NIALI

CITY OF GREY WALLS

1.0 Introduction..............................................................................................................................3
2.0 Overview..................................................................................................................................3
3.0 Background..............................................................................................................................3
4.0 History......................................................................................................................................3
5.0 Timeline....................................................................................................................................8
6.0 The Land.................................................................................................................................11
6.1 ARG-SÎMORÎG.................................................................................................................11
6.2 BRÔD.................................................................................................................................12
6.3 CÍMONÍEMOR..................................................................................................................13
6.4 FAELAAN..........................................................................................................................13
6.5 HORL.................................................................................................................................13
6.6 IMALDAWATH.................................................................................................................14
6.7 JOJOJOPO..........................................................................................................................14
6.8 KA’ISH...............................................................................................................................14
6.9 KAYLUND.........................................................................................................................15
6.10 LOCHAS DRUS................................................................................................................15
6.11 LURS VORGANIS............................................................................................................16
6.12 MAAKEN..........................................................................................................................16
6.13 NEJHEN.............................................................................................................................16
6.14 RÚBOR..............................................................................................................................17
6.15 RUURIIK...........................................................................................................................17
6.16 SHAY.................................................................................................................................17
6.17 SUNUM..............................................................................................................................17
6.18 TANA.................................................................................................................................18
6.19 UNVIRNAY.......................................................................................................................19
6.20 V’SHRANG.......................................................................................................................19
6.21 WAARWUGAN.................................................................................................................20
6.22 WAW..................................................................................................................................20
6.23 WOL...................................................................................................................................21
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7.0 Geography..............................................................................................................................21
8.0 Climate...................................................................................................................................21
9.0 Flora And Fauna.....................................................................................................................21
10.0 The People..............................................................................................................................22
10.1 RACIAL GROUPS............................................................................................................22
10.1.1 The Talatorim.............................................................................................................22
10.1.2 The Vulmarin..............................................................................................................22
10.1.3 The Númenórean........................................................................................................22
10.1.4 The Unvirnay..............................................................................................................22
10.1.5 The Shay.....................................................................................................................23
10.1.6 The Awartasi...............................................................................................................23
10.1.7 The Mannuva..............................................................................................................27
10.2 NOTABLE PEOPLE..........................................................................................................28
11.0 Politics And Power.................................................................................................................28
11.1 Political structure................................................................................................................28
11.2 Military structure................................................................................................................29
11.3 Factions & Intrigues...........................................................................................................30
11.3.1 The Open Door Society..............................................................................................30
11.3.2 The Belaen-an-Voryl..................................................................................................30
11.3.3 The Ardutorini............................................................................................................31
12.0 Economy.................................................................................................................................31
13.0 The City..................................................................................................................................31
13.1 Townlife & Trade...............................................................................................................31
13.2 Currency Trade Trade Routes and major markets..............................................................31
13.3 Sites of Note.......................................................................................................................31
13.3.1 NORTHERN or PRINCIPAL DISTRICT..................................................................31
13.3.2 WESTERN or GUILDS DISTRICT..........................................................................34
13.3.3 CENTRAL or COMMERCIAL DISTRICT..............................................................34
13.3.4 EASTERN or RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT................................................................34
13.3.5 SOUTHERN or ANCIENT DISTRICT.....................................................................34
13.3.6 MARINE or SEAPORT DISTRICT..........................................................................34
13.3.7 EKKAR ISLAND.......................................................................................................34
13.4 Shadow-holds.....................................................................................................................34
14.0 Niali At Other Times..............................................................................................................34
15.0 Adventures In Niali................................................................................................................35
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16.0 Tables......................................................................................................................................35

1.0Introduction
Thanks to ICE, which made Endor what it is (at least, while TE let them doing it). Some of the names
and illustrations here mentioned are copyrighted; some other not.
Many thanks to Eric Dubourg, as he helped me with the sources and is the moderator of the group, and
specially to Gabriele Quaglia, who shared with me his data about Tana and defined the Ibavin regions
and cultures. And more thanks to all the people that, like me, is working in the development of the
Eastern endor, as this work would not be the same without their investigations.
The sources :

1.-Eastern Coasts : Eastern Gazetteer, Womaw timeline, Blue Wizards (Joe Mandala,
Susan/Cory Rushton)

2.-Ormal Bay : Ormal Bay history (Eric Dubourg)

3.-LOME II (ICE Enterprises)
4.-Ibav, as it is the land immediately to the west (Cory Rushton, Gabriele Quaglia)

2.0Overview
(brief description to make the reader have a picture of

3.0Background
I have never needed to fix a temporal background to play in Niali. I have think of it as an intemporal
place, but you could suggest one to me. As I have not defined the Third and Fourth Ages, apart from
two or three main facts, there is plenty of liberty to do it. I think a good period would be the one before
the second destruction of the city, about 2300 TA, after the Ekkar island was damned by a powerful
haunting.
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4.0History
The regions known as Shay and Unvirnay were originally inhabited by some nomadic and aggressive
tribes of horsemen, called “Talatorim” (Aw. “Wild people from the plain”) by the elves of Imaldawath.
“Talatorimdor” (Aw. “Land of the wild people from the plain”) was the original name of this area.
Niali arised circa 600 SA, as a village of fishermen who had fled from the barbarian tribes which
inhabited the plains of Talatorimdor; they did not feel secure in the beaches of the region, so they
moved to the nearest island: Ekkar.
Ekkar was the core of the future Niali. The population of this island, 0,5 km from the coast, 1,3 km
long and 0,5 km wide, grew up fast, and they had to return to the original beaches to make a living, in
doing so expanding the town.
About 800 SA, the Vulmaw reached Talatorimdor. The vaste forests in the nearby, specially
Imaldawath, were a great temptation in order to build a huge fleet, and the fertile soil was a rich source
of food, that would be eventually exported, given that the population of Talatorimdor was little, almost
all of them nomadic. Therefore, they first tried to settle there, founding new towns. But they did not
counted on the aggressive tribes inland. Soon, they had to confront not only the hordes from the plains,
but the reclusive Awartasi as well, who did not wanted the foreigners to exploit their jungles. So were
the first walls of Ekkarniali built.
After 200 years (circa 1000 SA), Vulmarin decided that it was not worthwhile to fight for a prize they
had obtained in an easier way in any other place (Ormal Bay, southern archipelagos and specially, the
region of Jojojopo, where they found a kind of promised land), so they only secured their rearguard by
leaving some of their people in order to watch and contain the barbarians quite enough to not become a
problem for them. The ones who chose to keep had already made a living among the natives, most of
them getting married with Talatorim. They became almost independent, each town ruled by itself.
Ekkarniali was chosen by raiders and other criminals as a good shelter, so it was converted in a pirate’s
paradise.
About 1100 SA, some Talatherim (plainsmen) tribes from Lurs Vorganis and Rûbor had emigrated
southwards, joining the army of Múar the Balrog as he tries to conquest Ruuriik. After 1160, as
Ruuriik was under Múar’s rule, this people started stablishing in Talatorimdor, giving the name of
their two foremost tribes to the northern and southern regions: Unvirnay and Shay.
Some Vulmarin towns, one of which was Ekkarniali, initially opposed to the authority of the Shay. As
the Shay were not a big army, they had learned to be cunning; they tried a conquest by pacific means.
They instigated riots and internal struggles among the rebel towns. Their growth stagnated and, finally,
most of them accepted the Shayan ruling. But Ekkarniali, as an important piracy centre, hard to
govern, and some more remained as independent towns (‘polis’), forced to pay tributes to the Shayan.
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While Unvirnay fell down under the pressure of the native barbarian hordes and the feudal lords from
Tana, the Shayan succeed in fixing a territory of their own, and were a proper kingdom by 1400 SA.
The Unvirnay tribe, nevertheless, kept fighting for the next decades against the Talatorim and Tânim,
keeping them away from the Shayan.
Vulmarin forces had not interfered in any state of the Shayan conquest, because a greater threat for
them was coming: the Númenórean expansion. As Númenóreans sailed to the East, Vulmarin had to
reinforce their territories. To regain their influence in Shay, they dealt with the polis in search of
support, and tried to instigate revolts against the Shayan rulers. This was an easy goal, as the polis
were not glad with the payment of tributes, and they still were partially Vulmarin, so this situation
exploded into revolution, where the polis tried to gain more land and political influence among the
Shay. Some of the Shayan noblemen even assumed the leadership of some polis, in seeing so a great
opportunity to acquire more power. After some months, the Shay were forced to come to terms with
the strongest of the polis, accepting an agreement, known as the ‘Agurisgen Agreement’ (1563 SA).
The terms stablished some important points: the polis would remain independent, without paying any
tribute, and the tribes which claimed them would take a more outstanding role in the politics of the
area. They would have the obligation of helping Shay in defending against any enemy, but Vulmarin
would be treated like friends.
The four leaders of the rebel Shayan tribes were: Sûldûr Ti, a half-elf related to the Awartasi and the
original Talatorim, from the polis of Zeln, had the territories near to the mouth of the river Nenyurrist,
including the upper westernmost half of the Sittain wood. Sui Ch’iang, a Vulmarin noble, from the
polis of Pänjo, received the lower half of the Sittain wood; Hwo Hsien-pi, another Vulmarin noble,
from the polis of Saragisha, the upper easternmost half of the Sittain wood. Finally, Urgul Sëd, a
Shayan noble, had the polis of Ekkarniali, near to the foothills of the Orósulo mountains, and the lands
in the nearby. The tribe of Shay, ruled by Dabu Shay, had the rest of the lands, fixing their capital town
in Agurisgen, southeast of the Unvirnayrit.
During the next century, the polis enjoyed a great growth, specially Pänjo and Sagarisha, but this was
not to last. The Seven Years war between Vulmarin and Númenóreans, in 1715, and the following
conflicts, drove the region down again, until the First Trade Agreement between Vulmarin and
Númenóreans, in 1786 SA. The main body of the Númenórean fleet reached Shay about 1769 SA, and
the war destroyed Zeln (1780) and Ekkarniali (1785). When finished, Númenóreans reconstructed and
repopulated them, renamed as Zelón and Niali, under the Númenórean government.
The tribes of Ti and Sëd were driven north from their former territories, rejoining the Shay ranks. This
situation resulted in a subsequent dispute with the Shay, the Ch’iang and the Hsien-pi, but the
Númenórean forces were strong enough to secure their possessions. Piracy was refrained by
Númenóreans, by pursuing and killing them or by using them as corsairs to fight the Womaw Empire,
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ruled by Komûl, and the hostile Shayan, Lochaw and Vulmarin cities in the coast, specially in
Jojojopo. Niali was still the principal base for the corsair ships. The influence of the Awartasi from
Imaldawath grew stronger in Zelón.
The Shay tribe, now reinforced with the Ti and Sëd, started its expansion northwards, to the wild
territories of Unvirnay, partially reconquering the lands they visited 500 years before and rejoining the
scattered Unvirnayan, while the southernmost polis of Pänjo and Sagarisha, even though under the
Shayan rule, were in a constant internal struggle against the newcomers Númenóreans and the
remnants of the Vulmarin nobility.
In 2466 SA, the Shayan complete the conquest of Unvirnay. The Sëd and Ti tribes return to Niali and
Zelón, accepting the Númenórean rule until they can regain their former influence in the polis.
In 2804 SA, the Unvirnay tribe propose a secret treaty to the Lochaw, but it is temporary rejected,
though the Lochaw promise a further agreement. The Númenórean power is decressing quickly in the
area, so Zelón and Niali become in fact independent again.
In 3262, Khamul comes among his mother’s family, one of the Shay. It takes him about sixty years to
confront each tribe to another. The Unvirnay, nevertheless, are proner to the Lochaw, so they do not
pay attention to his machinations. The tribe of Ti in Zelón, on the contrary, is willing to serve to his
purposes, due to its strong Awartasi presence. Each of the four coastal tribes starts to build a war fleet,
in order to protect itself from the other three tribes.
In 3400, Monarlan, Khamul’s agent, unite the tribes of Ti, Ch’iang and Hsien-pi, with the fiction they
were a military objective for the Womaw Empire. Fourteen years after this, the Shay and the Sëd were
also convinced to join the alliance against the threatening Womaw Empire, as they were showed that
the Lochaw were at war with the Womaw too. Only the Unvirnay, who knew the real situation in
Lochas Drus and Womawas Drus, rejected to join them, and tried to break Khamul’s projects, without
success.
In 3452, the Shayan corsairs starts to raid along the coasts of Aegan and Thuriac Codya, crushing any
kind of naval opposition they confront. This situation lasts until 3464, when a huge Shayan fleet,
commanded by the Ti tribe, invades the Cuivac Womaw, with the goal of destroying Zhuting, the
capital city of the Womaw. They succeed, and the Sëd general Shih Le from Niali enters the city that
same year, against the orders from the Ti, which had to be the first to enter Zhuting. This fact is the
origin of the enmity between Ti and Sëd, which had to last from now on. The Womaw Moon
dissappears. Severely weakened by the hard combats and the subsequent whipping, the remnants of the
Shayan fleet must return to its homelands, after completely destroying Zhuting.
That same year, the Unvirnay tribe take advantage of the weakness of Shay and, helped by Lochaw
troops, become independent from them in 3465, after one year of battles. The Lochaw, in order to
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secure the Unvirnay southern border, had built fortresses all along the route from Brôd to the Eratanth
bridge. The Unvirnayan accepted to join the Lochaw Empire.

