Ýmor-Maðúšýï

The Ýmor-Maðúšýï was a time period in the western Blýfónic Valley (that is, the Amoŋot Desert and the Volain Forest) that is recorded to have generally lasted from the formation of the Maðúšýï in 25019 to the Matousian Civil War and the breakaway of the Ðú-Üdarr in 24910 AYM. In this period, the Maðúšýï were at the zenith of their raiding power, which they used primarily to establish a time of political and cultural constancy; with the exception of the First Varhoŋïan War in 24976 AYM, no such major change in the political landscape occurred.

Prelude

Yarpalïŋ-Ýmïlýrhonid

Main Article: Yarpalïŋ-Ýmïlýrhonid

The Yarpalïŋ-Ýmïlýrhonid were a series of major government-approved expeditions that represented the first prominent recorded ventures out of the Ïlýrhonid Tribe. In this capacity it also served to break down the barriers discouraging emigration, particularly the legal and religious barriers, causing the formation of settlements and eventually tribes outside of the Ïlýrhonid settlement.

This article will only focus on the influence of the Yarpalïŋ-Ýmïlýrhonid on the Amoŋot Desert and the Volain Forest, as that geographical region was both most responsible for the subsequent creation of the Maðúšýï and most influenced by its presence during the Ýmor-Maðúšýï itself.

Hayïdic Expedition and the Hýyó-Hayïd

Main Article: Hayïdic Expedition, Hýyó-Hayïd

The Hayïdic Expedition was the first of the Yarpalïŋ-Ýmïlýrhonid, occurring in 25032 AYM, and the only such Expedition of the five to specifically and exclusively concern the Hýyó-Hayïd, or the group of settlements located in the southern reaches of the Amoŋot Desert. This expedition was a colossal failure; of the roughly 1600 or so that went on this voyage, around 800-900 of them perished from starvation, as the ground was rendered extremely brittle and dangerously fragile due to erosion and high winds from the coastline.

The Hýyó-Hayïd are the epicenter of the Maðúšýï, and the weather conditions there were the main factor behind its creation. Most importantly, the inability to mine into the ground resulted in a tightly-knit community spanning all of the Hýyó-Hayïd, as the only reliable sources of food were at the Arbin Watershed and Volain Forest, and to a lesser extent the Nuzowli Mountain Range, all of whom were situated at distances of 300-500 kilometers from the center of the Hýyó-Hayïd. A number ofmajor road networks were created during this time.

Wýðúric Expedition and the Hýyó-Wýðúr

Main Article: Wýðúric Expedition, Hýyo-Wýðúr

The second of the five Yarpalïŋ-Ýmïlýrhonid, the Wýðúric Expedition took place a whole five years after the end of the Hayïdic Expedition, as its dismal results significantly reduced public sentiment in the Ýmïlýrhonid Movement and thus caused the temporary cessation of successive expeditions. Led by Wýðúr and Ikheðep, the latter being a survivor and return messenger of the Hayïdic Expedition, the Wýðúric Expedition traveled via the left fork of the Kairn River System before venturing northwest into the northern Amoŋot Desert. During the trek, the team carried various Wëbëlup-Wýðúr, that is, wooden poles with symbolic items affixed. The only city founded by the Expedition themselves is Güðün, the site of the third Wëbëlup-Wýðúr, although the success of the Expedition triggered a wave of emigrations to the northern Amoŋot Desert, and the other Wëbëlup-Wýðúr naturally served as reference points for the foundings of cities like Vërðïm, Lómóhüd, and Óvarhën.

The Hýyo-Wýðúr are the collection of cities in the northern reaches of the Amoŋot Desert, including those not founded by or in the immediate aftermath of the Wýðúric Expedition. This region, unlike that of the Hýyó-Hayïd, is known for its calm weather conditions. Because it lies so far away from the coast, the ground slopes down, creating a wind shelter and funnelling debris and sediments from the coast towards this basin. In addition, because it is not close to the coast, the ground has a sturdy and blocky quality, allowing one to harvest the simply by digging them up. Thus, what emerged in the Hýyó-Wýðúr was not the collective reliance of one another that was exhibited by the Hýyó-Hayïd, but a comparative isolation between cities, represented most poignantly by the Öšdúic system.

