Oral History based on songs, tales, and stories:
It is not known exactly when the Dalmite kingdom was formed but legends say it was long before the War of Nine Kings. The capital of the Dalmite kingdom at the time was thought to be Tilitha, and Llecilia was the leader.
Tilitha was first built and settled by an ancient tribe of people who worshipped gods unknown to the Dalmites. Many years later, a tribe of people escaping drought and famine on the plains discovered the abandoned city and after repairing the walls, built their sanctuary within its boundaries. The plains people eventually merged with the reclusive nomadic forest dwellers who lived in the areas surrounding the settlement and gave birth to the Dalmites.
Many legends are told about the great leader Llecilia. One of the oldest is the tale of "The Roijan Dream". The story tells of how the Dalmites were discovered by the outside world when a group of travelers looking for miracle curatives deep within the forest stumbled upon a Dalmite hunting party. The Dalmites captured the outsiders and took them to Llecilia. Concerned about the stories they might spread, Llecilia gave them a drug which caused them to remember only dreamlike visions of the Dalmites and Tilitha. The stories and legends among the outsiders regarding the Forest Dwellers began.
A very important legend that has influenced much of Dalmite politics describes how Llecila created the various clans. Concerned about further discovery by the outside world, Llecilia sent three of her daughters out into the forests of Adellion. She sent Duissa to the Venar Woods in the far west, Aerthilye to Kilaral Woods, and Telantha east to the Gailmai Woods. Kisami stayed with her mother and eventually inherited the leadership of the Dalmite Nation. Each daughter controlled numerous tribes, which each contained several families. The tribal leaders were selected by physical contests between family members. Even to this day, the clan leaders can trace their ancestry back to one of the Daughters of Llecila.
A bard song, known as The War of the Forests, regales the tale of a Dalmite hunting party in the west which was attacked by Taran soldiers, causing a devastating war between the two cultures. It raged on in the far south for twenty more years, resulting in the Dalmites being driven from their homes. After fighting for two decades, the war with the Tarans ended and the Dalmites of the west began to revive under Duissa’s tough and determined leadership. A lasting prejudice was created among the western Dalmites toward the Tarans.
Common among the Dalmites are the tales of various prophets who came to the forests. Some of the earliest come from the Aerthilye clan, and tell of prophets who were eventually banned by Llecila for preaching against the teachings of Dal. Most of the songs and poems are of prophets from the Telantha clan, the most religious of all the forest dwellers.
In the "Lament of Llecila" the great leader disappeared into the forest for the last time in at the age of 91. It was said that she was bothered by the prophecies and escaped before she could hear any negative predictions regarding the Dalmites. Her daughter Kisami became the leader of the Dalmites.
According to the oral history of the Duissa Clan, a great war broke out among the tribes to the far west, those in Duissa’s region. Duissa was known for her quick temper and while alive, encouraged her tribes to settle arguments with battle. Since Llecilia’s daughters had gone to the different forests of the world, the clan leadership had been passed down through their daughters. However, during this year, men of the tribes banded together and tried to overthrow the current leaders. After a 15-year struggle for power, Jolinae, a descendent of Duissa, agreed to fight anyone in battle and the winner would be declared the new clan leader. Since that time, competitions of strength and wit have been used to choose the new clan leaders. Most often, this new leader is the daughter of the current leader but not always. In more recent times, the competitions in the east have become more symbolic and less bloody although bloody battles are still fought in the south. Most of the leaders are still female and it is said that the gods pass their blessings through the female leaders and not the males.
