The Wonders, the Mysteries... resurrected

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Na Mal-Maziij

Ownership: Semi-Independent, Administrated by House Shanakeh.
Population: 300,000 (45% humans, 45% elves, 5% hobgoblins, 2% other, 3% duer.
Military Force: 1,000 (10% Duer Armsmen, 80% Housebound Armsmen, 10% Mercenaries)
Produces: Mundane goods, wheat.

Na Mal-Maziij (Hariiji, Daemonic 'Asawa', Duer 'Damazak'om', Eldritch 'Nathrisskadaul') is a near-permanent vast refugee camp crossing three islands, made up of all those who either wouldn't become bonded to a House, escaped slavery, or have nowhere else to go. It is a place of sanctuary, in its own way, and no Duer but those of House Shanakeh and their tributary houses have much influence here.

Location

Na Mal-Maziij is located about thirty miles from the Port of Tuk and Mazak'om, nestled amongst the sparse and relatively uninhabited islands of the outer Shanakeh territories. Refugees entering the Port (there is still a constant stream, if not as many as there once were) gravitated there at first because it appeared to be the closest non-inhabited livable location - the first refugees were met with hostility or slavery in the darker parts of Mazak'om - and although Mazak'om would now seem the first choice, refugees are often driven out by lack of coin  or work. These refugees now travel to Na Mal-Maziij.

Construction

Na Mal-Maziij is a refugee camp, administrated and run by House Shanakeh. Essentially, it is equally proportioned between tents and huts of various different kinds, crammed onto each of the three islands. Multiple bridges cross between the islands, and on each there are various amenities necessary for life - one contains a Shanakeh-bound smithy, for example. There is also a small Shanakeh complex - built in the modern Duer style of cubic huts - for administration. These buildings include a manor for the governor (one Jaakobai Shanakeh), an apothecary, a Free Mage, a shrine to the Ancestors (watched over, of course, by a Darova, a Duer spiritual advisor) an extremely large kitchen (for the refugees) and a headquarters for the Housebound, foreign, non-Duer guards who live outside of the House but still serve it as retainers. The garrison of a hundred Duer Armsmen themselves also have a barracks here.

The islands around Na Mal-Maziij have been cultivated into large wheat fields, and almost all citizens work here or doing some other job for House Shanakeh. Together, they create more meat and bread than they could ever consume, and a large proportion is stored in underground granaries beneath the Shanakeh complex to be sold on to outside bidders. The Duer tend to add imported food (their favourite fungi being one example) to meat and bread to 'spice' their meals up.

The Hariij and Eldritch have their own small sections - there are only about fifty each of them, and they spend most of their time with others of their kind, hidden away behind walls built in their own native styles. Neither tends to fraternise with the other, and exactly what they spend their time doing is not obvious. Nor is the reason why so many of them have chosen to stay in a refugee camp, when they could instead be living in much finer conditions in Mazak'om or some other fine city. Whatever their reasoning, they certainly do not take food from the kitchens, nor work in the fields, other than a few apparent exiles.

History

As mentioned before, during the first great migrations from the falling continent, at the end of the Hariij reign, literally millions of refugees poured into T'Zatak'az Durin. Whilst trade (and alliance) with the Hariij Empire had been endured for its benefits - if not exactly welcomed - a huge swarm of penniless refugees with no money to spend and no homes to go to certainly was not. Some were met with outright hostility, others with slavery, others still with lynch mobs. Many of these refugees moved on, but thousands of others, against Duer wishes, delved deeper into the archipelago. Their findings - large, semi-fertile, mostly unpopulated islands - were seen as a blessing from T'qet, Sha'ta, or Raa respectively, and these ignorants settled down happily. Many more flooded in after being turned away by the Duer in the more populous cities, and half-hearted attempts from House Shanakeh (already stretched thin guarding its borders against political coups by other Houses and still recovering from the crisis of the Housewar) to remove them from what was technically its territory failed. However, this new refugee town was hardly stable - crime was rife, there was no authority, and many of the inhabitants were still without food due to debates over property.

At this point, a political animal known as Jakobai Shanakeh, grandnephew of the current head of House Shanakeh, was beginning to gain power in the ranks of his family. He is the youngest Duer ever to be appointed governor - his first command being a border outpost, Za'uk, guarding Shanakeh's claim to the draconic ruin known as Zizaazshedaan. However, Jakobai was so successful here - even succeeding in breaking open a vault of draconic artefacts - that his great-great-uncle granted him the governorship of Damazak'om, the Duer word for Na Mal-Maziij. Any other would have seen this as a way of removing him, but within four years Jakobai had turned it into what it is now - a prosperous and cheap industrial capital for Shanakeh to use as they will. Jakobai appears to be a candidate for head of House Shanakeh - or even quite possibly the first true King that the Duer have had since their release of the dragons.

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(Double Post)

[Wensleydale]

The Dat'Nak Armoury

Ownership: House Shad'his.
Population: 10,000 (85% Duer, 15% Slaves)
Military Force: 8,000 (100% Duer Armsmen)
Produces: Draconic Armour and Weapons, Jewelry, Metalwork

To the utmost north of the Tandhus Archipelago lies a colossal volcano, named as Dat'Nak after the island it forms. Within the very bowl of this vast, fiery pit, the largest static draconic artefact in the Archipelago can be found - six immense bridges, meeting at the centre in a thick disc. This disc is centred by a pedestal, covered at every point by draconic runes, some so archaic that it is said even dragons do not comprehend their meaning. These runes, when touched in the right manner, perform wonders with the lava, and it is through this and the other hundreds of draconic artefacts and here that the Duer have made their greatest constructions and items. Dat'Nak is the capital of House Shad'his, and is a pride of the whole of T'Zakat'az Durin.

