Hunters of the Plains, Founder of Empires

The Aenesi will claim, based upon records unearthed in the old ruins of Aus Argentum, that they were the first of the other people encountered by the Landians.  They say that they were wandering the fields of the Finnupave and there encountered either the Landians of Calelden or of Falden and were taken in as allies.  In the early Cycles against the Arch Dragon the Landians took the early Aenesi and shielded them.  As the Cycles continued and the number of Landians dwindled the Aenesi then stepped in to fill out the ranks.  Eventually the Aenesi would repopulate lands that the Landians had abandoned and so founded their Silver Empire, ancestor of the current Silver Kingdom.

There is of course no real way to confirm any of this, though it is worth noting that if a record as old as the Aenesi first meeting the Landians did exist it would be about the only recorded account of an event so old.

So, let’s start with what the Last Landian would always point to as the ever logical beginning point.  What we can be most sure of.

Aenesi are one of the intelligent people of Illithiust.  They are the tallest in stature, with long limbs sprouting from barrel chests.  This gives them great strides and deep breaths which gives them a natural affinity for running long instances.  They are carnivores, with teeth and appetites clearly built for that role.  These traits combine do give an indication of where in Illithiust they would have best been suited.  So while none of our origins can be said for sure, it is reasonable to say that Aenesi were hunters of the plains.  Greater height gave them wider views and they hunted the animals that grazed upon the plentiful grasses.  There their long limbs made them effective at running prey down.  Some Aenesi still retain this role, wandering the greater Finnupave or the fields of the Eastern coasts of Illithiust.  These tribes travel in caravans, large vessels propelled by both beast and sail, with masts that the long limb Aenesi climb gracefully and which expands the view their height has already afforded them.

However, what the Aenesi nowadays are most known for is the founding of the great Silver Kingdom.  How bands of hunters became empire builders seems strange but time has brought us some history from the last Cycle, including the Last Landian himself.  The nomadic role meant that Aenesi naturally took on the role of trader and in the aftermath of the second to most recent Cycle, the Aenesi found themselves better off than the cities and nations that had been destroyed by the wild rage of the Dragons.  With numbers, supplies, and the silver they traded and travelled with on their side, the Aenesi that would go on to make their empire set about to use their boons to rebuild what of Illithiust they could.

New towns were built as hubs to bring together disparate farms, mines, and such and as trade lines were established the Aenesi found that it was easier to funnel the supplies and reward, in taxes, for their altruistic expenditures back to a central hub.  Thus was born Aus Argentum, the City of Silver, and with it the trade empire around it.

The Last Landian has told it that the Silver Kingdom was the mightiest force in his Cycle, and that their silver funded the fight to defeat the Dragons as much as their soldiers bled for it.  However, the transition from roving bands to builder and occupier of cities also meant that when the Cycle ended, and our Age of Dragons began, the Silver Empire was one of the focuses of the surviving Dragons as they lashed out against survivors left defenseless when the armies had been destroyed in the Cycle’s ending battle.  Due to their recency, much of the ruins we can find in our time are remnants of the roads and structures that the Silver Empire had built.  Most notably of them is the Greenway.  A nearly overgrown path now it was the main road that linked what is now the Provinces back to Aus Argetum.  How much of the Silver Empire is built on earlier ruins, and at what point in the past the had been Landian ruins, is a debate for another time.

The final note is that of all the races of Illithiust the Aenesi claim to have had the closest relationship to the Landians.  This goes well with their claim to have been the first race found by the Landians.  However, with a lifespan of usually at least two centuries, and past glories in mind, it’s no wonder that Aenesi like Aramil and Kalitz have seen it as their duty to take over the mantle of protector of Illithiust as the Last Landian faded away.  In the end, their nobility is not in doubt.  After all, the Aenesi deserve credit for helping to build civilization from chaos once before.  Whether their nobility is enough to exceed the legends of the Landians is another matter, and without a legend capable of facing up to the Dragons, this writer is not convinced the Aenesi will achieve their great ambition.