The Known World: The Skandaharians part 3

Continuing from the last post, here is the Skandaharian language tree as it developed after the GRoF.  

The Vanitar

The Vanitar tribe(equivalent to East Germanic) was the first to leave the ancient home of the Skandaharians, travelling west over the mountains to a lush forest in a great basin surrounded on three sides by mountains(modern Wendar). Over the next few centuries the Vanitar prospered and grew in population, leading to further migrations outside of the great basin to the north and the west. After more than five centuries of isolation, a group of ragged and weary elves arrived in the forest of the Vanitar; the elves were fed, welcomed and given a new home among the human tribes. This welcome was short-lived however as humans have short memories. Just one hundred and fifty years after the elves arrived, the Vanitar had vanished from the forest. Elven records of this time are sparse, yet most non elven scholars agree that a conflict of some sort arose between the elves and the humans, and the elves won out. Since this time the valley and and forest have become known as the Genalleth Valley after the elves who occupy it. 

The Renatic

Some few Vanitar survived in the regions north of the Genalleth valley bordering the northern wildlands for the next few centuries. Eventually the elves expanded northward into these areas; the elves avoided the local Vanitar descended humans who viewed the elves as powerful spirits who had to be placated to avoid their wrath. After 200 years of elven settlement a new kingdom, Forenath, was established in the north. Forenath was a rare example of humans and elves living in a harmonious society together; over time the language of the humans took on elements of the elven tongue. This language spoken by the people of Forenath was known as Renatic(equivalent to Burgundian). Unfortunately Forenath was doomed; a plague struck the Renatic humans of Forenath, and the elves either refused or could not help the sick. This led to tensions rising between the elves and humans once again; human mobs attacked isolated elves, and elves struck back at the humans. The population of Forenath was decimated by the divisions and strife; only a quarter of the human population survived the plague and war in small scattered villages, and most elves fled back to the safety of the Valley of Genalleth with a few remaining in hiding in secluded foresthomes. During the civil war a few groups of elves and humans in a desire to maintain the unity of their two people fled north to the Parthenal hills and their descendants live there to this day, over the centuries the Old Renatic tongue took on more and more aspects of the elven tongue so that the modern Parthenal language is for all practical purposes an elven tongue. 

The fall of the Kingdom of Forenath left the region open to invasion from goblinoid hordes from the mountains and for the next two centuries the ancient realm of Forenath and the northern borders of the Genalleth elves were ravaged by Goblinoid raids. This period of chaos came to an end when the Genalleth elves allied themselves with the Thang Republic. The Thang legions quickly drove the goblinoids back, proving their worth to the elves. Beldareth, an elf lord who had worked closely with the Thang, led a joint venture between the Genalleth elves and the Thang humans to found a new city, Nimbeth, on the northern border of the elven realm. Nimbeth paved the way for elven settlement in the north again. The remaining Renatic humans began to prosper under the rule of Nimbeth and their culture was influenced by the Thang garrisons. The language spoken after the founding of Nimbeth is generally referred to as Neo-Renatic, as opposed to the Old Renatic of Forenath. 

The first cracks in the alliance between the humans and the elves showed when a group of elves from Nimbeth violently dispersed a group of Renatic humans in order to found a new city, Thalion. These humans retreated to the nearby Moors of Chlyras, where frogfolk lived. The next generation of humans who had fled to the moors, known as the Moor-Men,  attacked the elves of Nimbeth and after several years of hunting the Moor-Men, the elves exiled them to the northern wildlands. When these Moor-Men, now calling themselves Murrians, emerged over a century later and with the help of the local Renatic population conducted a series of hit and run attacks against the elves of Thalion, the elves retaliated against all humans, Murrian, Renatic, and Thang alike. The elves of Thalion committed a great slaughter and enslaved any survivors; this great betrayal by the elves cut off the Thang from their northern territories dealing a great blow to the Empire of Thanegioth. What followed were 30 years of Murrian attacks and elven reprisals against the local populace until the elves were finally able to defeat the Murrians in an open battle and drive them back north. To this day the Murrians speak a debased form of Neo-Renatic. 

Over the centuries, many Murrians migrated further north and comingled with the nonhuman denizens of the Swamp of the Beast. Around AC 200 a man of Murrian descent by the name of Maggoroth emerged from the swamp with a horde of warriors behind him both human and non human, and he was able to establish a kingdom over the surrounding lands which survived for nearly three centuries before losing its grip on the subjugated people. The people of the swamp came to call themselves and their language Meggaran, after their legendary leader.

The Hag

While most of the Vanitar settled in the Wendarian basin, the Hag tribe(equivalent to the Vandals) continued the journey into the inhospitable north. For a time they settled on the plains northwest of the Blackridge Mountains on the border of the the swamp of the beast. Many centuries later, when the ice and snow retreated north, many of the Hag made the trek further north in search of new lands while some stayed in the home they had always known. Those that stayed in sight of the Blackridge Mountains have maintained their isolation and independence from outside influence for these long centuries and are known today as the Hagomerian tribes. The Hagomerian language and lifestyle have been maintained by tradition and are likely the closest in relation to the ancient Vanitar.

Those that continued the journey north, calling themselves the Rohag, settled first in the Llacenvale and Clearwater valleys and after some centuries expanded into the region today known as the Hill and the Dale. The Rohag were isolated for many centuries until elves fleeing the wars in Forenath settled in the Parthenal hills. The elves had little contact with the native humans and the two groups coexisted with little conflict. It wasn't until the 5th century BC that this equilibrium was disrupted; the Thang Legions marched north and crushed any resistance, demanding tribute and military service of young men to aid in their wars against the Adri-Varma. The Thang never had a strong grip on the region and individual tribes were still ruled by their own kings and chieftains; as long as the tribe provided enough soldiers to serve the empire they were left to govern themselves. Over the next century and a half of foreign rule, the Rohag traditional beliefs and language were heavily influenced by the Thang; even after their departure from the region the language spoken after the Thang conquest is now referred to as Neo-Roag. After the betrayal of the Elves of Thalion, the Thang legion that was stationed in the north lost control of the local tribes and were banished to the mountains east of the Clearwater, after wandering through a harsh winter what was left of the legion was rescued by an Alfish tribe, leading to the brief glory of the Kingdom of Alinor.

