WIP: The Empire of Astár‘Nuvíc, or Three Races Empire, Input needed

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[Ta`lia of the Seven Jewels]

WIP! Comments always welcome!
Religion possible?
Generally ok?

No uri yet , just point out rough grammar errors please!

Comments on the content only please


This was not planned, I just wanted to look up some issues for Fox‘s Thalambath, then I came about an error in the history section and wanted to correct that. Then I read, that all three races were present in this empire and I invented the dwarves, then I wanted to do only a sketch to bring the information on the board. And then I thought Art doesn‘t like unfinished things lying around , and so I did a short description, omitting all what said optional...  And I tried to do it as short as possible.

Not all parts are covered yet and I don‘t want to go into too much detail yet (holidays etc). There are somehow some redundant parts: Trade, resources, I could write down always the same somehow.  But before I put more time in it, I thought I present what I have. For the history part I need to do some more investigations. Quite clear is the end as already mentioned in the overview.

Art, if you don‘t like the religion part, I just say, we don‘t know, what they believed, though it would be harder to tell, why they were as they were.
All stryrash expressions might be wrong


Input needed!!!

[Ta`lia of the Seven Jewels]

The Empire of Astár‘Nuvíc



Overview

The empire of Astár‘Nuvíc flowered for 3000 (???) years in the very South of the Sarvonian continent until it was 9022 b.S. thoroughly destroyed during the War of the Chosen - soon after the Battle of the Winds  9023 b.S. in Northern Sarvonia. An immense natural catastrophe happened: Earthquakes of until now in the South unknown scale drowned the coasts of the southernmost part of the Sarvonian continent and caused the Narfost Cliffs to appear; the volcano Norong‘Sorno rose where the great elven lake Asén‘Már had been before; the huge dwarven caverns under the Nirmenith mountains broke in. This great empire ended quite abruptly.

Nothing remained. Only few claim to be related to the citizens of this empire: the ruling inhabitants of the town of Thalambath state, that they are the descendants of the surviving humans living in that area before the cataclysm and the Nirmenith clan, a small dwarven tribe which lives near Varcopas and Bardovas, tracks its genealogical lines back to the great Kerrinkerronerons, the inhabitants of the ‚High Caves‘ under the Nirmenith Mountains. 

A preliminary note: Though the following compendium article seems to draw a clear picture from that old, lost culture, one has to keep in mind, that these descriptions are mostly based on narrations, on the rich lore of the  citizens of Thalambath and the Nirmenith dwarves, the myths of the pre-Shendar, ancient texts of Fá'áv'cál'âr found in Lyeil'soula, a fair number of very old artifacts and a few excavations in the Rahaz‘Dath, mainly the remains of the human settlement in the Yar‘Dangs. This may be the reason also, why this empire appears to us so full of extremes, so consummately, but at the same time so dishonorably, basically  incomprehensibly.



Names

This ancient empire was widely known under the name of ‚Astár‘Nuvíc‘ or simply ‚Astár‘, meaning „Three Races“, as the manuscripts from Lyeil'soula show.
However, as an old form of Styrash seemed to have been the  language of government and the scholars, the official name, trying to do justice to every race, has been:
The Empire of „Asén‘Már‘rethán‘Kái‘Kuórí‘silóas‘Kái‘Ypheroí.“
Roughly translated that means: The Sweet Waters near the High Caves under the High Sky. Nobody ever used that name though and even in less official papers the ‚Astár‘Nuvíc‘ was used.

All three parts of that name point of course aim at one of the three races. The dwarves‘ realm were caverns under the Nirmenith Mountains, with an extremely high roofing, hence the name ‚High Caves‘, or Kerrinkeroon, or in Styrash Kái‘Kuór. The elves lived  on artificial islands on the surface of the Great Lake which they called Asén‘Már, Sweet Waters, Nirmenith Lake by the humans and dwarves. The humans had settled all over the Southern tip of the continent, but their centre was south of the Sweet Water Lake, a giant metropolis named Merioch. Due to a weather which was mostly sunny and cloudless, they called their land ‚Under the High Sky‘, short, ‚High Sky‘, or in Styrash Kai‘Ypheró, which was abbreviated to Káipheró.

Káizoúmetrá
Kái‘zoúm‘etrá
Kái - high
Zoúm - home
Metra?? Etrá
Harferó   -- tower (short for "hárf'ypheró", lit. "(place where) the sky touches")
tower (lit. "big/home")
Únn'zoúm
house (especially those with a thatched roof)      noun (m.)      feárn
airy      adjective      avashén      avashén
air      noun (m.)      avásh
stony      adjective      galnosén
ethrán      ethrán      verb      extend; cross
"Kái‘zoúm ethrí ypheróthím".
Káizoumetrí
     

[Ta`lia of the Seven Jewels]

Location

The empire was located at the Southernmost tip of the Sarvonian continent. But as the earthquakes were the cause for an immersion of the coastal areas, the coastline of today does not represent the borders of the former empire. The centre has been in any case where the volcano Norong‘Sorno is reaching up in the sky today.
Though the realm of this empire reached up to the Sharadon, the northern Narfost Plain, which stretched then far in the South-East, was only scarcely inhabited, as was the ‚surface‘ of the impenetrable mountain stock to the North-West. The South till what we know today as Cape Strata was more densely populated, with another bigger centre there, a coastal town. Trade connections as  wars linked them to the North of Aeruillin, especially Shan‘Thai.
 Map in preparation


Description
„It must have been beautiful. A place where people who belief in an afterlife wish to go: Tall, snow covered mountains protecting a lush green landscape; forested hills, with tiny spots of white and blue; wide grassy plains, numerous beast roaming them, the windswept cape in the South and then, the jewel lying in the midst, a great  watersurface reflecting the rays of the Injera, with all colours of blues and greens, depending on the angle and the time of day one was looking at it.
But nature was just a background for what humans, dwarves and elves alike added to those natural wonders: Who has not heard of the marvelous elven homes, swimming on the great lake Nirmenith, never at the same place, a marvel within the wonder. To the South the centre of that world: Merioch, the high city with the Kaizoúmetrá, the tower which reached for the sky.  Merioch was mainly inhabited by humans, but it had been for centuries the seat of the Government also. In the North the entrance to the dwarven ‚High Caves‘, the Kerrinkeroon. Not only the height of the ceiling must have been impressive, the natural carvings as the dwarf-made ones, decorated richly with the most precious of metals and gems.“ Unknown Compendium Researcher 

