Fringe of Nathrovas

Just as olûndi might bear scars of a violent past, the land of Everos suffers from a wound that will never mend. In the eastern reaches of the continent is a broken realm of dark islands coated with dark, tangled morass and corrupted jungle undergrowth. Horrid, muscle bound creatures formed from the corrupted bodies of ancient inhabitants patrols the shores and inland forests. Indeed, whispered tales of sailors speak of distant sighting of one monstrosity or another, but rarely anything verified. The wise choose to skirt around these barren outcroppings, fearing what might be hiding in the shadows and behind the legends. Those with less noble intentions, being the brigands and outlaws of the world, enjoy the isolation and sparse traffic of the Fringe. There they set up base to raid seashore towns or undefended merchant vessels. It is a land that has defied control and passification since the 2300s, when it was first broken by the immense power of Bal’gorod’s stone. Like an ominous storm, it looms just out of sight and mind, but bears a tumult of ever present danger that may be released at any moment.
The charred and broken islands of the Fringe were not always a scene of desolation. In the distant history of the Awakening the region of eastern Everos was known as Alorend, or the Green Valley in the tongue of the ancient Evosmar. Those who dwelled in that place were of a simple stock, farming and tending to cattle as a means of survival. The tribesmen rarely departed from those green fields, keeping to themselves in tight clan networks. When disputes arose between them, matters were settled by ritualistic duels or small-scale raids. These affairs were brief and minimally destructive- the communities of the region could not support full scale wars as they existed in later centuries. In terms of economics, the tribes and chieftans of the Alorend interacted within a barter economy. Resources and products were traded in kind between them- weapons, animals, beads, cloths, and foodstuffs. In was simplistic system that left precious little room for expansion and opportunity. Throughout that whole period of the Awakening, petty kingdoms rose and fell, though no states of note endured.
Progress and change arrived in Alorend with the arrival of Etayen in Everos. First came the famous explorer Afranast the Wavebreaker, who arrived in Everos around the year -1440, after the passification of the Semyr islands. He and his followers set anchor in the shadow of the Gól Sädûn Mountains, southwest of Alorend. It was there that the first stones were placed in what would become the Kingdom of Jequa- the southernmost colony of the Etayen. It wasn’t until decades later that the settlers of that place migrated north to the Valley of Alorend. When the Etayen did arrive, around the year -1370, they encountered the tribes who had dwelled there for millennia. Relations between the two groups were quickly marred by mutual mistrust and border pressures. The most famous accounts of this interaction are between the SHEEP PEOPLE of Alorenic origin and Nankorsus Kalokir, a close lieutenant of Afranast. Their story goes something like the following passages:
These were the Aemar who lived in the region before the Etayen came to power here. Typically slight, though powerfully built, they had inhabited these lands for generations, fighting in petty rivalries and rejoicing in mundane triumphs. They were devotees of the Naarstor, though they had a different name for it. They were pastoral people, organized into a loose confederation of tribes under the stewardship of an All-King who served to settle disputes and guide them as a cultural force. The last All-King’s name is lost to history, though they were typically chosen for their connection to the Naarstor specifically.
When the Etayen first arrived they would have engaged the Sheep People in a cautious manner, knowing that overt violence would make their conquest more difficult at first. The first group of Etayen consisted of around twenty-five warriors who arrived in two small boats, the Falcon and the Hound. They set about fortifying the small island into a rough redoubt. The Sheep People responded with a show of force, many warriors emerging from the rough countryside, though not any direct attack. For an entire night they set bonfires outside of easy bow shot, then dance, shouted, sang, and offered challenges to the Etayen, who had no idea what was going on, but held to their redoubt until morning. When came the dawn, so too did the first of the envoys of the Sheep People, who shared enough language with these explorers that they were able to establish a parley.
Six Etayen, including the commander of the Hound, left the redoubt and followed a contingent of the Sheep People to a temporary encampment nearby. The island remained surrounded, though the challenges had ceased. It was a short meeting between the six Etayen and the Sheep People’s All-King and his retinue, but two things were made very clear: that there were more Etayen to come and the six would fetch their leaders here, and that the Sheep People and their All-King were powerful eshara users, with power most certainly not called upon from Atun. They were allowed to leave and return to their redoubt, were they packed their boats and left.
Upon returning to the main flotilla the crews of Hound and Falcon made their reports and were praised for their bravery and stoic hearts. The evidence was clear to Nankorsus Kalokir, who led the mighty force: what they had found here was a nest of dangerous blasphemous sorcerers, and it was now their solemn duty to cleanse this place in the name of Atun. To this end, the flotilla was brought in force to the bay and the Etayen disembarked, encamping upon the great hill which would one day be Etumrassus. The All-King was invited to join Kalokir for a feast and to entreat with him as an equal and a King to discuss their meeting in history. The feast would end in treachery. Kalokir shared the stories he had heard about the Sheep People’s use of eshara, and admitted he was curious to see it for himself. The Sheep People All-King explained it came from the hearts of his people, and then obliged in a minor display of power. The Etayen king responded with derision, lashing out at a member of the All-King’s retinue, burning him to a cinder in the raw energy of Atun’s favor. Violence erupted immediately on the hilltop, with Sheep People warriors defending themselves with spells and blades in brutal close quarters fighting. Dismissive as he was, Kalokir found the All-King to be a formidable opponent and a crafty combatant. They fought their duel in vicious, wild busts of raw power, blowing chunks out of the camp and digging deep furrows in the limestone and sod of the sacred place. They fought on, until at last Kalokir managed to wound the All-King and lorded the coming victory over his fallen foe. He had defeated many in his life, and believed himself to be an honorable man. But the All-King was a blasphemous necromancer, and the thought of his greasy magic made the Etayen’s blood boil as he looked down at the All-King. He rose his blade to strike, but as he did so the All-King unleashed one final, desperate attack, a slashing snarl of electricity which struck Kalokir in the face, scarring him horribly and blinding him in one eye. The All-King would escape in the ensuing chaos, and soon the Etayen would realize several members of the Sheep People retinue were also unaccounted for in the carnage of the night. In the following days the Etayen would discover the caverns beneath the hill, and begin to persecute an horrific campaign of battle against the dozen or so remaining Aemar who had fled beneath the surface. It would be another thirty days before the All-King and the last of followers were found in the darkness of the limestone caves, in a chamber long ago found and decorated by their own ancestors. So disgusted by the toll of Etayen killed in defeating these primitives, Kalokir refused to even enter the caves in order to bring justice himself. He instead sent his personal guard, who’s descendants would become the fabled Old Guard of Etumrassus, to finish the bloody chapter. No one knows what happened in the caverns, it is only known that there were less men who left the caves than had entered, and that the tremors of their battle could be felt throughout the hill above. In the end, the All-King of the Sheep People was defeated, the place where they died left with a permanent psychic and physical scar, still steeped in the angry and wrathful energies of the Naarstor to this day. Nankorsus Kalokir, first King of Etumrassus, known as the Shining City, honored the warriors of his personal guard soon after, decreeing that neither they, nor their descendants would ever call any place home. They had fought, bled, and died for their king, and so their home now would be the pinnacle of the hill under which they died. The fortress of the Old Guard, which would become their barracks, was the first building constructed in what would become one of the greatest cities in the world.
It might have been possible for the Alorens and Etayen to coexist had the latter been passing travelers, but they desired to stay. Atûn had granted the children of Etal the right to settle Qadal as they saw fit- it was a right he had secured during the First Feud. The result was inevitable conflict in favor of the Etûletal. With the power of Vojûn in their hands, the disorganized tribes of the Alorend were helpless. Those who chose to fight were defeated, and those who were defeated were either scattered to the rest of Everos or enslaved. The tribes that chose to begrudgingly accept Etayen rule were allowed to remain, where they meshed with and resisted Etayen culture in a complex web of inter-personal and inter-clan relationships.
Once Voletal control of Alorend was secured, marked by the defeat of Thelastor and his tribe of defiant Evosmar in the year -1310, the region was formally integrated into the Empire of Étunas. By order of Atûsbal Vishtal Aleth’nir, the region of eastern Everos was rebranded as Nathrovas, or the Black Hills in the tongue of the Etayen. Whilst the Aemar tribes of the region had looked to the fertile valleys of the land, the Etayen took interest in the great, dark hills that spiked upward like vicious teeth. Nothing like them existed in their native Etal. The first order of the new regime was to select a governor worthy of rule, and for that purpose the Vishtal Atûsbal chose his own spawn- a common practice for the time. He chose Vishtal Yilphir, his daughter, to take control of the province. During her reign, which lasted for 90 long years, the new province of Nathrovas could purge internal resistance and repel outside invaders.
The province of Nathrovas remained a staple of Etayen power in Everos throughout the remainder of the Ascension era. All successive Atûsbals of Etal relied on positive relations with the princes and princesses of the region to secure their own power- whether as a symbol at home or practical force abroad. In Everos, the period between -1300 and -400 was characterized by rivalry with Aemar kingdoms to the west and Voletal Jequa to the south. In the case of Everos’s Aemar population, Nathrovas gradually advanced the boundary farther north and west, toward the foothills of the Aedúcarr Mountains. However, the farther inland they traveled, the more intense the resistance. The farthest northern expedition undertaken by Nathrovas was led by Tarsil Nusron in -717 and reached the southern shores of the river Lornesse. Unfortunately, permanent habitation of the region was unsustainable. The influence of the Principality was instrumental in neighboring Othos as well, especially when Zorius the Newcomer and his allies began to settle the latter realm in the -400s. Constant warfare between the Etayen settlers and native Othosar threatened to hurl Étunas back into the sea. The soldiers and wealth of Nathrovas acted as a scaffold during those early years. The masters of Zoridas were duly grateful.
For all Nathrovas was worth to Étunas, relations were not perpetually amiable. In -467, the established tenor of colonial life in Voletal Everos was torn by civil war. In those years Iolas Nathroghal Casbarûn the Elder, lord of Nathrovas, was the target of close scrutiny by Atûsbal Balith’nir and the Council of Amikiras on account of his growing power. Under the reign of Iolas, the realm of Nathrovas had grown beyond the northern most extent of the Aedúcarr Mountains and threatened to wash over the surviving kingdoms and holds of Aemarda in Everos. This would normally be a matter of celebration, but a growing animosity between Etûletal and Voletal elements of Etayen society marred the achievement. Rumors abound in the court of Amikiras that the Voletal intended to separate themselves from Étunas and form their own realm of Atûn- the free reign of the Voletal princes left the empire vulnerable. In response, Atûsbal Balith’nir called for Ghalûn Iolas to offer his son, Iolas II, as a ward to the lords of Amikiras. It was phrased that allowing Iolas the Younger to dwell in Amikiras would make him knowledgable in the ways of the Etûletal and the homeland. The young one could shed the grit of foreign life and reconnect with the Eshan and their power. However, Iolas the Elder could see through the ruse. He feared that it was a plot on the part of Balith’nir and Amikiras to hold his proginey at ransom. Accordingly, he refused.
This refusal triggered a series of diplomatic and political manuevers on the part of Balith’nir and the Council of Amikiras that culminated in the infamous kidnapping of Iolas II. Originally, the Atûsbal had intended to bestow honorary titles upon the Casbarûn dynasty, but the Council of Amikiras went against him and stole away Iolas Nathroghal’s son. This was meant as a symbol of humiliation. It backfired. The tensions that were boiling between Voletal and Etûletal exploded into calls for retribution and justice. Atûsbal Balith’nir was stunned by the rapid deterioration of events and made a futile effort at reconciliation. Unfortunately for Étunas, the damage had already been done. Although the kidnapping attempt failed, Iolas Nathroghal was compelled to break ties with Balith’nir in order to protect his honor. In response, the Etûletal government of Etal mobilized to halt this growing insurrection. The pieces were now in place for open hostilities- the War of the Black Hills was on the horizon.
In order to survive an armed conflict against Étunas, Iolas Nathroghal looked to his neighbors for alliance. His expectations were low. Nathrovas had been at war with the Aemar realms of Everos for generations- bad blood boiled on both sides. However, common cause could be made between them. It was abundantly clear that neither the Prince of Nathrovas nor the children of Aebaster harbored kind feelings for Étunas and those who ruled it. In early -466, Ghalûn Iolas reached out to the three great Ghets of Aemarda in Everos: Ghet Heral Ormelar of Eroyther, Ghet Therod of Loryne, and Ghet Dhenastor of Valgorod. The terms of their agreement regarded border integrity and a withdrawal of Etayen settlers from lands north of the Aedúcarr Mountains. Ghalûn Iolas agreed in exchange for guarentees that the realms of men would surrender all claims to the ancient area of Alorend- now Nathrovas. They came to an agreement, and the three kings began to send lances of men eastward to fight Étunas. The Lorynese and Valgorans Ghets chose to remain off the field, but Ghet Heral of Eroyther personally led his host, taking control of the other Evosmar troops as well. It was a force of some 40,000 soldiers between the Voletal and men. They gathered at Etumrassus around the summer of -466 and were prepared for the inevitable Etûletal invasion.
