Post by Leng on Jan 6, 2023 21:44:04 GMT
Long before any record of the world existed, a people known as the Lengans found their way to the lonely, frozen peaks on an island far from the Ringsea. Sent there on crude rafts after a tremendous storm sank everything they knew, these tall, reclusive folk set about making a new civilization and appeasing the gods, fearful of the great deeps that had claimed so many of them.
Over gradual centuries, the Lengan people grew, diversified, split, and then reunited under the mythical prophet Enkhiridian, but this prophet soon grew disillusioned with the Lengans and was said to have vanished without a trace shortly after denouncing the entire Lengan kind.
Ever since, the Lengans have remained recluses, staying within their fortresses and keeping careful watch of the stars, hoping for a sign that their prophet would return. They have weathered the eons and held themselves pure, a quiet and faithful people. At least, that is what they said.
The Dunwikki account is vastly different. Although there is no clear consensus from the Dunwikki on where they themselves originated, they at least admit the Lengans predated them on the lands they call their home. However, from the Dunwikki account, the Lengans were not the benevolent scholars they so painstakingly present themselves as. The Dunwikki account claims the Lengans were ruthless manipulators and bloodthirsty cannibals, turning the Dunwikki against each other and keeping them weak, instating puppet government after puppet government, raiding down from their mountain fortresses and seizing infants, dragging them off to be sacrificed to dark gods and devoured raw.
For many years, their existence was almost unheard of in the wider world, but in 1914, they suddenly were thrust into the world stage. A Tholish mission to convert the people to Christianity provoked an unmatched ire from the Lengan's southern neighbors, the Dunwikki.
The Dunwikki launched an uncharacteristically aggressive preemptive war in response, with the purpose of the complete extinguishment of the Lengan race and culture. Some Lengans have fled their homeland, finding homes in the Imperium Divinum and the lands of West Thosel Cransconia.
Whether the Lengan government and people can survive the onslaught of the maniac Dr. Arthur is an open question.
The Lengan Creation Story
In the beginning, there was the great Nothing, a formless Chaos beyond comprehension or understanding. There was no time, space, or light. There was only a roiling void. To speak of it existing for time is ludicrous, for there was no time.
But in such a chaotic state, eventually - if the word eventually could even be used - it must have collapsed. From Chaos came Great Order, the Lord Who Governs Cause And Effect. From Order came both time, space, and cause. Actions had consequences, and the existence of Consequence birthed forth the other Twelve Great Lords.
However, the primordial Nothingness, the Nothing before all creation, saw the Something that had come forth, and that the Something had become Everything. Envious, the Nothing marshaled its forces, sending forth Sin and Evil into the world, to destroy Everything. For if Everything were destroyed, then Chaos will reign and Nothing will become Everything anew.
Many times, Order and the other Great Gods created beings in their likeness. They spun the world out of the scattered pieces of the stars, the light left behind from the Order's great birth, and laid these pieces of dust down to form a firmament. Time and again they would create a great race, but time and again would Sin and Evil return and twist the creation to evil, before Chaos consumed them all and reduced everything to Nothing. The continual birth of the Prophet's Soul, the greatest of mortals, only staves off Sin for a time. All must return to dust.
It has been innumerable eons, by Lengan reckoning, since the first act of creation, and men are not the first, greatest, or last of the world's masters. After the monsoon is the dry season; after the dry season comes the monsoon.
The current known cycle of existence, by Lengan reckoning, began with the bleeding of the last race. Little is known of these people, save their impiety and wickedness. Sin had corrupted them to weakness and their blood was shed in such torrents that it formed the seas, but as Chaos destroyed, Order created. The first men, the Urvalbaarans, were born in a world of rising tides and desperate struggle to survive. Turning to the stars, a portent was told and the people scattered to the high places of the world. Thus came forth the men of Leng, but all was not well.
