Differences
This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.
| Both sides previous revision Previous revision Next revision | Previous revision | ||
| tairnadal [2020/11/01 00:45] – maitregob | tairnadal [2025/12/11 15:20] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| + | ====== Tairnadal ====== | ||
| + | [[vadallia_et_cardaen]] | ||
| + | {{:Shrine to Cardaen and Valdallia.jpg? | ||
| + | There are three known tribes or warclans of [[Elfes]] in the Tairnadal cultural tradition of northern [[Aérénal]]. | ||
| + | * The [[Valaes Tairn]], who have claimed [[Valénar]] on [[Khorvaire]]. | ||
| + | * The [[Silaes Tairn]], who remain in [[Aérénal]] and want to return to [[Xen' | ||
| + | * The [[Draleus Tairn]], who clash with the [[Dragons]] of [[Argonnessen]]. | ||
| + | {{draleus_tairn.jpg}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | //The Darguul warlord studied Caerys, slowly spinning the chain of his flail. "What could bring you to this place, Elfee?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | //Caerys held her double blade in the falcon guard, level with her shoulders and spreading out like wings. "I came in search of legends. Ten thousand years ago Daealyth of Taeri stood this ground and faced your ancestors, and twenty fell before his singing blades. You are no Dhakaani of old, and a mere twenty of you will bring no honor to the Taeri."// | ||
| + | |||
| + | //The warlord hissed in Furie, and his flail flashed in the firelight. The chain wrapped around Caerys' | ||
| + | |||
| + | //Caerys watched as the warlord fell to the ground. With a contemptuous snap of her wrist, she flicked the blood from her blade into the eyes of the stunned onlookers. She smiled behind her spirit veil, counting Les Lames arrayed against her.// | ||
| + | |||
| + | //"But forty will."// | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | The Tairnadal: These warrior elves inhabit the northern steppes of Aerenal, where they can better care for the warhorses their ancestors brought from Xen’drik. The Tairnadal have a more active and aggressive culture than the elves of the jungle. They seek to honor their ancestors by emulating their heroic deeds in the present. In the last few millennia, many younger elves of southern bloodlines have left their homes to join the Tairnadal, and what was once a minor sect is slowly becoming a significant force on the island. | ||
| + | |||
| + | There are three major groups among the Tairnadal. The Valaes Tairn is the largest; these elves believe that glory in battle is the highest goal, regardless of the nature of the foe. Most of these elves left Aerenal during the Last War and now control the nation of Valenar. The two smaller groups are the Silaes Tairn, who are determined to return to Xen’drik and reclaim the ancient realm of the elves, and the Draleus Tairn, who wish to destroy the dragons of Argonnessen. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Relations between the Tairnadal and the elves of the Undying Court are cordial. They honor the same ancestors, and respect the shared blood that flows through their veins. The southern Aereni feel that the Tairnadal waste their blood by refusing to become undying after death; the northern elves believe the elves of the jungle spend too much time dreaming of the past instead of acting in the present. | ||
| + | |||
| + | When time permits, I like to answer questions from my Patreon supporters. Joseph asks: | ||
| + | |||
| + | Who actually leads the Tairnadal elves? Is it a theocracy? | ||
| + | |||
| + | It’s an interesting question. The Tairnadal are the elves of the Aerenal steppes, and the elves who have claimed Valenar are Tairnadal elves. The Aereni are ruled by the Undying Court and the Sibling Kings. Valenar has a “High King.” But what of the Tairnadal of Aerenal? Do they have a monarch, or are they ruled by the Keepers of the past? | ||
| + | |||
| + | The reason this hasn’t been answered in the past is because it’s not a question with a simple answer. There is no single monarch or high priest who leads the Tairnadal, and the answer is rooted in their unusual and rigid culture. All the cultures of Aerenal cling tightly to tradition and the past. The Tairnadal came to Aerenal as soldiers—fresh from fighting against the giants of Xen’drik and their minions—and never stood down. What drives and defines the Tairnadal is their devotion to their patron ancestors. This began before the elves even reached Aerenal, as a basic cult of personality: | ||
| + | |||
| + | Tairnadal society is shaped by their religion. This is described on page 147 of Rising From The Last War and I’m not going to retread it entirely here. But to sum up: when an elf comes of age the Keepers of the Past determine which ancestor has chosen them, and “it’s your sacred duty… to live your life as they did and to allow the champion to walk the world again through you.” It’s important to recognize that there’s a twofold aspect to this duty. The first is that through this devotion, the living preserve the ancestors. But there is also the concrete belief that through this devotion, the ancestor can act through the revenant—that the living benefit because they receive their guidance from the dead. The doctrine of the faith is that you can only receive this guidance from the ancestor that has chosen you—which means that if you refuse to accept that bond, you are denying your community the chance to benefit from the ancestor’s supernatural guidance. Essentially, | ||
