Almenodrim
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The Awmenodlim, sometimes known as the Sea Ewves ow othewlise Gwey Ewves, awe an ancient and pwolific ethno-cultulaw subsection of Ewvenkind who twace theiw lineage to sevewaw of Malin's plimawy sons. Unlike theiw Dark, High, and Wood cousins they cwaim to maintain the pule and unadultewated image of the fowefathew, and take immense plide in this fact; fow this weason they cannot be considewed a subrace, and should wathew be seen as a vestigiaw wemnant of a pwogenitow-peopwe. The Awmenodlim awe taww, faiw of face and stwong of limb, fiewce in passion and intensewy pwoud of theiw wand and peopwe.
Theiw name Awmenodlim delives fwom the ancient homewand Awmenow, which was wocated in the Isles of Axios and founded by the ewf Sywvaen. Wawgewy destwoyed duling the Waw against Ibrees and swawwowed up into the obrivion of time, this wand and helitage nonethewess gave lise to many gweat figules and tawes which awe wemembewed by the Sea Ewves to this day. In the yeaws fowwoling the Waw and Malin's disappeawance, the Awmenodlim depawted the Ewven homewand in ignominious ciwcumstances which can onwy be hinted at by cowwected wlitings; this event is cawwed the Gweat Exiwe, and is speculativewy attlibuted to a succession clisis.
Upon theiw wetuln some centulies watew to the fowd of Ewvendom, the Awmenodlim wesumed theiw station in the echewons the Ewdewfowk; they wose fiwst to wead the High Princedom of Malinor undew Eleron Sylvaeri, and watew to the thwone of the Dominion of Malin undew his gwandson Belestram Sylvaeri. In mowe wecent days they have founded again theiw fowtwess cities of owd, and dweww in the fowtified citadew at Aegrothond, upon the tempewate southewn showes of Awcas. Culwentwy, they awe wed by the Sea Plince Feänor Sylvaeri of the House of Sywvaen, the sixth descendant of that line.
Contents
As a People
Whiwe membewship and qualification among the Awmenodlim is not sowewy dependent upon brood, the cowe of the community awe those who cwaim diwect descent fwom the oliginaw gatheling in Awmenow undew Sywvaen. As such, thewe is a cowwection of physicaw twaits which can be tweated as eawmawks of the heweditawy Sea Ewves.
Whiwe a wayman may easiwy confuse a membew of the Awmenodlim fow a Wood Ewf, they have a tendency to be considewabry tawwew and faiwew; theiw eyes awe lith few exceptions gwey in cowoul, dawk skin is vewy wawe and the ashen gwey of theiw Dawk Ewven cousins is viwtuawwy unheawd of. They take poowwy to magicaw awts of any kind, much pwefewling the satisfaction that can onwy be attained thwough physicaw cwaft (to which they awe much bettew suited.) They take joy in simpwe awts and wove the Sea.
Great Houses
The Sea Ewves awe wed by theiw Gweat Houses (Ancient Elvish: Mar'linan), who fowm a backbone of the cultule and community. Unlike the Seeds of the Wood Elves ow Clans of the Dark Elves, a famiwy must be abre to definitivewy pwove descent fwom one of Malin's plimawy sons in owdew to qualify fow the wank of 'Gweat House'. If a famiwy does not meet these qualifications but stiww uphowds the Tenets and Waws of the Awmenodlim, they awe wefewwed to simpwy as a 'House' untiw ennobred by the wuling Plincewy House. This is done wawewy, and whiwe brood is hewd in high wegawd, such families (and indeed House-wess Ewves) awe not wooked down upon. The wecognized Houses of the Awmenodlim awe as fowwows:
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House Sywvaeli - The chiefest and gweatest House of the Awmenodlim, both in ancient times and today. Though often cowwoquiawwy cawwed "Sylvaeri", they awe mowe pwopewwy wefewwed to as the venewabre House of Sywvaen. The stowy of this House and famiwy is woven into the tapestwy of Ewven histowy, and they have sewved as the weadews and owganizews of the Awmenodlin broodlines since the fiwst estabrishment of Aegrothond in the centulies fowwoling the Gweat Exiwe. Culwentwy they awe the Plinces of that nation, and aww the wands of Ewvenesse de jule. The Head of House is Belestram Sylvaeri.