The Lengans had been divided and spoiled, and the people were beset by a horrible war. The men of Leng had prayed many times to the gods for salvation, but they were never able to progress. It seemed hopeless, and each sacrifice the Lengans made, of gold, of fish, of precious stones and oil, did little.
A priestess named Hashuyannu (Virtuous One) had watched the stars closely and learned the true desires of the gods. She grew indignant with the people and told them that the gods demanded true devotion, a sacrifice of blood. While the Lengan people had scoured the lands looking for the wickedest among them to cull, Hashuyannu grew further upset, and told them that the gods would not take such a pathetic sacrifice. She stood upon a great cliff and hurled herself down, breaking her body on the rocks below and washing out into the sea.
The next day, the wife of a fisherman arrived. Though she had not been pregnant the day before, she was now massively so, and declared that the sea itself had risen up and impregnated her. The Lengan people were awed by this great omen and so sheltered the woman, where she delivered twins. The great Lord of Deep Water had endowed the woman with the Eternal Prophet's soul, but here, the great Nothing, Sin had seen a chance, and so also delivered a child to this woman, and the people of Leng were greatly deceived. A priest warned that one of these two children would bring a horrible evil to Leng, and that the other would unite it.
Of the boys, one was tremendous, with a full head of dark hair and incredible strength, while the other was pale as mountain snow, with clouded red eyes. The latter child seemed dead and was taken as an ill omen. He was thrown into the river.
The healthy child they named Laskemedan, or Glorious Man and he grew to adulthood in only five days, taking command of the people of Leng and winning victory after victory for his tribe, his great brute strength uniting all the people beneath him. But Laskemedan was a terrible, greedy king, who spent all his time and money exalting himself. Every scrap that could be seized in tithe was given to him, and the people were so taken in making monuments to him that it was worse than the years of war. For twenty long years, Laskemedan's vile reign prevailed.
However, the child thrown out to sea was not dead. A pious couple had prayed daily for a child and lived out by the river. One day, as they were walking, they saw the pale child in his basket and took him as their own, rearing him. They named him Enkhiridian.
When Laskemedan demanded tribute and sacrifice to his greatness, Enkhiridian would foretell how to cheat the evil king. He told the people when fires or earthquakes would come, he told them when Laskemedan's forces would arrive, he told them when to plant and when to harvest.
Enkhiridian's power and fame grew with him, and though he never raised either his hands or his voice, everything he spoke came to pass. When he had become a man, Laskemedan had sent out his men to kill Enkhiridian. Time and again, the people of Leng would give up Enkhiridian to the men for trinkets or safety, and time and again Enkhiridian would escape, although he did tell the people that one day, he would be under the roof of Laskemedan.
There, Enkhiridian told Laskemedan that he had stolen his throne, and must relinquish the throne to Enkhiridian. Laskemedan was furious at the blind fool before him, and rose to strike Enkhiridian down. But as soon as he stood up from his throne, he fell down dead.
But the people of Leng were fearful of Enkhiridian still. They said that Enkhiridian must be an evil king, for Laskemedan did unite the lands. They conspired to kill the prophet while he reigned, but the stars spoke to Enkhiridian. Enkhiridian waited for them to gather, appeared, and for the first and last time in his life raised his voice. He said thus:
“When you were enslaved, you did nothing. When a man set out to liberate you, you did nothing. When you were called to fight, you did nothing! When a hero emerged to rescue you, you plotted to murder him! So I hex you! You will never have another hero! Never, for the rest of all time, shall a man of Leng be lifted up! You will be smitten with the sword, and with plagues, and by the designs of evil men! The Old Gods shall hear your prayers no longer! My word will remain for eternity, and plague you, and sear you to the bone! But you will have nothing of me again!”
With that, Enkhiridian vanished wholly, and the people were united in guilt.
