Author: Rasgon

As one of the few remaining pockets of nearly pure Flan culture left, the Tenha worship the old Flannish gods, with the addition of Pholtus, almost exclusively - Pelor, Nerull, Beory, Obad-hai, Berei, and Allitur are the primary foci of their religious lives. Their language and writing system are based on Flannic glyphs. Society is based on the old tribal system adapted to modern needs.

History

The Duchy of Tenh is a melding of many different Flan tribes who retreated to the lands of the North in the wake of the invasion and colonization of the Aerdi. Legend says there were originally ten nations who came together at Nevond Nevnend, but this seems to be an apocrypha based on a confusion of the modern name of the duchy with the common Baklunish-Oeridian number. In truth, the word Tenh shares a root with both the name of the mysterious ruins of Tostenhca (known as Skrellingshad by the Suel barbarians) and the Coltens or Kelten Feodality, the small nation that existed to the duchy's north until it was invaded by the hordes of the wicked Rover Vlek. It is thought that this root means simply "town" or "home."

Later, as the privileges of the Pholtusian priesthood in Aerdy were eroded by the rise of the warrior-cult of Heironeous among the nobility, missionaries began to come to the northern Flan nations. These clerics primarily belonged to the Tdon, an order of dervish-priests said to have been founded by the prophet Arnd himself. Many towns and cities were founded around villages that contained Tdon missions, including Wintershiven, Redspan, Atherstone, Oxton, Ogburg, Eltison, and Wotton. Oxton in particular was the home of an early seminary where many of the frontier evangelists were trained.

Offering the natives a potent combination of healing spells, literacy, ecstatic dance-rites, prophesies of future times, and the promise of the Blinding Light to see them through the world's chaos and turmoil, the Tdon came to dominate a large portion of the northlands. They made little progress, however, in the resolutely pagan lands north of the Artonsamay River, until a few gained the confidence of the land's Duke. Duke Uri I (known as the Confider) valued the Tdon for their scholarship and clerical magic, especially when healers saved the life of his son in the name of the Light. He banished the druids from his presence, and they began to skulk in caves. It was at this time that the Duke gained the title of Radiant or His Radiance.

Within a decade, the Tdon in Tenh began to die out in what is remembered as the Bane Purge. Details of the plague are sketchy, but bards sing about the clerics' bones moving with their own will and their flesh growing hard and mummylike as their organs atrophied. The survivors hid in their missions, eventually severing their ties with their founding church and in some cases even becoming druidic initiates. As the church of the Blinding Light became more conservative across the lands of Aerdy, the Tdon order passed into fable. Most clerics of Pholtus today are a stern, conservative lot; the ecstatic dances and prophetic ability of the Tdon are lost, although it is thought that some of Tenh's druids still retain the knowledge of these talents in the collection of ancient lore they pass through the generations.

The entire realm of Tenh was declared anathema by the Pholtusian church, even though the people of Tenh still revered the Guide of the Light in their way.

Life proceeded from there, with relatively minor downturns and upturns, like the Battle of a Fortnight's Length and the Battle of Redspan, until the invasion of the Coltens by Vlek, called Stonefist. The Coltens were claimed as vassals of the duke of Tenh, though they mainly managed their own affairs. Stonefist founded a hostile nation on the other end of Thunder Pass, which threatened Tenh for over a century before invading it during the confusion of the savage Wars of the Great Kingdom, the Scarlet Brotherhood, and Iuz.

Social structure

The society of Tenh is strictly divided among male and female spheres, corollating with Allitur and Berei's spheres of influence. Women control the households and own and run the farms, while the men are valued for their wisdom and ability to make laws and coordinate military activities. Daughters remain within the household all of their lives; the oldest daughter inherits control from her mother and jealously hoards it. Younger daughters are left caring for the children and producing household goods. The decisions in matters between households and in the village or town as a whole are left to a council of male elders. The village constabulary and the Duke himself are also always male. The only social rank where both males and females comingle is the druidic priesthood, and even there women generally gravitate towards Beory, acting as advocates for humanity, while men feel drawn toward Obad-hai, and act as advocates for the wilderness.

