Talmithe

Talmithe
Capital	None
Ruler	Multiple
Government	Great Houses
Demonym	Talmithen
Adjective	Talmithen
Languages	Elven; Tabahan; Aserdian
Religions	Elven pantheon; Aserdian pantheon; other local faiths

Talmithe (pronounced tall-ME-thay) is a land inhabited by many diverse peoples, who are all ruled by the four Great Houses, elven tribes descended from those cast out of Eita during the Banishment. Life in Talmithe can often be chaotic as the interests and laws of each Great House collides with those of their subject peoples.

Geography, flora, and fauna

Talmithe is a greatly varied land, encompassing tall and craggy mountains, idyllic beaches, expansive grasslands, jungles, and more. Historically its only clear border has been in the east, where the forces of the Kingdom of Oscan patrolled the Gray River. Elsewhere Talmithe is defined simply by where the Great Houses can exert their control. It is usually considered to be bounded to the north by the Fangs of Khurazar and to the west by the Osmo River, though these are not exact. In the south, the Great Houses control part but not all of the island of Larthial within the Tabaha Bay.

Much of Talmithe is covered by tropical forests and grasslands. In general the forests thin out towards the east, but they are widespread across central Talmithe, especially in the north against the mountains. Palms and mangroves grow along much of the coast. Some parts of the grasslands regularly flood, forming patchwork islands in the interior and salt marshes bordering the Tabaha Bay.

Talmithe is well-known for its sailing trees, a unique species of flora found in the region. The majority of the time these mobile trees do not appear particularly out of place within the tropical broadleaf forests of Talmithe, save for their branches that appear to grow upwards and oddly close to their trunk, but this changes when they decide to move. Upon the arrival of grazing herds of sauropods, a wildfire, particularly enthusiastic gatherers, or any other threat, the trees unfurl their branches like wings, release their shallow grip on the soil, and use their roots and extended boughs to propel themselves across the landscape with surprising speed.

History

See also: Banishment

Though the various peoples of Talmithe have their own long histories, they are all tied together by the events that brought the elven ruling class to the region. In the middle to late third millennium, social upheaval caused by Eita's creation of the the aeroliths reached a point of crisis. Those that opposed the aeroliths, who largely basing their objections on religious grounds, were forced to leave the old elven kingdom under charges of fomenting unrest. Upon leaving the Cradle these Banished split. One of the largest groups made their way to Talmithe, where they eventually organized themselves into the first Great Houses, but this was not a quick process; it took several generations for the elves to replace their old social structures with the tribal system of the Houses, and several more to fully consolidate their collective control of Talmithe.

Demographics

The people of Talmithe are quite diverse. Humans and half-elves account for much of the population, but they are also joined by lizardfolk, catfolk, grippli, and Bleached Bone gnolls. Despite forming the ruling class, the number of elven inhabitants of Talmithe is relatively low.

Culture

Great Houses

The elven Great Houses, particular elite tribes in the region, collectively rule Talmithe. Each organizes itself according to its own aims and ambitions, but together they lay claim to both the land of Talmithe and the fealty of its other inhabitants. A constant state of tension, yet not outright hostility, exists between most Great Houses as they vie for resources and subjects. Still, in times of crisis they work together for their mutual interests, even if such alliances invariably disintegrate once the threat has passed. Currently the Great Houses are in a state of detente, as they are still greatly concerned with the undead threat from Oscan.

The Great Houses are not static and have changed in number over the millennia as new elven tribes rise to the role and others decline, sometimes having their positions usurped and at other times simply fading into obscurity or even intentionally abandoning their standing. At present there are four tribes that are generally considered Great Houses:

• Alchumena - Unlike the other Great Houses, the Alchumena maintain no estates or permanent settlements. Instead they travel Talmithe in their caravans of sauropods, gaining wealth and status by connecting the tribes through trade.
• Hathna - As they view performing any type of labor themselves to be distasteful, the Hathna extensively employ servants, mostly conjured from other planes, to maintain the coastal retreats in which they live. The Hathna control the island of Larthial, as well as certain parts of the coast on the mainland.
• Thevrumines - The witch-warriors of the Thevrumines are equally respected and feared, as despite the violence they can inflict through their combat trances, the soldiers of the tribe are critical in protecting the disparate peoples of Talmithe. The Thevrumines lay claim to the majority of Talmithe, though their strongholds are in the east.
• Velparun - The memory of the Banishment still weighs heavily on the Velparun. Out of a refusal to allow themselves to be cast out of their homes again, the tribe goes to great length to build and stock fortified, semi-subterranean abodes where they can defend themselves and outlast any crisis that may occur. The Velparun control western Talmithe as well as parts of the mountainous north.

