A Brief History of the World and Geography

Terms:
BCE (Before Current Era)
CE (Current Era)

A Brief History of Creation

The creation myths and beliefs of Tohmuenaa vary significantly between cultures--the northern Ruenaalzanyaa, for example, believe that the world was once an endless wasteland of ice, and that when a great, flaming bull died in the cold, his burning coat melted the ice away to create the oceans and reveal firm land, whereupon the various mortal races arose from the bull's organs. The Aak'yyr, however, believe that the world was created when their Moth-God, Haakon willed himself into existence and the first flaps from his wings rained down frozen stars to water the empty deserts. Still others believe that the world is timeless and immortal, and that races have come and gone for countless eons and will continue to do so for eternity.

Prehistory
"The Darkened Eons"
BCE 10,000+

The earliest, deepest ruins of Tohmuena can only date back roughly 10,000 years. Before this, only fairy tales and wild speculation serve to provide any information. Some claim that the Darkened Eons were when gods still walked the earth with mortals, or that strange, evil beings hunted mortals to near extinction. Occasionally, adventurers and treasure hunters stumble upon artifacts that might be from the Darkened Eons, but they can only guess.

Ancient Times
"The Age of Pride"
10,000 BCE - 7,500 BCE

10,000 BCE - Humans control much of west-central Tohmuenaa, while dwarves and elves control the southeast and northeast, respectively. Human civilization is known as Esohk, Elven is Alaaune, Dwarven is Kyrhm.
9,000 BCE - After an extended period of growth and development, the three nations eventually clash in a titanic war that reshapes much of the geopolitical world. Though the name of the war is lost to time, most of the "savage" (beast-men) races were culturally uplifted to serve one side or another, and legends claim that the vampiric races formed from those who grew to love the endless slaughter. Rare artifacts of tremendous power still remain in the lonely places of the world, bygone weapons and machines of arcane nature from this time of conflict.
8,000 BCE - After a thousand years of constant warfare, the nations simultaneously reach a standstill--all parties have nearly completely died off.
7,500 BCE - The remaining races, scattered by generations of warfare, drift before establishing their homes. The elves travel west and settle Ylueniaa, and their remaining kin settle in the north. The dwarves remain in the south, banishing their corrupted kin east across the seas. Humans remain largely in the central part of the continent, though tribes settle in the south as well.

"The Age of Magic"
7,500 BCE - 6,000 BCE

7,500 BCE - As nations seek to reform, the rituals of granting magic are debased and streamlined; though lacking the tremendously influential power that magic once possessed, magic becomes extremely common and necessary in forging new nations.
7,000 BCE - The Khartohm dwarves (later Khartohm-Muhl) discover the first Raesl veins. The Aak'yyr, fascinated with the material, cease their civil wars and amass wealth to hoard and capitalize on the rare metal.
6,900 BCE - The Aak'yyr's trade routes span the entire continent.
6,500 BCE - The first Kharom rebellions against their human masters occurs.
6,450 BCE - The second Kharom rebellion occurs. The race is nearly wiped out.
6,200 BCE - What would later become Mesom is founded in Mesomia.
6,050 BCE - Ylueniaa makes contact with the mainland, and begins importing Raesl.
6,000 BCE - There are no major wars. The two vampiric races are still (questionably) in hiding in the northern ruins and on Kiion Island.

"The Age of the Prosperity"
6,000 BCE - 527 BCE

Though many small conflicts occurred during this time, there are no recognizably important or remarkable events. It was during this time that Eza Espyr achieved the status of "Purity," and ascended to immortality to become the God-Emperor of Aelkyr. The northern elves sought to create a few permanent cities, but were slowly infiltrated and corrupted by the Uruehn-Akr "Dreamwalkers," who still hold thrall in the frozen elven ruins to this day. Mesom and Aesalom were still united under Ma'esalom, and the Khartohm dwarves finally accepted the hulking Muhl into their culture to assist in war and mining Raesl--becoming the Khartohm-Muhl.

"The Brief Agony"
527 BCE - 425 CE

527 BCE - The first "maddenings" appear after a treasure hunter enters Aelkyr with a "book of far beyond"
500 BCE - Roughly half of any given population is struck with strange, frantic creativity--the first sign of the maddenings. The few surviving relics from this time can be called "eerie," "disturbing," and "sick," by even the most jaded cosmopolitan.
462 BCE - The maddenings cease under mysterious circumstances. Most of the created art is purged from the cities by its remaining horrified creators.
460 BCE - The "Endless Dream" occurs among roughly three quarters of Void-aligned--those gifted with the element slip into an unwaking, restless sleep in which they moan strange, apocalyptic phrases. The world is deeply stricken by this.
452 BCE - The Night of Black Stars and the Endless White Day occurs. The sun is eclipsed and the stars are darkened, followed by a week of continuous day. Approximately a tenth of every population dies from inspired insanity, and there is another burst of well-recorded maddenings.
450 BCE - Most cultures are in a state of paranoia. Unusually, all tension is intranational, and no wars or disagreements break out.
445 BCE - The elven hero Vonya receives a vision, and begins his quest to find and destroy what came to be known as The Dyschius Tome.
435 BCE - Vonya completes his quest, and disappears in the far north. His story is told in the epic poem Vonya, written by the elven poet Waan a year after his disappearance.
425 BCE - The world calms after over a hundred years of fear.

