Post #3014750

2026-05-31 20:21 UTC

-The Tusk: The Sea of Diamods is a vast enormous ocean that covers the south of the continent and at its very edge to the southwest lies this strange and ruined land that everyone calls the Tusk. Not many have traveled to this distant and gloomy land, but those who have and returned speak how it's the very brink of civilization, far away from the Pirate Realms, the more gentle coasts of Pinalo or the bordering kingdom of Borea. A place buffeted constantly by horrifing cold winds, haunted and cursed forests, vast stretches of icy waters separating the land... And many tales of treasures and wonders of antiquity that lie hidden away from everything. But let's take a step back and start with the geographical features of this region. The Tusk is an enormous string of islands that lie far away off the coats of both Pinalo and Borea separated by a small expanse of water known as the Sea of Fangs due to the large crags that emerge from the waters. Efforts to map these myriad of islands continue even to this day since sailors and cartographers firmly believe that there are so many that it would be impossible for them to see them within a lifetime. These islands extend over a vast distance and they are of many sizes, with some being extremely large or while others are so small that only a small village can be built and subsist on its scarce surface, and sometimes not even that. This has led to a vast array of types of settlements in this seemingly endless archipielago, from large villages and even some cities to subsistance villages scarcely populated or ramshackle settlements tied to a lumber or mining operation. Yet the most enigmatic thing is the origins of this region. The local legends vary enormously in several details but all align in the most important facts. Long ago, the Tusk was a large landmass that despite its cruel weather and long nights, was home to a large host of humans that braved this bitter place thousands of years ago. In their legends, it was said they were the favoured subjects of the ancient dragons, enormous creatures whose breath was the horrific cold of cruel winter and, like they stated, were more wise and measured than their northern kin. Yet when the War of Scales took place and humanity begun to lead the hunt against the dragons, the people of the Tusk fought to protect their masters. Eventually, this war would wear down on the tuskans and end up oblieterating them. For this, the dragons who watched over them relented on behalf of their subjects, fled the Tusk so they would no longer be persecuted. Ever since that day, the Tuskans await the return of their ancient masters looking further south, keeping that memory alive throught their religion: The Dragon Cult that reigned over the ancient kingdom that ruled the land. It is through them that the names of some of the greatest of the ancient dragons are preserved, like Beithir; the lord of the skies, Sugaar; king of all fires and the eternal scaled ruler; Agathos. Thousands of years after the Great Scouring came the Age of Cruelty, an age that in records relates how the world tore itself apart in many ways. The Tusk was one such place. In one of its oldest songs called “The wrath of the land and sea” talks about how for several days the sea raged like no other time and the earth trembled, a clear reference to the “Earth Rage” that was said to happen thousands of years ago. The mountains begun to shatter and the land broke open in a horrific motion. With this, the place that the Tuskan called home was no more with the old kingdom split apart in hundreds of pieces separated by the bitter waters of the Sea of Fangs. Their priests and sages tried all they could to prevent this catastrophe since they believed the land rested atop an ancient dormant dragon and its awakening would signal the end of the world. With this, they begun lenghty and bloody rituals to appease this creature in a long bout that is said lasted for 40 days and 40 nights as the islands begun to drift and the sea swallowed up plains, valleys and fjords, killing countless people. And eventually, the earth ceased with its painful tremors and the sea rested once more. For them, they were saved but all that their kingdom was once, was gone forever as their cities were torn and damaged and their people would have to struggle to begin anew in this bleak place. Yet the priesthood was emboldened by this and soon their tradition grew, seeing themselves as some sort of preservers of the world. Ever since this terrifying incident, the Tusk has become an even more bleak place, buffeted by the horrific cold winds of the south and its coasts bathed by the icy dark waters of the Sea of Fangs and the Sea of Diamonds. Snow covers this place most of the year, with days being dark and nights being lengthy. The forests that remain in the islands are dark places housing horrible and dreaded creatures like snow trolls and fenarms, and those unexplored are considered to be cursed and inhabited by even worse things. A place where winter reigns for too long, scarcity is normal and where many would have a difficult time living. Yet the people of the Tusk endure, and this is because of their oddities. The sailors and people that have had extensive contact with the Tuskans talk with them like they are otherworldly beings. They speak of their skin, white like the driven snow and barely warm, their fair hair and their light colored eyes, otherwordly and beautiful beyond measure. In ancient times they would have been mistaken for children of the gods, since some books gather that many priests and pilgrims that traveled to the Tusk on behalf of Dubhcrom believed that the Tuskans were born of the physical remains of Melarith, the goddess of water, and they rose from the snow. This is of course false since they do not worship the ancient gods, yet at the same time nobody knows exactly if they are human or not. But it is enough musings about the nature of Tuskans (or as they call themselves “Aeslanders” or “People of the Fair Land”), i will talk more in detail when i write about the races of this world. The language talked in the Tusk is known commonly known as the Language of Snow or Aeslandic and by my estimates, or at least idea after reading extensively about them is that their language is probably the oldest in the entire continent, even more that the any of the elven languages if it is to be believed. As for the organization of this broken land, originally the survivors of the catastrophe tried to maintain their order and unity thanks to the extremely releveant and revered Dragon Cult and also their king. Unfortunately, the king at the time died along with most of the royal family, leaving only the two youngest sons as the last remnant of the line of the king. While some of the priests advised the elder of the two to take up the leadership for his people at the age of 15, some others were more measured and suggested on ruling on behalf of the young heir until he completed the rite of maturity that would take place when he reached 16. And originally the regency was chosen, yet this didn't suffice for many of the stranded and isolated settlements and cities. And as much as the priests tried, many of them were not apt nor ready for the burden of leadership unlike the nobility. For this, elders and warlords begun to rise among the survivors, rallying all they could under their rule for better or for worse, discarding the idea of their old unified kingdom. Thus begun the age of the clans that lasted for a very long time in their history. There are several records of this time stating that there were 6 clans that ruled over different regions of this broken land: the Matians, the Nirfalings, the Varatis, the Skarnlings, the Lindgars and the Girdlings. As the records state, each clan ruled a certain number of islands that were grouped under the rule of some sort of leader that could be an elder, a wise man, a mage or a mighty warrior since it depended on the needs of the clan at the time. These leaders were known as Jarls and those that ruled smaller steadings for them were known as Huscarls, bonded to the jarl through an oath of loyalty and servitude, mostly enforced by the extremely punitive consequences of failure to the jarl. With this, territory was of the essence for each clan since in this bleak land securing their nearby resources was key to surviving, but it also depended on the needs of each settlement. The old records state that small wars were carried out by each clan in order to secure islands that served as hunting grounds, mining areas or had forests that could be harvested for lumber. But this happened mainly during the initial years where the Tuskans suffered the most. Yet they soon begun to realize many things. They no longer needed as much food as before and they could weather the dreaded cold of the Tusk with ease. This meant that soon their culture and needs shifted as they saw that despite the scarcity in their lands they could live fairly well with what they had available. And thus for many years the clans begun to foster amicable relationships between each other to trade and protect themselves from the horrors that lurked in this land. With this, they begun to rebuild their ruined villages and culture among the snow. @Nothing@poa.st @Lavaearth@poa.st

