The Norväyn Seed | Keepers of Legacy

[ThumperJack 923]

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

“Through our duty, we find our faith.”

 

 

 

 

Chapter I. The Beginning

 

          The Norväyn trace their roots as far back as the earliest recorded histories in the First Age and when the earthly king of Elves himself, Malin, walked amongst his children through the leaf strewn lowlands of a vast woodland realm. They were devoted to serving the Elf-King’s word as soldiers in the most trying of times during his reign. Much of their bond grew in the ancient Ibleesian conflicts where their leader, Torr, led his wolf-mounted cavalry deep behind the lines of undead advances to attack supply chains and burn equipment meant to siege the strongholds of Elvendom.

          They were known only as El’Chirran in these early days. The Wolves of Malin. Grey Riders. Dogs of the Frontier. Bes’bevar. Their green striped banners flew high above their heads and the howls of both dire wolf and Elf would soar out long before their arrival. For them, few could match the pride with which they handled their duties nor the strict adherence to the orders they were given. Honorable acts in the presence of their Elven kin went hand in hand with ferocious violence in the company of the enemy. 

          As the years went by and the war against Iblees dragged on, the Wolves of Malin began to lose their shining Elven steel armor and began wearing the bones of their undead foes, the chitin of large insects, and pelts taken from their hunts. Their banners would be used as robes, bandages, and other substitutes for cloth as their time away from home would go for much longer and their rations dwindled further with each excursion. War took its toll on the Wolves and by the time Iblees had been defeated, the Elven warriors returned to their woodland home as strangers to their people.

 

Chapter II. Family

 

          Time passes on and the war of Iblees faded into history for the younger lived races of the realm. Yet for their leader and harbinger, it was a memory of yesterday. Torr found himself wracked with nightmares that forever reminded him of the horrors he witnessed in war’s embrace. The dreams grew so terrible that he began to believe them to be omens of a coming calamity for his people, rather than the vestiges of trauma. He confided in his closest friends, Galfast and Eowyn, about what he saw and the trio agreed to rally their warriors in preparation for whatever was to come.

          Alas, what Torr feared would come was not an enemy of flesh or dark magic but one of circumstance. Their beloved lord and liege, Malin, disappeared without any trace to follow and sent Malinor into chaos. Unrest spread like a rampant disease before Elves began to depart from their once serene kingdom into the world to seek out a purpose beyond their forefather’s creations. The Golden Pools, the Ancestral Spirits, and Irrin Sirame. Yet Torr, Galfast, and Eowyn refused to depart from the site of their liege’s throne for many years. It was not until the final remnants of Mali’ame began to trickle from the city that Eowyn convinced the others to accompany the nomads. They agreed under the perception that they were protecting the last of Malin’s chosen in his absence.

          Into the deep wilds of the realm, the Wolves met with Irrin’s flock and became entranced by the faith that she had discovered. It was Irrin Sirame and the Mali’ame who taught the three leaders of the Wolves the value in living not just for Malin’s legacy but for a legacy of their own. With this in mind, they turned to each other and their warriors to create a new bond amongst themselves with a new name: Norväyn.

          From then on, they began to learn to craft and create things that would last beyond their long lives. Weapons that depicted the battles of their youth, armor that melded Elven steel with bonemold and chitinous accouterments. They honed their natural mind for tactics and warfare to suit the needs of hunting and providing for their new home in the wilds. The Norväyn took their striped and reused banner cloth and turned them into a badge of identity. 

          For the trio of captains turned chieftains, their lives took new turns. Galfast became known as a war hero of epics, becoming so enthralled by the status that he delved out into the world months at a time in search of new beasts to slay and new tales to tell. Torr and Eowyn, however, turned to one another and found love. They settled down with the rest of the Irrinites to have a child that they named Ellewyn.

 

Chapter III. The Fall from Grace

 

          Calamity would strike the hardened kin of the Norväyn once more in the form of Garthon, an archdruid of considerable renown and dark ambition. Since the disappearance of Malin and the fall of his kingdom, Garthon had coveted the newly opened seat of power that had been left empty in honor of the Elven forefather. As history would tell it, the archdruid wished for the mali’ame to ascend to a status above that of their golden and ashen brethren and for himself to claim the Elf-King’s seat above them all.

          Through the means of deceit, murder, and blackmail did the snake writhe his way into a position of power amongst the Mali’ame tribes. He began to quietly rally support of his upcoming campaign until the likes of Irrin Sirame and Taynei’hiylu, the Green Dragon herself, caught wind of his affairs. They began, with their own manner of subtlety, organizing what seeds they could to convince the others and Garthon to not go through with this.

          For the Norväyn, they were unaware of any such stirrings amidst their wild home until Garthon himself approached the trio of Elven veterans. He pleaded toward their love of Malin and the kingdom they once served, telling them that by aiding in his quest they would have Malinor restored. Torr and Galfast reluctantly agreed that it was worth the risk even as Eowyn slowly pieced together the lies in the archdruid’s story. The Norväyni men told her that it would not come to civil conflict and that the other Mali’ame would understand the desire. Oh, how wrong they were.

