Leoth
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Some info may be incomplete or missing. |
| Leoth
ʃεoþ | |
|---|---|
| |
| Type | Men |
| Affiliations | |
| Religion(s) | The Collective, Ceodin |
| Language(s) | Dael, Atherin |
Leoth (Dael: ʃεoþ tr. Leoth "The Inhabitants, Man, Mankind") are a race of Men indigenous to Celadon. They hold a timeless grudge against the Aednun, the elven race inhabiting the eastern Eýn Mountains' foothills and nearby grazelands. Leoth first arrived in Celadon after migrating north from Daín.
Physiology
Although regarded by most as similar to Dunaan, both in heritage and appearance, upon closer examination the typical Leoth man is far different from his southern cousins.
Most men of the north boast medium-sized, triangular noses, rounder faces, and almond-shaped eyes. Many tend to have longer hair, usually either blond or light brown, but on rare occurrences men can have dark brown or black hair. Light-colored eyes are a common sight, and many Leoth curiously seem to have no typical eye colors, falling loosely between bright and dark shades of blue, purple, and green.
Men among the Leoth are fit and muscular, horse-riding and general outdoor activities being a necessity, along with service in war. Women tend to be thinner, but do not lack general musculature, as they take on the same roles in society as men.
Personality
A good Leoth is bitter to his western enemy, the Aednun. To other races, however, the Leoth are welcoming and friendly, though can often appear isolated to those who are ignorant of their culture. Many seeming internally conflicted by their land's eternal war, community and well-being persist despite Celadon's bloody history. Often raised in grassroots communities and homes, the Leoth are well-mannered and respectful to other societies, but are quick-tempered when their family or culture is insulted.
Culture
Leoth are well-known across the world for their extensively variable culture, each kingdom bearing noticeable differences from the other. Although accredited for many contributions to the Collective, the Leoth, to this day, do not follow the religion. Instead they prefer their small local pantheons, many following similar traditions, but possessing differing city deities, geographical deities, or other strange spirits that are worshiped. These "microreligions" are typically referred to as Ceodin. Personal shrines and individually organized church sermons are a common sight, and the followers of all types of Ceodin will often practice different forms of divination, usually involving nearby forests, rivers, or fields.
Although living in a land of constant war and turmoil, the overall strong community bond left over from these troubling conflicts triumphs is most noticeable to the average foreigner. Leoth typically live in small hamlets and villages, with a few larger kingdoms ruling over the landscape. As a result of this, there has always been neutral land between kingdoms, causing constant feuds and wars over land claims, especially in the distant past. In more recent years, the Leoth themselves have tended to focus more on dispute land claims with the Aednun, though the many kingdoms of men still seek to settle some disputes...
Leoth are the stark contrast to their elven neighbors, valuing less of the written or painted arts, and holding artisans, architects, and leatherworkers in high regard. Throughout history, Leoth cities in Celadon have been primary trading hubs, and the Leoth themselves are even credited for inventing the basic concepts of mercantilism. The men of the north are well known for their sturdy and well-made works of leather, silks, and gilded metals, and their quality in this industry is rarely matched by anyone else.
Among the civilizations of the world, the Leoth are well-known for their nearly impenetrable fortresses and cities, that they have perfected over the ages. The city guards keep a tight schedule, and are famed for their deadly Sanael Guard, a system of night watchmen organized specifically to spot incoming attacks, alert the kingdom's military reserve, and immediately and silently eliminate minor conflicts at the city walls. Oftentimes caravans of Sanael will patrol roads within the kingdom's borders, disguised as merchants. They are an extremely deadly force, and are trained to erradicate small conflicts and insurrections silently, and lethally. These guards are especially common in cities straddling the unofficial Aednun border, such as Helmbridge and Nuraseos.
History, Legends, & Folklore
The Leoth are notorious for their varied histories and folklore, however, their history is one largely based in religious and mythical stories, leading many to question its accuracy. However, Leoth legendary record (in the form of recurring common myths among several cultures) has been considered largely canon by the Collective, and by most scholars. Fortunately enough, the Lyrians had early enough contact with the Leoth to scientifically question their religious traditions, giving the Collective a solid basis of beliefs. The Leoth are reknown for being one of the few races with a legendarium extending far into the earliest years of the Kudes Era, though some of this history is deemed too unreliable, as it predates the Dengora.