While Talmithe is perhaps best known for the Great Houses, they account for a small fraction of the population of the region in comparison to those they rule.

Religion

Worship of the Elven and Aserdian pantheons are the most widespread in Talmithe, but these are not by any means the only faiths followed in the region. Traditional gnoll and lizardfolk beliefs are widespread amongst their respective ancestries, as are other more localized practices. Some Talmithens engage in saurian hunts regardless of what gods or spirits they otherwise worship.

Followed to a much lesser degree than the above beliefs, the deities of the Chaskan and Khapeshan pantheons have small numbers of worshipers in Talmithe.

Society

Talmithen society is centered around the tribe, of which there are countless, each with their own traditions and culture. Tribes are often mixed in ancestry, though often with one being the most common.

Despite being a relatively small part of the population, elven influence in Talmithen culture is unmistakable, touching everything from religion to holidays to names to clothing. Over the long period of time the elves have been in Talmithe, however, these influences have mixed with those of local peoples as well as been altered from contact with the inhabitants of Oscan and the Sangiran Empire, forming something new entirely. For example, ancient elven poetic epics take on new life in Talmithe, repeated in a new language and with new characters, more familiar to local sensibilities, while at the same time the elves too are transformed. Despite their claims that they have maintained the traditions of Eita at the time of the Banishment, the elves of the Great Houses and those of other Eitan successors are rather unalike.

Traditions

Amongst many tribes in Talmithe, it is common to burn not only the bodies of the deceased but also all their possessions with them. Large funeral pyres are stacked with the items the dead used regularly when alive, set alight no matter their potential value to the living. In fact, possessions with particular economic or social value are the first to be burned. Sometimes this even includes the dwelling of the deceased, inside which the pyre is often built. This destruction is intentional, as it forces each generation to earn their way for themselves, rather than relying on what is left behind by their predecessors. Notably, this practice is not followed by any of the Great Houses, or indeed by any elven tribes in general.

Languages

Talmithens mostly speak a mix of their ancestral tongues and Tabahan, the language more closely associated with the now-nonexistent Kingdom of Oscan. Elven is particularly widely spoken, as are Iruxi, Gnoll, and Amurrun, if to somewhat lesser degrees. Use of Common and Sangiran is not unknown, but knowledge of these languages is not especially widespread, as they are limited primarily to interactions with outside traders and travelers.

Food and cuisine

The peoples of Talmithe are roughly equally split between hunter-gatherers and agriculturalists - even those that adopt one rarely fully leave the other. Many tribes keep small herds of domestic water buffalo or zebu, but along the coasts and rivers it is more typical to rely heavily on fishing for one's food. Fruit vines and orchards are often grown near settlements as well. Rice, especially the black rice of the Hathna, is used as a staple grain, while eggplant, peppers, cassava, sunflowers, and legumes like chickpeas and peanuts are important as well. Eggs too feature heavily in Talmithen cuisine, prepared in innumerable ways; those of dinosaurs are particularly popular and often reserved for special occasions, as those said to taste the best are often quite dangerous to acquire.

Coffee, native to the region, is a popular drink throughout Talmithe. Primarily grown and processed for local consumption, it is also cultivated for trade and for the purpose of providing tribute to the Great Houses. As a drink it is enjoyed with most meals, at least in small amounts - Talmithens rarely drink alcohol in any form, preferring their coffee or sometimes tea instead. In a concentrated form coffee is sometimes used as a medicinal stimulant.

Architecture and urbanization

The inhabitants of Talmithe have developed multiple unique architectural styles, even apart from those of the Great Houses: the stilt-palaces of the Hathna, the towers of the Thevrumines, and the subterranean abodes of the Velparun. Houses built on elevated platforms are commonplace, circular structures with steep thatched roofs, raised to stay above the wetlands and avoid floods. In the east, the old Oscan style of sunken adobe homes are sometimes built. Settlements are often not walled, except for those controlled by the Thevrumines, as Talmithen communities rely far more on active scouting to protect themselves than upon defensive structures.