Eastern Gazeteer
Shaka-ahar A demon-king in Shasindi legend, possibly a memory of Dwar of Waw.

Shasindi / Shay Lochan successor-kingdom to the Empire, consisting of the central province of Shay
and lands to the northeast bordering Horl. Often applied to the entire region in the Fourth Age. Shay
lies east of the Shay Bight and west of the Orosúli, on the southeastern coast of Endor. It is home of a
large population of Shayan-speaking farmers; the Shay were originally from Lurs Vorganis and Rûbor,
settling the area in the Second Age, while many of their kindred stayed in the north. The Shay who
stayed, with the Jurchaen of Haen, formed the bulk of Múar and Khamûl’s armies until the Fourth Age.
Increasingly settled, the southern Shay (or Shasindi) became subjects of the Lochan Empire after many
emigrated over the centuries; Shasindi was a major player in the power struggles which would erupt
whenever the Dral lost control of the Empire, including the final collapse in 1794 TA. The Shay of the
independent realm of Shasindi were conquered by Khamûl, whose mother was a southern Shay, in the
22nd century of the Third Age. Taxila was the chief city of the Shay in the late Third and Fourth Ages.

Sauron’s awakening and the Belaen-an-Voryl

(TA 1050-1326)
“Around TA 1050, Sauron returned to his form in Dol Guldur. His return set in motion a series
of processes begun by his minions. The Belaen, at the news, immediately organised to take
control of Eastern lands, this time interested also in Ibav.
After sending some spies, in 1080, they started preaching the faith in Edainil. However, they did
not found a fertile terrain for their ideas, because of the strong sense of tradition of the people.
Only in small villages, among ignorant people, or in the lower parts of the cities, they found
believers. They started to gather some consensus in the XIIIth cent., when even some warriors
and priests began to sympathise with their principles, though this was mainly due to political
reasons.
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In 1326, King Yunduganay I, preoccupied about a threat to his authority, proscribed the cult. In
the following years, more than 1000 people died by drowning, the traditional penance for
‘heresy’. Much more are said to have fled in south Gaathgykarkan or Ralian.
After the Water Persecution, the surviving Ibavin Belaen started to meet secretly, and became a
cult of fanatics with the aim of subverting the order. However, the support in their task is not
much, as the Belaen are more concerned about other regions of the East.”

5.0Timeline
SECOND AGE
c.600 Ekkar island, next to Talatorimdor shores, is inhabited by some fishermen, who
establish a village as they feel secure from inlad raiders. The villagers expand to the
continental shore in a short time, making the village growing to a town.
c. 680-870 Vulmaw consolidation of power in the islands of the Southern Archipelago.
700 Foundation of the Dwarven kingdom of Ruuriik (Tumunamahal).
c.800 Vulmaw arrive to the Talatorim town of Ekkar. They make a treaty with the
inhabitants, for these help Vulmaw with the enforcement of their navy, and in
exchange, vulmaw build the first walls of the city, to protect them from raiders. This
is, as a matter of fact, the foundation of the city of Ekkarniali. In a short time, the
city became shelter for pirates and outlaws, growing as a major centre for piracy all
along the eastern coasts.
c. 960 The Númenoreans arrive on the eastern coasts.
c.1000 The Vulmaw leave Talatorimdor, but they secure their influence in the area.
989-1287 The Wan-Dral Dynasty of Lochas Drus.
1157 The Balrog Múar conquers all Ruuriik except for the hold of Barin’s folk at
Khazad-madûr. Six Shayan tribes, originating from Lurs Vorganis and Rûbor, were
part of his army.
1300 The six Shayan tribes, leaded by the Shay and Unvirnay, move southwards, from
Ruuriik through Horl, starting the conquest of Talatorimdor.
c. 1400 The Shayan settle on the southern half of Talatorimdor, that is known since then as
“Shay”, and stablish a kingdom. The Unvirnay try the same, but they are defeated
soon after by the original Talatorim, becoming nomads alike.
1563 ‘Agurisgen Agreement’ between the five southernmost Shayan tribes. The age of the
polis start with it.
1715-1722 Seven Years War in southern Endor between Vulmarin and Númenóreans, followed
9

by other conflicts all along the east and southern coasts.