Leoth history is broken and severed, many events linking very weakly to each other, or by unreliable word-of-mouth stories. Most origin stories hold that the Leoth are a conglomerate of other bands of men, and their cultures certainly reflect this story. Before recorded time, a loose tribe of native men known as the Hadhleod inhabited the north-central areas of Celadon.
Early History
There is a long and largely unrecorded history of Celadon's greater area, and among different cultures, different stories can be heard. The common accepted theory, however, is that the people of the Hadhleod tribe had inhabited Celadon's north-central regions from the very beginning, around the same time as the described "bronze-skinned men" described by many historical documents. Some scholars lay claim to the tribe in fact being this branch of man, but most discount this theory, due to the appearances of said bronze-toned men being largely isolated to regions south of the Faelands.
The First Kings of Celadon
It is not entirely known when or how organized civiliation sprang up in the Hadhleod-inhabited areas, but according to recovered pre-impact documents (namely Gambler and the Dengora), there were indeed small communities with organized leadership before the Fall of Eolas. Many small kingdoms or clans at the time had their own countless stories of creation, and cities like Aegedon and early Muintir shared creation myths. Among most Leoth, it's regarded that the oldest kingdom is indeed Muintir, only by a few years. Cead and Ruair Háthduin are attributed to founding the kingdom, after building their castle into the massive stone outcropping beside a valley, within the forested highland. The brothers were purportedly led to the stones by a white fox, and what they found at the bottom of this were massive gold veins. The two brothers, seeing the land as full of promise, staked their flag at the top of the tallest stone. Quickly, the two built a castle within these stones, constructing the still-standing Brunan. This castle became the helm of the new Muintir Kingdom, the gold and fertile fields attracting many miners and farmers alike, to form the fastest-growing civilization in all of Celadon history.
However, as Ruair began to cull citizens from other surrounding forest clans, praising their gift from the god Dulhkin, his fame among the Hadhleod reached an impeccable degree. Many praised him as a patron saint and a savior, leaving Cead's contribution to the inception of Muintir extremely unnoticed. Enraged, Cead left service in Ruair's court, to found his own kingdom. This kingdom became known as Aegedon, the "second castle". Cead found sanctity in the gentle forests to the northeast of his brother's kingdom, but the land lacked in any remarkable resources. Cead was at his wit's end, some even going so far as to say he was on the verge of casting himself off his castle balcony, when he was greeted by a great sow, whom offered to give her kin's hide to Aegedon and its people, in exchange for his brother's kingdom. Cead happily accepted, and began plotting with his spymasters to kill King Ruair. The King of Aegedon was reluctant to have his brother murdered, but if it meant the survival of his people, he went forth with the plan.
Soon, the Prospects began to warn of a coming apocalypse, and time was growing shorter and shorter for Cead to assassinate Ruair. It was decided that the spymasters would task a mercenary to kidnap the child of Ruair, and use the boy as bait. It was then followed through with, and Cead, knowing Ruair's hubris would trump his logic, watched as his brother went after his son himself. Cead met Ruair's coming armies with armies of his own, and fought in the forest between the two kingdoms. The battle ended in a clear victory for the armies of Aegedon, and with the throne of Muintir empty, he and his people received their promised knowledge.
Although, the deception and greed of Cead did not go unnoticed by the gods. While he and his council were away fighting the armies of Ruair, a clan of barbarians sacked Aegedon, leaving much of the city in ruin and many of the citizens dead. Afterward, Cead's survival only meant ridicule and shame from all other Hadhleod, for being the death of his people. The sow was unveiled as a mighty trickster, who instead gifted those of Aegedon with faulty leather skills, favoring citizens of Muintir instead. All citizens of Muintir had now doubled the output of their city, leaving Aegedon's trade network in tatters as citizens scrambled to rebuild. Cead was excommunicated, and denied as the heir to Muintir's throne, instead favoring Ruair's son, Dael Háthduin.
These events marked the birth of early internal conflicts in Celadon, only starting several more to come, as the dynasties of Háthduin and Cead began to collide.
The Fall & the Thali Exodus
Main article: The Fall of Eolas
Although the commonly believed story of these original Leoth inhabitants is challenged by Aednun scholars, its prominence remains in the historical world. The widely-accepted theory surrounding Aednun and Leoth tensions involves the Fall of Eolas, and the destruction of the greater nation of Thäl. The ancestors of the Aednun, collectively known as the Thali, found their origins presumably in the central regions of Nortadder. That was, until Eolas crashed into the great city, decimating the entire Nortadder landscape and flattening Celadon to its modern topography.