Lengan Appearance
The Lengan people are a tall and thin folk, with long fingers and small noses, deep eyes and high cheekbones. They are uniquely set with the twin maladies of blindness and albinism, for their prophet was both, and both traits are seen as holy. They dress in long robes. Most wear orange, priests wear black, and the holiest among them wear white.
Over gradual centuries, the Lengan people grew, diversified, split, and then reunited under the mythical prophet Enkhiridian, but this prophet soon grew disillusioned with the Lengans and was said to have vanished without a trace shortly after denouncing the entire Lengan kind.
Ever since, the Lengans have remained recluses, staying within their fortresses and keeping careful watch of the stars, hoping for a sign that their prophet would return. They have weathered the eons and held themselves pure, a quiet and faithful people. At least, that is what they said.
The Dunwikki account is vastly different. Although there is no clear consensus from the Dunwikki on where they themselves originated, they at least admit the Lengans predated them on the lands they call their home. However, from the Dunwikki account, the Lengans were not the benevolent scholars they so painstakingly present themselves as. The Dunwikki account claims the Lengans were ruthless manipulators and bloodthirsty cannibals, turning the Dunwikki against each other and keeping them weak, instating puppet government after puppet government, raiding down from their mountain fortresses and seizing infants, dragging them off to be sacrificed to dark gods and devoured raw.
For many years, their existence was almost unheard of in the wider world, but in 1914, they suddenly were thrust into the world stage. A Tholish mission to convert the people to Christianity provoked an unmatched ire from the Lengan's southern neighbors, the Dunwikki.
The Dunwikki launched an uncharacteristically aggressive preemptive war in response, with the purpose of the complete extinguishment of the Lengan race and culture. Some Lengans have fled their homeland, finding homes in the Imperium Divinum and the lands of West Thosel Cransconia.
Whether the Lengan government and people can survive the onslaught of the maniac Dr. Arthur is an open question.
The Lengan Creation Story
In the beginning, there was the great Nothing, a formless Chaos beyond comprehension or understanding. There was no time, space, or light. There was only a roiling void. To speak of it existing for time is ludicrous, for there was no time.
But in such a chaotic state, eventually - if the word eventually could even be used - it must have collapsed. From Chaos came Great Order, the Lord Who Governs Cause And Effect. From Order came both time, space, and cause. Actions had consequences, and the existence of Consequence birthed forth the other Twelve Great Lords.
However, the primordial Nothingness, the Nothing before all creation, saw the Something that had come forth, and that the Something had become Everything. Envious, the Nothing marshaled its forces, sending forth Sin and Evil into the world, to destroy Everything. For if Everything were destroyed, then Chaos will reign and Nothing will become Everything anew.
Many times, Order and the other Great Gods created beings in their likeness. They spun the world out of the scattered pieces of the stars, the light left behind from the Order's great birth, and laid these pieces of dust down to form a firmament. Time and again they would create a great race, but time and again would Sin and Evil return and twist the creation to evil, before Chaos consumed them all and reduced everything to Nothing. The continual birth of the Prophet's Soul, the greatest of mortals, only staves off Sin for a time. All must return to dust.
It has been innumerable eons, by Lengan reckoning, since the first act of creation, and men are not the first, greatest, or last of the world's masters. After the monsoon is the dry season; after the dry season comes the monsoon.
The current known cycle of existence, by Lengan reckoning, began with the bleeding of the last race. Little is known of these people, save their impiety and wickedness. Sin had corrupted them to weakness and their blood was shed in such torrents that it formed the seas, but as Chaos destroyed, Order created. The first men, the Urvalbaarans, were born in a world of rising tides and desperate struggle to survive. Turning to the stars, a portent was told and the people scattered to the high places of the world. Thus came forth the men of Leng, but all was not well.
The Lengans had been divided and spoiled, and the people were beset by a horrible war. The men of Leng had prayed many times to the gods for salvation, but they were never able to progress. It seemed hopeless, and each sacrifice the Lengans made, of gold, of fish, of precious stones and oil, did little.
