The Inishtari Tribe
The Inishtari
The Inishtari were an ancient tribe with an ancestry tracking back to the time of dragons. They were credited with killing the last of the dragons in the world after the creatures retreated into the Great Valley, and the tribe’s leaders kept a dragon skull as a badge of office. The Inishtari laid the groundwork for the creation of the Kingdom Oscana in 851 T.E. by focusing on diplomatic relations, academic pursuit, trade, and resource management. According to historic records, they only took a militant approach while defending against the more hostile tribal regions around them. Modern research suggests they were far from a pacifist group, and did resort to a militant approach when annexing some of the more stubborn western tribes.
Unifying The Great Valley
In 15 T.E., a young man was made chief of this tribe and he sought to use the reputation of the Inishtari as dragon killers to inspire unity in the valley. He travelled the entire valley in a tireless campaign to win over and negotiate with the other tribes. In two short years, these tribes were united under the Inishtari banner, creating the Inishtari Valley. Alabran Oscana I spent his entire life strengthening these bonds and developing a structure for governing. The valley’s Chiefs would report to the Great Chief born from the Oscanan family and open trade networks formed to share resources between the tribes of the Inishtari. The names of these valley tribes were lost to time, overshadowed, or perhaps deliberately erased from records, by the Inishtari.
Modern scholars have spent entire careers arguing about the contributions of the valley tribes and searching for documentation from the era to support theories about succession disputes, and all other manner of conspiracies. The problems are always the same. Many tribes of the first recorded era were not good record keepers. The odd family may trace their ancestry back to a general location, but the tribe names were rarely written, as they were implied when discussing a family. There have been efforts to map genealogy in the region and paint a complete picture of the Inishtari Valley.
by RandoScorpio, Inkarnate
The Great Chiefs Of The Inishtari
Starting with Alabran Oscana I, the Great Chiefs of the Inishtari were born from the Oscanan family’s main line, with a patrilineal inheritance. They boast the longest unbroken line of succession in Sleyterra, which is credited for the stability in the region from the ancient tribal era to present day Oscana. The duties of the Great Chief included cultural growth, trade, infrastructure, and military coordination and allocating funds collected from the surrounding tribes to complete these projects.
Some Great Chiefs used these resources and left lasting legacies, while others squandered them and indulged in personal pleasures. The way a Great Chief was remembered affected how his name survived. The best examples of leadership have seen their name used through the ages. Notable favourites are Alabran, Cornaith, Farryn, and Taeral. Other names were scandalized beyond repair and are still avoided by the royal family, such as Sirtal, Arlo, and Byron.
Carved Dragon Skull
This highly decorated dragon skull served as the badge of office for the Great Chiefs of the Inishtari. Every Great Chief carved a piece of this skull, Aithilin Oscana made the last addition in 851 T.E. before his coronation. The skull was kept with the Oscana family until they donated it to the Royal Museum of History. It is still taken off display for royal coronations and important rituals performed by the king.
Military Actions
The Inishtari Valley was a peaceful place for the ancient Inishtari Tribes thanks to the protective mountains that cradled it. There were minor disputes and skirmishes throughout the early history of the Inishtari Valley, most only appearing on official records as a footnote. However, border expansions in 283 T.E. lead to a two-year conflict with the tribes of the Ustrana, and new borders were established after the Great Chief Alabran Oscana III drove back the Ustranan warriors.
The next great conflict was the Inishtari Basin War, sparked by the flooding of the Inishtari Valley in 710 T.E. The Ustranan Tribes took advantage of a weakened Inishtari force and their army marched on Arlton in 711 T.E. There were great losses on all sides, but the actual numbers are unclear. The Great Chief Arlo Oscana lost both his son and grandson in the bitter fighting. Peace was only achieved after his great grandson took over the Inishtari. It took two years after Arlo’s death to finish negotiations, but Cornaith Oscana V restored peace in 724 T.E. and Arlton was renamed in 726 T.E. to distance the city from Arlo’s folly.
The Inishtari Basin Disaster
The Inishtari Basin Disaster was an unprecedented catastrophe in the ancient world. In an instant, unfathomable amounts of water transformed and submerged the Inishtari Valley. Records about the reason for the accident at the time are sparse and unclear, but modern scholars trace the incident back to the efforts of Taeral Oscana III’s efforts to manipulate water and create caches to avoid drought. In three short generations, this simple act inspired the advancements that lead to the disaster that sparked the first large-scale war between the Inishtari and Ustranans.
Records from this time mention strange creatures and changes in wildlife. The wider ecological effect of the magic that was released is still a point of study by scholars. There are even modern reports of merfolk in the basin alongside the dragonfish. This sparked new theories about the magic seeping into the land transforming people instead of killing them. The nature of the dragonfish also supports this theory, as recent developments show these creatures result from magic infusing the skeletons of the long dead dragons of prehistory.