The latest chapter in the story of the Roag occurred approximately three centuries ago with the rise of the Essurian Empire. Many the eastern Roag were dominated by the Essurians leading to a split among the Roags. The High Roag are those of the east and southern 'civilized' kingdoms left behind after the collapse of the Essurians. The Low Roag are the more northern tribes, some of whom have consolidated under the leadership of a king while others have remained organized in small free tribes.

The Vanar

While some Vanitar journeyed north and some stayed behind to settle in the Genalleth valley, another larger group of Vanitar traveled east. They found a land of expansive plains and dense forests already populated by various tribes speaking many languages(the ancestors of the modern Ethesti and Ethengar). The Vanitar quickly dispersed and settled in small groups, often conflicting with the natives and driving them out. The dispersed tribes began to call themselves the Vanar(equivalent to the Goths). 

After half a millennia a new test arose for the Vanar tribes. On the banks of the Yalu Sea in the east, also known as The Cradle, a new religion was quickly growing and gaining followers. This was the Temple of Law; they purported to worship a benevolent creator god above all other gods whose Law was the only law worthy of following. This new god was known by many names, but is mostly commonly recognized as 'He Who Watches.' One Kargan, a leader among the western Vanar tribes converted to this new faith and was the first king of the Kingdom of Law. From this time, the Vanar of the west under the kingdom of Law became known as Karganites, speaking what is now called Old Kargan(equivalent to the Gruethingi Goths), and the the Vanar of the east became known as the Vandar, speaking Vandaric(equivalent to the Thervingi Goths). The Vandar remained free and maintained the traditions of their forefathers having no single ruler, simply a collection of tribes. 

The Kingdom of Law prospered for three centuries until it fell to its enemies under the sway of the Temple of Chaos to the south who had allied themselves with the Borean goblinoids of the north. The Karganites that were not put to the sword were captured and enslaved and had to practice their faith in secret among the enemy. Some few Karganites fled in all directions taking their faith with them, and in the process spreading it to new lands; this diaspora of Karganites(speaking an equivalent of Yiddish) continues to wander foreign lands to this day, being welcomed in some places and shunned in others. In the remnants of the old Thang Empire the Karganite faith has taken root to the point of creating a new Holy Empire devoted to spreading the faith.

More than two centuries after the fall of the Kingdom of Law, the Temple of Chaos was toppled by nomads from the Great Waste to the south. These nomads, the Adri-Varma, established a new empire ruled by Magi upon the Great Plateau, and began their reign by freeing the enslaved people of the Temple of Chaos. The Karganites returned to their homeland to find it overrun by goblinoids; a great warrior chief, Galan, drove out the goblins and founded the new city of Galandar atop the ruins of their capitol. Over the next few centuries the freed Karganites spread across the land once again, setting up many petty kingdoms. The Karganites remained apart from their cousins, the Vandar to the east, separated by their beliefs and way of life; to the Karganites, the Vandar tribes were considered barbaric uncivilized people. The city of Galandar prospered and rose to such prominence that the Karganites began to call themselves the Galanese(equivalent to the Visigoths). 

Eventually a new power arose in the east; the Thang empire after defeating their great foe, the Nithians, in the east turned their sights westward and found there an enemy in the Adri-Varma. The Thang quickly dominated all the disparate tribes of the north who stood before them. Rather than resist, the city of Galandar welcomed the Thang and with the the help of their legions conquered their neighbors. The Kingdom of Galannor was the greatest ally of the Thang Empire in the north for two centuries and was greatly influenced by them culturally and linguistically during that time, and retained many aspects of the empire after it retreated from the north. Galannor modeled its government after the empire dividing the kingdom into duchies, and even adopted the alphabet and writing system of the Thang. The syncretized language that resulted from this has come to be called Royal Galanese. 

The Vandar tribes in the east were unable to resist the Thang and fell under their sway and were used as mercenaries by the Thang in their many wars. Many tribes on the border between the Adri-Varma and the Thang empires switched loyalties many times over the generations. During this time of competition between the two great empires the Vandar tribes began calling them selves the Rundar and their language Rundaric(equivalent to the Ostrogoths). After the Thang Empire retreated from the north the Rundar tribes fell under the say of the Adri Varma.

The great migrations which toppled the Thang empire and turned the Adri Varma Plateau into a wasteland also decimated the Kingdom of Galannor and the Rundar tribes. The Rundar were all but wiped out with the desolation of the Adri-Varma and now only a small remnant survives in the eastern borderlands; they speak a variant dialect known as Rutharic (equivalent to Crimean Gothic), and are comprised of only two major tribes, the Hangall and the Hargan. The Kingdom of Galannor fared little better; Galannor itself maintains only a rump of its former territory, simply the hinterland of Galandar itself. Seven independent duchies and a few baronies dependent on the duchies survive in the former territories of the kingdom. The Kingdom of Galannor maintains Royal Galanese as the official language of state, but many of the common folk speak debased forms of the language, so there are now three main dialects of Royal Galanese referred to as High Galanese, Middle Galanese, and Low Galanese, spoken by the nobility, the burghers, and the commoners respectively. Since the separation from the Kingdom of Galannor, the surviving duchies have taken to calling themselves Karganites, after their ancestors, and their language Ducal Karganite; though in truth their language is nearly indistinguishable from that spoken in the Kingdom of Galannor. These four varieties of Royal Galanese are so similar they could more accurately be described as accents than separate dialects. Together the Kingdom of Galannor, the Duchies, and several Karganite tribes form the Council of Law in an effort to maintain some unity among a common people. After a hundred-years war between the Council of Law and Hule to the south, several Karganite tribes became isolated from Galannor and the Duchies; these tribes, whose dialect is commonly referred to as Outer Karganite,  have reverted to amore primitive lifestyle and belief system.

