Second Age: The Stone & Sword Period

## 300-1151 The Stone & Sword Period

This period solidified, in more ways than one, the feudalism that would cover Eirethune until the rise of the nation states.  Clans were finding that they were stronger and more defensible in groups rather than alone which provided impetus for many to bind together.  More and more fiefs were being created, and the cities were becoming more and more populated.  As migrations continued from the east, more of the fiefs found that lands that they had once thought were their own were now being settled by others.  This gave further need for feudalism to establish itself, and those who did not share that opinion would have to meet their sword.

### 300-742 Further Migrations

The dwarves and gnomes had left Khalid-Ka to the Ûr Lords, but there were still others in there who were ready to leave the world of warfare that the Eastern Steppes manifested.  Humans, orcs and dark elves of the lower castes also left the Land of the Ûr Lords in hopes of finding respite anywhere else.  The humans of the East fled to the mountainous lands comprising the southern border.  Devnah, Thearth, Roane, Azmunth became the home for most of the human immigrants.  They had been living in a caste system, so their adoption to the feudal orders in these regions was an easy transition.  The Dark Elves had the toughest time returning to the ancient Madur lands because there was still a great stigma associated with them.  So they found their way to the more desolate hills and forests of the west, trying to stay clear of the feudal, more populated lands.  The orcs were complete aliens to all of the races in Madur, so they suffered much as they attempted to settle.  They were treated very harshly by the dwarves, gnomes and humans who had left Khalid-Ka, so like the dark elves, the orcs found solace in the more empty valleys, forests and hills of Madur.

### 300-949 Rise of the Keeps

The influx of immigrants and the greediness of fiefs already present led to the development of many more keeps than had previously been built.  Every lord and his people needed protection from invaders and from neighboring lords who sought to expand their dominion.  The plains of Azmunth and Devnah were battle grounds throughout this period and every fief that lasted until the end of the Stone & Sword Period required a keep.  In the southwest, the orcs had taken over the Mote plains as well as all of the Bavarin Marches.

### 412-751 Struggle of the Races

A substantial amount of limited warfare took place during this period which tended to be based along racial lines.  In particular, there were two great racial struggles, one with the elves in the northwest, and one with the orcs in the south.

#### 412-582 War of the Elven Lands

The greatest struggle during this period took place in the northwestern hills and forests around Glenhome.  Throughout the First Age, there was always a bit of tension between the stoic elves and the impetuous humans, but this war marked the first major conflict between the northwestern Elven homeland and their neighbors.

##### 412-447 Destruction of Outposts

The humans around Glenhome & Gelden began to build skull-keeps and fortified houses throughout the region, disregarding the clan lines of the elves that also lived there under the Triumvirate.  In addition, the dwarves and giants who had migrated from Khalid-Ka were infringing on the Elven lands to the north.  The elves felt maligned and began to destroy the smaller settlements and trading outposts that had cropped up in the woods and meadows bordering on the northern rim of the central valleys. The raids were mostly conducted by a group of sylvan hunters known as *Elshar-Adain.*  They were strongly racially focused on keeping the elves the most predominant species in the meadows and wood of Glenhome. To this day, the Elshar-Adain are very reticent about people who do not dwell in the wood, and rarely do they allow anyone other than pure elves (predominantly wood elves) into their ranks.[1]

##### 448-464 Treeburn

In response to the destruction of outposts, the humans began a period of deforestation and destruction of Elven habitats.  A year into the destruction, the dwarves took
up arms and also sought to ‘burn the elves out’.  Plant folk were now divided on who they would support.  They had always been close to the elves, but this war that the elves had started now endangered their oldest groves.  Many of the elder ents now defied the elves and dwarves alike, wreaking vengeance on both.[2]

##### 465-582 War of the Glen

The elves were now feeling incredibly pressed by the humans and dwarves, and so they knew that had to act.  They also knew they were generally outnumbered, so the Triumvirate put aside their old differences with the Dark elves, and sought out as well as acquired their assistance.   This call to arms from all of the Elven folk in Glenhome, Gelden and Rhorden was the first recorded instance of the ***Bond Sylvanicana***.