1769 After some minor expeditions, the main body of the Númenórean fleet reaches
Shay, and the war worses in the zone.
1786 First Trade Agreement between Vulmarin and Númenóreans. As a result of the
Agreement, Númenóreans gain control of two of the polis in Shay. For the next two
centuries, Niali and Zelón boost their economies, population and urbanism, growing
as a reflection of any other Númenórean cities.
1942 Birth of Komûl, from Klea-shay, a Shay princess married to Khamul's father, Mul
Tanul, high lord of the Womaw.
1987-2062 Komûl rules the Womaw Empire from Laeg Góak; at first his reign is benevolent,
ushering in an ear of unprecedented prosperity.
1995 The First Acknowledgement signed between Númenor and the Womaw.
1996 Komûl accepts a Ring of Power from Daradêrien, first his father’s mistress and now
his own, at the Isle of Sunrises.
1999 Komûl drives the Númenoreans from the Empire.
2062 Aon Mûl wrests the Womaw throne away from the absent Komûl; he is backed by
Númenorean power.
2070 Exiled, Komûl at last arrives at the Dark Tower; he is truly one of the Nine now.
2248 Resurgence of the Dral Dynasty in Lochas Drus.
2466 The Shayan conquer the entire Unvirnay, rejoining the scattered Unvirnay tribe.
2741 Death of Múar the Balrog; Ruuriik freed.
2804 First contact between Unvirnay and Lochaw.
c. 2970 Discovery of the Womaw Moon.
3262-3319 Khamul comes in Shay among his mother's family. He begins to
cultivate a network of servants that succeeds in sundering the five Shay
tribes.
c. 3300 Building of the Dwarven “open city” of Fullagrod in Ruuriik.
c. 3400 Monarlan, Khamul's agent, brings three of the five Shay tribes
under the shadow.
3414-3464 The Lan Dynasty of Womaw. The Shay tribes become a threat.
3452 Invasions of the Five Tribes (Shay, Ti, Ch’iang, Hsien-pi, and Sëd) into the Womaw
Empire. The Shayan corsairs raid the Womaw coasts.
3464 Zhuting destroyed by the Sëd general Shih Le from Niali. The Palace of the Pearl,
and those hiding within, is spared. The Womaw Moon dissappears.
3465 The Unvirnay join the Lochaw Empire and defeat the weakened Shayan
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confederation. They fix the southern border along the road from Brôd to Eratanth
Bridge.
3465-TA127 The Deng (“Lantern”) Dynasty of Womaw. The capitol moved to Denteng.

THIRD AGE
27 The Dral, under Oervik Dral, lose control of the Lochan Empire. Rising of the
Unvirnayan polis of Kohbehto, future capital city of Unvirnay.
287 Bao (“Panther”) Unification of the north Womaw (Lochas Drus remains separate).
c. 1050 Arrival of Alatar (Ta Alar) and Pallando (Ando Pal).
1148 Demik Dral and Vrak Tanuk restore Dral rule in Lochas Drus.
c. 1300-1635 Khamul is back in the Orocarni, and begins to fight against Alatar & Pallando to
gain control of the area, from two strongholds in the mountain range : Sart and
Mang.
1617 The Dral hold in Lochas Drús wanes with the renewal of Wôlim power to the south.
1629 Li K’o-yung (the “One-Eyed Dragon”), a protégé of Pallando and leader of the Sha-
t’o, a Shay tribe, called in by the Tinglü to restore their power. His 40,000-strong
cavalry are called Li’s Black Crows, dressed all in black.
1635 Li K’o-yung founds the Liao Dynasty in Kätan. Khamul is called back in the west
and leaves the Orocarni.
1659 Unvirnayan troops help the Lochan against the Ka’ish, but they are crushed.
1690-1745 Life of Ringlin Sindocollo of Ralian.
c. 1714 Battle at Arxdukanga.
1735 Ringlin and Khamûl (called the spirit of death in later legends) meet in Ralian.
1794 Final division of the Lochan Empire and birth of the Shasindi state.
c. 1800 Saruman (Aruman Sa) visits the East, briefly joining the Awg Uscurac as an advisor
to the Emperor.
2063-2460 Khamul is in Shay again and the Five Shay tribes fall under the shadow. He wages
a series of destructive wars upon his homeland, using first Köngül and then Shay.
2114 The Köngül of Haen conquer Kätan. The Kätani prince, Yeh-lü Ta-shih, leads his
people to Liao-ga Kra.
2125 Under Pallando’s influence, the Emperor persecutes the faiths in his empire for their
land and gold.
2126-33 Rebellion of the Ministers.
c. 2145 The new Köngül-Shay federation formed in the steppes of Kûbor Sëd and Rûbor.
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2160-2426 Khamûl sends a messenger to Shemsin, disguised as a White Knight, to encourage

him.
2204 Shemsin proclaimed ruler of the Shay.
c. 2300 Alatar and Pallando found their separate kingdoms (Luinemar and Fëamardi) in a
sea of Shay power.
2400 (Late The last Kën loyalists defeated at sea near Hamating.
summer) Niali is destructed by war.
2400 (Yule) Victorious at last, Khamûl enters Laeg Góak. Laeg Góak again made the capitol.
2400-2688 The Shayün Dynasty. The Shayün are mostly the descendents of the corrupted Shay
tribes. Niali is reconstructed as the new capital city of Shasindi, with the name of
Taxila.
2656 Defeat of a Shayün army in Lurs Vorganis by Alatar and Pallando.
c. 2660 The White Lotus, a Ralianic cult, organizes the Red Sash revolt.
2672 Chu(r) Ôn-chang takes Yenchun.
2688 Led by the peasant Chu Ôn-chang, rebels drive the Shayün from power.
2688-FA749 Ôn Dynasty.
3017-19 The “Great Attack” repulsed by a Womaw-Ruurik alliance.

6.0The Land

6.1 ARG-SÎMORÎG

A large isle located in southeastern Endor, Arg-Sîmorîg is a blessed domain renowned for its swift
streams, clear lakes and well-protected harbors. It is among the prettiest sites in all of Endor. Situated
in the shadow of the Orosúlo, it rises out of a triangular gulf called the Yawning Bay. Two hilly
peninsulas, Faelaan (to the north) and Ka'ish (to the south), surround the seaward sides of the bay, as if
a pair of arms reached eastward from the mountains in order to capture the island and its surrounding
waters.
The Argaw rule Arg-Sîmorîg. They are descendants of the Womaw settlers who seized the island from
its indigenous Fale inhabitants. These Argawin speaking people remain close to their ancestral
kinsmen, and maintain strong trade ties with the Aegaw and Lochaw, who also descended from the
Womaw. A very civilized and urbanized society, most Argaw reside in the four cities of northern Arg-
Sîmorîg: Zyras (at the northern tip), Sómor (on the east coast), and Tor and Nhaag (north of the large,
central lake called the Stoybûr). The only remaining Fale settlements are sprinkled in hills west of the
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Akaak Wetlands, in the southwestern quarter of the isle.

Steep mountains rise along the western coast of Arg-Sîmorîg. Here, the landscape precludes road
building and most travel is seaborne. Although the area accommodates numerous fishing villages, it is
devoid of larger settlements.
Southern Arg-Sîmorîg is dominated by a vast marsh, the Akaak Wetlands. Fed by the river Akaak and
subterranean runoff from the Stoybûr, it is a sea of swampy grasslands. Few people live in this rich but
inhospitable area.
Aside from the Akaak, the Aríak is the only navigable river on the island. It serves as the Stoybûr's
only negotiable outlet to the Yawning Bay. Fifty miles long, it connects Sómor, the area's largest city,
to Nhaag, the capital. Boats from Sómor, which is situated at the mouth of the Aríak, can easily make
their way upstream to the Stoybûr. Nhaag is only a fifteen-mile journey across the deep lake.
The symbol of Arg-Sîmorîg is a diving, black marsh hawk. This stylized bird adorns the flag of the
Argaw, a triangular white banner with a blue frame.

6.2 BRÔD

Like neighboring Tana, Brôd is an inland realm situated near the southeastern shores of Endor. The
Orosúlo (Q. "Mountains of the Wind") rise to the west, while the rivers Kirmías, Runk, and Breacna
serve as the area's northern, southern, and eastern, boundaries, respectively. Since the Runk and
Kirmías serve the two principal tributaries to the mighty Ams Breacna (which empties into the sea less
than a hundred miles downstream from the Kirmías Junction), virtually all of Brôd is connected by a
riverine highway.
Brôdim culture combines the indigenous Braric traditions with influences from nearby Wôl and
Lochas. Wôlim and Brôdim peoples share a common language and social organization, and Braric
political structure mirrors that found among the Lochaw.
Sôgôl, Runk, and Brôd are Brôd's three urban centers. Situated on the southern bank of the Kirmías in
the northwest, Sôgôl commands the great pass through the Orosúlo known as the Wind Gates. It is the
largest and wealthiest of the three towns. Brôd, which stands in the central hills, is home to only eight
thousand people; however, it serves as both the political and spiritual center for all the Brôdim. The
westernmost of the trio, Runk, is a little larger than Brôd; and, like Sôgôl, is a major river port.
Located by the Runk Plunge, a waterfall where the Runk becomes unnavigable, it commands the only
bridge across the river.
A plain white orb serves as the Braric symbol. The orb punctuates Brôd's Lochan-derived flag, which
employs a four-color field. Divided diagonally, the rectangular field represents the four cardinal
directions. Red denotes the East, green the South, purple the West, and blue the North.
Originally a small kingdom founded by Womaw colonists in the early Second Age, Brôd became one
13

of the most important provinces of the Lochan Empire throughout the late Second and Third Ages.
Following the final dissolution of the Empire in the 17th-century, Brôd actively engaged in empire
building, thwarted by its equally aggressive neighbors and the overwhelming might of Waw.

6.3 CÍMONÍEMOR

Island-realm of Elves in south-eastern Middle-earth. Ruled by the parents of Elorior. The island was a
virtual paradise, and not many Elves bothered to sail West despite the enmity of Dwar's Waw in the
Second and Third Ages; the only notable time of departure was just after settlers from Waw seized the
isle in 1507 TA.

