History
From Illapedia
[edit] 1 The Beginning of the World
[edit] 1.1 -10,000 - Incarceration of Moshran - The Age of Legends
According to legends and myths, the God of Battle was incarcerated by the elder Gods within a temple deep below ground surface level beneath the ancient city of Nabranoo.
[edit] 1.2 -8,000 - The Age of Isolation
The races and tribes live in widespread territories, islands, or continents, and have no contact amongst eachother. The ruins of the ancient cities, found within the partially barren wastelands, are said to be cursed and are avoided. Metal is still completely unknown, and most of the races dwell in wooden/straw houses, caves, or tents. Most of the humanoid world population consists of nomads.
[edit] 1.3 -5,200 - Scriptures
Written elvish documents were found around -900 and are dated back to an origin of time of around -5,200. These scriptures are considered to be the first scriptures, inscribed upon leathery parchment-thus being transportable and flexible. The first discovered scripture is apparently an ancient poem or song; a written warning in verse form:
Many a wanderer's path that leads into darkness By the shadows of Nabranoo. Many a stony ridge has bound the bundle By the shadows of Nabranoo. Ruin is witness of sacrilegious deed, To avoid the darkness is council one doth need, Many a wanderer's heart, seduced in the darkness By the shadows of Nabranoo.
There is no historic documentation yet. All discovered scriptures or tablets from before -5,200 are exclusively clay and stone tablets, cave wall paintings and frescoes; all of which are surely too unpractical for scribing longer texts. They serve solely for organizatory purposes. Additionally, there is no real record of years; apparently it had been deemed unnecessary.
The first historic event that can be dated exactly by the means of reconstruction through records, are the beginnings of the orcish wars. These records were made by elvish hands and copies of these documents can be found in the archives of Salkamar.
[edit] 2 The early Orc migrations
[edit] 2.1 -2,678 until -2,612 - The Initial Orcish Wars
The warlord of the Dragonclaw Clan, Tuchak Bloodfist, takes over the leadership of the clan with some intrigues and several murders. He names himself the warlord over all orcish kin. He has the eldest of the other two major clans (Wolfmoon and Firefist) murdered and replaces them with warmongers loyal to him. In the following rebellions and insurrections, Tuchak Bloodfist is slain, and the three major clans split up into five (Bloodfist, Nighthawk, Howling Wolf, Waraxe, and Bloody Skull Clan), as well as some several minor ones.
The Bloodfist Clan, which consists of former followers of Tuchak, is driven away by the other four clans and begins to wander. Now led by Krugg Bloodfist (a younger brother of Tuchak), the clan robs and loots two settlements of the plainfolk humans. In the following years, the Bloodfist Clan presses on into civilized territory, and scouts of the orcs report of the city of Albar.
Krugg was astonished by message of a fortified settlement of such a vast size and knowing the Albarian army was closely following his tracks, the leader of the Bloodfist Clan withdrew and sent four messengers to the four other major Clans. These deny the Bloodfist any support though. The Bloodfist is nearly wiped out. In order to save his clan from annihilation, Krugg sacrificed thirty captives and himself in a blood ritual. Shortly thereafter, a giant horde of monsters led by a demon decimates the Albarian army. The rest of the Bloodfist Clan withdraws in the meanwhile to the security of the borders to the orcish territories.
The message of demon's magicks, monsters, and bloodthirsty orcs spreads quickly in the cities of mankind. Salkamaerian paladins hire mercenaries to support their former enemy city of Albar, and the new legion quickly finds further support in the Serinjah tribes. The Bloodfist Clan is wiped out and scattered. The human army advances deeply into the orcish territory and builds a row of fortified outposts along the Draikon river. Along the course of centuries to come, attacks against the orcish clans are lead from here onwards.
[edit] 2.2 -2,608 until -2,495 - The Orcish Crusades
After the flight from their original hunting grounds, the four orcish clans migrate from the Serinjah plains over the continent for several centuries. Famine and several wars massively decimate the orcish clans during their migration, and they are nearly completely wiped out.