Records and histories of the war exist elsewhere, but the legacy of the conflict in Nathrovas was laden with particularly fierce conflict and suffering. In early -465, the first Etûletal forces arrived on the southern coast of Nathrovas, numbering around 60,000 and easily sweeping over coastal defenses. These troops were under the command of Vishtal Nhol’nil, a senior member of the ruling dynasty and uncle of Atûsbal Vishtal Balith’nir. He was a veteran of colonial conflicts in Nevan, where suppressing activity around the hundreds of islands was an endless toil. Perhaps more important, however, the work of Nhol’nil abroad enstilled a lingering disdain for the Voletal. In his eyes, they were impure and incompetent, and now they had the audacity to rebel. Years of ethnic tension between the Voletal and Etûletal came to the fore as the two armies clashed- one pure bred, the other tainted and forsaken; one bearing the authority of the Etayen homeland, the other bearing the authority of the Etayen colonial empire. Whilst the difference between them were few, it was a violent struggle for the pecieved power of control.
Vishtal Nhol’nil marched his force of 60,000 troops to the city of Etumrassus, the seat of the Casbarûn dynasty in Nathrovas. He settled down for a siege among the green vallys and black hills, daring the forces of Ghet Heral and Iolas Nathroghal to uproot him. It was certainly a daunting prospect. However, the two lords chose to avoid direct conflict. They split forces, with Iolas Nathroghal taking his 15,000 Voletal and Ghet Heral taking his 25,000 Evosmar troops- the former went east and the latter west. Nhol’hil received word of this division from his scouts, and decided to play their game, confident in the ability of his troops to crush the rebels. 10,000 soldiers were kept at Etumrassus; 20,000 were sent to hunt Iolas Nathroghal; and 30,000 were sent to crush Ghet Heral and company. The war devolved into a conflict of attrition as the armies swept over the countryside, Nhol’hil laying waste to what he could and the defenders struggling to protect the region. In return, the local people openly resisted the Etûletal, prompting more brutal reprisals. This ebb and flow of events continued for years while other factions skirmished across Nathrovas. Thousands died, but no decisive battle was fought to secure victory for one side or the other.
By -463, two years after the first hostile Etûletal made landfall, a grim realization began to dawn upon the opposing armies. The ferocious cycle of raids and reprisals had devastated the land without yielding decisive results. At their present rate, Nathrovas would stand as a burning ruin before either Nhol’nil or Iolas Nathroghal yielded. In particular, this guilt weighed upon Iolas Nathroghal and his dynasty, who were charged with bringing prosperity to the Principality. As his army marched through the green vallies between the black hills, the Prince saw that his personal conflict with Amikiras and Balith’nir had undermined that sacred bond between ruler and subject.
Following the breakup of Casbarûyen Nathrovas with Akidaron Casbarûn in 1742, eastern Everos became an anarchical patchwork of Voletal and Thûnetal states vying for local supremacy. None among the Ghalûn could grow their power before being hurled down by an opposing alliance, which itself would dissolve into warfare shortly thereafter. The only consistency of life was the violence of a realm once glorious, now fallen to dust. This volatile environment was an attractive prospect for soldiers of fortune and other dredges of Qadayen society. These cruel men and women of every race arrived in the hundreds, pledging their swords to weakened Etayen lords who could scarcely pay the rewards they promised. What could not be paid back in gold or silver was taken in the form of loot from neighboring lands and, at times, from the villages of the very lords who hired them.
Foreign nations were swift to take advantage of Nathrovayen weakness. In Everos, the neighboring Corgastodmar applied significant pressure among the Ghalûn through military threats and trade embargos. Those that complied were granted boons of warriors or raw wealth to compete against their neighbors, while the dissents were subtly undermined and diplomatically isolated. Ghetunbast Somrehes, descended from Ghetunbast Malden of Erothod fame, was well-recorded in her vigorous interventions into Nathrovas. Diplomats and warriors under her command were commonplace among the courts of the Ghalûn, as were her weapons and money. Across the Wolonorends, Somrehes was equaled in ambition and strength by the sovereign who reigned thereabouts- Tressonar Atremesar Pyrgos, descended from Lyseros Pyrgos and his spawn.
Eurobasar and Corgastodmar meddling into Nathrovayen affairs broke the region into warring autocratic states with alignment to one empire or the other. The stage was prepared for what historians remember as the Volundar, or the Foreign Ruin, which raged between the competing nations from 1749 to 1923. Six wars in total, many thousand dead. The accounts of these terrible battles are written elsewhere but suffice for these purposes to say that Nathrovas buckled under the unbearable and constant pressure. The economy was shattered, and no settlement might be found which had not be invested and broken at least once or twice come the end.
The Nathrovas which was born through the crucible of the Voundar was bitter and experienced. Eurobasar overlordship yet remained, but the Voletal were clever in the way they shunted taxation and other imposed burdens. Another 200 years passed in this status quo. Finally, in 2111, the weight of Eurobasar domination ended, quite suddenly, with the destruction of the Pyrgos line.
A century and a half passed between the withdrawal of the Eurobasar and the beginning of the Great Conflict initiated by Bal’gorod Nathrobal.
The fall of Nathrovas came with the Great Conflict of 2289, when Bal’gorod of Sutan lashed out against neighboring Voletal states in order to pursue his goal of a reborn Étunas.
Years of merciless violence and bloodshed tore Nathrova apart as Corgastodmar, Eurobasar, Jequayen, and numerous mercenaries of uncertain origin slaughtered through the black hills and emerald vallies. The people were left despondant and impoverished beyond their worst fears. Moreover, as the war progressed the buffer between Nathrovas and its enemies eroded to provide frontline soldiers. Those aforementioned mercenaries and raiders were launching their first incursions into Nathrovayen territory by the year 2300, and they held unchallenged supremacy of the borderlands by 2304.
The Great Conflict lives in memory as a hideous stain, recalling a time when Olûllosia came closest to facilitating its own demise. Hundreds of thousands died in the blast that destroyed Nathrovas in 2304, so that the entire region, known for its rich history and culture, was depopulated in mere minutes. The bodies of the fortunate were simply vaporized by the release of Vojûn from the broken stone of Bal’gorod. The majority died in this way, never having known the cause of their demise. Others were less fortunate, and were warpped into horrific, towering beasts of gnarled muscle and beastial instinct. These monsters, known as Zinkeyet, are drawn to Vojûn like moths to light. It is what created them, and thus implanted a vicious addicition within them. They serve no master but render the Fringe more dangerous for all those who set foot upon the islands. For shame, the only olûndi left to carry on the legacy of Nathrovas were those Voletal who were not present in the region during the detonation.
Across Qadal, thousands of such people became refugees in an instant, with all their property and family connections utterly destroyed. Where in the world could they call home? A sizable portion chose to remain where they were living when the detonation occurred, quietly settling into new lives disconnected from their identities and past. A number of the Voletal chose to travel to Etal after the Great Conflict, believing that their people’s time in Qadal had finally closed. For them, Nathrovas developed a dire reputation which shunned it from memory. The Etayen did not travel there, nor did they speak about it. They completely removed it from their lexicon, regarding the ancient region with immense shame and ill-hidden disdain. Nathrovas languished as a vast, crumbling ruin of Vojûnic corruption in that time. It was not until 200 years later, when the Great Conflict generation began to fade, that younger Etayen of intrepid character took interest in that land of which their parents did not speak. They began to speak about it, learn its secrets, and sought out its remains.
Starting around the year 2515, the first efforts to salvage a stable life from the ruins of the Fringe began. Scant little had survived to build upon. Only charred and ruined mounds of stone remained of the region’s cities, and those dark places were infested with the mutated bodies of unlucky survivors. The Voletal ‘resettlers’ of Nathrovas, as they were called, arrived in a trickle, first meandering between the islands in their attempt to make sense of the storied destruction. Their inquiries revealed a world still populated replete with its ancient wonders. Of course, the aforementioned mounds of rumble did remain, but that was an analysis at distance. Once the young Voletal ventured upon the land itself, they discovered everything from the ruins of delapidated homesteads to stone fortresses. These things were grown over by a thick morass which was all-pervasive in the region. These wanderers were an inherently strange breed, for they chose to depart from comforts and prosperity to seek emphemeral rewards in a devastated land. Their departure was scorned by the wise and cursed by the supersticious. However, the Etayen who chose that hard life were of a profoundly adventurous character, urged forward by desires of wealth, renown, and the unknown.
The persons who endeavored to explore the Fringe comprise a broad spectrum of backgrounds, including landed blue-bloods, criminals, scholars, retired veterans, destitute laborers, Viiryne hoarders, and others. Understanding all these travelers and their motivations in detail is impossible. Yet, from a single personality much can be learned. The examination begins with a Voletal female named Sifra Ekorûn, born of the old Voletal stock of ancient settlers to Everos. Her business ventures and personal obligations once drew her away from Nathrovas during the Great Conflict. As the situation devolved further and Jequa declared war on Sutan, followed by Essenad and the Corgastodmar Empire, she and those serving her, believed it best to remain away from the fighting. They were horrified when, in 2304, they felt the monstrous tremor of Nathrovas being torn apart. In a stunned stupor, they remained distant from Nathrovas as word slowly travled its way to the rest of Everos. The region was gone, all gone- broken apart by an unprecedented detonation of raw power. Vulred, Bal’gorod, and the realm’s population were all obliterated. Sifra had lost everything but refused to leave her old home to waste. A few short months after the destruction of Nathrovas and end of the Great Conflict she gathered up a fleet of ships and half a hundred laborers. Sifra entered the history books by becoming the first of the ‘resettlers’ after the Great Conflict.
The trials and tribulations of Sifra and her ilk are stories worthy of memory and legend but suffice to say in this context that this ‘resettlement’ prompted others to follow her. The company of Sifra Elstarin set up their first camp on a cindered island a few miles south of Shar’kova, known as the mountain upon which Vulred and his companions fought Bal’gorod and the Atysvala. The small camp was the nucleus of a city which in a few years grew into a proper settlement of stone and timber. Nathrodar, or the black ports, were the name given to these first cities. Sifra Elstarin became queen of her Nathrodar, and other grew on the surrounding islands. Over the following centuries, over a dozen such cities were constructed and populated by the remnants of the Voletal inhabitants of Nathrovas. A number of these arrivals emigrated to escape the clutches of tyrannical empires, while other immigrants saw opportunities in these island city states. By the year 2600, the Nathrodar of the Fringe had entered the global economy and lexicon of the world’s people.
For the new Nathrovayen race which occupied the ruins of their old civilization, further concerns embattled them beyond simply constructing cities. The environment itself is a potent energy. It breathes Vojûnic power; the air is soddened with it. The natural characteristics of that power are thus amplified by a significant degree. Without protection, the people of the Nathrodar are vulnerable to the pulses and storms of raw power which emerge from the ground as seething smoke before bellowing into a formidable tempest. For the purpose, the masters of the Nathrodar make common practice of hiring covens of experienced Vojûnic nemeshari, whether Etayen or otherwise. These individuals were paid handsomely to redirect and otherwise contend with the Vojûnic energies which coursed about their settlements. Others were contracted to construct false-Voladûr beyond the reaches of the Nathrodar so that Vojûnic power might be drawn there rather than upon the inhabitants. Nor were these worries the full measure of what might befall the Fringe dwellers.
Vojûnic storms are another deadly, separate concern from the average pulses of raw essence. These phenomena originate from surplus energy gathering in a single location in such quantities as to be uncontrollable. The earth and sea smoke and seeth with the strength, growing and manipulating the environment from the ground upward. In the worst iterations, the storms are far more destructive than the wildest throws of nature. Olûndari bodies might be corrupted from superficial contact, and the expectations of reality are challenged. One unfortunate survivor recorded their venture through such a maelstrom during the late 2000s, when Nathrovas was coming into its own.
“The sea begins to smoke. That’s when you know the worst has come. You can see it curl around the ghostwood stand, upon the risen rocks, and around your feet. It tickles but does not hurt. It emits a subtle heat which is difficult to notice. Among a few could recognize it. The master of sails was one and I was at least one another. We were panicked by the sight. I rushed over and asked if I could assist the crew. He pointed me toward the port rigging and told me to pull! I did it without a second word. Our ship lurched hard away from the smoke which grew like flames over the water’s face. I could hear a grinding of timber fighting high-toothed stones and losing. The lower decks swelled with water which everyone could hear. We were gaining precious distance. Behind the storm erupted. Nothing was ever worse in my years at sea. The Eshan above must have plunged spears of lightening into our world. The sea exploded in great upward columns of spray. Land crumbled to dust. Our ship scampered away with the warning mist close in pursuit, and behind it the destruction. We continued to crash into rocks, fallen Nimkris, and dead sea-beasts so that I believed the deck would collapse into driftwood. With some luck, the storm beast never caught up. It took two extra days to return to the Nathrodar’s safety. Only a few were injured. Perhaps the Eshanic-spirit of Atûn recognized his own and diminished the storm? I wish to believe it.”

