#whose forefathers took his people and culture from the earth

[mal3vol3nt]

the reason people get mad and upset over aang not killing ozai is because they can’t or are unwilling to understand what it really meant for him to be the last airbender

a lot of people don’t truly acknowledge what aang went through when they talk about him. it was a genocide. an ethnic cleansing. a GENOCIDE. and i think that’s because so many people are just incapable or unwilling to wrap their heads around how tragic and isolating and unchangeable something like that is.

i’ve seen countless people say they wish aang had found other airbenders hiding away somewhere. and while i totally get wanting that to happen for the happiness of the character (hell, even i have thought about how heart wrenching that utter relief would feel for him), i’ve also seen those takes associated with people saying they just find it hard to believe that none of the airbenders survived. that none of them were able to escape.

and that’s the thing that annoys me because genocide is a real fucking thing that has happened and IS currently happening in the world (just look at palestine, congo, sudan). it shouldn’t be so hard for people to suspend their belief into thinking it could happen in a fictional piece of media. this disbelief that a genocide can be real results in people being unable to fully sympathize with a character who is stated several times to be the definite, unchangeable sole survivor of his people’s genocide. and i’m not saying it’s wrong to want there to be airbenders who lived, but in canon it’s clear that none of them did. and the ones who did canonically escape were hunted and lured by the fire nation to their demise. and if we’re going to discuss characters and the intents behind their actions, aang’s character development is heavily, heavily heavily guided by his guilt and grief over his lost culture and people. but a lot of people still can’t wrap their heads around the canonical genocide he survived, meaning they can’t fully comprehend why aang would choose peace over a violent end. and considering atla is a western show with a largely western audience, its even more evident that this gap in people’s ability to understand and sympathize with aang is emphasized by their western intrigue toward violence. people don’t just misunderstand aang’s dilemma—they wanted him to kill ozai because seeing him do that would have been cool and interesting and satisfying.

but aang’s decision to spare ozai’s life was made due to his status as the last airbender. prior to meeting the lion turtle, i think it’s safe to say that he had resigned to what he had to do. that is to say, he was likely going to kill ozai despite the pain that was going to cause him. he was going to give up a part of himself, his humanity and the last remainings of his culture, to be the avatar the world needed. but he was then gifted the ability to energy bend, offering him, but not cementing, another option. aang still had the choice, and we saw in the fight that aang was so very close to killing ozai even with this new ability. but he couldn’t. because although killing ozai would have been a pretty justifiable thing to do, it would have fully finished off the air nomads. aang was the only living human who held onto their beliefs. if he were to push those values aside to end the war, the war would have ended the same way it started: with the death of the air nomads. and it may sound “cheesy” or overly dramatic or whatever to some people, but aang’s entire story arc has, arguably, been him trying to fit in a world that seemingly has no more room for the air nomads. not only is he 100 years in the future, but this future has none of his people around and war is everywhere. violence is basically required to survive. death is everywhere. greed has corrupted nations. everything the air nomads stood against made up this world, and aang, as the avatar, had no choice but to save it. for him to have given in to what everyone expected of him—violence—he would have ultimately eliminated air nomad values from the world. and the world would have not cared. aang’s victory would have been celebrated, but aang would have felt even more grief than before. he would have let himself and his people down. and balance would have never been achieved because the air nomads mattered. they were part of what kept the world going round. no matter how much the current world he was fighting for called for violence and death to achieve an end, the air nomads still had a voice through aang. they were still around because of aang. aang’s existence and dedication and love for his culture kept the genocide from being official.

and in my opinion, air nomadic values coming out victorious in a war that nearly wiped them clean (except for aang) is much more of a meaningful and satisfying ending than violence ending with violence.

and if you wanna call aang’s decision selfish, then fine. but i personally think it’s more selfish to expect a survivor of genocide to keep giving and giving and giving for a war that took his people from him until he has nothing left of himself to give. i think that is far more selfish. aang may be the avatar but he is also human. just as much human as his people were, and the leaders he was fighting against, and the millions of people he ended up saving, and just as deserving of having some sort of agency in the decisions he makes. call me crazy ig

#aang’s decision to spare ozai was the right decision and yall will never convince me otherwise #aang was a victim of this war and his people deserved to receive justice in a way they would have appreciated and advocated for #and if you wanna say it was selfish of him #then so what?? #call me crazy but i think a 12 year old survivor of genocide is more than right to be selfish when confronting the man #whose forefathers took his people and culture from the earth #and who planned on giving that same fate to other nations of people #atla #avatar the last airbender #pro aang #aang defense squad #air nomads #airbenders #aang #avatar aang

[southfarthing]

as someone finally reading the silmarillion, i really can't get my head around the sheer vastness of space and time between the settings of the silm and of the hobbit/lotr, yet the fact that it's all so interlinked, a palimpsest of sorts: the history, the geography, the language, the culture.

it's genuinely making me feral thinking about how celebrimbor and narvi's work is right there for the fellowship to see! how even though beleriand was flooded, himring/himling still left its mark on the map. it took me so long to figure out those were even the same thing... imagine being an inhabitant of middle earth in the 3rd/4th age and poring over maps and hearing all these myths and legends about the peoples and lands of the past, but it's more than that!!

Do we walk in legends or on the green earth in the daylight? / A man may do both !!! a quote that truly means something coming from a man who is wearing a ring worn by beren his forefather and finrod, the og! a man whose grandmother-in-law has been alive nearly since the dawn of time and who has seen and who continues to see the world and how it changes and grows and wilts and is reborn again and again.

I cant even imagine what my next re-read of lord of the rings is going to be like now that I'll actually understand the historical context from the silmarillion...

#WEOOOO just. thought about the star of feanor still just hanging around in 3rd-age middle earth. the İMPACT #no braincell very tired just many scattered thoughts that and many emotions that hinder me from reading on. i shall just sit and Think #silm #mp #I haven't processed the full timeline yet but like imagine running into amazingly preserved art and structures from thousands of years ago #and it's not just a cool piece of history.. it's directly linked to you. or someone you know has personally witnessed it all #brain gone!!!! #lotrxsilm

[obliviouskind]

Folktales

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Disclaimer: Current day Sinnoh does not follow, nor believe, in the tales listed below anymore – only its culture lingers within its population. This is considered a dead faith.

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Before Orthism became widespread upon Sinnohan land, there was a faith which was less about worship, and more about the stories passed down and told. The myths of the land, the richness of the creatures within it. The belief that those closest to God lingered among them. In modern terminology, these creatures are either considered to be mere legends - or are considered to be abnormalities of nature. From Brook Horses, to Trolls; every imaginable horror of which could scare children away from wandering too far off their farms has been passed down by word of mouth, and left vast parts of the population fearful of the unknown. 

To this day, these stories linger on - most commonly seen within novels, though they are known to be used for teaching children how to count, sing, and write. There are, of course, still those who hold on to these superstitions. Or, at the very least, behave as though they do.

They may warn you to be extra careful, when wandering near creeks. --Below, there will be a list of the most notable beasts of which have been most commonly affiliated with these myths throughout the ages - from God’s unlike those most commonly praised now, to those whose coloring left them with a bad lot in life... 

It is important to note, however, that all tales come from somewhere… Be it from fear, or truth. A certain someone, certainly, came to take them as the latter - though that is a story for a different time...

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FIRSTBORN

Regigigas and His Descendants

Before Time, there was Space. Before Space, there was Time and before either - there was a Titan known only as Regigigas. The very first soul to have been created by Arceus’s quiet palms, molded out of rock and soil for one purpose, and one purpose only. To die had been his destiny - and within his corpse, life would begin to flourish.  Regigigas is said to be the forefather of all life on earth. He is the very soil that one walks upon, the very mountains that one climbs and at his core, hidden deep in snow, thrums the temple of which keeps his heart closed. 

After his origins, the Giants who came after became associated with the chaos of antiquity and the wild, untamed forces of nature - most notably: Regice, Registeel and Regirock. Described as behemoths who could throw boulders several miles and who left traces in the landscape in the form of giant pots, moving blocks and burial mounds – it was no wonder that their reputation was one of hostility to the highest degree. Both to humanity, just as well as the highest of cultivations. However, though large and strong creatures - they weren't exactly… savages. Known to be able to take the shapes of humans, they could be clumsy, as well as silly. Evil, as well as insidious though sometimes, too, magical and wise. Giants have been said to have been the teachers of humanity, as well as the malevolent. 

