The Isle of Dawn and the Isle of Night
by Giampaolo Agosta from Threshold Magazine issue 27An historical overview of the Isle of Dawn and its dark twin
Timeline
The history presented in this section follows the sequence of Thyatian Emperors defined by Simone Neri (Zendrolion), in his list1, which takes into account sources such as the Penhaligon trilogy which were ignored in previous listings.
Prehistory
Before the Great Rain of Fire, the Giant Kingdom of Gandhar2 occupied the entirety of the northern Isle of Dawn, at the time still connected with Brun.
The Giants had limited dealings with the Fey, which predated even their arrival, much like humans and demi-humans have in modern times.
As for humans, the Asyidhi originally lived in the southern portion of the Isle of Dawn, although many fell under the sway of the Giants after the Great Rain of Fire.
The Fomorian Age
2500 BC Gandhar declines, due to a malady brought forth by the Great Rain of Fire, not unlike the one that affects the Dwarves. Cyclopes, Athachs, Fachans and Verbeegs are one outcome, collectively known as Fomori. The Fir Bolgs are the other. Relations between the two groups are tense. The few true giants remaining take sides, leave the area, or retreat from society.
2450 BC Béimnech, a Fomor warrior, travels south to the faraway land of Katapec with a party of heroes. There, he consults with the Cyclopes of Davania, looking for a power that can revert the malady. However, he quarrels with the Katapect high priests. The meeting degenerates into a melee. In the end, Béimnech seizes the Glaring Eye of Humbaba, the most important relic of Katapec, uses it to kill the Katapec high priests, and flees with the surviving Fomori heroes. After years of travels across Davania's wildernesses, the seas, and the Isle of Dawn, only Béimnech returns home.
2470 BC Erc Fechtnach of the Fir Bolg leaves on a mission not unlike Béimnech's. However, he visits the Sidhe Queen, and obtains her blessing in return for a promise of future help. The Fir Bolg gain the Second Sight, and the status of friends of the fey folk.
2400 BC The Fomori leader, King Indech Fota, is persuaded by his advisor, Mug Caith, that the Sidhe have a land beyond the rainbow (Tír al stuaigh nime) that is free from the wasting malady that is affecting the Giants. Indech sends ambassadors to the Sidhe Queen, Ildatach Samrigain (Ildatach the Summer Queen), to request that the Sidhe share their land and healing powers. The Summer Court balks at such an influx of gigantic, misshapen mortals, so Ildatach is forced to refuse. Ildech Fota summons his warriors, and declares a war of conquest. Fomor champion Béimnech, wielder of the Eye of Humbaba, lays waste to the Sidhe armies.
The Summer Queen calls upon the previous bargain she had made with the Fir Bolg leader Erc Fechtnach. Erc's son, Nimeth mac Eirc, leads a Fir Bolg army against the Fomori. In a duel with Béimnech, he manages to dislodge Humbaba's Glaring Eye from the Fomor champion's eye socket with a slingshot, kills him, and uses the Eye to lay waste to the Fomorian army [Cath Fingail/Battle of Fingal].
King Ildech flees west across the land bridge to Brun, bringing with him thousands of surviving Fomori and Asyidhi slaves.
In Brun, the Fomori settle in the Altan Tepes mountains3.
2300 BC Antalians (Dunael) arrive in the Isle of Dawn, and settle among the Fir Bolg, mostly in the coastal areas.
2200 BC The Taymoran civilization expands northwards, entering in contact with the Fomori. Initial contacts are hostile, and the Taymoran armies, supplemented with Sheyallia mercenaries, route the Giants. In awe of the Taymorans' magical prowess, King Ildech agrees to pay tribute to the northern Taymoran sorcerer kings. Giants are sent to build megalithic fortresses for the Taymorans. The cult of Tanyt spreads among the Fomori, while that of Sethlans (Wayland) wanes.
2100 BC In spite of the flight from Gandhar, the Giants' malady does not improve. Indech Fota, counseled by the High Priest of Tanyt4 Máel Aidche, leads a new Fomor army to the Isle of Dawn, enlisting the help of Taymoran wizards and the Tanyt priesthood. Rather than fighting another bloody war, Ildatach Samrigain removes the Sidhe Protectorate from the mortal world. The Fir Bolg, led by Obd mac Deled ua Neimidh, grandson of Nemith, fight back the Fomori. Obd kills Indech Fota in battle, and the Fomori retreat to Brun. [Cét-cath Atha Mhara/First Battle of Ath Mhara]
2100 BC Aranea found Aran.
1750 BC Taymor is destroyed in a cataclysmic volcanic event that sinks the Taymoran heartlands.
Led by their own sorcerer king, Crom Liath, the Fomori return to the Isle of Dawn, attack and defeat the unprepared Fir Bolg, killing their king, Umor mac Obd. Umor's son, Genann mac Umoir, retreats south, fortifying Dun Geanainn (Dungannon). The Dunael are subjugated by Crom Liath. [Cath Tánaiste Atha Mhara/Second Battle of Ath Mhara]
The Kingdom of Dawn and the Isle of Night
1700 BC Glantrian cataclysm.
Antalian Northmen migrate to the Isle of Dawn. The Northmen, led by Harald Tormundsson, raise an army of Dunael, but are defeated by the Fomori's superior strength and magic after a few years. Harald Tormundsson dies, and the Northmen disperse and settle along the coast, paying tribute to the Fomori king Crom Buidhe mac Crom Liath.
During the war, Crom Buidhe brings Trolls from the Northern Reaches to supplement his army, then releases them into the mires between modern Dunadale and Westrourke.
1600 BC Most Antalian Northmen leave the Isle of Dawn, and settle in Ostland. Jarl Hruthrek settles in Helskajord (called Dun na nGall by the Dunael) and the nearby area.
