[ic=The Calling]There was little for him on his family's isle, just a small flock of goats, a small vineyard, and more dry, red soil than he knew what to do with. He sat atop a large, white boulder and looked out into the small, milk-blue bay, never taking his eyes off the whitewashed ship with the red sails. His mother had told them they were traders that had just returned from the Narrow Sea.
He was a fisherman. His father was fisherman, like his father before him, and his father long before him. Long had the Seas found their way into the blood of the Pellanosi, and he knew not of a man, woman, nor child who did not walk better on a ship than on the dusty isles. Since he was a boy, he knew the waters of the Pellanosi like the back of his own hand - he knew of the shallows near Pharos, of the cold winds that blew in the winter and the thundering storms brought in the by the summer heat. Yet he knew there was more out their than the warm, soft waters of his home.
The salty, weathered men who came from all corners of Arga often brought with them tall-tales of the seas beyond. The beautiful sirens and alien Nane of the South , the foul serpents of the North and the vile pirates of Ib, the woad-covered raiders of Alba Lona and the half-dead kings of Moseer, the fabled Ghost-Whales of the Great Southern Ocean and the demon-born men of Getha, clad in clay and ash.
Although he thought long and hard, his mind had been made up the moment he saw the whitewashed ship with red sails. He hoisted his small pack onto his back, slipped his hunting knife into his belt, and made his way to the ship in the milk-blue bay.[/ic]
[note]The Pellanosi are the lands and the Pellanese are the people to which everything else is compared to in Arga. The Pellanosi, for gaming sake, are the heart of Arga, the least exotic of any land and serve as the neutral ground for the setting.[/note]
The Sea-Bound
At the western edge of Arga, where the lands of Old Dura meet the seas, sit the Pellanosi. A thousand little isles of dry, ruddy earth spread across a shallow, warm sea, the Pellanese as a people have never ruled an empire, founded great cities, nor conquered their foes, but have, through a unique combination of luck and drive, become known throughout Arga as the greatest sailors and navigators that the world has yet known.
There is not a sea nor ocean that has not felt the oar or keel of a Pellanese ship. Consummate traders and explorers, they fear no body of water and seem to take an almost unhealthy enjoyment from sailing through storms, straights, and shoals. The ships of the Pellanese are small, but fast and sturdy, able to sail through deep, dark ocean and hug shallow coasts. The Pellanese always paint their ships white, but sails and designs differ from isle to isle and family to family.
Lean and of average height, they are not the strongest of mortals, but are agile and well adapted to life at sea. Naturally they are fair of skin and dark of hair, but their lives upon the waves often darken their skin and bleach their hair, which both men and women tend to grow out. Beards are uncommon, but mustaches and goatees are far from rare. They favor simple and practical clothing, occasional decorated with sea motifs. If they have one extravagance, it is their unique arm-ware. Half-way between and bracelet and a gauntlet, they are often made of gold, silver, or brass and tend to be decorated, like their clothing, with a nautical motif such as waves, storms, fish, or whales.
They are not a particularly martial people, but are not averse to a fight, even if they are occasionally more reckless than brave. They favor simple weapons, such as spears, javelins, and slings. Spending so much time on the Seas, they normally do not favor armor, but quality helms and shields, often made of bronze or iron, are sometimes passed down form father to son.
The Fishermen Kings
While as a people they are collectively referred to by the same name, there is no uniting factor within the Pellanosi aside from a general culture and love for the seas. The isles have never been united under a single ruler, something that the Pellanese pride themselves on. Each isle, of which there are many, is ruled by its own proper king. But the kings are only so in title. All Pellanese kings practice a profession, often being fishermen or shepherds. Even on their own isles, these so-called Fishermen Kings rule more through deed and example than through bloodlines and regal claims. Poor kings often find their orders ignored, and tyrannical kings often seem to fall overboard while out to sea. While many foreigners tend to look down upon royalty that would sully their position through menial labor, all Pellanese take a humble pride in their rustic kings.
Despite being ruled over, however lightly, by kings, the Pellanese respect deed and action above all else. They care little for those who get by on name or station. In fact, their reverence towards deed is so strong that, long ago, they abandoned the worship of their old gods, aloof and fickle, for the worship of mortal Heroes who had earned their respect. The exact number of Hero-Cults is unknown, and it seems that every isle, and every family for that matter, seems to have their own ancestor Hero they pay tribute to. However, there are a handful that a worshiped throughout the Pellanosi, Heroes so great that they are looked up to by all.