The Known World: The Skandaharians part 2

 Continuing from the last post post, we explore the second Skandaharian branch the Antalians as they  became a hardened warrior people in the cold north. The sight of their longships has for generations been a cause of fear on the high seas  and among the rich coastal lands of the south.

The Antalians

Following the Great Rain of Fire, the Antalians(equivalent to the Ancient Norse) traveled north avoiding the frozen glaciers and mountains further inland until they reached the Great Bay where they took refuge from the harsh northern seas. Over the next few centuries the Antalians spread out covering the entirety of the Northern Lowlands, around where the modern Great Bay is now, and along the coast all the way down to modern Landfall. Many Antalian kingdoms rose and fell and warred with each other and the Giant and Dragon kingdoms in the mountains. 

After many centuries of Antalian preeminence in the region the great Orc horde of Loark shattered the southern kingdoms and leaving few survivors who fled to join their northern brethren in the Northern Lowlands. The remaining Antalians in the north took centuries to rebuild and they became a more united people of common culture known as the Norsenians(equivalent to the Old Norse). At this point there were no kings or great lords, only small scattered tribes and homesteads trying to scrape out a living from the dark northern seas, and interdependence among the people became essential to their survival. 

During this period many Norsenians seeking a new life settled an island far to the north, which they named Kat-har after a stowaway cat on a longship. For nearly two thousand years the Kattes(as they called themselves) were isolated in the cold north with minimal contact between them and their cousins on the mainland, developing their own unique though parallel language and customs(equivalent to Old Gutnish). And then the conquering Alphatians arrived. The Alphatians viewed Kat-har as a backwards island not worth the resources required to subjugate the people there, but also would not deign to consider the small island capable of governing itself. A compromise was reached with the King of the island to avoid bloodshed, resulting in the King swearing allegiance to Alphatia and agreeing to send yearly tributes to the Empire. Over the centuries, the island has been a backward province of the Empire and been mostly left to itself. Due to Alphatian influence the culture and language of the island has evolved, and the island is now known as Quedhar and the people as the Quedish(equivalent to Faro Gutnish).

The Alfish

After half a millennium of Norsenian growth and recolonization of the southern Coasts disaster struck. The sea gods poured out their wrath on the north as glaciers melted and great tidal waves washed away many settlements. The land bridge between the continent and the isle of dawn sunk beneath the waves, the shoreline of Norwold retreated creating many fjords at the edges of the mountains, the Northern Lowlands became flooded as the sea rushed in and created the Great Bay. This great flood separated the surviving Norsenians in the north around the Great Bay from those in the south along the deteriorated coastline. Those in the north became known as the Alfish tribes(equivalent to the Old East Norse) while those in the south along the coast came to be called the Norwold tribes(equivalent to the Old West Norse) by their southern neighbors. 

In the north the Alfish people gathered on the peninsula of Alfmark(i.e. Alpha to modern Thyatians) and the surrounding lands to the south and west, forming many petty kingdoms over the centuries. In AC 12 a group of refugees from the Thang empire came to the land of Alfmark, and with many Alfish outcasts and lowlifes built the city of Alfa which quickly became the preeminent trade hub in the region. Virtually any Thang influence has died out as all the Thang refugees comingled with the natives and became assimilated to the Alfish culture. Nearly half a millennia after the founding of Alfa the Alphatian Empire invaded the Great Bay. After many years of warfare against incredible odds Alfish tribes defeated the Alphatians. The City of Alfa played a key part in this war, and afterwards many of the tribes of the Great Bay pledged fealty to the new King of Alfmark who made his capitol the City of Alfa. 

After the Great Flood many Alfish tribes migrated to the west instead of remaining near Alfmark. Over the next few centuries they warred with the orc tribes in the western mountains until most of the orcs were driven out of the valleys, which were in turned settled by the Alfish. In the year BC 300 a legion from the Thang empire was cut off from home in the far north; a small Alfish tribe saved them from the depths of a cold winter. The legion and the small tribe together began to broker alliances with other Alfish tribes, or where resistance was met, conquered them. This new empire, the Kingdom of Alinor, among the western mountains experienced a meteoric rise and came to dominate the region. As the soldiers of the legion grew old they settled down with Alfish women and passed on the reigns of power Alfish comrades. From this point the Alfish people became culturally divided between the east and west: the Alinish of the west(equivalent to Early Old Swedish) and the Alfish of the east(equivalent to Early Middle Danish). The kingdom of Alinor was destroyed only a generation later during a series of devastating earthquakes, yet the cultural memory of the kingdom remains with the Alinish people to this day. Over the centuries many Alinish traders and warriors went north among the barbarians north of the Great Bay. There a great kingdom was established which still exists in the form of the northern Empire of Cezavy, yet the Alfish conquerors quickly assimilated into the local culture, so that story belongs to another people. 

The Norwolders

In the south the Norwoldic people scattered among the fjords, hills, and isles of the eastern coast. They continued to live as their ancestors, being simple farmers and fishermen, while some few traded journeyed on long voyages to the south for trade or sometimes plunder. In the middle of the second century BC many Norwold tribesmen were overrun by Gothic invaders from the south who in turn were fleeing from a horde of Goblinoids. After this event a traditional boundary was formed at the Saffir river between the Norwoldic people of the north and Nordurlanders of the south. 

In the year AC 250 many raiders, or "Vikings" of Norwold began voyaging to and plundering the rich lands of the south including the Isle of Dawn, the green isles of Ostland, the lowlands of Vestland, and even as far south as the rich cities of Thyatis. These raiders set up temporary camps on the northern isles of dawn and these camps eventually transformed into a stronghold called Helskir(equivalent to Dublin). Over the centuries this settlement has expanded and conquered much of the island becoming the modern day Kingdom of Helskir, and the Norwold descended people speak their own dialect of Helska(equivalent to Old Faroese). 

