CAIRNGROM

Cairngroms are creatures of the ground, stone and the mountains.

An average male Cairngrom is from three feet six inches, to four feet, eight inches tall. Females are rarely taller than this, but can be as short as three feet. All Cairngroms are stocky and solid people, resembling Serevmen in appearance. They are very hirsute, the males sporting beards that never stop growing. Cairngroms take great pride in their beards and their condition of them, however, many male Cairngroms suffer from baldness of the scalp. Females are every bit as resilient as the males and generally more serious also.

They live in clans or families and many families make up the colony which can be ruled in many different ways. Most common are monarchies, and in these Aggardil (equivalent to serevmen Kingdoms) predominate, although Lilardils also occur (equivalent to serevmen Queendoms). Other forms of ruling bodies include autarchies, governors, and occasionally religious leaders.

Monarchs are male (Aggar) or female (Lilar). They rule through their fand by direct descendent's. The ruling fand is considered as having a higher status than the other fands in the monarchy, but this does not mean they shirk their share of duties or role in the community. The immediate fand members are perhaps relegated to dignitary positions, but outside this immediate circle other members of the ruling fand will undertake normal positions in society, albeit often one of some standing. Occasionally heirs fail to occur and a ruling fand then becomes lost and the community must decide how they are to continue, often with the departing monarch having some influence in this decision. It has been known for some monarchs to adopt an outsider to their own fand to ensure the monarchy continues, but it is rare and usually needs the peoples support.

Autarchies are obviously despotic to some degree. The ruler in these communities is usually a hero of some sort, perhaps a military commander or a powerful warrior or Mancer. They tend to rule with a firm dictatorship, but they are never too harsh or ruthless as they soon become removed if they are. Most autarchies last for as long as they are needed, perhaps the life of the ruler, after which they usually become ruled by other means. Governorship or Governments are councils elected by the fands, usually individuals chosen from the fands, that rule by concession and agreement. They often meet with guild representatives or fand heads and debate the necessary laws and needs of the community. The governments vary in size from just a handful to several hundred members. Religious leaders of cairngrom communities are rare and often link to one of the former titles also, but  it has been known that a cairngrom religious leader has come to rule over a community. The religions are those worshiped by the entire community, not by force, but by choice and thus the folk allow the religious leader to rule, seeing it as also divine leadership ruling, not just the individual.

Typically Cairngroms, male or female, live to an average age of two hundred and fifty Dodecates. Coming of age is around twenty-five, where most males begin an apprenticeship, as may the females if they wish. By fifty they may change their work or join the militia, females more as not returning to their mothers and learning the ways of domesticity or craft and ‘Materdom’ (wifery). Once to the age of fifty, Cairngroms are also permitted to leave on a ‘Gorduch’ (trek or travel), where they leave their homeland and wander the world as they wish. Usually they decide on a suitable period in which to return or send word. Many older Cairngroms, once past two hundred, almost always attempt to return home. To pass on their experiences and learning’s and also to see out their last Dodecates.

Taking vows is a serious business and many preparatory matters must be dealt with before hand. When a male meets a female whom he likes, he must first ask if he may acquaint himself with her. This done, if the relationship is prosperous and they feel they are in love, he may approach her parents and ask for him to be permitted to begin ‘connubiality’ (chase her heart). If the parents give their blessings then it may be done so. He may then ask the female and they may befriend each other and learn more about their ways. After a predetermined time (determined by parents, the male and female in question), the pair may ‘Advower’ (give of their heart). Taradvower is a great ceremony, with merriment, feasting and general functions of dances, speeches and games. After the public taradvower, a more formal and private ceremony takes place. The female called the ‘Vandure’ (honorer) and the ‘Vandulin’ (honoured), are attended by their parents and siblings, a lord or anyone of importance and respect and up to seven guests of the vandure and vandulin’s choice. In the case of a king taking a queen, the highest wizard, seer or cleric may perform the advower ceremony. This performing person is called the Cerome, they take a goblet and fills it with Cairngromic ale or cider and the vandure drinks from it followed by the vandulin, then the parents and the guests, the Cerome does not. Then water is passed in the same manner followed by a small piece of broken Cairngrom biscuit again tasted by all except the Cerome. Then a ceremony of questions is completed where each advower gives a speech as to why they wish this union. Sometimes this is momentary while at other times it can take Passages. Once both have had their say the vandulin must give the vandure something he treasures and the vandure gives the vandulin a similar token, this can be from a pressed flower to whole kingdoms. Once this has been completed the ceremony ends and both are now ‘Vowed’ (heart given).

Cairngroms live for up to 250 Dodecates generally. Their age does not reflect this when compared to Serevmen however. The table below gives approximations for age comparisons to Serevmen.

They share the Common tongue as spoken by many of the Good races, but they have an older, far more ancient language called Cairngromic. It was once a rival to Old Tongue, used extensively by cairngroms, those who traded with cairngroms and indeed some Mancers. It has a limited Manc power and so fell from use by them many Cycles ago. When the cairngroms retreated underground and hid themselves their language was common, but after they returned to the surface it was considered best to hide it, and that has unfortunately meant it has become partially lost to many cairngroms of this Cycle. Considered too important to allow others to learn, few learn it, let alone teach it. Those that do speak Cairngromic, do so alongside Common, and often are only taught it as their parents or older relatives feel they should retain some of their old history. Recently, however, Cairngromic has returned as a noble language to learn, and many younger cairngroms are seeing it as an old birthright, and something to make cairngroms again, stand out from the other races in the Lands Of Law. Many of their own terms are Cairngromic anyway, so much of it is easy for them to learn, and it does sit well with cairngroms, whereas with other races such as Galaniŕ and serevmen it sounds oddly slow and cumbersome.

