Cardemy

The Reign of Thersten Irolydd (~Anno Premier, 0 MH - ~50 MH)

Historic nations that have resisted the Gnoman Empire’s push are few and far between, the Empire would come to dominate nearly three quarters of the Continent and be the largest in its history no matter what metric that may be used. It would therefore be a surprise that a western nation, particularly in the prehistoric age, could hope to stop such a mighty force.

That nation would be Cardemy, one of the earliest civilizations to truly be considered a kingdom, and an international force in its own right. With such achievements, the legends of Cardemy permeate more cultures, religions and regions than any other extinct nation. These legends vary drastically in details however, and the truth of Cardemy may well be lost to the mist of time. The legends agree on one thing however, that some time around Anno Premier, as the Gnoman’s pushed north, a great leader would rally his forces to meet them.

The Kingdom of Cardemy was notorious as the start of the civilized world on the Continent, and at its helm sat King Thersten, the gallant and noble leader. Sources differ on Thersten’s race and religion, but all concur Thersten possessed a near supernatural acuity in strategy and tactics. When the Gnomans clashed, Thorsten personally lead the force that defeated them, rallying his fourteen knights to help repel the foreign invaders, stalling them not once, but three times, each victory inflicting devastating casualties on his enemies.

The Gnomans withdrew, digging in and waiting. Thorsten was only mortal after all. A decade past, another campaign was launched, defeat, the Gnomans retreated... another decade, another strike and another defeat... Another two decades, by now the Gnomans were getting desperate, so much so that the Ceaser personally sought negotiate a treatise with the King to allow Gnoman troops to pass through. Thersten acquiesced but not for a minor price, as he negotiated, not for gold, but for knowledge.

Thersten had heard rumour of the secrets held by those who ruled the Gnoman Empire, the Seniorem, and had been intrigued in particular by their longevity. As part of his settlement, Thersten would be allowed to practice the arcane arts within his borders uninterrupted, and would levy a modest tax on any Gnoman goods that passed through. Furthermore, Thersten demanded that several mages the Gnomans had taken from the neighbouring tribes be turned over to him.

Thersten’s goals were transparent, he clearly wished to extend his life and mae no effort to hide this from the Ceaser. Such a snub alone, would see most branded as mad, but for Thersten, it only grew his legend. The fourteen knights joined his work to benefit from its reward. Thersten would die a decade or so later, but many speculate this death was untrue and that he had completed his work, as his knights vanished with them.

Without their defenders, the people of Cardemy would be forced to submit to Gnoman rule and attempts were made to expunge the records of any mention of the Kingdom. These attempts failed of course, with rumours of Thersten’s survival circulating like wildfire for generations. Every stroke of bad luck that befell would be attributed to him, and his story would inspire many of the rebels centuries later who would seek to overthrow their oppressors.

'Ceaser! Ceaser! He has taken the legions once again!

Again!? All of them?!

All but the leavings, the cowards who broke early with only their hides to save.

How?!

With dragon, Ceaser...'

- Fairytale of Cardemy, Sir Richard Treaty

The Curse of Cardemy (~50 MH - 554 MH)

Whether it truly was Thersten working from the shadows, a curse from his last breath, or simply bad luck, Cardemy’s fall, far from being a triumphant high point for the Gnoman Empire, was the beginning of a downward spiral. The march north was costly as is and dangerous, even without the additional levy on supplies, the Gnomans struggled to maintain a hold on the troublesome northern provinces. A frivolous invasion into the Mandate saw the Empire spread yet thinner and with an ever increasing number of the famed Seniorem succumbing to old age with no replacements coming forth it is not hard to see why one may think the thorn in the side that Cardemy and Thersten had proven to be may not have been so temporary after all.

While the above is a rough approximation is what is ‘known’ to have happened, the stories of Cardemy vary from culture to culture. Below categorises the various prevailing beliefs as to aspects of Thersten’s story.

Who Was Thersten?

The biggest question that many have is who was Thersten? The legends do not agree on precisely what race he would be, or that of his fourteen knights and agreement is hard to come across. Both Hythnetic and Cathirian theologians hail Thersten and his knights as human, and both state him to be a follower of Hythness. The Cathirian view is that they were collectively worshippers of Gelden and Equina, while Hythnetics believe he took a more ecumenical approach.

Across the border, north of the Forest of Wren to the Irolig Cult, Thersten is believed to be a førstavoss demigod, and his fourteen knights being a mix of islendig, havbåren, and av skogen. This is endorsed by the Order of Emulats, a religious group inspired by the Kingdom.

Finally, as no list would be complete without it, the Fairytale of Cardemy tells of Thersten, a human Cathirian, leading fourteen ceiwryn, who are followers of the Voice. This tale is exclusive to a few northern nations, (Palingvyre, Enthvyre, Rusager, etc.), but is widely credited to be centuries old, to further muddy the water.