Fiacha mac Geanainn of the Fir Bolg obtains the help of the Fir Gallein (Gyerians) of the Fengallen Marsh. The Fir Gallein, traditionally seen as non-threatening by the Fomori, who often employ them as jesters, act as go-betweens allowing Fiacha to contact Jarl Hruthrek of Helskajord and the Dunael chiefs. A coalition is formed, which expands to also include the Centaurs. The allied army defeats the Fomorians in a massive battle along the coast of the Eastern Sea of Dawn. The Fomori, decisively defeated, are forced to flee underground to the Shadowdeep, since the land bridge to Brun is no more [Cath na Sé Slóig/Battle of the Six Armies].
On the site of the battle, Fiacha mac Geanainn founds Dun na Dáil, the Fort of the Assembly, as the capital of a new allied polity comprising Fir Bolg, Humans, and Gyerians. Fiacha mac Geanainn becomes the High King of the Rígdacht na Comhaire (Kingdom of Dawn).
The Summer Court returns to the mortal world from their centuries-long exile.
1500 BC With the death of the last king, Crom Buidhe, Fomori leaders Máel Ega and Máel Oighidh once more begs Tír Tairngire from Nyx. Nyx accepts their plea, but exacts powerful promises from the Fomori chiefs -- they will serve her until their own fortress will be completed in Tír Tairngire.
Nyx takes the mortal form of a beautiful young girl, and travels to the Summer Court, endearing herself to Queen Ildatach. Nyx's avatar tricks Ildatach Samrigain into leaving her rule Tír al stuaigh nime for one day. Nyx then imprisons the Summer Queen in a Entropic plane of temporal stasis of her own design, and rips Tír al stuaigh nime from the spirit plane.
Máel Ega, Máel Oighidh, and their followers enter Tír Tairngire, only to discover that Nyx has filled it with entropic energies, which turn them into Nightwalkers, the Stygian Giants. Tír Tairngire becomes Inis Aidche, the Isle of Night. The entropic nature of the place prevents the Stygian Giants from ever completing their construction, yet they bring thousands of Asyidhi and Dunael slaves with them, turning them into zombies to work at the construction sites.
1400 BC Following the disappearance of the Summer Queen and Tír al stuaigh nime, a powerful Warrior Sidhe, Dunn, establishes the Winter Court and the Four Hidden Fey Cities in the Isle of Dawn, taking the mantle of the Gaimrig (Winter King).
1200 BC Asgall mac Ìomhar Ua Ruairc, a descendant of Jarl Hruthrek of Helskajord, founds the polity of Dál Ruairc, which remains part of the Rígdacht na Comhaire, but increasingly challenges the rights of the High Kings. With the decline of the Fir Bolg, the Ua Ruairc achieve the rank of High King within one century.
1100 BC Nithians under Prince Ramenhotep establish the colony of Thothia on the Isle of Dawn. This is the eastern extent of Nithian colonisation. The Nithians absorb or enslave the local Asydhi, transporting large numbers of them to Nithia proper.
1000 BC Alphatian Landfall.
994 BC Reign of Tokoramses V of Thothia and High King Dubhgall Ua Ruairc.
800 BC The Trueflower Elves reach the Isle of Dawn and settle there, not following Eyrindul to Alphatia.
780 BC After years of adventuring, the bard Dallbard mac Crubach retrieves the artifact that will later be known as the Harp of Turlock and reaches Immortality as Tiresias. Before leaving the Isle of Dawn, Dallbard prophesied the enslavement of the Dunael.
700 BC The Nithian colonists in Thothia turn away from the Entropic faith of their homeland and increasingly turn to a new form of mysticism.
Contacts with Nithia and Alphatia cause internal unrest in Comhaire, leading to the fragmentation of the kingdom. Derdriu nic Daill, an Alphatian-trained Dunael sorceress, founds the splinter kingdom of Deirdren, which breaks away from Comhaire as the conflict between the Gall-Dunael and the Fir Bolg intensifies, with numerous cattle-stealing raids ending in bloody feuds among the lesser kings. The Ua Ruairc kings are replaced by the Dunael Finnegar mac Domnaill, who is able to control the feuding clans. After twenty years of reign, Finnegar, fearing the encroaching of the two superpowers, Nithia and Alphatia, consults the Immortals. He builds Finnegar's Watch, then disappears never to be heard of again (he failed his quest for Immortality). The Ui Domnaill dynasty continues with his heir, Conall mac Fhionnagair.
698 BC Civil war breaks out in the Nithian Empire following the secession of the Nithian dominions located on the eastern shores of the Isle of Dawn, headed by the pharaoh of Thothia.
620 BC Conchobar Ua Domnaill, the seventh and last High King of the dynasty, is killed by Nithian mercenaries in the employ of Derdriu nic Daill. An eccentric and increasingly erratic king, Conchobar attempted to kidnap the sorceress and marry her, leading a raid on Deirdren which resulted in a spectacular failure. The Ui Ruairc, at the instigation of their chief bard, Toirdhealbhach, take advantage of the death of the king to name their leader, Fingal mac Oengusa, as High King, in opposition to Conchobar's younger brother Crinan Ua Domnaill. Unknown to them, Toirdhealbhach also instigates the Fir Gallein, traditional allies and neighbours of the Dál Ruairc, by inviting a number of Fir Gallein leaders to a banquet of roasted chicken -- a taboo food for the bird-men. Disgusted by the resulting war, the Fir Bolg secede, forming their own independent government (Tír na Bolgraidi). When the dust settles, after a decade of war, Dál Ruairc, Dál Domnaill, Cumachtach na Deirdrein (Potentate of Deirdren), Dál na Dunaeil (the city of Dunadale and its surrounding countryside, controlled by the towns' merchants and craft guilds), Fen na Gallein, Carrac Derg (an independent Dunael land controlled by the Cénel Luigdech, the descendants of successful warlord Lugaid Aignech), and Tír na Bolgraidi (the Fir Bolg state). Toirdhealbhach and his legendary harp disappear. Toirdhealbhach, also known as Turlock in later Alphatian and Thyatian historical accounts, embarks on the quest for Immortality in the Sphere of Entropy. Part of his path is the destruction of the Harp that bears his name, but, since Toirdhealbhach did not manage to become Immortal, it is thought that the Harp still exists somewhere.
