Editing Autia (section)

====Dún Cósta====

In the northern edge of Tismo sits the lands named Dún Cósta, or the Coastal Fort.
So named because the inhabitants here fled the powerful empires of Autia before they fractured and crumbled. The people moved here and built a series of forts and tower houses to protect themselves along the edge of the continent and a few islands off shore in the barren sea.

The coast of this area is often steep and rocky, and small rain showers occur almost daily being swept in off the barren sea. The land is flat or comprosied of rolling hills and is frequently a lush green. Trees are few due to frequent cloud cover but smaller vegetation can grow in abundance. Farming and pastoral life is efficient here.

The people here are proud and clannish, with infighting not being uncommon. They claim an old and proud lineage that they travelled back to before their exodus from Autia.
Though feuding is common, the people here are of a shared identity and always rally and unify for mutual defense against outside threats.

They subsist off of farming and livestock, which provides them with all the necessary food they could need, often having large underground stores for hard winters or times of strife.

The clans tend to congregate around their fortified tower houses, which is where the land gets its name. These range in size from simple three story buildings to large structures with walls and additional defensive fortifications. A powerful clan can have several tower houses to their name, often with a preeminent holding being the central point.

Most of their modern arms were initially obtained through trade with outside powers, but they have since begun to replicate and create weaponry of their own to match that of the more powerful empires from over the sea.

The people here take to war readily, but firearms are still less widespread in this land than in others. It is considered a mark of manliness and bravery to go to battle with conventional melee weapons, though there is no taboo against the use of ranged weaponry.

The locals hold to the legend that they fled here as the first human empires of old took hold of Autia. Their greatest hero was reportedly named Balor Manannan, a leader of a small clan, he was a renowned sailor. It was said he could commune with the seas and knew the language of the waves. He was the first to recognize the danger their people faced, and he alone urged them to set sail and head east for a new land. He was challenged on this by the leader, or rí túaithe, of the largest and most influential clan. This came to a head when the two engaged in a duel to settle the matter. The younger and smaller Balor won the fight, and most of their people then agreed to take to the ocean and leave.
Balor Manannan seemed to know the exact course to take and exactly when to leave, guiding the clans over the rough seas to their new home.
Balor called this place An Baile Glas, or the green home. Here they would start anew, prosper, and flee no more.

Balor Manannan is regarded as a near godlike figure by his people. They say he still sails the world centuries later, always roaming and exploring. It is said should they ever face destruction again, Manannan would return from over the waves with his guard and save them from such a fate.

The Balorians, as they now refer to themselves, fight war in mixed units of men with rifles and others with melee weapons. They are not above a well coordinated ambush and often consider it an exceptional talent to catch the enemy off guard.

When facing a foe in a pitched battle, the rifle armed men tend to let a few volleys loose to weaken and disrupt the enemy, which is quickly followed by a rushing charge of those wielding hand to hand weapons.

Cannons have begun to make an appearance in their forces, which they prefer to use at shorter ranges right along side their rifle fire to maximize damage and the psychologically disrupting impact it can have on the enemy.

When the ancestors of the modern Balorians arrived on Tismo, one of the first tasks they undertook was to erect their traditional Standing Stones. These sites are religious and magical in nature.
It is within these standing stones that the people gather under the guidance of the draoithe, or druids, to engage in ancient rituals and ceremonies. From these locations the people are said to have opportunities to commune with the dead or glimpse aspects of the future.
It is here that the most dire of matters are settled, the most desperate of prayers made, and the most joyous of festivities are held. The druids of the land are held by custom to be impartial in the affairs of the clans, so that they can fairly arbitrate disputes and that their power cannot be used against their own people.

It is when their lands are threatened from the outside that the draoithe act with the height of their powers. It said they can conjure storms, powerful gales and whipping rain to hamper their adversaries or shroud the land in so thick a mist that invaders would wander almost blindly through the countryside. Rumors abound that through sacrificing one of their own, they can even conjure the wailing spirits of the dead to run rampant through the fog and assail the enemies of their people.

Balorian men are not an entirely uncommon sight outside of Tismo. Those that are low in line for inheritance or have fallen afoul of their own laws will often end up venturing into the world as adventurers and even mercenaries. Their services are often welcome amongst the prominent empires as they are typically adept scouts and skirmishers.

The Balorian Pipers are fabled for the cry of their music and seemingly magical nature of its sound. Through haunting and echoing wails of the pipes men are strengthened to valor, given fortitude beyond their natural means, granted the might of two men, and even gain a swiftness on foot that is seemingly unnatural. A piper accompanying an army or even a simple group of fighting men can be a force multiplier all their own. The proper song can even break the moral of opposing men or disorient their forces in the chaos of combat.

The origins of this magic is unknown to all outsiders, and it is a tightly kept secret. Even a Balorian vagabond in distant lands would keep tight lipped about the nature of this power. While not connected to their faith or the druids, the songs of the pipes are ancient and mystical in their own right. Tradition maintains that Balor Manannan himself devised the instrument, and taught his people the tones, sounds, and songs of power that they now send howling out of them.

Being a piper is a lifelong pursuit. Often these men forgoe titles and other life paths to dedicate themselves to perfecting the myriad of songs that are passed down through the generations. These individuals are not barred from other avenues or ambitions, but the pipes are nigh sacred, and a professional piper is worth far more than their weight or stature could ever convey. Even a small clan can be stronger than they would otherwise be capable if they have the loyalty of several accomplished pipers.
Bagpipe bards.