Location

The great Dat'Nak volcano rises above the ocean in the utmost North of the Tandhus Archipelago, and the town of Dat'Nak itself is constructed at the foot and on the southern slopes. The Armoury (Sharuss: Ark, Kheprerven: Asmadi) is inside the volcano bowl, around the ruins.

Construction

Dat'Nak is mostly in its natural volcanic form, although caves and paths have been cut into the south side of the mountain and a semi-artificial plateau built below, about fifty feet above sea level. The plateau has similar tunnels dug into the base, and the town thus extends all the way down to the ocean through a cave network of houses, bazaars and docks only hinted at by the surface area. One feature of note is the huge, semi-buried dragon-statue, an immense pale fang pushing up through even the heightened surface of the plateau. Two ivory-white draconic forms are intertwined around this fang, although only a little can be seen of each from the town's upper levels. Around the fang is the courtyard of the official administrative complex of House Shad'his, although their manor, like many others, can be found much further up the slopes in one of the upper caves. The minor houses allied with Shad'his can also be found here, as well as many slaves and some of the military force in Dat'Nak.

The armoury is the collective name for the main fortification, the smithy and the barracks, although it is in fact several structures. Firstly, there is the 'smithy', referred to by Duer as T'Danukk Rathzoa - an immense web of bridges crossing the volcano, centred by a pedestal covered in draconic runes. This web appears to control the lava in some way - manipulating its flows, causing tides, and heating and cooling it at whim by the commands entered using the pedestal. Strangely, the pedestal's runes are undersized for draconic claws, suggesting it might have been made for Duer hands (although there is some controversy over by whom, and why). The web has no apparent purpose alone, but several other artefacts - perhaps not used for their proper, original purpose - have been used to construct three immense forges. The lore surrounding these forges - how to use them, the exact configurations for each design - is now only held in bits and pieces. However, with careful holding to the configurations known, it is possible to create limited kinds of draconic artefacts. This, of course, is an immensely powerful ability, even with its limits, and Shad'his do not just allow anyone to use the forges.

The Armoury proper is not really an armoury at all, either. It takes the form of an orb half-buried in the mountain, built in the old Duer style. Its walls are apparently impenetrable by all magic, and its inside holds fifteen floors, each of which is arranged into multiple corridors lined with rooms of varying sizes, the largest being the size of a cathedral and the smallest little more than cells. These chambers are filled with thousands of artefacts of Duer and Draconic history - documents, ruins, weapons, magical objects and holy texts. It is here that the configurations and products of the Forges are stored, among other things, and the  skeletal remains of Ka'tros, one of the last masters of the Duer, whose ribcage is shattered from the blow Kata'ak is said to have given him with one bare fist.

Finally, the north side, Kadaat, is built into the Wall. Tier upon tier of thick fortification, interspersed with towers and barrackses, lines most of the northern slopes of Dat'Nak. Here are the residences of most of the soldiers, although once an equal amount lived on the southern side (particularly during the Housewar), and here the great Golden Lighthouse, a burning-blue pyre created by a draconic artefact brought in from outlying islands, shows ships the way to travel to reach the Port of Tuk.

History

Exactly when the T'Danukk Rathzoa was built cannot be said, and 'sculpted' or 'formed' are likely more appropriate words than 'built'. What is known is that at some point during the Age of Madness, the entire web, along with the statue (if that is what it is) outside, were abandoned by their creator (or perhaps just owner, if the then controller of the Rathzoa had killed or driven off the actual builder). Left to its own devices, the Rathzoa apparently did nothing except keep the lava consistent in temperature and level for thousands of years, and was found this way by a group of refugee Duer supposedly led personally by Kata'ak and bearing the remains of their last great foe as a kind of morbid banner. It is said by House Shad'his that it was here that Kata'ak proclaimed the Archipelago a new home for the Duer, and here that he died, although whether Kata'ak ever set foot in the Archipelago, never mind Dat'Nak, is unconfirmable. A small village was established on the slopes, and was later expanded onto an artificial plateau at the base. This village was established for the simple purpose of studying the relic and attempting to reactivate it, although one of Shadurn Tuk's apprentices is said to have later gifted the Golden Lighthouse to show the Archipelago's location to approaching Duer refugees.

It was only when Clan Shad'his, led by Isaak Shad'his, established a manor there that Dat'Nak was truly put on the map.  Isaak's obsession with draconic and Duer history led him to collect a large mass of then-useless draconic artefacts, as well as experimenting with the secrets of the Rathzoa. His successes led him to construct the Armoury, the immense half-buried sphere still seen today, as well as the current forges. They also led to the establishment of a Clan, and later House, capital at Dat'Nak.

Dat'Nak was never touched by foes during the Housewar - they did not even approach it.

[Wensleydale]

Mat-Zhak

 Ownership: Ne Ne Dbeti Kheprer Ud  (Sharuss T'Tek-Zhat, Hariiji Mutiit Damoniitna-o)
 Population: 5,000 (42% human, 41% elves, 13% duer, 4% other)
 Military Force: 20,000 (100% ).
 Produces: Nothing.

Mat-Zhak is a relatively small village-town in the north of the Archipelago, abandoned in the Housewar. Constructed at the highest point of a relatively small island, it was nothing more than crumbling ruins until the mass Exodus to the Tandhus Archipelago and the subsequent founding of the Daemonhunters' Order (Ne Ne Dbeti Kheprer Ud). Since then, it has become the Tandhus headquarters of the Order.

Location

Mat-Zhak is built at the highest point of the island known as Za'daat, about half a mile south of the Wall. In the common Duer style, the hills of Za'daat are terraced with rounded fields and plateaus which would have once been used for farming. Parts have slowly expanded onto some of these terraces.

