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| __TOC__
| | [[Category:Cities]] |
| | [[Category:Spirit-aligned organization]] |
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| | | {{infobox city |
| ==The Duiran Council== | | |color=#C5E1A5 |
| {{CityPage
| | |name=Duiran |
| |name = The Duiran Council
| | |tether=[[Spirit]] |
| |leader = Solaria
| | |patron=[[Haern]] |
| |patron = [[Haern|Haern, the Hunter]]
| | |advisory=[[Haern]], [[Slyphe]], [[Dhar]], [[Omei]] |
| |advisory = [[Haern]], [[Auresae]], [[Dhar]], and [[Omei]]
| | |tutor=[[Raest]] |
| |council = Solaria, Ciarelle, Elwyn, Xavin, and Aarbrok
| | |guilds=[[Sentaari]], [[Sentinels]], [[Shamans]] |
| |cardinal = Angwe
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| |ambassador = Kaleigh
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| |war = Angwe
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| |security = Xavin
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| |treasurer = Kaestrin
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| |steward = Elwyn
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| |chancellor = Rhine
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| |trade = Mariena
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| |culture = Amila
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| |development = Aymah
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| |research = Aishia
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| |helpfile = Comprised of those people dedicated to the advancement and strengthening of the [[Wilds]] by any means, Duiran Council keeps its home within the [[Great Oak]] and the surrounding village of [[Eleusis]]. It is led by five [[Benandanti]], elected representatives of the five Scions of Duiran: Roots, Trunk, Bark, Branches and Leaves, who serve to guide the councilors of Duiran under the will of the [[Triad]]. To join Duiran is to forsake the civilized path of the cities and walk the game trails that criss-cross the wilds.
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| Though historically appointed directly by the Divine Triad, recent reforms now allow the Benandanti of Duiran to be elected by the council for terms which are reviewed every 10 years during an [[Eireachdus]] meeting.
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| The wilds are diverse and always in motion between Life and Death, and it is the purpose of the Council to ensure that this cycle remains in motion. Where there is too much Death, they bring Life and Hope; where there is life there is the hunt and survival; where there is too much Life, they bring Death and Renewal. Through this, they serve the Triad of [[Lleis|Lady Lleis]], [[Haern|Lord Haern]] and [[Dhar|Lord Dhar]].
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| Duiran Council reserves the right to punish those who work to unbalance the [[Rhythm of the Wilds]]. To those who bring wanton destruction in their wake and to those who think they can trample the will of the Wilds, be wary.
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| |leader_name = Feral Will
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| |council_name = Benandanti
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| |cardinal_name = Voice of the Wilds
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| |ambassador_name = Emissary of the Consulate
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| |war_name = Fury of the Wilds
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| |security_name = Ranger of the Heartwood
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| |treasurer_name = Wildwood Chamberlain
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| |steward_name = Seneschal
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| |chancellor_name = Communal Actuary
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| |culture_name = Lorekeeper
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| |research_name = Prophet of the Hollow
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| |development_name = Artisan of Wealds
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| |trade_name = Reaper of Harvests
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| }} | | }} |
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| == The Awakening of the Great Oak ==
| | The [[Duiran|Duiran Council]] sits in the heart of the Great Oak, the massive tree in the center of the vast Ithmian forests. Home to forestal people both feral and fey, the denizens of the Heartwood are savage defenders of the wilds whose calling is maintaining the balance between Life and Death - the Rhythm, the ever-changing flow of Nature. |
| <pre>
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| There are three trees of power in Aetolia. The Yggdrasil holds power
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| over life and death, the Tree of Renewal over good and evil, and the
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| Great Oak over the strength of the wilderness. Since before the memory
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| of mortals, this last tree stood in a dormant state. This is the tale of
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| its awakening.
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| With Lanos lost in the realm of shadows, lesser creatures of darkness
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| stalked the realm of the Divine. Haern, the Hunter began tracking them
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| down one by one, and was thus distracted from events in the mortal
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| world. However, the time had come to awaken the Great Oak and build the
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| Duiran Council to wield its power, and so the God appeared briefly in | |
| Eleusis to perform the needed ritual.
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| Drawing His white fur coat tightly around Him, Haern raised Talon, Sword
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| of the Hunt towards the branches of the Great Oak. The blood-red blade
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| began to glow with heat as Divine power was infused into it. With
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| deliberate, precise movements, The Hunter carved a rift in the air
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| around Him. A cold wind rushed through from beyond and chilled all
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| present instantly to the bone. A dense cloud of steam quickly formed in
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| response to the flaming blade.
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| Tendrils of steam rose up into the Great Oak swirling along every branch
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| and soon enveloping the entire Tree. The rifts in the air, shaped like
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| mystical runes, began to mend themselves. Still, the cold wind raged
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| harshly against the branches like a terrible storm existing only
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| partially on the mortal plane. Sheathing Talon, Haern raised His arms to
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| the Oak and began to call upon the powers of the wilderness.
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| "By the power of the Rhythm, I call upon the spirits of Nature and bind
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| the wild lands of Aetolia together as one being," said Haern. "As | |
| mortals ravage the world and place hardships upon it, so too shall they
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| share the burden of its care. Great Oak, I awaken your power and grant
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| mortals the tools only you can provide."
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| "Ioho Ruis! Muin! EADHA!" He yelled, and the air reverberated with these
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| words of power.
