Navarr history

Latest revision as of 15:16, 14 September 2022

Origins of Navarr

Centuries before the Empire was formed, humans already lived in the fertile plains around the Bay of Catazar. They built cities, organized themselves into loose kingdoms, and formed alliances with one another. Even then the humans were threatened by the orcs. At the heart of these kingdoms was the flowering of civilisation that served as the forerunner of the Navarr. Navarr stories call this nation Terunael and record that its cultured cities were run by its magicians.

In the ongoing war against the orcs, Terunael increasingly relied on magic. Over time the stresses of constant magic use took their toll, and without warning the rituals around Terunael unwound catastrophically, creating or summoning the Vallorn into the heart of their kingdom. The cities were consumed by spreading forest, their people attacked by monstrous insects and deadly plants, and though they tried everything to fight it, in the end they had no choice but to abandon their homes.

The Navarr are descended from those who followed the eponymous heroine Navarr and her lover Thorn who swore an oath to restore the civilisation of Terunael. Bound and branded by their oath to regain the cities, they fought desperately to destroy the Vallorn. When it became clear that their enemy could not be defeated by force of arms alone, a magical solution was sought. Navarr and Thorn gave their lives to set in motion a powerful Ritual that would eventually allow the Navarr to defeat the Vallorn.

The Ritual required the Navarr to walk paths of magical power, called Trods. These migrations drew off the life-energies of the Vallorn, weakening it. The further the Navarr travelled, the stronger the effect. Once the Vallorn was sufficiently weakened in an area, then the Navarr were able to attack, reducing the spread of the Vallorn.

The arrival of humans from across the sea drove the orcs from the fertile lowlands. Initially the Navarr viewed the newcomers with suspicion, but they soon realised that these people were potential allies. They made contact, seeking to ensure the safe passage of their stridings, and encouraging the new humans to focus their attention on the orcs rather than engage in costly squabbles with each other.

During this time, Navarr traders introduced the Highborn to Vinum. Vinum was a sap that could be cultivated to a chewable gum which was relaxing, aiding with restful sleep. Highborn chapters experimented with Vinum and one - the Scions of Atun - learned how to process it into a new form. This form which they called liao, possessed many unique mystical qualities, including the ability to unlock visions of past times and places.

Joining the Empire

A Navarr Striding were among the first people to hear the Empress' message of unity. Its leader, Myfanwy of Hercynia, was one of her earliest companions, protecting and guiding her through human lands. After the historic encounter, the Navarr carried her message to anyone who was prepared to listen. They helped arrange the initial meeting at which the foundations of the Empire were laid. The goals and philosophies of the Empress struck a resonant chord deep in their hearts. The Navarr Stridings became the standard-bearers for the Empire, carrying its message to the divided human nations.

Most Navarr could see that the Empire represented a great opportunity for them; a chance to drive back the barbarian orcs meant that their stridings could travel further than ever. The more perceptive saw something deeper, that the proposed Empire was not just a tool to help them regain their cities, it was the first glimmer of the civilisation their ancestors had once enjoyed.

