The Fwerins

The Fwerins were a Theitic people who had spread southward from their homeland in The Dy Pwud. With their conquest they brought their language, law, and religion to the realms they conquered. The rebellious spirits of the Orcish and Human inhabitants led to a rebellious populace. However, the Fwerins grew to assimilate their culture and ideas with the culture of the conquered. The conquest turned the region into a melting pot of native culture and faith, with Theitic writing, language, and architecture.

Fwerin Architecture is a common sight in Salicia, although most of it is founds among their ruins. The Fwerins built great cities to settle their people. The Dy Pwud was heavily overpopulated, and their people needed places to live. Cities were built quickly to house to large population, even if they had to be built over the sites and homes of the native Orc population. With the magic of the forest, they had the power to harness the living wood. Their homes were formed from binding clusters of trees, abundant shrubbery, and strong roots that would form a solid foundation. Stone supports would be carved and placed to build sturdier structures. Their power over living wood allowed them to quickly build shelter in lush enviroments. Large spiraled columns hold up clusters of pod-homes that house families in branches and boughs. Stone skeletons decoration are built so that living wood can fill them to create monuments and parks. In the ancient city of Pe'there'shein, a great statue was built to King Baethal "The Sword of Eochaidh" who lead the first surge of Fwerin conquest. His stone skeleton was constructed from granite, and living wood still covers it holding his elvish visage. A face of bark and muscles of oak. Even though his stone arm has snapped off, the wood still holds his sword aloft. In regions that had fewer forests or woodlands. They required the use of other building techniques. They would plan future cities by planting trees to allow for future growth of their people, or they would built from brick or wattle and daub. Often they would build spiraled columns that looked like vines to remind them of home.

No one is more devoted to Nimbur than the people of Salicia. But their greatest converts were the Elves who sought their destruction.

— --Herid Allokrash, Theologian

One of the greatest influences of the native population was their faith. When the Elves and Fey Folk were introduced to the folk faith of the Orcs and Humans of the land. They originally saw it as a primitve and backwards faith. The Elves put no stock into the powers of Nimbur and saw his priests as heretical preachers of demons sworn to destroy anyone they deemed an enemy. However, one Fwerin king saw the faith as a beautiful aspect of a strong-willed people. Their music and art was passionate and strong, their warriors fought with devotion and zeal. King Elethras I saw it as a faith of strength and became the first king to worship Nimbur as his patron deity. After King Elethras I converted, a rebellion of Theitic nobles revolted against him in outrage. With an army of Elvish, Fey, and Orcish Nimban warriors pushed the rebels back towards The Daggerpoint Peninsula. During a climactic battle, a group of warrior priests conjured a storm that caused the sky to rain. It churned the soil into mud and the enemy knights drowned in the muck. After the rebellion, Nimbur was seen as an official deity in the Fwerin Pantheon. Great temples of carved chalk and living wood were dedicated to Nimbur, and Fwerin bards told the tales of his divine exploits. he was worshipped alongside the divine shepherds of The Shepherdic Sainthood. Despite the poor relations of the deities, the Fwerin people still allowed the worship of both parties as a part of their realm.

One thing they did not abide was the spiritual, folk animism of the lands they had conquered. Worship to these creatures and spirits was seen as heretical and backward. Finding groups who still followed the spirits was rare. The Fwerins made it rarer by wiping out several communities and tribes in their inquisitive raids.

When the Fey Folk had come through the portals during The Sylvan Exodus, they came into a world that met them with hostility. They had settled the forest that surrounded their entrance, and several groups ventured forth into the outer world. Tribes and states saw this growing power appear from nothing and looked upon it with fear and envy. Countless wars and invasions were sent into the Dy Pwud to try and conquer the Fey Folk. Some found varying success. After the 3rd Pwudish War, a war between the kingdom of the Dy Pwud and a coaltion of Orcish Tribes, the Fey Folk had decided they would venture into the lands of their enemies. The Fwerin Civilization is a result of such conquest.

The Fwerins stood for a long time, but their fall was devastating. Rebellion, famine, and natural disasters saw the end of their civilization. During the end of their reign, drought had devastated the region like never before. Some areas starved, whereas some cities withered as they could not sustain their living wood. Their civilization broke apart and splintered into warring kingdoms, and were overtaken by other groups who moved into the region. A warlord sought to reignite the empire over 6000 years after their original fall. He found great success until the Levanian Empire came and conquered them.