Resûras of Enikaris and the Viilfuma

Fears of Nathrovas - 2875
This is but one account, but others have been written as well. One such focuses on Gillos Orosse and Rhamnusar, two obscure figures who later gained prominence as allies of Mesian during the Second Feud. Their previous work together was in Nathrovas, and this experiencing the Viilfuma was nothing unseen. A following account was written by Gillos in some dramatic form to rapid additional funding during those dread years of uncertainty.
“Weary arms prod the sand. The shallow-draught barge drifts silently from the shore. Two companions watch over their shoulders as the island, stout and jagged, recedes into the mist. The specter does not depart altogether, but lingers as an eternal monolith, out of sight but impossible to force out of mind.

The vessel clove through the sea with a sluggish gurgle, resisting swift motion no matter the efforts of the oarsman. In time, Gillos abandoned the struggle. He shifted the oar toward the stern. It sagged along its middle span and threated to snap, but his attention was captured by the middle deck. Rhamnusar was crouched beside, massaging his temples in quite contemplation. The fruits of their prolonged foray were scattered about them- pottery, stone reliefs vaguely suggestive of battles or love, handfuls of pitted ironwork, and half a dozen leathery scraps which Rhamnusar assured bore invaluable wisdom.

Gillos swept open a swathe with a great stroke of his arm. He reached out beneath his seat and drew forth a great something shrouded by linen. Along with it emerged another, smaller sack which contained a grey substance poxxed with emerald moss. Sekrum, as the popular plant was known in Nathrovas. With a stiff tug, the languid brown covering was torn from the object. A brass brazier about an arm’s length wide shone beneath the evening rays. Rhamnusar nodded. Whether the intended subject was the brazier or relic trove was impossible to tell. In a moment of calculated wisdom, Gillos poured the whole contents of the smaller bag into the soot-stained basin. It impacted with a dull thump and tumbled inward. He sniffed the powerful, natural emission with a satisfied smile. His gaze drifted to his companion. "Care to help us along?"

No reply. A severe glower manifested, but Rhamnusar made no move to approach. "Right, fine." Gillos grumbled with a dismissive wave. His footsteps creaked upon the aged boards, causing them to holler as he crouched at the vessel's stern. Everything was shoved to the rear to make room for loot. He fought through the disorganized hoard of supplies in his search. Rhamnusar raised a brow as the debris drifted around the ankles of his companion.

In the wake of considerable chaos, the objects came to light. A handful of rock fragments and a shard of tarnished steel. He wielded them in silence, showering the grey substance in sparks until it blew into life. Golden smoke rose toward the sunset horizon of Éshabal, meshing together into one unbroken stream. Gillos breathed the air with a renewed warmth. "Well done, I think, in with the dawn and gone before the night!"
For a precious while the pair lounged in contented silence. Unwilling to violate their valuable tranquility, Éshabal bowed and took its leave beyond the horizon's precipice, wondering what might be seen in Voryndal on the far-side of the world. The divine Eshor and luminescent Kovûl rose to occupy its place. Darkness and the Void flowed like a spring-river tempest between the constellations.

The barge rocked and bobbled, taking on sprays of brackish water which sizzled to death upon the heated brass. Gillos' eyes flickered between here and blackness. Golden smoke teased him upon one side and sleep upon the other. Yet, the savory aroma of the sekrum was soon overpowered by a foreign sensation. It was acrid, like roasted mortal hair, and left grimy stains upon Gillos' skin. He swatted the thickened air and rose upon heavy feet.

Rhamnusar followed the sounds with drowsy interest. "Are you bothered by something?"

Gillos weezed out hoarse coughs between labored words. "Can't breathe with this damned smoke!" "Oh? I find it quite comforting."

With a curse, Gillos shoved his hands into the smoldering sekrum and hurled half its contents into the murky sea. The golden mist survived for a mere moment in the barge's wake before crumbling beneath the waves.

Rhamnusar's right eye creaked open and studied the depleted brazier before passing over to Gillos. A narrow frown crept across his lips. "I suppose you expect more later?" His companion ignored him, but examined the ocean surf with narrowed eyes. "Do you see all this?"

Rhamnusar brushed a finger over his cheek and briefly studied the particles. "The residue in this region is inescapable. I wouldn't mind it." Without further note, he rubbed his callous fingertips together until the stains were erased. "No." Gillos murmured "The smoke."

Grey plumes crept from the water's depth, choking its golden counterpart into nonexistence. The pall rose high, thrice the vessel's length with no intention of relenting its march toward the heavens. Gillos extended an arm, testing just beyond the boat's frame. A great weight pressed upon his hand, as if it was caught in a vice. Their forward drifting ceased.

Rhamnusar now rose from the bench, arcing his head from ocean to sky in an attempt to ascertain some explanation. Heavy mists were common enough, but could never halt a barge. Residual steam was a known indicator of Vojûn, but never rose above the knees. A fair measure of ash was characteristic near island shores, but now it took on flame like cinder and fell like snow. Gillos motioned to speak, but a knot in his throat cut him short. He had been neglecting to breath. He inhaled quick and shallow, but the air rushed free with a gasp. It felt like sand and tasted like charred beef. "Down!" barked Rhamnusar.

