World building stuff for Quintus · 5:57am Jan 18th, 2019

Just some history for another story, so I have it down.

0The continent of Ferria was the second to be developed, after the High Lords of Aurum. Although there were human survivors following the Breaking, the catastrophe that destroyed the One Land into the Five Continents of Quintus, they remained scattered and tribal, vying with feral and mad gangs of hobs, lone giants, and more than their fair share of giants. Located in a temperate to tropical region, it would prove more hospitable than arid Ossius or frigid Lithicus. Arumi explorers charted the coast of the inner sea from the high kingdom of Ghest, which hunted relics of the Breaking as well as resources to aid it in its conflicts with the other high kingdoms of Ahran, Fhelr, and Ahrdor. Ghestian explorers reached the southern tip of Ferria. They established the trade settlement of Cuppa, and discovered the area's rich supplies of untapped copper. Dwarves from Everhome built an enclave in the settlement, bringing mellurgy along with agriculture. Before Ghest could capitalize on the region, the high kingdom was slaughtered in a combined war with Ahran and Fhelr.

700 Cut off from home, Cuppa spread slowly for several centuries, moving up the Copper River estuary and river valley. The jungle terrain was ill suited to agriculture, and so settlers moved along the southern coast to the westernmost region of Tenna, Rich tin desposits allowed the production of bronze tools and weapons, which let Cuppa and Tenna push back the southern jungles and fight off the savage nomad tribes. Still, the early civilizations had little chance clinging to the edge of the continent.

700 The native people of Ferra predominated in the fertile river basin of Rynn. The waters emptied into an inland sea that kept the basin green all year round before flowing out a narrow gap in the mountains and into the inner sea. The indiginous tribes were nomadic, travelling between the rivers, grazing herds on the abundant grass, and fighting with each other or occasional Hobbs. The Cupratena mountains seperated Rynn from the coastlands, leaving the settlers unable to advance into the interior while facing constant raids and harassment by the native "Irynn", or 'from Rynn'.

800 The breakthrough came when a fleet of twenty ships were constructed in Cuppa and sailed to the mouth of the Rynn. A cataract blocked passage upriver. However, the fleet exited their ships and used the wood to construct a causeway to the top of the flood. They secured a foot hold, and built a settlement at the mouth of the Rynn. Although the natives knew of bronze, they did not use it beyond arrowheads. Bronze phalanxes pushed along the river and took settlement after settlement. They used boats to keep their army supplied and armed. By the time the Irynn realized the threat, it was too late. The Cuppans and Tennans had carved out a quarter of the inland sea and worse, carved a trail through the mountains. With a direct line of supply, the Irynn made a desperate attempt to slaughter the invaders once and for all. In the final battle, a hundred thousand tribesmen gathered against a paltry two thousand defenders at the gate of the pass.

820 The battle of the Red Pass was actually a series of battles over a week, in which the attackers fought bronze sword, spear, and shield with clubs and stones. By the end of it, entire tribes were dead, slaughtered to try and destroy invaders they believed were there to slay their god, the sea in the middle of the basin. When the battle was done, a mass exodus from the hot and inhospitable coastland occured. Almost half the population relocated in a generation. A million plus Irynn were taken as slaves, but their superior numbers, ironically, diluted much of the Cuppan influence. Within a century, Irrynians out numbered pure born Cuppans and Tennians combined. Whole Cuppa attempted to control the region from afar, this would end with the discovery of iron.

900 The Black Mountains were a stretch of mountains two hundred miles long that were host to a band of magnetite roughly five hundred feet deep and two to three miles thick. Dwarven metallurgists estimated that there was more iron in that one deposit than had ever been mined in the Dwarven Everhome. Even more impressive were desposits of 'black iron', nearly pure pockets of largely unoxidized metal. The minor trading hub of Fera closest to the strike exploded into the largest industrial center on the planet. Iron weapons and armor were swiftly produced and Irrynns siezed shipments of iron for themselves. With the weapons and armor forged from them, Irrynia seized the Red pass and conquered Cuppa and Tenna. Thus conquered, Irrynia relocated the nexus of political power to a new city, Irrfera. Cuppa was renamed Cuprina and Tenna into Stennia.