Time and Space are depicted as the most notable of companions for these Giants and are even said, in certain tales, to have mothered numerous of their offspring throughout the ages. In current times, the presence of Giants are seen as non-existent - if not entirely gone. The aforementioned trio could be considered the last ones standing, if even that, and for those who still hold these beliefs dear; it's a sign of doomsday, and nothing less. 

(In Snowpoint, the old tradition of proposing using a necklace embellished with Registeel’s Smithing Hammer, rather than a ring, still lives on.)

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TROLL Shiny and ‘Neutral’ Snover/Abomasnow

The word ‘Troll’ has been a descriptor whose meaning has changed over time. In modern terminology, ‘Troll’ mostly has found its footing in relation to one specific creature group – Snover’s, as well as their more developed counterparts. It is, however, interchangeably used in relation to many other mythological beings and in common language, it seemed as though it had been used as a blanket term for all beings that one would have considered evil in some form or fashion, rather than it having come with a set classification and characterization.   Giants, Mountain Creatures, Witches, Berserks and even just abnormally tall people have all earned themselves the classification of Troll within old Sinnohan records.

In central Sinnohan beliefs, Trolls have been described as having been capable of disguising themselves as people so well that they practically were indistinguishable from humans. Height, for a long time, was considered a ‘tell’ of malevolence and left many untrustworthy of those who developed these characteristics. In Southern Sinnoh, Trolls - just like Giants - have been said to have gone extinct. The spreading of Orthism over the region has been noted as the reason for this rapid decline and, if there were to still be Trolls who lingered, then their kind have resorted to hiding away beneath moving blocks, or the mountains. 

Up north, however, they wander freely upon the earth's soil… though, certainly not without troubles. 

As mentioned above, there are tales of which describe that Time, just as well as Space, have mothered the children of the Titan’s descendants. These children, most commonly, have been depicted as broad, lumbering creatures who have the ability to disguise themselves within the depths of the forests as proud firs - Abomasnow’s, whose colorings differentiated them from their less divine kin, fit this bill perfectly. The north once was littered by these half Giants, each and every one of them building their own family packs where children came about in abundance. However, as human settlements expanded and developed, the land of which once had been theirs to take now was intruded upon and understandably… Fear and hostility quickly spread.

(A mother cried out that her child had been stolen by the forest Trolls, eaten for it’s delicious, pure blood and expressed that, if nothing was to be done, then they simply would come back for more.)

Trolls earned themselves the reputation as being foul, kidnapping creatures who wished for nothing but to cause humans harm - though there were tales of which depicted that they were brighter than that and that if spoken to, one potentially could convince them not to steal the lives of others. Just like their forefathers, they could be dangerous, as well as kind. Mischievous, as well as helpful. Villages who knew of the tales, despite not having experienced any of their effects, often took measures to protect their own once it was known that a herd of Abomasnow’s and Snover’s lingered nearby. The Shiny variants were the most important to take on, as no matter if it was a Snover of Abomasnow - they, more often than not, were to be the leaders of which held these family units together. 

(Their numbers have greatly diminished over time for this reason. A common theme, as this list goes on.)

With time, however, these stories fizzled out in favor of those told in church halls - and Trolls no longer were a true fear in people’s minds. They still did exist, yes, though people now have something other than pitchforks and knives that protected them from their perceived malevolence. If you asked a Sinnohan school child in current times what a Troll was, then a Snover or Abomasnow still would be their most common answer. For they are, and were, real, and they do still exist… They just are not considered to be as mythical as they once have been.

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EYES OF ARCEUS Shiny Murkrow/Honchkrow

Two Ravens sit perched upon Arceus’s shoulders, seeing all that he can not see, and hearing all that he can not hear. At dawn, they fly over the world and return at noon, describing to him all that the humans, as well as beasts, have done - describing every fault, every triumph and every fight in gruesome detail. It should come as no surprise that Murkrow, as well as Honchkrow, have fallen prey to the superstition of Huginn and Muninn. The glimmering, imperial coats of the rarest of sorts have been said to be the true descendants of Arceus's personal Ravens - set free into the world to watch over them when Huginn and Muninn could not. Therefore, if one happens to be watched by this bird - it's seen as an omen. 

Good, just as well as bad. 

All these tales of the Ravens sparked many villages in the past to rely on Murkrow’s for delivering messages. The birds were great companions to the humans of the land, exchanging their services for pieces of bread or silver coins and delivered the letters that, otherwise, would’ve taken months to arrive but now took just a few short days. There are tales that speak of birds that knew the human language, and these are thought to have been Huginn and Muninn themselves. In Orthism texts, the myth of Murkrow’s still linger - though their purpose have been revised from that of the old Gods, to those of new. They have been mistaken/attributed with ‘Nattramnar’ - birds who are said to manifest after suicides, or the deaths of unbaptized children and who were believed to occur at night in bird form. Primarily as Ravens.

Murkrow’s and Honchkrow’s are treated favorably by those who describe divinity to their kind.  A rare feat, for the times.

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BROOK HORSE Shiny Ponyta/Rapidash

Another Pokémon who greatly suffered due to superstition having been described upon them, was that of Ponyta and Rapidash. With their manes having gone from fiery red, to wine dark sea - it was only a matter of time before their kind were attributed to be the spirits of forest creeks. The Brook Horse was said to have a lair within water depths and, from there, he often came - and it was not good to meet him. A horse said to be so beautiful to children and adults alike, one simply couldn’t help but follow it wherever it went. Children often wished to ride upon its back and, no matter how many children they were, room would always be made.

Its back was capable of elongating itself to accommodate all that wished have a seat.  

Sometimes, the Brook Horse has been depicted as a handsome youth - following the myths of which often humanized creatures that otherwise were considered as beasts. His goal in these tales often was to lure young women to himself, with the promise that he would bring them joy and gladness in his halls if they willingly followed him home. Though, if they grew suspicious of who he was and called him by his true name - Bäckahäst - then they would be released from his allure and all of his power would be gone. 

One could also be saved once set upon the Brook Horses back, children and adults alike, if another came upon the scene with a bar of steel at hand. What they would have to do would be to toss it between the water and horse, and then he no longer would be able to continue forth and those bound to his back would be released. However, as would become a theme in these tales… Humanity's preventative measures to these creatures became less kind with time. Just as with Abomasnow and Snover, the shiny horses were hunted and killed before they could cause the inhabitants of settlements any harm and, thusly, their numbers have greatly declined in the modern times.

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HULDRA Shiny Gardevoir (Shiny Gallade)

The Huldra is one of several wardens which stem from similar tales, though primarily gets noticed as a fair lady who wanders the forests upon her bare feet. She is the forest's ruler, the protector of the wild. She is also said to have willingly offered her flesh to those that she takes a liking to. She lure walkers astray and seduces the men that she likes, all the while being described as either affectionate or condescending - a nymph, perhaps, she could be considered; for she held powers that primarily revolved around the seduction of men. Gardevoir fell into this characterization for many reasons, one primarily being that as far as the beasts in the wild goes, Gardevoir has an appearance that has been considered most human-like. With slender features and proportions that border on human, yet isn’t so, it was only a matter of time before they were spoken of as seducers of weak men.

The velvet spear through their chest is the mark which makes them a Huldra, though certain tales describe her as wandering with but a cavity through her breast - primarily in the southern Sinnohan forests. In northern tales, and northern tales only, there's a depiction of male Huldra’s as well. However, rather than being considered beings of beauty - they were thought of as hideous and foul.

As has been stated above: Troll is a word of which once was used as a blanketed label for all that was considered evil – and the Huldra did not escape this classification by any means. The Troll, Troll Mother and other similar names have been ascribed to her, and she has been said to have lingered in the families of Snover’s and Abonasnow’s all the same. She was, after all, the ward of the wild. 

(If one thought they might be getting seduced by a Huldra, then it was said that one ought to turn their shirt inside out and read the psalm ‘Our father’ backwards to escape her seduction. If one had coupled with the Huldra, and then were unfaithful - then misfortune would befall them at every turn, for her rage and hurt would always find you.)

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MARA Shiny Misdreavus/Mismagius (Female)

Last, and perhaps least, there’s a creature known as Mara. In folklore, a Mara, The Mara or Nattmaran (nightmare) was a supernatural being who was said to torment sleeping people by sitting upon their breasts and ‘riding’ them – which would cause them a severe feeling of anxiety and respiratory distress. Mara was sometimes said to be a human spirit, though it did not necessarily have to take a human form when it haunted people at night. It could appear as a cat, a dog, monkey or mouse, a feather or even a ball of yarn. There are different tales as to what it is that makes a human soul a Mara. Sometimes, it was said to be due to envy, or because a cat skipped over an unbaptized child. In older Sinnohan provinces, pregnant women thought that a way to have an easier birth was to pull the placenta of a Rapidash over their head three times… It was, however, a trick which came with a price. If the child that was born was a girl – then she would become a Mara.

