Past Ages of the Known World
by Francesco Defferrari from Threshold Magazine issue 12Past Ages of the Known World
by Francesco Defferrari (Sturm)
As written by famed Ylari scholar, explorer and wizard Aamir Ibn Saleem, teacher at the Krakatos School of Magecraft, to his friend and colleague Erik in the year 1019 AC1
My
research in the most forgotten and lost dungeons of the Known World
is giving me and my friends quite an expertise on the past of our
lands. I will report here a small part of our discoveries, advising
the reader to remember that many of my suppositions could be
partially or entirely wrong, and definitive proofs of my many
theories could well be hard or impossible to find. Long before
Blackmoor even existed, the Known World was not inhabited by humans,
but by much more ancient races. dragons, fairies, giants, araneas,
reptilians, brutemen and sasquatches were certainly among the oldest
inhabitants of this land. Reptilians is however a rather inaccurate
term that includes lizardmen, troglodytes, chameleon men, caymen and
gatormen. And then there are also the frogfolk, which are amphibians
and could be even more ancient than the different reptilian races.
From several ancient texts I know other people came later, in
particular dwarves, gnomes, lupins and rakasta. I have now a rough
picture of what the Known World should have been about 9000 years
ago, 8000 years Before the Coronation of the first Thyatian Emperor.
Note that at the time apparently the islands which now belong to
Ierendi and Minrothad were connected to the mainland and part of it.
But let’s read an incredibly ancient description of what
was then called the Sunset Land, as written by a giant of Gandhar:
The Known World around 8000 BC
Known World 8000 BC
http://pandius.com/KnownWorld8000BC.png
For the Players:
“As the Jotun, the great ones, were in decline at the time due to the wickedness of the Immortals, the Empire of Gandhar was the only civilization left in the Dawn and Sunset Land. Three corrupted reptilian cities were founded in the west and Gandhar was the only power which could stop them, as the dragons of the north did not. These reptilians were powerful in magic and even more wicked than the Immortals, so powerful and wicked that the Immortals did fear them and could not stop them. Eventually the dragons destroyed their northern city, Kha-reth, the human followers of the Sun destroyed their western city, Shi-akh, and we destroyed the eastern one, Na-qeth, which was close to our Empire”.
From what I have been able to learn, I suspect this northern reptilian city of Kha-reth was in the area of the modern Broken Lands, maybe it was near to where Oenkmar now lies. The western one, Shi-akh, probably was on the coast, I suspect its ruins, if they still exist, may lie under the modern city of Jahore in Sind, or under the Asanda Delta. The eastern city, Na-qeth, probably is still buried under the sewers of Tel Akbir in Thyatis. More investigations may be necessary to verify this.
For the Dungeon Master:
Names
in red on the map indicate organized cities or realms, while the
names in purple indicate ethnic populations organized as clans or
tribes, but without a central government. The three reptilian cities
would be Carnifex cities, see here about them:
http://pandius.com/lore.html
and other articles by Geoff Gander, including the history of Mogreth:
http://pandius.com/mogrethd.html.
The people indicated in the map as Naqan and Neset in
the area of modern Thyatis and Ylauruam are my creations, I imagine
them as ancestors of the Nithians and could be related to the
Lhomarrians, also developed by Geoff Gander
(http://pandius.com/lho_hist.html)
and to the Asyidhi imagined by Simone Neri here:
http://pandius.com/rwdawnis.html
and already included by me as Mystaran equivalents of Middle East
people in Threshold #5 and #11. For Rakasta populations, see
their history by Simone Neri here: http://pandius.com/rakhevol.html
and for Chochomec Lupins, see articles by Giampaolo Agosta and
Atila Pires dos Santos here: http://pandius.com/lupnbred.html
and here http://pandius.com/lupnhist.html
and in Threshold issue #2. Oteino, Oteici and Azcans are Oltec
populations inspired by the ethnografic work done by Giampaolo
Agosta, Atila Pires dos Santos, Giulio Caroletti and Geoff Gander
here: http://pandius.com/ethno.html
and here: http://pandius.com/oltcmant.html.
