Énder

Énder is a nation on the north-western tip of Barasud (natively *fasárna* 'great ice') within the taiga forest. The people of Énder, the *fay-éce e-shálana,* are humanoid, standing roughly 6ft tall with white/light grey skin. They are generally slender and hairless, even on the head. They tend to have black irises, and have epicanthic folds. The Énder exhibit very little difference in size and strength between males and females, and the culture is accordingly largely not divided along gendered lines. The capital of Énder is *Kiméyina* (roughly equivalent to English “the place of the thousands”), a somewhat haphazard city sprawling over multiple square miles of forest. Énder is run by Hananun.

## Information

### Language

The language of the *fay-éce e-shálana* (‘people of the forest’) is *éyari*, the last remaining member of the *e-yhona éya* family. *e-shálana* literally means “(of) the forest”, named for the southern taiga they call home. The language is fusional, with fairly complex systems of verbal morphology and the remnants of a case system which mostly manifests itself through sound lenition (known as *sákar* in *éyari*).

### Political Structure and Economy

Énder is a fairly insular society (tall playstyle), and they have little interest in expansionism. The social structure is known as *ácdana* (‘(the) trust/faith’), and is based on the reciprocal relationship between the noble land-owners, known as *e-lóa*, and the labouring *e-fór*. The Énder economy is largely based on sedentary pastoralism, where deer-like *sáne* are farmed as a source of milk, wool, and meat. Generally, the summer growth and winter bark and moss are sufficient to keep the *sáne* fed without nomadic travel, although moving between nearby pastures is common. The *e-lóa* own the land on which the *sáne* are farmed, and therefore extract tax from the herders, but the *e-fór* own the *sáne* themselves. The principle of the *ácdana* is that the *e-lóa* provide protection and guidance, and in exchange the *e-fór* provide labour and fight in the military.

The *e-lóa* elect a monarch from among themselves, known as *wendár*, who rules for life from *Kiméyina*. The *wendár* generally assigns a castellan for their own lands (often an heir, but possibly a trusted servant or other relative). The *wendár*’s court moves around the country throughout spring, summer, and autumn, being hosted be various *lóa* in turn, but winters in the palace in *Kiméyina*.

Modern Énder philosophers see the *ácdana* as the purest and truest expression of reciprocity, which is theorised to be the basis for effective governance. The main book of Énder political theory, the *kéarna sháya*, theorises that a society without a basis in the *ácdana* will contain inherent imbalance and injustice, and therefore will suffer either from insufficient resources due to inefficient labour (if the imbalance is in favour of the *e-fór*) or a failure in order due to rebellion and discontent (if the imbalance is in favour of the *e-lóa*). Either will lead to eventual societal collapse; the *ácdana* is therefore the only societal model not doomed to eventually fail. The influence of the dwarves on the modern form of the *ácdana* poses something of a problem to this theory, but modern political philosophers generally see the modern form of government as an adaptation of the *ácdana* using dwarven communication and administrative systems.

In general, the Énder generally believe that their own culture and religion is the only correct one, and that all other cultures and misguided.  However, they don’t generally look down on the people who hold to misguided beliefs as stupid or unsophisticated, nor do they see it as their role to teach others their ways. Instead, they believe that over time every civilisation either evolves toward the pinnacle of civilisation (namely, the *ácdana*, the Énder forms of discipline, and the worship of the *lírana*) or else perishes.  They don’t see this as a cause for smugness (indeed, it is often seen as a sad thing, especially where the culture is one the Énder find fascinating or beautiful), but simply as a fact of life.

### War

All-out war is rare – most combat occurs in smaller raids for livestock and land. Raiding occurs almost entirely in summer due to the harsh winter. Most war is conducted by ordinary people, but warriors who acquit themselves extraordinarily well may be anointed by an *ulúmo* into the warrior society of *fe-éila fhasár* (‘the teeth of winter’). These warriors are the only ones permitted by custom to raid in winter. The main weapon of the *fay-éce e-shálana* is the *pánu* spear.

Entry into the *fay-éce e-shálana* is seen as the highest sign of honour in Énder society, and is at its most basic a recognition of skill and honour in battle.  More than that, though, it is a recognition by an *ulúmo* seer-priest of a special destiny.  They are said to the be warriors in whom the power of the first people, the original children of the *lírana*, is strongest, and are therefore respected in Énder society.

### Art and Engineering

The *fay-éce e-shálana* wear mostly woolen clothing, with leather and fur common among the wealthier classes. Decorative wear is largely made up of colourful dyed string, which is then braided and knotted into complex patterns. These string constructions, called *e-kórar*, have unique patterns to represent family histories and personal deeds, and are signs of prestige in Énder society.

Construction is generally wood and stone, with pine straw and mud also used, particularly for insulation. Decorations tend to be woven or spun – carving is somewhat uncommon in *e-shálana* art, likely due to their history of nomadic life. Bronze is worked, especially for weapons, although copper and bone are more common for household tools. Most houses are fairly small, single-room structures. More modern builds tend to be buried and permanent, but traditional herders in some regions still make use of wood and cloth tents which they move between pastures. The *e-lóa* tend to build stronger fort-houses, usually with wooden or stone palisades and food storage to allow retreat by the local people in the event of war.

