Well, all I can say is wow.
I've gotten a lot of emails after the last chapter. I guess guys just find strong men exciting. ?
Anyway, for future reference, I have a small jpg file that is the map of the continent where the story takes place. If you would like a copy of the file, feel free to email me and I will be happy to send it to you.
MMMM Chapter 13. I wonder how many of you are feeling superstitious?
I hope you will find this chapter to be nice and informative. It should give you an understanding of the feelings of Duke Harmon and his crew of people.
Anyway, enjoy the read. Of course, if you have any questions, comments, suggestions or requests for the map, feel free to contact me at cperez@gmotion.com.
Human (hyoo men) n.
Humans are a bipedal, mammalian race that primarily occupies the eastern portion of the Continent of El'Analon (the Refuge). They are structurally similar to elves in most respects.
Physically, the differences are primarily cosmetic. Humans tend to have more tone to their skin, their hair is generally darker, their eyes are slightly smaller and their ears are rounded. The eyesight, hearing and balance of humans tend to be below that of the elves, though they tend to be stronger.
Psychologically, the differences are slightly more pronounced. Humans tend to be more driven and impulsive. They have a greater tendency tward violence and domination, which are traits that they share with most predatory animals. This last has led many to hypothesize that humans have been evolved from simple creatures.
Unfortunately, the true origins of humans are lost to the mists of time. The more prevalent theories share the common idea that the humans were formed from elves, just as the orks had been, during the War of Power that drove elvinkind to this continent over 5,000 years ago.
The first of these theories suggests that the humans were the first attempt by the Dark God Kerlack to create a warrior race to conquer the Heavens. Proponents of this theory put forth the aggressive tendencies of humans and the aforementioned predatory instincts as proof that they are likened to orks. Indeed, even in the known history of mankind, barbaric savagery is far from unknown.
The second, more widely accepted, theory states that Hurin the Shaper was more likely to have created the humans. Proponents of this theory suggest that the God Hurin reshaped elves into humans for the purpose of creating a race designed to offset the orks. Their predatory instincts make them well suited for aggressive actions, and their ability to persecute a grudge beyond all reason would be perfect for wiping out a competing species.
It is unfortunate that the Shaper was destroyed while providing the elvin people with the means to escape and reach this continent (See the War of Power Volume under listing: God: Hurin the Shaper). It is impossible to ask the Shaper his purpose for humans, and it certainly seems that he did not have the time to finish his work with humanity. It is more unfortunate still that Hurin did not confide in his fellow deities any plans he might have had for humanity.
Other than conjecture, little is known about human origins. Only verbal retelling has preserved any of the prehistory of humanity. This oral record is given certain credence due to the fact that most of the stories handed down compliment or confirm each other. These stories tell use that, originally, all of humanity was confined in the area North of the Hurin Mountains, in what are the modern Duchies of Kelmor, Harmon and Highland.
A barbarian existence was the norm, as the rocky soil of this area does not lend itself well to agriculture. Heavily forested slopes, rolling hills and large rock formations dominate the countryside.
At this time, humans were mostly a hunter-gatherer species, with some minor domestication of herd animals (primarily goats and sheep which are plentiful). Society was organized along a family/tribal basis where groups would wander nomadically, frequently fighting over resources.
As the populations grew, some of these tribes were incapable of adequate competition. It is believed that these unfortunate tribes were either less physically capable and so were denied full access to the territory necessary to sustain them.
Eventually these less fortunate tribes began to band together for survival, establishing a cooperative federation of tribes. Ensuing wars, however, eventually drove these tribes into the Hurin Mountains, where they eventually discovered a pass into the Central and Eastern parts of the Continent. Once in these warmer, more fertile lands, the cooperative tribes eventually discovered agriculture and other forms of sustenance and began to settle down into the first human civilizations.
The first of these true cities, Anathusula, developed a written language and from this, recorded history of humanity begins.
The tribes had settled into different parts of the countryside, built cities and founded their own governmental systems yet remained cooperative with one another for the most part. They continued to share developments in the sciences, metallurgy, and agriculture, as well as maintaining a common written and spoken language for ease of interaction. None had forgotten the tribes that had driven them from the North.
The different city-states that formed eventually began to maintain a small standing army of professional soldiers for keeping the peace, suppressing bandits and protecting their sources. Wars, while not unheard of, were rare and the small forces of bronze-armed soldiers were able to maintain the peace.
Within a few centuries, occasional contact was established with the Northern tribes. Such meetings were rarely peaceful, but enough contact was maintained to allow these Northern barbarians to acquire the secrets of working in bronze, and forging weapons.
The record of the effect of this revelation had on the North is sporadic at best; bur the end result is well established. Three of the major tribes succeeded in absorbing, or destroying, all other competitors. These three large tribes coexisted with minimal (for them) conflict, but eventually growth began to push them closer and closer to open war.
