The Known World of Dracopolis: History of Ylaruam
by Lance DuncanSo a player in my group have put in the legwork(finally) and found some clues as to where the lost city of Cynidicea might be and is headed up into Ylaraum. This meant that I needed to decide exactly what I wanted to with the place. so I went back and finished transcribing the interview with my dad where we talk about the countries of the known world. Took me a while to decide how faithful I wanted to be to what we talked about and how much of the gazetteer I wanted to follow. So I decided to go with my dad's idea and make Ylaraum a parallel of ancient/mythic Libya, with Cynidicea being Cyrenica. and fitting in the Numidian Kingdom as the modern day Kingdom of Ylaraum.
This basically means I have to throw out all of the gazetteer, because the berbers/Libyans/Tamazight didn't have any real Arab influence, so all the arabia stuff is gone(don't worry I have pseudo islam and arabs elsewhere). So what follows will be a series of posts outlining gazeteer entries for my version of Ylaruam( I wont go over certain things like geography).
First up is the timeline, I'm calling it a chronicle, because the Anglo-Saxon chronicle is fun :)
I'm pulling from as many sources as I can find both official and unofficial, though you may notice some dates or places switched up here and there
The Iasuli Chronicle
BC 1000: The Nithian Empire is at its peak by this time. Nithia has established dominion over the Doulakki city-states on the Isles of the Sea of Dread (Ierendi and Minrothad), and over the Gwynish kingdoms to the north (the Northern Reaches). Nithia establishes a colony on the southern continent from which it imports many of the native people as slaves
BC 800: The Nithian population has become thoroughly blended with the people of the southern continent in both appearance and culture, many of slave descent being considered full Nithians. A group of Nithian colonists on the southern continent who have maintained a ‘pure blood’ by not mixing with the natives call themselves the Thang.
BC 700: Thanatos uses Zargon to corrupt the Nithian Emperor, and he turns his empire towards the worship of Demons and the use of dark magics. Nithian sages discover how to make Cinnabryl.
BC 695: The Nithian army invades the Traldar Kingdoms, which unite and drive back the Nithians
BC 621: Trikelios and Ektos are conquered by the Nithians, who had already established themselves on the Isle of Dawn, and wished to consolidate their hold on the territory.
BC 600: The cololny on the southern continent revolts against imperial rule. The Thang flee across the sea returning to their native land. The Thang ships are separated at sea and they establish different city-states at each landing site, Thanegioth and Thyatis.
BC 597: Hattias is founded by Doulakki Settlers
BC 596: The city of Vipsl is conquered by an alliance of Thang and Kerendan tribes, pastoral horsemen who are ancient enemies of the Doulakki. The alliance makes a small port town the new capital of the Kerendan tribes. The Kerendans organize their nation on very militaristic lines as they fight to retain control of the region, as well as defend against large numbers of monstrous hordes that periodically issue forth from the Traldar forests.
BC 587: 1st Nithian War: The Nithian Emperor sends an undead army against the Traldar Kingdoms and Thyatis. Thanegioth joins with Thyatis in the defense of the Traldar.
BC 581: Doulakki colonists are invited into the Nithian empire and found the city of Tameronikas
BC 566: Thyatis begins to assimilated the language and culture of the local Doulakki peoples
BC 562: Doulakki establish the city of Alalia on Borydos
BC 561: Nithian Emperor sends a punitive fleet south which is destroyed off the east coast of the peninsula
BC 545: 2nd Nithian War: Nithia seizes the Doulakki colonies of Tameronikas and Sarausa. Kerendas and Thyatis join with many Doulakki cities to form the Hesperian League.
BC 543: The Hesperian League besieges Sarausa
BC 538: Tarlin, seventh King of Thanegioth, is overthrown after almost a decade of brutal and corrupt rule. A group of prominent men (warband leaders and wealthy citizens) form an aristocratic council to govern the tribe. They call themselves Senators and their government is known as the Republic. The new Republic immediately responds to calls for aid from their sister city, Thyatis
BC 533: Through guile the League ends the siege and frees the city of Sarausa
BC 506: 3rd Nithian War: Nithians defeat Doulakki raiding forces with dark magics.
BC 505: Nithians begin conquering Doulakki City states using dark magics.
BC 504: Thanegioth pushes Nithians back, conducting a 'total war' of destruction against Nithia.
BC 500: A great battle in Nithia creates the Valley of Death where the Nithian forces are destroyed and Zargon is banished. City of Nithus destroyed by Thang Empire, the Nithus river sinks underground, the Nithus lake dries up, and the land turns to desert
BC 499: Biazzan founded by a group of Nithians that helped Thanegioth in the war.
