Hey, a new myth!  

Otherwise  
The numbers of all cities have to be revised - but when and how?
Are you colourblind? Fuchsia.... *shakes head and looks questioning at Altario* You are teasing!

Edit after another hour in bed: Sorry for altering your myth Altario, but I could not resist! Take what you like from you proposals!



As you have mainly clerics of Foiros in your city, this might be ok, otherwise they would be not my first choice for that problem, more clerics of Grothar. (Or the one cleric of Grothar had asked the clerics of foiros to help him, but that's not needed here to be explained). Maybe..*think* you could add: ..as the most influential group of clerics.. or something like this?



Do we have 'zombies'?, The word? Might it not be better to describe them here?
....those who had died beneath the lake began to rise again, changed terribly, with pale, tumid skin, their former bright clothes hanging in worn, bleached rags from their unshaped limps.

That's too unimaginative, Alt, what about..
The miserable dead came up onto land each night , dripping wet and smelling, and haunted their relatives, trying to get back into their houses and beds, ignoring their former beloved though, killing thouse who tried to get into their way. Nobody managed to chase them away, the guards were helpless. Trying to slash them did not work, they just moved on, not recognising, that an arm or foot was missing.
What do you think?  


 

I'm a bit out of action... but I think our gods would not care this much to be angry. At least it would not be the belief of the priests, the normal people might do it though. Why should they be angry?

Need to go, more later

Ok, here we go....

The citizens of Salsair wondered, why such a disaster had smitten their town, first the floods and part of the city sunken into the water, then the dead coming out of the water. What was amiss? Soon they realised, that there was a magnificent temple for Foiros, the god of fire, but only small places where Baveras, the goddess of water  and Grothar , the weathergod were worshipped.   Should they have been angry and therefore sent those plagues? Money was collected - everybody gave freely, soon the foundation of a temple for Baveras and Grothar were laid and in short time a two story building was raised close by the water - the base level, dedicated to Baveras was susceptible(??) to flooding, the upper dedicated to Grothar open to the winds, a building concept which was copied many times after and widely known as a Salsair  temple.

The risen undead though, what about them? Needed Queprur appeaasing also?



As soon as the new temple was finished, the Duke and Duchess, with a retinue of a hundred guards went to the shores of the sunken city, where the new temple was errected.   He began to pray to Baveras and Grothar, to Seyella and Eyasha and most of the Twelve , naming them and begging their forgiveness and asking that the curse be lifted from his city.

(Actually, I think it would be better to skip all other gods except Baveras, Grothar - and Queprur)

Against the plaintive cries of his wife, and the earnest advice of his guards, the Duke waded out into the water until it was up around his waist, raised his arms and began to pray to Queprur, calling out for her to end the invasion of the dead and bind them to her realm.
 He then offered himself as a sacrifice to them in order to seal the bargain.

Almost at once, dozens of the dreaded zombiis  drowned undead rose from the depths and grabbed the Duke, who stoically allowed himself to be dragged beneath the waves.  The Duchess screamed in her grief, surrounded by the guards, but no zombii one of these abominations who had been their  relatives came to the shore and all disappeared beneath the water.

Instead, suddenly the sound of laughter could be heard.  As everyone stopped and listened the laughing grew louder as did the sounds of splashing.  Looking out over the water, the Duchess was able to discern the shapes of rivermaids frolicking merrily.  One rivermaid in particular caught her eye, and it swam nearer the shore.  This rivermaid had all the features of her dear departed daughter who had drowned when the city sank.  The Rivermaid locked eyes with the Duchess for the briefest of moments, appeared to raise a hand in greeting, then dove beneath, its tail slapping the surface with a splash.

The Duchess and the clerics knew then that the gods had been appeased and once more granted life to those who had died in the disaster, allowing them to live as Rivermaids in the waters of the Aelunn river.

Nice story, need that to link to the rivermaid entry!

I dearly hope you are not too distressed...   

Due to spellchecking reasons I add this here


The Language (Optional)

The Darian spoke the common tongue of the humans of Southern Sarvonia, though with the historical distance it is difficult to pin the differences to their neighbours down. The Glandorians had a different language (??) and so their reports are of no use regarding the spoken language of the Darian. There are only a few scrolls or fragments preserved, which date back to the pre-Glandorian time. Researchers are quite sure though, that they had a soft spoken language as they did not know hard consonants,  a ,k‘ was  a ,g‘, a ,t‘ was ,d‘, ,s‘ was never doubled, sibilants unknown, e.g.  John was pronounced like Ion. Nor liked they an agglomeration of consonants like ,rt‘ or ,kr‘, one of the consonants was most often entirely omitted or at least conflated somehow. Vowels were often lengthened, so river became riever or rihver.

Everybody had just one name, but to distinguish the single person from those with the same name, the name of the village was often added (Jon of ... ), or the occupation added (Ion Sheepseller). When there were two people with the same name in a village and one talked about them, then often the names of their ancestors were mentioned before: Jon was then e.g. ,the‘ Hansgorchfriedl Jon (being Hans, Gorch, Friedl the names of his father, grandfather and grandgrandfather).

A list of common names:
 ...comming..

My writing got rusty, I had a hard time thinking in English despite all good literature I devoured lately ( Mainly George R.R. Martin, Rothfuß  and Brandon Sanderon.)

But I had to post something, or I would have gone crazy. (And if Alt is posting, I need to do so also!   )

History is still missing and Clothes (which will come later in a bundle with the Avenorian update).
Can I please have a rough look through? No uri yet , or a finer tuning of the language, more a check of the content.  

Thanks


Edit:
forgot nomenclatur! Will come
While changing some names, I realised, that my spellcheck hasn't caught all it should, will fix this later.


 
The Darian Men



Overview
The Darian Men is a long extinct tribe, at least in their original form. Being the ancestors of the Shendar and partly of the Avennorians we can well see traits of them in the recent tribes. They lived in Southern Sarvonia, north of the Sharadon forest till the Southern foothills of the Mithral mountains.  It is quite certain, that they settled in the Mashdai valley north of Marcogg, but how far their villages stretched to the North is not known anymore.

 With the arrivals of the first Glandorian ships in the 12th century before Santhros their till then mostly peaceful life as  free farmers and independent hunters came to an end. The Avennorians with their  weapons, better military organisation and their different - more aggressive -  approach to life soon subjugated those who did not manage to flee into the South to become a new tribe, the Shendar. Those who remained in the lands of their ancestors mixed with the time with the Glandorians to become the Avennorian tribe. However, they  mainly formed the lower social stratum, the Glandorians  the noble class. Most of the information we have about this tribe has come to us through the hands of the conquerers, less from myths and tales the Shendar still know and which point to their ancestors.


 
Appearance
The Darian were tall - compared with the conquering Glandorians. With a  ped and about seven to eight handspans they outgrew the conquerers easily - men and women alike. But these were not the only differences.

They were not only tall but their strong, sinewy bodies were well developed and at least the women must have been good to look at, for otherwise we would have more pejorative descriptions of them which the shipwrecked were giving away freely. Being mostly farmers with an steady income and not so much hunters, living often in the same place the entire life did not favour the overly slender bodies the Shendar must have developed later due to their new life. However, though they could not be called lank, they were slim in their youth, but gaining a sturdier appearance when becoming older. The conquerers called them sometimes moon face or  square head, for their features were more rounded and without sharp edges compared to those of the  newcomers. This ‚roundness‘ must have been a special feature of the families living on the east coast for it is mainly used for the villagers living north west from the Caetharin Mountains.

Their generally dark hair which came in all shades, from a light reddish brown to a deep black was mostly thick and shiny, with or without curls, though the curls seem to have been present in the more southerly living families. Their skin was white, but all parts exposed to the sun were deeply tanned from being most times in the fresh air. Eye colours could be seen in every shade, from grey-green to brown, but not the deep black we find in the Shen-Siuu tribe.  



Coat of Arms
The Darian Men didn‘t have a coat of arms, they had many. Every village had their own symbols and colours, be it e.g. a black mountain on a white ground (Yaithres) or a leaping fish on a blue background in a fishing village. They were often painted on their houses near the entrance door. The main local inns had finely crafted metal signs hanging over their doors, which depicted the local symbol.