Construction

Mat-Zhak proper, the old Duer village, survives mostly in the foundations and bases of more modern buildings - only the small Duer shrine was ever repaired, as well as a few farmhouses (for the purposes of lodging). The more modern buildings are a mix of Hariij, quasi-daemonic and modern Duer styles, scattered across the islands and taking up plenty of space where fields once were - the Order's vast Duer-styled granaries and imported foodstuffs remove the need for most crops. The most important part of the modern constructions, of course, is that it now possesses a network of tiled paths and stairways which allow easy movement around the island - it truly has become that big.

The fortress' attempts at fortification have spread out onto other islands, along with several barracks, and Order architects are said to be planning a vast fortress that will, quite literally, encompass all of the islands - but this is thought to be wishful thinking. The most important fortification at present is the dock - a relatively thin channel within two of the major islands with guarded exits at either end, including men with Ne Xeh-Neti, or firebringers, standard daemonic weapons (although precious to the Order) that produce streams of fire.

History

Mat-Zhak began as a small, relatively normal Duer village, founded most likely by part of one of the Seven Clans or some other Duer body. No House had laid claim to it for seven-hundred years before the Housewar, and what the inhabitants claimed is unknown. Whatever it was, during the Housewar it gave shelter to House Tanarruk soldiers, and through doing so, was wiped out by House Velde'ek. It became a ruin - and until the Great Exodus fleeing the daemons, it was forgotten.

It was at this point that a scarred and slightly psychotic ex-slave with two daemons' deaths to his name, a zealous worshiper of T'qet and hater of Kheprer - Ram-Set - wrote the first of his treatises known as the 'Ne Uabty Ne Rnepsek Wat', or 'The Way of the Pure One's Steps'. These books, later translated into Hariiji and then Sharuss, were snapped up by the humans - those who could read read to huge gatherings of those who could not, and thousands were inspired. Men and women both flocked to join Ram-Set, who, perhaps surprised at the success of his writings, addressed them, calling each of them 'Dbeti', or Hunter, and calling them to join the 'Ne Mrarsek Swa', or Freed Men.

Despite this, it was not he who made the first moves to create an Order - rather, it was a daemonic-speaking elf - a slave of twelve years to Hariij and six to daemons - known as Abdhuli Ud Enezay Hem who actually took the initiative of leading a group of humans to the nearby abandoned village. How he learned of Mat-Zhak remains a mystery, but either way, he established a small community there, and once the news was heard, the community grew rapidly. He was soon willing to go to his hero, Ram-Set, and inform him of the Order's creation. Ram-Set, suffice to say, was shocked - but what could he do but follow along? He travelled to Mat-Zhak to find that the Order was little more than a disorganised farming rabble, and it is said that that is what set his mind.

He addressed them once more, and the words of this infamous speech - a speech that truly created the power that the Order is now - were recorded by scribes and distributed across the Archipelago. Essentially, the content of his speech called them 'Hunters, but untrained - hunters that may become the prey if they slacken'. Yet he also told them that this was 'No shame to them or their families, for he would train them, make them hard.' It was he who coined the name of the order in daemonic, during that speech - and he who wore the first of the blood-red cloaks woven with silver thread - marked with the sign of a hunting spear.

Now, of course, all members of the Order wear them - at least when they want to be seen as members. Ram-Set also banned the use of prostitutes, the drinking of more than one small glass of wine a day, and, of course, prayers to the daemonic gods. Men and women both are trained in great numbers in the use of the Khopesh, the Spear, and the Bow, so as to be versatile, and are arranged into 'Mesasek' (armies or legions) of one-thousand men each. Many of these legions are currently overseas, constructing a large, NEW headquarters for the Order, in the mountains of the Hariij Continent. Ram-Set is now dead, of course, and Abdhuli followed him, creating the title of 'Ne Waw Wur', or 'Great Soldier' - translating better as 'Grand Master'. He is currently overseas, overseeing the construction of the fortress, and Rajhis, his human deputy, has been left in command. In Rajhis' possession, for safe keeping, is the original manuscript of 'Ne Uabty Ne Rnepsek Wat', the book that sparked the creation of the whole Order, and if someone were to steal it, it would cause considerable discomfort within the Daemonhunters...

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Saath-Shaak

Ownership: House Tor'uk
Population: 4000 (100% Duer)
Military Force: 4000 (100% Duer Armsmen)
Produces: Grain, gold

The ancient draconic pillar of Saath-Shaak remains one of the greatest mysteries of all the relics of T'Zatakaz Durin. The name itself is merely two parts of the three 'melded' names by which dragons would have called it - some scholars name it all three, Saath-Shaak-Riish - but doing so is still incorrect. The only openly living beings capable of pronouncing the name as it is meant to be said are Hariij, and they are disinterested. The magical properties of the pillar are as yet unknown, but its name (presumably, no scholar has yet translated it properly) is carved into the base in draconic script. House Dor'uk claims it as its House Seat.

Location

Saath-Shaak (the pillar) is built, irremovably, at the highest point of the craggy rock that is Shan'duus island. A few scattered houses and the small manor of House Dor'uk can be found on the rock face. Shan'duus can be found about halfway into the Archipelago on the west side.

Construction

Saath-Shaak itself is a one-hundred-and-twenty-foot tall ivory-white fang from its base at the highest point of Shan'duus to its top far above the archipelago. A few draconic runes can be found scattered across its surface, but none of them reveal its purpose. Across the face of Shan'duus - a relatively small island - are scattered houses extending into the rock itself. Surprisingly, the greatest of these houses, Saath-Shaak, is the House Seat of House Dor'uk.

History

Saath-Shaak was constructed during the draconic era by an unknown dragon, and its purpose remains unknown. Quite how it weathered thousands of years of draconic battle, no scholar can say, but it is certain that it was not built towards the end of the Age (as the knowledge and will for artefact construction was by then lost). It was discovered by Duer of Clan Dor'uk twenty years after the first colonisation of Mazak'om, and was chosen for its impressiveness as the Clan House (later to become the House Seat).