The Nirmenith Mountains:

 A magnificent mountain stock with snow-covered peaks in the north-west, the huge Nirmeniths sheltered the lands in the East and South from the ravaging winterstorms. High and wild as the Tandalas, nobody ventured into their rocky heights where in places the snow didn‘t even melt in summer. However, where its foothills bordered land, there were deep  forests, cooled by the freezing water which sprang from the rocks. To the west the land fell steep into the sea, as today, and the mysterious cloud forest could be found already back then.
But those mountains were just a proud exterior of what one could find inside, deep in the heart of the mountainstock, in the high caverns of the Nirmenith Dwarves, in the Kerrinkeroon. Those who were permitted in told of wonders unseen in the outer world. The extremely high caves were illuminated with thousands of lamps as if they were tiny stars, showing all the marvels hanging from the ceiling, be they natural like stala .. and .. or dwarf-made columns. Precious metals could be seen in abundance, silver, gold, mithril and the lost one, ... , formed and shaped with a master‘s hand. Flight of stairs, hidden elevators powered by falling water and elegant wire-ropes connected the paths along the walls where the family homes or the workshops could be found. Underground rivers were used as means of transport also.
Carefully crafted long tunnels allowed the day- or even sunlight in to throw varying patterns on the walls. There is said, that in the great hall was a sun clock with an aveferlok of half a stral in length. Craftsmanship with metals was at its height, technical devises an everyday tool. All what had to do with toothed wheels and mechanics was a favourite pastime of many a dwarf and one of the most complicated toys were produced at that time. One very rare example is the silvery mechanical bird in the museum of XXX in New Santhala.

The Narfost Plain:

High grass as wide as the eye can see, on a slightly undulating ground, colours form a soft green in the early spring over a deep green to a golden hue in autumn, that was the Narfost Plain. This grassland was back then much more outspread than today, it covered the whole peninsula where now the Seven Jewels are found. Though the empire of the ‚Three Races‘ claimed that region, it was more or less inhabited, at least in the eyes of the great three races. Hunting parties visited it and a small tribes of strange, nomadic living people, whose names are lost in time. Only late the children of those of the Daran tribe who had fled to the South to evade the Glandorian suppression immigrated from the North.


The Deep Forest:
In the heart of the peninsula we call today the Ráhaz-Dáth, between the mountains and the Narfost Plain, grew a dense, dark forest out of evergreen trees which is said was so thick, that many did not return who ventured in it and those who came back told strange stories about time lost and gained, they asserted that the forest was much huger than it seemed from the outside. 


Asénmarín, the Sweet Water Lake.
To the south of Nirmenith Mountains a slightly hilly area surrounded a great, round lake with the bluest water imaginable. An old map found in Lyeil'soula shows an extension of ...strals; myths say, that even on clear days one could not see the other bank. There was the realm of the elves. We don‘t know, if they had another name, all we know is that they were called Marínrhim, the lake-elves. These elves lived exclusively on the water, on artificial islands of varying size. Special tree trunks, which were extremely light and swam well were the base of those islands, above which an entire community with houses, gardens, streets and places were built. Out of a  green rim of trees and bushes which framed every island tall round towers grew in the sky, one by one, getting slightly narrower at the top. Around each several small balconies were running, balustrades ornamented with climbers and chimes hanging in the wind.  Many towers were crowned with a onion shaped roof which glittered silvery in the Injera, covered against the rain with pure mithril, so is said.  The towers themselves were out of wood which was coloured in every light, pastel hue imaginable. There were hundreds of such islands, the smallest only some thirty peds across, the main island, where the ruler of these elves lived more than three strals long. These swimming towns and villages could be stirred in a certain direction, but most often it was left to chance, where to they drifted. However, thousands of boats, tiny ones out of the same wood as the base of the islands or bigger ones which could transport up to hundred people were crossing the blue of the lake daily.

   
Káipheró, the Land under the High Sky.
Land under the High Sky, that was the place of the humans. It was not only the rolling hills covered with deciduous trees around the Nirmenith or Sweet Water Lake, but also the regions more to the South, the golden cornfields were now the Shen‘Siu harvest the salt from the Maka‘Gadi Saltpans and farther south, the Yar‘Dangs with  [PETRA], the still today famous, but now abandoned  city, which was carved in the stone. Cape Strata was the highest elevation in the south, but where now the waves of the Burning Sea hit the coast, a great, white port town traded with the whole of Aeruillin. The only remnant might be the huge and ancient lighthouse on the beach near Strata, which had once stood on a hill, overlooking the sea and its town. No wonder people rumour, that it is the work of giants or titans.
Back to the centre. Boarding at the Southern bank of the Sweet Water Lake, but stretching far to the South, was the greatest concentration of humans on the Southern Sarvonian continent of that time. Merioch, a metropolis only to be compared with Fá'áv'cál'âr housed up to 500 000 people, if not more. Must have been the city itself already a sight - the endless rows of white washed houses -  the enourmous building in its middle dwarved all. There an attempt had been made, to construct a building as high as possible. We don‘t know anymore, what the motivation had been. Some say, they wanted to measure the height of the sky, other, they tried to reach the stars or even the darkwinds, again others it was build to honour Avá.. We don‘t know. All three races, so exclusively they lived normally, supported and assisted with the construction. The base was build by the dwarves, they applied materials and technics unknown by the humans. The humans build their part on top, a twelve angled tower which reached as far in the sky the material used by the humans - limestone mainly - allowed. On top of this tower the elves set their wooden spear; it had still 30 (70, 100??) peds in diameter. How high the tower was in total is lost, the Shendar lore says, that the top could not be seen from the ground.