(If the child was a boy, it would instead become a hound.) 

In western Sinnoh, it was believed that if a child was born ‘untimely’ - between the hours of twelve and one at night - and it was a girl, that she would become a Mara. 

Misdreavus, as well as Mismagius, have been mistaken for these ‘Nightmares’ throughout time. However, it is said that it is only the ones of the female kind - and those who differentiate themselves by their color. Humans, after all, aren't Pokémon, and therefore they won't simulate them perfectly. 

(Sometimes it was considered to be certain women who during the night - often unknowingly or against their will - became a Mara. However, since a Mara could not get up in the sleeper's bed without first getting up in his footwear, the caution was that one should preferably place their shoes underneath the bed with the tips of the toes facing outwards.)

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There are, of course, many more creatures that could be found within old Sinnohan myths. The ethnic groups of Florama and Snowpoint carry their own specific stories and names for the beings we all may know as something else, and there are creatures not mentioned in this list whom hold significance in the more modern of days – Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf being great examples. However… Perhaps that is a list best saved for a another time…

#(ooc - mun) #hc #religion #sinnoh #myths #no i did absolutely not write this entire thing just to give context to a drabble im writing idk what youre talking about- #oh do i adore my computer freezing when i try to drop big posts like this one #chefs kiss #thats how you know its good (not)

[newstfionline]

One Mexican town revolts against violence and corruption. Six years in, its experiment is working

By Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, July 11, 2017

Checkpoints staffed by men with assault rifles, camouflage and body armor greet visitors at the three major entrances to this town.

The guards are not soldiers, police officers, drug enforcers or vigilantes. They are members of homegrown patrols that have helped keep Cheran a bastion of tranquillity within one of Mexico’s most violent regions.

The town of 20,000 sits in the northwest corner of Michoacan, a state where authorities say at least 599 people were killed between January and May, an increase of almost 40% compared with the same period last year. Cheran hasn’t had a slaying or other serious crime since early 2011.

That was the year that residents, most of them indigenous and poor, waged an insurrection and declared self-rule in hopes of ridding themselves of the ills that plague so much of Mexico: raging violence, corrupt politicians, a toothless justice system and gangs that have expanded from drug smuggling to extortion, kidnapping and illegal logging.

Six years in, against all odds, Cheran’s experiment appears to be working.

“We couldn’t trust the authorities or police any more,” said Josefina Estrada, a petite grandmother who is among the women who spearheaded the revolt. “We didn’t feel that they protected us or helped us. We saw them as accomplices with the criminals.”

Indeed, the criminal syndicates that have long dominated Michoacan are part of the reason, along with rampant poverty, that Cheran and other rural areas in the state have sent so many immigrants to the United States.

Cheran’s scourge were the talamontes, illegal loggers who worked at the behest of larger mafias and raided the communal forests that are vital to its economy and culture.

The timber thieves would parade through town on hulking trucks, ferrying illegal loads of pine, brandishing weapons and threatening anyone resisting.

Rafael Garcia Avila resisted. He belonged to a town committee that monitored forest use and had taken a stand against illegal logging. He and a colleague were kidnapped by gunmen on Feb. 11, 2011, and never seen again, joining the multitudes of “disappeared” who have vanished during Mexico’s war on drugs.

“My husband loved the forests, the woods, the natural world,” recalled his widow, Maria Juarez Gonzalez, tears welling in her eyes.

The disappearances--along with other killings, assaults, threats, and the plunder of the town’s ancestral forests--became unbearable in a community whose residents retain their identity as Purepecha Indians, one of the few indigenous groups in the area that did not succumb to the Aztec empire.

“The talamontes would drive by in their trucks, laughing at us,” recalled Estrada, a mother of eight--six of them living in the United States--who sells health shakes from a small storefront. “It wasn’t safe to be out at night. It wasn’t safe to be in the forest…. Sometimes I went home and cried and cried.”

Finally, she called some other women and decided to strike back.

On April 15, 2011, before dawn, the people of Cheran sounded the bells at the Roman Catholic Chapel of the Calvary and set off homemade fireworks to summon help. Few had firearms, so they brought picks, shovels and rocks.

Then they struck, seizing the first timber truck of the day, dragging its two crew members from the cab and taking them hostage. Lacking rope, they tied up their prisoners with rebozos, or shawls.

As more people responded, an initial crowd of about 30 swelled to more than 200.

Residents dug ditches and placed timber barricades to block entry to the town. As the sun went down, the people of Cheran set tires ablaze and lit campfires to ensure no one would pass.

Eventually, they took five loggers hostage and torched seven of their trucks.

The gangs retreated and hostages were returned.

But the revolt lived on. Known simply as the “uprising,” it entered the lore of violence-plagued Michoacan state, where gangster exploits in recent years include rolling five human heads onto a dance floor.

The townspeople grasped an essential fact: The talamontes were part of a larger criminal network that controlled drug trafficking and worked hand-in-hand with politicians and police.

“To defend ourselves, we had to change the whole system--out with the political parties, out with City Hall, out with the police and everything,” said Pedro Chavez, a teacher and community leader. “We had to organize our own way of living to survive.”

They decided to target the nexus between crime and politics that has haunted Mexico and do away with the police, the mayor, the political parties.

The town recruited outside legal expertise to exploit provisions of Mexican law that allow communities with indigenous majorities to set up a form of self-government, incorporating traditional “uses and customs” into their rule.

The political parties and their patrons resisted the radical transformation. The case eventually made its way to Mexico’s Supreme Court.

Finally, in 2014 Cheran’s provisional system of self-government was declared legal. The town remains part of Mexico but runs its own show.

On the surface, Cheran seems no different from other places in rural Mexico.

Stands set up in the colonial-era central square hawk foodstuffs, cheap clothing and other items. Each afternoon, residents gather to enjoy an ice cream, sip a juice drink and share gossip and small talk, often about loved ones and neighbors now in the United States.

But something is missing: There is no sign of the political slogans and emblems that are ubiquitous in much of the country.

Electioneering is forbidden inside the town limits, as are political parties. Even motorists entering Cheran are obliged to remove or cover up party bumper stickers.

Residents can cast ballots in state and national elections, but they must do so at special booths set up in nearby towns.

Instead of the traditional mayor and city council, each of the town’s four barrios is governed by its own local assembly, whose members are chosen by consensus from 172 block committees known as fogatas--after the campfires that came to symbolize the 2011 rebellion.

Each assembly also sends three representatives--including at least one woman--to serve on a 12-member town council.

The town receives all the funds--the equivalent of about $2.6 million per year, officials say--that are its due from the state and federal governments. Salaries of 200 or so town employees max out at the equivalent of roughly $450 a month, leaving money to help fund the municipal water system and other services, including a trash recycling program that is a rarity in Mexico.

The armed guards at the town entrances are part of a locally selected police force of 120 or so, known as la ronda comunitaria. No one enters or leaves without inspection.

Cheran was ahead of the curve in the so-called auto defensa movement, which saw many Mexican towns, especially in crime-ridden Michoacan state, set up local militias starting in 2013 as a response to gang-related violence. But other local militias have often turned to the dark side, integrating into existing criminal rings or forming new ones, or have simply disbanded with time. In Cheran, the community police force has stuck and become an integral part of the town’s security.

Without any major crime in Cheran, local officials handle minor offenses such as theft, drunk-driving and disorderly conduct, typically imposing sentences of community service.

Specialized squads also patrol the forests.

“These forests are our essence, they were left to us by our forefathers for protection and nurturing,” said Francisco Huaroco, 41, a member of the forest patrol, as he and a team trekked past stumps that attest to former ransacking. “Without these woods, our community is not whole, is not itself.”

Swaths of bald earth slice through former woods, the scars of looting by the talamontes. Between 2008 and the revolt in April 2011, roughly half of Cheran’s 59,000 acres of forest was illegally felled, authorities said.

“If it had gone on much longer, we would have had nothing left of the forests,” said Roberto Sixtos Ceja.

Sixtos said he left Cheran as a teenager to work in North Carolina--a destination for many here--but returned in 2010 to help the community confront the escalating crisis.

Now 47, he helps manage a vast tree nursery where pine cones are grown into saplings, part of an effort to replenish the hillsides. The nursery holds more than 1 million young trees, of three indigenous pine varieties. The town only allows harvesting of diseased timber or logs downed by storms or other natural causes.

