Tairnadal

ECS

Relations between the Tairnadal and the elves of the Undying Court are cordial. They honor the same ancestors, and respect the shared blood that fl ows through their veins. The southern Aereni feel that the Tairnadal waste their blood by refusing to become undying after death; the northern elves believe the elves of the jungle spend too much time dreaming of the past instead of acting in the present.

Chronicles of Eberron

While the Aereni and the Tairnadal have quite different beliefs and traditions, the two cultures have always been allies. Their ancestors fought the same enemies, and both respect the shared blood that flows through their veins. The Tairnadal and the Aereni stand together when their island comes under attack, and Tairnadal may serve as mercenary marines on Aereni vessels. Because of this, it’s also possible for elves to move between the two cultures. Children who can’t adapt to the harsh life of the Tairnadal are fostered among the Aereni, and some Aereni feel the call of a patron ancestor drawing them to the Tairnadal.

Patron ancestors should play a role in any encounter with Valenar or other Tairnadal. If a war band is led by one of Vadallia’s chosen, consider what that leader’s purpose might be, and why is this battle in particular is worth fighting? In addition, Vadallia was a superb tactician, and her chosen will act with that same cunning. No child of Vadallia will act without thought or be driven by fury alone. If a player character is chosen by Cardaen or Vadallia, he or she might find a rival in another who follows the same path, or feel a romantic attraction to an elf who follows the counterpart of his spirit.

Dungeon Raid! Vadallia’s chosen are fearless in pursuit of victory for their war bands and their people, and in obtaining any treasure or object that might aid them in this quest. If adventurers explore a dungeon in search of a powerful relic, they might encounter a war band already searching for the same object. Alternatively, a Valenar band could strike deep into Karrnath and seize a mystic weapon from a Karrnathi arsenal. Can the heroes recover the artifact, and if so, should they return it to Kaius or destroy it?

Against the Crown: Shaeras Vadallia is the High King of Valenar, and it was his devotion to his ancestor that led him to found his nation. He believes that his actions are in the best interests of Tairnadal. However, an adventurer who follows Vadallia’s path could decide that Shaeras is misguided and that his actions are a blight on Vadallia’s memory. Can the hero gain enough skill and strength to challenge the High King and claim the Darkwood Crown?

Vadallia’s Eye: Legends say that Vadallia had a diamond eye that granted her visions of the future. The eye passed to Cardaen, and it was lost when the dragons laid waste to Xen’drik. Recovering the Eye would be a great triumph for any of Vadallia’s chosen, but it would certainly create tension between the bearer and the High King.

Cardaen’s Vengeance: The chosen of Cardaen are driven by vengeance. One of Cardaen’s chosen might seek to avenge crimes against the elves; war bands led by Cardaen’s chosen hunt down those who have wronged the elves, and adventurers who have crossed the Valenar could run afoul of such a group. A Valenar adventurer who follows Cardaen’s path could be approached by a friend from his youth and called upon to avenge an injustice against the race. Of course, Cardaen’s chosen don’t have to limit their vengeance to crimes against the elves; an adventurer would seek to avenge any harm that comes to his allies.

Born in the land of Xen'drik, the elves learned the ways of civilization and magic as slaves of the giants. Ultimately Xen'drik collapsed in an apocalypse of dragon fire, giant magic, and elven steel. The creatures remaining on the continent were reduced to savagery. During the final days of Xen'drik, a visionary foresaw the fate of the doomed realm. On the eve of destruction, she led a few thousand elves across the sea.

Those elves found a home on the island of Aerenal. While the elves came from different cultures, they were united by their reverence for their ancestors and the heroic deeds of those fallen in Xen'drik. The majority of the settlers chose to lay down the sword in favor of the book. They studied the art of magic, plumbing the depth of the arcane and the divine in their search for a way to preserve their heroes. Over the course of twelve thousand years, this effort produced the Undying Court and the Aereni.