          On the eve of winter’s embrace, Eowyn stepped outside her home to find the followers of Garthon rallying with weapons drawn and armor donned. They claimed that the Irrinite loyalists had done the unthinkable and begun attacking. The Norväyni chieftess knew that this was not right and sent Ellewyn away to find Galfast, who had departed for another of his ventures only an hour prior. Eowyn hurried to find her husband.

          Torr was already at the front of the Garthonic force alongside a host of confused Norväyni warriors, adorned in their bonemold and steel and asking their chieftain questions that he had no answer to. He told himself that he was still a soldier and that soldiers follow orders. This was his way. This had always been his way. So then, why did he feel such fear in his chest? Where did this guilt that clawed through his heart come from? He did not have an answer for this either.

          Only after, when the forest wilds of the Mali’ame burned and both Garthonic and Irrinite peoples wept over the dead did Torr realize what had happened. Only when he found his wife, his Eowyn, laying dead with a Norväyni blade stuck from her chest did his questions find answers. They were, all of them, deceived.

 

Chapter IV. Exile

 

          In the aftermath of Garthon’s uprising, the Norväyn were pardoned and forgiven by Irrin Sirame for their part in the ordeal. She saw them for who they truly were and understood that the price they paid for trusting the Archdruid’s lies were more than enough. The Norväyn did not see it this way. Torr disappeared into the deepest reaches of the wilds out of shame and regret, Galfast embarked across the sea in search of a tale that would bring some measure of redemption to his soul, and the rest of the seed split up amongst their inner families to wander the roads aimlessly on the backs of towering insect stilt striders.

          In this time away from all others but themselves, they began to rely heavily on the values learned from Irrin Sirame. Legacy became not just a want, but an absolute for their people’s survival. They began creating traditions of storytelling and honed their crafts further to relay memories of the past in an effort to never let the next generation forget the mistakes of their ancestors. Each Norväyni youth would know the story of Garthon by heart and could tell even the most foreign of passerby the epics of Galfast without skipping a beat.

          Ellewyn became the de facto chieftess of the seed in the absence of her mother, father, and uncle. She took upon her dire wolf and spent the next hundred years traveling between Norväyni families to keep the seed in touch with one another. She wished to remain alone with her grief and her duty to the seed until meeting a Mali’ame craftsman by the name Arondir. The two would marry and begin traveling in their own caravan as the rest of the Norväyn did. Together, they wrote their own history and spun tales upon the road that even Galfast would laugh or cry at hearing. 

          Ellewyn would have a child later in their lives, naming him after the mother that she had lost: Eonan. The boy grew up being taught to spin stories and survive by his mother, how to craft and create by his father, and how to live for himself by the both of them. Only a few decades after the birth of his sister, Euphemia, would the young Eonan strike out into the world to write his own story and add it to the annals of Norväyni history.

 

Faith and Practice

 

Religion

 

          Ever since their initial meeting with Irrin Sirame and the rest of the Wild Faith’s first followers, the Norväyn’s religion has been based firmly in the pantheon of the Aspects and in Morea, the Wolf Prince. They view the Aspects as ever changing forces of nature that may appear as Man and Woman. Beast and Plant. Wind and Rain. Cernunnos is revered primarily as the force behind one’s instinct to survive and persevere through hard times. Cerridwen is expressed as a warm embrace, filling all those devoted with a sense of loyalty and love. Morea is the focus for all these views. The Wolf Prince hones the Norväyni faith into a more singular worship that best shows their most treasured values and traits.

          Another part of Norväyni religion is the concept of ancestor worship. Unlike the ancestor spirits that the Mali’ker give themselves to, the Norväyn praise their ancestors through more mundane means that are intended to show respect for the trials and lessons learned in the past as well as providing proof that their legacies lives on.

 

To be draped in Wolf's Fur

 

Art by nikadonna

 

          The Norväyn carry a very distinct and recognizable appearance apart from their other Elven kin. While any type of Elf may be seen wearing Norväyni attire and markings, the most common would be Mali’ame with dark, chocolate roots that uniquely fade into an almost sandy or golden blonde at the ends of their hair. Their eyes tend to be either a piercing topaz, evergreen, or woodland brown hue. Their apparel tends to be less tribal than the rest of the Mali’ame, more often than not sporting the dark green striped robes, sashes, headbands, or any other cloth adornment known as alii’gai [ah-LEE-guy].

          The wolf-mark ilmyumier that is carved into the flesh of every member is characterized by a grey-green wolf’s skull printed upon either the shoulder or the forearm. The snout is surrounded by daubs of color and the top of the skull grows into a canopy of interweaving branches, growing up the arm and shoulder before creeping along the chest and back. These branches are intended to be added onto throughout a Norväyn’s life, leaving permanent tales of their life upon their very skin.