Cheran natives who live in the United States have been closely following events here.

“We never stop being members of this community, people of Cheran,” said Ramiro Romero Ramos, 61, who left almost four decades ago but now heads the Cheran Club of Los Angeles. He recently was visiting to inaugurate a new roof on a primary school playground--a project partially funded by L.A.-area residents from Cheran.

At the Cheran town hall, a multi-hued mural of Emiliano Zapata, the Mexican revolutionary icon, bears the inscription: “Cheran will neither surrender nor be sold!”

Other towns have endeavored to copy Cheran’s transformation, with limited success. The model has relatively little application elsewhere in Mexico, where the vast majority of the population is of mestizo, or mixed-race, origins. Self-rule laws for indigenous communities do not apply.

Not that Cheran doesn’t have its problems, including poverty, lack of opportunity, petty crime.

“But the problems of today don’t compare with what it was like before,” said Estrada, the rebellion organizer. “Now we can go out at night. Before the community felt a great fear: Everyone went inside at 9 o’clock at night and shut their doors.”

With slayings, kidnappings and extortion plaguing areas just outside of Cheran, all here are aware that it would take little for turmoil and conflict to reemerge. The governor of Michoacan has publicly threatened a court case to reverse the town’s system of self-government.

“We in Cheran remain vigilant,” said Juarez Gonzalez, who, six years after her husband’s disappearance, is now a fogata coordinator. “We all know the criminals are close by, and may try to return any time.”

#Mexico #Michoacan #Cheran #self-government in Mexico

[naturaltracksafaris]

36 reasons why Kenya should be your preferred destination

Kenya has been put in the world map by the champion marathoners worldwide. Time and again, year after year, medals have been streaming into the beautiful land of Kenya. For many, the mention of Kenya simply reminds them of slim and tall athletes from Kenya.

However, Kenya is much more than that. It is one of the African countries with some of the most magnificent wildlife sanctuaries and beaches in the world.

Here are 36 reasons why Kenya should be on your to-do list.

  1.     Wildlife diversity and concentration

Within a few hours into the national parks and reserves you will be counting endless species of wildlife. Kenya is endowed with such rich and diverse wildlife. The concentration of the wildlife is one meant to amaze even the less nature enthusiast, and everyone will have such a great time here in the wilds of Kenya.

  2.     Cultural diversity and languages

Kenya has more than 40 tribes. Each tribe has its own way of life. These include different ways of living. For example, the Kikuyus of Mt Kenya region are the renowned agriculturist whose main way of life has been agri-business. The Nilotes, on the other hand are famous for livestock raring. For many years they have been living a nomadic way of life. When you go to western Kenya, here you meet the Luo communities whose way of life is mainly based on the lake as fishermen. Each such community not only live differently from each other, but have totally different languages. This adds to the cultural richness and diversity.

  3.     Rich history as the origin of mankind

The origin of Human kind is a book by Richard Leakey. It is an account of the Leakey’s personal view of the development of Homo sapiens. The world famous paleoanthropologist documents his research back into the origins of mankind. Part of his research work included findings of the Turkana boy, also called Nariokotome boy. This specimen was dated back 1.5 to 1.6 million years ago. It is the only most complete fossil skeleton to ever be found. This gave Kenya a prominent position as the origin of humankind. The Turkana region where a lot of such research work took place is currently referred to as the cradle of mankind.

  4.     History and origin of Kenya’s name

Kenya as a country got its name from Mount Kirinyaga, the mountain of the gods in the local kikuyu dialect. The snow-capped mountain, also referred to as the mountain of whiteness, has a rich history as a sacred place for the inhabitants there, the kikuyu. When the British colonialists and explorers came to Kenya, some of the areas they settled or traversed through were Mount Kirinyaga region.  The origin of the name ‘Kenya’ came from the fact that the white men were not able to pronounce ‘Kirinyaga’ and it went down into the books as the country ‘Kenya’. Even the mountain itself was documented as the present day ‘Mount Kenya’. One such version was done by explorer Johann Ludwig.

  5.     Origin of the current day ‘safari’

Safari is a Kiswahili language word for ‘journey’. Kiswahili was a language born out of a mix of the arriving coastal traders with the locals. The meaning of the word first originated from the convoys that were done to go hunting for the wild game. These convoys carried camping equipment, food supplies and weapons for hunting. In later years, with the introduction of conservation, the hunting trips slowly evolved to wild game viewing in Kenya. The weapons were gradually replaced by cameras. It is here that some of the big game documentaries have been documented, and Kenya rose from hunting safaris to game drives. This is what gave rise to the modern day safaris, making Kenya as the original home of safari.

  6.     Women empowerment.

The world all over has been on its toes in the rush for equality. Women all over have been on the front line to take charge and demanding their share as equals. These have seen lots of spirited fights in the demand for same and equal positions or even salaries in work places. In Kenya, the fight has been taken a notch higher. The girl child has seen her position change with a lot of emphasis being put in support for the girl child. Many schools for girls have been started in the counties to make sure that the girl child isn’t married off too early and instead take her position in the class equally like the boy child. These have given rise to prominent career women in all arenas, both in the corporate world and the informal sector. The Kenyan lady has risen above the traditional African setting to sit on the same corporate table with the man. This is something to be proud of as the girl child takes her equal place with no bias, not in the kitchen, but in the decision making table.

  7.     The Rift valley and its lakes

Rift valley is a feature that was formed out of the earth’s tectonic plates moving. The rift valleys are found both on land and the bottom of the ocean. The Great Rift Valley is part of an intercontinental ridge system and splits Kenya from North to south. This is the Gregory rift valley. It starts from Tanzania and continues northwards to Ethiopia. This valley is one of the interesting parts of Kenya and a safari in Kenya without touching it isn’t complete. The Kenyan part of the rift valley is a home to 7 lakes. These are: Lake Turkana, lake Baringo, lake Bogoria, Lake Nakuru, Lake Elementaita, Lake Naivasha and Lake Magadi. These lakes form part of the great Kenya safari destinations and are so rich with both flora and fauna.

  8.     Conservation and hunting.

Kenya put a ban on all types of hunting in 1977. The concerted efforts of some of the previous trophy hunters decided to lay down the trophy guns and instead put efforts in maintaining the beauty. Many other individuals teamed to instead arrange for field trips to enjoy the nature. Kenya Wildlife Service was formed in 1889 to help in protection of Kenya’s wildlife. In 1990 it was established as corporate body with the aim and purpose of protection of Kenya game. The bod does through community policing and enforcing the wildlife rules and laws decided by the government through parliament. It has been the back bone of conservation in Kenya. Government and volunteer efforts have been channeled through KWS. The body has been engaging in conservation dialogues and also fighting illegal poaching in Kenya.

  9.     Diversity of hotels

Dream of any level of hotel beyond the 1-5- star levels. From camping to super exclusive safari camps. Your budget will be your boss. In consultation with your tour agent or operator, you will be able to find a level that matches your pocket. What’s more, you can either be inside the game reserves or outside. You can choose to be near the migration sites, or next to a mountain. Every budget is catered for. However, it is important to note that as you go too low on the budget, some items ought to be compromised in order to be able to make that dream of a Kenya safari come true.

  10.                        Kenya beaches.

Kenya boasts some of the most beautiful beaches with stretches of soft white sand. It is here that will be the perfect end to your safari. After the long drives in search for wildlife, the perfect way to end the holiday is to just relax at the beach.  Most of the times, the weather is just perfect for some sand and tan at the Kenyan coast. Diani beach is one of such perfect beaches.

  11.                        Weather in Kenya

Kenya has the ultimate holiday weather. Except for the rainy season, which is usually in April to May, Kenya has great weather almost all year round. It is important to note that the last few years, like everywhere else in the world, the weather patterns have changed a little bit. But besides that, Kenya is on the equator and you don’t get the extreme temperature variations experienced as you get further away from the equator. Many people in Kenya do not know the difference between winter and summer, mainly because the temperatures do not fluctuate too much to make any significant change.

  12.                        Family friendly safaris.

Want to show your kids and spouse rich nature? Kenya has what it takes for family safaris with children. We owe it to nature to nurture it and no better way to make sure that the candle keeps burning than to teach our children about nature. And not only that, we teach them basics of maintaining the environment by at least planting a tree. Kids also love the wildlife and stories around them. They learn a lot about to how to coexist with the animals and how our forefathers lived peacefully with the nature. It is a time for a family time out, including picnics in the wilds of Kenya.