The Known World around 5000 BC
Known World 5000 BC
http://pandius.com/KnownWorld5000BC.png
For the Players:
Three millennia later, the Known World was much changed, and dominated by four powerful empires. I know this through some ancient Oltec writings we have found still preserved in the temples of modern Sind:
“The Oltec, the Son of the Sun, the Emperor of the Many Lands rules the setting sun, a thousand cities inhabited by the sun men, the gator men, the cat men, the wolf men, the ancient men, the great men and the pale men. North there is the Kingdom of the Dragon, with the small men and the men of the forest and of the horse, which sometimes can be appeased by gifts and sometimes must be fought. In the far east, cradle of the new sun, there is the Kingdom of the Great, which rules over many cities of our brothers under the Sun and can be our ally against the Enemy. The Enemy lives in the south, from the great southern continent the snake men come, with armies of lizard men and spider men, to enslave us. We are still fighting them in the seas and in the jungles of the Sunset Land”.
From this, it seems an empire dominated by Snake men ruled Davania at the time. I’ve found mention of this powerful nation even later, at the time of Blackmoor.
For the Dungeon Master:
As
detailed in the History of Mogreth by Geoff Gander here:
http://pandius.com/mogrethd.html,
a first version of the nation of lizardmen existed in modern Ylaruam
between 5500 and 3800 BC. The Serpentine Empire was created
instead by James Mishler here: http://pandius.com/ageblack.html
and was also detailed by me in Threshold issue #5. I’ve
independently decided Old Mogreth could have been part of the
Serpentine Empire.
Dunharians and Maharians are mentioned
in the Ethnographic history of Mystara by Giulio Caroletti, Giampaolo
Agosta and Geoff Gander, linked above. Maharians should be
part of the different populations which made up the Taymorans.
The
Known World around 3500 BC
Known World 3500 BC
http://pandius.com/KnownWorld3500BC.png
For the Players:
Around 3500 BC explorers from the Skotharian lands of Thonia and Blackmoor started to explore the Sunset Land. The Serpentine Empire was in decline at the time, while the Oltec Empire was at the peak of its power. The Draconic Empire and the Empire of the Giants of Gandhar still existed. I have found a very rare Thonian account of this time.
“Once a land dominated by non human populations, such as giants and lizardmen, the Sunset Land is now the home of many human cultures with whom Blackmoor could trade more easily. The Tudaka in the south have been able to keep the Oltec Empire at bay with their strange magic connected somehow to the great circles of stone and statues they build. North of them, the Albai do not apparently possess strong magic, but the Oltecs consider them too stubborn to be ruled. The Tjeset of the south eastern coast have some good ships, but the area also hosts many clans of lizardmen which can be occasionally hostile. The Naqan are clearly heavily influenced by the Oltec culture and architecture, but the Giants of Gandhar find it convenient to preserve their independence from the eastern Empire. The Oltec Empire however is friendly with our merchants and, as it is well known, there have been Thonians living within it from the time of the fall of Thonia four centuries ago”.
For
the Dungeon Master:
The cultures and people that appears
in the map above are described in the links indicated previously or
expanded by me in Threshold issue #2, in the article “New
Blackmoor 3050 BC”.
The Known World around 3050 BC
Known World 3050 BC
http://pandius.com/NewBlackmoor3050BC.png
For the Players:
At the height of its power, Blackmoor had an important colony right where the Known World now is. I believe this generated some confusion in past scholars, some of whom believed Blackmoor was indeed located in the Known World. Rather I have strong evidence that the current Glantri City could have been the capital of the Blackmoorian colony. We have found Blackmoorian artifacts in other locations too, which probably were also important cities of the colony. The ones I have identified so far are Tel Akbir in Thyatis and Stronghold in Minrothad, but I have quite interesting clues about the existence of important cities somewhere in the Broken Lands and in the mountains of Rockhome and Karameikos. Dangerous places to explore, but it may be worth it. We have recovered already some Blackmoorian artifacts. They seem to have some powerful, even if sometimes dangerous, magic in them.
For the Dungeon Master:
The map above depicting the Known World in 3050 BC was already published in Threshold issue #2 in my article “New Blackmoor, 3050 BC”, where all the cultures and the people are described.
The Known World around 2900 BC
Known World 2900 BC
http://pandius.com/KnownWorld2900BC.png
For the
Players:
Just after the Great Rain of Fire the situation
in the Known World must have been extremely difficult, to use an
understatement. We have found evidence that all the cities from the
previous age were destroyed or abandoned. Apparently at the time the
Tudaka civilization mentioned in the Thonian source above was the
only one still thriving, or at least surviving with minor
difficulties. Settlements and items that we have recognized as
belonging to that culture were found mostly on Trader’s Isle
and vicinities. The northern part of the Known World was probably
covered by snow and ice all year long, making food scarce and life
quite difficult.