The Öšdúic system revolved around the presence of Öšdúu, that is, a ruling system where a city had total control over its own land, but no authority beyond it. This resulted in each individual city having its own ruler/government, legal code, and cultural identity, but assuming no responsibility for the empty space in between cities. This further caused disparate amounts of raiders and bandits to emerge, further confining citizens to their own cities and preventing immigration and travel from one city to another.

Šókhekic Expedition

Main Article: Šókhekic Expedition

The Šókhekic Expedition, occurring from 25021 to 25019 AYM, was one-half of the fourth Yarpalïŋ-Ýmïlýrhonid beside the Alëhadic Expedition. This will exclusively talk about the former of the two, as it pertains directly to the Amoŋot Desert while the latter concerned the Ðýmóš Plains in the east. The main contribution of the Šókhekic Expedition was the construction of roads in both the Hýyó-Hayïd and Hýyo-Wýðúr and the compilation of an extensive set of records, called the Gaðërïŋ-Šókhekka, that pertains to the geopolitical situation in the Desert. However, in the scope of the Maðúšýï, the use of materials not readily available to the Hayïdians, especially wood and vines from the deep recesses of the Volain Forest, to create a longer-lasting and safer system of roads between the roads, the Expedition greatly improved relations between the Ïlýrhonid Tribe and the Hayïdians, to the point where the later Úrïsic Expedition was able to use this previous relationship in the founding of the Maðúšýï itself.

Departure of the Ýlëntuk Family

Main Articles: Ýlëntuk Family, First Ýlëntukian War, Varhoŋïð-Khalúš

In 25020 AYM, the Ýlëntuk Family departed the Ïlýrhonid Tribe through the Kairn River System. Spending around 4-6 months in the area around the Ŋópïŋ-Arún, or confluence, of the Kairn River, the group gradually split into two distinct tribes, Varhoŋïð-Khalúš and Kairn. During the Ambush of Ŋópïŋ-Arún-Khërn in 22 Wota-Eimarae, 25020 AYM, a planned Khalúšian raid on the Ïlýrhonid Tribe was violently thwarted. The members of Varhoŋïð-Khalúš were then chased out of the Volain Forest, where they settled in the Wýðúric city of Güðün. A minority also settled in the Hayïdic city of Óm-hayïd, and in the coming months, these two communities would bridge together these two cities, establishing their territory as being the thin strip from Güðün and Óm-Hayïd, that is, the strip adjacent to the Volain Forest. This was also a last-ditch attempt to deal damage against Kairnian forces and score any gains against them and the Ïlýrhonid Tribe, but the Forest became so fortified in these months by Kairnian forces that no such attempt had much success.

The cities of Güðün and Óm-Hayïd themselves were also forcibly occupied during this time by Khalúšians, and those unaffiliated with the Khalúšians were evicted, including the Öšdúu-Güðün and its king Žlúnúyšat, the ruling city-state government of Güðün. For those in the other Wýðúric cities, the possession of Güðün was largely met with ambivalence, as they would not gain much from retaking the city. However, in the Hayïdic cities, the possession of Óm-Hayïd caused a tremendous uproar, as the city represented their only avenue towards resources in the Volain Forest and Nuzowli Mountain Range, so the possession essentially cut those resources off.

Úrïsic Expedition and the Founding of the Maðúšýï

Main Article: Úrïsic Expedition

The Úrïsic Expedition of 25019-25017 AYM was the fifth and last of the five Yarpalïŋ-Ýmïlýrhonid, and the only such one to take place after the creation of Varhoŋïð-Khalúš. This article separates it from the other four Expeditions due to its integral role in forming the Maðúšýï itself.

The Expedition is noted for having left the Ïlýrhonid Tribe through the western passage, comprising the strip of low ground between the southern coast and the Nuzowli Mountain Range. From 25019 to mid-25018 AYM, it visited both the Hýyó-Hayïd and the Hýyo-Wýðúr. Whereas the latter venture had little effect, the former was influential in the establishment of the Maðúšýï in three ways: emotionally, politically, and militarily.