  13.                        Big five safaris.

The big five game, namely the lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo and the rhino have captured and dominated the Kenya safari industry. Although the big five are not the only interesting wildlife in the country, they have made a big impact in Kenya safaris. The big five can be found in several parks, but it’s only a few parks that all of them can be found. Mostly, you have to do several parks in order to see the big five. The leopard remains quite elusive and one of the animals that make game drivers very excited. The big five are one of the items to look out for during your safari in Kenya.

  14.                        Mt Kenya, the second highest mountain in Africa and origin of Kenya’s  name.

On your way to Samburu, Mount Kenya can be viewed when the weather is clear. It is the highest mountain in Kenya at 5199m above the sea level. It is also the second highest mountain in Africa after Kilimanjaro, at 5895m above sea level. Mount Kenya is also the origin of Kenya’s name.

  15.                        Wildebeest migration

This is a phenomenal scene worth putting down in any safari planning. The migrating herds of both wildebeests and zebras start pouring into Kenya in mid-June. They stay through to September, when the last of the herds trickle back to Tanzania. They then continue with their never ending cycle. It is one of the most amazing scenes you have ever seen, where hundreds of thousands of these weird looking animals cover the savannahs of Masai Mara like flies. It is a time that crocodile celebrate while they wait for the wildebeests to cross the infested rivers. It usually is such a beauty to behold.

  16.                        Car free island.

That is correct, car-free Island. Lamu town is an island located in the Lamu Island, which is part of the greater Lamu Archipelago.  Lamu old town has a history of being inhabited for over 700 years ago. It is a peaceful tropical Island, where life is at its own pace. It is also a UNESCO world heritage centre. The narrow streets have remained unchanged and the only mode of transport within the town is donkey carts, while the ocean dhows have become part of the daily view of the Island. It is an exotic experience, and when you visit Lamu, life slows down and the days, you spend them strolling along the waterfront.

  17.                        Food diversity

Starting from the coast, here you get to enjoy some of the most tasteful Swahili dishes, including pilau rice (rice cooked with local herbs). As you progress to Nairobi and pass through the Kamba community, here you get to taste the famous Muthokoi, synonymous with the wood-curving Kamba people. You get to Nairobi, and it is a mixture of all the communities in Kenya as they can all be found in the city. In central Kenya, githeri is the order of the day, which is beans and dry corn cooked together. And for the fish-lovers, you will be at home in western Kenya, where theres abundance of fish as the community that live by the lake side is fishermen. In addition, the food diversity in Kenya is beyond imagination. For example: although Kenya coast is famous for pilau rice, the Kikuyus too will cook rice but in different ways, diversifying the cooking styles.

  18.                        Beyond zero.

Beyond zero is a noble project initiated by the first lady in 2014. The project aims at reducing child mortality rate at birth. Also, it’s one other purpose is to reduce HIV infections in children. The project raises fund through arranging for volunteer marathon athletics, while sponsors mainly from the corporate world team rise to the call of coming together to take medical care to the remote areas through donations. Individuals are also welcome to participate both in the athletics and in raising donations. This is one of the beauties of the Kenyan people, the commitment to help one other, and Beyond Zero campaign has proved this time and again.

  19.                        Lake victoria, second largest freshwater lake

This is one of the great features of Africa. The lake named after Queen Victoria by John Hanning Speke in 1858. He was on a trip to locate the source of river Nile with his colleague Richard Burton. The lake is shared by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The lake is a source of food supply to the local communities living there, with over 200 species of fish recorded. Tilapia, which is a favourite fish for almost all Kenyans, is the main catch here. It is the largest lake in Africa, and second largest in the world. It is over 400,000 years old and definitely worth a visit.

  20.                        Lake Turkana, largest desert lake in the world

Lake Rudolf, as it was previously known, is the world’s largest desert lake. It is located in the rift valley and its northern end goes all the way to Ethiopia. It is also the world’s largest alkaline lake. It is probably one of the most beautiful lakes with the turquoise waters as seen from a short distance. The lake is a UNESCO world heritage centre, and is a great breeding ground for the Nile crocodiles. Due to its special nature both as a museum of archaeological findings and the wildlife found here, it is managed by both the National Museums of Kenya and Kenya Wildlife Services.

  21.                        First African woman to win Nobel prize

Kenya has had strong activists for the environment. One such esteemed person is Prof Wangari Mathai. She founded the green belt movement as a tool to fight both political injustices and put a spirited fight for the environment. She ensured that some of the lands that belong to the forest department were not grabbed by the politicians, including president Moi himself. If Karura forest would have words to speak, it would speak of the fight that this Nobel Prize winner put in order to save it. She is the first African woman to earn such a prestigious recognition of a Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts in conservation work. But that is not all; Professor Wangari Mathai was also the first female Professor in Kenya. By the time of her death, her organization had planted more than 30 million trees all over Kenya.

  22.                        Agriculture in Kenya

Agriculture forms the back bone of Kenya. Due to the great climate, agriculture in Kenya supports large populations. From large scale farming to small scale farming, all contribute towards provision of employment. Kenya exports flowers, fruits and vegetables to the rest of the world. Several species of coffees and tea are grown here. This has given rise to Agri-tourism, where you can visit farms and see how coffees, tea and other farming are done. Agriculture in Kenya contributes about 35% of the gross domestic product. It is important to note also that some of the farming is done in very small portions of land only for domestic use, like vegetables for daily use. It is therefore paramount to look at agriculture in Kenya, not just in the eye of exports, but also as an activity undertaken to keep the families going.

  23.                        A visit to the Equator

The equator divides the country and the world into two. It is at zero degrees Latitude. It divides the world into the northern and southern hemispheres. There are 13 countries along the equator line, including Kenya, Ecuador, brazil among others. The days usually have equal hours of darkness and daylight. It is also warmer at the equator, because it is closer to the sun.

  24.                        Sports and athletics

I doubt there’s anyone who hasn’t heard of the name Kenya. If not from the world of safaris, it definitely would be from Marathoners. Kenya has had such a successful chain of winners in the long distance runners. Medals after medals have been clinched. Kenya has some of the best runners who keep on improving over the years. It is such a great honour to have to visit the country of champions.

  25.                        Fastest mammal on land

Slim body, tear marks running from the eyes to the nose and long legs are some of the physically notable marks of this special creature. Kenya is a home to the fastest animal on land, the cheetah, Acynonix Jubatus. Speeds of up to 93 km/h have been recorded. However, these speeds are only for a short distance. Built for speed, the cheetah is a slender open grassland animal. It relies on the speed to outdo its prey for food.

  26.                        7 UNESCO sites

Kenya has 7 UNESCO sites. The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization have recognized seven such sites in Kenya. These are: 1. Lamu Island, 2. Fort Jesus, 3. Lake Turkana National parks, 4. Mount Kenya National Park and Forest, 5. The Sacred MijiKenya Kaya Forests, 6. The Kenya Lake system in the Great Rift Valley and the 7. The Thimlich Ohinga archaeological site in western Kenya.

  27.                        Kenya is world leader in safari destinations.

Kenya has a huge collection of parks that are all unique in their different ways. From the reticulated giraffes in Samburu, to the great views of Mount Kilimanjaro in Amboseli. The safari destinations are not just in the parks and reserves. It is beyond that. The ultimate Kenyan safari is a combination of culture, wildlife, sceneries and the food. The destinations that will give you all these in Kenya are many and very diverse too. You can never get enough of safari in Kenya.

  28.                        Visit the flamingos

How many times do you get to see a pink-covered lake? Lake Bogoria is such a lake. It is one of the rift valley lakes and has such a great concentration of pink algae. This is what flamingos feed on and is actually what gives them their pink colour.  The flamingos congregate and form such beautiful cover of pink in the lake. It is important to note that these use to be in Lake Nakuru. But too much silting has reduced growth of algae and so the flamingos shifted to Lake Bogoria.

  29.                        Magical Sunrise and sunset

Kenya has some of the best sunrise and sunsets. You wake early to go for your morning game drive and the sunrise just welcomes you with such beautiful orange hues. You can’t help it but to stop and take those cool photos. And as the day progresses to its end, just before you call it a day, you have another opportunity to take those orange-tinged photos that every professional photographer yearns for. You could also be watching the sun go down by the beach as you sip away your cold drink. It is a sight to behold.

  30.                        Meet the Masai community.

Majority of safari goers come with the information that the Masai community are the ones who live in Kenya. Many come with the thought that every Kenyan is a Masai. Only to arrive and find not so tall Kenyans as portrayed in the media. It is true however that the Maasai community are world famous and have taken a big share in the Kenyan fame. They are only about 3% but the fact that they have continued to hold on to their traditional way of life makes them worth a visit. While a lot has changed because of education and exposure, much hasn’t shifted from the culture. It is a nice thing to see them dance in their age-old ways of life.

