Orcrest | History

History

The Age of Strife

300 BT - 0 BT

~300 BT - The first Kingdom of Nuumalon rises as the first major human nation, worshipping the god Sault. They are terrorized by dragons and their worshippers, with some taking refuge underground with dwarven allies.
~225 BT - The avariel arrive in the world of Orben from the Lands Beyond, and swiftly answer the desperate calls for aid. With them they bring the knowledge of bronze working, a secret jealously guarded by the dragons previously.
~150 BT - Other high elves, lead by Aedar I Arnad, arrive from the Lands Beyond and begin to assist humanity.
32 BT - After nearly two centuries of war, elvish leadership passes to Aedar IV Arnad after his father is devoured by the great red wyrm Amthormiaxis.
0 BT - Aedar IV slays Amthormiaxis and his forces defeat most of the draconic armies in a great battle. This occurs in the region that will later become the Sulgate, driving many surviving allied dragons south into the Blasted Lands. This landmark occasion is named Tyrantfall, and it is by this that time is reckoned by most peoples.

The Age of Dominion

0 BT - 1332 AT

10 AT - The elves construct the Dragon's Gate, called the Sulgate in aerliyu, magically sealing most of the dragons in the Blasted Lands. Between the physical construction and the magic woven into it, it is said it took a decade of work to complete.
17 AT - The long campaign against dragonkind ends, with the majority of remaining dragons being killed, while the rest go into hiding in the Thradhel mountains or in Gwathia.
22 AT - Aedar IV Arnad assumes the mantle of ruler of the world and king of the sky, and titles his holdings Aer Arnad.
25 AT - Aer Arnad assumes control of Nuumish territories, and solidifies their hold on the Sulgate region. Aedar IV declares himself the God-Emperor, ruling from his great capital of Aedarast. This starts the First Heresy.

Khurnaz Avatar Guidelines

As this race is somewhat more difficult to create while still adhering to the Appearance Guidelines, we have included an avatar creation guide for it going over pre-approved pieces. This guide can be deviated from with staff approval. Required Features: Khurnaz Head: MARZ, Silvestris (Feline Bento Head) [• AUGUST •] - Katy cat (bento head) +SG+ Katzen Head +SG+ Tygr Head Humanoid body Earthy, short haired fur. Browns, blacks and natural highlights/variation. Pawed Feet: Feety Peets - Furry Paws Cat-like eyes Non-bushy cat tail Optional Additions: Handy Pawpads - Furry Hand Paw Pads (Flat BOM substitutes are fine) GG x :heck: LIL'TUFTS

71 AT - Aedar IV is smote by the gods, the heart of his empire is torn out, and his nephew takes the throne.
73 AT - A coalition of prominent regional leaders in the Sulgate declare independence, citing decades of neglect by the capital region. The Imperial core, still in disarray, has no capacity to resist this and lets them go without a war.
74 AT - Seeing their opportunity, Nuumalon also declares independence, though the local Imperial legionnaires do not surrender as in the Sulgate. The short war is concluded in an Imperial surrender without further reinforcements.
405 AT - The Ssianid Empire forms in the Sulgate, uniting various disparate people under one banner for the first time since their independence. Internal resistance is frequent, often fomented by Aer Arnad, but always put down swiftly.
1157 AT - Elvish researchers work iron into usable steel weapons, and a revolution of military technology shortly follows.
1158 AT - Bolstered by their technological advantage, Aer Arnad swiftly retakes Nuumalon and several of the northern provinces of the Sulgate. During these wars, the secrets to working iron are revealed to the world.
1162 AT - Aer Arnad attempts to push into Gwathia, but are rebuffed by an alliance of disparate kingdoms brought together under Hon Xue, a puresoul warlord. This alliance would persist into the Honsu Empire.
1220 AT - Derelan I begins experimenting with creating new servants in the form of goblinoids, as the dragon tyrants had done with kobolds. These experiments successfully produced goblins and hobgoblins, but failed to produce loyal servants.
1299 AT - Derelan I expands his experiments to palace servants and eventually his own sister, starting the Second Heresy.

Khurnaz Avatar Guidelines

As this race is somewhat more difficult to create while still adhering to the Appearance Guidelines, we have included an avatar creation guide for it going over pre-approved pieces. This guide can be deviated from with staff approval. Required Features: Khurnaz Head: MARZ, Silvestris (Feline Bento Head) [• AUGUST •] - Katy cat (bento head) +SG+ Katzen Head +SG+ Tygr Head Humanoid body Earthy, short haired fur. Browns, blacks and natural highlights/variation. Pawed Feet: Feety Peets - Furry Paws Cat-like eyes Non-bushy cat tail Optional Additions: Handy Pawpads - Furry Hand Paw Pads (Flat BOM substitutes are fine) GG x :heck: LIL'TUFTS

1330 AT - Derelan I is killed in war and his queen Ulkarith flees to conquered grimfolk holdfasts, ending the Second Heresy.
1331 AT - The drow are created under oft debated circumstances, and start to quickly fill the stolen holdfasts.