The elves attacked the human, dwarven and giant keeps and ruined their lands.  When humans passed into any wood in the area, they elves knew about it and attacked them.  The vigor of the warfare during this period was very intense and after a time, many felt that they were beginning to become like the dreaded Ûr Lords of the East.

Finally, in the latter half of the sixth century, the Elven Lord Eliaren came out of the wood unarmed with his leading generals and asked for a continuous peace in Glenhome.  There has always been a question of whether or not magic was involved in the negotiations which followed, but the end result was that elves, humans and dwarves around Glenhome would be able to live together, share if they desired to, and trade if they desired to, but to always respect nature and the wood.

Unfortunately for the Dark elves, the Triumvirate was reinstated after the Bond Sylvanicana dissolved, and again the elves of the hills went off in their solitude.

#### 692-994 Orcs and the South

The migrating orcs from Khalid-Ka arrived in all of the large plains and hills south of the Bryan. Since most of the fiefs in what would be modern-day Teldor or Aden Shahn were either along the Bryan or near, there was a large stretch of very fertile plain in between the two areas.  It was here in Surrin where the orcs began their settlement.

At first, the orcs lived in their clans according to the ancient clans, and had very little interaction with the humans, elves and halflings who inhabited Devnah & Crocia. However, populations grew and both the orcs and the humans needed more room.  The orcs truly didn’t mind new competition, so they raided the fiefs of the humans as they would any other clan.  The feudal lords of Azmunth, however, did not care for this activity and so violence escalated.

The wars went on for a great period with neither side gaining an edge.  The orcs were strong fighters and their new land was fought for with great vigor. Eventually, however, the feudal lords began to call for help from other lords not directly associated with the war, and the orcs would be forced to move. One by one the orc clans began to move further west, into the Mote, eventually expanding into the Bavarin Marches, where they would make their homes for centuries. The orc clans of the Mote would return to more of the clan structure of the ancient ways, yet it would slowly turn into the same Dark Caste of the Ur Lords that they had once inspired them to leave their original homeland.

As the Dark Caste formed, all of the various species of humanoids present in the Mote began to coalesce into clans. Disputes between clans were settled in the old ways, with the powers of the clans waxing and waning as the fights between them were fought. Those clans in the Dark Caste respected each other, but the savagery and focus on power was all-consuming. The only place left in the Mote where there was no conflict permitted between the clans was the burial necropolis set aside for them on the north side of the Chwaer Peaks - the Necropolis of Ûtan Magnok. The great leaders and warriors of a clan who were remembered by more than their own clan were given rights in Ûtan Magnok. As a common place of respect, Ûtan Magnok was made off-limits for any of the clans to rule over. The only time the necropolis was to be entered was either for a ceremony for a new warrior, or for a special meeting or duel between clan leaders.[3]

## Links

Chronology of Eirethune

Previous, Second Age: Plague of Ûr & Ka

Next, the Second Age: The Great Survival

## Notes

[1] The founder of the Elshar-Adain, Galaniam, was said to have great powers of wood
folk and plants as well as being a tremendous warrior.  During the raids of the outposts, Galaniam
used her bow which allowed her to fire arrows through trees and shrubs, making
her attacks always a surprise, and always deadly.  *The Bow* of *Galaniam* was lost in the Sasta Hills north of Davis Wood*.*

[2] The dwarves destroyed one of the greatest elders of Plant Folk, the great Oakman, Thoat’ih’thaat’taat and from him, they created a staff, runed in ancient Khalid-Ka speak.  The *Staff of Thoat* was said to allow the wielder to grow to three times their normal size with strength to match.  However, using the staff, would incur the wrath of any plant folk that might be near.  The staff was recaptured by the plant folk and is believed to be kept amidst the elder tree folk of the Moor of Mor.

[3] The Necropolis of Ûtan Magnok is still respected by the clans of the Mote, although it is only very rarely visited or used by clans. Contemporary clans do not bury their dead here, unless a hero is exceptionally remembered by several clans. If the clans are still at war and burial is not possible, the custom is for the clan to encase the hero's body in salt until such a time when burial is possible. It is said that to protect recent burials, previous generations of heroes buried at the Necropolis will rise to assist in protection.