The Hieyokscream Bay, known as well for long as the Bay of the Amazons was located on the northwest coast of Aels in the pre-Cataclysm era. It faced north into the Hieyokscream Sea, and was the largest bay of the northwest coast. It was an important geographical feature allowing for the support and growth of historical populations and civilizations of elves and humans. It was particularly known for being the region in which the tribes of Amazons developed and long flourished, and where the Order of Nortender would be based.
Features[]
The Bay is large and wide, being well suited for entry, yet provides some protection from the tumultuous and cold Hieyokscream Sea. There are few islands or underwater obstructions to get in the way of ships and the coast within the bay. It provides good fishing for its protection from the worst of storms.
There are not many islands, but those that exist are near the coasts and are often inhabited. Two islands are of a 'large' size category to allow for a significant population, and one was home to a city-state of elves.
History[]
Early[]
The surrounding lands of the bay were inhabited by tribes of various nomadic beast people well into history, with early coast and island occupations by unknown fisher-elves in prehistory and by Rossnes elves into historic times.
High Elven Exploration (circa 700 B.a.H. - 100 A.a.H.)[]
During the High Elf imperialism, High elven explorers reached Polforia as soon as around the 700 b.a.H, being found written records in the libraries of the Whide Axis accounts of explorers, mentioning the wild shores of Hieyokscream, the temperemental and dangerous sea, the presence of small elven populations and timber, needed for the construction of boats.
But the Hieyokscream was seen by the High Elves as too fierce and the lands too wild, of too little interest for settlement, specially when they were more invested in the conquest of the sylvan elven Empire of Aiesec, and after it's collapse at the 642 b.a.H, the High elves took about some 200 years to secure their conquest of the Northwest of Aiers, before venturing again into the Hieyokscream.
Only by the 450-400 b.a.H, thanks to the advances in the construction of their ships and sailing, High Elven ventured again regularly into the Hieyokscream: Specially was the case of Golden High Elves who hoped to find a more direct, northern trade route to Near Hieyoks across the Hieyokscream, to compete to Silver High Elves colonies who had established a lucrative trade to Near Hieyoks across the Caritz and the Tok.
For this objective, they explored again the shores of Hieyokscream to find suitable places for their bases to replenish and repair their ships in the dangerous venture across the northern sea, choosing to make bases in the Hieyokscream Bay, to use the great trees to repair their ships, and in Postig, in the straits that divided the Hieyokscream Sea.
They founded in one of the islands of the bay the trading post of Var'Nimloth.
As the colony struggled in their first years, the High Elven settlers where forced to trade with the peoples of the Bay, and from this trade -first for the most of basics of products for survive-, the High Elves noticed that beyond the great trees for their ships, there was amber and precious furs to be traded.
Var'Nimloth, while a small settlement that never came to be into a kingdom or an imperial subject of the Empire of Whide Axis, became a lucrative trading spot for the very appreciated ambar, not only as decorative item, but specially for the mages of the Whide Axis.
The explotation of the trade will interest High Elven ventures into Polforia itself, and other trading settlements where set on the Northern shores of Polforia: however, after some initial attempts to conquest Polforia and create new realms in the old craddle of elfkind, as the High elves realized that Polforia, rather than being united under an elven empire as had been Aiesec, Malvor or Unnline, it was scarcely populated, of difficult marshy terrains and highly fragmented in small tribes, that would difficult a quick annexion of Polforia: this will deter expansion of High Elves to the interior, contempting themselves to control the trade and trading posts on the shores.
The High elves who explored the bay were well aware of the Rossnes elves living there, and set up several trading posts there for trade and for the resupply of ships. The bay had an obvious value to it, but its limitations also prevented large scale colonies despite a long period of High elven presence.
Over time, the native Rossnes elves coalesced settlements of their own around the lucrative trade and the trading posts and settlements of the High elves, absorbing some of their culture: while in general the local rossnes kept their tribal, rural organisation, emerged some of their first petty kingdoms, and more advanced civilizations began to develop.
The High elves' communities would be cut off for a time by the global upheavals of the Age of Calamities.
Age of Invasions[]
The Age of Calamities brought to a screeching halt the trading of the Empire of the Whide Axis, and trading posts as the ones set by the High Elves had to suffer, aside of the natural catastrophes, the collapse of their economy, that affected as well the local Rossnes petty realms, that saw a period of contraction or abandonement. There are as well evidences that some of the Rossnes of the petty kingdoms rose and attacked high elven settlements, maybe as a reaction -there are some legends that blamed on High Elven mages to have brought the calamities with their magic, and the Ambar-Trade, dominated by the Wizards Guilds was an obvious target, but some of it could be atributted only as raiding.
In Var'Nimloth, the Wizards Guild, feeling menaced, precisely took control of the settlement, and used all their might to first deter and later attack the Rossnes petty kingdoms.
Weakend, empoverished and divided, cut from the Empire, when arrived the High Orc Horde, little could they do.