The Duke of Tenh has ultimate say over the administration of his realm. He appoints the reeves who control the village militias, though in practice he usually ratifies the decision of the village grandfathers. The Duke himself belongs to one of a few ancient families who have ruled the duchy since its founding; Ehyeh's house is exceptionally dark-skinned Flan, almost black despite Tenh's cloudy weather.

A legend speaks of Duke Caleb I riding with his small band of hillmen into the thick of the Aerdi legions and demanding audience with the general who initially demanded the land submit to the Great Kingdom, and that his eyes and personality were so magnetic that the general's guards had no choice but to comply. Caleb told the general that only the Flan would ever rule Tenh, and that if the (then) king of Aerdy would not recognize him as a duke equal to those in lands like Urnst he would drive the king's entire army into the Great Rift. The general took him at his word, appointed Caleb duke, and left. The Aerdi claim that they only selected the most powerful of Tenh's several squabbling tribal leaders, and some suspect some collision between the rulers of Tenh and the priesthood of Pholtus even then.

Marriages are prearranged by the women of the bride's household bargaining with the women of the groom's. Since men do not own property, husbands are chosen based on skill in battle and play, wisdom, education and strength. The more wealthy and powerful households are able to attract more qualified men, of course. Sometimes a young man will be sent abroad to prove himself worthy of a certain bride.

Tenh supports several orders very similar to the Oeridian idea of knights. These grim riders are selected from each militia to engage in preemptive assaults against the Bandit Kingdoms, Stonefist, and raiders from the mountains, as well as the restless dead. Special ranger divisions help defend against giants and humanoids, as they have for centuries.

Geography

Tenh is characterized by fertile fields and dense forests (the most notable being the enigmatic glowing Phostwood). Much of it is highland terrain, with heather etc. growing wild. The land gets very low and soggy near the Troll Fens, until it rises back into the tall Griff Mountains.

Economy

The Tenha grow barley and maize, they herd sheep and goats, and they hunt stags and elk (including the rare and enormous Tenhese Elk). Platinum mines in the mountains employ workers as well (marble, granite, and lime are also mined). While not as efficient as dwarf-run mines, they do supply most of the platinum in the Northeast (in the form of raw ore, or sometimes bricks, which are guarded by mercenaries hired by the mining households). Tenha brew fine beers and corn liquors, and they breed horses. Much of Tenh's food products go to the Bandit Kingdoms, Stonefist, Ratik, Bone March, and the Barrens, but the quality is prized elsewhere. Iron in the Griffs suffices for Tenh's needs, but there isn't enough to export.

Many Tenha are fine jewelry makers, so there is a demand for precious metals from the Duchy of Urnst. Brightly colored clothing comes from Furyondy, Dyvers, Greyhawk, Nyrond and the County of Urnst to tempt wealthy Tenha. A limited amount of trade occurs with the Pale, who they depend on for certain metals. Spices from Hepmonaland are in high demand, but very difficult to come by. Due to the dangerous nature and militant druids of Tenh's woodlands, most wood used for fuel or building must be imported.

Religion

The Tenha are obsessed with life and death. Their elaborate tombs and burial mounds date back millennia and their priests (especially of Beory, Pelor, Nerull and Allitur) keep elaborate records of the path of the soul based on the movement of the stars and planets and of the flux of nature. The spirits of nature and the departed seem more alive here, and brief rites to them are common.

Druidic priesthoods, dedicated to Obad-hai and Beory, are present but not all-controlling. They lead their flocks across ley-lines and into ancient groves and circles to commune with the wilderness and perform their rites in isolation. The archdruid of Tenh is also the nominal protector of the Pale; because druidism is outlawed there, druids must do their work there in secret.

The church of Allitur is perhaps the most powerful in Tenh; they maintain and interpret the laws and customs of the land, and thus form an important part of the legal system. Tenha bardic traditions are usually associated with Allitur as well. Finally, Allitur is considered to be the judge of the dead.

Berei is Allitur's counterpart in the feminine sphere: she rules the households, crafts, agriculture, and the order of the home, and Her priestesses are much in demand as nurses and tutors.

Pelor is certainly a very visible god in the Duchy, though he is confused at times with Pholtus. Sunlight is essential for such an agricultural people, and the Tenha do Him honor. Warriors, too, are thought to be blessed by the Flan god of strength.