Until the Last War, few humans knew of the other culture of Aerenal: The Tairnadal, "proud warriors." When news reached Aerenal of the destruction wrought by the dragons and the downfall of their ancient enemies, the Tairnadal refused to lay down their weapons. Some cursed the dragons for stealing their rightful victory while others blamed the wyrms of Argonnessen for the deaths of elves left behind. While the Aereni sought a way to overcome death, Tairnadal priests declared that the spirits of departed heroes continued to live on through their descendents -- and that the warrior who gains glory in battle serves as an avatar for the heroes of the past.

In -25,000 YK, the dragons came to Aerenal. Once again all elves joined together against a common foe. The conflict between Argonnessen and Aerenal was a fascinating and mysterious struggle but it is a subject far too deep for this current work. To the human eye, this war continued at a snail's pace, with centuries passing between battles. Slowly the emphasis shifted from physical conflict to magical warfare, with the greatest burden falling on the Undying Court itself. Temporarily freed from battle, the Tairnadal looked elsewhere for glory. Their eyes settled on Khorvaire.

In -10,000 YK, Cassael Vadallia led a troop of warriors to the southern coast of Khorvaire, where the Tairnadal established a presence on the continent. These elves called themselves the Valaes Tairn, "warriors of glory." As the elves spread across the southwest, they came into contact with the goblinoid empire of Dhakaan. Isolated skirmishes soon turned to war. The Valaes Tairn were peerless warriors but the Dhakaani had excellent discipline and greater numbers.

At the height of the Dhakaani-Tairn War, the dragons struck Aerenal with greater force than ever. The elves rushed to the defense of their homeland, and the goblins seized the fortresses left behind. The conflict that followed was long and terrible, made worse when the Dhakaani launched attacks against Aerenal. The elves could not afford to fight two foes. The leaders of the Tairnadal met with the Dhakaani, and a treaty was signed; the elves swore never to return to Khorvaire unless called upon for aid.

They stood by their word. The Dhakaani were too proud to ask for assistance during the Daelkyr incursion, and even when the empire collapsed into ruin the Tairnadal remained on their island. For thousands of years the Valaes Tairn rebuilt their numbers and honed their skills -- until 914 YK, when a summons finally came.

The call came from Queen Mishann of Cyre. The Last War was well underway, and the Cyrans were under attack from all sides. Intrigued by the queen's plea, war leader Shaeras Vadallia summoned the clans of the Valaes Tairn. The warriors agreed that it was time to return.

For 42 years the Valaes Tairn spread terror across Breland and Karrnath. Then they broke all ties with Cyre. Some say that the young Queen Mishala insulted Vadallia, while others believe that the war leader simply grew tired of the alliance. Vadallia summoned his forces to the southeastern edge of Cyre. He spoke of the ancient claim of the elves, a bond to the land older than human civilization. As a darkwood crown was placed upon his brow, he swore to restore the lands claimed by his ancestor and to give all Tairnadal the chance for glory. Sinking his blade into the soil, he declared the foundation of Valenar, "the glorious realm."

Source: Dragonshard: The Elves of Valenar, Part 1

The Tairnadal are a culture of elves entirely defined by their shared religion. In short, each elf upon reaching coming of age is chosen by a hero of the past, benefitting from the ancestor’s guidance while earning the duty to emulate and preserve the ancestor that chose them. Worship of the Spirits of the Past, like worship of the Undying Court, is a tradition and practice inextricable from the history of its worshippers.

Throughout the Age of Giants many distinct clans of nomadic elves waged war against their giant oppressors. Aeren’s vision united both free and enslaved elves in one fight. When the giants threatened cataclysmic magic, Aeren led the elves across the Thunder Sea and avoided the fallout of draconic retribution. Aeren died on the journey, but the surviving elves named their new home Aerenal.

While many elves wished to lay down their arms and build a civilization of their own, others dedicated themselves to the eternal arts of war. The former group settled in the southern jungles, while the latter became nomads on the northern steppes – the first Tairnadal. 