Settlements are usually underground, or mountainous, but others do occur. Cairngroms are master tunnelers and able to create exquisite and immense underground chambers that other races, even galashkra would only dream of trying to create. They are often instinctive masons and crafters of stone or construction. Settlements are carefully thought out before being began. A source of wealth nearby is essential, and they usually look for something that can be mined. Of course, Dwarfport is a cairngrom settlement, and unusually a harbour settlement. Cairngroms are not afraid of water, indeed they encounter it frequently underground, but they are not fair swimmers, needing extra training to gain the buoyancy needed to easily stay afloat. But as shipbuilders they are fine crafters.

Settlements, often, are re-worked cave systems, new tunnels, occasionally towns or cities, and sometimes fortified settlements that resemble castles or forts. They rarely, if ever begin small. Hamlets or villages hardly ever occur as they are considered too small to sustain. That said, cairngroms often link with other races to start such settlements, or take advantage of an opening and set up a trade in a settlement started by other races. Most usually serevmen. Smiths, masons, carpenters, traders, even landlords have all been trades taken up in newly settled places began by serevmen.

All cairngrom settlements are designed to be defendable if under attack, and almost all will have some form of underground street system too. These underground streets, often called halldrels, are as extensive as those above, and often go down in stories as much as any structure may go up, or even more so.

Cairngroms build using any supplies found nearby and are decorative in their construction. They are happy to mix any substance as long as it can resist an attack if needed.

Cairngroms use wind carvings to create sounds when the tunnel winds blow. Unique Manc allows messages to be blown through these carvings and a message sent. As the wind continues down the tunnels it will eventually reach other carvings and the message is revealed to the recipient at that location. Similar to the Tepeln spell Nightwhisper. Under the Bairn Mountains run rivers of molten gold.  Deep down Cairngrom cranes use pneumatics.

Dwellings come in the forms of houses, smithy's, the usual town buildings, but almost all will have a subterranean story or floor. Sleeprooms, cook areas, eating halls, entertainment halls, offices,  rooms for the young to play or study, workrooms, washrooms, and treasure rooms are all common amenities found in many cairngrom homes. These can be above ground, underground, stacked, in a row on one level, or even in a circular pattern. Cairngroms are nothing if not inventive and like to be individual. Space is something they are all aware of, as many thousands if not millions of cairngrom individuals can live in their settlements. So where space is small, dwellings are comprehensive and compact. Where their is luxury to be had, they are expansive and open. No single cairngrom is too greedy to build their neighbours out of room. It conflicts with their instinct to remain unified.

Music comes in many forms and many styles but all are usually ancient tales, occasionally reworked to a different melody or style, but the tales are ancient myths and legends, histories of their race and the Plane, and some are ditties, just for drunken fun and for amusing the young. Drums, horns, bagpipes, harps, flutes, fiddles and xylophones are common instruments. They rarely use instruments such as lutes or mandolins, as their, often round, tummies can prevent them from mastering them. Cairngroms sing well, albeit slow and sonorous. The ditties are of course quicker and slightly lighter in style, but are raucous and often about either battles or some misfortune befalling an individual. Many are considered unsuitable for young, but this is mostly due to bloodshed, horror, or swearing than anything lewd.

Cairngroms are open to Manc, but neither obsessed by it, nor repelled by it, and many are able to cast Manc as the Serevmen do. Cairngroms have souls, and thus have gods and Religions. They worship the 7 Fathers of the Mountains, believing that all mountains on Lawner were once giant Cairngroms. When they fell to sleep for seven Cycles, they began to crumble and from their debris the Cairngroms were created that now roam the 7th Plane.

Cairngroms also use crystals and their natural healing and other properties to aid other Cairngroms. It seems to have a lesser effect on non-Cairngroms. These crystal users are called Majdara ('Gemtuner'). They have the ability to utilize properties in the crystals or other minerals to perform various Manc-like abilities. Healing, transformation or alteration are the most common. Majdara use a combination of ritual and Lore to use these crystals and minerals, and as long as a mineral or crystal is connected to a specific mineral they can use these other minerals to perform with that mineral, or the crystals abilities, but at a reduced or lesser effect.

Cairngroms are able, usually, to become mastercrafters in almost any skill they put their mind to. Few escape them. They are most renowned of course for their manufacturing and construction crafts: masons, carpenters, smiths of all kinds, brewers, scribes, miners, merchants of all and sundry, landlords, moneylenders, leatherworkers, shipbuilding, cartwrights, etc. If they are not inclined towards some professions or crafts it would be that of farmer, entertainer, and domestic servant.

Lores are frequent among cairngroms. Being so close to the elements in both nature and habitat, they are often able to manipulate and control the base and more earthly elements. Those that are gifted are often considered blessed by the Seven fathers, but they know it to be of a natural ancient lineage. Loremasters are also known, especially of Earth, Stone, Gem, Fire, Darkness, or Nature.

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