Following the destructive wake of the events at Swordcall 25 years ago, the mysterious archfey known only as the Dark Pannah has waged, literally, a cold war upon the people of Ethilistyr. Many believe it is her secret desire to drive humans from the land they call the Dreamwater. Others believe it is just her grieving from the mysterious disappearance of her most valued human student, Tim Tigeon, the once prodigal sherriff.
The proud and mysterious dwarven city of Gaulthum has loomed over Gavin Wel on the precipitous slopes of Eyria for nearly five thousand years, since the construction of the artificial volcano itself. The City’s first king was Baladhor the Liberator who lead a rebellion against the teifling slavers who held his ancestors as captive laborers, those who built the Mountain Made of Hands. The thirty thousand dwarves who live there in modern times are a noble people and operate in a world filled with ceremony, social hierarchy and a righteous sense of artistic superiority. Indeed, the crafts and arms exported from the cliff city of Ravens and Steel are among the highest quality in all DaoTyr.
The City is divided in two four vertical quarters, or castles as they are called by its residents. From bottom to top they are The Sacred Forge, The Castle Black, The Old Castle and the Eaves. The Sacred Forge is the arts district and everyone knows that the artists party the most. Here you will find taverns and travelers from all over the world. Indeed it is the only castle the xenophobic dwarves allow travelers to visit. Castle Black is where the Gaulthumian nobility rule from. There are three houses of dwarven royalty: The Gold Hammers, headed by lord Euranus, traditionally known for jewelry, the Silver Hammers, headed by lord Urthek, traditionally known for armor and the Copper Hammers, headed by Lord Dhethik, the runepriests of Moradin. All of the Nobility honors the young King Thurghiss.
The Warriors of the Steel Crow ride mechanically driven, clockwork birds and patrol the cliffs around Gaulthum. The thin road called the West Path is the only way to get to Gaulthum over land and a specially bred loaded-baring mountain sheep called the durgann is the only animal brave enough to navigate it.
All the dwarves of Gaulthum are literate in the arts and in writing runes. Facial and hand tattooing is common and indeed required for social advancement. The people have an elaborate ranking system based on braided knots of steel worn on their belts called the Quiputek. Other positions are noted by the title KHA, which means spirit guide and these are usually the rune priests and WHAREN, which means sherriff and these are usually warriors and not artists.
Found on the doorstep of a human noble family as an infant. It was the house
cook that hid and cared for young Ratzwick until he was old enough to work off his debt to the family. Finding quiet from a busy manor that was too overwhelming for a small gnome child was a full time for Ratz. the future sorcerer spent most of his days caring for the gardens and livestock. Preferring the company of the animals to that of the other children made Ratzwick the easiest target to the pranks of others. Sometimes it was just being poked with a stick more often that not it was dead village cats in his bed or headless mice in his shoes. This constant torment is the reason for his soft voice and heavy speech impediment, which is almost unrecognizable as words when he is angry, scared or tired. (Funny enough, get him drunk and he sings with the most beautiful voice) Not having any other gnomes around Clarice, his caretaker, knew nothing of the upcoming changes gnomes go through when they come of age. As he got older his skill in the kitchen and garden became something of pride to the family of the house, never giving the credit to Ratzwick, but allowing him to focus on the more posh jobs that the other servants coveted. Soon it was clear that Ratz wasn’t wanted and his isolation from others was his way of life. Often spending his time by the water drawing or singing lightly the songs Clarice would hum under her breathe all day. It was a few weeks before his “birthday”, a day like all the others that Ratzwick came in from the garden with few pulled root vegetables and found
the only person he had ever cared for dead on the kitchen floor. Grief and
sorrow over took him and soon without thinking a deep dark feeling started to grow from inside, his hairs started to stand on end and it seemed that the room grew frighteningly still and dark. It has been rumored that pixies were the cause of the storm inside the house that day, but none were to be found. What ever the cause, it was the last day anyone from his home village ever saw Ratzwick.
Moving from town to town trying to find a place where he fit it- it wasn’t until
he met the dwarves of Mons Porthos that he was welcomed into a “society”.
Ratzwick was good with an anvil and could make weapons faster than their two finest blacksmiths. Keeping to himself and quiet as a mouse Ratzwich heard many a tale of conqure and plans of war, always listening and never butting in with an opinion- this made him a great confidant to the drinking dwarves of town. Working all day and night gave Ratz comfort and meaning, days turned into months which turned into years, and it probably would have continued that way if the Great Storm hadn’t happened. It raged for days causing floods in the fields, landslides on the coasts and the death of many a man and animal alike. Ratzwick and the rest of the dwarves took to higher ground hoping to wait out the storm, but soon it became apparent that the food supply wouldn’t outlast mother nature.
Ratz was volunteered to head a party to gather what ever was left, a fools
mission for sure, but the timid gnome said nothing as he headed into town.