6.4 FAELAAN

Faelaan is a two hundred mile long peninsula running southeastward from the eastern flank of the
Orosúlo. The Romenëar washes against its northern and eastern shores, while the Yawning Bay forms
its southern boundary. Hilly and well forested, Faelaan is a reasonably pleasant land. The mountains
block much of the prevailing winds and a warm current insures safe sailing. Its principal river, the
Oronsîr is rich in fish and, while swift, wide and deep enough to navigate for two-score miles.
Still, the area's relative isolation and shallow, rocky soils make it unattractive for many settlers. It
remains a thinly populated region dominated by other peoples, notably the Aegaw, Argaw, Lochaw,
and Ts'dan. In fact, the region's name is Womarin and means "Land of the Fale," for Faelaan is the
ancestral home of the Fale tribes.

6.5 HORL

Horl is located south of Ralian, along the western flank of the Orosúli (Q. "Mountains of the Wind").
Inhabited by a Horlek-speaking people, it is a rich, temperate plateau.

6.6 IMALDAWATH

The Elven Realm covers the eastern forests. These are composed of decidous trees in the northern part,
and hardwood more south. The borders of Imaldawath are forested hills, that face North and West; to
the South lies the Gulf of Ibav, while to the East, the river Nenyurrist (Aw. “Waters running in the
cleft”), which flows for most of its run in a steep canyon, 20-100 m deep, makes a perfect frontier with
the Mannish lands of Shay and Unvirnay.

Elven settlements can be found mainly in the central part of the forest, where the Palace of
Dimwathbar (Aw. “Silent shade dwelling”) is located. The Awartasi mantain a series of watchposts and
tree fortresses along their borders.
14

The forest east of Ibav, also called the Great Forest, separates this land from Lochas Drus, forming an
unsurpassable barrier. This huge hardwood forest is inhabited by Avar Elves, the Awartasi (Aw.
"Forsaken Ones"), who call their land Imaldawath (Aw. "Under the Trees' Shade"). Seduced and
deceived in the Elder Days by Morgoth, they have created a peculiar Elven civilization in a bizarre
balance between Elven nature and the awaiting of the Dark Master's return.

6.7 JOJOJOPO

Jojojopo lies at the southern end of the Akensûhn mountains, on a peninsula sundering the Shay Bight
to the east and Sunum to the south. Blessed with countless harbors, a mild climate, and a wide variety
of mineral-rich landscapes, its Narnerin-speaking Jopî residents have enjoyed relative stability and
prosperity since the early part of the middle of the Second Age.

6.8 KA’ISH

Hilly and forested land north of the Ams Breacna and east of the Orosuli. Ts'dan from V'Shrang
conquered Ka'ish in S.A. 323-48. There, in Shelf-lands east of the southern Orosúli, they established
the K'Prur culture. Their Narnerin-speaking descendants reside throughout the heavily-wooded Proric
peninsula, while intermingling with various local groups. Ts'eml, K'il, K'iv, K'fig, and H'ent comprise
the area's major towns. A province of the Lochan Empire on the northwestern peninsula of Lochas
Drus, in the 16th-century TA Ka'ish seceded from the Lochan Empire and managed to hold its own
against the failing Dral line and its allies. Ka'ish under King Zemkar Šul nearly succeeded in gaining
the Empire when he married the last Dral Hionvar's widow. By the end of the Third Age, however, the
region was known as "Old Ka'ish," a backwater region.

6.9 KAYLUND

Kaylund is an island nearly all covered by forest, except in a few areas. Like Sunum, Kaylund is a
Vulmaw colony, famous for its wine exported all over the Bay, from Codya to Lochas Drus. When
Lochas Drus fell, Kaylund was submitted by force to the Folyani hegemony, and later the Cha-t'o
mercenaries established here a realm of their own under their great leader Yoenkë.

6.10 LOCHAS DRUS

Lochas Drus, the "Dominion of the Lochaw" encompassed all of the areas once ruled by the lords of
Lochas proper; the Lochans were descendents of Womaw colonists from Thuriac Codya.
Administrative units were organized along Womaw cultural lines and basically correspond to
traditional ethnic areas. This system had been instituted by the first Dral Hionvar, Woma Dral, and
15

lasted until his descendent Oervik Dral was driven from the throne and forced to commit suicide in 27
TA.
The Dral clan under Demik Dral had again taken control of the empire in 1148 TA; his descendents
ruled until the coming of the Shadow in 1617. Lochas Drus was not the great power it had been,
however, and the Empire was reeling in the face of renewed Wôlim aggression. Dwar had returned to
Waw in the 11th century TA and convinced his people to throw off Lochan rule, both on Waw and in
the ancestral homeland of Wôl. In 1507 they conquered the last of the southeastern islands, the Elven
sanctuary of Cómínóemor, and Waw declared itself the center of the Second Wôlim Empire in 1617.
The Dog-lord's ships began assailing the Lochan coasts, raiding deep into Wôl and Brôd.
The last Lochan Hionvar, Oervik-dem Dral, died leading his forces into battle against Ka'ish in 1659.
His army consisted chiefly of his own personal forces, the men of Brôd, allied with troops from Horl
and Unvirnay; auxiliary troops from Wôl marched beside them. Ka'ish had seceded from the empire,
allying itself with an occupation force from Waw. Oervik-dem was a fine military tactician, but he did
not allow for the treachery of the Wôlim, who joined their distant kinsmen from Waw on the second
day of battle. Caught between two armies, the Lochans were crushed, and Oervik-dem 's head was
taken back to Waw as a trophy. Oervik-dem had three daughters and an infant son. One of the
daughters was married to the lord of Wôl, the other two were hostages at the court of Dwar. Oervik-
dem's widow, Chandica, tried to rally the Lochan court around her infant son and install herself as
regent until he could come of age. It was not to be. The Lord of Ka'ish, Zemkar Sul, pursued his
advantage, raiding the Brôd court and carrying Chandica back to Ka'ish. He forcibly married her and
laid claim to the Lochan throne, only to be crushed as a rebel by the combined forces of Waw and Wôl.
After the division of the Lochaw empire in T.A. 1794, various successor kingdoms and confederations
arose, many of which were based on ancient cultural divisions or claims. While striving to eliminate
any obvious vestiges of their long-standing subserviency, they often retained the names and borders
bequeathed by their Lochan- speaking overlords.

6.11 LURS VORGANIS

Also called Sinkiang; plains between the Talathrant River and the Orocarni Mountains. Covering much
of the northeastern part of Endor's East-plain, Lurs Vorganis is the homeland of the Vorgani, a Tyran-
speaking tribal confederation renowned for their ability to exploit and slaughter vast numbers of large
game. Huge herds of grazing beasts live throughout the region.

6.12 MAAKEN

Maaken is a forested hilly land located to the south of the Akensûhn mountain chain. Because of the
perpetual mist that is the forest's main source of moisture, and because of its rather dangerous beasts
16

and insects, the land is only inhabited by the Yarulma, a Drûg-related folk of wild hunters and
gatherers. They know several safe passes through the Akensûhn to Waarwugan. The Akensûhn
Mountains are home to a race of fierce orcs. Another reason to avoid this land is that Maaken is home
to a fire drake, Nyxor, who uses orcs and human beings as his pets when he has the desire to do so, and
simply eats them when he is hungry.

6.13 NEJHEN

Located near the Sea of Winds, between Jamna and Sunum, Nejhen is a lowland plateau with hills,
tropical forests and wooded marsh lands. Nejhen is the land of innumerable rivers, rivulets and
streams, which is both a blessing and a curse. The rivers take their source from the Akensûhn
mountains to the east, and from the foothills of the Jagged Ridge to the west. The most notable rivers
are the Urbiad ("Foam River"), the Narûnen ("Blue Silver river"), the Jamûn, and the Meghna. The
lands are fertile, and many farming and fishing villages are established along the rivers. But sea storms
are frequent here, which cause frequent floods. The coastlands are mainly sandy and rocky beaches,
interspersed with low cliffs. The climate is sub-tropical with temperatures ranging between 18°C in the
cold season to a maximum of 40°C in the summer. Annual rainfall ranges about 350 cm. The country
has mainly four seasons, the Winter - the most pleasant season (Girithron- Nónui), Summer (Gwaeron-
Lothron), Monsoon (Nírui-Urui) and Autumn (Ivanneth-Hithui).
These lands are populated by the Nejhî, closely related to the Chasrû of Jamna. Unlike their brothers,
they were never able to establish a strong realm, being instead influenced by Jamna, Sakal an-Khâr,
Folyani and Sunum, who alternatively during history dominate Nejhen. The most important cities are
built along the coasts, usually on cliffs to avoid the effects of storms. These cities are inhabited by a
mixture of the surrounding people in the Sea of Winds and in Ormal Bay. The cult of the Shadow took
root in Nejhen fairly early in the Third Age, and Dwar of Waw had used their forces - primarily
warships with slave rowers - on several occasions.

6.14 RÚBOR

Rúbor is located to the northwest of Helcarth and west of the northern Orocarni, at the extreme
northeastern edge of Endor's broad East-plain. The Illuin Wood stretches to the north. Deciduous forest
and hills separate the high, cold grassland, from the rich Nan Kalmasîr (Q. "Lamp-river Valley") to the
east. Mornerin herders, trappers, and hunters, the Rúbor are a tough, stout people. They live a semi-
nomadic life for a little over half the year, and retreat to permanent camps during the long northern
winter. Despite the bitter cold, though, Rúbor bands hunt, trap, and fish nearly every day of the year.
17

6.15 RUURIIK

Ruuriik is a sheltered and heavily-wooded Dwarf-kingdom tucked into the northeastern flank of the
Orosúli (Q. "Mountains of the Wind"). Mountains encircle it on three sides, while the Romenëar forms
its eastern boundary.

