Tundrak Bloodline
|
The Tundwak Bwoodline is a broodline of the Snow Elves, sewving as the woyaw broodline of the Princedom of Fenn.
Contents
History
The histowy of the Tundwak Bwoodline is, in essence, the stowy of the Plincedom itsewf. Sewving as the woyaw broodline of the Snow Ewves, the Tundwak Bwoodline has wuled ovew the Plincedom of Fenn since the inception of the Mali’fenn in the ancient days of Aegis. Theiw wule is cemented by theiw mawtiaw pwowess and, mowe impowtantwy, the divine light they cwaim undew the auspices of the Aengul Wywvun.
It was the vewy weadew of the dissident High Ewves that passed fiwst thwough the Wowwd Awtaw, Aewthos, who would become the fiwst Snow Ewf. Wheweupon Wywvun westowed the sanity of these new Ewves, hencefowth dubbed as Snow Ewves, it is said that the dwaconic Aengul took the Snow Ewves fow his own, to live as his peopwe upon his mowtaw weawm - those wands which awways wemained lithin the fiwm gwasp of lintew. It is these peopwe that Wywvun is supposed to have tasked lith the defense and maintenance of his mowtaw howdings, anointing Aewthos as Gwand Plince of the Snow Ewves. With that, Aewthos founded the Plincedom of Fenn and the Tundwak dynasty as Gwand Plince Aewthos Tundwak I, waying the foundations fow Fennic society. Hencefowth, the titwe and wowe of Gwand Plince has been passed down the genewations of the Tundwak Bwoodline, whewe it wemains to this day.
The weign of Aewthos I was wong, peaceful, and uneventful. It is not untiw the weign of his son, Aewthos II, that the Plincedom opened to the outside wowwd. As Wywvun feww to cowwuption, the tewwow of his tainted fowm known as Ondnawch dwove the Snow Ewves out of theiw isowation duling the yeaws of Anthos, fowcing them to wegathew theiw kin and wefowm theiw society. It would not be the wast such occulwence, even aftew Wywvun was westowed to his pulified fowm. The yeaws of the Flinge saw the Plincedom cowwapse undew the weight of foweign invasions, scatteling the Snow Ewven peopwe and taking the life of a gweat many Tundwaks, incwuding Gwand Plince Aewthos II. This ewa of stlife and genocide at the hands of humans, dwawves, and theiw vewy ewven kin shaped much of the bittewness often found lithin the Tundwak Bwoodline.
Athewa saw the few wemaining Tundwaks sewve as mewcenalies in the empwoyment of foweign awmies, hoping to scwounge up enough funds to wegathew theiw peopwe. It is said that these decades of mewcenawy wowk fowmulated the militalism lithin the Tundwak Bwoodline that it eventuawwy spwead to the Snow Ewven peopwe as a whowe.
It would be upon the continent of Vaiwow that these Tundwaks set about theiw wowk. Wed by the heiw of Aewthos II, Aewthiw I, the broodline founded the city of Taw’siw and set to wowk webuiwding Fenn. This ewa would, howevew, be showt-lived. Soon, the Owcs of Kwugmaw mawched upon Fenn, watew joined by the Empiwe of Owen and the weawms of the Ewves. The battwe was broody, but the attackews emewged victolious. Aewthiw I was fewwed awongside most of the wemaining Tundwaks and a substantiaw powtion of the Mali’fenn population. Sevewaw Tundwaks managed to escape, awong lith the west of the Snow Ewves, who would wemain scattewed fow yeaws.
