The following texts are well known to many of the world. The history of the kingdom, its trials and tribulations, is taught to members of the Priory and children of Nobility. Much of the world’s history is also known by merchants and peasants, sung in songs on street corners of once great kings and the golden age of man.

Circa 2000 BM - Earthmasters Depart, Lost Years
Circa 1700 BM - Rise of the Empire of Man
Circa 1000 BM - Golden Age of Man

400 BM - Decline of the Old Empire
284 BM - The Immortal Wars
244 BM - The Ork Wars
243 BM - The Sacking of Zeal
242 BM - Odyssey of Man Begins
241 BM - Restoration of Order
239 BM - Purification Wars
??? BM - Miraj Established
??? BM - Khalag Established, Unification of the Orkish Tribes

1 MR - Founding of the Kingdom of Mercia, all dates are reconned from this point (MR = Mercia Reckoning)
3 MR - Founding of the Three Outlier Kingdoms: the Kingdom of Simos (Capital: Salsadin), Belthrand (Falkand), and Avaria (Avary)
8 MR - Religious Expansion of Larani: persecution begins in the Realm of Andal

17 MR - Rise of the Miadhac Federation in the Realm of Andal.
22 MR - The Beginning of the Federation War.
25 MR - Sacking of Falkand: marks the end of the Kingdom of Belthrand.
29 MR - Defeat of the Miadhac Federation at Kodin: the tribal council leading the federation is put to death.
56 MR - Rise of the Grey Cult, Heralds of Maguun.
61 MR - Establishment of the Priory: an international organization throughout the three remaining Kingdoms. Oversight is given to the Church of Larani.

97 MR – Beginning of the Orkish Aggression: sacking of the coastal city of Delphani in the Kingdom of Avaria. In the following months the capital city of Avary is taken resulting in an exodus of the remaining inhabitants of Avaria to the mainland.
99 MR - Orkish Aggression: pillaging in the Realm of Andal, a major supplier of goods to Mercia and the other Kingdoms. Establishment of the Orkish Fortress of Burl-Daur in the mountains east of Mercia.
101 MR - Rise of Lothrim to Power: construction begins on Url-Kelduld, later to become the capital of the Lothrim Federation.
104 MR - Creation of the Gargu.
107 MR - Sacking of Andal: the Orkish army takes control of the city and uses it as a base of operation to attack Mercia.
108 MR - Siege of Mercia, Rise of the Lothrim Federation: unites the Kingdoms of Leanantla.
114 MR - Repulsion of the Orks by the Gargu and the Federation: Orks flee towards the mountains, the coast of their original landing now guarded.
115 MR - Pillaging of the Eastern lands by the Orks, Pursuit by the Gargu.
116 MR - Defeat of the Orkish Fortress: the Orkish armies are forced to retreat to the sea.
117 MR - Orkish reinforcements defeat Lothrim’s army, but fear of the forces of the Federation closely behind results in the Orks departing Leanantla.
117 MR - Disappearance of Lothrim.
118 MR - Collapse of the Lothrim Federation: the eastern lands, once home to numerous tribes, are now pillaged by the Gargu.

120 MR - Infighting between the territories increases as resources are still limited even two years after the defeat of the Orks. Trade booms in the port cities of Salsadin, Medici, and Portcross.
140 MR - Conversion of Andal to Larani: establishment of the tribal kingdom.
143 MR - The Beginning of the Cleansing: led by the Church of Larani, it results in the destruction of the remaining unaffiliated tribes who refuse conversion to Larani. The Cleansing also finds place in the four Kingdoms, where deviants accused of being vampires, therians, and Maguunites are put to death.
144-150 MR - Mass Crucifixion and Impalement: lines from ocean to ocean for all tribes to see. The inquisitions continue throughout the countryside giving rise to hostility from the unallied tribes.
150 MR – The remaining unaffiliated tribes revolt, forming the Kagrim Federation.
155 MR - The rebellion is crushed by the Church of Larani. By and large all pagan tribes have now been massacred. Those that survived the rebellion flee into the eastern lands only to meet a similar fate at the hands of the Gargu.

160 MR - Stabilization of the Four Kingdoms: the demise of tribal life in Andal. The lands gained by the Church are, in what was seen as a pre-arranged agreement, handed over to Mercia. This sparks anger in the other kingdoms. Since the Cleansing, church officials have been embedded deep into the infrastructure of all the Kingdoms.
162 MR - Conference of Medici: the Church announces its plan for all four Kingdoms to be allied under the Confederacy of Larani. Salsadin and Andal refuse unless granted greater shares in the lands gained from the Cleansing. Mercia refuses. The Conference is a failure.
165 MR - The Church proclaims all kingdoms must swear oaths to the Church under the Articles of Faith, which would cede much of their power to the Church. Mercia is the largest supporter of this, and Portcross agrees as well. Andal and Salsadin refuse, and both remove Church officials from their governments.
166 MR - Mercia and Portcross Ally Under the Articles of Faith: Salsadin, in response, creates the Laranian Proselyte of Simos, stating the Church of Larani was being manipulated by Mercia. Mercia is too busy taming its new lands to deal with the Kingdom of Simos. Andal is busy unifying its own remaining tribes.
169-182 MR - The Laranian Proselyte undergoes a series of reformations and begins to develop a strong secular intellectual class. The Church of Larani tightens its grip on Mercian government. Throughout the period all the kingdoms build up militarily and economically.
182 MR - The Gargu start a new offensive and push against Andal. Andal makes a plea to Mercia for aid. Mercia refuses unless Andal bows to the Church of Larani. Andal refuses and finds aid from the Kingdom of Simos.
183 MR - The Church proclaims that all loyal kingdoms of Mercia should ally under one king. Avaria cedes its throne to Mercia. Simos and Andal again refuse. The Church excommunicates all members of the Laranian Proselyte.
189 MR - Simosian teachings gain strength in Mercia’s borderland, and the Dukedom of Lorrain Valley declares itself an independent nation. Many small sections of Mercia’s borderland follow suit.