Prophets had much power and influence among the Dalmites in the years prior to the War of Nine Kings. This can be evidenced in many of the stories that came out of that time, including the tales of Anadol, one of the few men who ever led the Dalmites. Years before the war, a shaman, claiming to also be a prophet, arrived in Tilitha and managed to charm the current leader, Linnea. She allowed him to convince her to change many of the traditional religious ceremonies and rituals. After many years of controlling Linnea, Anadol, the prophet, won a challenge for the right to lead the Dalmites. He ruled the people with fear, extracting great offerings from the tribes. Eventually, a young woman name Mariila appeared from the western tribes. In spite of Anadol’s attempts to kidnap her, Mariila gained many supporters. When Anadol’s trusted advisors were found dead, their bodies twisted grotesquely in pain, rumors were spread that he was a follower of Assarin. Other stories say that Mariila’s followers poisoned the advisors in an attempt to weaken Anadol, who was now forced to accept her challenge to his leadership. Mariila won the battle and ascended as the new leader of the Dalmites. She returned the Dalmites to the ways of Dal and led her people well. Although prophets were banned from Tilitha, they still managed to influence many tribes outside the city. Mariila was the first Dalmite leader called the Naiir al weh teila, shortened to Teila. The clan leaders are called the Daughters of Teila.
The story of another male prophet, Jaedor comes out of the concern for the forests integral to Dalmite society. During the time these stories were created, outsider towns were encroaching on the borders of the forests. Many tribes were concerned about the reckless ravaging of the trees and the wastefulness of the outsiders. They appealed to Uniila, the daughter of Mariila and the current Teila, but she was too concerned with her own ambitions to deal effectively with the tribes. A prophet by the name of Jaedor murdered the leader of the Aerthilye clan and took over as clan leader, marching to Tilitha to challenge Uniila. Angered, she ordered her warriors to capture the tribal chieftains following Jaedor along with the prophet. Jaedor managed to escape but the Gweas were executed in Tilitha, further destroying Uniila’s popularity with the people. Traveling west, Jaedor preached against the destruction of the forest by outsiders and organized a group of sympathetic tribes against Uniila.
Eventually, Uniila was murdered by her own war chief, leaving behind a very young daughter. The Elder Council led the Dalmite Nation until the child was old enough to lead. They joined Jaedor and attacked several towns along the Taran and Drulon borders. A bloody battle followed and eventually the Council, along with Morwen, the new Teila, put a stop to the fighting. Jaedor continued to lead renegade tribes against the outsiders and Morwen offered a price for the head of any prophet in the forests. Most of the prophets fled to the mountains but Jaedor was captured by a bounty hunter who brought his head to Morwen. She joined with other nations to rid Adellion of the prophets.
The greatest story of the Dalmites, which influenced the entire island, was the Prophecy of the Nine Kings. A renowned prophet arrived in Tilitha and announced what would later be known as the Prophecy of the Nine Kings. He foretold of a great war that will occur in 200 years. The Nine Kings would bring destruction on all of Adellion.
When a new people arrive in Ayriure from far away, new songs and tales were created about the strange outsiders who battled with the local tribes in the eastern plains, eventually chasing them westward or assimilating them into the new culture. Called the ‘Puresi’ or the people of the plains, the newcomers begin to farm the fertile lands. Curious, the Dalmite approach the Puresi but their strange tattoos frighten the outsiders who run in fear or chase the Dalmites with curious weapons. The newcomers, later known as Salans, did bring new technology to the world and missionaries entered the forest, teaching some of the Dalmites to read and write. A new written language was formed although most recorded events were lost during the subsequent war.
Tensions created between the newcomers and the existing cultures eventually caused a great war, foretold by the Dalmite prophet. Under the leadership of Leanni the Dalmites joined the rest of Adellion in the War of the Nine Kings, which ravaged the world for a hundred and twenty-five long and bloody years. Stories and songs about this great war are popular among the Dalmites, especially those which tell of the prowess and bravery of the forest warriors.
After the war, the Dalmites began to record their history on scrolls created from tree bark. A great library containing these scrolls, and the accounts of many tales, legends, songs and poems later recorded by scribes now exists in Tilitha.
Recent History based on written records:
When the war finally ended, much of the forests were decimated. The Dalmites became reclusive, hiding in what was left of the forests and rebuilding their homelands. The leadership in Tilitha had disintegrated, leaving the clans to lead their tribes without centralized control from Teila. In the year 2970 TS, 13 years after the end of the War, the Elder Council finally met again with Teila and the clan leaders from the Telantha and Duissa clans. It took another five years to convince the Aerthilye clan to rejoin the council and reunite the Daughters of Teila. The Dalmites continued to rebuild their forests and settlements and enjoyed a period of prosperity, still secluded from other nations. As the number of tribes grew in the Mataril and Tiaril Woods, the Teila decides to create a new clan called the Celinde, named after her daughter. The new clan flourishes in the Tiaril Woods.