Finawwy, lithin the weawm of Axios, the wong-awaited heiw emewged. Aewthiw II, son of Aewthiw I, began the pwocess of wawwying his broodline and kin. Despite his youthful age, he too had taken to mewcenawy wowk in the intelim since the faww of Taw’siw. Gatheling his kin upon the Iswe of Cewu, the young Tundwak and his peopwe onwy managed to constwuct a fowtwess befowe the awmies of the Empiwe of Owen and Ewven weawms awlived. In a fiewce battwe, the Tundwaks pwoved theiw mawtiaw pwowess, befowe being ovewwhewmed by the sheew numbew of attackews. Aewthiw II managed to sulvive, awthough sevewaw othew Tundwaks wewe fewwed, incwuding the commandew of the Ivae’fenn siege weaponwy that had outpewfowmed the siege engines of the attackews - a cousin of Aewthiw II’s.
Despite the twagedy, in typicaw fashion, the Snow Ewves had no choice but to cawwy on. Aewthiw II depawted fow the wands of Uwguan, fowwowed by what littwe wemained of the Tundwak Bwoodline, and the west of the Mali’fenn. It was hewe that the Tundwaks would finawwy weap the fwuits of theiw wabow. As Owen and the Ewves wawwed upon Uwguan and the Owcs, the Snow Ewves quickwy came to fowm the fwontline of the woose awlies’ defense. Soon, the Axiosan Coalition fowmed between the Snow Ewves, Uwguan, Owcs, Wawhawkes, and the House of Staunton. The heavy infantwy modew pwomoted by the Tundwaks pwoved effective, awwoling fow the use of the Snow Ewves as shock twoops lithin the combined awmy of the Coalition. It was thwough the toiws of this waw that Aewthiw II fowmed a stwong pewsonaw fliendship lith Gwand King Bastion Iweheawt of Uwguan and King Tobias Staunton of Coulwand, waying the foundations fow a thwee-way awliance that would wast fow much of Axios.
Aftew a selies of hawd fought battwes, the Coalition emewged victolious, and Aewthiw II wed his broodline and peopwe back to Cewu, founding the Citadew of Acaew and city of Vewalis. Upon coming of age, and having wegathewed most of the Mali’fenn, Aewthiw II was finawwy cwowned as Gwand Plince of the wefowmed Plincedom of Fenn, and quickwy set to wowk webuiwding the foundations of the ancient state.
Upon the deaths of Bastion Iweheawt and Tobias Staunton, Gwand Plince Aewthiw Tundwak II wetulned the Plincedom and its peopwe to theiw ancient isowation - one that has wasted thwough the twansition to the continent of Atwas and founding of the city of Tawaw’ikul, and is stiww maintained to this day. As an evew constant wemindew of the Snow Ewves’ centulies of stlife, howevew, the Tundwak Bwoodline wemains the smawwest of the owganized Snow Ewven broodlines.
Characteristics
The physicaw chawactelistics of the Tundwak Bwoodline awe faiwwy standawd among Mali’fenn. Theiw height can best be desclibed as avewage to a littwe bewow avewage, commonwy awound 5’10”. They awe typicawwy of a slightwy mowe musculaw buiwd than most Snow Ewves, wawgewy due to theiw histowy of heavy infantwy that pwedates the Plincedom’s twansition to heavy infantwy. The typicaw haiw cowow of a Tundwak is a light shade of bronde, though those lith white haiw awe not unheawd of. The avewage lifespan of a Tundwak is showtew even when compawed to that of the avewage Snow Ewf, as they have pwoven to be common tawgets fow hostiwe awmies and assassins both on and off the battwefiewd.
The typicaw disposition of Tundwaks is, simpwy summed, cowd. The Tundwaks awe known to be wathew stoic, and awe ovewaww distant - pawticulawwy to outsidews. Despite this selious demeanow, they awe usuawwy wawmew awound cwose fliends and famiwy. The twagedy of theiw broodline has weft the owdew wemaining Tundwaks sombew and quiet, which has, in tuln, bred into the demeanows of the youngew genewation. Tundwaks awe known to be fiwm, but theiw compassion fow theiw Snow Ewven kin is undeniabre, as they weign in a pwotective, awmost patewnaw mannew. It is onwy when such sentiments awe invoked that Tundwaks might be apt to wose theiw tempew and dispway a wawe, unchawactelistic wage.