900 As Cuppa was being conquered, an off shoot of explorers had traveled further north along Ferra's eastern coast. They arrived at an island at the edge of the tropical band. The native people were very welcoming, and naked, and became a base for further Cuppan exploration. The Sumerlin people had little interest for exploration, but didn't want to run afoul of bronze weapons. From the Sumerlin island, they found a large natural gulf. The Cuppan explorer Kooboo named it after himself. At the head of the gulf, two immense rivers poured forth. One was named the river Koo and the other the River Boo. As Cuppa was conquered, the settlement on Sumerlin invested help of the natives to explore and settle the Kooboo gulf. They made contact with a tribe on an island at the mouth of the waters, called the Dynne. Kooboo died, and later scholars would rename the gulf Kolbol.

960 Kolbol proved to be even more abundantly fertile than the Rynn valley. The cooler climate was warmed by tropical waters from the south, and the river systems were fed by meltwater glaciers far upstream rather than periodic rains. This made Dynne a fertile basin for growth and expansion. Cuprina and Sumerlin settlers interbred with the natives to create the unique blend of appearances. The two rivers were named the Kol, the greater, and the Bol, a lesser river. Settlements sprouted like weeds. Though some natives resisted the defenders, many had already been living on the banks of the rivers for generations. They happily exchanged meat, horns, hides, and furs for bronze weapons and Sumerlin nutmeg, salt and cinnamon. Dynne ships then traded with conquered Cuprina and Irrynia for iron.

1000 In Irrynia, an abundance of iron weapons lead to almost constant clashes between warlords trying to dominate their territory. The arid regions outside the valley were mountainous and ill suited for habitation. This lead to the construction of fortifications and roads across the basin. Multiple times Cuprina and Stennia left their masters, only to be reconquered. All this ended with the (re) discovery of a metal... Stel. Stel, later named steel, was an industrial product of Fera, who guarded the method of production behind offerings to gods and mysticism. With Steel, Fera conquered the various warlords and instituted a strict social order to prevent future wars. Everyone was given a rank and place in society.

1020 In Kolbol, the various river systems were being mapped and settled, many taking native names like the Hrud river, the Elde River, and the Vhen river. The Vhen, in particular, cut through some of the most fertile plains in the world. With year round growing seasons and constant water, the population along the Vhen skyrocketed. However, the people soon discovered they had some competition. Lithicans, expanding westward along the southern shores of Lithicus, had crossed the narrows separating the two continents. They established settlements all along the north eastern coast of Ferria.

1100 This coincided with increased trade with Aurumi and Ossians. Oss was a rising mercantile empire, and had ambitions for Ferria. The Oss transported Aurum riches and Ossian goods to Irrynia for weapons, told the weapons in Aurum for gold, and used the gold to buy more goods for sale in Ferria. Everything was going delightfully, with increased science and discovery. Human settlers were even tolerated on the islands surround the elven homeland. Many peoples became dependant on the highly profitable Ossian trade houses.

1300 All this came to a sudden and catostrophic end when Ossia dabbled in summoning magic. The elven response was to forment a war between Oss and Ahdir in Aurum, and both waged magical war that culminated in the annihilation of both. Ahdir had allied with Irrynia, while Dynne allied with the Oss. The second breaking shattered the intercontinental trade. A dark age settled in as civilization went backwards. City states collapsed and even Cuprina seemed on the edge of being reclaimed by the jungles. The essence of magic was irrevocably contaminated by the Second Breaking, and the gods were first encountered.

