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  1. *before you lays a newly printed tome, its pages crisp from the newly made vellum and parchment....* Kron Eron Da Venekmar Dwedmarrum - The Encyclopedia of Dwarven Language and Grammar -Penned by Ferek Frostbeard, 3rd Edition, 53rd Year of the Second Age- Introduction This tome is the result of my own research over the past few decades into the original texts and recordings of our ancestors. There are many contributors to this text, from Clan Fathers to the average dwed working the tunnels of Urguan. I have dedicated the past half century to compiling and documenting the ever-shifting evolution of our beloved mother tongue, so that dwedmar far into the future might learn of our ways. Physical sources include texts from the Grand Library of Urguan, Sutica, and of the Old Cloud Temple in Arcas. This First Edition covers Grammar, Sentence Structure, and an expanded list of our Dictionary. For those not familiar with the language of the dwed, I shall give a short history. The language of our ancestors has existed since Urguan's time, and has been passed down from generation to generation of dwed. Many words are as ancient as the creation of the world, some are more recent developments. Our language is rarely spoken outside the company of dwed, or beyond the lands of Urguan. Even within the kingdom of our people, our language is mainly relegated to ceremonial purposes, and less as a conversational language. It was not always this way, but the permeation of the common language into our culture is beyond my own control. And now with its ancient, but fairly simple, history having been established, let us dig right into the heart of the subject: Part 1: Grammar -Signifiers- While a root word in the dwed language gives a basic meaning, true of any language, specific meanings are gleaned via the addition of tenses and conjunctions, which I have come to label as "Signifiers" Example 1: Plurality Hefjhor - Bear Hefjhor'mar - Bears (Plural) Example 2: Tense Aina'K'az tira khrum lakh - I work all day (present tense) Yno'K'az tira khrum lakh - I worked all day (past tense) Example 3: Verb Suffix Strol - to walk Strol'geron - walking Aina'K'az strol'geron - I am walking -Table of Tenses- Past: Yno-/Yllor- Present: Aina-/Khirn- Future: Enn-/Ea- Perfect: -Nairon-/-Naerk- Note, Perfect tense is added after the time suffix and before the subject word. The tense of the sentence is set by the subject! Refer again to Example 3 for this. -Pronouns: Personal- I: Tha / K We: Thamar / Ut You: Othok He: Ka She: Lon It: Ek They: Korth -Pronouns: Object- Me: Tha / K Us: Thamar / Ut You: Othok Him: Ka Her: Lon It: Ek Them: Korth Note: Object and Personal pronouns are identical in script, this underlines an important concept in the language of the dwed: word and sentence context is key. What is written is not always what is meant, nor what is meant always as it is written. -Pronouns: Possessive- Prefix: Karen-/Vo-/Yol-/Va- Suffix: -Koss/-Loss-/Edos Examples: My: Vo'Tha, Vo'K Our: Yol'Thamar Your: Othok'koss Her: Lon'edos His: Vo'Ka Their: Korth'Edos Possessive Example 1: "Bjorn's Great-Axe" Subject+Possessive Subject+Adjective+ Adjective Signifier Bjorn'edos (Bjorn's) Kharadun'az'rum (Great Axe) [ Literally: Axe Great ] Possessive Example 2: "That's my Horse!" i + possessive = my (vo'tha) dag yol-mer vo'tha kazz! It appears that choosing to use a prefix or suffix is determined by context and ease of speech. Pronunciation flow is prioritized, thus suffixes and prefixes are used interchangeably. Those well accustomed to the nuances of the language, with enough practice, can read without being confused by the addition of suffixes or prefixes conjoined to a word. -Adjective- Suffix: -mos/-os/-rum Attaching the suffix to a word modifies it as an adjective. It is important to remember that in the language of my people, Nouns are stated before Adjectives. This is to say that the subject (as in, the noun) is stated before any descriptors (the adjective) are written. For example: "Ruvalk Ardoth'os" - Literally translates as "River Red" in common language, whereas in dwed it is interpreted as either "Red Lake" or "Red River", as "ruvalk" refers to both geographic features. The true meaning of the word would be established by it's place and context within an actual sentance. Adjective Example 1: "He is in the Red House" noun - adjective, ('os denotes adjectives, describer of noun) Ka yol-mer nir da gord ardoth'os -Verb- Suffix: -ok/-az The verb suffix MUST be attached to the subject, as well as with the correct time prefix! Verb Example 1: "The Starbreakers Protect the Kal'Varak" Time Prefix + Subject + Verb Suffix , Verb , rest of sentence Da Aina'Kornazkarumm'az akvel da Kal'Varak Verb Example 2: "He will kill the ork" Time Prefix + Subject + Verb Suffix, Verb, rest of sentance Enn'ka'az kavok da orko -Plurality- Suffix: -mar Note, some words in the dwed language, like "ruhn", do not require plural signifiers. These words are far and few between. -Adverbs- Suffix: 'a / 'os The adverb suffix can modify both verbs and adjectives, for example: "Yno'lon'az strol vlokon'a" - she walked quick'ly -Adverbs: A List- Only - Ein'a So - Sva Never - Nuf No - Lare, -are Not - Un Also - Nar'os Thus - Sva Much - Mjok Very - Mjok'a Again - Narhe Always - Enn'va It is important to remember that the common language meaning of a word and the dwed meaning of a word can be multiple. There are many adverbs in common that do not exist in dwed. Overall meaning is, again, derived by the subject and elements of the sentence. Context is key! -Conjunctions- There are many words in the Dwarvern Language that are conjunctions, not including the conjoining of prefixes and suffixes to denote tense or ownership. Many of the prominent clans of Urguan draw their name from the conjunction of two or more separate words. My own clan, for example: Azwyrtrumm -Azwyr, “Frost” or “Ice” -Trumm, “Beard” A fair number of older texts in the dwed language contain conjunctions, whose exact meaning is at times contextual, underlining the importance of the meaning of a sentence and less of the meaning of a specific word when reading texts. For example, the words “River” and “Flood” are both “Ruvalk”, the exact meaning of which is distinguished by the word’s use within a sentence. Part 2: Dictionary The dictionary that comprises of the rest of this tome is sourced, as stated in the introduction, from a great many places. Verbal history, written texts, and studious research has brought me this compiled list of words, which I plan on expanding in the coming years as my research continues. As of this writing, I have discerned the meaning of one thousand words from common to dwed. These shall be listed in the following pages: =A= -ing -uroz -ing -geron a e ability haegr ability haegr able haegra about fra above morred accept tyaga accompany fylgja across drell act kav action kav activity kav actor styrktar add auka addition auka'az address kav'az admit galatok advisor thelur after enn'os afternoon lakhsithar again narhe against kahanir age kez agent styrktar agree kved agreement kved'a ahead fyrir aid ghoran air kaas alchemy gauld alcohol graz alcohol naztrak ale beoir alert bran all khrum allies karrimar allow lata ally karrim alone ein'os along fyrir already adr also nar’os always enn'va am va-mer amount volein ancestor keznol ancient karik and na and nar anger krav anguish azmoroth animal gor another narhe answer svara ant maurr antler eikthyr anvil kadrin anvil kazdorin any vos anyway vosirk appear yfir aqcuire und arch ard- are ath area jorth arena kahros armor klad arrival karnes art ard artist ardrumm ash aska ask aesta assassin dreng atrocity azunnoth attack kahr audience fylgmar author gjorumm authority thrumm'os autumn faetharro available kostr away fram axe az axe kharadun =B= back fraed bad vaador bad vad bag alaek balance unn bane alar bane noril bank kaz'aurok banner vleg bar beorim battle krazdran bay vagr be mer bear hefjhor beard trumm beast -dharok beast gor beat drung beautiful fayr become standa bed hvila before -dekan begin byrja behind liggja believe aetla below yarred best mykthorok bet dar betray ogdaros better thorok'a better thorokian between methal big ahran big ahran bind fjotrr bird kro birth threin black vuur black khorok blackaxe kharadunvuur blaze nook blood ardol blue blar boat wathol body hrae boiler nokri bond baraz book kron born threin both bædir bourbon galraz bow thrimmek bowl bolle bowl kand box fass brave grum bravery parathak brawl nazaig brawl skuf breach kodeh bread brog break nazka bring nighi broad nazad broken losnath brothel belkar brother kronul brow trullki brush strjuka bug maurr build gord building gord bull demm burn karaave burrow undor business bergukli but bar but ur buy taka buyer takarumm =C= cake brog call bjotha campaign erfidà can ovar cannon ithring capture und carcass naktrul carry hunk carve thruz castle kaz'ad cat mew catch kavir cause erfidà cavalry kozzhunki cave mugdor cave skulder cave ulnafer cave umgor cave's folk umgorumm center mithal central mithala century Tigir'kez chain khotha chair nakhimir challenge dar champion az'adar champion baladan chancellor darmag chaos dor charge velannak cheers (drinking) lakh'anym chest fass chicken pul chief thrudol child dwedki choose kjosa city kal’ civilization onor- clan kazamar clan suffix -rumm clasp talok claw krafla clear ljoss clench hjertha clever bran close nerak cloud norkai cluster nozagar coffer trost cold kaldr collar nahibelk colleague barithon come harath comfort salez command velerak common omur companion kompān companion lagsmaðr conditional tense (suffix) -ton/-tok confirm yaerak conquer drung consume guz continent khor’ continue an'kav cook rythja copper izor core derkon corpse naktrul corruption dor cost kostr could sar council nozkron courage parathak cow keed craftsman okri create yemka crow kro crown rulkahd crush drepa crystal krest cult fylgï cunning ok cut skilja =D= danger khatuul dark dharg daughter bedwan day lakh dead haritz death kavir death kraviil decide sja decision sjok declaration sprinthok declare sprintha deep nerroth defeat drung defend verdig describe lendr design galat desolate vlag destiny yehad did ad difficult þungr diminutive suffix -ki/-eki discomfort krovehni discover grond discover nadra disease krut distance drek do kav doctor khailarumm dog hund dog ku domain ankor done ad donkey tharrkhurb doom dor doomforge dorkadrel doomseeker dorgrond door edhekal doorway edhekal dragon drakmar dragon drakna dream draumr drink guz drink drinkir duty anaraan dwarfling dwedki =E= each khrum eagle akueli early ar east kahae eat guz edge thromr effort erfidà empire oramar end yrro enduring karaz enemy kaznok energy atferth energy manok engineer klazrel entrance edhekal establish yemka eternity azamar evening uloondekan except bar exile tagar eye trulliv =F= face andlit fail ljutha faith kirk falcon aklen fall zhuld fallen adzhuld fang fahng fantasy akaneh farewell yankar farm vorn fast vlokon father ka'az fear azhron feast anbekiamar feather fjathr feeble elgram feed guzzen feline mew few ekran field aindar fight skuf fill fylla filth saurr final yrro finally yrr'os find nadra fine thorok finish yrro'ok fire karaad first ein'a fish wurok fishing kavirwurok fist rym flag vleg flash kvark flee vervak flesh ka- flood ruvalk flow yalum flower wyrtfayr fly verok fog thonja follow fylgja food anbek fool wazzock foot fod for yoth foreign yrrok foreigners yrrommar forest hefruth forest's folk hefrumm forever azamar forge kadrel forgeling kadros fort kaz'ad fortress kaz'ad fortune akrak found nadraaz found nadra free lauss friend nak friendship nakaran from narh frost azwyr frostbeard azwyrtrumm fruit idun'fayr **** gailik **** gilthok fur kudelor furnace nokri =G= game leikr garden grunwyrt gate edhekal get und give ind glass gler glory narvak glow glod glow vekaan go fara goat lann gold aurok golem khoren gone haritz good thorok grab talok grand kathaik grand bak grandaxe kathaikaz grape anmar grasp hjertha great az greed derkalimin greed dermin green grob greetings kazahar grim korod grind umur gross kossog ground grun group barel group nozagar grove foetha grow faetha growth faethamos grudge dammaz guard akvel guide akhoral guild barimmar gut rul =H= hair hárr half eintav hall khaz hammer ord hand anar hang haenga have zal/aghar hawk akwah he ka head bak heal khaila healer khailarumm hear makliz heart amoruk heavy þungr hello oz help ghoran her laad here hethra hidden rhadav hide hirtha high az high lord thrummaz him kaad history arkon hit stok hold talok hold tal' hole undo holy kirkja holy yemarin honour anart horn ordul horror azunnoth horse kozz horseman kozzak hot heitr hound hund house gord how ekor however ekorien huge ahran hunt grunga/grung =I= i k i tha ice wyr if kolun important hattr in nir incite etja increase auka individual kav industry nolvar inert narrek information vísindi inn beorim insert guzzen inside nir institution barimmar interest (to take interest) ahygja into nirlak intricate lok ireheart khronammoruk iron khron iron khro ironborn khrothrein irongut khrorul is yol-mer is moredos issue (verb) sprintha it ek its meredos =J= join an'nirlok journal kronotharem journey otharem justice vengryn =K= keep und key lykill kill kavok kill kerr killer kavokuron king thrummaz knight kazhunki knot lykja know vísindi knowledge vísindi =L= lady kvinn lake