Being conclusive with such conflict is impossible, but the most plausible explanation for the time would be to assume that Thersten was most likely an elf, (although not necessarily førstavoss), and Hythnetic, as this was certainly the dominant religion.

'Thersten drew taller, lest his might be diminished. The room hushed at his entrance, the presence of a man worthy of fear...'

- The Fairytale of Cardemy, Sir Richard Treaty

Where was Cardemy?

The legends speak of a great castle and surrounding city, a towering marvel of architecture befitting of Thersten’s stature, yet none have been able to find it. What is strange here is that it is definitively that Cardemy did exist and yet despite inspiring many a treasure hunter, no explorer has ever found its ruins.

Some of this may be down to its supposed location, in amongst the pine thickets of the Forest of Wren. A particularly vast and dangerous place, one could certainly hide a modest city there, particularly if it were akin to those of the time. It is also possible that the traces of the castle could well have decayed over the centuries as, while modern depictions may show ornate stonework and masonry, a timber construction could yield just as grand results and would be more appropriate for the historical context.

The other key theory is that Cardemy is not lost. Proponents of this posit the Irolig Cult are fully aware of the location of the ruins of Cardemy, and that this is a jealously guarded secret. This is the favoured belief of the Emulates.

The Gnoman War

How did Thersten defeat the Gnomans? Thersten’s defeat of the Gnoman legions is one core pillars of his legacy, immutable in its existence... but how did he do it. A rallying of fourteen knights would hardly stand against a Gnoman legion once, let alone three times, and yet, three separate accounts endorse this. The Irolig Cult, the Emulates, and the Fairytale of Cardemy all suggest these fourteen knights, empowered by the strength and determination of their king, would remain indomitable and shatter the resolve of their enemies. In the ensuing route, the blaring of their horns would instil a fear deep in the psyche of the Gnomans which they would use in their subsequent encounters.

Others say different of course. Other Northern Cults disagree with the Iroligs, believing firmly that Thersten and his knights called upon the beings of nature to beat his foes. When the legions first marched north, he summoned the wolves, enfields, and other beasts to deter them. The legions came again, bringing arrows and tar to slow the creatures, so Thersten bade the trees themselves march to his aid. Finally, the Gnomans came with fire to burn the trees, and Thersten and his knights buried them beneath the a snowstorm, borne on the wings of a white dragon. Needless to say, the few white dragons that are known to exist have never ventured beyond the Bulleric Mountains.

The final and perhaps most plausible suggestion is that Thersten used massed cavalry to win his battles. Cardemy would certainly have been wealthy enough to field such a force, and the Gnomans were notoriously infantry focused, leaving them vulnerable to cavalry tactics. Suitable use of flanking with more mobile troops could give an edge, and would also be consistent with the knights that the Kingdom was famous for.

Religion

The most prominent legacy of Cardemy is the foundation of two distinct faiths. These are the Emulats of Cardemy and the Cult of Irolig.

The Emulats of Cardemy

Briefly mentioned above are the Emulats of Cardemy, see Emulatatis.

The Cult of Irolig

The Cult of Irolig is less well known than its sister faith, one of a numerous Northern Cults. It is surprisingly similar in certain aspects with Order of Emulats, as it too prescribes its followers to adhere to the set of tenants of Thersten was said to espouse in life. The main difference is that the Cult do believe Thersten to be dead, and that their actions are to honour his memory. To suggest that he could have lived, would be to deny a core belief of any Cult, the supremacy of mortality, and thus, the Order is considered to be a heretical belief of the highest degree. Like all cults, the Iroligs revere Thersten as a pseudo-deity in his own right, and put little emphasis on his knights.

Culture and Nobility

The most obvious example of the Kingdom in popular culture is the Fairytale of Cardemy, which is a favourite children tale in Palingvyre and across the Elven Fringe and the fantastical elements of the story undoubtedly help to further its popularity. Originally recounted through the oral tradition, many versions now exist in script.

Rather more subtle are prominent noble titles that can be traced to Cardemy. More indirectly is ‘king’, which is derived from ‘cirithling’, but was undoubtedly popularised by Thersten who was one of the most prominent, pre-Gnoman kings. This contrast can be seen in the south, where the primary titles for sovereign rulers are ‘Kaiser’, ‘Prince’, or ‘Duke’. Another northern title that derives from Thersten is that of ‘Earl’, which derives from ‘Iroling’, an attributed name for Thersten’s knights.

In military, chivalric orders themselves are often considered to be a based on Thersten’s Irolings, even if anachronistically, as Thersten’s knights are rarely described as being an order, as opposed to the term perhaps being synonymous with a noble title. The Sexen Army has fielded claims its predominant cavalry force are inspired from the historic theories of the Cardemic militaries.