Marn's First Settlement: The Ispoli
Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2013 11:31 pm
Marn’s First Settlement: The Ispoli Giants
History:
The mysterious giants of Marn’s distant past, during the year 500 BCE the ispoli came from the southwest. It was these creatures who built Marn’s first settlement. Likely due to their limited numbers, they remained independent during the changers war, but most of their goods and weaponry was gradually sent to the aid of Theogios along the nearby trade routes.
The Ispoli were driven to extinction when Tian Xia laid siege to the fort 2,215 years ago. Records and local legend indicate that this was accomplished with the help of some sort of monster, which ruthlessly slaughtered each Ispoli with the aid of the attacking army, and the gigantic claw marks on the old stonework all but confirm this.
Appearance:
Fossil evidence tells modern Marn the ispoli resembled tall humanoids with deeply inset eyes and horns. The horns most closely resembled those of a mountain goat, and curled downwards starting from behind the ear. Their ears were long and pointed, and were at least partially integrated with their horns. About 6 and a half feet tall on average, they towered over most men, yet their general build was very slim. Analysis of jawbones implies that their diet was primarily meat, and bones in recovered skeletons’ stomach give a strong implication that at least some ate their own dead. Artifacts, particularly tools, recovered from the time show that they tended to wear tattoos believed by scholars to be involved in their magical and religious practices.
Culture:
Most of what is known about the ispoli’s culture comes from the old church in the historic district, and much of that has been buried beneath the other civilizations who colonized the society’s remains. Today the church most closely resembles those found in Eyropa, but pillars of stone repurposed to that end still stand from ancient times. Despite the ancient magic which has let such old stone stand strong all this time, there is a large gash mark, as if by a claw, upon one of them.
Other than the remnants of their religious ceremony, it is known that they were responsible for the creation of the ancient caverns beneath Marn. To what end is unknown. One brave historian who ventured into the depths beneath the church claims to have found a tablet depicting a great light deep underground. While the tunnels are certainly verifiable, the fact that the historian claims this tablet was stolen before he could reveal it put doubts on his various claims. It is possible they were simply mining for the resources necessary to build their enchanted weapons and structures.
Magic:
Like the dwarves, the ispoli excelled at the creation of enchanted weapons. Some theorize their knowledge may have aided in the creation of dwarves, though it is not likely their small civilization ever wielded the influence to become much more than an inspiration, nor is there any evidence of their existing first. It can be inferred from the remaining carvings in the old church that they regarded such practices spiritually, and they were capable of enchanting a wide variety of objects.
It is also believed, due to a lack of any noticeable burial grounds and trace other clues, they were practitioners of necromancy. Sparse Tian Xia military records from the time support this theory, claiming that a settlement in the midst of the Sooqui plains gave greater resistance than expected due to the ability to add the enemy dead to their ranks.
Today:
The only visible traces of the ispoli aboveground come from a pair of sources. The first is the fossil recovered from the depths, a surprisingly intact creature only missing most of its upper ribs and lower left leg. It has been put on display at the university, where it now rests inside of a glass case.
The other is the stonework of the old church. Though the decaying wooden pieces are the more recent additions of the Eyropan Empire, the spellbound stone still bears the faded glyphs of the old civilization. It is quite probable that a sense of the arcane forces gradually leaking from these stones was a factor in Eyropa’s eventual abandonment the old fort.
The true legacy of the ispoli lies deep down, in the tunnels which wind an inscrutable path down into the depths of the world. Ancient ruins and ritual chambers still lie about, buried beneath the dirt and weight of human civilization. They await the exploration of brave souls and greedy villains, ever patient, with history the only song they can sing.
History:
The mysterious giants of Marn’s distant past, during the year 500 BCE the ispoli came from the southwest. It was these creatures who built Marn’s first settlement. Likely due to their limited numbers, they remained independent during the changers war, but most of their goods and weaponry was gradually sent to the aid of Theogios along the nearby trade routes.
The Ispoli were driven to extinction when Tian Xia laid siege to the fort 2,215 years ago. Records and local legend indicate that this was accomplished with the help of some sort of monster, which ruthlessly slaughtered each Ispoli with the aid of the attacking army, and the gigantic claw marks on the old stonework all but confirm this.
Appearance:
Fossil evidence tells modern Marn the ispoli resembled tall humanoids with deeply inset eyes and horns. The horns most closely resembled those of a mountain goat, and curled downwards starting from behind the ear. Their ears were long and pointed, and were at least partially integrated with their horns. About 6 and a half feet tall on average, they towered over most men, yet their general build was very slim. Analysis of jawbones implies that their diet was primarily meat, and bones in recovered skeletons’ stomach give a strong implication that at least some ate their own dead. Artifacts, particularly tools, recovered from the time show that they tended to wear tattoos believed by scholars to be involved in their magical and religious practices.
Culture:
Most of what is known about the ispoli’s culture comes from the old church in the historic district, and much of that has been buried beneath the other civilizations who colonized the society’s remains. Today the church most closely resembles those found in Eyropa, but pillars of stone repurposed to that end still stand from ancient times. Despite the ancient magic which has let such old stone stand strong all this time, there is a large gash mark, as if by a claw, upon one of them.
Other than the remnants of their religious ceremony, it is known that they were responsible for the creation of the ancient caverns beneath Marn. To what end is unknown. One brave historian who ventured into the depths beneath the church claims to have found a tablet depicting a great light deep underground. While the tunnels are certainly verifiable, the fact that the historian claims this tablet was stolen before he could reveal it put doubts on his various claims. It is possible they were simply mining for the resources necessary to build their enchanted weapons and structures.
Magic:
Like the dwarves, the ispoli excelled at the creation of enchanted weapons. Some theorize their knowledge may have aided in the creation of dwarves, though it is not likely their small civilization ever wielded the influence to become much more than an inspiration, nor is there any evidence of their existing first. It can be inferred from the remaining carvings in the old church that they regarded such practices spiritually, and they were capable of enchanting a wide variety of objects.
It is also believed, due to a lack of any noticeable burial grounds and trace other clues, they were practitioners of necromancy. Sparse Tian Xia military records from the time support this theory, claiming that a settlement in the midst of the Sooqui plains gave greater resistance than expected due to the ability to add the enemy dead to their ranks.
Today:
The only visible traces of the ispoli aboveground come from a pair of sources. The first is the fossil recovered from the depths, a surprisingly intact creature only missing most of its upper ribs and lower left leg. It has been put on display at the university, where it now rests inside of a glass case.
The other is the stonework of the old church. Though the decaying wooden pieces are the more recent additions of the Eyropan Empire, the spellbound stone still bears the faded glyphs of the old civilization. It is quite probable that a sense of the arcane forces gradually leaking from these stones was a factor in Eyropa’s eventual abandonment the old fort.
The true legacy of the ispoli lies deep down, in the tunnels which wind an inscrutable path down into the depths of the world. Ancient ruins and ritual chambers still lie about, buried beneath the dirt and weight of human civilization. They await the exploration of brave souls and greedy villains, ever patient, with history the only song they can sing.