Arðor-Tal

The Arðor-Tal, or Artalor, were one of three major factions in the Crisis of 24982 AYM and the Kaultedtian Wars. They were unified by a campaign to do away with the Family governance system, or Hyvamto-Žö-Ýšïb, by resisting the influence of Šïk-hórom and the Arðor-Úŋï. Although one single force during the First Phase of the Crisis, the fallout from the Battle at the Palace saw a total of 8 Talian tribes emerge, each pursuing the original Talian cause but in vastly different ways and to vastly different degrees. It was these 8 that would be among the 32 tribes expelled by the 24982 AYM Ultimatum and thus participate in the Kholteðian Wars.

Etymology

The Arðor-Tal name was created during the reign of Žúž-Akëð, and much like the related groups in the Crisis, its name has the distinctive Arðor prefix. This denotes any such group united by a common goal or idea, with that goal or idea being expressed in the latter portion, Tal. The word Tal denotes a 'newness' or 'novelty', specifically in the context of breaking a pattern or cycle. This is in contrast to the similarly-defined Arðor-Úŋï, the enemies of the Talians, whose suffix denotes a 'convention' or the 'establishment', in a way directly referring to the cycle that the word Tal aims to break.

History

The Arðor-Tal were formed from the Fýr-Hŋýtor during the period from 25010 to 24982 AYM, which is when Žúž-Akëð took power within the Hŋýtians and steered them towards a much more militant worldview, especially in regards to their relationship with the Khólteð Family at large. To understand the Talians' motives and goals within the Crisis and the Khólteðtian Wars, it becomes imperative to look at those of the Hŋýtians, as all that changed between the two was not their goals by themselves, but simply the means by which they would pursue them.

Prelude: The Fýr-Hŋýtor (25080 - 25010 AYM)

The Fýr-Hŋýtor were the descendants of the illegal actions of the Khólteðtian Öhr-Fëkahr, in particular, his act of committing Ýyorhïsïb with members of other non-Khólteðtian individuals. In 25080 AYM, these descendants were ostracized by the Khólteð Family at large and relegated to two special territories called the Krëšŋ-Ðórr and Khëlër-Ðórr, both located in the extreme west of the Familial lands. Highly inhospitable and consisting of barely-edible bedrock, these territories were nonetheless worked extensively, and from 25080 to 25030 AYM they would dig out these two territories into sizable pits and eventually begin construction of a series of tunnels that stretched throughout the underground of the entire Familial land, even reaching the Familial seat of power, the Ëzó-Rhažóval. The enormous potential of the tunnels had given rise to a series of Hŋýtian goals, which would become the same goals that the Talians would pursue. This was rooted in the idea of leverage, that the then heavily-ostracized Fýr-Hŋýtians could gain respect from their oppressors through their tunnels and other such feats, demonstrating their worth and perhaps leading to an integration within society.

However, the 25026 AYM suppression of the Hŋýtians and the refilling of the tunnels by forces of the Khólteð Family hampered these goals, and over time, it was perceived that the gaining of respect and the formal integration of Hŋýtians into society was unattainable. This is the state of the Hŋýtians when Žúž-Akëð rose to power in 25010 AYM.

Rule of Žúž-Akëð before the Crisis (25010 - 24982 AYM)

Although Žúž-Akëð was never formally coronated as an established 'leader' of the Hŋýtians, he is almost always refer to as their ruler due to the sheer ideological influence he had on them. His rise to this level of influence was precisely due to the increasing pessimism in that regard, as he would quickly transform this pessimism into a potent militarism that sought not to worship the ideals of the Family and the Tribe at large (as previous ideologies had done), but to sidestep them and pursue recognition through brute force. This movement would very rapidly grow in popularity within the Hŋýtians, and by 25000 AYM they had formed a cohesive army numbering in the range of 2,500 to 3,500, and crucially, they had begun to call themselves the Arðor-Tal.