BC 497: The village of Cynidicea is founded by Doulakki settlers in the Valley of Death
BC 453: Hesperian League dissolves as a war starts between a Kerendan/Hattian alliance and Thanegioth, many Doulakki cities side with Thanegioth.
BC 451: Thanegioth defeats the Kerendan Cavalry with reformed legions and the Hattian fleet is defeated by Doulakki allies.
BC 440: After years of skirmishes and war the rebellious Doulakki cities are incorporated into the Thang Empire.
BC400: Cynidicea becomes a Provincial Capital of the Thang Empire. The people of the Nithian Valley now call themselves the Iasuli.
AC 0: Cynidicea directs construction of the first Igharman to be built in oases and on the coast after the fall of the Thang Empire.
AC 32: The ruling council of Cynidicea, hard-pressed to come to an agreement as to how to fight off the invasions tearing through the Empire, is surprised by the arrival of a powerful-looking, dark-skinned man. Calling himself Akawel, the man offers his services as a warleader. The Council accepts.
AC 34: A small horde of serpentmen, rising out of the undercity, attack Cynidicea, hoping to drive out the humans and reclaim this land for themselves. They are defeated by the Cynidiceans, thanks to the decisive leadership of Akawel, who is made the first king of Cynidicea.
AC 50: The Eastwind Empire expands into the region occupied by Cynidicea. After a series of tense meetings, the Emperor and King Akawel agree to conclude a treaty of friendship. The Emperor is having enough problems holding his empire together as it is; the conquest of Cynidicea, tiny as it may be, could drain too many soldiers away from more important battles.
AC 74: After an incredibly long and successful reign, Akawel dies. Thrasymachus, Akawel’s son by a Doulakki wife, assumes the throne.
AC 106: Darokin attempts to invade Cynidicea, but the heroism of its defenders holds off the attack, and manages to drive the invaders away, but not before Thrasymachus is killed in battle. Cynidicea is in a state of chaos.
AC 109: An Ethesti war leader of the Makistani tribe, named Ashtat, has been wandering the wilds since the defeat of the Eastwind Emperor. She comes upon Cynidicea, and sees it in turmoil. Taking the city-state under her protection, she soon makes herself known as a capable warrior and a great leader.
AC 118: Led by Ashtat, the Cynidiceans and the Makistani capture the city of Selenica. In honour of her leadership and skill, she is crowned the Queen of Alasiya. She settles the Makistani in the Ust-Urt valley. The Ethesti Warriors bring with them the worship of the gods, Gorm, Usamigara, and Madarua
AC 131: Ashtat abdicates in favour of her son, Oroth.
AC 133: Oroth is assassinated by a faction loyal to the old line of Cynidicean rulers. A warlike brute named Heracles, who is an indirect descendant of Akawel, is made king.
AC 148: Heracles is assassinated by a distant cousin, Xenopheus, a wizard who had been studying the lore of the Nithian mages, as well as those of now-forgotten Mogreth.
AC 150: Thyatis extends control over tameronikas and supports colonies on the coast of the Nithian Valley
AC 200: Barimoor finds underground caverns beneath the desert
AC 250: Goths from Vestland begin colonizing the hills and coast of the northern Nithian Valley. Thyatian colonies/themes of Nicostenia and Dythestenia formed in the southern Nithian Valley
AC 290: Iasuli tribesmen raid thyatian colonies, 3 of Macrodorus's Ionian gems are lost
AC 302: King Xenopheus, after ruling for an unprecedented 154 years, mysteriously disappears after mentioning his desire to experiment on Mogrethian summoning spells. His workroom is in a shambles, and there is no trace of his body. Only the word "Zargon" is scrawled on the wall. Oromines, a distant descendant, assumes the throne of Alasiya.
AC 315: Oromines "the Mad" is removed from the throne in a coup. His rule was marked by contradictory laws, heavy penalties for minor crimes, and the naming of inanimate objects into positions of power (including a boot as strategic advisor). He is replaced by Armantia, a distant cousin.
AC320 - The Thyatian Magi Macrodorus, a resident of Nicostenia is executed for treason by the Empire of Thyatis, his 3 followers, along with their Ionian gems, flee into the desert, the master gem is confiscated by the emperor and forgotten in his treasury
AC 355: Queen Armantia dies. Her reign is remembered as a peaceful one, and she becomes known as "Armantia the Benevolent". Her son, Menades, assumes the throne
AC 381: King Menades dies of old age, his rule is uneventful. He is succeeded by his son, Psocretus, a rather hairy man who is surrounded by an unpleasant smell.