550 BC The title of High King of Comhaire is still contested between the Ua Ruairc and the Ua Domnaill. The Dál na Dunaeil city council recognizes the Ua Domnaill claimant in return for guarantees of self-government and tax exemption. This is essentially ignored by the other states, but allows the Ua Domnaill kings to be crowned in Dunadale's Temple of Bel (Asterius). The Ua Ruairc abandon the claim to the High King title, but refuse to acknowledge the Ua Domnaill High King nonetheless, proclaiming Comhaire dissolved.
514 BC Formation of Dál Arden in modern Caerdania.
The Alphatian Conquest
500 BC Destruction of Nithia, which is erased from Thothia's and Alphatia's history and general awareness.
Thothia becomes a vassal kingdom of Alphatia.
The Alphatians initiate the conquest of the Isle of Dawn. Derdriu joins the Alphatians willingly, but the population rebels, and the sorceress is killed in the fight that ensues. Alphatian troops soon march on the town and raze it.
War between Berisarde and Huldra in Frisland.
430 BC Thyatian mariners establish bases along the western coast of the Isle of Dawn.
426 BC Tokoramses XIV Builds the Temple of Dawn
400 BC The Alphatians complete the exploration and subjugation of the Northern Isle of Dawn.
The last High King of Comhaire is vaporized by Alphatian magicians in the Battle of Dunadale. A large portion of the Dunael and Gall-Dunael population is enslaved by the Alphatians and deported to Alphatia and Bellissaria to provide slave labor for the wizards.
370 BC Alphatia defeats and subjugates Dál Arden.
192 BC Alphatia initiates a campaign to conquer Thyatis
190 BC Alphatia completes its conquest of Thyatis
2 BC Thyatians rebel, expel the Alphatians and invade the Isle of Dawn, with the support of the Dál Arden kings. Dál Arden (now Caerdania), Dál Ruairc (now Westrourke), Helskajord, and most of the Fir Bolg and Fir Gallein territories fall under the sway of Thyatis.
The Thyatian Conquest
1 AC Treaty of Edairo between Thyatis and Alphatia.
Act of Protection. Most Fey leave Frisland for the Isle of Dawn. Aglion establishes Ardulla, the Fifth Hidden City, as a vassal of the Winter King. Many Huldrafolk fey, however, have developed a deep resentment against mortals, and so have many of the native fey of the Isle of Dawn. In the next century, the number of exiled fey grows.
15 AC Alphatia instigates Qeodharan raiders to destroy Cape Alpha, a recently-built Thyatian outpost in Norwold. Thyatis retaliates by attacking Alphatian holdings on the Isle of Dawn, leading to the First Bog Wars, which end with the death of Zendrolion Tatriokanitas in AC 20.
18 AC Construction of Redstone finalized. The Filwarf are cursed by Kagyar.
68-85 AC Under emperor Lucius I Scaurus, Kendach was founded and the frontier advanced into Bogland (Dunadale). West Portage rises to commercial prominence.
130 AC Leontius III Isauricus pursues a further expansion in the Boglands, with limited success. The Empire absorbs Caerdania as a direct dominion.
150 AC With the consolidation of the Alphatian and Thyatian hold on the Isle of Dawn, the Leprechaun hero Iubadan decides to open relations with the Empire of Thyatis. Faylinn becomes the Sixth Hidden City.
180 AC Leontius IV Isauricus, having just abdicated as Emperor, defends the Thyatian holdings from Alphatian attacks.
192 AC Ramenhotep X discovers Aketheti, Thothia falls under the sway of Arachne Prime.
280 AC Major Alphatian offensive in the Northern Isle of Dawn is repelled by general Titus Andronikos, who brings unlikely auxiliaries in the form of a number of Kobold tribes, galvanized by the promise of impressive-sounding ranks and prizes.
300 AC Dlochtán, an adventurous Sidhe Rogue from the Winter Court discovers Aran while travelling with a group of Trueflower elves.
313 AC End of the Pax Valentica in Thyatis. First Caerdan War of Independence.
316 AC Alphatian armies advance into Westrourke. Imperial Regent Nicephore Antonian is killed in battle.
327 AC Emperor Alexandros Kerdolion manages to push back the Alphatian armies from Westrourke, but not Caerdania.
339 AC Second Caerdan War of Independence, Caerdania fully reabsorbed into the Empire.
400 AC Dlochtán's tale of Aran raises the curiosity of displaced fey. A group, led by the sprite Geilt Airdrech, settles among the Aranea. These desperate faeries, having seen the destruction of the Huldrafolk and the Bog Wars, turn to the Immortal Arachne Prime to return to "Tír na stuaighi nime". Arachne Prime gives them a way to return, and the gift of spiders. However, the entropic energies and accelerated time of the Isle of Night transform the faeries into Night Imps (the Isle of Night's version of Wood Imps). Dlochtán, enraged by the fate of Geilt and her followers, becomes an exile.
450 AC The exiled fey, bitter and turned to evil, but too proud to deal with the Immortals, form the Unseelie Court (Tech Deórad) in the Shadow Coast, led by the Rígan Daill (Queen of Darkness). Dlochtán serves as her chief hunter and minister of war, under the name of Fer Benn, the Horned Man. The Wild Hunt troubles the Shadow Coast for more than a century.
Northmen raiders attack settlements on the north-western coast of the Isle of Dawn. Some pirate coves and shadow ports are founded at this time by the raiders.
490 AC Thyatian agents in Dunadale cultivate rebellious elements among the local population, fostering hostility against Alphatian class boundaries and between humans and non-humans (particularly Fir Bolg).
500 AC Formation of Meridiona and Septentriona by Emperor Cornelius Doranius. Thyatian armies push deep into the Bogland and conquer Dunadale, leveraging a concurrent insurrection of Dunael independentists. During the next twenty years, however, the Thyatian military governors fail to address the rebels' wish for independence, losing their support.
520 AC Empress Tylari I of Alphatia retakes the Boglands and negotiates with the Dunael independentists for the formation of the semi-autonomous Confederation of Dunadale.
