CHAPTER 2: A BRIEF HISTORY OF ANNWN
The Formation and Rise of The Nine Provinces
As explained in earlier texts, The Lusha Times came after The Axal Ages and before the birth of Annwn.
Since the Cail Cycle is fifteen years, historians have denoted the sixty years of the Lusha culture as the four zero cail cycles or "The Lusha Times." It exists in neither B.A. nor A.H. It’s the intermission of Life's existence.
During Lusha Times, there were still a handful of Axals that survived, not enough to start a society, but enough to be living legends, despite the growing mythology that surrounded their existence. Unfortunately, due to their self-destruction, there was no one to defend the lands from the carkaw, so they came back out from the shadows.
This is when it is believed the Wind Court came to be known by the humans.
It is believed that they were the first inhabitants created for Cance. They were even ancient when the Axals’ predecessors came to Cance, the Galnon. The Galnon revered them as holy spirits of nature for they were not a part of their world.
The First Fold
With the Axals gone, there was no one to defend the fledgling human population from the devastating attacks of the carkaw. The Wind Court knew that the Carkaw would destroy the humans, even thought the humans have the capacity of being an unpredictable lot, but with the right direction and guidance of the Wind Court, the humans could be the right caretakers of Cance…the gods’ fourth try.
The Wind Court came to the Lusha and showed them the cails (which were lost to them after the War of the Heights) and it was said they also came into homes at night and blessed pregnant mothers. These mothers soon gave birth to incredibly powerful children who possessed the powers of the gods. The boys were born with a pure white left eye, and the girls were born with a dot under both eyes. At birth, these “cail children” are at their most powerful, as they age, their birth given powers slowly fade. By the time they reach puberty, their power had completely disappeard. Never the less, they still defeated the carkaw. They kept their birthmarks and are linked to being the first Chorus of Fates and the first Dries.
The Crowned Belief (Chronicles of Annwn)
Annwn was the grandchild of Lees. He was part of the Lusha who became the guardians of the cails during the First Fold. When Annwn was only five days old he saved his mother’s life from a boar.
When Annwn was five weeks old he discovered a cail. Years later he recounted the story that he was led there by a three-headed cat.
When Annwn was five years old he fell asleep in a cail and woke with Marochon the mace. The goddess Siriia gave it to him.
When Annwn was 10 years old, creatures of the dark killed his mother. Annwn lost his courage. The god Nab came to him at night and taught him the secret of fear and how to control it. He then gifted to him Minala, the Night Shield. Annwn, with the help of Tryne, defeated the creatures that killed his mother.
When Annwn turned 15 years old, he was chosen by Kara (Axal of Aquaila) to search out the Nemarhian Cail (the original cail). On the journey he, Kara, and Tryne met Hora, axal of Brawsh and Cane, axal of Daall. Annwn formed the first Circle of Lusha.
The god Note approached them all in a dream and provides a vision of them bringing five women with dots under their eyes to the Nemarhian Cail. They would become the first Chorus of Fates.
When Annwn turned 20 years old, Tren (axal of Caaly), Sheel (axal of Kee), and Neem (axal of Las) joined the Circle of Lusha. The four Followers of Note were found. Larissa, the final one and destined leader of the Chorus was killed by Cone the goddess of Hate. The Circle of Lusha went to Ganarah, The Withered Realm with the help of Morlen, Nerkam’s brother. Larissa is exchanged for Sheel. Nerkam the goddess of the Underworld decided this.
The Circle of Lusha and the Followers of Note find the Nemarhian Cail. Tone, the god of the cail, is there and turns the Followers of Note into the Chorus of Fates. The Circle of Lusha leave the mountains and form the City of Shrine.
When Annwn turned 25 years old, Shrine was built. The Chorus of Fates sing of the Circle of Lusha awakening the long trapped god, Crown Prior from a cail in Nerth’s, the goddess of lakes, watered realm domain. Tryne returns from studying with Onoia the goddess of fate. The Circle seeks out Nerth in the vilas land lakes. Annwn’s brother, Xern joins the circle. Kara calls upon Jon (the axal of Caper) to help the Circle go to Undarah (The Watered Realm.) Nerth allows the circle access to free Crown Prior only if they help the Undarah Guard defeat the dark that is tainting the land. After the battles, Tren and Tryne are wounded. The circle awakens Crown Prior, and he offers guardianship over the Circle of Lusha.
The Circle goes back to Shrine. Tren departs the circle to form the Dries. Tryne departs the circle to aid the Chorus from the knowledge he gained from his time with Onoia. The ones in the Circle of Lusha now are Annwn, Cane, Kara, Xern, Neem, Hora, and Jon.
People flock to the Crown Prior protected city of Shrine. The circle appoints Annwn as their first king.
When Annwn turned 30 years old, Xern and Neem marry. Jon becomes a guide for pilgrims who seek out the city. The Circle writes “The Code of the Crown.”
Jon eventually leaves. The rest of the circle dissolves into the Gentry. Annwn officially introduces the Chorus of Fates to the people of Shrine. Kara fades.
When Annwn turns 35 years old, the Chorus sings of Tarnsus’ awakening and Xern’s death and Annwn’s survival. In blatant disregard of the song, Annwn quietly leaves alone to destroy Tarnsus. Annwn is never seen again and neither is Tarnsus. Xern becomes the new king. He and Neem have children and the Crowned Family is formed. Hora and Cane form the Gentry Guard.
Vilas and Galnon discovered
During the first years of Xern’s rule over the fledgling human societies, a herald of the Blue King Trylyn visited the Crowned Family. The vilas, during this time, ruled over what is today the forests of the Erech province and the whole of Lioness and UR provinces. The herald asked Xern if he would be willing to meet with the vilas king. Xern naturally agreed. The vilas have been waiting for a long time for the humans to establish a complete society before they created formal contact with them.
The Shaylen Compact
A few short weeks later, the Blue King arrived in Shrine with a vast entourage of soldiers and vassals all dressed in strange and beautiful garbs. Trylyn and Xern met in private for five days discussing possible trade opportunities and potential land problems with the humans’ growing population. The vilas king’s oracle told him of a potential war in the future if the king does not establish communication with the humans right away. The two kings created the Shaylen Compact. It was a document that both human and vilas would follow in regards to their present and future interactions among one another. There were many small and cultural guidelines that the two races would follow to better understand one another, but the five major points that made the Shaylen Compact necessary to write down were the following:
The forests are the native home of the vilas and should be respected as such.
Humans and Vilas are brothers and shall always be and treat each other as such.
Nature, whether it be shore or shayl, bird or bear should be reaped in moderation to keep a balance alive. Balance and harmony are Nature and this should be remembered as such.
The Galnon wish to be alone. They are a society completely separate from us and that should be respected as such.
Knowledge and wisdom between the two brothers should be welcomed to be shared always, and may we hope to keep the road of communication open as such.
After the meeting, the vilas opened up their southern forests, (present day Minall, and Syrall Forest) and the two races built Jon’s Path to link the human settlements of the southern plains and the Uhyl (Plains) Vilas of the northern plains (present day Lioness plains). After that, both the plains humans and the plains vilas exchanged many agriculture techniques with each other.
Wind Court Allied
The mere presence of an organized human society finally opened doors for other races to approach and establish communications with them. In c.c. 2 y. 31, the Crowned Family was visited by the First Race. Their arrival was greeted with much less fanfare than the vilas’ visit. This was because the ethereal strangers came to Xern’s bedroom late one night.