Gillos threw himself prone as the storm erupted. At once, silence was annihilated by every concievable decible of terror. The air wailed; it moaned; it sobbed; but above all it screamed! Immense columns of fire burst from the ocean depths, clawing toward the ashen heavens above. Each leviathan stock rivalled a castle tower. Each electric tremor could take one down. The ocean shrieked in agony as lightening roiled from hidden chasms to sky, populating the air with innumerable tributaries of fire. Everything of mundane creation which surrounded the vessel was terminated without exception. Gillos buried himself beneath an insecure shield of discarded linen and coiled ropes. He gaped his jaw to scream, but whatever pitiful expletive escaped meant nothing in this orchestra of ruination. No curse or prayer brought salvation, no words could sway it nor bellows could frighten it! This thing was no sentient beast of blood and emotion, but the worst which nature could conjure in blind wrath. As the maelstrom rumbled directly overhead, his expectation was swift silence. Fire, corruption, violent death. He waited for it, moment by moment. It did not come. Instead, the torrent escalated with monstrous vigor. Every rending from the depths was mimicked by identical fury mere feet from Gillos' head. Back and forth they clamored, debating like the capricious and violent Eshan of ancient epochs. A single word crushed the sea into mammothine surf. The response unleashed thunder which sounded a hundred leagues away. The end of times had arrived, and no protest of mortality could refute it... It was over quickly. The terror departed, and the seas returned to midnight silence. No sounds remained to tell the tale besides the gentle sea lapping against the bow. Gillos heaved great gulps of briny air. Dead or alive? The coarse spray assailed his eyes and prodded his lips. The linens and wooden shards weighed twice what he remembered, but he fought them aside in shock. Alive, somehow. He braced upon trembling knees and turned toward the deck. Everything remained, shambled but surviving. The mist was gone. At the center of this ruination lay Rhamnusar, both arms sprawled upon the cracked brazier. "I... We're still... alive!" Gillos stammered.

No reply. Heavy gasps alone came from the crumpled form. "Rha... are you still... are you?"

Rhamnusar shifted his gaze toward his companion, cheek resting upon the brass and hair shrouding his mouth. A nearly inaudible phase reached the air. "What did... you see?"

A brief sea-borne gale swept over the vessel, but a deeper chill than nature settled. Gillos spied lacerations and bloody streaks upon his companion. The crimson dripped upon the deck and was diluted by the ocean spray. Rhamnusar paid no mind, but labored to rise against the pressure of deep wounds. His feet squelched on the sodden planks, upright and prepared. He approached with a sudden and unnerving certainty of purpose. Gillos fumbled backward, spine making first contact with the hardwood bench. The Etayen loomed closer still. His eyes were fiendish, akin to the wild beasts. The storm had stolen something away.

Gillos was frozen by unarticulated but potent fear. For the moment, Rhamnusar appeared as something sinister, deceptively unchanged but fundamentally blacker in spirit. Whatever fictive bond existed between them eroded beyond negotiation. Now a stream of baffled uncertainties poured from Gillos’ parted lips. As Rhamnusar flexed his spindly fingers, the words evolved to form some coherent phases. "Nothing! I swear, nothing!"

The tall figure hung there, contemplating and watching, calculating and judging. Breathe in, breathe out. Life rushed into Gillos’ chest and out, expecting to expect nothing of what might come within moments. "Up, now."

Rhamnusar grasped beneath Gillos' arms and hoisted him straight. In the shimmering distance, pale lights stood sentinel on the shoreline. These were the belated harbingers of civilization. Each was planted a meticulous measure from the others, creating a beacon which no sailor might miss. Above them, the night was suppressed by something darker than itself- walls. They stood for centuries, withstanding the assaults of Vojunic storms and mortal infiltration. One day, the inevitable fate of such bastions is destruction, but for another night the Nathrodar shall be the haven of two weary souls.”
Gillos Orosse Eirella at the Fringe The Viilfuma Strikes
The status quo in eastern Everos remained unchanged throughout the 2600s. Corgastodmar agents and traders continued to conduct business with the Voletal yet granted them significant freedoms. It must be remembered that the Nathrodar were smaller in those days, and foreign governments perceived no reason to invade or subjugate them at personal cost. However, as the wealth of these Fringe-borne cities increased, so did foreign attention to them. The most tantalizing export in question was undoubtly Viiryne, which contemporary scholars were discovering possessed unique and outstanding properties. It could dampen and absorb the power of Vojûn, making it an extraordinarily effective defensive resource.
Around the 3200s, observes noted fundamental changes to the terrain and disposition of the ancient Nathrovas region.
The Fringe became a battleground between the Corgastodmar and Eurobasar empires in the late Imperial era. Both nations desired the resources hidden among the islands, and both appreciated the constricting grip the Fringe could apply to trade along the Wolonorend. These wars promised to reignite the brutality of the Volundar from centuries ago, but circumstances precluded a more involved battle. The Etayen attacked Drakar in 3451, diverting the attention of the Corgastodmar and ensuring the temporary ascendancy of Eurobia in the region.
In the Wandering era, begun in 3451, the Nathrodar suddenly found themselves liberated from outside pressures. The Corgastodmar realm which loomed to the west shattered into numerous petty domains, Eurobia was broken among its ancient subjects, and the Neyasi Rekeyan possessed no greater ambitions than the acquisition of wealth.
Matters in Nathrovas altered once more in 3513 with the arrival of Etûletal agents into the region. It was their desire to establish tributary states with loyalty to Atûsbalas, thus expanding the influence of Etal beyond its own shores and the Semyr.
Nathrodar Governance
The most significant political agents within the Nathrodar are the Vojuyen who muster Vojûnic powers. Their charge is to protect the Nathrodar from the latent energies of Vojûn which proliferate constantly in that domain. Without them, the Nathrodar would be crushed beneath the unmatched fire and death which emits from the seas and land which smoke with crackling power. The people would be corrupted and destroyed beyond recognition.
Compared to other realms of Qadal, the Vojuyen have near-unlimited power with their domain. They monitor the movement of people, military campaigns, economic activities, and ban or allow religious functions without laws to check them. They are the final arbiters of life and death within the Nathrodar. No higher power exists above them.
Nathrovayen Slavery
Etayen custom dictates the practice of slavery, whether purchased or captured in war. The Nathrovayen are no different in this regard. Slaves from across Qadal flood into the Gilded Cities, and from thereupon into the households of the most wealthy. These bonded servants are compelled into domestic labors, but also dangerous economic ventures such as mining Viiryne or gathering Nathrovayen artifacts.
Slaves among the Nathrovayen can achieve freedom only through the leave of the Vojuyen. Indeed, the masters themselves must appeal to the Vojuyen in allowing their own slaves free, such that the populations of the Gilded Cities might be constantly updated.
Order Beyond Government
The matter of order beyond government is strange in Nathrovas. It is simultenously crushed without mercy, but also promoted depending on the whims of the Vojuyen. Political edicts are enforced with blood, and nothing is allowed to exist beyond the government. No official orders beyond government yet survive for that reason. Yet, certain religious and political outcast groups have found homes for themselves among the Nathrodar. Why? The most common reason is that such dissidents make for excellent political ammunition in dealing with other nations.
The Restoration
One among the few orders beyond government supported by the Vojuyen is the Restoration. It is an independent, multi-national, multi-racial enterprise seeking to dispel the Vojûnic powers which are over-abundant across Nathrovas. The greater intention is to cleanse such corrupted islands, reclaim land through clever filling and daming techniques, and replanting the Etayen populations which were scattered during the Great Conflict.
The methods are simple. First, armed warriors are dispatched to an area in question. Their duty is to slaughter any outlaws or nemgorotir which might infest an area. If possible, valuable Nathrovayen artifacts, from lifeways or otherwise, are gathered and returned to the Gilded Cities. Second, nemeshari expert in Vojûnic power are deployed. Their duty entails dispersing the Vojûnic energies present in a given region. This is difficult, for Vojûn begets Vojûn. Two methods are valid. The first is dispersal, wherein the nemeshari rend apart pockets of Vojûnic power- it is safe and simple, yet slow. The second method is burning off the energy. This is swift yet dangerous, wherein the nemeshari simply blast away the energy as flames and light. If done poorly, death is possible. The third stage is reclamation, wherein laborers, forced or otherwise, are deployed to remove rubble, rotted flora, or other obstacles. Their next labor is replanting, releveling, or otherwise restoring the land to some image of its pre-Karundar appearance.
Hemasod
The Corgastodmar were never famous for intrigue or spycraft. It is not what brought them to power nor won them glory. In Nathrovas to the east, however, such manners were the sole means to attain influence among the fiercely independent and wealthy Etayen cities. It was such that in the the 1800s, when the Corgastodmar were firm in power in the central countries and north, that the Ghetunbast dictated a new organization be created to influence the Nathrovayan cities- the Hemasod.
Danatos
During the bitter years of the many Volundar, being competitive wars with the Corgastodmar over control of Nathrovayan cities, the Eurobasar determined that they needed a professional information gathering and clandestine elements. This novel organization was named the Danatos, started by the Pyrgosar dynasty, and served to undermine Corgastodmar influence in the many Etayen cities of Nathrovas.
Nathrovayen Vojunari
One of the facets of Eshanic science that eludes complete understanding by either Eshan or olundi is the realm of material relationships. How does Akaryne interact with Esheryne, Virryne with Akesh, etc? Certain combinations are quite common and therefore better understood. Others are extremely rare and therefore untested. In that domain, one of the most active pairs is Vojun in its natural, energy form with Akaryne, which is the hardened form of Akesh created from the hardening of Esseythu. Few have seen this combination in nature, so little has been written, but there are exceptions. In my Gatherings of the Zolrassal I have accounted here the interesting results of this combination as found in so special a place in Qadal- The Fringe.
When Nathrovas was shattered to pieces by the Gift of Acolitus, vast quantities of Vojun power flowing beneath the stone erupted upward to the surface. Vojunic power naturally combines and grows upon itself, and therefore this massive influx of power rapidly grew stronger. It overwhelmed the few dazed survivors of that land and left Nathrovas (now the Fringe) depopulated for many years. Only the active use of Viiryne by neightboring countries in the form of barriers and towers set the boundaries between the Vojunic power in the Fringe and the wider world. The Corgastorians in large part and the Grahon in lesser part fortified their border against this surge of power. More ambitious, expensive endeavors were made by Etayen masters to build such structures within the boundaries of the Fringe.
Eventually, Etayen, Aemar, and other olundi returned to Nathrovas- the famous "Reclaimers" of the middle 2000s whom you have doubtless heard of before. They were among the first to record what Nathrovas had become in destruction- telling of the fragments of cities half submerged in blackish surf, faces of enormous ancient statues peering up from the brine, thick clouds of dark haze that manifested into living, swirling shapes, etc. They recorded these things in wonder and published their works so that others might know (and perhaps invest) in the journies to these parts. I could relate more of what they discovered, but that is not the purpose here. Instead, I wish to speak about one particular discovery that is more significant (if not necessarily appreciated) above all others. It is how Vojunic power cleaves onto Akaryne remnants.
Where did the Akaryne come from? Well, the nature of Akaryne is that it's formed from a hardening of the Esseythu. This can either happen gradually, as a degrading of the Esseythu weakens the boundaries between sentient thinking and the infinite power of Acolitus. It can also happen immediately in response to some trauma and shatters the Esseythu. The destruction of Nathrovas and the sudden deaths of thousands was a precise creation of such conditions, and thus the remains of that land are flush with Akaryne. This sets the perfect scientific environment to see how they combine. Abundant Akaryne and growing Vojunic power meld to create a most astounding and curious form of life. To describe it I here input an account from one of the reclaimers.
""
What this describes is a Vojunic entity, given life by that power's uncontrolled nature, attaching itself to the unconcious, repeating whispers of Akaryne. In most cases, Vojunic entities simply create their own personality based heavily upon the surrounding environment and stimuli, as there is no natural sense of "upbringing" for such beings. However, the Akaryne fragments of commoners, foreign merchants, princes, Judges of Acolitus, Nith'eshanic renegades, and nigh infinite other types who were annihilated in the breaking of Nathrovas created the perfect conditions for growth. These new Vojunic entities were not mere babes, but bastardized mimics of Nathrovas' dead. The whispered memories became the guides to living, such that the new Vojunic generation believed that spoken voices in one's head were the universal condition of life, dictating personality and actions. They were as actors given an imperfect script, interpreting the role as best as was able but creating something strangely novel in the process.
The reclaimers found that these Vojunic entities were not inherently hostile, at least in general- save for those beings whose Akaryne memories were violent in nature. Certain reclaimers destroyed the Vojunic entities with Viiryne or steel without much remorse. This is the nature of Eshanic races. Yet, others among the reclaimers saw value in the Vojunic natives of the country. Not only could the Vojunari build and adapt within the new landscape, but also act as guides and historians for what remained. Indeed, how different an ancient inhabitant of Nathrovas from a Vojunic entity living off their memories? Quite different, yes, but similar enough that the reclaimers could make some sense of what Nathrovas HAD been in a previous time. What a strange yet invaulable ally such artificial neighbors might be for them!
The relationship between the reclaimers and the Vojunari continued to develop in broad sweeps throughout the 2000s. Those who had been created from Akaryne memories grew beyond the repetitive whispers of said memories. They adopted the culture and lifestyle of the reclaimers, becoming much like them yet colored by the old remnants of Nathrovas. Figures of importance among the reclaimers- princes, wealthy merchants, warriors, and others took custody over the Vojunari, finding them sufficiently exotic to attract foreign attention while being still useful for the aforementioned reasons. They were household fixtures- not quite slaves, but under the strict supervision of the reclaimer aristocracy. A few remained outside of these bounds but were seen as curiosities and pariahs, more often avoided than approach by the maturing population.
Gilded Cities
While numerous Nathrodar speckle the tarnished landscape of Nathrovas, a minority of them tower above the others in power and prestige. These are the Karotiras, or Gilded Cities in the dialect of the Voletal. Those who live beyond the Fringe know their reputation, for they represent the ethos of the embattled civilization of Nathrovas. Each are beautiful in their precarious ornamentation. The public squares are tight but tall, surrounded by black stone and Esheryne columns. The manors are decorated with geometric designs which glitter when Eshabal is high.
For centuries the position and image of the Gilded Cities were symbolic alone. They were simply the most prosperous and ostentacious cities in the fold, awash in treasure but lacking much extraordinary power. Matters began to change as foreign powers pressured the Nathrodar for military and trade rights. Those weaker and fragmented were easy prey, and became near subjects to Eurobasar or Corgastodmar masters abroad. The Gilded cities, on the other hand, managed to remain independent. At the behest of the weak, the Gilded Cities began taking lesser neighbors under their protection, forming some proto-typical manner of empires without great sovereigns.
In later centuries, beginning in the later 2000s and continuing into the 3000s, the Gilded Cities began to assert an even more significant, lasting influence upon Nathrovas and its diverse people. Those with sufficient wealth and power initiated the restoration of the infamous Fringe, something written with other details elsewhere. What matters here is how the Gilded Cities monopolized the opportunities, bringing forth their own Nemeshari skilled in Eshara and Vojun for the purpose, paying them handsomely, and thus taking command of the restored lands for themselves. These blasted islands given life were populated with grasses and tall trees and delicious fruits- altogether different from the ruins elsewhere, and so became the paradise islands of the rich.
“Misery. Their success is our misery, for their misery is never long their misery. Death is near final for them. Nothing in the better world turns ill, no matter how ill the actions might be. Slaughter in a war all the Eshan can feel, but we turn our eyes to see restored lands! Even their tragedies turn to gain, while our countries are blasted to ruins- ancients wounds of the Feud never healed!”