The Kingdom of Helskir was not to be the only conquest of the Norwoldic people. In AC 400 Cnute the Bold led the greatest army ever gathered among the Norwoldic people to invade the rich green isles of Ostland to the south. For centuries the Southern lands had been ripe picking for the raiders, or "Vikings" of Norwold, but never before had so ambitious a plan been set in motion, and in a few short months Cnute had set himself up as the new King of Ostland. After his death the sons of Cnute also conquered the Kingdoms of Vestland, excluding Ghyr. For many years the two lands of Ostland and Vestland were ruled by one king, heir to the realm of Cnute, but eventually the tyranny of the king could not be tolerated by his unruly vassals and the Jarls of Vestland revolted. After a long and bloody war a king of Vestland was crowned and a peace established between Ostland and Vestland. The kingdom of Ostland became more isolated and insular over the years so much so that the Norwoldic people there have altered their speech and speak their own specific dialect, Nutish(equivalent to Norn), distinct from the Norwoldic spoken in Vestland and Norwold.

The latest chapter in the legends of the Norwoldic people occurred only 300 years ago. A great leader and shipbuilder, named Heldann, had a vision of a new land where he and his friends could be free from the tyranny of petty kings. He built a fleet of ships and gathered many to his cause. They sailed forth and made landfall in Kamminer Bay south of the Skaufskogr hills. They were almost immediately beset by goblins, but were able to drive them off. Over the next few years many outcasts and Vikings joined with Heldann in driving the goblins from this new land. Since that time the region has come to be known as Heldland and is populated by many freeholds of Norwoldic descent. They suffer no king to rule over them and settle any major disputes at the traditional Althing. The people of Heldland have come to call themselves Heldannic in honor of their national hero and speak their own dialect of Norwoldic(equivalent to Old Icelandic).

The Known World: The Skandaharians part 1

Continuing from the last post, here is the Skandaharian language tree as it developed after the GRoF. The Skandaharians are the equivalent of the Proto-Germans. The Great Rain of Fire decimated the population of the Skandaharians due to their proximity to ancient Blackmoor. Most of the tribes had become subject to the superior civilization of Blackmoor and were destroyed along with it. The few who survived were more primitive hill tribes who occupied the southern hills of modern Heldann. Three major tribes, the Goths, the Antalians, and the Vanitar, formed out of the surviving Skandaharians and expanded into the northern territories as the long winter caused by the GRoF began to subside. 

The Low Goths

As the various Skandaharian tribes scattered among the frozen territories of the north, the Goths remained behind and settled the lowlands of the modern Heldann region. Over time some of the Goth tribes migrated to the fertile mountain valleys of the north, but a portion always remained in Heldann. The different Gothic groups began to separate and evolve over time and those in the lowlands became known as the Low Goths(equivalent to the Ingvaeonic Germans.) while those in the high mountain valleys became known as the High Goths. The Low Goths had some contact with the Dunharians on the Isle of Dawn and the remnants of the Thonian tribes to the south and their culture began to be influenced by both groups over time. They came to call their land Gotland and themselves Gotlanders.  

Over the course of the centuries empires rose in the south, first the Nithians, and then the Thang. Each of these in succession made attempts at incorporating Gotland into their domains but ultimately proved unsuccessful; the wild hills of Gotland proved to be too harsh for the armies of the south. Truth be told, the greatest threat to Gotland was the Mengul goblinoids from the mountains to the west; the goblinoids repeatedly conducted raids on the lowlands, pillaging and destroying homes and fields. A cycle of destruction and rebuilding became the norm among the Gotlanders.

This all changed in BC 160 when a massive horde of Goblinoids came pouring out of the mountains. Many Gotlanders were killed, but many others fled, some north and some south. Those who went north fled to the elves of the Rhien Forest who offered humanitarian aid. With the combined efforts of the elves and the Gotlanders the Goblinoid horde was defeated in a great battle in the Skaufskogr hills. The Goblinoids took possession of all the lands between the Gotland and Skaufskogr hills, while the Gotlanders spread into the lands north of the Skaufskogr hills and Rhien Forest. These Low Goths assimilated the few Antalian tribes living in this southern coastal region and called their new land Nordurland. This remnant of the Gotlanders have become known as the Nordur(the equivalent of the Old Saxons) after the name of the land the land they come from.

The majority of the Gotlanders who fled from the invading goblins turned to the rich lands of the south. The great Gotlander horde defeated the armies of the Gwynish Kingdom led by King Atruaghin, who was slain in battle. The native Gwynish who were not enslaved or killed by the Gotlanders fled into the mountains of Rockhome. The Gotlander horde dispersed as it settled this new land, some settled the eastern isles and some settled the coastal fjords and plains. The isles became known as Ostland and their inhabitants the Ostish(equivalent to the Old Frisians), while the mainland became known as Vestland and the inhabitants the Vestish(equivalent to the Old English). Shortly after the fall of the Thang Empire, missionaries came to the land of Vestland, and the King converted to the the faith of the one true Church. Through his influence many Vestlanders came to see the light and The Church grew in power and influence throughout the kingdom. 

This period of peace was not to last however. Lured by the wealth of the unprotected monasteries of the Church of Vestland, raiders from the northern regions of Norwold began plundering the rich land of Vestland. After a century and a half of constant raiding many of the raiders stopped simply raiding and began to settle in the lands of Vestland and Ostland. This was followed by the invasion of a great heathen army led by King Cnute the Bold who conquered the Kingdom of Ostland. After Cnute's death, his sons invaded Vestland. As a consequence of these invasions the Vestish and Ostish have been for the most part assimilated or oppressed by their northern overlords, and many have returned to the old ways and worship the old gods in imitation of their overlords, though a few maintain faith in the one true Church despite the persecution they receive for their beliefs. 

A single Vestland kingdom has been able to withstand the armies of the north time and again, this is the Kingdom of Ghyr(equivalent to Wessex). Ghyr maintains the true faith and the kings of Ghyr hold out hope of reuniting Vestland under a faithful Vestish King. Just 30 years ago the King of Ghyr entered into an alliance with the King of Ylaruam to the south, and with his aid was able to defeat many of the northern jarls and expand the domain of Ghyr.

