/lit/ - Literature

Here's a story I'm working on that was inspired by a thread from another board. I'll post what I have, but it's not entirely finished yet.

In the high up mountains of northern Elleswhaer, a nation ruled by the kingdoms of Man, lived a race of people that had evolved from bears, a mighty beast of the forests and mountains. These creatures, called björn, or “high bears,” in their own tongue, were a proud a noble race of creature that reveled in battle and improving their warcraft so as to remain free from the kingdoms of Man, who the björn believed to be weak and unworthy of any live safe that of a slave.

The björn had learned many secrets from their former masters, a race of stone people called the giants. The first björn served the giants as squires and servants, but over time they grew frustrated with their second-class ranking and in a bloody rebellion they overthrew the giants and established their own nation: Hjálmer. After driving out many of the giants and enslaving the remainder, the björn began to expand their borders to encompass all of the mountains north of the kingdoms of Man.

The weak Men of the south grew afraid of the mighty björn, fearing that the mountain folk would come down and wage war with them. The Men prayed to their gods for aid, but their prayers went unanswered. Having no other choice, the kings of Men bargained with the fiends of Hell for power and protection, offering them featly and servitude in exchange for a way to fight the björn. The sudden emergence of infernal creatures in the heartlands of Elleswhaer drew the attention of the elfs, the descendents of the fey spirits of nature and fertility. The elfs grew concerned that the kingdoms of Men were walking down a dark path that they would not soon be able to recover from.