, legend grew among the serfs near the border of the mountains, speaking of the simpler lives enjoyed by the clan dwarves, and many crossed the border. The land owners petitioned the council, asking for their people back, arguing that they had no right to leave. The Council took one look at this situation, and declared it to be unjust. Something had to be done.

Ten years and four season after The Forging, the kahei poured out of the mountains, striking at the feudal lords closest to the border. Most were captured, but many more, understanding the way the wind was blowing, preempted the Kahei by uprooting their entire household and leaving on long caravans, travelling down river, hoping to remain out of their attacker’s reach.

Those that were captured were brought before the Hall of Sheljeh, the recently formed Judicial arm of the Confederation. Only one in four of the Feudal lords survived, and a good proportion of the serfs were also executed.

The Meghadi-Ishi who escaped eventually rebuilt their society, though in a much more hierarchical and institutional manner, and have enserfed many of the sheep herding and horse tribes of humans that inhabited the area before.


The Laozi

Life in Long Lang seems to take a calm tenor, as if any worries are simply fleeting. The Laozi have existed mostly unchanged, culturally, softly flowing into the future as the world around them violently tears itself forward.

Laozi Olanglauts travelled ever further, expanding the bounds of knowledge and trade, meeting people as far south as the Narned, and rumors persist of an olanglaut on which a sister of the veil travelled from the Mother’s Grove to the ocean.

As the Laozi have grown and expanded, however, they have been forced to adapt to the fact that others they interact with others who do not follow the path. Interestingly, this triggered a movement within the laozi reaffirming their belief in the path, and a the development of a culture of gift-giving, emerging from it’s inherent altruism. While the Laozi do believe in private ownership, they believe that ownership is fleeting, and that if one owns something that someone else needs or wants more than they do, then it is only right for it to be given away. This, of course, made initial trade efforts difficult, as comprehending the concept of exchanges that might be less than beneficial for one side or the other was difficult. However, over time, Laozi have become shrewd traders perhaps because they begun to take a long term view of their people’s entire communal needs instead of their own short-term needs.

This economy of giving has even transcended beyond the mortal world, attracting the interest of some spirits, predominantly Undine, but also some members of other families. The most notable gift given by a spirit was given by the Great Marid “She of Pearls” who gave the Dau Tien a spirit pearl, a powerful spirit treasure.


She of Pearls

Similarly, contact with the cold outside world has pushed the Laozi to be more spiritual, and it is almost a given that where one can find a Laozi, one can also find a shrine to the path. Each such shrine is unique, constructed of how and of what resonates the most with those who use it, and many shrines are the product of generations of laozi adding a small rock here, a leaf there, until time and sea eventually claim them.

The educational role of wandering ascetic monks and laozi has grown over time, becoming to some degree an informal institution, with standardized expectations on what is taught, most especially an ability to read and critically interpret the Koan. Many minor spirits have joined this practice, traveling far from their homes as monks or to join a discussion or meditation circle led by a particularly famous monk.

The Dau Tien remains the main spiritual bridge between the Laozi and the spirit world, communing aloof from the majority of the world. However, certain events have caused him to take action in the mortal world. First and foremost amongst these was the enslavement of some Laozi in the east by the host of Al-dheissar, and the eradication of Laozi colonies there. This was the first time in recorded history that a state had forcibly evicted the Laozi. In conjunction with the Corunan civil war and the tensions amongst the Vauvrans, this pushed the Dau Tien to call for the creation of a navy that would help protect the Laozi. While many captains who were offered ships simply took them and explored with them, a charismatic young monk named Quanlahn took to heart the proclamation of the Dau Tien, forming an order of similarly minded monks called the Tàu Buồn, or the Sorrowful Ships, who would shed blood so that no other Laozi would have too.

For years the Tàu Buồn fulfilled it’s purpose, protecting the Laozi when they could not or would not protect themselves. Repelling Bhumi Sarka invaders, Vauvran privateers, and Dhessarib raiders, the Tàu Buồn proved its worth again and again, and upon Quanlahn’s death, a great shrine was erected by his successor, an Undine named Bước Dương.


