Leabhar Anlám

     There once was a warrior who wielded a sword so powerful it could cut through the world itself. The magic of this earth, the world they named Anlám, granted him the gift (or curse) to live another life after his death. Whenever his time would come, he’d awaken the next day in the body of a newborn babe. While he’d always need to relearn to walk and talk, lost not were his memories and knowledge. The boy would regrow into a man again and again, seeking out his blade to resume his campaigns of violence and glory. Then came the day he thought up a scheme so vile it would go on to define the very name he sought to conquer. The lands of Anlám feature a magical phenomenon where that which is passed down becomes more powerful in the hands of the inheritor than it was in his father’s. The warrior sought to exploit such a happening by finding a mate and reincarnating as his own son. In this way, his blade would become more powerful with every life he lived. And so it was for more than a thousand years.        He witnessed the war mongering of the early orcish Horde. He fought alongside the old human chieftains as they drove Olnath’s forces back into the forbidden east of Fearanndi. He alone contested the elven empire of the north when their conquest made its way to realms of man. At his peak, he could have taken Anlám for himself. Fortunately for the world, his honor held out long enough for him to be humbled by the great Thairgoleir, humanity’s first true king. It was under he who united the land of men and named it Ronnagan that the warrior was made an official knight. After many years of exemplary service, he acquired great riches and fame across the four realms of Ronnagan and beyond.        But the king knew of the warrior’s secret. “Your blade soaks in the blood of your abominable lineage. You were given a gift by the world’s magic yet you used it for your own personal gain. I must advise that this life be the last you live as wielder of the red blade, eternal knight.”        The knight was bewildered. “You would have me throw away that which has protected our people since the Second Millennium? Since before you yourself came to rule us?”        “You will not find happiness in the power you wield. The purpose of a sword is to be used. What then will you do in the coming time of peace?”        “You…” The knight stumbled backward. “You foresee I will seek out death.”        King Thargoleir bowed his head, a grave look on his face. The knight ran out of the mountaintop castle and rode his steed out into the central plains west of Mount Corofath. It was then he saw for himself the vision of his future. His blade would cut through the innocent just to quench his thirst for purpose.        The knight made his way across the western seas that separated man from beastfolk. He journeyed up past the twin peaks of the Hairleniar and collapsed upon entering Asalen, an elvish port town at the edge of the empire. When he awoke, he was being cared for by a half-elven maiden with a smile like the subtlest crescent. Suddenly, he saw a new vision. One of content. One to cleanse his tampered bloodline.        The two were married not a year and half to the day they met. Together, they bore two sons: Cian the older and Fionn the younger. They were raised to be honorable and never learned of their father’s horrible secret.        On the day of Cian’s thirteenth year, his father led him up a mountain just east of town. When they reached the top, the knight said to his son, “It is this year of your life, boy, that you become a man. My first father explained this to me.”        Then, he unsheathed his legendary sword. The eternal knight knelt before his firstborn and held up the sword for him to take it.        “He gave me this,” he said. “Claiom’athar. A great king once called it the ‘red blade’. Let it be your greatest inheritance.”        Cian beamed widely as he reached out for the hilt. “Thank you, Father.”        The moment Cian took hold of the Red Blade, its magic that had been built up across thousands of years of reincarnation filled his young body. Unable to endure, the knight’s heir breathed his last and fell to the earth. The eternal knight collapsed onto his son with the wails of a banshee spirit. He shuddered and shook like old bones horse drawn over gravel. The summit has since been named Naranach, the “lonely one”.        He carried the corpse of his eldest down the mountain and back home where his wife fell faint at the sight. Fionn watched like ice as his father laid his older brother’s body on a bed and left with nothing but a chest of gold and the Red Blade.        “Take care of your mother, son,” he said to Fionn. “I swear on every life I’ve lived I’ll be back in ten years time.”        The knight sailed even further west to the holy state of Seineilean; home of the greatest scholars, craftsmen, and wizards the world would ever know. It was there he hired the best architects and mages he could find to build on the far off island of Solas a palace of magnificent splendor. A palace to serve as a tomb for the Red Blade. The knight oversaw its construction up until the last brick was set. A brilliant elvish castle heavily inspired by the dwarven citadels of the south. It took exactly ten years to complete.        Just before the boats were to make back for Seineilean, the eternal knight plunged the Red Blade into a pedestal at the center of the palace throne room.        At its base read in the human, elvish, and dwarven languages, “For he who dares wield this red blade, you will not find happiness in its power.”        The knight returned to Asalen pleased to find his wife and Fionn were still alive and well. Having missed the last ten years, however, there was a certain bitterness in every word; a lingering grudge at every meal. Fionn, then well into his young manhood, refused to speak with his father alone until finally, years later, the knight was on his deathbed. Fionn, astonished at how peaceful his father seemed at the end of his days, asked him what he spent all those years doing.        The eternal knight looked at his youngest child with a wrinkly smile. “Your inheritance.”        Fionn’s mother tightened her grip on the knight’s withered hand. Tears filled the springs of her eyelids.        “For too long have I lived and died only to lose all sense of value for what such things meant,” the knight said. “Now, because of you and your mother, I finally feel as if I can say this is the end.”        Fionn knelt beside the bed. “What are you saying, Father?”        