By the time of the Crisis, in 24982 AYM, the Talians would have grown to make up a quarter of the entire Khólteð Family, and the numbers within the army would have grown to rival that of the to-be-created Arðor-Úŋï. In fact, historians have often questioned why the Arðor-Tal, in their fully-mobilized state, did not attack immediately (perhaps simultaneous to other events like the infighting in the Ürïstúd Family in 24987 AYM, or the Syöwú-Iyöphl all the way back to 25000 AYM). Particular attention regarding this has inevitably latched onto Žúž-Akëð and his character. While a charismatic leader and one very much responsible for the massive social movement that spread across the Fýr-Hŋýtor, he was primarily an ideological leader. Though his ideas pushed for the creation and extensive use of the military, it is unknown if he actually intended to be the figure at the helm of the army. This uncertainty is furthered by the initial actions that spurred the Crisis, which Žúž-Akëð seems not to have planned, but more so adapted to.

The Unified Arðor-Tal Within the Crisis

The duration of the Crisis in which the Talians stayed a comprehensive and unified force is known as the First Phase, and it lasted from the outset of the Crisis in 12 Anta-Eimarae, 24982 AYM to the Battle at the Palace in 22 Ulta-Eimarae. Coincidentally, it corresponds with the duration in which the Arðor-Úŋï similarly stayed united. Both groups would fracture into distinct tribes after the Battle at the Palace, caused invariably by growing differences and rifts within the respective groups.

Upon the outset of the Crisis, the Talians boasted an army that reached into the 7,000s. This constituted around 60% of their own population, meaning that a substantial portion of the Talians still acted in non-military and civilian roles. As such, while the article describes the army and refers to them as 'Talians', one must be aware that this refers only to the portion of the Arðor-Tal that actually was in the army.

Kidnapping of Šïk-hórom and the Death of Rëžýnð

The beginning of the Crisis was instigated by the death of Týyšat (the Hyvamto-Žö-Ýšïb) on 12 Anta-Eimarae, and the Talians would take advantage of that event by kidnapping the heir Šïk-hórom (by way of the tunnels that were dug by the Fýr-Hŋýtor) and imprisoning him in the Krëšŋ-Ðórr. Anticipating the retaliatory rise of armies from the Family, Žúž-Akëð would line the border between the Krëšŋ-Ðórr and Khëlër-Ðórr and the rest of the Khólteð Family land with the Talian troops. Because both of their Talian territories had been extensively dug out, the Talians opted to take positions just eastwards of this border, thus situating themselves with the pits to their back.

Starting that very same day, a series of extremely violent clashes took place between the Talians and the army of the Khólteð Family (the latter having been renamed the Arðor-Úŋï. These clashes stretched throughout the border of the Krëšŋ-Ðórr and the Khëlër-Ðórr, but none more so at the former of the two, which was after all where Šïk-hórom was held. The Úŋïan leader Rëžýnð would personally lead a number of attacks that sought to pierce through the lines of the Talians. On the fateful day of 13 Anta-Eimarae, one of Rëžýnð's attacks succeeded, bringing him and a small cohort of Úŋïan troops within a few kilometers of Šïk-hórom's location. However, Žúž-Akëð would lead a series of counterattacks that sealed back the Talian line and trapped Rëžýnð and his cohort amidst a crowd of Talian troops. All of his small group would be massacred in the following days.

Massacre of the Krëšŋ-Ðórr

Main Article: Massacre of the Krëšŋ-Ðórr

Rëžýnð's successor Lŋórak would begin a series of large-scale assaults using all of the Úŋïan army. Together, they advanced along the entire length of the border to the Krëšŋ-Ðórr, and unable to stop it, the Talians were driven back into the Krëšŋ-Ðórr with massive casualties. These casualties would continue over the next few days as Lŋórak persisted with this grand assault, reaching and rescuing Šïk-hórom in 22 Anta-Eimarae, and finally reaching the western end of the Krëšŋ-Ðórr by 25 Anta-Eimarae.