  31.                        Rich art in Kenya

The Kamba community are the renowned wood artist of Kenya. They are famous for wood curving in Kenya. They are followed by the Kisii community, who do their curving work from the Kisii soap stone. The Masai community are also great with curving and bead work. Down at the coast, they are famous for weaving what is famously known as Kikoi. All these are hand-work, which adds to the richness of a culture in Kenya. And without a doubt will enrich your Kenya safari.

  32.                        Birders paradise

The birder will probably be most at home in Kenya in terms of diversity of species. From the desert to the swamps. From the rain forests to the savannahs.  From the grasslands to the lake regions. The list is endless. Over 1134 bird species have been recorded. It is here that the birders will have a great time while looking and watching the birds, from identification to photography.

  33.                        Great Marine experience

The Kenyan coast is one of the special areas for wildlife conservation. But here they deal with marine wildlife. You can go diving and enjoy the beautiful sights under the ocean, including the corals. It is a completely different world on its own. All year round is good, but visibility in July to August lessens. Water temperatures are confortable for diving all year round. It is an activity to consider adding on to your list.

  34.                        Friendly people of Kenya

The one thing you are not going to miss is the genuine friendliness of people. Kenyans in general are very kind and very friendly, with very genuine smiles. Regardless of poverty level, Kenyan’s friendliness remains one of the greatest assets the country has. Once you experience it, you going to miss it.

  35.                        Nairobi city excursion.

The city in the sun. It was the term used to describe Nairobi. The modern day Nairobi is a host to many Kenyans who over the years have migrated to the city in search for jobs. International organizations have made Nairobi their headquarters. One such organization is the United Nations headquarters for Africa. But aside from the corporate world, Nairobi has so much to offer. From game safaris in Nairobi National park, to feeding the giraffe in Giraffe centre or watching elephants feed in Sheldrick’s Orphanage. Nairobi has such great hotels and restaurants that you will just be spoilt for choice.

  36.                        A hiker’s paradise.

The country is definitely a hiker’s paradise. Whether you are an experienced hiker or just starting, there is something for you. Mount Kenya is a great place for such but you need several days to finish the climb. Day trips can also be arranged. Ngong hills have good forest tracks. Other places to go hiking include Hell’s gate national park, Mt Longonot among many others.

[krogthebattleprince]

For the return of Krög and in the ramp up for Volume 4, I wanted to introduce everyone to some of the “background” essays I have penned over the years to help keep the culture and history of the Southern Reach straight in my own mind.  While these do not directly impact the story itself, they do help (in my mind) lend a degree of realism to a fantasy fairytale world.  Called “Essays on the Southern Reach,” I will slowly begin releasing these over the next few weeks.  They will ramp up to a new mini series called “The Four Winds Pursuit” that will function as a lead in to the next Krög release!

The first of these essays regards the Battle King lineage Krög comes from.  This is one of the oldest culture essays I wrote, so please excuse the fact that it is not, shall we say, grammatically or linguistically sound.  It has not been edited, I just thought I would share it.  While the kings I call “The Big Four” are mentioned with a degree of repetition (Röm, the First, Lödrek, the Conqueror, Ghömak, the Dragon Slayer, and Mögren, the Tyrant), this essay expands on the entire line of Battle Kings descending from Röm.

Two last notes before the essay itself: one, this is the longest of the essays, so while I do appreciate you reading I also realize how busy we all are... come back to this when you have a few minutes.  Second, I cut this essay significantly short to refrain from giving away critical plot elements in Krög’s story.  That said, it will end rather abruptly, so please excuse the pacing... and as I said earlier... all the spelling and language issues.  Enjoy!

Governance and Leadership within the Southern Reach: An essay on the lineage of Battle Kings

Understanding the reign of the barbarian lords of the Southern Reach, the most primitive and underdeveloped of the Three Known Kingdoms along the Swordsong River, requires an understanding of how their line established itself and came to power.  Despite the warmongering, hyperbolic nature of the title held by the sovereign, sole executor for the badlands kingdom, their lineage has largely broken the traditions of warlords taking their lands by force.  With few exceptions, most of the Battle Kings to lead over the Southern Reach, while certainly rough hewn and mostly uncivilized given the expansive cultures of their neighboring countries, accomplished their many legacies through measured, tempered management.  Even those individuals who reigned as traditional warlords, through intimidation, brutality and military influence, were still regarded as preferable leaders compared to the dictatorial councils of other kingdoms.  The culture of the land being focused less on wealth and more on exploration and, so called, adventure, seems to be the primary contributor to this break, but it may simply be the Southern Reach and her Battle Kings were simply a pointed exception to almost all the rules of monarchies during its, nearly, five hundred year existence.

To fully understand the rise of the Battle King line and the fourteen rulers to hold the title, one must first examine the origins of the Three Known Kingdoms on the Swordsong River.  The conflict known in the Western Empire as the Raltarian War (alternatively in some places The First Coming of Raltar and The First Raltarian Cycle) saw its early days in 1033 IA (Imperial Age) when a zealot to demon demigod hijacked a magic forge and created the legendary Raltarian Sword.  After more than two decades of growing his influence, the zealot declared war on the city of Colossus and in 1068 IA, following a twelve year siege the capital city fell and the Great Flight Across the Boundless occurred.  Post exodus, the timeline was rewritten as AC, After Colossus, and during the first year of this age, a great deal of refugees wandered desperately across the Boundless Sea in search of a new country to inhabit.  The first of the fleeing pioneers reached the Cape of New Hope early on in 1AC, and it did not take long before more of the refugees pressed further upstream.  Please note, there is some overlap between the first recorded years of the AC age, and the final recorded years of the IA age, as while the body majority of citizens from the Western Empire fled its shores, a good deal stayed behind to try to salvage their kingdom, and chronicled those efforts unto their last days.

Officially, the Southern Reach was first settled midway through year 1 AC with the establishment of the war camp, Fort Blaze, where it was overseen by a soldier named Röm.  While records indicate Röm may have been a low level officer, he was certainly not a strategic mastermind, but was described in many accounts of his fellows as being a resolute, calm, if often stern man who was looked to for strength.  It is surprising Röm managed to carry off such an even demeanor given his wife and three daughters were murdered by pirates preying on ships escaping Colossus before his arrival in the Southern Reach- such tragedy would be enough to break the spirits of most men.  Many believe the very spirt of the Southern Reach came from his persistence to carry on in the face of sorrow and adversity in those early days.

Röm was recognized as the first Battle King when Fort Blaze and the small surrounding villages it protected came under assault by troll army from nearby forested areas.  By this point, Röm had developed a personal council consisting of Brok, an aged, powerful former Steelblazer whose wisdom was only matched by his combat prowess, and Drake, a bunkmate from basic training who never left Röm’s side.  The two provided the Battle King not only with support and advice, but protection as well, and it is largely accepted this is where the tradition of the Senior and Apprentice Honor Guards was born.  After several crushing defeats which nearly spelled the complete annihilation of the peoples settling south of the Swordsong River, Röm lead a striking comeback campaign and conquered the trolls, cementing his legacy permanently.

Eventually, Röm would remarry a senior commander in his army and the first Battle Queen, Shay, gave birth to their son Rözar who ascended to the throne following his father’s death in 42 AC.  Exhausted by a life raised in the shadows of a bloody war, Rözar sought to expand his father’s kingdom, and his own influence, by engaging in exploration and encouraging frontiersman style settlements.  Sometimes called the Homeless Battle King, Rözar, whose actual epitaph read “The Explorer,” spent almost his entire reign on the trails and is credited for pushing the Southern Reach out of the forests on the south bank of the Swordsong River, and into the true badlands north of the Dragon’s Spine’s foothills.  The city of Brokus was built under his watch as an outpost to service the better established trade cities on the river, and the agricultural villages which had started to sprawl way from the woodlands.  Rather than live out his days in a throne room, Rözar amicably surrendered his throne to his son before setting out into the mountains one morning never to be seen again.

Nömel was a fearless risk taker completely overtaken with his father’s adventuring spirit but with a powerful love of warfare as well.  His nickname, the One Armed, came from a teenage run in with a Wild Dragon wherein the creature permanently maimed the, then, Battle Prince, but still fell to his sword all the same.  Nömel would go on to learn how to wield a gigantic war hammer in his left hand, and many accept the tradition of Honor Guards carrying similar sledges began with him.  While a stout and hearty man of some considerable strength, despite having only one arm, Nömel was a lax and disinterested leader, more focused on increasing his own holdings of trophies and glory than developing a kingdom.  At the time of his death in 99AC during a hunting accident, the Southern Reach had largely stagnated.