These stories of these nomadic elves’ ancestors became manifest as the preserved spirits of each clan’s heroes. These spirits could pass on their memories to living followers, sharing their talent and techniques. Thecultivation and preservation of these ancestors forms the basis of the Spirits of the Past. Young elves learned to train to earn the approval and blessings of their ancestors, in return preserving the memories of those ancestors and their martial expertise.

After thousands of years, the Irian-worshipping elves of the southern jungles had created enough deathless to form the Undying Court. In response to the formation of this new power, the dragons besieged Aerenal - the beginning of the elf-dragon wars. Some Tairnadal joined in this fight, developed dragon-fighting techniques, and became the first of the Draleus Tairn. This aid solidified the peaceful coexistence of the northern and southern elven cultures.

During a lull in the elf-dragon wars, a major sect of Tairnadal elves known as the Valaes Tairn, the “Warriors of Glory”, colonized the southeastern corner of Khorvaire in search of new enemies. Calling this new land Valenar, the Valeas Tairn quickly drove off the native orc tribes that had already been marginalized by the Dhakaani empire. The elves found the goblinoids to be a truly worthy foe. Thus, the Valaes Tairn sharpened their steel and skills against this empire in a lengthy conflict known as the Dhakaani-Tairn war.

The war changed dramatically when renewed draconic aggression forced the Valaes Tairn to retreat to Aerenal to defend the homeland. The Dhakaani used this opportunity to go on the offensive. Unable to sustain both conflicts, the elves were forced into a peace agreement with the goblinoid empire, binding them to never return to Khorvaire unless called upon for aid. Dhakaani pride prevented the dar from calling upon the elves for aid in the war against the daelkyr, and so no Tairnadal elf laid a foot on Khorvaire soil for thousands of years.

Scholars say the Last War was precipitated by King Jarot’s military buildup throughout his life. Fearing an invasion by an advanced, external threat, Jarot’s projects were used by his children against each other to star the Last War. Valenar is the realization of Jarot’s fear – a foreign military conquering Khorvaire. The fact that it was Jarot’s rightful heir who invited this military only heightens the irony that a foreign military poses the single greatest threat to the post-Thronehold peace.

As the Last War was establishing itself, Queen Mishann of Cyre reached abroad for allies willing to aid her rightful claim to the throne of Galifar. The long-exiled Valaes Tairn responded to the call, and in 906 YK returned to Khorvaire to fight Cyre’s enemies. This arrangement lasted for fifty years and through several Cyran monarchs, until Shaeras Vadallia announced the annexation of Eastern Cyre and declared himself High King. The new nation was named Valenar, “The Glorious Realm”, and justified in the name of reclaiming the lost elven colony. 

This annexation also brought about an end to the Valaes Tairn’s exclusive relationship with the Cyran crown. While no nation was willing to trust the elves in large numbers, the elite warriors were too potent a force to completely forego. Even some Cyran commanders continued to hire the traitorous elves as mercenaries. 

With the Day of Mourning and the end of the Last War, Valenar was recognized by the Treaty of Thronehold and High King Shaeras Vadallia signed an agreement to abide by its accords. In practice, the Host of Valenar continues to conduct raids on its neighbors, pushing the envelope on acceptable behavior.

Source: Politics of Valenar

The big one: http://keith-baker.com/ifaq-tairnadal/

http://keith-baker.com/ifaq-eta/

http://keith-baker.com/rising-qa-tairnadal/

http://keith-baker.com/eberron-flashback-aereni-and-tairnadal/

http://keith-baker.com/sidebar-elves-of-eberron/

https://manifest.zone/elves/ 

Misc Q&A

How do the Tairnadal/Valenar elves bury their dead? Especially when they’re in the field or engaged in battle?

So: The Tairnadal are a nomadic culture. They are essentially always engaged in battle and on the move, and generally don’t place a lot of importance on physical monuments. Likewise, they don’t place much importance on corpses. They’re concerned with the SPIRIT, believing that the spirit can live on through devoted followers. For revenant blades of Cardaen, Cardaen’s spirit is with them at all times; it doesn’t matter where his bones are.

