History of Gobaith

From Illapedia

[edit] 1 The beginning

[edit] 1.1 End of the old era

A powerful sorcerer with the name Mordak Al'Kharud obtained the rule over nearly all human tribes. But he couldn't rest content with what he has attained. And so he began to enlarge his rule beyond the human territory. He encouraged the mistrust and the prejudices the humans had against all other races and began to conquer territories which the humans hadn't a right to.

He was legendary figure - he gave orders, however few had ever seen him. He was a hard sovereign, not purposely cruel, but extremely hard and cold-blooded, a manipulator who was interested in hardly anything other than might.

The other free folks built up an alliance to oppose themselves to this assault. In the end his empire was destroyed and he was killed. The humans folk who were united only by his will and might broke apart. Small wars and skirmishes occurred all over this territory. The humans tried to escape from the other folks anger and with their flight they caused chaos and revolt where ever they appeared. A general recession of values, law and order was noticed. Crop failures contributed to this critical situation.

[edit] 1.2 Colonization of the island

On the search for territories which were exempt from this anarchy, a lot made up to keep their existence. A few of them discovered this island and set their foot on a world, which were exempt from the revolt and the central conflict.

The island was fertile and it was rich of minerals - jewels and mines of ore, which were even found on the surface. By this time only Lizards lived in the territorial waters of the island.

Rests of an earlier colonization were found, a temple ruin haunted by undead and the ruins of the Old Lighthouse. But nobody knew more about it.

[edit] 1.3 The island's name

Due to the island's short history, it is well known how it was named. During the days of the first settlers, the refugees could not be bothered to think about names for every meadow or rock, they were busy surviving and building up the first settlement. So the island itself was referred to as "The Island" or "Island of Hope" for all contact to the main land was lost, only hope and this tiny island was all that was left of the world for the first settlers. Later on, as the island became more and more civilized, it was decided to keep the name "Hope", what is "Gobaith" in the Ancient Language. Once the first map was drawn, by an ignorant artist from the main land, the name was misspelled as "Gobiath". This resulted in many immigrants who orientated on copies of this map misspell the name as well.

[edit] 1.4 A new era

An endeavor of a few of these new settlers was it to treat everyone in the same way, therewith to leave the past behind and forget their anger against others. But there were also others, who couldn’t forget what had happened.

Independent of this, for all, the moment they enter this island, was a new beginning. And so they called it the year one after Mordak Al'Kharud and his influence broke down to remind them, what they had left behind.

[edit] 1.5 A settlement arises

First buildings were built and small village arose. It was named "Troll's Bane" after the first dwarven king, Udan Trollbane. The lizard trader Eliza was the first who used the new beginning. Together with the newcomers she built the shop as the village's center. Further buildings came up later:
The mage tower as guard and defense tower, (known today as the hospital), a workshop for the population, and a wooden provisional pub in the north which does not exist anymore.

The Grey Light and the Grey Rose built up the library, the Grey Light later built today's tavern, the merchants of Silverstar their small shop, shrines for the gods were built up, and in the last years the Seahorse and Silverbrand, the dwarfen town in the underground, arose.

The village grew and grew. Soon it became a little town; streets, lanes, and residential buildings. The history went on. Personalities stepped into the footlights of the public lives and disappeared out of it. Guilds were established, announced them, and sank in the disregard for the great history. Some names were often heard; others stay in secrecy apart from a few moments. Obviously there was the mass of folk, which nobody ever heard anything of.

[edit] 1.6 The Chronicle of Troll's Bane

Years past by. The beginnings faded into oblivion.

Notes and knowledge got lost. To prevent this, inhabitants of Troll's Bane came together to explore their history.

The library of the Grey Light proved to be a mine. After all the beginnings of the settlement stayed in darkness. It seems that the importance of collecting knowledge for the future was first intent with the construction of the library. Publications and notices on the shops wall were collected and kept in an archive.

The following Chronicle of Troll's Bane arose out of this archives.

[edit] 2 The Guild Wars

((seansan, write something!))

[edit] 3 Diversification and alienation

During the days of the first settlers, all races lived together in Troll's Bane, the only town on the island. People cowered together to expand the town and make it their home for the days to come. But old desires resurfaced in the minds of the tribes, cults, guilds and races.

The dwarves made the first step and dug their own caves underneath the surface of the island. What begun as a small hole in the ground that could be reached by a long tunnel from the tavern of Troll's Bane - beer supply was very important for dwarves back then - became the glorious stronghold of dwarvenship, the magnificient town of Silverbrand. During its most glorious days, it was regarded the capital of Gobaith.