541 AC Emperor Justin Doranius once more brings the Thyatian armies to besiege East Portage, but is killed in battle against the Alphatian and Thothian armies. Emperor Alexis II negotiates peace with limited territorial concessions to Alphatia.
544 AC Baron Magnus Furmenglaive, a powerful necromancer, turns the table on the Wild Hunt. Using werewolves as hunters and undead and outer planar servants as baiters, he closes down on the Fer Benn and kills him. This gives him the power he needs to set in motion plans that will change the fate of the Caerdania region and the Furmenglaive family forever.
551 AC Magnus Furmenglaive dies. His descendants are cursed with lycanthropy.
600 AC The population of Borydos is resettled in the Isle of Dawn by Emperor Lucius IV Monomachos.
660 AC Gabrionus II Tatzianes fortifies the Thyatian holdings of the Isle of Dawn.
773 AC Alphatians invade Thyatian territory on the Isle of Dawn. They overrun much of its northern head over the next few years, and are stopped only by the ring of fortifications outside Newkirk. In 780 they besiege Kendach, and despite the forces Emperor Marcus II personally leads to its relief, it soon falls. The Emperor manages to stabilize the situation, maintaining Thyatian control over the region around Newkirk, the Redstone peninsula, and West Portage. During this period the region of the Shadow Coast largely falls into wilderness, with only a few scattered settlements still maintaining ties to Thyatis.
795 AC General Giovanni Porpora is dispatched to the Isle of Dawn with minimal forces. He supplements them with Dunael, Northmen and goblinoid mercenaries, and in four years defeats the Alphatians, forcing them back to the old borders. He goes on to become Emperor.
800 AC Emperor Giovanni Porpora restores imperial authority on the Shadow Coast.
The Modern Era
900 AC The Thyatians conquer several areas of the Isle of Dawn, and build and settle the city of Oceansend in Norwold.
904-907 AC Alphatia retaliates, leading to the Second Bog Wars. Emperor Gabrionus IV Prothemian calls the Northmen of Ostland, Vestland and Soderfjord to help, promising them land grants along the coast. Numerous Northmen communities are founded, including Nordvik, Tromsheim, Viksdalen, and Ytre Ystrebo.
959 AC Alphatian attack on the Thyatian possessions in the Isle of Dawn.
960 AC Spike Assault, death of Gabrionus V, ascension of Thincol and reconquest of the Isle of Dawn territories by Thyatis.
1000 AC The present day.
Nations and Peoples
Ethno-linguistic groups
This section presents an overview of the main ethno-linguistic groups present in the Isle of Dawn. To provide a useful resource for players, naming patterns are also provided. The assumption made here is that the Fir Bolg, Dunael humans, Gyerans and Centaurs of the northern half of the Isle share the same language, albeit with different accents and dialects, due to their participation in the Kingdom of Dawn, and their long fight against the Fomorians before that. However, slightly different name selections are provided to try and better differentiate the various groups.
Alphatians
The Alphatians arrived in the Isle of Dawn soon after Landfall, having been invited to Mystara by the Nithians. They rapidly conquered the Isle and, following the fall of Nithia, absorbed Thothia as a vassal kingdom of their empire. There are many Alphatian-descended people in the Isle of Dawn, primarily in the towns and countrysides of the eastern coast.
Alphatian names: Alphatians generally follow the Imperial naming pattern -- a single name, sometimes followed by the nation or city of origin. Many Alphatians of Dunael ancestry follow this style, but using names of Dunael rather than Alphatian origin.
Centaurs
Letheich in Dunaelic, the Centaurs arrived in the Isle of Dawn when it was still connected to the continent of Brun. Many tribes still roam the windswept plains of the northern part of the isle.
Centaur names: Due to their long and close interactions with both the Dunael and the Fir Bolg, Centaurs of the Isle of Dawn tend to use Dunael names.
Dunael
One of the first Antalian groups to cross the land bridge connecting the Isle of Dawn with the continent of Brun, the Dunael spread across the northern and western parts, settling all the Isle except Thothia and its neighborhood. Their Antalian language, influenced by the post-Gandhar Giantish and the Sidhe, became the "common" tongue of the Isle of Dawn until the arrival of the Alphatians and Thyatians.
Dunael males names: Ailill, Art, Bressal, Cairbre, Conchobar, Conall, Congal, Conn, Cormac, Crimthann, Crunn, Dara, Dallán, Domnall, Dubtach, Eachaid, Enna, Eógan, Feidlimid, Fiacc, Fíacha, Findcad, Flannan, Fergus, Lugair, Muiredach, Niall, Óengus.
Dunael female names: Aífe, Bláthíne, Emer, Eithne, Fedelm, Findabair, Uathach.
The common naming pattern is a personal name, followed by "son of" (mac) or "daughter of" (ingen) followed by the father's name (in genitive form). Sometimes, a clan specification (usually the name of the clan ancestor) is also used. The same pattern is common to most if not all Dunael speakers, including the Gyerans, Fir Bolg, and Centaurs.
Fir Bolg
Descendents of the Giants of Gandhar who, in the mutations that followed the Great Rain of Fire, lost their gigantic size, but did not develop other major changes, the Fir Bolg found themselves on the side of the Sidhe in the initial quarrel between the fey folk and the Fomorians. Due to their smaller numbers, they were forced to cooperate with other races.
Fir Bolg male names: Amgann, Dela, Erc, Fiacha, Finnán, Gennan, Gnathach, Gribda, Nimeth, Odb, Starn, Umor.
Fir Bolg female names: Achall.
Fomorians
Descendents of the Giants of Gandhar who retained the gigantic size, but developed weirder mutations, such as extra arms (Athach), a single eye (Cyclopes), and even a single leg (Fachan) or other deformities (Verbeeg), the Fomorians were a race of (mostly) misshapen giants who dominated the Isle of Dawn until they were defeated by a coalition of humans, Fir Bolg, Gyerans, and Centaurs. They went on to inhabit the Isle of Night in the form of Nightwalkers, also known as the Stygian Giants.