The High Goths

While some of the Gothic tribes descended into the lowlands, many ascended into the nearby hills and mountains of the Mengul, Final, and Wyrmsteeth ranges, mostly settling in the high mountain valleys between the ranges. The goths in these upper valleys became known as the High Goths in contrast to their Low Gothic cousins to the east, and the dialect they spoke became known as High Gothic(equivalent to Irminonic German). The High Goths lived a mostly pastoral and tribal way of life adhering closely to the traditions of their ancestors. Over the centuries they have expanded into the harsh wilderness of the north while keeping a single identity as a people with a common heritage. Each valley tucked away in the mountains may have some quirks in language and tradition that make it unique, yet the valleys are never isolated from each other; there is a network of communication and traditions that connect the tribes of the various valleys across great distances and the centuries of history. On occasion a single tribe has risen to prominence crowning its chief as "king" in a sign of unity among the tribes when defending against some foreign power, but these "kingdoms" have only lasted as long as the life of the king, and then the tribes have returned to governing themselves. 

The centuries have wrought changes upon the language and culture of the tribes, but of all the gothic peoples they still adhere closest to the ways of their ancestors. The modern gothic language is still called High Gothic (equivalent to Old High German) despite these changes, reflecting a direct continuum of ancestry, while the tongue of the ancestors is referred to as Traditional High Gothic. In recent history many of the tribes have once again been united, not under the rulership of a king, or under the oppression of a foreign conqueror but as equal partners in the Federation of Denagoth.

The Denagoths

Not long after the Goths entered the mountains to the west of modern Heldann, many continued west until they reached a forested highland valley guarded on all sides by high mountains. There they found a group of Demi-Humans calling themselves the Deng. The Goths simply called them Brutemen and warred with them for many centuries, eventually driving them out of the valley and into the mountains. As the Goths became the dominant people in the valley they cleared much of the forests to make way for farmland until elves from the south were encountered and with their help toppled the last Kingdom of the Deng. Two centuries of peace followed between the elves and humans. However, this peace could not last and due to population strain the Goths, now calling themselves Denagoths(equivalent to the Istvaeonic Germans) from the name of the original inhabitants of the valley, began to expand into the southern forest, clearing trees to make way for their farms. What followed was two centuries of expansion into the southern forest of the elves until a dark magic mastered by the elves decimated the population of the Denagoths. What followed were many centuries of cycles of peace and violence between the Denagoth people and the elves of the of the forest.

When the Thang Empire marched its legions north, many Denagoth tribes united with the elves in establishing peaceful relations with the newcomers, while others remained wary and sometimes openly hostile. The empire made use of Denagoth mercenaries frequently in their northern campaigns. During the decline of the empire, a new goddess appeared to the Denagoth tribes around the Blackridge Mountains. A Denagoth chief who had served as a former mercenary general among the Thang legions gathered the Denagoth tribes together under his banner and attacked the elves on either side of the Blackridge mountains, who still maintained a loyalty to the Thang empire. The Denagoth chief was crowned the first king of the Kingdom of Denagoth which ruled all of the valley of Denagoth and the old elven kingdom of Forenath. This precipitated a series of wars with the elves to the south, and in the process of these wars Hobgoblin mercenaries were at first simply used as shock troops against the elves, but later became an essential part of the military of the Kingdom of Denagoth. The kingdom eventually fell to infighting among rival heirs, some of whom had converted to the new faith of the one true Church, until the Denagoth were driven out of Forenath and back into the valley by the elves. The Hobgoblins who had formerly assimilated into the armies of Denagoth retreated into the mountains, and formed the Den Horde by subjugating all the other goblinoids in the mountains; the Den Horde periodically raided the Humans of the valleys below.

Amongst the chaos left by the crumbing Denagoth kingdoms rose a great chief, Nebunar(a parallel of Charlemagne), among the southern Denagoth who made peace with the elves and established the Kingdom of Essuria. Nebunar expanded his kingdom to reign over all the Denagoth people in the valley. The peace he established was short lived however, as upon his death the kingdom was split between his two sons Arus, who remained the King of Essuria in the east, and Gereth, who established the Second Kingdom of Denagoth in the west. It was at this point that the Denagoth became divided as a people. The Essurians(equivalent to Old West Low Franconian) in the east, and the Avien plainsmen(equivalent to Old East Low Franconian) in the west. 

Over the course of a century the royal family of the Second Kingdom of Denagoth fell into degeneracy and the king murdered the entire royal court before committing suicide. Following this Essuria rose to its golden age, reestablishing dominion over the entire valley and even expanding beyond it to the north. At its height Essuria ruled over the valley of Denagoth, the Llancevale and Clearwater valleys and also over the people of the Hill and Dale region. This golden age came to an end however when the King of Essuria, Gallathon, granted the provinces more autonomy in both rule and religion; the cult of Idris once again gained followers among the Denagoth people. This led directly to the catastrophe which ended the rule of the Essurian kings abruptly. The last Essurian king, Landryn Teriak, came to power after a sudden illness slew his brother Vespen. Landryn Teriak established the cult of Idris as the official religion of the kingdom and began performing dark rites. The northern provinces, still following the faith of the one true Church, united under the leadership of one Henadin and made an alliance with the elves of the south and together they marched towards Drax Tallen, the capital of Essuria, where a great battle took place and Landryn was presumed dead. 

This great campaign cost the lives of many elves and humans, leaving the valley of Denagoth virtually uninhabited. This opened the way for the Den Horde to pour into the valley from the Blackridge Mountains to the west and the Mengul mountains to the south. Over the next hundred years the Hobgoblins of the Den horde drove the humans to the far north of the valley and killed every last elf. The forests quickly regrew and overtook most of the previous farmland of the valley. There remained only a handful of human Essurian settlements in the south and a single city in the north on the edge of the swamp of the beast to which the Avien people fled. All that remained of the Kingdom of Essuria was the former province in the Clearwater Valley. 