Only by the year of -2,495, they discover unsettled, fertile lands.
[edit] 2.3 -2,588 until -2,579 - The Second Orcish Wars
In the forests of Eldaril, the Howling Wolf Clan encountered the elvenkind. These elves had been maintaing trade relationships with the Plainfolk humans. Thus, they head heard rumors of the orcs, who supposedly stood in alliance with demons. They considered this thesis as confirmed by the hunters of the orcs having (unknowingly) trespassed into their sacred grounds, and having tarnished the latter with the blood of slain animals. The Howling Wolf Clan was quickly driven out of the forest. The elves applied exceptional precision in the task-the archers used magic arrows in order to mortally wound with their first strike and spare their enemies of any suffering. If that had not been enough already, the archers also used magic in order to remain unseen.
The orcish clans gathered and did council.
Shortly thereafter, the orcs returned and set a widespread fire to the forest borders. It took several weeks until the quickly-spreading fire was completely extinguished. A humongous woodland range and three towns of the elvenkind were victims to the flames, and those survivors set aghast were captured by the orcs moving up upon the following eve. According to orcish tradition, the most severely wounded captives were sacrificed to the Gods in gratitude for the victory-due to the lack of any other foodstuffs, they were eaten.
Merely three days later, still in the middle of victory celebrations, the encampment of the orcs was attacked. Numerous elves had appeared, clad in weapons and armor from times of ancient wars and such that were crafted to follow the footsteps of ancient arts. Elven magic cast breaches into the orcish battlements, and while the captives took their flight, wardancers and bladesingers already lept into the midst of the stupefied orcs. It took only little time until the stupefaction of the orcish warriors transformed into a wild escape: There was nothing to set against an enemy that moved supernaturally fast, could hurl blaze and lightning, and would appear in the middle of their own rows. Nearly half of all the present orcs were slain immediately during this surprise attack. Because the elves had counted their losses as well, they decided against chasing the escapees, and instead decided to wait for reinforcements and honor the fallen.
The eldest of the Waraxe Clan decided to distance himself as far as possible from the elven territory, because first of all a war was unnecessary and secondly the tribes were weakened by famine and battle and would not withstand the foe. The Howling Wolf Clan followed this decision, while the Nighthawk Clan wanted to continue doing battle. The Bloody Skull Clan decided to send negotiators with gifts to the elves. None of the parliamentaries ever arrived.
In the following ten years, there were several skirmishes between orcs and elves, while the eldest debated over how to deal with the situation. The orcs had been so weakened by the years of wandering that they posed no grand threat, however, they had learned to craft and use the bow and blade. This debate went on for centuries.
[edit] 2.4 -2,562 - Insurrections in Albar
A rebellion of peasants and farmers rises in Albar. After whipping and executing the rebel leaders, the insurrections end in the defeat of the rebels.
[edit] 2.5 -2,542 until -2,537 - The Descent of the Dwarvenkind
Scouts of the Waraxe Clan stumble upon a settlement of dwarves in a mountain vale of the Aramon rock ranges. The dwarves, who had been conveying ore and gems in spacious mines to daylight over the course of centuries, possessed tools, platemails, and weapons made of reinforced steel. The baffled warriors of the Waraxe Clan have to face the fact of their spears and arrows bouncing off their enemies with next to no effect whatsoever. The looting of a dwarven settlement, as such, proves to be an extraordinarily difficult matter. The Waraxe Clan retreats quickly in order to notify the other clans and warn them of "Small, shiny warriors". Alarmed by the contact with the orcs, the council of elders of the dwarves decides to transfer the settlements into the mines. Firstly, this would offer less surface for attacking, and on second thought this would offer to excavate deeper galleries and dig yet deeper into the earth. The mining caves that were already used as warehouses and storage caves anyway are expanded to domestic quarters, and the entrances are concealed.
