History

HISTORY

EARLY HISTORY

The nations of Dantir have not always been present in their current states, and are the result of both

exploration and migration over the centuries. Many civilizations have risen quickly and fallen hard to

warring neighbours, natural disasters and degradation from within. Some of these have split or merged

to become the more modern states, and only a few can trace their origins back to the beginnings of

recorded history.

That history nominally begins some 1248 years ago, marked by an event that would come to affect

every people on the continent. Of course much occurred before this, even some nations that must have

lived their entire existence before, but the confusion and tumult of that time has caused the loss of

most reliable records. Myth and legend cannot be credited but that now is the only memory that

remains of some of the greatest peoples of Dantir.

During this time most Sauger had developed the use of bronze tools and weaponry, and some had

begun to experiment with iron. But the Sauger had no knowledge of magic, and so their skills with

mining and crafting metals remained fairly rudimentary. Their relationship with the gods was well

established, with almost every culture sharing an understanding of the origins of the Sauger through

varying mythology.

The following is a rough timeline of history gathered by various academics, from varying perspectives

and sources.

The Time of the Red Skies (Theorized at approx. 1200 years ago)

Stories from almost every realm mention the night the sky turned red. To some it was a flare in the

darkness of the western horizon, to others an all-encompassing cataclysm that covered the sky from

forest ceiling to mountain’s foot. Some describe streaks of flame the passed from one point to

another, others say the blackness of night became red as a stormy dawn but no sun rose. Still others

remember it as a great eye yawing wide from horizon to horizon, dripping tears of lightning that set

the earth aflame. Some peoples tell stories of this single inexplicable event, but others claim it recurred

again in following years, twice or even thrice. No two Sauger people can now agree on what may have

caused such disturbances, nor even agree on how long it remained or the consequences of it. But all

know that their ancestors were one night disturbed by cataclysm, and none have ever allowed their

children to forget.

The First Arrival (Theorized at 1130-1200 years ago)

Eluvian history has many tales of great heroes and battles, of knights who could not be killed and great

towers of learning and culture. They also tell of a time of great change, but stories of cataclysm centre

on the battles fought and enemies who forced the great changes on their people.

The Eluvian have ever fought off the conniving grendlers, creatures of low culture but high

intelligence. Their history speaks of a great war that culminated in open battle, both sides employing

all the magics and monstrous allies at their disposal. The enemy employed a great power against them,

something that destroyed not only the warriors on the field but all the land around them. Disoriented

warriors regained their awareness to find themselves surrounded by a strange landscape and even

stranger sky. The forest and towers they were fighting to protect had vanished, in place a long lakeside

and low trees that sheltered the remains of squat wooden buildings, many burning or destroyed by the

magics that had been released.

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The grendler armies regained their awareness as the Eluvian did, and those who had survived the blast

re-joined in battle. But quickly they found their magics did not work as they expected, and their

injured did not stand to re-join the fight. The grendlers weapon had robbed them of their control and

so the Eluvians were forced to retreat to the forest. The grendlers too left the field, spreading out

across the new land, pillaging and killing all in their path.

The Eluvians healed their wounded as best they knew how, but the hindrance to their magic twisted its

purpose and returned only misshapen flesh and incomplete will to their fallen comrades. The poor

creatures dragged themselves from the field, and it is said the woods still ring with the voices of those

who should be dead.

Unsure of their location the army of Eluvian spread out across the region. They met strange creatures,

animals who walked upright and spoke with words not grunts. Many attacked them at first meeting,

each not knowing of the intelligence of the other. Many Sauger were destroyed in ignorance, and

many more fell to the knives of the grendlers, who also spread throughout the area and who would not

hesitate to kill what they did not understand.

The Eluvian established homes of their own, defending them against the local Sauger who they saw as

savages, and the endless raids of grendlers who would not make for themselves what they could take

from their neighbours. After years of study and speculation the Eluvian elders felt that they understood

the weapon that had brought them to this strange place, and found a way to increase the power of their

magics once more. By focusing into the strange stone outcroppings they found their magic was

concentrated and they gathered in all their remaining people to return home. Their attempt failed,

causing nothing more than an explosion of power that once again disoriented all gathered and

destroyed much of the town the Eluvians had built around the stone.

Disheartened, the Eluvian were forced to expand the boarders of their newly claimed lands to survive

and rebuild, their exploration bringing them into conflict with all the surrounding nations. The Sauger

armies found it hard to defend against their magic, and so even a relatively small number of Eluvian

were able to devastate any force a nation could raise. But the limitation on their magic remained, and

for several years they continued to use the old way of reviving their injured, and even tried to revive

the bodies of Sauger cut down in their battles. Each time the flesh refused to knit and often the mind

remained empty leaving many foul creatures to wander the region.

