The Adunian Histories, Part I

[Hanrahan 2983]

 

 

T H E   A D U N I A N   H I S T O R I E S

P A R T   I 

 

B Y

 

D O C T O R

 

E D W A R D   N A P I E R

 

P R I N T E D   I N   H E L E N A

 

B Y

 

T H E   N O R T H E R N    

G E O G R A P H I C A L

A C A D E M I C   P R E S S

 

I N 

 

A N N O   D O M I N I   MDCCLXXXIV

 

F I R S T   E D I T I O N

 

 

Foreword by the Translator and Editor, Dr. Edward Napier

 

    The Adunian Histories is an anthology of primary source literature from the Adũnthani period, occurring between the first and sixth centuries, spanning roughly from 38 MH to 610 MH. The documents vary in detail, writing perspective, content and period. Some are collections of prose and poetry, mythological in origin. Others are secular recordings of events - chronicles. Yet still, personal letters, and stories find their way into the Histories. The works are organized chronologically, by the eras laid out by the scholastic staff who translated and sifted through the documents. Adunians in their contemporary time would not have defined these eras as such - but with the benefit of academic hindsight, and for the sake of clearer readability, the classifications have been made. Furthermore, several works are heavily annotated and expanded upon both in text and in footnotes. This is the first book in the series, providing an academic overview and narrative history and anthropology of the people. Later in the series shall be the source book, wherein one may read the actual texts of the people.

 

    In this modern day, ‘Adunian’, though it may enter contemporary usage, is only said in reference to Harrenites - people culturally descended from Adunians. They are not the same people, much as modern day Orenians are not the same as those who lived in the days of Godwin or Owyn. Adunian in the context of this book will refer exclusively to the race and culture of the people who descended from Harren, and occupied a certain geographic area and time - the first to sixth centuries. 

 

Biologically, Adunians differ from Harrenites in several clear ways. The average height of Adunians was around six-foot-five, with some as tall as seven foot, due to their Elvish blood. They were a fair people, with almost exclusively black or deep brown hair. Their eyes however, would be typically coloured as grey, blue, light green, or gold. Their ears were pointed - not elongated, as true elves - but they did come to a true point. They tattooed themselves in the Elvish fashion, sporting a variety of colours and patterns, depending on family, rank, or region. Their signature trait was their lifespan - true Adunians, still rich in the blood of the Elves had elongated lives, and could live well into their two-hundreds in rich health and undiminished physical ability.

 

A Note on the Cover

 

    The cover of this book is taken from a Royal motif and inscription found upon a stone stele from the High Imperial Era, dating to around the 380s MO. The writing is in Adunaic - an Elvish script, but a Jorenic language - says; 

 

“Ar-Anguinel, Adunamnenos, Elendili, Baran-Adanedhel, Azagarron Zûrenhinim.”

 

Translated, the inscription says,

 

“Ar-Anguinel (King Anguinel), Adunamnenos (Lord of the North), Elendili (Elf-Friend), Baran-Adanedhel (Father of the Elf-Men), Azagarron Gûrenhinim (Conqueror of the Children of Joren).”

 

 

Contents

 

1. Introduction

2. Adunian Society

3. Adunian Culture

4. Adunian Geography

5. Adunian Weapons

6. Adunian Kings

 

 

Introduction

   

    The Adunians - and the Idunian Empire was an early mixed-race civilization, and prophetic age Empire that lasted from 24 MH to 605 MH, and was the most powerful hegemonic power of its age. The Adunians founded and perfected many systems of early rule, architecture, and technology use. They were the first to domesticate the horse and invent cavalry systems, alongside arboriculture and new woodworking techniques, producing powerful and deadly bows. Their soldiers and armies used innovative military tactics to great effect.

 

    After the victories of Ar-Agarwen in the 2nd Century MH, the Idunian Kingdom of Aglarebiand emerged as the clear victor of the wars after Harren’s death, setting up client kings and relative dynasties on the thrones of the other Northern territories such as Forodhon and Aelion, formerly kingdoms of the Jorenites. Aglarebiand did not subject the Elven tribes - a friendly relation was established, and their borders were well watched. During this time, the proliferation of Aduniac as the lingua Jorenica of the Northern Kingdoms would occur.