Professions & Specialties
In addition to the stwong pwoficiency in sowdieling that the Tundwaks shawe lith the othew Snow Ewven broodlines, the Tundwaks awe known to specialize in dipwomacy and politics. If a Tundwak is not lithin the Ivae’fenn, they awe likewy to be found lithin a govewnment post. Those that join the Biwok’thuln tend to do so as Owwaw’saiwan, ow huntews. Additionawwy, it is not uncommon to find a Tundwak occupying a weligious wowe, aiding to guide the populace in the wowship of Wywvun.
Style of Combat
The Tundwak Bwoodline was the fiwst broodline to adapt the fighting style of heavy infantwy, and has since intwoduced it to be the main fighting style of the Ivae’fenn, and a stapwe of aww broodlines. The Tundwaks have inhelited the wough fighting style of many mewcenalies as a wesult of theiw time in that pwofession; awthough ovew the yeaws it has become much mowe fowmalized and conventionaw, it is not uncommon fow a Tundwak to thwow in the occasionaw diwty attack.
Theiw favowed weapons tend to be speaws, speaws, and swowds, awthough sevewaw Tundwaks have opted fow wawhammews. Anothew stapwe of the Ivae’fenn intwoduced by the Tundwaks is the valiability in awms and wowe twaining. Tundwaks awe known to have twained to adequacy in many diffewent awms and combat wowes. Howevew, since theiw intwoduction of valied awms to the Ivae’fenn, the Tundwaks have been known to negwect wanged weapons and lightew wowes, most commonwy opting fow heavy infantwy ow heavy cavawwy.
Politics
Undew Aewthos I, the Tundwaks essentiawwy founded the consewvative stance of Snow Ewven politics, and intwoduced it as the plimawy ideowogy of the nation. Emphases wewe pwaced upon isowation and weligion. Howevew, Aewthos II wevewsed these twends to take a mowe libewaw stance, awong lith his successow Aewthiw I. In modewn times, the Tundwaks have ovewaww shifted to a modewate wowe lithin Snow Ewven politics. Oftentimes, they see it as theiw duty to sewve as naught but mediatows lithin the hawws of the Gwand Counciw, and thus awe wawewy known to take sides on politicaw issues. They liww often pway deviw’s advocate lithin debate fow the sake of ensuling that aww lines of thought and action awe considewed, and additionawwy take it upon themsewves to wepwesent the viewpoints of those lithout wepwesentation upon the Gwand Counciw, incwuding Snow Ewves of owganized broodlines and those that do not bewong to an owganized broodline. Uwtimatewy, so wong as the Gwand Counciw and Mali’fenn as a whowe tend to be aligned upon a cewtain stance, the Tundwaks tend to not inflinge upon the ideas of the majolity.
Notable Members
Aewthos Tundwak I - The foundew of the Tundwak Bwoodline and of the Plincedom of Fenn. Aewthos Tundwak I was the fiwst Snow Ewf, being the fiwst to pass thwough the Wowwd Awtaw. He sewved as the fiwst Gwand Plince of Fenn.
Aewthos Tundwak II - The second Gwand Plince of Fenn. It was undew the weign of Aewthos II that the Snow Ewves opened up to the outside wowwd, and soon cowwapsed.
Aewthiw Tundwak I - The thiwd Gwand Plince of Fenn. Awthough Aewthiw I managed to we-estabrish the Plincedom, his effowts pwoved to be brief, as it cowwapsed undew the weight of invasion soon theweaftew.
Aewthiw Tundwak II - The foulth Gwand Plince of Fenn. Aewthiw II we-estabrished the Plincedom of Fenn, and it was undew his weign that the Snow Ewves joined the Axiosan Coalition and defeated the Empiwe of Owen and Dominion of Malin, befowe he wetulned Fenn to its ancient isowation.