The most common dwellings are timber houses known as *y-emeyár*, built with the door to leeward.  The front of the houses are built in an A-frame structure stretching back for most of the house’s length, then sloping down to the back of the bouse in a single sheet.  The house is design to block the wind and allow snow to slip off the roof, and is based on the tent design used by early Énder nomads.  The walls and roof are usually cut timber packed with mud and pine straw for weatherproofing and insulation.  Houses generally have a single room, although many will have a dividing wall at the point the roof begins to slope to the back, behind which supplies are stored.  Rollable beds somewhat like Japanese futon made of fur are used, and are rolled away during the day to make space in the house.  Floors are generally straw matting, and walls are often hung with drying clothes or hanging decorations of coloured rope and string.

### Religion

Énder religion falls somewhere between animism and pantheism. The religion is focused on the worship of the night, *lírana*, and worship generally occurs at twilight. General rituals are conducted by community elders, *y-áram*, but there is also an order of mendicant priests, the *ulúmo*, who act as wandering seers and prophets. According to myth and *ulúmo* teachings, the *fay-éce e-shálana* were the first people of the taiga forest in the northern Antarctic peninsula. Their society began largely with nomadic pastoralism, but as time went on and society and technology developed they were able to become somewhat more sedentary, leading to the current form of Énder society. The *fay-éce e-shálana* believe that they awoke from the snow in the twilight of the First Night.

While there is something of a consistent doctrine maintained by the *y-áram* and the *y-ulúmo*, Énder religious belief is not universal across the nation, and superstitions abound, particularly in more isolated areas. The most common of these is to do with the spirits of the dead.  The teaching of the *ulúmo* is that the souls of the dead have no permanent identity, and the essence of their life simply returns to the *lírana*, the great dark surrounding the world.  Many of the Énder, however, believe that the souls of those who died of betrayal cannot fully die, but sit on the edge of the darkness.  At twilight, these vengeful ghosts are believed to return and strike out against the living.  Many Énder will not travel during the hour of dusk, and will ensure they remain near a hot fire, which is believed to keep the ghosts at bay.

### Magic

The Énder make use of various types of magic. Most of the *e-áram* are skilled healers and can cure bodily ailments and wounds. In addition, the *ulúmo* are generally gifted seers, with abilities to determine the future. Other magics are used day-to-day, for example to influence the weather and ensure good pasture and health in the herds. There are also combative magics, wielding powers and heat and light, but they are relatively rare – the wielders of such sorceries, called *e-rómarmo*, generally train in secretive master-apprentice relationships.

### Culture and Tradition

Énder houses, rich or poor, almost universally use beaten copper knives.  They usually have blades around 10cm in length, and handles made of sáne tusk.  They are used for almost everything, from cutting meat to whittling wood, and are kept extremely sharp.  In a similar way to washing hands before eating, the Énder custom is to begin the meal by wiping the knife clean and running it through the cook-fire for cleanliness. This practice is known as *aróma séiri*, the burning of the knife, and is a universal tradition, even in rich households where fresh knives are brought for meals.

The people of Énder are often described by outsiders as cordial and peaceful, but somewhat cold and aloof. The Énder disagree – while casual anger and violence is culturally frowned upon as a sign of poor discipline, righteous war or anger, known in Eyari as *neyepháyo*, is seen as a sign of internal strength. Similarly, the Énder form close relationships, and love humour.  Their humour, however, tends to be understated, and outsiders often don’t understand the jokes they slip into conversation, making them seem cold to deal with.

### Commerce and Communication

There are two main ways that information moves around throughout Énder.  Firstly, caravans often carry information as well as goods, both in the form of official letters and messages and through the rumours the caravan workers carry. As most caravan workers spend large stretches of time in Circle Hall, wasting away time with others who have come from across the nation, they tend to pick up a great deal of news (often of questionable veracity), which they then rely to their destinations.  The second main way that information travels is the wandering *ulúmo*.  They also tend to carry news on their journeys, and it often seems as though whatever one of the *ulúmo* knows, all the others also know, with little or no delay.  As well as news, the *ulúmo* bring more supernatural knowledge; their power as seers means they often deliver prophecy or information that has only just happened across the country.  The word of the *ulúmo* is highly prized, earning them bed and board in the house of any they come across in their travels.

## Kiméyina

### Circle Hall

The most important centre of life for a large part of Kiméyina’s working population is the *meyárna* *wheró* (lit. “the great house of the circle), best translated as Circle Hall. The majority of trade in Énder is conducted by overland caravan, meaning that large numbers of caravan hands and guards are required.  The Circle is something of a guild or union for these workers, providing a central place for merchants and caravan captains to bring work.  It guarantees a steady stream of jobs for the workers as well as some basic protections in pay and contracts, and gives the merchants some certainty that the men they hire will not rob them or run out on them at the first opportunity; in exchange, workers pay a fee to the Circle.  Circle Hall is a large wood and stone building, which is usually filled with workers.  Merchants generally enter and call jobs to the Circle workers inside, who get jobs in order of how long they’ve been out of work.  When workers return from their last jobs they receive a marked chit for the day they arrived to determine this order.

