| A World (Tír Nan Óg, Tirennan Óg) |
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Physically, this world (shortly called “Tír”) is similar to ours, concerning climate and mode of life. It is a world somewhere in space and time,
one of the countless variations of life-bearing worlds quite similar to our spheres. The climate is a little more moderate, the atmosphere a little “deeper” than ours, and the planet a little smaller (lighter), so that flying organisms can develop larger and heavier, and fly in greater distance to the ground. The name is the celtic (gaelic) word for Otherworld. A realm that is hell and heaven in one, like ours, but not ruled (merely) by us, mankind, nor by some boring god, or some idiotic devil. Only by spirits, and these are the beings themselves. Thus, everything is more intense, the moment is more important, so to say.
Maybe I can try to tell the story of this world in greater detail sometime. The main features in the areas regarded here are are: endless forests, large as continents, a mountain complex, its surface partly molten in
the Dracolypsis, the quelling of Mankind in an early age (thus: weeping mountains), large swamps at their feet.
I have chosen this realm because its parallels to ours. First, it is worth noting that in a remote time, maybe - compared to our world - before
an Ice Age, millions of years ago, there was not only one dominant race, but two: a race “man”, technologically much more sophisticated than
us and extremely dominant to all other forms of life, like us, with the exception of one other race: the exact counterpart of them, a balance
in each respect: the Dragons, here so called because of their visual features (extremely large and strong beyond normal biological limits,
also in wisdom and spirit, able to move on land, in the air and the waters, physically beautiful and impressive, yet demonic in habitués. In short - gods. A balance to us, without our fears and weaknesses, from which derives our strength and motivation to develop.
OK, so far. Things cannot be explained here in short, yet so far is sure: the two balancing forces, Man and Dragon, had many quarrels, leading
up to a terrible confrontation, in which the mightiest of Dragons crushed the most important stronghold of mankind, and made the surrounding mountains “weeping” (melting), while the others were burning and smashing everything away that stood in connection with man’s achievements. This was a dawn of mankind, and there is a grotesque and even amusing story even existing today, the story of Delgan, the “thorne”, hedonistic daughter of a prototype of an influential industrial, and her companions, who tried to avoid the unavoidable,
without success.
This event is ironically called the “Dracolypsis”, and you will find many parallels in our world, (as well in nature, and history). After that, Man was nearly extinct, and Dragon also took a certain drawback,
to keep a balance.
Later, Man re-emerged, but, taking the experience seriously, being aware that things could repeat, decided to find a way of live in a certain degree of harmony, even in a sub-ordering relationship, with nature.
One fraction found this could be also possible with a controlled use of technologies, lying in man’s nature to use them, and others decided that everything based on deeper scientific knowledge should be condemned, except tools directly hold in hand, and dwellings for families and clans
(no manufactories and trade, only for direct use, not for profit).
The two fractions (of course there were many variations of the basic ideas) had many differences, both verbal and later also violent (the “Age of the Heros”), until a culmination and a local separation took place: one fraction settled in the open lands and hillsides (remnants of the war and human activities of old), the other in the deep woods which began to cover the world after the Dracolypsis, especially in the Lowlands. Over the ages, these two fractions developed deep-reaching differences,
even in appearance. Many rather mighty and intelligent species emerged, or grow strong again, in the time after the Dracolypsis, making the Tír more rich and interesting, also for Man (or his descendants).
Others believe that a new capability of communication between species, emerging as a result of the lesser dominance of men and therefore the growing intelligence and might of other species, ended the fights,
maybe enhanced by the unicorna as a kind of “catalyst”. However, dialogue and spiritual transfer inbetween the species is a main feature
of life in the Tirennan Óg, also between predators and victims. A deep (and surely sometimes unconscious) interest for “the other ones” gives surely one of the explanations for the partly extensive bodily contacts even between species.
Always remember, this history outlined here goes over a time of several millions of years. |
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| Cu Sidh |
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Predators, hunting everything on ground with the exception of the surika and tusken (these are too strong). Occasionally they are hunted and killed themselves by a griffin, not only for prey, also for sport. They live and hunt in flocks of 12 - 20. It is not clear why they are called that way, thus being connected with the sídh. It is possible that they survived from the time before all times, when the sídh were young,
men that bred animals for their wars. It is sure that they are a very
old race. Their fur is greyish-blond, mostly with a strange green shimmer.
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| Fauna |
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These are undisciplined wood folks (at least in the opinion of tengu), sometimes being companions to unicorna, that can arrange with everyone. They live in wooden tree houses, in wide-spread villages,
and don’t use metals. Excellent in sling use; the best throwers hit a
man-sized target on 300 feet distance with great force. Some use
bow and arrow, but these are rather weak, not like the terrible distance weapons of the tengu. For self-defence they use fighting sticks and
long carved clubs (somewhat similar to Maori weapons). Usually being vegetarians, they have also some yams/potato and other fruit plantings, and mushroom cultures. They are sometimes hermaphroditic; generally the sexes are not easily to distinguish. They prefer the large pine- and cypress woods of the south, but also dwell in northern regions. Basically they are built like man, but with split hooves and strong legs suitable
for jumping and running. Compared to man, they are little smaller,
but stronger, with larger hands and a little longer arms.
