Lachlanna, Standing Stones of the Old Gods
"Where the Old Gods dwell, there lies the rocks and scripts of ages."
Shrines to the Old Courts
"You come close to those stones, sure you'll find solace. Simple as. Problem is you'll find all kinds of nonsense with them. Edelfolk, vagabonds, brigands. Even if you'll be safe from harm there, nothing says you won't get shot down as soon as you leave, or robbed instead of killed. Foul things, those godstones are, especially when you think to whom they were built for. So approach at your own risk and peril, you hear?"
Overview:
Godstones, or lachlanna, are standing stones that appeared during the Fading Era as An Edel began to disappear practically everywhere, and the Gods of the Elves no longer answered their faithful's prayers. This caused the War of Want to rage onwards, which prompted the Time of Reclamation and led to the hegemony of Aedelwynn to pass from elven hands onto humans'. Lachlanna depict the old gods of the elves, carved onto their surface with swirling patterns and designs, and often are seen as a place of respite by the Wilder People who cling onto their beliefs. Scholars have tried to categorize each godstone into four aspects, with minute variations between each set of stones being noted, however there are far too many lachlanna to note them all down. Many villages have built themselves around the influence of lachlanna, or are used as places of solace and respite from the dangerous wilds.
Purpose / Function
The Lachlanna are ancient standing stones, whose purpose is obscure even to the civilizations that use them as places of worship. To the Wilder People, these are centers of worship, where sacrifices and celebrations are prepared in order to revere the Old Faith and its courts. That said, what each lachlanna does depends on the Lord engraved on its surface; each has different kinds of properties, and effects that are tangible to those who live within ther vicinity.
Most lachlanna have a bronze or stone bowl at their feet, wherein offerings may be placed to ask for the Old Gods' favour. Eerily enough, these bowls can never be removed, broken, or chipped. Neither can the stone for that matter, many have resisted the battering of elements for thousands of years and remain standing, proudly, as monuments of ancient elvish history. This is another purpose of the Lachlanna, to uphold the memories of the old Edel who have faded and whose story is disappearing. Astòr - Druids of the Old Gods - do their best to translate or decipher the cryptic riddles and writings that are engraved into these standing stones, barely understanding the forgotten lore of these peoples.
Special Properties
The Lachlanna of the Old Gods hold many mysterious properties that set them apart from other monuments and shrines found across Aedelwynn. The Lachlanna themselves are centers of peace and fertility, never beset by monstrosities or abominations from the wilderness, as well as prone to increased crop yields, stronger trees and juicier fruit. Children tend to be born healthier as well when birthed around lachlanna, which led to many Wilder People and An Tuana Clanna populations to build their homes around these edifices.
Depending on the 'type' (usually Caoidh Lann or Sealg Lann), bountiful herds of cattle, prey and schools of fish group closer to these standing stones, as if naturally attracted by them. Others wander about, appearing when some most need them usually on the side of the road (Seinn Lann), or cast a fearsome shadow that scares away predators and people alike (Rig Lann). Regardless of which, these lachlanna all seem to reclaim the land around them with nature, slowly devouring away at any civilization or carven stone so long as no offering is made in the bowl at their base.
Alterations
4 Monarchs, 4 Courts, 4 Stones
Found within the woodlands of Aedelwynn, the Sealg Lann are the most common of the lachlanna found across the Land. They appear to huntsmen and yeomen who need a place of rest, as well as as a haven from monstrous beasts. It depicts the Huntress, often accompanied by six or seven smaller Lachlanna on which are carved her sons and Disciples.
Caoidh Lann - the Mourning Shrine.Found in sea caves, or at the shores of and coastlines of Aedelwynn, the Caoidh Lann are some of the rarest lachlanna to be found across the Land. They linger by the sea, a hole is often punched through the stone where the visage of the Mourner would be. When the wind howls, a mournful hum echoes from its surface, and warns all those around it of its presence. The Mourner is sometimes depicted with a spear in one hand, or a wolf at her feet.
Rig Lann - the King's Shrine.The Rig Lann is more myth than fact. Only a few have been recorded, and always at the top of mountains or in high places. These stones are cleanly cut, like precious gems, and tend to attract lightning every now and then. These standing stones are always depicted with the Regent, the elvish God of the Skies, most often wielding an axe, or a hammer and anvil, and smithing lightning bolts with great strikes. A crown sits on his brow, and his beard is made of clouds.
Seinn Lann - the Singing Shrine.The Seinn Lann is a 'wandering' stone that sings its way across Aedelwynn. It has been seen in many areas, however always disappears whenever the night has passed. It depicts a tall, hooded and smiling figure, holding a flaming cup or a star in his hands. This shrine is obviously dedicated to the Chanter, and whilst there have been multiple sightings of Seinn Lann across the realm, it is often speculated that only one lachlanna of the Chanter exists in Aedelywnn.