A priestess named Hashuyannu (Virtuous One) had watched the stars closely and learned the true desires of the gods. She grew indignant with the people and told them that the gods demanded true devotion, a sacrifice of blood. While the Lengan people had scoured the lands looking for the wickedest among them to cull, Hashuyannu grew further upset, and told them that the gods would not take such a pathetic sacrifice. She stood upon a great cliff and hurled herself down, breaking her body on the rocks below and washing out into the sea.
The next day, the wife of a fisherman arrived. Though she had not been pregnant the day before, she was now massively so, and declared that the sea itself had risen up and impregnated her. The Lengan people were awed by this great omen and so sheltered the woman, where she delivered twins. The great Lord of Deep Water had endowed the woman with the Eternal Prophet's soul, but here, the great Nothing, Sin had seen a chance, and so also delivered a child to this woman, and the people of Leng were greatly deceived. A priest warned that one of these two children would bring a horrible evil to Leng, and that the other would unite it.
Of the boys, one was tremendous, with a full head of dark hair and incredible strength, while the other was pale as mountain snow, with clouded red eyes. The latter child seemed dead and was taken as an ill omen. He was thrown into the river.
The healthy child they named Laskemedan, or Glorious Man and he grew to adulthood in only five days, taking command of the people of Leng and winning victory after victory for his tribe, his great brute strength uniting all the people beneath him. But Laskemedan was a terrible, greedy king, who spent all his time and money exalting himself. Every scrap that could be seized in tithe was given to him, and the people were so taken in making monuments to him that it was worse than the years of war. For twenty long years, Laskemedan's vile reign prevailed.
However, the child thrown out to sea was not dead. A pious couple had prayed daily for a child and lived out by the river. One day, as they were walking, they saw the pale child in his basket and took him as their own, rearing him. They named him Enkhiridian.
When Laskemedan demanded tribute and sacrifice to his greatness, Enkhiridian would foretell how to cheat the evil king. He told the people when fires or earthquakes would come, he told them when Laskemedan's forces would arrive, he told them when to plant and when to harvest.
Enkhiridian's power and fame grew with him, and though he never raised either his hands or his voice, everything he spoke came to pass. When he had become a man, Laskemedan had sent out his men to kill Enkhiridian. Time and again, the people of Leng would give up Enkhiridian to the men for trinkets or safety, and time and again Enkhiridian would escape, although he did tell the people that one day, he would be under the roof of Laskemedan.
There, Enkhiridian told Laskemedan that he had stolen his throne, and must relinquish the throne to Enkhiridian. Laskemedan was furious at the blind fool before him, and rose to strike Enkhiridian down. But as soon as he stood up from his throne, he fell down dead.
But the people of Leng were fearful of Enkhiridian still. They said that Enkhiridian must be an evil king, for Laskemedan did unite the lands. They conspired to kill the prophet while he reigned, but the stars spoke to Enkhiridian. Enkhiridian waited for them to gather, appeared, and for the first and last time in his life raised his voice. He said thus:
“When you were enslaved, you did nothing. When a man set out to liberate you, you did nothing. When you were called to fight, you did nothing! When a hero emerged to rescue you, you plotted to murder him! So I hex you! You will never have another hero! Never, for the rest of all time, shall a man of Leng be lifted up! You will be smitten with the sword, and with plagues, and by the designs of evil men! The Old Gods shall hear your prayers no longer! My word will remain for eternity, and plague you, and sear you to the bone! But you will have nothing of me again!”
With that, Enkhiridian vanished wholly, and the people were united in guilt.
Lengan Appearance
The Lengan people are a tall and thin folk, with long fingers and small noses, deep eyes and high cheekbones. They are uniquely set with the twin maladies of blindness and albinism, for their prophet was both, and both traits are seen as holy. They dress in long robes. Most wear orange, priests wear black, and the holiest among them wear white.