1700 For four hundred years, Ferria was in decline, with city states rising, fighting, and falling. Only Irrynia, with it's steel based military, was able to maintain order as famine gripped it. Tribal survivors, however, now called on gods who answered and sent demonic armies against the Irrynian forces. Meanwhile three Aurumi waves of religious conquest departed for Ferria. While Irrynia and Cuprina rebuffed them, the invasions managed to take Dynne and push deep into the Kolbol interior. Taros the Bold sailed from Dynne and pacified the Vhen river. Amber sailed up to the cataracts of the Kol. Finally Lyos reached the headwaters of the Kol river. Together they founded the kingdoms of Vhentaros, Ambernatha, and Lyones. The Aurumi government and religious structure reversed the decay and strife.

1850 Over the next century and a half, Ventaros became a predominant power, stretching north west from the coast to the mountains of Lyons. The fertile grasslands became some of the most productive in the world, and Ventaran population soared. In the mean time, the kingdoms of Ashei was founded by refugees from Agellir, destroyed by elves for a slight. Dwarven enclaves abounded. The kingdom of Nikkel was established by an Irrynian exiled general. Northerners who interbred with Lithicans established the Kingdoms of Hhrad, Dhun, Mhor, Palla, Ytta, Niobe, Vend, Tantal and others along the coast. Finally, A few hardy explorers crossed the outer sea, sailing around the far side of the world and running aground on the north west coast. These survivors would absorb the last of the primitives tribal people and create the kingdoms of Chroma, Mang, and Zirc.

1950. As Ventaros population soared, Irrynia looked upon them as a rival and attempted a forced annexation of Nikkel and Ashei. The Kolbol region united in the Seventy year war. The war, which lasted eighty years, brought much of the region together under the flad of Ventaros. For three generations, the Ventaran nobility intermarried and established themselves in other kingdoms. While Ventaros considered the war over with the rejection of the Empire from the Nik mountains, it was ten more years before a formal treaty was signed. In this time, Ventaros cemented alliances with Ambernatha, Lyones, and Dyne.

2130 The Ventaran Empire was birthed with the union of Ventaros and Ambernatha. While established as a co-equal partnership, Ventaros soon took control of the neighboring kingdom. Dyne soon followed, along with Ashei and finally the coastlands. Only Lyones remained free from Ventaran control, though at terrible cost. Hhrad, Mhor, Dhun, and Palla were renamed Hradeth, Moreth, Dunneth, and Palladeth for being forcefully vassalized. The empire extracted wealth and manpower from their conquests. The formation was complete in 2190 when Nikkel joined the empire in return for protection from Irrynia. The Irrynians attempted a war for the country, but were badly beaten. Ventaros levied brutal economic sanctions on Irrynia in exchange for peace.

2190 The Ventaran bicenturum was a period of 210 years in which Kolbol knew immense growth and development. Though the kingdoms did chafe under Ventaran rule, the Ventarans wisely saw to the prosperity of their satellite nations. The Ventaran empire traded with every corner of the world, and amassed immense wealth. Much was put into public projects. Even Lyoness, renamed after a queen took the throne, came to trade terms with the Empire, though they never yielded. This was considered a golden era by most, and while technological development was slow, the population and cities swelled under the persistent development.

2300 The Ventaran collapse began with Emperor Vhenhalt III, who, insulted by an Arani diplomat, declared war on the country on the far side of the sea. As Ventaros was not actually prepared for this war, it took three years for the country to mobilize and build up its navy. In the mean time Aran prepared a fleet of ships. The Ventaran navy clashed with the Arani flotilla... and was soundly defeated. A second fleet was made, only to meet an even worse fate of being captured in port by Corsari. Emperor Vhenhalt then made the historic order of commanding his armies to march across the ocean and destroy Aran. The first Imperial legion commander, unable to bring himself to disobey, marched ten thousand soldiers into the sea to their deaths. Some commended them for their duty... others condemned them for their stupidity. Fortunately, Vhenhalt suffered a stroke soon after and died, but it definitely shook imperial authority. His heir, Vhenhalt IV was not much better. He emptied the coffers trying to buy mercenary armies in Ossia to attack and conquer Aran in their place. The mercenaries took the money... and promptly bought themselves rich estates in Fibula. Vhenhalt IV managed to squander a vast fortune on trade embargoes, attempting to bribe Aran's neighbors into attacking the country, and even dumped an immense fortune in an attempt to dig through the world and attack Aran from below. Vhenhalt the IV would also die of mysterious circumstances. His heir, Vhenhalt the VI attempted to resort to dark magic and even dabbled in summoning. (Vhenhalt the V died from a mysterious circumstance involving a donkey and a barrel of olive oil that's not spoken of.)