 

    By the 7th century, and the Death of Ar-Haedirthor, the High Kingdom fell apart within twenty years. Civil conflict, Natural Disasters, and a Dragon attack had weakened the Kingdom severely. In 604, a peasant revolt of the Redhrion (Sowing Men), the pureblooded Humans who still populated the North led by Òrin Eglamen (Owyn Ulgaard), quickly spread throughout the nation. Quickly, the revolt turned into a rebellion - and with support from the Southern Kingdoms, free from Adunian interference, toppled the centuries old order. By 616, the heirs of the Kingdom, and their retinues - along with as many of the pureblooded Adunian nobles that could flee - had departed the Northlands to cross the seas, gone to lands unknown. Although the Hegemonic Kingdom fell apart, and soon passed out of memory - the Adunians remained as a people, and still live in the Empire today. 

 

 

Adunian Society

 

    Adunian Society began before the existence of the race itself, tracing its roots to it’s patron - Harren - and his union with Sarai, of the Wildewynn Elves. At the time of the marriage, the Elves held great knowledge about the earth and its ways, much of which was unknown to mankind. As a result, the Elvish tendencies and cultural practices influenced what would become the Adunians in a profound way, and dominated the culture for centuries. Several other factors defined Adunian Society, the second which was their martial origins. Harren entered into marriage with Sarai due to the pressure of the Orcish invasions, resulting in a powerful alliance between men and elf.  The Wars with the Sons of Krug - the Orcs, or Rǔkhhinim as they were known by the Aduniac script, had a deep impact on their cultural psyche and later development. In poetry and artwork - as well as in contemporary recordkeeping, it is clear that the early Adunians had an immense sense of self. Kings and Lords relied on the prestige and cultural memory of the Orcish Wars to support their right to rule - and subjugate other men. 

 

    The last key factor in the Adunian cultural makeup was their equestrian skill. Being able to care for, keep, and ride horses transformed the hardy, northern people to semi-nomadic, foraging people. Their ability with horses and archery allowed them to be devastating on the battlefield, but limited their range to areas with adequate grazing lands. Another effect of this lifestyle - and in part, influenced by their Elvish heritage was the diet of the Adunians. They did not eat ‘refined’ foods - grains, wheat, oats, or vegetables. Foods that could be found by foraging were staple, and later, artificially cultivated in great forests to be far more abundant than they might naturally be, with managed herds of deer, carefully spaced fields of fruit bushes or ‘wild’ apiaries. They had great prejudice for those who ate grains and baked bread, derisively calling such peoples Tuiwmadi - Grass eaters.

 

Like the Wildewynn elves with whom they initially intermarried, Adunians tended to look down on those who stayed in one place for too long; they derisively called the serfs that worked their fields the Redhrion (Sowing Men). Thus the flight from Harren's court, and consequent invasion of the post-Aaunian and Edelic petty kingdoms, suited their preference for nomadic rulership. The Adunians had also inherited the elven curse of infertility, and their lords were often vastly outnumbered and amply supplied by their subjects. This gave little incentive for infighting: clans could travel from tributary to tributary, foraging from their subjects, and communicating with other clans by their longer-ranging foresters.

 

As not only visually distinct from the main population of the region and their lands, but linguistically and biologically, the Adunians were a separated class from the peoples they ruled, and at times - enforced strict cultural apartheid, or assimilation policies. Until the 4th century, Aduniac, both the spoken language, and their written alphabet was kept away from human men as much as possible. The two peoples did not intermarry, and a sort of caste system was enforced. Although humans within the Adunian realms were allowed to function with some degree of autonomy in their own spheres, duties that were considered to be Adunian were strictly kept within that racial group. Human men in the North were not to keep riding horses, or horse riding equipment - merely agricultural ponies, and mules.

 

Ironically, in their attempts to put down the peasant rebellions, the Adunian lords obviated the same issues that caused them. Particularly resistant provinces needed a constant administrative presence, putting an end to their nomadic practices; and when rebellions erupted, the Adunians limited manpower meant they relied on levies from other tributaries, who were permitted to learn their masters’ language and ride horses.