Many years later, the orcish tribes return. When the scouts pass through the mountains and find several entirely empty settlements and not a single dwarf, the orcs grow suspicious. They disperse the soucts in all directions. Those unlucky scouts who actually get near the entrance of a dwarven mine are to never return. A theory is developped that malignant spirits had devoured the dwarves and the scouts...
The Aramon mountain range was then passed by the orcs as swiftly as possible, and for a long time, it was considered to be cursed land.
[edit] 2.6 -2,503 - Fall of the House of Narnil
Onathrae Nirié Narnil, eldest of the elven house of Narnil, was a surviving captive of the orcish attacks. According to the legends, she had to witness how her parents were slain and one of her brothers was sacrificed and devoured by the orcs. Over the course of the 75 years during which the council of elders discussed about the orcs, she and her sister were the ones who most vehemently stood in for annihilating the orcs once and for all.
However, some of the captured orcs had befriended some of the elves over the course of these years. They had proved themselves as honorful and studious, although their fiery talents kept the eldest elves feeling uneasy. In any case, the council of elders agreed on the situation of the orcs. They were refugees and wanderers, and there was not a clue to be found concerning demonic magic.
When the council decided to cease attacking the already weakened clans of orcs and also cease to track them, Onathrae was enraged and called upon the Gods. She received no answer. And so it came that the House of Narnil heard the call to arms, to set out and destroy the clans single-handedly.
It is said that in this moment a priest stood into their way and announced that Elara, Zhambra, Sirani, and Malachin forbid to chase the orcs, and of all things, forbid to wipe the clans out—one may not condemn an entire race just because of the crimes of individuals. The destruction of an entire race would be an intolerable blasphemy towards the will and way of the Five.
Onathrae slew the priest on the spot and fled. Shortly thereafter, her sisters and the entire house of Narnil departed in hunt of orcs. It is told that in this moment the Gods themselves cursed her and her sisters. From this day on it was impossible for them to travel by day, for their eyes could not bear sunlight any longer, so that they only thereafter did travel by night. It is also said that the entire house of Narnil turned their backs on the Gods. In the following night they picked up their chase of the orcs, who in turn were already marching on far past the mountain ranges.
[edit] 2.7 -2,497 - The Orc Crusades - New Lands
The Bloody Skull Clan, the Waraxe Clan, the Nighthawk Clan, and the Howling Wolf Clan traveled for long through unsettled territory which was however rocky and lacking in fertility. The Clans followed the river of Andrilai.
In order to travel with more speed before winter falls and still find fertile lands, the tribes gathered all wood from all forests along their way and crafted river rafts thereof. The Clans reach Lake Talith, where the Andrilai and two other rivers collect and connect to the Vorthain Current. Grubuk Thunderhand, eldest seer of the Bloody Skull Clan gathers all Clans together at the shores of the lake and explains that a falcon led him down the path into a new home, in his dreams. A black river that flows forth into the lake would guide them to their new home.
Come spring, the Clans travelled around the lake, and crossed the mouth of a river (nowadays named Thornwater) using their rafts. There they set up camp at the mouth of the Black Current to wait for the latecomers. Three days later, the Black Current swells up. Glacial ice that had melted in the mountains had conveyed black mud with it, which was gave the river its name. Filled with rejoice, the Clans follow the river up against its stream all the way into the high plateaus of Norbuk, which means "Strong Land". Around -2,495, the tribes settle in the plains.
[edit] 2.8 -2,482 until approx. -2,330 - The Drow
The highest head of the house of Narnil, Onathrae Nirié Narnil, led her house in pursuit of the tracks of the orcs all the way to the feet of the Aramon mountain range. Because the orcs had passed the territory around sixty years ago, the tracks are hardly to be found.