For the Dungeon Master:
This map is
mostly inspired by the work done by John Calvin for the 2300BC
setting, which can be found here in the Vaults:
http://pandius.com/kworld_h.html
and here on its own subforum at The
Piazza:
http://thepiazza.org.uk/bb/viewforum.php?f=63&sid=b782e9c1ce4648dacfe757c6983063aa
The map was drawn by John, but I have added in purple the
populations living in the indicated area, and he may not fully agree
with my suppositions here. I’ve also added more ice to
differentiate the 2900 BC map from the 2300 BC map, as suggested by
Robin D.
At this time the descendants of the Azcan should
all be hidden underground and the Thonian refugees who will
contribute in the formation of Taymora are still roaming the central
plains of the Known World and have not yet reached their destination.
The Toralai neathars of the Darokinian plain now call themselves
Turans, a name that will later become Dars and Daros with the
influence of Taymora and descended cultures, like the Doulakki.
Dunael are a Dunharian population of the Isle of Dawn
developed by several authors and mentioned here:
http://pandius.com/ethno.html.
I placed in the Isle of Dawn already in 2900 BC as I believe all the
Dunharian populations should be related to the Valemen of Ancient
Blackmoor, see here:
http://blackmoormystara.blogspot.it/2010/11/races-valemen.html
The Known World around 2300 BC
Known World 2300 BC
http://pandius.com/KnownWorld2300BC.png
For the
Players:
About seven centuries after the Great Rain of
Fire, new civilizations were thriving in the Known World. Dwarves and
Gnomes apparently dominated not only Rockhome but all the Northern
Reaches at the time, while Taymora was the power in the south,
dominating lands which are now under the Sunlit Sea. The ancestors of
the modern Atruaghin Tiger Clan, and heirs of the ancient Azcan
Empire, lived up to the modern Lake Amsorak. A great central area
from modern Glantri to Karameikos was apparently inhabited by fairies
and giants. Lizardmen lived in the region of modern Ylaruam. We have
also found some clues about a mysterious and advanced culture living
in the south of modern Thyatis, but further investigations will be
necessary to understand what this culture was. The modern Dread
Archipelago at the time was probably joined in an unique land with a
common government, but so far we have been unable to discern which of
the many races that currently live in the isles dominated the region.
All these civilizations probably were not empires in the modern
meaning of the word. They apparently had no centralized government,
but were more like coalitions of city states and colonies. Yet their
competition to dominate the regions not under their control was
fierce, and we have found evidence of many battles fought in the area
of modern Thyatis, Darokin, Ethengar and the Isle of Dawn between
these powers.
We have found clues that lizardmen and dwarves had
at least some outposts in the Isle of Dawn and around this time a new
and powerful kingdom of Giants was born too, named Fomor. It’s
not clear if this kingdom was allied with Taymora or with the fairies
and the giants of the Known World. There were also some contacts
between the Oltec kingdom of the Atruaghin area and the Oltec
descended people of the southern Isle of Dawn.
For the
Dungeon Master:
As previously indicated, the map and the
information about this period come from John Calvin’s 2300
BC Setting. Peoples and cultures of the Isle of Dawn
around this time and the following ones below come from the History
of the Isle of Dawn by James Mishler which can be found here in the
Vaults: http://pandius.com/dawnhist.html
The Known World around 2000 BC
Known World 2000 BC
http://pandius.com/KnownWorld_2000BC.png
For the
Players:
Around 2000 BC, Taymora was at the peak of its
power while its neighbours were mostly in sharp decline. It seems
that at some point the Taymorans conquered from giants and fairies
several territories in the modern area of the Five Shires and
Karameikos. Taymoran armies employed minotaur mercenaries and other
monsters. They also founded colonies on the Isle of Dawn. The
lizardmen civilization in modern Ylarum was destroyed by some deluge
or similar catastrophe. The dwarves and gnomes, according to their
own history, were plagued by incurable maladies until, some centuries
later, Kagyar saved them by sending his emissary Denwarf. The
Azcan-like civilization was apparently still strong at this time,
dominating not only the current Atruaghin lands but also part of
Darokin. If fairies and giants were declining in the Known World,
they were instead on the rise on the Isle of Dawn, where it seems
that at the time existed a powerful Firbolg kingdom allied with
fairies and Dunael humans, while Fomorian giants had been temporarily
defeated.