Although small, at least eight-thousand Duer have slowly settled there either to study or to work. Gold deposits were found thirty years ago beneath the pillar, and it is possible that this has something to do with the purpose of the artefact. The current master of the Manor is Zakarus Dor'uk, son of the actual lord of the House (who rules from the larger settlement of Da'tuk'om, much closer to Greathold).

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Rāzāāhuzum

Ownership: MaakzaDueruremn ZhaatakShānvatur (The Glorious/Worshipful Army of the Watchful Duer)
Population (Non-Military): 2600 (90% Duer, 10% Slaves)
Military Force: 5000 (100% Duer)
Produces: Nothing

This island was merely another average-sized and unpopulated craggy rock until about fifty years ago, when a relatively quiet Duer activist group against immigration and non-Duer inhabiting the sacred lands known as MaakzaDueruremn ZhaatakShānvatur (The Glorious/Worshipful Army of the Watchful Duer) began to colonise it, apparently as a college of sorts for students of a new discipline they had set up. It is now one of the five Great Fortresses of the Tandhus Archipelago.

Location

Rāzāāhuzum, or 'Above Gold' (in the sarcastic tone, meaning that it is valueless - Sharuss actually has a tense for sarcasm) is a relatively small island in the far northeast of the Archipelago. The fortress is built across the entire island.

Construction

The island of Rāzāāhuzum is almost a cone on its lower levels, sloping upwards at a sharp angle without beach or flat surface to about twenty feet above sea level. Here, the slope suddenly breaks off into an unnaturally flat plateau, as wide as a large town or even a small city - much larger than Rāzāāhuzum surely was naturally. Across this plateau, a vast construction is currently being built from rocks brought in by great ships and mined from the ground - great pillars rise from north and south, apparently great watchtowers, their tops as yet unfinished, and the beginnings of walls stretching from their sides. Huts and tents are scattered in thick groups across the plateau, quarters for the members of the army (as well as students, of course), whilst between those, low-walled and wide circles of scorched earth mark practice areas.

History

Rāzāāhuzum was never really important - its very name shows that - but the Army have made it so. It was never inhabited (except perhaps by a few fishermen) until fifty years ago, when several members of the then-small group of (supposedly) Free-Magic anti-immigration Duer cloistered themselves on the island. Secretly, though, it appears that they were recruiting copiously - and once their numbers had swelled to a hundred, they performed some kind of ritual. Nearby fishermen said that the island moved and shifted of its own accord, throwing their senses into disarray, and flattened itself out into a cone with the top entirely flattened off. When the immense power had finished - involving threads of WILD magic! - the base for the current fortress rested there.

As this new 'city' became more powerful and numbers grew, a plan for an actual fortress continued. Once it is completed, twelve towers alike to the current two will surround the island, reaching to great heights. These towers would not surround a courtyard, though - instead, they would all be part of an even GREATER tower, prepared for tens, hundreds of thousands of potential learners.

Whilst in the past, Free Mages had mainly been involved in battle only in minor, healing roles, or at most as single warriors there of their own accord, but the Akshaka (leader or ruler) of the Army, Jemaria Israa, had a vision of a unique force of all-free-magic-users - capable of working in tandem to perform lethal acts of terrible force. This army has been training here for the past fifty years, and now numbers over fifty times its original count. With five-thousand Duer at least competent in use of Free Magic in a tactical sense, this army is now one of the mightiest in the world - although who they are being funded by is unknown.

This question - of funding - raises a worrying thought. Could it be that one of the Houses - or perhaps Ishmayl Dakrathuk - wishes to TRULY unite the Duer under one banner? Or perhaps the houses have ambitions in the old Hariij Empire - even the daemons might fall before a force like this.

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Dumenkúdur

Ownership: House Do'uk, House Sa'uk
Population (Non-Military): 10,000 (87% Duer, 10% Elven/Human Slaves, 3% Elf Freemen)
Military Force: 40 Duer-Swords, 5,000 Housebound Soldiers
Produces: Grain, Grapes, Fungal Foods, Meats, Scent Art

Dumenkúdur translates from Sharuss directly as 'the Red Rock', although this is a misnomer - it is in fact a large collection of forty-two islands of varying sizes, all relatively close (close enough to be connected by large bridges, in most cases). However, the word 'Kúd', intoned differently, could mean earth - and red earth is fertile, which Dumenkúdur certainly is. It is the breadbasket of the isles, and the only true bastion of a permanent alliance between two major Houses - Do'uk and Sa'uk.

Location

Dumenkúdur can be found on the southernmost edge of the Tandhus archipelago. It is made up of forty-two extremely fertile islands, scattered out into a few clumped bundles and single rocks. The fortresses of Do'uk and Sa'uk are built at opposite ends, watching over the major harbours, and there are catapult mountings, turrets, and arrowslits surrounding all the ship-bound entries and piers.

Construction

As more of a pair of symbiont estates than an actual fortress, Dumenkúdur's construction is nothing like most cities. There are three main villages, one beneath each of the fortresses and one in the northernmost island, split off from the others and too distant to reach by bridge. The other two villages are unnamed, but this one is called 'Zúún-Rhánin', or 'Stream Grass'. It is more of a self-sufficient artists' colony funded by Sa'uk and Do'uk than anything, where aged Duer forge scent-art of such wonderful quality that a noble would remark at its beauty. Its name comes from the spring that breaks forth from the holy rock known as the 'Med-Kúd' - which literally translates as 'Birthrock'. This is surrounded by shrines to the ancestors, and homes are carved into the hills around it along with terraced vineyards and herb gardens. It is idyllic, and the setting is only spoiled by the holdfast towers built around the coast of the island, so similar to those in the entirity of Dumenkúdur.