All the meanwhile, Talian troops in the midst of their retreat had done their best to evacuate the civilian population, and the advancing Úŋïans subsequently razed their conquered portions of the Krëšŋ-Ðórr. Their lines had not stayed merely straight, but the middle had advanced farther and thus reached the end first, dividing the unconquered portions of the Krëšŋ-Ðórr into two parts, northern and southern, both of which had been the destinations for the Talian refugees. With easy access to the neighboring Khëlër-Ðórr, Žúž-Akëð and his army had opted to settle in the northern portion, retreating into the Khëlër-Ðórr on 26 Anta-Eimarae, but this left the southern portion stranded and defenseless.

In the days of 25-26 Anta-Eimarae, the Massacre of the Krëšŋ-Ðórr was perpetrated by the Úŋïans under the orders of Lŋórak, resulting in the total destruction and razing of all Talians in the southern portion as well as their previously-conquered portions. This amounted to a death toll reaching past 2,500, rendering this event one of the first mass murders in Ïlýrhonidian recorded history. Similarly, it became a defining event in the Talian identity, with most successor Talian tribes (both in the Crisis and in the Khólteðian Wars) basing their motivations on the retaliation against the Úŋïans for the Massacre.

Battle of Arhžvóo

Main Article: Battle of Arhžvóo

The Battle of Arhžvóo took place on 15 Ulta-Eimarae, as the culmination of a series of maneuvers operated by Žúž-Akëð starting on 1 Ulta-Eimarae. These maneuvers sought to deliberately lead the Úŋïans away from the defenseless Khëlër-Ðórr and instead pursue the Talian army eastwards into the territory of the Khólteð Family itself. To do this, they ransacked and razed numerous parts of this territory, especially those parts that were within eyesight of the advancing Úŋïans. As a safety measure, Žúž-Akëð would send a small troupe of 300 men to the Khëlër-Ðórr in case the Úŋïans did attack.

When the Úŋïan forces witnessed the actions of the Talians, they fell for the bait and went in pursuit of them, although Lŋórak left behind around 1800 individuals from his army to ransack the Khëlër-Ðórr, either in a smaller continuation of the Massacre or to keep any potential troops there busy. Nonetheless, this saw a series of engagements, called the Battles of the Khëlër-Ðórr, by which the inhabitants of the territory successfully fended off the 1800 Úŋïans, preserving the civilian population there.

The bulk of the Talian army, pursued hotly by the Úŋïans, would lead them on a goose chase eastwards. The two sides would meet at the Battle of Arhžvóo, in which Žúž-Akëð's hopes to utilize the exhaustion of the Úŋïans were dashed. Instead, a strategic series of assaults by Lŋórak proved deadly in breaking up the Talian lines. Scattered, they would meet up at the Ëzó-Rhažóval, the Seat of Power for the Khólteð Family, where they planned to make a final stand against the Úŋïans. At this time, the army was badly beaten and reduced to merely 2,500-3,500. Furthermore, they had no contact with those of the Khëlër-Ðórr, and given the gamble that Žúž-Akëð had to make in regards to the Battles of the Khëlër-Ðórr, many were convinced that the army's last stand simultaneously comprised the last stand of the Talians as an ethnic group. It is likely that Žúž-Akëð himself, having been responsible for the military actions the Talians endured, was racked with guilt at this point, and writings from survivors of the army report that he had largely shied away from giving orders and more so looked to the armymen for support, consolation, and advice on the eve of what was to be the unified Talians' final battle.

Battle at the Palace

Main Article: Battle at the Palace

The Battle at the Palace constitutes the last major engagement made by the united Talian force. It was the last stand of the army, which was holed up within the Ëzó-Rhažóval. On 22 Ulta-Eimarae, the Úŋïans arrived, and upon a series of charges, the bulk of the Talian army had been routed and scattered throughout the interior of the Palace. Žúž-Akëð himself, who had taken a stand amidst the front of the lines, was among the first to die (some recounts even say that he had let himself die).