Eyes of the Eshan

Between Worlds - 3499
While these restored lands were ostensibly the domains of the Gilded Cities, they could never remain that way forever. Outsiders took interest, and found for themselves great location for clandestine hidings or exclusive holidays.
Tantikarit
In the north of Nathrovas, nearest the Korunussqir Shar’kova, stands the Gilded City of Tantikarit. Unlike its neighbors, Tantikarit was constructed upon its own foundations rather than blackened ruins. It is perhaps the most handsome Gilded City, with fresh flagstone streets lined with silver. The buildings within its defensive walls are designed in myriad styles- Etayen, Evosmar, Neyasi, Othosar, and others. It best depends on which enclave populations have made the city home.
As the northernmost Gilded City, Tantikarit stands in competition with Riketris to attract merchants from beyond Everos’ eastern coast. The Vojuyen have considered many and strange methods to achieve these ends. This includes everything from removing all export duties offering reclaimed Nathrovayen lands to merchants who only deal with Tantikarit.
Enikaris
The southeastern reaches of Nathrovas are quite in that desolation. It is in those places that the Wolonorend nears the blasted fragments of once verdant land, staring out in pale waters unfairly blessed with peace. Few cities stand in those places, for the danger of brigands or monstrosities compels the wise to shelter in among friendly settlements. Those upon the fringes might receive no help whatsoever in their times of need, at least before the worst arrives.
Enikaris was built upon the remnants of the Nathrovayen settlement which preceded Karundar. Its primary interest is directed outward, toward Othos, Etal, and the Semyr, rather than the insular trade lanes elsewhere.
Calimnyr Throne
The legend of Bal’gorod’s duel against Aeyet’norn is a staple of Nathrovayen literature and mythical tradition. It was the beginning of the end for that ill-fated domain. Ancient generations remember it as the last of the good times. The bolder proclaim it was the beginning of the only righteous time. With time, however, the historical fact became meshed with fables. In the centuries after the destruction of Nathrovas, belief in the reality wavered. Cynics believed the duel to be far-fetched, something too theatrical to have occurred in reality, and the death of Aeyet’norn too fanciful to follow.
Riketris
In the northern reaches of the Nathrovayen devastation stands the Karotiras of Riketris. The foundations of its existence, much alike many successful Nathrovayen cities, was raised upon the ruined of previous towns. Shadows of the old walls sulking through the black morass as guides before plunging into the sudden maw of the sea. No place might be considered bleaker, but its people survive. Riketris is the foremost bastion of trade and military power in those northern islands, drawing forth attention from the Corgastodmar Ghetunbalastod, Eurobia, the Ezondoarasyalar, and Etal.
Shar’kova
The remnant mount upon which Vulred Jequasghal and Bal’gorod Nathrobal fought their final battle remains, solitary, as a monument to the terror of that horrible conflict. In ancient times, the peak was the crowning jewel of a blackstone range. Villages flourished in its shadows and generations of Voletal and Aemar gazed into the verdant green vallies from its heights. The fateful battle left nothing behind but the foundation rock which comprised the Shar’kova mountain’s core. Every lesser mound and pass for miles was decimated. Nothing remained. For decades after the detonation, Shar’kova stood as a sorrowful monument to what Nathrovas had become in death. In this vein, the first generations of olûndi raised after the conflict viewed the mountain as a cursed, unapproachable place.
As the Nathrodar were settled and the Fringe became less mysterious in its ashen bleakness, more exploreres sought out locations previously shunned. Shar’kova was chief among them. Adventurers of all races and walks departed from Riketris to ascend the heights.
In the late Imperial era, Shar’kova once again caught the attention of the Etayen. Agents under Unain Thin’tak Sekoras travelled thereabouts to seek the latter portion of the gift which Ácolitus granted Aeyet’norn and Vulred Jequasghal. Unlike earlier explorers who suffered in scaling the cliffs, the Etayen were clever. They carved and constructed stairs and pulleys which made scaling simple.
Etumrassus
Most infamous of the Gilded Cities is Etumrassus, for it was a place cursed by Acolitus and plagued by the machinations of Semeqan. Terrible beasts of Adomeythu were unleashed therein, ruining the city back in 2158, and there it remained uninhabited for centuries. The history of its rulers is one of the few fragments of knowledge left about it, such that it might be recorded here to tell its story:
Nankorsus Kalokir (-1466 to -1213): He founded Etumrassus by mandate of the Vishtal dynasty, themselves under the command of Atun. Subjugated the ignorant Aemar of eastern Everos with Vojunic power, shattering their icons and storing the remainder of them in the House of Deities. Established his retinue of 2,000 conquering warriors as a permanent garrison to the city, a title handed down to now simply mean the Old Guard. They’ve never surrendered the city.
Nankorsus Kalovassa Etumghal (-1213 to -956): She expanded the boundaries of Etumrassus, increasing its glory among Etayen and lesser races. Under her reign the city of Etumrassus became known as Etumghal, or the Royal Domain of Etum. It sprawled west to the Aeduccar mountains to the west, the ocean in the north, and the neighboring Jequasghal in the south. Craftworks made in Etumrassus were treasured back in native Etal.
Nankorsus Talikat Etumghal the Ancient (-956 to -578): He enjoyed a long reign of stability. The Etayen world was at its height. Foreign goods and foreign slaves poured into Etumrassus. The veins of the people glowed brighter than Eshabal above. Never were times better, not since the first settlements of Atun in Etal.
Nankorsus Jelantir Etumghal the Bloody (-578 to -314): In the latter ages of Etunas, the masters of Amikiras demanded that the colonial vassals push forth against the final vestiges of native resistance on given continents. Jelantir received the message and mustered the warhosts of Etumrassus. Over 10,000 warriors were gathered. They marched north of the Balendorn mountains toward the Lornesse, where the domains of the Aemar and Aebaster were strongest. Resistance met them at every turn. They returned after six years with only 2,000 left.
Nankorsus Valoka Etumbal (-314 to -113): She asserted the glory of Etumrassus in eastern Everos, codifying many of its ancient traditions and gilding High Etumrassus. Under her art and Etayen culture was strongest, while global Etayen power was unmatched. In this period she elevated Etumrassus from a Ghalun to Etumbalas or Etumbal, meaning the Great Domain of Etum. The prestige of that city was second only to Amikiras in Etal or Tarimikras in Othos.
Nankorsus Sumukal Etumbal (-113 to 0): Atun perished in the ancient Etayen city of Sedar, many miles to the southwest of Etumrassus. Sumukal gathered his entire household to visit the dying Eshan, departing with haste and no commands to fulfill in his absence. He was so aggrieved to witness the death of his master that he hurled himself into the Semyr along with his entire household- baggage and all. Rule of Etumrassus was left to a few remaining family.
The Little Reigns (0 to 1251): The shadow of Atun’s death weighed too heavy on the weary hearts of the Etayen race. In Etumrassus the monarchs and their people died early for many years, entering the world black-veined and perished withered husks. Little glory came to Etumrassus in this time, allowing the Aemar once subdued to arise into new powerful domains. The Etayen never again enjoyed a position of dominance in Everos, and were forever after on the spiritual and military defensive.
Nankorsus Mikistis Etumbal the Awakened (1251 to 1489): She was the first Nankorsus monarch in generations whose veins pulsed with gold. Out flowed from her a new spirit of restoration in Etumrassus. Under her reign High Etumrassus was restored from a state of ruins and the foreigners were cast down to the lower levels.
Nankorsus Talikat II Etumbal (1489 to 1774): His reign was difficult, unlike the high-heart ascension of his predecessor. The world had changed. Etal was centuries behind. The Corgastodmar Ghetunbalastod in the north crushed down upon the border country, cleaving away territory. New founded Eurobia over the sea became muddled in Etumrassus’ affairs. Little remained of its ancient glory beyond a title.
Nankorsus Vaukar Etumbal the Sorrow (1774 to 2151): He withstood the crushing forces of Corgastor’s domain and Eurobia pressing against his city, playing one against the other to maintain independence. The concessions were established in his times. The hope of his personal lineage was ruined in a series of unfortunate deaths, claiming three of his sons and two daughters. In his reign the martial field outside the city fell into disrepair.
Gantarkis Vussalasghal (2151 to 2158): New is a newcomer, a usurper, a changer of things. He and his cult boast a personal connection to Atun which guides them. His reforms include a liberalization of Etumrassus and a general warming to outsiders.
Only some time after the Great Conflict did any settlers return to Etumrassus. Memories of the horrors there were mere legends and no believed among the resettling Etayen.
The Scar and the Old Guard
First in the annals of history in Etumrassus was the infamous conquest of eastern Nathrovas by the Etayen explorer Kalokir and his companions. It was such that they encountered the ancient Alorens as the native Aemar of that place and treated with them, feasting and trading as companions for in those days the Etayen knew little of other races. Their hearts hardened and turned to violence when the Alorens showed aptitude in Eshanic power separate from the works of Atun, from only whom the Etayen knew about Eshanic power. This made the Alorens a threat worth destroying. Kalokir and his allies swiftly fell upon them, slaughtering many and driving the remainder into the hills which now crown Etumrassus. The Etyane followed them into those depths with Eshanic fire, and the burning between them became so intense as to melt the surrounding rock and landscape, creating a permanent scar in the landscape- an eternal memorial of victory to Etayen and shame for Aemar in one of their first battles.
When victory was secured the first fledglings of a settlement were built on the ground of Etumrassus. A formation was required to defend it. For this purpose, Kalokir tasked a section of the same Etayen battalions who defeated the Aemar to remain and live in Etumrassus for the purpose of its better defense and survival over time. This garrison remained in the city from that moment until the moment of the city’s destruction many centuries later. They became known to the local population as the Old Guard, who are written about elsewhere, but here suffice to mention that this formation became the premier defense for Etumrassus over its history, eclipsing the Inner Guard meant to defend it and the Outer Guard meant to range out on campaigns against their enemies. In time their traditions and peculiar manners became better developed and further codified among themselves.