About a decade after the last elf was seen in the valley of Denagoth,  a pair of adventurers, Ryan and Johnny, were captured by a tribe of Denag Hobgoblins and almost sacrificed to their dark mistress, Idris, yet were miraculously able to win their freedom and the loyalty of the tribe. Over the course of the next few months Ryan and Johnny united the Denag tribes and established trade relations with the few Avien and Essurian humans of the valley. Through an unprecedented era of cooperation of diplomacy, the Denag Hobgoblins of the Denagoth valley, the Blackridge mountains, and the Avien and Essurian humans of the Denagoth valley, and the High Gothic tribes of the mountain valleys to the east united in the mighty Federation of Denagoth. Ryan the Hermit established a shrine in the Denagoth forest and began spreading the word of the one true God to the Denag Hobgoblins. The Federation has been challenged by The Guild of Alphatia from across the sea to the east, and the Holy Empire from the south. The Federation also narrowly avoided war with the united elven and human kingdom of Wendar to the South. A tenuous peace has been established between the two powers after a joint expedition went to the ancient ruins of Soreth to investigate a dark power that had been growing for many years, and there the Dark Lord, Landryn Teriak, was destroyed forever.

The Known World: The Dunharians

I've recently been thinking about migrations and demographic shifts in my the Known World of Dracopolis. It got me inspired to go over my language lists again, look at the ethnographic history of mystara as developed by the fans, and finally I made some simple migration maps(just with colored pencil, I'll do better ones on the computer later) specific to fit my version of mystara. It ended up with me building a language tree of all the known languages. I then made this into a flowchart in illustrator which kinda acts as both an abstract migration maps and very simplified timeline. So I present the Dunharian Language Family as it developed after the Great Rain of Fire:

A brief explanation, which expands on the info I presented in this post follows. Immediately after the GRoF (keep in mind Blackmoor is in the Broken Lands in my Known World) the Dunharians were situated on the Isle of Dawn. During the Dark Ages following the disaster the Dunharians split into many rival tribes to the extent that they no longer saw themselves as the same people. These divisions resulted in two major groups, the Donn(so called because of their brown clothes) of the north and the Tal of the south. 

The Talians

The Tal fought many minor wars and fought off many invasions of  the various peoples of the mainland to the west. This eventually led to a mingling of cultures and language that separated the people on the western coast from those that had moved up into the central plateau. Over time the upland Nantalians were influenced by the Nithian descended Thothians on the west coast, yet over the centuries they have maintained a distinct cultural identity that harks back to their Dunharian roots. 

While the Nantalians were isolated by the plateau, the coastal Trantalians became civilized on the model of their neighbors to the west founding city-states and engaging in trade and diplomacy. Though having a different culture and language, a typical Trantalian city would be virtually indistinguishable from a Doulakki city to the west. Through the centuries, the empires of the west(Nithian, Thang, Thyatian) have always found it more useful to establish favorable trade deals and make allies with some of the more powerful Trantalian kingdoms or cities  than to directly subjugate them.

While the Tal were still warring with the people of the western continent, one tribe fled the Isle of Dawn and settled in the island to the south (Ochalea). Over a short period of time this tribe, the Kallians, either conquered or assimilated most of the indigenous population of the island. A few centuries later when the great flood sunk Taymora, a group of refugees fled to this island and called it Ochalea after the civilized people they encountered there. The two groups inhabited the island together for many centuries until the Thang Empire conquered it. During the the following centuries, the Thang language and culture came to dominate the island, though the people always retained some traits that spoke of their unique heritage.

The Donnians

Meanwhile, to the north the vast majority of the Donn left the isle of Dawn on a mass migration across the landbridge to the mainland(modern day Ethengar and the Northern Reaches); they became the Gwynish people and will be discussed below. The Donn who stayed behind were few in number and for many centuries their society remained tribal and simple. After the great flood which severed thier connection to the mainland, the Donn people became divided and many petty kingdoms rose up; these became known as the Dunael kingdoms. Over the centuries the great empires dealt with these northern kingdoms in the same manner as they did the southern Trantalian cities. 

Toward the decline of the Thang Empire, they often hired 'barbarian' mercenaries to fight their wars for them, and the the Dunael were considered some of the most reliable and ferocious warriors in the armies of the empire. Thus it happened that a Dunael captain, known as Atruaghin, became a great hero to both the Thang Empire and the Dunael people. Due to his great deeds for the empire, after his death Atruaghin's followers were given land in the western marches of the empire to settle. The people of Atruaghin keep their traditions alive and were some of the first to convert to the true faith of The Church.  

After centuries of division and outside powers influencing the wars and politics of the Dunael kingdoms, the vast majority formed the Dunadale Confederacy. Since the formation of the Confederacy, the Dunael people have had more independence, prosperity, and growth than ever before. Dunadale has become the preferred name of the people and their language in a show of loyalty to the Confederacy.

The Gwynish

After the GRoF the Great Bay north of Blackmoor emptied and became an expansive plain, also a land bridge was formed between the Isle of Dawn and the Northern Reaches. After the worst effects of the GRoF had dissipated and these new lands became viable for agriculture, a great flood of people spread into these new lands. For a time these people and the Donnian of the Isle of Dawn remained one and united. However, after the great floods sunk both Taymora and the land bridge the Dunael people of the continent were separated from those on the Isle of Dawn. Those on the continent, seeing the weakness of their neighbors, went on another great migration, this time one of conquest. They passed over the mountains and flooded into the Canolbarth plains(there was no forest at that time) slaughtering the inhabitants who had just suffered catastrophe during the quakes floods that had destroyed Taymora. 

Many settled the Canolbarth plains, while others continued on to the southern coast over the Cruth mountains. Those who continued to the coast slaughtered any remaining Taymorans and enslaved the native population of elves they found there. These tribes became isolated, developing their own idiosyncrasies, and became known as the Cruthin. Only a few centuries later the great Hin migration arrived at the shores of the Cruthin. Caught unprepared, the Cruthin were slaughtered and driven into the mountains. To this day a few Cruthin tribesmen can be found in areas considered uninhabitable by civilized folk. These 'wild men' follow their ancient traditions and have never converted to the ways of the one true Church. 

Following the great flood and subsequent conquest of the Canolbarth, the Donn people of the continent, though isolated from their cousins on the Isle of Dawn, shared a single culture and language which unified them. This united people, across Canolbarth, Ethengar, and the Northern Reaches, became known as the Gwynish. The Gwynish tribes flourished for several centuries unchallenged. this was not to last however, as first the Nithians from the east, and then the Thang from the west, built expansive empires and conquered the neighboring gwynish tribes; eventually the Nithians were defeated by the Thang and all the Gwynish became subject to a single empire. 