What they did not understand was that the area they inhabited was already occupied, by the nation

now known as the Anari (River Folk). However they were no match for the power of the Eluvian and

were scattered, some fleeing to the neighbouring countries of Randwelt and Toraneya, while most fled

into the mountains of stone in the former countries east.

The fall of the Grand Septorian Empire

With the rising of the red dawn, the great Emperor Claudius began adapting increasingly harsh

treatment of his people. With the interference of an anarchist known only as the Dagger, the people

turned on their Emperor and Empire, causing their once great civilization to buckle under the pressure.

It is alleged at this time that those that would be the forefathers of the Avantine were spirited away to

the Great Northern Isle, though the means of doing so is large in speculation.

Rampage of the Jorgenwyld

With the loss of whatever kept the Jorgenwyld in check, the Barbarians began a long period of

conquest spanning more than 25 years. First the Kingdom of Silacio was destroyed in a blitzkrieg of

Jorgenwyld attacks. Although this would buy the unified peoples of Oikos Nessos to raise armies to

defend itself, the Jorgenwyld brutality and rage knew know bounds. Within 30 years, the once

great Mercantile League of Oikos Nessos was reduced to ruins.

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The Second Arrival

It is said that with the end of the period of the red skies that brought more strangers to Dantir, this time

in the great central mountains. A refuge for the Anari River folk, their peace was shattered with the

arrival of hordes of Drummon. Believing that they were under attack again, the River folk attempted to

fight the Drummon, only to be driven out by the staunch determination and superior defensive skills

and fighting capabilities of the Drummon. More so, a group of Eluvian that had been pursuing the

River folk were able to assist the Drummon in their battle, wielding powerful magics unseen before by

the eyes of the Drummon and earning themselves a powerful ally.

What would be ever more unfortunate for the Anari would be that they would soon meet their fate at

the hands of an even more destructive power, the orax menace.

The Destiny of the Topacoatl

Having long predicted their fall, the Topacoatl civilization began self-imploding. Blood sacrifices and

daily ritual killings became all the more common. This weakened the Topacoatl sufficiently that when

the Orax assaulted them, they could barely looked back. Within months, what remained of this once

proud nation was wiped out by the oncoming Jorgenwyld raiders.

The Restoration of Septoria.

Within 50 years, the once mighty Empire of Septoria has been brought low. The new anarchist state,

freely becoming a land of do as you please soon learned the price for such freedom. With the loss of

trade, food stuffs and grain, the people of Septoria found themselves becoming increasingly desperate,

being overwhelmed by plague and starvation.

It was in this darkest moment that a delegation arrived from the Eluvian people. Without a stable

government, the Eluvians gathered together the majority of people in the Septorian nation and began

the process of reformation and restoration of their people.

The Eluvians taught the Septorians magical arts, aiding in the curing of the diseases and assisting in

the replantation of the crops. In return, the Septorians taught the Eluvians the value of coin and trade,

something that was for all intents and purposes an alien concept to them.

Within a decade a new Septorian people were reborn.

Battle of Savages

Driven onward by the Drummon protecting their newfound territory, the Orax moved east. Having

destroyed the Topacoatl, the orax encountered an opponent almost as savage as themselves – the

Jorgenwyld.

In what would become one of the most bloody conflicts of these early period, the savage orax fought

the barbaric Jorgenwyld to a standstill as neither side showed mercy, fear or reluctance. Each threw all

their effort at the other, killing or being killed.

However with the loss of their leader in a particularly brutal battle, a new leader of the Jorgenwyld

arose. This warlord could see the never ending conflict that would be had with the Jorgenwyld and

wisely decided to manoeuvre his Jorgenwyld back, allowing an easier pathway leading north.

Finding an easier path, the Orax instinctively took the quickest route between Drummon and

Jorgenwyld and rampaged north into the lands of the Kenaan.

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Great Eluvian War

Years of lobbying for help by the Anari finds purchase in noble Randwelt. The Randwelt dukes

march their armies to battle the strangers, calling this a noble crusade against the invading

usurpers. Other nations watch with interest still listening to the Anari emissaries. However in

Septoria are the Anari emissaries removed from their territories.

Randwelt armies attacked the Eluvian invaders from the south. The battles are hard for the

Sauger armies, as the Eluvian people wield weapons superior to their own, and have the power

of magic.

Meanwhile, a mistake by the arrogant Eluvian leads to destruction of Toraneyan Temple. The

Toraneyan people respond with incredible ferocity. Kenaan, seeing opportunity, attack the

northern borders of the Eluvian and Drummon territories under the guise of freeing the Anari’s

rightful territory.