 
Territory
When the Darian inhabited their area forests and woods dominated the land and only  part of it was cultivated with an early grain, maybe two different kinds. North of the denser Sharadon forest the soil was quite fertile and a lot of bigger clearings allowed farming and herding of milk cows. On both coasts small fishing villages traded with the farmers salted fish for dried meat over quite a distance. North of Griffin‘s Marl, where today the Tolonian Heath stretches, the woods were denser, with little natural clearings where grass could grow allowing shepherds to graze their sheep and goats. Game was plentiful and very much liked as an easy to get addition to the daily vegetables and bread. The area where the most farmland could be found was around the Caetharin Mountains, to the southeast  as well as to the northwest, where we today have the Woulton Wold, the Twynor Farmsteadings, the Urschrum Downs and the Lambsground. The Goatsgraze Moor north of Klinsor was a lake at that time.  
Ravenport is said to be the northernmost point of Darian settlement, where on the east coast traces of them can be found in the Mithrun Lowlands, in the Traeren Lowlands, on the other side of the Mashdai in the Shadow Wing Downs. The nearby Greygrass foothills are famous for an rebellion against the Avennorians conquerers till today.



People
Some of the  Glandorian conquerers described the people they met soon after they had shipwrecked near Gebi‘s Nose as asinine and boneheaded, called them root muncher, pig-farmers and ballad-monger despite the help they had received when they were stranded on their shores. Others were considerate and said they were friendly, calm and honest.  What seems certain is that they, who didn‘t have swords, were not a weapon bearing people and were simply overtaken by the ballsy and aggressive ways of the newcomers. They obviously had not imagined that there could come somebody and claim the lands they had lived on for so long as theirs and that they were suddenly not more than menials. Their life might have been hard sometimes but it has been easeful and  satisfactory before the Glandorians arrived. There was plenty of land, food and forest animals to hunt. The soil was fertile and the climate agreeable, though  winter could be quite cold at times and at certain places, with a lot of snow. These people liked to sing when working and when resting, that was why they were called ballad-monger later. Festivities around the year made the work in between more agreeable for there was always an exiting event to anticipate. When the men from the North arrived their whole life altered to a less enjoyable one. However, the friendly and joyful nature of the Darian didn‘t vanish with them; their aggressors were infected over the following centuries and finally the Darian and the Glandorians grew together to form the tribe we now know as Avennorian Men.


Housing
The Darian used exclusively wood to build their houses. Even in regions where granite would have been easily available like near the Caetharin Mountains they preferred not to use stone, not even as a fundament of their buildings. However, they were very skilled in protecting the boles and planks they used against any atmospheric conditions, they knew which trunk  when to cut to get the most durable wood and how to build a house so that rain and snow, water from the ground and vermin could not do not much harm to it. Most houses had a lifespan of several centuries and after that a new house could be build easily.

Most houses were built similar, just varying in size.
They were all rectangular, with a very broad base and a huge, moderate steep roof and only one full story. Due to the high roof and dependent on how broad they were there could be up to three additional levels though.
The front side with the main entrance faced always in a Southern direction. The other long side faced to the north, northwest or northeast if possible, depending upon  the main direction of the cold northern winter winds. This side had only a few and small openings. The main room was always located at the gable side which had the nicer view. In the smallest houses there was just one living room, a corner to sleep and a fireplace were included. If the house was bigger a kitchen and pantry were added, the bedchambers found on the first story. A straight pass way from the main entrance led to the backside; it separated the living quarters from the stable and barn section. Traversing the stables one came into the barn where hay and straw were stored and all the equipment a farmer used in this days like carts, ploughing utensils and so on. The grain however was always kept in the first store above the living quarters or the stable, the vegetables in an one room cellar. The frontside of the houses had more and bigger windows with shutters but without glass in the openings. Instead a thin woven linen was used or a parchment to let some light through, but to keep the cold and wind outside. Only bigger houses had a chimney which was build out of clay bricks.

These houses were well build. The core were boles which were laid on top of each other, prepared at the edges in a way, that the whole building was standing on its own after the first story was finished. The roofs reached well over the walls to protect them from the weather, on the northern side an extra layer of vertical planks allowed the rain to run away easily. Most roofs near the sea where thatched, covered with the yealmreed or other suitable long grasses, the houses more to the middle of the country had roofs out of wooden shingles. Inside a layer of clay covered the walls of the living quarters and the stable, whitewashed and sometimes decorated with patterns which varied from village to village. The floor was stamped clay, sometimes covered with planks. A remarkable feature were early carvings added to certain parts of the house, the frames of windows or doors  or  decorations at the gable, made by adding planks on top of the wall which formed rectangular patterns. Some of this tradition is kept till today as we can see in the little village of Shneerin.

The seize of the house depended on the wealth of the owner, the size of his family and farmhands. That varied with the area, for in the most fertile regions like along the Southern Mithrun Trail and north of the Sharadon, where the soil was rich, the people could more easily produce a surplus to their daily needs and therefor trade for other goods or afford to hire labourers from other areas. Where the Tolonian Heath is today, the people were mostly not as rich as in the lower lands and therefore the houses were generally smaller.

 To every farm belonged a fenced garden on the gable side where the main room was, a well nearby and a dunghill in front of the house next to stable and barn. On the backside was sometimes a fenced area for goats and sheep which were held for the daily milk. Hens and other birds however were allowed to run free.

Though most times several houses stood not far away from each other, they didn‘t form a village with one house next to the other how we depict one today. There was always enough distance between two houses to not disturb the neighbours, but within hearing distance. Only later when their peaceful life ended with the arrival of the Glandorians the houses were build more together, but then facing each other, despite the cold winds hitting the bigger openings of the living rooms. The idea of fencing a whole village for defense purposes came never to their mind.

These villages however didn‘t lack a meeting place, though this was not in the middle of the village, but at the „good side“, which was the side were the houses were facing, in the south. There often the road was running which widened to a square, the meeting place.
On the other side of the road, or place, three important things could be found: A communal pond if no major creek was running through the village, used for emergency situations when a fire should occur to have water available. Near this pond, or on one side of the creek, was always a small grove with a little temple for the Twelve. Its size showed how wealthy the community was - though often it was bigger than a passing traveller would have assumed when looking at the few houses. On the other side of the pond was a tavern, the tavern, for every village and if it consisted of only four houses had to have a tavern.
Nearly no village shows this building pattern still today, too big were the influences, wishes and demands of the conquerers, other traditions however were preserved better as we will see later.


Clothing
The basic garments for women consisted of the smock, hose, kirtle, gown, surcoat, girdle, cape, hood, and bonnet
The clothes the Darian wore everyday were simple and practical, a rough spun smock of fine spun linen was worn under a protective tunic out of a more sturdier fabric, sometimes rough linen, more often leather. Men‘s tunics were general shorter and worn with trousers, the women often togged a sleeveless kirtle instead.  A girdle held all together and allowed pouches to be attached. In winter trousers and overgarments out of wool were added to protect against the cold. The wooden shoes worn in summer were replaced with furboots, woolen scarves and gloves protected well against the cold winds.
A much more skillfully done, beautiful adorned raiment was donned on festivities and other special occasions. These were precious clothes, often inherited from the ancestors. A more detailed description of the Darian clothing can be found in an additional article.


Food
The Darian enjoyed eating and so they spent enough time on cooking to get decent meals - even if the ingredients were basic and there was not a lot of time for cooking. Most dishes were based on either grain (dinkel, avena and bigg) or vegetables (tuberroots, caroots, weeping root) or other less known. Herbs played an important role to flavour the meals. Even to the simplest  mash out of tuberroots some Narojam was added to enhance the flavour. When time allowed it both were combined and meat was added at least once a week.

The most used grain was dinkel or spelt, one which is grown nowadays only in small patches as the wheat grain was preferred later. It was ground to flour in its ripe state and used as the base for bred and other meals, unripe it was called greenkern (green kernel) and cooked as a whole  as a side dish to meat or vegetables. Avena, which is now known with the northern tribes as oat, was mainly used for a variety of pulps, mostly eaten as a hot breakfast. Bigg however was mainly used as the main ingredient for - beer. All these grains had in common, that they were quite hardy, didn‘t mind wet springs or autumns nor dry summers.

Tuberroots were the other main dish and prepared in a great variety from the mashed and flavoured vegetable pulp to the  well loved dumplings with different fillings. They could be used as a side dish to meat or as an own meal with an eggs sauce only. Many other vegetables and fruits were served as well, from the caroots to the pompion, from meldar apples to vinterberries.

