The Lianthor

[Vigilant]

The Lianthor
The following is what remains of a recorded history passed down and transcribed by the House Aurelithis in regards to the culture of the Lianthor.​

An Overview of Records​

Of what records remain, the Lianthor (lit. “Vine Tenders”) were described as a distinct patriarchal elven culture originating from the easternmost isles of a greater amalgamated kingdom of elves and men, a rare and remarkable union standing as a testament to cooperation between the two races in the world of Volaris. The kingdom itself, known in surviving records as Elarion (lit. "Bound by Accord"), extended across a vast western continent, its lands stretching far into the north and south. At its heart, Elarion stood as a testament to the ideals of cooperation, wisdom, and shared dominion between the elven and human races.

A Note: The name Elarion is believed to derive from the elder elven root Elar- meaning "to bind" or "unite," combined with the common human suffix -ion meaning "realm" or "place," thus translating roughly to "Realm Bound by Accord."

The Lianthor, isolated upon their eastern isles, developed a unique character even within this union. Seafarers, but also scholars and artisans, their society celebrated knowledge, creation, and preservation, drawing heavy influence from their devotion to the Divine Ones, particularly The Dragon (Primarily referred to as Istonor, the "Knowledge Giver"). Among the Lianthor arose many notable names and houses. House Aurelithis was famed for their mastery of viticulture, diplomacy, and naval defense, while House Arendiad was renowned for their scholarship, shipbuilding, and their study of magic tied to sea and storm. The Lianthor preserved traditions distinct from both their human and elven kin of the mainland. They revered craftsmanship not merely as a necessity but as a sacred tribute. Their martial traditions favored naval warfare and strategic deception over brute conquest, reflecting a preference for wit and foresight rather than brute strength. Their speech carried echoes of both ancient elven root-tongues and newer dialects of men, shaped by trade, diplomacy, and the long maintenance of peace.

For centuries, the eastern isles stood as a beacon of culture, trade, and learning, an outpost of stability and wisdom in a shifting world. Yet with the calamity of the world, the old powers and histories crumbled, and the songs of their people faded into scattered memory, surviving only in fragmentary records and the proud traditions of the few remaining.

Recorded Martialry​

From histories recounted, the martial traditions of the Lianthor appear to have been shaped as much by the demands of the sea as by their cultural ideals of precision and mastery. In close quarters, they favored the spear and shield, a pairing that provided both reach and resilience upon the narrow decks of their ships. Spears proved invaluable for deterring boarders, allowing sailors to thrust and hold enemies at bay without surrendering their footing, while shields, light yet reinforced, offered a balance between mobility and defense amidst the unpredictable rocking of the tides. In contrast however, this did offer a disadvantage against axe and cutlass when below deck or within confined spaces.

For ranged combat, the Lianthor relied heavily on crossbows and harpoons. Crossbows offered compact and reliable force, capable of piercing armor even in the chaos of ship-to-ship engagements where the traditional bow would have faltered. Harpoons, heavy and iron-tipped, were employed through mounted launchers affixed to the frames of their vessels. These harpoons served to tear through rigging, cripple sails, or latch onto enemy ships, forcing hostile fleets into cautious maneuvering long before they could reach striking distance.

A Note: The use of fire appears to have also been a hallmark of Lianthor naval warfare, and records recount numerous instances of enemy fleets being set ablaze. One famous account is recorded in the histories below.

Lianthor warfare emphasized destabilization, positioning, and economy of force. Their philosophy in battle mirrored their philosophy in life: true strength lay not in overwhelming numbers and brute strength, but in knowledge, information, the careful mastery of one's surroundings and the patient dismantling of an enemy's will to fight.

Recorded Faith​

Among the earliest traditions preserved from the ancient Lianthor culture is their veneration of the Divine Ones, the pantheon believed to oversee the balance of the world. However, particular reverence was given to a singular figure commonly known as The Dragon. This particular deity occupied the highest station in their faith, embodying knowledge, wealth, and progress, and whose scales were said to shimmer with the gold and gems of his endless hoard. The Dragon was known by several names in the Lianthor culture, each serving a distinct nuance in speech and writing. The principal terms recorded are as follows:

• Istonor (Knowledge Giver) - The most sacred and formal name attributed to The Dragon. Used primarily in reference to in conversation, religious rites, scholarly records, and formal oaths. Istonor was revered as the bringer of understanding, guiding the elven people through knowledge and cunning rather than force.
• Roval Min (Winged One) - A poetic epithet used in both verse and casual speech, celebrating The Dragon’s dominion over the skies and the freedom of thought. Roval Min emphasized the Lianthor belief that true progress, like flight, must be earned through danger, discipline and mastery, not gifted freely.
• Balaen Min (Divine One) - A term used most often when explaining their faith to outsiders unfamiliar with the deeper mysteries. Balaen Min framed The Dragon in more universal terms of divinity and guardianship, eschewing the nuanced understanding held by the Aurelithis themselves.
• Balaen Ihûg (Divine Dragon) - A rarer form, employed in diplomacy or in prayers of high ceremony. Balaen Ihûg reaffirmed both The Dragon’s divine nature and his physical, indomitable reality, a being not merely of spirit, but of gold, claw, and hoard.