6.16 SUNUM

Sunum is a mountainous realm located on the gulf of Sunum in southeastern Endor. It is bordered by
Jojojopo to the northeast, Nejhen and Jamna to the west, and by the island of Cimoniemor to the south.
The Akensûhn Mountains ("The Broken Hills"), whose peaks are snowcapped nearly year-round, form
its northern boundary with Jojojopo. There are several passes to Jojojopo, though few of them are safe.
The most notable peak is Mount Khorak (7450 meters), which is considered sacred by the Licchavi (a
people distantly related to the Tarlai) and to the Cha-t'o, a yellow-skinned population forcibly relocated
here by the Vulmaw in the mid Second Age. The Cha-t'o later rebelled, and formed a realm of their
own during Third. The climate is of monsoon type, relatively dry, cool winter from Girithron to Ninui,
dry hot summer from Gwaeron to Lothron, the northwest monsoon brings dry weather from Norui to
Urui, and the southeast monsoon brings the wet season (maritime winds and precipitations) from
Ivaneth to Hithui.
The main geographical feature of Sunum is the forested and fertile plateau of Jelay, which contains a
number of important villages and cities. From the foothills of the Akensûhn mountains, several
important rivers lay their course to the sea. They are, from west to east, the Songkhla ("Foam River"),
the Sawan ("Yellow river") and the Kao Phraya, named in honor of the most powerful potentate of
Sunum. There are as well seven great lakes which are interconnected by subterranean rivers.
The coastlands are sandy and rocky to the east, and in the gulf of Sunum, there are rather tall black
cliffs rising hundreds of feet above the sea, as in Jamna. To the east is the jungle of Maena, populated
by jungle orcs and by some ferocious monsters. Nothing is clearly known about this jungle, and the
legend about lost and destroyed strongholds of the Elves may be true.
The Licchavi, upon their arrival in Sunum in the early years of First Age, had a pastoralist culture:
their life was based on herding and hunting, and they were rather peaceful and secretive. Settlements
were built near the lakes or in the forests. Vul Dral, a Surk Vulmaw warrior, conquered (in SA 680) the
territories of Sunum and Jojojopo, establishing there the first Vulmaw colony, from which Vulmaw
would start to explore the Sea of Winds, the Bay of Coral Reefs and the Bay of Ormal.
Most of the large cities are built along the coasts. The most famous are Yulcaavi, the Jewel City, and
Suhn, at the mouth of Suhnji river. The interests of the colony lie mainly in the mountains, since silver
18

mines have been sunk near Mount Khorak. A snow-capped mountain below two stars on a black field
serves as the symbol of Sunum.

6.17 TANA

Tana is a mountain realm situated near the southeastern shores of Endor. The Orosúlo (Q. "Mountains
of the Wind") rise to the west, and slowly fall into foothills to the east and in deep vales that reach the
sea, while the rivers Kirmías, Usulo serve as the area's southern and northern boundaries.
The Tânim have a semi-nomadic culture, based on herding and hunting. Settlements are often built on
highly defensible spots, such as a cliff, a steep hill or a mountain-side, to defend against invaders. Few
Tânim live on the rocky seashore, due to the threat of pirates and raiders. They distrust the ways of
sea-faring peoples, and the landscape prevents the building of but a few harbours. However, the sea
grants this land a mild climate, thanks to favourable winds which blow during spring and summer.
It is only with the Lochan arrival that some few cities, including Yelshey, the Red City, are built.
Yelshey became famous throughout this region, and even as far away as Ormal Bay, because of unique
red crystals that can be found in the sand of the beaches here. These are sold at high price to the nobles
of the Lochan Empire.
Built upon a high cliff, Yelshey is the capital of Tana, and is considered by the Tânim as a spiritual and
military center - as the first the meeting place between deities who live on the mountains and those
who live on the sea, and as birthplace of Zojaw the Hunter God. The Tânim mostly honor the Gods of
Nature, Anât and Zojaw (by three sacred mountains and pilgrimage routes), but make also a tribute to
Ezan, the Sea God.
A red gem in the green forest serves as the Tânim symbol. The Tânim are very good mercenaries very
often used for tactical operation in the mountains. They never tried to increase their territory, but they
are capable to defend it until death, even against Argaw or Brodîm.

6.18 V’SHRANG

Originally settled by the Ts'dan (Ts. "Water's People") in the fourth century of the Second Age, the
five, mountainous islands of V'Shrang lie off the coast of eastern Middle-earth. They guard a rocky but
strategic channel in the Romenëar. Here, east of the southeastern part of Ruuriik, the Orosúlo rise
straight from the sea.
V'Shrang is ruled by a female Ollm (Ts. "Mother") and administered by a male O'lan (Ts. "Counsel").
The O'lan is usually the Ollm's, uncle, brother, or son. He serves as the warlord of a fierce, martial
society. Ts'dan shipwrights are famous for their T'illa (Ts. "Water-travelers"), the great warships that
once dominated the west-central Romenëar. T'illa-borne raiders conquered Ka'ish in S.A. 323-48.
These invaders reflected V'Shrang's traditional military triad, and included the Ra'thorfa, the G'ekka,
19

and the Ts'balla. The elite, all-female Ra'thorfa (Ts. "Running Fangs") serve as a mounted shock force.
They ride large, grey panthers called F'anna (Ts. "Ghost-panthers"), which are peculiar to V'Shrang
and are undoubtedly the most noble of the big cats of eastern Endor. Organized in packs of five, the
well-trained Ra'thorfan riders carry flails and a variety of lighter weapons. They comprise a formidable
and highly mobile scouting and raiding force, especially under nocturnal or arboreal conditions.
The all-male G'ekka, or "Long-ears," are lightly-armed Ts'dan bowmen. They carry elaborately-carved
composite bows. Like the Ra'thorfa, they are organized in units of five warriors called Y'wofu. Five
Y'wofu form an Y'wekka, which is the traditional foundation of any Ts'dan force. Most of V'Shrang's
warriors serve as part of the Ts'balla (Ts. "Ts'dan Mustering"). A primarily-male mixture, this grouping
of lightly-trained and irregularly-armed infantry includes all of the unmarried Ts'dan maidens and all
of the youthful Ts'dan men. While spirited, they are somewhat undependable when it comes to a
pitched melee.

6.19 WAARWUGAN
Waarwugan (Ib. "Forest of the South") is a large warm forest, whose eastern reaches turn gradually to
salty swampland. These nearly deserted region lies north of the Shay Bight, and benefits from its meek
and relatively wet climate. Tropical vegetation abounds, but most of the coast is swampy and malsane,
unattractive both for the Stone People and the Awartasi, which don’t like very much sailing on water.
Populated by uninviting beasts and insects, they are only inhabited by the Yarulma, a Drûg-related folk
of wild hunters and gatherers. Sometimes Ibaavi, Yilgaathi and Avari make expeditions in the forest to
collect the various rare herbs and woods of the region.
The hills are mossy, and the Stone People ventures into it only on full moon nights, when they
celebrate their rites on the hilltops.

6.20 WAW

Both an island and an archipelago, Waw lies off the southeastern coast of Lochas Drus, near the so-
called Shelf-lands by the Mountains of the Wind. It was settled by the Wôlim during the second and
third centuries of the Second Age, and was the centre of the Nazgûl Dwar's empire.

6.21 WOL

Wôl is southernmost of the Shelf-lands situated east of the Mountains of the Wind. Its original Wolîm
inhabitants speak a Pukael-related tongue. Long an important administrative region, Wôl sent many
colonists and immigrants to the island of Wâw. By the 15th-century TA, Wôl had become colonized in
20

turn, as Wâw became a great power in its own right. Wôl and Wâw were almost synonymous in the
chronicles of their rivals and foes in the post-Lochan period.

7.0Geography
Sittain wood (south), Unvirnay hills (north), Nenyurrist river (west), Orosúlo mountains and Dean
Wood(east), Dean river (through Niali), Jaektrae peninsula, Dean lake...

8.0Climate

9.0Flora And Fauna

Meadows horse: a little kind of horse, very tough and swift, that runs in herds all over the Shay and
Unvirnay plains. Is the basis of the Shayan army, and everybody needs official permission to hunt
them.

Water buffalo: some time ago, it could be found in the Sittainin jungle, but they have been intensively
hunted, so now, only a few of them inhabit the Sittainin, and the most are safely guarded by the marine
crocodiles in the coasts of Jaektrae.

Goats: in the hills and mountains, but the Shayan people only appreciate the cheese made from its
milk, not its meat.

Hills dog: a medium sized dog, similar to the australian dingo. It inhabits principally the Unvirnay
hills and the Orosúlo foothills, breeding in goats, weakened meadows horses and little mammals. Their
packs (5-20 members) are very dangerous when raiding the plains.
21

Although the original hill dog was little sized, it has been mixed with the big war dogs that Vulmaw
brought to the region and used during the conflicts after the Seven Years War against Númenóreans.

Marine crocodile: about 7 m. length, two of them in tail, it means death to anything more little than
itself. All along the Shayan coast, but they breed at the fiords and cliffs of the Jaektrae peninsula,
although a local legend tells about a giant specimen which inhabits the Deánxeh (if anyone has seen it,
has not returned to tell). Strong and quick, in the water and in the land, they are capable of long sea
journeys, even weeks. Their diet includes big sea fishes, cattle and other reptiles. They are lone
hunters, and male crocodiles prevent this species from growing in number.