Here I shall mention some particulars on the Old Guard. In the manner of which they are recruited, the Old Guard take only Etayen of young-ish years and take them in cohorts of six, for that is a number blessed in the memory of the Etayen AFTER Atun’s death, but this specific tradition was not present before that time. They must join together in common purpose, males or females, that they will serve Etumrassus and the Old Guard for their youthful lives, until the honorable time to retire arrives, and even then to oversee the next generation. In this manner, the six assembled live together, fight together, and become as one family such that they are not referenced as individuals, but their communal dynasty is referenced for all of their business. The Old Guard is made up of these formations or dynasties of six. If and when one of these six disgrace themselves, this is considered an offense by the whole dynasty of six, causing the failure of the one to cause the disbandment of the whole. This creates the ultimate and most dire incentive for each member of the dynasty to ensure the UTMOST best behavior among their companions. Those who are disgraced and ousted from Etayen society in Etumrassus, compelled to live in the lower levels of the city or depart in exile altogether.
Where do these dynasties of six live? Remember the scar cut into the uppermost hills of Etumrassus in that first battle? The Old Guard built their home within and upon it, burrowing caverns from the glassy smooth walls and building their keeps above the tunnels. The aptly named the place the Scar, or perhaps more accurately the citizens of Etumrassus named the place the Scar, for it is literally a cloven blight upon the landscape, marring what is otherwise a bountiful and flowing paradise of gardens and courtyards. Few approach the place and fewer still are allowed inside. The Old Guard keep to themselves in that place, largely shunned as necessary defenders yet social strangers- we appreciate their service but not so far as to actually speak with them. Within, the number of Old Guard has dwindled over the years, so that the interior is in many places desolate and dusty, leaving only a few cold spaces wherein the Old Guard sleep and keep to themselves in their stoic routines.
The Blood of Atun
It is common sorrow among the Etayen to know that Atun died in the struggle against Aebaster, Corgastor, and the Aemar- giving away his power in such abundance that he withered to death in six days. This is the common narrative taught and maintained by all Etayen and has been for thousands of years. Yet, what if we question that fundamental premise and assert that Atun was NOT dead? What if we instead said that he was instead dwelling in the realm beyond our normal dreams. Acolitus calls this domain Kasteries, but there are many names for it besides. He is waiting in that safe place beyond the hands of other Eshan to destroy and he desires the Etayen to enter that place with him, just as Atun once kept the Etayen safe in the nursery that was Etal until they were prepared to range out into the world and make it theirs.
This is the belief of the Blood of Atun, a once fringe Etayen faith that rose to prominence in the city of Etumrassus in its twilight days. Their leaders were two part- Vikital who lead the community as its face and Taskaur who was the thinker among them. Together they guided the elite and lowly Etayen alike on services every six days wherein the visited the House of Atun within the normal realm of dreams. Their position in Etumrassus was rather obscure until they gained an important member- the new leader of Etumrassus in its last days, the Vussalasghal, once only a lowly librarian made ruler. Although he never claimed any leadership in the Blood of Atun, his entry made the organization the political style, and many more came flooding into their services in the House of the Gods. It became sensational.
Yet the Vussalasghal was no mere observer. He was very busy in the background, organizing the Blood of Atun in with the existing structures of power and government such as the Old Guard. While not ALL members of the Etayen joined the Blood of Atun, it gradually became the case that avoiding it became a mark of social self-ostracization. It was simply suicide for one’s public career. For this it grew and grew under the Vussalasghal’s clandestine guidance.
His machinations were not just to boast the greatness of Atun. Indeed, he had greater plans of dire Eshanic ramification. He had endeavored to work with foreign craftsmen to create an Akaryne lens which might thereafter be used upon a construction located specially in Etumrassus. What I mean is that Etumrassus sits on a unique fault line, above one of the few locations wherein the skin of Esha is thinner and the raw Eshanic power of Qalesham below can burst open from time to time. Great firey columns of Eshanic power erupt on the days (usually every 20) before dispersing or being taken by Misladur thousands of miles away. He would place this lens over that fissure to massively aggravate the Esseythu of everyone within the city of Etumrassus, providing ample fodder for Atun who was believed to be in Kasteries to potentially manifest himself back in Esha and lead the Etayen on the journey between worlds. The Blood of Atun became his secret vehicle for this purpose, beyond even the known of its common members. They served him well in this purpose, caring him forth all the way to his machination’s end at Etumrassus’ detriment.
Remnants of Nathrovayen Law
Prior to the destruction of Nathrovas at the climax of the Great Conflict there existed a robust legal system as might be expected of any civilized domain. It differed much from others in that it was not a measure of law-writing or codes, but of the personal skills of those involved in the prosecution and defense therein. Indeed, he Etayen legal system regarded the judge highest and there is no jury. Among them it was considered cowardly and inefficient to govern by counsel- for while the advice of counsel might be useful it was often that their disagreement hindered or halted real justice from being down. Brokering consensus in such situations might mean acting in half-measures or delaying justice for many months. The Etayen choose their officers to be of good judgement that everything may be dispensed quickly.
Just like war (and many other systems) - the prosecution and defense are both teams of 3 members- varying in skills and experience. The composition of these teams is nebulous by design but think of it in some manner as a warband. Certain members are more clever in devising a solid argument in silence before taking the floor while others are firebrands who need NO time to rest and can attack and attack their enemy’s points. Making good use of the trio means changing them out often according to the opposition’s arguments and members and playing to strengths. This “game” of law is equally regarded alongside the arguments themselves. A well presented yet ungraceful argument may fail against a graceful team whose case may still be the weaker.
In the old Etayen justice system in Nathrovas, there is no jail time as possible judged punishment. The common punishments, in order of severity are- fines on goods and lands, beatings, public humiliation (which is devastating for Etayen, more so than others), ostracization from the community (or from a higher strata of society to a lower), mutilations, and executions. Killing fellow Etayen has a dirty association with it and therefore executions are less common and ostracizations are more common, especially given the longer lives of Etayen which make such separations from family and homeland even more devastating.
No formal legal systems survived the devastation of Nathrovas. Those Etayen law codes which once governed half Qadal were now worthless, for the institutions which enforced them were gone. When the reclaiming princes and their peoples returned, they brought myriad influences with them. A few promoted Eurobasar systems, whereas others leaned toward Everos or traditional Etal. Others denied the ancient frameworks in favor of novel systems which benefitted themselves most.
In later epochs, the criminals of the Nathrodar answered directly to the reigning masters. No Master of Legal Arts were allowed to stand in defense. This was because the general mistrust of lawyers led the Vojuyen to consider their arguments as undermining the state. Indeed, a clever enough thinker could turn any words to any purpose, and make criminals or dissidents walk free.
The Criminal Element
The iron rule of the Vojuyen demands that there exist some counter-measure for those beyond their goodly graces. Alongside petty crimes such as murder, extortion, or theft, the Nathrodar was plagued with organized operations of smuggling, political manipulation, foreign intrigue, or assassination. These more established actors were known as “dekeyen” or “People of the Lesser Kind” in the tongue of Nathrovas.
Vojuyen responses to the criminal element vary between Nathrodar, but are never merciful. The variations are in the sheer number dead, imprisoned, or exiled. In times of conflict or uncertainty, the Vojuyen were swift to push blame upon the criminal element. Populations were goaded into frenzies against the corrupt merchants and wicked schemers who undermined the security of the Nathrodar’s people. True or otherwise, suspected dekeyen were slaughtered in the streets. It was common enough for political enemies of the Vojuyen to be falsely labeled, but killed the same.
Warfare in the Fringe
The Fringe is a broken and dangerous expanse of terrain. Armies cannot traverse it and supplies cannot be easily shipped across it. Warriors cannot rest comfortable among the islands, lest they be unprepared for one among innumerable Vojûnic gales which tear over the land.
On the most superficial level, the Nathrodar wage war against on another by raiding the Viiryne or artifact gathering camps of their rivals. Of course, these sites are no mere collection of tents, but established bastions of civilizations amidst the islands. They possess houses, stockpiles, vaults, and nemeshari who tend to the Vojûnic elements.
Assaults against the Nathrodar are rare, but not unprecedented. The military difficulty is that Vojûn, which might be applied in large force over a long period of time to shatter walls, cannot be mustered against these defenses. Those same energies which repel natural Vojûn work wonders in dispelling to comparatively smaller amounts brought to bear by olûndi.
Logistics
The ruined nature of the Nathrovayen landscape makes producing anything of value a difficult task. This in turn makes provisioning soldiers for war a difficult task. The masters of the Nathrodar overcome these issues through a robust system of imports. Everos and Othos are the most common locations of origin for weapons, foodstuffs, trade goods, and beasts, but Neyas is also competitive in its business. Nobody is surprised by that truth.