wunder land jorþ large ahran last yrro late sithar lava boor law anart'khrum lead rik leader rikkin learn vísindund leather kudelek left neeft legend kronos legion arkammar less -avos let don letter talagjora library tal'kron life anym life konym light varekan lightning korraaz limb trullak listen makliz little ekran lizard knut lockbox trost lonely vlag long melkan long ago denkezzan lord rik lord thrumm lose vroth lost vroth love nogazen luck akrak =M= magic lordak maiden lathain maiden vilket major hattr majority hlutr make yemka mane mjor many mengi march velak march veloz market urbaz mason table kaladokvo-nakhum master kronok mate nogaak material efni may sar maybe kna meat ust merchant bergukli mercy zahere metal akash metal ithor might daar mind varak mine mugdor mine thas missile vapna mist thonja moment nukargol money minek money wulthrung monster gorazkhron morning lakhar mother beka mountain agnar mountain's folk agnarumm mouse mús mouth waerod move fara much mjok multitude mengi muscle vothvi music glymja my thas myth akkor mythical harek =N= name daram neck nahi necklace nahibelk negative un' nether kharvul never nûf new deb new cast- night uloon no -are no -vare no lare noble drahgal noble drahzarl north nikaer note fra nothing fra'os nothing olkodran now nu nowhere un'kozrol number volein nut idun =O= oath baraz obligation wulthrung observe dok obsidian orvul occupy skitha of -ram of eron of -'ur'- off nerak offer urbar oil olja old ahld old gorm on nir once ein'ka one ein only ein'a onyx ghal open aarak opportunity kostr opposite un'standa or ov order dverga organization barimmarr out unnir outpost migdhal owl akhl own bezak owner bezak'oss =P= pact khroven pad pad painting fayrfigur pale arakrumm parent ka'az part -trihim partner kompān party fylgï past yzoran pattern vlazeth pave yohokim pay ind pearl gorix'sjor pelt kudelor person kav personal kavaz philosophy rhun pickaxe azarak picture figur pig kerrem place (location) jorth place (verb) setja plains gazan plan rath plant wyrt plateau zorn play leikr player leikrin poem kvaethi poor valathr position vellar positive an' possess bezak potato idungrunos powerful gorm pride anart pride dwak priest kirkden priest kirkjarumm prison clodkul prisoner clod prisoner clodrum prisoner dreg profession (suffix) rumm/-uron/-in professor vísind projectile vapna promise baraz prosper hlytha pull kippa purchase taka pure velukrumm push un'kippa =Q= queen thrumm'lon question etha quick vlokon quiet kyrr =R= race kryum raid ekrazak rare harek rather kreva raven kro raw deb read legtha realm ankor record kron red ardoth region khorekran remember arkon remembrancer arkonrumm resolve (firm determination) einrathn respect akyth respond krull response krullaz response krullok rest tiwaz reveal segja revenge vengryn reverse un'standa reward wulthrung rich aurokmar riddle gata rider kozzhunki right reeth ring khain risk haetha river ruvalk road hohekk rock bokk room vathmar route helmegr rules anart'khrum run hleypa rune ruhn =S= saga arkon sage arkon sand sandr scabbard unrol scale skama sea ahrander sea sjor search grond season arangr seat rúm second taveir'a sect fylgï see ival seed idun seek grond seize und'a select kjosa sell selja seller seljarumm service eklaan set setja shackle fjotrr shadow mhornar shape voxtr sharpen hvetja she lon sheath unrol sheep ardann shelter otemme shield kladian shin agnuk ship wathol short kortr show syna shudder azul sibling dasen sign merki silence hljoth silver thry sing sóngr single ein sink sokkja sister lonul sit nisd size voxtr skill haegr skirmish skuf skull ghal sky korhaz slam nahz slayer dreng slim anligr slow throlon small ekran smash drung smith kadre smoke oronduk snow wyr so sva soldier akvel soldier fægir solitude ein'os some ekran son kadan song sóngr soon anu soul dwedohin sound glymja south evraal southern evraal'os spark zaarka speak tala speak rullok/rullaz spear azk speech talaz spill nad spring wyrsithar stab ladth stability asatâm staff kolol stairs ekrund stairway ekrund stand vellar star kor starbreaker kornazkarumm stark mad tagum start dretta starve stevla stay un'fara steam rjuka steel stailininn stone bokk/gorix stop rhak storm ithrun story draurkon strange harek stream stromez strength rym strike stok strong karaz student vísindundin subgroup fylgï substance efni success frâmi summer solmjok summit kollr sun sol sunset dretuloon surface kollrgrun surrender ekorok survival helron survivalism helron sweat kadull swift vlokon sword raz =T= table nakhum take und talk tala talon kloar tanning rack delokvar task iðja taunt snedtha tavern beorim tax kam teach vísind teacher vísinduron teacher kronetok team øk tell biðja tend gaeta terror azkhron thank you thyokk thanks thyokk that dag the da/ok their korthon there zrol they korth thief agolam thin elgram thirst thyrstr this anek this dak though themun thunder karrzark thus sva time kargol to oz to bow nelaraz today khimlakh tomb grungol tome kron tomorrow ennlakh tongue lid tool makaz top kollr total heill total victory sigrheillos tower yoran town kazid trade urbar trader bergukli trash clabar travel ratath treason ogdar treasure azgoth treat rettr treatment rettr tree haefron tremble azul trial anakrun trust trur truth anoros tunnel umthos tusk orgrum tyranny harthradr =U= ugly aghdek ugly duk undead kavgar under dharg underground dharggrun understand yar'vís union vlak unity tazarak until thoth unveil segja upon ayna urge aeggia us thamar us ut =V= valour annak vampire zangunaz vapor rjuka vein ardohin vengeance vengryn venture haetha verb suffix -ok / -az very mjok'a very myk vessel kand victory sigra view ival vigil dokrum vigilant dokrum village kazid violence skuf vodka valraz voice othr volcano karaagnar =W= walk strol wall vath wander korhelon want keovid war kazak warrior akvel waste nad watch dok watchful dokrum water wuglim water well brunnr waterfall zhuf wave uthr way sirk we ut we thamar weak azul weak ekonum wealth aurokmar weapon medrac wear iraal were ihonlor west wiker whale hvalr what yir where kozrol which yiik whiskers meko whisper kvisa white arakh who rumol why voki will var win sigra wine anraz winter wyrmjok wipe strjuka wisdom kahiv wise gorm with ulro wolf varag woman (dwed) dwedlon wood haefral word venek work tira wound thrag write gjora writer gjorumm =Y= yes yorrek yes yare yesterday yrrolakh yield ekorok you othok you voz young garaz =Date and Time= Ref _RoyalCrafter_ The Dwarven Calendar, or in dwarven Da Dwed’rum Kronolkron, is the official calendar by which historical and official recordings are made by the dwarven people. While dwarves are renowned for their record-keeping skills, many famous scholars simply used their own personal, clan, or common calendars for their studies. Da Dwed’rum Kronolkron is a combined effort by theological, guilded and independent scholars to create a common consensus that follows dwarven tradition. CONVERSION ᚲᛟᚾᚢᛖᚱᛊᛟᚾ STONE DAY SEASON DWARVEN MONTH (CMN) DWARVEN MONTH (DWF) SLANG DWARVEN ELVEN MONTH HUMAN MONTH WEDNESDAY WINTER DUNGRIMM’S CALL KYRR’BJOTHA KYRTHA SNOW’S MAIDEN HOREN’S CALLING THURSDAY SPRING BELKA’S EMBRACE KALDITHRHUN KALUN MALIN’S WELCOME OWYN’S LIGHT FRIDAY SUMMER ANBELLA’S GRACE THOROK’ AINDAR THODAR THE FIRST SEED GODFREY’S TRIUMPH SATURDAY SUMMER ARMAKAK’S LABOUR AZSOL AZSOL THE GRAND HARVEST TOBIAS’ BOUNTY SUNDAY SUMMER YEMEKAR’S BALANCE KHOR’UNN KHUN SUN’S SMILE SUN’S SMILE MONDAY AUTUMN OGRADHAD’S STUDY ARKON’ GERON ARGER THE AMBER COLD HARREN’S FOLLY TUESDAY WINTER GRIMDUGAN’S SHROUD DHARGUTHR DARUTH THE DEEP COLD SIGISMUND’s END =Special Terms= Dwarves = Dwed / Dwedmar - Khazad / Khazadmar Elves = Elger / Elgus Orcs = Ork / Orkos Humans = Umri / Umros Goblin / Goblins = Grobbi / Grobbins Foreign / Foreigners (Used to denote all those whom/which aren’t Dwarf, Cave Dwarves coined the term.) = Yrrok / Yrrommar Drell - Drell means to form a wide line, spread across the halls to the right and left. Drinni - Drinni means to form a cue-type line. Khrum - Khrum usually means “All” in the abstract terms of all the creations of Yemekar (Grobi, Umgi, Ork, Elger, and Kharajyr [in a way] ) Usually a Dwarf would use this word to refer to the planet, by adding the city prefix (Kal’Khrum), which would also stand for the continent in which the Dwarves stood for that moment. However, there is also a continent, or world prefix (Khor’), but this term emerged after a need to name the several continents discovered, and should be thought of as a contemporaneous term. Tagum - This term means "Stark Raving Mad", used for Dwarves who behave oddly all of a sudden, these dwarves should be terminated swiftly as their disease and behaviour proves pandemic. Vel can also be used to denote “March”, by adding the verb to it. Vel - Vel is used as a command in military aspects, it is the word to commanding Dwarves to form a line or formation, and depending on the word used before it, defines which line is to be formed: -’th - This term, in english, is -’s. =Holy Terms= The Holy Lord (Used in place of Prophet or Seer) = Rikeron'kirkja / Galotokín'kirkja / Kav'Kirkja =Clan Names= Doomforge Dorkadrel Emberhorn Embrummordul Frostbeard Azwyrtrumm Goldhand Aurokanar Grandaxe Kathaikaz Grimgold Korodaurok Ireheart Kravamoruk Irongate Khron'edhekal Irongrinder Khronumurrum Irongut Khorul Metalfist Ithorrym Silverbraid Khorummthry Starbreaker Kornazkarumm Stormbreaker Ithrunnazkarumm Treebeard Haefrontrumm =Numeration= 1 One = Ein 2 Two = Taveir 3 Three = Prir 4 Four = Fjhornir 5 Five = Fimm 6 Six = Sek 7 Seven = Sefar 8 Eight = Atta 9 Nine = Nihu 10 Ten = Tiu 11 Eleven = Elkiu 12 Twelve = Tolf 13 Thirteen = Vrettan 14 Fourteen = Fjhortan 15 Fifteen = Fimtan 16 Sixteen = Sektan 17 Seventeen = Sefartan 18 Eighteen = Atiatan 19 Nineteen = Nhiatan 20 Twenty = Tuthgan 21 Twenty-one = tuthgan ok Ein 22 Twenty-two = Tuthgan ok Taveir 23 Twenty-three = Tuthgan ok Prir 30 Thirty = Prir tigir 40 Forty = Fjhornir tigir 50 Fifty = Fimm tigir 60 Sixty = Sek tigir 70 Seventy = Sefar tigir 80 Eighty = Atta tigir 90 Ninety = Nihu tigir 100 Hundred = Tiu tigir =Writing and Transliteration= As the astute among you may have noticed, the words written here are all recorded in the common script. You will have also noticed that no dwarven word is actually inscribed or written in said text on any media, be it stone or steel. That is because the mother tongue is written using the runic alphabet, unique among the descendents. These runes have existed since Urguan's time himself, with some variations introduced throughout the centuries. For example, I prefer to use the ahld'rhun, which can be seen adorning this tome. Others prefer the garaz'rhun, but both convey the phonetic information necessary for translation. One of the principal indicators of who is truly versed in the old tongue, and who is merely a passing observer, is how one writes their runes. Take for example the word for tell, "bithja". When spoken, one could write it one of several ways, "bithya" or "bithja" primarily, in the common script. While both of these recordings are phonetically accurate, only one is properly represented in the codex. Any practitioner of the language would be able to accurately determine what the word is and record it's 'proper' common equivalent. Secondly, translating from common to dwedic runes is not so straight-forward either. Take again "bithja", one translating by letter would get ᛒᛁᛏᚺᛃᚨ. The problem with this, is that the true ahld'rhun inscription is ᛒᛁᚦᛃᚨ, where "ᚦ" replaces the "th". Below is a table of ahld'rhun and their equivalent phonetic replacements. c, k, q ᚲ j, y ᛃ v, w ᚹ th ᚦ ae ᛇ =Conclusion= This concludes the Third Edition of my Encyclopedia of the Dwarvern Language. I have spent the past fifty years researching and collecting vernacular knowledge of my dear mother tongue, and this tome is the product of my work. I would like to personally thank Dilvyn Dereval for his editing and assistance with this tome. I would also like to thank the Northern Geographic Society for pointing me to references and encouraging my work on this subject. And finally I would like to thank the Arkonrumm'mar of my people, without whom this book would never have been written. ᛃᛟᛏᚺ ᛞᚨ ᚾᚨᚱᚹᚨᚲ ᛟᛉ ᛞᚨ ᚨᛉᚹᛃᚱᛏᚱᚢᛗᛗ ! *After what feels like an eternity has passed, you close the tome, your mind abuzz with this newfound knowledge. As you peer up from your table, sunlight can be seen shining through a nearby window... wait, wasn't it night when you cracked this book open?*