 

Those regions at the core of Adunian hegemony played host to their now-settled lords. Their cultures intermingled, generating a tradition of genteel mounted cavalry which later coalesced into early knighthood. Such regions developed more distinct, stratified societies owing to the tributary structure established in generations past, and they retained the practice of leaving agricultural work to hereditary serfs. In contrast, regions at the periphery gained their independence through violence, and their leaders were usually the archetype of Owyn Ulgard: freeman farmers, wandering holy men, and reactionaries. These hinterland societies were primarily located in the hard-to-access mountains, and accordingly developed along more egalitarian lines. In such hardscrabble conditions, lords lived and worked among their subjects, and rather than a standing military class, they raised levies of peasant infantry.

 

 

Adunian Culture

 

Adunian Culture may be broken down into three distinct eras, the Foundational, The Hegemonic, and the High Imperial. Throughout each of these eras, the culture was changed sufficiently to warrant a break from what had come before, though always there were constants at work, that were never abandoned by the Adunian people. 

 

Foundational Era

 

The Adunians of the Foundation Era were a completely migratory people, with both firstborn Men and Elves, alongside Adunian children, both grown and young. Although their roots were ostensibly divided equally, Elvish culture, particularly that of the Wildewynn was completely dominant. These people spoke an Elvish tongue, wrote in Elvish script, used Elvish bows and techniques, and were entirely familiar to their matrilineal kin, far more so than their patrilineal sires. 

 

As Nomads, they existed in small bands, numbering as few as fifty, and as large as five-hundred. They were not as plentiful as men, but not as few as Elves. With long lives, and a lowered fertility, conflict among the bands was rare, and quickly stopped - as often the early Adunians had more pressing matters to attend to than domestic wars. They did not bring with them goats or cattle nor any livestock, preferring to only tend their horses - which they rode without saddles, but with adornments. 

 

They foraged from the lands they passed through, moving with the seasons to better gain their supplies. In the Spring, they would converge in alpine foothills to claim a share of the salmon runs, and throughout Summer and Fall, pick berries and other roots and leaves, preserving them for the winter. They hunted plenty, but with a carefulness that was religious in nature, always wary to never overhunt, pick, or fish an area. In Lean months and years, they would vacate their territories entirely, spending time in the great forests of the Wildewynn - or, if luck was poor, raiding the human borderlands for tribute and goods. 

 

They wore thick coats of fur, leather and wool of their own make in the winter and fall, and thin, light but hardy Elvish cloth in the Spring and Summer, dying it predominantly shades of blue, or brown. Yellows, Purples, Greens, and other bright colours were not worn. 

 

 

Although plain in clothing, they ornamented themselves heavily in other ways. They traded heavily with many peoples, and filled their hair with bangles, rings, and ribbons of gold, silver, and other precious things. On their skin, they tattooed themselves with gilded inks, so that in bright light, they might have glimmering patterns upon them. Of these motifs and patterns, the most used was the symbol of a tree, great and tall, for the Adunians of this era were tied closely to the natural world - and even closer to trees, drawing from the druidic influence of the Wildewynn. The other common motif was the Eagle, for the Adunians were great ‘Eaglers’, capturing prey with great birds. Wings and Feathers filled early, and later artwork.

 

There is no unified Adunian architectural style from this period, as they generally ruled from local palaces which predated them. The best evidence left behind are their standing stones--established to mark great achievements, the sites of Adunian conquests are still littered with grandiose proclamations of kingly deeds and proclamations. 

 

Hegemonic Era

 

This Era would have the Adunians transition from a fully nomadic, hunter-gatherer group to a pastoral aristocracy, both affecting, and being affected by the new peoples they ruled. Although still unsettled - in that they did not construct great works, or reside permanently in houses or manors - the Adunians began to slow down in their wandering, and began to chart out territories and reserves for which to move to, in the summer months. They would order large pavilions to be made (by the resident local peasantry), and set up large camps atop adorned, and fortified hills where they would dispense rule from for weeks at a time. 

 

They kept much of their dietary and fashion traditions, although they would begin to discover the wealth that could be drawn from the land and their underclass - the Redhrion, organizing the lands to not just provide for yeomen families, but for export as well. Grown food and animal products of all kinds began to be increased in production, being sent off to be sold to Dwarves and Southern Kingdoms, for fine goods and other luxuries. Silks with golden or silver thread would begin to appear, alongside handmade artifacts, crafted by the Adunians themselves - not simply by Elves and Dwarves. Jewelry from this era is called Hithaerchon Style, named for the region in which the majority of manufacture took place. 