Bhumi Sarka Ship


The Seuridil Marwolaeth

The Seuridil Marwolaeth believe that the Mother’s gift was a gift not just to the Seuridili, but one that was awarded to them as caretakers who must then spread it through the world. Those elves who take this to heart the most are two specific orders, the Order of the Sisters of the Veil, who are exclusively virgin women taught the secrets of the veil, and the Guardians of the Veil, dedicated to, above and beyond the warriors of individual tribes, the protection of the Seuridil Marwolaeth. Though both orders have a very different focus, there is a strong rivalry between the two, as both argue that they are the ones better following the Mother of Tree’s teachings. Despite this rivalry, both orders have been working to the benefit of all the inhabitants of . Both orders are named for the ever present veil of mist that clouds Sibalrar and the Mother’s Grove from view even on the windiest of days.

From their headquarters in Sibalrar, the Guardians have built the Naenastip, a series of pathways high above the ground, linking branch to bridge to tree, connecting much of the rainforest into a network that rarely, if ever, touches the ground. The Sisters of the veil have, since carved many parts of the Naenastip, warding it from danger and speeding travelers on their way. A number of friendly spirits, lured by the gifts that travelling elves leave at high shrines, also make an effort to protect the roads.


Watchful Spirit

Though Sibalrar remained undoubtedly the holiest of holies for the Seuridili, and most elves aspire to walk the naenastip to the grove, the realities of the distances involved simply mean that most elves simply give thanks to the Mother at the numerous shrines established by the Sisters of the Veil, cuttings of the great trees of the grove, that grow despite the lack of light penetrating from the canopy. For many elves, the soft light emitted by the leaves is reminiscent of starlight, and brings comfort to those for some reason unable to travel to the upper canopy. There is even a grove of these trees in Coru Maan, brought to that court by a travelling Sister of the Veil, who gave it as a gift, along with a number of large domesticated cats, much friendlier and loyal than the local Corunian breeds, equatable in many ways to dogs.


Mother’s Tree

The Sisters of the Veil have spread the Mother’s Gift far and wide, and many tribes of elves have since begun to take to the teachings of the mother, technically culturally Seuridili, but in all actuality possessing no relation to Sibalrar nor seeing any reason to pay any heed to the warden there. To many outlying tribes, the spokesperson for the Gods and spirits is the Local sister of the veil, not some distant official. As such, there is a growing rift between the central Seuridili core within easy travelling distance of Sibalrar, and the disunited outlying tribes. Along the river, this unofficial boundary has sparked the growth of the settlement of Yatheria, where merchants and traders from tribes closer to the ocean exchange their goods.


The Narned

If the Vauvrans dominate the trade networks of the core of Eran, then the Narned are second only in their geography. Only four centuries since the semi-mythic figure of Yanshetem, a name since adopted by the ruler of the Narned, established the capital city, and already the narned have expanded far beyond the confines of the swampy muggy island they consider their home.

In 99 before the Council of Shan, the Yanshetem died, leaving twins, and none knew which was born first. Some favored the one brother, who was a strong warrior, while others favored the other, who was well learned in the affairs of the mystical world. The second brother, knowing that conflict would rip apart his family and his people took his followers and left for the mainland, establishing the city of Alsa Alari. Unlike the swampy city of Narned, Alsa Alari is a city carved into the great trees of the rainforest coast. Splendid beyond words, Vauvran traders began plying their wares there, and Alsa Alarai quickly grew to match Narned in wealth. Not to be outdone, the first brother spent lavish amounts of money to drain portions of the swamp and build three great towers, from which all of the city of Narned could be watched. These towers eventually became the gates of the city when a wall was built during the civil war, but for a time, their light shine bright at all hours, carefully guiding ships into the Harbor.


Narned

But these goods times could not last, and, upon the death of the King of Alsa Alari, His brother, also heavily aged, demanded that Tanil, his brother’s grandson, travel to Narned to swear absolute fealty to him.

Tanil, knowing that his city had great wealth and strength to resist his Great-Uncle, refused, shedding Yanshetem and taking the name Alari. The war that ensued was terrible, pitting brother against brother, and father against mother, and many an elven village was burned in the five year war. A peace was eventually signed, sealed with the marriage of the the grand-daughter older brother, since dead, and King Tanil Alari, and the two kingdoms, Narned and Alari, were recognized as equal and independent.

In the time since the peace, Alsa Alari has grown ever larger, and it’s arena, nestled in the roots of the great trees, attracts individuals from all over the central sea to bet on combat and contestants. An outgrowth from the tradition of ritualized combat that was the brutal training regimen of the Guardians, the contestants are all volunteers who fight for honor, Bacic, and, more often than not, the attention of a local young woman or man.