Fomorian male names: Béimnech, Buarainech, Cíocal, Conaing, Crom Buidhe, Crom Liath, Elatha, Indech, Lénaid, Máel Aidche, Máel Ega, Máel Oighidh, Máel Caith, Mug Aidche, Tethra.
Fomorian female names: Ceithlenn, Gainne.
Goblins
Like other goblinoids, the goblins were imported to the Isle of Dawn as mercenaries, particularly by Thyatian general Giovanni Porpora, who made extensive use of goblin archers and wolfriders as auxiliaries in support to his limited Thyatian troops. Modern goblins in the Isle of Dawn mostly speak Dunael, and larger clans claim descent from heroes and veterans of Giovanni Porpora's army.
Goblin names: in the Isle of Dawn, Goblins use Dunael or Gall-Dunael names.
Gyerans
The Gyerans, or Fir Gallein, are an autochthonous folk of the western Isle of Dawn, particularly common in the Fengallen. They were originally enslaved by the Fomorians, but rebelled and gained free status within the Kingdom of Dawn.
Gyeran male names: Adaig, Besan, Brattbuide, Brattfinn, Cadan, Cailech, Cerb, Crebar, Cuircech, Dubchosach, Éirín, Én, Énan, Énamail, Engach, Gablan, Geirgne, Gerr, Gerrcach, Gocan, Illait, Lumair, Medar, Minntan, Muirén, Murrech, Préchán, Rocnat, Snac, Troisc, Uisín.
Gyeran female names: Caince, Cerc, Corr, Échtach, Énlaith, Gercc, Íall, Lachu, Ladar, Meróc, Naescu, Ríabóc, Scréchóc, Séig.
Structurally, Gyeran names follow the same patterns as those of Dunael humans.
Kobolds
Kobolds were introduced to the Isle of Dawn by Thyatian general Titus Andronikos, who hired them as mercenary auxiliaries. They eagerly embraced the Thyatian language and culture.
Kobold names: in the Isle of Dawn, kobolds use Thyatian names and surnames, although many also have a shorter (one syllable) nickname that is used only within their clan.5
Northmen and Gall-Dunael
Northmen from the Northern Reaches and Heldann settled in the northern and western coast of the Isle of Dawn in multiple waves. The earliest settlers intermarried extensively with the Dunael, forming a distinct, initially bilingual, culture, the Gall-Dunael, which became dominant in Westrourke. Most of the current Northmen settlements are much more recent, dating to the reign of Emperor Gabrionus IV.
Gall-Dunael male names: Amhlaibh, Aralt, Asgall, Bárid, Blácaire, Cammán, Dubhgall, Goraidh, Ìomhar, Ottir, Ragnall, Ruarc, Sitriuc, Torcuil, Tormod.
Gall-Dunael female names: Beathag, Gytha, Ragnilda.
Northman names: Northmen use names in the same style as their Ostlander ancestors.
Orcs
Like other goblinoids, Orcs were brought to the Isle of Dawn by Thyatian Emperors and generals short on troops and funds. Contrary to kobolds, they did not easily take to the Thyatian culture, and unlike goblins they did not easily coexist with the Dunael and Fir Bolg.
Orcish names: orcs in the Isle of Dawn use names similar to those of Orcus Rex in Brun.
Sidhe
The Sidhe realm, similar to the Dreamlands of Alfheim, was coterminous with the Isle of Dawn in the times of Gandhar. However, due to the machinations of the Fomorians and Nyx, it was altered to become the entropic Isle of Night6. The Sidhe therefore live in cities hidden in the wildernesses of the Isle of Dawn, divided between the Winter Court of Donn Gaimrig and the Unseelie Court of Rígan Daill. Renegade sidhe, the Night Imps, are found in the Isle of Night.
Sidhe male names: Airdrech, Bóadag, Dlochtán, Goibnenn, Ildanach, Luchtaine, Máel Duinn.
Sidhe female names: Clíodhna, Geilt, Genit, Mebd, Niamh.
Thothians
Thothians descend from Nithian colonists and conquered Asyidhi. A mystical people, they tend to keep to themselves, even though they are part of the Alphatian Empire. They have produced their own share of megalomaniac wizard-princes, though.
Thothian names: Thothian names are based on the Nithian language7.
Thyatians
The Thyatians conquered the western Isle of Dawn as part of their rebellion against the Alphatian Empire. The two empires have wrestled for the control of the Isle ever since. Due to the policies of various emperors, many Thyatians have settled -- more or less willingly -- in the Isle of Dawn.
Thyatian names: In the Isle of Dawn, Thyatians tend to have varied names -- some are traditional Thyatian or Kerendan names, some are of Dunael origins, but adapted to the Thyatian language.
Trolls
Trolls, contrary to other goblinoids, arrived in the Isle of Dawn as part of the later Fomorian armies that attempted the reconquest of the Isle of Dawn from their base in the Altan Tepes mountains of Brun.
Troll names: Troll names are generally similar to those of the Northmen, although Trolls tend to have one syllable names, sometimes adding a byname based on a notable characteristic.
Settlements of the Northern Isle of Dawn
This section presents an etymological interpretation of various place names from the Isle of Dawn Trail Map. These place names are English, but have Irish origins. As such, they can be interpreted as Thyatian or Alphatian (i.e., "common" transposed as English), but formed from previous Dunaelic names. Following the interpretation, historical background notes are provided, which tie in with the timeline presented in the previous section.
Dungannon
The Dunaelic name for this town, "Dun Geanainn", stands for Genann's Fort. Originally, it was a redoubt founded by Fir Bolg chieftain Genann mac Umoir in 2000 BC, following the Fomorian invasion of the Fir Bolg lands.
Dunadale
Dun na Dail, or Fort of the Assembly, built around 1600 BC by the first High King, Fiacha of the Fir Bolg, to hold the assembly of the five people (Dunael, Fir Bolg, Gall-Dunael, Fir Gallein, and Centaurs).
Westrourke
The Grand Duchy's name has a long history, as the territory derives from the fragmentation of the ancient Gall-Dunael Dál Ruairc polity. "Rourke'' is the Thyatian transcription of the Dunaelized Antalian name Hruthrek, a Jarl of Helskajord who was the ancestor of the Ua Ruairc clan that founded Dá Ruairc.
