Civilization name ( in native language): Hyr Gwydh
Language name: Low Gwydh
Nation on map ( Make it relatively small. Make it a different color than other player colors): Will have map soon
Capital ( if any): Barfau Hyr
Leader/s and title: High King Ægrych the tall, High Sage Rhodri
Religion ( if any) name: The faith of Adymæryð
General rundown of mythology ( must be at least 1 paragraph): In the beginning there was nothing, deafening silence, and an eternal night upon the land, from that realm, Adymæryð, Mother to all, awoke in this land; and in her infinite wisdom found it lacking, so she opened her eyes and could see everything, and so the night had left, one and for all as she floated, still finding fault, she began to listen, and so there was sound, happy, she travelled her realm, seeking to create; and was pleased, and so this went on until Adymæryð grew lonely, and sought company, and from a blob of clay she created Hywyl, and breathed life into him. And from their love, Adymæryð birthed the gods, of which there were many, thousands, and to keep them occupied, she tasked them with many things, from farming, to dreaming. She was proud of her children, and sought to honour them by creating humanity from a single clot of blood, she loved humanity for it was pure, and humanity honoured her with everything possible, sacrificing everything for Adymæryð, and so, pleased with her creation the creatures that frolic in the fields, that stalk in the forests, the ones that soar the skies and swim in the ocean- everything living in the world was created for humanity. Humanity was grateful and offered more to Adymæryð, who in turn gave more to humanity, showing humanity the resources and how to use them, humanity was loved. Adymæryð, as another gift, planted every tree upon our world, and stated, ‘I am in every oak tree, in all that are truly righteous and just.’ And so it was, this peace lasted two millennia.
Humanity worshipped Adymæryð dutifully, until three of her children, assisted by a foul human, by the name Vovyk the damned had rebelled, two sons and a daughter, Thyrwyc, god of thieves, Hydwyr, god of treachery, and Ælfthryth, goddess of the young, sought to harm their Mother, they conspired to corrupt humanity with ideas of wickedness, and so they did drive humanity from the path, all but twelve clans were left, and once Adymæryð had discovered Thyrwyc and Hydwyr’s treachery, and so she sought to destroy them, and rain hell upon them. She ordered the clans to send their strongest warriors, and so she rode with them to confront her enemies, she caught up with her evil offspring, firing an arrow at the brothers, she missed, the arrow didn’t, hitting Ælfthryth, whom she loved deeply for her innocence. Thyrwyc, Hydwyr, and Vovyk left with the corrupted clans, taken from the love of Adymæryð.
And so, Adymæryð grew angry, creating craters, the loyal clans saw this and their hearts were fearful, they sought refuge on Mt. Nyþmyr, Adymæryð, heavy with grief and pain, wept, creating many rivers and lakes. Primarily the lake Ælfthyr, where she laid her daughter to rest. She carved a river, still angered greatly, the clans named the river Lydwyr, after the goddess of grief. Adymæryð, still hungry for revenge, turned to chase those who left her. The human, Vovyk defiantly stood to oppose Adymæryð’s righteousness, standing, and prepared for battle against her, along with 400 clans, (totalling 400,000) in dismay, Adymæryð said; “Lo, I am your Queen, the one who created the earth, those who oppose and stand beside me, I am the one who created the very iron in your sword, who aided the hand of the blacksmith, who guided his hammer true, who complimented his work. I am the creator of all things, of all beings, seen and unseen, I am the Madame of ALL realms. Gaze upon me, Vovyk, for I shall crush thee, like that of an ant. Ye shall know despair, shall question your courage to fight, hark, I shall end thee. Speak, though, you miserable lout, for if you have last words I shall give you some honour in your destruction.” Vovyk, spoke defiantly, saying; “I, Vovyk, son of Gyd, am the killer of your children, the conquerors of your creation, I am he who seeks your undoing, who dreams of the crown, who shall be your undoing, I am the arbiter of your undoing, a most evil prophet.” Vovyk unsheathed his sword, and called upon his banner men, who followed suit, and charged at Adymæryð, and in the blink of an eye, all ten lay dead, their heads in Adymæryð’s possession, their corpses lay upon the field, defeated, their souls, damned for eternity, mourned by none, and remembered by few, Adymæryð turned to the clans who stood behind the corpses, saying, “Gaze upon my deeds, see; I am a god who delivers justice to those who deserve it, punishment to those who’s evilness knows no bounds, who seeks to incite evilness in a world I had sought to look after, this displeases me greatly, as I am a truly just lord, I shall give every clan one chance to do good, and to surrender themselves to me and plead forgiveness, so that I may ensure your clan lasts, but do not believe that I shall grant mercy upon the defeated, those who continue to fight, who seek to act wicked, you have hurt my heart, and have made my heart heavy with regret, that my own creations, seek rebellion, lo, I shall not have it. Those of thee who seek forgiveness, I shall grant it to thee, before the fray, to those who seek a rebellion, I weep for your soulds, like that of Thyrwyc, whom has earned my anger, my displeasure, whom I shall destroy. Hydwyr shall learn his lesson, and so shall thee, if ye continue, those worthy of mercy, follow Hærviu the Great, for he and his clan shall guide thee in my absence.” And with that, 350 of the clans followed, all going to Mt. Nyþmyr.