So came the rise of Lödrek, the Conqueror, the Southern Reach’s first proper warlord and military monarch.  In combat, Lödrek was without equal, though he was also resentful of his father’s unfocused reign and determined to use his prowess in battle to return some semblance of respect to the kingdom.  He got his chance early on when an insurrection lead by an ogre chieftain burned down Fort Blaze and raided a number of the Southern Reach’s northernmost outposts.  Refusing to be vanquished, Lödrek reestablished the barbarian hordes and a personal squadron he called the Warbrands and not only crushed the ogres, but lead a furious, bloody campaign against the rest of the giant kin and fell beasts living within the boundaries of his kingdom.  Lödrek flattened much of the forest along the southern bank of the Swordsong River in his conquest, chasing the majority of the trolls into hiding and permanently establishing his country as a military force not to be played at.  Until his death in 151 AC to infection of battle wounds, the Conqueror never halted his expansion and taming of the lands around him.

Drökun was a far more sedate and cerebral ruler than his father, and oversaw a long period of peace and prosperity in the Southern Reach, though many attribute this to the scorched earth tactics employed by Lödrek previously.  Far less interested in travel and exploration than his forefathers, Drökun saw the need to build protective holdings to keep the more vulnerable municipalities safe from further attack.  He earned his title as The Hall Raiser when he centralized the Warbrands in a giant fortress city, Ganithen, and created the Battle King’s palace and throne from one of the last standing trees after Lödrek’s reign.  After building the massive battlement to replace Fort Blaze and have a permanent, defendable outpost which served as gateway to the rest of the kingdom, Drökun finished out a quiet rule which he eventually handed over to his son in 180AC.

Following his father’s retirement, Slamdrö very reluctantly took over as Battle King of the Southern Reach without much fanfare or heralding.  Even more than his ancestor Nömel, Slamdrö has very little desire to oversee the fledgling kingdom, and did little to expand its borders in his time.  Indeed, the major contribution of the 6th Battle King was less his diplomacy or military prowess, but with his establishment of the legendary scouting corp, the Griffin Riders.  Preferring the company of beasts over men, Slamdrö was rumored to have stumbled out of a bar one night, take a look at a flock of griffins passing over the moon and proclaiming he would not only ride one, he would make them his family.  After domesticating the first clutch, Slamdrö had the tower aviary at Brokus raised where he spent the rest of his time as Battle King training the birds.  Easily the most removed of his lineage, his legacy is no less diminished as the Griffin Riders continue to the be lords of the skies wherever they fly.

The next in the line is a matter of some debate and there is a growing community which believes Slamdrö was, in fact, the final Battle King directly descendent of Röm.  This follows for a number of reasons.  Firstly, Slamdrö was a recluse who never took a wife or maintained very many friends, and there was no proof he ever sired an heir.  Secondly, the following Battle King who took the throne following his death in 208 AC, Töban, was even more infrequently seen.  Nicknamed the Bone Crusher and presumably possessed of truly legendary, impossible strength, Töban was storied for his unverifiable perfection.  By all written accounts of the lords and elders who supposedly served with him he was ridiculously mighty and boisterous, a true barbarian’s barbarian, but almost no accounts from his municipality confirm his existence.  There is even a total lack of record supporting the existence of his Honor Guard team.  The supposition goes after Slamdrö passed on without leaving a son behind, the regional governors and warlords fell into disarray trying to elect a suitable replacement, and created a mythological, perfect Battle King to keep the municipalities in line.  Whether he existed or not, the Southern Reach persisted and Töban’s “son” or successor was a far more visible leader.

In 252 AC, Förak the Blacksmith came into power.  Believing the Battle King line had become to removed from the people they both lorded over and protected, likely by the example of the reclusive Slamdrö and absent Töban, Förak sought to reestablish the position as a leader of people and frontiersman.  A talented craftsman, the 8th Battle King visited more of the outlying cities than any other of those who came before him and worked side by side with his citizens every single day.  He sweat and hammered with them, tended fields and built weapons to gain a greater degree of understanding and appreciation for the subjects living in the badlands away from the most direct protection of the Fortress City.  While Förak contributed little in the way of advancing the kingdom, he was instrumental in restoring the people’s faith in their warrior monarch who was as much their defender as he was their ruler.  Förak was one of the most mourned Battle Kings on his death in 283AC, legendarily having a wake which stretched for miles.

The lineage returned to form with Förak’s son, Makö, nicknamed The Mighty.  With a far bolder vision and ambitions than his father, Makö sought to once again expand the borders of the Southern Reach, wildly envious of the expansive Northern Empire and Eastern Collective, and madly inspired by the tales of Nömel and Lödrek.  The Mighty managed to fairly successfully marry the legacies of his many inspirations and pushed the edges of his kingdom farther southward where he established the outpost of Strömlan to keep back the hunting packs of Wild Dragons which lived in the caves of the mountains at their deepest border.  Makö was known to have hunted and killed dragons, trolls, ogres and the newly discovered cavelings and cliffbeasts in single combat just to prove his own strength and indomitable spirit.  Ultimately he failed to improve the Southern Reach’s standing among the Three Known Kingdoms very much, but did a great deal to reinvigorate the legacy of the Battle Kings.

Makö passed in 320 AC and the throne went to his son Ghömak who began one of the most legendary campaigns accredited to the Battle King line- the Grand Dragon Purge.  Believing the Battle Kings were more symbolic as myth forgers than they were effective as world leaders, Ghömak set his sights on passing into truly storied realms by cutting the most powerful, most revered dragons from the very skies.  By sheer volume and numbers, Ghömak the Dragon Slayer successfully tracked and killed more dragons than any of his predecessors or any of his successors had or would.  With an insane twinkle for want of glory in his eyes and a broad set of shoulders, Ghömak threw hundreds, if not thousands, of his barbarians into the hunt to slay the Grands.  It actually served to substantially weaken the Southern Reach’s footing in the world by not only depleting its military, but also making it look like a country totally obsessed with bloodshed for the sake of bloodshed.  The Dragon Slayer met his end facing down an extremely vengeful Grand named Yinlong who rallied the remaining of his kind to nearly scorch the Southern Reach right off the countryside.

In 344, Mögren took the crown and had to quickly conclude the war against the Grand Dragons victoriously or risk the entire country vanishing and collapsing.  By 352 AC, Mögren and his forces had cut the Grand Dragons to only a handful, or chased them completely out of the country, and in late 353 AC the last Grand burned itself alive with its own fire breath on the knoll behind the Fortress City, its ashes charring the hillside permanently and giving rise to the Scorched Hill.  Realizing his country was terribly weakened by the campaign, Mögren turned to an iron fisted rule to stabilize the region and drag the kingdom back from the edge of oblivion.  His consolidation of power and massive expansion of the barbarian military to the point of making five years service mandatory for not just all men, but all citizens in general, earned him the nickname The Tyrant.  Mögren damaged diplomatic relationships with his neighbors, especially the Eastern Collective through war hawking, but the blusterous display of power served to make the other two kingdoms extremely apprehensive about attempting to forcibly annex the Southern Reach.  Through brute force, Mögren turned the badlands country into a force to be reckoned with and the permanent military might of the region.

The second half of the Tyrant’s reign is subject to much debate and is shrouded in ferocious mysticism.  For one, Mögren lived an unnaturally long time and refused to surrender his throne until well into nineties after a nearly seventy years under the crown.  Popular legend goes he sold his soul for the influence and power to rebuild his kingdom, even going so far as to promise the soul of his firstborn son as well.  Additionally, the Tyrant not only was long lived, but ageless of body and died just as strong and broad as he was in his prime.  During his final years, he descended towards a place of madness, and was constantly spouting off about coming shadows to the land and how the young would always being paying for the sins of the old.  It is largely speculative Mögren might have been a kind hearted, caring ruler had he come into the throne under different circumstances, but hardship and determination drove him to a place of tyranny in order to ensure the survival of his country.  He made the hard decisions and took the staunch action needed for the Southern Reach to persevere and was largely damned for it.