Still, their function is largely ceremonial and they have little political influence. Worship of Pelor includes healing affirmations and walking through the halls of the church into the light. Red wine is poured to celebrate the sunrise.

The traditional worship of Pholtus is often alongside Pelor, sometimes as a messenger or champion sent by Pelor from his house within the Blinding Light. As true priests of Pholtus become common again after the Wars, this idea is being sternly stamped out. In a few decades, Pholtus may replace Pelor in Tenh entirely, unless the sun god remains as a subordinate saint. They make life increasingly difficult for the clerics of Saint Cuthbert which have traditionally gone to Tenh's rural areas to escape prosecution in the Pale.

The shifty cults of Nerull occasionally plague the countryside and the riverport dives in Redspan. Almost universially hated, the cult offers enough power to its sin-torn devotees that it is difficult to wipe out.

Tombs are dedicated not to Nerull (unless the departed was a worshipper, or particularly feared going to His domain) but to Beory, whose womb all must return to on their way to their next destination. Shrines to the All Mother are found in cave mouths, crossroads, in druidic circles and on nearly every farm. Robed Beoric priestesses are a common sight in most towns.

Especially since Stonehold's invasion, the Restorer cult of the Triune Mother has become increasingly popular among Beoric worshippers who hope that Restorer creed can help bring back the balance that has so sorely been lost. The resulting infusion of Istusian and Wee Jasian theology has already begun to change Tenha society; women are beginning to blatantly influence the councils of elders. It is thought only a matter of time before some frustrated junior daughter tries to become a reeve herself. The changes in traditional Tenha culture have yet to fully resolve themselves.

Other gods have only a minor influence in Tenh.

Language

The pure Flannic language spoken in Tenh is stagnant and unsuited to many modern terms and concepts. Highly stilted and codified, it references long-forgotten myths and is difficult for outsiders to learn; it's based on a small number of glyphs supposed to represent every concept in the universe, including Earth, Fire, Water, Air, Underworld, Upperworld, Styx, Earth-womb, Law, Male, Female, Daughter, Son, Blood, Breath, Beast, Chaos-Evil, Tree, Corn, Mountain, Troll, Elf, Dwarf, Giant, Man, Halfling, and Sorcery. Newer things are harder for the Tenha to talk about; orcs are referred to as "troll-men," while hobgoblins are "troll-elves," for example. Aerdi loan-words are common, though discouraged by the bards and wise men of Allitur.

Dress

Tenha prefer clothing with solid colors: yellow robes for clerics of Pelor, black for Nerull, green for Beory, russet for Obad-hai, cranberry for Allitur, and orange for Berei. Secular garments are brightly colored, consisting of woolen hose and long sleeved tunics.

Art

Tapestries, pottery, frescos, stucco, tile, woodcarving, poetry and wind instruments all have their place in Tenha society; the poetry of Tenh is justly famous abroad, and a significant market exists for translated versions. Songs of hope and loss and epics of national heroes begun here grace the lips of bards far and wide.

Architecture

Houses are usually round and thatched, with holes in their peaks for letting light in and smoke out. They tend to accumulate in clusters, with new buildings quickly built against the old as the families expand. The matriarchs direct construction, with every able body in the house doing the work.

Religious architecture is made of stone whenever possible, and normally includes many obelisks or poles surrounding a pyramidical peak.

Weapons

Spears, javelins and pole-arms are used by all sorts of warriors, as are short bows and traditional short swords. Tenha medium calvary, the legendary Tenha Host, is feared by its enemies, and along with the staunch infantry it is primarily responsible for the land's long freedom. While many weapons are made domestically, there is a strong market for foreign weapons of high quality.

Sports

Everyone in Tenh plays sports, which range from a simple ball game similar to football or soccer, except with no restrictions or referees, to spear-throwing and archery contests testing distance and aim, to a game involving throwing leather rings into specific branches of a tree. A simple form of chess played on a five-sided board is popular among elders. Sports provide entertainment, help train warriors, and help the women choose well when matchmaking.