## History

Énder history is traditionally divided into three phases:

* The Heroic period covers the period of nomadic life stretching from pre-history to the dwarven conquest. This period is the setting of the Énder Cycle of heroic poetry, and is notable for the domestication of the *sáne*, the invention of the Eyari script, and the development of techniques for working copper. Little written history exists from this time, although a small number of tools and stones with inscriptions in hieroglyphic Eyari remain.
* The Colonial period covers the period of dwarven rule over Énder. It was a period of great technological advancement for the Énder, bringing sophisticated bronze technology, stone construction methods, and the wheel. The majority of the Énder culture survived intact, but dwarven requirements for military aid and taxation meant that when the empire fell, Énder was one of the first of the dwarven protectorates to shrug off their control.
* The Enlightenment period runs from the fall of the empire to the modern day. It is a period of synthesis, characterised by the formalisation of the *ácdana* and dwarven system of governance into the modern Énder political system, as well as the development of modern Énder military doctrine, combining dwarven organisation and formations with indigenous tactics and leadership structures.

#### The Heroic Period

##### Khárna

The southern mountain range marks the easternmost border of Énder up the entire west coast of the peninsula with little variation – pine-covered foothills gradually stretch up in snowy peaks, blocking all sight eastward.  At the northern tip of the range, however, the mountains in suddenly in a sheer grey cliff.  Just out from this cliff is an enormous stone butte known as *kinánero Khárna* (the castle of the Great Hound), named for the mythological hero Khárna.

The story goes that Osaróe was the original ruler of the northern part of modern Énder, but was a tyrant and was forced out by his nephew Khárna.  Osaróe fled to the islands in the north and assembled a fleet from his people and islanders to invade Énder again.  After a long war across the country (which Osaróe lost), he had the sorcerers of the islands raise the sea itself against Khárna’s army. Khárna, warned by a prophetic dream, led his people into the mountains to escape the flood, setting a camp on the tip of the northernmost peak of the range.  Osaróe raised an enormous storm that tore the mountains down around the army, but Khárna worked a ritual so that the pillar held strong.  After four days of storm the wind died and the ocean began to recede, allowing Khárna and his army to leave the peak and return to their lands. Khárna met Osaróe at the base of the pillar and killed him, leaving him the final ruler of Énder.

#### The Enlightenment Period

##### The Revenant's War

One of the worst events in recent history was the Revenant’s War.  The *wéndar* Sémba Rháka had led an army into battle against the Red Dwarves in the southeast and had disappeared.  He was believed to be dead and a new *wéndar*, Léila Fhéi, was elected to rule.  Sémba Rháka returned unexpectedly and was hailed as a hero by most of the populace, but Léila Fhéi was unwilling to abdicate.  A bloody and destructive war was waged across the continent, which Sémba Rháka won.  In the process, however, Sémba Rháka’s brother (who he loved very dearly) was killed, and the *wéndar* vanished from the court to mourn.  Fresh from a destructive civil war the *lóa* were unwilling to risk electing another *wéndar* without a clear message of abdication, but equally they could not make the kind of national rationing and redistribution decrees necessary to alleviate the food shortages the war caused.  While many of the *lóa* could take certain steps in their own provinces, those in the central province, which was simultaneously hardest hit by the war and least able to supplement its food stores through fishing and trade, suffered from a famine that killed over a fifth of its population.

The famine, as well as Sémba Rháka’s inattention, almost resulted in a revolt against his rule; in counter to this, the *wéndar*’s advisors began the tradition of moving the court around the country, allowing the people to air their grievances to the court directly, as well as allowing for easier oversight by the *wéndar*. Sémba Rháka eventually abdicated through pressure by his nobles, and a new *wéndar* was elected to replace him. The famine was over a century ago, but it is remembered in the song *Yafár Sácda* (the Colour of Trust), named for a quote from one of the key agitators against the *wéndar*’s court; he was quoted as saying *lo tamá éce yhafár sácda* “this grey is the colour trust”, speaking of the barren grey fields of the central province.

## Trade and Relations

### Red Dwarves

While a recent and somewhat cautious relationship, the mutual benefits of trade with the dwarves was immediately obvious to the *loa*. In exchange for dwarven food, ale, and metal-work, the Énder provide meat and fish, timber, and *fhaskhéile* (freeze-distilled sap wine). The two have also entered into a mutual military alliance, although it is as yet untested. The first meeting after the fall of the dwarven empire was a tenuous one, but it was peaceful and productive, and the restraint and trust of both sides was considered admirable. An *ulúmo* told the *wéndar* of the meeting soon after it happened in this poem:

> *Lho páyo fasár, pala saár e-khacái*
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> *A khifé, khiéya, khimá thu*
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> *Pala nhíndo saséisa pánu e-tu fhér*
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> *T-ácdar, khórar a saisác*
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Which, roughly translated, means

> It was a cold day when came the folk of Khazhai;
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> To that place of meeting, of speech, of giving.
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> At the door of the dance of spears they met;
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> But they showed faith, and turned instead to healing.
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