| + | |||
| + | So: Tairnadal culture is based on people emulating the lives of their patron ancestors. But these ancestors were fighting a guerilla war. Which means that the Tairnadal have to engage in endless war to follow their example… and with this in mind, they have been engaging in complex wargames for tens of thousands of years. Combatants will spare an enemy when possible—you don’t finish off a fallen foe—there is no point to a battle that doesn’t truly test the skills of the combatants, and battles are fought with spell and steel. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Working with this foundation, there are two basic aspects to Tairnadal civilization: | ||
| + | |||
| + | The zaelantar raise and train both young elves and beasts of war and burden. They craft weapons and tools, and they maintain the settled communities of the steppes. The bulk of the zaelantar are young elves. Remember that an elf receives a patron ancestor when they come of age. But this doesn’t usually happen until an elf is at least 60! In the initial decades of their lives, they train in basic skills (Background! Elven weapon familiarity!), | ||
| + | |||
| + | The zaeltairn engage in war, emulating their ancestors in the field. They are split into armies, each of when is further divided into clans and bands. A Tairnadal army is effectively a city-state. It isn’t a temporary duty; once assigned to an army Tairnadal serve until they die or until they retire (or are forced to retire) to train the young. Most armies are mobile; most of the patron ancestors were guerilla soldiers and mobility was vital; they follow migratory paths across the steppes. There are a few that are settled, based on the specialties of the ancestors represented by the army. Notably, each of the great jungles of the region—around Shae Thoridor and Var-Shalas—are home to an army, whose members specialize in jungle warfare and commando operations. | ||
| + | |||
| + | There are three great cities in the region held by the Tairnadal. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Var-Shalas is the largest city of the Tairnadal. It is the stronghold of the Keepers of the Past, and it is here that the Shanutar (council of lords) conducts its business. | ||
| + | Shae Thoridor is the second great city of the zaelantar. It is smaller than Var-shalas, but nonetheless an important seat of the Keepers of the Past and an industrial center for the goods required by the armies. | ||
| + | Taer Senadal is a fortress—but an unusual one. Var-Shalas and Shae Thoridor are surrounded by walls of bronzewood thorns, similar to Taer Valaestas in Valenar. Taer Senadal is a fortress of stone. Because it’s not a fortress built to defend the region from attack; it’s built to be attacked. Senadal can be roughly translated as “whetstone, | ||
| + | All of which finally brings us back to the original question: Who rules the Tairnadal? Are they a theocracy? | ||
| + | |||
| + | Religion is the absolute foundation of Tairnadal culture. Following the dictates of the religion sensible (the faithful receive the guidance of the ancestors), a duty to the dead (it preserves the ancestors), and a duty to the community (as the ancestral guidance makes you a more effective citizen). But the Keepers of the Past are guides, not leaders. The basic leadership role within the Tairnadal is the shan, which can be loosely translated as “lord.” Each band has a lu-shan (“band lord”), clan leaders simply use the title shan, and the leaders of armies are var-shan (“great lord”). On the side of the zaelantar, an an-shan (“young lord”) is a youth who guides a band of youths, while a tar-shan (“peace lord”) maintains a village or a district of one of the great cities. Note that shan is not a gendered term, and any tairnadal can hold this position. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The twist to this is that the characterization of Shaeras Vadallia as “High King” is largely a translation error. Shaeras is the var-shan of Valenar, the Great Lord of the Army of Valenar. it is the highest position of authority that the Tairnadal recognize, but each army has a var-shan of its own. | ||
| + | |||