  2. The Magnum Index "The golden era of academia." 5th of Sun's Smile, 34 S.E. [Click here to access the Magnum Index] As accredited degree programs are becoming increasingly common, so does the scene of formal academics, research, and scholarly literature. Students must cite and refer to other pieces of literature, historians spend countless hours rummaging through documents irrelevant to their studies, and researchers do not have a tool to optimize the discovery of academic articles. The Magnum Index is a proposition which creates an open-source database for all published academic literature, free for scholars throughout the realm to cite. Copies of the Magnum Index will be stored at various libraries, universities, and academic institutions throughout Almaris. It provides ease of access to researchers who want to more easily locate the literature they’re searching for by categorizing published documents by academic discipline and division. The days of rummaging through the forums stacks of old historical documents are over. The golden era of academia is here. All files in the Magnum Index are free for scholars to cite, so long as they credit and cite the original author. Volunteer scribes are working on transcribing foundational academic texts into the appropriate format for the Magnum Index. The objective is to turn this database into the all-encompassing centre for academic literature. The second function which the Magnum Index serves is cataloguing all scholars and displaying their profiles. This is designed to help academics network and collaborate on relevant research projects. If you would like to be listed in the catalogue, please fill out our survey and you will be catalogued promptly. Academic Disciplines If you require a description of the various academic disciplines, please refer to this document. If you wish to submit your own literature to the Magnum Index, you may do so by contacting the database's chief coordinator. ((Liam#7649))
  3. Of Freedom and Progress: The Life and Death of the Haelun’orian Republic A Comprehensive Historical Study by Maenor Aildhuin Printed in Karosgrad on the 3rd of the Grand Harvest, 1810 (( Theme Music )) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ [!] Painting of Karinah’siol, cca. 1800 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Author’s Note Having lasted for 32 years, and although brief in its existence, the Republic of Haelun’or left distinguishable marks in the history and culture of the Mali’thill. It is this book’s attempt to recollect many of the events that have graced the Republic's short historical time span, lest such a fascinating epoch be forgotten. Despite its falling, the core ideas for its functioning are still adhered to by many. In a sense, while the structural integrity of the Republic ended with the legislation adopted in 1804, it still endures through those few that cling to its ideals of freedom, equality and progress. In many aspects, the Republic is Eternal. I. The Maheral Simply Is _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ [!] Artistic rendition of the protest following Maheral Azorella’s assassination, 1768 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ To understand the evolution of the Haelun’orian Republic one must first inspect the years prior to its conception. By 1760, the governmental apparatus of the Diarchy was reeking with corruption, nepotism and stagnation. The very structure of this regime, which by this point was almost a century old, was beginning to rot. Then, as now, the High Elves did not possess the right to vote and elect their representatives, all of them being chosen directly by the ruling Silver Council. Simultaneously, the system crushed all dissent with an iron fist and made extensive use of propaganda to control public opinion. But dissatisfaction, over the years, built up within the society nonetheless. And, as it is often the case with oligarchical structures, the leadership utterly failed in recognizing this ever-growing problem. In the late 1760s, the society of Haelun’or would witness an increasing struggle between the Maheral and the Sohaer in attaining dominance over the Silver Council. Attempts were made, in secret, primarily by Sulraell Visaj, the Sohaer, at modifying the law to vest more power into his own position. His ploys would be revealed, however, and the changes reverted. But for about a year, the enmity would continue. It would all culminate with a plot by the Silver Council to assassinate Maheral Azorella Elibar’acal. Thus, Maheral Elibar’acal would find her demise in 1768 when, in the Citadel, one by the name Adeline would be unleashed upon her, the councilors, while in the same room, idly witnessing the fruits of their labor. Chance had it that, at that very same moment, a storm forced much of Lareh’thilln’s population to seek shelter within the Citadel, the place of the assassination. So the murder would be discovered shortly after being carried out as Azorella’s cries of agony drew the attention of all. Naturally, the act triggered massive unrest among the populace. Those councilors involved were arrested soon after and put on trial. But further alienating the populace and in defiance to the people’s will, those Diarchists that remained free sought to downplay the severity of the crime, urging for inhumanely soft punishments for those involved. Acaele Lazul, chosen Maheral after Azorella’s death, failed to remedy the anger of the citizenry. Thus, as the trials went on, a clear schism within the society formed. On one side were the aforementioned Diarchists. On the other were the Maheralists, Mali’thill who believed in the traditional supreme authority of the Maheral, guided by the ancient phrase of the one who led the Mali’thill to their cultural zenith in Anthos, 4 centuries ago, Lucion Sullas: “The Maheral simply is”. In a final act of delusion and desperation, the remaining Diarchists would seek to trial many Maheralists, most notably Ikur Sullas. Arbitrarily, many were called forth by those who still denied the inevitable. Ikur Sullas’ trial never came to be, being postponed, again, arbitrarily. Nonetheless, he climbed the podium still and accused the leadership of corruption, uttering “The Maheral simply is, and Acaele Lazul… you are not”. In that moment, the public collectively agreed that Acaele never was. This moment, in 1771, represents the ending of the Diarchy and the beginning of the Azorella reformation, the transition to the Republic. II. Progress Is the Republic _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ [!] Illustration of the first democratic nominations for Sohaership, 1772 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The transition to a democratic republic began shortly after Acaele’s downfall and the subsequent collapse of the Diarchy. In these trying times, order was maintained by the Malauriran Avern’dionne and Kelthran Iyathir, alongside Ikur Sullas, who was chosen Maheral by general consensus in 1772. The chief immediate objective of these three was the organization of elections, the first in a century, and the formation of a government to lead the reformation effort. Thus, it would be them who would oversee the democratic processes of 1772. After what could be considered the fiercest nominations and debates in the Republic’s history, Nelgauth Maehr’tehral, Silvos Sythaerin, Dele Seregon, Kaelan Aldin and Elathion Dagre’sae would emerge victorious, filling the positions of Sohaer, Okarir’maehr, Okarir’hiylun, Okarir’tir and Okarir’nor respectively. In such a fashion, the first democratic government would form. The Republic’s establishment was imminent. It was under the management of this primeval ruling body that the first reforms were drafted to anchor the republican dream in reality. The Republic of Haelun’or would materialize formally in 1774 when the New Constitution of Haelun’or would be adopted. It is ofttimes difficult to realize the importance of the times one lives in thus, while few knew it at the time, as Ikur Sullas and Nelgauth Maehr’tehral announced then the foundation of the Republic, the Descendants were about to experience the height of modern Mali’thill civilization. Upon perusal, the intention of the administration to secure democratic principles is evident. The newly secured piece of legislation guaranteed all High Elven citizens of Haelun’or “the unalienable rights to freedom of expression, to enter the city freely, to association, to attend trials and public councils, to due process under the law, to education and the pursuit of progress, and to housing and food within the City of Haelun’or”. As far as the Mali’thill is concerned, there was no constitution more favorable anywhere in Arcas, at the time. If we are to point out a flaw in this paramount act, it would be the sense of irrelevance it created around the Sohaer through the entrusting of most of the power into the Maheral. It ought come as no surprise, however, considering that the first government of the Republic was composed exclusively of Mali’thill who, in the years prior, formed the forefront of the Maheralist movement. Thus, into the Maheral was vested “supreme executive power [...] over all city affairs, [...] the authority to supervise and veto any legislation passed by the silver council, to pardon any citizen found in violation of Haelun’or law, and to interpret this constitution and declare any current or former legislation unconstitutional”. Generally, such investments of power into one individual facilitate dictatorships and are problematic for a democratic system. But while those concerns would demonstrate legitimate later, the authority of the Maheral proved especially useful in the first years of the Republic, representing a strong defense mechanism against the naturally chaotic shift from a society crushed by oligarchy into a democracy. More fortunate still, the position was, at the time, held by Ikur Sullas, who had the forethought not to employ his supreme decision powers too often, letting the democracy shape itself. But what truly substantiated the democratic nature of the Haelun’orian society was the innovative foundation, by the Constitution, of a new institutional body named the Heial’tuva, the Council of All. Legally, many of the actual democratic processes would stem from that institution: “All High Elven citizens of the age of majority (50) shall be inducted into the Council of All (heial’tuva), and granted the rights to public debate, to vote in public election, and to run in and challenge any elected office”. It is true that, in principle, this pseudo-parliament held no actual governing ability or administrative power. Rather, it derived its importance from the ability of its members to elect and challenge those in power. In any case, even if the steering of the nation was not directly in the hands of the people, but more in the hands of those elected by the people, the establishment of the Heial’tuva represented an important step towards democracy and a great improvement from the previous dictatorship. It would not be long before the fundamentals of the newly-founded Republic would be put to the test. In 1775 Kaelan Aldin would retire, as would Silvos Sythaerin in 1776. The seat of Okarir’tir, then left vacant by Kaelan’s departure, would be filled by Celiasil Uradir. His triumph in the election would come as a surprise to many. At the time, Celiasil was not a member of the Sillumiran, the Silver State’s military, and he was faced with the challenge of defeating two more experienced candidates, more notable among them being Storm Elibar’acal. In any case, Celiasil’s tenure began with much work striving to improve the Weeping Blades’ reputation across the entire continent through careful recruitment and drilling of discipline and competence into an army that, by 1776, was no longer at the apex of its power. Celiasil’s replacement of Kaelan would represent the first change between two democratically elected representatives. Thus, the phrase “Progress is the Republic” was born. On a similar note, not long after, the election for the seat of Okarir’maehr would render Silvyr Uradir victorious. This event would prove to be a more unfortunate part of the Republic’s history. Silvyr would go on to display an absolute lack of vision or ability for the administration of the Haelun’orian educational sector. Under his management, the Eternal Library would fall into disuse, while his delayed reforms and lectures lacking any substance would go on to severely maim the intellectual progress of the High Elves. The full extent of the damage caused by Silvyr’s tenure and the following decade of limited academic achievements would become apparent only many years later, in the Republic’s final days. Then, in times of most urgency, a significant part of the population, lacking proper early enlightenment, would find itself unable to combat the depressingly abundant misinformation. Not only that, but the damage done under Silvyr would be used as a chief source of anti-republican propaganda, and as a primary argument against the Republic by those aiming at its destruction. Around that same time, in 1777, probably as a foreshadowing of what was to befall all the Descendants, multiple malicious entities, by all accounts foreign to Arcas, would assail Lareh’thill and its vicinity. One such instance, more memorable, would be that of a giant worm-like creature. Multiple people, the day of the attack, remarked a certain stillness in the nature all around them, as if all life fled. The creature itself was described as “slimey, disgusting yet incredibly large” with a mouth lined with “rows of twisting teeth, like a sharp vortex that would shred anything to dust”. Despite the beast’s mystique and might, the Sillumiran on duty, led by Celiasil, along with those citizens that offered their aid in the struggle, would go on to valiantly defend the Silver City and its residents, slaying the monster while suffering minimal casualties. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ [!] Drawing of chasm in the vicinity of Lareh’thilln _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Those threats would end up duly eliminated and the damage inflicted would be repaired. But the fear instilled by them would endure, and so it would come about that their gravest implications would be on the political stage. In the context of these events, in fear of what other malignant creatures might attack Larihei’s children and with the intent to preserve the life of the Mali’thill, the Silver Council, in 1778, would strike a pseudo-alliance with Azdromoth and its followers, adopting The Pact of the Titan. This piece of legislature would go on to constitute the chief source of contention among the Mali’thill citizens of the Republic. The controversial clauses the document contained, namely “The First Drakaar, Azdromoth, is to be revered within Haelun’or, for it is He and He alone who offers us safety” and “Sons and daughters of The First Drakaar, Azdromoth, Elazdrazi, are to be welcomed into Elcihi and treated with the same respect as our fellow Mali’thill”, understandably alarmed a significant portion of the residents of the Silver State, them viewing the Pact as an affront to purity, as a contract of vassalage. Those in favor of it claimed that it was forged in order to preserve purity. Nonetheless, the Pact, once signed, and despite vocal opposition, still saw public support, primarily fueled by the aforementioned fears of the outside world that, at the time, grew increasingly more grim. What followed was a short period of both internal and external tranquility. In this time that lasted no more than three years, the government attempted to redress the material damage caused by the previous attacks while at the same time to continue the never-ending effort of reformation, improvement and progress. Being a product of the dangerous circumstances of the age as much as of the good intentions of the Silver Council, during this time an ambitious military program was announced by the office of the Okarir’tir with the purpose of educating the general populace in matters of warfare and combat, in case the need to defend the Motherland ever arose again. Around this same period, the medical system of Lareh’thilln, which by now was one of the most modern and efficient healthcare establishments in the continent, would continue to improve under Dele Seregon’s guidance. The first disturbance of this calmness would come in 1781 when the Okarir’nor Elathion Dagre’sae resigned. The election that followed affirmed Effile Ker’vulnir as the new Okarir’nor. At the time there was a noticeable lack of enthusiasm concerning these affairs, with many citizens absenting at the time of the debate. Admittedly, the position did carry less relevance to the Mali’thill people than the others, so the general indifference was not surprising. The actual truth regarding those facts would come about shortly after Effile’s victory, when she would prove ineffectual and absent for the entirety of her tenure but, courtesy of the position’s irrelevance, the effects an idle councilor entailed were massively mitigated. One year later, foreign woes would make their return as well, in spite of the pledges made in the Pact of the Titan. In 1782, a band of foreign and, altogether, irrelevant terrorists would abduct and hold hostage the Sohaer, Nelgauth Maehr’tehral. It is a known fact that, in the end, Nelgauth was rescued unharmed, appearing jovial enough at a soiree hosted by his own kin not long after. However, the circumstances of this incident remain somewhat ambiguous and shrouded in mystery. At the time, the government of Haelun’or kept the escapade a secret from the public in order to contain the agitation and possible spread of misinformation. It would only be revealed after Nelgauth’s rescue, and even then nothing too detailed. The means and reasons for the capture of the Sohaer remain up to debate and personal interpretation thus, as no actual statement from the terrorist organization ever surfaced after the incident. To beguile the Sillumiran and whatever Azdrazi were guarding the city at the time suggests a certain cunning planning and to kidnap a state official of Nelgauth’s stature would have opened many possibilities for the culprits, from amassing massive wealth to blackmailing the government into nefarious activities. But, with the incident long resolved, it is probable that the absolute truth of the matter will never be fully understood. As if the previous events were not enough, the year of 1783 would present the first seismic shift on the political stage of the Silver State. This year would be the year of Nelgauth Maehr’tehral’s abdication from the position of Sohaer. The government of Haelun’or, for the first time since the Revolution, became without a steward. Whether this decision was influenced in any way by the individual’s previous aforementioned misfortune remains up to debate. In any case, Nelgauth would go on to linger for some more time in politics in the quality of Maelunir, which was the Maheral’s direct subordinate and chief aide. However, he would cease to take center stage and would grow increasingly more peripheral. It can be speculated that Nelgauth, at the time, was stepping down from that position of power in hopes of training Haelun’or’s next generation of leaders. In discussing Nelgauth’s character, one must note that he would go on to face criticism throughout most of his political career as well as well after that. It was a known fact that the Maehr’theral was incredibly liberal in private and that, throughout much of his career, he was prone to fits of hypocrisy. In many people’s eyes, he has earned the appellation of Mali’ata. Nonetheless, whatever faults the individual possessed, the actual role of Nelgauth in the foundation and further development of the Republic and of the Haelun’orian democracy is uncontestedly paramount. Being one of the authors of the Constitution of 1774, he laid the path not only for the Silver State’s aspiring politicians, but for all those yearning for freedom. It can be safely asserted that, by all standards, Nelgauth’s political career was impressive. In Nelgauth’s place as Sohaer would rise Eredael Rhenaer, a Mali barely above the age of majority with a good academic career. Despite his very young age, he would go on to best in the election Anethra Uradir. For much of his tenure as Sohaer, Eredael would remain somewhere obscurely in the shadow, focusing more on the diplomatic affairs of the state rather than the acceleration of reforms of the interior. But that is by no means an act of discreditment, for Haelun’or’s diplomacy was, at the time, impeccable, as the state itself was on good terms with most of the other nations of the Descendants. That same year of 1783 would bring one more novelty. One by the name of Aiera Sullas would be named Tilruir’indor of the Eternal Library. It would be under her guidance, after a decade of mismanagement, that life would be restored into this most important institution of the Silver State. Three years later, as another triumph of the educational sector, Silvyr would bless the populace with his resignation. In his stead, as Okarir’maehr, that very same Aiera Sullas would ascend. By 1786 she was already conducting treaties with foreign places of knowledge to better the intellectual progress of the nation. Her triumph would go on to represent the turning point in the matter of academics. After a delay of ten years, work towards reforming the Eternal Institutions would finally be made. To continue the stream of political machinations, 1789 would see the first challenge of an Okarir by a regular citizen of the Silver State. That year, Nuala Telperion would accuse the Okarir’nor at the time, Effile Ker’vulnir, of incompetence and idleness. While not entirely wrong, the act would see the disapproval of most of the citizenry, as Nuala was still remembered as a staunch supporter of the Diarchy in its final hours. This known fact caused a short-lived public scandal between her and those that sought to shame her for her past actions. Taking advantage of this general revulsion towards Nuala, one by the name of Zelios Elibar’acal would go on to nominate himself as well, thus an alternative would present itself through him. Effile resigned shortly after the announced candidatures of the two, having enough courage and foresight to step down. In the end, as expected, Zelios would emerge victorious. The Mali did not present a spectacular plan or campaign, nor was he experienced in matters of economy. Yet, courtesy of the stigma associated with the old regime, Nuala still lost. It would not be long before the competency of the government and the resilience of the Mali’thill would be tested again. At the end of 1789, the most severe foreign attack on Haelun’or would commence. Those that witnessed the horrendous battle remarked a most terrible storm unfolding prior to the creatures’ arrival, one characterized by an unusually high quantity of lightning that threatened anyone not sheltered. On that fateful night, four creatures of dark allegiance, called by some “Shadows of Aegis” launched a monstrous assault upon Lareh’thilln, managing even to destroy one of the draconic wards placed by Azdromoth, prompting the Drakaar itself to appear and defend the city. Apparently, the beasts’ primary targets were the buildings of most importance, namely the Citadel, the Eternal College and the Eternal Library. The latter would be the only one to survive the assault. What is more, the assailants imbued within the Eternal College a sort of plague, this too mystical in nature, which would chiefly corrupt books but also the mind of anyone who would thread within the confines of the building. After a long and arduous battle, the city would be saved with Azdromoth’s aid, but the Citadel and the Eternal College would remain defunct for the remainder of the habitation of Arcas. As a further precaution and at Azdromoth’s own advice, the collection of the Eternal Library was moved to Helena, then the capital of the Holy Orenian Empire, which was deemed, then, safer. There the books would remain, courtesy of the alliance between the Empire and the Silver State, until Helena would too be destroyed. The entire continent of Arcas would end up being corrupted in 1795. Then, Lareh’thill would be destroyed, much like all the other cities. The mountain upon which it was built collapsed into a fiery chasm. At the time, fortunately, the evacuation effort was led by Dele Seregon, who managed to rally the citizenry and organize the escape to the Eye of Man, where the Mali’thill sought refuge until the eventual embarkation to Almaris. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ [!] Picture of the ruination of Lareh’thilln and the flight of the Mali’thill, 1795 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Arriving on the new continent of Almaris in 1796, the everlasting children of Larihei would settle a fertile island to the far east. There, the High Elves would begin constructing a new home befitting their dreams and traditions. The settlement would be appropriately named Karinah’siol, the Lone Sunrise. It would be this city that would bear witness to the Republic’s final years. They would be as eventful as they would be tragic. Only a year after the Mali’thill’s settling on the island, Dele Seregon would announce her resignation as Okarir’hiylun and the eventual retirement from politics. Thus ended the career of the longest serving Okarir in the Republic’s history, maintaining her function for 25 years of the Republic’s 32 years of existence. It was under her management that the medical sector of Haelun’or grew to be one of the most respectable establishments in the World. The health of the citizenry was, throughout all these years, despite all the challenges, preserved and improved. It was also her achievement the adoption of legislation that sought to improve the experience of the less fortunate of Haelun’or’s citizens through the Citizenship Act of 1782, which bettered the condition of second class citizens, or the Orphanage Act, whose objectives were the protection and education of Mali’thill orphans. She, too, would be subjected to much criticism, however. It can be argued that the Seregon besmirched her purity by quasi-worshipping Azdromoth, an act which she would admit doing. But, it would also be maintained that she did so to protect one of her kin, which was a Paladin of Xan. More fortunately, Dele Seregon would go on to be one of the main critics of the Pact of the Titan and of the Azdrazi, bringing many arguments and much evidence about their violent nature. Regardless, much like Nelgauth Maehr’tehral’s case, Nelgauth who officially retired around the same time, Dele Seregon’s role in the progress of the Republic is undeniable, contributing greatly to all its triumphs and glories. It would be Maeve Elibar’acal who would rise in Dele’s stead, continuing the policies of her predecessor with much ability. An accomplished doctor, to this day, the “Curriculum of Hiylun”, written by Maeve Elibar’acal and her staff, remains the most comprehensive guide in the study of medicine. It would be under her, as well, that medicine classes would formally begin, in a most fruitful partnership with the office of the Okarir’maehr. Still in 1797, an issue that has haunted the Haelun’orian Republic for decades was starting to receive more and more attention. With the settlement of the new continent, the Inferi threat and the corruption of Arcas that instilled fear in the Mali’thill were gone. It was in this context that more and more citizens of the Silver State began questioning the necessity of the Pact of the Titan. By then, the document was continuously losing public support, as