AC 390: Cynidicea is plagued by a mysterious wolf-creature during the full moon of each month. Livestock and lone travellers are attacked.
AC 400: Under the leadership of King Psocretus, Cynidicea begins the process of reclaiming land from the encroaching desert. Great networks of irrigation canals are dug, and more arable land is gained. The kingdom's borders expand as more land becomes available.
AC 407: Psocretus' reign ends when the wolf-creature is finally killed. By now many people have begun to suspect that Psocretus and the creature were one and the same. The odd thing is that the wolf creature does not revert to the shape of Psocretus, making many doubt that the two were indeed the same. Psocretus has no heirs, forcing the royal advisors to rule as a council.
AC 415: A halfling by the name of Soggy Lod arrives in Cynidicea. He displays his magical powers (gained through a wish) and guile, and manages, against all odds, to convince the ruling council that he should be crowned their king.
AC 420: Zargon manifests himself to a madman in his dreams. Instructing him to build a faith based upon worship of the tentacled being. The madman, named Damodes, founds the Church of Zargon.
AC 480: By this time enough land has been reclaimed that several villages are established outside the city. Alasiya is no longer an alliance of city-states, but a true kingdom. The Church of Zargon has become a large underground movement, with close to a thousand adherents, from all social strata in Cynidicea.
AC 492: King Soggy Lod leaves Cynidicea, saying that he must embark on a final quest. His rule was peaceful, but large sums of money have mysteriously vanished from Cynidicea's coffers, which once brimmed with gold. Later this year, a robed figure comes out of the desert, saying that he is a long-lost descendant of King Xenopheus. Named Gaius, he proves to the advisors that he has royal blood, and he is crowned king.
AC 500: As many vestlanders flee south from the Heldannic scourge, new gothic settlements pop up along the coast of the Nithian Valley, and these new arrivals clash with the Imperial Thyatian settlements on the coast
AC 501: Thyatis fortifies the village of Kirkuk
AC 526: Gaius completes the secret rites required to attain lichdom.
AC 536: Gaius' increasing decrepitude can no longer be hidden easily from others. It soon becomes apparent through whispered discussions that he is some form of undead, and plans are put into action to put his son, Diomenesius, on the throne. Diomenesius does not know that his father has become a lich, and attributes his appearance to extreme age.
AC 538: Gaius is chased from the palace by a horde of enraged citizens. He flees for the safety of the catacombs beneath the city. Diomenesius assumes the throne.
AC565 - A Gothic invasion is halted by Thyatian forces near Fabia in a battle that heavily relies upon the Retebius Air Corps and Foresters, who manage to slay the Gothic King leading the invasion. In the years to come, the Emperor honors both orders, renaming the Retebius Air Corps the Retebius Air Fleet. This, in turn, starts a long era of cooperation between the Fleet and the Forester Guild, which at any given time in the years to follow has several members serving as Spatharoi.
AC 569: King Diomenesius is succeeded by his son, Emenius.
AC 598: Conflict is renewed between the Gothic and Thyatian settlements in the Nithian Valley
AC 603: Emenius dies after a productive reign. His son, Adonius, becomes king.
AC 641: Following the death of their father, Adonius, Alexander begins his illustrious reign as King of Selenica, while his sister Zenobia rules Cynidicea. The irrigation networks are expanded even more, and aqueducts bring more water from the mountains, and he arranges to have a great underground lake created beneath the city, which is to serve as a reservoir. As the tomb of Alexander and Zenobia is being dug, workers uncover a previously unknown cave underground. They also find a corroded disk, apparently made of electrum, as well as an archway embedded into the cavern wall, filled with solid rock. One of the workers breaks the disk in picking it up, and Zargon is released, needing only two to be broken to do this. Although in a weakened state, he manages to kill most of the workers. Word spreads of the monster, plunging the city into chaos.
AC 673: King Alexander and Queen Zenobia both die of a strange wasting disease, which the clerics of Gorm, Madarua, and Usamigaras were unable to cure. The public outpouring of grief is marred by accusations that the clerics deliberately let the king and queen die. These rumours are spread by worshippers of Zargon.
AC 674: The clerics of Zargon gain control over the kingdom, convincing the people that only they know how to guide Cynidicea through these tough times. Zargon has been stalking the city at night, killing people at random. No one is able to kill him. Under their rulership, the Zargonites are able to "control" Zargon (by feeding him convicts). The unfinished tomb of Alexander and Zenobia becomes the Temple of Zargon, and he lives in the catacombs, content to be fed by his worshippers.