| + | With this in mind, the structure of Valenar is a general model for the Tairnadal overall. As described in the ECS, there are 45 warclans on Khorvaire; this is the Army of Valenar. At any given time, twenty of these clans are under the direct command of the var-shan (Shaeras Vadallia), while the rest are active in the field. The same is true for the armies on Aerenal: each army has a core of clans that remain close and under the direct command of the var-shan, while others follow general direction but operate independently. Likewise, within a clan a certain number of bands remain under the direct command of the shan, while others may be dispersed on independent operations (scouting, harrying, etc). While the structure of Tairnadal society is relentlessly martial, they actually don’t have a complex hierarchy of ranks. Warbands are essentially families, whose members serve together indefinitely. When there is a split-second military decision to be made, the lu-shan commands and cannot be questioned. But if there are other issues, the band debates them around the campfire and consensus rules. The lu-shan does have the final say, but it is rare for a lu-shan to veto the decisions of the band without clear military reason. And if this is done, the band respects the decision because they respect the lu-shan, not because of the title alone. This ties to an important fact: those appointed to leadership roles are elves channeling the spirits of legendary leaders. Within a clan, of course the Vadallia revenant is the lu-shan, because she’s channeling Vadallia. Taeri is an unparalled swordsman, but he’s not a leader; who would even think of appointing a Taeri as shan? It is also the case that a respected revenant’s word carries a great deal of weight in matters related to that ancestor. A Vadallia lu-shan is a good general war leader, but when planning an ambush they may defer to the Falaen revenant, trusting their expertise in matters of stealth and cunning. | ||
| + | |||
| + | This overall structure flows upstream. If the shan issues a command it must be obeyed. But unless it’s an urgent matter, the shan will seek the consensus of the lu-shan. If it isn’t a question of war, they will seek the guidance of Keepers of the Past or even the tar-shan. Beyond this, each army dispatches two clans to Var-Shalas and one to Shae Thoridor. These clans protect the cities, but the shans also represent their army in the shanutar—a council that includes the tar-shans, and which is overseen by Keepers of the Past. | ||
| + | |||
| + | So once again: Who leads the Tairnadal? When decisions must be made in a moment, a shan’s word is absolute. In other matters, the Tairnadal seek consensus—whether a lu-shan consulting with their band, a shan seeking consensus from the lu-shans, or the var-shan consulting the shans. Beyond this, people respect the ancestors that are channeled; they look to those guided by ancient leaders to channel that wisdom. | ||
| + | |||
| + | All of which is a VERY long answer to what seemed like a simple question, but there you have it! | ||
| + | |||
| + | How do the Draleus Tairn and the Silaes Tairn fit into this structure? | ||
| + | |||
| + | They’re armies. The Draleus Tairn are largely defined by their ancestors; their patrons are heroes renowned for fighting dragons. The Silaes Tairn have some ancestral overlap with the Valaes, but believe that the the battle should be taken back to Xen’drik. Note that bands of Draleus and Silaes Tairn DO make expeditions to Xen’drik; the Draleus are also always preparing for the next time Argonnessen attacks Aerenal. | ||
| + | |||
| + | So are armies all made up of people who follow the same ancestors? | ||
| + | |||
| + | Not at all. Essentially, | ||
| + | |||
| + | How difficult is it for an ambitious revenant to break the mold of their ancestors and forge their own name in memory? Is this more within the wheelhouse of player characters, or are there examples of exceptional tairnadal who exceed the precedent of their patron ancestor, becoming patrons in their own right? | ||
| + | |||
| + | This is specifically discussed in this article… which gives the example of Carys Daealyth, who is guided by Daealyth Taeri, who was guided by Taeri. The main point is that those champions don’t typically BREAK the mold, they go beyond it. From that article: | ||
| + | So as a Tairnadal elf it is your duty to honor your ancestor and to do all that you can to bring glory to their name; but the hope is that in doing so you will become a vessel for their spirit and that together you will forge NEW legends—and that someday, future Tairnadal will channel YOUR spirit. | ||
| + | |||
| + | How does parenting work among the Tairnadal? Are familial relations important? | ||
| + | |||
| + | Generally, NO. Who your father and mother are is far less important than who your patron ancestor is. Tairnadal don’t maintain property, so you’re not passing your holdings down to a child. Critically, note that the Tairnadal don’t use family names: a Tairnadal elf uses a given name and the name of their patron ancestor. So Shaeras Vadallia may have been the son of Jael Cardaen and Sol Taeri; ultimately, that doesn’t matter. A child is given to the Zaelantar to be raised, and becomes an adult when chosen by a patron ancestor. And it’s worth noting that at this point, almost all Tairnadal are in some way tied to all of the patron ancestors; it’s not like there’s only one bloodline that produces Vadallias, or that you expect to be chosen by the same patron as your parents. | ||
| + | |||