And so those who stayed would know terror, and the true anger, as once the beloved clans were upon the mountain, Adymæryð sought to destroy them, creating a mighty, and justified, flood, that would wipe out those who raised the sword against Adymæryð, the flood carried many of the evil clans to the ocean, ending their lines. They would know pain, eternal. As Adymæryð continued in her heavy anger, seeing that her evil sons left, and had begun their trek out of the land of Hir Gwydh, their wickedness was to be spread far, as they who knew only ignorance, created their own empires, spirits heavy with evil, corrupted. Adymæryð banished them, turning to speak to Hærviu, saying, “I am a jealous lord, and are a shepherd who weeps deeply at losing even a single member of their flock, I am who loves humanity, who has given to those who have honoured me, and in turn honouring them, I see your ways, and find sadness, I see that humanity, is faulted, and as such I shall seclude myself as to prevent destruction and speak to three of your kind, and to preserve you, my children shall continue to serve thee dutifully, but I shall meditate deeply, feast with the warriors who fall fighting for my name, and wait until the end of days, when Hydwyr and Thyrwyc shall return to spread death and plague, their tools, amongst ye, on that day I shall return and show thee my love once more, once their heads shan’t contain a soul, then I shall show humanity the truth, all the unanswered questions, and shall provide thee with all the desires of your heart. For now, seek guidance, seek honour in all cases, protect your fellow clansmen, and that of House Þædmyr, who have stood at my side since creation, I have loved ye the most, and bestowed upon you many gifts, of which I shall give one more.” Adymæryð breathed into existence a mighty sword, a helmet, and a bejewelled crown, that all those who viewed it honoured and knew it to be great. All three items presented were graciously accepted by Hærviu, who said unto Adymæryð, “I shall honour thee and defend our lands, as will my ancestors, who shall hunt the heads of our enemies, and that of the invaders, we shall watch the eastern seas, and await the day of reckoning.” Hærviu took the gifts and bowed, all the clans bowed as Adymæryð ascended to the heavens, awaiting the righteous at her hold, in which, the food never runs out, never goes old, and the ale flows like the mighty rivers. The area where Ælfthryth had fallen, was turned into a mighty forest, based around the sacred grove of Adymæryð, who had given Hærviu the seeds of oak and maple, and told him to keep these trees holy, and to ban the destruction of oak trees after it growing from a sapling.
Afterlife ( if any) description: The afterlife is composed of four groups, firstly those who had acted dishonourably in life, or have been evil, or have had their heads collected by the enemy in battle, suffer a millennium of pain and sadness, before being sent back into the world to redeem themselves, given another chance to act with honour. Secondly, those who had acted dishonestly or didn’t know of the god-mother, those born in foreign lands, etc., would be sent by Yædwyr to only half a millennium of limbo, to seek out Adymæryð and work towards her, after which, they are sent back to the world to correct their mistake, or to return. Thirdly, for those who acted honourably, were to be sent to a feast with their ancestors, for all time, or whatever they chose, as was their eternal reward for pleasing Adymæryð. Lastly, those who earned A’ymæryð's respect and admiration were invited to her Hold to feast with, and train with her, to return to earth to fight Hydwyr and Thyrwyk and his horde of evil, as well the descendants of the original loyal 12 clans, high sages and prophetesses were automatically accepted into Adymæryð’s Hold.
god/s?: Too many to name.
Demons/Devils?: Hydwyr and Thyrwyk are essentially Beelzebub and Satan of the faith, as well as the Vodmyr Walkers, demons who are to walk the earth until defeated in battle, they are gathered from the warriors whose heads were taken and enchanted, to make them into the slave of a Sage.
Religious Human leaders?: Currently High Sage Rhodri, His holiness Nyþmyr, and High Prophetess Æydmyrvyk
Commandments ( things that this religion demands of it's followers?): There are three holy scrolls, The Word, which comprises of religious laws and demands. The Voice, which dictates how a follower of the Mother should act. And The Deed, which dictates civil law and laws of warfare and disputes between clans.
