Wêreldbou Woensdag – Ameragh, Dienares van die Lig

Kliek hier om die vorige wêreldbou gedeeltes te lees: Die Volk van die See, Die Aanfeald en die Éoghida deel 1 en deel 2.

Die verhaal van Ameragh
Sewe generasies na Lëalië is ’n dogter as eersgeborene van die Wíslic, die leier van die Aanfeald, gebore. Sy is Ameragh genoem, wat “Dienares van die Lig” beteken. As deel van die bloedlyn van die Wíslic is sy ook onderrig en opgelei om eendag as Wíslic van haar mense saam met haar susters. In die jaar van haar vyftiende somer het sy vir die eerste keer van die Oostelike Bewakers ontmoet op een van hulle reise om nuus van die Særíma en ander kusvolke aan die Éoghida en Aanfeald te bring. Na Ameragh die Bewakers ontmoet het, het sy besluit dat sy ook een wil wees, maar het by haar mense gebly omdat sy steeds hiér ’n rol gehad het.

In haar twintigste jaar het sy liefde gevind, soos Lëalië, by een van die Éoghida. Hy was egter ook familie van die Oueres van die volk en hulle troue is deur beide die Wíslic en die Oueres geseën. Maar voordat hulle kon trou het daar weer ’n draak vanaf die Drakespits in Nenemna na Éargestréon in die Land van Ses Riviere gekom. Die draak is weggelei van die mense af deur twaalf van die Aanfeald se beste vegters en het sy dood teëgekom op die grys heuwels buite die stad, maar met ’n swaai van sy silwergrys stert het hy Ameragh se geliefde saam met hom na sy graf geneem.

Sy het rouklere aangetrek en vir ses maande het sy gerou soos die gebruik van die Aanfeald is. Na hierdie ses maande het haar opleiding as Wíslic voortgegaan. Daar was weer vrede in die Land van Ses Riviere, maar verder suid, in die valleie van Morgeneard, was daar probleme.

'n Draak het uit Nenemna gekom

Tussen die drie provinsies van Morgeneard het burgeroorlog gedreig en die mense het besluit om hulp te kry. Een van die provinsies het na die Éargestreon gegaan om hulp van die Wíslic – wie se wysheid wyd bekend was – te gaan vra. ’n Ander provinsie het na na die Bewakers van Éamidthéo gegaan wat wes van Morgeneard was terwyl die derde die hulp van een van die Ahma gevra het.

Ameragh het saam met die Wíslic en twee van die Oueres na Morgeneard gereis en met die leiers, Ahma en Bewakers vergader.  Die situasie in Morgeneard is ontlont, maar Ameragh het weer gevind dat sy tot die lewe van ’n Bewaker aangetrokke is. Sy het weer met haar moeder gepraat en daar  is besluit dat Ameragh vir twee jaar as Bewaker sou gaan lewe. Hiérdie sou dien as deel van haar onderrig as Wíslic en na haar mondigwording het Ameragh na die Bewakers in Éamidthéo gegaan het.

Net ’n paar jaar tevore is vrede in die Middellande gevestig na die Middelland Oorloë wat oor ses dekades gestrek het. Al die inwoners van die Middellande het hard gewerk om hulle tuistes weer op te bou en vinnig het sommige van die stede weer begin floreer. Die hoofpad wat gelei het vanaf die hoofstad van Treddian in die suide, deur die vorige hoofstad van Guldargan en verder noord na die Noordelike Lande is weer opgebou om die hoof handelsroete van die Middellande te word.
Maar alles was nie pluis in die nuwe koninkryke nie. Struwelings langs die nuwe grense van die koninkryke het kort-kort plaasgevind, maar die grootste bedreiging vir die vrede in die Middellande sou die Fáll van Argavér wees.

Jy is hier
Opsoek na kaarte van Ameragh om jou pad te vind? Ek probeer om by elke inskrywing ’n kaart te plaas waar dit nodig is, maar hierdie kaarte kan ook gesien word – en groter gesien word – op hierdie een van my Pinterest plakborde.