[Ta`lia of the Seven Jewels]

Coat of Arms

Dwarves: Three caves (smaller, higher, smaller) under a snowcapped mountain, blue sky
Elves: Blue watersurface, green island with white slender towers, blue sky
Humans: Brown ground, yellow grain, green trees (one deer?) under a blue sky with the sun in the middle

Coat of arms for all - the huge tower on a blue background


People and Culture

Astár‘Nuvíc, the empire of the three races: This name would hint at a thorough mixture, cultural as what the even distribution over the whole empire concerns, but in fact all three races had tried to keep to themselves as much as possible without hindering the trade between each other and to the outside world. Only this way a peacefully alliance seemed to have been possible after long centuries of war.

Other races have surely lived there as well, hobbits, gnomes, brownies, but no records are left about their lives, so only the three main races are presented.

 

Culture Abstract


Self-image
At a first glance, one could assume, that there were three empires, an elven, a human and a dwarven who prospered because they had learned to live in peace with each other and had fostered trade and exchange and had this way come to prosperity, had the time and means to further their cultures to until then unknown heights. But, so unbelievable that may be for the ears of a modern person, an educated scholar, the above mentioned old sources admit only one conclusion: They had several things in common, the most important of them is the collective belief in Avá, the dreamer of the world. Every dwarf of today with roll his eyes in disbelief and many humans will ask „Avá who?“, but evidence is given, that all three races not only knew about the Avá of the elven myths, but worshipped her before the great disaster hit.

This is easier to understand, if one knows about some traits they shared. All three races seem to have been extremely well-looking, each race in its own way: The humans tall and well-muscled, with straight bodies and agreeable physique, dark in their appearance; the elves of similar height, but more slender, very graceful in their movements , fair of face and hair; the dwarves a picture of virility, upright standing, but grounded well.

The beauty of the body was matched by a bright mind and superior skill. The dwarves exceeded in all was was technical in a way, what had to do with using the fortunes of the earth, the minerals and metals. Mechanical devices far advanced for this time were constructed. There are several pieces of exhibition in New Santhala which no artist or craftsman of today is able to reproduce. The elves were the masters of the arts, be it music or painting or sculpturing. The heart-moving beautiful wall paintings in the caves of the Yar‘Dangs may be the last witness of their art, though bards claim, that some of those well known, old melodies, who go to the heart and  are in your ear for several days may well be a last echo of the lost culture. The humans, though not unskilled in the areas where the dwarves and elves were masters, were the builders, the organisers, the negotiators, the scientists and the mages. The elves used magic to perfect their art as well, is said, but the unchallenged masters of magic have been the humans. And possibly magic has led to the downfall of the empire. (See magic)

What is important to know, is, that not only a few members of the three races were like this, but the majority of the better educated population, or at least those who dominated the society.  These characteristics influenced not only their attitude towards less fortunate people, but their belief as well. (See religion)

(Proposals for a better description appreciated!)
They all were well aware of their beautiful appearances and their superior skills. Out of this awareness a consequential trait followed: their extreme pride and arrogance, their haughtiness towards all people who did not share their perfection, be it non-citizens, other tribes, the smaller races or those persons within their own society who happened to be born without the beautiful characteristics of their tribe or the brilliance of the mind. Each race felt a bit of contempt against the other race as well, thinking their own race as being the best. This may be the cause for the restricted mingling of the races. However, it never affected the trade and exchange of knowledge, nor the occasional working together if it was needed. True friendships were possible only within the own race, every other was always stamped by a certain amount of condescension.
As their religion is of such an importance for the understanding of their society, it shall be treated already now:


Religion (optional)

To the disbelief of early researchers it was proved to be true: Avá, the goddess of creation, the dreamer of the world we know from the elven myths was the only goddess which was worshipped by the three races before the cataclysm, humans and dwarves included.
However, there were a few  differences to the elven myth we know from the Cárpa‘Dosía.
All northern elves do not call the dreameress with the name Avá, but refer to her as „She“ or the „Forgotten“. The ‚three races‘ claimed, that the dreameress revealed to them , and only them, her name and that only through some evil mishaps the name was brought to know to the lower tribes in the north.

In Fá'áv'cál'âr elven children learned, that Avá has averted her eyes from her own Dream after she saw that the essence of her Dream was indeed evil and not as beautiful as she was , so that she cannot be experienced directly in the world but only through her representatives, the gods. In Astár‘Nuvíc this was different. They taught, that Avá may well have averted her eyes, but that she is still dreaming on and that what happens on Caelereth is what she dreams.
And as Avá dreams the world, she dreams the ‚three races‘ as well. Their beauty, their fortune, their wealth - their superiority.

Out of this assumption the theologians of the empire followed, that the three main tribes, one of each bigger race, were elected by Avá, were her favourite children under those who walked Caelereth and that therefore they were (nearly) equal to the gods the humans in the North venerated - which they consequently despised, for they would not see the gods as their brothers or sisters.

Santharian clerics of today wonder, what came first, their arrogance and then belief to be the chosen of Avá, or the belief and from that derived their hubris.

Their belief that Avá has not only dreamt the world, but dreams on continuously, has not had only influenced their attitude of superiority, but has had a great impact on their society.


A lot of research has been done and discussions how it could have happened, that humans and especially dwarves came to venerate Avà . One assumption is, that in the initial stages of the empire, the elves were very successful in conflicts with the humans. They grounded this in their belief, that they were elected by Avà and made no secret out of it. With the time the humans turned to this belief also, wanting to share the exclusiveness and success of the elves. And it worked. Much later, the dwarves abandoned their belief also in favour for Avà. But this seems to have been not a slow process like with the humans, but an act of a dwarven ruler who decided he wanted the advantages of being seen as equal. Myths of a great civil war can be found in the lore of the Nirmenith Clan.