Holidays ( what are they called, what are they about, when):
Birth of Yþmyr - A celebration of the new year
Dagda - A celebration of Hærviu's birth
Hyndrych - Beginning to plant the seeds
Ælmyrch - A celebration of fallen heroes
Life of Yþmyr - Celebrating the middle of the year
Edyr - Worship of Adymæryð
Lyghnasadh - Beginning of the harvest
Harvest Moon - End of the harvest, marked by a sacrifice of a human
Death of Yþmyr - End of the year
Customs: Women hold an important role in society, and are viewed as being in the direct image of Andraste, Mothers are known to pray to Andraste for a successful birth. The faith dictates that outsiders are not to be trusted. Regional foods are wheat, which is made into bread and beer. Meats in the culture are from Bovines, fish, lambs and pigs.
Gender roles: Men are essentially rulers and fighters, and take upon jobs involving heavy physical labour. Women are mainly confined to the house, but not in every case, as religious and economic roles are open to women. A rule as well in the kingdom is if there is no male heir, then a woman may become the High Queen, which has happened three times in the history of the kingdom.
Family structure: Men are seen as the providers, and women are seen as the keeper of the house. Elders from both families are honoured in the families. The culture of Hyr Gwydh dosen't allow for divorce.
Fashion:
Female Male wealthy warriors SageHow and or when does one reach adulthood?: It is believed at 14 is when they reach adulthood. Men are given a tattoo as a sign of adulthood.
Marriage ( is it voluntary or arranged?): Arranged
Music ( give some favored instruments, a song if you want!):
Druid Chant as well as harp music
Most important virtue in life ( Ex: Pious, honorable, knowledgeable, devout, ect.): Honesty, Piety
Terrain/s present in nation ( where?): Heavily forested, a very large amount of lakes and rivers
Agriculture, fishing, hunting; which is the most prominent source of food in your civ?: hunting and fishing
(Only agriculture) tell how bountiful your harvests are and what crops you mostly grow: Wheat is the primary crop, and is fairly bountiful
(Exchange system) how are items bought and sold in your civ ( Ex: money, bargains, credit etc.): Currency
Number of people living in your civ: 239,000
Nomadic or stationary: Stationary
Does slavery exist ( if so, how many slaves are there? How many freeman are there?): There are around 11,000 slaves in Hyr Gwydh
Describe ( or provide a picture) the appearance of your average male and female citizen:
How many soldiers do you have: 12,982 permanent soldiers
Political System ( how is your civ ruled): Unitary theocratic absolute monarch
Main mode of travel: Horseback, river barges
What powers do your civs' leader/s posses; how do they gain power?: Absolute authority of the dominion, the powers are gained by birth.
Distinct Caste ( classes) in your society?: High Kings, Sages, Merchant class, soldiers, farmers/fishermen, serfs/slaves, unemployed, foreigners
( Optional) flaws inherent in your society ( For example, infighting or class tensions): Xenophobia
History of your civ ( be as detailed as possible. The more you write the better!): The peoples of Hir Gwydh migrated to the island of Gwydh around 1400 years ago, fleeing the land currently controlled by the Kingdom of Albion to the east. Upon arrival the people quickly scattered throughout the island, utilizing the many rivers and lakes, as well as the plentiful forests provided building materials. seven clans were established, and as quickly as the clans were established, they had begun to fight. Raiding, was an everyday occurrence as the wars went on for years, with periods of brief peace, for worship. As the one thing that united the clans was the worship of Adymæryð. The clan that Hærvyu the Great was born from was named Norþyk a clan renowned on the island for their ruthless warriors, sought to unite the clans. Upon the death of Hærvyu's Father Chief Gwynd, Hærvyu was crowned High Chief at age 9, it was when he was 13 that he was swimming in the River Lydwr that he saw a vision of Andraste, as he felt something pull him under, he had begun to panic, then Adymæryð sent him a vision of his kingdom and his dynasty. He awoke upon the bank, with his high sage Ydvr, who interpreted his vision as a prophecy that he must fulfill. And that he did, battle after battle Hærvyu conquered foe after foe, adding land to his empire, he fathered one child, Daydvyr, who would become the next King of the Kingdom. At his last battle, he was hit by a poisoned arrow which struck his armour and found its mark in his liver, in his last moments he commanded his Son to lead his kingdom righteously. And with the siege of Castle Rydwyr, the Island was united.
Daydvyr returned to Barfau Hir, along with the dead of the campaign and his Father's corpse. This marked several centuries of relative peace and calm on the island, while the clans still fought, they answered to the High Kings commands, and always united together to fight outside forces.
( only if you want magic users) Magic Users ( What are they called, how many of them are there? What are their powers? Give a general description of them): None