AC 679: The Church of Zargon declares their faith to be the only legal one in Cynidicea. Worshippers of Gorm, Madarua, and Usamigaras are captured and fed to Zargon, and many more flee the city, spreading their tale. Some worshippers manage to hide their allegiances, and covertly work to overthrow the Church.
AC 691: Instructed by Zargon, the clerics of Zargon cultivate and distribute the dark lotus to the people, saying that it will calm their fears and allow them to transcend their bodies so they may enter a better world. Many citizens eat the lotus, and begin losing their drive. Work becomes shoddy, the irrigation ditches are no longer maintained, and the army loses its discipline. This is part of a plan to bring the people fully under the control of the Church. What the Zargonites do not realize is that, because of the lotus’s effects, Cyndicea's days are numbered.
AC 698: By this time most of the other settlements in Alasiya have been abandoned, or have revolted. Thousands leave the region in search of better lands, as well as regions devoid of Zargon's taint. Word of this chaos reaches the Gothic peoples living on the edge of the Kingdom. Many tribal leaders receive strange dreams, in which they are told to destroy the plague of Cynidicea.
AC 700: The Gothic tribes mobilize and begin a steady campaign against the Kingdom of Alasiya. The Zargonites convince Thyatis to come to the defense of the kingdom, but its armies are fighting a losing battle when the lotus eating populace can’t even be convinced to defend themselves.
AC 727: A Gothic horde destroys the Thyatian army and overruns the colony of Fabia
AC 728: Cynidicea is razed to the ground by the Gothic horde
AC 750: Cynidicea has become buried by the desert sands, lost to all knowledge
AC 800: Masinissa is born in the desert of Alasiya under auspices signs to a chieftan of a Dulesmir tribe
AC 816: Masinissa comes of age, becoming a desert warrior of his tribe
AC 818: Masinissa performs a favor for a Makistani magician. In return the magician casts a permanent water finding spell upon Masinissa
AC 820: Talfris is slain in a wizard duel with Barimoor, there are great disturbances in the desert
AC 821: Masinissa has a vision and becomes a hermit in an attempt to learn the wisdom of the desert
AC 824: After the death of his father, Gaia, Masinissa returns to lead his tribe, and has a vision from the Old Man of the Sea
AC 825: Masinissa unites the Dulesmir tribes of the desert, gaining the epithet 'Amzizrt' becomes an Amenukal; he leads a force of 10,000 desert warriors to conquer the Ighram of the Ylaruam Oasis
AC 826: Masinissa Amzizrt captures cinsa men noo, parsa, and ctesiphon; he convinces the makistani to unite with the dulesmir tribes in his dream of justice and honor
AC 827: Masinissa Amzizrt captures jaboor and sura man raa, driving out the the last of the Gothic settlers; he also defeats a thyatian force at battle of tel abdullah
AC 828: Masinissa Amzizrt attacks thyatian forces which retreat to their fortresses, he captures cubis
AC 829: Masinissa Amzizrt captures kirkuk, blesses the well there, which is ever after known as The Well of the King, and gifts the Eternal Rose to the village
AC 830: Masinissa Amzizrt captures tameronikas and negotiates a peace with thyatis, leaving Tel Akbir and Biazzan in the hands of the empire
AC 831: Masinissa Amzizrt is named the first Agellid of Ylaruam and reveals his dream of the desert garden to his people
AC 835: Accompanied by his companion Fourou, Masinissa enters on a pilgrimage to seek out the Old Man of the Sea
AC 836: Masinissa and Fourou seek the aid of the djinn to transport them to the Sky City of the Cloud Giants where they obtain treasures to please the Old Man of the Sea
AC 841: To discover the location of the Old Man of the Sea, Masinissa travels to the Plane of Water; there he helps the undines defeat the horde of the Plane of Earth; The undines reveal that the Old Man of the Sea may be petitioned on top of a Sea Mount in the Undersea Kingdom
AC 855: Masinissa composes the Tawargit, a work meant to guide the Iasuli toward Masinissa's dream
AC 858: The Eternal University is founded in Ylaruam; The Imuaalim Taqbilt is established
AC 860: Masinissa Amzizrt retires from public life and a new Agellid, Micipsa, is selected from among his children by the Imuaalim Taqbilt; Masinissa departs on a quest for Immortality
AC 890: Micipsa dies, Jugurtha is chosen as the next Agellid of Ylaraum