"The Golden Dream"
425 BCE - 0 BCE

Over the next 425 years, until the ascension of Okl and Cohnl Wraehl, society continued to grow and prosper. The four Great Houses of Ylueniaa are established, along with the "common house" near-slavery. Eastern Ma'esalom began to suffer from mild Uruehn-Akr influence, and western Ma'esalom began to become more distinct in terms of its culture and influence. The Aak'yyr have unified their tribes under a common government (or company)--the Kaarahvn'eeah. The northern elves cling to one last stronghold, Ruenaal, paranoid and intolerant of outsiders. The Mraat make contact with the mainland, and explorers find Ocrheliohn and the Somonaxani elves on Kiion Island in the east. Karohm's quiet rebellions, led by the cunning Kharohm-Ess, have established a large network of nomadic tribes across the great central steppes and plains, to which Mesomia has no response.

Modern Times
"The Century of the Betrayers"
0 CE - 100 CE

0 CE - Okl and Cohnl Wraehl, twin brothers of Aelkyr, rediscover the secret of ancient magic in the far north.
1 CE - The brothers return to Aelkyr, where they began to establish their own cult.
5 CE - The cult has a tremendous underground influence, which undermines the national theocracy significantly.
6 CE - The Black Revolt occurs. Eza Espyr is horrified by the power despite his own tremendous ability and apparent immortality, and flees to the deserts.
10 CE - Aelkyr is significantly weakened. Ma'esalom, recognizing the threat from the civil war, allies with Kahrtohm-Muhl to wage war on Okl and Cohnl. Karohm tibes, seeking to expand their racial influence, invade the north and capture several cities.
11 CE - The Battle of the Broken Heart occurs at Marha. Cohnl is put into a coma by the martyr-hero Imia of Aesalom. In fury, Okl directs all of his forces north, waging nearly thirty years of war.
40 CE - Okl is besieged on all sides when Eza returns from exile with an army of loyalist followers.
45 CE - Despite holding nearly all of his land against the four different armies, Okl's charismatic influence is flagging.
51 CE - Cohnl is revived through a tremendous effort of Spirit healers. Though most of the healers die in the process, Cohnl's return brings new effort to the country.
63 CE - The first truly fanatical cults emerge in Eza's forces. These warriors, fueled by pure devotion, are a devastating force.
68 CE - The dwarves, exhausted by 58 years of war, retreat. This shift in balance causes Ma'esalom to split, with Mesom rejecting the warfare. Aesalom, significantly weakened, is much more vulnerable to the creeping Uruehn-Akr influence.
71 CE - The first provable Dreamwalker influence is seen in Aesalom when Omonn Vohklidohm is formed. These dread knights, mostly human thralls and even Uruehn-Akr Dreamless, help to balance the struggle.
72 CE - Mesom sends soldiers to fight the corrupted Aelkyr, compelled by mysterious circumstances. Kharom raiders increase attacks against Wraehl-aligned forces.
79 CE - The brothers are pushed back to two cities: Aljaes and Ra-Hanaa. Their remaining forces remain devoutly loyal, despite overwhelming odds.
82 CE - Aljaes falls to Eza's fanatics. Okl is mildly wounded when fleeing the city, though in his departure he leaves a wake of destruction.
84 CE - Ra-Hanaa is starving for resources. Most of the city remains empty, and women and children defend the walls.
86 CE - Tired of defending an almost completely depopulated city, the Wraehl brothers make their final stand at what would later be called The Blackened Temple. The heroes Haman, Raethessa, and Draugr succeed in slaying the two brothers in a long and grueling duel.
87 CE - All remaining Wraehl loyalists are executed or banished to the deserts.
100 CE - Aelkyr has been reclaimed, Eza is restored to power, and the rebuilding process is well under way. Ma'esalom has formally split into Mesomia and Aesalom, and Uruehn-Akr are freely walking the streets of Aesalom cities. Kharom has kept every city it captured during the conflicts, and establishes a few commercial and cultural crossroads. Academics of Mesom and Ylueniaa search for the source of the brother's power, but most evidence of their travels was obliterated during the cultural purge of all Wraehl-related artifacts.

[TBC]