Meat was not available every day, most times it was served only on restdays, however, a variety of sausages and  cheeses all from domesticated animals were consumed under the week as well. Goat meat was the one which was eaten most of the time, for the sheep were mostly held for gaining wool and the banegs for working on the fields and the milk production. Game was available often as well before the Glandorian conquerors defined it as their property as a means to subjugate the Darian. Birds, geese and a variety of hens were held at every farm and often sold to the towns as well as an additional income.

Sea fish was daily on the table at the fishing villages at both coasts. One variety, the salted herring was traded in exchange with salted meat with the inland and a well loved alternative to the normal food - with the flair of being something special, though not expensive. Locally fish was caught in the rivers and lakes and served occasionally.

The favourite drink of all Darian was surely the beer, where there was a great variety . Every other village had its own brewery, attached to the inn,  and not only bigg was used as base, but dinkel as well. It is said, that they invented the real beer - with the use of the vin-like plant they gave the strange name Suluhumpf, but is better known today as ‚hopf‘. Mostly they drank water, fruit juices were more a treat, however herbal teas were common in winter times.


 
Weapons
The Darian didn‘t knew weapons which had the purpose to fight and kill other sentient beings. They used of course knives they needed every day, the bow for the hunt for game, an axe for cutting trees and making firewood. The fisher had  spears and other weapons useful to catch fish. But they didn‘t have swords or any other weapons designed to kill men. Their weapons in their fight against the conquerers were hunting bows, fishing spears, forks, axes and scythes. However, they were not proficient in using them against people and so only rarely effective.


Occupations
Any occupation needed in a mostly rural society could be found in the Darian tribe also. The farmers were proficient with doing many things themselves, like repairing the wooden parts of a broken plough or a worn out holster. The women baked most of their bread themselves , worked in the garden and the fields and  sewed their clothes.  In larger settlements though one could find bakers, cheesers, tailors next to carpenters, smiths, saddlers and coopers. On the coast fishermen could be found also, the collecting of mussels and other seafood was the task of the children. Any gender was free to choose the occupation which she or he was fond of and capable of mastering. So it was not uncommon for a girl to take up a bow and to become a proficient hunter while a boy choose to learn how to deliver babies. However, when a new family was formed, the wives tended to stay at home and work in the house and the adjacent fields till the children were weaned.


Government
The Darian had kings or queens, called ,griffin‘, though no outsider would have recognised them as one. They were ordinary persons who were quite often mistaken as a common man - which they had been until their election.  The griffin never saw himself as standing above those he had to care for, never saw them as inferior. It was him who was here to serve his people. Quite often he was rarely distinguishable from the men of his tribe, his every day clothes were of a solid and good quality, but nothing superior. If he wished, he could go unnoticed for quite a while, as long as he was not yet known widely. The kings robe though was as impressive as any other royal garment.


Castle Thunderclaim was the royal domicile, though the king stayed there only in winter, in summer he travelled through the country from place to place to listen to the  people and their problems and sorrows, to administer justice. He never stayed long, as the folks had to feed him and his entourage.
The Darian kingdom could not be inherited, did not pass from father to son, but when a new ,griffin‘ was needed he was chosen by acclamation from his people - or whoever had found the time to attend such an event.
As the king was chosen by his people, so were the elders of a village, or ,heartstone‘ as they were called. Each village chose one their members whose duty it was to  mediate if any problems arose or to represent his village or town in case of a conflict between two settlements. Though these men or women were proud to have the trust of their fellow citizens and the ,office‘ was connected with a certain prestige, the heartstones had no advantages. Their only other task was, once the king had died or was seen unable to reign, to find the right man or woman to succeed on the throne. There were many Darians though without any representation, ones who lived not in a village but in an isolated farm or were not a member of any community, like tinkers or ballad-mongers.

The election of a new king
If a new king was needed, the heartstones searched for a new man or woman who would be suited as the new king and be poised to accept the burden.
After a lot of gathering and talking up to seven candidates were proposed. A day was set, where all who were able to come to Griffin‘s Marl gathered south east of  Three Acres Keep to chose their new ,Griffin‘. The date had to be chosen well. Even those living as far as Marcogg and Chondra should have a fair chance to attend the election and the coronation. It should not be a high time for the harvest to bring in and in winter travelling was not recommended. So it did often take nearly a year till the Darian had a new king.
Once all had arrived who wanted to take part in the election, the candidates were introduced by a heartstone, but had to present themselves afterwards, talk about what they think was important for the welfare of the whole tribe and how to achieve that.  The next day every candidate set up a tent with a symbol representing him and his goals - most often he took those of his village - and waited who would come to him and gather around his tent. Quite often it was clear from the beginning, who the favourite was. For every person who was at the gathering had one vote, regardless of his social standing. If there was no obvious winner, the next day happened the same, just that the number of the competitors had shrunk. If only two were left and their followers were fairly equal, the rest of the day was spent with talking (and bribing). On the following day the  supporters of each candidate were counted and everybody hoped, that the gap between the resulting numbers was big enough to not start another dispute. Once the new griffin was chosen, he was crowned the same evening. A feast which lasted three days followed (or as long as the food lasted).  
The title griffin
The title of the Darian king was ,Griffin‘, probably because his castle sat on a solitary standing mountain called today ,Griffin‘s Marl‘. Though there are claypits nearby, the name of the mountains derives probably from ,Griffin‘s Gnarl‘, gnarl being an old word for knag or knob. Quizzical voices also said, it would derive from snarl, for the griffin residing on this mountain top was well able to ,gnarl‘.



Production/Trade
A well maintained forest was the source for wooden planks and massive beams which were cut with skill to obtain the best material for building purposes. Between stretches of forest, fields where grain was grown alternated with pastures for stock. Especially the Woulton cattle was famous for its tender meat, sheep and goats were herded in less fertile areas like moors and heaths. Dried meat was sold throughout the country, while salted fish found its way into every pot inland also. Vegetables were grown in every garden, the surplus sold in the next town as were eggs and living poultry. Darian pottery was not very exquisite, but solid of good use in every day life. The simple forms and a thrifty ornamentation of the Valéra bowls made them well loved  so that even the elves of the Auturian Woods bought them. Most trade happened within the tribe, the elves of the Sharadon though bought grain, fruits, honey and wine, the Tethinrhim liked cheese and sweet dried bread. The excellent beer the Darian brewed was not to the taste of the forest dwellers though.


Natural Resources
The Darian lands were rich in wood, game and fish. Herbs for nearly every ailment was found and a friendly climate allowed the cultivation of several grains. Where the soil was not nutritious enough, pastures provided enough food for a small, sturdy cattle. Sheep and goats and goats were herded on heaths and in sparse woodlands. So the Darian were quite self sufficient. The Rekijn Claypits provided the base for every day pottery.


Religious Beliefs
The Darian claimed, that they were living in the lands of their ancestors ever since. There was no myth describing an early travelling, a migrating from another place where they lived once. The Thethinrhim sage XYZ(look for a fitting name) who studied their history suggested, that they might have inhabited their land since before the mythical ,Burning of the Tree of Life‘. They have only female deities, the names of their goddesses resembled those of the Twelvern, but they did not worship all of them. Seyella, Eyasha and Queprur were added to their gods only in the last centuries before the arrival of the Glandorians.

A comparison shows the similarity, the goddesses are listed after their importance:

Yrialla, goddess of growing, birth, fertility and harvest (Jeyriall)
Odhari, goddess of the winds, the weather, of rain, storm and snow and mists.
Fioirina, the goddess of fire, the sun, the stars. (Foiros)
Verasonda, the goddess of water, of the sea, of rivers, lakes and wells, but also the goddess of tears and the unborn children.(Baveras)
Lieren, the goddess of the hunt, protector of all wild things (no link to Arvin)
Sanehdora, the goddess of healing, of the weak and ill. (Nehtor)

Many festivities were connected with a goddess. Not all  were worshipped equally though. Best loved were Yrialla, the goddess of growth and harvest, and Odhari, the weather goddess, the one who gave rain or withheld it. Closely followed were Verasonda, the goddess of water (mainly revered at the coast) and Lieren, the goddess of hunt.  

Sanedhora was well loved, but venerated more in quietness. There were many little shrines all over the country, but she was never mentioned in a drinking song. Seyella and Eyasha were only worshipped very late in Darian history, they were probably adopted from neighbouring tribes. Both suffered a certain distance towards them. They got their share of flowers, but never the brightest. The peacful nature of the Darian never made them aware of the danger they would face, if peace would be missing. Destiny was a foreign concept to the Darian, so Seyella got not much attention. That changed rapidly when the Glandorians brought war to them. Queprur also turns up late in the Darian pantheon. She had her own quiet days end of Turning Star, when the world, covered under a blanket of snow, seemed to be dead - or at least in a deep sleep. Armeros, the god of war and Urtengor, the god of forge were never spoken of, nobody saw a reason to worship them.



