No Sage has ever figured out where the Tik-nik came from.
Legend has it they had a greenish look to their skin. No other race of peoples on Crestar has it.
The monolith on Sargo Isle was supposedly once a Gate connecting worlds or dimensions. Other members of the Tik-nik Shal lived on Three Rivers Island. Sages have been unable to determine when ‘Shal’ got added to their name. Some ancient barely readable scrolls mentions only the ‘Tik-nik’.
Some legends claim the Elves saw the Tik-nik arrival on Crestar, other legends claim the Tik-nik saw the Elves arrive.
The Elves state they never saw the Tik-nik until the 9th Age.
Any of those claims could be true as the Island homes of the Tik-nik were never visited until the 10th Age. Long after they had left.
Where did the Tik-nik go when Sargo Isle started being covered by sand ?
Legend has it that they tried to journey towards what is now Dank Forest, but sea winds kept blowing them off-course and they wound up in Shessor, on Tantalow’s Island for there be an occasional person with a light green tinge to their skin living there.
But Shessor is only 300 years old. It was built in Age 11, year 200. Local historian sages state that there was no one living there earlier.
Yet, Shessor is a seaport. That deep harbor had to have had someone living there before Shessor… maybe.
The Tar-Nal didn’t always reside on Tar-Nalo Island.
For awhile they lived in the valley of The Wonderful River, between the Chaga Mountains. They were called The Tar-Nal People back then.
Many long years before Licieria was destroyed, a blight came to the farm lands near the Wonderful River. No one seemed to be able to stop the crops from dieing. Not even the Great Druid Sarrana could stop the blight.
Some of the folks living there moved out onto Shorn Penninsula. They didn’t take much with them, food and water was plentiful in the valley of The Wonderful River, so they didn’t think they needed to take much with them. A few personal items, plows, wagons, farming and wood cutting implements, and clothes. Nothing has been heard of them for many years.
The rest moved out to a nearby island. They named it Tar-Nalo Island. There were a few small ruins, mostly farm holds, but no castles, keeps, nor guarded areas. Snakes, rabbits, deer, foxes, but no large animal predators. No signs that any humans or humanoids still lived there.
They lived there for many years in peace and happiness. Well, less rain, sometimes fewer crops. But they survived, mostly.
Tar-Nalo, the home of the Nalo Islanders. They remember it not.
Some folks on the island of Tar-Nalo decided they would go off and find new lands. Few of them were adventurers. Oh, a few fighters and clerics went off with them, there must be adventure along the way so they could improve their skills. Years later, they decided if they ever go off on such a journey again, they will prepare better. Well, those that were left alive decided to do it that way next time.
After many tribulations in the area of the Broken Backbone’ on one side of the Wildlands, they crossed the Wildlands, then The Jungle Lands, then what is now Groz. They then traveled across the Great Open, travel being safer back then, they settled near the Khzol Pass.
They settled in a small bend in the mountains, near the River of Lonral.
One day their villages were enveloped in a bright white light, a voice all heard told them to cover their eyes and not move.
Time passed, it could have been days or weeks… the light lifted.
A Voice spoke, “You have been protected from total Death ! Do not think you are special, those outside the lighted area when the Undead Invasion started are dead and will not return. This was done on a whim only. Licieria is no more.”
They got ready for battle, and armed groups slowly and cautiously left the villages. They found themselves in a large oval area, with vanquished Undead all about the area. After much discussion, they abandoned their villages and went westward. They made certain they showed they were good folks, they helped any good they could find.
They always had guards at the ready while others toiled to rebuild. And so they had monies as they traveled westward. Hiring as guards for awhile, building homes, towns, villages, and castles. Sharing their skills and teaching others. Learning. But they yearned for a place of their own.
They eventually settled on Nalo Island, forgetting their origins at Tar-Nalo.
But the folks left behind on Tar-Nalo didn’t forget the ones who left, and never returned.
A mostly nice place to live. Most places the streets are kept clean, refuse is picked up regularly. There are taxes, but only 10-20 percent of each person’s income. Adventurers’ get an even better break. They can bring back 90,000 gold pieces before they pay taxes on treasures found.
There are lots of old castles, abandoned villages, old burial grounds, evil areas on the west and south edges of Trillolara. Some, like Quasqueton, Sraa Keep, and Dtranyo Castle have been cleaned out by player character adventurers.
Some of the adventurers left for Hommlet and Dwarf Home. Some took over Dtranyo Castle with the King’s Blessing and Deed to the lands. Three small villages have grown up in that once forsaken area near Dtranyo Castle.