Having said that: we’ve talked about revenants who treasure relics of their patron ancestors. Notably, the Player’s Guide to Eberron talks about the zaelshin tu:

Every Valenar warrior reveres his ancestors and carries a zaelshin amulet bearing the sigil of his patron ancestor with him at all times. With a zaelshin tu, you do more than that: You carry a physical relic of your patron ancestor—a tooth or sliver of bone brought from Xen’drik to Aerenal and encased in your zaelshin amulet.

The two noteworthy points here are that champions carry a piece of their patron—so again, not burying them in some grand tomb—and that these are described as teeth or slivers of bone; we’ve never described them as using, say, bonecraft armor.

With this in mind, I think that the common Tairnadal practice is to burn the dead, and then to collect ashes, teeth, and slivers of bone that survive the fire, which would be carried by other members of the fallen elf’s warband and possibly passed on to the Keepers of the Past. You don’t want to leave something behind an enemy could desecrate, and all you need is a sliver that can help serve as a beacon to their spirit.

Source: http://keith-baker.com/ifaq-malevanor-bov/ 

Tairnadal society is split between the zaeltairn (“warrior souls”) and the zaelantar (“peaceful souls”). The bulk of adult Tairnadal are members of the zaeltairn, serving as soldiers and officers. A much smaller portion of adults are members of the zaelantar, civilians who honorably support a fundamentally militaristic society. Children (elves not yet selected by a patron ancestor) are also zaelantar.

The intense militarization of the Tairnadal goes far beyond even the martial culture of a nation like Karrnath. As a comparison, in Karrnath almost everyone is obligated to serve in the military for a two-year tour of duty which can include support roles. By contrast, the zaeltairn serve in the military for their entire lives and each member expects to see combat, all to honor their ancestor spirit.

The ideological differences between the Tairnadal and other martial cultures are even greater than the structural differences. The religious demands of the patron ancestors supernaturally drive Tairnadal aggression beyond ordinary strategic or egotistic desires. Tairnadal heroes are not only put on a pedestal, but they are also canonized as within their religion: The Spirits of the Past.

The Spirits of the Past

Tairnadal ancestors do not have physical embodiments such as the spirit idols or deathless that anchor the souls of Aereni ancestors. Rather, the patron ancestors are bound to the collective souls of the faithful Tairnadal, a bond with strong similarities to the kalashtar and their rebel quori. Once chosen, a Tairnadal elf has a special connection to their patron that allows them to remember their patron’s life while trancing, marking them as a revenant. The clergy can remember the lives of any ancestor spirit while trancing, allowing them to guide the whole of society.

Like the kalashtar, these connections are only partially controlled by the mortal participant. Part of the mystery of faith for the Tairnadal is what memories are shown to the faithful – no two revenants have received the exact same set of memories. Revenants may differ even on the interpretation of shared memories. One elf may focus on perfecting the exact style an ancestor developed, while another elf may see the development of a new style as the thing to emulate. Alternatively, the aspects of an ancestor’s life outside combat might be a revenant’s focus - romances, tragedies, relationships with authority and the Tairnadal culture. A rebellious ancestor whose independence resulted in unexpected success may still be revered, and elves who follow that ancestor’s path would be expected to challenge the social order.

Stylistically, the Tairnadal wear veils named zaelta (“spirit mask”) to assume the identity of their patrons. Devotion is demonstrated through daily actions rather than elaborate prayer or ceremony. The Tairnadal do not erect large temples, instead remaining nomadic through temporary places for worship.

The Keepers of the Past

Tairnadal priests, known as the Keepers of the Past, are primarily zaelantar and serve in support and advisory roles. These priests have a connection to many ancestors. Keepers are expected to be great orators, sharing and preserving the stories of the ancestors. Many priests imbue their oratories with magic, calling upon the power innate in story in addition to raw divine power.

