Twelve Isles
Etymology
The large, twelve island archipelago that the culture of the Isles sits on is known in the local language (Mournlyish) as Andearagh, meaning The Twelve. However, The Twelve Isles or The Twelve is a shortened version of the full, proper name of the nation, which is The Empire Of The Twelve Isles And All Her Colonies. Translated into Mournlyish, the full name would be Impreacht Andearagh Eilan Aegus An Coilnachtrai Uile.
However, though the country is the Twelve Isles, the people of the Isles instead prefer to refer to themselves based upon which individual Isle they come from. In the Archipelago the Isles are as follows. Mournly, Brushwick, Lysmithe, Glasdee, Frystaff, Wedwind, Newgale, Melahan, Celway, Lachlinde, Delwich and Karins. In the same order, the prefered way to refer to a citizen of the Empire is as Mournlyish, Brushwicker, Lysmithy, Glasdeean, Frystaffer, Wedwinder, Newgaleman, Melahanian, Celwayan, Lachlinder, Delwich and Karinsian. Or, if refering to the Empire as a whole, or if someone is unsure of which demonym to use, it is best to simply refer to the inhabitants of the Isles as Imperials.
Finally, the people of the Isles are particularly careful with how one refers to an individual island itself. It is never proper to simply refer to an isle as its basic name, for instance, such as referring to Mournly Isle as merely Mournly. Instead, it is proper to refer to an isle as its name, followed by the term isle. For instance, Mournly would be Mournly Isle, Karins would be Karins Isle, Brushwick is Brushwick Isle and so on and so forth.
History Of The Isles
The history of the Twelve Isles is a long and storied one, often shrouded in myth as much as being the truth. However, there are still kernels of fact in all stories, and through careful study and archaeology, modern historians have managed to piece together what is believed to be a comprehensive history of this distinct culture and society.
Though the culture of the Isles has a clear lineage and has stayed in many ways similar, there are still several very distinctive periods in the Isles history, where various circumstances and events lead to very different ways of life and qualities of life as time goes on. From the raiding and clan life of the ancient Isles, the the conquests of Tyrus of House Willun to the rise of the Cartwine Dynasty.
Migration Of The First Mournlyish
It is unknown where the first inhabitants of the Isles came from, but it is widely believed that they came from somewhere to the southwest, due to similarities in found clothing, artworks, metalworking and ships. The overall culture of the early Mournlyish is also largely unknown, though many things can be assumed from studying their former settlements. The early Mournlyish were believed to have not had a concrete writing system (though several different writing systems have been found across the Isle in their settlements, though they rarely all are coherent as a single writing system.) Instead, it is proposed that there was a strong oral tradition, and likely a distinct caste of individuals who's duty it was to learn and pass on oral traditions, histories and stories. This being taken from carvings found in stones depicting figures with clear badges of office (antler crowns, long cloaks and large medallion necklaces) who seem to be speaking to large crowds. Often with further symbols surrounding them.
Though their overarching culture is hard, if not impossible to pin down, life for the early Mournlyish on the other hand is generally clear and concise. The early Mournlyish lived predominantly along the coasts, likely making their livings as fishers, though the few inland settlements suggest that it is possible there was a distinct class of people who provided livestock, herding sheep, cattle and goats in a largely nomadic lifestyle. The early Mournlyish were capable of basic metalworking, but largely seemed to prefer working with stone (predominately granite, of which the archipelago is particularly rich in.)
Outright warfare appears to have been uncommon for the early Mournlyish, but low level raiding seems to have been common. Few bodies from this period that have been excavated show signs of dying due to extreme violence being inflicted on their person, however many show signs of many past injuries, suggesting that it was not uncommon for the early Mournlyish to engage in large brawls during these raids, but rarely aim to kill one another. Oral traditions passed down and later recorded after the rise of Pres Andregh seem to corroborate these ideas, stating that to kill another man was reserved for grievous insults against a person and their family, and that outside of this, it was preferred to settle conflicts through words or at the most extreme, a brawl.
Formation Of Clans
As the population increased on Mournly, a more clear history begins to be seen, as a cultural identity and shared history began to take hold. The proposed religious and history keeping figures observed on ancient carvings are believed to have been the basis for the people who would later come to be known as Coirundas, or Secret Keepers. As the Coirundas became more and more influential, more and more people began to gather around them, and soon many family heads began to appoint some of their children to be their own Coirundas, memorizing and spreading the teachings of their families. Through these more familial based Coirundas, appointed and often taking orders from their families heads, clans began to arise.
Centered around clear central leaders and their Coirundas, dedicated to teaching and record keeping, families began to gather around these authorities and began to identify with each other more and more. Many began to create symbols and take up colors representing themselves, and from there, distinct, large family groups began to form. The first recorded clan was Clan Anghear, who resided in and around an ancient castle in the southeastern tip of Mournly Isle. It was from clans like Anghear that Imperial culture as it is known today began to take form, and it is to these first clans that many modern Noble Houses trace their lineages to.