During the Age of Invasions, various refugees from the effects of the global upheavals would arrive in Polforia in the period of the Age of Invasions. The Hieyokscream Bay would serve as host to boat landings of various tribes of Green Orcs: but not all these refugees were the same.
The High Orcs Horde that came from the north, arriving at the 120 a.a.H, did so as a whole nation: an armed nation, that could host a great army.
Despite the efforts of the Wizards of Val'Nimloth, who did a desperate last ditch alliance with the elves of the Amber Shores and the Lake Shores, would be quickly and decisively defeated by the orcs.
After a time of infighting, the High Orcs would proclaim then the Kingdom of the Walgar around the 200 a.a.H, a realm, that comprissed of all the lands of the north: from the Dargoina Mountains to the west to the plains of Morod to the East, and from the Hieyokscream Sea to the north to Dol-Nur to the south.
But as often happened with the kingdoms of the High Orcs, the Kingdom of the Walgar was short lived. Aside of the High Elven- High Orcish wars of the third century in which the Walgar fought along the Galawkey and Galawonnor, the realm was plagued to Succession crisis which divided it's elites who seemingly had as sport to fight a civil war each decade: and while the orcs heavily taxed their subjects, elven and beast-peoples, they didn't forced their language and culture: not only that, but they adopted elven scriptures and the knowledge of the Wizards of Var'Nimloth as mages and bureaucrats, becoming the dialect of Var'Nimloth the administrative language of the realm.
The Walgar, weakened by internal turmoil will collapse by the 340s into numerous small orcish realms, and many of said realms lost as well this orcish character, as independent elven states formed.
By the 440 a.a.H, all of these orcish succesor states of the Walgar had disappeared... specially under the pressure of new refugees: humans.
Humans would arrive in the bay area surprisingly early, though it is not known how early. Most scholars believe that they must have been explorers arriving by boat.
Amazon Beginnings[]
How early Amazon culture of its matriarchal orientation and often segregation of genders got its start and developed is a widely contested and mysterious subject among historians. Some theories are:
- Humans settled on the coast, and men continued to go out to sea as explorers and sea-going raiders and traders, or as fishermen. Over time, due to male absence and losses of male humans via the dangerous Hieyokscream sinking boats or due to warfare, an effective gender imbalance existed, leading to women as leaders at home, and seeking mates of convenience among the local Rossnes elves and sometimes other males. Elven culture being much more gender neutral also providing an example and cultural influence towards a matriarchal development?
- Some believe that 'Proto-Amazons' arrived to the bay area as a tribe of matriarchal explorers from the hinterland of Polforia. This is not given a great deal of credence, as the bay makes for a logical entry point for early arrivals of explorers. However, that Amazon culture is spread far beyond the bay area gives the idea some legitimacy, particularly as humans did settle Polforia surprisingly early, arrived through multiple access points, and entered into conflict with the Kanovs over rights to the broad land. Conflict with the patriarchal Kanovs also being a push towards certain human tribes to furthering female leadership or segregation?
Amazon Tribal Development (circa 500 - 1900 A.a.H.)[]
However Humans got into Polforia and settled about the Hieyokscream Bay, those that became 'Amazons' were not content to do things in any given way. Amazon culture would branch widely, much of which could be explained by the variations of terrain and occupation of niches in the region. Or by breeding with non-amazon humans, non-humans and various forms of cultural assimilation. A great deal of elven blood would be incorporated into many amazons, but so did that of orcs and Kanovs, and later, sometimes demons.
- Amazons living near the coasts often lived near elven settlements. Those that did became increasingly entangled and influenced by the elven culture; until human population growth overtook and effectively absorbed and incorporated elves into their greater municipalities as happened with Priva
- Amazons that also had an early segregation from human males and relations with elves who failed to settle down and became nomadic peoples. Some did not stray far from the bay area, and typically returned to coastal males, human or elves for mates. Others strayed further into the hinterland or east along the coast, spreading Amazon culture beyond the Bay area. Hence, nascent kdaimons villages sprang up over the centuries populated by human men or mixed genders including 'unworthy' females not chosen to become Amazons. Horse nomads known as Equilats being one such tribe that developed.
- Amazons that settled in the land's interior would build fortresses and cities at defensible positions and farmed valleys and fertile patches nearby. Some would remain nomadic to an extent, and would continue to take mates with Kdaimon men at the north coasts, others had men remain with them as either chosen 'breeding bulls' or simply as the 'other gender'. Examples of Amazons with fortified base settlements in the highlands were Angstros and Helzar.
An important point is that fishing off the coast was a very important resource, the division of human peoples between genders and between land and sea helped to maximize survival, and choosing of various mates from differing kdaimon villages, or prospective amazons from women encountered, or breeding with alien peoples would maintain a robust gene pool from what was originally a small number of humans.