The knight looked deep into the eyes of his heir and said, “When the time is right for you to leave this land, go to the west beyond the holy city. There you will find what I hope will always remind you of my love. For you...and your brother.”        On the eve of the Fourth Millennium, the eternal knight--he who wielded the Red Blade against the forces of light and darkness alike--passed away in the embrace of his son and loving wife. It is said that the spell that reincarnated him was broken on that day. That’s what they say, at least.        Fionn went on to marry an elvish woman with whom he had many children and lived a happy life. Only once did he visit the castle his father built for him. At the end of his own life, he passed down the tomb of the Red Blade to his eldest daughter who’d pass it down to her son and his son after him. So was the line of the Second Son in charge of the eternal knight’s castle. With every generation, the island was shrouded in layers of mist and mystery. Eventually, Solas was lost, and the name itself, along with its accompanying legend, became not but a myth.   On this earth, there are five sovereign states; five fingers of the hand of Thairnal:   The Four Realms of Ronnagan (Ceithironnagan) - The land of the four lords is ruled by a great king, Thairgoleir, who descended from the heavens to lead humanity in the new, much more dangerous world created by the descent of the Cinndil and Fealtori who became elves and orcs. Thairgoleir established four lords to rule over what was left of the rudimentary human dominion of Ronnagan, each of equal status: Flatham to the north, Cloudwall to the west, Loch Theas in the south, and Kilswald at eastern mounts to the shore. Eventually, however, they forgot about Thairgoleir and considered themselves to be kings with the one true king to serve as merely a figurehead. Sitting in the valley of Neamhai and the southern mounts, Ronnagan is a primarily human kingdom also sporting the majority of Anlám’s dwarf population. They’re tied with Talamard for colossi (giants).   The High Empire of Talamard (Talamard) - The elven empire sits at the top of the world established near the end of the Second Millennium in order to protect humanity from the threat of Olnath and his orcish horde in the east. On the northern side of Thairgoleir’s mountains is a collection of majestic lakes and grande cities akin to that of the heavens themselves. This makes sense since the elves are descended from the Cinndil and have extremely long life for being the youngest mortal race. However, thinking that the only way to protect the world was to rule it, the empire began its conquest only to be stopped by Thargoleir himself upon his descent. Though the developed human population was not encroached on as much, those who Talamard saw as sub-mortal like the beastfolk and the dwarves, were not as fortunate. To this day, imperial elves are hated by beastfolk and not exactly thought of kindly by dwarves. The elves are forced to respect the colossi because of their sheer strength and size, but the giants are wise to know they wouldn’t be considered if they were as small as their dwarven cousins. The empire is also heavily endorsed by the holy state of Seineilean.   The Horde of Fearanndi (Fearanndi) - During the First Millennium, there was war in the heavens. Olnath, then known as Macansol, led a rebellion against the creator god Thairnal/a. In the Faclana, sacred texts written by chosen scribes leading up to Thairgoleir’s descent, it is said that Thairnal and the Cinndil defeated Olnath and banished him and his rebellion from the heavens into the void. In Lanaithic tradition, it is believed that Thairnal/a died in the war and Lanaith/e, Thairnal’s daughter, took the mantle of Creator God. Olnath set his eyes on Anlám, and he and his rebellion, the Fealtori, descended upon the world. However, they couldn’t interact directly with humanity, so he forced most of the Fealtori to give up their immortality and become humans. However, the evil in their hearts morphed them into corrupted versions of humans. Their name is taken from Olnath’s root name “olc”. Henceforth, they were known as orcs. The eastern land of Fearanndi became their staging ground for what would’ve been a hostile takeover if it wasn’t for the elves and Thairgoleir. Their lands are shrouded in dark, wet forests heavy with the weight of doom.   The Tribes of Domhanbeith (Domhanbeith) - Before the descent of the Fealtori, a phenomenon incited by the magic of the world caused the mountains and stones to awaken. These became the colossian giants and the dwarves. Not a millenia later, the arrival of the orcs caused a magical rift, referred to in the Faclana as the Olcurse, that repeated the awakening of a new race. This time, however, the awakening happened in the bodies of the wild beasts. They began to stand on two legs and speak in words never heard before. These beastfolk evolved to a point of competence that was never meant to be had as man was meant to rule over the beasts. Though some of the beastfolk from more carnivorous descent posed a significant threat to humanity, there were many others who were easy to befriend. That didn’t stop Olnath from trying to use them to his advantage. Relations between Domhanbeith and Fearanndi are marred in strange history, but for now they are suspicious of the orcish Horde. Surrounding Domhanbeith’s central savannah, grasslands and forests paint the mostly western lands. The north is crowned by twin mountain ranges where they meet their colossal allies.   Seineilean (Naof-Seineilean) - The holy state established by a diverse group of theologians and scholars alike located in the far west isles. The capital is built on the waters between the two main islands making for a phantasmagorical display of elven architecture with heavy inspiration from dwarven citadels. This idyllic nation may be small, but they have been integral to many of the advancements in society as well as the primary supporter of the Talamardian Empire following its establishment in the early Third Millennium. Though their allegiances waver, they have always denounced Fearanndi. Once, an attempted invasion was staged by Fearanndi by sailing across the eastern sea but were stopped by a powerful barrier casted by a crystallized piece of world magic that the state is built around.   There are six primary races of mortal that inhabit the lands of Anlám each with their own subraces called peoples:   Human - Children of Thairnal   Machairi (plainsfolk)