Erinkar: a feline that can reach the lenght of 1,50 m, plus a long 50 cm tail. Its hide is golden with
large brown spots, circled in white. The Forest Leopards usually feed on birds, small mammals, and
sometimes deers, but rarely attack people; they can run very fast through the woods, and can move as
well on the tall branches of the trees. Their hide is very prized, and it is almost extinguished in the
Sittain and Dean woods.
Celaewa: A large pheasant with a coloured plumage, very prized by hunters. Its meat is not
particularly tasty, but the feathers highly decorative: Ibavin priests use to ornate their mantles with the
wing dark metallic green feathers.
Aduras: a strange beast, similar to a rhinoceros, but with some hair, and a single y-shaped horn above
the wide nostrils. Its three fingers have 10 cm long, pointed hooves. The Manmuku is a grass and fruit
eater, but it easily get frenzied if threatened, and no man nor animal one can stop it. The Ibavin fear it,
and when they can they hunt down any individuals, so that the few remaining live in the southern
glades of the forest, where the Mannuva revere it as a holy creature.
Earth Turtle – Big turtles, with a diameter of 50-100 cm, live throughout the region. The Ibavin like
to have one in their gardens, as they symbolize resistance and longevity.
Belòga: a saurian that lives in the wetlands, it can vary from 2 m to 4 m in lenght, of which half is the
big tail. These lizards have green-tan skin, and mymetyze perfectly in the bogs, where they wait small
mammals and birds to pass by. Big individuals are known to attack men, and the wetlanders have
learned to bring spears or pointed oars to keep the beasts away from them.
Belgaewa: this 3 m tall earth bipede is extremely rare, and can be found only in the Mannuva Lands or
souther wetlands. The Damelu has small useless wings, a brown plumage that covers most of his body
save the long strong legs. A large beaked head stands on a long neck. This huge predator usually feeds
on deers, large serpents, giant lizards, but can as well eat sheeps and children. Damelu birds live in
small groups of 2-6 individuals which hunt in common, whith deadly tactics.

Flora, fauna and special creatures

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10.0 The People

10.1 RACIAL GROUPS

10.1.1 The Talatorim
The Talatorim (Aw. “Wild people from the plain”) were a group of tribes which inhabited the plains of
Shay and Unvirnay during the First and the early half of the Second Ages. They were a threat to any
other people that tried to cross these lands. Their lifestyle involved riding, hunting and herding, with
no farming at all. Their skill with horses and short bow combat made them a formidable combat force,
but the lack of a strong leadership kept them from union.
10.1.2 The Vulmarin

10.1.3 The Númenórean

10.1.4 The Shay

Although the region is known as ‘Shay’, the Shayan racial group is derived from the Talatherim,
original from Lurs Vorganis and Rûbor, and is divided in some different branches. The most warlike of
them inhabit the lands west of the Orocarni (tribes like A’za, Sha-t’o, Jurkhaen or Valair, from the
Vorganim branch), and have always been involved in the struggle for power in the nearby. Some others
(Shay, Unvirnay, Ti, Ch’iang, some of the Sëd and the Hsien-pi, from the Shayan branch), joined the
army of Múar the Balrog as he leaded to conquering Ruuriik, but they did not played a major role in
the conquest. The Shay conquered lands south of the Horl and stablished there, taking up farming and
trading better than riding and fighting.
Political Structure
Now, it is a confederation of polis, each one controlling the adjacent territories and leaded by one tribal
leader, though the Shay tribe is the final ruler. This has not been always the same.

Military Structure
They have developed a refined astuteness and a great sense of diplomacy: they rarely use their own
people to open combat, preferring the use of mercenaries or political manipulation to avoid it. Only in
extreme cases or as a result of deceiving had they employed their own people in combat.

Currency
23

Appearance

Housing

Diet

Worship

10.1.5 The Awartasi

The Awartasi are a branch of Avari, that live in the deep forests of Eastern Ibav. Being touched by
Morgoth’s Evil at their origins, they have an hostile attitude towards every outsider, and isolate in their
kingdom to avoid being threatened by the outside world. The Forsaken Ones are not interested in
anything that lies outside their kingdom.

Political Structure
The King hold all powers: he makes the laws, commands the warriors, judges the conflicts, and leads
the public rites. All Elves owe allegiance to him. King Sarthang lives in its palace among refined
pleasures, and cares for his subjects only when his judgement is necessary. Sarthang is ancient and
very subtle, and cares little about tradition or Ardutor’s principles, using them at his convenience.
He greatly underestimates the Ardutorini’s power, but should he suspect that the cult is trying to
undermine the King’s authority, his reaction would be radical. In the same way, he relies in the Elves’
power to keep away all the enemies, but if the centuries-lasting peace should be broken, then he would
be the first to face the enemy on the battlefield.

Social Structure
Awartasi society is rigid and divided in castes. The King is the head of all his people, the only leader
who retains all powers. Of the common people, the most honourable are those who study and have
intellectual activity, that is scholars, magicians, seers, and artists. Then the warriors, the few Elves that
compose the regular army and watch over the borders. The rest of common Elves are mere “workers”,
without distinction. The lowest class are the slaves, actually very few, who retain no rights and in
theory can be disposed of by their masters, as objects. The class is determined by birth: so, the son of a
herder will be a herder.
The practice is quite different, and in the last centuries a little social mobility has developed, so that,
for example, a tall and strong son of a worker may become a warrior, or a talented child can be
24

accepted to study with a master, even if his father is a warrior. Moreover, slaves came to be treated
better, and some may obtain freedom by their masters after some centuries of service.
Female Elves are property of their fathers, and then of their husbands, who pay a ransom to her family
for the marriage. Only with the (exceedingly uncommon) death of father and husband can a woman
become free. Poligamy is quite common: slaves cannot marry, and warriors and intellectual may have
more than one wife, if they are able to pay a ransom for them.

Few laws exist in Imaldawath, mainly concerning penances for terrible crimes. Everyday disputes are
resolved by the intervention of a patron agreed by both parts, this usually being a scholar. Other crimes
are judged by the King, and punished with corporal penances, enslavement or humiliation.
In fact, there are always few occasions to apply these penances, due to the respect of tradition of the
Awartasi.

Military Structure
Awartasi warriors are exceptionally fierce and skilled fighters. They don’t have to work, so that they
can train with every known weapon and armor. Although they live in forests, they respect the ancient
tradition of heavy weapons and armor. They despise the guerrilla tactics used by the other Wood Elves,
preferring close combat: when at war they wear bronze or iron scale mails, and full helms. Favoured
weapons are: a long and broad sabre that they call anbrathi, used with two hands; the partisan or the
brathisphi, a sabre pointed halberd; and the ancathi, a straight and narrow bladed two handed sword.
At distance, they favour long bows of the best quality.
In times of need, every Elf can take arms, and so the Awartasi can gather up forces that equal their
enemies. No one, though, dares to challenge these fierce warriors, and their borders remain secure.

Currency
Coins are rare in Imaldawath, and are considered a relatively new invention, introduced in the last
millennia by foreign Avari. Only the King have the right to mint, but he orders only few coins every
sixty years. Every coin is handmade, and bears resemblance of Sarthang’s profile on one face, and his
device on the other. Coins are made of copper, bronze, silver, gold and jade. Their valour is high,
usually twice normal coins of the same material, but they are priceless for a collectionist.
Awartasi, for everyday trade, use barter, and coins are used only for the occasional trade.

Appearance
Awartasi are, as Avari Elves, 1.70-1,80 tall and of slender built. They have fair skin, dark hair, and
dark, blue or green eyes. They are beautiful and graceful as any other Elves.
25

For clothing, they like cotton or silk robes, long and dyed with dark colors, usually red, blue or violet.
For more practical use, they use woolen tunics and, in winter, trousers. At their feet they wear leather
shoes, sandals in summer and boots in winter.
The Awartasi use to grow their hair long, and they like jewels, especially silver and dark gems.

Housing
The Elves build wooden huts, with round or square base and pointed roof. Stocks and other big
buildings lie at terrain level, while houses are built on trees, an habit taken by the Fuinar.
Stone palaces from past ages remain, usually at the centre of settlements, and they are occupied by rich
individuals from the higher classes. These palaces are usually square structures, with two or three
floors, flat roof, and a high wall that circles a private garden. In times of war, the villagers can be
hosted here, and the warriors will defend the small fortress.

Diet
Most Awartasi food comes from the forest: they herd goats and pigs, and gather honey, mushrooms and
wild vegetables. Warriors love hunting, thus contributing to the feeding of the kingdom. Some fish is
provided by the Nenyurrist (Aw. “Waters running in the cleft”) river. Some intellectuals mantain
orchards, that provide fruit and vegetables.
In the last centuries, visitors have also brought vines, which are grown in the southern hills. Awartasi
wine is red and dry, with a low alcoholic grade. This is a precious beverage, abundant only for the rich,
who love to flavour it with spices from the forest.

