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Zirg
https://archive.holyworlds.org/viewtopic.php?f=81&t=1971		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Constable Jaynin Mimetes [ January 24th, 2011, 1:11 am ]
Post subject:  Zirg
The capital of all Elleys was Yen. Not really a kingdom, the borders only extended a day's ride out from the city. The city itself was situated at the foot of the mountains, and many princes who lived in that palace wondered what lay beyond them. Janin was not the first heir of Tell to cross those mountains out of curiosity. In fact, his desire came to him honestly, for his grandfather had been there before.

Under his brother's rule Prince Meline escaped more and more often across the mountains. It was a week's hard journey across, but he was well known and knew his way through the danger. King Rynaud II was not an easy man to live with, especially as his brother and heir. After their father's death he felt lost and unwanted. Rynaud had married, and Meline knew he was heir only in name. He had never believed he'd inherit the throne, and of course it wasn't his right to want it. Yet tradition demanded he stay in Yen until another heir was named, so he finally followed his dreams one day and crossed the mountains.

The land he found himself in was strange and different. It lacked the peace and prosperity of Elleys, but was filled with another kind of wild beauty. The danger enticed him, the people didn't know who he was. He eventually met King Lemuel of Zirg, who's kingdom he had stumbled upon. Acting in secret their friendship grew, until Meline had revealed more of Elleys than he realized, and dared not mention it to his brother.

Then King Lemuel fell in love. Only after he'd won her heart did he learn that she was wanted by another man, Widar. Widar was a wizard who practiced dark magic in secret, generally distrusted in Elleys. Lemuel was powerless against that kind of magic and turned to the only person he knew who could understand it, Meline.

Widar laughed at Meline's entreaty. He had no authority, he said, as heir apparent. Meline threatened to go to his brother, and the wizard pointed out that his relationship with his brother was not at it's best. The only way he could stop him would be to fight him, and as the Prince of Yen he couldn't do that. Meline was constrained by the laws of Tell, as a mountain wizard Widar was not.

Furious Meline went to Rynaud and told him the whole story, fearing for the safety of Zirg. The King refused to get involved and forbade his brother to return to the mortal world. Meline refused, and arrived just in time to see the end of Widar's revenge. Having stolen away Lemuel's bride Widar prevented any pursuit by laying a spell of ice over the entire kingdom. The glittering city Meline had found refuge in was a towering mountain of ice, the entire kingdom asleep under eternal snowdrifts.

Meline swore an oath on that mountain, that he sealed with his blood, that he would return to free his friend. With a strange fatality he added that if he failed his descendents would be bound to that oath. He returned to Yen to find his brother had died and that he had inherited the throne of Yen; an inheritance he had never expected to receive. He never left his kingdom until the day he died.

Years later the story resumes. Stranded in Ramoth, torn and confused Janin suddenly saw a glimmer of purpose in the test set by King Frederick for his daughter's suitors. He knew of Meline's oath, but like his father, he had never given it much thought. Together with a mortal prince he traveled to Zirg. He knew Widar by reputation, as the Mountain Wizard had on occasion visited Yen. As a child he had been fascinated by the stories of forbidden magic he had told him, but eventually saw him the way his tutor expected him too, as a practicer of dark magic who served only his own whims.

Janin threatened Widar to gain the answer to the spell, but received only a riddle pointing once again to the curse of his birth. Through his courage and selflessness and the valor of his mortal friend he broke the curse and returned the inhabitants of Zirg to the land of the living. King Lemuel immediately offered Janin the friendship that had been Meline's and Janin wisely accepted it. For he knew, and Meline had not, that the king of Zirg knew too much. He would have offered him the citizenship of Elleys, but the power to move the mountains had been lost forever.

Rynaud III was much more understanding of that friendship than his namesake had been. He took advantage of it to get a treaty signed with Elleys, the first treaty with a mortal kingdom since the writing of the land-law.

Zirg was the first kingdom to get involved in Tannis' war. Their involvement came about when Princess Tessa escaped through the mountains seeking sanctuary. Knowing the people involved in Janin's story King Lemuel brought her to Tamara where she stayed until the day Tannis stumbled into the same court. Because of their connections with Janin both King Derek and King Lemuel joined to help his grand-nephew. As a result they are drawn directly into the war.

King Lemuel dies on the battle field as an old, old man. The border kingdoms fell apart in the destruction and Zirg became lost in the mists of old tales even before the peace was formed.
Author:  Lady Vilisse Mimetes [ January 24th, 2011, 1:24 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Zirg
Who is her? (the bride of Lemuel) At first I thought you were talking about Meline :shock:
Author:  Constable Jaynin Mimetes [ January 24th, 2011, 1:57 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Zirg
I don't remember. Her name is Patience. I guess I should use it.

It's a story Janin tells Derek on their way to Zirg and as such it's horribly incomplete and I'm trying to disguise that fact and make it sound like I actually know what I'm talking about. :roll:

*begins to ponder possible identities for Queen Patience*
Author:  Elly [ February 10th, 2011, 3:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Zirg
Nice job! Impressive.
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