Textiles & Clothing
Textile Manufacturing
Clothing before unifying the Inishtari Valley was simple and made of animal hides and leather. Once more tribes joined the Inishtari trade was more available with smaller tribes that had learned to use animal fiber to weave cloth. The woven cloth was highly sought after and the small tribe was able to focus on their craft, trading the cloth for food and other necessities. The colours available were limited to reds, yellows, and white. It was a northern tribe that found a way to dye rich colours into the fabrics using sea snails, brightly coloured seaweeds, and other pigmented sea creatures.
The process to get highly coloured fabric and have it fashioned into clothing was labourious and costly. Often extra embellishments in intricately embroidered patterns were applied to these stunning clothes. This meant that anyone who owned these beautiful fabrics had wealth and likely some amount of power.
Clothing of Leaders
The Great Chief and his family along with the other Chiefs in the Inishtari Valley enjoyed colourful garments, but wore them in the same style as the average tribe members. The only exceptions were for weddings and formal events. In those instances both men and women wore heavily layered and decorated outfits that were difficult to move in, but displayed their wealth effectively.
Everyday Clothes
For the everyday member of the Inishtari, clothing was made in muted tones and simple cuts that allowed easy movement. Differences in men’s and women’s fashion are slight and usually only relate to the shape of a garment, such as with women’s waistlines being more tapered than a man’s.
Most of the Inishtari wore pants that fit loosely around the leg, and had sleeves that ended mid-forearm. Shorter sleeves kept their garments cleaner, and loose pants allowed for a greater range of movement. Function was prized above any idea of fashion.
Marrying a Great Chief
Many of the Great Chieftesses came from the many tribes of the Inishtari Valley as a means to integrate them into the cultural fabric of the Inishtari people, and the marriage of a Great Chief was a sumptuous affair. Brightly coloured fabrics were a sign of the wealth and stability of the union. A woman's dowery was often full of these bright and highly decorated fabrics, demonstrating the wealth she added not only to her family but to the Inishtari as the Great Chieftess. She would often handle the duties of her husband when he was away on diplomatic or military missions. In some cases she was needed as a regent to her son if he was too young to govern properly. The most notable case of this occurrence was in 149 T.E. when Mirana Oscana guided Alabran Oscana II when he was appointed Great Chief at the age of 7. She was a steady presence in government until her death.
Legacy
Scholarship
Emphasis on education and higher learning was a persistent thread that held the Inishtari together and shaped the culture of modern Oscana. Much of what is known about the Inishtari people comes from this idea of scholarship, and contrasts the very few records telling about surrounding tribal regions. The rise of education, literacy, and the preservation of knowledge created the occupation of scholar.
Ancient scholars first appear in the records after the construction of the first city in 57 T.E. Scholars today are considered to have some of the most important jobs in the kingdom, researching, logging, and preserving the country’s history. They use this information to influence technology and improve the quality of life of the citizens. Modern kings often defer to the wisdom of the scholars of the Royal Academy, who in this New Era have established a constitution to guide policy and a parliamentary court to discuss ideas and create new laws.
Grand Library of the Inishtari
Grand Library of the Inishtari
by
RandoScorpio, MidJourney
The only paintings of the Grand Library that Oscana has have been painted based on descriptions and historical records.
In this picture we see a large library with tall shelves on either side of a wide hall that stretches back beyond view. Green sections of the wall between the shelves support a tall arched ceiling with a mural depicting a forest canopy.
In this picture we see a large library with tall shelves on either side of a wide hall that stretches back beyond view. Green sections of the wall between the shelves support a tall arched ceiling with a mural depicting a forest canopy.
The Grand Libraries
The first Grand Library was constructed in Inishvale. This library was described as the most lavish wonder of the ancient world, adorned with art, plush handmade carpets, and intricate carvings. The few surviving sketches and poetic descriptions of the library have inspired great artists through the ages to paint speculations about the interior.
Losing this library in a fire in 402 T.E. was grieved across the Inishtari Valley, but reconstruction had to wait while famine and drought raged through the valley. In 456 T.E., Cornaith Oscana II rebuilt the library more lavish and opulent that before. With detailed mosaic floors, sturdy stone walls, and precautions in case of another fire. These precautions saved the library when it was struck by lightning in 482 T.E., inspiring the construction of an archive.
The modern iteration of this library is in Bayton along with the Royal Museum of History, the Royal Academy, and the Royal Archives. These seats of knowledge have all stemmed from the original library and grown with the kingdom’s needs. They are also popular tourism destinations that help generate income and support the Oscanan economy.
Very good article. Lots of information put in a nice layout and told in a fun way. The evolution of the territory on the map is a nice touch as well!
Thank you for your kind comment! I'm glad you enjoyed it.