James Murphy

Musical Cities

Spring 2015

As I get more involved with developing the world, I more frequently have to stop writing to flesh out some aspect of a civilization, character, or concept that I’ve neglected. To help myself out a bit with this, I’ve composed a list of many of the important things that I believe should be covered if one attempts to create this type of world world from scratch. I have a few different categories. The ones I’ve posted here so far pertain to history as well as how magic should be handled. They are works in progress and I am adding new bullet points from time to time:

World History

• How long have people been in the area? Did they evolve here, or migrate from somewhere else?
• How far back do recorded histories go? Whether written annals, stone carvings or stories told by griots and skalds, it’s important to know the full scope of humanity’s knowledge of its own history.
• Where did civilization begin and spread? Near fertile lands and bodies of freshwater, with access to shelter, obviously.
• What do people believe? This is more subjective to an individual region’s history, but must always be considered.
• How many languages are spoken and how are they related? Where did different languages develop and where did they intermingle to form new dialects? Perhaps there is a trade language commonly spoken among merchants of many civilizations.
• Which peoples or countries have traditionally fought each other, traded goods, made alliance, or been rivals? And where are there still hard feelings? Old offenses may be left to fester over decades; it is important to have at least a general idea of various factions’ feelings towards one another.
• Which peoples have been involved in conflict in the RECENT past? When, why, and how was the most recent conflict conducted? Who won and under what circumstances?
• Which peoples are the most advanced? This could include academically, militarily, philosophically, technologically, or magically (although there is overall very little magic left in my world, making this less of a consideration in this case).
• How does the calendar work? How do people tell time? It probably wouldn’t be the same across the board, even with a widely used system (such as the Gregorian calendar), there would still be other methods used.

Specific Country’s Histories

• Why did people settle where they did? Similar question to the larger-scale one above.
• How accessible is the area? This directly affects trade, as well as the frequency of visitors from other areas, which in turn would dictate how quickly people in the area would hear news from throughout the realm, as well as possibly making them less of a target from neighboring kingdoms.
• Weapons technology? The weapons, armor, and fighting style of a faction or country can be crucial to their overall aesthetic. Does the kingdom employ rank-and-file conscripts, heavily armored knights, or elite archers? Maybe they come from a plains region, and they fight from horseback better than those who come from forested areas?
• Who are their rivals and foes? As stated before, old cuts run deep. Maybe two lords allying their power would be practical or convenient from a narrative point of view, but if enmity exists between them then perhaps one lord’s bitterness would overrule his or her otherwise pragmatic nature.
• Who are the heroes and villains of each country’s history? Why and what does this say about them?
• What is the population of the kingdom?
• How diverse is the country? Countries with territory on the border of culturally different regions will no doubt have some intermingling. To what extent has this happened?
• What are the primary imports and exports? This will say a lot about the lifestyle or values a commoner might have; for example if a country’s main export is rice, then the villages in that area may have a stronger sense of community, due to the necessity of having large rice fields which need to be worked by many people. Compare this to areas where wheat is the dominant crop, which is easy to be grown and tended by one small family. They may have a more individualistic point of view.
• What are the recent wars or conflicts? Who won? Same idea as the above section, but on a more micro level.
• What does the terrain and landscape look like? What is the placement of farmland and water resources? I try to paint a picture for myself. What kind of climate does the region have? Temperate? Tropical? Are there more deciduous or coniferous trees? What kind of soil and bedrock do people stand on? Those in wet, marshy lowlands will have difficulty laying down foundation for building, while those living in heaths with have problems planting crops in the acidic soil.
• What kinds of flora and fauna live in the area?
• How do the citizens make their living? Be it as a farmer, crafter, soldier, or clergy, the common folk need to sustain themselves. What are the most common and acceptable ways to do so?

