Dlaýe-Vïn

Dlaýe-Vïn was a Lrhúuŋðian city in the Interbiotic Range and one of the most integral such settlements in the overarching Palïŋ-Lhrúuŋðarr, the first major trading route in the Blýfónic Valley. Alongside Waðë-Vïn and Ŋëvra-Vïn, Dlaýe-Vïn represented the early extent of the trading route (and the tribe in general) during its early construction in 25021-25019 AYM before being interrupted by the creation of Varhoŋïð-Khalúš. Positioned adjacent to the Volain Forest to the south, Dlaýe-Vïn then became a crucial supplier of wood, vines, and other such resources from the Forest for the many cities of the Vanýst-Lhrúuŋðarr, that is, the string of cities created as part of the Northern Campaign in 25015-03 AYM. It also served as one of the first trading sites with the Khërn-Švere, a subgroup of the larger Kairn Tribe, who served an integral part in the Palïŋ-Lhrúuŋðïan trading system.

History

The Alëhadic Expedition

Main Article: Alëhadic Expedition

The Alëhadic Expedition was one half of the fourth Yarpalïŋ-Ýmïlýrhonid, and the only one out of the five to explore the Ðýmóš Plains and the Interbiotic Range. In fact, it was borne out of a crucial mistake committed by members of the Šókhekic Expedition, who intended to reach the Amoŋot Desert but took the wrong path along the Kairn River System, thus ending up at the Plains. Led by Alëhadýy, they nonetheless carried out a survey of the sparsely-populated Plains, finding only two settlements, called Býnhafý and Ðóš-Avï. Realizing the economic and cultural potential of linking the Plains and the Desert together, the Expedition and the local population were roused to create an extensive path from the two cities all the way around the the northern edge of the Volain Forest, covering more than 1,000 kilometers in a little over a year. These paths were supplemented by small-scale towns that were placed at regularly-spaced intervals along it, and both the path and these towns were created using a wide variety of resources from a wide variety of biomes, including the Yoži-Volën and Tdëtap of the Forest, the soil of the Plains, and later on, the unique rocks of the Interbiotic Range.

The city of Dlaýe-Vïn was one of these so-called transitional towns, and was formed in conjunction with two other cities, namely Ŋëvra-Vïn and Waðë-Vïn. Dlaýe-Vïn itself was the southernmost and the first to be created within the trio. In its early days, it was mainly a means to funnel the Forest resources that would be used to construct the other two cities, and the central avenue that runs uninterrupted from north to south through the city reflects this original purpose. Beyond that, however, the Expedition saw little purpose in a city that sat adjacent to the Forest, especially since it did not provide a good defensive position in case of attacks (which were expected to come from the west and east, and not from the south) and was away from the actual planned path of the trading route, which was to run westwards to the Desert, not southwards to the Forest. As such, the two later cities of Ŋëvra-Vïn and Waðë-Vïn were much larger in terms of size and population, with Dlaýe-Vïn measuring at around half the size and a quarter of the population of either of the two other cities.

This would soon change, however, due to the emigration of the Ýlëntuk Family in mid-25020 AYM. At that time, the Expedition had been situated in these three cities for some time, which has been attributed to various causes, including a lack of geographical knowledge of the land and settlements of the Desert. What is known is that they had inquired to Žlúnúyšat, the Öšdúu-Güðün (ruler of Güðün), about a potential linking with the trade route, which he had agreed to. However, by late-25020 AYM and early-25019 AYM, the Ambush of Ŋópïŋ-Arún-Khërn had occurred, which resulted in the takeover of Güðün by the tribe of Varhoŋïð-Khalúš, which the Expedition quickly learned was hostile to the interests of the Ïlýrhonid Tribe. This was corroborated by a message from the Ïlýrhonid Tribe itself, who, in anticipation of tensions brewing between the Ïlýrhonidians, the Khalúšians and the Kairnians, ordered the Alëhadic Expedition to return back to assist in defensive measures. This left the local population, who would become the Lrhúuŋðarr Tribe, in charge of the project, but now with their primary linking city now unavailable, they had little choice but to keep living in the three cities, and to stay on guard against potential Khalúšian attacks.

Trade with the Khërn-Švere and the Northern Campaigns

However, the Ambush of Ŋópïŋ-Arún-Khërn had also marked the definitive creation of the Kairn Tribe and their dominance over the entire Volain Forest. Keen to prevent any attacks from the Khalúšians, they colonized the entirety of the Forest, including the stretch of land north of the Kairn River System. This land was marked by its isolation from the other two regions, as the rivers here were noticeably wider and faster than their southern counterparts. This isolation would morph the settlers here into a distinct subgroup of the Kairnians, called the Khërn-Švere, and their territory's northern border coincided with the border between the Interbiotic Range and the Volain Forest. This was also where Dlaýe-Vïn was situated, and in the months following the creation of the Kairn Tribe, a sizeable trading system had already developed between the Šverians and the Dlaýïans.

The Šverians would become a important ally for the Lrhúuŋðïans as a whole, as in mid-25019 AYM, the Khalúšians would begin their last-ditch attempts to reach the Ïlýrhonid Tribe. With their southern cities battered by continuous raids from the Maðúšýï, and their eastern front blocked by the Kairnian defenses, they hoped to take the long way around the Forest and attack the Tribe from the east. However, their movements were sighted by the Šverians, who quickly warned the Lrhúuŋðïans. This timing would prove integral to the latter's victory at the three cities, halting the Khalúšian advance and setting the stage for the Northern Campaigns.

In these such Campaigns, the Khalúšians and Lrhúuŋðïans both aimed to travel northwards to get around the other, with the intended purposes of flanking and defeating their opponent. To supplement these growing lines, each side had to create numerous cities and spread their armies out between them, and once again, the connection between Dlaýe-Vïn and the Šverians proved vital. Throughout the entire operation, which lasted from 25019 to 25003 AYM, the Šverians harvested and transported nearly 500 metric tons of building material, and thousands of individuals were even so motivated as to join the ranks of the Lrhúuŋðïan army itself. This all would culminate in the Battle of Ïbhaažrrt-Ýhöýhašúk in 25003 AYM where, at the Khalúšian city of Ïbhaažrrt, the strained lines of the Khalúšians were soundly defeated, and the entirety of their many cities that arose during the campaigns was swiftly conquered.

Dlaýe-Vïn itself saw massive growth during this period. It would balloon to nearly 6 times its original size, and was populated by warehouses and avenues that could store up to 10 metric tons of material at any given moment. It also saw an outgrowth of cultural contributions from the Šverians themselves, who built several extensions for the city that reached into the Forest. The Southern Gate of the city itself, one of the few preserved artifacts from this time period, is renowned for its Šverian decorations, being made exclusively of Yoži-Volën and Tdëtap in such a way that emulates similar decorations from Hraðóm-Avï and Gašïl-Avï. In contrast, the Northern Gate, which today only exists in sketches, has a much larger incorporation of grasses, soils, and other resources from the Ðýmóš Plains, which made up the fibers of the walls and the support structures.