192-196 MR - The Proxies War: Simos sends support to Mercian cities in hopes to make them revolt. During winter of 196, Mercia unleashes its full strength and razes the Lorrain Valley.
196 MR - Simos, claiming to be the Defender of Good Religion, declares war against Mercia for the massacre at Lorrain Valley.
197 MR - Andal pushes back the Gargu forces and joins the war on the side of Simos.
200 MR - Mercia launches a massive naval landing against the coastal port of Vhurnden in the Kingdom of Andal. The attack consists almost entirely of Portcross forces, which are mostly slaughtered. Mercia takes Vhurnden, but in the outrage of being abused, Portcross leaves the confederacy and reestablishes its own king and declares itself neutral.
200-207 MR - The allied forces of Andal and Simos are largely successful. Simos proposes a formal alliance under the Laranian Proselyte. While the alliance appeared prosperous, Andal saw this as switching the yoke of Mercia for the yoke of Simos and refused. Fighting erupts between these two Kingdoms. Historians hold that if the alliance had formed, Mercia would have been destroyed.
209-211 MR - Daagen Feirth is appointed general of the Mercian armies. He radically reorganizes the army and leads new strikes against Andal and Simos. Mercia pushes Simos to its former border and creates a defensive line. Feirth then leads the Mercian army on an offensive into Andal.
212 MR - The city of Andal falls to Mercian forces, the Kingdom ceding power to Mercia.
214 MR - The line between Simos and Mercia becomes a stalemate.
217 MR - A priory mage by the name of Rimfiztrik comes to the King of Mercia and presents a solution. The summer of 217 sees the solution carried out. A massive earthquake, produced through magical means, swallows half the city of Salsadin. The King of Simos and Rimfiztrik are but two of the thousands killed in the attack.
218 MR - With most all of its industry destroyed and most all of its command staff killed, Simos’ lines weaken and fall. Within 2 months of Mercia breaching Simos’ defensive line, Mercia sacks the new capital of Medici and the Kingdom of Simos falls.
218-220 MR - The Great Purge: Mercia’s forces sweep through Salsadin and much of Simos to remove all of the Laranian Proselyte’s establishments. Priests are burned over their own religious scriptures and the great libraries of Salsadin are destroyed. Huge civilian casualties are incurred in both Salsadin and Andal under the control of Daagen Feirth.
219 MR - Portcross, seeing Mercia’s new found might, formally cedes its throne once again to Mercia, but the King of Mercia refuses to take the crown of Portcross.
221 MR - After the Purge is complete, Mercia demands Portcross’ surrender. The King of Portcross, having already surrendered, is baffled by this action. Mercia proclaims Portcross to be ruled by heretics and sieges the city. This battle lasts but a few days, and within hours of Mercia breaking down the city gates, the majority of the nobles in Portcross are rounded up and executed.

222 MR - The King of Mercia is found guilty of heresy and is quickly executed without a trial. Daagen Feirth takes the throne, declaring himself ruler of all of Leanatala and establishes the Feirth royal bloodline of Mercia.
223 MR- Those nobles that sided against Mercia are summarily rounded up and executed. Much of the power structure in Medici and Portcross is transplanted by nobility loyal to Daagen Feirth. The commoners of the time are largely more concerned about peace than the butchering of a few nobles.
225-229 MR - Reconciliation of the Two Churches: re-unification of the Church of Larani.

231 MR - First ‘crusade’ into the Gargun lands by the King’s son, Daagen II, largely seen as a propaganda tool to win the support of the people. Large amounts of territory regained.
234 MR - Reclamation of Burl-Daur: a land not held by man since before the Orkish wars, and a land never touched by Larani. Daagen II ascends the throne.
235 MR - Money and settlers pour into Burl-Daur, numerous plants, animals and other resources being rediscovered. Rich veins of adamant are found and renovations are made to the city.
240 MR - To herald Larani’s triumph over the Gargun and the old Orkish fortress of Burl-Daur, a giant temple is erected in the fortress made of adamant. Burl-Daur becomes one of the holiest sites of Larani.
240-253 MR – Burl-Daur’s Golden Age: mass wealth is generated as it acts as port between the West and the East. The rest of Leanatala mobilize to try and help extract this wealth.
253 MR - Gargu launch an assault against the Fairlands, a key boarder Keep, in a brilliantly strategized assault. To this day no one knows how the Gargun organized so well. The fall of the Fairlands leads to the collapse of trade routes and supply lines between Andal and Burl-Daur. Burl-Daur’s standing army, bloated with wealth and weighed down by more decorative than functional arms and armor, fails to respond before the Gargu have a solid hold on the Fairlands.
253-259 MR - Gargu fully encircle Burl-Daur and lay siege to the city.
259 MR - The Duke of Burl-Daur declares the evacuation of the city. A huge march is made to the sea. There are enormous casualties, but the evacuation is believed to save more lives than it cost. Burl-Daur, along with the crusader lands, falls to the Gargu. Decadence and weakening of faith are blamed as the cause.
261-265 MR - Gargu continue pushing against Mercia. Harsh living conditions and continued Gargun raids into the lands of Andal causes a Peasant Uprising. Unrest is finally quelled (through violence), but increased security along the mountains is promised.
266-275 MR - Weak implementation of the Daagen II’s promised security. Forts are built along the boarder lands, but defense of the Kingdom is largely left in the hands of Andal.
270-276 MR - With Mercia returning as the economic capital of the Empire, the Church of Haelyn, and its merchant power base, begins gaining headway. Numerous offices traditionally held by Laranian officials, or officials that the Church of Larani supports, are claimed by Haelynians.
277 MR - King Haidomen ascends the Mercian throne.
278 MR - An assassination against the new king is barely stopped. The assassin is judged to be in service of the Church of Haelyn. Haelynians claim it to be the center of a Laranian plot. With attempted regicide allegations and claims that Haelyn’s hedonism would cause Mercia to share Burl-Daur’s fate, the Church of Larani is able to secure itself as the politically dominant church.
280 MR - The Duke of Medici, in a political stunt, calls for a second crusade against the Gargu. With a small force he leads a march to Andal. The Duke of Andal, under the orders of the King of Mercia and the Church of Larani, refuses Duke Ferdres passage, mainly for his own safety. Ferdres returns, humiliated. The event comes to be known as Ferdres’ folly.
284 MR - King Haidomen slowly pulls out of ruling power returning some control to the nobles of Mercia.
288 MR - A populist movement sweeps the Kingdom calling for greater power given to Myra. For the first time in history a Myran holds a prominent political office, overseeing a primitive ‘welfare’ system.

291 MR - King Haidomen calls for a second ‘crusade’ into the Gargun territories, mostly an attempt to reconcile power in the Church and the crown. Haidomen’s son Vannour leads the assault.
300 MR - The King’s forces break into Burl-Daur, the glory of the city lost since its Golden Age. With threat of Gargun invasion and increased hostile attacks on the King’s troops, Vannour calls for Burl-Daur to be stripped of any wealth and for it to be transported back to Mercia. The city is mostly indefensible, and a strong resistance is only put up long enough to strip mine the city. Other crusade lands are still held.
308 MR - In a routine march into the crusade lands, King Haidomen’s son, and only heir, is caught in a vicious ambush and killed. The aggrieved King declares the lands unsafe and evacuates his forces from the area.
310 MR - The King, along with a new head advisor, formally abandon the crusader philosophy and begin construction of a great wall spanning from ocean to ocean to keep out the Gargu. Defense of the wall is left to Andal.
317 MR - The vast majority of the Great Wall is completed and Andal is the most secure it has been in Laranian history.
320 MR - A major illness befalls the king.
323 MR - The king, in failing health with no legitimate heir, is left to consider his bastard son, born to a mistress from long ago. The king calls to council the Barons of the land to his bastard son’s Keep. The king speaks with his advisors first of whether or not his bastard son could be ruler, but he is seen as too cruel and would prove a loathsome ruler. Thus succession papers are written up for a rival claimant of the Barons’ suggestion. Upon learning he is not to be King, Haidomen’s bastard son marches into his father’s chambers and kills the ailing man. The Barons at the Keep are rounded up and held for ransom, forcing succession papers to be signed in his name.