many Mali’thill committed the horrific act of turning into Azdrazi, receiving absolutely no punishment for forsaking their purity. Notable among those unguided were Silvyr and Celiasil Uradir, though the latter would end up not fully turning. The number of people calling for the Pact’s nullification was increasing. Perhaps the most unfortunate fact to come out of this situation was Maheral Ikur Sullas’ reluctance to abandon the alliance with Azdromoth, being constrained to use his decisive powers as Maheral to ensure its survival. There have been multiple occasions where Ikur’s distaste for lessers, Azdromoth and the Azdrazi being just that, was obvious. And so, the actual reasons the Maheral then had at maintaining the Pact remain unclear. It would seem that, mayhaps, the Sullas was overly cautious, perhaps fearing Azdromoth’s possible retaliation. Of course, such a fear would have been legitimate, considering that Drakaars like Azdromoth are ill-tempered, corrupt creatures constantly lusting for power. Whatever the reasons, this sad decision of Ikur would serve as yet another subject of propaganda, later, in the effort to destroy the Republic. On this background, the following year would see Celiasil’s resignation. As previously mentioned, at the time, Celiasil was looking to turn into an Azdrazi. This fact alone was the source of much discontent, which only grew after he received the Maheral’s approval in retaining the Okarir’tir position. The Republic was on the brink of having an Okarir not of the Mali’thill race. But it did not come to that, as Celiasil had the wisdom to retire, ending thus a career which lasted for 23 years. He was responsible for the modernization and instruction of the Sillumiran, vastly increasing the quality of the Republic’s military. It would also be him who would lead the Weeping Blades in the Descendants’ struggle against the Inferi. The army of the Mali’thill would go on to valiantly aid their distant cousins in the Siege of Aegrothond and later fight in the battles for the liberation of Korvassa. Observably, the Sillumiran then not only served as a military force, but also as a diplomatic envoy, earning the Silver State much prestige and admiration throughout the conflict. III. Regarding the State of the Republic _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ [!] Sunset as observed from a beach near Karinah’siol, cca. 1803 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Republic was a dream. A dream that fell. It seems fitting that we shall now begin to delve into the chain of events that led to the downfall of the democratic system, the system that allowed the intellectual prowess of the Mali’thill to express itself, by first reminiscing what could be considered the last moment characteristic of its nature, the Okarir'tir debate. After Celiasil’s resignation, in 1799 the election for the Okarir’tir position commenced. The nomination and debate were one of the fiercest in the Republic’s history, their vitality being outmatched only by those at the Republic’s birth, back in 1772. And, despite the efforts of the moderators in place, the main discussion that concerned the citizenry then was the views of the candidates in regards to the state of the Pact. In fact, so adamant were the citizens that, after the official debate was over, they organized another, unofficial, but which lasted more than the former. Of all the three candidates, Ellisar Aevaris would be the one to show the least ardor concerning the abolishment of the alliance. Nonetheless, he would still emerge victorious. At the time, his triumph was certainly a surprise to many, considering that his opinions aligned with those of the masses the least. One possibility for his triumph is that the other two candidates, Valorin Celia’thilln and Olrin Hildinyr, in presenting similar stances on many issues, divided their own electorate, halving their votes and cancelling each other out. For better or worse, after a memorable round of elections, Ellisar would become Okarir’tir. Nobody anticipated it at the time, but these elections would go on to be the last with a formal debate between candidates. Despite all this, the state of the interior seemed to be improving. Nobody in the government threatened to turn into something else. That, coupled with the announcement of the formal opening of the Eternal Institutions and the soon arrival of the Eternal Library’s collection, instilled much optimism about the future in the populace. But that was not to last, and the worst was yet to come, though in means so subtle few recognized the danger. In 1801, the heaviest blow to the Haelun’orian Republic would present itself in the unexpected retirement of the Maheral Ikur Sullas. Considering the Maheral’s actions not long before, rashly, many, the author of this book included, viewed Ikur’s resignation as a step forward. But in retrospect, one must admire just with how much ability he led the Mali’thill in these strange times, for democracy was not something many of them ever experienced before. The details surrounding the motives for his departure from the position of leadership matter not. Personal reasons, increasing opposition, those aspects are irrelevant. What is of concern is that he would be the last of the founders of the Republic to leave from the administration of the nation. One cannot think of the Haelun’orian Republic without picturing Ikur Sullas at the same time, they are very much connected. It was he who supervised the system’s development and progress for 29 years. After his retirement, the Republic would only endure for 3 more years. It remains uncertain whether or not the Republic would have fallen had Ikur remained in charge for a little while longer, but mayhaps that counts as a blessing, if not to the Mali’thill, then at least to the former Maheral. After all, the Republic was very much his progeny. It would have been a terrible thing to witness its fall from a position of power. In Ikur’s stead would be invested one by the name of Galanthil Elibar’acal. Most certainly a peculiar choice as Galanthil, having retired long before, was unknown to many. Presumably, this one’s naming was only temporary until a proper successor could have been found. But, rather unfortunately, it would not come to that as a new scandal would arise. Not long after this announcement, the Sohaer Eredael Rhenaer would, rather controversially, challenge Galanthil and name himself Maheral. Despite the boldness of the act, Eredael enjoyed a fair share of public support, thus prompting the Malauriran to convene. In order to prevent a power struggle and an actual schism, a council of Malauriran met and decreed Galanthil’s rise null and void, asserting Eredael in the position instead. It can safely be asserted that from this point on, the Republic’s demise was inevitable. The years that followed would see an ever increasing disregard for the Constitution, the Silver Laws and the customs of the Mali’thill. The year 1801 would see the publication of a document entitled “Regarding the State of the Republic”, signed unanimously by the members of the Silver Council, chief among them Eredael. In it, the primary objectives of the administration were written down: the consolidation of maehr’sae hiylun’ehya, the structural modernization of the Republic, the advancement of meritocracy, the advancement of new educational policies, the formal opening of San’evarir, the renewal of the Heial’tuva and renewed debate around the Azdrazi issue. In this fashion, Eredael managed to gather more support. In a similar mode, soon after, a grand debate concerning the Pact of the Titan was held. Rather expectedly, the matter was settled decisively in favor of abolishing it. Support for Eredael increased still. Now concerning a more depressing matter, in light of the apparent chaotic transition caused by Eredael’s challenge of Galanthil, a great number of inconspicuous individuals began migrating to the Silver State. Many of them never set foot in the Republic before and many of them belonged to families with ties to the Diarchy, like Laraethryn and Valarieth. Their distant stance to the democratic system was evident. It would be one belonging to this group of people, Arelyn Iyathir, that would be elected Sohaer. Securing victory over Nuala Telperion, she would be the first such elected representative without being subjected to a formal debate. Arelyn would set a trend for all the Haelun’orian politicians that followed. From this point on, propaganda aimed at the discrediting of the Republic and its founders began. Arelyn, in her campaign, dared not directly attack the Republic, but still commented on the “liberalism that has poisoned our people” or the “impurity that lurks in the shadows”. As it is often the case with such aggressive populistic speeches, she offered no solutions and pointed to no particular problem, making use only of carefully constructed ambiguous accusatory phrases. Following Arelyn’s ascension, the propaganda would only grow in intensity. Simultaneously, a wave of resignations and departures would occur, primarily from those still loyal to the Republic and the progress of the Mali’thill. It began with Ellisar Aevaris, the Okarir’tir, followed by Maeve Elibar’acal, the Okarir’hiylun, and all her entourage. Not long after, Dele Seregon would announce her departure as well. 1804 would see the leave of Aiera Sullas and her staff. None of their successors would declare themselves in favor of democracy. The greatest schism in recent Haelun’orian history would thus form. As of the time this book was written, the schism still continues. 1803 would see the first flagrant disregards of the Constitution as the offices of Medi’iran and Okarir’san were reinstated without amending the Constitution first. The intents of the new establishment to ruin the Republic and write a new constitution were evident. Sometime later, Eredael would invest Caledor Laraethryn in the position of Okarir’san without an actual election. Caledor would have gone down in history as the first unelected member of the Silver Council since the fall of the Diarchy, were it not for the Malauriran who intervened. In a last effort to save the Republic, the former leaders of Haelun’or would urge for elections, and they would eventually be held. The reality was, however, that it has been more than a year since propaganda began, most of the opposition already fled and the majority of the electorate was composed of individuals with a distaste for democracy. Caledor would win. By 1804 there was virtually no opposition left in the government and works were undergoing towards formally ending the Republic. The last legal bastion of defense was represented by Aiera Sullas who resigned that very same year. The downfall of the system by now was only a matter of time. It remains uncertain how long Aiera Sullas would have managed to delay this inescapable future. However, by analysing the behavior of the councilors at the time, it seems very likely that, had Aiera resisted for much longer, she would have shared Azorella’s fate. It thus came to be that on the 5th of Snow's Maiden, 1804, a new constitution was adopted. The Heial’tuva was abolished, ending the ability of the populace to elect and challenge representatives. All relevant power was taken away from the Maheral and centralized under the Sohaer, who would thenceforth have the ability to appoint and dismiss all councilors. From that moment on, freedom of expression would cease to constitute a constitutional right. Thus, in 1804, despite the initial promises made, Eredael would consent to the formal ending of the Republic he so diligently swore to protect. The rule of the people was at an end and the oligarchy would make its return. If we are to compare the Diarchy’s final hours with those of the Republic, we would notice striking similarities between the move attempted by Sulraell Visaj in 1767 and the legislative changes brought forth by Arelyn. Through means more direct and propaganda more efficient, Iyathir succeeded where Visaj failed, securing the Sohaer’s dominance over the entirety of the Silver Council. Sometimes, the apparent symmetry between historical events is truly astonishing. And so ends the three decades long drama of the Haelun’orian Republic. Its effects and the tragedy of its demise would go on to impact the Mali’thill forever. It would bring forth the existential question of what exactly means to be a Mali’thill. But more than anything else, the fall of the Republic would reveal that even we are fallible and that there is much to learn still. maehr’sae hiylun’ehya.
