Ethnographic History of Mystara - Skandaharians
by Giulio Caroletti, Geoff Gander and Giampaolo Agosta1.2.1 SKANDAHARIANS
While the various Neathar races of Brun re-settled, the Skandaharians had evolved into separated groups. Although some of them recognised some relation between each other, the knowledge of a common ancestry was lost quite soon for most of the tribes. Scholars from the Known World have erroneously considered "Antalian" all the Skandaharian descended nations, thus the mislabelling of ancient Thyatians and Kerendans as "Antalian" tribes.
The Skandaharians clans may be divided in the following groups:
1.2.1 Skandaharians -> Antalians S.1
-> Thantalians S.2
-> Trantalians S.3
-> Nantalians S.4
S.1 ANTALIANS
True Antalians settled sparsely in Norwold (2'550), Heldann and in the Northern reaches (2'000 BC). Their culture remained the most similar to the ancient Skandaharian one, and the pure Antalian group evolved into what are now the Heldannics, Northmen and Norwold's common population (after 1000 BC).
A group of Antalians moved west in the Peshwan territories, but were defeated (2'300 BC): some were assimilated by the Peshwans, and became the Ethengarians (1'700 BC).
Others (2'500 BC) went to form the barbarian tribes that were the ancestors of the Wendarians, and of the Barbarian nations of Borea and Northern Denagoth. A small number of their southern tribes would, much later, migrate to the Savage Coast (along with their neighbours, the Dunharian-descended Ranax), and become the Eusdrians (AC 500).
A hardy branch of Antalians of western Ethengar resisted; this group would depart westwards around 1722 BC, at the time of King Loark's horde: they would become the Yevo, who formed the main core of the Zuyevan population (with influences from the Talmav horde of Ethengarian descent, and the Visneskayans of Traldar ethnicity).
The Hattians, the southernmost Antalian tribe, were enslaved by the Nithians along with the surviving Thantalian tribes (Thyatians and Kerendans) and were deported to Davania (1'000 BC). Their history since has been tied to that of the Thyatians.
S.1 Antalians
-> Heldanners (Northmen & Heldannics)
-> Hattians
-> Northwestern Barbarians
-> Eusdrians
-> Wendarians
-> Yevo Horde (+ Talmav, Visneskayans) -> Zuyevans
S.2 THANTALIANS
Thantalians evolved around 2'800 BC, were closely related to Antalians, and settled the areas that now are Ylaruam and Soderfjord around 2'000 BC. The Thantalian clans were nearly completely annihilated by the Nithian invasion (1'500-1'000 BC). The only surviving clans were the Thyatians and Kerendans, that had fought along with their Antalian allies of the Hattian tribe, and were all deported to Davania (1'000 BC). There, the Thyatians and Kerendans regained their freedom and were culturally influenced by the Milenians. Intermarriage between Milenians and Thyatians/Kerendans were common. As soon as their civilisation was beginning to bloom, the Milenian Empire became too interested in them and waged a war that forced them to leave Davania under the leadership of the warrior Vanya (600 BC). Thyatians and Kerendans settled in what is now Thyatis, mixing with the Doulakki that they conquered. The only Thantalian race left is thus the Thyatian stock, although "corrupted" by Doulakki and Milenian elements.
Thyatians also migrated to Glantri, Caurenze. "Glantrians" and "Caurenzans" are very similar to Thyatians, but although they are identical genetically, they have slight cultural differences, and they are never referred to as "Thyatians". Last but not least, during the last two centuries (AC 800 - 1000), some Thyatian expeditions went westward to the Savage Coast, and through contact with local Oltec-descended tribes and some Traladaran elements evolved into the Espa and Verdan cultures.
S.2 Thantalians
-> Thyatian & Kerendan tribe
(w Milenian and Doulakki influences)-> Thyatians/Kerendans
-> Espa
-> Verdan
-> Glantrians
-> Caurenzans
S.3 TRANTALIANS
Trantalians are the result of the mix between less warlike Skandaharians and Dunharians (2'200 BC). They settled in western Ylaruam, eastern Darokin and Thyatis, where they evolved in a series of small clans, tribes and cities.
The Ylari Trantalians evolved in the Traldar race that would be conquered by Nithians (1'500 BC). As they had done with the Thantalians, they used the Trantalians as explorers and settlers in what is today Karameikos; there the Traldar first lost their culture (1'400 BC), then built a civilisation that went from the sea up to the regions of Selenica, absorbing the eastern Darokin Trantalians into their Traldar culture (1'400-1'000 BC).
The Thyatian Trantalians became known as Doulakki; this was a city-founding culture that sent expeditions as far west as to found Akorros and Athenos, north to found Cynidicea, east to found Ekto and Trikelios (2'000 - 1'000 BC).
When the Traldar civilisation was destroyed by the gnolls (1'000 BC), the Selenican Traldar was cut off the southern Traldar, due to the presence of humanoid raiders on the road from Selenica to the area of nowadays Penhaligon. Some southern Traldar migrated to Davania and formed the Milenian Empire (800 BC). Later some Milenian refugees will leave the crumbling empire for Skothar, where they will mingle with the Jennite-descended Tarystians to give birth to the Minaeans (100 BC).
The rest evolved into the Traladarans (500 BC), part of which much later migrated to the Savage Coast to found the City States (440 AC).
The northern Traldar were later reached by Thyatian and Kerendan explorers, and fusing with the Doulakki cities of the west gave way to the Daro population (BC 200). A migration from the northern Traldar city of Senda went northwards (500 BC). They became a nomadic culture known as Visi, then reached the Nithian colony of Neskaya and mingled with it, becoming the Visneskayans (1st century AC). Visneskayans were conquered by the Yevo (AC 517) and absorbed by them, forming the Zuyevans; in part they went west to found the Kingdom of Brasov (AC 417), and the Klagorst nations (since AC 530).
S.4 NANTALIANS
The Nantalians were Skandaharians that settled on the Isle of Dawn after the Dunharians (2'100 BC).
They mixed with the northern part of the Tanagoro migration from which the Nuari and Yavi would be formed (2'000 BC). Pressed by the Dunharians, these Nantalians later allied with a group of western Oltec cities, that had resisted to the Dunael presence. As the Dunael pressure grew, the allies mixed and the new race became the Nithians (1'800 BC). This didn't prevent the Dunael from conquering their lands, and the Nithians were forced to flee to Ylaruam, where they occupied the banks of the river Nithia, in the eastern part of the Thantalian lands (1'700 BC). When their civilisation rose, they wiped out the Thantalian tribes and the few Doulakki cities from nowadays Ylaruam, and enslaved the Traldar clan (of Trantalian ethnicity) (1'500 BC), the Thyatian and Kerendan clans (of Thantalian ethnicity), the Hattian clan (1'000 BC).
Later, the Nithians enraged the Immortals and were annihilated (500 BC), except for the Thothians (an eastern Nithian colony) and the current Nithians of the Alasyian desert.
S.4 Nantalians
(+ Tanagoro & Oltecs) -> Nithians
-> Thothians