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-Centuries before the Empire was formed, humankind lived in the fertile plains around the Bay of Catazar. They built cities, formed alliances with one another and eventually created a reasonably united kingdom. Part of the pressure to form an alliance came from the orcs - savage barbarians who attacked the human settlements and carried away humans as slaves.
+[[Category:History]]
+==Origins of Navarr==
+Centuries before the Empire was formed, humans already lived in the fertile plains around the Bay of Catazar. They built cities, organized themselves into loose kingdoms, and formed alliances with one another. Even then the humans were threatened by the orcs. At the heart of these kingdoms was the flowering of civilisation that served as the forerunner of the Navarr. Navarr stories call this nation Terunael and record that its cultured cities were run by its magicians.
+{{CaptionedImage|file=Draknarr Oakenheart.jpg|align=right|width=450}}
+In the ongoing war against the orcs, Terunael increasingly relied on magic. Over time the stresses of constant magic use took their toll, and without warning the rituals around Terunael unwound catastrophically, creating or summoning the [[Vallorn]] into the heart of their kingdom. The cities were consumed by spreading forest, their people attacked by monstrous insects and deadly plants, and though they tried everything to fight it, in the end they had no choice but to abandon their homes.
-The new kingdom reinforced its' borders, drove out the orcs from within them, and maintained constant vigilance against the barbarians. However, there were a lot more orcs than humans. Over time, attrition began to reduce the armies of the humans. Conscription became increasingly common. As farmers were taken from the fields to become soldiers, the humans preserved their agriculture through the use of ritual magic.
+The Navarr are descended from those who followed the eponymous heroine Navarr and her lover Thorn who swore an oath to restore the civilisation of Terunael. Bound and branded by their oath to regain the cities, they fought desperately to destroy the Vallorn. When it became clear that their enemy could not be defeated by force of arms alone, a magical solution was sought. Navarr and Thorn gave their lives to set in motion a powerful Ritual that would eventually allow the Navarr to defeat the Vallorn.
-Despite the magic, the kingdom faced two bad harvests separated by a killing winter during which barbarian orcs assaulted the kingdom from all sides. Pushed to desperation, the magicians of this human kingdom attempted to solve their reliance on farming once and for all by enacting a risky ritual drawing on the Spring Realm. Despite being urged to caution by their own people, the magicians went ahead.
+The Ritual required the Navarr to walk paths of magical power, called [[Trods]]. These migrations drew off the life-energies of the Vallorn, weakening it. The further the Navarr travelled, the stronger the effect. Once the Vallorn was sufficiently weakened in an area, then the Navarr were able to attack, reducing the spread of the Vallorn.
+{{CaptionedImage|file=NavarrDrawing.jpg|align=left|width=350}}
+The arrival of humans from across the sea drove the orcs from the fertile lowlands. Initially the Navarr viewed the newcomers with suspicion, but they soon realised that these people were potential allies. They made contact, seeking to ensure the safe passage of their stridings, and encouraging the new humans to focus their attention on the orcs rather than engage in costly squabbles with each other.
-The magic worked to a degree, but with a horrendous unlooked for side effect. Their magical effects unwound catastrophically, creating or summoning the Vallorn into the heart of their kingdom. The cities were slowly consumed by forest, and though the humans tried everything to stop the Vallorn, in the end they had no choice but to abandon their homes.
+During this time, Navarr traders introduced the Highborn to Vinum. Vinum was a sap that could be cultivated to a chewable gum which was relaxing, aiding with restful sleep. Highborn chapters experimented with Vinum and one - the Scions of Atun - learned how to process it into a new form. This form which they called liao, possessed many unique mystical qualities, including the ability to unlock visions of past times and places.
-The unexpected assault from inside their own borders struck a death knell to the humans. The orcs exploited the chaos to sweep away chunks of their defences and descended on the kingdom in great numbers, burning everything in their path. The heroine Navarr and her lover Thorn gave their lives at the inception of a poweful ritual to keep the Vallorn from spreading uncontrollably across the whole land. The original ritual took decades to weave, and to this day the Navarr walk the lines of magic that surround the Vallorn, keeping the ritual alive and trapping the creature in fitful slumber.
+==Joining the Empire==
+A Navarr Striding were among the first people to hear the Empress' message of unity. Its leader, Myfanwy of [[Hercynia]], was one of her earliest companions, protecting and guiding her through human lands. After the historic encounter, the Navarr carried her message to anyone who was prepared to listen. They helped arrange the initial meeting at which the foundations of the Empire were laid. The goals and philosophies of the Empress struck a resonant chord deep in their hearts. The Navarr Stridings became the standard-bearers for the Empire, carrying its message to the divided human nations.
-Focused on containing the Vallorn, humankind splintered, Many retreated to safer environments, or were conquered by the orcs, and became the ancestors of the Kallavesi, Ssuaq, Ushka and Feni. The ancestors of the Urizen withdrew entirely into their mountain fortresses, refusing to help fight the orcs or contain the Vallorn. The remaining humans became the forerunners of the Navarr, withdrawing into the forests that now surrounded the hearland of their own kingdom.