The "erume-lie" ("those (folks), who have departed": this is how the drow were named by the elves) discover rotten buildings in the mountain vale. For them it seems to be obvious: The orcs must have butchered the populace. But because there are no signs of a war, it is assumed that the inhabitants were peaceful craftspeople who could not defend themselves. One of the scouts finds a cavern entrance in the mountains. The passage leads into a deserted dwarven mine. Further scouts dermine that subterranean halls leads deep into the depths of the mountains. The house of Nanril falls into quarrel: While Onathrae Nirié wishes to continue hunting down the orcs, many deem this chase pointless. Some wish to return to the cities of the elvenkind, yet others wish to explore the subterranean hallways. Onathrae Nirié Narnil is found stabbed to death in her camp one evening, after it had been heard that she had been audibly arguing with her sisters. Both of them get their way and decide to continue exploring the caves.
The scouts eventually meet a guardian of the dwarves. The conversations are reserved, but peaceful. The dwarves forbid them entrance of their hallways, but they allow the exploration of the caverns.
Because the daylight pains their eyes, the sisters for living from there on in the cave, and send hunters to the surface by night. Most of the elder members of the house of Narnil are however discontent over this decision. In the following centuries, the drow settle the cavernous complex and explore it, discovering it to reach further into the depths than even the dwarven halls: There are even old remains of ruins, which had been shunned and precariously avoided by the dwarves, who deemed it a hallowed hall of evil. There are some territorial conflicts, but they are resolved verbally.
A large portion of the drow splinters off the house of Narnil. They depart and venture to return to the other elves. Around -1,390, the splinter reaches the old settlements of the elves, but they are regarded as outcasts, Godless, and cursed. Instead of handing them back the properties of the house of Narnil, they are commanded to firsthand beg the Gods and the council of the eldest for pardon.
Instead of complying to this bid, some of the drow steal of the artifacts from the temple of the Five, which had long ago belonged to the house of Narnil: A faceted gem which, according to the legend, turned blood red when a temple guard died with a knife in the back—from there on called the "Bloodstone"; as well as the old emblem of the house of Narnil, a silver chalice in the shape of a Firnis blossom.
When the temple guard was found the morning after, the "Lost" were made responsible for it. The latter denied having done the deed. Finally, the erume-lie were banned from the city by the council of eldest. The banished returned to their caves, for the daylight still caused pain in their eyes. There, quarrels with the dwarves had erupted: The meanwhile settled and rebuilt ruins were considered, by the dwarves, to be cursed. A reconstruction was equal to blasphemy. Besides that, the dwarves controlled the single only paths back to the surface.
Hunter of the drow had in spite increasingly often chased herd animals of the dwarves up to the surface.
At the end of elongated conflicts, the drow wandered on and deeper into the caverns. The dwarves had summoned reinforcements from other settlements, and they conquered and destroyed the ruins completely. They also conquered and acquired the emblem of the former house of Narnil, the Firnis-shaped silver chalice.
It became an often happenstance that dwarven workforces were ambushed in the deeper mines, until priests of the dwarves caused the passageways to the lower caves to collapse.
It is said that the house of Narnil was thus lost. But according to reports, some singled out groups of drow made appearances in completely different areas, far away from the Aramon mountain range.
[edit] 2.9 -2,331 until -2,320 - The Aramon Conflict
Based on the conflict between the dwarvenkind of the Aramon mountains and the drow, a troupe of dwarves attacks elven merchant caravans. In resonance to these unexpected hostilities, diplomats are sent. These return though with the message that dwarves do not deal with liars. In response, the elves take dwarven merchants into "custody".
Upon this hostage situation, Barak Oxbreaker, a high lord of the dwarvenkind, sends a small army (two hundred-ships) with the mission to free the captives. They are however unable to locate the elven city in the widespread forest ranges. The dwarves are fired at by archers the moment they enter woodland range.
So it came that Bardak Oxbreaker, Lord of Sevenmount, screaming angrily at the elves, demands that they end their cowardly game of hide-and-go-seek, and face them man to man, or else just hand out his brother (one of the merchants). Thereupon, hundreds of elven warriors appear to them. The dwarves retreat in the face of this overpowering outnumbering.