Hier is ook twee nuwe kaarte wat ek geteken het – en hulle is sommer in Afrikaans én Engels. Die eerste is ’n kaart van ’n gedeelte van die Oostelike Lande en die tweede is van die Land van die Ses Riviere. Ta-da!

Die Oostelike Lande

Land van die Ses Riviere

Gaan koekeloer gerus op Hersenskim vandag vir nog lekker leesgoed.

Volgende Woensdag: Ameragh die legende

Worldbuilding Wednesday - The Midland Wars

(To read part one of the Midland Wars, click here.)

Part 2 - Sanctuaries

When great swathes of the Southern Fields burned in war, the survivors went to the Keepers of Eamidthéo, the great Keepers’ House which stood beyond the river which was then called the Agréarg*, but in later ages would be called the Ameragh River, in honour of the Lady Ameragh** after whom this House was also later named.

The people chose two leaders to go ahead and speak to the Keepers, one from Guldargan and one from Treddian. They crossed the wooden bridge and asked to speak to the Wíslic. As they told their story to the Wíslic and the Elders of the House, the Keepers took pity on them and decided that a sanctuary would be made for the people. But, knowing that there were a very many people in the Midlands who were suffering, the Keepers decided that the refugees would be given land free of charge if they would agree to share their surplus food with the others of the Midlands, regardless of the kingdom they belonged too. The two leaders returned to their people and told them what the Keepers had said.
Many had been disillusioned by the cost of ongoing wars of greed they cared little for and said that they would share what surplus they had with others in need if it would mean that they could live in peace. But others were unhappy and said that they would just become the Keepers’ slaves. These people moved further east, towards the mountains, where they settled close to the border of Morgeneard.

Those who wished to stay moved across the river to the lands east of the House of the Keepers. Here they formed a new people and built new homes. Through their hard work the land produced a bounty of food and they were able to keep many in the Midlands from hunger and starvation during these dark years. They were the first who were known as the People of the Keepers to those of the Midlands and beyond and some of the greatest healers and scholars have come from among them.

During this time the Keepers of the Midlands guarded their lands and those parts now known as the Sanctuaries closely. While the Eastern Keepers – on the eastern coast of the Continent – had long since had their own guards and soldiers and all the Eastern Keepers were taught some form of self-defence or the use of a weapon, the Houses of the Midlands only served as repositories of knowledge and though many diplomatic talks between kingdoms or parties were undertaken, they had not needed to resort to violence. In the future, however, and most notably during the battles with the Fáll, they became an integral part in the keeping of peace in the Midlands.  

Sanctuaries were formed around the Houses of the Keepers of Eamidthéo in the south as well as Théotriewe in the north. The Keepers’ House of Holt Haliern, however, had been hidden in the Great Wood for many centuries and there was no land around it which could be made a Sanctuary quite like that of the other houses and only took in a few people which they would then lead to one of the other Sanctuaries. Holt Haliern, however, already had one of the greatest of libraries in the Continent and scholars of all the kingdoms embroiled in war sent their most prized texts and copies of their texts to the House for safekeeping.

Photo courtesy of nkzs at http://www.sxc.hu

*Agréarg (a-gree-argh) was an ancient name, literally meaning “River of the Grey Mountains”, the Grey Mountains being the name of the southern part of the great mountain range which formed the border of the Midlands in the east – from the border of Morgeneard southward. 

**Ameragh was the Wíslic of Eamidthéo, who calmed the dragon Skáhag. Read more about her here and here. She is remembered in the sad song “The Maiden of the Stars”.

Maps, maps and more maps!

I'm putting some finishing touches on a few small maps to illustrate this part of the history - holding thumbs that I'll have them finished by Friday... otherwise I'll have them ready for next week's Worldbuilding Wednesday. 

Worldbuilding Wednesday: The Wíslic and the Elders

Last week I had a look at the Houses of the Keepers of Airthai. This week I’ll tackle part of the hierarchy of the Keepers: the Wíslic and the Elders. The Keepers started on the eastern coast of the Continent, in the lands of the Saerímavolk; and it is with them that today’s post gets under way.