In general, the population of Talmithe is quite diffuse. Instead of large cities the people of the region live in villages or small towns, though their frequent close proximity to each other means few communities are truly isolated. Even the largest of settlements in Talmithe barely rises above five thousand inhabitants.

Travel and migration

Dinosaur caravans are used to transport people and material across Talmithe. The Alchumena are perhaps best known for this, with their trains of pack sauropods upon which they carry their goods, but they are far from the only ones to make use of dinosaurs for this purpose. Though difficult to tame, these creatures are large enough that they have very few natural predators and can pass through the rough terrain of Talmithe. Very few roads pass through the region - the routes that do exist are largely unmapped trails.

Many, but not all, tribes in Talmithe are nomadic. In general the eastern grasslands and the island of Larthial are the homes of nomadic peoples, while closer to the mountains and in the forests, and especially in the rainforest margins of the west, settled communities are more common.

Magic

At certain points in history the Great Houses have imposed bans on learning arcane magic, largely out of fear that sufficiently advanced mages would repeat the mistakes of those in Eita whose actions they had so vehemently opposed. These prohibitions were never successful, however, and today the people of their subject tribes use magic freely. The Velparun were the last to formally lift this ban in Y9270^*.

Names

Names take a variety of forms in Talmithe. Many use typical Laqtan mononyms or even the Chaskan-inspired first and last names of Oscan. The elves of the Great Houses, however, have their own way of naming themselves, a practice that has spread beyond the Houses into other tribes as well. In this traditional method, an individual's first name is their house, or tribal, name, their second name is their given name, and their third name is their family name.

Fashion

As with many regions with large elven populations, facial tattooing is a common practice in Talmithe. Unlike the intricate designs that might be found elsewhere, in Hinthial or Brightmarch for example, the people of Talmithe generally prefer bold, blocky tattoos that cover large areas of skin. The practice long ago spread out of the Great Houses and into the other inhabitants of Talmithe, and today is widespread in most tribes.

Government

The means by which the people of Talmithe govern themselves are inconsistent and chaotic at the best of times. Each tribe is typically led by some form of assembly or monarchy, though their exact forms vary across the region - elders' councils, appointed monarchies, and hereditary systems are the most common. Each Great House has their own style of leadership as well. The rule of the Great Houses does not replace but rather supplements those of their subject peoples. It is typical for the mundane details of day to day life to be left to the chosen leaders of their subjects, with the Great Houses only interfering in certain matters of interest to them or to provide broad guidance and orders for their subjects to work towards as they see fit. Of course, this varies by House, and some prefer to be far more direct in their laws and instructions.

The Great Houses themselves are led by multiple athumi, a Talmithen Elven word that roughly translates to monarch. These positions are rarely hereditary, with the notable exception of Velparun athumi, but instead are appointed in some meritocratic way.

Economy

The Great Houses rely heavily on their subject peoples to support themselves. All demand tribute in some form, whether that be through levying taxes, demanding manpower for corvée labor, or through some other method. These demands are nominally balanced by the guarantees of safety and stability the Great Houses give towards their subjects, but the elven tribes can vary in how much they respect the promises they have made. When the Houses falter, however, so too does the tribute flowing to them, and inevitably all fall in line once again.

Within Talmithe, the vast majority of trade is internal between the many tribes of the region. Agricultural resources, textiles, spices, ceramics, animals, and jewelry are especially common trade goods. Use of currency in Talmithe varies widely - most are more than willing to accept coins made of precious metals, but these frequently end up melted down to be made into something else.

Coffee is the one resource produced in Talmithe that is traded in large quantities with the broader world. Talmithe is the only known region where coffee grows well with relatively minimal effort, though the undead of Tarkuus have begun to start cultivating the crop as well, and therefore the tribes can and do trade it to merchants from abroad in an exchange that greatly favors them. These merchants then sell the beans for exorbitant prices in far away places - in many places the drink is seen as a novelty and status symbol for the wealthy.