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| With a deafening clap of thunder, the Great Oak began to shake in the
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| terrible winds. Haern looked pleased at first, but His expression turned
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| quickly to a slight frown. The vapor among the branches dissipated in a
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| soft, golden glow and countless leaves were suddenly torn away and flung
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| high into the sky, then scattered far beyond the horizon. The winds
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| settled as swiftly as they began, but entire branches left barren.
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| Haern then spoke to those gathered, saying, "I fear My preparations were
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| not enough to strengthen the Oak for what was needed. The Tree has been
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| dormant so long, I knew that the awakening would be near the limit of
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| what it could tolerate. It is not as bad as it seems however. The Tree
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| is not so easily damaged. If we retrieve the leaves, it can be restored,
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| and the power I have infused into it will be plenty to see the Council
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| established.
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| "All trees have a spirit guardian, quite similar to the dryads. The
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| spirit of the Great Oak is particularly strong, and will help us do what
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| is needed. I will awaken Esus, the Spirit of Sacrifice, the tree spirit
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| of the Great Oak. Gather the leaves and bring them to him, and all will
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| be well."
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| Placing a hand upon the trunk of the Great Oak, Haern whispered soft
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| words and the bark began to shimmer as a form emerged from the wood.
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| Nearly insubstantial, the figure of a dryad-like being appeared hovering
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| in midair before the tree.
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| Over the months that followed, mortals began gathering the leaves and
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| returning them to Esus. The spirit absorbed the leaves and returned them
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| to the branches, and a pulse of red or golden energy passed over the
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| tree in response. However, few knew the deceit behind the failed ritual
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| - half the leaves had been altered by some unknown power, and those with | |
| a golden hue served to shatter the hold of Haern over the Oak.
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| It was during this time that Slyphe approached the Druid Guildmaster,
| | Forsaking the constructs and streets of civilization, the Duiran council considers the ancient Heartwood forest a sacred grounds, touched by the spirit-plane of [[Dendara]] and infused with its essence. Many a natural wonder and an assortment of strange, spiritual creatures alike are found within the forest and the other areas nestled within the mountainous Hollow. |
| Gracie, and spoke of Her quarrel with Haern over the Patronage of the
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| Duiran Council. Haern was unwilling to give Her any role in the Council,
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| so She revealed to Gracie the means by which the tree's power could be
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| shared among the Gods, rather than being held solely by Haern.
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| Haern remained occupied hunting the shadow beasts high above the mortal
| | The council is home to the mystical [[Shamans]], a guild with a spiritual tie to the Dendaric energies surrounding the Heartwood. Fighting alongside them are the martial [[Sentaari]] monks and [[Sentinels|Sentinel]] warriors, disciplined combatants dedicated to restoring the Balance through fist or dhurive, respectively. |
| world, oblivious to the deceit, until Gracie approached Him and revealed
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| what was going on. Enraged, Haern left His hunt and investigated the
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| Oak, during which time many shadow beasts found their way to the mortal
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| world. Most were slain, but one was captured within Bloodloch, and
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| remains there still. That, however, is another tale and one not yet come
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| to resolution.
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| Conflict was inevitable between the Hunter and the Sea Goddess, and they
| | While they often lack the zeal of their allies, the Duiran Council is uncompromising in its stance against the threat of all that is unnatural to the wilds. It is a bastion of freedom and spirit, home to those who forge through the untended paths of the world, into strange territories others fear to tread. Above all, they fight to ensure the wilderness is allowed to run its due course by any means necessary. |
| each made preparations in their own way. As the confrontation drew near,
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| Haern summoned birds of prey, and Slyphe drew a great storm in from the
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| eastern oceans to repel them. Before too much havoc could be wrought on
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| the mortal world, the two Deities came to meet at the Great Oak and | |
| threatened each other with the strength of their positions.
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| Many leaves of the Oak had been destroyed by that time, and many leaves
| | ==Timeline== |
| of red hue hidden away from the Hunter. The Oak was nearly awakened and
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| pulsed with golden energy, too far gone to sway back under His control.
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| But Haern's followers had claimed enough of the remaining leaves to
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| prevent the Tree from awakening without their help, and so the Divine
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| found themselves at an impasse.
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| After much discussion (and some consultation with the Unseen Force that
| | ==Notable denizens== |
| had effected the change of the leaves), Haern and Slyphe reached an
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| agreement to share control of the Duiran Council. Though this sharing of
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| the council came at a price. For the aid provided by the Unseen Force,
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| Slyphe had to promise It a favour for the future.
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| Finally, it was decided that Slyphe would appoint two members to the
| | ==Connected areas== |
| council, Haern would appoint two members, and a third member would be
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| recommended by the mortals (though approved by Haern). Slyphe further
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| agreed to turn over one of Her members to Lleis, when (and if) She
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| chooses to walk the realms and to concern Herself with the protection of
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| the wilderness.
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| Once the agreement was reached, the Unseen Force used Its power to
| | * [[Eastern Ithmia]] |
| remove twenty of the golden leaves from the Great Oak. Haern had His
| | * [[Myesis River]] |
| followers retrieve the red leaves theyd claimed, and He gave them to
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| Esus to replace the golden leaves that had been removed. Esus, the
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| Spirit of Sacrifice, melded with the Great Oak, and with a brilliant
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| pulse of energy, Esus merged into it. Thus the Great Oak was awakened,
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| spreading the power of its protection throughout the realm, to all the
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| wild places of Aetolia.
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| </pre>
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