During this period of conflict between the Nithian and Thang Empires, a tribe of elves came to the Thang empire with an offer of an alliance. With the help of the elves, the Thang drove the Gwynish who had allied themselves with the Nithians out of the Canolbarth plains. The elves were given this now 'empty' land and cultivated a dense forest there. The Gwynish who were driven out of the Canolbarth fled north to their free cousins in modern day Ethengar. The refugees along with the bravest of the Gwynish in Ethengar headed to the snow covered peaks of the west and settled among the river valleys of Glantri. Eventually they too were conquered by the Thang Empire. 

During the decline of the empire, the northern frontier was abandoned to focus on threats from the west and south, and Imperial control was never reestablished over the region. A decade later 'barbarians' invaded the Gwynish provinces from the west. The Gwynish called on the empire for aid to no avail. In response to the plight of the Gwynish, a renowned warrior of the Dunael, named Atraughin, gathered an army and sailed across the sea to deliver his cousins. Once there all the warriors of the Gwynish united behind his banner and in a great battle drove off the invaders. Atruaghin was crowned King of the Gwynish and he built a great capitol city, Corunglain. He ruled for many years in peace and justice. He made an alliance with the Thang Empire and acted as the prime defender of both his realm and the empire, driving off several 'barbarian' hordes. He died in battle against an army of Gothic invaders from the north and his kingdom collapsed after his death

As noted above, his Dunael followers were settled by the Thang Empire to guard its western borders and became the Atruaghin Clans.

The Gwynish of the Northern reaches were slaughtered, driven off, or enslaved by the Gothic invaders who settled in their lands. The Gwynish who survived fled into the mountains and settled in the valleys of rockhome. These became the Dyffryn and are peaceful farmers and shepherds mostly who provide the mountain gnomes with food in return for protection. 

The Gwynish of the western mountain valleys in modern Glantri devolved into feuding petty kingdoms. Isolated among the river valleys they developed their own dialect and became known as the Gorllewin Kingdoms. To this day they have maintained their independence from any foreign power and the old traditions of their ancestors. After many centuries a new group, worshippers of the sacred flame, came to the Gorllewin kingdoms. Their were many wars that followed, but that is a story for another time. Suffice it to say that the wars resulted in the isolation of these newcomers, known as Flaem, to the magical city of Glantri.

The Gwynish Kingdom survived for another century and a half, however, with the limited territory of Corunglain and modern Ethengar. The kingdom falls to a tribe of western 'barbarians' in the same year as the Thang Empire is conquered by those selfsame barbarians. The Gwynish of Ethengar are slaughtered or enslaved, but a significant portion of the population is able to flee to the north. They reached the land of Wendar safely and built a new society there in harmony with the elves. They now call themselves the Carnuilh.

There remain a remnant of the Gwynish people in the lands of the modern Holy Empire. there is a significant population around in Corunglain, and most of the people living in the woodlands and hills surrounding the realm of Alfheim are of Gwynish descent. All these people speak the Canol dialect and are people of the Canolbarth. They live fairly rustic lives away from the big cities. Most have converted to the one true Church, but follow the traditions of the Church of Atruaghin, rather than the Church of Darokin.

The Known World: Ethnicities

So after perusing the new material from the OKW and comparing to some stuff I had already worked, I've decided to make some changes to my version of mystara. A lot of this I already decided but haven't shown anyone, and some stuff is new. First a map: or maybe not, its taking a bit longer than I thought, maybe another post.

The Doulakki

The beginning of time starts with The Great Rain of Fire which nearly destroyed humanity. Out of the ashes emerged the people of Taymora with their great city of Taymoraz. The Taymora people built many great cities and mastered bronze, waging war on those without this technology. The Taymora were scattered and destroyed in The Great Cataclysm, a series of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions which broke apart the land and sunk much of taymora into the sea. The people that survived became the Doulakki, a people who are bound together by a mutual heritage and shared many cultural traits though they differ in many social practices and government from place to place. The Doulakki became a great seafaring people and shrewd merchants, dominating the sea of dread and the surrounding islands. When the Thang Empire rose to power the Doulakki were a vital part of it, both culturally and militarily, being the best sailors in the empire. After the fall of the Thang Empire, a Doulakki empire rose in the vacuum spearheaded by the great city of Thyatis which has dominated the sea of dread fro the last few hundred years.

Cultural Analog: The Greeks

Domains: Grand Duchy of Karameikos (Ducal Lands), Kingdom of Ierendi, Minrothad Guilds, Grand Duchy of Terentias, Duchy of Machetos, Duchy of Thyatis, County of Lucinius, County of Hattius, Duchy of Mositius, Protectorate of Borydos, Protectorate of Sclaras, County of Actius, Protectorate of Carytion, Duchy of Retebius, Duchy of Kantrium, Kingdom of Alasiya, City of Ctesiphon, City of Tameronikas, Barony of Biazzan, Duchy of Tel Akbir

The Thasians

After the Great Cataclysm many Taymorans migrated north far from the sea, being fearful it would  swallowing up the land. They drove out the local inhabitants of the land and eventually settled int he Streel River basin. From here they founded many great cities and formed a mighty republic which contended with the other great power of the age, the Nithian Empire. The Thang Republic became the Thang Empire after the defeat of their long rivals and the empire stretched its domain across the sea and land. After many centuries of power the Thang empire succumbed to internal divisions, revolts of subject peoples, and barbarian invasions. For a short time the barbarians ruled the Thang empire, but this soon collapsed and each Thasian city became its own petty kingdom. Over time a new religion took hold of the Thasian people, and the Patriarchs of this Church began to wield equal or more power than the Kings. Through force and coercion the patriarch of Darokin began to dominate the other partiarchs and a new Holy Empire was formed. In the short life of this new empire it has expanded rapidly, subjugating the Kingdom of Alasiya, the traldar Kings, the isles in the sea of dread, the empire of thyatis, and pushing into the territory of the barbarians.