| + | With that said, Tairnadal likely know who their parents are, and there are cases where relatives end up serving together in the same band or clan. So you can have siblings who feel a strong attachment or even a parent and child with a bond. But on the societal level, your personal lineage isn’t as significant as your spiritual lineage. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Can you talk a little about dynamics between Tairnadal elves and Lyrandar/ | ||
| + | |||
| + | If you can find it, this is discussed in an Expeditionary Dispatches article from WotC called “The People of Taer Valaestas.” | ||
| + | |||
| + | As called out in the previous answer, direct blood lineage is less important to the Tairnadal than spiritual lineage, and it is the belief of the Tairnadal (supported by existing precedent) that no Khoravar can channel a patron ancestor. So essentially, | ||
| + | |||
| + | Are there ever cases where a young elf coming of age is not selected by ANY ancestor? If so, how are such elves regarded by their fellows? | ||
| + | |||
| + | The Keepers of the Past aren’t selected by any one ancestor; instead, they have the ability to hear many ancestors, which is what allows them to serve in their role. In one campaign I ran, a PC played a Tairnadal shaman whose role was specifically to channel and remember a host of lesser ancestors who weren’t significant enough to become full patron ancestors, but that deserved to be remembered. | ||
| + | |||
| + | If the elf isn’t chosen by an ancestor and lacks the gift of the Keepers, what it means is, essentially, | ||
| + | |||
| + | The Tairnadal: These warrior elves inhabit the northern steppes of Aérénal, where they can better care for the warhorses their ancestors brought from Xen’drik. The Tairnadal have a more active and aggressive culture than the elves of the jungle. They seek to honor their ancestors by emulating their heroic deeds in the present. In the last few millennia, many younger elves of southern bloodlines have left their homes to join the Tairnadal, and what was once a minor sect is slowly becoming a signifi cant force on the island. There are three major groups among the Tairnadal. The Valaes Tairn is the largest; these elves believe that glory in battle is the highest goal, regardless of the nature of the foe. Most of these elves left Aérénal during the Last War and now control the nation of Valenar. The two smaller groups are the Silaes Tairn, who are determined to return to Xen’drik and reclaim the ancient realm of the elves, and the Draleus Tairn, who wish to destroy the dragons of Argonnessen. Relations between the Tairnadal and the elves of the Undying Court are cordial. They honor the same ancestors, and respect the shared blood that fl ows through their veins. The southern Aereni feel that the Tairnadal waste their blood by refusing to become undying after death; the northern elves believe the elves of the jungle spend too much time dreaming of the past instead of acting in the present. | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | Le Tairnadal : Ces elfes guerriers habitent les steppes du nord d' | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | Looking to what that means: There’s a reason we present the Tairnadal as the being pound-for-pound the most dangerous people on the planet. It’s because their lives are intensely structured and devoted to emulating their greatest champions. Tairnadal children undego decades of intense training in the path of their ancestor. If the typical human soldier is a first level warrior and the typical Tairnadal soldier is a fourth level ranger, it’s because that Tairnadal has spent a decades mastering those skills… and, as noted above, because they are further being guided and inspired by their patron ancestor. | ||
| + | |||
| + | So there’s no such thing as being a casual Tairnadal. Either you are a civilian, in which case you live adjacent to the chosen and perform the necessary tasks that keep society running… or you’re chosen by an ancestor and you spend decades in elf Battle School. | ||
| + | |||
| + | So if she was raised on Aerenal, she either was chosen or she wasn’t, and if she wasn’t it’s important to understand that she’s not part of what we think of as “Valenar.” She could still become a hero and such through pluck – but she wouldn’t be part of a warband or trained alongside potential revenants. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Now, if this was in my campaign, I’d say that she IS chosen by a patron ancestor. I’d work with the player to figure out who that ancestor is and think about why she’d be chosen, when as a half-drow she’s clearly a flawed reflection of that ancestor. Others around her would scoff and say that she can’t possibly do justice to the ancestor, and there’s your abusive environment. If it was ME, I’d have the punchline – only discovered far down the road – be that the ANCESTOR was half-drow and this has long been covered up, and that she’s the first warrior in millennia who CAN truly embody that ancestor. Alternately, | ||
| + | {{: | ||
| + | {{tag> | ||
| + | {{tag> | ||
| + | {{tag> | ||
| + | {{tag> | ||