• Kind farmers who enjoy the simple life and provide the most necessary goods for their lordoms

  Learnacha (woodlander)

• Expert craftsmen and survivalists who are often chosen by the lords to work as rangers for their territory

  Firbein/a (mountain man/lady)

• Usually scholars/archaeologists or chief architects who work closely with the likes of dwarves and giants to make amazing discoveries

  Tirdeighe (icelander)

• Those who seek the solitude of the frozen wilds often bringing rare and valuable crystals from the southern pole of the world

  Daofasa (dunesfolk)

• The riders of the Bealanghealan dunes offer much in the way of trade and luxuries especially in the realm of apparel and accessories

  Muinntraghad (coastlander)

• Besides the cool breeze and the surf of the northern beaches, these folk are brilliant storytellers with oral tradition that dates back to the First Millennium

  Elf - Descendants of Cinndil   Talamar (imperial)

• The majority of the modern day elven population born out of the most mainstream community that made up the original empire of Cinndil descendants sporting a refined and polite culture regardless of status

  Alf

• There were a select group of elves that abandoned the imperial ambitions and shifting religious beliefs of the Talamar and settled north in the tundras where they became family oriented hunters harkening to an age of man before the immortal descent

  Eldren

• In the vein of the Alfish peoples, the Eldren separated from the Talamar later on once the original purpose of their descent was believed to be overshadowed by imperial ambition leading them to migrate to isles of the far west and establish the holy state of Seineilean (some consider this to be a cowardly alternative)