There were attempts to reunite the diversing tribes and guilds by founding the so called Lyrenzia Foundation, a council of the different factions of the island. With the support of the guilds that survived the guild wars, it had the powers of legislation and jurisdiction for the whole island. But its power had to stand a test it could not pass...

Darlok, once a noble knight of the Order of the Grey Rose, made a pact with unknown powers and ... (you can write that yourself, boss ;-) )

((... of the races and tribes, founding of racial towns and Northerot - the drought took place))

[edit] 4 Decay and downfall

((... of racial towns and guilds))

[edit] 4.1 The Lich Wars

((Important period))

[edit] 5 A new dawn

This age begins about year 19 to the present and marks a time of great migration of peoples away from the traditional four cities of Troll's Bane, Silverbrand, Vanima and Varshikar, to far off places, and the explosion in the building of new settlements, guilds and towns.

[edit] 5.1 Troll's Bane

For the dwarven years 6 to 7 a chronicle of Troll's Bane's regencies has been published. It is written down here.

[edit] 5.2 Silverbrand

((Silverbrand conquered by Stephen Rothman, liberated and Dwarven Kingship restored))

[edit] 5.3 The West

Many of the original founders of Greenbriar from the 'Evergreen Halflings' had long since passed from these shores. During the 19th year in the month of Zhas amidst threats of annexation by Silverbrand and Troll's Bane, Dusty Bottoms-Halfling, advocated Halfling 'Independence' for Greenbriar, which by then had become a deserted village. Obtaining citizens for the new 'Hamlet of Greenbriar' was difficult at first, but due to the democratic nature of the new Government, its policy of Amnesty as well as political turmoil in Troll's Bane, Greenbriar recieved many 'Elvish' and 'Human' residents, refugees from the turmoil elsewhere. Greenbriar soon flourished under the influx. One month after the Hamlet was founded, land was granted in North Briar to a new settlement called Caelum. It was founded by Lords Cawdor and William Elderberry in the joint attempt to attract people to Briar.

The new Dawn is not without its dangers however. Exactly one year after the Hamlet of Greenbriar was founded, a Volcanic eruption of 'supernatural' origins occured in South Briar. This new area of wasteland renamed 'Hellbriar' was immediately occupied by evil creatures led by Negros, and The Temple led by Nalzaxx Nerenghast. Combined, this team created the greatest threat to Gobaith, since the Lich wars. Many warriors tried to vanquish the new foes, only to be killed.

The endangered Hamlet had few warriors. To protect the people, Mayor Bottoms made peace with this new threat in the controversial creation of the 'County of Briar', which combined the Hamlet of Greenbriar, Caelum and 'Hellbriar' in an agreement of mutual defense. People of Briar remained in peace at a high cost. Finally, Negros was defeated later in a great battle near Troll's Bane, Nalzaxx finally abdicated to his protege Avalyon el'Hatarr. The 'County' Government was finally dissolved by Mayor Bottoms when he led a combined assault upon the 'weakened' Temple, trapping it within the Volcano. The Temple soon dissolved after the attack, and the 'Hellbriar' Volcano has remained dormant since. May it ever remain so.

The Hamlet of Greenbriar has successfully remained in peace, building and expanding. Caelum has continued to build and expand as well. The 'new' Briar has re-awakened during the New Dawn, settled, civilized and constructed into a new community to rival the older cities of Troll's Bane, Silverbrand, Varshikar and Vanima.

[edit] 5.4 The East

During this age, Lizardkind united to reclaim and build up Zzyathis, the holiest temple-city of Lizards on Gobaith. The effort was led by Ssessth "The Red One", Taliss Kazzax and others. It is also rumored that the Zelphia herself assisted with the construction of her Temple, and it is the most sacred site of Zelphia in Gobaith. During this age, Zzyathis was reborn. ((Also repopulation of Varshikar))

[edit] 5.5 The North

((Die Nordmark was founded))

[edit] 6 Striving for Domination

Upon an age of calmness and, some say, boredom, ambitious factions started to grasp for power. Silverbrand began a war over honor, but was defeated utterly by knights of Troll's Bane and the orcs of the north; an unholy alliance. The days of the prosperous realm of wealth were over and the dwarves retreated to the mountains. Tol Vanima, once a place of silence, became reinhabitated by refugees who ran from the threats of Gobaith. Behind all this, a long forgotten enemy revealed its face again: The Temple. Greenbriar began to decay and fell into ruin, a fate other small settlements shared...