In the land of Tirneach, there are Five Realms. Bruid, to the south, is a rugged land, where pioneers struggle to survive in the great forest. Siabhal, to the north, is a realm of politics and intrigue. There, the families descended from ancient heroes vye for power. Baol, to the west, is a realm divided. The rich lowlanders ply their trades, but find themselves in conflict with the martial highlanders who claim to be the true inheritors of the land. Draoid, beneath the earth, is a land of magic and secrets. mysterious councils steer society, and all is put in its proper place. And Uasa, to the east, is the loyal realm. There, the Réig sits, ruling all of Tirneach. There, the Citadel of the Shaper stands, the heart of the faith. And there, the gallóglaigh muster, ready to defend the realms.
For the land is full of perils. Most insidious of all are the gwyllt, terrifying monsters from another realm. Coming in a variety of forms, they are utterly inimical to mortal life and plague innocents wherever they are found. But they are not the only worry. In Tirneach, the veil of death is thin, and undead often walk, dangerous creatures stirred by grief. And of course, there are more mundane perils – bandits and beasts roam all across Tirneach.
The Church of the Shaper works wherever it can to keep the people of Tirneach safe. The Shaper is a benevolent god, who asks their children to support one another. Within the church, there are five orders. The Torchbearers stand firm against the gwyllt, while the Necromancers ensure the dead stay sleeping. The Teachers spread wisdom and encourage the ambitions of their flock. The Counsellors mediate and tend to peoples’ woes. And the Hospitaliers heal, using their great talents to save lives across all the realms.
Tirneach is ruled by the Réig. The Réig is not a family title, but often families will manage to hold onto it for a few generations. The First Réig was a leader of legend, who came from far across the sea. They freed the land from the tyranny of the gwyllt, brought the faith of the Shaper, and united the five realms. Nowadays the Réig is less mythical, but still granted great magics by the Shaper. Beneath them are the iarlas, who govern the four other realms, and beneath them are the riders, who are charged with stewarding smaller parcels of land. None of these titles are inherited. Those who wish to hold power must strive to prove their worth.
And for many, the obvious path to that is the Gallóglaigh. These are the Réig’s standing armies – indeed, the Réig is the only one in Tirneach permitted to maintain such forces. So when an iarla or a rider wants to deal with a gwyllt incursion, or settle a border dispute, they hire the gallóglaigh to do their work. These warriors are empowered by five great oaths that give them strength beyond the others of the realms. They are sworn to the Réig, to serve them. To the Shaper, to honour them. To Five Realms, to defend them. To their fellow gallóglaigh, to stand by them. And to themselves, to always be the best they can become.
Learn More
In Five Oaths, players play gallóglaigh in the band Cumhacht na Réig, working in the land of Tirneach. Here you can learn more about the setting of our game.
- The Gallóglaigh: The protagonists of this larp.
- The Five Realms: The principal setting for Five Oaths events, and most player characters will hail from them.
- The Species: There are nine species for players to choose from, each with their own culture and abilities.
- The Church of the Shaper: The Shaper is the only god worshiped in mainstream Tirneach society, and all galloglaigh swear an oath to them.
- The Réig: The ruler of all Tirneach, who ultimately commands the galloglaigh.
- History & Society: Tirneach has a long and storied history, but here are some highlights. The society may sometimes feel unusual, being heavily inspired by medieval Ireland. Some notable features are explained here.
- Other Setting: Features setting articles that just don’t fit anywhere else!