Perhaps the largest contribution came simply in the realization that the actions of the Khalúšians were morally wrong. After all, this was just after the climax of the Ýmïlýrhonid Movement, which featured a swath of emigrations into previously-untouched lands and thus the taking of land and property that were not explicitly theirs. This notion of rightful ownership would become a major idea that marked the superceding of the casual freedom present in Ýmïlýrhonidian ideals in favor of more nationalistic, possessive Maðúšian (referring to the Ýmor-Maðúšýï) values.

Furthermore, it was through the Úrïsic Expedition that the conflict known as the First Ýlëntukian War was occurring, in which Kairn and Ïlýrhonid were fighting against the Varhoŋïð-Khalúš. Thus, far from operating alone, the Maðúšýï were more willing to act if it meant that others would be supporting them, whether directly or indirectly. The latter option would be the case for the majority of the war, as the Khalúšian territory stretched to the southern coast and divided the Maðúšians from the Ïlýrhonid and Kairn Tribes. Regardless, the pressure provided by these two tribes at their respective fronts, and the dogged determination of the Khalúšians in their efforts to reach the Ïlýrhonid Tribe, allowed the Maðúšýï to operate essentially uncontested during the Ýmor-Maðúšýï.

Finally, and most simply, a major part of the Úrïsic Expedition was not only the psychological coercion to war, but the provision of physical instruments of war, which they provided in the form of the typical weapons of the age, usually in the form of the Mëyanup-Zïó. This such weapon in particular would gain immense popularity and use in the Maðúšýï's history, and would eventually evolve into the Žrŋaa around 24900-24860 AYM.

Timeline

Gýbakk's Reign (25019 - 25001 AYM)

The first Hyvamto-Maðúšýï was Gýbakk, who ruled from 25019 to 25001 AYM. He was responsible for the initial formulation of the tribe's raiding strategy as well as its organizational structure. Fueled by vengeance for the earlier forced takeover of the vital city of Óm-Hayïd, Gýbakk would organize and lead the first few raids in 25019 AYM. Finding these operations very successful, especially in accumulating captured resources, Gýbakk wanted to use this raiding mechanism as a way to ensure tribal longevity and sustenance, as the region of the Maðúšýï was inherently dangerous and sparse in resources.

To do so, he would formulate the Tžý-Gýbakk, the first of many Tžý, or raiding philosophies. This Tžý was focused on creating a rationale behind raiding beyond that of mere vengeance, as he knew that this potent feeling would eventually die down. The three-point structure he thus provided would serve as the basis behind the tribe's continued raiding during his reign. This three-point structure consisted of the following:

• To keep the tribe and its populace alive through the gathering of resources
• To bolster the tribe's strength by reducing that of their foes
• To honor its Pact with the Ïlýrhonid and Kairn Tribes through the repeated weakening of the Varhoŋïð-Khalúš tribe.

Beyond the formulation of this philosophy, Gýbakk would shape the organizational structure of the tribe. Most notably, he divided the Hýyó-Hayïd in twain, designating the cities to the west to be in charge of gathering resources from the Arbin Watershed and providing necessary items to supplement those in the eastern cities, who would do the actual raiding. As such, given the manpower needed for raids, about 75% of the total population was concentrated in the east. These eastern cities most prominently included the cities of Hayïd-Entëž and Žënhðwör, the latter of which would function as the capital of the tribe. From then on, the west and east would develop cultural stances of their own, the west in particular becoming the Hýhïd-Tëžem.

Gýbakk would also include the Hýyo-Wýðúr in their raids starting in 25015 AYM, taking advantage of the social isolation provoked by the Öšdúu system of governance that was adopted there. From 25010 AYM to 25001 AYM, the Maðúšýï and the Varhoŋïð-Khalúš would engage in a series of struggles. Pummeled by raids, the latter would retreat northwards from the ruins of Óm-Hayïd and settle instead in the twin cities of Šahr-Óðlýn and Öðma-Amakoð. The Maðúšýï would then target these two cities in their following raids against them.