Navies in Nathrovas
The most famous vessels which ply the blackened waters of Nathrovas are known as the Korûtas. They are more platform than standard vessel, and bear upon them heavy siege weaponry. In normal circumstances, the islands of the Fringe are too small or jagged to host larger armies, and thus besieging campaigns are waged aboard ships.
The Volkal
In the strange context of post-Atunic Nathrovas came a unique means to ensure law and order in the east. It was created by Gantarkis Vussalasghal of Etumrassus fame, and this program was to recruit non-Etayen into traditionally Etayen bodies of warriors- they were named Volkal. The intention was two-parts: one to ease the military burden in such dangerous times (before the Great Conflict) upon Etayen shoulders and place non-Etayen into danger’s way as well. Second, it was a means for the Vussalasghal, as a savvy prince in that time, to secure his own power by breaking down the unapproachable powers of the Etayen city garrisons which commanded all military might. The division in Etumrassus was quite simple:
“The Western Barracks: The Bad news Bears of the city. Lowest pay, training, equipment, and hygiene of the four. Why? The fewest Etayen live in those parts. The Eastern Barracks: Spend most of their time in and around the Street of Silver, and as such are notorious shakedown artists. Although their regimental supply is not much better than the Western, they are able to draw on a much higher standard of personal wealth to offset this. The Harbor Barracks: These are the customs agents of Etumrassus, and have a larger than typical contingent of Etayen officers to oversee things. This is also an older, established unit which was converted to a Volkal regiment. Their barracks is embedded within the eastern most or Sea Gate. The Central Barracks: This is the flagship of the Volkal program. Their barracks is directly across from the Eurobians and they are often seen on parade with their cavalry units (which they have almost exclusively). Unlike the other Volkal regiments, the Central barracks can actually serve as a political stepping stone for ambitious young Etayen, and as such their training, equipment, and composure is second only to the Etayen Guard (the regular Etayen city guard, which have their barracks in the Tribunal Hall).”
For some years the Volkal achieved their intended purpose, usurping the power of the over-strong Etayen garrisons while keeping order JUST well enough to prevent wide scale riots. The issue for the Etayen elites was that this Volkal program became a ladder upon which other races could socially climb.
Mercenaries
In the most ancient days of Nathrovas, when it was still known as Alorend by the Aemar, stable tribes reigned between the Black Hills. Mercenaries existed, but they were individual warriors of talent or small warbands rather than coherent companies, and their impact upon the geopolitical landscape was minimal.
Under Etayen rule, when eastern Everos came to be known as Nathrovas, the role of mercenaries was an interesting facet of state control. The masters of Etunas perceived little value is wasting Voletal or Etûletal lives fighting on the frontier of their massive domain. Indeed, there was a significant local presence of warriors, calling themselves velgis, who were willing to fight in exchange for wealth, knowledge, or protection from these strange foreigners. One might consider how much Aemar blood was shed between members of the same race, and how incidents like the slaughter in Valgorod which sparked Corgastor’s War were commonplace between Aemardic warriors. The fact that Etayen warriors committed the infamous act was sufficiently rare to warrant the broad response which led to Etunas’ eventual downfall.
The 2000s was a fruitful period for those in the mercenary trade. Nathrovas was not a single powerful, entity, but a collection of smaller principalities and polities. They were in constant conflict with one another, spending fortunes one the forces required for such campaigns. Warriors from across Everos, such as Corgastodmar, Etayen, Daorhu, or Elivas, found purpose in these opportunities. At the same time, the Pyrgos dynasty in Eurobia banned the employment of mercenaries by private and public entities, forcing Othosar warriors young and old to destitution. Nathrovas therefore because the perfect nexus for both continents.
After the Great Conflict and Nathrovas’ associated devastation, the role of mercenaries remained significant. Instead of Etayen Ghalûn or Aemardic Ghetûn, the sponsors were masters of the Karotiras, being those bastions of civilization resettled by intrepid aristocrats.
The Concessions
Prior to the Great Conflict, Nathrovas was a thriving nexus between Everos, Othos, and Etal, and therefore a common battleground for those major domains. The Corgastodmar and Eurobasar, at the zeniths of their power in those days, did more than merely influence Nathrovayen masters with riches or threats, but directly inserted themselves into these cities in the form of Concession. These are territories given in trust to a foreign nation for their use, ostensibly to keep order and protect the city interests, etc. Outside of the Etayen cities, each of these three major domains possess a formal bastion of their power in Nathrovas. A fourth one joins them from Neyas, being of the Axodraharik, though they have no Concessions in any Etayen cities as a means to improve their relations with local rulers.
For the Corgastodmar, their domain in Nathrovas is Vehem Ghemelastor. It is a sprawling complex upon two hills with a river which runs between them. The land upon which is was built was once an Etayen settlement itself but was cleverly traded away to the Corgastodmar in exchange for support against the encroaching Eurobasar. This was in the early days before it was obvious that the Corgastodmar would themselves remain to stay. It has become the gateway into Nathrovas for Corgastodmar warriors and traders alike, such that required papers and a census of important figures within Nathrovas are kept in Vehem Ghemelastor.
For the Eurobasar, their domain in Nathrovas is Viod Vagayus. It is a small but heavily fortified position settled upon the eastern shores of Nathrovas, perched on a hill near the water. The Eurobasar purchased the original fortifications from a local master but quickly expanded on that foundation. Vagayus has a reputation as a haven of spies and outlaws, the type of location wherein many problems befalling Nathrovas can be by speculation, but nothing ever proven. The Eurobasar have been quite success in keeping details of the place secret, and thus little more can be said.
For the Etayen of Etal, their domain in Nathrovas is Qaskitris. It is located in the southern reaches of Nathrovas on an island upon its river mouth, such that it is a narrow, tall construction. Its purpose is ass an embassy of sorts between the various Nathrovayen Etayen and their counterparts in Etal. For this reason Qaskitris is build less as a fortification, like the others, but more as an opulent court meant to display the most gaudy and incredible displays of Etayen wealth and prestige possible. Atusbalas shows its favor and gives support to various Ghalun in exchange for trade concessions, treaties, or special rights for Etal’s agents on the continent.
For the Axodraharik of Neyas, their domain in Nathrovas is Yor’pashka. It is the most strange of them all because the place is not necessarily built for power projection in the same manner as the others. The Axodraharik of Neyas are aware that they are too distant to step for step oppose the works of the other factions. Instead, Yor’pashka is meant to be a fortified bastion to protection Neyas’ interests from immediate attacks. Axodraharik families dwell there full time and in many ways it is a colony. Most noteworthy, perhaps, is that agents barred from the other foreign bastions or from farther afield hide themselves in Yor’pashka. The Axodraharik was secretive and give up none of their own.
All together, the sorrowful reality in Nathrovas is that so long it is divided among many Etayen and foreign princes that the region will remain a prime target for those without the best wishes of the inhabitants in mind. Various attempts have been made, some larger or smaller, to oust the foreign presence, but the only things that the newcomers hate more than each other is the concept of a free Nathrovas.
Nathrovayen Economy
Nathrodar, unlike other settlements, are not self-sustaining entities. They are intrinsically bound to the wider world through trade and supply and are regularly forced to reach out to foreign nations to support their tenuous position among the charred islands. Foremost in demand are food shipments- grain, meats, vegetables, oils, butter, and other edible items. The only foodstuffs native to those islands after centuries are languid roots and hideous aquatic life which slithers along the coastline and down artificial rivers. Manufactured and crafted goods are another prominent import to the Fringe. While the Nathrodar themselves possessed skilled craftsmen and workers, they lack the resources for stable industry such as what exists in Everos, Othos, and Nevan. For years, merchants from across the world were content responding to the ceaseless market developing in eastern Everos.
The Nathrodar export numerous goods of unique and valuable type. Derived from the region’s rich history prior to the Great Conflict, the practice of gathering and selling Nathrovayen artifacts is popular among the monied classes. Denizens of the Nathrodar travel among the islands born upon great barges whereupon relics such as vases, jewelry, weapons, mosaic fragments, and other remnants are gathered and returned home. The profusion of these objects does little to diminish the price, since the memory of the Great Conflict remains such a potent episode in history.
Olûndari made relics comprise a well-known market, but the richest things are spawned by the new nature of the Fringe. The Nathrovayen collect another valuable resource known as Viiryne, which is a solidified form of Vojûn. Given the immense power of the detonation which destroyed the Fringe and the disordinate energy left behind, the region is unrivaled in this product. Viiryne can absorb and defuse the power of Vojûn, making it popular for weapon and armor crafting. Fringe islanders depart from their home upon great expeditions to mine vast quantites of Viiryne, hoarding it for shrewd sale. These practices became the heart of the economy, and their way of life.