Replies (1)

@Morghur@decayable.ink 2026-05-31 20:22

@Lavaearth@poa.st @Nothing@poa.st For many years they remained isolated in their land, exploring as many islands as they could and settle whatever part that could support a small village. This saw many explorers venture to the rought cold seas, told in the saga of the “Wanderers of the dark” where brave souls ventured to any island they could find, many not coming back from their travels. It's also in this time when the first ships ventured across the Sea of Fangs, arriving to the shores of Pinalo, where they begun to share stories of their terribly ruined land and the catastrophes that happened on it. Others arrived to the northern coast that was once joined to the Tusk, lands more gentle than the frigid islands they inhabited. And so, the northern chieftains sent settlers to this place where the land was abound with life. This brought many hope to the people of the Tusk, who believed the entire world was ruined like theirs. It was also at this time where the Tuskans begun to notice the differences between them and the people they found in the north. Mainly their wispy hair and extremely pale skin. For many years the Tuskans established a good relationship with the Pinalans, making trade flourish while the northern settlements in the continent grew, enriching their countrymen as they slowly expanded north. Thus, trade begun to flourish and scouting expeditions were mounted to far off coasts. The saga of the “Venturing dragons” relates how many of their iconic ships departed into the Sea of Diamods, eventually finding the Sunless Islands and the pirate realms where they were recieved with great suspicion; the faraway coasts of Graad, where they were turned away and some say they ventured further north yet those ships were lost. The Tuskans were filled with hope seeing how they were slowly fostering relationships with many, yet when they begun to ask about the ancient dragons people glanced strangely while others wondered what they were talking about. None that they asked gave them any sort of positive answer after so many centuries and the few that answered truthfully told the dragons were no more. This news was something that tarnished the hope the Tuskans held, particularly to those members of the Dragon Cult that despaired knowing that their masters were dead. But others faced these news with boldness and thought it was their duty to search to the very edges of the world for their old masters so they once more can reign over them and bring back the greatness of old times. Because of this, the priests begun to rouse the population and spread the message that they should look for the dragons in order to bring their rulers back. With this, a vast expeditionary fleet was prepared called “The brave thousand” (note: the veracity if the people that took place in this were truly 1000 is highly questionable) whose sole purpose was to sail as far as they could, exploring every place they arrive to in order to find their ancient kings. Once the fleet departed, from the highest jarl to the lowliest peasant, many expected news to come back from their brethren. Little by little some vessels returned with no results in their search and soon enough, none returned at all. As days and eventually months passed, hope begun to wane among the Tuskans, but something else would completely shatter it. It was during the early months of summer when the northern settlementes were attacked by the Druzhin. The then Boyar of the Druzhin, Nicolas the Truthful, managed to consolidate his power after the war against his northern kisnmen from Kirgorod and their Corvinian allies. With this, he marched south to take the coast from the Tuskans who were conquered in a swift campaign. This quick onslaught is told in the saga of the “Night of Woe” where the Druzhin moved in and advanced with little opposition. Many managed to escape to the Tusk but it is unknown what happened to those that fell to the clutches of the Druzhin. Thus begun a period of great change and challenges for the Tuskans as the Boreans begun their advance from the north and many believed they would move in to conquer the Tusk. And while even in spring things wouldn't be easy with snow trolls prowling the icy waters, they moved south once they prepared a fleet. The northern clans saw defeat as the looming fate that awaited them while the southern clans only prepared to defend their holdings. And i would also suspect, if they are truly humans, that they would hold to attack their comrades to take their land in a moment of weakness. But no such thing happened and instead a man rose among the Tuskans to unite them against the Druzhin. The old tales speak of Olaf Ice Eyes, a man described as carrying the strength and cold of winter within himself, rising to