Seafaring And Raiding
As these clans and their populations began to grow, so too did the need for space to live on. Many had already traveled north to settle the other islands of the archipelago, but for the most part it had been in small numbers. Outcasts, banished and those who wanted to be left alone went north, while the rest remained on Mournly Isle. However, remaining as sparsely populated as they were, they were considered prime targets for further expansion by the clans of Mournly, who soon began to sail northwards, building their own settlements and towns, much to the chagrin of the locals, leading to frequent clashes. Over time, the Mournlyish were able slowly subsume the other peoples living on the other islands, through frequent raiding, colonization and outright subjugation. However, despite many efforts, the Mournlyish were never able to conquer the peoples of Brushwick Isle, Glasdee Isle or Lachlinde Isle. There were some successes here and there, but on the flip side, soon the peoples of these three Isles began to build their own ships, and raid the northern coasts of Mournly, creating two distinct cultures and groups. In the center, there were the Brushwickers and their ilk, the Glasdeeans and the Lachlinders. Around them were the Mournlyish and their allies, the two sides constantly raiding, colonizing, massacring and fighting one another in a never ending cycle of violence.
However, one thing did arise from this situation outside of a state of endemic warfare. Both the Mournlyish and the Brushwickers, notably their most powerful clans and kings, began to accrue vast wealth from their fighting. But, there was only so much wealth to be had on the Isles, but there was a large, vast world out there for them to explore. Little by little, both Mournlyish and Brushwicker raiding partys began to venture further and further afield, finding other civilizations out there, many of whom were richer and fatter than the people of the Isles. They were easy pickings, many largely unprepared for seafaring raids, and the ones who were could simply be avoided, instead these parties would attack villages and monasteries. They brought back to the Isles gold, silver, jewels and most importantly, slaves. A new way of life was beginning, and a warrior culture was rising up around it, one where strength, bravery and honor were highly prized.
Pres Andregh And The Kingdom Of Mournly
The other Isles raided, both one another and the societies to the south of Adearagh, but Mournly continued to grow in other ways. As the most populous Isle, there was an increasing need for a central authority, and conflicts between its own clans began to become far more common, and more worryingly, far more violent. Every major clan was vying for control of the entire Isle, destroying fields, burning ships and trampling towns and castles. If the fighting was to continue for too much longer, then Mournly would never be able to recover, and something had to be done.
Of all the clans on Mournly however, by far the most powerful was Clan Faernheim, who's ancestral castle, Pres Andregh, sat on the mouth of the Wrenhale River, at the center of the Great Bay Of Mournly, and who's fishers, farmers and herders brought in the most successful yields day in and day out. With their ports, they could strike out at their enemies on the coasts, or much further afield than any others, regularly even managing to reach to Old Aydinir. With the river, they could sail their longships up most of the island, and could effectively control travel between east and west, and by extension, control fighting between east and west. If ever there was to be a clan that would be able to take control of the entire Isle, it would have been Clan Faernheim.
Over time many smaller clans near Pres Andregh began to swear their fealty to Faernheim, and along the Wrenhale many towns and clans would fly the banner of Pres Andregh, signifying their were under the protection of the Faernheims and the Faernheims most loyal enforcers, the vicious Clan Willun. Through their rise, they were able to pacify the Bay, and the territories and clans surrounding the Wrenhale. To the east and west, warfare and conflict were still endemic, but it was a start, one that was quick and sudden, brought about by the first king of Pres Andregh, King Edeid the 1st, of Clan Faernheim. After taking control of such a large portion of the Isle, King Edeid declared his new lands the Kingdom Of Mournly, and announced that should the other clans not bend the knee to him and his constituents, then they would be put to the sword. Those who fought him would be killed in battle, and their families strung up upon the roads, so that all would know who had done it and what was coming for them next.
Some capitulated quickly, bending the knee and allowing for the banner of Pres Andregh to fly above their own, swearing their own armies to the Faernheims. Other however, refused, most notably the clans of the North Mournly Plateau, who formed their own loose coalition, declaring themselves the Union Of North Men. The war between them was long, constant, and predominantly low level. King Edeid had ostensibly managed to pacify the Isle,but he was far from finished. Many refused to acknowledge his claim to the throne and control of the Isle, even if their clan chiefs had bent the knee. Guerrillas and "freedom fighters" plagued the wilderness for much of King Edeids rule, robbing travelers killing wayward patrols, always disappearing into the hills or forests before anyone could respond. However, in time, King Edeid was able to establish full control over his official holdings, after nearly fifteen years of pacification. And from there, he set his sights on the Plateau.