Ancestors

The Tairnadal have preserved dozens of elves throughout their history – this section provides a few examples.

Vadallia, the Queen of Swords is the most famous of the elven leaders in the war against the giants. She led from the front and made many personal sacrifices for her people, such as trading her eye for the gift of prophecy. Her love for the elven people contrasted with her personal coldness to all but her horse, Sleipni. In combat she wielded the traditional double scimitar astride her horse, an image of the Valenar elves that is well known in the Five Nations due to High King Shaeras Vadallia.

Cardaen grew up a slave in the Cul’sir dominion. An arcane prodigy, the giant emperor exalted Cardaen and his pure love of magic – which led to many fantastic arcane inventions. However, for too long Cardaen ignored what his works were used for, until Vadallia carried him away in a daring raid on Cul’sir’s throne room. Cardaen saw the devastation his spells wrought and was consumed with vengeance when a curse of his own making slew Vadallia. Cardaen did not follow Aeren across the sea in the elven exodus, choosing to follow his oath of retribution to the end of the line. Elves devoted to Cardaen sometimes lead quests into Xen’drik looking for his final resting place, but none have yet succeeded.

Falaen was a guerilla warrior who knew the name of every plant and how it could be used for food, medicine, and poison. While his individual tales feature his dual envenomed swords, Falaen’s knowledge of plants also led him to pioneer many important healing techniques.

Maezan Shal was a Siyal Marrain druid that raised the walls of Taer Valaestas during the Age of Monsters. His epic primal magic wove stone and wood to form the bronzewood thorns that repelled many Dhakaani invasions. As the Valenar expanded, he established the border forts that define modern Valenar. Some heirs seek to enact fresh vengeance upon the Heirs of Dhakaan for their assassination of the archdruid.

Mazaraen was an elven commando noted for his usage of illusions and poisons to sow terror. His willingness to target civilian populations has given him somewhat of an antihero status amongst the Tairnadal, with many other patrons seeing Mazaraen as avoiding the real fights. By contrast, zaeltairn devoted to Mazaraen see his unconventional nature as a willingness to seek victory over glory, and that “worthy” foes are a distraction.

Silence was an elven assassin who pioneered many covert and deadly arts, leveraging their natural dexterity in lethal unarmed attacks. When truenamers from the Group of Eleven stole Silence’s name, the elves fought back by holding a moment of silence for their companion, immortalizing them as a Tairnadal patron.

Taeri was a legendary swordsman who mentored Vadallia in the way of the double scimitar. Taeri’s fighting style emphasized capitalizing on the mistakes of a lumbering opponent, leveraging an elf’s dexterity against the strength of a giant. Taeri’s loyalty to their companions was faultless, never leaving a soldier behind.

Daealyth Taeri was a legendary swordsman who fought the Dhakaani empire during the Age of Monsters. Daealyth innovated on Taeri’s style, creating new techniques better suited to the smaller and more numerous Dhakaani. To commemorate his victories, Daealyth took a new name – one that would be remembered forever by the Valaes Tairn.

Jaeldira Taeri innovated a flowing, mobile fighting style that built on Taeri’s punishing strikes. Her style incorporated the fluid movement of unarmed fighting traditions with a traditional Tairnadal blade dance.

Varedi is a zaelantar patron who forged the deadliest weapons of Vadallia’s army. Born deaf, he found the light of the forge comforting from a young age. He carried his passion into his personal life, creating legendary works of art for his partners as a sign of his love. This passion though was always fleeting, leaving a long string of broken hearts and bittersweet reminders.

If you would prefer to build your own ancestor, the Valenar Ancestors tables can help you get started. 

Valenar Ancestor Basics

Ancestor Legend

Exceptions

While all Tairnadal youth are expected to take up the cause of whichever patron ancestor that chose them, this is not some magical compulsion – it is a culturally and religiously imposed duty. As such, some reject this calling.