Fengallen
Dunaelic Fén na Gaillein, or Bog of the Pheasants. This marsh is the homeland of the Fir Gallein, or Gyerans.
Laragh Tower
This Thyatian tower is named for the preexisting Comhaire ruins ("An Láithreach") of a Fir Bolg castle destroyed during the Alphatian conquest.
Kilpatrick's Keep
A Thyatian foundation, the keep is named for the nearby forest Coill na Padraig, or Wood of the Patrician, so called by the local Dunael folk for a Thyatian estate established early after the Treaty of Edairo.
Port Donagadhee
Another Thyatian foundation, this port town takes its name from "Domhnach Daoi", the House of the Dominicus, a common Dunael name for the estates of Imperial functionaries ("dominici"). These functionaries replaced the Dunael noble houses that had sided with Alphatia.
Ballydonegan Hills
Baile Donnagáin, the City of Little Donn, is a reference to one of the Winter King's Hidden Cities, which is supposedly located in these hills.
Ballygawley Ridge
The name of this region comes from the ruins of an ancient Dunael town, Baile Uí Dhálaigh. The town was founded by the descendants of one of the members of the first assembly of the Kingdom of Comhaire, called Dálach in Dunaelic. The town was destroyed during the Alphatian conquest, and the Uí Dhálaigh clan dispersed or enslaved.
Neach Flats
Mag Neach, or the Flats of Eachaid, is the home of the Uí Eachaidh centaur clan.
Dohanue's Cove
This port is named for Donnchadha Briugu, a pirate and smuggler during the last years of the Alphatian control of the western Isle of Dawn, who was instrumental in disrupting the Alphatian supply lines. He received the area and a large sum of money from King Lucinius. Donnchadha set up a bruiden (hostel) and spent the rest of his life (and money) holding banquets that saw many prominent figures of his time participate. His downfall came when an Alphatian sorcerer cursed him with a geas that required him to sleep with any unaccompanied woman who spent the night at his hostel. Understandably, this considerably lessened his popularity, and proved downright fatal when one of Donnchadha's enemies directed a party of shieldmaidens from Ostland to his estate.
Dunberry
This locale takes its name from an old Dunael fort, Dun ar Barra, "the Fort on the Hill".
Hills of Dooagh
These hills are known in Dunaelic as Dumha Acha, the Mounds of Acha. Olum Acha was one of the leaders of the Filwarf smiths, and the founder of House Blyskyr.
Carryduff Hills
This area was settled by Bugbear mercenaries hired by Gabrionus III during his exile on the Isle of Dawn, and employed by Gabrionus IV in the second Bog Wars in 904 AC.
The Bugbears' chieftain, known as "Aodh the Black" among the Dunael, gave his name to this area, Ceathrú Aodha Dhuibh, or the quarter of Aodh the Black.
Killyleagh Curragh and O'Leahy Scarps
These areas take their name from Uí Laochdha, from Thyatian "laicus", a V-VI century AC term for what is currently the Populares political faction. These areas were assigned to Populares politicians by Emperor Lucius III in return for their support in the Senate. Killyleagh comes from Coill Ua Laochdha, or woods of the Populares.
Artifacts and Historical NPCs
Treasures of the Isle of Dawn
The Isle of Dawn is suitable for epic, high level adventures. As such, legendary treasures may be found there, worth the efforts of Master-level PCs.
The Three Artifacts of the Isle of Dawn
Turlock's Harp. Greater Artifact of the Sphere of Thought (Korotiku). Turlock's Harp takes its name from its last known owner, the chief bard of Dál Ruairc, Toirdhealbhach. A candidate for Immortality in the Sphere of Entropy, Toirdhealbhach used the harp's powers to sow dissent in the Kingdom of Dawn, ultimately leading to its demise. Previously, the harp had been discovered by Dallbard mac Crubach, another legendary bard who achieved immortality as Tiresias8.
Pax' Peaceful Periapt9. Greater Artifact of the Sphere of Thought (Pax). The Peaceful Periapt appears as an alabaster dove with a sun and crescent moon carved on the wings, which can be attached to a maul or mace handle. Besides being a powerful magic weapon, it has healing, charming, and knowledge powers. It drives the user to fight Chaos, and particularly the Sphere of Death. The Periapt has been captured by the Night Spider, and is currently held in the lost city of Aran.
Caladhcholg. Major Artifact of the Sphere of Thought (Odin). Caladhcholg, the "hard blade", also known as the Sword of Destiny, is a longsword that makes the bearer into a powerful melee combatant. Caladhcholg has been wielded by several heroes from the Isle of Dawn, such as Finnegar, as well as others from distant lands, including the Immortal Halav10.
The Three Fairy Treasures of the Isle of Dawn
The three fairy treasures of the Isle of Dawn are the most powerful items created by the king of the leprechauns, Iubadan11.
Coire Ainsic. The Cauldron of Iubadan transforms stones into meals. No party has ever left Iubadan's court without eating their fill.
Comlann Cet. "Match of Hundreds" is a Spear +5 that does 1d20 damage, in spite of its minute size -- it can be wielded by a leprechaun. Actually, the spear changes size to adapt to its wielder.
Scíath Díten. "Shield of Defense'' is a shield +6 vs. all attacks. Like the spear Comlann Cet, it also changes size to adapt to any wielder.
Historical Characters
This section contains all the historical NPCs mentioned in the timeline, sorted by affiliation, ethnic group or race.
The Sidhe
Aglion. Exiled Huldrafolk from Frisland, founder of Ardulla12, the Fifth Hidden City.
Dlochtán. Sidhe rogue adventurer, discoverer of Aran. Later, the Fer Benn (the Horned Man), leader of the Wild Hunt and right-hand-man of the Unseelie Queen.
Dunn Gaimrig, the Winter King. Warrior Sidhe, founder of the Four Hidden Fey Cities and the Winter Court, successor to Ildatach's Summer Court.