In 3070 TS, the Elder Council chose a new leader after the Teila died without an heir. Crydia was an inspired leader and reached out to other nations inviting scholars and others to travel to Tilitha, exchanging technology with the Dalmites. Trade opens temporarily between the Dalmites and the Salan towns on the borders, increasing the wealth of some of the forest settlements. After many years of fair and compassionate leadership, Crydia stepped down as Teila in 3115 TS, and traveled to Sala to study with a group of scholars. Her daughter Rhayweth became the new Teila.
Rumors were spread about children and young adults disappearing from tribes in the Tiaral Woods. In 3144 TS, a group of Dalmites dressed in dark clothing accosted a group of Salans traveling through the forest, killing several adults and kidnapping the children. A search for these renegades found a cult worshipping Araessi hiding in caves near Iswor. They were using the children as sacrifices to their evil mistress. The cult members were captured and executed. Several days later, Rayweth was found dead, her throat slit. Frightened and grieving Dalmites believed that Araessi killed the leader, avenging her followers. Rayweth’s daughter, Tanui, became the new Teila. Unfortunately, trade with the Salans is affected and Tilitha is closed to all outsiders.
Along the borders with the Tarans and the Bloodlands, renegade tribes continued to attack small villages, causing problems with these nations. Tanui branded the tribes as outlaws and put a price on their heads. In 3154 TS, a report was heard in Tilitha regarding an attack on Tarans in Dynris by a group of Dalmites who were defended by Salans, causing animosity between the Tarans and the Salans. Tanui investigated the story but found no proof that Dalmites were involved. Dynris is located on the coast of the Bloodlands, miles from the nearest forest. Regardless, the Tarans believed the story, and relations between the Dalmites and Tarans deteriorated further.
Tanui failed to deliver a healthy child and appealed to religious leaders far and wide to show her how to appease Zaolla. A shaman by the name of Riolas appeared, impressing Tanui and becoming the new Naiir al Dal. At the age of 47, Tanui finally gave birth to a healthy child, called Aelen, the blessed one, in 3171 TS. Tanui was stricken after the birth and although able to continue to lead, she was often bedridden for long periods of time. She finally succumbed to her illness in the year 3189 TS and Aelen ascended to the position of Naiir al weh teila.
The western clan reported rumors of a Taran prophet, by the name of Rahkzan in 3193 TS. He was said to be preaching the destruction of the Salans and the Dalmites to his people.
One night in the year 3194 TS, the blessings of Kainna were visited upon the Dalmite people when she lit up the night sky like flames. Many saw this as a sign of great prosperity for the Dalmite Nation.
Soon after, rumors from the Taran border became more urgent, reporting that Rahkzan was organizing an army to march against his enemies. A few of the tribes along the Taran border conducted raids, hoping to discourage the Tarans from invading the forests. Angered by the raids, Rahkzan marched through the forests with massive armies, destroying all in his path on his way to Salandorf. Settlements and outposts in the southern forests were totally destroyed. A messenger finally reached Teila in the east and begged for her assistance. She organized 16 tribes and marched west, meeting the Tarians in the Bloodland plains. A bloody battle ensued and although Teila and the Dalmites were unable to stop Rahkzan, they did weaken the troops who marched eastward to Salandorf. The Salans pushed them back to the Bloodlands and they fought a fierce battle later known as the Battle of Crimson Field.
Once again, the far western settlements were decimated. Angered by the reactions of the Dalmites during the war, the Tarians vowed to keep the Dalmites out of Venar Woods. A few tribes do remain though, hidden deep among the trees.
The Dalmites forged an alliance with the Salans against the Tarians, realizing that together they are better able to protect their people. Teila and Mahatar, the Prince of Sala, sign the Dalmite Trade Accords in the year 3197 TS. In the year 3200 TS, the Dalmite Nation awaits the next chapter, hoping to avoid another massive war.
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