The lore keepers would later jokingly say that the story is the most pivotal moment in Annwn history that happened in a Crowned Family bedroom. One story claims that it was only Saych herself that came to Xern; another says that it was a handful of Wind Court royalty with a 500 member entourage who came into the bedroom by moonlight. Both stories however explain that the Wind Court gave the High King Xern the first Truthsmith and in return the Crowned Family would give their philanthropic support to the studies of Truth and Channels. Xern was confused by the request, because their fledgling society already had a high regard for the cails, but the Wind Court demanded that they look upon Truth not only for religious reasons, but also study them for learning purposes.
Cane’s family becomes the first of the Gentry
In c.c. 5 y. 78, Cane was on his deathbed when the also aging High King Xern came to him. Xern asked his dear friend for advice. During his lifetime, the king saw many Houses created by families and guilds in far out regions ruling the serventry in the Crowned Family’s name. Xern desired to initiate a new level of royalty that would indeed speak for the Crowned Family. Cane suggested Honored Houses that would have land rights and sovereignty in their own regions. Only the king could grant a house this higher status. This is how the Gentry was born.
As a gift to his close friend and companion, Xern granted Cane’s family the first membership into the Gentry. Cane died shortly thereafter.
With the birth of the Gentry, dozens of other House’s vied for membership into this higher status.
House Fleet joins the Gentry
The next House to join the Gentry did not take place until fifteen years later in c.c. 6 y. 93 days before Xern’s death. Once House Fleet discovered the existence of a much larger society than theirs on the other side of the Reason Mountains, they offered to give them their land in return for a certain level of freedom to their land, people and discretion on their manner of rulership. The High King Xern agreed. House Fleet, the strangers from the south, in one night achieved gentry membership while other houses plotted and beguiled to no avail in c.c. 6; Thus started the long line of disgruntled distaste and respect toward Fleet.
The Green War
In c.c. 12. The vilas, who became initially concerned over the humans’ expansion into their previously agreed territory then outraged by the Crowned Family’s continued expansion declared war on the human populace.
House Las becomes part of the Gentry
The warriors of House Xern were not properly equipped or prepared for the onslaught by the countless number of vilas fighters that flooded out of the forests. The humans were initially slaughtered. A large human tribe that resided in the Reason Mountains were willing to not only defend the domain of the humans from the vilas, but to drive them back into the forests of which they came from. The condition was that they would be granted Gentry status.
The End of the Green War
Despite House UR’s donation of weapons to the vilas, they were defeated by House Las and driven into the present day Kingdom of the Shaylens. The plains vilas were completely decimated. A contract was made after the humans triumphed over the vilas. All that was written in the original Shaylen Compact was null and the humans only gave the vilas sovereignty over their remaining lands.
Amagros Lands
In c.c. 16, a small ship from another country landed on the northwestern tip of the continent. The explorers built houses and founded the present day town of Have Point. The surrounding lands were populated by farmers who were cultivating the lands that the Gentry won from the Green War. The farmers were uncertain of their new neighbors intentions, so the immediately searched out the Las soldiers that patrolled the vilas boundaries and told them of the strangers.
An Alliance Formed
At the point when the Las Gentry came to Have Point, the population of the town grew to 500 people. The bulk of the population was that of the Amagrens (natives of Amagros), but there was also a handful of celerians who moved in to set up trade with the strangers.
The Las Gentry were welcomed and ushered into the Amagren leader’s chambers. Las explained to the leader that they resided on land owned by the Crowned Family. The leader was a son of Amagros royalty and was sent to this new land for explotory reasons if the land was unsettled; but if it was settled his intentions would be to establish diplomatic relations with the leaders.
After much discussion, the decision was made to send the man to Shrine to meet the High King Needal. The High King, once meeting the man from Amagros, became eager to establish diplomatic and trade relationships with their northern neighbor.
Nirens Enslaved
The humans that allied themselves with the Vilas (speculated ancestors of House Shaylus) during the Green War were banished from the human settlements and formed a string of villages called the Allied Wall (where the actual present Allied Wall wall lies). The Vilas refused to allow the Keeyans (a name for the allied humans) into their now small kingdom, due to their innate distrust of all humans, but unlike the humans, the Vilas opened communication with the Keeyans and interbred with them thus the Nirens were first recorded to have been conceived. From c.7 y.111 to c.12 y.182 was the nirens golden times. They live in peace for 71 years
The Grim Harvest
During the summer of y182 the Vilas sent a battalion of crosses (soldiers) and herded the Vilas of the Allied Wall back into the kingdom of the Shaylens and slaughtered any remaining humans. The Nirens tried to go after the crosses but were unable to due to fear and the threat of extermination. Oddly enough, not one Niren was killed in the slaughter. Their fate would be much worse. The next day, thousands of gentry soldiers came to the Allied Wall and herded all the Nirens and brought them to the village of Borus Prior, where they were sold off to Houses Xern, Cane, Las, Aqueous, Lersus, Annws, Demaira, Sower, and the Royalty of Amagros (the country to the north). Fleet did not take any part of the Grim Harvest.
One great tragedy in this was the slaves who were sent north to Amagros, or south with Annws; for they surely would never see their families again.
The Two Kings
The enslavement of the Nirens came about from the hatred two kings had for each other: the Gentry King Needal and the Red King Pykon of the Vilas. They brought forth what Lersus scholars would name:
The Uncommon Alliance
Both wanted to purify their races from each other and the Nirens stained both the human and the Vilas.
It is not quite clear who approached whom first, but the final decision of the Grim Harvest came at a meeting in the village of Beelus in the then called Sower Province. Pykon wanted to “liberate” his Vilas children from the Allied Wall first. It was decided that the Vilas would take care of the human and Vilas traitors first, and then the humans would exterminate the Nirens. Pykon did not know that Needal planned on enslaving the whole niren race instead.
Thus the question lingers, who was more of a demon? Pykon, who slaughtered or Needal, who enslaved?
The Slave Owners
The inner circles of the gentry discussed the possible acquisition of slaves for months before the Grim Harvest. Xern advertised the selling of slaves, stating that a race of people far inferior to the gentry had been discovered and would be sold to the gentry if the need were there.
Cane and Las were the first of the gentry to sign up for the slaves. Demaira and Sower Houses signed up too.
Within a month of the slave advertisement, Annws and the Victors of Amagros expressed interest.
On the day of the “Grim Parting” (the auction) House Lersus came to buy some slaves, along with Aqueous. The Gentry House Fleet boycotted the whole affair.
Phydelian Cross
In c.c. 14 y 217, the High King Lern desired to explore the unknown lands of his nation towards the south. After much argument, Lern conceded to letting his insistent daughter, Phydelia lead the exploration party.
Phydelia first led her people into the Reason Mountains and down into the lands of Column and established a presence there. They were initially faced with some political resistance from the native leaders when Phydelia offered them to join the sovereign lands of the Crowned Family. But after Phydelia’s party poisoned the native leaders, the rest of the lands opted to join with the Crown.
Annwn is Formed
In c.c. 15 y 238, the High King Lern established local government in the provinces of Shrine, Erech, Column, Fleet, Lioness, and UR. Lern declared that the country would be named Annwn, after the first king. With a solidified authority, the country began to run much more smoothly with roads built between the regional capitols. Travel and trading became much easier, despite the great distances.
