Kiern Vale Handbook
Chapter 1: Introduction and History
of Melestra
Prologue | The History of Melestra
|Kiern Vale and its
surroundings |Timeline
|
Timeline of the world of Melestra The
timeline of Melestra is based on the En’mirian
calendar (EC), which its 0 year was set to the year in which the priestesses of
the En’mayri had vanquished the evil deity Babus,
and founded their rule in the city of Selentir. 1250-500 BEC:
The Ur-Naruum era, in which the ancient Ogre empire
is at its peak, under the rule of the powerful wizard-Emperors. 950 BEC
(approximately): The Ogres, led by the wizard-emperor Ur-Maarkog
and his mighty staff of thunder, deliver a decisive defeat to the
half-demonic Kor’slag race, and repel them from the
continent of Melestra. 500-300
BEC: The golden age of the Khar’theril
principality, the ancient predecessor of the contemporary Orm’theril
kingdom. Ends with the invasion of Ogres and ape-men (possibly the partial
historical basis of the Gabutu tales). The invaders
destroy the northern citadel of the principality, shattering the long and
prosperous years of peace. 350 BEC
(approximately): Presumed founding of the village Tolo, according to an
imprecise dating of the local shepherd’s songs. 80 BEC
to 0 CE: Babus, the evil deity of pleasure manifests itself into a beautiful
body, and seizes control of the city of Selentir and its surroundings. He
turns the city into a hellhole of debauchery, hedonism and perversion, while
slowly consuming the souls of his own followers. 0 EC:
Babus is vanquished in the heart of his own temple in Selentir, by a group of
young priestesses who opened a portal to the dimension of the celestial
gemstones – the En’mayri. Four surviving
priestesses become to four celestial reflections. They form the radiant council,
which will become the heart of the new En’mirian
empire.
100 EC:
(approximately): The Blue Reflection exceeds the Imperial legions,
infiltrates the Karansil mountains and convinces
the frost knights, the Karansiri, to forsake their
ancient, cruel ice deity and to pledge themselves to her service instead. 170-190 EC:
(approximately): The En’mirian empire expands
westward, easily conquering large parts of the Tilmarn
Peninsula, including Kiern Vale. 215-240 EC:
(approximately): After several border clashes with Far’lil
tribes, the Red Reflection leads a war that conquers the northern regions of
Melestra and subdues the Far’lil while destroying
their druids and the wild hooved forest dwelling humanoids who fought
alongside them. The temples of the Far’lil deity
Par-Egul are burnt to the ground. 335-340 EC:
(approximately): A relatively short En’mirian
military campaign secures what until now like an impossible goal, invading
and reaching the heart of the Ogre lands of Magaarun
in the far north-west of Melestra, crushing their warrior tribes and war
mages, and pillaging the ancient Ogre capital, then returning to Selentir
with the sacred treasures of the wizard-emporors of
Ur-Naarum. 382-383 EC:
En’mirian legions cross the sea and land on the
shores of the western continent Narlirdrea,
founding the port city of Rel’sorm. After a few
victories against the fancy-looking army and the paladins of the Mistweaver's
“Holy Kingdom of Light”, the mistweaver king
surrenders and kneels before the radiant council. In return, the four
reflections acknowledge his rule as “favored vassal” of the En’mirian empire. 388-395 EC:
The En’mirian legions launch a campaign towards the
volcanic mountains in the heart of Narlirdrea.
After suffering many casualties, they are forced to retreat without even
getting close to the legendary underground capital of the Ralg’kril
(“dust fairies”) race. It is considered the first real defeat suffered by the
En’mirian forces.
436-458 EC:
The “Grey Prince Rebellion” (also sometimes called “The first Therilin rebellion) occurs in the kingdom of Orm’theril. Those rebels and their legendary leader Kuradan are the genesis of many orders, traditions and
legends related to the region’s politics to this day. The Empire suppresses
the rebellion, but in an unusual manner, treats the defeated rebels with
mercy and great respect. 508-515 EC:
The Darnathon laws strengthen slavery and the
resumed slave trade, considered along with upheavals in Selentir that
occurred shortly before them, as a peak in the decline of the empire. 523-530 EC:
Imperial and Mistweaver forces embark on a massive war campaign against the
half-demonic race of the Kor’slag and their Sku allies. The En’mirian army
lands in Nairanda in the far north of the western
continent, a hellish land in which eternal ice struggle with volcanic fires. Despite
the immense En’mirian army, and the fact that the
invasion was led by one of the most talented and powerful Imperial generals,
also known “The Ice Shard”, casualties are far too great. At the imperial
forces are forced to retreat. “The ice shard” scarifies herself in the final
battle, where she destroys seven of the greatest Kor’slag
champions. According to legend, she froze herself beneath a massive
avalanche, dooming many enemies along with her. Despite this act of heroism,
rumors of the En’mirian failure spread, shaking the
empire to its core. 532 EC:
“The fourteen days mirror”. Riots and attempts for internal reform inside the
En’mirian priesthood, turn into a short-lived rule
of reformist priestesses, who are crushed by the Golden Reflection herself,
with great cruelty and brutality, even compared to previous Imperial
standards. 535 EC:
The eruption of the Grey Rose rebellion. 544-545 EC:
The Grey Rose rebels conquer the port of Til’mirlen
and subsequently most of the Til’maris province and
Kiern Vale. The onslaught ends in the battle of Lin Morlith,
where the frost knights and other Blue Reflection loyalists repel the rebels
from the foothills of the Karansil mountains. 548 EC:
The Great Shattering. 553 EC:
The assassination of the last imperial prefect of Kiern Vale. 562-571 EC:
The “Seven tribes” from the south of Narlirdrea
form an alliance and wage war on the Mistweavers. The war ends with the
ancient “Kingdom of Holy Light” shattered. The Mistweaver capital Kelsildi burned to the ground with its famous magical
gardens and white palace of light. The last “Blessed by the light” Mistweaver
king perish along with most of his dynasty. This
war is considered the first time in which large army of deformed An’gurg appeared and took crucial part in the fight. 578 EC:
Lady Los’erlin A-Rylarion,
the self-proclaimed regent of the Grey Rose, appears with her fleet in Til’mirlen harbor, captures the city and later the whole Til’maris province. She declares herself ruler, in the
name of the disputed child, “heir of the Grey Rose”. 595 EC:
The disputed peach treaty is signed between the Regent lady and the Blue
Reflection loyalists in Karansil mountains. 598 EC:
The year making “the present” and the start of the Melestra campaigns. The
regent lady declares her intention to pay a “royal visit” to Kiern Vale,
along with the young son of Grey Rose, and convince the local nobles to
pledge their loyalties to her. The vale council is deeply divided on whether
to to accept her offer or utterly reject it “And
send her offer to the accursed pit of Babus”. The upcoming council meeting,
and the whole Kiern vale, teeter on the brink of war. |
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