Uld Ewain

Uld Ewain, meaning the Old Ewins.

The Ewins

Chartelinga was a 4th cenutry kingdom, that existed in an area now covered by Burgiss, Stolesia and Algiss. It's ruling house was the Ewins. The Ewins claimed to be the direct decendants of the mythical giant warrior Borethor. Something few would doubt, since the Ewins were all large and heavily build, sons and daughters alike.

Industrial Revolution of Chartelinga

It was under King Doralth Ewin (b:648- d:685) that the family would break apart. Fascinated by the steam contraptions used by eastern merchants, Doralth demanded an engineering shop to be created. Soon after, he started to experiment with explosives and with it came the idea to modernise and mechanise the Charteligan army. Thalia Ewin (b:652- d:680), his younger sister, was vehemently opposed to this. She felt that this would go against the tradition of honourable combat. Although she saw the merrit of using machinery for the transport or production of weapons. She believed that the ease of killing someone at a distance, would lead to carelessness.

Battle at Kvirnulst

In the summer of 574 various Stoli tribes began raiding villages on the eastern border. Doralth saw this as the perfect opportunity to deploy his newly mechanized army and he marched upon Kvirnulst, one of the eastern towns that were being overrun. He invited his sister along, secured in the knowledge that seeing the effectiveness of his new weaponry, she would accepted its usage. However, Doralth was not happy with merely pushing the Stoli back. As a form of warning, Doralth decided to push deep into Stoli territory, destroying everything and anything is his path. This disgusted his sister and she promptly left his entourage and the castle. She is believed to have moved into one of the mountain forts in the northern parts. However no records exist of her during this period.
Her brother promptly disowned her for her desertion and ordered for her arrest, should she ever return to Kartel.

Thalia's End

In 680 Thalia led an attack on the royal armory. She felt that the time had come to remove her elder brother from the throne. Doralth was rumored to have been using mechanised contraptions for torture and the usage of poisonous gas to subdue a small rebellion in the south. Her plan was to cripple his modernized army by destroying their armory and thus effectively interrupting the supply routes. Then she would march on Kartel. Some source estimate that she was joined by 600 deserters and an additional 400 Svaldin mercenaries.
However, her brother had been made aware of this and two weeks beforehand, the armory had been emptied and moved to another location through a series of tunnels. What awaited Thalia was an empty town, with empty halls. As she rode in, engineers of the 2nd army detonated all the mines they had hid underneath the streets and within buildings. While her body was never recovered, it is accepted that she died during the explosion.

The Last Night Of Thalia

by Johann Georg Trautmann

Doralth, though stricken by grief, felt that it had been necessary to violently end his sister's uprising. Fully believing the rebellion had been dealt with, he had forgiven his sister and insisted to have her name added to the family tomb.

Rise of Uld Ewain

5 years later, rumors and messages started circulating, that once again raiders bearing the crest of Thalia Ewin, were slowly moving on the capital city. Witnesses said they called themselves the Uld Ewain. Destroying machinery and workshops as they rode up to the north.

It would become known that the Uld Ewain consisted of Stoli tribesmen, deserters and their kin. Even some of the surviving Svaldin mercenaries were believed to have joined the Uld Ewain fully.
Fearing the worst and with little time to prepair, Doralth decided to pull back his loyalist troops behind the fortified walls of Kartel keep. After a week, no invading force appeared at the castle walls. Smoke wasn't to be found on the horizon and no reports came in from besieged fortresses or villages. On the last night of the second week since the Kartel gates had closed, Doralth entered his bedroom, never to leave it alive again. The next morning his body was found, strangled to death. A note pinned to the wall read "Our only act of dishonor. - Uld Ewain."

Fall of Chartelinga, Rise Of Uldgiss

With both Thalia and Doralth dead and since neither had any known children, no Ewin could take the throne. This would sound the start of a civil war between the smaller houses of Chartelinga and eventually lead to the collapse of the kingdom itself. Meanwhile, in the Eastern Mountains a new nation had been born. Uldgiss, meaning 'home of the old'. It was the new home country of the Uld Ewain. The practice of martial arts was at the core of their traditions and rituals. Any machinery was rejected. Clandestine usage would be prosecuted and if found guilty, people were expelled from the nation. Uldgiss would remain independent for nearly 900 years, before it was eventually annexed by the Brastian Republic in 1568.

Modern Uld Ewain

The Brastian Republic respected the autonomous rule of the Uld Ewain. In return they had to serve the republic in whatever possibility and pay taxes. The Uld Ewain quickly offered to teach anyone willing, horseback fighting and martial arts. They also opened up their villages for visitors and merchants, proving they abided by the rule of no machinety. Their prowess for martial arts had become so renowned, that by 1860, the best academies boasted that they had at least one Uld Ewain instructor on their payroll.
Today Uld Ewain communities can be found in the southern most point of Stolesia and the Highlands in the northern regions of Brastia. While most communities have accepted industry , the spark and public transport such a trains, individual ownership of any form of machinery is still rare and some communities still reject any form of technology. Them preferring a rural life with manual labour and no usage of the spark.
All Uld Ewain, regardless of gender, when coming of age, are expected to either serve their military duty in their country of residence or to join up for at least two years with a local militia. Should they, in the line of duty, need to use any form machinery, it is agreed upon, that this will not be hold against them upon return. Even the most conservative communities allow an exception for this. Both the Stolesian and Brastian army are known to respect this tradition and take it into account as best as possible. Only during general training, will enlisted Uld Ewain have to ride mechanized vehicles and use artillery. For the rest of their mandatory duty or if they choose to stay on a professional basis, they will be assigned to mounted expedition or reconnaissance forces.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

The Uld Ewain never developed and independent language. Some dialectal tonal shifts have occurred among the more conservative and remote villages and towns, but general speaking they have followed the same linguistic evolution and influence as the rest of the population in their region.
Anthropologists and sociologists have noticed that common neologisms rarely find general usage among the Uld Ewain, compared to other communities in their surroundings.

Historical figures

Doralth Ewin (b:648- d:685)

• Last king of Chartelinga
• Likely the basis of Nasty Dor. A folklore character, usually invoked to warn kids not to be meanspirited towards their siblings and other family members

Thalia Ewin (b:652- d:680)

• First queen of Uldgiss (posthumously)

Baert Oderin (b:1530 - d:1597)

• Diplomat who ensured the autonomous rights of Uldgiss, during the annexation talks with the Brastian Republic

Borethor fighting Elgain The Black

by Walter Crane

• The Uld Ewain find their origin in a rebellious force, that wanted to overthrow King Doralth Ewin
• 687 - 1568: The Uld Ewain establish Uldgiss as an independent nation.
• 1568 - ...: Uldgiss becomes an autonomous province within Brastia

Related Organizations

• Stolesia