Worship
Despaired for their sad fate and the obvious abandon by Ardutor, the last Awartasi retired in isolation.
Malwë, blamed for the defeat, was finnaly killed by Sarthang, a young and charismatic warrior who
took the power. His reign has seen the final resignation to Ardutor’s abandon, and a tendence towards
insight and tradition, preferred to any activity.
Few changes have occurred in Awartasi’s civilization during the following millennia. Only one event is
worth to be mentioned: the coming of Daerylor, in the late Second Age. He was an Avar Elf, the head
of the Ardutorini (Aw. “Sons of Ardutor”), a Dark cult of Morgoth and Sauron. Daerylor brought news
of the outside world, and preached to the King to continue the fight against the Western Light, for the
glory of Ardutor. Although the King was not convinced by the words of the dark priest, who
entertained contacts with the Gorodi and showed little respect for the Awartasi tradition, Sarthang gave
him the permission to move through his realm.
26

From this time on, Avari priests of the Ardutorini have visited Imaldawath, talking to the people and
convincing many to help them against the Light. Though still most of the Awartasi don’t like the
foreign dark priests, a slight change has occurred in their culture, leading to some social mobility and a
more active approach to the world.

The Awartasi believe that, for some unknown sin, maybe weakness, they have been abandoned by
Ardutor, the Master of the World, who had taught them all their knowledge. Having lost his favour,
they also lost his protection, and were defeated by the Gorodi.
They have nearly abandoned any manifest form of worship, falling in a state of contemplation of
ancient glory and traditional virtues of strenght, courage, and despise towards the weak.
A small part of them, though, is listening to the words of the Ardutorini, and some have even joined the
priests and left Imaldawath to fight the forces of Light.
Even so, tradition is still the most important thing for most Awartasi, as they believe it to be what
disticts them, the Chosen by Ardutor, by all other beings of Middle-Earth.

10.1.6 The Mannuva

Secluded and isolationist, the Mannuva (Ib.“Stone People”, Aw.“Gonnaith”) are a strange race that is
avoided by all their neighbours. Few know anything about them, as there never have been realtionships
with any stranger.

Racial Origins
The Mannuva are a Drùadan group, which entered Ibav in the early First Age. Fearing the powerful
and criel Elves, they avoided their kingdom, finally settling in the sothern forested hills near the sea.

Political Structure
The Stone People have no common political organization. They are divided into four tribes, which
usually ignore one another, although seldom they can come to arms for territorial disputes.
A tribe is composed of some villages, eaxh ruled by a shamaness: the confederation is ruled by an Old
Shamaness elected for life by the others.

Social Structure
Parentage is matrilineal, but the base social structure is the village. The Stone People practice
poligamy and poliandry, so that marriages form nets. It is usual for brothers to share the same wives,
and these can share their husbands. Children are raised in common by the wives of a house.
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Military Structure
Defense is provided by all adult males, who employ hunter’s tools such as short bows and slings, and
occasionally blowpipes. The command is usually given by the shamaness to the best hunter of the
village. The Stone People don’t use open tactics, preferring to ambush the trespassers in their territory.

Currency
No currency does exist in southern Ibav. The Stone People are amused by shining things, but don’t
give them a high value. Barter is the only way of trading with them.

Appearance
Mannuva are 1,20-1,50 tall, of strong build, and ruddy complexion. They have flat noses and deeply
inset black eyes, few hair which they gather in thin braids. The males with the gift of a short beard like
to braid and dye it with coloured earth.
The Mannuva wear little clothing, but like body decorations: especially females like to tatoo or have
ritual scars on their limbs.

Housing
The Stone People live in large bamboo huts, shared with the wives and the husbands of the family, and
their children.

Diet
The Mannuva are mainly gatherers and hunters, and feed on the forest’s bounty. They don’t know
anything of agriculture or fishing.

Worship
The Stone People worship totemic spirits in the shape of animals, protectors of villages and tribes.
They also respect the spirits that they believe to live in every aspect of nature. During full moon nights
they celebrate rites to worship the Earth Mother (Yavanna), believed to be the origin of life.
28

10.2 NOTABLE PEOPLE

11.0 Politics And Power

11.1 Political structure

Niali is an independent state-city (polis), governed by a council of ministers, one of whose members is
the president of the council. They are assisted by a senate, composed by the most important merchants,
priests and military commanders in the city.
The president of the council has only plenty of authority in foreign affairs. Public administration is
ruled by the council, with sporadic intervention of senate. Senators are a kind of advicers, for most of
them are guild leaders, and their business prosperity is the best indicator of the city’s wealth. However,
their opinion is not often heard by the council, so they promote riots from time to time.
They are not elected by people. This is not a democracy. Guild leaders are only the richest among
them. Council’s members are elected among senators by the president, and they become ministers. The
president is elected by council and senate. He (or she) must be a senator to become minister, and must
be minister to be president.
There are nine ministers: Treasure, Foreign Affairs, Justice, Commerce, Warfare, Urbanism, Feeding
(agriculture, fishing and cattle), Entertainment and Cults.
There are fifty senators, grouped in five factions. Each faction has a different number of members, and
represents a different group of guilds:

1.-10 members: CARPINTEROS, ship CARPINTEROS, carpenters, CINCELADORES,

TONELEROS, ALBAÑILES, CORDELEROS

2.-14 members: HOSTELEROS, PANADEROS/MOLINEROS,

AGRICULTORES/farmers, AGUADORES, CERVECEROS/LICOREROS, shepherds,
COCINEROS/ALBACEROS, fishermen.

3.-7 members: PELETEROS, CURTIDORES, tailors/BORDADORES, ZAPATEROS,

TEJEDORES.

4.-11 members: PORTEROS/SERENOS, MENSAJEROS/TRANSPORTISTAS,

healers/herborists, pilots/guides, MARINEROS, SEPULTUREROS/embalmers,
COMERCIANTES AMBULANTES, artists/tattooers, scribes/wisemen,
gambling/please.
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5.-8 members: LAMPAREROS/CANDELEROS, weapon smiths, ORFEBRES/JOYEROS,

glaziers, potters, blacksmiths, PAPELEROS/PERGAMINEROS, locksmiths.

11.2 Military structure

The military power of Niali is based in an almost fixed number of mercenaries, that are substituted as
they end their contracts. They are not allowed to join any guild, and they are supervised by inspectors,
designated by the Minister of Warfare. These inspectors are a kind of intermediaries between the
company and the person of the Minister, but they not interfere when the captains must talk to the
Parliament.
Mercenaries are well paid, and are grouped by companies, no one bigger than a hundred men. Each
company has a leader, a captain or sargeant, who represents the company when faced with the
Parliament, in order to fix contracts or formalizing petitions. There are corsairs too, who compose the
whole of the Nialian Navy. As they are just corsairs, not soldiers, they are usually sailing the seas
looking for preys to sack (other ships or cities). Their captains are forced to spend at least one night
each week in Niali. The same works for the mercenaries: they can stay out of the city if they do not
like Nialian barracks, but their leader must spend one night each week in Niali. In peace times, there
are about ten mercenary companies and another ten corsair ships paid by Niali. Most of them reside
outwards, but one can always find three or four of them inwards.
In times of war or emergency, a levy of about one hundred Nialians can be released anytime, from a
reserve of about five hundred inhabitants, and the number of mercenaries doubles. If it is possible, all
of them are encampmented near the walls, outwards; if it is not, the squares and avenues will fill with
tents, weapons and fires. Niali has only a warship, the “Hakkris”, which makes the function of
Almirant Ship when the navy must gather. The “Hakkris” is always in a special and protected dock,
and never goes out if it is not war time.

11.3 Factions & Intrigues

The internal struggles for power and influence in the city has prevented Niali and some of the other
polis in the Shay area (Zelón, ) from becoming any more than just a big city, not an empire. One of
the most loved hobbies of the Nialian people seems to be joining a sect.

11.3.1 The Great Defender

11.3.2 Lonlaif Tuvána (Long life to Vana)

30

11.3.3 Nopraokopex (New Order)

11.3.4 Pacbetbih (Dawn’s Children)

11.3.5 Nopraokpyr (Order Circle)

11.3.6 Kohinha Hocktejib (Death Carriers)

11.3.7 Kushari Meinjavaur (Dark Avari, in reference to Awartasi)

11.3.8 The Open Door Society

The history of Ibav has often seen the existence of lobbies and secret societies which tried to influence
politics. The Open Door Society (Ib. “Abalar-min”) is the most influent of these groups: founded
shortly after the crowning of Gangoy, it is composed by priests and some warriors who share the
opinion that the only way to strenghten Ibav is to open the borders to foreign people, traders and
thinkers, and to give more freedom of action to the priests, abolishing the suffocating control of the
King’s men.

11.3.9 The Belaen-an-Voryl

The Belaen-an-Voryl (Av. “Sunsdeath from Hunger”), is an order of dark priests, founded in the
Second Age by Ulgarin the Half-elf, with the task of spreading the worship of Sauron throughout the
East. Its members are mainly travelling preachers who speak of Edainil (Av. “Friend of Men”), and try
to manipulate powerful individuals to achieve the goals of their Dark Master.

11.3.10 The Ardutorini

A high member of the Belaen, the Elf Daerylor, has been appointed to found a new order, and adapt
Sauron’s principles to Awarta culture, to bring the Elves under the worship of the Dark Lord.
The core belief of the Ardutorini is that Ardutor has left the world, angered by the scarce faith of its
followers. Shortly after, the Western Light tried to conquer the World, but the first disciple of Ardutor,
Morothor (Aw. “Black Warrior” i.e. Sauron) united the faithful peoples to defend Middle-Earth.
Morothor is still fighting the enemy, and in the last battle Ardutor will return, to help His followers,
and rule again the World.
Daerylor and his disciples can speak freely in Imaldawath, and some Elves pay them attention, joining
the group with the hope of a redemption of their forsaken people.
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12.0 Economy
Commerce, illegal activities,

13.0 The City

13.1 Townlife & Trade

Very eclectic.