For
the Dungeon Master:
As previously indicated, the map and
the information about this period come from John Calvin’s 2300
BC Setting. In 2000 BC, as detailed in my Koskatep dungeon, Taymora
has not conquered yet the whole former Southern Grondheim, but it’s
about to. Mogreth has been destroyed and now the ancestors of
Nithians and Traldars dominate the region.
Peoples
and cultures of the Isle of Dawn come from the History of the Isle of
Dawn by James Mishler which can be found here in the Vaults:
http://pandius.com/dawnhist.html
For a detailed history of Elven migrations, see my article
on the topic in Threshold issue #10. The elves living in Glantri at
this time should be the ancestors of the Gentle Folk and the Icevale
elves now living in the Hollow World. Ancestors of the Sheyallia,
Meditor, Vyalia and Verdier probably start reaching the area of
southern Taymora from 2300 BC. In 1950 another mysterious group
supposedly settles in the area of modern Broken Lands, see next DM
paragraph.
The Known World around 1750 BC
Known World 1750 BC
http://pandius.com/KnownWorld_1750BC.png
For
the Players:
Around 1750 BC the Kikianu Caldera, a
supervolcano which was and is in the modern Ierendian region, become
unstable. A series of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes heavily
damaged the Taymoran civilization, or at least, this is one theory.
Another, more sinister one is linked to the civil war which at the
time was pitting Taymoran cities one against another, the main
struggle being between followers of Nyx and followers of Thanatos,
the latter supposedly lead by the Immortal Orcus himself. It’s
possible that the use of dangerous magic during this struggle may
have precipitated the natural disasters. A new civilization was
starting to flourish in modern Ylaruam, probably created by natives
influenced by the Taymoran culture. In the meantime, elves had
arrived in the north in relevant numbers, establishing the realms of
Genalleth and Aengmor. The Fomorian Empire was again powerful on the
Isle of Dawn, even if it had to face rebellions from Firbolg and
Dunaels and the Antalian pressure from the north. Another realm of
giants, Tarsh, had taken possession of almost all the modern
Karameikos and the Altan Tepes mountains. Lizardmen were quite
numerous in the area between modern Malpheggi, Ierendi and the Blight
swamp, new humid areas created by the climatic and geographical
changes. The Daro clans, human ancestors of the modern Darokinians,
thrived in the central plains of the Known World as bison hunters.
This was also the Antalian golden age, and the men of the north were
thriving from modern Norwold to Soderfjord, to the Isle of Dawn. They
were organized as jarls, rather than in an unified empire, but they
were still capable of uniting against common threats. However this
unfortunately was not enough when the Great Invasion came.
For
the Dungeon Master:
Map
and information on this age come again from John Calvin’s and
James Mishler’s work as indicated above. All the rest is my
invention.
Due to the Spell of Oblivion, Aamir obviously cannot
discover many details about Nithia.
Aengmor in
canon is just the name of the city founded by elves in a cave under
the Broken Lands which would become Oenkmar in BC 1190. In Gaz13 is
also noted that some Shadowelves came to the surface in 1950 BC, but
did not encounter the other elves living in Glantri. My supposition
instead is that Aengmor was a true realm founded by the ancestors of
the Schattenalfen and Shadowelves, which also tried to include the
ancestors of the Gentle Folk and Icevale elves. The realm was created
to resist the incoming humanoid invasion. The cataclysm which created
the Broken Lands may have been caused by an ancient Blackmoorian
device the elves tried to use against the humanoids. The true history
of Aengmor was later forgotten due to the cataclysm and maybe also
due to Atzanteotl’s lies. Atziann, the first canon mortal
identity of Atzanteotl could indeed have been the King of this Realm.
All this is mostly my creation and each DM should decide if it’s
appropriate for his or her campaign.
The Known World around 1710 BC
Known World 1710 BC
http://pandius.com/KnownWorld_1710BC.png
For
the Players:
In the space of a few decades, further
eruptions and earthquakes completely destroyed the Taymoran
civilization, or what was left of it. The heirs of Taymora were
dispersed among the southern islands, Karameikos, Thyatis, Ylaruam
and the southern Isle of Dawn.
In the central plains the Oltec
civilization had apparently fallen too, and the Children of the Horse
were the dominant culture, encroaching on the territories of the Daro
clans.
From the north King Loark’s Great Horde of humanoids
was on the rampage, endangering the very existence of the Antalian
civilization and of the elven realms of Genalleth and Aengmor. The
horde was mostly composed by grey and yellow orcs and hobgoblins, but
other races may also have been present among them.