Gýbakk would die in the last of his 30-some raids conducted in his reign, that being the ill-fated Ambush of Šahr-Óðlýn and Öðma-Amakoð. The victim of a large flanking attack from the ruins of Óm-Hayïd, the army of Maðúšýï was routed, and Gýbakk was killed. However, the Khalúšians could not capitalize on their victory, and the Maðúšýïan army would fend off successive attacks while recovering.

Úvremk's Reign (25001 - 24976 AYM)

Úvremk was a prominent member of the army during Gýbakk's reign, and was there in the attack when Gýbakk was killed. Úvremk himself was badly injured as well, and had to spend two weeks in recovery. While recovering, he would formulate the Tžý-Úvremk, which was an attempt to remedy the shortcomings of the Tžý-Gýbakk. Unlike it, the Tžý-Úvremk addressed the manner of raiding rather than the motivations thereof, all centered on what was called the 'balanced' style of raiding. With the intention of keeping their targets in the continued reach of the Maðúšýï, this plan required the raiders to control the extent to which they raided the city. From the series of events that had caused Gýbakk's death, he formulated that the relentless style of raiding had caused the Khalúšians to move back into further cities and thus opened the way for flanking maneuvers. Likewise, raiding too lightly would make the targets much more likely to be able to resist the raids, thus opening the doors for military resistance, political alliances, and other such factors that would reduce raiding efficiency. As such, the tribe had to reach just the right amount of fear and plundering to not be too little or too much.

Under Úvremk, the tribe would see a period of major success, and the population would subsequently blossom. This large population wuld cause Úvremk to split the army into multiple sections, called Yoži, each led by a Hvýomað-Yoži. Because the tribe was so culturally and socially cohesive, with everyone dedicated to the Maðúšýïan cause, the Hvýomað-Yoži was given full authoritative control over their respective section, as they were trusted to pursue the Maðúšýïan cause no matter the methods they used.

In 24976 AYM, the city of Ožërhýŋ, a newly-formed city near the Arbin Watershed, began mining and harvesting the rocks in the Arbin Mountains. In addition to competing with Maðúšýïan operations in the Mountains, the city also posed a threat in that the Hýyó-Wýðúr were planning to establish trade connections with them. As such, the Maðúšýï and Úvremk instigated the First Varhoŋïan War against the Varonian Trade Coalition in response to this.

Although the resilience and ferocity of the Maðúšýïan army allowed them to score early victories, brutal losses at engagements like the Battle of Vërðïm-Ŋüž caused Úvremk to rethink and adapt his strategy for use in larger non-raiding conflicts. This new philosophy revolved around the purposeful separation of the cities and their forces, which would not only reduce their military power but also deteriorate their relationship and undo the formative alliances in the long run. This strategy would be used in full-effect in the second phase of the war, in which the Coalition armies were confined to their cities through a constant Maðúšýïan siege.

Úvremk would contribute his army fully to this cause, even as Varhoŋïð-Khalúš entered the war on the Coalition's side. This would lead to the decimation of 3 out of the 5 sections in Úvremk's army and the destruction of crucial cities like Žënhðwör and Hayïd-Entëž, but the tribe and its army would survive under the leadership of military commanders like Ëržlód-Mrðalŋ and Kalhvöt, and the two surviving sections would become the basis for the new army after the War.

Ökkúš's Reign (24976 - 24944 AYM)

Ökkúš was a member of the army during Úvremk's reign, specifically a member of Úvremk's own section. A relatively minor member of the army, he rose to fame as being one of the very few to escape the destruction of Úvremk's section and the only such survivor to flee to the other two sections. This would lead to the successful retreat and escape of these two sections, and as such, Ökkúš was widely celebrated and praised upon the army's return to the Maðúšýï Tribe. He would be crowned the Hyvamto-Maðúšýï in the last days of 24976 AYM.

Ökkúš's main goal was to revitalize the tribe after the devastating loss of life and property that resulted from the War. The destroyed cities were quickly rebuilt by 24973 AYM, initially by using resources from the Hýhïd-Tëžëm. This would briefly cause the architectural styles of the two regions to converge, but further raids provided other resources that were incorporated in these buildings as well.