Priva vs. Helzar (circa 1900 - 2203 A.a.H.)[]
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The Hiyokscream Bay during the Privan Queendom Period
As centuries rolled by, tribes of humans that had grown from few sources were now city-states and began to coalesce into nations. Largely through a process of either being absorbed or though alliances. While there were multiple unaligned amazon tribes, most had begun to fall into one of two differing camps, that of Priva and Helzar. The Equilat horsewomen were a diverse group of tribes by blood and culture due to their far flung nomadic nature, and often shifted loyalties or remained neutral. Eventually, Equilat tribes being forced to align with Helzar, or else 'seduced' by the wealth and sophistication of Priva.
Priva[]
For long, Priva was not particularly remarkable. Indeed, it was an amazon group that had settled near Rossnes elves of a city of that same name, and was even subject to the elves. Over time, it had grown as a sort of sister city of 'half elves', as a significant amount of crossbreeding had taken place over generations, and tended towards being behaviorally very elf-like humans due to acculturation. Eventually, though, 'Priva' had become the name of the entire community, and the original Priva was an 'old city' open 'elferie'.
Priva had long had a mercantile society via the sea, and important trade relations which helped build an alliance of elves, amazons and kdaimon coastal towns on the west side of the bay. A long rivalry with the tough amazon city-state of Angstros spurred this development; and Angstros recognizing Privan superiority in economy, numbers and mages, giving up its antagonism and joining the alliance propelled Priva towards becoming a proper 'queendom' nation of the west bay area. This would Include even the captured Drow town of Dahl'Wrach and close relations with Loranor tribes.
Helzar[]
The amazons of the east bay area were known to be poorer, rougher and tougher sorts of communities. They tended to be more nomadic hill people, as likely to mate with Galaw and other orcs than elves; with the occasional Kanov male as an occasional mating, or as an enslaved 'bull'. While diverse and nomadic, one group founded a fortress city of Helz to the south of the bay, in the hills of the rising slopes which culminated in the distant peaks of Dol-Nur.
While similar to the amazons of Angstros to the northwest, at first glance, They didn't have the same discipline or sophistication of the Angstryles. For long, the Helzar were just another amazon tribe of barbarians, with just a particularly strong reputation, more numbers, and their stronghold town as a base. Over time, however, in conducting raids to the west, or facing punitive counter-strikes, or acting in defense against raids of Draak Harg slavers, orcs, beast people, Kanovs or, later, demons, the tribes of the east allied more and more with the Helzar.
For long, the demons to the southeast had tried to influence or further divide the amazons. In the years leading into the First War of the Power demon diplomacy and influence aided the Helzar alliance and promised them control over all the amazons and to unify the entire Hieyokscream Bay region in exchange for becoming a state of the Dark Legion of Demons and accepting a demon empress. Tempted, and feeling frustrated and humiliated by Priva, the Helzar agreed.
Dark Legion Period (2203-2220 A.a.H.)[]
Amazons as Simple Warriors[]
Despite having become a credible nation; Priva was still seen as a 'backward', pagan land of barbarous women by other human kingdoms. While modernizing, it had a sense of being 'out of time', in part due to its relative isolation and adoption of 'elven' traditions. Indeed, Priva would have many ancient elven conventions of warfare via champion warriors, less than a battle line. Of course, the Helzar and other amazons were considerably more primitive without such an elven influence, so blaming elves is not good explanation for the amazons falling behind. Priva also relied on fear of its mages to provide an edge which most of its rivals couldn't match.
Fall of Priva[]
The Helzar had been considered beaten, but, seeing that Priva had achieved dominance, fearing assimilation by Priva, the other amazons to the east were more willing to ally with the Helzar, particularly under pressure by the Helzar and influenced by the demons. This alliance alone could not have defeated Priva, but the Helzar becoming much better trained, disciplined, equipped, and led using battle line tactics made a big difference. Further, two legions of 'crack' Ozcura Orcs and a cadre of Werewolves and Beast People would appear to aid the assault on Priva, as well as invasions of Drow and Draak Harg mercenaries, and a Kanov fleet from Kanovait in the final battles.
Together with several of the Witches of the Forests of Ded, the Bazrrod known as Ursus the Bear and other magic casting demons countering Privan mages, Priva could not hope to win, so the nation fell to the demons and became a Helzar based demon state for a generation. Amazons of virtually every category of tribe would serve the Dark Legion in the First War of the Power. Indeed, the Fall of Priva was the opening move in this war, eliminating the amazons as an obstacle and potential threat, and turning them into allies instead.
The Order of Nortender[]
The Hieyokscream Bay as the Order of Nortender expanded its power in the region. Note, altered place names as times have changed and lanquage drifts.
During the time of the Polforian states of the Outregam, the lands around the Hieyokscream Bay came to be divided culturally in three parts: the western shores where known commonly as the humanlands by the servants of the Remnants of the Dark Legion, while humans called Demonlands the eastern shores, under the rule of demonic remnants or of the demonic cults: between the eastern and western shores, the souther shores where known as the Wild Lands, a dangerous frontier where amazons still ruled, but being a contested region.