13.2 Currency Trade Trade Routes and major markets

Three principal routes: to Jojojopo and bordering the eastern coast, to Eratanth and through the Deán
Lake, to Brôd.

13.3 Sites of Note

13.3.1 NORTHERN or PRINCIPAL DISTRICT
Noblemen and high ranking people live here. You can find thermae, circus, townhall and city archives,
the biggest gardens in Niali, the general water supply and the fairs placement are in this district.
1) Zoo: There are no animals here now. It is being reformed in order to receive more sunlight.
Beasts have been translated to a natural reserve.
2) Food Store: Food for beasts in the zoologic is stored here. When it is the season, it is used by
feriants and jail workers to store food too. It is always guarded by six city guards at least, in
order to keep beggars and smugglers away.
3) Fighting Arena: This little arena is the scenery for several competitions: fighting, singing,
poetry,... and it is used as a sky-opened theatre too. Racing and athletics are placed all over the
city.
4) Executioner: Cantralo is the one and only official executioner in the city. His art is well
appreciated several kilometres round the city. He works a lot, and has a high wage, so he is one
of the richer persons in the city. Officially, he is employed by the Justice Ministry, but he
accepts any kind of minor tasks. He is also a skilled torturer.
5) Thermae Calorta: although it is a public service, entrance costs 2 sp, so only the wealthy can
pay the cost. It is an enormous building with a sky-opened pool, thermae and a garden with
springs for relaxing. This is a common meeting point for important people, and, of course, spies
too. It is permanently guarded by twenty city guards. The building is three floors tall at the
thermae place (21 m. height), where one can find wide galleries bordering the pools. First floor
galleries even pass over the sky-opened pools and garden, whose walls are 15 m. height. The
32

front is made from granitic and sand stone. The inner walls are from beige brown-seamed
marble .
6) Tencraon Manor: same as the other manors in this district, it possesses three floors and a wide
inner sky-opened reservoir, accessible from the gallery which constitutes the lower floor. Five
city guards watch for the manor 24 hours a day. Tencraon, Minister of Justice, is one of the
honest politicians in Niali.
7) Alcatar Manor: Alcatar is the Minister of Commerce, and one of the worst criminals in Niali.
He drives almost the whole smuggling and slavery business. He has rejected the official escort
service, but he counts on his own hired assassins. He is also the leader in the shadow of the sect
called “Kohinha Hochtejib” (“Death Bringers”), whose rituals include human sacrifices.
8) Kûmil Manor: Kûmil is the Minister of Warfare. He administers the city guard, the navy and
the army. He is an impressive master of strategy, but his enrichment in the Parliament has
corrupted him. He always complains, reasonably, about the fact of the lack of men, but he hires
the city guard to those who can pay the cost (Berko is his preferred client). This illegal activity
is quite profitable for him, and nobody dares to inform on it. There are six city guards watching
for his manor.
9) Berko Manor: Berko is the Minister of Urbanism. He cares for the good state of Niali and
concedes construction licenses. Of course, his manor is the most luxurious in Niali, and he
owns a lot of other manors along the coast an inland. Reconstruction of Southern District (the
oldest one) is taking a long time since he reached his ministry. He resides most of time in a
fortress he has in a coastal village, 80 km. from Niali. Three city guards watch for his manor in
Niali, and some others, the rest of his houses. He often discuss with Kûmil about the cost of
such a protection.
10) Real state: Grako, elder son of Berko, drives this business. It is rather normal to throw off the
poorest inhabitants in order to offer their homes to wealthier clients.
11) Revinu manor: Revinu is the Captain of the Harbour, and a main senator. As a smuggler and
cargos controller, he is a very rich man. He is also a deadly foe of Alcatar, and pursues to
displace him off Council. In addition to his own bodyguards, he has eight city guards who
protect him.His daughter, Yeldina, is an Alcatar ‘s lover (who thinks his lover’s name is Belna),
and she is a very efficient spy for her father.
12) Léreto manor: Léreto is the minister of Feeding. He cares for the logistics of the city. He is
forced to make business with Alcatar, but he cannot compete against the minister of Commerce,
in power and influence, so his functions are only an extension of Alcatar’s will. This minister is
then controlled by Alcatar too, and Léreto must keep himself apart. But Léreto is also the leader
of the sect “Nopraokpyr” (“Ring of Order”), a kind of justice-makers who try to impose law
33

and justice all over Niali, by fighting criminals with their own arms and no matter who could
result damaged. They have tried to kill Alcatar for four times, but Alcatar is convinced that
Revinu is the one who did it.
13) Frogamo manor: Frogamo is the minister of Entertainment: libraries, fairs, markets and local
celebrations are of his responsibility. Although he behaves and looks like a stupid and coward
fool, as a matter of fact he pursues a very ambitious goal. He has attracted sympathies from
common people and part of senators, who do not perceive any threat from him. He aspires to be
erected as the dictator of the city, while the rest of the ministers and senators cannot figure the
reason why he still remains where he is.
14) Zendais manor: Senator Zendais is the leader of the Artist and Bards Guild. The way he has
reached his actual position is a real mistery for the rest of the parliament, because the most of
nialian habitual dwellers do not have neither wish nor free time to visit the few theatres in the
city. Actually, Zendais alias Gramtakare is the owner of all of the gambling houses of the city
and the bigger extortion net of possibly the whole Lochas Drus. The few who know who he is
are afraid enough to not dare to unmask him. Zendais is an anonymus individual, but his alter
ego Gramtakare is the most feared person in Niali. He is out of the city the most of the time.
15) Gambling house “Fortune”: three incredibly flamboyant floors, in and outdoors, make this
building the most luxurious and famous in Niali. Entrance tax is insultingly expensive (5 gp or
more), vigilance unsurpassable and, of course, the right of admission is reserved.
16) “The Lotus Bed” brothel:
17) Timopar manor:
18) “Elmer’s Waxcrafts”:
19) Licaon, the moneylender:
20) Niali’s Record Office:
21) Niali’s Reservoir:
22) Gambling house “The Clover”:
23) Cedrij brothers, moneylenders:
24) “The Golden Garden” brothel:
25) Autumn Square:
26) Gambling house “Cornucopy”:
27) “The Haunted Crown” brothel:
28) Teka, the moneylender:
29) School:
30) “Ibon’s Place” inn:
31) “The Blue Roof” tavern:
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32) Guard’s barracks:

33) “The Long Way” tavern:

13.3.2 WESTERN or GUILDS DISTRICT

The most of the commercial activity in the city occurs here. Shops are grouped by guilds and by
streets. The jail, court and public finance are in the same building. The general headquarter for the
military forces is here too.

1) Prison:
2) Embalmers Guild:
3) “Deán”, the Magnificent Theatre:
4) “Theater of the West”:
5) Ashima, the tatoo maker:
6) “Water Buffalo”, transports:
7) Kruo do Armenal manor:
8) Ormon Eerin manor:

13.3.3 CENTRAL or COMMERCIAL DISTRICT

Carpenters and scholars guilds, and the central market locate here.

1)Temple of Txila:
2)Krolora manor:
3)Central marketplace:
4)Trecae manor:
5)Nialian High school:
6)Yin-Kuo’s Martial arts donjon:
7)Gred, the butlers renter:
8)Dinar, the moneylender:
9)Gambling house “Txila’s Dance”:
10)“Sky blue” brothel:
11)“Big Torga” tavern:
35

13.3.4 EASTERN or RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT

The commercial activity is very poor. It is inhabited by sailors, farmers, civil servants and all of the
people who can afford any additional residence, out of the business building. The city library and the
city bank are here.

1) André manor:
2) Gambling house “Roulette”:
3) Borg, the moneylender:
4) Nialian Library, “The Glass Tower”:
5) Oddities “Material Magic”:
6) Nialian bank:
7) “The Golden Chain” tavern:
8) “Lights from the Orient” tavern:
9) Solzhen manor:
10) Guard’s barracks:
11) Temple of Eslank:

13.3.5 SOUTHERN or ANCIENT DISTRICT

It is almost wrecked, and is very dangerous by night. The candlers guild and the Main Theatre are here.
13.3.6 MARINE or SEAPORT DISTRICT
CARPINTEROS DE BARCOS and pilots guilds, customs officer, entry and exit registers,
wharehouses and the lighthouse, which is used as an asylum too, are sited here. The crews of the
Nialian warships, when they are on land, stay at this district.
13.3.7 EKKAR ISLAND
A wrecked lighthouse, an old circus and a misterious temple can be glimpsed from the docks when the
mist is over (very few times).

13.4 Shadow-holds

14.0 Niali At Other Times

(general guide to set adventures outside the standard
period)
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SA 2000 SA 3000 TA 1640 TA 3000

15.0 Adventures In Niali

Best if three organized in a mini-campaign. their purpose is to describe
life in Niali.

16.0 Tables
Herbs Table Master Beasts Table Master NPCs Table Master Military Table
Encounter Table Adolescence Skill Table