Magick

• What can magic NOT do? This to me is a fundamental point. What are magic’s limitations, and how do practitioners try to get around them? There must be rules to any magic system, otherwise magic fails to be viable as a narrative tool, and either seems too contrived or functions only as a deux ex machina. (The reader does not necessarily need to know what these rules are, however!)
• What is the price of using magic? Again, does anyone try to get around it? There must be a price of magic, unattainable or not understood by the common folk.
• Is there a difference between miracles and magic? Many fantasy works distinguish the two as separate. Do the gods have an active role in the world or are “miracles” really just coincidences falsely attributed to divine intervention?
• Where does magic come from? It could be bestowed by the gods, be channeled from a resource such as mana, or simply come from the personal willpower of the user.
• Are there long-term effects of using magic? They could be either positive or negative, but negative makes more sense to me.Maybe magic is addictive and/or causes insanity? I sure hope so, because overpowered mages who have all their shit together and can spontaneously conjure up fireballs or teleport sure are boring to me, and you won’t find them in my world.
• Is magic a renewable resource? Or exhaustible? If it is exhaustible, that could be a reason for a low-magic setting, where only certain remote areas still have untapped magical power.
• How are spells cast? Can they be stored or saved for later? Perhaps a lengthy incantation or ritual is needed before a spell can be cast, or maybe magic energy can be stored inside an object like a staff or gemstone for later use.
• How much is known about the laws of nature, physics, and magic? Are there some early “ologists” or researchers who study these things? When it comes to dealing with magic, I personally prefer it when little is known and less is understood. It should be something mysterious and feared.
• What varieties of magic are there? What can actually be done with magic? Whether true magic, religious or occultist rituals, or just parlor tricks, misdirection and sleight of hand, what magical or supernatural practices exist or have existed in the world? These can be herbal, ritual, or alchemical practices, or things like pyromancy, necromancy, or elemental magic.
• Do people get stronger or weaker with magic with age?
• Can the ability to use magic be lost or taken away?
• How do non-magicians view magic? For that matter, how do the people who use magic view it/themselves?
• How long do magical practices take to learn?
• Are wizards organized? Is there some form of hierarchy?
• Are magic and science compatible? How does magic interact with technology?
• Is there a magical means of transportation or communication?
• Is there forensic magic?
• How is magic used in combat, if at all?
• How was the beginning of civilization influenced by the presence of magic?
• Can magic be used in the arts?

            North-Eastern El-Shorrai before the Second age and the coming of Gwynne.

Arcaeden is the name given to the broad region to the Northeast of the continent of El-Shorrai. It is bordered to the South by the River Glavnon and Llangwood Forest, to the North and Northwest by the Avasete Mountains and the realm of the Winterkings, and to the East by the Great Atlean Sea. It covers a span of approximately 10,000 square miles, and has about 1,000 miles of coastline. Its highest peak is Cor Morthwyl, the Hammerhorn. Its climate is mostly temperate, except in the North where the winters are cold and cruel.

The indigenous peoples of Arcaeden were originally Nomadic. After coming down from the Northlands, they spread across the area, forming many disparate tribes. Over the next several hundred years many of them settled beside major rivers and lakes, near the floodplains and dells found in the middle of the region, in or near the Llangwood Forest, or in the highlands of Avasete. These disparate groups spent this time warring and trading and praying to queer pagan gods.

• In central and southern of Arcaeden, much of the terrain is lightly forested woodland, with rolling hills and broad valleys. This caused problems for the tribes that settled this area, as the valleys typically turned into floodplains in the winter, and the mud brick houses they originally built would be washed completely away. Over time, they countered this by strategically building several large structures atop some of the larger hills, once they discovered the solid granite underneath. They continued to populate the valleys though, eventually utilizing aqueducts and irrigation canals to redirect the worst of the floods away from their villages. The River Greenwater was created this way. Mills were built with horizontal water wheels at first, that vertical ones after the invention of the gear. The used the resulting energy primarily for flour and lumber production.

The Riverlanders wore clothes of wool and leather, and fashioned spiked sandals to help them traverse the marshes. Flour was their primary crop, as it was easy to grow and took far less time and effort than the rice fields that their southern neighbors were planting.

They believed in the God of Storms, to whom they prayed and gave sacrifice so he wouldn’t flood the land in his anger. They also believed in a female raven deity, Maereghan, who represented wisdom and foresight and was able to fly above the floods. They prayed to Maereghan in the abstract belief that she was able to carry whole populations on her back and save them from storms. They were among the earlier cultures to develop a writing system, carving into lacquered wood and soft rocks with harder rocks, possibly obsidian, which they would have gotten from the North or West, where underground volcanic activity had occurred in the past.  Their earliest writings tell us that near the end of the first age a hero named Geirmund united a hundred tribes and built the Castle Ardunost, establishing his clan of Geirmundings and ruling for the next 35 years until his death.

