==
Crannog Men of the Tremmlings
Crannog Men of the Tremmelings== The Crannog Men are a loose bound tribal culture which live in the tropical marsh-bound islands, the Tremmlings, off the Southern Jaddess Coast. They are famous for their wooden holdfasts which stand perched in the middle of inlets, fens, lakes, and bayous, connected to the land only by bridge (sometimes pontoon, pile, or draw). They are a hunting and gather culture. They are famous for spear fishing and pearl-diving. They are also known for the hide corracles in which they fish. They practice an animist religion led by tribal shamen and soothsayers. Each tribe speaks its own dialact of Crannog. Most tribes live in conflict and competion for the rich, but limited resources available in the coastal marshlands of the Trimmlings. Their crannogs densly pack the coastal lands and headwaters. This often lead them into tribal conflict. Their numbers have greatly deminished in recent generations due to this conflict, migration to the mainland, and coastal raids by various maritine powers.
The Shackleborne Scourge[]
The greatest menace of the Crannog Men is that of the Shackleborne. These are hardened bands of seaborne raiders hail from the Shakelbreak Isles nearby. They row fast, light longboats with ironbound battering rams and shallow drafts. Thus, they are fersome in sea warfare, quick in hit and run raids, and mobile in upstream marauding. They sojourned far and wide across the Jadess, looking for easy coastal prey. They are notorious for plundering temples, desecrating sacred places, and violating innocent civilians. They are interested only in what they can carry away, whether it is gold, the year's harvest, livestock, or local flesh. They are most imfamous for their love of captives. Especially among the Crannog Men. The Shackleborn are the main slavers of the Jadess Coast, supplying the needs of every navy on the coast for cheap galley slaves to set to oar. The Crannog Men are especially in demand for because of their short stature and broad shoulders, and strong legs, perfect for rowing in tight quaters.
The Crannogs of the coastlands were the first, hardest, and most frequently hit. This lead to the despoilation of most fishing settlements within a generation and lead to a generalized retreat back into the marshlands and fens of the Tremmlings. The Crannog Men have turned into a much more secluded society as they try to survive repeated demands for their wealth and lives.
The Tremmeling Accord[]
The Crannog Men only united once under the sigil of the Tremmling Accord. This was an defense pact that was hammered out between the three peoples of the Tremmlings in the face of the Shackleborn Scourge. It's parties were: Crannog Men tribes, Bog Men bands, and Tremmeling Villages. Together, these three cultures fought off a major Shackleborn incursion: an attempt to conquer, colonize, and settle the Tremmelings. This struggle lasted a generation, until the last Shackleborn warlord was expelled from the Tremmlings. This victory is simpily referred to a the Tremmeling Accord and has passed into legend. Unfortunately, after the Shackleborn evacuated, the Accord dissolved, never to reform. No permanent unifying structure could be agreed upon.
The Lumerian Entrenchment[]
As the Shackleborn consolidated into a nation, eventually ruled by a titular, tribally elected prince, they began to remember their traditional claim to the Tremmelings. The Shackleborn prince, Halthinja Firemane, sought the aid of Lume in recapturing his birthright. The Ocean Throne gave its blessing and the Lumerian Merchant Guild enthusiastically backed a massive operation to retake the Tremmelings. The Guild had a vested interest in re-igniting the slave trade, which it sought to monopolize. The Shackleborn were quick to seize and colonize most of the coastlands. However, the three peoples of the Tremmelings retreated further in to the mirky, impassable interiors of the islands, settling into fight a protracted ghost war. The Shackleborn, being mainly a coastal people turned to the Guild for assistance in subjugating and taming the interior. This lead to a massive buildup of Lumerian assets, capital, and interests within the Tremmelings, including the disembarkation of the company of the Blue Hand Band, which became notorious for its war crimes within the interior. The Tremmeling principality established by Firemane is the officially recognized state of the Tremmlings. However, the Shackleborn keep to their coastal exclaves. The Guild mainly runs the war with the Three Peoples and controls commerical and political interests in the Tremmlings.
The burdensome and extensive presence of the Lumerian Merchants Guild in this conflict has become known as the Lumerian Entrenchment.
Crannog Men Tribes[]
- Iascairí - Sigil: White, Freshwater Troute leaping on Moss Green Field
- Bádóirí - Sigil: Gold Corracle on a Brown Field
- Mhacollphéist - Sigil: Gray Sea Serpent emerging from black waves, with a white sky