Several smaller skirmishes and long negotiations ensued. By -2,319, the "Peace of Aramon" was sealed, a peace treaty that would hold longer than one and a half millenia.
[edit] 2.10 -2,329 until -2,327 - Insurrections in Albar
There is a rebellion of peasants in the Albarian lands. The insurrection is beaten back down by the royal guard in a bloody battle. Due to the rebel leaders having fled to Salkamar, their nearest relatives were instead condemned to hang. Twelve farmers are captured in their escape and are executed. Over the course of the year, over five thousand peasants seek refuge in Salkamar.
[edit] 3 The Fisherwar
[edit] 3.1 -2,121 until -2,119 - The Fisher War
A new settlement of the Norodaj humans was founded around -2,115. Fishermen from this very small town find a highly rich source of fish in the bay of a small island.
Three weeks later, only one of the five fisher boats returns from those who had trailed there. The two seafarers reported of armored lizardpeople, who had lept roaring from the water onto the boats and had slain all mates.
A messenger of the town ran off on the same day to spread the word. When he returns to his town a week later, the town is levelled. Three chieftains of the Norodaj assembled a force to explore the island and eliminate the danger that eminated from it. This leads to several skirmishes, mostly taking place upon the boats of the humans. The battles endure for several months, until one morning, a priest of the lizardfolk approaches a town of the humans without any armed company and demands to speak with one of their clan leaders.
In the scribed traditions of the lizardfolk it is stated that the human fishers had been scavenging for fish in a holy bay, and that one of their nets had damaged a holy statuette. This obvious act of aggression and blasphemy would not go without atonement: The temple guards slew all fishers in their boats. The settlement was destroyed as a warning, and the entire populace was captured.
In a treaty between the humans and lizardfolk, the island and surrounding waters were declared as holy grounds.
[edit] 3.2 -2,100 until -2,030 - Forthelm the Conqueror
A heroic epic appears in human scriptures (the predecessor of the first common trade language). It remains unclear till today, if this is simply a tale or a historic report. Around -2,100, a young warrior named "Forthelm" supposedly united several towns, defeated an evil dragon, and so founded a "great kingdom".
Around -2,030, a king named "Forthelm" founds the first standardized trade scripture, which consists of letters. It is unlikely that these two "Forthelms" are the same person.
Because of the diverse trade relationships, this scripture is used by elvenkind and lizardfolk, later on even by dwarvenkind, but its usage dwindled after the fall of this kingdom. The king died around -1,982 due to venerable age. Because the throne's successor remained unclear (he had over thirty sons), several small and independant lordships formed, which oftenly led wars amongst eachother.
[edit] 4 The Centennial Wars
[edit] 4.1 -1,982 until -1,774 - The Centennial Wars
The human cities war against eachother for over two hundred years. The other races are successful in staying out of the conflicts (except for various groups of mercenaries, of course). Towards the end of the Centennial Wars, an orcish warhorde takes the chance and loots settlements of humans and of halflings. Consequently, most of the towns and cities of the humans are vanquished and destroyed. Towards the end of the conflict, there are only three of the previously five large human cities left: The capitols of the old realms Albar and Salkamar, and the independant pirate haven of Gynk, which was founded by war refugees. The wars were over, because Salkamar had sealed a pact to ensure no further attacks and future support to eachother, and to drive away the orcish horde. Finally, Albar also entered the pact in order to not be prone to the danger of facing war with the growing alliance of former enemies. Because the orcish horde flees to Norodaj territories and lands in the middle between norsemen and dwarvenkind, they are obliterated.