The last five years of Edeids life were spent at war, killing the North Men as they called themselves, and watching as the North Men killed his own soldiers. He never did manage to conquer the entirety of the North Mournly Plateau, but his successes paved the way for his son, Edeid II, who took up the crown and continued his fathers campaign.
In time, after another two years of fighting, Edeid was able to conquer the North Mournly Plateau. At least, he was in principle. However, he ran into the same problems his father had, as the Plateau could not be so easily pacified. His reign, as well as the reign of his son, was one marred by constant brushfire war, first trying to pacify the Plateau, and then Edeid the third trying to pacify the Brushwicker raiders who so loved to travel south from their Isle for the easy picking along the war ravaged northern coast.
It was however the Fairnheims strongest allies and most effective enforcers however, Clan Willun, that managed to finally bring true peace to the Isle. In the south, the Willuns bided their time, building a fleet for their armies and any others who would sail with them, before traveling around Mournly from the Great Bay, ignoring the straight where the fighting was the most violent, and the soldiers were the most strict. Chief Kaeln lead his men, flying the deep reds of Clan Willun over their ships and displaying it on their shields, and landed on Brushwick Isle on their eastern shores with almost no resistance. From there, they marched southwards, burning villages, tearing up roads and killing all the men who opposed them and enslaving their women. After days of marching, they came to the sea, and crushed the Brushwickers against the waves, unable to flee to their own ships, being pinned between the Fairnheim navy and the Willun army. It brought peace to Mournly, and even to this day, the Brushwickers have never forgiven the Willuns for their actions.
Confederation
After the defeat of the Brushwickers and the scattering of their fleets, King Edeid III of Clan Faernheim was undoubtedly the most powerful man in Andreagh. With the combined forces of his fleets, and the Willuns armies, no other clans or Isles dared challenge Mournly, who's people were able to grow strong from the prosperity and peace brought about by Edeid III's rule. For a time, things continued on much the same, though now instead of many squabbling kingdoms on Mournly, they were replaced with one powerful one. However, the clans and peoples of Andreagh continued their ways of life much the same, raiding in the south, skirmishing with one another, herding their sheep and hunting their whales. But, Edeid III had bigger plans, and in the final years of his rule, he set a series of plans into motion, hoping to bring the rest of the Isles under his rule, through subterfuge, political maneuvering, and if need be, conquest.
His first step was the Brushwickers, but with the trauma of the Willuns march through their lands still fresh in their minds, Edeid knew he would have no hope of ever convincing them to join his union. And though Mournly was powerful, to outright invade and conquer Brushwick Isle would shatter their kingdom. The Brushwickers were a hard people, and would not go down easily. So instead, Edeid set his sights on Glasdee Isle and Lachlinde Isle, to the north and south of Brushwick Isle. He extended to them offers to join his kingdom and form a confederation, sending gifts to their clan chiefs of gold and silver, beautiful ships, and to one man in particular, Chief Colm of Clan Callaghan, was gifted the ancestral sword of Clan Kaern, the greatest rivals to Clan Faernheim during the War Of The North on the Plateau. Clan Callaghan was the most powerful clan of Glasdee Isle, and with the gifts and respect Chief Colm was given, he swore that his clan and his territory would agree to the Articles Of Union, the document of laws written up by King Edeid III, creating the basis of their confederation. Soon after, due to significant pressure from Chief Colm, many other clans of Glasdee Isle began to join the confederation as well. Wanting further protection, many clans of Lachlinde Isle also began to petition to join, and from there, King Edeid III of Mournly Isle was off to the races, his Confederation seemingly growing larger by the day.
In time, he brought both Glasdee and Lachlinde Isle under the Articles Of Union through peaceful delegation and the frequent use of gifts to powerful clans. Frystaff Isle joined soon after, when they lost a significant naval battle to the Faernheims. Moving north, many other Isles began to join as well, until at last, in the end of Edeid III's life, there were only two Isles not under the Articles Of Union. Brushwick Isle, and Karins Isle. Opposing the Confederation were the clans Cailbhin, MacCain and Cartwine.
There was talk on both Isles of joining the Confederation initially, seeing the early successes of the Confederation and the Brushwickers and Karinsians wanted to be a part of it. Most clans eventually did join, and while for the most part it was an uneasy if comfortable peace, there were those who refused. Though Clan Cailbhin and Clan MacCain were more vocal rather than physical in their discomfort and resistance to the Confederation, there were none who were more aggressive or dangerous than the Cartwines of Karins Isle. Forgoing raiding the mainlands, the Cartwines began to raid shipping and the coasts of their navies. And if the peoples of the Isles were already famed for their skill as sailors and ship builders, then there were none who were better at it than the Cartwines.