Everything was destroyed and as he searched further into the unknown parts of the village night fall was fast at hand, hoping to make it back up the mountain before the moon was at it’s highest, an empty handed Ratz headed back, but it seemed the elements had other plans. The thunderstorm pushed him further and further off course, it wasn’t until he was at the coast line that Ratzwick looked for shelter. Finding a small cave, he climbed in as deep as he could and hoped morning would come soon. Right before dawn the feeling of cold water woke the gnome and soon it was clear that the coast was flooding and drowning in the cave would likely happen. Panic filled Ratzwick as he struggled to get out of his watery grave. A sand dune blocked his way, at the moment which he thought was his last a strange calmness filled him and the lullaby Clarice sang to him as an infant came to mind. Closing his eyes Ratz welcomed death- but death would not answer, instead the area around became suddenly hot and dry with a flurry of movement in a circular direction- opening his eyes Ratzwick found himself in the eyewell of a tropical cyclone. A Cyclone that seem to glow a bright green, the same color green of the pedant Ratzwick always wore, the only thing he took off of Clarice’s body before he left his childhood home, speaking the words of his nurserylullaby aloud the cyclone lifted off the ground and carried the gnome into the air. Once at safety the cyclone’s winds dispersed at the sky grew calm once more. Ratz never said goodbye to the dwarves, who probably thought he perished in the roughest night of the Great Storm, and leftto find the meaning to all that happened.
Traveling the land, asking few questions and giving fewer answers Ratzwick
gained control of his powers, the strongest being that of the water elements. It wasn’t until he found Clarice’s granddaughter that it all became clear. Stories of her arcane lineage and the meaning of the lullabies (they were actually spells put to rhymes to help children remember them better). Always wanting to know more, Ratzwick Tontuu has never settled down, but always looking to know where this fork in the road will lead.
Captain of the Eladrin ship, The Illyria, Lethorian, the eldest son of Blendhaven, commands the dark mysts of Farynfel with the devil dragon Rhagnergel at his command.
Over twenty thousand Faederkin fought with the free people of the North at SwordCall. Actually an original race of Daotyr, the Faederkin are the children of the Dragongods and are a Fae race. In the seventh age of the world, the Faederkin quickly dispersed throughout the world.
So says Bahlia, the first Dryad of Golden Tree
The Dagger of Ama Gna and the Pan-Goat-Vessel
Ama Gna was a legendary assassin who once buried this dagger between the wings blades of IO himself. The IOkharic prophecy states “…upon ripening in the stomach of the Pan, the fruit that is the new Blood of IO can only be made manifest by the destruction of the goat. The Newcome Mountainfist king-to-be must drive the dagger of Ama Gna into the vessel’s gut and then upon the draining its contents shall the power be real. The dagger must be used on the vessel only after the Heart of Evil is summoned by the Newcome Mountainfist king-to-be… ”
Aimee Amiadianne is no friend of men. She believes her people have been taken advantage of by the treacherous nations of men since the dawn of their coming. Despite the continued efforts of the the good peoples of the world, most notably Lord Elmer Fellinmac, to make peace with the People of the Forever Forest, Aimee vows to thwart those efforts.
“But were not for Great Evil threatening my land that I would have been retrieved from my grave”
Valen Guildensong returned to his ancestral home at Ravenswell in The Dreamwater as a Revenant and knight, avenging his family and activating the potent magics in his blade, the mighty Larassa, which means “the River from the Sun”
Larassa, A Glory Blade wielded by Valen at Ravenswell.
The Evil Monkey Cormojo planned to hold Ravenswell for his own but could not stand against the coming of Larassa, the second sword of Glory, wielded by the Revanant knight Valen as he was assisted by the Sherriff of the Dream Water, Tim Tigean. Cormoko did manage to escape at the end of the battle.
Valen’s middle daughter, Giladna, was imprisoned by the Monkey Lord Cormojo. Valen freed her soul and activated the Second Sword of Glory, Larassa.
Valen’s trusted servant, Arghast the Legionaire, followed Valen back from the Grave.
The servant of Pelor, Highpriestess Alanna found Valen in Ravenswell and coaxed him to consciousness and duty.
a portrait of Lord Valen as he was in life, when he was King of GildenSong.
To read more on the Tragedy of Valen Guilensong, click here.
Alicia was the wife of Valen in old Khepathia. For several hundred years, this Eladrin-Raelfaen couple ruled lovingly over a large and verdant manor and vineyard known as Ravenswell. Together they bore three daughters: Oamrissa, Giladna and Gif’r’nay. Oamrissa, the eldest, was cold of heart although grim toward the ceaseless doings of her duties in life and love. Gildadna was the closest with her father as together they made the finest wine that creation has ever known. The youngest, Gif’r’nay, would grow to marry Blendhaven, the first sherriff of the Dreamwater.
Alicia was a artisan of unsurpassed skill and grace with eladrin anvil and tempering hammer. Such was her power, so trustingly given by the Court of the Archfey that she contructed the three Swords of Glory: Stykarein, Laressa, and a third whose name is lost to the Ocean of Time.
Wee Jas, who deceived all the family and influtrated their circle as the fey creature called Amadae, pitted the daughters against their parents in relentless games of jealousy and power to their eventual undoing. In the confusion of the Fall of Khepathia and the rise of the First Sherriff, the daughters saw their mother as the enemy and while Valen was defending the land from the scores of demons rising from the Abyss with his son-in-law, the sherriff, they cursed their mother to become the Anethamancer. Then it was that, forever changed, by once gracious eladrin hands, the three Swords of Doom were forged and became the most powerful tool of evil the land could ever know. The Anethamancer killed her own daughter Giladna in the courtyard of the family home of Ravenswell.
In future centuries, Oamrissa would become the Blind Queen of Old Fang and Omonyr, and Gif’r’nay would go one to bear three sons of her own with Blendhaven. Valen, in self exile, would journey west to the verdant valleys of Gildensong and form a nation of peace there. As the sad King, Valen would rule Gildensong for over three hundred years.
Chronicles of the World of DaoTyr 