the challenge of uniting the clans. The lengthy epic bearing his name tells of his valiant deeds and hardships in this task that he ultimately succeeded, rallying the clans of the south and the north against the Boreans and effectively routing their enemy. With this, the Tusk was united once more, something that filled its inhabitants with hope, albeit momentarily. Thanks to this union they managed to stem the tide against the Borean ships and eventually their first landings, holding until the first autumn days where the seas were the roughest, forcing the invaders to choose between leaving with their lives while they could or hold until winter, where they would definetly lose. And obviously, they left. Since then and for a long time, the Tusk has remained a horrifically bleak place where its inhabitants manage to eke out a living despite its squalid conditions, managing far better than others would. Conflict rages every now and then between petty lords or the ocassional Borean raid, but not to the level it was in old times since the Boreans control the cities in the mainland and their sailors don't have the experience the Tuskans have in the treacherous waters, thus relenting any sort of large scale aggression. Yet despite all this there is a certain degree of prosperity that is short lived. Most of their ancient artifacts, works of art and metallurgy, masonry and important cultural heritages were lost during the cataclismic event that tore their land apart. Either the disaster took them or the survivors tore them down in order to salvage what they could. Destroying palaces and fortresses to repair their homes and smelting once great weapons into all manner of utensils. Thus, many of the ancient history of the Tusk is only preserved on meagre heirlooms and vast epics, thus intensifying the strength of their myths. While the sailors from the Tusk are not very welcomed in Pinalo nor Borea, it is widely known how they have dealings with daring merchants from the Pirate Realms or the more venturous, desperate or insane sailors of Graad and even Ergew. Stories tell that trade is somewhat difficult in the Tusk since the people see far more value in sturdy weapons, tools and animals than in gold and silver. Thus, barter is the only option the pirate merchants have when they make landfall in these ice laden shores, exchanging goats, pelts, prisioners, weapons and exotic goods in exchange for lumber, iron, gems, jewelry, wool, oil and in the most harsh or desperate winters, some people will sell themselves or a child in slavery so they have one less mouth to feed. Their most valued exports are the iron they gather from the open veins buffetted by cold winds, the “Svartre” lumber harvested in their forests and the thick wool gathered from their enormous and hairy aurochs. But life is dangerous even beyond the long winters and scarcity that reigns here. All manners of horrific beasts lurk in the forests and the waters of the region, with roving bands of snow trolls moving from island to island and oftently attacking homesteads and smaller villages that are ill protected. The strange ettin make their home in the larger islands and their attacks on large settlements and even cities are frequent unless appeased or erradicated. There are stories where these foul beings were killed and they tell about how armies march to combat only for a few men to return. (Note: I looked the origins of these beings and the stories were varied from humans that abused magic that became bloated and horrific to creatures born of mud soiled with the grudges and rage of countless victims. I asked Aldera about this and her explanation made more sense. I will write about this later). They also speak of Ireltz prowling the dark woods and even stranger beings like enormous shadowy wolves they call Fenarm; the Andar Howlers, told to be gigantic bears whose roars make the land tremble and whose pelts are capable of resisting any blade that strikes it; and the Lolaiorn, gigantic white eagles that nest in the most desolate peaks and are said to prey on the cattle of the Tuskans, each one capable of snatching an auroch like it was a twig and sometimes prey on the most unfortunate or foolish. Even worse, it is said the dragon sages warn from time to time too about the Skalgge, shadowy beings brimming with rage that is said to be the lingering spirits of ancient dragons clamoring for vengance that rise from the ground. The story of the sailor Leod McCormag tells about how one of the dragon sages, an old priest, told him to not abandon the settlement during the first days of spring in fear of the Skalgge. There are some other strange beings that are said to stalk the icy lands of the Tusk, but just rumors and legends, like that of the White Shadows or the Maids in the Mist.

Open ##3014749