Most officialdom here is polite and benevolent. Harshness does happen, but its rare. Unless the person being checked on is doing something bad. Like helping Ghastra, Noral, or doing some other evil.
Rumor has it the above mentioned group of adventurers found a Gashtran Spy Nest in lost tunnels beneath Fondfield. No official information is forthcoming on this rumor.
Parenthetical note: Yes, there was indeed a spy nest beneath Fondfield, but the tunnels weren’t lost, they were unknown to the Trillolarans. Its possible the tunnels were known during the time of Khmoj, the town here before Fondfield.
Strange things do happen in Trillolara… like shop keepers who died years ago wait on customers. Then vanish into nothingness and leave the customers very puzzled. The living shop keepers seldom worry, as the correct monies are usually found in the cash box for that store. Even the customers receive the correct change for their purchases. No information has been discovered as to the why and how of these occurances.
A bit more history, much of it ancient.
Trillolara wasn’t always the Land of the Bards. In fact, Bards didn’t always exist.
Many long years ago, in a previous Age, lived a man who liked to sing or humm a tune while he worked.
He was not a Bard, he just liked to sing quietly to himself as he worked. There was music in those days, but no large groups, such as choirs or ensembles singing.
There were a few folks, who might get together in small groups and sing, but it rarely lasted. Few had time to spend on singing or making musical instruments.
Then the attack against Licieria happened. The folk living around Manwater Bay took to the hills near what is now the Plains of Dareth. Many found a large cave complex and went inside. Warriors and spell casters fought the hordes of Undead, to the death. Few survived, mostly those who sang songs or fought near those who sang songs.
They then all retreated to the cave entrance. One great warrior stood at the entrance. The others who had sung and survived earlier battles stood behind that warrior. He sang a song of battles won against long odds. They sang in chorus and repeated the words.
A Great Lich did battle with the Great Warrior.
Neither survived.
But the songs of the rest kept the Undead from entering. And so Bards were born.
The King or Queen of Trillolara is now a Bard of highest level, although no Bard has ever had the skills of that long gone First Bard.
An interesting area … most of the time giants haven’t lived here. After Licieria had been in existence for some years, the giants moved to this area and traded with them and didn’t make war. Where the giants arrived from isn’t known.
Then came the days of the Undead attacks. At first the giants resisted the evil. Then they joined forces with the Undead. Some claim it was to preserve their families. Others say the giants just kept their evil hidden until opportunity arrived so they could act as they feared the might of Licieria.
It is claimed by some the giants moving here was all part of the plan to destroy Licieria.
It matters not as Licieria is gone and the giants now raid the Nomads and Trillolara.
Noral ! Not a name to start a conquering plan with ? Correct. Noral never set out to conquer anyone.
Someone evidently started claiming, many long years ago, that the people of Noral were very war-like, and loved to conquer people.
They had no need to conquer anyone.
Even the beings living out in the Wildlands quickly learned to leave Noral be.
Humans live here. There are a few high elves and even a few halflings. Not so few as to be a curiosity nor so few as to be strangers to the rest of Noral. Both stay away from the Mountains of Death, the humans who live here don’t ask why.
A committee of advisers assist a King. Town officials are voted on by the locals. Military commanders are appointed by the King with advice from the committee. Both town officials and military commanders can be and have been retired adventurers. Everyone pays the same tax rate… 30 percent. But its not a flat tax. There are a number of things here that require permits. Not a large number of permits, but there is a small bureaucracy that keeps track of such things. While they are not hated, they are not well liked either.
Okay. Has Noral conquered anyone ? They don’t say. But there was a settlement in the nearby reaches of the Mountains of Death where no Noralian lived, but its all Noralians now. Were they conquered, killed off, or asked to move ? Nobody outside Noral knows. Their history books make no mention of it ever being outside Noral, nor being inhabited by anyone not of Noral.
Want to adventure in Noral ? Thats okay, but be certain the paperwork is done before hand.
Want to know more ? Well, if you are traveling through Noral, you might find out more by chatting in the local taverns and bars. But don’t ask too many questions, you may be asked for your scholar’s permit. Which also requires a hefty sum of monies for the permit.
Alignments: LE, a few CG, CE, N, NE, LN. The dominate force here is Law. The chaotics are tolerated as the rest don’t like certain tasks… like killing off non-Noralian villages near the borders.
Parenthetical note: yes, they love their permits. Yes, they have conquered others. But they wont expand into the ‘empty lands’ nearby. And for some reason, they wont talk about, they wont move further into the Mountains of Death.