The Varhim Age

The Ages of Braided Shore

The Pre Historic Age ➡ The Elden Age ➡ The Varhim Age ➡ The Age of Settlement ➡ The Age of Dynasty ➡ The Fifth Age

Second Age

The Second Age – the Varhim Age – seems to have been ill-fated. The Varhims dwelled in Braided Shore for many hundreds of seasons after the end of the Elden Age.

Very little from the Varhim Age has survived beyond its end. Scholars agree that Varhim construction was inferior to that of any other Age, and that the Varhims made use of Elden machinery and infrastructure rather than building their own. Some extant remains of the Varhims are, for example, their signature jagged carvings and simple tools.

According to some Sefra, the Varhims were shortsighted – a culture that, whether out of necessity or choice, lived entirely in the present.

Historical Remnants

• The main artifacts from the Varhim period consist of several busts crafted from an unidentified composite material. Nevertheless, due to the Varhim civilization's constructions being of such low quality that almost no remnants exist, these sculptures are also credited to the Elden civilization.

Historical Events

• After the Elden Age, the Varhim established themselves in the Braided Shore region, utilizing the Elden machinery left behind by the ancient civilization.
• Two pieces of lore – the Ancient Varhim disk and the Cat's sardine – offer clues about a historical conflict. In the context of the Second Age, when the Braided Shore was apparently inhabited only by the Varhim, the notion of a war implies the existence of multiple Varhim civilizations in contention, unless they were united against a common enemy.
• The Varhim civilization disappears, concluding the second age. Decades or even centuries later, the Asken people establish their presence in the land.

Emblematic Figures

• A bone disc from the Varhim Age depicts a warlord adorned in armor crafted from numerous teeth. The warlord wears a horned helmet, and his eyes emit a potent glow through a narrow slit in the headgear.

Miscellaneous

• History professor Myrak claims to have evidence of a long period between the Varhim people's disappearance and the landfall of the Asken folk, where the Braided Shore was uninhabited by civilised folk. Myrak goes so far as to consider declaring a new transition age between the Varhim Age and the Age of Settlement.
• Archaeological findings indicate that the Cedar-pink ayu were once abundant near Braided Shore but are now nearly extinct. Scholars at Rivenleaf University suggest overfishing, possibly driven by the Varhim's taste for the fish, as a cause.

Mentions

Preceded by 'The Elden age', The Varhim Age saw another little known civilization occupy the Braided Shore, many hundreds of seasons after the end of The Elden Age. The Varhim society left even less evidence of their nature than the Eldens, and though considerably younger, the Varhim legacy are only dilapidated ruins, more crumbled than those of Elden age construction works. The Varhim appears to have used Elden machinery and infrastructure to some degree, but appears not to have been able to maintain them. 'The Varhim Age' is succeeded by 'The Age of Settlement'.

History lesson knot weave

...My Sefra sometimes share remembrances of the Varhim... Their minds were set only on short time goals... A culture devoid of foresight...

Fragment of a nameless Voices' knot weave

History professor Myrak makes further discoveries at his team's dig site in the Milomak outback! This time, the scholar claims to have evidence of a long period between the Varhim people's disappearance and the landfall of the Asken folk, where the Braided Shore was uninhabited by civilised folk. Professor Myrak goes so far as to consider declaring a new transition age between the Varhim Age and the Age of Settlement. Traditionalist historians are objecting however and no official recognition of this classification has yet been passed.

Tightly-knotted Rivenleaf memo

Hello, Wanderer! Me and my colleague here are debating the lore of The Varhim Age... It is well established that the Varhim occupied the region on Braided Shore after The Elden Age... And that they made use of Elden machinery. We also agree that they were the builders of the inferior buildings, now dilapidated and fallen to ruin that dot the landscape, proving that they had little of the mastery of architectural construction that the far superior Elden had. This is why I believe the remarkable sculptures that dot the landscape is of Elden manufacture. Even though their style is highly personalized, compared to their machines. My colleague believes I am in the wrong about that. What is your position on the topic, I wonder?"

Elden's Side Varhim Scholar

Greetings, Khelim! We are discussing the remains of the Varhim period. It becomes ever more challenging to read the structural remains of the Varhim period, as their architecture has all but fallen to ruin. It is generally believed that the Varhim vacated these lands of masse for some unknown reason after having settled here long after the Eldens disappeared. We both eagerly await Myrak's next essay on the subject. Have you heard of him? Anyways... One of our most contended subjects are the sculptures left behind here and there. I suspect they are of Varhim creation, but using repurposed Elden materials, which would explain why they are still more or less intact. I have a hunch they were left behind as Varhim farewell messages. My colleagues believes they are of Elden manufacture, but I believe the evidence speaks against that. Where do you stand on the subject of the sculptures, Khelim?"

Varhim's Side Varhim Scholar

So, Wanderer...What is your favorite historical period? The fourth age; the Age of Halzhaan? Many interesting eras in that Age, I cannot but agree...The third age; The Age of Settlement perhaps? With its Exploration, Consolidation and Culturalization eras? Being the time of the original Khelim wanderers, I can imagine it would be of particular interest to someone like yourself. Or is it the ill fated Second Age, The Varhim Age that thrills you So few artefacts and evidence remains from that age. Perhaps the First Age of wonder; The Elden Age.

Shakru

An incredibly old bone disk featuring the signature jagged carvings of the Varhim. The illustrations upon the disk look primitive and seem to depict a great warlord clad in an armour made from an unknowable amount of teeth. The warlord wears a horned bucket helmet made from more sharp teeth, their eyes are only visible through a narrow slit in the helmet where they smolder with radiant power.

Ancient Varhim disk

This tiny rascal's name comes from the legend of the seacat, a fearsome creature said to have been the descendant of a Varhim beast of war. The seacat terrorized swimmers and ships alike during the Exploration Era. Seeing how much trouble the seacat was causing, a Sefra grabbed a sardine and tied it to the seacat just out of its reach. It is said that the seacat is still chasing its sardine out at sea to this day. Young pranksters sometimes catch sardines and tie string around their fins, tricking anyone who catches it into thinking that the seacat might come for them next.

Cat's sardine