Cultural consequences

As Ava dreams the world as it is,  there is no way to question the status quo. The major part of the citizens of the empire have no reason to object this, being healthy, well educated and more or less rich.  They feel blessed by Ava, who has dreamt them like this.

The belief is widespread, not many who have an acceptable income oppose that way of living, even the less fortunate who belong to the social lower levels like the common craftsmen, bakers, butchers, shoemakers, farmers and so on are content with their situation, accept their place in society. It is their fate.

But what is the destiny or the well-off citizens is the doom of unfortunate people like the poor, the ugly, the handicapped. As Ava has dreamed them like this, there is no need to help them in anyway, in contrary, it is the right of the good looking and fortunate to use them, despise them, chase them away. No ugly sight shall insult the eye of a well born citizen. They were no-persons, or for short, nopers.

Each race had found their own way of dealing with the unfortunate members of their society.
The humans chased them away, sold them as slaves to Aeruillin if possible, expelled them in the scarcely inhabited north. Malformed children were abandoned, or brought to temporary orphanages, whose inhabitants were carried every spring to the Northern grassland and left to survive on their own.

The elves used these people as slaves for to sustain the running of their towns, to do the dirty and hard work, the cleaning of the sewers, the maintaining of the underground and similar tasks. To not be forced to look at those people, the slaves had to wear a special garment which hid their entire body and head and which signaled their state, so that any one passing could look away. Artistic face masks were used to cover an unevenness in the facial line or a crooked nose. At the height of that custom, servants had to wear such a mask as well if their master did not like their look, though they might have had a quite agreeable appearance.

The dwarves sent all who were able to do hard work in their mines, the others had to support those miners, with accommodation, acquiring and preparing food. Whole areas were designated for those people, areas where no common dwarf would ever set a foot in. As those communities were dependent on the food they got from outside and even there the belief in their fate was dominant, no major breakouts were recorded in the last centuries before the cataclysm.

The fate of the poor and ugly shared the criminals. However, not everybody was treated equally for the same crime, there was a great difference between the rich and the less well off citizens. If a rich and good looking person murdered somebody of low social status, not much would happen. A fine dependent on the social rank would go to the relatives. A farmer killing another farmer would have been degraded to a noper. However, what resulted in the death penalty for most citizens was the scarring of somebody‘s face or disabling a healthy, beautiful body. If this would have happened, even only accidentally, to a high born citizen, he might only be defaced himself and then expelled from the society. But that was a death sentences as well. Hard sentences were rarely questioned, because any criminal act was seen as violating and interfering with Ava‘s dream and therefore not tolerable.

Though this seemed to be a quite rigid society, working up the ranks was possible. It might be a lucky journey of a merchant or a flowering business of any kind. Then it was the fate of this person to climb the ranks, Ava had dreamed this as well. However, those person were always eyed suspiciously, it was feared his fate could turn again. Only the grandchildren were finally accepted truly.

Nobody ever admitted though, that a downfall could be fate, that was always seen as disturbance of the world, as a kind of attack on the dream  and those who seemed to be responsible for such a downfall were punished heavily. This belief allowed many to sleep well, this way there was no need to fear that Ava would dream a bad life for them.

[Ta`lia of the Seven Jewels]

Races Overview


The Humans


A) Appearance & Characteristics
   
Tall, about two peds, the humans were the most prominent race in appearance.The females tended to have a smaller frame and were lighter in weight, but there has been not much difference in height. Their bodies were generally slender, but well muscled, their skin of a rich dark brown, ranging from lighter hues like ephran brown to a nearly nor‘sidian black. Eyes and haircolour most often matched the hue of the skin. It was seen as more beautiful to have a lighter brown skin tone and matching colour of hair and eyes then a lighter skin colour and deep black hair or vice versa. An all black appearance was regarded as the ultimate beautiful look and helped to climb social ranks. Their faces were oval shaped, high foreheads and well formed out skulls were the perfect start for elaborate hairstyles (*sigh* help).   With expressive eyes, high cheekbones and long, slender noses over small, but finely shaped mouths they might well have looked like some less fortunate people today imagine how a god might look like.
Humans were outgoing, reaching out to each other (within their social rank), dominating every gathering of the three races. Some would say, they were loud and noisy compared with the elves an dwarves, but it is said also, that they had beautiful full voices which carried wide and had a musical touch even while only talking. They were possibly the most curious of the three races also. While elves and dwarves were content with their situation and the space they occupied, the humans build ships to explore the oceans and to trade with foreign lands, mainly to use those riches for their own purposes of course. They tried to push forward in every aspect, to build more great manors or higher towers, to advance the sciences, the magic, to get, in the end, a even better life as they had already. Manifesto (?) of that internal need to attempt always more was the great tower, the Káizoumetra or "Kái‘zoúm ethrí ypheróthím". (????) It has been so famous, that till today its name stands for the empire itself.


B) Pursuits  & Occupations

The main goal of their life was to live well in as much beauty as possible. To improve the living even if it seemed already perfect. So much money was spend on explorations of foreign countries, which promised new experiences of food or strange animals which were carried back to the empire. However, these voyages were mostly not  attended by the upper class, if not extremely comfort was guarantied, but by those who kept the empire going, the merchants and high-skilled craftsmen.  In the belly of the ships however again the not-so perfect were found, partly held like slaves, and an overly strong body could well meet the ‚not-perfect‘ requirement, which came in handy for those who needed sailors and rowers.  As most of the population lived relatively well through the prosperity of the homelands themselves, the raiding of other  shores and the common belief in fate,  the system was not questioned.