Mögren only gave up the throne two years prior to his death in 413AC to his son Öx, an extremely strong and skilled combatant.  More than anything Öx was known for how close he was to his commanders and soldiers, and he was a greater, more talented swordsman than any of them.  In fact, the soft spoken, steady man surrounded himself with his Warbrands to the point of it being suspect- Öx seemed to be fearful constantly.  While even tempered and gentle, despite his immense size and strength, the Ironclad, as he came to be known for routinely sleeping in his armor, was always tinged with uneasiness as though afraid of something he never spoke on.  This only fueled the rumors his father had promised his soul to some unspoken power, and Öx entertained a relatively short rule before vanishing east during an extremely tumultuous period wherein his son had disappeared on a mission west.

With the familial line divided and one Battle King having wandered one direction and his eldest son missing in completely the opposite, the council of elders and warlords seized on the opportunity to attempt to reform the government of the Southern Reach more in the style of their rival, the Eastern Collective.  Desiring to reorganize the country as a loose confederacy of semi independent states, their efforts were halted when the Battle Prince Bröghue not only returned, but was stunningly supported by his younger brother Gögan to take the crown.  Öx’s apprentice Honor Guard, Xylus the Warbrand, also gave his resounding support to Bröghue which rallied the barbarian armies behind him.  Faced with a turning tide of public opinion to reinstate the throne, the council eventually relented and the crown passed to Bröghue in 437AC.  

Known to his subjects as The Wise, and his closest friends and family as Big Brö, the twelfth of the Battle Kings is largely revered as the second greatest of the lineage behind only Röm and ahead of more proven warriors like Lödrek or Makö.  A wanderer and adventurer of some repute as a Battle Prince, Bröghue immediately settled when taking the throne and went forward with immediately repairing diplomatic relationships with the surrounding countries.  He quickly established new and stronger trade and protection treaties with the Northern Empires and promised his son in marriage to the Merchant Lord’s daughter as collateral to the ends of an even tighter tie to their northern neighbor.  And though alliances with the Eastern Collective continued to suffer, more perhaps due to political upheaval within the eastern states themselves, Bröghue did manage to stave off outright war with them for the majority of his rule.  He was beloved by both his people, with whom he maintained close solidarity to, his armies, who saw him as an incredibly strong and potent warrior and for the most part his council who were glad to have their voices heard to a greater degree than under Mögren.

[newstfionline]

To Make Sense of American Politics, Immigrants Find Clues From Lands They Left

By Manny Fernandez and David Montgomery, NY Times, June 24, 2017

HOUSTON--Raji Alatassi watched a video clip of that recent cabinet meeting in Washington, in which the top officials in President Trump’s administration took turns heaping worshipful praise upon their leader. He felt he had seen it before.

“I was like, ‘Oh my God,’” said Mr. Alatassi, 37, who was born and grew up in Syria and came to the United States nearly 20 years ago. “Just replace the English words with Arabic words, and you have a Syrian cabinet meeting. I left the Middle East for a reason.”

Waves of immigrants from around the world have transformed Houston into one of America’s most diverse and most international cities. They fled countries with dysfunctional governments, oppressive rulers, shoestring democracies, ethnic warfare and mass violence, and have found themselves rubbing elbows and bumpers in a wealthy Texas city where potholes, traffic, mosquitoes and pension reform are some of the biggest concerns. They are just as opinionated about America in the Trump era as any talk-show talking head, but their analyses, like their accents, are their own.

For some Houstonians whose origins are in countries far away, what they see in American politics baffles and disturbs them, as elements of the world they left behind seem to echo back to them in the news from Washington, as Mr. Alatassi discovered watching the cabinet meeting. And yet others reacted optimistically and emphasized their belief that the current political turmoil in this country did not compare to the failures and problems of the countries they fled.

Steve Le was born in South Vietnam and was 7 years old when he boarded a ship the day before the fall of Saigon in 1975 with his family and other refugees. They resettled in Houston, and Mr. Le became a family physician and the third consecutive Vietnamese-American to represent District F on the Houston City Council. Mr. Le, a Republican who speaks with a subtle Texas twang, said he has never seen America more deeply divided, but added that nothing happening now compares to the world his parents knew in Vietnam. Watching the testimony of James B. Comey, the former F.B.I. director, was but one example, he said.

“In how many other countries can you call the top elected official in the country a liar and get away with it?” said Mr. Le, 50. “Although our democratic process looks dirty to some people, in the end it all comes out clean. We continue to be the longest-standing constitutional nation in the entire history of Earth, and it is because our forefathers designed that constitution so uniquely in balancing out the powers.”

The president’s cabinet meeting bothered Yohannes Tesfagibir, too.

Mr. Tesfagibir, 36, came to the United States eight years ago from his native country of Eritrea, an East African nation. Isaias Afwerki, Eritrea’s only president since it won independence in the 1990s, rules a country known as the North Korea of Africa, where national elections have never been held and young people are forced to work for extended periods in a national service program. Last year, a United Nations commission of inquiry said the national service program amounted to a form of slavery and accused the leaders of Eritrea of other crimes against humanity in a report denounced by government officials.

The scene in Washington reminded him of a scene in Eritrea. “It’s reminiscent of the one-man show, everyone working for the president instead of working for the country,” Mr. Tesfagibir said of the Trump cabinet session. “It was very suspicious.”

Still, although Mr. Tesfagibir said he was worried about the direction of the country and called Mr. Trump “a bully,” he said he never loses perspective.

“The reason I’m talking to you now is because I’m free,” he said.

Immigrants and refugees differed on drawing parallels between the political turmoil in America with the turmoil of their home countries.

Mr. Alatassi, the Syrian whose immigration status was caught up in a temporary limbo after Mr. Trump’s travel ban, said elements of the Trump presidency remind him of a Middle Eastern authoritarian regime: paternal leaders whose families dominate the power structure; policies and rhetoric harking back to a glorified and oversimplified past.

“The whole talk from Trump about, ‘I’m going to solve their problems, somebody else is the cause of the problems, and if you’re not with me, then you’re not patriotic’--that’s the Middle East,” Mr. Alatassi said.

But M. J. Khan, a Pakistani-American businessman, Republican and former councilman who became the first Muslim-American to win a seat on the city council in 2003, said there was no comparison politically or culturally between Trump-era America and the Middle East. Having the simple freedom to speak your mind and to pray, shop and live as you wish made any comparison moot.

“We used to get something called a ration card,” Mr. Khan said of growing up in Pakistan. “Food was rationed off, so every family would get a ration card based on how many people you have in the family, and you can only get that much food. There’s no freedom of any kind. You cannot go and talk against any person in authority at all. Over here, I can go to the city council next Tuesday and blast out the mayor.”

Mr. Khan, 67, the president of the Islamic Society of Greater Houston, said he is as outraged as anyone else on Capitol Hill over Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

“It makes me angry as an American,” Mr. Khan said. “The beauty of America was, and still is, fair and impartial elections. I’ve lived in a society where that was not the case. In spite of all the challenges we have, this is still by far the best system, the best society, the best country, you name it. Maybe because we have had it so good we are spoiled and we expect better.”

The political pulse of Houston’s global village is, if nothing else, intricately nuanced. With Russia dominating the headlines and drawing the ire of many Americans, the executive director of Houston’s Russian Cultural Center had a clear point to make: She was appalled at the unrestrained hostility toward Mr. Trump on display in popular culture and in the news media.

The director, Sophia Grinblat, who came to the United States from Soviet-era Ukraine in 1990, said two incidents--Kathy Griffin holding what looked like the decapitated head of Mr. Trump and the assassination of a Trump look-alike in a production of “Julius Caesar” in Central Park--opened the door to the real-life violence that unfolded last week at the Republican congressional baseball practice in Alexandria.

“I spent 27 years here and I never hear anything in the media so anti-presidential, never, ever in my life,” Ms. Grinblat said. “If this is O.K. to make a play in a New York park how they killed the president and everybody laughed and think this is funny, and if this is O.K. to publish information like that, some crazy people take it as a recipe to act.”

Ms. Grinblat, who serves as the editor in chief of a Russian-language newspaper called Our Texas, said the media coverage was unbalanced in both Russia and the United States, largely pro-Putin there, anti-Trump here. “The situation is going more and more similar to Russia,” she said.

Leopold Kazadi, 39, a community college student from the Democratic Republic of Congo, also spoke of the media portrayals of Mr. Trump. He said he watched late-night comics poke fun at the president with a kind of deep patriotism. He said he had friends in Congo who went to prison for demonstrating against President Joseph Kabila.

“Here I see a lot of comedians make a joke about the president,” said Mr. Kazadi, whose relatives still live in Congo. “People can speak out. In Congo, I can say it’s like ‘esclave.’ I say ‘esclave’ in French. People are like slaves.” He added, “My mom tells me all the time, ‘I’m so glad you’re over there.’”

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