324-329 MR - Baronial Revolt: Aidek, the bastard son is in power. The Barons of the land rally against Aidek for a rival claimant, Orthan Harador, who promises greater power to the nobles. The Revolt is a success and a new line is established.
329 MR - Aidek is captured and burned at the stake.
329 MR - King Orthan fails on his promises to the Barons and has to defend against attacks from the very nobles that helped him rise to power. Many of his original allies are put to death in town square. This leads to the assassination of the King and a repeat of the Council of 323 MR. A new successor is selected who is much older and expected to be more fair. After 200 years of fighting, people are looking for compromise.

329 MR - Ravnan Vorlorn ascends the throne of Mercia.
334 MR - Ravnan returns some of the throne’s power to the nobles of the land, making good on his deal from the Council of 329 MR.
337-341 MR - Decaying infrastructure of Haidomen’s Wall and lack of border defense results in difficult living conditions in the realm of Andal. Banditry and dissident citizens find a home in the decaying crusade lands, largely unguarded. Ravnan is too busy with political matters and keeping control of his throne to deal with the problem.
344-349 MR - The mountains near Haidomen’s wall become a safe grounds for renegades and expelled Priory members. Necromancy takes roots, people living in the borderlands giving strange accounts of villages being extinguished in the night by raiding forces. There is mounting pressure on Ravnan to do something about the issue, but unrest in Mercia stays his hand for fear extending his armies too thin could result in another usurping.

352 MR - Perras Vorlorn ascends the throne after the strange death of Ravnan in his sleep. The death was claimed self-inflicted after a large investigation proved little insight.
353 MR - Looking to stabilize his father’s deteriorating throne, he marries Eleniane of House Bathore, the current ruling family of Portcross. Largely a union of politics, Perras takes fancy to a Haelynian, Avian Rose. In what is seen as a major slight to the Bathore family, Perras weds Avian as a second wife, the ceremony performed in the Church of Haelyn.
355 MR - The King’s first son, Ediphan, is born from Avian, much to the displeasure of Eleniane.
357 MR - Dealing with mounting pressure from House Bathore, the King has a second son, Alexander, with Eleniane.
359-372 MR - Perras loses his hold on power, his advisors attributing it largely as a result of his relationship with his second wife with whom he spends entirely too much time. Murmurs amongst the noble houses begin of the failings of the Vorlorn bloodline as the unrest in the east continues to spread.
372 MR - Bandit and Gargun raids into the lands of Mercia largely go unpunished as the King fails to respond. An old friend and ally, Ketoff the Duke of Andal, rides out to quell the problem. The action results in his death.
372 MR - Spurned by the death of his friend, Perras gives in to mounting pressure from his advisors and sees his second wife executed, using her as a scapegoat. She is claimed to be the reason for the deplorable state of the crown. The King names his first son Ediphan illegitimate (as the marriage was not possible under the Church of Larani) and his second son Alexander the rightful successor.
373 MR - Perras is assassinated; Ediphan places blame on House Bathore as a political stunt to get Alexander into power. House Bathore and Alexander point to Ediphan’s illegitimacy as reason to see his father killed for revenge.
374-379 MR - The Progenitor Wars see the landscape of nobility split between the rightful heir Alexander and the now illegitimate Ediphan. The Church of Haelyn sides with Ediphan, while the Church of Larani strangely stays out of the conflict. Eventually Ediphan is captured and killed, and the rightful heir Alexander ascends the throne. Those nobles who had opposed him are put to death, their lands redistributed to his allies.

379 MR - At 22, Alexander Vorlorn ascends the throne marking the beginning of the longest reign of a single monarch in Mercia’s history.
380 MR - Alexander rallies the nobles that aided him in claiming the throne to the cause of the Borderlands. Reports continually arrive of towns overrun by the walking dead, ancient tribes dating back to the Cleansing having come back to life, banditry, and foul magic at work in the outlying regions of Andal lead by the hands of a renegade group of mages calling themselves the Cabal.
381 MR - Fears rise in the Borderlands of a Third Inquisition to weed out the darkness gripping the land. Patrols of the borders near Andal fall victim to war parties of the mountain rebels.
382 MR - General apathy towards the King from other nobles makes it difficult to raise any army to deal with the Borderlands. The King in turn looks to the Priory to solve the issue.
383 MR - The King turns towards the Priory to deal with the renegade Cabal. The Priory sets off into the Borderlands with a small brigade of the King’s army, marking the beginning of the War of the Cabal.
384-389 MR - The War of the Cabal sees the Priory pit against its very creation of outcast magi in the Borderlands. The Priory wielding the superior arts of the Elements while the Cabal, in its fifty years of seclusion, having progressed deeply in the arts of necromancy. The war is largely a stalemate until the Priory secured a deal with one of the bandit lords prominent in the Borderlands, promising him Counthood in exchange for his sword against the Cabal. The result was the betrayal and eventual shattering of the Cabal. Though only dispersed, the group withered away from its previous power. Making good on their deal, the Priory had King Alexander grant the title of Count to the bandit lord.
390 MR - With the success of the wars in the Borderlands, the King appoints a Council of Twelve that is filled with members of the Priory, largely replacing old advisors that came from the Church of Larani.
393 MR - Submitting to the desires of his mother, Alexander establishes the Royal Navy at Portcross rather than Medici. Trade in Portcross booms.