The Elves


A) Appearance & Characteristics

Not much is known about the elves. There are nearly no artifacts apart from some elaborate face masks and toys, so all information has to be gathered from lore and myth. And those narrate about a people of incredible fair appearance. As beauty was defined by the grade of blackness in the human race, it was here the pale hue which was cherished most, though very light bronze tones seemed to have been accepted as well. Eyes without colour, only reflecting the blue or green of the water or sky, the golden hues of the hairs often compared to the sun or lighter shades to the silvery moon  matched so evenly formed faces, that humans or dwarves often had difficulties to tell one elf from the other. Fragile seeming frames, very slender limbs and and a graceful way of moving set them always apart from the in comparison sturdy  looking humans and dwarves. Nobody really can tell, how tall they were. Their appearance set them very much apart, so that the humans always had the feeling of distance, of  a closeness to their goddess they would never achieve, though they would never have admitted this. The elves kept themselves separate as much as possible and there seems to have been no great fighting over areas outside the great lake. But they did not allow humans on the lake either, not even fisher at the banks of it.


B) Pursuits  & Occupations

As their society grounded on a kind of slavery, where the unlucky, the not perfectly looking drew their only right of existence out of the serving of those who were perfect, it is not astonishing, that the elves are said to have spend their time only with art, with painting, drawing, sculpting, performing and creating music all day. Here the goal of life was not the looking or achieving the beautiful, but the emerging in it. Glamourous theaters were opened at night and sometimes even performed in human or dwarven places. Those who were at the border of being an accepted member of that upper society must have done the organizing, the welfare of the upper class depended solely on the work of their ‚misfortunates‘, as they were called. At the end of the era, the habit of having their servants wearing face masks became very popular throughout all races, especially within the territory of the humans. Those masks were produced by the elves and the prosperity, and with it going the power and influence  of somebody could be told by the elaborateness and artisticness of the facemasks the servants had to wear.


The Dwarves


A) Appearance & Characteristics

Smaller, sturdy of appearance, perhaps up to one and a half ped tall the dwarves compensated any lack of beauty with a strong presence everyone experienced. When a dwarf entered a room with members of the other races, it seemed suddenly full. Though they must have been a good looking people as well, if we can trust the descriptions, it was not so important. For even those who prized a good look so much as the high society of the humans, did never talk about a good looking beard or well formed nose. Only the facial hair of woman is mentioned, for it seems it was not as bountiful as that of men. Sometimes a person is described to have had a bright red haircolour, but otherwise nothing extravagant is passed down.


B) Pursuits  & Occupations

Beauty had nevertheless a high ranking the dwarven culture as well. Here the focus was not so much on the person or body itself, but on what was produced or created. Dwarves took a liking to invent incredible complicated and beautiful gadgets, but not only this, the daily things which everyone uses, like spoons, scissors, or other tools. Even things of bigger sizes, the elevators, the bridges, the lamps were made very artistically, decorated if it suited the style, left blank, if the grace of a metal spring was only seen in its unadorned design. Without the beautiful jewelry, the mechanical toys, the tools of daily use, no human or elven household would have had achieved that feeling of measureless cornucopia.




State Organization
     
Each of the three races governed themselves, more or less,  independently. However, in affairs which affected every race and the living together, especially the trade, high ranked representatives, one of each race, with their staff, met on a regular base. This group of three wielded the same power as each of the individual sovereigns of the races and could override in times of emergency (war or anything what could endanger the wealth) each sovereign. (Weisungsgewalt?). Though the humans outnumbered the elves and dwarves by far, their representative had not more power than the other two. These three had their own forces who could act quickly and were able to enforce their will. With the time they got he title „The Three“, which carried more weight than those of the sovereigns of the three single races.

Humans
Elves
Dwarves




 


Climate
Moderate to hot, but enough water available


Economy
      What is the major source of income? What is the economy based on? What type is it - e.g. feudal, entrepreneurial (free market), state-controlled? This abstract should be followed by the following sections:
Humans: Trade, grains/food in the plains, fish from the sea, exotic wares from voyages
Elves: Art, Facemasks Fish from the lake
Dwarves: Selling of Minerals, tools, mechanical devices, metal work

Resources
            This section should contain some details about minerals and raw materials, fauna and flora. Make a different section for each of the above. Try to be as concise and close to a bullet style (though of course with proper sentences) as possible. This should be an informative section, one which other developers can a quick glance to see what resources the kingdom has.
Dwarves: Minerals, tools, knowledge how to build mechanical things. Herbs, some special food.
Elves: Fish, artistic items, made out of wood of fishbones, paintings..

Humans: Trade wares from ‚all over the world‘ , grain, game, a few minerals, knowledge how to build well.

[Ta`lia of the Seven Jewels]

Space for Magic

[Ta`lia of the Seven Jewels]

Space for the Rest

[Ta`lia of the Seven Jewels]

History Era of First Migration
(ca. 15.000-14.000 b.S.)

Most of the contemporan researchers of old history and myth assume today, that the first who migrated to that area havebeen  elves, who decided not to go north like many other elven tribes or their anchestors to later form the great kingdom of Fá'áv'cál'âr. Not long after, dark coloured humans followed. Many migrated on to Aeruillin and some claim, that the dark skinned part of the tribe of the Djíe‘aah-Kirrúu might be descendants of the same group who left the cradle of all sentient life to migrate south. When the dwarves arrived to settle under the Nirmenith Mountians is not known. 



Era of the Anvil
(ca. 14.000-13.000 b.S.

History Table

About the Era of the Anvil

he Era of the Anvil was the first start of true civilization and of prosperity increased throughout Caelereth, especially for Fá'áv'cál'âr. The latter, a gigantic metropolis the size of a whole kingdom, included all the main races under elven guidance and represented the first peak of ancient culture. Fá'áv'cál'âr had a lasting influence on many other cultural developments and should become paradigm of progress and understanding for many a year.

The Era of the Anvil was also the time when the races discovered the use of the anvil and the mixture of metals to make stronger alloys, which resulted in better tools and enhanced devices for complex constructions, forming the basis of an advanced society. At the same time magic began to play a bigger role in daily life as well as on a greater scale, partly complementing the effort made in other fields like weaponry. Fá'áv'cál'âr was a splendid example of interracial cooperation in all aspects of life, and was metropolis well embedded in its magnificent natural surrounding. The Era of the Anvil was also time of the exchange of knowledge between the races. Each race was willing to impart some knowledge that they had more of to others to increase their own knowledge. For example smithery was taught to others from the dwarves, architecture from the humans and magic from the elves.