[edit] 4.2 -1,812 until -1,811 - Fall of the Fortress of Khalm
After the long wars with the salkamaerian border city Naskur, the legendary albarian fortress Khalm (upon the mountain of Khalm, which shared its name with the city around the base of the mountain) is ambushed by an orcish warrior horde and falls under siege. It is cut within the time frame of a year. The albarian army was currently away on an advance into Salkamaerian territory and was not ordered back for defense. It is said that the guardless and hungered-out (from the previous decade of war) city surrendered to the orcish warriors without battle—while only fifty defenders had held the fortress on the mountain for almost a whole year. The contemporary Lord Lhoderik of Khalm requested reinforcements from the Albarian king. It is said that he had cursed out loud for several days upon receiving the reply:
"We, Theoderich the II., son of the glorious Wieganth, inheriter of the old race of Onatheris, King of Albar and future conquerer of Salkamar, are not aware of any necessity to consider withdrawing our victorious forces from the borders of Salkamar.
We, Theoderich the II., deem it much more appropriate to place our full trust into the strength of your defenses. We would like to remind you that an equipped Albarian warrior, of which you should have hundreds, should be capable of facing the challenge of ten or even twenty of the barbaric creatures by yourselves, given a proper commanding.
Additionally, we notice regretfully that you again have failed your duty of paying the Tenth. We expect from you, servant, that you will soon comply to your duties."
According to legend, the severed head of Lhoderik of Khalm, who fell to the axe of an orcish warrior, was impaled on an orcish spear and even beyond death was cursing at the stupidity and arrogance of his king, and still under many curses, asked the orcs for the favor to beat the living hells out of Theoderich in order for him to finally find peace.
But because the orcish horde was defeated before they could near Albar, nothing became of it, and it is said that the spirit of Lhoderik still wanders cursingly through the ruins by full moon.
[edit] 4.3 -1,878 - Founding of the City of Gynk
The former refugee encampment of Gynk flourishes and forms an independant city by the year of -1,878.
[edit] 4.4 -1,777 - Looting of Firnismill
The orcish warhordes loot and set fire to the halfling town Firnismill and its surrounding territory. The motives behind these acts are to gather provisions for the planned war against Albar and to send slaves back to their home grounds.
The halflings in the area are subjugated, but they organize themselves in an effective underground resistance movement. Their sheer toughness and thick-headedness causes them to actually garner respect from their occupiers.
Orcish proverbs from the time say: "A dead halfling is honored by hundreds," "The loudest tyrant dies by a fist in his sleep," and "Trust no cook who is your slave."
Merely two months later, a legion of elvenkind and dwarves arrives, which in the name of the Aramon-Alliance attempts to drive the orcish horde out of Firnismill. They are supported by a very angry mob of halflings.
[edit] 4.5 -1,776 - The Fall of Naskur City
The fortified salkamaerian city Naskur was already severely weakened by a gruelling siege beset upon them by the albarian army. It is destroyed by an orcish warhorde that had surprisingly rained from the lands of the halflings. At first, the orcs had vanquished the remains of the besiegeing albarian army, and then in the same day, they had continued looting in the city, swiftly bursting into it.
The orcish hore was closely followed by a small army, consisting of elves, dwarves, and strangely armed halflings, who in turn fell into the city to drive the orcs away. The so far less damaged buildings meet their destruction in this course of action.
Unable to withstand the intruders, Salkamar allies with the free city of Gynk. This alliance sends new troupes to Naskur, but they do not encounter orcs there, and instead they meet the elves and dwarves. This results in new hostilities. The rumor went around that the orcs were only the vanguard for the elves and dwarves. The elves see no reason for hostilities, but their dwarven allies deem their honor tarnished, which is a fact that the elvenkind can easily comprehend. Finally, the Aramon-Alliance denied any support in the continued pursuit of the orcs. Only by the autumn of -1,774, the remains of the united forces of Salkamar and Gynk, assisted by an armored troupe of riders from Albar, manage to fully drive the orcs away.
The remains of the orcish horde retreat to the Norodaj areas, but already after looting two more towns, the Norodaj and dwarves drive them away again.