Geilt Airdrech. Displaced fey, first of the Night Imps.
Huldra. Frislander fey queen13.
Ildatach Samrigain, the Summer Queen. Lost Sidhe Queen, imprisoned by Nyx.
Iubadan. Leprechaun hero, founder and king of Faylinn, the Sixth Hidden City14.
Rígan Daill, the Unseelie Queen. Leader of the exiled fey in the Unseelie Court of the Shadow Coast.
The Fomorians
Béimnech. Fomorian champion, wielder of Humbaba's Glaring Eye.
Crom Buidhe. Sorcerer King of the Fomorians, succeeded his father Crom Laith. Defeated by the allied forces of the Fir Bolg, Dunael, Fir Gallein, and Centaurs in the Battle of the Six Armies.
Crom Liath. Sorcerer King of the Fomorians, succeeded Indech Fota and defeated the Fir Bolg king Umor mac Obd.
Indech Fota. Fomorian king. Killed in the First Battle of Ath Mhara by Obd of the Fir Bolg.
Máel Aidche. Fomorian priest of Tanyt (Nyx).
Máel Ega. Fomorian leader and, later, Stygian Giant Lord.
Máel Oighidh. Fomorian leader and, later, Stygian Giant Lord.
Mug Caith. Advisor to King Indech Fota. Fomorian shaman.
The Fir Bolg
Erc Fechtnach. Fir Bolg chieftain, ally of the Summer Queen.
Fiacha mac Geanainn. King of the Fir Bolg, son of Genann mac Umoir, founder of Dun na Dáil (Dunadale) and first Ard Rig na Comhaire (High King of Dawn).
Genann mac Umoir. King of the Fir Bolg, founder of Dungannon (as Dun Geanainn).
Nimeth mac Eirc. Fir Bolg chieftain, defeated the Fomorian champion Béimnech in a duel at the Battle of Fingal.
Obd mac Deled ua Neimidh. Fir Bolg chieftain, grandson of Nimeth mac Eirc, defeated the Fomorian King in the First Battle of Ath Mhara.
Umor mac Obd. King of the Fir Bolg, son of Obd mac Deled, defeated by Crom Liath of the Fomori.
The Dunael
Conchobar Ua Domnaill. Seventh and last High King of the Ui Domnaill dynasty.
Conall mac Fhionnagair. Son of Finnegar, second Ui Domnaill High King.
Crinall Ua Domnaill. Conchobar's younger brother and heir, claimant to the High Kingship of Dawn.
Dálach. Dunael chieftain and member of the first assembly of the Kingdom of Dawn, founder of the Uí Dhálaigh clan and of the town of Ballygawley, later destroyed by the Alphatians.
Dallbard mac Crubach. Adventuring bard and Dunael prophet, retrieved the Harp of Turlock and became the Immortal Tiresias.
Derdriu nic Daill. Alphatian-trained Dunael sorceress, founder of Deirden.
Finnegar mac Domnaill. Dunael chieftain and later High King of Dawn, left on a quest for Immortality after founding the Ui Domnaill dynasty. Never achieved Immortality, but created the fabled Finnegar's Watch monument.
Lugaid Aignech. Dunael warlord during the Kingdom of Dawn civil war, founder of the Carrac Derg petty kingdom.
The Northmen and Gall-Dunael
Asgall mac Ìomhar Ua Ruairc. Descendant of Jarl Hruthrek, founder of Dál Ruairc (which would later become Westrourke).
Dubhgall Ua Ruairc. High King of Dawn at the time of the Alphatian Landfall.
Fingal mac Oengusa. Member of the Ua Ruairc and claimant to the throne of the High King.
Harald Tormundsson. First Northman chieftain in the Isle of Dawn.
Hruthrek. Founder and Jarl of Helskajord (also known as Dun na nGall).
Toirdhealbhach. Chief bard of the Ua Ruairc, attempted to reach Immortality in the Sphere of Entropy by instigating the civil war that destroyed the Kingdom of Dawn and destroying the Harp of Turlock, but failed at the latter task.
Nithians and Thothians
Prince Ramenhotep. Founder of Thothia.
Ramenhotep X. Pharaoh of Thothia, instituted the spider mysticism and the cult of Arachne Prime.
Tokoramses V. Pharaoh of Thothia, ally of the Alphatians.
Tokoramses XIV. Pharaoh of Thothia, builder of the Temple of Dawn.
Alphatians
Berisarde. Alphatian conqueror of Friesland, later the Immortal patron of slavery, Brissard. Founder of the Cult of Supremacy.
Tylari I. Empress of Alphatia, allowed the formation of the Confederacy of Dunadale.
Thyatians
Alexandros Kerdolion. Emperor of Thyatis, battled the Alphatians in the Isle of Dawn.
Alexis II Doranius. Emperor of Thyatis, negotiated the peace with Tylari I of Alphatia.
Cornelius Doranius. Emperor of Thyatis, reformed the administration of the Isle of Dawn holdings in Meridiona and Septentriona.
Gabrionus II Tatzianes. Emperor of Thyatis, fortified the Isle of Dawn holdings.
Gabrionus IV Prothemian. Emperor of Thyatis, invited the foundation of new Northmen colonies in the Isle of Dawn.
Gabrionus V Prothemian. Emperor of Thyatis, fallen in the Spike Assault.
Giovanni Porpora. General and later Emperor of Thyatis, defeated the Alphatians with minimal forces supplemented with many Dunael, Northmen and goblinoid mercenaries.
Justin Doranius. Emperor of Thyatis, killed in battle against Alphatia and Thothia at East Portage.
Leontius III Isauricus. Emperor of Thyatis, integrated Caerdania in the Empire.
Leontius IV Isauricus. Former Emperor of Thyatis, general of the Thyatian forces in the Isle of Dawn.
Lucius I Scaurus. Emperor of Thyatis, founder of Kendach.
Lucius IV Monomachos. Emperor of Thyatis, resettled the population of Borydos in the Isle of Dawn.
Magnus Furmenglaive. Necromancer and Baron of Furmenglaive, defeater of the Wild Hunt and Fer Benn.