Unlike most other Familial Ëzó-Rhažóval, the Khólteð Family's building had a second floor, and in the commotion and chaos of the moment, Talians and Úŋïans fought each other on both floors. This fighting would cause the second floor to buckle and collapse, trapping and maiming a massive number of soldiers, primarily Úŋïan, that were in the first floor directly below. Of these casualties was Lŋórak the Úŋïan commander, who had been swept into the crowds during the commotion and consequently suffered lifelong injuries due to the roof collapse.

Still, the situation became increasingly dire for the Talians, and survivors began looking towards holes in the walls of the deteriorating palace building to escape through. It is estimated that around 1,500 total Talian survivors managed to get out, and the hordes of Úŋïan troops, which measured around 2,500-3,000, began to relentlessly pursue them. However, because the Palace was at the forefront of the Family's borders with other families and with the tribal government, the Battle at the Palace had unwittingly alerted the tribe at large to the Crisis, and within hours, Zümiža, the Hyvamto-Rhïlýrhonid (Head of the tribe) had sent in his army to separate the Talians and Úŋïans and enforce the Ceasefire of Zïlëŋý.

Ceasefire of Zïlëŋý and the Scattering of the Talians

Main Article: Ceasefire of Zïlëŋý

Following the chaos of the Battle at the Palace, the already-leaderless Talians became irreversibly scattered and separated. The vast majority of these 1,500 or so survivors (as well as the 4,000-strong civilian population in the Khëlër-Ðórr) would eventually coagulate into discrete groups that independently fought for the goals of the unified Talian group (albeit sometimes with modifications as befit their circumstances). Two of the strongest and largest groups, namely Šïvýð-Ýïr and Šïbha-Ýïr, were called upon to be official representatives for the Talians at large, which was needed due to the issuance of the Ceasefire of Zïlëŋý. This Ceasefire constituted two documents; one was an impromptu order for the Ïlamatril army (which had swept in to break up the fighting) dictating their powers in enforcing the ceasefire. The second document was the actual agreement between the Talians and Úŋïans, based upon information gathered by the Ïlamatril army, that sought to establish a lasting peace within the Family.

List of Arðor-Tal Tribes

Múýl-Ýïr

Main Article: Múýl-Ýïr

Šïvýð-Ýïr

Main Article: Šïvýð-Ýïr

Constituting more than 2,500 individuals, the Tribe of Šïvýð-Ýïr was the largest tribe by population in the entire Talian force during the Crisis's second Phase. It was made of the civilian population of the Talians, most notably in the Khëlër-Ðórr, and was led by the soldiers that had defended that territory and its inhabitants from the Úŋïans during the Battles for the Khëlër-Ðórr. The most notable of these was Ólðavë-Üknard, who enacted a large-scale defensive system around the Khëlër-Ðórr and put together a rudimentary army, both of whom contributed greatly to the safety of the civilian population there. Due to his actions, Šïvýð-Ýïr had by far the least population reduction of all 32 tribes, with estimates indicating that only around 1-3% lost their lives in the tumultuous Second Phase of the Crisis.

Due to their size, Šïvýð-Ýïr was considered as one of the two 'representatives' of the Talian cause, alongside Šïbha-Ýïr, in the days after the cessation of hostilities known as the Ceasefire. It is largely due to their testimonies that the Talians were given a full half of the entire Khólteð Family's land. However, after the rise of Múuŋ-Ýïr and their assassination of the Šïbhian leader, Üknard willingly gave up the role as representative to protect the tribe, and this action is what led to the Múuŋïans taking on a dictatorial role in Talian politics from then until the end of the Crisis one month later.