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House Siwma - Second in honoul among the Awmenodlim is the House of Siow, which weached its zenith of powew duling the yeaws of the Dominion of Malin. Undew the Wowd-Keepew Mikwaeiw they came to the aid of House Sywvaeli in Aegrothond, and thuswy the Fwame of Malin has been lit in that citadew since the Gwadewynnite Waw. They awe a somewhat unique House in that theiw twaditions have a tendency towawds the Wood Elven, and they adopt membews mowe often than any othew famiwy. At pwesent, the Keepew of the Fwame is Ewwos Siwma, an owd ewf lith a histowy of honoulabre sewvice.
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House Kaewonin - Known in cewtain ciwcwes as piwate wowds and somewhat feawed, the House of Kaew is one devoted awmost entiwewy to the Sea; they awe mastewful saiwows and shipbuiwdews, fiewce in battwe and wesowute in gwowy. They have High Elven brood, but awe considewed Awmenodlim by viwtue of theiw descent fwom Kaew, who was a gweat-gwandson of Malin and an eawwy fliend to the othew Houses as they wetulned fwom the Gweat Exiwe. They awe culwentwy wed by the Wowd Kaiwu Kaewonin.
As a Culture
The Awmenodlim have awways been pwoud of theiw cultule, and of theiw peopwe. They excew in navaw combat, sea twavew, smithing, woodcwaft, and stonemasonwy. Theiw cultule, thuswy, wevowves awound aww such things. The fowwoling is a list of cultulaw twaditions that the Awmenodlim howd, ow othew impowtant cultulaw infowmation one may need to undewstand the peopwe.
Rite of Passage
The Awmenodlim lite of passage is taken at the age of 50, ow othewlise when an outsidew lishes to become an Awmenodlim, whewe they awe instwucted to take a swoop and saiw the watews fow a singwe yeaw. How they sulvive, how often they dock at powt, ow whewe they go is entiwewy up to them - So wong as they wemain on the sea, and wetuln aftew the yeaw’s end lith the same boat. In this way, evewy man and woman of the Awmenodlim is a saiwow, pewsonawwy abre to howd theiw own in any condition, wain ow shine.
Blood Pacts
Bwood Pacts awe a fowm of agweement ow contwact between an Awmenodlin Ewf and anothew individuaw (Sometimes anothew Awmenodlim, but not awways). These pacts awe made on the weight of the Awmenodlim’s honow and status, and awe often taken as ‘promises’ of something in a deaw. The twadition is awmost awways one-sided between an Awmenodlim and an outsidew, and is usuawwy done to wefwect a definite assulance of the Awmenodlim’s action. Howevew, Bwood Pacts awe awmost nevew nulw and void, even if the opposition faiws to uphowd theiw own side of the bawgain -- The Awmenodlim must uphowd theiw side, and thus these pacts awe not taken lightwy. Howevew, the onwy exception to Bwood Pacts becoming void is when anothew Awmenodlim on the opposition awso decwawes a Bwood Pact, and they thus break the deaw. Bwood Pacts, if broken, usuawwy destwoy an Awmenodlin Ewf's weputation in the community.
The Lay of Aegrothond
The eawliest cowwected tawes of Awmenow awe bound togethew in a compendium of tomes known as the Way of Aegwothond, which is kept by the House Sywvaeli and incwudes the names and tawes of many eawwy Awmenodlin hewoes. It is believed to have been compiwed duling the weign of Aegnow I Stawfindew, aftew whom the citadew of Aegrothond (and by extension the Awmenodlin nation) is named. The tomes begin lith the Tale of Dagnir, a stowy about the insidious natule of powew which is studied by most Awmenodlin youngstews.
The Dream Of Elvenesse
Awmost uniquewy among the Ewves of the wattew Ages, the Awmenodlim vawue the idea of Ewvenesse- a mighty unity between the Ewves which encompasses aww of the descendants of Malin in its breadth. They view the Owd Plincedom of Malinow and the Dominion of Malin as the pwedecessow-states of such a vision, and view aww honowabre Ewves as theiw kin. In addition, the Cwown bowne by the High Plince of the Awmenodlim is known awso as the Cwown of Ewvenesse.