Then the
Second Cataclysm struck, and the Broken Lands were created. It is
again not clear how and why this happened. Some Wendar chronicles
maintain that their elven brothers in the Highlands of modern Glantri
tried to use a terrible Blackmoorian weapon to destroy the humanoid
horde, but the plan backfired. Others say it was just another
eruption triggered by the Kikianu Caldera. We may never know the
truth, but certainly the Known World was again thrown back to a new
stone age.
For
the Dungeon Master:
This
map too was drawn by John Calvin for the 2300
BC setting
and
the original can be seen here at the Vaults, as the previous ones:
http://pandius.com/kworld_h.html
Aengmor
as
shown in the above map is strictly non-canon as in the previous map,
and now bigger. My personal idea is that King Atziann (later known as
Atzanteotl) tried to persuade or force all the elves and humans
living at the time in the area of Glantri and the Broken Lands to
join his realm, with the aim to create a common front against King
Loark’s invasion force. This should have happened between 1722
BC, when Loark invaded Norwold, and 1709 BC, when his horde settled
in the Broken Lands2.
The Second Cataclysm occurred only in 1700 BC, so it could be
imagined that the elves were enslaved by the humanoids as were the
Ethengarians. King Atziann, maybe in hiding with some loyal
followers, tried to use the Blackmoorian device to destroy the
humanoids, but his plan backfired, and he was forced to escape
underground, until he emerged in the Hollow World as the lone
survivor of his clan. This tragic history could enhance the already
interesting background of this Immortal.
The Known World around 1500 BC
Known World 1500 BC
http://pandius.com/KnownWorld_1500BC.png
For
the Players:
After the Broken Lands Cataclysm, the Known
World was caught in another small ice age and humanoids dominated
vast territories in the area of Darokin, Glantri and Ethengar.
Despite this, the Ethengarians were among the most powerful people of
this time. The other nations who had recovered quickly from the
Second cataclysm were the elves of Genalleth, Geffronell and Lothenar
(in modern Wendar and Denagoth), the Children of the Horse in modern
Atruaghin lands, the Firbolg of the Kingdom of Parlann on the Isle of
Dawn and the new civilization in Ylaruam. This latter one is quite
mysterious to scholars of the Known World, as we know it spread to
many nearby lands between 1500 and 500 BC. My personal theory is that
it was an Hutaakan civilization, of which now the only traces that
are left appear in the Lost Valley in Karameikos and in the Hollow
World. Obviously I have developed this theory only after the recent
discovery of the Lost Valley and the Hollow World. Before that, many
theories existed among scholars about this mysterious civilization:
some believed it to be connected to ancient dwarves, other to giants,
others to populations related to modern Alasiyans or Atruaghins. The
Alphatians always maintained instead it was a Thothian civilization,
of which modern Ylaruam was only a colony.
Besides these major
cultures, there was a myriad of people, city states and minor nations
in the Known World, and new migrations such as the one of the
Traldar, who probably were displaced from their ancestral lands in
modern Makistan from the rising Hutaakan civilization (or Thothian
colony) in modern Ylaruam.
Some Traldar immigrants also probably
founded several Darokinian cities that still exist today, such as
Akorros, Athenos, Dolos and Selenica (known as Salonikos at the
time).
The area of modern Glantri was abandoned by elves and at
the time was mostly inhabited by humanoids and some sparse human
clans.
For
the Dungeon Master:
In
red on the map the population which at the time had some central
organization, while in purple the people who were divided in tribes
or clans. The names in black are secret dragon kingdoms, normally
unknown even to their direct neighbours.
The information in this
map comes mostly from canon sources, see in particular the Gazetteers
series, the Hollow World boxed set and the Champions of Mystara boxed
set, or the compiled History of Mystara by Michael Diehm here at the
Vaults in doc format: http://pandius.com/history_of_mystara.doc.
Other main sources for the timeline from 1500 BC to modern times are
mostly The History of Karameikos by Simone Neri here:
http://pandius.com/karhstry.html
and
other histories of Karameikos by Giampaolo Agosta and me, also stored
in the Vaults here: http://pandius.com/karameik.html#history.
Check also Simone’s articles in Threshold issue #3, 4 and 5
for the History of Ierendi and Minrothad and Threshold issue #7 for
the History of Norwold (and the Antalian people).