2330 The Empire's dabbling in summoning magic brought the elves of Argentum against them. They approached Irrynia and aided them in uniting Cuprina, Stennia, Chroma, Mang, and Zirc into a unified front while sewing dissent throughout the Ventaros Empire. In 2350, the Irrynians started their first attacks, cutting off tribute and baiting the Empire to try to invade over the Nik mountains. Vhenhalt IV obliged, leading to no less than twenty four defeats against them, many due to Vhenhalt IV directing the armies personally. When generals attempted to 'modify' his orders, he flew into a rage and ordered them executed. In 2360, Vhenhalt was executed by his own guard after ordering thirty thousand men to attack until they won or all died.

2360 the death of the emperor sparked a war of succession between Vhenhalt VII and his sister Zianna II. Unlike his father, Vhenhalt VII was a clever and capable leader, however he was immensely disliked by almost everyone who had ever met him. For five years, the two sides fought before Vhenhalt captured Zianna... and promptly surrendered to her and married her. This let him keep his head, his comfortable life style, and satisfied... most people's concerns that the throne wouldn't see another Vhenhalt. Against most odds, Vhenhalt and Zianna became quite affectionate despite trying to kill each other and being siblings. They managed to stabilize the Empire, though lost the tribute from Irrynia, which declared itself the Southern Empire.

2450 Ventaran fortunes waxed and waned in the next century. While the country was economically sound, it's leadership was becoming more disconnected and decadent. The Emperors and Emperesses took a page from the pair, often marrying siblings, parents, or even offspring. However, because Ventaran infidelity was so widespread there was little damage from inbreeding. The noble houses became increasingly disengaged from actually ruling and engaged in ever greater excess. The 'tradition' of Ventaran pederasty became established in the nobility, with the victims of this practice becoming a clerical class that actually ran the country. Increasing tributes and taxes strained the nations under the yoke of the Empire. Common people became poorer to fuel noble decadence. colleges and libraries were closed or sold to pay for noble excesses. At one party, the Duke of Quintus, burned 24,000 unique historical documents from all over the world... for fun.

2570, fifty Ambernathans attacked the garrison of the Stone of Kol that linked Ambernath to the Empire across the great river. With the stone taken, King Fairfiel mustered a mob and sacked the armory and fortress in the capital. Thus armed, Ambernatha declared their independence, taking the name Ambernathis. The army marched south and met the imperials coming north. Many of the officers in the Imperial army were Ambernathian, and after a skirmish, changed sides. They besieged silverport, and successfully took it. Their success convinced the Hrad and coastlands to rebel as well. Within a year, the Empire had been split straight down the Kol river, save for the city of Dyne.

2571 The battle for the city of Dyne became one of the most studied in Quintian history. Dunneth swamp fighters vied with Ossian mercenaries. Arani ships harassed Ventaran traders. Armies crossed river after river, fought for bridges, lost them, destroyed them, and rebuilt them. For four years the battle was fixated on Dyne. Crossings and skirmishes were attempted all across the river. The nation of Nikkel declared its rebellion, only to betray Ambernathis by sacking the capital. This brought Lyoness to invade Nikkel. By 2575, the situation was so dire that the Emperor ordered Dyne burned to the ground rather than allow it to be captured. Dyne rebelled and the city went to the rebels. The largest army in history was rallied and marched on the city. Almost half a million soldiers marched south to try and retake the city. In desperation, someone in the rebellion summoned one of the thirteen gods.