The two fortresses themselves are essentially little more than ornate, oversized sets of holdfast towers - identical in everything but position, built in the old Duer style of purplish domes and stubby towers. They are impregnable to magic, and protect the House Seats of Sa'uk and Do'uk equally.

History

Dumenkúdur was one of the later areas to be colonised by the Duer, and after its discovery, all of the tribes fought for it in a seven-year war of espionage, duels, and assassination. Sa'uk and Do'uk, however, had a three-hundred-year alliance, and this allowed them to join together to throw off all other contenders. Their fortresses, built at either end of the area, finally legitimised their claim to 'House' status, and forged an alliance that has lasted to the present day.

During the Housewar, Dumenkúdur was one of the most fought-over targets. However, despite the fact that it lacked the great gates of Greathold, the vast fortifications of the Armoury, and the tens of thousands of men of the other house strongholds, it was built with defence in mind. Catapults, fire-throwers, and other weapons of war, targetted sometimes with the aid of slaves, overlooked every entrance, arrowslits and fortified caves protected the docks, and entrances were built to favour defenders, with murder holes and dead ends. Several Dakrathuk raiding parties were sent against it, and in three separate cases not even one ship made it within five hundred yards of the dock itself. A few islands were captured once or twice, but the invaders were driven back and the fortifications only strengthened. By the end of the war, Dumenkúdur was impenetrable, and although most of the extra defences have been abandoned where active use is concerned, they are kept in relative good repair in case they should ever be needed again. Do'uk's current ruler is 'married' to the firstborn daughter of Sa'uk's ruler, meaning that it is possible that the two will merge sooner or later. When it does, both houses will instantly become the richest and largest House in all of Tandhus, a far cry from their current status as two of the smallest.

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The TandhusomDuer Movement

Amongst the Duer of the Tandhus Archipelago there has been a recent and strong revival of nationalism and anti-hariiji sentiment. Whilst all throughout the era of Hariij coercion and influence tax-collectors and diplomats suffered abuse in the streets and were occasionally knifed or lynched by the wandering bands of Duer known as Hariijel'Mujajanuruh (Hariij killers) or MujaTu'uh (roughly 'those that kill'), this has risen to a new level with the high amounts of immigration pouring into Duer cities, and outbreaks of strong violence are a common characteristic of some areas. These killers are often houseless or connected to only minor houses officially, and are rarely openly sanctioned, but on the other hand, they are rarely stopped publicly either. In a similar case involving groups of Tandhusi Duer, Duer-swords would be employed to kill the leaders and discipline the perpetrators, but such occurrences are rare where the MujaTu'uh are concerned. One of the leaders of the movement is Ishmayl Hazhuk, composer of the Song of Ishmayl and writer of anti-Hariiji propaganda. His most famous line is 'Murrnemn LÅ«nehenz, Mujhunel Budusnan HariijMázur - MÅ­jonelur Mahurljin!' which translates as 'Because of their sins, the Hariij foreigners are dead - we must complete the execution!' Although this sentiment is echoed by many, he is one of the most extreme members of the movement - most merely want the immigrants sent back, sent on, or moved into specific camps where they can stop diluting Duer culture. The Tuzinur, or Slave-takers, would much prefer for them all to be made into slaves and thus placed into a class where they can no longer threaten traditions. Whichever one of these groups a free hariiji, human, or elf might run into, however, they will surely face stereotypes and resentment - much less than is given to a non-Sharuss Duer. Whilst many non-Tandhusi Duer have the option (frequently taken) of marrying into existing Duer houses and thus raising their own children in the Sharuss tongue and granting themselves protection, humans, elves, and hariij have no such option.

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The Hariiji Wars (Sharuss HarijYÄ"dunuh, Hariiji Ediit Tanduziijna Mali)

During the Five Cycles of Death, as scholars refer to them, there were several major conflicts between the Hariij Empire and the Duer of the Tandhus archipelago. These are grouped into the First, Second, and Third Hariij Wars, and their repurcussions are still felt today.

The First Hariij War

The primary causes for this conflict can be found rooted in Emperor Hajaz, widely hailed as the first 'Great Conqueror', who had at that point brought somewhere near to half the Hariij continent under his armoured boot with his well-trained and disciplined armies. The Hariij were becoming used to constant gifts and exotic shows from foreign areas, and Hajaz was happy to fuel their instincts. The next obvious target was the Tandhus Archipelago, at that point a disunified set of roughly seven nations with thousands of tiny independent princedoms outside their rule. The diplomat Majj the Third was sent to attempt to make them the Empire's vassals, and without any consideration whatsoever the Duer beheaded and dismembered him, sending back his hands and head wrapped in the lengthy proclamation. Incensed and enraged, the Hariiji legions prepared to go to war, and a great fleet was planned for construction. Delays led to it taking nearly twelve duer seasons to complete, but by the end, the Hariij armies were ready to slay every last primitive Duer in the archipelago. Nearly forty thousand slave-warriors and Hariij commanders were landed on the shore of Zakut, then belonging to Tribe-House Shad'his. Hajaz himself landed at the rear end of the fleet, which met little resistance as it expanded across the island. With increased confidence, several thousand set out across the bay. In the end, it was this split that led to the eventual loss of the war by the Hariij - Shad'his, along with Dakrathuk and Ama'thuuk, formed a coalition that crushed the invaders in seven subsequent battles. The Hariij retreated, without their emperor, who was captured and held hostage for forty-three seasons. His execution by dissidents amongst Shad'his began the Second Hariij War.