Excavated ores and gathered sherds are the best-known exports, but the natural landscape of post-Conflict Nathrovas offers worthy boons. Along the black-sand slopes of the forsaken islands are sparse copse of languid trees. Their bark is bone-pale, missing any exterior markings save some regions which are whiter still. Passersby call it ghostwood, given its appearance like Eshanic spirits standing vigil upon the cursed shores. The Voletal who dwell thereabout call these stands Nimkris, or cloudstaffs for their erect stature and light-weight. It is these two features which makes ghostwood so popular and expensive. An average hewn plank weighs a third that of common oak, but it three times stronger than common pine. An Evosmar Ghet is expected to pay around 50 Gissir for a single plank, which is more than Fennes make in many months of labor. Strongboxes, furniture, weapon hafts, and other crafts wherein the quality of wood is particularly important became significant micro-markets unto themselves. Scavengers and Nathrodar masters alike sponsored expeditions to gather these economic jewels.
Along with ghostwood, the Fringe is known for naturally occurring patches of Sekrum which manifest upon inland hilltops. This strange Sekrum plant is a moss. It commonly appears upon swathes of grey dirt with a clay-like consistency which indicates moist ground tempered with regular dry heat. The best Sekrum might be found weeks after a Viilfuma storm, wherein the sodden ground is barraged with plumes of unnatural fire. Scavengers are most active during this post-storm period, which is simultaneously dangerous with new-spawned manifestations of Vojûn terror and lingering gales which toss and capsize vessels. In return, a pound of Sekrum can go for around 20 Gissir, which is a fair sum for any sailor. The moss then finds itself in courts, private residences of the wealthy, religious institutions, taverns, and other gathering places to be burnt in great brass braziers. It offers an outstanding, sweet aroma like dew and honey which calms active nerves and is even rumored to cure some mild cases of madness.
Eastern Architecture
Importing materials of worth into eastern Everos is a difficult task. The larger the vessel, the more vulnerable it becomes to raiding or mishap. It is such that building materials such as stone or timber come in lesser amounts than elsewhere. Worse still, there are few natural resources capable of constructing permanent buildings. These factors combined make architecture a difficult affairs. Common building are often build into or upon foundations of the natural environment, wherein natural rock might form a lower level of a building.
Nathrovayen Society
The society which the reclaimers forged for themselves in Nathrovas is an eclectic mix of Etayen traditions, Aemar customs, and wholly original manners which cannot be found elsewhere. It is chaotic and swift moving, but fluid for strangers to arrive poor and become prominent.
Matters of Race
In ancient years, the Etayen of Nathrovas practiced active separation and suppression of their Alorenic neighbors. All remnants of their culture was eradicted and their cities deprived of defenses. The two parties did not trade nor mingle. This was fine while Etunas was strong, for the Etayen had no need for outside assistance or markets. In time the Alorens receded to near nothing.
After the miserable Great Conflict, the hardline separation of race collapsed. The Gilded Cities which were built upon the ruins of Nathrovas were not Etayen only domains, but flush with opportunists and newcomers from every corner of Qadal. Indeed, Nathrovas became a melting pot by necessity, and one of the only places in the world where so many different peoples might dwell together.
Questions of Class
Beneath the highest echelon of government, being the Vojuyen who organize the Vojûnic protections of the Nathrodar, class becomes a nebulous mass. Foreigners of high standing are recognized with special rights over common dwellers, but only at the whims of the Vojuyen. The masses of Aemar, Etayen, Daorhu, Elivas, Odyrzid, and Axodraharik who occupy the cities are left free to determine social dynamics among themselves, such that it followers the broad political aims of the Vojuyen.
Eastern Literature
Given the eclectic collection of olundi scattered throughout the Nathrodar, it is impossible to attribute certain literary traditions to one group or another. Innumerable stories exist and are told, yet wisdom dictate only those unique to the Nathrodar be mentioned. Chiefest among those stories are the accounts of those settlers who first occupied broken Nathrovas. These were the first Vojuyen and Ghalûn of the region. They came from dream-spattered backgrounds, nurtured on the glories of Etunas and Iolas and Bal’gorod. Most were Etayen, survivors or relatives whose hearts felt the loss of Nathrovas deep.
Nathrovayen Music
Certain styles developed in the Nathrodar according to the tastes of the Vojuyen who reigned. A cabal of Vojuyen in Riketris might belove sung epics, whereas those in Enikaris might be well disposed to the multiple pieces in the Evosmar style. Styles which were most populat were proliferated and developed, over and over, until the origin point became obscured beneath the layers of Nathrovayen modification. New, unorthodox instruments were introduced which disgusted artistic traditionalists. New measures of sung music were explored, such that terror gripped the hearts of the unprepared.
Foodstuffs
The land of Nathrovas was once a fertile extension of Everos proper, with low hills, warbling rivers, and the green shelves upon which grains grow well. This ended with the Great Conflict of 2304, such that the land was ruined, town, and blackened by Eshanic power unleashed from Atun’s Womb. Most were killed and thus the need to feed the peoples of Nathrovas was not an issue, but it would be for later generations. Starting a few centuries later, people began to return to Nathrovas to resettle. For them, food was a dilemma which demanded answering.
Fish became a necessary stable, along with many eels which still inhabited the cracked waterways. Hunting of corrupted inland creatures was a possibility, but the uncertain health of that meat made the process less than popular. In the end, much of the food in Nathrovas was imported for elsewhere at great cost, securing the authority of the masters of said places.
Manners of Clothing
The primary culture of Nathrovas was Etayen, back centuries ago, and thus the clothing was in the style of Etal. After the Great Conflict and resettlement, however, the demographic was not restored in quite the same style- newcomers from all parts came to settle the Gilded Cities. Clothing in Nathrovas, therefore is a great colorful clash of many cultures all pushing for attention.
Holidays
The Gilded Cities of Nathrovas are not possessed of one population, Aemardic, Etayen, Elivas, Daorhu, Odyrzid, or otherwise. All such people dwell there, such that describing the holiday rites of the Gilded Cities is near impossible without going into extensive discussions about each culture. What might be said, however, is that certain civil celebrations exist to recognize the successes and deaths of various masters of the Gilded Cities and their close aides. These events are not scheduled on any specific day, but instead declared by the masters of the Cities, often as a means to celebrate a family of particular ancient lineage or standing. Simply, those who have dwelled longer in the Gilded City have greater chance of having their ancestors honored, for there is one to remember them and not others.
Eastern Education
The quality and consistency of education in the Nathrovayen Fringe varies wild between differing populations and wealth. Those who are wealthy Etayen might hire the foremost scholars to dwell among the Nathrodar and teach the youth. Poor newcomers without connections or status might never learn to read or write, but rather endure as laborers until death.
Love and Relationships
As common in most matters in the Nathrodar, personal activities do not interest the Vojuyen. People can court one another and join in union without specific social expectations. The sole demand is that any official unions or contracts between individuals be reported to the Vojuyen. It is such that meticulous records of the entire population are maintained.
Gender and Sexuality
The societal breakdown which accompanied the collapse of the Nathrovayen world eliminated traditional inhibitions and taboos regarding personal expression.
Childhood and Upbringing
The most significant element of upbringing within the Gilded Cities is the tendency to spend childhood outside the Gilded Cities. Danger is constant in Nathrovas, outside the walls or within the walls, and thus a growing child can suffer many cruel fates. Families with many send their children away to places such as Othos, Everos, or Neyas to receive a proper education and comfortable upbringing. Those with less money simply cannot.
After years away from home and family, the dramatic culmination of the youthful age is the triumphal return home, into the embrace of a teary-eyed family. This is when a child born in the Gilded Cities is no longer considered a youth, but a grown adult, which curiously makes the common “adult” in those parts younger than the adult of anywhere else.
Death and Rites
The common classes in the Fringe often choose cremation as their preferred method of bodily rest. It is cheap, unintrusive, and requires no maintenance from those left behind.
Upper classes of Nathrovayen society, being the merchants, warlords, and vessel owners, differ from the dregs and mundane folk. Their dead are interred in catacombs beneath the Nathrodar themselves. This is a departure from the practices of most olûndari races, for whom close proximity to the dead is considered uncivilized and unhealthy. However, the perpetual lack of space compels these concessions.
Members of the Vojuyen class, for whom everyone else in the Nathrodar owe their safety and survival, are further priviledged still in their manner of burial. Their bodies are interred within tombs built outside the Nathrodar, in choice islands across the Fringe. For the most wealthy and successful, the tombs are crafted with solid Viiryne walls and Nimkris gates. Additional gilding of gold, ornate carvings, and fresh coats of durable paint are common.
Language
The tongue of the Nathrovayen is a dialect of the greater Etayen language spoken derived in Etal. Over the centuries is became more crude in constant contact with lesser languages of Aemardic or Daorhu creation.
Naming Conventions
Given its linguistic root, the names of the Nathrovayen are close related to common Etayen names. Letters such as L, T, I, K, P, S, A, E, and R are commonplace. Names derived from such origins are Erayas, Pekital, Sakeyaphis, Iolas, and others.
One significant difference between Nathrovayen name format and Etal is surnames. In Etal, the family name is before the given name- Vishtal Taeyoril is a classic example. Among the Nathrovayen, the family name comes after the given name- Pharisaur Kital is an example.
Nathrovayen Spirituality
The Fringe’s Vojûn-rich environment has bred numerous cults honoring the raw energy itself, living manifestations of that power, and totems which are associated with its incredible strength. These practices are more an articulation of superstition or spirituality rather than doctrinal faith. None among the Nathrovayen believe the Vojûnic energy in their domain has agency. None believe that it is sentient nor demands worship.