Shrine Destroyed
In c.c. 16 y 246 the main cail in the country’s capitol became tainted, making it immediately unusable to the Crowned Family and the Truth wielders. The cail’s taint began to spread through out the city causing the newly crowned High King, Darsus to move the entire capitol of the country to the trading town of Calmb.
In the years that followed, the town of Calmb was renamed Darsus and subsequently the province was renamed Darsus also.
The once great city of Shrine was now deserted, filled only by dark spirits and crumbled pillars.
House Aqueous joins the Gentry
In c.c. 17 y255, the High King Darsus granted the “House of Channels” gentry status. This news came as shock and surprise to the other Houses, mostly because, House Aqueous was held in such reproach with the Crowned Family’s closest advisors, the Chorus of Fates.
Vilas/Galnon War
The death of the Red King Pykon (yes Vilas live a bit longer than humans) and the birth of Learra sparked the Nirens eventual freedom.
The new king of the Vilas, the Green King Sheren started putting pressure on High King Rhyton into freeing his half brethren. This happened at the same time that the Asrai started inhabiting Belleôws Shore; Learra is preaching brotherhoods of love.
Rhyton ignored Sheran’s requests of freeing the Nirens. This was because Rhyton had more pressing matters than devoting his time to political issues involving slaves. During this time, the Crowned Family was also assisting the Dries and the Chorus of Fates while they attempted to rid their new capitol from Shown's Taint.
With the instructions from the axal Kara, the Aquail Society held court with the Vilas and Galnon directing them to gather their forces for a war in one year. Kara, House Fleet, and House Aqueous warned Rhyton that the nirens need to be freed. The other gentry houses demanded that they keep their slaves. This stalemate caused the opening of the Vilas/Galnon war.
On the eve of the first battle, the Fleet Nirens disappeared. It is still unknown today what happened to them. The war lasted for three long years, leaving the Chorus and the Dries to fight the much darker problem themselves. The Children of Shown, the dark cult that infested the first city, continued to gain in power.
Mainly because he saw the Children of Shown as a greater evil to concentrate on, Rhyton signed the “Pact of the Breeds” stating that the Nirens were a free people. Now, Rhyton focused his attention on the Children of Shown. With the growing annoyance of freeing slaves put to rest, The World Truth Dries and the Gentry were finally able to defeat and banish the Children of Shown from Annwn.
Asrai Discovered
In c.c.18 y 280, Kara reopens and old pact made by the Axals of the Tonewalkers Shine during the Shaped Birth by the Axal Belleôws, that granted the Asrai the power to walk on land as if it were their water home. The Watered Folk began to immigrate to their ancient home of the city of Belleôws Shore.
House Lersus joins the Gentry
House Lersus has been the only House that sought not Gentry status. Nevertheless, it did not stop them from receiving it. In c.c. 20 y 302, High King Rhyton visited Old Lersus, the island where the House resided, while he spent some time in the Province of Fleet. Looking through their libraries, the King became aware of the benefits of keeping a closer eye on the welfare of the Lersus Scholars. It is still unknown, even to House Lersus, what the king saw or read in the Lersus Libraries, but whether out of guile or loyalty to an unknown oath, when Rhyton came back to Darsus, he proclaimed that The Lersus Scholars would formally be inducted into the Gentry.
Events that led to “The Celerian Uprising”
In the years after the Nirens were freed, the city of Lioness became a city of hope and contentment for the persecuted race. The people of Lioness were instrumental in smuggling out Niren slaves from Amagros. The leaders of Amagros demanded that the Gentry and the Crowned Family do something about their Nirens. The capitol’s response was that they could do nothing, since no law was broken on their lands.
Celerians come
To avoid political repercussions from other Houses and Amagros, the Crowned Family declares that the city of Lioness would be run by a celerian government with House Fleet in a supervisory role. The Crowned Family chose Fleet for this role, because no other Gentry House offered to take the position.
Celerians from all over Annwn flock to the city of Lioness and the outlying villages that also sit under celerian rule.
The Celerian Uprising
In c.c. 20 y 311 an unknown antagonist sparked a revolution among the celerians across all of Annwn. They demanded the same rights and freedoms that the Lioness celerians possessed. When House Xern denied this request, the serventry stormed all of the Gentry and Xern buildings slaughtering everyone in their way.
With their channelers and soldiers, the Gentry were able to quell the uprising in total within a week. The instigators were summarily executed with much prejudice.
Last King of Legend
In the years of the Last King of Legend, it was said to be the “Golden Age” of the lands of Annwn. The High King Clawn came into power only days after the prophetess Learra was killed by Gentry soldiers. Clawn made a public apology for the gentry’s transgressions and immediately declared the followers of Learra and her sermons of “The One Living Song” as a true religion.
The High Crown Guard
Clawn felt himself above the petty politics of the other Houses and the Chorus. Clawn invited The Chorus of Fates back into the fold of the Crowned Family, after their self-imposed exile. Once back into House Xern’s favor, the Chorus continued with their design to create the High Crown Guard. They would be soldiers of the Crowned Family who could wield the channel of Song.
Clawn supported the Chorus in their project and also became the first soldier to become one of the High Crown Guard, also naming himself “Monad of the High Crown Guard.”
Clawn’s Journeys
In his duration of his kingship, Clawn also raised the country’s navy from a few boats to a huge army of ships and ports.
With a number of ships built, Clawn, personally, lead five great ships to explore the islands south of Annwn. The first island they came to was the sparsely populated island of Chaguhs. They then came to the island of Shashash. Shashash was populated by the exiled followers of the first king Annwn’s blood, House Annws.
House Annws greeted Clawn and his navy with polite anger, but when they saw that Clawn possessed the noble blood of his ancestor, Annwn, the people of Shashash welcomed them all. Clawn offered to establish diplomatic relations with House Annws, but they politely declined.
After days under House Annws’ hospitality, Clawn and his ships sailed east until they reached the continent of Asern. Asern was full of dense jungles and hostile natives. Many of Clawn’s men died of disease and war before they reached the Oradess people. The Oradess were a group of people that the other natives revered to almost the point of worship.
Clawn and his remaining people spent much time with the Oradess then finally gave them safe passage back to their ships. Clawn then made his long journey back to Annwn.
Clawn’s Companions
One of the stories surrounding Clawn’s legends was his knack to be surrounded by the most unusual of friends. Among the most unusual were his dozen or so sylphs that accompanied him everywhere in his palace grounds: Kerdor a Fachon warrior, Dydyn a spearman from Asern, Tryrdin his galnon companion, and his beautiful wife Halida from House Fleet. Vilas and Asrai alike flocked under his banner and frequented the Crowned Family halls during Clawn’s service.
No other king commanded the respect and devotion from so many other races.
The Final Carkaw
Near the final days of Clawn, from the darkness and myth, a carkaw emerged slaughtering whole towns and cities. Channels could not stop it for the carkaw was older than the Truth the casters wielded. Weapons of all sorts could not even penetrate the monster’s skin.
The High King Clawn rode into the province of Glaãn Naris with his retinue and fought the great beast for five days until the carkaw finally succumbed to Clawn with his mace “Column” in the city of Lern.
