Lómóhüd

Lómóhüd, or Laumohud, was a city in the collection of settlements known as Hýyo-Wýðúr. The second-oldest city behind Güðün, it was the site of the Öšdúu-Lómóhüd, and as such, the city is considered to be part of the Öšdúu system that flourished during the Heta-Alšewharžar. It was one of the most important cities in the Hýyó-Wýðúr, being a member of all iterations of the Varonian Trade Coalition, and seeing significant action in both the First Varhoŋïan War and Second Varonian War. It would even go through several phases itself, as it was so integral to these wars that it was destroyed and rebuilt more than five separate times in its history.

Ultimately, it would coalesce, alongside its longtime allies of Vërðïm and Kal-Haðü, into the tribe of Sangus shortly before the Varonian Civil War, which would result in the full integration of these cities into the newly-made tribe of Ardunioz in 24533 AYM.

Etymology

The exact meaning behind Lómóhüd is, like most of the other cities during this time period, lost to time. The most plausible theory is that it was based off its location, that is, between the 5th and 6th Wëbëlup-Wýðúr. Given that the numbers 5 and 6 translate to mean Úl and Šu respectively, the name Lómóhüd may have been a corruption of the term 'between 5 and 6', or 'Úl Ýŋol Šu'. However, even by linguistic standards, this is a large leap in terms of theory.

History

Formation

Lómóhüd was the site of both the 5th and 6th Wëbëlup-Wýðúr, which were long poles erected during the Wýðúric Expedition to track their progress. Unlike other cities, who were based around a singular pole, Lómóhüd was strangely defined as being the space in between two poles. Normally, the poles would have been separated by distances of around 10-20 kilometers, but the distance between the 5th and 6th was abnormally short, around 2 kilometers, which has been credited to a dense fog or another such visually-impairing weather phenomena.

After the success of the Wýðúric Expedition, and even more so after the subsequent Khýnýšic Expedition, a massive wave of emigrants would flood into the northern Amoŋot Desert. With no other geographic features to navigate by, settlements always formed around the Wëbëlup-Wýðúr. It seems the settlements in and around the 5th and 6th poles were so close together that they filled in the gap between themselves, easily becoming the largest of the formative cities in terms of size.

Púlö-Ïlýrhonid and Öšdúu Formation

Main Articles: Púlö-Ïlýrhonid, Öšdúu

The Ïlýrhonidian Question, or Púlö-Ïlýrhonid, was a social dilemma that affected all emigrants from the tribe during these early years. Simply, it consisted of a choice each individual had to make: was the cultural and social stance taken by the individual to align with (Ëvoðo-Reïlýrhonid) or diverge from (Ëvoðro-Ýmïlýrhonid) that of the Ïlýrhonid Tribe? Unlike other early tribes, who were choraled by an overarching tribal philosophy or goal, the populations in the Hýyó-Wýðúr were extremely diverse, both culturally and philosophically. As such, while the populations of these other tribes barely changed, it had by far the largest effect on the Hýyó-Wýðúr, causing a brief period of instability within the cities.

This brief period of instability was defined by the gradual shifting populations from city to city, with each individual seeking to find groups who had the same societal and cultural values they had. Depending on the city's placement, the groups that settled within each city differed. The groups whose main common point of alignment was regarding the Ëvoðo-Reïlýrhonid and Ëvoðro-Ýmïlýrhonid (that is, the alignment with or diversion from the culture of the Ïlýrhonid Tribe) settled in the cities closest to and farthest away from the Ïlýrhonid Tribe, respectively. These featured relatively few disputes and were able to coalesce within a year, and upon coalescing, one figure would rise to power within the city and establish an Öšdúu, an absolute king-like government, over just that city.

In the middle, however, the emphasis on the Púlö-Ïlýrhonid would fade into the background in favor of disputes regarding familial traditions and cultural stances. This second group of cities would see several years of infighting between these many factions before a singular ruler was chosen.

Situated roughly in the middle of the cities, the city of Lómóhüd would fall into the second category. The exact details behind these struggles are lost to history, but what would arise from this was the Öšdúu-Lómóhüd, with Ëžrü-Kaðal as its first ruler.

Ëžrü-Kaðal

Main Article: Ëžrü-Kaðal

Ëžrü-Kaðal was the First King, or Öšdúu-Lómóhüd, of the city, ruling from the pacification of the varying city factions around 25021-20 AYM to his death in 25004 AYM. His reign saw a major ramping up in the mining industry, which was used to construct the bulk of the buildings in the city and raise up a large outer wall. This latter part was a staple of all Öšdúu, signifying the start of the social and cultural isolation from the other settlements in the Hýyó-Wýðúr. These buildings and their decorations also comprise the first iteration of the Ótaš-Lómóhüd, the city-specific artstyle that developed independent from those of other cities. One of the most famous such structures planned during his reign was the first iteration of the Ëzó-Lómóhüd, the king's palace, which was left incomplete at the time of his death. The plans for this building represent the oldest surviving manuscripts of the city and the only remaining information on the first Ótaš-Lómóhüd as well.