 

The Bestiary

 

 

 

          The first and more docile of the creatures would be the towering Stilt Striders that are used as beasts of burden and living carriages. Most Norväyni families have had the same bloodline of Stilt strider since they were first acquired on the seed’s first excursions into the wilds, more particularly the arid regions of the world. Upon learning that the beasts could survive in most climates and were quite accepting of the elves cleaning them of acquired moss and vegetation, the Norväyn took them on. Each time the striders produced new spawn, the family would keep one of the young to replace the parent when it died. When the strider did pass on, its shell would be used to craft armor, tools, shelter, and other sorts while the meat would keep the family fed for many days.

          The second would be the Dire Wolves that serve as spiritual and living companions to the Norväyn. As a part of a young Norväyn’s trials, they are to raise a wolf pup and train them to be a lifelong companion. However, the wolves live a fraction of a fraction compared to the lifespan of an Elf. This led to the concept of companion bloodlines. A companion bloodline is an ancestry of dire wolves that have all been born from a Norväyn’s previous wolf and raised to take the parent’s place when they pass or grow too old to ride. It is said that the spirit of a Norväyn’s first wolf travels from descendent to descendent, always remaining beside their rider.

 

Wolf's Tongue

 

          Storytelling is an integral part of the Norväyni culture. As one might expect, the need for legacy means that one must tell both the legacy of their ancestors as well as their own to be passed down to the next generation. Forever teaching the lessons, triumphs, and failures of the seed. Some Norväyn choose to do this as simple storytellers, be that through word of mouth or written upon parchment. Others decide to pass their stories on through song or more material artistry like painting or craftsmanship.

 

The Rite of Song

 

          A tradition created by Eonan in the twilight hours of Almaris and fleshed out in the morning dew of Aevos. The Rite of Song references the Caerme’onn tale of Faeinn and the Tree Singers. It is a ritual that Norväyn may conduct during sessions of craftsmanship or artistry as a means of connecting with their ancestors, their gods, or simply telling a story through their passions. The ritual can be as simple as singing a prayer while one works or arranging an entire ceremony for the craft with candles, participants, and other parts.

 

The Fledgling Trials

 

 

Ellewyn’s Welcome

 

          For the youth of the Norväyn to begin their trials of adulthood, they begin with experiencing the rounds that Ellewyn once made to each of the wandering Norväyni families upon the wide roads of the world. The fledgling will seek out different members of the seed to greet and get to know, learning about their place in the family. 

 

Garthon’s Folly

 

          Before a fledgling may go any further into their trials, they must hear and understand the story of Garthon and the tragedy that the Norväyn faced at his hands. They will then use what they learned from the story to commit a deed that rights a wrong in another’s tale. It can be as grandiose or as mundane as they wish.

 

Galfast’s Epic

 

          With a wrong righted, the fledgling may now prove that they can tell stories as compelling as Galfast’s epics. They will reach into the lives of their ancestors or their own experiences to find a story that teaches a moral or lesson that may be passed onto newer generations.

 

The Companion’s Tale

 

          Now that the fledgling wields the strength of stories, they are given the opportunity to raise a dire wolf companion of their own to share in the experience. They will be taught the meaning behind the companion bloodlines cherished by Norväyni riders.

 

Torr’s Proving

 

          The final step in a fledgling’s journey to acquiring their wolf-mark ilmyumier is Torr’s Proving. They will take their grown companion, their kin, and their wit into the wilds to perform a great hunt that will feed the Mali’ame and provide material for the coming weeks. After which, the fledgling will compile a new story in the form of a campfire tale, a poem, or a piece of art that depicts what happened.

          Once the story is retold, they will be taken to receive their wolf-mark ilmyumier and take the oath as the Wolves of Malin did under Torr’s eyes.

 

Sons and daughters of the three captains,

We are their legacy, they who served the earthly lord.

Through our honor, we prove our fidelity,

Through our patience, we best our quarry,

Through our duty, we find our faith.

We are the will of the Wolf, Malin’s favored hounds,

The harriers of invasion.

[Royal Peasant 445]

Roylan G Sirame  blinks at the new information of a seed being formed behind Eonan and the words of such a large culture being tied in his background. Being surprised, and a little amused within his daily routine as he sipped on his beverage. "Ya will still be Eonan of 'Nowhere' to me Llir." He voiced over from his balcony with a friendly smile, and a small touch of teasing on his expression before he turned to find rest within his abode. Intrigued to see where this seed will go and what he will learn about it in the future. 

[Minuvas 2888]

OOC: Looks like a great seed! Well written. 

[WestCarolina 1778]

Miven Caerme'onn sat curled in a nest of leaves,  listening along to a hoarse voice reading from one of the many ancient tomes. "Stilt striders... woah."