Another source,
for Doulakki
people
and Cynidicea,
was the Dungeon Master’s Guide to Cynidicea by several authors,
stored here: http://pandius.com/cynidgaz.html
and
the Expanded Darokin Timeline by Aaron Nowack here:
http://pandius.com/darotime.html
and
other articles about the History of Darokin by Geoff Gander:
http://pandius.com/darokin.html#history.
See also JTR’s Gazetteer of Wendar
here:
http://pandius.com/wendar.zip
and
the other Gazetteers from the same author (Denagoth, Landfall,
Oceansend in particular).
The map of Nithia
was
created by Robin D. and can be found here in the Vaults:
http://pandius.com/m_anith2.html
Beside
Nithia, the main geographical differences from modern Known World
are:
- Anur lake is still present between the Broken Lands and
Ethengar, as supposed by Robin D. in her ongoing work on the
geological history of the area:
Geomorfological
History of the Broken Lands
-
Alfheim doesn’t exist yet and the area is a steppe, as per
canon information.
- The Atruaghin plateau has not been raised
yet, as per canon information.
- The Sind area is less arid, as
per canon information.
I apologize in advance if I have used or
will use other sources present in the Vaults of Pandius and forgot to
mention them.
The Rasna
people
in Thyatis should be the ancestors of the Etrusna invented by me and
detailed by Giulio Caroletti in his article on Hesperia in this same
issue. The Kartana
were
detailed by him too in his Gazetteer of Carytion in issue #11 of
Threshold. They could be the descendants of the Tudaka from previous
times.
Canonically Glantri was uninhabited at the time, but as I
find quite unbelievable the idea that the whole human population of
the country is made up of recent emigrants, I prefer to have native
people in the area. They should be descendants of Dunharian
populations
(i.e.
Mystaran celts).
Aamir cannot know of Nithia
due
to the Spell of Oblivion, but he can know about the Hutaakans if the
events of B10 (discovery of the Lost Valley) and the Poor Wizard’s
Almanac for AC 1011 (publication of Claransa’s Travels in the
Hollow World) have occurred. This may not be appropriate for your
campaign.
The Known World around 1255 BC
Known World 1255 BC
http://pandius.com/KnownWorld_1255BC.png
For the Players:
From 1300 to 1255
BC the western Known World was hit by two more great migrations which
had long lasting effects. One was of the halflings from Davania,
which was a peaceful migration to the area of the Five Shires (and
later, to several more regions including Ierendi, Minrothad and up to
Norwold). We do know how halfling reached Ierendi, with their own
ships, and Minrothad, captured as slaves by Thyatians and
Minrothaddans, but halfling histories are not clear on the exact
timeline of the later migration to the North. It seems some halflings
lived for centuries in the Northern Reaches, maybe brought by slavers
after 1000 BC, before reaching Norwold after 500 BC. The other great
migration of this time was much less peaceful, and was the invasion
of the west by Wogar’s goblin horde (which also included ogres,
red orcs, kobolds and bugbears). The red orcs occupied Atruaghin and
Sindhi lands and the whole area of Darokin and Glantri fell under
their rule. Some people resisted, like the Hutaakan civilization in
Karameikos/Traladara and Ylaruam, the new dwarven nation of Dengar,
the gnomes in the mountain and hills around it, the khans of Ethengar
and the elves of Genalleth.
On the Isle of Dawn apparently some
Traldar colonists established powerful nations, like Nemedia and
Latica. The Helska kingdoms of the north were the first resurgence of
the Antalian people. At this time the Thantalians, ancestors of the
modern Thyatians, probably inhabited the area of modern Heldann. They
left the area for Davania circa 1000 BC, probably deported (or maybe
hired as mercenaries and colonists) by the Hutaakan/Thothian
civilization.
For the Dungeon Master:
See references in
the 1500 BC paragraph.
Halfling were brought to Minrothad
by slavers around 400 AC, and the Northern Reaches by Nithian slavers
around 950 BC or before, but details about this previous forced
movement should be lost to them due to the Spell of Oblivion, see the
relevant histories by Simone Neri in Threshold issues #3, #4 and #7,
and the History of Leeha by JTR in Threshold issue #6.