AC 896: The Well of the King in Kirkuk becomes cursed after an adventurer dived into it and disturbed an ancient lizardman burial chamber; after many die from drinking the water, the taqbilt declare that none may drink the water until purified by them; 2 cisterns are built nearby to store the purified water
AC 900: Masinissa Amzizrt dies and is worshipped as an Immortal by the Iasuli
AC 902: The son of Micipsa, Adherbal, rebels against Jugurtha convincing the Abbashan Taqbilt to back him, he is defeated and flees to Thyatis; Thyatis acting as mediator splits the kingdom, awarding Adherbal the governance of Abbashan, Nicostenia, and Dythestenia
AC 905: Jugurtha attacks Adherbal and besieges him in Abbashan
AC 906: Abbashan falls and Adherbal is executed; a company of Thyatic soldiers aiding in defense of the Taqbilt are killed in the siege
AC 907: Thyatis declares war on Jugurtha in retaliation
AC 908: After intrigue on both sides, Thyatis sends an army into Ylaraum which is defeated and humiliated by Jugurtha
AC 909: Thyatis sends another army into Ylaraum defeats the Iasuli forces, but Jugurtha escapes; many Ighraman are sacked by the Thyatic army, including Ylaraum
AC 911: Thyatic army renews offensive, goes so far west that Kingdom of Alasiya (ruled by Selenica alone now) joins the War, Thyatic forces are caught by surprise by a combined force of Iasuli from Ylaraum and Ethesti from Alasiya, but are able to win the battle and retreat to Abbashan
AC 913: Jugurtha is betrayed by his Alasiyan allies and turned over as a prisoner to Thyatis; The Kingdom of Alasiya gains control of Makistani lands; the Kingdom of Ylaraum is awarded to Gauda, a brother of Jugurtha
AC 914: Jugurtha dies in a Thyatic prison
AC 930: Gauda dies, his son Hiempsal is installed as Agellid by Thyatis; Hiarbis, a direct descendant of Adherbal and Masinissa, is declared the rightful Agellid by the Taqbilt of Abbashan splitting the kingdom in two
AC 935: Magian Fire Worshippers steal the Sparkling Spear from the archives of the Eternal University in Ylaruam; They use it on quests to the Elemental Plane of Fire
AC 937: Hiarbis is dethroned and executed by a Thaytic army after aiding a Thyatic rebel general; Heipsal's nephew Masinissa II is installed as king of Abbashan by Thyatis
AC 939: Hannarr the mountain gnome is killed by a poisonous giant serpent in the Dythestenian wilderness; his body is found by an itinerant friar who raises him from the dead; Hannarr is converted baptized in the Church of Abundant Dreams in Kirkuk and becomes the village smith
AC 948: Hiempsal dies, and Thyatis replaces him with his son Juba
AC 950: The Merchanter’s Caravansary is built in Kirkuk by the Merchanter’s Guild of the Ylaraum
AC 957: Muhanned is born inYlaraum
AC 970: Both Juba and Masinissa II, backed by the Empire of Thyatis, go to war with the Kingdom of Alasiya, backed by the Holy Empire
AC 972: Juba and Masinissa II die in battle, and Juba's son Juba II is given governance of Ylaraum and abbashan by Thyatis
AC 976: Ylaraum occupies Makistan
AC 978: Ylaraum makes peace with the Holy Empire, maintaining its independance on the condition that the Imuaalim Taqbilt choose the next Agellid
AC 990: The Imuaalim Taqbilt confirm Muhanned as the new Agellid of Ylaruam; rebellion flares up when the Taqbilt of Abbashan supports Massinisa III, a purported descendant of Hiarbis, as Agellid
AC 991: Muhanned supresses the rebellion in Abbashan and Masinissa III submits to his overlordship
AC 993: The Taqbilt of Abbashan annexes the coastal plain containing the ports of Jaboor & Fabia. Buzurg “the Whiner” arrives in the village of Kirkuk as a caravan labourer, but is cast off by his employer; He turns to begging.
AC 998: Muhend appointed Provincial Secretary of the Southeastern Highlands of Ylaraum
AC 999: Fourou Amdiaz is brought to the Kirkuk village Church for healing after being found in the desert suffering from a disease or curse; he has no recollection of the attack
AC 1005: Muhanned dies; Sturling becomes Agellid of Ylaraum after completing quest for the Imuaalim Taqbilt
AC 1006: the Jarls of the north invade Ghyr and send raiding parties into Ylaraum; Sturling responds to the incursions and the calls for aid from Ghyr by invading the north and subjugating the Jarls until the Nordhartar Defense League sues for peace
AC 1020: Adventurer's Guild forms the Ruby Dragon Company in Ylaraum
AC 1035: present day
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Oh I forgot some of the place names should be changed because they are obviously arabic
you can find a version of this on my blog also