The Second Hariij War

Forty-two seasons after the capture of Emperor Hajaz, Shad'his suffered several minor civil wars between members of its house, particularly the M'juk twins (who disputed who was the first to be born and thus who was the rightful heir to Shad'his). The Pretender, Yoshu M'juk Shad'his, broke into Hajaz's prison and threatened to kill him if his brother did not renounce his claim to Shad'his' throne. His brother agreed, but Yoshu slew Hajaz anyway. This gave the Hariij the perfect excuse to mount ANOTHER assault against the Duer, which began almost instantaneously. The joint armies of Shad'his and Ama'thuuk were hastily prepared and crushed under the might of thousands of Hariij troops, and although the Hariij suffered heavy losses to ambushes and Duerflame, they did not cease until Dakrathuk sued for peace (fearing for its own lands). Dakrathuk offered near-vassal status, trade rights, land concessions and slaves on behalf of themselves, Shad'his, and Ama'thuuk (for which they are still despised today), and the offer was accepted. It was only later that the Hariij realised that Dakrathuk was a relatively small nation, and did not speak for the entire Tandhus Archipelago. Thus it was that a full cycle after the first agreements, under mounting pressure from their new Imperial 'friends', the other Duer nations met with Dakrathuk for a council of unification, supervised by the Hariiji. The diplomats forced the Duer to appoint a 'King' from Dakrathuk to serve as their vassal. This man was Yakuub Dakrathuk, and he was universally despised for his harsh measures to attempt to bring his contemptuous subjects into line.

[LordVreeg]

[blockquote=Wensleydale]The TandhusomDuer Movement

Amongst the Duer of the Tandhus Archipelago there has been a recent and strong revival of nationalism and anti-hariiji sentiment. Whilst all throughout the era of Hariij coercion and influence tax-collectors and diplomats suffered abuse in the streets and were occasionally knifed or lynched by the wandering bands of Duer known as Hariijel'Mujajanuruh (Hariij killers) or MujaTu'uh (roughly 'those that kill'), this has risen to a new level with the high amounts of immigration pouring into Duer cities, and outbreaks of strong violence are a common characteristic of some areas. These killers are often houseless or connected to only minor houses officially, and are rarely openly sanctioned, but on the other hand, they are rarely stopped publicly either. In a similar case involving groups of Tandhusi Duer, Duer-swords would be employed to kill the leaders and discipline the perpetrators, but such occurrences are rare where the MujaTu'uh are concerned. One of the leaders of the movement is Ishmayl Hazhuk, composer of the Song of Ishmayl and writer of anti-Hariiji propaganda. His most famous line is 'Murrnemn LÅ«nehenz, Mujhunel Budusnan HariijMázur - MÅ­jonelur Mahurljin!' which translates as 'Because of their sins, the Hariij foreigners are dead - we must complete the execution!' Although this sentiment is echoed by many, he is one of the most extreme members of the movement - most merely want the immigrants sent back, sent on, or moved into specific camps where they can stop diluting Duer culture. The Tuzinur, or Slave-takers, would much prefer for them all to be made into slaves and thus placed into a class where they can no longer threaten traditions. Whichever one of these groups a free hariiji, human, or elf might run into, however, they will surely face stereotypes and resentment - much less than is given to a non-Sharuss Duer. Whilst many non-Tandhusi Duer have the option (frequently taken) of marrying into existing Duer houses and thus raising their own children in the Sharuss tongue and granting themselves protection, humans, elves, and hariij have no such option.  [/blockquote]

OK, this is very much to my liking.  I've been spending a lot of time on the micro and macro political positions and movements of my setting, partially in response to the primal social urge of belonging and joining.

So I like this movement, this response to immagration, which is very realistic.

[Wensleydale]

I actually based it off a mix of the jewish zealots (Hebrew being some of the influence for the sound of Sharuss, parts of Duer culture and their nomenclature) and more modern responses to immigration (including the nazi party). I'm glad you like it.

[LordVreeg]

Well, big picture, I like the concept.

You create an atmosphere of change and reality when you create political feelings and movements.  This gets even better when you have songs and sayings and other trappings of reality.  So I like the grim details for themselves, but I also like the feeling it gives the setting as well.

[Wensleydale]

Djùkemn MaakzaHàrkuhur

The Djùkemn MaakzaHàrkuhur (rough translation being The Watchful Knives of the Crown/Sceptre/Throne) are an organisation that suffers from stereotypes and perhaps, in this modern time, ungrounded fears. They have grown and declined throughout the reigns of several kings, and although they are almost eternal, they have been both trivial and extremely powerful at various times in their history. It is perhaps not surprising that they keep many of their secrets secret, as their dealings are with the shadier side of political life.

Origins

Under the first Kings crowned after the Hariij wars in the style of a Hariiji Emperor, public dissent and the occasional riot were common things to be expected in the day-to-day life of a Duer. It is not surprising that Hammaz Dakrathuk, son of Yakuub, the first King, was driven so far as to employ spies to observe his political enemies (and to some extent his friend). These were frequently little more than common Duer criminals without training and with abilities acquired on less savoury and legal jobs. It was not until the time of HIS son, Yerumah Dakrathuk, last of the First Kings, that these were formed into an official body. The MaakzaKánuhur (technically 'echolocation organs', closest translation into human terms would be 'eyes') were effectively watchers and stalkers and little else, although sometimes 'arms' of the group (a 'KÅ«rÅ«tHárk', or 'Fist-Warrior', a title that is still used informally today to refer to members) would put down protests or storm rebellious meetings with extreme force.

