House Telemnar

[Andustar 2115]

Spoiler

 

 

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HOUSE TELEMNAR

A Comprehensive Guide, by Olórin Telemnar.

 Seed. 12th of the Deep Cold, 02 SA

 

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~Introduction~

 

The House of Telemnar is a noble family of sea elves whose roots trace back to the firstborn son of Malin, Sylvaen Everflame.  They claim their elder descent through the bloodline of Telemnar Sylvaeri, an esteemed mariner of the ancient world and custodian of the high seas.  In the present age, they have established their home within the Princedom of Elvenesse.

 

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~Ancient History~

 

In years of yore, in the wake of the Aegisian wars, upon the rattled Almenodrim was imposed exile, their society setting out across the vast oceans, departing Old Malinor.  The subsequent centuries of voyaging and chartering culminated in an almighty seaborne civilisation, with great citadels of solid stone being raised upon even the most distant of shorelines.  Through these bustling ports did both resources and wealth flow, enriching the lives of the indulging elven mariners for generations.  

 

Yet, so too with wealth did greed foster, and in its wake was born an age of piracy.  Beyond the sheltered citadels, no merchant could ever hope to find refuge from plundering seadogs, and there were none more feared than the Dread Pirate Kaer.  A silver-maned elf, infamously skilled at the mast and honed with a brutal instinct of cunning.  His black ships, like the tentacles of a merciless kraken, crushed any unfortunate vessel caught within their grip, thus seizing mass hauls of bullion and spices.  

 

Said stolen fortune was enough to secure any one elf a luxurious life, but a vast deposit of gold could also fund greater ambitions.  Kaer’s treasury was vast, but he lacked a sustainable port at which to dock, where he could unload his cargo and resupply without fear, nor bounty.  None were more capable of providing such a prize than the Almenodrim.

 

Intoxicated by craving desires, the Dread Pirate emptied his coffers, mustered an armada of over a hundred ships and like a tidal wave descended upon the trade colony of Ellerina, now present-day Amathea.  At his back stood an army of ruthless mercenaries, hell-bent on breaching the outer walls and taking the Almenorean harbours for their own.  They bombarded the coast and set the blockade, sealing in the garrison whom they sought to starve out.

 

Word swiftly travelled to every corner of the established realm, with no more than two weeks having passed before ravens reached the citadel of Aegrothond itself.  Ellerina, an established territory of the Crown, was under siege by a sizable seaborne opponent.  At this revelation, Sea Prince Aegnor I sought the counsel of his most trusted advisors for three days and nights.  Ultimately, a retaliation was in order, and so the Prince called upon his most valiant nephew, Telemnar Sylvaeri.  Aegnor set him the task of assembling a fleet and breaking the siege upon the colony, for none amongst the Almenodrim were more adept at the helm. 

 

 Telemnar, with fervent loyalty, obeyed his liege’s command.  The fleet of warships, hastily assembled, numbered no more than forty, but what it lacked in size it compensated for in speed.  Kaer had banked on securing the colony before his opponents could muster a relief force, but the starved garrison stood with the strength of a tower, for another month repelling every wave that dared crash against the shore.  The corsairs, impatient and restless, grew so fixated with their objective that they had turned their eyes away from their perimeter.

 

On the eve of the new moon, Sylvaeri’s fleet arrived, finding the stricken harbour battered and smouldering.  Although the foe was ignorant to their arrival, Kaer still outnumbered the Almenodrin host near three to one.  An attack in broad daylight would spell disaster and defeat.  But Telemnar was cunning as a tactician and so he ordered the crews of two ships to disembark, the wooden hulks now to serve a separate purpose in his campaign.  They waited until nightfall whenever the corsairs had retired and gloom clouded their vision.

 

Within the darkness, crews awoke to the frantic tolling of bells, paving the way to a blood-curdling realisation.  Two fireships steered straight into the heart of the armada, unleashing terror among the ranks of the immobile mercenaries.  In the spur of the moment, many prematurely cut anchor, rendering their ill-prepared vessels vulnerable to the treacherous tides.  Telemnar’s decisiveness had forged an opportunity and his warships subsequently tore into the chaos at full sail. 

 

Awoken to disarray, Kaer found himself trapped between impregnable cliffs and waters ablaze.  In gracious formation, the swan prows of the Almenodrin host fell upon the flagship, timber hulls colliding in a shower of splinters.  At the bow of the foremost vessel stood the black-maned Sylvaeri, clad in a silver habergeon wrought like fishes’ mail. 

 

The marines of Aegrothond disembarked, pouring onto the deck of the corsair ship.  Blades rang in a brutal battle of blood and steel, and amidst it clashed Kaer and Telemnar.  The Dread Pirate and Sea Lord exchanged blows and equal ire, both cutlass and falchion notched and horridly streaked with crimson.  Yet, as the morning sun rose over the red bay, it was Telemnar who seized victory, lashing Kaer from navel to collarbone and sending him sprawling into the churning waves below.  Broken and scarred, he was soundly hauled from the dark abyss by his sons, with what remained of their forces retreating beyond the horizon.

 

With the foe’s ambitions thwarted and the armada either routed or ran aground, a triumphant horn sounded from the distant harbour, signalling the long-awaited end to the siege.  As a reward for his exceptional service, Sea Prince Aegnor I installed upon Telemnar the right to bear his own standard - one that, alongside his name, would be passed down for generations to come.   

 

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~Customs~

 

The House of Telemnar take great pride in their traditional customs, many of which stem from the common practises of their people, the Almenodrim.  They are largely mariners by trade, remarkably skilled before the mast and often found at the helm of a vessel.  Indeed, it is nigh impossible to come across one who lacks the knowledge to crew a seaworthy ship.  The family is also known to have fostered remarkable artisans and smiths, often contributing to the rigging of ships and fashioning of armaments.  

 

So beloved is the sea that they have adopted a sentimental practice in accordance with their lifestyle.  On the eve of a lengthy seaward expedition, it is expected of a spouse to present a wreath woven of coniferous branches to their better half, which is then fastened to the prow of the boat as a charm of good fortune.  Blessed are those who bear such an offering, for it is believed they shall ultimately return home unscathed. 

 

Peculiarly, the Telemnars are also regarded as one of few branches of Almenodrim who still pay homage to an old animistic deity, the mystical Goddess of the Sea.  Adherence to this ancient creed is typically conveyed via prayers uttered upon voyages or depictions of an oceanic lady in crafted icons, murals and tapestries.

 

However, their most revered tradition, in taking after their cousins in the House of Sylvaeri, would be the custom known as the Oath of the Seven.  A sacred vow sworn by all members to come of age in commemoration of the Seven Sons of Sylvaen.  It is then accompanied by the application of rings crafted from Bloodsilver, set upon the prospect’s finger still fiery from the forge.  Over the centuries, the Oath has instilled values of integrity and honour within the family.  To violate it is to disgrace yourself and to turn your back on the bloodline.  

 

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~Characteristics~

 

Historically, the House of Telemnar has carried distinctive traits, largely those tied to direct scions of Sylvaen.  Elves of this bloodline are universally tall in stature, usually bearing skin of a fair and ageless complexion, though occasionally tanned due to working within the sea trade.  Their ears are also relatively modest, often more refined and smaller proportioned. 

 

In elder days, the family were known to bear long weaves of raven-black hair.  Yet, in recent centuries, this has been largely phased out by fairer shades of both blond and copper, the former more common in the present age.   However, their most distinctive features would be the colours of their eyes; either neutral grey - commonly attributed to Sylvaen himself.  Or alternatively, luminous teal - uniquely reserved to descendants of the main line. 

 

 

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