A first metropolis also developed in the very south of today's Sarvonian continent, where now the Yar'dangs are located. This ancient realm was called Kaizoumetrá ("high caves"), a mixture of elves, dwarves and humans.


A first metropolis also developed in the very of today's Sarvonian continent, with its centre where now the volcano Norong‘Sorno dominates the landscape. This ancient realm was called empire of Astár‘Nuvíc.  Other than in Fá'áv'cál'âr, the elves were not the predominant race under which guidance the other florished. Elves, dwarves and humans associated with each other on an equal basis, though each race thought of itself as the highest developed.

ca. 14000 b.S.
to 13000 b.S. Rise of the Elven Empire around the Nirmenith Lake

ca. 13800 b.S Humans settle near the Lake and farther in the South

ca. 13700 b.S A settlement is founded in the Yar‘Dangs

ca. 13500 b.S Where now Strata is situated, the town XXXY rises,  a centre of commerce and trade is established and flowers.

ca. 13300 b.S Renegats of the Human Kingdom found Shan‘Thai.






Era of Harmony
(ca. 13.000-11.900 b.S.)

History Table

About the Era of Harmony

At the same time when Fá'áv'cál'âr was blossoming, first major cultural centers developed from smaller settlements in southern Sarvonia as well, mainly in territories which were rich in minerals of the soil and were favoured by the climate. From the cultures of these areas eventually distinct tribes developed in the course of time with varying orientations, traditions and beliefs. The first cultural centers aside from Fá'áv'cál'âr and the elven part of the later empire of Astár‘Nuvíc were located in southern Sarvonia and was named Vardýnn, at the area where Voldar can be found today (the Santharian province now bears the name of the former metropolis), also the metropolis of Sophronia was erected further south. In Aeruillin another large city-state was founded, the still existing town of Shan'Thai, and in Nybelmar at least two more larger cities became focal points of societies. Not all of them would surive the coming cataclysm, though.

During the establishment of the first permanent larger settlements, some members of developing tribes already progressed further into unknown territory. It must have been already at this time that the Kanapan Lands were reached for the very first time by human explorers and settled to a certain, though minimal, extent, furthermore some elves probably also made today's peninsula of Iol their home, one of the uttermost places of the current Sarvonian continent.

ca. 12900 b.S.

ca. 12700 b.S.

ca. 12500 b.S.

ca. 12300 b.S.

ca. 12000 b.S. Trade connections to Fá'áv'cál'âr are cut, when Avásh'aelía climbs the throne.


ca. 12030 b.S. Exiled Elves in Northern Sarvonia
Many elven tribes think to have their tribal roots in the ruined elven empire. They believe that when the empire fell they were driven away from their homelands by the fearsome Avásh'aelía, the Bone Queen, because they would not follow her. They flee the watermarshes and wander as exiles in Northern Sarvonia.
The Reign of the Bone Queen
Little is known about this bloodthirsty elf, originally named Avásh'aelía, only that she rises to power during the last days of Fá'áv'cál'âr and is paramount in driving the races away from the ruined empire.


Era of Sundering
(ca. 11.900-10.000 b.S.)

About the Era of Sundering

While it is uncertain whether the dispersing of the races and the subsequent genealogy of the tribes was caused by a catastrophe of cosmological importance (as elven myth claims), the fall of the once mighty city-realm of Fá'áv'cál'âr is an undeniable fact with severe consequences vibrating through all of Caelereth. Internal struggles and the uprising of the other races against elven guidance ended in death and destruction and new waves of migrations.

Some developments can be retraced effectively: For example it seems to be the sure that a few human tribes pushed further north, like the Dinali, who entered the northwest of Northern Sarvonia, the Themedons on the other hand, followed pretty much the path of the ice elves to the northeast. Another group of humans, with their leader Minar, moved in southwestern direction and finally settled in the fork of the Liben delta, forming the basis of what should later become known as the famous Mynian Kingdom.

The Era of Sundering caused the once strongly united elves to split as well, so that each tribe withdrew to forests they claimed for their own. Thus the Injerín moved further south again, as did the Eophyrhim, the corrupted elves, and some elves left for the east by ship - these would become the Cyhallrhim, and some are supposed to come as far as the mysterious continent of isles, Yamalquain.

At the same time reports confirm that the seafaring human Glandorian tribe made new expeditions, venturing in today's Cyhalloi, the northernmost continent, which we believe was located much further south and didn't feature today's frosty climate. The same Glandorians by ship should also return - unintentionally perhaps - to Sarvonia, becoming the "Arrived Ones", the Avennorians, pushing the Darians, the ancestors of the Shendar, to the south, migrating into the empire of the Three Races.

*****************************************************
ca. 11900 b.S.
to 11??0 b.S.

ca. 11??0 b.S.
to 11??0 b.S.

ca. 11??0 b.S.
to 11??0 b.S.

ca. 11300 b.S.
to 11110 b.S. Shendar settle at the Narfost Plain
It is not known when the Shendar come first to the Narfost Plain. As long as they can think back they visit it during the spring when the young aj‘nuvics are ready for bonding and looking for a mate. Meh'met is a very old small Shendar settlement as well, its founding date is unclear, but it is surely older than Thaehavos, the later Bardavos.
--> MORE



Era of Sorcery
(ca. 10.000-9.500 b.S.)

The Era of Sorcery was a time when human, dwarven and even orcs developed magic at an alarming and dangerous rate, trying to protect themselves against attacks in a time where greed and the conquering of territories became priority. The elves were also drawn into this power struggle. It became a time of chaos as archmages and warlords fought over land and the control of magic, each trying to become the ruler of the known world. These conflicts finally culminated in what is now known as the War of the Chosen, which would change the shape of the lands as well as the destiny of the races dramatically.

During this era Avennorian sailors explored southern waters and landed in Shan'Thai, establishing a first (for the enslaved inhabitants not so fortunate) link between a tribe of central southern Sarvonia and Aeruillin. With the War of the Chosen all the links between Sarvonia and Aeruillin would be sewered again however.