The MaakzaKánuhur were 'reformed' by Deved Shad'his, the next king, into what was essentially a group of armed tax-collectors, designed to keep the other House Leaders in line with the code of law. This is how they remained for a further four dynasties of Kings, their power waxing and waning throughout the reigns of several kings. Their record number of KÅ«rÅ«tHárkuh was during the reign of Yakuub Shad'his, the 'Great Shad'his', who was arguably the singular most powerful individual in Duer history since Kata'ak. During his reign House Leaders cowered at his least command and no Duer could consider themselves safe with even a single revolutionary thought - the Tandhus Archipelago was completely under his control, and he even had influence - and spies - on the Far Continent in the Duer Nations there. At their highest point they had a recorded number of seven thousand Duer KÅ«rÅ«tHárkuh and over fifteen thousand Duer 'informers', who were generally blackmailed or bribed into giving the Watchers information. At their lowest point there were only fourteen members of the organisation, bodyguards of the then King - Ishmael Sa'uk - the weakest the isles ever had. It seems obvious that the Watchers provide a large base for any King's power.

The Bloody-Handed King

When the last member of the Sa'uk dynasty died childless, Dakrathuk were first in to attempt to claim the throne. Their candidate, Izaak Dakrathuk, was a powerful noble in their house and had the ear of the then-leader, Ishmael Dakrathuk (now king). Through bribery and blackmail Izaak was brought to power, and it was through these same methods he attempted to make himself a great king - by essentially disbanding the then extremely-declined MaakzaKánuhur and replacing them with a new organisation - the Djùkemn MaakzaHàrkuhur. As its numbers swelled with the ideological, the violent, and the poor, the Knives (the colloquial Sharuss term being 'Hàrkuh') grew in power and fearful reputation. Those who went in were put through violence and forced to kill or report on close friends or family, and those who balked disappeared. Izaak's reign was short and bloody, with hundreds of executions openly and many more in secret. In the end, he sparked off the Housewar, and was murdered in his bed shortly after its beginning by high-ranking members of the Knives. It was this that saved them from complete disbandment, and they are now relatively small and serve the main purpose of bodyguards for the King. They are mostly Dakrathuk and Houseless, and although they may appear ceremonial, are exquisitely dangerous.

[Wensleydale]

Languages





 Draconic (Proto-Draconic)

This tongue is sometimes referred to as High Draconic, and is the language of the first dragons (as well as being that from which most lesser tongues, apart from those sprung from daemonic sources, descend). It is found on draconic artifacts, but is only partially translated by the most advanced of Hariiji Scholars, who themselves have a slight advantage in that they speak a very corrupted version of one of its dialects amongst themselves.

 Sharussi Branch

The two main branches of the linguistic tree are the Sharuss branch - developed from what Duer heard of their masters' speech combined with many words of their own creation - and the 'Dracon Branch' - the branch of current Draconic languages (including, although it is not shown, the speech of those few remaining intelligent dragons). Hariiji, being the creole-like common tongue of the Empire, is a coagulation of both these branches.

 TukSharuss Branch

TukSharuss, or Old Sharuss, is the ancestor of all living Sharuss languages today apart from Shaze (although Shaze itself is considered as distinctly foreign by most Tandhus Duer and is not mutually understandable). These languages are those breeding from the 'Lingua Franca', all-encompassing Sharuss language established by Kata'ak (and, according to some, Shadurn Tuk). Daan-Sharuss languages are those that did not adhere to this change, and some Duer believe them to be heretical or unclean because their speakers' ancestors did not obey Kata'ak's declarations. Daan is the 'official' Tandhusi name for the Hariij Continent, where all these languages were almost exclusively spoken.

Easily the most common Sharuss language in existence today, Tandhusi Sharuss is spoken to some degree by almost all Duer in the Tandhus Archipelago, along with many non-Duer immigrants (although a large proportion refuse to learn and, indeed, do not need to in the more cosmopolitan areas of the Archipelago). It is mutually understandable with Ta'ali Sharuss, and one literate in it could also read much Madan, however, as Tandhusi and Ta'ali both evolved quite rapidly away from the mainland, much of their newer vocabulary has no equivalents in Madan, and Madan possesses some older intricacies of grammar no longer used by the more modern tongues.

Ta'ali has also evolved somewhat, and although the distances involved are much greater, constant trade between the Far Continent and the Tandhus Archipelago has made sure it remains mutually comprehensible with Tandhusi. It has a vastly widened vocabulary, however, and some words have passed out of use or gained new meanings. It has also lost certain features of grammar that Tandhusi retains, and vise-versa.

Madan is a dead language, wiped out by the Hariij when they conquered the Madano Archipelagos and enslaved almost the entire population of House-Clans Sdenhis, Hrodis, and Ensuk. One literate in Tandhusi or, to a lesser extent, Ta'ali, would be able to read most Madan, but much of it would seem archaic - as it is extinct, and had retained many older features no longer in daily use in these two languages even when it was still alive, it can be quite hard going at times.

 DaanSharuss Branch

These tongues were spoken on the Hariij Continent by tribes and clans who left, generally, before the establishment of old Sharuss by Kata'ak and his allies. The primary group were the Sharani languages, relatively close to Proto-Sharuss (although evolved away), which are almost totally extinct. Very little knowledge of them remains, because very few of the tribes had created more than a pictographic writing system, and records were often destroyed completely by Hariiji Troops after they enslaved the speakers. However, one particular tribe, the Shaze - a group comparable in size to one or even two of the Tandhusi Houses - survived as a 'client' (i.e. subject) kingdom similar to T'Zakat'az Durin through events too complicated to delve into here. Shaze mercenaries fought in the Hariiji Armies, and in this way influenced the Hariiji tongue more than any of the other absorbed languages. Thousands of Shaze escaped after the fall of the Empire, leaving their royal family behind (their fate remains unknown) and escaping onto hundreds of ships. Their language is one of the few sources of information about the general DaanSharuss group.