  4. Pillars of the Republic By Maenor Aildhuin Written in 1804; Karosgrad. Dedicated to all the Mali’thill who had to flee their homes in the wake of oppression. Preface A republic refers to a form of government where the power is held by the people and their elected representatives. Generally, the positions of power within such a system are not hereditary and none wield absolute powers like a king would in a monarchy. Simultaneously, the means of acquiring such primary positions differ slightly, however it is the wish of the author to dive into one particular type of republic, the democratic republic, wherein the citizenry elects representatives through equal, direct and secret vote. Further in this book, the broad definition put forth shall be expanded upon and, it is hoped, communicate the dogmas any democratic republic must abide by in order to properly operate in service of the people. Another of the author’s wishes is to understand the mistakes of the modern iteration of the Silver State and why it fundamentally failed as a democratic entity and, in the spirit of progress, enunciate the changes so needed for its revival and actual performance. I. The Fundamentals of Democratic Republics The vitality of any democratic republic manifests through the elections and their honesty for any position of leadership. All governmental positions must be acquired only through fair elections regardless of the circumstances the nation finds itself in. Elections can never be skipped over. Furthermore, for the healthy development of such systems and for ensuring their longevity, there must exist strong and secure institutions in which elected officials with relatively little individual power operate for the benefit of the nation and its inhabitants. There must be mechanisms of regulation and correction should any of the country’s stewards fail in their duties or attempt abuse or seizure of power. This is usually achieved through the separation and distribution of power across multiple institutions or persons, preventing one from holding total control and offering the system the means to correct should anyone err. The law must reign supreme and, so far as democracies are concerned, it must unequivocally be respected and, should it be disregarded by an individual, regardless of status, it must be enforced without bias or prejudice. The law must guarantee the sanctity of the rights of the individual and the respect for such indisputably at all times. A democracy must ensure that all the citizens have a voice. Those that are wrong or dumb must be listened to and then destroyed with logical arguments, taught so they see the light, ridiculed should they stubbornly cling to erroneous affirmations. Justice through comprehensive laws, freedom through a constitution made for the people, equality through understanding and mutual respect, those are the premises of a successful democratic republic. However, laws can be changed. The ruling body can be manipulated. It is, as shown by recent Haelun’orian politicians, relatively easy to twist the public opinion to your benefit, to profit off their concerns and to direct all hatred at an external or internal enemy, be it fictional or real to some degree, be them liberals, impures, other Mali’thill etcetera. At this point it is important to note that in a democratic republic, the most powerful entity, the one that really dictates the nation’s future, is the citizenry. Should the people demand malevolence, the leaders must obey to retain their positions, regardless of whether or not their beliefs align with those of the people. But that is right. Ultimately, it is the people that decide the fate of their country; it is the people that lead it to glory or to ruin. Is there anything more just than that? As such, to ensure the good will of the people, you do not entrust the leadership with veto power, for what are the politicians, if not the mirrored image of the citizenry? For the progress of the republic and for the power of the people to be wielded wisely, the masses must be educated. The backbone of any democracy is the knowledgeable society. Parasites and other abominations can never take the reigns of power in such collectives. They are weeded out, they do not meet the requirements and expectations of intelligent beings that understand key values such as the collective good and the ineffable nature of their rights. The rights of the individual are not granted by the state or by the constitution, the rights are intrinsic to the person by virtue of mere existence. It is up to the individual if it wishes for its rights to manifest or for them to be respected by the state and constitution. Such persons are, courtesy of their intelligence and education, less prone to be fooled by populistic or extremist speeches meant to arouse the most barbaric and primal of emotions for the politician to exploit. In such cases when the well-educated masses are tasked with electing their representatives, their honest demands and expectations will simply rid the political stage of any ill-willing individuals, thus the mechanisms of the republic are entrusted not in the hands of impure extremists, but in those of the learned with a solemn respect for the voice of the people and their rights, for the well-being of the nation and for the progress of their kin through unity and plurality of opinions. The existence of a plurality of opinions is another fundamental aspect of an actual democratic establishment. Democracy means that one listens to all the sides, not just the one that appeals to one the most. The quintessence of the democratic republic can be surmised by the following mantra: I will fight to the death for your right to disagree with me. The plurality of opinions is so vital to an educated democratic society for it opens up possibilities, presents new approaches to problems and offers a multitude of solutions. It is a path to innovation, to progress. It is what sound republics use to find the best course of action. Among many voices, one, at least, is bound to be correct. The disregard for this fundamental aspect of a democracy leads to one of the greatest dangers to such a state, to what is usually called tyranny of the majority. We can observe the effects of such a weakness of the system on the nation and the population in the current Silver State, where such a phenomenon is in full effect, one of the many driving forces behind the recent exodus of the Mali’thill. What happens in such cases is that the majority, dismissing the wants and needs of the minority, proceeds to pursue primarily its own goals and motives. This leads to governmental complacency, corruption, to a shortage of new ideas and a massive echo chamber. To maintain this tyranny means the minority ends up oppressed, much as it would in a tyrannical system, which ends up leading to discontent. This, in turn, coupled with the appearance of a lost battle, with the impossibility of success and reform, leads the minority, which, however small, still represents a considerable part of the state’s population, to turn to new horizons, to seek shelter elsewhere. To counter this inadequacy of the system there mainly needs to be in place a functional and efficacious educational system that renders the masses educated. Learned individuals are more likely to listen to the other side, more likely to concede to the more reasonable argument, to work together with the opponent in search of the best solution, in search of compromise and in search of progress. They are prone to putting the general good above their own personal ambitions. The pairing of great knowledge and wisdom with a propitious constitution, one that pledges to secure the rights of the person, allowing the minority to have a voice to begin with, is what efficiently deters the degrading of the democracy into a tyranny of the majority. Education, freedom of speech and of thought, freedom of the press and generally the liberty to do and speak as one sees fit will all beget a great deal of voices within the society, a most vital aspect of the system. II. Constructing the Republican System [!] Painting of the first Silver Council meeting after the Fall of the Diarchy The actual building of a democratic republic is by no means an easy feat, even for Mali’thill. It takes many years to get used to the burden of freedom, to grasp the mechanisms of the democratic institutions and the liberties the citizen is entitled to, especially if the system is attempted after a long period of dictatorship. The nation also must be in possession of individuals capable of reforming or recreating the system into one of a free republic. There are many things that can go wrong, and the infancy of the system is when it finds itself in the most peril. In this chapter, I shall attempt to lay down the immediate reforms a nation must generally embrace while undergoing the transition to a democratic system as well as civil rights and liberties the government and the law must respect and protect at all times. In essence, this part would serve as a common guideline for aspiring democratic republics. Presuming the individuals capable of reforming the system end up seizing the reigns of power, the first step in the endeavor would be establishing a constitution that serves the citizenry, one that protects their ineradicable rights and their freedoms to individually express themselves. One propitious for a democratic system would usually begin with a definition of the state followed by that of the citizen, subtly hinting at its importance for the nation. Here, the constitution also ought to make it clear how exactly one does become a citizen. In an ideal democracy, not too many restrictions are imposed. “A citizen of Haelun’or shall be defined as a High Elf who is pure of mind and body, and who has been guaranteed a place in the city either by writ of citizenship issued by the Okarir’hiylun or Tilruir’lin, or by naturalization by birth to two High Elven citizens on Haelun’or soil.” Excerpt from the 1774 Constitution of Haelun’or; Art. I, S. I. Definition of Citizen Then the constitution must list the rights of the individual. Mind you, as stated before, the constitution itself does not create those rights, they have already existed and been claimed by the individual. The constitution lists them primarily to reinforce these otherwise intangible possessions of the self and to anchor them in the context of the law, rendering the state open to criticism or denunciation should they be infringed. The most vital rights and liberties of the individual that need to be secured by a democratic constitution would be the freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, the right to vote, to fair trial, to self-defense, to medical service, protection and the right to petition the government. Maintaining these natural rights of the individual steadfastly secures its position in society and in relation to the state. It institutes the frame of reference wherein the citizen can operate and manifest itself. If we are to look at history, the death of any democratic republic begins with the disregard for the citizens’ rights. “All High Elven citizens of Haelun’or shall be guaranteed the unalienable rights to freedom of expression, to enter the city freely, to association, to attend trials and public councils, to due process under the law, to education and the pursuit of progress, and to housing and food within the City of Haelun’or. “ “All High Elven citizens of the age of majority (50) shall be [...] granted the rights to public debate, to vote in public election, and to run in and challenge any elected office.” Excerpts from the 1774 Constitution of Haelun’or; Art. I, S. II. Constitutional Rights of Citizens What would naturally follow would be a defining of the democratic institutions and government which operate in the name of the people. In a democratic republic, the power must be spread across multiple institutions and never be allowed to centralize under a single one or a single person. This partition renders the state less prone to decay into tyranny and makes corruption much easier to detect and combat. Note that the separation of powers is not an approach exclusive to republics, but can be found in enlightened monarchies such as Oren or Hanseti-Ruska. Take for example the Orenian government wherein the power of the Crown is divided between the Council of State, Imperial Diet and the Imperial Judiciary. In this particular instance, the division is made in three branches: the executive, the legislative and the judiciary; this tripartite division is perhaps the most common example, and the most effective. It must be maintained that all positions of power be filled only after fair elections and that the citizens’ voice must never be ignored. Once the attributes of all institutions with their respective constituents and positions have been written down, the constitution must explicitly state how the nation is governed and how the branches of power interact with one another. In the context of the tripartite system, the legislative creates the laws, the executive puts the laws into effect, the judiciary interprets and defends the laws. How precisely laws are introduced and how the constitution can be amended must also be mentioned. After witnessing the butchering of the democratic Haelun’orian constitution and its replacement with one dictatorial in nature, I personally advise that for all constitutional amends, a referendum must be held wherein the approval or disapproval of the citizenry is asked in regards to the proposed modifications. Once that is done, one can consider the constitution complete. Afterwards, the legal step towards a democracy is nigh on finished. The government must make sure that the mundane laws do not infringe on the rights of the citizenry, nor that they are irrational or contradictory. The ruling body must make sure that there are no breaches in the law and that, first and foremost, it protects the citizen. The Silver Law would serve as an example of a masterfully crafted legislation. Now, aside from the law, it must be a government’s top priority to establish a coherent educational system immediately. It is only through educating the masses that one can make sure that the