Marcus II Dalessenos. Emperor of Thyatis, failed to defend Kendach and abandoned the Shadow Coast.
Nicephore Antonian. Imperial Regent of Westrourke, killed in battle by the Alphatians.
Thincol Torion. Emperor of Thyatis, reconquered the Thyatian holdings in the Isle of Dawn after the Spike Assault.
Titus Andronikos. Thyatian general who hired kobold tribes as auxiliaries of the Thyatian Legions.
Zendrolion Tatriokanitas. First Emperor of Thyatis, conquered the first Thyatian holdings in the Isle of Dawn.
Miscellaneous NPCs
Aodh Dubh. Bugbear chieftain, founder of the tribe that currently resides in the Carryduff hills.
Olum Acha. Leader of the Filwarf smiths during the construction of Redstone and founder of House Blyskyr. Buried in the Hills of Dooagh.
Adventures in the Isle of Dawn
This section provides some notes to adapt the D&D 4e "Heroic" series of adventures to the Isle of Dawn. The rationale for the adaption is quite simple. The Isle of Night provides a good match for the Shadowfell, allowing an easy repurposing of H1 Keep on the Shadowfell15. The followup adventures, H2 Thunderspire Labyrinth, and H3 Pyramid of Shadows, also fall in easily. While Minotaurs, the builders of Saruun Khel in H2, do not feature prominently in the Isle of Dawn, neither do they actually play a major role in H2. However, an underground city could be easily set beneath Finnegar's Watch. Finally, pyramids and Thothia are a perfect match, allowing the adaptation of H3.
Keep on the Shadowfell
Keep on the Shadowfell is a relatively simple adventure. The main enemy, Kalarel, is a cultist of Orcus, and the Shadowfell locale, connected by the portal under the keep, is a power base of the Demon Prince of Undeath. In the Isle of Dawn, the portal leads to the Isle of Night, a creation of Nyx, with similar entropic energies radiating into the Prime Material. However, Kalarel in this version is best cast as an Alphatian cultist of Brissard, and therefore a member of the Cult of Supremacy. The Cult of Supremacy has been hunting the Eye of Huldra for centuries. Kalarel believes the Eye was taken to the Isle of Night by rogue fey.
In a twist, the Keep's undead defender, Sir Keegan, becomes a Thyatian auxiliary officer of General Giovanni Porpora's army, Mac Aedhogan, a goblin, and the (rather disgruntled) ancestor of the goblins of Cenel Mac Aedhogan found in the first level of the Keep. These goblins have been hired by Kalarel, who uses them as cannon fodder. The PCs can turn them against the Cult of Supremacy with Mac Aedhogan's help.
The Temple of Bahamut in the Keep can be turned into a temple of Tarastia or Vanya, in line with the Keep's use by Giovanni Porpora's army. The Keep would, however, be of Gandhar origins, allowing some external megalithic ruins.
Few encounters need modifications in this adventure. The initial kobold lair is a bit disconnected from the rest of the adventure, and serves as an introductory hook. It can be kept or removed as necessary, without intruding too much in the main adventure. The Cathedral of Shadows encounter is perhaps the only one that might require a true reskinning, since the vampire spawn and the dark creeper are somewhat unexplained (e.g. there is no vampire master to complement the spawn).
Thunderspire Labyrinth
As mentioned before, the underground city of Saruun Khel can be placed under Finnegar's Watch. The main goal of the adventure is to defeat a group of slavers, the Bloodreavers. Since the Cult of Supremacy are also known slavers, they make a good opponent in this adventure, linking it easily with Keep on the Shadowfell.
The simplest option is to replace the minotaur builders of Saruun Khel with the Fomorians or the Fir Bolg. The base village provided in the adventure in the Seven Pillared Hall could probably be a Filwarf settlement. The Mages of Saruun can be a Thyatian organization, with little need for modification. Duergar do not exist in Mystara, but can be replaced with other underground dwellers (e.g., Glaurants), perhaps even a connection with the Hollow World (e.g., Shattenalfen). Paldemar can be another Alphatian member of the Cult of Supremacy trying to infiltrate the Mages of Saruun.
Pyramid of Shadows
The premise of this adventure makes it very easy to adapt -- the Pyramid of Shadows is essentially a prison for a powerful magic user (a Warlock in the original). That makes the adventure a collection of encounters that do not necessarily share much from a thematic point of view, since the idea is that a number of monsters and NPC groups have accidentally stumbled in the pyramid and became trapped there. The main exceptions are the main dramatis personae, which would be better recast as Nithians or Thothians -- particularly the main villain, Karavakos, who could easily be a power-hungry Thothian sorcerer-pharaoh.
In my campaign, I've recast the Eladrin trapped in the pyramid as Sidhe Warriors from the Huldrafolk of Frisland, providing another connection with the Cult of Supremacy. Furthermore, both Karavakos and Vyrellis were recast as Thothians, Prince Khneramset and Princess Taburmentheti respectively.
References
Aaron Allston, Dawn of the Emperors: Thyatis and Alphatia (TSR 1037), TSR 1989
Jennell Jacquays, M5 Talons of Night, TSR 1987
Bruce Cordell and Mike Mearls, H1 Keep on the Shadowfell, WotC 2008
Richard Baker and Mike Mearls, H2 Thunderspire Labyrinth, WotC 2008
Mike Mearls and James Wyatt, H3 Pyramid of Shadows, WotC 2008
2First defined by J. Mishler (http://www.pandius.com/thedunael.html)
5See Dawn of the Emperors, or the NPC generator: http://agathokles.pythonanywhere.com/chargen
6See M5: “Talons of Night”.
7See Kingdom of Nithia for examples, or the NPC generator: http://agathokles.pythonanywhere.com/chargen
9See M5 Talons of Night.
10See Tome of Mystaran Magic, page
11See Tall Tales of the Wee Folk.
12From "Summerhill Hounds", see http://www.pandius.com/feykngdm.html
14Canonical settlement and character, from Tall Tales of the Wee Folk.
15See
also the free download: https://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/H1.pdf