The idea
that the Thyatians could have been mercenaries for the
Nithians rather than slaves was first proposed on The Piazza by Mike
here:
http://thepiazza.org.uk/bb/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=15022&p=169885
The Known World around 1000 BC
Known World 1000 BC
http://pandius.com/KnownWorld_1000BC.png
For the Players:
Around 2000 years ago, most of the Known World was dominated by the humanoid city of Oenkmar, which directly or indirectly controlled a large empire from Atruaghin lands to Ethengar, from Glantri to the modern Five Shires. It’s quite probable that the documented attacks of the ogres and the gnolls against ancient Sindh, of the gnolls against Traladara and of the hobgoblins against the Ethengarians were all sponsored by Oenkmar. The dwarves of Dengar were attacked several times as well. While Sindh, Ethengar, Traladara and Dengar did not fall, certainly they were in severe danger. The Hutaakan civilization was damaged, maybe by association with the gnolls, and apparently humans became the dominant race in ancient Ylaruam too. The Thothian civilization (if at the time Thothia was indeed its centre as many Alphatian scholars maintain) also established several colonies all over the coast of Brun, the Isle of Dawn, Ochalea, the Alatian Islands and beyond. It seems that several Antalian clans, displaced by such colonies, arrived in the land of the elves in Genalleth.
For the Dungeon Master:
The idea of an
Oenkmarian Empire was introduced by John Calvin (Chimpman) at
The Piazza:
http://www.thepiazza.org.uk/bb/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=14924&#p169657
See
references in the 1500 BC paragraph. About the people living in the
area of Thyatis at this time, see also my article on the Lost
Civilizations of Thyatis and Alphatia in Threshold issue #11 and
Giulio Caroletti’s article on Hesperia in this same issue.
The Known World around 500 BC
Known World 500 BC
http://pandius.com/KnownWorld_500BC.png
For the Players:
Five hundred
years later the political situation of the Known World was much
changed. Both Oenkmar and the Thothian colony in Brun were
experiencing a quick decline, and would disappear in the matter of a
few years. The arrival of the elves of Alfheim and the creation of
the Canolbarth forest, together with the defeat of the red orcs and
the raising of the Atruaghin plateau, were instrumental in limiting
the power of Oenkmar. The Hin were now free and had created their
nation of Shaerdon. One powerful city, the mysterious Tuma which once
ruled a sizable territory north of Karameikos, had been destroyed,
maybe by humanoids, but other cities and minor nations were free
again and flourishing in the Darokian plains, such as Akorros,
Athenos, Dolos, Salonikos and the nations of Molharran, Eraeda and
Inlashar.
The Fall of Oenkmar however would bring more humanoid
invasions, in particular Queen Ubdala’s attack on Dengar and
Leptar’s attack against Traladara. Both would be eventually
repelled, but humanoid activities remain high in all the Known World
in the following centuries.
In this period and for several
centuries, the elves of Genalleth and their Antalian allies were
under the constant attacks of humanoids from the north. This would
lead eventually to the creation of the Wendarian league.
Gnomes
and halfling living in the Northern Reaches at this time were forced
out by humanoid migrations. The gnomes escaped to Glantri and
Karameikos, while most of the halflings eventually reached Leeha in
Norwold.
Elves had returned to Glantri, in Alvar and created the
nation of Brethilad in the northern Amsorak region. In the Isle of
Dawn, the Firbolg nation of Tuatha had greatly limited the power and
the territory of the Thothian colonies, and many Antalian clans had
regained independence. The Antalian kingdom of Helska was also a
major player in the north.
At this point Thyatians, Kerendans and
Hattians had already arrived in modern Thyatis and soon would absorb
all the native civilizations, such as the Etrusna and the Doulakki.
For the Dungeon Master:
See references in
the 1500 BC paragraph.
The Belcadiz elves should have
arrived in Glantri between 700 and 150 BC, see also my article on
Elven migrations in Threshold issue #10, page 20. In my article in
Threshold issue #2 on New Blackmoor, 3050 BC, I supposed they already
lived in Glantri before the Great Rain of Fire, but were forced to
leave by the cataclysms.
More details about Thyatis during
this time are in Giulio Caroletti’s article about Hesperia in
this same issue, and in his article on Carytion and in my article
about the Lost Civilizations of Thyatis and Alphatia in in Threshold
issue #11.
Known World 1 AC
http://pandius.com/KnownWorld_1AC.png
For the Players:
A thousand years ago, the Thyatian Empire was just born and was already dominating the western half of the Isle of Dawn. Darokin was experiencing quite some trouble, with humanoid attacks endangering the Eraeda clans in the plains. Ancient Sindh was now fragmented into several competing kingdoms, some dominated by non human lords. The fall of the Thothian colonies in Ylaruam, Ierendi and Minrothad had left space to native peoples, who however would soon be attacked by the expanding Thyatian Empire. The Helska kingdom in the northern Isle of Dawn fragmented in Helskir and other powerful city states, while the western Antalians were still divided in competing jarldoms.