Holidays, Festivals and Observances
The Darian were a content and cheerful people and so they had a great many festivities , be it of religious nature or out of personal reasons.

Religious Feasts

Midwinter Feast: The celebration of the winter solstice was a holiday on a smaller scale (at least what the number of the gathering persons concerned), more for the family and the village due to closed roads and general trouble while travelling in winter. Fioirina was the center of the feast, as she was asked to return from her path away from the lands.  As always, the feast went with lots of good food and a lot of singing. Children carried spherical lanterns representing the sun from house to house and when they managed to get them across with the candle still burning they were given sweets.

Spring Equinox: Unlike in other cultures, Yrialla was celebrated in spring. The people asked her to empty her cornucopia in the following half year to provide them with a good harvest in autumn. Odhari was worshiped on that day as well as she was needed to provide the right weather for the growing of the crops. Both were often seen as a pair.
In spring puppets up to three peds high were artistically formed out of willow. They represented the goddesses and were decorated with spring flowers and fresh leaves. They were placed at a sheltered place, if possible on top of a hill, where the could overlook a village or a stretch of land. Yrialla and Odhari were favoured and had always the biggest representations, followed by Verasonda and Lieren. The others were smaller, those of Sanehdora, Seyella and Eyasha.

Midsummer feast: On the coasts great festivals held where Verasonda was worshiped; upcountry Lieren, the goddess of the hunt  was closer to the hearts of the Darian, but that was no strict division. Whereever it was possible, a reason was found to sing and pray to any of the goddesses.

Autumn Equinox: On that day the biggest of all festivals was held. If the harvest was good, eating, drinking, singing and dancing could well last for a week. The willowfigures were redecorated with flowers and fruits, sometimes with brightly coulored cloth also.  It was a good omen, when the willow figures survived a whole year, more or less intact.

Personal feasts:

As with most tribes, birthdays, weddings, coming of age ceremonies were celebrated.
A wedding had to last at least three days: On the first day the ,preparing‘ was done. The guests received ,lighter‘ meals, starters, though these starters were quite filling already. The second day the ceremony took place and plenty of meat was served, along with vegetables, salads or whatever one would desire. The third day was the ,aftermath‘. Again lighter meals were served, sweet dishes and fruits, but also salty pieces and a lot of water with herbs in it to help with the hurting heads after the consumation of too much beer or spirits.
Even at funerals the mood was not a sad one, but the deceased was lauded and there was a lot of laughter during the meals, which the relatives had to serve the visitors who had often come a great distance to be able to pay their last respects to the dead one.  

 
Important Achievements (Optional)
It is hard to write about the achievements of a tribe who was extinguished so long ago. Has it been  too ,weak‘? Or was their way of peacfully living an achievement not many other tribes can claim for themselves? What remains? Is it the beer we still love, which they might have invented? Or the way to produce certain cheeses? Are they accountable for the pattern on pottery today called the ,Klinsor Band‘, or was it the idea of an Glandorian man? Nothing remains of their wooden houses, except their design, but who can prove, that it hasn‘t changed over the centuries? There is still Castle Thunderclaim on Griffin‘s Marl, but who knows, how it looked back then when the last Darian Griffin  died and the tribe was to shattered and demoralisied to choose a new one? There are surely many things we cherish for which we should thank the Darians, but we rarely know them.

*there is no smiley for exhaustion*

Are these Rekijn Clay Pics from Seeker's story? Or where did I miss them? Or are they not used yet? *being curious*

Art, this one could be a second one for the watersprogs/Maryons entry, maybe a bit too much breast, but no teat!

http://sandara.deviantart.com/art/watersprite-139275037

Wouldn't this pic fit for the mermaids/rivermaids and the story of that youth?
http://sandara.deviantart.com/art/hello-there-136072600

Let's assume, you are getting smarter...

Without roaming through the history myself, I see no problems there (I do get soft..). The only remark I have


Well, if you want to say, that they lived there for a long time, then it is okay, otherwise no...

 more like

'since the tribes fled Fá'áv'cál'âr and ventured South, the shores were always inhabited' or something like this..

(even if it would be not like this, the current belief is, that it happened this way)

Ok, another aura for you being so smart (and because the number looks nicer)... and one for Mina also, who helps where he can..

Here we go, no history today



Overview.

Salsair is a large city found in the northern province of Vardynn.  Where the waters of Lake Aelignós gently lap against the shore near the mouth of the Aelunn River, Salsair started out as a small fishing village.  Over time it grew in size and importance, where it now serves as a wonderful summer retreat for the wealthy who want to enjoy the beauty of the lake.  It also serves as a major hub for both fishing and agriculture in the area.

gently lap against the shore - nice!

Description.

Salsair is for the most part a typical Centoraurian city.  Narrow cobblestoned streets wind their way like a spider web through wattle and daub buildings.  Some are whitewashed with timber frames others simple mud covered homes of poorer citizens.  Some are larger stone buildings. 

Salsair is divided into a few areas.  There is the New City, which is outside the original walls.  This area is mostly found on the northern side of the city, following the Aelunn River.  This area is not protected by a defensive wall, though one is under construction, being found on the eastern side of the Aelunn.  The road north to Mirenn is unhampered by a gate.  On the east side of town, the wall is more completed, and Farmstead Gate controls the road to North Arlemaroth and Aregarth.  This road also leads to the Salsair Farmsteadings, for which the gate is named.

My dic didn‘t find farmsteading, just farmstead... Shouldn‘t it have a small letter?
 
The New City is inhabited by the more agrarian Salsair society.  Those who work the Farmsteadings live here, as well as woodworkers, foresters that cut trees in the Salvis Wood, stonemasons and others.  For the most part, this part of the city is very quiet and peaceful.

Don‘t the farmers live on their farms outside around the city?

The Old City is found within the original Salsair walls on the eastern side of the Aelunn.  This is a much older part of the city.  Here are found the alehouses, the merchants and Guild Houses and temples.  Coram’s Gate is the only gate into the Old City, and all traffic in and out is scrutinized by the city guard.

The Western Shore is a section of the city that has its own wall built around it.  It is within this area that many wealthy nobles and even a few wealthy merchants own summer retreats.  In the summer, this area is bustling with activity and a large contingent of guards keep the peace and undesirables outside the gates.  By contrast, in winter it is a ghost town, as everyone has long gone back to their permanent residences.  Only a handful of guards man the gates while a few patrol the empty streets on the lookout for thieves.

The Foiron is a temple devoted to Foiros.  It is a circular building, honouring the Circle which is a symbol of Foiros, the God of Fire and Justice.  Like the White Citadel, it has the same white cladding stones with intricately cut geometric designs cut into it along the upper edge, inlaid with gold.  During the day, with the sunlight on it, it seems to glow.  A tower rises from the center of the temple, which used to be the highest building in the city until the construction of the White Citadel.  At the top of the temple there is a room, the Foirostra, which is a semi circular room, opening wide to the south, facing Lake Aelignós, though in truth it was built to face the sun, the ultimate symbol of Foiros.  This room has golden walls, while a huge brazier in the center of the room blazes.  The effect is that it creates a marker for all the fishermen on the lake, which guides them at night or during poor weather, back to the safety of the city.  Outside the temple, 50 ceremonial braziers are always kept burning, and they form a circle around the temple, as well as creating a pathway to the temples ornate wooden doors.  A marble unicorn stands in the center of the temple, rising majestically on its back legs, while a unicorn against a blazing sun is carved into each of the double doors of Ashwude.  The Foiron is used by the Pheramethár of Foiros (the highest ranking cleric) as his summer retreat from his seat of power in Cemphiria.

Don‘t know, how this guy should be spelled..with or without á

The White Citadel stands in the heart of the old city.  This was the spot where Salaman built his palace at the founding of Salsair.  Over the course of time the palace was redesigned and reconstructed many times.  The last time was during the reign of Harhold, Duke of Aurora, in 987 aS.  He greatly reduced the size of the palace, using much of the leftover stone to build the old wall.  Though smaller in size, it was built much higher, giving him a spectacular view from the rooftop gardens that linked to his private solar. 

Lake Aelignós is famous for its beautiful white stone that forms much of its banks.  Though this stone is too soft for construction of buildings, Harhold used it simply as cladding for the darker building stones beneath it.  This white Citadel can be seen for strals in every direction and is a symbol of Salsair, being incorporated into its Coat of Arms.

