Brief history of time
v0.3a
Ancient Era (about 100 000 years ago):
- Tritons battle for survival with dragons. Known World created by tritons as a refuge from dragons. After much bloody war, dragons agree to remain in deep waters of Outer Lands. Tritons beget merfolk and locathah. Also in the world are various animals, and also evil creatures begotten by the god Blagar: morkoth, ixixachitl and scrags. Tritons gradually withdraw from the Known World, keeping to their cities in the depths of the Inner Sea.
- Religion: Sarin (N), elemental goddess of water, worshipped by tritons and dragons. Evil things worship Blagar (CE), the Thing in the Deeps. Merfolk and locathah worship animal totems (usually N).
First Invasion (about 10 000 years ago):
- Great sea-elven empire of Adralendrinor opens a gate into the Known World from another dimension. A few hundred thousand elves migrate through the gate over a period supposed to be several months, accompanied by sirines, crabmen and selkies. The gate is also surreptitiously used by various evil creatures such as the sea-goblinoids (koalinth and merrow), sea-hags and kuo-toans. After the sahuagin empire of Xalagan manages to seize control of the gate and conduct its own brief migration, Adralendrinor sends mages back to the Old World to seal the gate from the other side. The gate is closed, and lost for thousands of years.
- Elves subjugate merfolk and locathah. Merfolk tribes become vassals of Adralendrinor. Locathah are enslaved. The elven capital is Adralendar, a city in the Inner Sea near what is now Talenantar.
- Much conflict with the sahuagin and other evil races.
- Religion: Elves import the Three Gods - sun god Alabrin (LG), sea mother Nanariel (CG) and lord of the land (and the dead) Calethrin (LN). Calethrin's daughters, goddess of love Lannariel (CG) and corrupt Daeloth (NE), are identified with the two moons. The merfolk and locathah totems are absorbed by Nanariel. Sahuagin import their own evil trinity: Sekolah, Rianagh and Kalazan (all CE).
Second Invasion (about 3000 years ago):
- Gate from the Old World discovered by a human empire. The emperor's younger son, Carran, directs the colonization of the land masses of the Known World.
- Carran makes a deal with some elves - maintenance of a giant forest on the largest island in exchange for limited autonomy. Thus Talenantar is established, with the seat of the Council of Druids in Firandal (later known as Calen-Avannontal).
- Thousands of humans, and a few hundred non-humans (including many goblinoid slaves) settle on the islands of the Known World.
- A small family of drow elves, House Caedran, passes through the gate and disappears into the depths of the sea. The circumstances around this migration are unclear.
- Carran decides that the arrangements are satisfactory. He steals several of the imperial family's powerful magical items, absconds through the gate, and destroys it behind him. He rapidly disposes of any loyalists remaining in the colony and formally founds the Empire of Cathlaigh, with a capital in Carrannon on the island of Carragyn.
- Cathlaigh establishes trade relations with Adralendrinor.
- Colony on Nadivar (now Isles of Sorrow) fares badly owing to constant attacks by sahuagin and ixixachitl from the surrounding waters.
- Religion: landfolk adopt the religion of the Three Gods (whom they worship as Abrin, Nanri and Caleth; Lannariel is Lanna). The first of the New Gods begin to ascend: the drow Grand Matriarch Danariel (NE); the first head of the Council of Druids, Avannon (CN).
The Great War (about 2000 years ago):
- At the start of the war, Carran VI is the aging emperor of Cathlaigh, and Alabrin Calanandar is the emperor of Adralendrinor. Calthlaigh resents Adralendrinor's control over its fishing waters.
- Carran VI is assassinated. His son Gathrin, who already commands much influence in the empire, becomes Carran V, the new emperor. He blames Adralendrinor for his father's death, and declares war. He announces determination to bring the entire Inner Sea under Cathlan control.
- The ensuing war lasts eight years. Highlights are presented below.
- Elven and merfolk settlements in the Inner sea attacked with magic and diseases.
- Hundreds of land-dwellers starve as sea-dwellers direct fish out of their fishing waters.
- The first floating cities form as certain desperates leave the islands.
- Much magical fallout from the use of various powerful items.
- Both sides employ dragons from the Outer Lands to fight for them. This frequently backfires, as dragon loyalties are not very reliable. Many settlements on land and sea are destroyed by dragons.
- Rebellions of merfolk and locathah in Adralendrinor. Many merfolk establish sovereign nations and defend them from the elves with varying degrees of success. Many of these nations are destroyed in Cathlan attacks.
- After repelling many attacks, Talenantar declares its sovereignity and neutrality, and closes its borders. It successfully repels further attacks from both land and sea. Panic in Cathlaigh over wood shortage; empire begins to confiscate private vessels for its fleet.
- Rebellion of goblinoid slaves in Cathlan. Grathnar Ironclaw rampages through Dargol (now New Carrannon) and other cities in Carragyn before leaving to establish goblinoid colonies in the Far Isles and Calever.