421 MR - Admiral Garkel mutinies and takes a large portion of the Royal Navy flagships under his control, which leads to the creation of the Great Doom Fleet.
423 MR - Furious at the failings of the Royal Navy and the ruling family of Portcross, House Bathore is put to death and the Harker family rises to power in Portcross.
425-432 MR - Piracy takes major hold in the coasts of Portcross marking the beginning of the decline of trade in the city and the boon of trade in Medici.
435 MR - Facing mounting pressure from the traders, the Duke of Medici cedes policy control of trade over to a Council of Magistrates made up of prominent city merchants and guildsmen.
435-439 MR - Rise of the Guilds in Medici leading to a near strangle hold on markets in the region, but trade continues to boom.
450 MR - Eridan is discovered by Anreus Mar’cant, but no one believes his tale.
451 MR - Capture of Anreus Mar’cant by the Royal Navy: records of his questioning largely disbelieved as madness from starvation.
453-480 MR - The Golden Era of King Alexander: The King is viewed as a powerful Monarch who has brought stability to the land, though other nobles point to his obvious failings with the Doom Fleet and his rather subvert dealings to solve problems, the King largely giving clemency to dissenters rather than punishment.
483 MR - A Cabal plot is unearthed, but too late. One of the members of the Council of Twelve assassinates King Alexander only to be struck down by the remaining eleven members.
483 MR - Radust Vorlorn ascends the Mercian Throne.
484 MR - The Church of Larani points to the failings of the Council of Twelve, offering their services once more to the King. The King obliges and the Council of Twelve falls from prominence to a subsidiary group of advisors.
486-489 MR - Oversight by the Church of Larani into the Priory becomes stifling. Research falls to a slow creep. The Church begins an investigation into the existence of the Cabal or similar cults within the Priory infrastructure.
490 MR - The Council of Twelve pleads to the King to relinquish some of the control the Church is exerting upon the Priory. The Church advises the King that it is fear of finding the Cabal that drives the Council. The King largely agrees and allows Church oversight to proceed.
491-495 MR - The new King establishes a grip on power while promising a solution to rising poverty and the ever looming threats of the Ork and Gargun. His dialogue with the other nobility largely hints at trying to locate the Orkish army and crush it before they could ever strike Mercia again.

500 MR - Eridan is re-discovered by Lenith Colbron, word spreads of its great wealth.
502 MR - Halden, the first colony, is settled in the river region north of the brass ruins.
509 MR - Ravna, the second colony, is established at the seaside of the Kierlak Expanse.
514 MR - Construction of Larani’s Blessing begins.
513 MR - Denshy, the third colony, is established on the Paranor Isles. Arrival of Prince Faris to rule Denshy.
514 MR - Communication ceases with the other two colonies. Eventual reports return they have been abandoned or destroyed.
518 MR - The Disappearance of Prince Faris: Denshy awaits his return for the following months, but no signs of the Prince are found. A new ruler is sought out in Denshy.
519 MR - Establishment of the holding government, Aurick Dunn selected ruler of Denshy.
520 MR - Discovery of a destroyed Royal Navy fleet base now controlled by the Doom Fleet.

521-530 MR - Orkish blockade of Mercia and subsequent war throughout the Kingdom of Mercia, eventually leading to repulsion of the Orks. In this time, transport to Denshy becomes scarce and communication between the colony and Mercia is cut off.
531 MR – As a result of the Orkish siege, famine and death occur throughout the cities, eventually leading to a plague consuming much of Mercia. Many ships leaving for the colonies never make it as people die along the journey.

537 MR - The End of the Mercian Throne by the hands of Maguun and the gray cult.

“First came the Earthmasters, the Ancients. Beings of diverse form and figure, able to change their shape at will, masters of land, sea and sky.”

Legends tell of a flourishing Earthmaster empire in millennia past. Miraculous were their powers; the Earthmasters could travel vast distances in the flash of a thought, change the weather, and control the minds of lesser creatures. Stories of the Ancients seem so incredible that their very existence might be dismissed were it not for the sites and artifacts they left. Scattered across the worlds are their ruins, daunting, ominous places, where one can feel the age of weary stones.

Roughly 20 centuries ago the Ancients suddenly vanished. Why did they leave? Where did they go? Will they return? Some have claimed that they never left, but merely withdrew into hiding, and their descendants reside among us to this day, but no one knows.

The period between the departure of the Ancients and the emergence of the Human Empire is called the Lost Years. No record or artifact survived from this period. It was

“...an age of dragons, noisome trolls, and fell beasts that defy description and harm the eye. The earth so long nurtured by the careful ancients shook with fury at their departure, great floods ravaged the land and many ill-starred realms sank beneath the waves...”

It is believed by some that the children of nature, those bound to the groves and the sea, are among the creatures born in this era. It is believed by others, however, that this is something that those fae folk would have others believe only to make themselves feel more important. This time also speaks of when Vampires and Therians roamed freely over the world, masters over their Human and Orkish kin.

What remains known of the Zealan Empire (otherwise noted as the Old Empire) is but shards of a great history that spanned near a millenia. Legend speaks of great Emperors and magick, a people that had learned from what the Earthmasters had left behind and had begun to rival even their glory. A people that had overcome all odds above the other races of the world and created a seat of power that none could challenge. Yet, ultimately, the very pursuit of knowledge and power that fueled the Empire lead to its defeat. The history of the Old Empire, to this day, is still being recovered and pieced together. (See information in game for Old Empire history).

Much of the history of the old empire that ruled the world of Zeal (modern Eridan) has been lost to time and the pillaging of the empire territory that occurred after its fall. What remains known to scholars, both those that escaped to what became Mercia and those who survived the Empire’s demise and documented its history, is a brief collection of tales that document the final years of the Empire in an unstoppable spiral towards decline.

The Empire, once a great consortium of territories all loyal to the concept of brotherhood and the Emperor, spanned an entire continent of Eridan with dotted resistances towards the East, most notably the Orks. During its Golden Age, the Empire achieved a pinnacle of magical and political control not yet seen on this world again and rivaled only by the strange Earthmasters that disappeared millennia ago. History speaks of magical travel, unparalleled peace and prosperity, and an unmatched culture of artistry. Centuries passed as the Empire expanded, claiming nearby hostile territories, soldiers carrying with them the Empire’s religion and culture.

At the Empire’s peak, six great cities sprawled over the expanse of the numerous territories. At its heart of the continent was the seat of the Emperor, the capital city of Zeal. All roads led to and from Zeal, carrying from it the culture and the heartbeat that was the Empire. To the southwest was the city of Aurelia, a study of marble walls and interlocking canals; a place of ostentatious wealth and unrivaled artistry. Opposite to it, in the far southeast was the city of Dudurel, a great source of military might and tactical innovation. Between the forests of Zeal and Dudurel was the city of Napeli, its great metal work and strange structures earning it the title the City of Brass. East of Zeal was the knowledgeable city of Illaria, a complex of stone libraries and private studies that filled the entirety of this island city surrounded by the Lakes of Sison. And finally, far in the snow-laden northwest of the Zealan continent was Opahron, the White City. These six cities formed the backbone of the Empire, the lands nearby borrowing heavily from the cultures that thrived in these booming metropolises.

What sparked the demise of the Empire is unknown. In general, its collapse is linked to what became a culture of decadence, its citizens no longer willing to defend the principles they so long ago once upheld. The deathblow, however, came as a result to what is now called the Immortal Wars.