• To the North, in Alcehorn, Avasete, and parts of what is now Dresdayn:

glaciation had occurred in the mountains, but at the time it was too dry for it to have occurred at lower elevations. In the lower areas, there are many valleys as you move south, a taiga mostly covered in larch forests or large outcroppings of limestone that over time formed the many caves of the region.

The tribes here were more inclined to war than their southern neighbors.  Those living in the highlands discovered large deposits of granite and mudstone and used the former to erect castles of impressive size for the time. They wore furs of wolves or bears, and sometimes the giant elk that used to be widespread in the area, although they also used these elk as steeds. These Northmen were also the first to discover bronze smelting by accident, since arsenic is an impurity sometimes found naturally in copper. Some time later, they began intentionally mixing tin into their copper for a stronger and more durable bronze alloy. With their obvious advantage over the stone, bone, and wooden weapons of the lowland residents, they often attacked and wiped out several tribes entirely, forcing the residents to retreat for safer territory. They were unable to prevent the spread of bronze smelting technology to the south however, and before long most tribes were using bronze to forge various weapons as well as early body armor. The Northern tribes fought amongst themselves frequently, and became a grim, hard people. These people are probably descended from Huw and the first men, who escaped the Aldren Genocide and settled in the extreme Northeast, before coming down from the northern ranges to make permanent settlements.

• The Southeastern portion of Arcaeden is dominated by the Llangwood, a temperate rainforest spanning over 1,000 square miles. The soil here is very fertile, and various deciduous trees are the predominant type of flora. The River Glavnon runs northwest to southeast, widening just north of the forest to form the Wydemere, which narrows again and rushes straight through the heart of the forest, where several tributaries join up with it from the north. The tribes that settled here built dwellings into the thick redwood trees found all over the forest. Combined with the other, smaller trees, the dense forest had a canopy that shielded the floor from most of the Sun’s light. As a result, the inhabitants of the forest developed reclusively, since they had plenty of fresh water and food to sustain them. It is worth saying that these people had a strong sense of community and defended fiercely against invaders who would think to march on the forest or sail up the Glavnon.

Their religion was one of polytheistic shamanism, and one deity they worshipped in common with their midland neighbors was the female raven Maereghan, though they called her Morrigu. Worship of Morrigu was simple, but had somewhat darker connotations. They believed that Morrigu was an aspect of a trickster deity, and that if they trusted her to ferry them above the storms, she would fly to her eyrie and eat them. Some of their mentality no doubt came as a direct result of their living conditions. The Llangwood was a higher elevation than that of central and eastern Arcaeden, so floods were actually less of a problem for them. Odd then, that they adapted the belief in the aspect of the raven. They associated ravens with death and carrion and disease, and their shamans led large ritual sacrifices to the Morrigu.

Author’s note: This region takes up only one area of the continent of Elzhor-hai, and approximately 600 years later when the story takes place, there are fully fledged Kingdoms in Arcaeden: Alva, Fyde, Rookmoor, Dresdayn, and several others. I imagined this particular area as being primarily analogous to Wales, at least in terms of terrain and climate. The etymologies of many names in the area come from a combination of old and middle Welsh, and from some Norse cultures (The latter is because Arcaeden borders a Norselike country to the North). There are several other realms far larger than Arcaeden, whose culture and history I am slowly but surely developing. The Arkawa immigrating to Urs in 138 A.L. for example, have aesthetics reminiscent of feudal japan, using layered lacquered wood as armor and iron masks to frighten their enemies. They grow rice as opposed to wheat and have a distinct cultural identity that will clash with their neighbors. I envisioned them with more advanced steam technology that none of the other countries have on this continent, to play with with the archetypal medieval fantasy. Political, religious, and philosophical differences will be a main theme of the story.

Timeline of Fyddic Monarchs

Gwynne I: Founder and first King of Fyde.

With the blessing of a Priest of unorthodox faith, Gwynne rallied several disparate petty Kingdoms and led a successful campaign across the frontier lands, cutting out a wide swath of territory to call his own. After his campaign, Gwynne raised the Castle Gollenfyde over nine years in the center of his new realm. He bolstered his northern borders by marrying the daughter of the Lord of Norbury. He ruled for nineteen years before dying of an unknown illness. He was survived by his wife and three children. The eldest, Angwyn, took the throne in 21 AL.