Somehow I think the White Citadel should come before the Foiron, probably because you mention it there and I ask myself, what it is

Exomater’s Square is where most of the city’s buying and selling can be found.  Each morning, dozens of merchants haul their goods by cart to the square and set up in predetermined areas that they rent from the city council.  Each night they are required by law to remove their carts, leaving the square empty, where city workers clean the square.  Pigs do most of the cleaning, eating all the leftover garbage and rotting food left behind.  The owners of the pigs get the free feed for their animals in return for cleaning any dung the pigs might otherwise leave behind.  It is because of this that Exomater’s Square is sometimes referred to as Squealer’s Square.

A nice use of pigs! lol

Fisherman’s Quay is a stone projection into the lake where the local fishing fleet harbours their boats at night.  The quay can accommodate nearly fifty fishing boats, and iron rings and stone projections are used to moor the boats to the quay.  Fisher Street leads directly from the quay to Exomater Square so the fish can be taken to market and sold fresh.  Smoker Street leads directly to large smokehouses where other fish is dried for selling in other communities.

The Canal Area is an area found at the mouth of the Aelunn River where it flows from Lake Aelignós.  The original sandbars where the first inhabitants lived are joined by six stone bridges called the Six Maidens.  Each arched bridge has a stone statue of a maiden at the crown of the arch in the center of the bridge.  The six maidens refer to the architect’s six daughters, whom he immortalized in stone.  They do limit the bridges to pedestrian traffic only, as a cart would not fit beyond the statues.  Many buildings here are built upon stilts to protect them from flooding and flat bottomed boats are used to navigate between them, propelled by pole bearers.

The canal area also includes a large area on the western side of the Aelunn.  The original city here was flooded in 642 aS, when a storm completely changed the shoreline and how it emptied into the river.  Many buildings were washed away, and there were many lives lost.  The Night of Great Sorrow was the largest natural disaster in Salsair’s history.

The one thing this storm created for Salsair, which makes it unique in Santharia, is it created the Sunken City.  Many buildings made of stone were not washed away in the flood, but rather crumbled and fell or simply sank whole beneath the waves.  This area is now regarded as almost mystical by the populace and either avoided by most of them, while attracting the more adventurous among them.  Tales of spirits haunting the building can be heard whispered at night, as well as tales of lost treasure sunk under the water.

Maybe it would be even cooler, if part of the city, at the edge of the area where the disaster struck, was still intact , but sak slowly neneath the waves, within a few years. So you would have houses under water , which are whole, not broken and crumbled. Describe the underwater city a it more. How has it changed? Are uderwaterplants growing in the garden, have clamps and mussels settles there? Which other (special?) animals live there?

One factor about the Sunken City that is true without a doubt is that there are many sightings of Rivermaids there.  These sightings are usually made when the first rays of light at dawn or the last beams of light at dusk and usually only for a moment.  It is surmised that the Rivermaids use the sunken buildings as shelter at night, then during the day travel down the Aelunn to their hunting areas.  Some locals have come to calling the area Mertown.  For the most part, there is no interaction between the locals and the Rivermaids, though this is mainly because the Rivermaids show no interest in human activity.  Many a young man has caught a glimpse of these beautiful creatures and thereafter stood on the shores mooning over a lost love that was never really theirs to begin with.  See the section on Lore for a story of one such lad.


Location.

The Santharian city of Salsair is found on the northern shores of Lake Aelignós, one of the six bodies of fresh water that make up the Aerelian Lakes system.  This is in the northern province of Vardynn, part of the Kingdom of Santharia on the continent of Sarvonia.  Directly across the lake is found Salsair's sister city, Cargammon.

To the north, the great city Milkengrad is found, and further on, the provincial capital of Voldar.  To the northeast the rich and fertile Salsair Farmsteadings are found, sometimes called the Breadbasket of the North.  To the east, the ominous smoke of the Heckra Volcano rises toward the heavens.  In the west can be found the important coastal town of Thyslan.

People.

Salsair is a city of close to 65,000 people.  The vast majority are human, being mostly Centoraurian.  The Duke of Aurora has made his home here for centuries, and before that the Centoraurian Kings ruled.  Salsair has deep roots in Centoraurian history.  But, within the human community, a large number of Helcrani can also be found.  Many of these are relatively new to Salsair, being merchants who set up shops and industry.  This was because Salsair was a good stopping point between Milkengrad to the northwest and other Helcrani communities such as Menegula, Sostra Town, Codomma, Ahaiwanna and Heleroth to the east. 

I don't know if your town is a bit big, have to check this fief thingy again. I really don't know. The question is -  was there a counting of the citizens of a town? Did the Earl know, that there were 65 000 or did the people think back then only in terms of fairly big or so? We have numbers in other entries though. How did you come up with that number?

A community of Daran Gnomes also make their home within the walls of the Old City.  This community is divided into two main groups.  By far the larger of these groups has very good relations with the humans of Salsair.  They are referred to by many as the Salsair Daran, which has been shortened to Salran.  Salran trade, and interact with humans, not fearing to travel into human areas as well as inviting humans into their area.   A particular Daran Gnome, called The Salran, is even called upon to serve in the city council. 

The second community of Daran Gnomes is found deep within the Salran community, though they are separated by a wooden picket fence.  This group refuses to deal directly with the humans, and humans are banned from entering this community.  The Salran express their respect for the Darans by discreetly guiding humans away from the Daran area, and most Salsair humans have no idea this subgroup of Gnomes even exist.  This keeps the peace between the two Gnome groups.

Other races and tribes can be found here as well, and for the most part they get along.  Salsair has been at peace for many years and few want that to change by foolishly igniting the racial tensions that used to flare dangerously.

Coat of Arms.

Salsair has a Coat of Arms that consists of a White Citadel against an azure blue background emphasized by darker blue wave lines.  This represents the Duke’s Citadel, the white clad building within the city that is home to the Duke of Aurora, while the blue is obviously Lake Aelignós, which has long played an important role in the area.

Climate.

The climate of Salsair is very much affected by the Aerelian Lakes.  It is a place of mild winters and refreshing summers.  During the winter, very little actual snow falls.  There is much moisture, but this comes in the form of rain, though if conditions are right, a freezing rain can fall, leaving everything covered in a thin coating of ice.  Mornings can be a beautiful sight, with the sun coming over the horizon and refracting off the frozen fields.  This layer of ice usually melts during the day.

Summers are cool, again with much rain, though it is more prevalent at night.  The combination of warm days followed by a cooling in the evening has contributed to Salsair's reputation as a summer retreat for those wealthy enough to have a summer home there.

Wind is predominantly from the west and southwest, which is why the farmsteadings to the northeast get such moisture that allows for near continuous bumper crops.  In winter the wind switches to predominantly from the west and northwest.  The winds of winter are much stronger than the winds of summer, which causes the occasional blizzard, but the general mild climate dictates that these storms are rare and short in duration.

Have you looked at the Santharian climate? Maybe allow somt snow now and then? Especially consider the extremes...

http://www.santharia.com/places/santharia.htm#Climate


Mythology.

It is said that King Salaman was traveling across the Aurora Fields with his contingent of horse warriors and immense horse herd, when they drove the herd to the mouth of the Aelunn River to water them.  Salaman’s wife, Salsai became so enamoured of the location that she stated that she had finally found the spot where she could plant her roots and raise the kings children.  It is said that although as a true Centoraurian, Salaman could not understand her desire to stay in one spot rather than the nomadic way of her people, he was so much in love with her that he was unable to deny her every whim.  He chose a prime spot on a rise overlooking the sandbars that were home to the local fisherman, and he built her a palace that all who saw it were envious.  This must have made her quite happy, for she bore him 15 children, all boys but two.

Nice Lore... Next entry for you is a person‘s description

Resources.

Salsair is rich in resources.  Of course, Lake Aelignós provides much of this.  Fishermen here make a good living throwing there nets from their fishing boats and bringing in hauls of Mithanjor and other varieties of fish.  Dried and salted, or smoked, this fish is then sold all over northern Santharia.

The Salsair Farmsteadings are famous throughout Santharia.  Due to the good amount of rainfall, the mild summers, early spring and late autumns, plus the rich dark soil in the shadow of the Heckra Volcano, crops grow quickly and full here.  Most years, farmers here are able to plant a second crop, called the Winter Harvest, which they collect in late autumn.  This has led to the farmsteadings being referred to as the Breadbasket of the North.  Grain here is delivered and sold throughout the north of the kingdom, not only in the province of Vardynn, but neighboring provinces of Xaramon,  Nermeran and Enthronia. 