2575 The summoning of a god prompted two events. First, the Elven dominion went to war for the first time, sending hundreds of thunder knights and thousands of foresters to the Ventarans. Second, the Irrynian Empire, seeing the summoning of a god, sought to replicate the feat themselves, and invaded Kolbol. The battle of Dyne became one of the largest since the Breaking. The Ventaran Empire was largely impotent to stop the invasion on their western border, and Irrynia cut a swath of devastation, sacking the Imperial capital as they marched to crush the Ventaran army. Though they claimed solidarity with the rebels, it was clear that no force existed to oppose them. A truce was struck and when the Irrynians arrived, they found a united Kolbol against them. The elves, outraged at this, turned against the Ventarans. Then the Irrynians summoned a god as well.

2576 The battle of the Dyne ended with the annihilation of one God and the defeat of the other. No one is certain who did what. Blame is generally laid at the feet of the elves, who left the fight just before the detonation. One of the gods protected the city of Dyne from complete annihilation, but the destruction obliterated several square miles of battlefield, extending the gulf of Kolbol. While technically the Irrynian invasion was a victory, it gained the Empire little. That year, the Red Plague ravaged its provinces, and several of its protectorates rebelled. Kolbol itself was thrust into years of famine and trade collapse. Dyne fell under the control of alchemical merchant houses.

2610 Dyne attempts an annexation of its neighbors using Dyne magic. They fail, and sign a treaty that forbids them from expanding beyond the island of Dyne.

2700 saw much of Kolbol rebuilding after the war. Dyne peddled strange alchemical potions. Various nations jostled against each other. The Empire renigged on its arrangement, but was in no position to reclaim any of the nations that had rebelled. It reclaimed Ashei and Nikkel, fortifying the main land approaches from Irrynia while building sea power. In Ambernathis, a new religion was established: the church of the one god. It was given royal recognition by the kingdom. Lyoness fell victim to the Kingculler plague, a disease that slew male infants in utereo. Women assumed leadership of the country, and it narrowly fended off an attack by Hradeth.

2750 saw the final disintegration of the Ventaran empire. The southern half, seperated by the Bol river, took up arms in defiance. The Empire made a feeble struggle for it, but failed to regain control. The rebel state branded itself a republic... and promptly fell into infighting. Ashei declared independence. The Irrynians attempted to invade and annex Ashei. An experimental dyne weapon was employed, which formed an immense volcano that covered much of the countryside in ash and smoke. The Coastlands attempted to form a united league, but fell apart when Moreth insisted on being the leader. Cuprina alternated between being threated by Irrynia and being threated by the Ossian beastlord rajahs... and sided with the devil they knew: Irrynia. Stennia, constantly harassed by Chroma and Mangan raiders, rejoined as well.

2800 The elven Primus is slain. The elves, with no method of sucession, devolve into murderous infighting. The death toll reaches millions as the continent is consumed in civil war.

2830 The Dwarven domain explodes. The cause is unknown, but many speculate they were attempting to successfully summon a god in the wake of the elves' demise.

2840 The king of Ambernathis, after conquering territory from his neighbors, lost his wife and went mad. The terrors wracked Ambernathis, as he court became a nightmare of debauchery, incest, and murder. The aristocracy of the country was shaken for good. King Justian gelded his heir Jon, and in turn Goodprince Jon slew his father and turned down the throne. A weak king, Dalien took the throne, but gave much power from the aristocracy to the church. In 2870, the queen of Ambernathis wed the Most Holy of the One Church, uniting church and state under one authority.

2850 Dyne becomes the most techno-magically advanced city in the world. Dyne is bottled magic, and people are getting rich making labor saving devices that use the stuff. Dyne begins a campaign of spreading industrial infrastructure and productivity. Dyne undergoes a revolutionary building boom.

2980 Dyne has become the premier world power. However, the Dynelord, the source of the mysterious dyne, is slain in a coup along with all of his family. Only two girl survive. Following the death of the Dynelord, many of the laws and regulations regarding the dynehouses are ignored. Dyne production skyrockets.

3000 Dyne destroys the world.

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