Recorded Dress and Fashion​

Dress among the Lianthor reflected both class and gender traditions. Jewelry was worn primarily by men, especially earrings to mark status or affiliations. Women did not traditionally pierce the body, as such markings were considered a defilement of its natural form. The working class, including farmers, sailors, and tradespeople, typically wore linen garments, favoring loose-fitting shirts and trousers in muted tones. Men often matched their clothing to the colours of their sworn family or guild. Tradeswomen and lower-class women wore practical linen trousers and high-collared shirts, while wealthier women wore flowing dresses of linen or silk, depending on station and setting. The upper classes, including merchants and scholars, wore dyed silks, with men favoring layered outfits: linen undershirts beneath vests, and cloaks worn over one or both shoulders. Clothing often included pins or embroidery denoting house or profession.

Recorded Histories​

Of all the knowledge once held by the Lianthor people, only fragments endure. The following accounts are drawn from the few surviving chronicles and recollections that span from 0 to 450 years before the world's end.

A Note on Dating Conventions: The dating of events follows a referencing of B.D. (“Before Death”), referring to the passing of The One as recorded in surviving lore.​

Recorded Histories: The Aliavren Deception​

(As transcribed from surviving accounts circa 213 B.D.)
Few complete records of the early Lianthor era endure. Yet among those preserved, one tale describes the defense of the vineyards during the Clans’ War of 213 B.D., a testament to the cultures elven cunning over brute strength. For years prior, human raiders from far eastern raiding clans, led by King Yorig Gourgonsson, harried the naval defenses and mercantile fleets of the isles. Greedy for the wealth of the elven vineyards, Yorig launched a full invasion upon the isles in 213 B.D, seeking to plunder their famed riches. Finding themselves outmatched by the strong human raiders in the brutal warfare of open land, the two principal elven houses, House Aurelithis and House Arendiad, devised a stratagem. They gathered much of their visible treasure onto the small isle of Aliavren, making a conspicuous show of its removal. This was a deliberate feign meant to lure the invaders. As intended, the clansmen believed they had uncovered a secret maneuver and descended upon Aliavren in force, eager for the plunder. Once the invaders made landfall, the elven lords enacted the true design: They burned their fields and poisoned the food stores, withdrew to the western shores, boarded their ships, and circled the island, burning the clans’ anchored fleet as their warriors looked on from the shore, powerless to reclaim their vessels before fire and sea claimed them alike. With their ships destroyed and provisions ruined, the raiders were trapped upon Aliavren, surrounded by food they could not eat or cultivate, and gold they could not escape with.

For a full month, the stranded clansmen starved while Lianthor ships blockaded the island, preventing escape. When a relief force arrived from the northern human vassals of the Kingdom of Elarion and the surviving invaders were dispatched, they found the isle littered with grim scenes; Raiders had attempted to bury or consume the elven gold in desperate madness, hoping either to deny its return to its rightful owners or to stave off starvation. Those burial sites were eventually unearthed by the elves decades later, when the bones had long since yielded their stolen treasures. The gold was promptly returned to their rightful treasuries, leaving The Aliavren Deception to stand as a lasting symbol of elven cunning.

Recorded Histories: The Exiled Clan Cirithaear​

The rise and fall of Clan Cirithaear marks one of the darker chapters in the history of the eastern Lianthor isles. Though founded by human bloodlines, they rose to prominence around 403 B.D., gaining influence among the Lianthor through their skill in trade, seamanship, and privateering, though in the eyes of many elves, their loyalties were ever tempered by the restless nature of men. In time, Clan Cirithaear turned their talents to darker ends. Trade gave way to extortion, and their sanctioned raids against foreign rivals soon became open piracy. From the greater Kingdom of Elarion, warnings were issued and clemency was offered, yet the lords of Cirithaear chose defiance. Thus in 408 B.D., at the urging of the Lianthor people, High King Celembrior ordered them exiled from the eastern isles - stripped of land, title, and protection - and named enemies of Elarion.

Though banished from their homelands, Clan Cirithaear's ships continued to haunt the eastern seas. For seven years, they preyed upon merchants, villages, and isolated outposts. This is recounted to have continued until the year of 415 B.D., when they suddenly vanished. Patrols sent to investigate found only wreckage scattered among the shoals. From there, accounts grow uncertain, with many conflicting records of what was seen. The most consistent telling speaks of a single survivor, recovered months later, adrift on a broken plank with his mind shattered. His ravings spoke of a leviathan of the deep, a beast so vast and terrible that no vessel could escape its wrath. Whether truth or madness, none can say. No other survivor was ever found, and the fate of Clan Cirithaear was sealed beneath the tides.

Recorded Histories: A Poem
Elen síla lúmenn’ omentielvo,
Laer na ven, sí dhû a lín.
Nîn aear, a chuil, a naid bain,
Tolo dan, melme ná sinome.

A star shines on the hour of our meeting,
A song on the breeze, now dusk and quiet.
My sea, my life, and all fair things,
Come back, for love is here.