Telruin
On the lush islands of Silveis, and the barren archipelago of Beneral are a people that have occupied this region from time immemorial. They are the Telruin and they make up the majority of the peoples of the Silveisean Empire, The Sunlen Kingdom, and the country of Bheid. Their first histories place them at the isles of Beneral before the corruption of the Eldara. They were known as the first people to come into direct contact with the Vrolua, and many a giant's den can be found on the island nations that people of Telruin descent inhabit.
The Telruin trace their origin to the Sparks of Idren and believe they were born from the moon on a quiet night. In truth, none are sure how the Telruin came to inhabit their island homes. Historians verify the spread of the Telruin throughout the Masked Age, at about the same time as the Moonless Migration.
Whatever the reasons for their expansion, they have expertly taken to the waters surrounding their homes building a naval fleet that rivals the Children of Uldi. Having found that the north lands were filled with the ruthless Baruilese, the Telruin turned their attentions southward to Bheid focusing their energies on populating the land of the Olna-nen. Here they were met with very little resistance as the Olna-nen lacked the numbers to fend off the newcomers.
Upon arrival to Bheid, with no natural opposition to their claims, the Telruin established many cities and strongholds throughout the countryside. They became the rulers; where there had been giants before them, none now stood in their way.
The establishment of many nations occurred during this time, not in the least, the Silveisean Empire. The many feudalistic countries that made up Bheid fought countless battles for supremacy over the continent, with none being the ultimate victor. At the start of the Tarnished Age, the Silveiseans put many of these fledgling micronations to the sword creating the Sunlen Kingdom which now rules over half of the continent.
During the Masked Age and the Tarnished, Telruin fought Telruin, slaughtering any that might land upon their islands except for the Pergalls, of Alyric descent. In these recent days the fighting seems to have turned towards diplomacy as outbreaks of cinderskin have culled certain populations of the Telruin to the point of extinction. Upon the continent of Bheid, practices involving the treatment of cinderskin vary, and are nevertheless unfruitful. However, in Silveis, a special concoction of herbs and salves have been known to prolong the lifespans of those suffering from the condition. Whether the Telruin of Silveis will see to their long, lost brethren of the south or not, only time will tell.
In the Masked Age, it was common for the Telruin to collect into groups under a common banner. Known as bannerfolk, the elected lord of such a people often became their sole leader, known as the masked lord. The lord would choose a mask to wear which represented their people. Often these were made of animal bones, surrounding foliage, and other trinkets. Overtime the boundary between the mask, the animal it represented, and the lord became blurred. It was common practice to call the lord by the animal's name. As the bide stones of Bheid were rediscovered, it was only natural that the lords would acquire such items of power for themselves, rather than redistribute the power to their bannerfolk. These bide stones were sometimes incorporated into their masks, giving the lords the ability to communicate simple ideas and messages to other lords. This gave the lords the supernatural ability to call upon allies during times of war. It is a small leap in the imagination to wonder why then that the lords went to war over accumulating the stones.
Elsewhere, northward, in Silveis, none of these practices occurred. Instead the Telruin of the northern islands, became great scholars of a testament they uncovered from an ancient Vrolua den. The book was called the Abidement and they would use this to create a new culture wholly centered around a devotion to its scripture.
At this point the northern and southern populations of Telruin descent diverge. One ethnicity takes on the name, Silveisean. The other retains their ethnic identity as Southern Telruin. This schism will be important throughout the Tarnished Age as it is one impetus behind the Silveisean invasion. The Silveiseans became something new that represented something as old as the ancient giants which once traversed the landscape. The Southern Telruin maintained the older way of life and sought to protect that way from any that might take it away from them. Both wanted the bide stones. One to maintain power over their way of life. The other because of religious dogma.
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