- Backlash against elves and other minorities in Cathlaigh. Riots and violence. Mass exodus of urban elves towards Talenantar.
- Cathlaigh withdraws from Nadivar, and forcibly deports all gnomes, dwarves and halflings there, leaving them without ships or wood. Their populations are decimated. Nadivar becomes known as the Isles of Sorrow.
- Elven refugees turned away from Talenantar. They establish a floating city, Avarantal ("City of Refusal").
- Uthnarg Worldbreaker's horde of koalinth and merrow sacks a much-weakened Adralendar. Alabrin Calenandar is killed in the preceding siege. Fall of Adralendrinor.
- Carran V plans to unleash a deadly magical weapon on the remnants of Adralendrinor.
- The great elven mage Cadarin creates giant tidal waves which cause large portions of mainland Carragyn to sink beneath the sea. Carrannon is destroyed, and Carran V is killed. Cathlaigh collapses as civil war breaks out between various heirs and the land population struggles for resources. The Great War is over.
- Tritons, aided by water elementals, remove certain artifacts from the ruins of Carrannon and hide them. The ruins are later combed by elven mages led by Cadarin and all remaining items of value are taken away.
- Land and sea civilisations lick their wounds. Sovereign kingdoms are established on land and in the sea. The great mermaid scholar Silhari founds the Great Library of Halidru. Cadarin establishes a magical academy within the lake formed in the cataclysm of Carragyn. Dargol becomes capital of Carragyn and is re-named New Carrannon.
- The Red Queen, Varelai, founds the elven kingdom of Varelantar near Calever.
The Long Silence:
- For about a thousand years after the great war, there is little communication between the fragments of civilisation that remain. It is estimated that the population has been decreased by as much as a fifth.
- Underwater, the elves and their former vassals eye each other uneasily.
- On the surface, there is virtually no contact between the island groups as there are very few ships.
- The floating cities avoid the islands, fearing theft of their vessels.
- On the water, piracy is rife. Underneath it, koalinth and merrow tribes expand their territories in the Inner Sea. Elven and merfolk cities are regularly raided by sahuagin.
- In the Isles of Sorrow, dwarves dig deep into the earth in search of useful minerals. They eventually find some, and the weaponsmiths and alchemists begin to manufacture effective defences against the sahuagin.
- Much historical knowledge is lost or distorted.
- Religion: the remaining New Gods of the Known World all ascend or become known during this time: Varelai, goddess of war (N); Silhari, goddess of Knowledge (LG); Cadarin, god of magic (N); Livian, healer and preacher of pacifism (CG); Karlen, the Great Bard (NG); Nevir, the Pirate King (CN); Halorian, god of travellers and outcasts (CN); Aldo, god of halflings (NG); Darin, god of dwarves (LG); Hilga, goddess of gnomes (CG); Grathnar, god of land goblinoids (NE); Uthnarg, god of koalinth (LE) and Krun, god of merrow (CE). The Three Gods remain the majority religion among the elves, merfolk, humans and locathah.
New Era:
- Priesthood of Silhari introduces the New Calendar and begins to keep accurate historical records.
- After Cadarin's Ascension, his academy grows into a small town. It is named Cadarintal.
- A small academy of magic is established in New Carrannon.
- Tentative diplomatic relations develop between land and sea, and between the undersea nations. The Magical Academy of Cadarintal admits its first merfolk students.
- Twelve dire whales arrive from the Outer Lands carrying a shalarin city on their backs. Shalarin colonise deep territories in the Inner Sea. Whale City sets up an annual route along friendly major cities in the Inner Sea and around Carragyn.
- The Inner Sea is tamed as most of the evil races are driven out.
- Talenantari emissaries sent to Carragyn and Faraedar. Talenantar cautiously begins to trade in wood. Communication between the island groups increases as more ships are built.
- The floating cities settle into an annual route which takes them around the Inner Sea. Regular trade develops between the islands through the City Route.
- Carragyn establishes contact with the Isles of Sorrow.
- The Isles of Sorrow begin to trade in forged weapons, finely crafted tools, and mechanical and alchemical devices. They purchase ships and build a small but technologically advanced fleet.
- Religion: Shalarin worship the Three Gods and the moon goddesses as Ri'dea'brin, Ri'dea'nan, Ri'dea'cal, Ri'dea'lan and Ri'dea'dal respectively.
Recent History:
- A small group of malenti defects from the Xazrin empire and sets up a colony north-east of Carragyn, naming it Zalhan.
- The Xazrin empire of sahuagin based south of the Isles of Sorrow launches an attack on Halidru and Alabrintar. Halidru is sacked, but the Great Library is defended even after the fall of the city and holds until reinforcements arrive from surrounding merfolk and elven allies. The sahuagin are driven back from elven and merfolk lands, but manage to maintain two major strongholds north of the Isles of Sorrow.
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