Angwyn I: Second King of Fyde.

Angwyn was fifteen years old when his father’s crown was placed upon his head in 21 AL. He married twice during his short rule of five years, but failed to produce any heirs. He is generally remembered as being a weak ruler, who struggled to maintain his lords’ loyalty, though he was liked by his people. Ships from the East bearing settlers began to land up and down the coast, and Angwyn remained indecisive on how to control or regulate his borders. Worse, Northmen from Ardunost came down in the winter of 25 AL, sensing that the fledgling kingdom was weak. Norbury and the Gwynnfort were besieged for several months. Angwyn died of cholera in 26 AL, and the crown went to Gwynne’s second son Perwyl.

Perwyl I: Third King of Fyde.

King Perwyl ascended the throne in 26 AL at a time of great turmoil and unrest, and many thought the Kingdom of Fyde would be undone so shortly after its inception. Cammoryn quickly proved himself more capable than his elder brother, though economy suffered during his rule. He lifted the siege at Norbury and routed the Northerners from the land but the Gwynnfort was reduced to a ruin in the process. He had many watchtowers and lighthouses built along the coast to solidify his control of the sea, and barracks in several towns to help them defend themselves from attackers. He was a selfish, indulgent man. He never married, fathering only bastards, and was killed by natives in Llangollen forest in 30 AL after attempting to hunt their women for sport, only to find out the women were the more dangerous ones. The mother of his eldest bastard, who had had lived at court with him, attempted to raise her son to power with the backing of a fickle ally, but in the end, both she and her infant son were put to death by loyalists to Gwynne’s elder brother, Cammoryn, who had conveniently already begun sailing West in 30 AL to assist in the ruling of his late brother’s kingdom.

Cammoryn I: Fourth King of Fyde

Cammoryn was sixty-four when he took the throne in 30 AL. He was responsible for many economic reforms. He enabled a system of taxation on his subjects requiring each family to give up a portion of their crop or livestock to their liege lord each year. He was a pious man, and did not allow any religion other than that of the old faith of Estravia. To this end he instituted a church that even the poorest could join, giving them a means to advance their position in society. He began construction of a huge ornate cathedral next to the palace in Gollenfyde. which created many jobs for peasants. However, many the natives who’d been assimilated into the kingdom were angry and resentful, since Gwynne had initially promised them freedom of worship. What’s more, Cammoryn’s own resentment of the natives was well known, since he blamed them all for the death of

His nephew. Cammoryn further expanded his territory by marrying Lady Alva of Waynmere, a strong economic kingdom to the west. Cammoryn desired access to the westernmost reaches of the frontier, so he could launch his own expeditions into unexplored lands. The aged King Havyl ruled Waynmere from the Vallarfort, an imposing stronghold that guarded the pass through the mountains to the lands beyond. Havyl was attempting to save his sinking kingdom, which was systematically being destroyed by a few well-placed spies and an insurgency of zealots. King Cammoryn settled the matter by imprisoning nearly all of Havyl’s court and replacing it with men of his choosing, though it is said he spared a few court nobles that his Lady Alva held dear. Most of those imprisoned were put to death. After this, the king began planning for a massive western expedition, but was forced to put his plans on hold due to the remnants of the old empire that was sailing to the new land to take back what they believed to be rightfully theirs.

Under the Fyddish feudal system, society is a multi-tiered pyramid. At the top is the King, who rules from the Emerald Throne in Gollenfyde, and has historically had absolute control over policy. Advising and serving the king are the members of his court, who have varying degrees of power, and with the exception of the High Cleric, answer directly to the King. The king’s council includes:

The Majordomo: The trusted head of the household staff that speaks or makes arrangements for the king.

The High Cleric: Head the Faith of Agin, a figurehead who ostensibly controls the church, its doctrines, and its policies.

Lord General of the Royal Army: Chief of military matters and organization of the armed forces or Fyde and its tributaries.

The Royal Judge: Handles matters deemed to important for judges in lesser villages. When a case is potentially very crucial, it is placed before the Royal Judge.
The Spymaster, who uses a network of informants and other contacts to detect threats to the King or the realm, and to bring to his highness’s attention matters that would otherwise not reach his ears.