The Equine Plains to the northwest are vast tracts of rich grasslands.  These are used by herders to graze many types of cattle and sheep as well as horses.  Thus, Salsair is able to sell much livestock to other areas of the kingdom.  Add to this the wool that these herds of sheep produce, and Salsair can claim to be a major trading hub.

Artisans in the city also use the wool to create much in the way of cloth, which is sold elsewhere.  Most of this cloth is taken by merchants and exported to Carmelad to be dyed, thus increasing its value.

The Daran Gnomes create much in the way of jewelry.  From wooden items to fine metal and gem encrusted trinkets, the Salran have created a name for themselves, and their Jewelry guild has insisted that each item be stamped with a tiny symbol bearing their mark.  Items with this mark often times are sold for up to three times an item without the mark goes for.

Water truly is a resource that Salsair is rich in as well.  From a haven for artists to come and create beautiful masterpieces commissioned by well paying nobles, to perceived special properties, it is the lakes themselves that draw people to the city.  Artists flood the city each spring, most by commission but many to simply paint and sell their works on the streets of Salsair, and they stay through the summer. 

As well, many of the breeders in and around Salsair firmly believe that the waters of the lakes have special properties that make their animals more special than other animals of the like.  This is especially true of the horse breeders.  Centoraurian horses are considered some of the most beautiful in the kingdom, and those from around Salsair even more so.

To add to this, and to expand the reach of the lake waters, a gnome inspired irrigation system is being created to bring water from the lake direct to the Equine Plains.  A man made aqueduct is being built that will bring water from Lake Salestra to the plains.  The aqueduct is fed by a oxen powered pumping station that draws the water up to the aqueduct, where gravity takes over and takes it ultimately to the plains.  It is not yet finished.

Do we know the term gravity? Cool idea, those unfinished projekts, they make the city a living one

Special Occasions.

Every fifth summer, people from all over Santharia travel to Salsair.  This is when the city holds one of the most famous festivals in the kingdom.  The Salsair Festival of the Horse takes place every fifth Burning Heavens during the second week.  It lasts for one week and started out as a Centoraurian festival dedicated to their horses.  The festival has grown and includes many events and tournaments.

On the first day of Burning Heavens, the month dedicated to Foiros, the renewal ceremony takes place.  This is when all the braziers around the temple, with the exception of the fire in the Foirostra, are extinguished.  The Duke is then allowed to light the first brazier with a brand lit in the fires of Heckra.  The other braziers are lit by nobles, clerics and a few by people of Salsair chosen by the clerics over the course of the year by exemplifying the spirit of Salsair.  This brand has been previously been carried from Heckra to Salsair, carried only by the High Cleric of the temple, and on occasion the Pheramethár of Foiros, if his health should allow it.  This ceremony is said to express the renewal of a new year and bring good tidings for the next.

I don‘t know, if the Heckra is active so you can get fire from it, nor if you could go near enough to a lava flow either... Well, yes, that might be possible, with some protection.

The last day of Burning Heavens is also important in Salsair.  This is the Dedication Ceremony.  Historically, this is when two people dedicate themselves to each other.  More often than not, it involves lovers marking their betrothal, but can be a lower individual dedicating their service to a higher figure.  Many nobles dedicate themselves to the Duke in this manner, though the Duke in most cases appoints a representative to accept the dedication on his behalf, for reasons to follow.  The two people to dedicate themselves each strip off one sleeve, exposing their arm.  The arm chosen usually is decided by the type of dedication to be done.  Lovers expose the left arm, as it is closest to the heart, while men swearing fealty to their lord will expose their right arm, which is associated with strength and holding a weapon.  A metal stick is heated in the fires, and on this stick is a small metal unicorn head about a thumbwidth in size, which is also heated.  The stick is held forth by the cleric and the two individuals press the inner side of their forearms together with the unicorn head between them.  The resulting scar in the shape of a unicorn head on each arm binds the two together for eternity.  It is because of this that obviously the Duke does not partake of the ceremony himself, for he would have hundreds of scars on his arm from nobles swearing allegiance to him.  On the rare occasion that the Duke does consent to this, as in a betrothal or even accepting of fealty from a particularly important noble, then this ceremony is private and held in the Foirostra, using the sacred flame.

Cool


Myth/Lore.

Ages long past, Tylunn was the son of a fisherman in Salsair.    By all accounts he was a hard working serious young man who never let his chores fall by the wayside.  One morning Tylunn was on his way to meet his father’s boat for a day on the lake pulling in the harvest of fish they would catch in their nets.  He heard some splashing in the water and the sounds of girls laughing.  His interest raised, he came to the edge of water near the Sunken City.  As soon as his presence was perceived, the figures in the water dove beneath the surface, leaving only ripples to show anyone that there was something was there.  Tylunn was baffled as anyone would be, and a bit concerned.  He called to the figures, but no answer came, and no one came up for air.  Curious, he crawled out onto the ruins of a partially submerged building and stared into the deep blue green waters of the lake.  At first he could see nothing, but then he thought he could see his face.  He wanted it to simply be his own reflection in the water’s surface, but the image got stronger until it was clear that it was not his reflection.  The face was one of a very beautiful young maiden.  It was clear for a moment, and then was gone.

Each morning thereafter, Tylunn was to make his way to that particular spot and stare into the water until the face that captured him so would reappear, then vanish again.  He began to dream of the face beneath the waves and his heart longed for her.  Soon he was not the same lad he had once been.  He began to miss going out on his father’s boat in order to spend more time staring into the water.  He began to go at twilight as well, and each time his maiden would be there staring up at him.

He tried to call to her, but each time he did, his maiden would disappear, so soon his time with her was one of silent longing.  He missed meals, he lacked sleep, he lost friends.  He was consumed by her; his every waking thought was of her.

Tylunn began to kneel, getting closer to the water, then took to lying on his stomach, his head out over the water.  One day, when sleep was threatening to overtake him, his head nodded downward, to where his nose broke the surface of the water.  Just as he was about to pull up, the water broke and the maiden’s lips touched his.  Ever so gentle it was a kiss that filled him with love and longing.  So each morning and each evening he would lower his face to the water’s surface and each time his maiden would come close enough to give him the sweetest of light kisses before disappearing into the depths.

Tylunn vowed to teach himself to hold his breath so that he might join her.  He asked his family, he asked his friends, but all simply told him the foolishness of his plan and advised him to leave her be.  But Tylunn was unperturbed and began to place his head beneath the water, holding his breath as long as he could.  Each day he could do so longer.

One day, Tylunn could not be found, though many searched for the young lad.  His family was convinced that he had drowned, seduced by the maiden into diving beneath the waves.  His father vowed to kill the folk beneath the waves, and each day he stood on the same shore that Tylunn had stood, harpoon in hand, hoping to kill the maiden.  But, he never saw her or any of her kind or even his lost son.

One day, about a year later, the father and his boat were caught in a sudden squall that blew in on the lake.  Trying to get back to the safety of Salsair, his boat was swamped and he fell into the water, prepared to die.  Just as he was about to sink beneath the waves, within sight of the shore and Salsair, he felt hands under him, holding him above the water and carrying him toward the land.  He was deposited gently in shallow water and he knew he would not drown.

Turning and staring out at the choppy waves, he saw Tylunn in the water, next to him the face of a beautiful young maiden, and between them a child.  Tears filling his eyes, the father waved goodbye to his son and his son’s family, never to see them again.  And never again would he hunt for the maiden with his harpoon.

I need to link from the Rivermaid entry to this one!

I have a look at the history tomorrow!

Nice town and not really something to nitpick!

That's true, especially as I don't know anything about Vardynn, it's too rainy up there. Hmm, does that imply, that I will get much better than you, because I have to learn more? Well, I won't be able to let you suffer truly... lucky you!
I'll try to get to it tomorrow, I'm not fit enough this evening to find your grave errors...


*looks down to Alt*
You pittied me so, that I gave you one recently , just for trying to be good 
but I apprecite, that I don't have that boring 139 anymore, 140 is a much nicer number, 141 would be even more please me!

http://www.santharia.com/dev/index.php/topic,15120.120.html
Re: Vardýnn Master Plan Discussion
« Reply #122 on: 07 December 2011, 07:36:28 »



Well, as far as religious institutions are concerned: The rough Santharian Timeline offers some details here, see mainly the Clerical Age mentioned there (610-825). According to the text there and this map we've had four elemental "archbishops" (title still to be changed!), dominate the kingdom and instruct a puppet king. These are actually four power centers - which is better than just one clerical leader, because there can be more diversity and tension. I assume these clerical power centers are still intact more or less, maybe one move elsewhere due to a certain reason, but let's assume it's all as it was back in the Clerical Age.