Disposal
The people of Lern were afraid to bury or burn the body of the carkaw in or around their city. The ambassador to Amagros offered to dispose of the body in their own country. Clawn accepted the ambassador’s offer and gave him the mace “Column” in payment for their kindness and in protection from the dangers having the body of a carkaw could create. With the body of the carkaw on the way to Amagros, Clawn went back to his city tired and injured from the battle.
Clawn Dies
A week after Clawn came back to his palace he fell into a deep sickness that even the greatest healers could not cure. When Clawn finally died, a part of the whole world died with him. The Wind Court finally left the Wakened Realm, the Truthsmiths disappeared, cails weakened, and rained poured on the country for five straight weeks.
Court of Thought Formed
Suza took the mantle of High King after his father, Clawn, died. High King Suza knew it was impossible to match his father’s fame and love. This made him bitter and angry towards the Gentry, for they constantly whispered in the halls how he could never be his father.
Suza instead, looked towards the celerians for loyalty and support. Forming the Court of Thought was his answer. Each Gentry Recognized Populace was given an “advocate” that acted as the celerians’ voice that was in direct contact with the Crowned Family.
Some Gentry Houses were relieved with this new “Court of Thought,” because it gave them time to pursue their own goals without worrying about the serventry’s grievances. Other Houses saw this as Suza’s hard-handed way of taking power away from them.
Mace Wars
In the years during Norus Prior’s rule, unrest fell on Annwn’s northern neighbor, Amagros. It was recorded that a controversy erupted among the Victor’s family. It was such a controversy that it split the family in two. The Victor banished his son, Alad, from Amagros.
Searching for Help
Alad came to the Crowned Family seeking advocacy in hopes of mending the family’s strife. The High King Norus Prior sent the Chorus of Fates to assist in the reconciliation of the Victor and his son. Norus Prior saw this not as a matter that the Crowned Family needed to involve themselves in, but still offered a small token of assistance to their neighbor.
Both Alad and the Victor welcomed the Chorus of Fates as mediaries. While the discussions continued, Column, the mace that was given to Amagros by High King Clawn, was stolen.
In his madness and frustration, the Victor declared that it was Annwn spies who stole it and the Chorusters were there only as a distraction. The Victor had his safens (Amagros Truth wielders) kill the chorusters and his son.
Searching for Column
Word came back to Norus Prior about the madness of the Victor and immediately dispatched the famed High Crown Guard to seek and retrieve Column before it falls back into the Victor’s hands. There was no worry of anyone else wielding it for Column could only be used by a Victor or a King.
Informants told the Victor that warriors from Annwn were coming to Amagros in search of Column. Victor then officially declared war on Annwn.
War Begins
Gentry soldiers set sail from Lioness to the southern shores of Amagros to meet the Victor’s armies. The soldiers of Annwn were initially overrun. They were outnumbered and far from home. The soldiers of Amagros had the advantage of being in familiar territory and having a constant supply of weapons and food.
Annwn’s ships were indeed fast and brought supplies and troops often, but it was the land journey from Darsus to Lioness that took the most time.
Column Found
Column resurfaced in Lace, the capitol of Amagros. It was not the High Crown Guard who found it but the Victor himself. Was it in his madness that he misplaced the mace? Was it not lost at all? Did someone steal it only to see war erupt? These questions still remain unanswered. After the mace was in the Victor’s possession, he rode out to the Sald Plains to where the fighting was occurring. There, with the power of Column, made to destroy ancient evil beings, he laid waste to the Annwn armies.
The Maces Meet
Once Norus Prior heard that his armies were being decimated by the power of Column, Norus Prior, with the help of Aquail Casters, was immediately transported to the battlefield with Marochon in hand.
Witnesses say it was an awe invoking battle that none had ever seen since the Ages of Axals. Two men wielding the most powerful siriia known to the Wakened Realm destroying everything around them as they desperately tried to annihilate each other. Nobility and honor faded as the two kings evolved into two angry gods who became possessed with a higher understanding of what destruction meant. Others say they devolved into two great animals that saw that survival was the only thing that drove them to kill the other.
They may have appeared to be gods or animals, but in truth they were still only men, and men tire. The battle lasted 5 hours until the two kings fell in exhaustion. With a final swing, Norus Prior slammed Marochon against the Victor’s temple. The Victor arose with a new sense about him. He stated that a darkness had passed over him.
Peace
As a sign of forgiveness, the Victor offered Column back to Norus Prior. The High King politely refused, but with the safen’s and the chorus present, the two kings made a Truth imbued oath that the two countries shall never war again. If the oath shall ever be broken, the two ruling kings of the time shall immediately perish.
Nine Provinces Formed
In c.c. 32 y 483, months before High King Norus passed away, he declared the explored sparsely populated island of Chaguhs and the island of Shashash would become part of the Annwn Empire. Shashash was renamed Clawn and Chaguhs was renamed Suza. The native populace of Suza and the exiled House Annws had little voice over the High King’s decision.
Acceptance and Anger
The people of the newly-named island of Suza were more than happy to be accepted into Annwn’s government. The native islanders were originally from the province of Column and sailed across Shannie’s Way long ago searching for a better land. They were severely disappointed to find Suza. Compared to Column’s green hills, the desert landscape of the island was less than expected. The High King’s declaration gave Suza the same societal opportunities that the mainland possessed.
The island of Clawn had a different reaction. Their hatred of House Xern ran old and deep. The very reason House Annws put themselves in a self-imposed exile was so they could live freely from the Crowned Family’s rule. Perhaps High King Norus and then his successor, High King Neleck assumed that time faded the mutual loathing. Certainly the Crowned Family forgot the damage they inflicted. Winners often have shorter memories than the losers.
Mining and Malcontent
Over the following tears, Suza’s economy flourished. With all the white sands that made up the bulk of the landscape, glass smiths flocked to the island. Grey glass was also discovered and mined.
Annwn envoys that journeyed to Clawn were first met with cold disregard and as the years went by, outright anger.
Monarch Dispute
In c.c.34 y 512, a war between Clawn and Annwn unintentionally erupted when one of the Queen’s bodyguards killed Monad Greym, the man given the charge by Annwn to rule the island. The Queen was immediately arrested for the crime. Word spread throughout the island of this mistreatment of their ruler and riots ensued and gentry soldiers that chose not to flee were slain by the avenging mobs.
After hearing of the atrocities on their distant province, the Gentry deployed thousands of their soldiers on hundreds of their ships to Clawn. House Annws was naturally expecting such a force to arrive and was readily prepared for the arrival. The Gentry underestimated the island’s military and Truth wielding power. The Gentry ships never had the opportunity to land. The House Annws military and casters sank all 314 ships five miles off the shore of the island.
High King Neleck and the rest of the Gentry decided that Clawn was too far away to continue an assault, so instead of using physical force on the island, Annwn started using political force on the island.
A trade embargo was placed on Clawn and Annwn and Amagros refused to trade with the island and the Gentry refused to recognize Clawn as its own sovereign state.
Asern War
Since the days of Asern’s discovery, political relations between Annwn and Asern have always been neutral. Asern’s close relationship with House Annws slowly created a rift with Annwn.
It originally started when Asern refused to heed Annwn’s request and cease trade relations with Clawn. The leaders of Asern saw no need for they refused to let their lifestyle be affected by other countries’ quarrels. The island of Clawn was Asern’s closest trade partner, and their local economy would suffer greatly if they supported Annwn’s embargo.