Character classes

Fighters: Foreign warriors are initially distrusted in Tenh, as most of those they meet are raiders from the surrounding lands. Once a stranger gives aid in battle, however, trust is immediately extended in all but the more unusual circumstances.

Wizards and sorcerers: The Tenha are deeply suspicious of magic-users, who exist for them mainly in ancient legends of foul necromancers and infernalists raping the land or leading warriors to doom at the hands of elven lords. The rise of Iuz has confirmed this view for many Tenha, appearing as a wicked demiurge of the scale of old Asberdies. Individuals can often get through this prejudice in time if the mage proves herself in battle (as Nystal has), but it takes time.

Clerics: Foreign clergy are neither welcomed nor shunned; they have no place in Tenh, and are treated as any other foreigner, their religious orientation ignored. An exception is the priests of Pholtus, who are associated with the ancient Tdon and later with the hateful Pale. After the wars the Pholtusians have regained many converts among the desperate Tenha people. The Triune Mother cult, with its promise of universal harmony, has also gained some converts of late as well.

Rogues: The punishments for thievery in Tenh are harsh, involving stocks, pillories, beatings, branding and exile, depending on the severity and frequency of the crime. Although thieves may work together, there are no formal thieves' guilds in the Duchy.

Organized crime as a whole is rare except in Redspan, where it is primarily controlled by the Rhennee.

Bards: Bards in Tenh are heralds, scholars, archivists and collectors of lore. They trade and even tutor foreign bards readily, considering themselves part of one great fraternity.

Species

Nonhumans in Tenh are uncommon and looked on superstitiously with a mixture of awe and fear. Of the Griffian dwur and noniz, the city of Gwiz-Tokarast is the most likely source of visitors. Gwiz-Tokarast has an almost hivelike structure with its populace divided into rigid, unbreakable castes. Soldiers, miners, smiths, artisans, farmers, priests, and nobles do not mix, even socially, although the dwur and noniz nobility sit in a joint council. Soldiers are typically armed with short swords, spears and plate mail, although the noniz prefer hammers.

Natives of Gwiz-Tokarast are easy to recognize when they come to Calbut and other towns to trade, if not so easy to tell apart. They normally speak to strangers in pre-memorized phrases, often with several of them chanting at once. They dress identically in the garb of the trader's caste, and tend to look alike as well.

Some believe that the peculiar culture of Gwiz-Tokarast is a result of the influence of the mysterious inhabitants of Lake Abanfyl, but some simply credit it to isolation and inbreeding.

The Moonreaver elves and the Moonreaver tallfellows dwell in the Phostwood; they're cruel and destructive because they have to be in order to withstand the bandit and humanoid raids. They have been known to burn down sections of the forest in order to kill their enemies (Phost trees burn with semi-explosive force). The olve and hobniz groups do not get along, although they appear to have lived together sometime in the past; their customs and dress are certainly very similar.

Giant clans have been based in the Griffs since those mountains were first formed. Hill, mountain, stone, mist and cloud giants, along with trolls, ogres, ettins, verbeeg, and voadkin, have preyed on the Tenha and been attacked in turn. Kobolds and orcs are also a threat; the kobolds live in mysterious ruins said to be Flan in origin. The great icy lakes that feed the Zumker River are Giantish holy ground, where they go to experience dreams of other times, commune with the spirits of their ancestors, and bury their dead. Lake Abanfyl was once the holiest spot at all, but something happened a few centuries ago. An ancient nemesis of the giants has returned, something baneful to their primordial substance. Giants avoid the vale now, but vow one day to return and take what is theirs.

The Griffs are also said to contain ruins of ancient elven cities, but these have been lost for a thousand years and more.

Human tribes

In the early days of the Aerdi empire, the diverse groups between the Artonsamay River and the Griffs formed a confederation to maintain their independence (in fact if not in name) in the face of Oeridian expansion. The symbol they chose for their crest is a world axis between two opposing forms, symbolizing unity between the heavens and Oerth, between rival tribes, between life and death and between the male and female spheres.

It wasn't so perfect as they pretended, however. The old tribal identities, despite centuries of interbreeding and fighting side by side, have been kept alive in the matriarchal lines. There are still many distinct peoples.