The Age of Heroes

1332 AT - 1881 AT

1332 AT - With faith in the Imperial House at an all time low, an Imperial senate is formed of representatives from each of the provinces in the empire. Derelan's only child takes the throne as Ularan III, despite only being thirty-two.
1335 AT - The drow, alongside the freed goblinoid experiments, begin a systematic expansion into gnomish settlements. Many flee to find succour in Grimgaud, who push back against the darkling horde and cut them off from the surface.
1345 AT - Unrest following on from the Second Heresy continues to take hold, and a series of rebellions emerge from the former lands of Nuumalon. Aer Arnad pushes back against these rebellions with varying degrees of success.
1347 AT - The cities of Beleri band together to purchase their independence from Aer Arnad. The empire, fearing a two fronted war and needing funds to continue to combat the rebellions, accept the offer.
1420 AT - Continued rebellion pushes Aer Arnad out of much of the west, with further support for the wars waning in the imperial homeland. The rebellions coalesce into petty kingdoms, often warring between themselves.

1802 AT - After centuries of failed war with the west, the high elven senator Natyli Elosriad famously cuts off twenty feet of her golden hair and declares a crusade. She is permanently expelled from the senate for drawing a weapon in its chambers.

1803 AT - Natyli summons her men-at-arms and marches west without the consensus of the senate or support from the legion. She is accompanied by her apprentice D'Aethienne Arnad, the daughter of Ularan III.

1804 AT - Natyli starts several bloody wars, her crusade retaking all the lands between Helmrast and the Eol river, including the former Imperial province of Orcrest. After two decades, Natyli occupies these lands as a despot without Imperial decree, though she writes personal correspondence to the Emperor delivered in his daughter's hand.
1808 AT - The kingdoms of the west band together under King Malgar Vymont, reforming the kingdom of Nuumalon to resist the elven advance. Nuumalon manages to halt the crusade at the river Eol, though it proves costly to both sides.
1810 AT - Attempts are made to sanction Natyli in the senate, particularly for executing several high elves she claimed incompetent or treasonous without trial. These attempts fail or are overridden by the Emperor. A growing faction in the Imperial senate grows to oppose house Elosriad.

1857 AT - Saeldor VII, later known as "the Wise", assumes the Imperial throne after his father's death.
1862 AT - Natyli begins construction on the Tower of Orcrest north of the Blackwood on the edges of the Thradhel in order to suppress raids by the svartkrummfólk into Orcrest and the south. She makes this the seat of her power.
1865 AT - The rookery tower of Krummirokk is collapsed by an earthquake the same night Natyli departed the barbarian citadel after failed peace negotiations, destroying the next generation of eggs and killing several mated pairs of Kruum. The Nightriders of Krummirokk never truly regain power beyond the Thradhel after this calamity.
1872 AT - The magically reinforced Tower of Orcrest is completed after ten years and solidifies Natyli’s power. It is later deemed to be one of the last wonders of the Age of Heroes.
1881 AT - Unrest among humans and dwarves throughout the Sulgate cause most high elves of the Ssianid Empire to abdicate and venture further south, founding the kingdom of Myultaoh and rebuilding the city of Valandor.

The Age of Atrophy

1881 AT - Present Day

1883 AT - The last remnants of the Ssianid Empire crumble away, leaving a fractured Sulgate behind.

1900 AT - Saeldor VII declares Natyli Elosriad governor of Orcrest, retroactively approving her military actions. Natyli appoints three humans and three elves to represent Orcrest in the senate, offending many high elves in the process. The senate never officially votes to seat the human appointees, and they and their families live out their lives in waiting.
1960 AT - Natyli continues her tradition of appointing humans to the senate throughout her reign, and the senate continues to ignore them while the governor of Orcrest continues to expand her dominion and influence into the Thradhels.
2002 AT - The city of Ferulo in Beleri is attacked by the great dragon Ommirrur, but is defeated by the Ferulo Mage's Guild. The battle destroys many of the ships in the harbour, as well as much of the worker's quarters in the city.
2005 AT - The city-states of Beleri form an alliance of mutual defence, rising as a confederation to present a unified front against potential further aggression.
2006 AT - The city-states of Beleri begin assisting in rebuilding Ferulo as a show of unity.
2030 AT - A young Precter Vymont inherits the throne of Nuumalon while exiled in Grimgaud. He returns home to find his seat occupied by a usurper, and forms an alliance via marriage with a dwarven noblewoman name Ponticia Opalhide.
2032 AT - Precter wins the war for his throne with grimfolk help, and takes his title as King Precter I. Some parts of the kingdom remain unbowed, but the throne controls the Nuumalon heartlands.
2035 AT - King Precter begins killing high elves anywhere he finds them, replacing them with human leadership, in an attempt to bring all neighbouring lands to heel. Many elves view this campaign as a reprisal for Natyli Elosriad's crusade.

