Dominion Era/Tretallë (Culture)/Di'Trigallârë
This page discusses a part of the lore of the Dominion Era Tretallë. If you are interested in seeing the Tabletop RPG stats associated with this race, visit: Tretallë (Stats).
| Dominion Era Tretallë | |
|---|---|
| Bone Elves | |
| Istfet, The Strangers, Invaders, Deathriders | |
 Imperial Standard of the Tretalleri Dominion | |
| Land of Origin | |
 | |
| Continent of Origin | Termalttë |
| Homeland | Teýrivellë |
| Capital | Ifatallë Cselvë |
| Racial Lore | |
| Language | Tretalleri |
| Characteristics | Tretallë (Characteristics) |
| Culture | Tretallë (Culture) |
| History | Dominion Era |
| Government | Tretallë (Government) |
| Military | Tretallë (Military) |
| Stats | Tretallë (Stats) |
| Racial Relations | |
| Allies | None |
| Enemies | Elledynnë |
| Neutrals | None |
Di'Trigallârë represent a portion of the Tretalleri born with the relative misfortune of being born with the spark to use magic. Their position in Tretalleri society, their alien appearance, and the relative wariness with which they are treated with the general populace stems from the taboo against the arcane arts among the Tretalleri people. Although the Bound might appear to be a repressed and discriminated sector of the Dominion, many historians would argue that they were never such.
The Taboo
Despite the evident advantage of using the arcane arts to gain the upper hand in warfare, the Tretâllë, known best for their tendency to war and conquest because of the principle of the Divine Imperative to Conquest, shun magic almost entirely in all of its forms. Blood magic is the only notable exception. Individuals blessed with the Gift of Blood Magic are considered among the upper echelons of Tretalleri society, and are freely allowed to practice their art.
Although there are no documents that directly indicate the reasons for the taboo against the arcane arts in the Dominion, scholars and historians conjecture that the taboo against the arcane is the result of a distrust against magic that is ingrained in the Tretâllë by their cultural history and the memory of the many years they served and toiled under the Elledŷnnë. The only documentation that there is on the matter of the taboo exists in the form of proclamations made by Imperators over the history of the Dominion. Of note is the ban on the carrying of magical items of individuals who are Tretalleri or who possess Tretalleri heritage established in Y.D. 43 by Cilritanë a'Detvida.
Despite the taboo within the Dominion against the arcane arts, the Dominion has only once attempted to quash the arcane aspects of other cultures. It was a harsh lesson learned quickly in Y.D. 1035, when the third Imperator of the Dominion, Leneri a'Zo-Hanyll attempted to apply the ban on the arcane arts to the Seýfë. This attempt was quickly followed by a bloody rebellion and one of the Dominion's most bitter defeats in its early history. The Imperatrix Leneri then decreed that magic is open to practice for any individuals who do not possess Tretalleri blood, so long as it was done under the supervision of Di'Mordë Tamarilë, the Society of Arcanology which was beholden to the Laws of Arcanology. The Laws of Arcanology are a set of rules and guidelines that Cilritanë wrote about, toward the end of his life, since he had realized that perhaps one day, the use of magic might become so prolific and powerful that the Dominion would have no choice but to begrudgingly accept it.
Since the days of Leneri, the Laws of Arcanology have been expanded upon and improved by Imperators. The most prominent of these editors to the Laws of Arcanology is the Imperator Korenn a'Zo-Hanyll, who, in Y.D. 5302, overhauled the wording of the Laws of Arcanology and defined precise boundaries and conditions that would apply to the practice of magic in all its various forms. Many cultures benefitted from the introduction of the Laws of Arcanology, in fact. Of note are the Fireshapers of the A'drekh, who flourished more under the Dominion than they ever did under the feudalistic tribal system that the A'drekh had abided by prior to their integration into the Dominion.
The strictures surrounding the practice and use of the arcane arts in Tretalleri society were loosened during and after the reign of Dalran a'Callan in ca. Y.D. 26400-26900. Dalran had, in his childhood, borne witness to one of the bloodiest acts of aggression between the Dominion and the Silvered Realm. Many Tretalleri border towns would have fallen if not for a number of brave souls that took up Elledŷnnë weaponry and used their magic to defend the Dominion border. Although the brief war was won by the Dominion, these honourable soldiers returned to the capital and submitted themselves to the justice of the Grand Hall of War. Despite being given an option to spend their lives in exile, the soldiers instead decided to face death. This event affected Dalran well into his reign, which led to him loosening the strict laws governing the use of magical items by members of the military.
The Binding
Because the hatred of the arcane is so indoctrinated in Tretallë, individuals who realize that they are capable, or begin to manifest magical abilities, generally volunteer themselves in order to avoid bringing shame to their Blood. In fact, in many ways, this is considered the noble and "right" thing to do. This recognition, however, might as well be post-mortem, as once the Binding is performed, the individual is no longer a freeman and is dead by all rights to his/her family and the records.
There are two forms of Binding rituals: the first is for the magi who do not have the potential nor innate talent to become Trigallarrë. These magi are made slaves called the Galtë. The Bound. When a magus enters the custody of the state, either voluntarily or through capture, a Trigallarrë clasps Elledtrillë manacles and a collar made of the same metal to the soon-to-be slave. At the same time, the Trigallarë fastens an Elledtrillë band around his/her wrist.
In a long and painful process, both for the Trigallarrë and the soon-to-be-Galtë, the Trigallarrë channels the magus' well of arcane potential through the Elledtrillë. This process also siphons much of the Galtë's power and traps it in the Elledtrillë collar and manacles, with the band around the Trigallarë's wrist functioning as a control mechanism that allows its wearer to either completely burn out the Galtë's magic, or restrict and direct the Galtë's magic.
The Binding is different for the Trigallarrë, and it is one of the most well-kept secrets in the world. The temple at the heart of the Shrouded Peaks is accessible only to the highest members of the Bound Circle, the not-so-secret society that stands at the heart of the anti-arcane culture of the Dominion. In the centre of this temple is an artifact that is used to change the very chemistry and biology of the soon-to-be Trigallarrë. This artifact is called the Stranger's Embrace.
The process with which blue blood is replaced with iron-filled red is unclear, not even to the Bound Circle itself. Needless to say, the ritual is lengthy and painful. Most candidates pass out long before the blood magic working gets completely underway. When the process is complete, the candidate Trigallarrë is allowed a day's rest before the tattooing begins. Using tattoo ink with iron filings and iron oxide, a magic-inhibiting lattice is permanently drawn into the individual's skin. This process completes the Binding and after a period of rest, the Trigallarrë is educated in his/her new role in Tretallë society and trained in the requisite skills before being returned to the capital.
Governing Body
Though the Trigallarë are essentially slaves to the Dominion, and though they are often given over to certain individuals for easier management, the Trigallarë are in fact not bound by anything other than contractual obligation to any of these individuals. The Trigallarë are slaves to the Ivory Throne, and the Ivory Throne alone. The affairs of the Trigallarë are managed, mostly, by a council of the eldest of their number who serve directly under the the Pale Imperator and thus have some political clout to ensure that the Trigallarë are not being unduly hurt by anti-arcane propaganda. This council is called the Di'Galtë Mordë, the Bound Circle.