Kemler Orinson, ruler of what is believed to be the largest of the three tribes proposed a radical solution to the crisis: Follow the example of the Southerners and band together. As an incentive for cooperation, Kemler pointed out that there was plenty of space in the Southern lands as well as riches, women, food and other valuables. He proposed that the tribes join into an unstoppable horde and take these lands for their own.
At this time in history Geren Anathusula, Archduke of Anathusula, had just recently come into power. His father had managed to all but absorb their northern ally which had allowed his curious, and industrious people to discover a new metal in the Hurin Mountains: Iron. The Anathusulans began learning to turn this wondrous new metal into more efficient tools, armor and weapons that they traded to the other Duchies. However, for the first time in their history, this Anathusula chose to keep the secrets of extracting and working this metal to themselves. This decision would prove fortuitous.
When the Northern tribes descended on the Southlands, they were an unstoppable tidal wave of destruction. The Northern frontier was more heavily fortified than any other part of Anthulsula and a greater concentration of the standing army was usually stationed there. However, recent trade disputes with some of Anathusula's neighbors over iron had prompted Archduke Geren to send the bulk of his armies to protect the trade routes and foundries from jealous rivals. The now under-staffed frontier posed little difficulty for the barbarians who swept over the forts and descended on the northern city of Norcrest.
The fighting was intense, but eventually the barbarians prevailed, pouring into the city and butchering every male and male child older than an infant. They took the females as slaves and breeders, and proceeded to loot and raze the city. Within two months they had utterly gutted the city, leaving only ruins and burnt fields.
Geren used the little time he had to hammer the Southern cities into a coalition to drive the barbarians out of the South. He pointed to the fate of Norcrest, and the fates of their ancestors at the hands of these tribes. He even went so far to appeal to the more mercenary side of their natures by offering to share the technology to extract and work the iron that they all coveted.
The united armies gathered, and met the barbarians north of the city of Anthulsula and drove them back. Over the course of a five-year campaign, the iron armed Southern coalition drove the bronze equipped barbarians back into the mountains where they finally defeated them in a decisive battle. The barbarians scattered but not broken, fell back to regroup.
Geren, convinced that it would never end until the barbarian tribes were crushed once and for all, fought to hold the coalition together in the face of apparent victory. In desperation he expanded an Anathusulian custom to marry his many sons off to the heirs of the different city-states. Anathusulian nobles had used the custom of marrying male heirs for the purposes of cementing alliances without formally merging the two families, or running the risk of conflict over children from such a union. Seeing many advantages of continuing such close ties, the other human nations agreed, and so the custom spread among all the Southern cities.
Geren used the influence gained through these marriages to keep a full field army operating North of the Hurin Mountains in order to keep the barbarians off balance for as long as possible while he used the time to prepare.
Inevitably the barbarians managed to reorganize. Over the course of the war, they had even managed to acquire the secrets of iron, which was plentiful in the rocky North. The now better-armed and prepared barbarians were well motivated by the Southerners invasion of their lands. They drove the Southern army slowly back into the Hurin Mountains.
Fortunately for Geren and the Southern coalition, the time that it had taken to drive his army back was enough to complete the fortress that now blocked the only pass into the South. The Southern army took shelter within the fortress city now known as Geren's Gate. Against these prepared fortifications, Geren managed to utterly shatter the barbarian hordes. He spent most of the rest of his reign subduing the Northern lands which he added to his already large territory, making Anthulsula the largest human nation to date.
In time, the great duchy was broken up into 5 smaller provinces as chunks were broken off in order to secure the inheritance of the descendants of Geren the Great. These developed into their present forms as the Duchies of Kelmor, Highland, Harmon, Salidor and of course Anthulsula. These independent nations were eventually united by the Sorcerers of Haven into the Kingdom of Man as it is today, and the City of Anthulsula was selected as the permanent capitol.
---- The Histories
"Don't you think that was a little excessive Belshatha?" E'rin asked under his breath. Long years had taught him how to speak without moving his lips. He kept his gentle features in a mask of casual unconcern over the scene that sent shockwaves through the Royal Court.
As the Court began milling and debating quietly over the shocking and unprecedented actions of the Prince, a lone figure cut through the chaos. Making an obvious beeline for the thrones, Dera'Lione cut through the crowd like a ship driving toward its destination. The guards that kept the people back from the thrones parted to allow the Lord Commander through. He stopped at the base of the dais and spoke.
"Your Highness', may I have permission to approach?" He asked politely in a voice that carried over the noise of the furiously whispering Court. All conversation ceased instantly as they waited to see the volatile Prince's response.
At E'rin's nearly invisible shrug, Andy gestured for the Paladin leader to approach. As he stepped onto a step that allowed him to look the pair in the eyes Dera'Lione turned to E'rin.
