Cwainneugh

## Description

Cwainneugh is the capital city of the Duiran Baigg. It is situated in a bay in the middle of Waireif-Geids. It is also the capital of the clan Cwainnueirdh.

## Etymology

**Cwainneugh** literally means "Cwain's village surrounded by wall containing a fort". **Cwain** comes from the founders name which means "*never die*" from the verb **waicch** "*to die*" and the negation C-...-n and neugh comes from the suffix **-neugh** from the noun **Caruanneugh** which means "*a village surrounded by wall containing a fort*".

## History

### Founding:

Cwainneugh was founded by the first Cwain, Cwain Gairdhadh - who all later Cwains are named after.

### Ghaïdhaif-Dairnh Caruadh:

The war of the 5 villages (**Ghaïdhaif-Dairnh Caruadh**) was a series of battles between 5 separate parties. It is unknown how exactly it began but their are rumours that it was started over a dispute of a small piece of land which all 5 clan's claimed. **Cwäinneugh** (which is now the capital of the Duiran Baigg) was only a small unruly vassal village that rebelled against it's master village - **Curahnadh**. When a group of Ueif hunters from **Ruaghanutagh** killed a deer within the disputed area, then the large village of **Araudainh** claimed that it was killed within their area and that the village should pay compensation and kill the hunter that killed the deer in the area. **Ruaghanutagh** disagreed and claimed that it was actually in their area.

Quickly, in order to prevent a war, all the Priests and Druids of the surrounding villages convened along with the leaders of **Ruaghanutagh** and **Araudainh.** The leaders of the surrounding villages would be the jury, the priests the judge, the leader of **Ruaghanutagh** the defendant and the leader of **Araudainh** the plaintiff. However during this trial - instead of deciding upon who was in the right or wrong- all the leaders began arguing that it was their land (Apart from **Baidanuranh** which only became involved in the conflict as they believed they could get more resources and become more powerful from it) and soon a full on fight broke out inside of the neutral religious enclave between all of the leaders and their consorts.

The priest attempted to control the chaos as much as they could, but soon the leaders left back to their villages to raise their armies - apart from **Raduainan** the leader of **Araudanh** who fell and cracked his head open when a 2ft salmon was thrown at him- and a war was declared between all the villages. While other villages raided each other, **Cwainneugh** built up greater defences and increased the size of the fort at the centre of the village in the wetland. With their archers positioned all around the wetland in hidden turrets it was practically impossible for anyone to raid their village. Their constant supply of fish in the wetlands that they controlled meant that the village only was mildly hungry rather than the other villages under full on siege. The wolf riders of **Ruaghanutagh** also were unable to pass through the swamp, and so the most devastating weapon in the war was ineffective against the **Cwäinnueif**. Only sending out a few scouting parties or saboteurs to interfere with the war effort, the **Cwäinnueif** remained relatively unaffected. This strategy was devised by the great strategist "**Eraunadhan**", nephew to the **Cwäin** at the time and who would become **Cwäin** afterwards.

Towards the end, when the opposing villages were growing tired, the **Cwäinnueir** went on the offensive and decimated all other villages due to them building up their military while all others were battling. It was this pivotal moment which meant that **Cwäinneugh** would become a significant power in the region, and eventually the entire **Kanyar island chain**. They led attacks from the sea against the Baidanuranueir and took their village at night, and swiftly moved on to the more dangerous village of **Ruaghanutagh**. When there they waited yet again until night-fall and slit the throats of the wolves in their stables before taking the the leader hostage - forcing the **Ruaghanutaghueir** to accept their defeat. While the **Cwäinneugh** army rested in their occupied village, the **Araudanh** heard of their sudden and swift attack and prepared an ambush for the **Cwäinnueif** soldiers. However **Eraunadhan** anticipated that their plan would be known and so sent a few scouts to work out where the enemy was hiding. If it was not for the pungent diet of the **Araudanhueif**, they may have successfully destroyed the opposing army but instead their scent travelled across the wind like a whale in a sea, and the **Cwäinnueif** soldiers crept from behind those hiding in wait for them and swiftly decimated them. Due to this, soldiers from **Cwäinneugh** would be known as the "**Caeghainn**" or "from the dark".

Then came their old suzerain. **Curahnadh**. They held much contempt for their previous overlord. They were determined to prove their honour and remove the stain of their mana that the defeat of **Cwäinneugh** many centuries ago created and is what made **Cwäinneugh** a vassal to **Curahnadh**. This was not a battle to be fought in the shadows but on the battlefield. Sly tactics may have won the battle, but honour would win pride and respect. The final brick in the wall that would prevent **Cwäinneugh** becoming a great future power was facing the sledgehammer of the entire might of the **Cwäinnueir** army. The army of **Cwäinneugh** mounted on Kanyar water buffalos faced their opponents. The wall of shields towered high ; the spears or the **Curahnadhueir** poking through like needles in a blanket. Both sides understood the importance of this battle. Which one was to win would hold great power for centuries over the region. One by one the **Caeghainn** began humming and then then groaning and then leading up to a chorus, the intensity slowly increasing. The eyes of opposing sided locked. This was to be a single battle to decide the fate of both villages. The chorus reached it's climax and the horns cried out to signify the charge. The dark green and teal of the scarves of the **Cwainnueir** blazed like emerald fire across the battlefield - the jade ornaments decorating the commanders' buffalo clattering against their greyish-brown hair. As fast as it began it ended. It would have been a bloodbath for it was clear only a little amount of time into the battle of the superiority of the **Cwäinnueir** army. The leaders of the two villages met and agreed. The leader of **Curahnadh**'s family would be woven in like a tapestry to the line of the **Cwäin**. And so the ex-suzerain of **Cwäinneugh** joined it.

This war meant that **Cwäinneugh** gained great power in the region to then expand across all of **Wareif-Geids** and eventually the **Kanyar islands**.