 Dracon Branch

Draconic slipped into Court (sometimes known as Low) draconic across the Age of Madness, preserved by the few remaining Great Dragons and other powerful beings. This remains mostly uncorrupted in the form as it is spoken by Hariij today, and was the main (but not the only) basis for the Hariiji language. It was passed on to the Hariiji children of Sha'ta along with the biological mechanisms to speak it (i.e. three tongues). This language, in a highly corrupted form, was spoken (greatly simplified from a vocal point of view due to the lack of three tongues) by the first Eldritch under the name of 'Eldritch Draconic'. Over time, however, a second, 'lower class' language split off in the Sluuan Isles (the ancestral Eldritch home), which is now more commonly spoken than the older, more complex tongue. Eldritch also (via escaped and exiled slave-elves) directly influenced Hariiji.

 Hariiji

Hariiji is a language with a distinctly Dracon base - much of its grammar is essentially simplified draconic, as is its basic phonology and most of its 'important' words (such as responses, pronouns and conjunctions). However, a large portion of its vocabulary is from Sharani languages, Shaze, and the Sluuan and Eldritch languages, resulting in a patchwork tongue with many synonyms for common words, often with small nuances that affect it. Although their phonology is frequently changed to fit with Hariiji rules, the basic words are frequently of obvious non-Hariiji origin.

[Wensleydale]

The Shaze

Much of our writings on immigration so far have described non-Duer and their effects on the state of T'Zakat'az Durin and, to a lesser extent, the Hariiji-speaking Duer slave peoples. One group that has gone almost totally unmentioned is the Shaze, surprisingly, as they are a very controversial subject amongst many inlander Duer. Although to all accounts they look like normal Duer, smell like normal Duer, feel like normal Duer - a Tandhusi can tell a Shaze apart instantly, and they frequently despise each other.

History

The Shaze are the sole known remainder of the pre-Sharuss era, the time of many Duer languages amongst the many tribes of slaves that left under Kata'ak's influence. Which tribe(s) they themselves sprang from is unknown, it is considered highly probable that they are the descendants of Yob Derez-ha, mentioned in the chronicles of the travelling as having 'enough children and followers to found a kingdom'. Whoever the Shaze come from, it is their history with the Hariij Empire that makes them particularly fascinating. Residents of the Zhaman Peninsula, they looked to the Hariiji legions like any other easy meat, weak, tribal, and primitive.

The first meeting was between a Shaze hunting party of seventy Duer and a Hariiji column led by Majj son of Kujja, the great-grandfather of the infamous diplomat whose murder set off the first Hariij War. It began with attempted negotiations, but because of language barriers, ended in a skirmish with casualties on both sides. The Shaze retreated from the area and the Hariij advanced. Later skirmishes were likewise inconclusive. However, in the Dazn Mountains that run across the north of the Zhaman, the Shaze came out in force. Hariiji scouts just disappeared, men who went to the toilet or left the camp to fetch firewood did not return. When the legion appeared, harried by Duer from all sides, morale low, terrified of the night-time, several of them suffering from frostbite, they were met with the sight of four thousand Shaze warriors in full battle dress. Most of the elves routed, and those who did not were cut down. The first decisive battle had gone to the Shaze, and the Hariij were forced into a humiliating retreat.

The Shaze continued this performance for the next seven years, fighting off legion after legion until the emperor lost his temper and sent five legions in, two by ship, forcing the Shaze to negotiate. Although they were allowed - just - to keep their sovereignty, religion, and language, their situation was now somewhat alike to that of their Tandhusi relatives - they were vassals. They were forced to pay taxes and although they already had a king, were also given a Hariiji governor. Times looked grim, but they survived.

In the following years, the Shaze grew more and more prosperous. The Fourteen-Day rebellion took only seventeen Shaze casualties, but forced the Hariiji governor out, and thousands of Shaze gained employment as mercenary skirmishers and scouts in the legions, paid extra and given further rights. The king became rich and, despite being thought of with contempt in the Hariij court, had much more power than the Tandhusi kings ever had. It was only the fall of the Hariij Empire that ruined the Shaze's welfare. When it came, the Daemonic invasion claimed thousands of lives, including that of the royal family, and drove them east in huge waves. They joined the waves of immigration and many settled in the Tandhus isles.

Issues with the Tandhusi  

The Shaze are a problem to many Tandhusi Duer - they do not know how to think of them. They have not been unfairly subjugated like their slave cousins, nor are they totally alien like the humans, elves, and hariiji. They have a language close enough to Sharuss for speakers to understand vaguely what they are saying, but too far away to hold proper conversation in. Their accent is extremely different, their pronunciation of Sharuss words annoys many speakers, and they have a somewhat undeserved reputation as lazy, good-for-nothing thieves.

The main problem with the Shaze, however, is their religion. They revere Tinir Shadarak, and to some extent their own specific ancestors (although not to the same lengths as the Tandhusi do). They utter blasphemous sayings such as 'Curse your ancestors for breeding you' as part of their day-to-day speech, do not recognise Kata'ak or Shadurn Tuk as legitimate Ancestors, never mind Great Ancestors, and their families refused to follow Kata'ak in his great journey. This makes them heretics, and Tandhusi Duer do not like heretics.

Shaze Settlements

For complex reasons, Akrok, the main island of the Tandhus Archipelago, has never really been colonised very strongly. It does have a large volcano as its centre, of course - but it has been dormant for two-hundred years now, and the flows of lava can be controlled by magic if one is so deeply inclined. However, about 25% of Akrok's population are now Shaze. Here they are mostly secluded, and can live in communal, tribal settings where they can practice their own culture, language, and religion without others interfering. This, inevitably, is resented by many Tandhusi as much as the elves doing the same in the cities with Hariiji. Some of these settlements have come under attack from fishing and farming communities on Akrok itself, and at least two Shaze have 'disappeared'. These settlements are so insular, however, that it is hard policing such events - and nobody cares enough to want to.