The clerical center of importance for us is the "Fire archbishop", which was initially placed at Milkengrad. In his comment Curgan pointed out, I quote it here:

Quote
It will be hard for the Helcrani to have an archbishop of the 12 since they consider them inferior and believe to Ava, just like the elves (who along with dwarves form two of the Helcrani clans). Maybe they could have an archbishop of Ava, as a heresy...

With other words: Milkengrad is not good, but the archbishop should still be in Vardýnn. So I'd say let's move him/her somewhere else - places like Voldar and Jernais are not the best options as they have already a certain history and place in the province. So how about, say, the next larger town around, e.g. Thyslan? (qu Art)
******
It seems there isn't much written about Centoraurian beliefs, but since the Helcrani are quite integrated into Centoraurian society, it might be safer not to use Thyslan or any other Centoraurian city.  Would Cemphiria work?  It's Erpheronian and not very far away. (Mina)

****

Cemphiria seems like a good town for a temple and regional religious influence/power (perhaps it might be allowed to grow a little due to the new prestige it bears?).

Perhaps I may be forcing development and this discussion in places where it's not ready to go, but I feel it most integral to flesh out what the religious texture is in the region. There is no doubt institutionalized Aviarian religion (IAR). I assume IAR developed in the Clerical Age and evolved a bit since this time. Are there any orders pertaining to the IAR (knight-esque or monk-esque or scholar-esque)? Perhaps the IAR requires one of their representatives to be present in the house of all dukes and gravens, and a few to serve as advisors to the Thane?

Are there different flavors of IAR? Something to like of the Catholics and Protestants in England? Is the relationship between political figures and religious ones more peaceful or more antagonist? (I'm think of Mr. I-want-to-marry-six-times-and-don't-give-a-damn-what-the-church-says).

I'm not sure I understand the break-down of the "archbishops" into elements. Does the Archbishop of Fire claim a special connection to the Fire Gods (Armeros, Etherus, and Foiros)? Or does this "fire" epithet refer to something else?
{Rayne)

***
Elven belief

Elves believe in Avá, humans don't. As for worshipping practices and the actual consequences of belief: There's a huge difference between the races. I've started a discussion on that a while ago in order to work out these differences out a bit (see this thread). This all of course also affects what worship means to them.

You could call the human worship naive, as they consider the gods as the ultimate beings having their hands actively involved in all worldly affairs, so that by praying you can "swing their moods" and get them to help you. Gods are seen as initially derived from humans and turned "super-humans", thus their inherent hubris, because they think they have it in them to change the world. That's rather simply put, though.

Elves believe in Avá and the necessity that she realizes herself in Coór, and from that the Gods sprang into existence to fulfill necessary tasks to help realizing that Dream. So an elf's prayer is more a focusing of the inner self onto the basic principles/ideas which the Gods represent, rather than taking with personal gods. Elven worship on a shrine is more meditation on a certain aspect of existence, and this especially is true as far as Avá is concerned, as in Her rests the whole fate of the world. I assume there should also be shrines to Coór, because the elves need to be aware of the consequences of His existence as well.

So: Humans and elves have the Twelvern Gods in common, but worship entirely differently. Elves probably wouldn't really worship in a human temples, as humans don't really "get" the true nature of the universe according to them. They come from two entirely different sides. (More on the basic differences between humans and elves becomes apparent in my most recent story, "Beyond the Rift", BTW.)

Institutionalized Aviarian religion

It's all still not clearly defined, but there are of course orders, who take over after the Interregnum (White Knights, Order of Armeros etc.), who compete with military orders after the kingdom has received a serious blow. See the Time of Interregnum in the Timeline thread. As I already said elsewhere: We'd need to continue with Santharian history to get more depth into that.

I also would like to see more sects develop around the Twelvern faith. Not really huge branches splitting up Twelvern faith, but a few extreme developments, which might also reflect in the minor orders (example: that some decide to defend what they think is good with the sword, whatever the cost). Things like that to add more to the mix, fanatics and stuff, which make the people in the middle aware where they really stand.

Elemental archbishops

Hasn't been worked out in detail, but yes, special connection to the Fire Gods for an Archbishop of Fire would be the basic idea. Which would mean in terms of map-making: The main fire temples should be up north, in that bishop's territory. Fits somewhat to the Erpheronians with their fire-red hair and their affinity to all things war-related. (Art)

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What a week! Thank goodness it's Friday!

Thank you for the explanation of Elven belief! You have confirmed my suspicions, and validated my interpretation from site material. I think there may be others who have misinterpreted...

I would love for the Order of Armeros to have its "headquarters" in Cemphiria. Right now, the entry mentions only New-Santhala, Voldar, and Elsreth. However, having it in Cemphiria (or another town/city in Vardynn), would align with history (regarding the Fire Archbishop in the Clerical Age).

This also supplies something which I believe is significant--it gives religion what seems to me to be a standing army, of sorts, naturally lending a great deal of power to IAR in Vardynn.

Is there no over-arching religious figure in the region, analogous to the Pope in Rome? And if not, it seems appropriate that there should be one archbishop for each god rather than each 'element,' though there may be a 'leader' for each element (i.e.  the Archbishop of Armeros is chosen as leader by the Archbishop of Foiros and the Archbishop of Etherus). After all, it seems likely that archbishops would be chosen because of their particular connection to A god--one with whom the bishop claims he/she can commune--and it seems unlikely that one individual would share such a connection to multiple gods, many of which have conflicting qualities (i.e. Armeros and Etherus).

I therefore propose that, in Vardynn at least, the Temple of Armeros has particular influence over the governance of the province. Cemphiria houses a grand temple, constructed during the Clerical Age, from whence the Archbishop of Armeros once commended significant power (and still does, to some degree). The Thane is greatly influenced by this archbishop, not only because of the influence granted by his/her religious standing, but also because of the Knights of the Order of Armeros. While the provincial order is smaller than the governments, the number of worthy knights lent by the good relations with the Temple of Armeros is significant enough to encourage the Thane to maintain those relations.

What are your thoughts on this, Artimidor?

I would like to place some major temples to Foiros and Etherus in the region, as well. Any ideas?
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Should I make the Vardynn Resource map and list its own thread? Yae or Nay?
That's up to you, but I don't really feel that it's necessary. 

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Elves believe in Avá, humans don't.
Do they completely reject the idea that Avá exists, or simply don't worship her?  Perhaps they think of her as a distant creator god who is not relevant to their lives? 

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I also would like to see more sects develop around the Twelvern faith. Not really huge branches splitting up Twelvern faith, but a few extreme developments, which might also reflect in the minor orders (example: that some decide to defend what they think is good with the sword, whatever the cost). Things like that to add more to the mix, fanatics and stuff, which make the people in the middle aware where they really stand.
The Voidwalkers sound a little like that.  Of course, having more heretical groups would be great too. 

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Is there no over-arching religious figure in the region, analogous to the Pope in Rome? And if not, it seems appropriate that there should be one archbishop for each god rather than each 'element,' though there may be a 'leader' for each element (i.e.  the Archbishop of Armeros is chosen as leader by the Archbishop of Foiros and the Archbishop of Etherus). After all, it seems likely that archbishops would be chosen because of their particular connection to A god--one with whom the bishop claims he/she can commune--and it seems unlikely that one individual would share such a connection to multiple gods, many of which have conflicting qualities (i.e. Armeros and Etherus).
That's a good point.  On the other hand, having the leader chosen by only 3 people feels like it's not quite interesting enough.  More factions would mean more potential rivalries and thus more chances to come up with fun stuff.   

But maybe the discussions regarding religious beliefs and institutions should be moved to a different thread?  They do involve much more than Vardynn. 

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I would like to place some major temples to Foiros and Etherus in the region, as well. Any ideas?
That's a good idea.  Do they all have to be in Vardynn though?  Nermeran is very Erpheronian too. 