They have dark skin, like Central Africans, but bright, almost white hair. Some grow face hair (beards). They move noiseless and nearly invisible if they wish. Undertaking small-scale trade with the speedmen, they use some cloth and greenstone artefacts. As everyone knows, fauna sex-life is rather intensive. |
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| Griffins |
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They are extremely wild predators, and when they can, the males enjoy an excessive sexual life, also being fond on interspecies mating. Indeed, they try to mate with everything that has a halfway adequate size;
when a potential victim provides sexual satisfaction, it is spared from being killed (what they mate with, they will not harm). They live alone, but have meeting points which are often attended (there, usual mating takes place). They can fly fast, but not very long because of their body weight which is rather heavy. Usually, they are bound to the mountain regions and coastal areas in the north (they dislike warm climates).
When they get in a fight, it leads mostly to death for at least one of
the fighters; for they are extremely aggressive and quick to anger.
Some of the largest of them boast with having killed a tusken, but this
is unconfirmed. The female ones are at least as passionate fighters, lighter built, but much faster and more enduring that the males.
Their wings are feathered; their body is covered with a sometimes colourful-shimmering fur. Garuda, Wisnus famous steed, the “Sun Bird”, was one of them, often falsely described as giant eagle |
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| Harpies |
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Light-built airborne creatures, they feel attracted by griffins, which may play and fool around with them. They are all-eaters, but they prefer fish. Males and females cannot be distinguished at first glance. They live in coastal regions, some in high places and caves in the cliffs, making partly elaborate shelters from sea mammal hide and large bones which they work very skilled.
There are many other species of creatures in Tirennan Óg, of course, similar as much as in “our” world (even if these decline in number these days), but the ones named above are some of the most prominent races, which took and take the most important part in history of mankind
(in a wider sense). |
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| Sidh |
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Man, arrogant folks, now legendary, the original man-race, gone by for ages. They were heavily reduced in the Dracolypsis, all their technological power was broken. In the ages following the great catastrophe, they restored themselves, parted into two fractions, the “technocratics”
and the “rejectors”, which fought many battles, culminating in the Culture Fights. There is a theory that at that time, they had developed differences also in physical ways, merely on initiative of the “rejectors”, which later should become the ancestors of the speedmen. After that era, which became known as the “Age of the Heros”, and which obviously ended with the appearance of the unicorna, as is supposed, the two races (originally one) developed more and more in different ways. Now they live in relative peace. |
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| Speedmen |
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These are little anthropoids that can run extremely swift and enduring; thus their name. Because of the shape of legs and feet, they dislike standing for a longer time; they prefer crouching or sitting when not
in motion. All their (remarkable) handicrafts are performed in low positions. They are very intelligent, having achieved an obviously
perfect harmony and symbiosis with their environment. It is not clear
if they derived from man in ancient times. It is speculated they could
be one variety of the remnants of man, as the tengu, whose origins begun after the Dracolypsis. It is further assumed that they are responsible for some physical and mental features of several creatures, including themselves, by an age-long subtle breeding program.
Their special skills include the manufacture of extremely high-quality textiles, which they use also for their homes. These are built of wood and cloth, located deep in the Wood, near the feet of the Weeping Mountains. There is mainly a town-like location, built in and over the delta of the Two Rivers, where most of handicrafts and exchange trade takes place, and many villages and large clan-houses in the surrounding woods. They melt metal in small quantities from a large iron meteorite located in their territory, a process in which the tusken take part sometimes (using falling hammers for separating chunks), and carve
small figurines and utility objects of the tough greenstone found near their dwelling grounds. They obtain copper and gold from finds in river beds, but they have no sense for material values; considered really precious are mainly things that facilitate daily life, such as high-quality tools, and old heritage objects. They use bow and arrow for self-defence and sports, and throwing darts with tips of greenstone accelerated with a throwing stick. In the heroic days of old, when they were larger and fiercer, they had also some metal weapons, which are partly still in existence as venerated heirlooms; they were passionate and feared
headhunters then. Their sense of smelling is not good (in contrary to fauna), but they have great eyesight. Their skin is black, and they have
no face hair.
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| Surika |
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These show physical similarity to the tusken, but they are smaller and lighter built, yet, compared to other creatures, still very strong. Instead of the protruding teeth, they have two sharp horns and very dangerous claws and spurs. It is said that in the Heroic Age some served in the forces of tengu, as mounts and carriers, equipped with suitable armour (none in existence today), fighting against the speedmen and fauna (which were mostly allies), and that two of them could overwhelm a tusken. Now they are seldom encountered. Their habits and preferences are alike those of the tusken, their greater fetters; a far-reaching degree of kinship cannot be denied. When they are young, they still not have the typical sabre horns; these will develop later and will grow as long as they live, along with the neck and shoulder muscles. An older male surika provides a very impressive sight. The main difference to tusken in behaviour is that they usually avoid the company of other species,
today also that of the tengu. When they meet tusken, it takes part as friendly encounter with much sniffing and sympathetic sounds that show no sign of hostility. |
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| Tengu |
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They live in stone houses and use mainly steel weapons and tools
of high quality. The main weapon is the large hornbow (a composite recurve bow), and sometimes the crossbow; some use even a kind of “windbuechse”, a barrel connected to an air compression flask,
like an ultra-strong blowpipe. Living in durable stone houses in small towns and villages in highlands and on mountain slopes, they disdain
the forests. They have domestic animals, less for flesh, more for wool and milk, and conservatories (greenhouses), where they produce green food (they are very good in making transparent hides, nearly as clear as glass). In spite of their love for archery and fencing, they are usually peaceful, but display a specific sarcasm, a very strange kind of aggressive humour no one else can understand (and bear), and are fond of quarrelling and arguing. They have long noses, and mostly not-so-good eyesight. Sex difference is similar as in humans.