During the Khólteðian Wars, the Šïvýðïans would find themselves trapped between some of the most violent tribes, including Ašëð-Ýïr, Ažým-Ýïr, and Ðýúš-Ýïr. To protect the people, Üknard would offer to them a formal partition of the Šïvýðïan territory and inhabitants among these three tribes, which they accepted. As such, the Šïvýð-Ýïr was dissolved very early on in the Wars, and one of the very few to do so within sustained combat. Due to the actions of Üknard, the Šïvýðïans today represent the dominant ethnic background for much of the population in the Kalzuth Plains, Tayzem Region, and Blýfónic Valley.

Šïbha-Ýïr

Main Article: Šïbha-Ýïr

The tribe of Šïbha-Ýïr was made of remnants from the depleted and scattered Talian army, who had been reduced down to a meager population of around 1,300-1,500 following the Battle at the Palace. Alongside Šïvýð-Ýïr, this population made up one of the two largest cohesive groups of Talians; as such, due partially to the visibility of the Battle itself, it became one of the two major representatives of the Talian cause under the leadership of Ëšrum-Ðofek. however, due to a perceived lack of representation for other Talian tribes, Ðofek was assassinated by members of the Múuŋ-Ýïr Tribe on 27 Anta-Eimarae, and the successor Ýžram-Ŋóðar opted to relinquish the Šïbhïans' position as tribal representative in favor of the Múuŋïan Sðó-šöŋ.

Following this, Šïbha-Ýïr would adopt the position of one of the Talians' frontline defensives, repelling attacks from the Úŋïans as well as numerous Kýïan Tribes. In this capacity, they lost more than half their population, falling to around 900 individuals by the end of the Crisis. In the Khólteðian Wars, their luck would again take a bad turn, as they were swept into the heyday of the Ýïrúl War, with most of that War taking place on Šïbhïan grounds. Following their survival from the end of that conflict, they would again be swept into the Ašðïan War, in which large chunks of their territory were taken by Ašëð-Ýïr. The meager territory that they were left with would force them to enact several ill-fated campaigns to the west, finally entering into a pact with the tribe of Ýbašý-Ýïr. The Ýbašïans would be greatly weakened by Hfašð-Ýïr, and their territories would all be enveloped by Këhóš-Ýïr in the ensuing years.

Ýbašý-Ýïr

Main Article: Ýbašý-Ýïr

The Ýbašïans represent a very small army under the direction of three commanders: Kóvað, Šófëð, and Ðúrýlór. Numbering in the range of 750-1,000, the Ýbašïans constituted the second-largest group, behind Šïbha-Ýïr, that came directly from members of the army. United in brotherhood through their time within said army, the three commanders and their armies would grow disillusioned with the Talian cause. From their creation just after the Battle at the Palace to the end of the Crisis, the Ýbašïans became vagabonds, traveling all throughout the territory of the Talians. It is particularly this act of traveling all across the lands that they could gain in number, which was helped by their relatively neutral stance towards the ongoing Crisis. Thus, for much of the population that simply found themselves in Talian territory in the aftermath of the Ceasefire, the Ýbašïan tribe seemed to be the most feasible option. However, fearing retribution from other Talian tribes for a lack of loyalty, the Ýbašïans would also participate in defensive skirmishes with other tribes. By the time the Crisis ended, their population had risen to around 1,500.

Following the expulsion of all tribes, the Ýbašïans would bring forth the Ýïrúl War, the first of the many Khólteðian Wars, through their raids on the neighboring Këhóš-Ýïr. Eventually pushed back with heavy losses, including Ðúrýlor, the Ýbašïans would come away from the War with a greatly reduced population and territory. In their desperation, they would conduct several raids on nearby tribes, eventually coming to accept the pleas of Šïbha-Ýïr when their fleeing populations asked for aid. In the ensuing events, the similarly-beaten tribe of Hfašð-Ýïr would also retreat from the east, and the Ýbašïans and Hfašðïans would engage in one final War that saw the latter wiped out and the former seriously reduced in number. The remnants of the tribe, particularly the Šïbhïans would come to inhabit the desolate lands of the Ýbašïans, and in the following months, become enveloped by the rapidly-expanding Këhóš-Ýïr.