An Angry King
The High King Taleus took Asern’s polite refusal extremely personally after years of negotiation with the Oradess (the royalty caste of Asern). The Gentry even offered to trade with them at a subsidized cost. In Taleus’ haste he declared war on the country in c.c.36 y 543, and opened the doors for the longest war in the Nine Province’s history, lasting 25 years.
The Oradess Reaction
The people of Asern were shocked by Taleus declaration of war. Asern, a country that is new to international politics refused the declaration and stated that they would continue with their trading with Clawn and asked the Gentry to cease interfering with their concerns. The Oradess knew that in an all out war their people could not stand up to Annwn’s armies, but they also did not want to lose face by conceding to the arrogant foreign power. Also, Asern saw that Annwn could not hold an extended offense so far away from their homeland. The Monarch Dispute gave proof to that. The Oradess saw the Gentry’s declaration of war as merely a hollow threat.
A New King
Taleus eventually died, leaving his nephew, Lyndell, inheriting a bloodless war with a far off country. Lyndell’s last concern was with Asern and the false war that was declared. His distraction towards other things gave opportunity to House Annws’ machinations.
Asern Attacks
The island nation of Clawn convinced the Oradess of an imminent attack by the Gentry allowing Clawn to combine forces with Asern warriors to attack the province of Suza. It was a plan that took years to create. The Hâvemen of House Las were sympathetic to House Annws and also secretly gave support to the assault on Suza.
Suza Taken
The provincial government of Suza was quickly overtaken by House Annws and the Asern warriors, with few casualties on each side. House Annws declared that the island would be returned to the Gentry on two counts: if all hostilities towards Asern would be ended and that Annwn would recognize Clawn as their own sovereign nation.
The Gentry, not to be made fools of, retaliated in full force, despite the collateral damage from their own people on Suza. House Annws relied on the possibility that Annwn would not attack so fiercely on their own lands. This mistake almost cost them the war initially. House Annws and Asern still held the capitol city, Suza, for the first year of attack until they finally retreated from the city in the Brenan Returns Battle. House Annws would have held off the Annwn armies indefinitely if the Vardo Kormen, the man in charge of the Hâvemen, became nervous over potentially being discovered by the Gentry supporting House Annws, he ceased the secret alliance. With the city of Suza lost, Annws and Asern retreated into the Neleck Hills and south of The Chaguhs River, making the town of Til Line their new home.
Queen’s Sacrifice
The Queen of Clawn saw that since Annwn reclaimed the city of Suza, they could amass a large enough army to destroy the rest of her people. Once that happened, there would be nothing left to stop the Gentry from sweeping into Clawn a second time. This time Clawn would not have enough soldiers to prevent this onslaught. Once Clawn fell, Asern would be next.
Through the powers of her casters, she transported herself to the halls of House Xern and confronted High King Lyndell. She gave herself willingly as a prisoner in return for Lyndell ending the war.
Impact of Peace
The Gentry learned from the captive queen that Asern was mislead into war. In apology, the Oradess ceased trade with Clawn and gave the Gentry large amounts of Asern treasures. The High King saw that having their sovereign ruler and the continued embargo was punishment enough to Clawn. The High King also ordered the construction of numerous fortresses and a third of their Hâvemen stationed on the southeastern shores of Suza.
The Gentry never discovered Vardo Kormen’s involvement.
House Minall joins the Gentry
In 39c.c. The Nine Provinces experienced a huge drought that swept across the middle of the country. The High King Lyndell was almost overthrown and House Minall saved him. The House asked Lyndell if they could assist by introducing new seed varieties and planting techniques to the Nine Provinces. Despite the fact that the next year produced even less rain than the drought of the year before, the Minall techniques brought in the same amount of harvest that a normal year would. Minall not only earned Gentry membership, but also the gratitude and respect from everyone one else, celerian and gentry alike.
Shiya lands on Clawn
In c.c. 41 y 617, great white ships, taller than had ever been seen on Clawn, landed on their southern shores, off the coast of the port town of Tryne. The explorers came from the country of Shiya, on the other side of the great Ellos Ocean. The Shiya explorers were curious to learn about the people on the other side of the ocean, and House Annws welcomed them with open arms.
Clawn knew that in this age of exploration, it would be only time before Shiya and Annwn discovered each other. The queen of Clawn took the initiative and created an avenue for the two countries to meet. It worked out to the benefit of Clawn. Annwn eased the over hundred –year-old trade restrictions, and allowing Shiya to build outposts on their island country, helped to make allies with a powerful overseas empire.
Annwn strengthens the alliance with Amagros
During his reign, Annwn looked at the High King Brawn as one of the best diplomatic kings since the days of Clawn, the Last King of Legend. The serendipitous arrival of the Shiya ships gave Brawn more support in the Gentry to strengthen ties with their northern neighbors, Amagros.
It was a joke between both countries that Brawn was Annwn’s first Amerindian king, due to Brawns extensive diplomatic visits to the northern lands. In one visit, the High King spent over a year in Amagros. Likewise, the Victor of Amagros spent considerable time in Darsus.
During Brawn’s reign, immigration between the two countries soared and in northern Annwn and southern Amagros the cultures began intermingling more than ever.
Dries Disappear
In c.c.41 y 621, the last covenant of dries simply disappeared. Over the cycles their numbers slowly dwindled after they fell out of their advisory roles to the Crowned Family and the rest of the Gentry. Their numbers finally fell to a little over two hundred men. One day a drie initiate returned to their monastery to discover that the rest of his brethren had completely vanished.
The Gentry ordered a search for the lost men, with the Chorus’ aid, but no trace of the two hundred plus men was ever found.
House Pysz and UR join the Gentry
The High King Naill was the youngest king ever to hold the throne. When his father Naill Prior died, Naill took the throne at only two years old. Throughout his life as king, his advisors became accustomed to telling him what he should do.
One day in c.c. 45 y 675, in a rebellious display of his own power, Naill broke custom and tradition by allowing two Houses into the Gentry without consulting the other Gentry Houses.
It was believed that it was indeed his Pysz advisor that manipulated the king into making his House part of the Gentry. UR perhaps was just chosen by chance, just so the king could make two Houses members at the same time.
House Shaylus joins the Gentry
Originally Shaylus was formed to be a voice for the vilas in Crowned Family matters, but over time, their importance waned in the Gentry’s eyes. Shaylus began to be revered as no more than a House of guides and scholars of trees. Over the years a sense of indifference rested between the two races, and the vilas began to move outside their Kingdom and began moving into towns and villages in UR, Lioness, Erech, and Darsus.
The xenophobic Crowned Family soon began soliciting advice from Shaylus on how to deal with the “foreigners.” Shaylus, in turn offered assistance only as a Gentry House. Then in c.c. 49 y 737, House Shaylus became part of the Gentry.
House Blusus joins the Gentry
In c.c.50 y 750 House Blusus gained Gentry status. This was the first time that the Gentry Houses asked the High King to allow an Outer House in. Historically it has always been the King giving a House Gentry status with little counsel.
Blusus made many friends from the other Gentry Houses with their discovery of Pysz taint and their overall naiveté.