 

 

Throughout this period, the face of Adunian war would change. Horse-Archers had proved invaluable during conflict with Orcs on open plains, but proved awkward and disadvantageous when fighting men in rugged mountains. More emphasis was put on melee ability, and the horse's purpose changed from a skirmish element to a heavier mounted infantry element. Although not true knights - such men were not bound to the land, nor organized in a feudal manner, the heavy horsemen of the Maethobor (Horse-Hewers) were of outstanding ability, equipped with a heavy plate and long spears.

 

A Suit of Heavy Plate worn by the Maethobor

 

    By the late Hegemonic Era, although the Adunians did not build themselves - they were still masters of language, art, and mathematics, and used these skills to direct their peoples to construct stables, pavilions, open-air temples and statues. Of the others, they were to be constructed of white and black stones, as in accordance with scripture - Alabaster and Onyx. As for statues, those would often be carved of the ‘living’ rock, in Dwarvish parlance - stone that remains part of the earth, and not removed. Reliefs, and statues of Kings and deeds would be methodically crafted into cliff sides and embankments along popular roads of travel, so travelers of the realm may bear witness more easily to their rulers. 

 

    High Kingdom Era

 

The High Kingdom Era is most notable for the coalescing of the other Adunian polities into one High Kingdom, and the true settling of the Adunian culture. Throughout this period, the Adunians would intermix culturally with their human subjects, teaching, and allowing them many of the skills they had long since kept to themselves. Adunian architecture, military technology, civil technology and craftsmanship would diffuse into the human populace, as well as a number of human cultural practices drifting to the Adunians. 

 

Under the policy of Ar-Tegolon, the boundaries of Adunian society were loosened. Those of the Human upper classes - rich landholders, and those with sons apprenticed in the Adunian stables were allowed to learn to both speak and write Aduniac, a privilege that had hitherto been forbidden. Furthermore, choice recruits were allowed to not only care for horses and learn how to keep them - but to ride them, and venture out with the Adunian Maethobor. Due to the cessation of the constant wandering and movement of the Lordly class, architecture of the Northern cities had to change dramatically. Large manor houses both within and without cities were constructed, in stark contrast to the wood and thatch huts of their many servitors. 

 

Forts and Towers were built around the countryside of the Kingdom. Where previously the constant wandering of powerful Adunian horse-hosts kept any possible rebellion at bay, the newfound lack of movement necessitated a reevaluation of their occupying strategy. Again the military of the Adunians changed, now focusing on Infantry and Archers, the stock of garrisons and field armies. Of these, they could field a strong core of Adunian ‘officers’, alongside a large levy of locals. 

 

 

A Levy Archer, Equipped in Mail and Tabard.

 

Aesthetically, the Adunians of the High Kingdom period were extremely opulent and wealthy. What wealth they did not spend on domestic control, they spent on worldly luxuries, decorating themselves lavishly with gilded silks and jewelry, now made of their own designs. Trade with the Elves and the Dwarvish Kingdoms was still present, but they did not rely so much on their manufacture as they once had. Where once trees and pastures lay, now stood great towers of marble and silver, decorated with many hundreds of pounds of silver, gold, and black onyx. Most splendid of all these would be the King’s palace in Síladen (The City that Shines White). 

 

The Hall of the King

 

    The Advent of an Adunian city (Or cities) was unique to the High Kingdom period, as prior to this time, cities were looked down upon as unpleasant places that were only suitable for settled men. As a result, they were few and far between, and what cities did exist were small in scale, and inhabited only by Men. Once the focus of the Adunian elite was turned towards urban living, cities then grew exponentially, with Síladen boasting the fairest of the Northern cities, and largest, with estimates of population numbering at nearly a million. The vast majority of the populace lived in sprawling suburbs and market districts, with agricultural space intermixed, living in fairer conditions than those in the countryside, with access to urban luxuries such as education, fine goods, and trades. 

 

 

Adunian Weapons

 

    Adunians themselves were not forge-masters or great craftsmen of metal, as their semi-nomadic ways prevented them from building the infrastructure required to engage in such projects. However, their cultural connections made up for this lack of ability. With the Northern Kingdoms under their sway, and their segregated class system, there was much wealth they could draw upon, and many places to spend it. Strong and rich metals were purchased from the Dwarven dwarrows of Kal-Khunborimm, amongst the crags and valleys of the mountains of Ered Gwathron, some leagues northeast of Aglarebiand. From there, they were sent to Elvish Smiths to be worked on, and forged into spear points, arrowheads and blades. 