"Your Highness, could I trouble you to arrange some privacy for us?"
E'rin smiled slightly, and inclined his head in assent. Closing his eyes, the elvin Prince wove a barrier around the dais that blocked both sight and sound from penetrating to the outside, while allowing the three of them to still monitor their surroundings.
"Thank you Prince E'rin." He said with a slight bow to the elf. He turned to Andy and took a deep breath that he slowly released, blowing his mustaches out in the process. It was a habit that allowed those who knew him to tell when he was considering his words carefully. After a moment he shook his head in resignation and started in. "Do you have any idea of what you have unleashed here today Andy?" He asked quietly.
Andy wilted in his throne. The confrontation with Duke Harmon had taken a lot of emotional energy out of him, not to mention the power he had unconsciously radiated.
"He was so much like my father." He replied in a near whisper.
Dera'Lione winched slightly at hearing the comparison. From what he knew of Harmon, if someone similar had raised this young man, he must have had a difficult childhood.
"I couldn't help it." He started, his voice beginning to crack with emotion. "It was like facing my father again, and this time I just snapped."
E'rin put his arm around his love and reached out to take Andy's hand in his own, lending him what emotional support he could.
After a moment, Andy took a deep, shuddering breath and looked up at the Lord Commander. "It had always been my intention to get Harmon good and mad. I've spent a great deal of time moving around in and amongst the men and women out there in the camp." He paused, gesturing out over the encampment. "I have been trying to get to know these people, and to make sure that they see me, and identify me as the Prince. I wanted Harmon angry because I wanted the soldiers to see, and hear of him lashing out at the one they think is their Prince."
Dera'Lione's eyes narrowed as he regarded Andy. "You were hoping that if it looked like he was disloyal that none of the soldiers would support him?" He asked.
Andy nodded. "Yes, exactly. Back where I come from it's a common political practice to try to sway public opinion to support your positions. It can force people in power along the routes you want them to go. Of course, those same people will try to influence the public as well. But here, such a thing isn't really accepted. Communications aren't widely available, and since the power here is anchored on the throne, it's all about influencing the King and his advisors."
"It's a dangerous game you play boy." Dera'Lione warned.
"It is no more dangerous than to allow a man like Harmon to solidify his power base." E'rin replied.
"Yep." Andy agreed. "He'd tank the whole planet with his narrow ideas."
"And do you think you can lead a nation young man?" The Lord Commander asked seriously. "Can you command an army? Send men and women to their deaths?"
"I don't know." Andy said quietly. "All I can do is try."
Dera'Lione nodded. "Very well... Your Highness." * * * * * * * * * * * *
Under guard, and in shackles, Duke Harmon seethed. He had never imagined that the young pup would dare to throw him into chains. Not even Kail would have risked the political fallout over such a move, but the young man's ignorance of the Kingdom's politics was one more reason why Harmon had to get some control of the situation.
Without his leadership, the nobleman who flocked to his banner would be under the sway of that prattling idiot du'Pre, and that was a recipe for disaster.
Suddenly, the door to the cage that held him opened, and Dera'Lione strode in. Harmon could not help but snarl at the man, though he knew that the Paladin did not deserve it.
"What do you want?" He demanded harshly. "As you can see, I am quite busy."
"Sarcasm." The Paladin snorted. "Well, at least you have managed to keep your humor brother dear."
Harmon sighed, and sank down to the floor. "I'm sorry Dera, I shouldn't be snapping at you like that. I shouldn't have let that young imposter get under my skin either."
Dera'Lione shook his head. "Stubborn as always I see. Perhaps if you hadn't been so busy trying to establish your own power over the Court, you wouldn't have gotten so sensitive over getting your legs cut out from under you." He waved off the Duke's sputtering and continued. "Face it, the boy had you out maneuvered. He had secured the support of the army even before the Court had fully assembled. This is war my brother, and it's the good will of the soldiers that will matter, not the favors of the Court."
"Don't you see?" Harmon pleaded with his younger sibling. "There doesn't NEED to be a war. We shouldn't spend the lives of our people to save these elves."
"You are so blind." Dera'Lione said sadly. "Don't you think the elves shed enough blood over the millennia keeping the orks off our backs when we did not have the magic to defend against their shamans? They have always stood between the ravages of the orks and us all this time. It's been their women who were carried off and raped, THEIR children murdered in the night and now it's been their home that has been taken by these monsters."
Harmon sat quietly and considered.
"It doesn't have to be this way brother." The Lord Commander said. "The Princes have sent me here to offer to let you go, if you will support them to the hilt. Please."
Harmon looked up at his beloved brother across the gulf of political differences and sighed. "I don't know Dera. But I will think about it."
Ok, ok, I know it's short. But this was the point that I needed to stop at so that I could begin some more character development chapters.
Stay tuned for part 14, the story of E'rin.
Corey.