The year 284 BM marked the beginning of the Immortal Wars, spurred by the betrayal of High Councilor Na’al in his revolt against the King. Of the enigmatic figure that is Na’al, little is remembered. A prominent man amongst the ruling family of Dudurel, he was also a ranking member of a secret society of mages that distanced themselves from the Great Academy. It was in the years before his betrayal that Na’al took great interest in Life Magicks, and more importantly, the pursuit of immortality. In the few details that are known, Na’al proved successful at the cost of his magical society. For the world to see, he proved himself ‘immortal’. As word spread like wild fire across the continent, he promised the gift of immortality to those families who would bow down to him, having proclaimed himself the new Emperor of Zeal. What followed was 40 years of war between those loyal to the true Emperor and those who sought to bargain immortality from Na’al. The city of Duderel became synonymous with revolt and betrayal, the city following Na’al into war against the neighboring territories. The city of Napeli was quickly crushed under the military might of Na’al before the other cities could muster any aid. In the years that passed, in fighting amongst loyal and rebellious noble families in all of the great cities lead to the ultimate decline of any power structure throughout the Empire. Intense fighting continued for many years, the armies of Na’al and Duderel finally defeated. But in the final days before his defeat, Na’al disappeared. Fighting across the Empire continued at large, the last pockets of resistance finally quelled and a semblance of order restored in the year 244 BM.

From the ashes of a once great Empire that had destroyed itself in a pursuit of immortality, the Emperor tried to regain control over all the great cities. But time proved against the Emperor and Orkish tribes of the East took advantage of the crippled state of the Empire. The quick war to follow, known as the Orkish Wars, was the killing blow to the Empire.

The Orkish tribes, having always been loosely aligned and holding a strength that paled compared to the Empire, came to prominence during the final years of the Immortal Wars. Witness to the in fighting of Mankind, the Orkish tribes sought to strike back at the Empire that had continually tried to contain and eradicate the Orks. United under Khalag, a great tribal chieftain, the Orks struck at the capital city of Zeal in the year 244 BM. Already in fear of collapse and barely able to muster an army, the Emperor looked to the Great Academy for a desperate solution.

The Great Academy, now understood as the Jaded Withdraw, was house to the great scholars of Zeal. Their construct, similar to the modern day Priory, put them in service of the Emperor and Zeal. The magicks understood by the Zealan Empire is difficult to describe. The ancient scholars had succeeded in unlocking many of the secrets of the Earthmasters, able to reconstruct some of their greatest sa’dara. Thus, the control that Zealan magicians had over the world, even the other planes of existence, has no real comparison today.

The Great Academy selected twelve great wizards lead by Carthec to pierce the outer chaos, and from it draw a demon to vanquish the Orks. Aware of the danger in their actions, the mages had no choice but to perform the ritual for fear of the Empire’s collapse. While the summoning from the Outer Chaos was a success, the binding of the demon now known as Maguun failed. In the first months of his appearance in the physical plane, Maguun adhered to the will of the twelve magi, secretly bargaining with Carthec with gifts of power and immortality. The Orkish assault on the capital city was repelled, the Orkish tribes retreating from the darkness that was Maguun. The success, however, was short lived. Succumbing to the great wonders shown to him Carthec dispatched of his fellow magi and fell enslaved to Maguun.

With eleven of the twelve initial summoners dead, the complex inner workings of the binding ritual were lost. Maguun soon lashed out against the Empire and all those living under it, demons befalling the great cities. While the remaining armies of the Empire tried to combat the rising chaos Maguun overwhelmed the cities one by one.

The first blow was struck at the heart of the Empire. The capital city of Zeal was toppled in a single day, the once great spires and structures that reached towards the heavens sent smashing into the ground. The land around Zeal was torn apart, scholars citing a great “Breaking of the World” where the continent of Zeal was pulled in two, separating the forces of the Empire and leaving it easier to conquer.

To quell any resistance from the Great Academy, Maguun unleashed his full power upon it, cursing the domain of the magi so that any who cast there would go mad. The majority of those that survived fled into the deserts, a much smaller group went into hiding deep in the sanctuaries of the Academy that transcended space. Afraid of what might be loosed upon the world, the surviving magi encased the Academy in a great barrier so that the horrors contained would not plague the nearby city of Aurelia.

Weakened by his use of power and still acclimating to the physical realm, Maguun and his host of armies continued fighting the Empire. With hopes of returning Maguun back to his original chaos near impossible to realize, the remaining magi of the world sought two different solutions. The largest group, managing to escape from the Academy alive, struck out to the desert to where Kadash Nu’uab had been uncovered. Here was the seat of one of four great Godstones, the pillars that linked the magical plain of Yashain to Terra. It was through this magical source that the magi pooled all their own magical energy and that of the Godstone into Laroshin, a creature of pure magic that took on the form of a dragon. The ritual, however, had its burden. Stripped of all their magic, the magi remained defenseless to any army of Maguun that happened upon them. But all was not without hope for Laroshin was a success, able to contend with Maguun long enough for a second solution to hatch.

Those magi that remained at the Great Academy, pouring over the tomes and ancient knowledge they had collected, devised a solution based on many of the obelisks they had constructed before. The group of sixty magi, each masters of their own field of earth and spirit, fled the remnants of the sanctuary of the Academy into the land in six groups of ten. There they went to the remaining cities and the country sides and constructed what are now known as the six great obelisks. These structures of ancient stone and arcane warding brought about a temporal realm in which the demon host of Maguun could be pulled. The six that excelled most in the fields of spiritual magic were entombed in the obelisks for all eternity, the remaining magi enclosing their stone graves and activating the wards that protected them.

With Maguun distracted by Laroshin, the temporal plane was opened up and with it Maguun, his host of demons, and the multitude of souls that saturated the world from the wars were caught up into a timeless darkness. With one final act of devastation, Maguun lashed out on Illaria, sinking the city beneath the waters.

But Maguun, was defeated.

The empire in ruin, those who survived the Great War befell an even worse fate. In the south, the great magicks that had been used throughout the Immortal Wars and fighting Maguun began to take an averse effect much akin to plague and disease. Their skin paled, their bodies deformed, and their minds numbed. All over the continent human kind was transformed into what are now the ghouls. And in the city of Duderal, a strange figure emerged. A great lich, near powerful as a god, proclaiming himself Mala’tal, Lord of the Southern Continent. Those ghoul who opposed him were put to death, the others taking sanctuary in the ruins of Duderal that is today the Necropolis, Land of the Damned.

(Note, these events occur before the final fate of Zeal has come to pass.)