----> Some connections to the Southern Port necessary as well. Maybe they helped raiding Shan‘Thai as this town is renegate to the empire.

******************************************************************************


ca. 10000 b.S.
to 9800 b.S. Further Avennorian Expansion and the Discovery of Aeruillin
The Avennorians, with their main base still in Ciosa, explore, settle and found two more settlements; Klinsor, near the southern border of the Tolonian Heath, and Chrondra northwest of Marcogg near the Mithril Mountains, becoming a river settlement off of one of the tributaries of the Mashdai River.

The Avennorians also discover a new continent (Aeruillin) with one of their exploration ships they send far to the south. Dark skinned people from these lands are captured and are sold to the wealthy as slaves.

The Avenorians expand their trading to Aeruillin and raid Shan‘Thai with the help of...

ca. 10XX0 b.S.
to YY00 b.S

ca. 10XX0 b.S.
to YY00 b.S

ca. 10XX0 b.S.
to YY00 b.S




Era of Cataclysm
(ca. 9.500-8.500 b.S.)

About the Era of Cataclysm


The Era of Cataclysm comprises the time of the War of the Chosen (9.500 b.S. - 9.000 b.S.) and its aftermath when the severely damaged civilizations tried to survive in the ruins of their former affluence. This most devastating, century-lasting war ever since was a time when human warlords used immense magical powers and vast armies to gain dominion over the lands. It was a time when death ran rampant throughout the known world. Ancient lore has it that the Gods themselves used the sorcerers against each other as mere pawns in their eternal fight for superiority - and the woes the terrible battles caused during the War of the Chosen surely make it appear as if divine intervention took place.

Be it as it is, many legends tell about the great wars the human sorcerers led against each other thousands of years ago. At this early time of the world of Caelereth the few people gifted with natural magical abilities (called "the Chosen") were also souvereigns of great parts of the world and many were warlords too. Most of these sorcerers shamelessly misused their powers, gathering evil creatures and masses of orcs around them and enslaved their human subjects. Several tyrannies dominated the lands of the Sarvonian continent at this time, although there were also some magicians who tried to use their magic for the sake of their people and their rule was intent on creating a thriving society. However, this endeavor was to fail.

The outbreak of the so-called War of the Chosen was only a matter of time: Black and white mages accumulated huge armies and began ferocious battles against each other to gain predomination of the known world. Terrible creatures were magically bred for war, among them centaurs, griffons as well as hell hounds and the horrible mystrans, beings of the shadows. Although there exist several reports of magical battles it is unknown how the War of the Chosen indeed ended. In fact, it seems likely that none of these powerful sorcerers survived the final battle. A very probable theory, according to latest researches; finally victorious, the most powerful magician, Ma'asherom the Red, found his death at the Colthoi temple in the metropolis of El'darthar (at the location of today's Dragon's Maw at the center of the Tandala Highlands) during a revolution against his reign.

The havoc caused by the potent magic of mad spellcasters during the Era of Cataclysm literally tore Caelereth to pieces - and mended it at places nobody ever dreamed of: whole landmasses were moved, causing enormous land bridges to stretch over oceans, mountain ranges were pulled from the earth, isles sank to the bottoms of the dark seas, earthquakes put whole cities to ruin, volcanoes erupted, spitting death and destruction everywhere. During this time what now is termed the Sarvonian mainland was sewered from today's continents of Aeruillin and Nybelmar. Between Southern and Northern Sarvonia the mighty Tandala Highlands came into being when two landmasses were pushed against each other, constituting what we now know as the continent of Sarvonia.

During the Era of Cataclysm also the once proud southern empire of Astár‘Nuvíc fell prey to the volcanic eruption of the Norong'Sorno and was extinguished altogether, never to be rebuilt. (--> Thalambath???)

****************************************

ca. 9500 b.S.
to 9000 b.S.  The War of the Chosen

[Ta`lia of the Seven Jewels]

History started!


Artimidor, is it ok to alter the Avennorian history slightly? If there was a great empire during their arrival and later, that has to have an effect.

What I would need now mainly is, that they did not 'discover' Aeruillin, but only established trade connections, which where not there before. They discovered it for themselves, but it was already known.

I will ask Artemis, if I can make Shan'Thai to a town of refugees from the empire, who did not go conform with the idea, that entirely black is more beautiful than a lighter shade (so they would be of a lighter shade, but still darker brown). They were all these people who did not want to live in the empire. The empire would then have helped the Avennorains to take slaves.

That later Shan'Thai became a slave town also might have been the influence of those who fled the catastrophe or have other reasons, maybe lying in the catastrophe itself,which surely affected Shan'Thai itself as well.

Have to read what we have from Artemis here on the board - and tell her to finish it .

[Azhira Styralias]

Can I comment?

Overview

The empire of Astár‘Nuvíc flowered for 3000 (???) years in the very South of the Sarvonian continent until it was 9022 b.S. thoroughly destroyed during the War of the Chosen - soon after the Battle of the Winds  9023 b.S. in Northern Sarvonia. (I don't understand how a battle in Northern Sarvonia had an impact on an empire so far in Southern Sarvonia?) An immense natural catastrophe happened: Earthquakes of until now in the South unknown scale drowned the coasts of the southernmost part of the Sarvonian continent and caused the Narfost Cliffs to appear; the volcano Norong‘Sorno rose where the great elven lake Asén‘Már had been before; the huge dwarven caverns under the Nirmenith mountains broke in. This great empire ended quite abruptly. (Are these major geological changes proven to have happened? Or conjecture based on evidence and ancient records? Maybe landscape artwork showing a different land at that time was discovered?)

Nothing remained. Today, Only few claim to be related to the citizens of this empire: (period) the ruling inhabitants of the town of Thalambath state, that they are the descendants of the surviving humans living in that area before the cataclysm(period) and the Nirmenith clan, a small dwarven tribe which lives near Varcopas and Bardovas(period), These dwarves claim to be able to tracks its genealogical lines back to the great Kerrinkerronerons, the inhabitants of the ‚High Caves‘ under the Nirmenith Mountains. (A very long sentence here...maybe some periods.)