A Thousand Banners
Despite their somewhat fractious nature, the myriad kingdoms of the Pellanosi usually get by peaceably, as individual kingdoms are too small to muster more than a handful of men under a single banner. Yet in their history, when enemies emerge that are so great as to threaten the realm as a whole, the Pellanese have been able to put their own isles aside and unite for the greater good. The most recent example of such would be the last time the pirates of Ib set forth on their great raids around forty years ago. After decimated the coasts of Oedica to the north and the shores of Perdan to the east, the pirates of Ib expected little resistance as they made their way towards the Pellanosi. But at what was to be known as the Battle of Pharos, the dark fleet of Ib was turned back by a hodgepodge collection of fisherman, whalers, and net-menders led by King Tullander, now worshiped as a Hero across the isles.
Ah, I was sure there was some Arga I had missed!
They sound really cool and it is definitely well-written, but I would like some more detail on the upper stratas of Pellanese society. Being super-sailors they must be bringing a lot of trade to and from their islands so there must be more than a few sleepy backwater harbors. Also, at least a few kings must rule more than one island no? Is inter-island war completely unknown in Pellanosi? I can't imagine that being the case.
I can understand if you want accentuate the daily life of the pellanese with shepherding and fishing, but the place comes off as almost utopian :)
The bracelet-gauntlets sound interesting if odd; exactly how do you imagine them looking? Are they unwieldy? Do they mark social status? First I read it as bracelet-bracers and I had this image of the Pellanese with dozens of heavy armbands circling their left arm, which would also be kind of cool, I might steal that unintended visual :p
Do they wear the gauntlet-things on both arms?
Ibban (Ibbenese?) "great raids" sound cool and very Argan. You should make them a periodic event, coinciding with some nasty Ibban murder-festival that takes place every 4-8 years or so (or maybe more infrequent). They might take on an almost mythical property in the minds of the Argans. The Ibban Tide.
Crow returns! (The holidays are the worst time for getting work done, hopefully I should be able to get some more on soon too. and BV...?)
Quote from: Superfluous Crow
They sound really cool and it is definitely well-written, but I would like some more detail on the upper stratas of Pellanese society. Being super-sailors they must be bringing a lot of trade to and from their islands so there must be more than a few sleepy backwater harbors. Also, at least a few kings must rule more than one island no? Is inter-island war completely unknown in Pellanosi? I can't imagine that being the case.
Well, the thing is, despite them being such excellent sailors, there is really nothing in the Pellanosi save for dry, stony islands, fish, wine, and sheep. While trade from the outside world obviously comes in, it is not much, as there is not much the outside world wants from the Pellanosi.
Kings and kingdoms do fight, except it is mostly through champions, or sometimes the kings themselves, as the population of the Pellanosi is not high enough to support wars between the kingdoms, which in themselves are still very small. But I was thinking about having several "high kings" that would rule more than a few islands, just to create some possible conflict, because re-reading it, it does come of more Utopian than the intended sleepy.
Quote from: Superfluous Crow
The bracelet-gauntlets sound interesting if odd; exactly how do you imagine them looking? Are they unwieldy? Do they mark social status? First I read it as bracelet-bracers and I had this image of the Pellanese with dozens of heavy armbands circling their left arm, which would also be kind of cool, I might steal that unintended visual :p
Do they wear the gauntlet-things on both arms?
While I was finishing this, the Pellanese were starting to come off as too perfect, so I thought I would give them something material that they cared about too much, just to offset things a bit. I just had in mind very ornate bracers, decorated with a bit of gold or silver or copper filigree, usually into sea motifs. The dozen bracelets are yours though.
Quote from: Superfluous Crow
Ibban (Ibbenese?) "great raids" sound cool and very Argan. You should make them a periodic event, coinciding with some nasty Ibban murder-festival that takes place every 4-8 years or so (or maybe more infrequent). They might take on an almost mythical property in the minds of the Argans. The Ibban Tide.
Iben I think would make sense as an adjective. Yeah, I want the pirates of Ib to be this dark memory that exists not just in the Pellanosi, but in all of Arga. I'm thinking the "Great Raids" would be very random. Maybe I could make the most recent raid have happened even closer to the current day to create conflict and opportunities across Arga for adventures and what-not.
Also - new map on the way. This is keeper. I've had it on some lined paper when I drew it in South America, but I just need to transfer it to white paper and make it sexy.
Hmm, I think the Ib-adjective should have a double b, it sounds better that way; a little harsher.
Maybe the Great Raids are displays of power by newly crowned Ib(b)en witch-kings (or whoever partially rules those unruly pirates).