The Second Fold
Over the years, the Night Ones minions slowly grew in power among the shadows of Gentry buildings and Choruster Halls. Rumors of Shawl Casters and Wickards intensified as their attacks upon the celerians grew in frequency. Those that could not be culled would be coaxed into joining dark cults that worshipped the Night Ones. Cults such as The Whispered Hand, The Dawn of Orbahal, and Shown’s Eye began to emerge to the northern provinces of Lioness and UR. It was not until the entire population of the town of Torn’s Cull was ritualistically massacared in the name of the Night Ones did the power of Truth step in to regain balance.
The Arrival of the Cail Children
In c.c. 51 y 767 human children were developing powerful magics and having their bodies slowly change into a more alien visage as their powers grew. It was whispered that they began to look more like the fabled denizens of the City of Sacred Heights than their human parents. Their powers ranged from controlling the minds of the weak, changing their shape to the animals of the forest, turning invisible, and stealing the magics of other Truth-weilders. What ever their abilities were, the one thing they all had in common was their instinctual desire to hunt down and slay those who follow the paths of the Night Ones.
Over the first years of the Second Fold news of people with strange and beautiful powers arrived first as whispers in the Choruster Halls then quickly grew to open discussions with Choruster Mothers. One the day when it was decided that the Daughters of Tone and House Aqueous would investigate rumors of new Truth-Weilders, part of their search came to them. A group of 15 men and women wearing garments that accented those of the Chorus arrived with a faint and beautiful light surrounding them. Their physical features seem flawless, without scars, moles, or even facial hair. They called themselves the Chion and they were the voice of the other Cail Children to the rest of the Untouched. This is the term they used to call all others who were not a cail child. They proclaimed that their kind has been born in the eyes of Truth to defeat the kind of darkness that was beyond their power or comprehension. The Chorus, who was not used to any sect of people, besides the long disappeared Dries, outright critizing their station took these words with anger and precaution.
The Consistorium
By the time the 52nd Cail Cycle arrived it was established that there was nine different types, or lays, of cail children. There was clear evidence with the arrival of the Second Fold that the agents of the Night Ones began to slide ever so slightly back into the shadows. Despite these victories there was still clear evidence that these cail children did not act as one united force. After many misunderstandings and inter-lay battles based off of pride and ignorance, the elders of each lay decided to form their own government and laws that sat outside the existing untouched society. Now with a common voice and a set direction, the entire cail children population could be directed more accurately at the war against the Dark. At this point the elders of each lay defined the boundries, duties, and responsibilities of each lay. For example, it was decided that the Chion would be the cail children’s voice for the Chorus of Fates, the Musebringers would monitor the machinations of the high society, and the Weavers of Dusk would hunt the Dark within the shadows.
The Sixth Realm
During the first years of the Consistorium’s formation, one elder Weaver of Dusk named Eregos who was well respected among his peers and his lay discovered in a dream the existence of a previously unknown realm that was separate from the 5 well known realms. He gathered his closest and most powerful of friends and told them that the cail children were approaching the Second Fold in the wrong manner. The cail children were not soldiers to fight the Dark and cleanse the Wakened Realm; it was too late to save this realm from the workings of the Night Ones and their servents. The duty of the cail children was to protect the innocents and usher them into a new and pure realm and let this one fall into darkness. It was the only way to prevent the this unbreaking war from destroying so many innocent lives.
Eregos had recruited many powerful allies as he studied the enigmatic Sixth Realm, one of them was a hard-headed and charismatic Breath Judge elder named Janus. They became fast friends and the two cail children finally discovered a way to open up a clayn into the realm. When the time came to put their knowledge into action, a wave of hesitation washed over Eregos and he turned and left, leaving Janus alone.
Janus felt betrayed and hurt, despite his outer charismatic nature, he could not keep the group of powerful cail children together and the loose organization of friends and colleagues fell apart as personal politics and the weight of the war with the Dark came back into view.
The Army of Janus
As the years past and the concept of a Sixth Realm slipped further into obscurity, Janus took his friends message to heart; mainly regarding the idea that the Wakened Realm was already lost to the Dark. As a Breath Judge that was not a theory he was willing to accept. The Dark always needed to be cleansed and he took the knowledge of how to open a clayn from his old friend and decided to not use it to go to a realm of unhewn peace and tranquility, but to the darkest and most violent realm of them all: The Withered Realm.
The Dark has spent countless numbers of years invading this world; he had decided it was time an army was formed and invaded their world. Janus spent the next 4 years finding the most powerful of fellow cail children and formed in secret an army of over 500 Breath Judges.
The Night of Withered Hopes
On a now legendary fateful night, Janus’ Army approached the long forgotton clayn that sat in the Axel ruins far outside the city of Rhyton. As they began to use their powerful magics to open up the gate to the Withered Realm, Eregos arrived with an equally as powerful Weaver of Dusk army. In a clash of smoke and blood the two battled among the broken pillars and faded ancient statues. As the fighting between the armies continued, one of Janus’ leuteniant’s broke free of the line and was able to finish the ritual of opening up the clayn into the Withered Realm.
Janus sounded his war horn and his army retreated from the Weavers of Dusk and rushed directly into the clayn commencing their delayed invasion of the Withered Realm. The remaining cail children stood in stark silence as they Auroraled at the Breath Judges charge into the giant black void that swirled inside the gateway which was interrupted occassionaly by the coughing of a dying solider.
Moments later and explosion of shadow and fire erupted from the clayn. The maleviolent energy that escaped from the gateway ripped open the skies with bellowed cries of thunder and a blood-red rain poured down onto the ancient ruined city.
Witnessess who did not initially run in terror would also document that thousands of blackend spirits ranging in size and ferocity escaped the gateway, devouring the souls of any remaining people in the immediate area.
The Red Skies War
Hours after the eruption of black energy and the invasion of the denizens of Ganarah, the entire continent of Annwn and beyond was affected. The blood red skies grew beyond the two great oceans and the earth heaved and shook in response to seeing her mate in such great pain.
Casters of the Gentry, the Chorus of Fates, and the Consistorium converged together and it was quickly revealed that the cail children unleashed a new nightmare unto the Wakened Realm. Accusations among the Truth-weilders were brief but heated. Their attention turned to the countless reports of wickard invasions, shawl caster attacks, and the emergence of the legendary Daughters of Onoia taking over a Choruster Hall in the island province of Suza.
For the first time during the Second Fold, the Gentry, the Chorus of Fates, and the Cail Children formed a true and official alliance against the agents of the Night Ones. This alliance was formally named “The Assembly of Truth.”
With the Daughters of Onoia coming out of the shadows, the Dark declared war on the agents of Truth. And the Red Skies War erupted.
Battles of note were as follows:
“The Lost Cails Battle”, “The Battle of Bronze Sands”, “The Calling of Carkaw”, “The Battle of Covered Hands”, and “The Battle of Blackened Earth.”
The Collapse of the Assembly of Truth
The sky continued to blaze a bright cloudless red as the war raged on for 7 years. The country suffered greatly and fell into a 5 year drought, many of the smaller rivers dried up completely, and the serventry who did not lose their lives in battle, died of starvation. The Provinces of Lioness and Suza fell to the Daughters of Onoia and the province of Erech threatened to follow suit. Persistant rumors of the country of Asern falling completely to the Night Ones plagued the Choruster Halls. Cults of the Dark grew once more in popularity in Darsus, Ryhton, and Fleet.