2040 AT - King Precter succeeds in taking over much of the lands west of the Eol River and solidifying his hold on the lands of Nuumalon. He begins building keeps between his lands and those of Aer Arnad along the river, oppressing and squeezing his subjects for the wealth required to fund his fortifications and belligerent clashes with Aer Arnad and Beleri.
2042 AT - Brutal crackdowns against dissention begin throughout Nuumalon. Ponticia is assassinated in Mhirdrun during an uprising by harvest elves, and unfounded rumours connecting Precter to her death outrage Grimgaud.
2048 AT - King Precter begins razing his own vassal’s fiefs in response to growing rebellious sentiment. King Precter's son and heir dies in Rhisburg. Poison is alleged but cannot be proven.
2052 AT - King Precter is assassinated by several lords at dinner, his cousin Duke Krell of Orsfell condemns this and declares himself the successor to Precter, despite opposition from many lords including his own vassals.
2053 AT - Krell III and Grimgaud continue attempting to quell the rebellions, but they spread throughout Nuumalon, and Grimgaud resumes trade with Krell's rebellious vassals. The king forms a council of lords to avoid losing control.
2055 AT - The Duke of Elm, Viscount of Rosewood, and many other minor nobility (including the Baron of Mhirdrun) declare independence from Nuumalon. Elm goes on to form its own independent kingdom, while Rosewood swears fealty to Natyli Elosriad in exchange for becoming Counts instead of Viscounts.
2056 AT - King Wilhelm I Mallar of Elm and Natyli Elosriad enter into a peace accord, exchanging wards to enforce it. Natyli's youngest true-blood daughter Talia is sent to Elm, while Wilhelm's only daughter Ursula is fostered in Orcrest.
2060 AT - Talia Elosriad is abducted during a trip to Beleri and killed. Shortly after, the princess of Elm goes missing. Elm declares war against Aer Arnad, commencing the Wardwar.

Khurnaz Avatar Guidelines

As this race is somewhat more difficult to create while still adhering to the Appearance Guidelines, we have included an avatar creation guide for it going over pre-approved pieces. This guide can be deviated from with staff approval. Required Features: Khurnaz Head: MARZ, Silvestris (Feline Bento Head) [• AUGUST •] - Katy cat (bento head) +SG+ Katzen Head +SG+ Tygr Head Humanoid body Earthy, short haired fur. Browns, blacks and natural highlights/variation. Pawed Feet: Feety Peets - Furry Paws Cat-like eyes Non-bushy cat tail Optional Additions: Handy Pawpads - Furry Hand Paw Pads (Flat BOM substitutes are fine) GG x :heck: LIL'TUFTS

2064 AT - Alimáqa is officially appointed governor of Orcrest and builds the palace and garden that will eventually be named after her on the site of the peace negotiations. Alimáqa appoints six humans to be her representatives in Helmrast. Much like those her mother sent, they are never seated by the senate.
2065 AT - King Wilhelm Mallar lays the foundations of Wilhelm Keep next to the settlement that would become Newcastle. He dies before its completion, and his son Magnus is the first king of Elm to rule from Wilhelm Keep.
2071 AT - King Magnus I builds a fortified bridge at the Red Ford, and the village of Redford begins to grow around the roadside inn and the traffic over the new bridge.
2122 AT - Grimdorahl, the grimfolk city of silver is captured by darklings. Grimgaud forces are recalled from Nuumalon to reinforce the besieged Oathroads and try to retake Grimdorhal.
2125 AT - Darklings rename Grimdorahl to Vhaunlur and form a loose alliance to defend the city against dwarves and other nearby Underdark powers.
2154 AT - Alimáqa begins to lose her mind and a procession of house Elosriad arrives at her summer palace to return her to their family’s estate in Helmrast. She is succeeded by the first human Imperial Governor appointed by Saeldor the Wise, and the region continues to appoint exclusively human senators as part of tradition, but they are never officially seated.
2168 AT - Tomril Orespine discovers a process to make black powder, and spreads his wares far and wide, leading to many nations adopting the first firearms into their forces.
2180 AT - Elm prospers, and nearby petty lords, previously allies, begin swearing fealty to the Elmish crown. Elm eventually expands to overtake most of the former Orsfel Dukedom, though Orsfel remains an independent minor power.
2221 AT - Imperial Legate Uilosseth withdraws the majority of the legion garrison from the province of Orcrest, marching East to lay siege to Maedia in Bethar Garmak. This marks the start of the Imperial Withdrawal from Orcrest.

Khurnaz Avatar Guidelines

As this race is somewhat more difficult to create while still adhering to the Appearance Guidelines, we have included an avatar creation guide for it going over pre-approved pieces. This guide can be deviated from with staff approval. Required Features: Khurnaz Head: MARZ, Silvestris (Feline Bento Head) [• AUGUST •] - Katy cat (bento head) +SG+ Katzen Head +SG+ Tygr Head Humanoid body Earthy, short haired fur. Browns, blacks and natural highlights/variation. Pawed Feet: Feety Peets - Furry Paws Cat-like eyes Non-bushy cat tail Optional Additions: Handy Pawpads - Furry Hand Paw Pads (Flat BOM substitutes are fine) GG x :heck: LIL'TUFTS

2248 AT - With the last of the Imperial presence removed from Orcrest, the region falls to warlords, bandits, petty leaders, and anyone else who could find a piece of land to call their own.
2249 AT - Present day, where various groups vie for control of the abandoned lands, causing chaos on the border of Elm.