The Royal Historian: The principal of the Annalist’s Guild, a faction that receives pensions from the crown in return for their carefully and accurately written timelines, maps, and chronicles.

The Mayor of Gollenfyde: This position ensures that the King is not required to rule both the entire realm and his own city. The mayor handles much of the day to day of ruling Gollenfyde, including changes in policy, but is often directly vetoed by the King.

The Treasurer: The treasurer handles the crowns funds, keeps accounts of the receipts and expenditures from the royal treasury, supervises collection of taxes, borrows money if needed, and is the “Caretaker of the King’s Scales.”

Lords and Nobles

Below the King and his council are his Earls and Lords, who have been granted lands and titles in return for the promise of service to their king. Each lord is expected to provide a certain number of soldiers to fight for a certain number of days per year, proportional to the size and population of that lord’s holdings. All lords are required to swear an oath of loyalty to the king and become his vassal before his title becomes official. In return, lords have fairly autonomous rule over their individual territories. Each lord can have his own policies or laws so long as they do not conflict with the interests of the crown. Lords grant land to knights who then fight for their lord when need be.
The lords of the land live well. Often a wealthy man lives in one large hall with the rest of his household. He likely would have a private room for sleeping. It is common for rest of a lord’s household, such as his servants, to sleep on the floor of the main hall. The rich use chimneys, often more than one, which is a luxury out of reach of the peasantry. Many lords can afford glass in their window, but it is an expense even for them. More common in the West are thin strips of linen or horn, which are then soaked in resin or animal fat (tallow) to make it translucent. The rich have toilets with stone seats, often built into closets that hang out over the moat of a castle to dispose of waste. Disease and infection is common in lords’ households, due to unsanitary conditions of their living space.
The rich enjoy luxuries that peasants can only dream of. Meat is common and easy to acquire for them, as hunting from horseback is a main pastime of the wealthy. Beef pork, mutton, and venison are all staples of their diet, as are many types of birds. Those who didn’t live near a body of water often have man-made fishponds so they can fish.

Peasants and Serfs

At the bottom of the societal ladder is the peasantry. Most commoners are either serfs or villeins, whose lives are more or less the property of their lord. They are not free, and are not allowed to leave their land without their lord’s permission. In addition to working their own farmland, serfs usually are required to work the lord’s land a couple days out of the week, and even more during busy times such as harvest. Families that can afford it will sometimes hire farmhands in exchange for lodgings. When a serf dies his children is required to give the lord their best animal. Most peasants are forced to grain their flour in the lord’s mill, and his oven to bake the bread. They also must relinquish a portion of their grain each time.
The living conditions of peasants’ homes are usually simple, one or two room huts with wooden frames or occasionally stone, filled in with wattle and daub. There would no panes of glass in windows, just wooden shutters meant to protect against some wind. Floors are typically hard mud covered in straw for extra warmth. Homes usually have a hold dug in the middle of the room to make a fire. Chimneys are uncommon, not only because of the cost or difficulty of making one, but because the fire was meant to heat the home as well as cook food.
If there is any furniture in a commoner’s house it is very basic. Chairs are expensive and it would be very rare that someone living off peasant’s wages be able to afford one. Stools or benches are used instead, usually around an uncomplicated wooden table for eating. Tools and such are usually kept on hooks or shelves. Peasants sleep on straw and do not have pillows, instead using wooden logs covered with more straw. Candles are expensive so it is common for people to use rushes dipped in animal fat as an alternative. In some areas, particularly in the West near the Llangollen Forest, the poor build small shrines to the strange pagan deities that were worshipped in Arcaeden before the arrival Gwynn and his followers.
The poor have a monotonous, uninteresting diet. Meat is a luxury than can likely only be afforded when a family is slaughtering their livestock anyway. Pork is therefore the most common meat in the diet of Fyddish commoners, followed closely by rabbits, which are abundant in the region. They catch and eat some birds, but never rooks, which are sacred in the local pagan faith Stale bread and cheese are eaten daily. Vegetables are sometimes available, but only with proper conditions. Normally this is an adequate amount of sustenance but even a small-scale famine could cause them to starve.