Tensions grew to an apex that finally dissention among the Assembly of Truth erupted as the Gentry Casters and some members of the Chorus once again accused the Cail Children of placing the Wakened Realm in such hopeless times. The Cail Children in return accused the Gentry of harboring the most dangerous agents of the Dark. The exchange of hard words turned into an exchange of fists, which turned into an outright battle. The clash of lights, fire, claws, and thunder utterly destroyed Solace Home, the main Choruster Hall in Darsus along with the surrounding city district. This battle would be known as “The Broken Hope Battle.”
The lines of trust and communication between the Consistorium and the Gentry were severed completely; the Chorus of Fates took a more neutral position and agreed to continue to work with both parties.
Not the entire Chorus agreed with this postion. A small shadow faction of the Chorus of Fates was angered and jealous of the arrival of the Second Fold in the first place and felt their appearance had only hastened the Dark’s hold onto the Wakened Realm. These Chorusters formed a secret Sisterhood called The Singers of Purity and it was their mandate to hunt down and kill all Cail Children.
The Consistorium broke apart and each lay decided to fight the Red Skies War on their terms.
It was the darkest time the country of Annwn faced in recorded history.
The Golden Chests
Hope for the Wakened Realm came on a dark rainy night as a group of five strangers entered the Brood of Nerkham Elder’s Lodge in the town of Millus in the province of Fleet. They provided them with three large golden chests and specific instructions to travel to the lands of the Fachon, the Vilas, and the Galnon. Upon arrival the cail children would then need to present a large chest to the leader of each race. The journey took months as the roads were littered with agents of the Dark attempting to thwart the Brood of Nerkham’s success. After many deaths and battles, the five strangers’ request was finally met.
When the quest began there were 30 Brood of Nerkham that carried the golden chests. At the journey’s final successful conclusion, there stood only one broken and battered cail child who presented the last chest to the High Chief of the Galnon. The High Chief pondered the gift and discussed with her advisors. The Galnon were an innately xenophobic race and looked at all strangers with suspicion and the dark times that they were in only deepened their concern over the stranger’s present. It was not until an errant Hoof Priest convinced the leader to accept the gift that the High Chief decided to open it.
The Accession
Hope came once more to the country of Annwn. A burst of fire and white light rocketed into the sky from The Kingdom of The Shaylens, the forsests of UR, the Reason Mountains, the city of Fleet and deep underneath the coastal waters of the province of Column. The lights converged high up in the air over the cursed Axal ruins that hosted the Night of Withered Hopes. As the lights met in a thunderous explosion, the red sky crashed open and a deluge of rain began to pour down on the parched land. As the rains poured, the skies lost its red hue and grey clouds filled the heavens.
Truth saw that the gifts given to the humans that brought about the Second Fold were squandered; and instead reducing the Night Ones influence on the Wakened Realm it instead created the opposite effect. Individuals within the Fachon, the Vilas, the Asrai, and the Galnon began to exibit powers of the cail children. The enigmatic magic of Truth decided it was time that the other species of Annwn took up the mantle from the humans to lead the races in these dark times.
This surge of Truth onto the Landed Realm also awoke the long dormant souls that sat in the descendants of the Wind Court. Many humans with Fleetian ties awoke to find themselves inexplicably transformed into the supposive mythological Njinn. Rumors of the legendary Brevikan appearing in the Kingdom of the Shaylens also proved to be a rallying point for the Galnon and the Vilas. The other lands told of stories of a similar awakening of races becoming imbuded with powers to fight against the Dark; but Eregos’ prophetic dream he had so many years ago was about to come true.
The Unbreaking War
The agents and armies of the Night Ones saw the red skies disapate as a sign that the tide of war has turned in favor of the enemy. The Daughters of Onioa saw this as an opportunity. They were tasked to bring the Wakened Realm into the hands of the Night Ones. It was theirs by right. Hope for the other side draws a strong will to fight. A strong will enables more decimation instead of enslavement. Enslavement is a result of a weakened adversary. Decimation is what the Daughters were tasked to do.
The Wells of Depths
Truth always has a way of ensuring balance on the Wakened Realm. The Daughters of Onoia manipulated this Law of Essence and increased the powers of their followers. The Daughters used their power of manipulation with Truth and facilitated the creation of cails that produced taint; these Dark Cails gave birth to certain species of the Asrai and Fachon began to exhibit powers that wickards normally possessed. These ‘dark cails’
The Uncharted Regions of The Lusha Times
D
uring the beginnings of the Crowned Family, the Chorus of Fates, and the like, the now known provinces of Fleet and Column were unknown to the fledgling gentry. Long before and during the Lusha Time and the reign of both Annwn and Xern, these two lands beyond the Reason Mountains were creating their own unique history.
The History of Fleet
The First Race
The story of this patch of land starts beyond the first humans. Here on the shores of where the present day city of Fleet lies, is where the first race started their societies. The wind court did not build grand structures, but resided in ornately carved caves on the shores’ cliffs.
When the gods took the first race back to the Winded Realm, many hid inside the caves and were therefore left behind. Others outright refused to go back. For those, the story goes that the god Gabb felt bad about the first race living in cliffs, so he built a grand home for the wind court. It was a large and luscious garden that spanned 30 regions. Every plant, fruit, and tree resided there. In the center of this vast garden sat a huge marble structure, surrounded by ornate sculptures, where it was said the goddess Fleet herself came to and presided over her children. Whether she was banished to the Wakened Realm, she traveled there often, or merely her avatar sat at the throne is still in debate.
The Humans Take Notice
A garden of this magnitude did not go unnoticed by the human tribes who resided in the same fields where the first race’s sanctuary was placed. By this point the humans always shared stories with each other over seeing small winged people who lived on the eastern cliffs, but they stopped becoming stories when the wind court began intermingling with the human species.
The humans looked upon the sylphs as a higher species, and the sylphs took advantage of this by enslaving much of the human tribes in the area. The goddess Fleet, after seeing how her children were treating the humans, demanded them to set the humans free. Her pleading fell on deaf ears. The reason could be one of many. Perhaps Fleet and her children knew her threats were hallowed, perhaps it wasn’t her who wanted her children to stop their actions, but a god or goddess in higher station, or perhaps it was because the wind court knew that as the first race, the gods made them immortal, not knowing that death makes a species more humble.
The Goddess Falls
Whatever the reason was behind the first race refusing to listen to their patron goddess’ words, the gods banished the outspoken sylphs to the caves of the northeastern edge of the lands, below the Clouded Mountains (later to be named the Reason Mountains.) The banishment and shame put upon the sylphs transformed them all into hideous beasts.
One story believes that Fleet herself was transformed into the fabled Arses and she actively hunts down the thousands of other beasts in the Daas, perhaps to win back her favor with the other gods. Another story is that the other beasts protect the Arses because Fleet actually tried protecting them from the gods before the transformation. Yet another story says that the Arses are the combined souls of the 1000 banished sylphs. Nevertheless, the Daas has always been known by the Fachon and human alike as the “home of 1,000,001 beasts.”
The New Goddess of the Winds
Fleet’s daughter, Saych was given her mother’s mantle by the gods after her mother fell from their graces. The first thing she did was to take them from the Wakened Realm and brought them back to the Winded Realm. There, she formed a city for the wind court and named the city after her mother. She named the city Fleet, “The City of Winds.”
Back on the Wakened Realm, the garden city began to die as the axals began to roam the lands and at the height of the ages of axals, the wind court faded into myth. But their children still remained.