[edit] 4.6 -1,774 - The Shadow Winter
In the year of -1,774, a plague of famine breaks out in the city of Albar in winter. It is stated within old records that the Albarian King Theoderich the II. had ordered to multiply the Tenth by five, because his corn and treasure reserves had emptied (the reason hitherto was that these resources were spent on his legions). In consquences to this act, nearly one fourth of the non-noble populace died of starvation during the freezing winter. Another fourth of the surviving peasants (the large part of the populace) escaped the coming spring to Gynk and Salkamar. It is assumed that about one third of the refugees died either by weakness, the warm swamplands of Gynk, or by the hand of Albarian guards. Theoderich the II. dies by a poisoned arrow in the following summer, which struck his heart while hunting.
[edit] 4.7 -1,702 - Insurrections in Albar
Heavy riders beat down new insurrections led by the peasantry. The peasant leader is whipped to death in public. According to legend, it is said that "Rigar the Brave" had neither screamed nor shown any sign of pain. Old documents reveal that he had hung himself in his cell beforehand. How the whipping could have then still taken place would be questionable, as such, these documents are considered to be false. Some scholars hold the opinion that magic or necromancy might have been used to move the dead body, just in order to carry out the execution. However, the Albarian crown placed bounties onto the heads of any scholar who would profess such a thesis.
[edit] 5 The City of Magic
[edit] 5.1 -1,647 - Founding of Lor-Angur
Scholars of Albar discover ancient ruins and therein find magic artifacts and ancient formulae. Shortly thereafter, they declare independance from Albar and begin to recruit any citizens and peasants with any even little magical talents. The Albarian crown sends forth riders, but they encounter an impassable barrier.
[edit] 5.2 -1,643 - The Winter of Wolves
During a harsh winter, several towns in the Albarian realm are attacked by wolves. Even at the borders to the Salkamaerian lands, several wolves were sighted. Strangely enough, many of these wolves focus on methodically attacking Albarian nobles and soldiers. The Magi of Lor-Angur are made responsible for the happenings. A larger legion advances to the small, but growing city of Lor-Angur come spring, but they can not bypass or penetrate the barrier. Numerous Albarian soldiers desert to the mage city.
[edit] 5.3 -1,627 - The Expedition to Nabranoo
The scholars of Lor-Angur let it be known that they have discovered the position of the legendary golden city "Nabranoo" during excavations within an old temple. A delegate of scholars, magi, and workforces departs for the direction of this fabled position, but the troupe returns by the end of the year without any results. Some of the explorers however remained in the wilderness to continue searching by themselves. They are to be heard of never again.
[edit] 5.4 -1,612 until -1,601 - The Siege of Lor-Angur
The magical barrier of the city which is fed by sunlight via three charged magical crystal capacitators, begins to weaken. Because they fear an encroachment of Albarian troops and the crystals would need at least a year to recharge, the city is restructured into a fortress. The city requests for support from the Salkamaerian realm, but because Lor-Angur is too deep within Albarian territory, this request is denied. The Emperor of Salkamar, Regis Saldor Negus the I., however declares the "City of Magi" as Salkamaerian Protectorate.
By autumn of -1,603, the barrier fades and disappears, and an Albarian legion begins to lay siege upon Lor-Angur. In the beginning, the legion's losses are immense in cause of the enemy's use of magic, as it seems the city's magi possess a far more large and effective array of spells than the magi of the legion.
The Albarian army is so severely weakened that they have to cease their siege. By spring of -1,601, a newly set up legion is sent by the crown again, but the barrier is active once more. Due to the enormous costs provoked by the legion, the dwindling numbers of workers providing less harvests, famine breaks out in the following winter throughout Albar.
[edit] 5.5 -1,587 until -1,577 - War Between Albar and Salkamar
The city of Albar declares war to Salkamar. Among the reasons for the declaration is the support Lor-Angur enjoys from Salkamar, but mainly the enmity of both cities. Gynk remains neutral in the conflict. The following years are outlined by several skirmishes, during which the Salkamaerian forces are oftenly supported by magi. Many of these wizards are former Albarian peasants and see their opportunity to weaken the kingdom with their support.