His reign also saw the beginning of the Maðúšýï raids against the Hýyó-Wýðúr in 25010 AYM, which proved to be the first of many calamitous events in the city's history. Ëžrü-Kaðal would be forced to defend against at least five different engagements during his reign, the last of which, in 25004 AYM, led to his death.

Hóflë-Kúrðaš

Hóflë-Kúrðaš was the Second Öšdúu-Lómóhüd, reigning from 25004 to 24997 AYM. His reign was marked a period of flux and turmoil, as he struggled to retain and rally the populations in the years following Kaðal's demise. In addition to rebuilding and adding more walls to protect the city, Kúrðaš would also reign during the formation of Ožërhýŋ and its famed mining industry, prompting the king to begin exploring opportunities for trade. This trading system, as it was envisioned, would relieve stress on the now-crumbling Lómóhüdian earth as well as creating alliances with other cities. To Kúrðaš, this trading system was the city's only way to be able to reliably and consistency resist the Maðúšýïan raids. The problem was that there was nothing in the city that they could use to enter the trading scene, and the fear of raids was so great that no one, in both Lómóhüd and all the other cities, was willing to venture out in the open desert. This fear would be greatly increased when Hóflë-Kúrðaš was himself killed during another of the Maðúšýïan raids in 24997 AYM.

Ŋüðúrr

Ŋüðúrr was the Third Öšdúu-Lómóhüd, reigning from 24997 to 24979 AYM. He enjoyed a long and prosperous rule and is primarily remembered for drastically changing the city's landscape and culture, creating the second iteration of the Ótaš-Lómóhüd. The main idea behind this was to divert one's resources from creating additional defenses to creating a cultural profile, most profoundly in the arts. Unlike previous rulers, Ŋüðúrr was more concerned with the rocks as being not necessarily the main resource to be defended, nor perhaps the fuel that helped the city persevere, but merely the main attractor behind so many of these raids.

The main reasoning behind this was the events he saw in the last few years of his predecessor's reign. He noticed a noticeably more controlled style of raiding, which seemed to decrease in the sheer chaos of earlier raids but branched outwards to such aspects like property damage, murder, and intimidation as well as resource stealing. Of course, it is now known that this transition resulted from the rise of Úvremk as the Maðúšýï's leader and his implementation of his own raiding philosophy, the Tžý-Úvremk, which centered itself around a 'balanced raiding style'. This Balanced raiding style sought to minimize risk and maximize the outcome of the raid by inflicting just enough damage on their targets to subdue them, but not so much, or so little, as to render successive raids harder to carry out.

As such, Ŋüðúrr espoused the idea of building an underground complex, and the two realms of 'above ground' and 'below ground' represented two different styles of living. This became known as the Ëvoðo-Ŋüðúrr, and it remains one of the most effective tactics drawn up by the Hýyó-Wýðúr in response to the Maðúšýïan and later Üdarrian threats.

The above ground section was thought of as a transitory space, in which any and all items or persons in here were at risk of disappearing. This was indeed true; almost always, raids targeted the structures and items that they could see. As such, it was marked by very spartan living, with little to no decoration, and a certain artistic adaptability. Due to its simple cuboid shape, it could be built on the sides of cliffs and other such otherwise-inhospitable places. This would cause the city to turn its massive mining holes and shafts into entire communities of above-ground houses.

This was further bolstered by the comparative safety of the below ground, which was so well hidden that the vast majority of its sections survive into the modern day. These were cuboid spaces, much like the above-ground, and were reachable only through an entrance of extreme secrecy. These secret entrances had to adhere to a set of rules, so as to render them unnoticeable and indistinguishable from the rest of the house. Furthermore, each below-ground space had similarly-secret passageways to other below-ground rooms, creating a network-like series of communal spaces where the real living occurred.

This below-ground was the true home of the community, and is rich with carvings, artworks, and decorations, forming the bulk of the Nota-Ótaš-Lómóhüd. It was thus of supreme importance to the Lómóhüdians, and protected it not militarily, but through sacrifice. If a below-ground space was discovered, those inside had a duty to give themselves up to their attackers, thus saving the entire tribe. This was one of many examples of the Žömëp-Fýtaŋ phenomenon exhibited in early tribes.

In all, the creation of both the above and below-ground sections spanned all across the reign of Ŋüðúrr, and the rock they bored out provided each sustenance for both them and the raiders. As such, as each raid approached, a large amount of these rocks would be used as fodder, with the rest stored deep in the below-ground system. This stockage of rocks would last until just after the First Varhoŋïan War. To increase realism, Ŋüðúrr would still advocate for respect and fear towards the Maðúšýïans, and in these raids, citizens would either huddle in near-total silence in the below-ground, or have to flee northwards out of the city if above-ground. Conversely to the usual safety of the system, the noise-prone motions of the Ibrófeneð and the claustrophobic nature of the spaces meant that most would prefer to flee instead of stay, as staying would lead to the uncovering of the individual and the below-group system as a whole. However, instead of fleeing the city entirely, the Lómóhüdians would wait just out of sight until the raiders left, at which point they would enter the below-ground through hidden tunnels and continue their way of life in that state for the next several months.