The Nijinn
The wind court did not disappear from the land completely. Many humans that were considered good breeding stock by the sylphs, gave birth to hybrid humans called Nijinn. They were short, child-like in stature; but had lean feline features, white body hair, and boldly colored eyes.
The nijinn took the leadership mantle after their sylph parents left. They were feared and revered by the others, but they were not by any means cruel or violent. In fact they were the exact opposite of their fore-bearers. Some of the more advantageous powers of the wind court carried into their children’s blood. The nijinn emitted incredible happiness and luck upon those that were near them thus making it desirable to be around the nijinn more often.
The servants of the nijinn were constantly being barraged and attacked by people who knew what their peaceful masters could give them. But happiness is found from within the self, and not handed out by others. Nijinn clerics explained that their powers are for those whose suffering was too great to grasp happiness again. Mothers who lost children, soldiers dying, or starving families. They provided inspiration, not addiction. For some, the desire to feel better was stronger than their moral intentions. Many nijinn were kidnapped and kept hidden by families or sold to other human tribes.
Over the generations when the people of present day Fleet called themselves the lingal thuar (white hair) people, the nijinn blood became more and more diluted where as during Annwn’s lifetime it became forgotten, except by only a few story keepers who actually knew the reason why a bulk of the humans had light colored hair. Through a tradition long forgotten as to where its source came from, the shortest and whitest haired people became the chiefs of the lingal thuar villages.
Fachon Wars
During the ages of the axals, gual lingal eial, northern tribes that resided on the foothills of the Clouded Mountains began being attacked by cycloptic giant beasts called the Fachon. The humans attempting to defend themselves from these beasts completely failed. Eventually the tribes all moved south in hopes to leave the Fachon’s violence and perhaps find support with their lazy southern neighbors, the hya lingal sal.
Rise of the First Grand Chief
Where the present day city of Fleet resides was the once territory of the beh lingal thuar people and it geographically sat between the provincial northern tribes and the hya lingal sal. Villagers from the north came to the beh and asked them for help fighting off the mountain beasts at the same time other villagers went to the southern tribes and asked them for help. The people of beh were not surprised, but were still angry at the southern tribes’ refusal to assist their northern neighbors. Nevertheless the beh gathered up a bulk of their people and traveled north with the northern tribes men to drive the fachon back into the mountains.
Battles of note are The Black Home Battle; The Battle of Soul Valley; and The Red Stones Battle.
Despite the beh’s help, the fachon were still just too strong. When the chief of the beh’s heard about the great loss the lingal thuar received, he immediately traveled to the southern lands and talked to the chiefs and convinced them to send people up to the northern lands. Since the southern lands have more people, the southern chiefs sent twice the amount up that the beh and the northern tribes had put together.
The fachon were over run in the Battle of the Southern Winds and immediately retreated into the mountains once more.
The northern and southern tribesmen set aside their prejudices and accepted the possibility that they could benefit from each other. It was decided that the present beh chief would be a grand chief. His job would not necessarily rule over the three lands, but provide a bridge of communication between the north and south.
One Land
As the blood of the wind court began to thin out, stories of the first race began to be exaggerated. Many axals never came into the lingal thuar lands, and the people believed it was because of their invisible protectors. Historians believe it was because the Reason Mountains were too much of an obstacle to travel over.
Saych Returns
During the last age of the Axals, before the War of the Heights, Saych came back to the chiefs of the Beh, Gual, and Hya. She told them all of the beginnings of a new age that would put the humans in command of the Wakened Realm. Saych desperately did not want the blood and wisdom of the Wind Court to die. Saych sent a small handful of the sylphs back to Fleet and mixed their blood with the families of the chiefs. The sylphs taught them their wisdoms and beliefs.
When the Crowned Family came to be, the people of Fleet discovered them on the other side of the Reason Mountains. They offered the give them their land, as per the Wind Courts request, in return for a certain level of freedom to their land and people and discretion on their manner of ruler ship.
The History of Column
The present province of Column before High King Suza renamed the province was always called Glaãn Naris (Human Naris). Long before the ages of axals the human tribes of Column were split into three major types of people: the bhej (tribes of the grass lands), illh (tribes of the eastern shore lines), and the yhed (tribes of the western shore lines). These three cultures had turbulent relationships at best and outright bloodshed at worst.
Rise of the Asrai
One day reshaped the history and culture of the land. It was when the asrai rose from the ocean. During the ages of the axals, the illh witnessed thousands of humanoid translucent creatures rise from the waves, covered in the illh’s hooks and nets and approach the shore. After they immediately built conical pillars in grid formations across a large expanse of land, they befriended the coastal people.
Among the conical pillars, the asrai built their city, Bellows Shore, and they lived there as if they still resided among the watered realm. They treated the illh as brothers and they built grand and beautiful structures compared only to the works of the axals of the time.
The Naris
As the illh and asrai lived among each other, they eventually interbred, giving birth to the naris. The naris had both human and asrai qualities but were a unique species on their own. They were at home in both the sea and land.
They were taller than the humans but still stood a head shorter than their asrai parents. Their skin could handle the sun and their hair was thin and black. They did not possess the asrai’s bioluminescence, but their pale skin changed in hue due to their moods and their eyes, like the watered folk, were obsidian black.
Beginning of the Fall
The illh, who always suspected they were superior to the bhej, now had confirmation of this with the asrai’s civilization building upon their own. The illh needed no more to trade with the bhej, they started to simply take from the bhej, what they desired.
When the bhej began to defend themselves from their vicious neighbors, the illh responded with utmost ferocity with their asrai weapons. As the years followed, the bhej fell more in the illh’s shadow until most of the bhej were enslaved and the illh lands extended far into the grasslands, now bordering on the yhed’s lands.
Cally’s Water Road
As Bellows Shore grew, so did its influence not only in their lands, but also the lands of Fleet across the waters. The Naris and the Nijinn combined their skills of their parents’ powers and created a safe route through the bay that could even be traveled by a small boat with out worry of storms or high waves.
Soon after Cally’s Water Road was formed, the asrai left the Wakened Realm and traveled back to their original home.
War Begins
The yhed were slowly preparing themselves for the eventual aggression of the illh. The yhed formed alliances with the displaced bhej and built grand forts in their capitol that stood on the present day city of Column.
When the illh’s arrogance brought them to the borders of the yhed’s lands, they were surprised to see a strong defense throwing back their attacks.
Uprising and Betrayal
As the illh focused all their forces on the lands of yhed, the enslaved bhej rose up against their tyrants and overtook the city of Belleôws Shore. Unknown by the illh, the naris assisted the bhej in their liberation and occupation of the illh’s capitol.
The yhed began to fall under the illh’s might until the liberated bhej and the naris came out from the east and delivered the yhed from certain death.
The Illh’s Destruction
All the illh were summarily executed or driven off into the north. The yhed people bowed to the will of the bhej who were led by the naris and a southern kingdom was made. Despite small battles with the northern descendants of the illh, the lands of Glaãn Naris lived in relative peace.
The Emissaries
Years upon years later, explorers sent from the Crowned Family came to the descendants of the naris in Belleôws Shore and offered their lands membership in their government. The kings outright refused and declared that they are their own sovereign country. Weeks later the kings of the Glaãn Naris mysteriously died, and left without leaders, the people opted to join the lands of the Crowned Family.