Theatre and role-play is their passion, also checkers. Their outfit is often rather eccentric; they put much attention to fashion. They tend to be over-accurate and pedantic.
Sometimes they are killed by griffins, and sometimes they kill them (with their distance weapons, whose tips are poisoned for this purpose).
It is supposed that they are the offspring of the “technocratics” of the Culture Fights. |
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| Tusken |
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These are the largest land creatures in the Tirennan Óg, with the exception of the Drakonis, which are rarely seen, and which do not
take part in daily affairs of the other critters. In former times, in the Culture Fights, some 100.000 years ago, they engaged as helpers of
the speedmen against the tengu, pulling their war towers and other heavy gear, and crushing the walls and portals of tengu fortresses.
For this purpose, they used large copper hammers with string grips,
few of which are extant now in speedmen dwellings.
Their fur is brown-reddish, sometimes with a copper-like shimmer.
Their muscular power is enormous, so that they have almost no enemies; in rare cases they are attacked by especially strong and aggressive griffins searching for a quarrel, which might end deadly for one part, mostly for the griffin, because a strike of a tusken will crush bones as gingerbread.
Basically they are all-eaters, but they prefer fruits and vegetables, preferably boiled, and - seldom - fish and swamp animals. They are fond of beer, brewn by their hosts; they consume it by barrels, if available.
They have the habit to sing in overtones, a strange, confusing music, sometimes for hours. The sound carries over far distances. They like whistle / flute and bagpipe music for their life (and other blowing instruments).
Showing pronounced homosexual preferences; the males are often pair-bond, mostly a younger one with a strong adult, in a kind of mentorship. Their sexuality (both hetero and homo) takes place in lying positions; because of their extreme strength a “mounting” act could become dangerous in ecstatic moments.
They have a tendency to search the company of speedmen (and vice versa), especially in winter, enjoying their music and warm wood-and-textile homes in the deepest wood. The females stay apart the settlings in own bands; they dislike other species and tolerate company of males only at rare opportunities.
All of them like bathing in the hot springs and swamp waters at the southern base of the Weeping Mountains, a pleasure for which they travel days long.
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| Unicorna |
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A species with special mental capabilities, their strange features may be also a result of an age-long breeding program initiated by the speedmen. They are all-eaters. They can transmit feelings and even thoughts,
and can form dream pictures for others nearby.
The horn, their speed and fighting spirit make them dangerous opponents, even the cu sídh usually avoid them as prey. They are calm, making no sound, and are rarely encountered. It is supposed that along with the speedmen, they are the mightiest / most influencal creatures
of the Tír. Sometimes one has a long-lasting sexual (same-sex) relationship with a faun. The faun is the passive / taking partner then.
They have white-silverish fur, almost like downs, extremely fine, over a strong, muscular, yet slender body. In very seldom cases, they are bluish-black; these are dangerous and sometimes destructive. Unicorna are outsiders, meeting only for mating, a few times in life.
Female unicorna are hard to distinguish from male ones (except the genitalia) at first glance. Their face and head expression is a little different, and the behaviour is more cautious.
The typical horn will begin to grow after puberty.
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| Concerning the names |
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The names given are not the real names; a tengu is originally a Japanese mountain spirit, or ascetic, skilled in fighting, in legend often teachers of the most famous samurai. Surika derives from the ancient sword of Timorese champion warriors -meo-, called surik, because of the bent hornes of the beasts. The other names are self-explaining, I guess. The real names will occur in more detailed explanations concerning the Tirennan Óg.
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| Some individidual names |
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- tengu:
- speedman:
- tusken:
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- surika:
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- unicorna:
- harpy:
- griffin:
- cu sídh:
- sídh, mankind:
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- Ajime, Yama-Uba, Oniyasha, ...
- Hadjime, Rajasa, Indrato, Kijanto, ...
- Ferdiad(he), Senglend(he), Logad(he), Angad(he),
- (”... he” is generally not spoken at the end, it softens
- the “d”, similar as in the name “Eliade”, but even softer)
- Dónled, Ródhered(Ruad), Diarmad, Dónchad, ...
- Cledd, Mathún, Cadfal, Ryderig(Ridderch),
- Erian(Eriwen), ...
- Aebh(e), Naerth, ...
- Eydris, ...
- Krodha, ...
- no names known
- many, many names
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