History
Lachlanna have appeared everywhere throughout the Fading Era, during which the War of Want took place. These standing stones often marked the beginning of new settlements, both Ancient An Tuana and An Edel - The Race of the Elves claimed these monuments as theirs. Often times, the godstones were used as gathering places for Astòr to conduct whatever rituals were left following the starting of the Fading Era.
Many lachlanna have seen the birth of various capital cities and major settlements following the Restoration of Aedelwynn. Dageraad, City of the Dawnfather, originally had a godstone dedicated to the Regent at its center, where the Gildtree now has grown. Uidhelian's Hunter's Grove surrounds an ancient lachlanna dedicated to the Huntress and her disciples. Coincidentally, Glaerllwyfen dwells there, alongside the treant body of her eldest Astòr.
Amwynëyr, an island to the south of Aedelwynn where pirates and raiders dwell, has a lachlanna to the Mourner in its rocky bays, whilst another dedicated to the Regent crowns the top of its rocky promontories. These raiders seem to be the sole peoples still upholding the Old Faith of both seas and skies, regardless of the loss of knowledge, and are likely to have diverged from the Court's original methods of worship.
Many scholars and Astòr do their best to translate the archaic texts and riddles that have been carved on these lachlanna, in order to reclaim what lost rituals, history, and mythology vanished during the start of the Fading Era. Finally, at No-Man's Pass where many mercenaries gather at the foot of the Ginnunting Mountain Range, a singular Seinn Lann stands proudly - eerily unmoving - to greet adventurers and revellers to the village that bears the same name as the ravine giving onto the Great Barrows.
Founding Date
Unclear, likely throughout the start of the Fading Era
Alternative Names
"Godstones".
Type
Shrine
Environmental Effects
Sealg Lann enrich the lands around them, and grant a protective ward against any monstrosities of the forest. They are always spread out in a circle of 6 or 7 'disciple' stones surrounding a central grand Lachlanna, and will progressively reclaim civilization, carven stone and nearby woodlands. They also have a tendency to attract wandering ghosts and spirits that will meet their peace within its enclave. Ethereal undead (ghosts, banshees, revenants, etc) are always peaceful within a Sealg Lann's influence, however remain attracted to fire and flame, as is their nature. Those who sleep within the influence of a Sealg Lann are often blessed with peaceful, pleasent dreams.
Caoidh Lann stand amidst turbulent seas and stormy shores, howling loudly when rabid winds batter Aedelwynn's coastlines. The enclave these lachlanna project tame the turbulent, living oceans that surround the Lands. Many mariners and sailors make their homes around these standing stones, however give frequent offerings to these shrines in hopes to quell the sea's wrath. Large schools of fish gather around these lachlanna, and when the storms and ocean become too unbearable, these shrines will often have human or edel sacrifices made to attract bounty and still the blue's wrath. Pirates and raiders who have tried to thieve within bays that host these lachlanna often are devoured by sharks and orcas, the worse cases being sea serpents who emerge from the depths to break rudders and oars.
Rig Lann are rare to find, usually around mountain tops or tall cliffs. The air around these lachlanna smells of ion and ozone, and they are likely to channel lightning whenever it strikes around them. The ground surrounding these standing stones is often either burnt or surrounded by erratic structures born of thunder strikes. Sound within the enclave of these lachlanna is magnified to the point where even a whisper can sound like a bellow, and some have claimed skilled smiths can catch the lightning that strikes within the area to give it solid shape, though this is done at the cost of their own hands and ear drums. This legendary material is known as 'Caledfwlch', or 'hard-lightning'. It is ill advised to stay long around these lachlanna, due to the dangers they might portent. Though many claim that should one tell a lie within the enclave, the elven God of the Skies will smite them for their blasphemy.
Seinn Lann move around. Literally. They shift from one place to another, seemingly at random, sometimes carrying those who dwell within its enclave at night with it. Fires within the enclave of this lachlanna do not flicker away regardless of the winds and cold, and those who sleep within its area do not feel the bitter frost of Aedelwynn. Sometimes, a wanderer appears in the dreams of those who dwell close to this lachlanna, singing songs, telling tales, and pointing towards the traveller's closest future place of rest. Seinn Lann have a tendency to hum when closeby, announcing their presence to those lost or in desperate need of refuge. From a distance it appears as if nobody rests close to the lachlanna until one steps through its threshold. Finally, no beast of shadow, or that claims its allegiance to dark forces may step within the enclave of the Seinn Lann.
"Oak, Ash, Elm, Pine, Thorn"
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