aforementioned system put in place lasts. As stressed before, knowledgeable individuals are what prevents vermin from acquiring and, through changes in the law, eventually abusing power. One must understand the weaknesses of any democracy and just how easily it can revert back to tyranny, particularly after long periods of authoritarianism. Do be warned, this is no excuse to purposefully imbue the minds of the masses with propaganda for the better rooting of the democratic system. Fabricated claims and deceit are not the tools of true republics; on the contrary, such forms of government must be guided by the truth and the free will of the citizens. III. The Ruination of the Silver State I will begin by maintaining that the 1774 iteration of the Silver State was not exactly a republic in its true sense, but shall be referred to as such for the sake of simplicity. Coincidentally, the only position in the government not up for elections was also the one to hold the most power. That was not very democratic nor safe for the development of an actual democracy. A better description for the governmental structure of Haelun’or, as laid down in the 1774 Constitution, would be that of an enlightened absolute ruler presiding over a privy council whose members are electable, members that, at the same time, enjoy a relatively high autonomy from the supreme leader. Still, despite all this, the citizens did enjoy more freedom than anywhere else. So far as civil rights and liberties are concerned, Ikur Sullas and Nelgauth Maehr’tehral did a considerably good job, ably reinforcing the voice of the people and their means to speak and make themselves heard. But the fact stands; the Haelun’orian republic was thoroughly flawed. First, let us commence with the obvious: it placed too much power into an unelected head of state. “[...] the Maheral shall have the authority to supervise and veto any legislation passed by the silver council, to pardon any citizen found in violation of Haelun’or law, and to interpret this constitution and declare any current or former legislation unconstitutional. Thus striking it from law permanently. Like the Sohaer, the Maheral shall reserve the right to declare a state of war and peace between Haelun’or and her adversaries, as is necessary to preserve and protect the interests of her people. As part of these rights, the Maheral shall be considered the supreme commander of all military assets in Haelun’or; and be granted the right to manage all political alliances of the state, as well as the right to denounce enemy states and to appoint ambassadors and scribes to act on their behalf. No diplomatic meeting involving Haelun’or may proceed without the consent of the sitting Sohaer or Maheral.” “Finally, the Maheral reserves the right to exercise complete control over the Silver Council. As part of their office, the Maheral may choose to remove a criminal or non-compliant councilor at any time on the condition that they nominate at least one willing replacement to the position.” Excerpts from the 1774 Constitution of Haelun’or; Art. III, S. I. Duties and Privileges of The Blessed (Maheral) It must be noted, before we delve deeper into the matter, that fortunately, throughout this establishment’s short existence, the position of Maheral was held either by people with enough foresight and ability not to make use of their godlike powers too often, or by people too incompetent and indecisive. As it happens, the Maheral itself is not the reason the republic fell. Rather, what is of concern is the attempt to fuse authoritarian tradition with democratic values. The half measures of the initial government were grave sources of discontent among the populace. Some were screeching that the nation was too liberal while others complained that it was too dictatorial. The idea itself that you can maintain a democratic republic while also entrusting titanic veto powers to a single position is where the err resides. Considering the fallible nature of the Descendants, supposing that the Maheralship ended up in the wrong hands, the person would have had the ability to end the republic without even having to bother to ask for the citizenry’s consent. The only way to oppose such a ruler would have been if society collectively decided that the person simply ceased to be, a process that, while very generously referred to, especially during Ikur’s final years, was simply not something that could have happened or would have happened realistically. If one had the desire to cling to power, then the position would have granted one the means to defend it, both through law and through force. In fact, every time the decision power of the Maheral was used, it only served to silence dissent and to fuel further discontent which would be later exploited by a treacherous few that ended up destroying the republic entirely. It simply is too dangerous to deliver absolute power to a single individual. It can, even if that person is, allegedly, the highest symbol of purity, corrupt. Other major flaws of the system included the reserved distribution of power, apparent lack of regulatory mechanisms and inability of the populace to intervene in the affairs of the state. In principle, the entire executive, administrative and legislative power was spread out among a handful of council members as well as the Maheral, into whom supreme executive power shall be vested. One might count it as not being distributed at all, since one institution, the heial’thilln, held all of it. The heial’tuva as an institution possessed no power whatsoever, its only attributes could have very well been given to the citizens of the age of majority without the need of an establishment that existed in name only. To make matters worse, the mechanisms of regulation concerning the usage of power existed only if either the Maheral bothered to notice or if the citizen was attentive enough to spot idle councilors. In the latter case, which would have been the most common, all the citizen could do was challenge said representative and hope the incoming elections would not be decided by popularity and bias, which was often the case. With power so condensed into a single entity and its constituent parts being so few, the council meetings wherein the matters of the state were settled seemed dull. Very rarely were there any actual debates among the councilors or plurality of opinions. When it did happen, there was always the option of simply removing the noncompliant individuals. Due to the nature of the Silver Council, the minority was rarely taken into account. The power belonged mostly to a few persons who, for the most part, shared the same thoughts and opinions, very like sheep. Those discontent could either endure or take their grievances to the Maheral or the Okariran in hopes that something would be done. Ofttimes they would receive some half-hearted reassurance and then life would resume as always. This disregard for some voices would, obviously, be exploited later by populists and extremists to seize the reins of power. The way the ruling body of the nation was structured was simply fundamentally wrong, governing the nation undemocratically and on the assumption that those elected would do their job, entrusting the system with very few means of correcting itself should they not do their job. Lasting republics require the hearts and minds of all its citizens, with power fragmented among many entities that only by working together for the betterment of the nation would they achieve progress. This would, more or less, conclude the legislative issues that endangered the republic. But there is still one critical problem that must be addressed. By far the greatest error, in the author’s view, was the inability of the ruling body of enlightening the masses through various educational means. Sadly, during the first couple of decades since the Republic’s foundation, the position of Okarir’maehr, paramount for the healthy societal development and for the progress of democracy, was held by an inept impure. But let us not throw all the blame on one so inferior, for he was voted in and nobody dared to challenge him for twenty years. Here, the absence of regulatory mechanisms have hit hardest. The Eternal institutions were all allowed to fall into disrepair, the public lectures were very scarce and insipid and, overall, the state laid no paths for the people to pursue intellectual progress. Whatever such progress was made, it was all due to individual and independent enterprises. While, throughout this period, the Maheral’s attempts at providing history lessons to the populace were commendable, in the end they were too few which, coupled with the lacking of any meaningful cultural lectures, failed to awaken the conscience of the masses in regards to the democratic process. It must be maintained that, for the citizens to scrupulously tend the democratic system, the teaching of unbiased history and culture is paramount, for only thus can one objectively assess the present and the potential future, comparing them with past actions and mistakes that ought not be repeated, ensuring the cultural progress of the people. But, in the early Republic, the immense potential for progress offered by the structure of the system was obscured by the veil of ignorance that blinded the masses. And when the position was entrusted to someone actually competent, it was too late, the damage was already done. There was too much to fix in too short a time. When populistic and propagandistic notions began circulating, too few people actually had the ability of rejecting them, of not being enslaved by them. Foolishness allowed a band of troglodytes to dismantle the Republic while encountering absolutely no resistance from the inner system. A republic’s greatest defense lies in the people and their voting power. Should they not be properly taught how to use said power responsibly, everything collapses. All these issues, acting in unison, led to the ultimate downfall of the Republic in 1804 and the establishment of a dictatorship under the Sohaer. It is to be hoped that some lessons would be learned from these past occurrences. Exceptional care must be put whenever attempting to establish a democracy as it grants the people freedom. Freedom to end said democracy should they desire and establish tyranny instead. The tragedy of the situation, however, is that the ensuing tyranny does not give the citizens any option of ever reverting peacefully to a democracy. IV. A Silver Republic [!] Painting of the Silver Council proclaiming the Republic Devising a functioning Haelun’orian republic is particularly challenging considering that it must respect democratic principles while also following the established traditions of the Mali’thill. Nevertheless, for the sake of progress, an attempt shall be made. One would notice, however, that neither this proposal is a republic in its true sense, but will still attempt to do it justice. For this part, the Constitution of 1774 shall be used as a reference point as the current Haelun’orian Constitution is beyond saving. In regards to the Maheral, it who simply is, in the past Republic, has been hailed as the ultimate symbol of purity, as Larihei’s messenger and, as such, has been entrusted absolutist powers. While this might be true, history teaches us to be more prudent before making such claims. As we have seen with the last Maheral, they too can err, they too can lie and deceive shamelessly. Some would say that such a person who acts in disservice to maehr’sae hiylun’ehya is not Maheral. But such a saying would hardly be taken seriously. And, in the end, why give one who could potentially not be fit for Maheralship such unlimited powers? Why content yourself with only hoping that the position will be filled by someone worthy? In an actual republic, the Maheral’s role ought to be that of guidance, of teaching and of preserving the culture; not at all that of a king. The Maheral of the Silver State shall remain its head of state but without any veto power, for that could potentially be used to obstruct progress or silence the will of the people. It shall preside over all council meetings and supervise that only actions for the progress of the state and its citizens are taken. As before, the Maheral should be able to select a Maelunir upon their ascension who it can replace at any time. The purpose of the Maheral in the heial’thilln would be that of ensuring that the legislation created is in accordance with tradition and maehr’sae hiylun’ehya. However, the Maheral ought not be allowed to vote nor to propose legislation of its own. To better distribute power, an alternative way for the Maheral, as a tool of the system, to regulate the activity of the council would be for it to be able, instead of having veto power over legislation, to postpone the enactment of a new law should it consider it against purity and progress, and send it to the heial’tuva for approval. For all controversial laws where the sanctity of the nation might be in danger, the ultimate authority must be the people. Let them decide via a simple majority referendum whether the legislation sent by the Maheral passes or not. That way, the possibilities of exploiting the system drastically diminish and the citizens gain a voice in the more complex affairs of the state. Additionally, in the case of the Maheral deeming a law, already approved, unconstitutional, a similar process