For the Dungeon Master:
See references in
the 1500 BC paragraph.
The gnomes living at this time in
northeastern Glantri would be forced to leave due to the war with the
dragons described in the Dragonlord trilogy. See here a detailed
summary by David Keyser: http://pandius.com/dlrdchrn.html
or History of Dragonkind by Simone Neri:
http://pandius.com/drgnkndh.html.
Most of the gnomes probably settled other regions of Glantri, from
where they were again forced out by the Year of Infamy (the Glantrian
persecution against dwarves, gnomes and werecreatures of 828 AC,
described in Gaz3 The Principalities of Glantri and PC4 Night
Howlers).
Known World 580 AC
http://pandius.com/KnownWorld_580AC.png
For the Players:
Five centuries
ago the Known World was a bit more similar to what it is today, yet
there were still many important differences and almost all the modern
nations were not born yet.
The Wendarian league was created, but
the modern nation of Wendar would be born only after 900 AC.
Geffronell was under Denagothian attack from the north, but still a
powerful nation until its final fall in 975 AC. In the Adri Varna
Plateau, the modern nation of Gulluvia and the city of Sol-Klor,
which still exist today, were just born. In the northern lands
Ostland was the most powerful nation, dominating over Vestland and
several territories in the Isle of Dawn. The whole eastern coast was
the theatre of a cold and hot war between Thyatis and Alphatia, both
trying to bribe and control the Jarls. In Ylaruam, Thyatis had
occupied the modern Emirates of Nicostenia and Dythestenia, and the
south of Abbashan, and Alphatia the north of the latter and the
Emirate of Nithia. The Alasiyans were free only in the middle of the
desert, Makistan was de-facto an independent territory and
Al-Zalenikah, the modern Selenica, controlled a vast territory until
it became part of Darokin.
As we know, Vestland was born in 614
AC and Soderfjord only in 950 AC. Thyatis tried to colonize heavily
the northern Isle of Dawn and Norwold only after 900 AC and the
Heldann Freeholds had some semblance of unity only through the
actions of the eponymous hero in 707 AC. Ylaruam freed itself from
Alphatia and Thyatis in 830 AC, with the successful campaign of
Al-Kalim.
Dengar, Alfheim, Ethengar and the Atruaghin lands had
more or less the same borders they have today, but they had to fight
against several humanoid raids and attacks.
Traladara was divided
into two kingdoms, its western part called the Kingdom of Achelos,
which would last until the Thyatian conquest in 900 AC. Before this
time, Thyatis and Darokin both tried to conquer Traladara on multiple
occasions, but both failed.
Five hundred years ago, Minrothad and
Ierendi did not exist yet as they do today, Minrothad being only the
nucleus of Trader’s Isle and Ierendi divided between Makai
tribes, Hin and Thyatian colonists. The Thyatian Empire would try to
seize the islands in 586 AC, but it loses them soon after by 602 AC,
when Ierendi became an independent kingdom.
Darokin had its kings
from 88 AC to 723 AC, and they were kings with ambitions, who managed
to unite the nation and tried on different occasions to conquer
Alfheim, the Broken Lands and the Orclands, Traladara and other
neighbours, with disastrous results. The more peaceful republic was
finally established in 927 AC after two centuries of divisions and
instability.
Glantri was settled by the Flaems in 395 AC,
received more colonists in the following centuries, was briefly
conquered by Alphatia and finally became the magocracy we know today
in 859 BC.
Sind was still divided in 580 AC, but would be unified
by the Ul Nervi dynasty of Sindrastan between 691 and 714 AC.
For the
Dungeon Master:
See references in the 1500 BC paragraph.
The area labelled in black as “Kardyer” east
of Dengar/Rockhome refers to the dragon who ruled over the area from
2 BC to 497 AC, when he was slain by the Dragonlord as described in
the Dragonlord trilogy. In 580 AC his former territory was probably
already taken over by the other dragon rulers described by Bruce
Heard here: http://pandius.com/whoswho.html
i.e. Ambur, Druuwor and Jargnir.
1see also Threshold magazine issue 3, page 174 and here: http://pandius.com/karancrn.html
2See Gaz 10 The Orcs of Thar, DM’s Booklet, pg 4.