With the Old Empire having succumbed to its own decadence, a small group of men and women sought to escape the impending doom of their Empire’s destruction by fleeing across the seas where not even the battle lusting Orks could follow. Written accounts of this odyssey describe horrific storms and terrible sea monsters. Fully half the vessels disappeared, although some of these unfortunates survived to found colonies at various likely and unlikely spots around the land nowadays known as Leanantla.

Upon landing, the exiles were greeted by the land’s natives with mixed reactions. The coastal tribes were generally peaceful, but they found more warlike tribes inland. For the coming centuries, the survivors of the Odyssey mixed with the local tribes and brought them knowledge and taught them about their gods.

During this time, much of the knowledge of the Old Empire was lost, but some legends remain. Small kingdoms rose and fell, but only a few could establish relative security and stability. The most successful of these was the Kingdom of Mercia, which was built around the ideals, and indeed the church, of the Goddess Larani. In time, Mercia grew in power and influence, spreading the ideals of chivalry and feudal order all across the region. Mercia was founded 519 years ago, in the year from which all other dates are reckoned.

With magic throughout the Kingdoms largely undocumented and uncontrolled, the Priory was established to unify mages throughout the Kingdoms and act as a body of researches and academics that existed regardless of borders. While tribal shamans were largely absent from the organization, the Priory did accept the mystics of Andal. The Priory stressed peaceful research and shamed those mages who delved into the deadly arts of the arcane. There was a prevailing fear that what resulted in the destruction of the Old Empire could happen again if magic were left unchecked. While research of peaceful magicks and science flourished, the masteries of the Old Empire faded away to time and neglect, many of the secrets once held by magi that escaped from the Old Empire locked away or left untouched.

Lothrim was a chieftain of a tribe of outlanders in Andal. A man of learning and uncertain origins, he delved deeply into the arts forbidden by the Priory and, by magic, deceit, cunning came to unify the Kingdoms of man and repel the Orkish Aggression. The story of his rise and defeat follows.

Lothrim was obsessed with the mystique of the Earthmasters. Determined to eventually rule not just the continent but the world, he concluded that the Ancients had done so aided by a race of humanoid soldier-slaves. By means of long forbidden arcane arts, he managed to create a fast breeding, short-lived race with very aggressive behavior, and called them Gargun (often referred to as Foulspawn, or goblins). They were violent, rebellious and quarrelsome, so Lothrim governed them with an iron rod and occupied them with constant wars. He undertook a reign of terror against the surrounding tribes and kingdoms known as the Tyranny of the Foulspawner. In turn, all of the Kingdoms of Man bowed to Lothrim and unified under him and the might of the Gargu. Construction began on Url-Kelduld which would become the seat of Lothrim’s Empire during the Orkish Aggression. With the forces of man unified, Lothrim set out to repel the Orks and eventually conquer even the unknown lands they came from.

With the combined might of Lothrim’s Gargun and the conquered human forces, the Orks were repelled from the Kingdoms of Man and into the Eastern Mountains. Not stopping there, the forces of Lothrim were occupied next by laying waste to the countryside the Orks had obtained, burning countless villages that once were homes to tribes. The Orks were soundly beaten back to their impregnable mountain fortress of Burl-Daur, but it wouldn’t stop Lothrim for long. In his unending quest for artifacts of the Earthmaster, Lothrim heard of a book, owned by the Orkish king and carried by the invading Orkish troops, said to contain the great secrets of the Ancients. Lothrim became obsessed with the book and resolved to win it at any cost. The stronghold was also a major obstacle to expanding his empire to the east. Lothrim led an army of Gargun against the mountain fastness.

The march was a difficult one, and the defeat of Lothrim’s weary forces should have by all rights been a certainty, if not for a freak of fortune. Most of the warriors had recently departed the town to hunt and gather food before the onset of winter and the impending siege by Lothrim. The tyrant’s forces burst upon the lightly defended fortress of Burl-Daur and captured it with relative ease. The Gargun engaged in an orgy of bloodlust, rape, and pillage. Every Ork was slain and feasted on by the Gargun hordes. Lothrim was delirious when a very old tome was found, written in a script unknown to him. Lothrim might have wintered in the city, but supplies were short. So, confident that the Orkish power was destroyed, he began the long march home.

A long march home which ended in disaster. Vengeful Orks besieged the victorious war party again and again, slowing down the progress of the trek tremendously. Discovered later to be their purpose all along, the Orks who gave their lives slowing down the troops of Lothrim in whatever way possible delayed the journey long enough for a party of Orks to beat the humans to the coastal fleet, cutting off their escape and simultaneously cutting off their supplies. Lothrim, eager to discover the secrets of the text, had the forces secure and utilize Hurndar to act as a base until reinforcements could arrive.

History, here, becomes unclear. What we do know is the Gargun rebelled, breaking their magical limitations and striking against those who controlled them. What is not known is why the Gargu rebelled or what happened to Lothrim and his relic. All of this aside, by most his campaign was considered a success, and his memory held dear as a hero, even if a flawed one. After his defeat, the remaining forces of the Federation still proved a threat to the Orks. Thus the remaining armies of the Orkish Aggression fled from Leanantla as the eastern lands were torn apart by the Gargu.

When word reached Url-Kelduld of Lothrim’s defeat, no successor could overcome the tyrant’s legacy of hatred and resentment; the confederation dissolved. The remaining Kingdoms dispatched of the Gargu in their lands and saw them flee over the mountains to the east. So ended the Tyranny of the Foulspawner, his capital of Url-Kelduld looted and abandoned.

With the threat of the Orks removed and the Tyrant Lothrim having disappeared, religion once again swept through the lands. The Church of Larani, looking to unify its power and relieve the lands of new evil, set about to cleanse the lands and purge dissidents from the countryside. From corner to corner of the Kingdoms that had risen from the ashes of the Lothrim Federation the Cleansing claimed the lives of those thought to be deviants: suspected Maguunites, vampires, and therians were all put to death alongside those that refused conversion to Larani and the Three Goddesses. Of the Kingdoms, Andal was struck the hardest. Many of the tribes that dotted the lands clung to the old beliefs of mysticism and the pagan Gods of Leanantla. Thus, as a show of force and a compulsion to convert, entire villages were impaled or crucified forming a line from ocean to ocean giving rise to a distinct border between the Laranian kingdoms of Man and the untamed lands of Andal. The forces of Larani continued to range into the Kingdom of Andal and massacre all those who refused to herald the name of Larani until the final tribes that opposed Her name either converted or were forced into the eastern mountains near the Gargu where they met an equally worse fate being devoured by the Foulspawn. Thus ended the Cleansing, the lands of Leanantla now unified under the Three Goddesses.