+Most Navarr could see that the Empire represented a great opportunity for them; a chance to drive back the barbarian orcs meant that their stridings could travel further than ever. The more perceptive saw something deeper, that the proposed Empire was not just a tool to help them regain their cities, it was the first glimmer of the civilisation their ancestors had once enjoyed.
-They colonized a perilous ring around the Vallorn-infested cities, relying on the trees as a green wall against the orcs. The first Steadings were created in this period, some founded around fragments of the earlier civillization that the Navarr wanted to protect, others built to reinforce areas of forest from either the Vallorn or the orc barbarians. The orcs soon learnt that there was little to be gained by attacking the forests in force, but continued to press the Navarr from time to time.
+{{Navarr Links}}
+===Historical Links===
-Enacting the ritual to chain the Vallorn took decades, and required magicians to travel lines of power outside the forests. Many Navarr gave their lives to protect the magicians, fighting the barbarian orc invaders. For the most part they relied on stealth, misdirection and cunning to keep out of the sight of the orcs. The lines of magic became the Trods, and the Navarr still walk them to this day to keep the Vallorn in check.
+* [[Reclamation of Seren]] - [[Historical research]] relating to the cleansing of Seren and the liberation of [[Miaren]]
+* [[Steward of Brock's Heath]] - Historical research into the life of "old Morgan", a pre-Imperial [[the Marches|Marcher]] steward, which discusses early-Marcher relationships with the Navarr
-The arrival of humans from across the sea - the forerunners of the modern Imperial Nations - drove the orcs from the fertile lowlands. Initially the Navarr treated them the same way as they had the orcs, but over time they began to realise that the other humans were not neccessarily hostile to them. They engaged in diplomacy, partly to ensure the protection of their Stridings, and partly to encourage the humans to prepare themselves to fight the orcs rather than focusing their attentions on squabbling with each other.
-One of their most successful efforts came when they introduced the Highborn to the ''liao'' plant. Fascinated by its ability to unlock visions, it served as the foundation for the Revelation that lead to the formation of the Imperial Faith and, indirectly, to the appearence of the First Empress. It is popularly held amongst the Navarri that their blood ran thick in the veins of her family, and there had long been a friendship between her house and the Navarri. A Striding of Navarr were among the first humans to hear her message of unity. The Thorn Telanel became one of her first companions, protecting and guiding her through human lands, while other Navarr brought her message first to their own people, then to anyone else who was prepared to listen. They helped arrange the first meeting at which the foundations of the Empire were laid. The goals and philosophies of the First Epress struck a resonant chord deep in their hearts. The Navarri Stridings became the standard-bearers for the Empire carrying its message to the scattered human nations.
-Since then, the Navarr have dedicated themselves heart and soul to the success of the Empire. Their oft-stated goals are twofold. First, with the help of the Empire, they will destroy the Vallorn, reclaiming their lost cities and finally discharging their responsibility. Second, they will help the Empire to remain strong to protect humankind against barbarians and orcs, and help it to avoid making the fatal mistake that will hand civillisation into the dirty hands of the orcs.
-As the years passed they used more and more magic to increase the bounty of the lands until they became dependent upon it. In the end, disaster struck, their most powerful magics unwinding and pulling the Vallorn into this world from the Realm of Spring. The cities were slowly consumed by forest, and though the Navarri tried everything to stop the Vallorn, in the end they had no choice but to abandon their homes.
-The heroine now known only as Navarr and her lover Thorn gave their lives at the inception of powerful ritual to keep the Vallorn from spreading uncontrollably across the whole land. The original ritual took decades to weave, and still requires the Navarr in their Stridings to walk the lines of magic that surrounded the Vallorn, to keep the ritual alive and keep the Vallorn in fitful slumber.
-At this time the first Steadings formed to fight the monsters of the Vallorn.
-These lines of magic are now the Trods, which the Navarri still walk to this day, still keeping the Vallorn in check.
-In time, the nations that now form the Empire coalesced and grew to their prime. The Navarri had little interest in the affairs of other people, but they soon realized that war between the nations was bad for the Navarri Stridings travelling between them. As a result they worked to remain neutral and used their impartiality to try and keep conflict between the nations to a minimum, an essential task if the Trods were to remain open.
-The First Empress is one of the Navarri’s greatest heroines. It is popularly held amongst the Navarri that Navarri blood ran thick in her family’s veins and there had long been a great friendship between her house and the Navarri. With such ties the Navarri rallied early to the Empire’s cause, its goals and philosophies striking a resonant chord deep in their hearts. The Navarri Stridings became the standard-bearers for the Empire carrying its message to the scattered human nations.
-[[Category:Navarr]]
-[[Category:Nations]]

Navarr history

Latest revision as of 15:16, 14 September 2022

Contents

Origins of Navarr

Joining the Empire

Further Reading

Historical Links

Profound Decisions[edit | | ]

Community[edit | | ]

Wiki Editors[edit | | ]