 

    The weapons that were produced, although of Elvish make, were not built to the same styles and standards that the Elves would have made domestically. Their weapons were heavier, and less elegant, and in the early period, designed with a specific use in mind. Adunians long fought with the Orcs throughout the 1st Century, and the conflict was integral to the development of their weapons systems. The main weapons of the Adunian soldiery - and in particular, their cavalry was a long spear, and a bow, alongside a pair of large knives. 

 

    The Adunian bow (The Cuthalion) was a short compound bow made from the wood of the Dorthorn Spruce, a tree that only grew along a thin area along the coastal mountains of Forodhon. They grew to over 300 feet in height, and could live for centuries. Such trees were not cut down to gather bow wood, but instead pruned, with choice branches being taken. The horn was taken from a mountain sheep that bore thick curled horns, shaved and laminated onto the back and tips of the bow. Finally, the string was made of mountain deer leg sinews, as they were tough with hardly any fat. The result was a devastatingly powerful short-bow that could, if equipped with good arrows, allegedly pierce metal and Orcish bone. 

 

    The Adunian knives (The Angrámë) were a pair of thick, crossguarded clip-point knives. Always forged and kept in pairs, they were of not only strategic relevance to their wielders, but of ceremonial value as well. The Blades themselves were large, measuring at 10 inches long, and two inches wide at the base. The point of the knife was clipped, tapering to a sharp, stabbing point. On almost all archeological samples of Angrámë, either the blade itself is shaped into a wing, or a feathered pattern is engraved into it. This served no value in combat, but clearly tied into Adunian spiritual beliefs. Not all warriors carried the knives - only Cavalrymen, and of those, only those who wielded the bow. 

 

    Both the Cuthalion and the Angrámë were grave goods, interred in the barrows and the built tomes of the Adunians. In death, the Cuthalion was unstrung, and laid diagonally across the chest, from left shoulder to right hip. The Angrámë were laid opposite of each other as wings, placed at the shoulders, horizontally. 

 

 Adunian Enchanting

 

During the wars with the Orcs, the Adunians not only adapted their weapons in form and use to better combat their particular enemy, they also sought out spells from Elves, and among their own people who were gifted in such lore, the Sílarion - Wandering Men. Of these folk in detail, the Record is sparse, but it is known that they were responsible for many of the greater artifacts from the Adunian period, such as the Erythrean Stars, or Calithèl. 

 

In the respect of weapons, a form of runecrafting was made use of to give extra ability to the swords of the Adunians. Enchanted Weapons would glimmer coldly, and provoke Orcs to deep uncomfort long before they came into any physical contact. Although the effects are not wholly known, from archeological work it can be asserted that some of the enchantments caused a sensation of hearing discomfort to Orcs, the weapons making a painful ringing sound. Other effects were a sense of deep frigidity, an unnerving and uncomfortable feeling for those who hailed from hot, dry lands. 

 

 

List of High Kings

 

Harren (The Firstborn)

(0 MH - 38 MH)

 

Ar-Elendili (The Elf-Friend)

(38 MH - 81 MH)

 

Ar-Bethrȋl (The Glimmering-Wise)

(81 MH - 115 MH)

 

Ar-Agarwen (The Conqueror) 

(115 MH - 171 MH)

 

Ar-Rivalion (The Gilded-Crown)

(171 MH - 231 MH)

 

Ar-Faron (The Hunter)

(231 MH - 274 MH)

 

Ar-Gladhrion (The Jovial)

(274 MH - 301 MH)

 

Ar-Tegolon (The Writer)

(301 MH - 335 MH)

 

Ar-Brêgon (The Fierce)

(335 MH - 350 MH)

 

Ar-Northadir (The One who Rides)

(350 MH - 412 MH)

 

Ar-Gelluinir (The Triumphant)

(412 MH - 462 MH)

 

Ar-Iorthonor (The Old Pine)

(462 MH - 551 MH)

 

Ar-Haedirthor (The Far-away Watcher)

(551 MH - 590 MH)

 

Ar-Revion (The Sailor)

(590 MH - 615 MH)