Cultural Analog: The Italians

Domains: City of Darokin, City of Akorros, City of Akesoli, City of Athenos, City of Specularum, Barony of Kelven, Barony of Vorloi, Patriarchate of Threshold, Estate of Penhaligon, Estate of Dmitrov, Estate of Marilenev, Estate of Sulscu, Estate of Vandevicsny, Estate of Rugalov

The Gwynish

Following the Great Rain of Fire, sea levels were much lower allowing a land bridge to form between the Isle of Dawn and the current Northern Reaches. At the same time as the Taymora were rising in the south by the sea, many of the ancient Dunhalian people native to the Isle of Dawn migrated across the land bridge and settled the four countries which they named Gorllewin(Glantri), Canolbarth, Carnuilh(current day Ethengar), and Dwyrain(the northern reaches). The great kings of Corunglain ruled over the canolbarth plains(before the elves arrived) and contended with giants of Grondheim while Taymora was at its height. Following the Great Cataclysm the Kings of Corunglain waned in power and were conquered by either the Thang Republic in the south and the Nithian Empire in the east. During the fall of the Thang Empire, the Gwynish territories revolted and formed a shortlived Carnuilh Empire with Corunglain as the capitol. This zenith was shortlived however, as the same barbarians that toppled the Thang empire also toppled the Carnuilh Empire and killed or drove off the Carnuilh people claiming the land as their own. The only remnants of the once great Gwynish people survive in the lands around the Canobarth forest desired neither by the Elves or the Thasians, in the mountain country of rockhome tolerated by the mountain gnomes, and in the highlands of Gorllewin where petty kings and princes rule and fight each other for minor causes, oblivious to the outside world.

Cultural Analog: The Welsh(Gorllewin), The Britons(Canolbarth and Dwyrain)

Domains: Kingdoms of Gorllewin, City of Corunglain, City of Llyntref, Canolbarth Highlands, Klintest Lowlands, Stahl Lowlands

The Iasuli

During the time of ancient Taymora, the ancestors of these people were enslaved by Mogreth, an empire of the greatest evil. After the Great Cataclysm the people built the great city of Nithus; the people of Nithus were the first to discover the secrets of Iron. Nithus quickly rose to power enslaving many of the Doulakki of Ierendi and Minrothad, and establishing colonies far and wide over the great seas. Many natives of the southern continent were enslaved by the Nithians; over time the Nithians intermingled with and came to adopt the culture of these these enslaved people. At the peak of their influence the emperors of Nithia turned to the worship of dark demons which urged Nithia on a path of conquest. Yet the Nithian Empire was challenged by the republic of Thanegioth. When the Nithians turned their back on their sacred Immortals, their doom was sealed; with the blessing of the Immortals the Thanegioth Republic triumphed and completely destroyed Nithia. Legends of the city of Nithus and its empire is lost to the sands of the desert and the mists of time. The remnants, the Iasuli tribes were first subjugated by the Thang Empire, and then the Kingdom of Alasiya, and then the Empire of Thyatis and the Heldann Jarls. It wasn't until the great leader Masinissa Amzizrt united the Iasuli tribes that they were able to throw off the yoke of oppression and free themselves of all outsiders. Masinissa established the Kingdom of Ylaraum which has only grown in power and wealth under the rulership of his successors.

Cultural Analog: The ancient Berbers/Tamazight of Libya and Numidia

Domains: Kingdom of Ylaruam, Barony of Biazzan, Duchy of Tel Akbir, Kingdom of Thothia, Kingdom of Ierendi, Minrothad Guilds

The Ethengar

For ages after the Great Rain of Fire these people roamed the great plains of the continent to the west of the known world. A great chief by the name of eastwind envied the wealth of the Thang empire, and seeing the weakness of its leaders, led a great invasion and completely destroyed the legions of the empire in the battle of Ariton Vale. Eastwind had himself crowned the Thang Emperor. His legacy did not last long however, within a century the Thasians overthrew his weak successors and the empire split into fractured kingdoms and city-states. Despite the fall of the eastwind dynasty many Ethengar people remained in the plains and grasslands of the known world. For a time the Kingdom of Alasiya was ruled by Ethengar kings. Most of the present day people of Ethengar dwell in the ancient country of the Carnuilh.

Cultural Analog: The Mongols

Domains: Ethengar Khanates, Makistani Khanate, Krondahar Khanate, Kingdom of Alasiya, City of Akesoli

The Goths

While Eastwind was fighting the Thang Empire in the west, The Gothic people of the northern mountains and forests descended on the the old country of Dwyrain. The old Gwnish people, long subject to the Empire, called for aid and received none. Some fought the invaders, some fled to hills and mountains. Eventually the Gothic tribes won out and settled the land of Dwyrain, establishing many petty kingdoms. They called the low coastal land Vestland and the nearby islands off the coast Ostland. The Gothic Kings only ruled for a short time in this land before they too were conquered by another people from the north, the Heldann. 

Cultural Analog: The Anglo-Saxons(Vestland), The Dutch(Ostland)

Domains: Kingdom of Vestland, Kingdom of Ostland, Kingdom of Ghyr, Nordharatar Defense League, Vestland Jarls, Black Eagle Barony

The Heldann

These northern barbarians share an ancient ancestry with the goths dwelling on the lowlands near the coasts in the north country. A few centuries ago the Heldannic people began conducting ever more daring sea raids on the Gothic Kingdoms, and even further south targeting Thyatian shipping in the Sea of Dread. Eventually raids led to conquest; Ostland was the first to fall, from which the other other Gothic Kingdoms were easily isolated and targeted. For a time Heldanic raiders even established some colonies along the coast of the desert until they were driven out by Al-Kalim. The Heldannic Kings and Jarls continue to ply the waters of the Sea of Dawn and the Sea of Dread as sometime traders and sometime pirates.

Cultural Analog: The Norse

Domains: Heldannic Freeholds, Kingdom of Vestland, Nordhartar Defense League, Vestland Jarls, Kingdom of Ostland

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EDIT: updated the Iasuli background