should ensue. Instead of being able to permanently strike down said law, the Maheral would petition the heial’tuva and ask their opinion via simple majority referendum. Again, the purpose of such maneuvers is to distribute power across multiple institutions in an effort of consolidating democracy and reducing the risk of oppression. The Maheral also must not have the power to remove councilors from council meetings, lest that be abused to silence discontent. But other than that, the Maheral would preside over all elections and referendums and guarantee the legality of ballots and have “the right to declare a state of war and peace between Haelun’or and her adversaries, as is necessary to preserve and protect the interests of her people. As part of these rights, the Maheral shall be considered the supreme commander of all military assets in Haelun’or; and be granted the right to manage all political alliances of the state, as well as the right to denounce enemy states and to appoint ambassadors and scribes to act on their behalf. No diplomatic meeting involving Haelun’or may proceed without the consent of the sitting Sohaer or Maheral”, as laid down in the Constitution of 1774. The Most Blessed ought also to retain its primary role in the heial’laurir and have an ultimate say in a Path to Purity sentence as the position still must retain its cultural importance. Concerning the Sohaer, it must be chair of the Silver Council and the steward of the nation. The Sohaer and the Maheral must complement each other to secure a prosperous future for the nation and its inhabitants. To begin, the power entrusted to the Sohaer according to the 1774 Constitution is, by all accounts, reasonable. As such, I would not take away any of its attributes formulated in the Article II, Section IV Duties and Privileges of the Devout (The Sohaer) (Constitution of 1774). However, as some have argued, it does not enforce the idea that the Devout is the nation’s steward and head of government. Thus, I would instead add to its abilities in relation to the rest of the government, granting it a firmer grip over the administration. Consider the following: should the Sohaer deem an Okarir unworthy of serving the nation, it should have the ability, similar to the Maheral, to petition the heial’tuva for a vote of confidence of said Okarir, simple majority deciding if the elected official loses its position or not. In this manner, the Sohaer does not have to patiently wait for some brave soul to challenge said Okarir and replace it. It grants the steward of the nation, in collaboration with the citizenry, better control of the system. And afterall, a vacant seat is a preferable alternative to one occupied by an incompetent or a malevolent creature. In addition, and with the purpose of fitting the position of Medi’ir into the democratic republic, upon its ascension, the Sohaer would select one Medi’ir that would thenceforth preside over the heial’tuva. It is fitting that a smaller Sohaer should preside over a smaller institution. But, to prevent corruption and servile behaviours, there must be restrictions in regards to the Sohaer demoting said Medi’ir. Preferably, the only routes of the Sohaer vacating the seat of Medi’ir would be those of either the incumbent Sohaer losing the position, a new Sohaer entailing a new Medi’ir or the Devout requesting the removal of the Medi’ir to the heial’tuva, it being removed by a two-thirds majority vote. The reasoning here behind the necessity of the heial’tuva’s approval is, again, the attempt at curbing corruption and preventing the political monopoly of the Sohaer. It seems reasonable that the ones with the final say in the matter should be those over which the Medi’ir holds sway. Now, due to the relation the position of Medi’ir would have with the general populace and the members of the heial’tuva, we must be delicate in ascertaining power to it, lest the balance tips and the Council of Many gains the ability to undermine the Silver Council. But at the same time, we must remain aware that the Medi’ir, in this case, ought to magnify the voice of the people. Thus, in this Silver Republic, I would entrust the Medi’ir with one ability only, one not to be taken lightly. To anchor within the legislative the saying that the Maheral ceases to be if the citizens stop following it, the Medi’ir would have the option of organizing a referendum to decide whether or not one simply is or simply is not. Four-fifths majority in the heial’tuva would determine that the Maheral ceases to be. However, to prevent abuses of such power, should the vote fail and the Maheral to remain, the Medi’ir forfeits its position, the Sohaer being required to select another. In this manner, the Maheral retains its ability of regulating the activity of the Silver Council and safeguarding the purity of the nation but now it who simply is must work together with the citizenry, losing the power to silence the will of the people. Similarly, the Sohaer’s leadership role in the Council is reinforced, gaining the ability, with the people’s grace, to remove those incompetent, defending thus the progress that the nation must pursue. The composition of the heial’thilln I would not change, a government consisting of the Sohaer, the four Okariran (the Okarir’maehr, the Okarir’hiylun, the Okarir’tir and the Okarir’nor) and their respective Tilruiran sufficing for the efficient administration of the state. However, an important obligation of the Sohaer, which, unfortunately, was overlooked by past governments, is that of encouraging cooperation between the Okariran for the purpose of offering the citizenry standards of living and services apt for the Mali’thill. Likewise, the Sohaer must ensure that none of the Okarir infringe upon the rights of another or defy their responsibilities. Again, for the health of the government and of the nation, the Okariran must cooperate in peace, and the Sohaer must make sure of that. I would, personally, not change the attributes and responsibilities of the Okariran and the Tilruiran as laid down in Article II, Sections V-VIII of the 1774 Constitution. Perhaps the only addition I would make would be that of granting the Okarir’maehr and Okarir’hiylun the legal privilege of selecting two Tilruiran each, due to their primary role in society and them each overseeing two institutions. The Council elections as explained in Article II, Section II ought also to remain, with the added order that elections must never, under any circumstance or danger, foreign or domestic, be skipped over. And, let us not forget, all positions of the council must be open to challenge. Now, in regards to the heial’tuva, this hypothetical version of a Silver Republic does grant it more power which is mostly consultative in nature. It, as an institution on its own, would have no ability of overriding the decisions of the Silver Council, nor would it have the function of creating legislation. It would, however, prove decisive each time the Maheral would see fit to convoke it or whenever the Sohaer or Medi’ir would initiate their respective votes of confidence as described above. It is imperious for a democracy that the voice of the populace is heard and, with additional power of the heial’tuva, that would come closer to fruition than in the last Republic. I would, however, make “the rights to public debate, to vote in public election, and to run in and challenge any elected office [...] to bear arms within the walls of the Silver City” independent of the heial’tuva, them being granted to all citizens above the age of majority. It would coincide with their induction into the heial’tuva, yes, but those rights transcend the institution, those rights are one with the individual. This organization of the system and distribution of power would, in the author’s views, serve the students of Larihei much better than any dictatorship, be it of the Maheral or the Sohaer. May, in the future, the Mali’thill not refute so carelessly the infinite possibilities of progress that come with a democratic republican system. maehr’sae hiylun’ehya,
  5. The Northern Geographical Society The Great Crest of the Northern Geographical Society Est. 1762 ✵ Historical Background & Overview ✵ Founded by Celestine Herbert in 1762, the Northern Geographical Society (NGS) considers itself to be a highly prestigious, international scholastic organization made up of anthropologists, historians, naturalists, cartographers, and other varieties of scholars and adventurers. We are dedicated to the preservation and diffusement of historical, natural, and cultural knowledge through the upkeep of museums across the continent of Almaris and the undertaking of expeditions to expand the horizons. In order to do this, we maintain a chain of museums across the continent with the goal of eventually establishing one in every major Almarisian country. The institutions we maintain serve to educate the public on a variety of different topics in the fields of culture, history, and naturalism across the land. The operations of the NGS transcend state borders, and our Society takes great pride in the academic, ethnic, and cultural diversity of our membership. Our museums are all operated by professionals with impeccable credentials in their areas of expertise, and we take great pride in both our independence as an organization and in our reputation as an unbiased academic society of the utmost integrity. We often go on expeditions in order to expand our horizons and push new frontiers as well as administer these higher institutions of learning, and thus consider ourselves to be adventurers as well as scholars alike. ✵ Leadership of the NGS ✵ Celestine E. Herbert Founder of the NGS, c. 1757 The President The Vice President Museum Curators Division Leaders The Society’s Circle Executive Leadership President of the NGS: Otto Wittenbach @Etow Vice President of the NGS: Dilvyn Deveral @greygre Secretary to the President: Deshe @WizardWhisper Chief Archivist: Ferek Frostbeard @_Indy Museum Curators Curator of the NGS Flagship Museum: [Vacant] Curator of the NGS Imperial Museum: [Vacant] Division Leaders Chief of Research: @liam Captain of the Exploration Corps: Ash Adalaide @milk Personal Relations Director: Deshe @WizardWhisper ✵ Our Museums ✵ The Northern Geographical Society takes great pride in the upkeep of our public educational institutions. As the original pioneers of museology, we consider the establishment of public museums to be one of the most effective ways of promoting learning and intercultural awareness across the continent. DISCLAIMER: Due to ongoing efforts to renovate our museums, they may not yet be 100% open for several years as we restore our exhibits and pursue further changes for the benefit of our visitors. The NGS Museum of Hanseti-Ruska ~ Karosgrad, Haense ~ The NGS Imperial Museum ~ New Providence, Oren ~ ✵ Joining the Northern Geographical Society ✵ ~+~ A Meeting of the Society’s Circle in Arcas, c. 1770 ~+~ Joining the Society's Circle The Society’s Circle is a brotherhood of equal peers, representative in nature of the three divisions of the NGS. It serves as the governing board of the organization, voting and deliberating on administrative matters, affirming the nomination of new Circle members, and proposing expeditions and programs to undertake for the betterment of the NGS and of Almaris. Every member of it has proven their dedication and loyalty to the values of the Northern Geographical Society in some way, shape, or form. They are all acclaimed in their own right as both adventurers and as academics, although some might be more focused in one area than another. In order to gain admission to the Society’s Circle, you must prove yourself worthy enough to receive a nomination from the President. This can be done either through noteworthy achievements done outside of the NGS, or through several years of service as a member of one of the Society’s divisions. Joining a Division While we take great pride in our status as an academic organization characterized by impartiality and integrity, the Northern Geographical Society also considers itself to be a tightly knit family. We care very greatly for the members of our Society, and we as explorers, academics, and adventurers pull work together to pull our resources so that the mission and vision of the NGS might be realized. There are a number of different ways of getting involved with the Northern Geographical Society, easily suiting whatever amount of time and effort a person wishes to dedicate to our organization. From volunteer tour guides to world esteemed scientists, academics, and mages, we at the NGS value the diffusion and preservation of knowledge in an unbiased and impartial manner that benefits all the Descendant civilizations of Almaris. The easiest way of joining the Society’s Circle is to approach the executive leadership, namely the President of the NGS, about becoming a member of one of the Society’s three divisions. They may choose to render their services in the fields of Research, Exploration, or Personal Relations in whatever manner they see fit. ~ NGS Research Division ~ ~ NGS Exploration Corps ~ ~ NGS Personal Relations ~ To Join one of these divisions of the NGS, please pen a letter to the Office of the President expressing your interest in such.. [[Add EtowTheSaltyCat#0312 on Discord or send a Forum DM to @Etow]]
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