However, I am also slightly concerned that religious affiliation doesn't seem to be as neat as suggested by the Clerical Age map.  Notably, Nyermersys is deep in "Fire" territory, but is strongly associated with Queprur.  Well, hopefully that will be sorted out when the political side of religion becomes more developed. (Mina)

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RELIGION

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On the other hand, having the leader chosen by only 3 people feels like it's not quite interesting enough.  More factions would mean more potential rivalries and thus more chances to come up with fun stuff.   

But maybe the discussions regarding religious beliefs and institutions should be moved to a different thread?  They do involve much more than Vardynn.

I suppose, before we get too far into discussion, it might be worth deciding whether or not this is something we're ready to flesh out at this point or if we want to wait until the timeline development reaches the Clerical Age. My goal was to confirm the influence of religion on regional politics--most specifically, this influence:

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I therefore propose that, in Vardynn at least, the Temple of Armeros has particular influence over the governance of the province. Cemphiria houses a grand temple, constructed during the Clerical Age, from whence the Archbishop of Armeros once commended significant power (and still does, to some degree). The Thane is greatly influenced by this archbishop, not only because of the influence granted by his/her religious standing, but also because of the Knights of the Order of Armeros. While the provincial order is smaller than the governments, the number of worthy knights lent by the good relations with the Temple of Armeros is significant enough to encourage the Thane to maintain those relations.

However, I am open to discussing the role of religion in Santharia as a whole--though I would like to see Talia involved, if possible, given her closeness with this particular field of development...
(Rayne)
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Indeed the Helcrani would not have a temple of any other than Ava. In fact they have a "humanised" version of the elven beliefs. The elves among them are just like the rest of the elves in tems of worship, while  the dwarves, although they too believe in Ava have a more "material" form of religion... (Curgan)

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RELIGION (off topic)

Concerning Mina's question on Avá:

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Do [humans] completely reject the idea that Avá exists, or simply don't worship her?  Perhaps they think of her as a distant creator god who is not relevant to their lives? 

I would say that humans completely reject the idea of Avá, because their creation myth should differ. That's one of the crucial points actually. What we put instead is not yet clear I think, but that in the Twelvern religion the Gods have developed from humans already is a clear indicator that it's an entirely different approach. There's no place for a Dreamer who isn't really of this world, in human religion it's all about this world.

Avá BTW has merged in human understanding with Eyasha (note: "Month of the Sleeping Dreameress" - there are only twelve months!). So humans would say: The elves just took one of their Gods and made her the main one, adding their own creation myth ideas.

Oh, Voidwalkers are nice as a sect, more don't hurt

On to the archbishops issue:

Archbishops per deity is ok as well, the point of our historical discussions was that there's an overarching key figure for the elements, so that we have a relatively small amount of key figures who can exert power and provide points of conflicts. Not so good if there are twelve power figures. We an call that overarching clerical elemental person any way we like, though.

However, discussions are fine, but I think all we need to know for now where we should place what temples, and everything else I would discuss later. Main objective is to get our map together, and the sooner I know where we want to place what, I can actually get to realizing it all on the map. (Art)

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We can keep the Twelvern out of Milkengrad, but we need temples elsewhere. I would recommend a Foiros in either Jernais or Salsair (leaning toward the latter) and a Temple of Etherus in either Thyslan or Jernais. What do you all think?

Should we have other larger temples to other dieties in the province? We could always put a Jeyriall Temple in Jernais. Maybe a Baveras Temple is Westhron? A temple to Grothar in Accam? An Eyasha temple in... hm... in a province filled with Erpheronians, it’s hard to know where or how you squeeze in a Goddess of Peace... 


I also assume my suggested politics-religion proposal for the province is all right...   (Rayne)

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My goal was to confirm the influence of religion on regional politics--most specifically, this influence:
Well, the idea of an Archbishop (do we have a better title for them?) being very influential in provincial politics sounds good.  The details of how the Order of Armeros fits into this I'm not so sure, but it does sound interesting.   

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I assume the kingdom allows provinces to have standing armies/active knights.
Well, that's most likely the case for knights, since it's a noble rank (I think) in addition to being a type of soldier.  Not so sure about other types of troops though.  As far as I know, standing armies only started appearing towards the end of the medieval period.  Assuming that Santharia is supposed to resemble medieval Europe as much as possible, standing armies are probably relatively uncommon.  There's also the issue of how centralised the provinces are.  Is Vardynn centralised enough to have a Vardynnian Army (presumably answering to the Thane), or is it the Dukes and/or other nobles who actually own armies? 

By the way, I found an interesting bit of information on Wikipedia:
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The practice of carrying relics into battle is a feature that distinguishes medieval warfare from its predecessors or from early modern warfare. The presence of relics was believed to be an important source of supernatural power that served both as a spiritual weapon and a form of defense; the relics of martyrs were considered by Saint John Chrysostom much more powerful than "walls, trenches, weapons and hosts of soldiers"
I don't know how common this was across Europe in general, but if I remember correctly, a book I read several years ago mentioned that the Byzantine Empire did this quite frequently.  Might be something to consider when developing military and religious practices. 

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Right now the list uses both a breakdown of metals (silver, iron, etc.) and the catch-all term "metals". I assume that "metals" should probably be broken down across the board, but I'm not sure what cities would require what specific metals.
Well, I think iron is usually quite important and used for lots of things.  I would guess that it's more common for places short of iron to import iron products than raw iron though.  Copper, silver, and gold are used for money; I don't know if they have any other uses.  I can't think of any other metals that would really be needed at the moment.  Things like mithril and aurium have their uses, but they aren't exactly necessities. 

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I would say that humans completely reject the idea of Avá, because their creation myth should differ. That's one of the crucial points actually. What we put instead is not yet clear I think, but that in the Twelvern religion the Gods have developed from humans already is a clear indicator that it's an entirely different approach.
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Avá BTW has merged in human understanding with Eyasha
That's interesting.  I wonder how this would affect relations with Elves.  Is there anywhere I can read up on these new developments regarding the religion?  I don't think I saw anything like that in the cosmology forum. 

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I have no issue expanding Milkennon’s territory to include the island to the north (Did we name that?).
It's Midlanir, I think. 

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We can keep the Twelvern out of Milkengrad, but we need temples elsewhere. I would recommend a Foiros in either Jernais or Salsair (leaning toward the latter) and a Temple of Etherus in either Thyslan or Jernais. What do you all think?
To what extent do the Centoraurians share the religious attitudes of the Helcrani?  Salsair and Thyslan are Centoraurian cities, so if they're like the Helcrani religiously, they are probably not suitable locations for the temples. 

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Should we have other larger temples to other dieties in the province? We could always put a Jeyriall Temple in Jernais. Maybe a Baveras Temple is Westhron? A temple to Grothar in Accam? An Eyasha temple in... hm... in a province filled with Erpheronians, it’s hard to know where or how you squeeze in a Goddess of Peace...
  Well, maybe not Eyasha.  The largest temple to Eyasha is in Caelum, so it's not exactly necessary to put another major temple in the next province.  Urtengor seems a little neglected to me though.  Maybe he could have a major temple somewhere in the province? 

There's also a major temple to Nehtor in Voldar. (Mina)


Thediscussion goes on here:

http://www.santharia.com/dev/index.php/topic,15120.135.html

Hi Alt,

started to read, but decided then, that I need to do my work first..... so you need to wait a bit.

Just one thing:


The title is quite clear: Pheramethar (Pheramethár?)

I copy what we have in this old thread:

http://www.santharia.com/dev/index.php/topic,10783.0.html

Some questions arise here:

As Curgan said, Milkengrad might not be the best place for the seat of the Pheramethár. But Voldar or Nyermersis are more important cities, would it not be there?

Is it today at is was back then?

Perhaps the official seat of the Pheramethar is not Salsair, but he has his private 'retreat' here as the pope has in Castel Gandolfo. Would that be ok?

If you like to have the official seat, we just have to find a reason, why it is there, no problem with our unwritten history

Dear Altario, do you have such a limited palette of colours? You have my sympathy!     

Well, after reading the parts with this strange colour I think I'll give you the ok for what you have right now! ( Otherwise these people never get done!) 

Btw, I saw this weekend, that you had continued our SWIV story and I hadn't noticed.... sorry! I feel very much drawn to continue, just not right now. I do not feel very 'winterly', it is so warm over here. I want some more snow!

Yeah, hope you like it! 

I know by now all you can know about marl (Mergel) and the different types, believe me. And I mentioned myself, that there are claypits nearby, but what has a griffin to do with marl? griffin's marl? griffin's eyrie, griffin's mountain...

Well, I'll find a way around it, just wanted to know, if I missed something.

Thanks!