Wi: the Wi are a tribe known for their brave paladins, hot tempers, and enthusiastic worship of Pelor. Dominating the Nevond Nevnend region, they are primarily maize farmers. Duke Ehyeh is a Wi. Their symbol is the glyph for the mountain lion. After the war, the Wi are some of the quickest converts to the Palish Blinding Light.

Skaw: the Skaw are feared and hated by the more supersitious clans, for they are rumored to be controlled by the cult of Nerull. However, they dominate the town of Redspan and are thus integral to the nation's economy and too wealthy to touch. Most of the Skaw are actually not followers of Nerull at all, but their wealth and power makes people suspicious.

The ancestors of the Skaw came from further south, and they may have been among those led by the Ur-Flannae against the City of Summer Stars.

The symbol of the Skaw suggests a red eagle.

Maka: Another agricultural tribe, the Maka are known for their druidic inclinations. They dwell in forests and wild fields and prevent farmers from other tribes from disturbing the wildlands. Priests of Obad-hai closely watch the Maka farmers to ensure their efforts are sustainable. As a result, the Maka are one of the poorest ethnic groups in all of Tenh.

Their symbol is a snake pictogram.

Inyan: the "keepers of secrets," the Inyan are the oldest of the tribes and the founders of the nation. They predominate in Nevond Nevnend, where they collect Flannae relics and old legends. They perform rites to Beory in subterranean temples. Their symbol is the tortoise.

Hanwi: the Hanwi live near the Phostwood and are constantly fighting the bandits there. As they lose ground, the Hanwi become sadder and subtler. Sickly and wan, fewer are born every year. The Restorer cult is most popular among this tribe and it is thought that their next reeve will be a woman. Despite the damage, their villages are among the most beautiful in Tenh, filled with frescos and brightly colored decoration. Their symbol is the owl. The archmage Nystal is Hanwi.

Tate: Fierce hunters, the Tate inhabit the mountains and have little to do with the other tribes, although their reeve was Duke from CY 513 to 523. The Tate are excellent rangers and orc hunters, and often supplement their diet with raiding. Their griffin sigil decorates their homes and weapons.

Wakinyan: dwelling near the Troll Fens, the Wakinyan are notorious for their meekness and their constant readiness to flee. The Wakinyan move from village to village frequently, abandoning their dwellings to whatever raiders or monsters threaten them. It is said that the Wakinyan are almost as old as the Inyan, and that they were once among the most industrious of the early nation builders. That time is long gone. They are the first tribe to flee to the Pale, and the first converts to Palish religion, abandoning the gods of their ancestors for the sake of safety. Their symbol is the stag.

Cities and towns:

Atherstone: Atherstone was built around a holy site where the spirit of Beory first met with the gods of the sky. As a result, the cult of Beory is very powerful here, and it is here that the largest number of urban Maka dwell. When the Tdon built their mission in Atherstone, they came into immediate conflict with goddess-worshipping druids. The Night of the Red Mother convinced them to tone their proselytizing down a bit, and as a result had a low enough profile that they survived the Bane Purge to come. The successors of the Tdon slowly integrated their teachings into the local faith, and in one incarnation or another continued to recent times. After the invasion, the entire populace fled or died, and only soldiers of the Pale and Palized Tenha live here.

Calbut: Calbut is a trading town built in the mouth of Thunder Pass, named Stone Egg Pass by the people of the Coltens Feodality. Calbut has always been claimed by the rulers of Tenh, but the traffic from the pass makes it almost as much Coltena as Tenha. Of course, the cultre of the Coltens is much like that of their southern neighbors. The Coltens, beyond the reach of even the resolute Tdon, are something of a relic of what Tenh might have been had Pholtusian priests never come: small agricultural buildings shepherded by druids.

Calbut is like a large, rambling Coltena village, with inns and taverns that cater to everyone from Urnstan merchants to Rhennee seers to expeditions preparing to go into the Griffs to explore or plunder. It has something of a frontier town's atmosphere, but many of its buildings are quite old and its wealthy citizens long established. It's a place for both adventurers and merchants, a place where the lines between the two are often indistinguishable. The buildings are mainly typical Flan huts and halls, with the occasional larger house of Oeridian design.