From the ashes of Lothrim’s Empire rose new and old states. Most prominent amongst these was the Kingdom of Mercia. Its greatest rival was the Kingdom of Simos which had prospered greatly in trade as a result of being untouched by the Orkish Aggression. To the south was the Kingdom of Avaria, largely in ruins after the Orks laid waste to their largest cities and the inhabitants were forced onto the mainland. The last kingdom was that of the unified Andal, the old tribes having finally settled under a single ruler. As time passed from the fall of Lothrim’s Empire, the Four Kingdoms stabilized and a semblance of peace was earned with religion as a unifying force. The peace, was short lived. The lands gained by the Cleansing were distributed entirely to Mercia, much to the dismay of the other Kingdoms. What resulted was nearly 60 years of fighting between the Kingdoms that brought Kings to their knees and saw a schism of religious beliefs.

It was after the Cleansing that the Church of Larani announced its intent to unify the Four Kingdoms into a confederacy, an action that would place the Archbishop of Larani as the sole seat of power over all the current Kings. The Kingdom of Simos and Andal refused less Mercia give up a portion of the Cleansing land. And, as already could be guessed, Mercia had no intent of doing so. What followed was a schism between the faiths of Larani: those that lived in Mercia adhered to the old orthodox manners of the Church of Larani, while the Kingdom of Simos formed the Laranian Proselyte in what was seen as a reformation movement, claiming that the Church of Larani was favoring the King of Mercia. The war that followed is known as the “War of Heretics”, where the offshoot faith of Simos was crushed and its teachings destroyed. Over the course of thirty years of bloodshed and war, Mercia proved itself the victor. With Salsadin in ruins, there was no question that Mercia would be the capital of the new Mercian Kingdom. Yet the King of Mercia had little time to celebrate his victory. Charged with heresy, the King was put to death without trial. It would be Daagen Feirth, the general who orcastrated the entire war, who would become the first King of the new Holy Kingdom under Larani. The original belief in a Kingdom under the Archbishop, was lost.

The rule of the Feirth bloodline as the First and Holy Kings of Mercia is marked in history as a time of expansion. Years of bloodshed had made the peasantry weary of warfare amongst itself, and in what is largely now seen as a political stunt, the Feirth bloodline carried out two great crusades against the lands of the Gargun to rally the people of the new Kingdom of Mercia together. In reclaiming the lost lands of Burl-Daur, great treasures began to flow into the Kingdom. It was here that one of the most holy shrines of Larani was constructed to herald Her power over the might of the Orks and the Gargu. Yet, in shame, the holy site would be lost, reclaimed, and lost again for all of time, never to be glimpsed again by human eyes. Yet in its brief stint of glory, Burl-Daur represents an age when the doctrine of Larani was strongest. The glory of the Holy Kings died with Haidomen, Daagen’s first son, when he was murdered with no legitimate heir.

The Vorlorn bloodline, more than any, epitomizes the failures and successes of nobility. Plagued with infighting, marital struggle, and an increasing difficulty to maintain control over a hostile populus, the Vorlorn bloodline has managed to survive nearly two centuries of instability. Before the discovery of Eridan, the King was finding it increasingly difficult to deal with the populus who looked upon the failings of the nobility to protect them from pirates and banditry while living in opulence. The King promised a grand solution. To the surprised of everyone, it came. In the form of the colonies.

In the year 450 MR, a pirate by the name of Anreus Mar’cant, flying under the banner of The Great Doom Fleet, attempted escape by sea along with two other corsairs from the Imperial Fleet for high crimes against the Empire. Using the ice flows as a barrier the ships were able to make some distance between themselves and the Fleet with their small and maneuverable size. Yet during the exhausting voyage a fog overcame the small pirate legion and the quickening Fleet, eventually resulting in the separation of Anreus’ ship from the others. The deep fog remained for nearly a week and the weather of the Meran Sea became more treacherous with prevailing winds. It was in this time that Anreus’ corsair was taken off route to his cove and began on a journey that would later be discounted by the royal court of Imperial society - his travel would place him on the island that colonials have now taken to inhabit, on the shore of the continent which was by royal decree named Eridan.

Day 24

I ‘ave taken to begin writing these log fer hopes that some day I canst look back upon me days and remember these events an’ how they came to pass. T’was nae mine original intent to be sauw by the Imperial Fleet, yet nonetheless the mistake is irreversible - in the midst of our attempt at smuggling a shipment of silks and incense a navy flagship took notice of us. They made quick work to inform the port and send us out in a hurry from the bay, but persistent dogs they were. T’wasnt till the ice flow that any distance coul’ be made between my men and thair ships, yet now I float adrift in a thick fog which blocks even the stars from our sight...

Day 30

Fate has something ill in store for us, if only the Virtues would take mercy upon us now. We lost sight of the Blackviper and Wispering Wind and continue our attempts at navigating this dense haze, but with nae aid of the stars our luck will ‘ave to hold out longer afore the Fleet catches glance of us.

Day 43

The murk of the fog hath cleared, yet now we’ve but the expanding sea afore us. There be nae sight of land and any direction we head looks but the same; even the stars look different in the night then they used to. Food itself is becoming scarce and the men begin to wonder if our hope to escape through the ice was the best plan.

I can only wonder what happened to our sister ships and if the fleet still follows, I would think they have given up, but that doth nae solve our current situation.

Day 72

Ink is scare and starvation is beginning to settle upon the men. One man has already taken to the sea as his final pledge, but its waters will be opening up far more often in the coming days. I — *water seems to stain the page and many of those after it, the ink is spread out in a dull purple tone across much of the mangled journal* —- see them again.

Day 86

My bottle is empty and my quill is broke, yet none matters - we see land.

It was at the end of the three month voyage that Anreus had come onto the lands of the new world filled with trees, brooks, and a renewing scent. When those few men that had survived the voyage went towards the streams for food and drink, gold could be spotted within the small river beds; yet in the night, strange voices were heard and even stranger shadows were seen. When enough provisions were gathered and the aid of rest, the men took what gold and riches they had found on the land and began their trip back home. It was, however as fate would have it, that a storm came upon them when they finally neared the Empire taking the lives of all but 4 of the crew and its captain, but also most of their provisions and the riches brought from the southern isle. Battered by the storm, the ship slowly managed its way into the ice flow once more and a small relief came over the men as they could see their home at last - or so they had thought.

When his ship was spotted upon arrival in its disfigured shape, a flagship of the Imperial Fleet took advantage of the situation and laid fire onto the damage corsair. Only Anreus managed to survive the destruction, taken captive by the ship and brought back to the mainland for trial. It was there that Anreus told his tale of the rich lands that lied far south in the treacherous seas, where gold is plentiful and beauty is inexplicable. The courts ruled that the six months Anreus had been at away had caused the man to become delusional and ignored the notion that some land of grandeur existed to the south; Anreus was put to death that very evening for the crimes he had attempted to escape, the information of his hearing locked away for decades to come.

