Shë Eingzhroi – The Men

Nëdëgiusël was born three years before Digaleig, and his wife, Moreiso, was born as the second-born twin to Gleiza. The foursome grew up close to each other and maintained their friendship and league even after the dragon’s banishment. They were slighter in build than the dragons, but heavier than the elves. Their skin was almost as dark as the dragons, but had a lighter, yellowish hue to it that would give them an oriental look to us. And they were indeed very oriental in many respects: their eyes were almond shaped, their eyes dark, their hair straight and silky. As they grew up they loved the beasts of the creation more than all the others, even more than the elves. And so when God have them the rule over them more than the others, they were well pleased. They were also given the gift of healing. But they were most pleased with the ability to communicate (as much as is possible with non-sentient beasts) with the animals.

In the rebellion they joined with the dragons and the dwarves, and ruled with them. When they were darkened they took a variety of shapes like the others, but out of them were born the first order of Sorcerers. The sorcerers became the leaders of those who sought the Dark Arts, or the powers of the other tribes. This was a great evil, and required the aid of the Zeighor’s strength by means of magic. Each tribe’s natural power, its jurisdiction, had its limits, and exerting power within those limits was natural and good if done in the right way. This was just like using an arm or a machine. But to go beyond those limits deliberately and seek to use the powers of the other tribes in their jurisdictions was a great offense and sin against God. The sorcerers maintained their existence in varying strength all the way up to the 3000th year of Ithelak, where they all but vanished.

The end of the Great War was precipitated by the voluntary surrender of most of the mannish tribe around the globe. They mingled with the other tribes and scattered their forces, leaving the dwarves and dragons on the defensive. They did not take part in the final battles, but merely sought to rebuild their homes. They built up five main provinces for themselves: one in Tskarnor and four in Aschu. There were also several smaller settlements of men elsewhere, but those were the main ones.

The mannish tribe in the land of Tëscrii in Tskarnor is called the Tësalagaco. Their great city is the massively complex Grëdhiro, but they range all across Tëscrii and up into the ranges of Gëdora. They hunt and live off of the plains and marshes of Tëscrii. They mingled mostly with the naiads of the northern marshes, and so the natives of the northern regions live half in half out of the water all of the time. Their tunnels under the plains and the paths in the swamps are never revealed except to the initiates of their people. The underground regions of the great city Grëdhiro are called the Touedapsin, and their convoluted meshes reach far out into the plains under the soil. Only the Necadoua know their way around the Touedapsin at all, and they know only the parts assigned to their family.

The nations of the Aschian men went through many changes of dynasties and territories, but for the most part there were four: north, south, east, and west, divided by the Aschian mountains of Kure-daiäzon and Shurutatume-daiäze. The great cities of the main dynasties are these: Mulemëtone, Kalíbeirítone, Daiveiretone, Gulimamato, Gilomatone, Gairuledë-onom, Mësoma-tobalo, and Karadenace-tone (I might have forgotten some, but that is good for starters). Each nation has its own culture and history, its own methods of warfare, and its own dialects.

A note on the common tongue’s use of the word man. When the men mingled with the other tribes at the end of the Great War they brought on an age of Crans, people who come of a greatly mixed bloodline. The culture of the men became assimilated into almost every other culture and so crans became synonymous with men. And since crans were the most numerous, man became the common word to use for a person.

What do you think about the way I did my Men? How do you do it? Any questions, suggestions, or comments?

With joy and peace in Christ,
Jay Lauser

I haven't written an article about the last three tribes, have I? I still need to do one for Sylphs, Sylvans, and Naiads. The tribes of nature.

Haha. I have cultures, histories, and details for all of them. But they come into my stories only marginally, so they are not quite as developed as the others. And I have only nonexistent time in which to write about them. So it might be a while.

Emeth, you mention 'crans' in your post. Would crans be consider a "super-tribe" posses a desirable balance of the powers from their ancestry, or are they more a unique group of their own?

Thanks for your elaborate posts. I've decided to go back and tackle the problem of the "cleansing" and events beforehand because of your posts.

I agree with every word that White Raven said. To the letter. I couldn't have said it better myself.

It is nice to know, too, that I am not the only person who reads stories and sees them as movies...

When I read, I don't really see it as a movie, but after the first page or so (especially if the story is good), I don't really see the words either. It's kind of an in-between thing where my brain is reading the words without my even having to think about it, but I don't quite visualize it. Yes, it's probably kind of weird, but anyway :P I still get all of the emotion of the story. Very much so at times, actually.


I like all of the names and stuff, myself. Yes, I have to stop and actually let the word register in my head as a word the first time or two that I see it, but then those names distinguish the story from other stories. I honestly don't think you should trim the names down any.

That's what I think to. Let your creativity free, instead of limiting it because people may not like a the...extreme length of a word.

The Cran is actually a very 'low' sort of person, incapable of asserting their gifts to any extent unaided by a miracle or black magic.

I am glad that I have encouraged you in your writing more background. As you can tell, I hold background to be of a paramount importance.

White Raven and others,

I read the same way as well, and if it were not for the strictly informative style of these posts, I would introduce them differently so that they would be more easily assimilated. In my stories, I will indeed do so.

The structure of the words is utterly because of the nature of the language of the Aschian Eingzhroi. I can't really shorten them.

I have a ton more than is presented here. I have a large stack of 3x5 cards full of facts, and they only cover the merest surface of Ithelak.

My stories will only be able to hint at the vastness of what is in my world. This, I think, is something that is beautiful and compelling in good fantasy fiction. I am just posting these to let y'all know some of what is there, and to help define terms for when I talk about the tribes and etc.

It sounds like they have not only the world's second longest city name there, but an essence fragment.

Honestly, this is extremely interesting, Jay. I'm hoping I'll get time to read all of your posts.

What does the living half in half out of the water all of the time look like?

Quite fascinating, I assure you.

The Naiads themselves are more comfortable in water than out, because of a slight difference in their skin. The water-men are similar, though not to the same extent. They walk through water constantly, swim like ducks (hate that cliche...), etc.

But, like the Naiads, they don't actually sleep under water: they sleep on the water on mats.

Does that help? Or do you want more.

Makes more sense than half of their body being in water all the time and half their body being out of the water all the time

What's their clothing like?
I'm guessing they eat plenty of fish?
If they sleep on water mats, what do they do for shelter?
I'm assuming they're able to hold their breath longer than average men?
Do the waters they live in have substantial currents? If so and they move around in this, does this give them particularly strong legs?

I could ask a lot more questions since I myself have river races and would love to see how others do them, but you're a busy bee and I don't want to distract you too much

In Christ,
Jordan

The Northern Tëscriians are what I am describing currently, just to be clear. Other societies of Naiad Mingles or Naiads have different cultures, of course.

(And true Naiads actually do live half in and half out of the water all the time.)

They live in thick marshes with lots of reeds and low trees with bogs and mud, so there isn't much of a current; yes they eat lots of fish, as well as herbs and roots; they do hold their breath much longer than normal men: they retained much of the Naiad capacity for that skill; their clothing is loose and open for the most part, and made of the material about them, such as reeds and grasses; they weave roofs of reeds and hardy twigs to make covers for their houses, which are shaped to match the water flowing below them and the low hills surrounding them.

Very informative. Thanks ever so much. I can tell you've put a lot of work into this world just from the tiny details you're able to explain. Thanks!

Yes, and I don't even have any of my stories remotely close to that area.