The war only ends when an Albarian legion attempting to bypass the bulk of the Salkamaerian army ends up looting two halfling towns. The legion's upkeep was supposed to be provided with this looting. The legion failed though against the remarkable toughness and resilience of the halflings, who had set up an angry legion of their own within shortest time. As the two legions stood against eachother, legions of Salkamaerian riders and war-paladins arrived to the aid of the halfling legion, and the Albarian forces finally retreated by the autumn of -1,577.
As winter comes along, all reserves of Albar are used up and a new famine drapes itself over the realm. The Albarian ambassador obtains a peace treaty which costs Albar all seven border towns and, for the first time for over a century, shifts the border between Albar and Salkamar. Salkamar in turn begins to expand the border's battlements with enormous assistance from the local peasants.
[edit] 6 Time of Thorns
[edit] 6.1 -1,583 until -1,578 - The Plague Sommer of Gynk
In the late summer of the year -1,583, a plague breaks out in Gynk. Presumably the pestilence took its beginning somewhere deep within the warm Gynkeesh swamps. The damp-warm climate of the swamps, upon which Gynk was built, and the swarms of mosquitoes seem to favor the illness. The wealthier deal of the populace burns expensive tree resins in order to drive the mosquitoes from their chambers and are by far less susceptible fo the disease. Approximately one fourth of the poorer populace is eaten away by the plague, while the wealthy citizens find healing with priests and magi. The disease is never completely eradicated in the following years. The populace however develops a certain resistance towards the illness, up to the point where only old and weakly citizens fall victim to it.
Recognizable signs of this disease are a strong trembling, feeling dizzy, losing sense of direction; and in later stages, muscular failure, severely ecstatic hallucinations and complete loss of senses, which ultimately leads to death.
In the early spring of -1,579, a Gynkeesh hermit finds out that a typical swamp-based plant, the Stingweed, can heal the disease, if consumed in form of tea.
A side effect of the tea is a very light and rather relaxing and revitalizing state of intoxication, as well as refreshing the magical power of the person drinking it. Stingweed tea becomes a hit in exported goods from Gynk. The tea had already been known to elvenkind for centuries and was oftenly consumed in their circles before meditations. The trade with Gynk spares the elves the task of searching the uninviting swamps. Serving this tea furthermore becomes a fad throughout the taverns of Salkamar and Albar; even temples acquire and consume large amounts of it. As yet another consequence of this discovery, several scholars and herbalists traveled to Gynk to explore the swamps in search of other unknown herbs.
The surroundings of Gynk are ever since plastered with large plantations solely farming Stingweed. A Gynkeesh legend of a giant swamp crocodile possibly stems from this time. The myth was presumably spread in order to protect a larger amount of natural Stingweed growth before it was so successfully farmed.
[edit] 6.2 -1,439 - The Snakevesper Sect
Ruins are discovered within the deeper swamps of Gynk. Apparent symbol of this cult are roughly-hewn statues of humans whose lower halves of the body are serpentine, like large snakes. There is nothing else of value in the ruins aside from old pieces of pottery. Furthermore, no graves or tombs are to be found, as it is likely that this ancient culture buried their dead in the swamps. Scholars find out quickly that the depictions are probably a reaction of a primitive culture having met the lizardfolk. Records of the nearest Tanora temple support this thesis. But because these ruins are deemed uninteresting, they are are not any further exposed and left to the swamps.
Jaergen Erainek, a former Salkamaerian novice of Elara who was "relieved" of his duties due to his preference of overbearing amounts of Stingweed and other herbs he consumed, and ever since had delivered his assistance to expeditions, claims otherwise. According to him, the primitive statues are depictions of a forgotten deity. He is laughed at for this theory though. Three years later however, he has gathered an astonishing amount of followers who see the "prophet of glorious enlightenment" in him. These followers have built domiciles in the ruins. Their main religious practices consist of the consumption of herbs that induce hallucinogenic effects, and they export these herbs.