In fact, the 'worth' of a citizen was based not on the usual baseline merits like strength or commitment, but whether or not they could potentially expose the secret of the below-ground. Younger individuals attracted much attention because their immaturity posed a massive risk, and as such, large amounts of time was spent disciplining them in the covert rules and actions to be taken during raids. Conversely, old people could rely on their senility as an excuse for any suspicious behavior, and so they were highly respected and allowed much freedom within the city itself. They would also serve as a means to render the city's situation much more legitimate, as the act of slaughtering these older folk would provide enough carnage and chaos for the Maðúšýïans to deem the raid successful.

Ŋüðúrr's strategy proved extremely successful in lowering the societal calamities that these raids provided. The population would reach a staggering 16,500 by the end of his reign, more than that of Vërðïm, and this populace would produce some of the most vibrant surviving works of art from the Hýyó-Wýðúr. The king himself would die peacefully just 3 years before the outbreak of the First Varhoŋïan War of 24976 AYM.

Ðhrýïŋïr

Ðhrýïŋïr was the fourth Öšdúu-Lómóhüd, reigning from 24979 to the middle of the First Varhoŋïan War of 24976 AYM. In his short reign he would greatly expand the below-ground regions, creating a multi-layered, highly-decorated system of rooms that reached more than 50 meters underground. This would be the state of the city when the War erupted, and Ðhrýïŋïr would join the Varonian Trade Coalition and commit troops led by Að-Pörhüd to fight as the city's representative. These troops numbered around 7,000, almost half of the populace, which was almost certainly due to the cultural and societal high the city was feeling during the reign of Ŋüðúrr.

The rationale for this entry in the war was likely the unsustainable nature of the Ëvoðo-Ŋüðúrr, especially given the taxing nature of the raids. Ðhrýïŋïr likely saw the dwindling supply of rock, as well as the perilous depths the underground spaces were reaching, and felt that the raiding cycle had to be stopped before the city's resources ran out.

However, the Maðúšýïans would defeat the Coalition troops in decisive victories like the Battle of Vërðïm-Ŋüž, and by around 20 Ulta-Eimarae, 24976 AYM, they would set their troops in siege around and between the cities of the Coalition. Their goal was not in fact to utterly destroy the Coalition forces and their populations, but to dismember the political alliances at the heart of this combined force, which was now scattered and divided between the three cities. In Lómóhüd, Ðhrýïŋïr would thus abandon his pursuit of an alliance with the other cities, but before he could cement his decision, dissenters created the Lómóhüdian Expedition, which remains as one of the most well-known and legendary resistance movements in written history. Faced with dwindling popularity and little effective influence, he would give up the position in favor of the Expedition's aged leader, the Haðïan-born Žïkr-Kha, in 25 Ulta-Eimarae.

Žïkr-Kha

Žïkr-Kha was the nominal general in charge of forces in Kal-Haðü. Largely subservient to the Vërðïans Žülfaðïŋ-Ürkaž and Ölh-Ïýëk during the First Phase of the War, he would receive several injuries to disparate parts of his body in the deadly battles that ravaged his army and those of the other Coalition leaders. Like all others, his army would be thoroughly mixed up with the others during the haphazard retreat back to the Hýyó-Wýðúr, but unlike them, he would end up not in Vërðïm, but rather alone and stranded inside Lómóhüd. As such, he would found the Lómóhüdian Expedition in the early days of Ulta-Eimarae as an attempt to reunite with his army. However, upon seeing the futility in breaking through the staunch Maðúšýïan lines, and witnessing his ailments worsening under the physical strain, he would resign as leader of the Expedition in favor of Šðýï-Ŋökmahat, intending to spend the rest of his days in Lómóhüd itself.

Being one of the few military leaders left in the city, Kha was again thrust into the spotlight when Ðhrýïŋïr resigned in 25 Suta-Eimarae, and he would reluctantly adopt the position that same day as the fifth Öšdúu-Lómóhüd. Only 3 days later, on 1 Geta-Eimarae, the Maðúšýïans would commit an entire section of their army to the slaughtering and razing of the city, with Žïkr-Kha himself initially escaping. However, with his physical injuries slowing him down, and thus his inability to traverse the below-ground chambers limiting his escape routes, he would choose to sacrifice himself near the northern outskirts of the city. Indeed, it would partially be due to his delaying actions that the Expedition, as well as disparate members of Lómóhüd proper, would mount a small ~100-man offensive inside the gap left by the invading Maðúšýïan section. This small movement was monumentous, as even though they were all slaughtered, the noise of the group alerted the nearby city of Vërðïm to the Expedition's presence and allowed for further communications in what would become the Ŋökmahat Campaigns. As such, Žïkr-Kha was venerated by Lómóhüdians and one of only a few such figures born outside the city to have this honor.