Here follows the account of the coming of Gwynne of the Isle to the West, who consolidated the Sunset Lands into a unified Kingdom and was sainted after his death to become Agin, the Realmwright. — From the Fyddic annals of Hroekfyde, penned c. 38 AL

            Before the rule of Gwynne the Conqueror, the frontier lands of El-Shorrai were in chaos. Try as it might, the dying eastern empire had ultimately failed to keep its hold on the recently discovered new landmass, where dozens of men now called themselves “King.” These kings were a petty lot of grasping tyrants, using both their serfs and the natives of the land as fodder, seeking to solidify their claim to the new world and its untapped wealth of resources. When Gwynne came from the East and landed his ships at the Firth of Fyde, they fought hard against him and his leal knights’ attempts to bring order to the land. But they were as disorganized as they were dissolute, and they could not prevent the invaders from securing a foothold on the mainland, sailing up a tributary of the River Fyde and building a small motte-and-bailey ringfort as a bulwark against counterattacks, the aptly named “Gwynnfort.” He combined his forces with King Burm II of Norbury, who became his staunchest ally. It is believed by many that it was Burm himself who encouraged Gwynne to come West, to bring some semblance of control to the lawless new world.

The land reeled from the repercussions of the new arrival, and the local kings and lords conspired and bickered amongst themselves, unable to agree on a course of action to deal with the threat.  Gwynne sent envoys to the neighboring colonies, demanding that each send a representative to Norbury to acknowledge his new kingdom and his right to rule. ”Queen” Ariatra of Alva proposed marriage and alliance if Gwynne would choose her son Darren as his heir, and Lord Wullen of Weoford declared that he would aid Gwynne in battle against his enemies, but would not yield. Gwynne rejected both of these offers, and none of the other rulers were willing to submit.

Gwynne moved quickly to the attack; with nearly two thousand infantry and four hundred mounted knights he had more military forces than any one of his individual foes. He fell upon the river lowlands with his knights while King Burm struck in the North. One by one the rival Kings fell in battle, swore fealty willingly, or were killed by their own councilors. The last of the petty Kings to fall was Ulmacht of Ystradell, known as the Storm King, who bent his knee to Gwynne on the Hill of Mora after two days of fighting in torrential rains. This day is remembered as the official end date of the War of Conquest, which lasted only eight months from the day of Gwynne’s landing.

After the fighting was done, Gwynne returned swiftly North to his hidden fastness of Norbury and began making plans with his allies to consolidate his power and establish a seat from which to rule. In a prudent move, he decided to allow freedom of religion in his new Kingdom, which won him approval from much of the native population with their queer pagan gods.  Almost all of the peasantry liberated by Gwynne conquest came to him willingly. Their treatment at the hands of their previous lords had made them wary, but Gwynne was possessed of a powerful presence, commanding and charismatic. Word spread quickly of the nobility and honor of their liberator, no doubt perpetuated by his own allies. Several other lords submitted to Gwynne’s rule now, and many villages and holds were assimilated into the new Kingdom without much fuss. A few still resisted, and Gwynne’s new vassals were delighted to demonstrate their loyalty by laying siege to or burning their forts, or in the case of Castle Rookmoor, sending a single assassin through a postern gate to who killed Lord Feredach and hung his headless corpse from his own balcony before being killed himself while escaping.

The King’s coronation took place in the Gwynnfort late that year, as the days grew shorter and darker. He was crowned in front of all his lords by the High Shaman of Ayenwatha, a respected Wise Woman of the native tribes, a decision intended to show respect to the native beliefs but which some of his officers questioned. He took the titles of several of his fallen foes, styling himself as “King Gwynne Cartholan I, Monarch of Fyde and Strathgollen, Chieftain of Firth and Dale, Storm King of the River lands, and the Shield of his People.”

The day of his coronation was declared the start of a new era, and saw the implementation of a new epoch; it was the year O AL, with the start of the New Year subsequently falling on the anniversary of Gwynne’s landing on El-Shorrai. Lastly, he delegated authority to several loyal followers, declaring them his “High Lords” and giving them titles and holdings of their own. Gwynne and his knights planned to wait out the winter in the Gwynnfort, though hundreds of the peasantry would be dead from the cold by spring, Gwynne’s resolve remained strong.

