5101-Ivinia, The Viking Lands/history

The Earthmasters
The first inhabitants of Ivinia, and of Kethira, were the enigmatic Earthmasters who appeared around 20,000 BT and vanished about 5,000 years later. Their origin, purpose, and even their appearance are unknown. The Earthmasters seem to have established only four sites in western Ivinia. After their departure, the region was uninhabited for several millennia.

The Sindarin
Ivinian legends identify two kinds of “elves.” The “light elves” are said to dwell in the enchanted realm of Alfheim and to have visited Ivinia at various times in the past. It is likely that this legend is based on the Hârnic Sindarin but there is no clear evidence that the Sindarin ever inhabited the northlands on a permanent basis.

The Khuzdul
The Khuzdul, called “dark elves” by Ivinians, appeared on the island of Hârn around 7000 BT. This is also the rough date of their arrival in Ivinia, since Kondasgel was founded circa 6700 BT. Harhakeim, a colony of Kondasgel, was built much later, in 3728 BT. Although the Khuzdul had all of Ivae to themselves, they did not expand their numbers much above 10,000 and appear to have restricted their settlement to Kuzjera.

The Yarili: The First Humans
Between 1400 and 1100 BT, a migration of barbarians from the east displaced the inhabitants of western Lythia. One of these peoples, the Yarili, reached Ivinia around 1200 BT. The Yarili settled throughout the islands on lands left vacant by the Khuzdul. The Yarili benefitted from trade with the Khuzdul and learned new skills from them, including metalwork and the Runic alphabet.



The Ivinians
Between 900 and 500 BT, waves of new immigrants known as Ivinians arrived from the Lythian mainland after being displaced by tribes from the interior. This was not an organized invasion, but a trickle of bands and tribes. By 400 BT, the aggressive Ivinians had taken most of the usable land from the Yarili, forcing them into the highlands and interior. The Khuzdul at first welcomed the Ivinians and were flattered by their willingness to absorb Khuzan culture. The Khuzdul soon grew alarmed by the increasing numbers of Ivinians and banned them from Khuzan territory around 200 BT, although many Khuzdul continued to trade in human settlements for the next six centuries.

The Ivinians have never displayed a strong drive to unify. After the Ivinian conquest of the region, few Lythians found the northern lands attractive and neither the Khuzdul nor the Yarili were a threat. Consequently, Ivinian kingdoms tended to be small and fiercely independent. Ivinian clan structure was well established by the 1st century BT and in most districts the clan was the highest level of government. Whenever a clan grew powerful, its neighbors would band together in opposition. Such policies may have been encouraged by the Khuzdul who, until 400 TR, could still be found in the marketplaces and council rooms of human lords.



By the middle of the 2nd century, there were human farms and villages throughout the northern lands but few traces of modern kingdoms. Travel by land was difficult and the prospect of a long-range attack remote, so the need to fortify had not arisen. The 3rd century was tranquil, some would say stagnant. Populations grew slowly and the Ivinian farmer could still produce more than enough food.

Competition for fertile land—a limited, precious resource in Ivinia—increased as the population grew. Many of the landless resorted to brigandage. The vendetta system protected only members of powerful clans. Fear of outlaws caused weaker clans to seek some measure of security. Some became thralls but most received protection in exchange for tribute. Gradually, the stronger clans grew more powerful.

The 4th and 5th centuries saw a continuation of the trend toward greatclans. A major impetus was the development of better ships, partly to facilitate trade but mostly to catch fish for growing populations. As maritime communication improved, long-range warfare became possible and those who could afford it began to build stone strongholds. Those who did not often ended up losing their lands to their neighbors who did.

The Age of Viking
By the end of the 5th century, raiding neighbors had been made hazardous by fortresses and the likelihood of swift and bloody retribution by powerful clans. The Ivinians built better ships and struck further afield. They first attacked the coasts of Lythia, then traveled up the rivers to the interior. The Lythians had fortresses to protect themselves from each other, but fear of Ivinian raiders inspired their strengthening and the construction of new ones.

Ivinian lords who raided abroad grew wealthy and were able to overwhelm their weaker neighbors. Riches from Lythia and beyond gave Ivinian nobility a taste for luxury, and foreign silver caused a general improvement in living standards. There was strife with the new prosperity, however, as the poor experienced increasing hardship as the population continued to grow. Ivinia was brimming with exiles and the dispossessed.

Ivinians had settled in Harbaal and the eastern islands as early as the 2nd century but the scale of colonization was small. It was not until the end of the 4th century that the indigenous tribes had been driven out. Throughout the 6th and 7th centuries, emigration was at least as common as raiding. Many colonies were established, including Alagon, Korlua, Menema, Orbaal, and Palithane. Most of these colonies are now independent kingdoms. Settled in part by landless clans that owed tribute to none, they now ignore demands for tribute from various Ivinian kings.

Modern Kingdoms
By 550, most of the arable land in Ivinia was under the plow. The rich clans were more powerful than ever and many of the landless poor had emigrated. Fewer than a score of kings had kept their independence by absorbing their neighbors, although there were still several hundred small, independent freeclans, mostly in the north. A trend soon developed toward larger kingdoms and contemporary Ivinia now has five such states: Ibanvaal, Menglana, Jarenmark, Govyna, and the Great Kingdom of Seldenbaal, a loose confederation of five kingdoms.

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