Róšaf-Ýïr

Main Article: Róšaf-Ýïr

Ðýúš-Ýïr

Main Article: Ðýúš-Ýïr

Ðýúš-Ýïr was an anomaly in the overall Talian tribal dynamic, as it was the only such tribe to actively pursue an offensive approach to the Úŋïans and Kýïans. Like the tribe of Šïvýð-Ýïr, it was constructed from members of the civilian population of Khëlër-Ðórr, and drew upon the earlier atrocities like the Massacre of the Krëšŋ-Ðórr and the Battle of Arhžvóo committed by the Úŋïans as the rationale for pursuing such an aggressive mindset against them. Banished from the Khëlër-Ðórr due to their extreme views, they would travel to the frontlines, where they would fight in numerous battles, including the Battle of Köš-Ëmvrad, the last battle of the Crisis.

Following the expulsion of all tribes, the Ðýúšïans came to occupy a moderately-large territory in the southeast, and would fall victim to the violence of other tribes around it. Most specifically, they would be greatly reduced and weakened by the Ašðïan War, and whatever was left was subsequently conquered by Ažým-Ýïr in the beginning of the Ažým-Brýŋ Campaigns. They are the third tribe to be conquered.

Múuŋ-Ýïr

Main Article: Múuŋ-Ýïr

The Múuŋïan tribe was made of injured folk and scavengers that inhabited the battlefields of Arhžvóo, the Palace, and the major engagements that surrounded them. Over 3,500 Talians were made casualties of war across these battles, and 1,400-1,600 of them were still living but, due to injury, had needs much different from the rest of the Talians. As such, in the days following the cessation of hostilities, when the larger and more visible tribes of Šïbha-Ýïr and Šïvýð-Ýïr became the representatives of the Talian cause, the unique troubles of the injured were largely forgotten. Due to health effects, among which was the infamous Yožiža, the number of still-active injured fell from its original number to around 950 in merely a few days. The distress this caused led members of the Múuŋ-Ýïr tribe to rise up against the Šïbhïans, and kill their leader Ëšrum-Ðofek, prompting both the Šïvýðïans and Šïbhïans to relinquish their positions as representatives in favor of Múuŋ-Ýïr and their leader, Sðó-šöŋ.

As the leader and figurehead of the Talian cause, the Múuŋïans would prioritize the caring for of the injured, whose numbers would begin to grow as skirmishes began to erupt all across the border. In this sense, Múuŋ-Ýïr became not among the Talian populace, but rather above it, serving as a director of Talian operations. It was likely them who decided where on the border each of the other tribes were to be posted, perhaps even as a means of consolidating power by weeding out and weakening Talian opposition. Despite these practices, or perhaps because of them, the Múuŋïans would remain in power forthe rest of the Crisis, but would lose this prestige when all tribes were expelled.

In the Khólteðian Wars, the Múuŋïans were given a large patch of land in the center of the Desert, which became a means for them to gain sustenance and thus care for their ailing populations. However, the peace would be disturbed by the Ažým-Brýŋ Campaigns, in which Brýŋ-Ýïr from the northeast conquered a large swath of the eastern Múuŋïan territories during their campaigns southwards. This was soon followed by the collapse of Brýŋ-Ýïr from a combination of battle and internal revolts, and the recovered Múuŋïans, alongside other conquered tribes, would pounce upon this opportunity to carve out for themselves a large piece of the territory. However, their gains would be reversed by other tribes like Ðýhëk-Ýïr and Ömak-Ýïr, and the western portions would be captured by Halëðem-Ýïr around the same time.

Hfašð-Ýïr

Main Article: Hfašð-Ýïr