CHRONICLES OF INISFAIL

INISFAIL
ISLE OF DESTINY

HISTORY

In the time of the Great Elf-Dwarf Wars, our ancestors left our tribal lands, the lands of the Melisiens, in the peninsula now known to man as Estalia. They gathered together a great fleet on the northern shore, and they loaded into it all that they were. Every man, woman, and child, every baern, every maid, every youth, every warrior, every matron, every grandfather, every grandmother, even to the oldest crone. Also into the ships they loaded therein their cattle, horses, the great hounds, and the beasts of burden. They took into the ships all of their household goods, all of their foodstocks, the great treasures of the people. They took with them their weapons and their armour.

They gathered to them all of the great Draoi, and they set forth.

They sailed north through the dark and driving seas, led by the Bard Amorgen, beset by nine mighty waves.

They sailed north past the land of Alba and through the hedge of mists, to this green land Inisfail, to this isle Man sings of in songs and tells of in legends, this land Eriu, Eire.

When our ancestors first came to this land, they found it inhabited by a race of shining Elves, a race of giant men called the Firbolg, and in the north of the land and in the hidden places there lived the foul Beastmen, the Fomori.

When our ancestors first arrived upon these shores, those three races were locked in a struggle for dominance of the land. Our ancestors joined with the Elves and later with the Firbolg to drive the foul Fomori from this land.

The struggle was long and hard, taking more than a full generation of or ancestors to complete.

They fought from their original landing place, from the white cliffs of the shore to the inland meadows to the mighty forests to the upland crags, and unto the frozen peaks of the north. They fought hard and they fought well, with many a grand hero rising to the occasion, and many were the fallen.

When the struggle was done, there was a great rejoicing throughout the land, but the struggle had taken its toll. Few were the Firbolg that remained, and fewer still the grand Elves, as neither race is a proliferate race. The Elves withdrew to the grand forests, and the Firbolg to the upland meadows and to the high crags to live in seclusion, and to hopefully live in peace.

Before the Elves withdrew to their hidden places, they gave into the keeping of the Ard Rhi the Lia Fail, the Stone of Destiny, which they brought to the Hill of Tara. They placed it upon the dais of the throne, and when the True King stands upon it, it screams a scream that is heard through all the Realm. The great Elven warrior Gorias brought forth the Great Gae Bolga, the spear Answerer, and Findias, the Elven Warrior Bard gave unto the King the great Elven sword Aelbrand. The Druid Mirias gave into the keeping of the Ard Rhi the Cauldron of Plenty, and they placed upon the Ard Rhi's head the Copper Crown of Anglar. These are the great treasures of the people of this land Inisfail.

LEADERSHIP IN INISFAIL

The Ard Rhi is the supreme ruler of the land, and he is responsible for the harmony between the people and the land, and also for the prosperity of the people. It is his duty to make sure that all of the people prosper as well as exist in good repute. They are expected to be generous, and if they are stingy, they suffer the Olaav's satire, or Glam Diccin. This could well cause his fall from power. He also has to be without blemish in intelligence, character, and physical being.

CULTURE

To the people of Inisfail, there are three legs upon the Cauldron of the World: the Wise, or Fili (Draoi, Fianns); Ruadh (Nobility); and the Aire (The Common People). The great crafts are smithing, silversmith, carpentry, clothmaking, dying, mason, farming, husbandry, and shoemaking. The great arts are magic, storytelling, music, rhetoric, oratory, strategy, diplomacy, and statecraft. Society is actually divided into seven levels: the common laborer, who is allowed one color in his cloak; the Aire who have some skill are allowed two colors; the Aire who are highly skilled or own property are allowed three colors; the Brughaides who run the hosteleries are allowed four colors; the average Fili (Olaavs, Draoi, Healers, Fiann, etc.) are allowed five colors; the Ard Fili who are the chief of their orders or societies are allowed six colors; the Rhi and Rhian are allowed seven colors.

The people break the year into four seasons, and have four main festivals. These are Samhain, Imbolc, Beltaine, and Lughnasadh. Every year there is the Feis Tara, to which all of the Rhis, Rhiannas, and the great leaders come to the Ard Rhi's palace for. This is both feast and Grand Council, and each turning of the season, in every Tuatha there is a great Feis held. At other times of the year, there are lesser Feis. Each great festival also hosts a Mor Dal (Grand Fare). At the lesser Feis, there is the Dal (Fare). At each of these there are meetings of the Fili to discuss the laws and to recite the laws to the people. At this time the most important trials are held, and the testing for the new recruits to the Fiann and the Draoi orders are held. At each testing only the very best and most dedicated are chosen. The tests are open to all of the people, and those who decide to be tested know that the tests can be both trying and dangerous. Many of those tested have not survived these tests whole, be it magical or tests of arms. The people know that upon the Fiann and Draoi orders rest the safety and the well being of the Realm, and they must be the best to survive in a world beset by the forces of chaos and evil.