Attacked by the Kenaan, the Drummon offer their full support to the Eluvians in their time of

need, the strength of Drummon steel and order a perfect contrast with the raw magical power

and elegance of the Eluvian magics. The Kenaan are forced to retreat with the sudden and brutal

attack of orax from their southernmost borders. Likewise the Drummon are forced to pull back

when the brutal Jorgenwyld strike the eastern Drummon mountain strongholds.

The Eluvians are hard pressed on two flanks until a force of Septorians unexpectedly strike the

Randwelt Knights in the flanks. While lightly armed and amoured, the Septorians are bolstered

with magics and quickly turn the Randwelt offensive into a rout.

The world was in chaos. Seven peoples were at war, right across the centre of the lands of

Dantir.

The peace

An end to the war seemed impossible. The Sauger battled Eluvian and Drummon both, while

coping with attacks from orax and the betrayal by the Sauger of Septoria. But despite the

superior technology and magic of the Drummon and Eluvian forces, the Sauger nations had the

advantage in numbers. The Drummon and the Eluvians had no relief, no reserve of soldiers.

Eventually one Sauger army broke into territory between the Eluvian and Drummon forces,

splitting them apart, at least temporarily. Now facing armies from four surrounding nations

both sides offered truce to avert catastrophic bloodshed. A multinational leadership group, led

by a general from Randwelt known as Jeroen, met with representatives from both the Eluvian

and Drummon. The Eluvian and Drummon confirmed that they were not savage as were the

orax and grendlers, and had a genuine interest in the end to the fighting. By now the Eluvian

spoke the language of the Septorians, and finally peace negotiations were able to begin.

The combined power of the remaining Sauger nations had been unable to drive away the Eluvian

and Drummon from their newly claimed land, and though some little territory was returned as a

part of negotiations, the modern borders of the nations were decided. Much was also lost to the

ravaging of the orax and grendlers, leaving swathes of uninhabited territory across central

Dantir, which to this day remain places of great danger to travelers.

The High King - 1122 years ago

The war had brought unprecedented co-operation of the nations. But despite truce being

settled, there was a need for ongoing leadership to deal with the fragile peace between races and

the ongoing orax and grendler raids. The armies and generals of all nations – including the

Drummon and Eluvian – came to respect the leadership and wisdom of Jeroen, the leader of a

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Randwelt faction. Jeroen proved as adept in negotiation as he had in battle. He had even won

the respect of the Jorgenwyld people – a feat no other foreigner ever had achieved. Eventually

this respect was mooted into an independent office – known as the High King – who would be an

authority for matters that threatened the peace of the lands of Dantir.

(See the section on the High King for a more in depth discussion of this role.)

Portal stone network established and control adopted by Mage schools - 697 years ago

After centuries of experimentation and failure the Mage schools finally managed to connect a

long series of natural “Bones of the Earth” outcroppings, using them to transfer themselves from

place to place. With a method established a network quickly began growing as the mages tamed

and incorporated more and more stones. As civilization expanded on the mainland it has sought

out these stones and added them to the system to make travel swift and safe. Only inhabited

areas host stones that are maintain, though abandoned areas are still sometimes reachable by

them, though travel to such stones is considered unsafe.

Establishment of Guild Council - 650 years ago

The notion of Guilds spread from the strong caste system used by the Drummon, and unified

teaching methods across much of Dantir. By this time most nations hosted Guild houses for all

trades and crafts, and multinational leadership was required to oversee them. The Guild Council

was formed to ensure that each Guild regardless of region followed the guidelines of its craft,

and to protect them from local exploitation. The Mage schools and Orders of the gods were

invited to join the council to help ensure that it (like them) would be respected as independent

of any one national influence.

MODERN HISTORY

Avantine invasion - 75 years ago

Completely forgotten by the rest of the world, the remnant of the Grand Septorian Empire, now

known as the Avantine Empire, having conquered the great northern isle, began their assault.

Almost half of Kenaan was lost before the High King, Bortello of Septoria, rallied the other

nations of the alliance and drove back the Avantine in a series of battles across Kenaan and the

seas.

Avantine Peace - 73 years ago

In this year, High King Bortello having routed the Avantine and captured their War Consul Forus,

formalized a peace treaty that would remove the Avantine presence from the continent save for

one city of the Kenaani people. In return to abiding by the same rules and restrictions as the

other nations, the Avantine were allowed to join the council the guilds allowed to establish

themselves on the Great Northern Isle.

Current High King raised – 4 years ago

Martan of Ruess, King of Randwelt, was raised as the new High King, after the death of Piero

Brano of Septoria, third of his line. It is rumored that there was much discontent with this choice,

being raised by the minimum of votes required. It is said he was not even mentioned as a

candidate when the voting began, but instead was chosen only to break a stalemate between

supporters of an Eluvian candidate and those of a Kenaani candidate.