Elves who leave before a patron chooses them may simply be skeptical of the faith, feel discomfort at the idea of having their life chosen for them, or feel frustrated at approaching a century of age without being chosen. All these sentiments lead to a character that grew up in the Tairnadal culture but did not go through the ceremonial dedication with the Keepers of the Past.

Conversely, elves who leave after being chosen (either immediately or after time has passed) are usually in rejection of their specific patron. Often this comes from feeling like they were picked by the wrong patron, in temperament or role. Alternatively, this comes from a realization that their preferred patron is not what they thought it would be like, triggering a crisis of faith.

Whenever this rejection comes, these rebels have a few options for where to go. Most of these elves leave for the courts of southern Aerenal. Others take a boat out of Shae Thoridar, leaving for Khorvaire or Stormreach to find a new life. This latter group is the most likely to become adventurers, with no home or family but enough combat training to join up with an unlikely band of heroes.

One set of exceptions in the opposite direction are elves who choose to become Tairnadal. While not common, some young Aereni of the southern jungles find the quiet, peaceful worship of the Undying Court to be stifling. These elves join the zaelantar and are subjected to the same standards and trials as those born into the culture and are also eligible to be chosen by a patron ancestor. Far rarer is the occasion when an elf from Khorvaire makes the journey across the sea to join the Tairnadal, but these elves have also been accepted. No non-elf, not even a half-elf, has ever been chosen by a patron ancestor.

Zaelantar

The zaelantar are the minority of elves not in the military, charged with maintaining the logistics and infrastructure to support the armies. The bulk of the zaelantar are elven children who have not yet been chosen by a patron ancestor. In Tairnadal society, childhood can last until the age of 110, although most are picked by their sixth decade.

The older zaelantar have been chosen by a civilian patron, such as a legendary crafter, teacher, or druid. Far fewer youths are chosen by one of the peaceful zaelantar spirits than the martial zaeltairn spirits, but these older zaelantar still serve an important role in Tairnadal society.

An an-shan is a Tairnadal youth who guides a band of other youths while a tar-shan is an older elf chosen by one of the Tairnadal’s few great civil leaders. Groups of youths rotate through the role of an-shan, using their turn to audition for the Tairnadal’s great leader ancestors like Vadallia. By contrast the title of tar-shan is appointed by the Keepers of the Past and is kept until the Keepers of the Past see fit to change the delegation of authority.

Zaeltairn

Each army is composed of many clans, which are further divided into bands. Each clan is led by a shan, while each band is led by a lu-shan. Decisions are ultimately in the sole hands of the shan or lu-shan, but both roles take time to consult their subordinates (the lu-shans for a shan, or the members of a band for a lu-shan) before coming to a verdict. The zaeltairn respect the decisions of their superiors unconditionally, whether made after careful consultation or the in the heat of battle.

Armies are led by a var-shan (“Great Lord”), who holds ultimate authority within the army. While Shaeras Vadallia is the High King of Valenar, his more important title is van-shar of the Host of Valenar, one of several armies that comprise the greater Valaes Tairn. A var-shan’s responsibilities are broad, and decisions are almost always made through a consensus of the shan.

Assignments to a band are indefinite - while a band may transfer between clans as the needs of the army change, the core unit of a dozen elves stays together, replacing members when they grow old or are killed. Elves may be granted a leave from military duties if grievously injured or to produce children. The Tairnadal have developed advanced forms of livewood and ectoplasmic prosthesis to help elven amputees recover limb functionality. Elves who wish to have children briefly transfer to the zaelantar before rejoining their army, leaving the child in the care of the zaelantar guides and teachers.

Despite their long lives, elves do eventually start to suffer degradations of the body in their fourth century. The oldest members of the zaeltairn sometimes transition back to the zaelantar to become teachers, but most remain part of their army in more senior leadership and support roles. While an elf dedicated to Taeri would not be a fit for the title of shan, their earned wisdom is still valuable and might be sufficient to earn the title of lu-shan. Others may transition to training roles within the zaeltairn, working with younger members who share a patron ancestor.