The Narned have prospered despite the spread of the Reeking Red plague, which has claimed the lives of nearly twenty percent of the populations it has swept through. Successive waves of the plague, however, seem to affect the population less and less, though a significant number of elves still die.




Timeline of events (Vauvran Calendar)
  • < -99: Domestication of the Tarn by plains Corunan
  • -89: Establishment of Alsa Alari
  • -64: Cron mines open
  • -57: The Order of the Sisters of the Veil emerge from their isolation in the Grove of the Mother, traveling and bringing spiritual succor to far settlements of the Seuridil Marwolaeth, bringing the gift ever further and further. It quickly spreads beyond traditional Sibalrar lands.
  • -50: First recorded case of bronze being forged by Plains Corunan.
  • -47: Riding of the Tarn
  • -35: The Forging of the Kojesh Confederacy.
  • -26: Ascension of Hanun The Unifier.
  • -22: Establishment of the Gelke Forge Hall, bringing under one roof the many metal-working traditions of the Kojai-Ishi. .
  • -13: King Tolin&#8217;s War. Coru Maan is sacked. Coran Confederation formed. Establishment of the settlement Dunva.
  • -4: Ships of the Dheissarib Host establish the Refuge of Noldahad on one of the islands of the Shattered Sea, before eventually pushing to the shore.
  • Year 0: Establishment of the Magistrate System in Vauvra, as well as the creation of a mint, printing standardized Vauvran Bacic, a word adopted from the Narned. Bacic as a term and a concept quickly becomes accepted by merchants and traders throughout the known world.
  • 2: Clan Cron turned back at Urda. End of the Unification wars of the Dunak.
  • 13: Coronation of King Tanil, who takes the name Alari, establishing Alsa Alari as the heart of a Kingdom independant of the ancestral rule of Nurnad.
  • 14: The Dheissarib Host emerges from the northern mountain at the tail end of centuries of nomadic wandering. Udrahir Al-Dheissar declares the exodus over, and establishes the Refuge of Nangrahad where the earlier ships had prepared the land.
  • 15: A Sister of the Veil reaches the ocean, and turns back.
  • 18: Peace between Alsa Alari and Narned, forged with the wedding of King Tanil Alari and Princess Eloen Yenshetem. Outbreak of Reeking Red in Narned.
  • 22: Night of the Dead in the sunken city of Ashar.
  • 24: Outbreak of Reeking Red in Alas Alarai
  • 37: She of Pearls presents the Dau Tien with a Spirit Pearl.
  • 45: A cult known as the Word of Etia begins activity in the city of Aqwinthar. Outbreak of Reeking Red amongst the Jashari.
  • 46: Establishment of the Corunan Settlement of Coru Mara as a natural trade hubs for plains Corunan.
  • 48: Establishment of the Tàu Bu&#7891;n.
  • 51: Meghadi Purge.
  • 57: Outbreak of Reeking Red in Swerona
  • 68: A Sister of the Veil reaches Coru Maan.
  • 72: Bhumi Sarka longships begin pushing into northern Laozi territory.
  • 93: Aqwinthar, only nominally Vauvran at this point, formally issues a declaration of independance from Vauvra. A ruling council is established, with a representative of each race present in the city: Loreley, Human, Elf, and Orc. Aqwinthar takes with it the twin cities of Mumen and Molarchia, which were founded by Aqwinthians.
  • 94: In reaction to Aqwinthar&#8217;s move, the city of Swerona attempts to leverage more beneficial trade agreements with it&#8217;s parent city.


Misc:
Orders should again be public and in the same format as last turn, but we will cover a period of 100 years this time, unless someone can argue for more or less. I encourage good stories, artwork, lore, physical descriptions, anything, really, and those who do contribute such things will likely find themselves doing better (But, really, creating content should be for it&#8217;s own sake ;) )

Additionally, for some of you, I'd ask for a high word count, as it's easier for me to give you interesting stuff to work with in the update if you can give me more to work with.

As for Calendars, The Vauvran calendar, as opposed to the Kojesh calendar, became the accepted one mainly because of exposure and the proprietary nature of the events surrounding the timing of the Kojesh Calendar.

Immac: Next turn, your orders turned out to be harder to fold into something cohesive with the update than expected. Next turn, please do orders as the template? Thanks.

Spoiler map :


 
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