  Orc - Descendants of Fealtori   Cythrauflin (prime orc)

• Every mid to high ranking member of the Fealtori became this standard incarnation of an orc (from the Human word “olc” meaning evil tall, muscular, and ferocious in their manner though not at the sacrifice of their intelligence

  Oglin (ogre)

• The brute class of orc descended from Fealtori champions that Lanaithic tradition says were responsible for the death of Thairnal with muscles the size of boulders and standing high over the heads of their Cythrauflin brethren though not equipped with the same in intelligence (or any for that matter as they cannot string together sentences of their lives depended on it)

  Goblin

• The lower ranks of Fealtori became these shorter, nimbler, and all around more wiley devils with long ears and a tendency to crawl where no man should be able to; proficiency in the dark manipulation of magic is a talent exclusive to this lesser orc

  Arglin (imp)

• The dregs and runts of the Fealtori were surprised to find they were such when they transformed into these tiny flying orcs with sharp grimaces and long tongues only to eventually be lumped in with fairy kind (called “dark fairies” by the ignorant and orcs looking to step on their smaller siblings)

  Dwarf - Children of the Stone   Stuc (high/mountain)

• Dwarves that have more than earned their reputation as the most stalwart of folk living high in the mountains with their citadels and various machinations more stoic than grumpy

  Ioshainn (low/mine)

• It’s those who make their living in the deep darks beneath mountains and in the caves scattered across the lands of men and southern empire that are motivated by greed at the worst and by curiosity at best and always seem tired and ready for a nice cold beverage

  Uachdar (land)

• The mellowest of dwarf populating the realms of Ronnagan closer to the bases of mountains and bleeding into the human villages causing them to become softer and jollier than most dwarves

  Colossus (Giant) - Children of the Mountain   Brrg (stone)

• Out of the ice capped peaks walled the oldest of colossi that taught the other children of the earth to speak though nowadays they mostly keep to themselves when they’re not seeking answers to their inquiries beyond the stars

  Jrrd (soil)

• The younger of the giant race of colossus who are much more fond of humans than any other populating hills and soul mountains alike with their wise words and watch over history

  Beastfolk - Children of the Wild   Moncai (apemen)

• Though not the first to awaken, the simian beastfolk quickly took over the wild lands of the west due to their superior intelligence and commanding sense of order

  Mactiren (wolfmen)

• Stick to their packs and loyal to anyone who proves themselves to be a friend with a long history of skillful warriors and heroes

  Loen (lionmen)

• From these peoples of beastfolk rose the sole kings of the west oftentimes in history coming in conflict with the Moncai only to be eventually subjugated due to sheer amount of land the Moncai ruled; needless to say, their pride is scarred

  Tiogair (tigermen)

• A rarer people who rivaled the Loen for millennia only to ascend to a status of legend as the only ones left will only be found when they want to and don’t often appear unless they feel they are needed

  Eancrei (birdmen)

• These diverse peoples are found anywhere and everywhere and consist of warriors, entertainers, politicians, adventurers, etc. all aiming to do right by themselves and their honor

  Iascen (fishmen)

• Strangers to land and its inhabitants, there’s only so much time those who awakened in the blue unknown can spend on the dry shores of their fellow beastfolk; a people defined by their mysterious aura and treasures they bring to the surface

  Lagairt (lizardmen)

• Another diverse group of beastfolk whose culture is famously rich though not necessarily widespread; the reptilian warriors are quick, cunning, and deadly (often underestimated by those of greater strength)

  Buafen (toadmen)

• A sage in one hand, a fool in the other, these amphibian beastfolk awoke with all kinds of ideas on how to exist in the world ruled by humanity; one thing’s for sure, you’ll never have to guess what a Buafen’s thinking or feeling ‘cause they’ll let you know right away (for better or for worse)

  Portan (crabmen)

• Though endlessly productive and wildly successful when ventures are pursued, there’s nothing shorter than a Portan’s fuse often leading them to hide away at day so they aren’t annoyed with every little thing