Dewyddair

Map of Dewyddair

Dewyddair is a temperate land of great mountain chains and broad valleys in Barathorn, south of the Dragon Sea. The country was settled by skyfaring tribes from Colnoria in the third century before Salmakhamer under the leadership of the Parkyon Tribe and their Mipnor Kings. Most humans in southern Barathorn are descended from these original colonists. Two mountain chains stretch through the length of the country, the Skrall Mountains in the south and parallel to them, the Kindurth Mountains to the north. The Dragon Sea forms the north boundary, the shore of Lake Blackwaves the northeastern boundary and the South Skrall Mountains form the southwestern boundary. The word 'skrall' comes from an old Colnorian term of derision for trolls whom the first sky tribes encountered.

Dewyddair is the cultural core of southern Barathorn and the former center of the Skymark Dominion. The current government, the Skymark Commonwealth, only rules Dewyddair and some overseas colonies. The Skymark Republic or simply Skymark as it is usually called neighbors the Republic of Gonsk, the Kingdom of Glaye, and the Free City of Elmundel. The primary language of Dewyddair is the Dewyddairsh Language which is related to Colnorian and Medibgóëse, and stems from Ancient Colnorian.

Climate and Asdarography

Dewyddair is largely mountainous with broad valleys between the great mountain ridges. The land receives plentiful rain in the late summer and rain and snow in the winter, with especially snow in the mountain fastnesses. Oaks, aspens, Scottish pines, spruce, birches, and grey alders are common in the mountains while rowan trees, elms, hawthorns, hollies, oaks, poplars, willows, and yews are common in the valleys. The relatively warm waters of the Pallathantic Sea provide some additional warmth for southern Barathorn, but not as much as for southern Pytharnia. Thanks to these warm currents, southern Barathorn is largely temperate, except for the high mountains.

Cities

The principle cities of Dewyddair are Galmaddin, Galthala, and Gal-Kialla. The root 'gal' means a mountain cave or weir that was used in ancient times to house skycraft during the summer foraging of the gontha in the high mountain valleys. The principle coastal port is Drackmarrow that has access to the Guspan Bay.

History

Pre-Colnorian

Main article: Pre-Colnorian Barathorn

Pre-Colnorian times has reference to any period before the advent of the skyfaring Colnorian tribes from the Jaggudorns. The lands of Dewyddair were the habitations of native trolls and other wild creatures. It is thought that small colonies of Dragon Knights fleeing the collapse of the Neptultchi Empire spread throughout southern Barathorn in pre-Colnorian times. Evidence suggested that temporary colonies of Bukalaan Dwarves mining the mountains for ore and gemstones. Archeologers have found evidence for inhabitants of the Shukhmayan Culture in Dewyddair as also in many other sites in southern Barathorn. There are signs of trade with the more advanced Nephershut Civilization to the south in what is now Glaye. It is thought that the Dragon Knights came sometime during the decay of the indigenous human civilizations and that all the movements of people from the Dragon Knights to the Colnorian tribes may have been spurred on by a regional or global drought. The Dragon Knights may have formed a warlike elite, using the Shukhmayan peoples as serfs.

Parkyon Settlement

Main article: Parkyon Settlement of Dewyddair

In the third century before Salmakhamer, a coalition of Tribes from Colnoria under the leadership of the Mipnor Kings of the Parkyon Tribe migrated by skycraft to the lower mountain slopes of Dewyddair, bringing herds of gontha with them. They found no large settlements of humans as most had been slain by a resurgence of the indigenous troll population. The Parkyons brought with them gontha herding practices and warfare techniques that enabled them to establish the Colnorian immigrants in the land and route out the trolls to the south and to the west. For nearly two thousand years, the Mipnor Kings were held with great reverence and regarded as spiritual overlords of southern Barathorn. Parkyon legend recounts that the ancient Kiall Tribe were the hegemonic people of the Valley of Thrace, but left due to the violence and barbarity of the Kalikán. The Parkyons have served in history as a foil to the Kalikán. The ancient Mipnor King, or the Great Sky King, was an over-king of all tribal chieftains who gathered to the Sprikonnath, an aristocrat body under the rule of the king.

Yophenthean Empire

See also: Relations between Dewyddair and the Yophenthean Empire

Within a thousand years, Dewyddair had become a thriving nation, exploiting the resources of southern Barathorn and making colonies throughout the continent and in northern Orrhymby. The skyfaring Dewyddairsh conflicted with the Yophentheans who were colonizing Glaye and Jebo. Within a few centuries, the Mipnor Kings made treaties with the Yophenthean Emperors and eventually became allies and mercenaries, providing sky support for the Yophenthean military goliath against the sky tribes of the Jaggudorns. The relationship over the centuries deteriorated until the Parkyons allied with the Kalikán and other sky tribes of the Jaggudorns and participated in the Third Sack of Yophénthë in 986 which brought about the Fall of the Yophenthean Empire.

Medieval Dewyddair

Main article: Medieval Dewyddair

After the Fall of the Yophenthean Empire, Dewyddair experienced a resurgence in economy and culture. Dewyddairsh colonists spread to northern Orrhymby, Nymentho, and Erechóreb. The sky warriors of the Mipnor kings eventually helped bring about the fall of the First Kalikán Empire which prepared the way for the Golden Age of Sky. Dewyddair along with much of Barathorn was only somewhat infested with chaos cults in the late middle ages. During this time, most of southern Barathorn was under the rule of the Great Sky Kingdom and the reign of a derivative Mipnor dynasty which despite the onslaught of chaos forces, never succumbed and remained in existence, though with much limited power, through the Middle Ages of Chaos. In the fifteen century, the Great Sky Kingdom became the Skymark Kingdom.

Dewyddair became a haven for refugees from the Pallathantic Region, including Incarnandists and Paimbalans. Dewyddair was the base of operations for Lord Chulfarrin's Isbajath against the Jaggudorns. Additionally, during the Medieval Period, Dewyddair sent forth great expeditions of explorers and colonists into northern Orrhymby or what is now modern-day Amerzcelindo. These began to outnumber the Yophenthean provincials who already inhabited the land.

Twenty Sixth Century

The Skymark served as a foil to the New Kalikán Empire. Poets of the age developed a theory that the conflict was modern-day revisitation of the ancient rivalry between the Parkyons and the Kalikán. The Skymark defended the rulers of Skerrod who shifted their allegiance which event precipitated the Great Sky War. In the early twenty seventh century, the Kingship of Galmaddin was reduced to a constitutional monarchy and finally to a semi-autonomous territory (2516), the Royal Domain of Galmaddin, somewhat similar to the Holy See of Yophénthë.

Twenty Seventh Century

See also: Gneikladasic Empire

See Also

• Barathorn
• Dewyddairsh Language
• Great Sky Kingdom
• Kingship of Galmaddin
• List of the Dynasties of the Great Sky Kingdom
• Mipnor Kings
• Royal Domain of Galmaddin
• Skymark Federation
• Yophenthean Empire