Gwynne’s troubles were far from over. Relations with the natives began to sour after multiple incidents where conscripted soldiers torched their villages and raped their women, despite the swift justice dealt to the outlaws by the King. Bands of hardened Northmen wearing fur cloaks came down from the icy wastes to the North, unafraid of the cold, emboldened by tales of turmoil and uncertainty in the lowlands, and seeking to take what lands they could by force. They harassed the northern periphery of the fledgling Kingdom through the winter, until Gwynne sent his most leal knight Ser Baldric north with many warriors to deal with the threat. Ser Baldric slew their leader in single combat, temporarily routing the attackers.

As the snows melted in the lowlands, Gwynne ordered the construction of a large stone and wood castle on a promontory overlooking the junction of the River Fyde and the River Gollen. He named the castle Hroekfyde and set it as the capitol of his new country. He commanded his ships to sail East and return with more ships, and colonists to fill them. After word of Gwynne’s impressive deeds reached East across the Great Atlean Sea, this year became known as the “Spring of the Sunset Kingdom,” and even as the new realm began to prosper, secret and powerful factions in the Old Empire had their sights set on the West, and were plotting in secret to supplant the “pretender king” and his vainglorious audacity.

To be continued…

Everyone should leave their country of origin at some point if they can. This may seem like a no-brainer but so many people get the chance to see so little and that’s unfortunate. Very often it’s for monetary reasons; a huge number of U.S. citizens don’t have the means to travel due to always struggling to keep their heads above water financially. I don’t exactly have lots of extra money either, so I’m very appreciative of the chance to leave the country for study, and I’m aware of the privilege that comes with it and that not everyone is able to take advantage of such an opportunity.

Scotland and the rest of the British Isles have intrigued me for some time. I cannot go to Ireland, the place of my ancestors, because my father’s been saving up since my birth to take me, but in general, the rolling hills, crags, and grassy vales of the region exude a tone which is somehow nostalgic to me even before I’d ever been there. J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterpiece, while Eurocentric, is so similar in geography and climate to the U.K. because that is the area he related to and empathized with most, holding it near to his heart and allowing the setting he created to be so reminiscent of his homeland.

I have a checklist of things to do before I leave, and a rough timeline of the festivals and sites I’m going to. A book a week starting the week before I leave, one museum or art gallery a day, and a whole week set aside for my time out of the two cities, in the country. That will be the most unstructured time, and I’ll have to play it by ear. Compared to that, my time in Edinburgh and Glasgow should be easy to fill. The last time I was in the area for only five days and I saw firsthand that there’s far more activities and entertainment than I could possibly handle, so I imagine this time around I will have an ample amount of potential activities to fill any unscheduled time with. Before I depart, I need to set up arrangements to stay at a B&B in Edinburgh for two of the weeks. The time I spend in Glasgow will be easier to coordinate because I can use my step-brother’s apartment as sort of a home base, but I’ll still be sleeping in different parts of the city on some nights, so I’ll need to come prepared with extra money in case I find myself in an unfamiliar area.

For me, this trip will just be the tip of the iceberg. I have many plans for traveling to other countries and I have no idea when I’ll be able to make those happen, but I feel a motivation to be productive in my research and study that I’ve not felt since before high school, to be honest. I’m somewhat nervous about being completely alone in a foreign country, but English is by far the primary language of the country, so that will make things a bit easier.

That brings me to another thing that will be strange for me, which is the lack of racial diversity in the Scotland. Over ninety percent of people living in Scotland are White, which will be pretty strange for me since I’ve lived in the extremely diverse San Francisco Bay Area for the majority of my life, so that will take some getting used to. Also, even though most people are white and speak some form of English, Scottish accents are thick and enunciated very particularly; last time I was there I had some trouble understanding people, but found it easy enough to locate someone I could understand when I needed to.

My brother tells me it is quite a heinous crime to wear green in Glasgow, especially on a sports jersey or track suit and especially near the West End. Apparently this is due to a political and religious sectarian rivalry between Roman Catholics and Protestants, who are symbolized by two football teams: the Celtics F.C. and the Rangers F.C. Historically, many Irish Catholics emigrated to the East End of Glasgow due to economic hardship, creating increased competition for housing and employment.

Today, street gangs and thugs in Glasgow and other parts of Scotland tend to wear lose fitting tracksuits of varying colors instead of the signature oversized clothes and different colored baseball caps that we see have come to expect many street gangs in the U.S. to wear. To wear a green tracksuit near the West End is asking for it, apparently.

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Iron Tarkus

Were you there to watch the earth be scorched?
Did you stand beside the spectral torch?

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