A preliminary note: Though the following compendium article seems to draw a clear picture from that old, lost culture, one has to keep in mind, that these descriptions are mostly based on narrations, on the rich lore of the  citizens of Thalambath and the Nirmenith dwarves, the myths of the pre-Shendar, ancient texts of Fá'áv'cál'âr found in Lyeil'soula, a fair number of very old artifacts and a few excavations in the Rahaz‘Dath, mainly the remains of the human settlement in the Yar‘Dangs. This may be the reason also, why this empire appears to us so full of extremes, so consummately, but at the same time so dishonorably, basically  incomprehensibly.

The overview does not give much detail as to what kind of empire this was. Only that one existed and was destroyed. Maybe mention some details as to the inhabitants? Such as the empire was composed of three main races etc...

More to come!

[Ta`lia of the Seven Jewels]

Thanks Azhira!

To answer your questions:

The War of the Chosen was not only an event in Northern Sarvonia, but affected the whole world. (see entry of Thalambath or the history abstracts in the continent sections)

History might not be entirely correct - now that I started with the more elaborate part at the end, I found some inconsistencies in my submission. I got the durance of Fa‘av‘ca‘lar wrong also.

That landscape changes were directly experienced by the people, Shendar, southern Santharians in general. We have so many good records about that time (Glandorian arrivals..) , that is nothing problematic.

I add some more details about the people there - assumed somehow you knew it also already

I will change it when I have some ore comments, better get more of the history done before I encounter more inconsitencies!

[Artimidor Federkiel]

From the first glance some parts seems to still be a bit sketchy or hastily written, so maybe it's better to let you refine this a bit better here and there, and get to detailed checks later. As Azhira said the overview also needs some more precision, cause when a reader tries to get the essence of an entry, it should be there, and obviously it takes shape as you go along with writing, so also the Overview would need to be updated accordingly then.

Anyway, on the Avennorians: Well, I haven't read the whole thing of course and don't have the whole history in my head. But first of all you'd need to consider when Aeruillin split from the mainland and who ended up there etc. Letting the Avennorians aka the Glandorians simply make trading connections doesn't fit so perfectly however with their initial intent of exploration and conquest, which was obviously a Glandorian intention. Especially as it is stated that the Avennorians captured people there and sold them as slaves, already back in 10.000, so that doesn't sound that much as if this was mostly trade. Sounds to me more like conquerors. So I don't know how you plan to explain that away so easily.

As for the religion: Needs some time to get used to the concept, and I don't know if the idea is ok with Judy concerning the dwarves, but personally I don't mind having it that way, though there are some edges with the concept. Especially because Avá as such is very prevalent here, despite you say that she wasn't referred to as "Avá", yet the concept continues with the direct identification. So maybe it would be better to eliminate the name "Avá" and just remind the readers of the similarities, and maybe get a few more things in that separate this religion even more from Avanian belief, so that it is even more independent.

[Ta`lia of the Seven Jewels]

Thanks for the input, Art!

Of course it is partly sketchy, though I never write anything hastily It is a WIP and has no exclamationmark. I said, that I did not ask for an uri, but input on the content. Maybe I need to make this clearer. Before I will spend more time on it, I wanted to know, if the religion in principle is ok.

I didn't want it too different to the northern belief though, the point should be, that they think they have the right interpretation of Avá. That part which says, that the northern elves do not use the name is from the site. Let's see with what I will come up.

To the Avennorians: I see you have not read the history part, though I marked the important things in red. The Glandorians surely would not have been able to conquer such an empire on its height, but if they were granted trade connections, they could have been glad.

The Avenorians captured slaves from Shan'thai and Aeruillin, not from a town which we not even had invented when we talked about Avennorian history. I  proposed a negative relation of that town with Shan'Thai, so that the Avennorians can raid Shan'Thai. Have to check with Artemis though.

The history entry says, that Aeruillin broke away during/after the War of the Chosen. Therefore I put that catastrophe in that time, at the end of the War of the Chosen, so that the big tower is destroyed and maybe, if Fox agrees, its basis structure remains,  miraculously survived, and could be the castle of Thalambath, which the myth says was there over night.

Well, I know what I wanted to know, thanks for the time to go over it.

I will contact Judy concerning the dwarves.

[Ta`lia of the Seven Jewels]

I just reread your comment and I think you misunderstood something concerning the religion.:

Especially because Avá as such is very prevalent here, despite you say that she wasn't referred to as "Avá", yet the concept continues with the direct identification.

She was not  referred to as "Avá" in the north, not in the south.  Astar'Nuvic claims they have a much closer connection towards Avá. Why would I write, that they say, the name was revealed to them mainly ? And only accidentally leaked out to the north?

I took this from the main entry Introduction to cosmology

One of the reasons for the ignorance of the "lower" races is the fact that Avá averted her eyes from her own Dream after she saw that the essence of her Dream was indeed evil and not as beautiful as she was (see Coór  below), so that Avá cannot be experienced directly in the world but only through her representatives, the gods. The wisdom about Avá still exists in the elves, who concentrate on worshipping nature (and its essence, which represents Avá) and not on gods. But even the elves don't name the Mother of All by the term "Avá" (it is supposed that only the unknown writers of the "Cárpa'dosía" invented this "name" to express the myth), but refer to her as "She".

I hoped I would know now, if I can go on with thinking in this direction. For the whole society is based on it.

*shrugs*

[Fox]

Talia, have you changed this much since the draft you PMed me? Or is it still mostly the same that I already sent you comments on before?

As far as part of the big tower remaining and becoming the castle of Thalambath, I am not sure. I don't think the Black Castle is big enough to have once been a tower that tall--it would need a pretty large base. I will think on it.

Also I will get to your comments on the other entry later, I have been a bit busy.

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