When Tenh was invaded by forces from Stonehold, Calbut was sacked, its women taken and treasures plundered. Yet, when it became clear that the Fists would not be returning to their homeland that season, Sevvord Redbeard ordered that his troops rebuild, erecting his base of operations in the ruins. Calbut was, in all of Tenh, the most like the homes they left behind, and it offered a convenient place of retreat should the Tenha and Palite Hosts prevail. If the war finally ends with the Fists still ensconced, business and trade will doubtless resume as usual; despite the influence of the Rovers and Wolf Barbarians and the nation's despotic overlords, the culture of Stonehold is not so different from Tenh's.

Redspan: Redspan is a port town that handles boats all the way from Dyvers, Furyondy and beyond. A great number of peoples from throughout the Flanaess, from half-orcs to Rhenee to Celene elves trade here, pumping money into Skaw hands. The Rhennee are frequent visitors to Redspan, handling their traditional jobs as well as those no one else will touch, and they appreciate the Skaw for their greater tolerance of them.

Redpan is named for the great red bridges built across the Artonsamay and in the town's gutters. The bridges are built of red brick, though according to local lore they were once wood stained with the blood of Tenh's enemies.

The wizard Nystal lives here, taking advantage of the cosmopolitan atmosphere to keep current on events and possible dangers to his nation.

After the wars, the mission founded by the Tdon has been turned into a fortress and capitol-in-exile by Ehyeh III, the current resting place for the Seat of Gold.

Nevond Nevnend: The capitol city, Nevond Nevnend is made of golden baked brick, its round keep and mixed Flan and Oerid-style temples seeming to burn in the sunlight.

Many of the buildings predate Aerdy. Foreigners are distrusted in Nevond Nevnend, but not harassed. The long, winding, closely packed streets radiate from Ehyeh's keep like sunbeams, and the city contains an unusual amount of stone buildings. The Allituran bardic college is located here. The college is an eccentric hodgepodge of traditional Tenha designs, Ur-Flannae revival, and student innovation.

The Duke's hall is hung with the hides of griffons and giant eagles, some slain many generations ago but still well preserved. Living mountain lions, hippogriffs, and griffons are kept as pets and hunting beasts by the Duke and his court. The ceremonial guards of the Duke's keep wear armaments of bronze, a traditional metal retained for its symbolic significance despite the use of iron and steel elsewhere in the Tenhese militia.

Unusually deep gutters keep most of the city's waste out of sight. This feature is also echoed in Redspan on a somewhat smaller scale, though the bridges that enable carts and pedestrians to pass are much more elaborate in the latter town.

Nevond Nevnend was originally two towns: Nevond, the holy city of the priests, and Nevnend, the secular center. With the confederation of the tribes, however, the city was ceremonially unified, and all citizens can travel freely between either part of town.

With the invasion, Nevond Nevnend is sacked and pillaged, although the Duke's household escaped with some of Tenh's most sacred artifacts: the Helm of Law and the Seat of Gold, which he uses to continue to inspire his people as best he can from exile.

The Fists avoided Nevond Nevnend after sacking it. The captains of Stonehold were unable to keep up their army's morale after the havoc created by sword spirits and wights, the city's vengeful dead.

Geography

The Troll Fens are haunted with monsters that have terrorized humanity for as long as they've lived in the region. Trolls of all breeds, and a number of cross-breeds, haunt the swamps, as do orcs, hobgoblins, ghouls and ghasts, various animate plants and a large and almost trollish race of lizard people who act as one of the major foils against the trolls and their kin. Wild bears and troll-hounds are also a threat.

Deep in the fens lies, half-buried in the mud, a titanic black skull. Once, it belonged to a mortal daughter of Vaprak, who was slain by an avatar of Erythnul in the late Pleistocene epoch. Whether the fell energies of the swamp have kept it in sentient, non-living state for so long or whether it has recently been inhabited as a soul receptacle by some sort of advanced trollish undead, it remains a threat to all who venture near.

The Phostwood is more eerie than deadly, though it has its share of violent spirits, elves, trolls, and fey. Will o' wisps haunt the softly glowing trees, drifting from here across the wild as far as the swamplands and even the mountains.