The Wíslic and Elders of the Saerímavolk

Because most of the men of the Saerímavolk towns would leave the land each day for the sea, one of the women of the town would be chosen to act as the leader of the town. She was well-skilled in various kinds of knowledge; including the laws of her people and the ways of healing. Called the Wíslic, she would see to it that the town is run well, disputes are settled and trading is fair.

Various others – usually older than forty – would be chosen to help her in her work and provide schooling for the children of the town. These people were called the Elders and consisted of both men and women. Because the men were ‘married to the sea’ they were mostly called upon in these matters, while the women handled the land disputes and matters. Some even referred to them as ‘Sea Elders’ and ‘Land Elders’.

The most gifted of the girls were tutored further and then, of these young women, seven were chosen. Later one of the seven would be chosen as Wíslic by the people of the town. Although the daughter of a Wíslic may also become a Wíslic, this was not a strict tradition and had to be earned.

The Wíslic and the Elders of the Keepers

The hierarchy of the Keepers worked in much the same way as that of the Saerímavolk, as the Keepers were modeled on this hierarchy when it was started.  The Wíslic of a House, however, could also be a man. The Wíslic was chosen from among the Healers and the Scholars most of the time.

The Elders of the Keepers were chosen because of their level of knowledge or skill. Although most were older in years, some had been given the rank at a young age. One of the most notable Elders was the scholar and scribe Nëane, a Ciph from Ellanda.  He was sixteen years old when he joined the Keepers and only twenty-one years old when made an Elder.

Ameragh was also very young and was made Wíslic of the House of Eamidtheo before her thirtieth birthday; making her the youngest Wíslic of a House of Keepers. 

"Ameragh was the youngest Wislic of a House of Keepers"

Worldbuilding Wednesday - The Keepers: Their Beginning and Their Houses

The start of the Keepers was during the time of the Great Sundering, when there was a consensus that the knowledge of the peoples of Airthai must be kept in a safe place during the wars, attacks, earthquakes and floods across the lands of Airthai. At that time the greater libraries on the eastern coast of the newly formed Continent gathered together all the copies of books and annals and even artworks that they could. The people who gathered these books were called the Gatherers of the Keepers of Knowledge. Books and scholars even came from the Eastern Isles, brought on the trading ships for safe keeping.

When the Saerímavolk was attacked by the Flotaferan - which saw part of the Saerímavolk trek inland and form the Eargestreon - it was decided that a type of army should be formed from the surrounding peoples; who could be called upon immediately to keep their people safe. With them there would be scholars well-versed in the politics and the history of the peoples involved who could act as diplomats.

A fortress was built just north of the Saerímavolk lands and this was the first House of the Keepers. These Keepers later became known as the Eastern Keepers once other Houses were built.

The second House that was built was that of Holt Haliern, in the Midlands. The third and fourth houses, which were built nearly simultaneously, were the Houses of Théotriewe and Eamidtheo. These three Houses are all in the Midlands. Although the names of Holt Haliern and Théotriewe have stayed the same, that of Eamidtheo changed to Ameragh after the Lady Wíslic Ameragh's death. Because of this, and his great sorrow, Síldu did not return to this most southern House of the Keepers for many years, but stayed at Holt Haliern and Théotriewe.

In the Southern Lands, first the towers of the Khallahna and later the Khalné's Tower, along with the libraries of the countries of the Southern Lands, served as the repositories of the books and knowledge. Only after the Dragon Keepers had left the southern shores was a true House of Keepers, known as the Southern Keepers, started in the Southern Lands.

In the Western Lands, the first House of Keepers built was the House of the Rún; situated on the west of the Ealdbergs. A second was built on the western coast of the Continent. In the Northern Lands only one House was built; known as the House of the White Dragon.

The Sign of the Keepers of Holt Haliern

Next week: The Keepers: The Wíslic and the Elders (And I’m hoping to have the pre-Sundering map finished by then as well.)