49 years later a young explorer was handed the notations of the courts query and the journal of the latent Anreus Mar’cant by a friend within the Imperial Quisitory. After reviewing the material, the sense of adventure and the chance to prove the existence of another land, Lenith Colbron asked his merchant father (rich from previous endeavors) for his help to form a small crew to voyage with. Grudgingly his father accepted saying that the loan would need to be paid back within the year, but that the ship and crew were under Lenith’s control.

The following eve Lenith would set sail and return a number of months later with the riches and grandeur of the southern continents. Within the year numerous ships set sail to lay claims of the land and gain their part of the splendor the isle offered.

With the formation of Denshy in 513, the third and only surviving colony has become more akin to a city. As the people poured into the new lands upon their discovery, with dreams of wealth and a better lives, the streets of Denshy became packed. When word struck that the other two colonies had been destroyed, it had a great sobering effect on the colonizers; their dreams of grandeur had been dashed, for monsters unheard of in Leanantla were seen outside Denshy’s gates, pirates ruled the seas, and the threat of Orks, or even something worse, always seemed to loom over the city. Yet, if not diligently, the small city has pressed on through time. When Prince Faris disappeared from ruling the city, new leadership was sought out. Here, the recent history of the world begins.

The great throne of Mercia; seat of the King of the Mercian Kingdom; ruler of the four realms and all of Leanantla. Words cannot do justice to the day the skies opened up above the capital city, not filled with the heavenly glory of Larani or the Goddesses, but with a shadow that swallowed the city whole. Hands raised upward, pointing at the darkening clouds before a multitude of screams filled the city as men, women, and children ran for cover as a rain of ash began to cover the city. The heavens exploded into a scene of fire, harsh orange light bearing down on the capital, searing the walls and burning alive those that stood too long. This, was Maguun. Still shapeless from years of slumber and weakened from his fight with Laroshin that took place millennia ago, He pressed down on the city. And from his amorphic form poured a host of demons that were hindered neither by blade or wall. Through the city they spread, extinguishing any life that dare exist in Maguun’s presence. And for all the Realm to see, the city burned for weeks.

The demon Maguun has riddled historians for years. Why Merica, and not Denshy? Why not deal with what posed a real threat? This statement seems easy to make - in hindsight. For Mercia was the heart of the Priory, the greatest gathering of mages and the arcane that could try and deal a blow to Maguun. Mercia, the capital city of Larani and the Three Goddesses, three of the four demons that had betrayed Maguun and left him to his millenia of timeless slumber. Mercia, the heart of the Kingdom of Men, those that had cursed Maguun to his earlier prison cell. In this respect, it is easy to see why Mercia was the first to face the wrath of Maguun.

What is understood is that the Arch-Bishop of Eridan, revealed to be the high summoner Ma’el, was tasked by Maguun to deal with Denshy and the southern ghoul. Thus Maguun was relieved, or so we suspect he thought, of any troubles that would arise there and left for Leanantla to crush any form of human resistance. When Mercia was burned to its foundation, the other realms held no misconception of what fate would follow if they did not band together. Thus the armies of the four realms (The realms surrounding Merica, Medici, Portcross, and Andal) under banners of their Dukes, Viscounts, Counts, and Barons all banded to form a Great Coalition. While worship to the Goddess Larani was in vane, the teachings she had left behind were not. Military training and experience from the previous war with the Orks had left many of the soldiers of the Mercian Kingdom battle hardened. It was thus that a realistic resistance was formed to Maguun’s host of demons, battles dotting the countryside as Maguun’s army marched towards any settlement.

While the armies of mankind fought for many hard months, their efforts were a losing one. Tales tell of the lives of cities being extinguished in a day, only on the morrow for the armies of man to be fighting the pale and lifeless corpses that were once their own families and allies. As the terror that was Maguun spread over the continent, the forces of man were cut in two. Medici and Andal were able to rally their troops and escape the line that Maguun was drawing, but Portcross was cornered. Weakened and never a true military power, what resistance existed in the realm of Portcross quickly fell. With Portcross crippled, though not fully destroyed, Maguun’s forces left north to break the resistance posed by Medici and Andal. What followed was a series of sieges, mankind only trying to last long enough before retreat to buy time for other forces to appear, or some solution to be found.

What remained of the Priory worked both in battle and in arcane towers. The magicks they had uncovered from Eridan and those that had been developed in the war with the Orks proved devastating against the forces of Maguun. But despite all their attempts, no solution could be reasoned in how to unsummon or ensnare Maguun. We historians are now just beginning to understand why. When the Priory was formed, it was put under oversight of the Church of Larani. What seemed a wise move then to save mankind from the previous disaster that had struck the Old Empire is now appearing more a feigned act by Maguun’s control in the Church. For, by forbidding research into summoning and the dark arts, it also hobbled any chances of the Priory ever becoming experienced enough to devise a solution to defeat Maguun should he ever escape his cage. Thus, inexperienced with any of the arcane arts that posed any solution to the Outer Chaos and Maguun, the Priory was left only as a military tool to combat the forces of Maguun and delay, but never defeat them.

The months that followed saw the end of the Great Coalition. Many people wished to defend their homeland, yet were called to defend the lands of another realm. Infighting and depression at the sign of little chance of success sent the Coalition reeling into its demise. While never actually struck, the cities of Medici and Andal saw themselves ruined by poverty and desertion. Fear had filled the streets that they would be swallowed much the same as Mercia and as a result people had fled to the countryside. Looting and desperation saw to the cities falling into near ruin, the inhabitants having to fear their own neighbors as much as the armies of Maguun.

When all hope seemed lost and all the armies of the realms had been pinned down, the unbelievable occurred. In but an instant, the shadow that had nearly swallowed whole the continent of Leanantla disappeared like mist leaving behind the realms in a state of disrepair, its inhabitants scattered amongst the land with no way to communicate they still were alive. The years that followed saw rise to the Shattered Kingdoms as those that still cling to their noble blood tried to exert control over the land and claim the throne of Mercia for their own. While some sought to bargain and re-form the Great Coalition and the Mercian Kingdom, the dream was an impossible one. Infighting amongst the noble houses and scarcity of food and shelter propelled the once grand Kingdom into a dark age. What remains of the realms are now pockets of warlords and nobles that claim dominion over small regions of land. Centered around the old cities of Medici, Andal, and Portcross are the once Dukes who have taken residence in what remains of the cities, exerting their control over the surrounding territories. To the far north are pockets of warlords, generals who rose to prominence during the war and have now claimed the land and the people in them as subjects. To the east, the threat of the Gargun still loom, raiding west into the Shattered Kingdoms and posing a grave threat to those that live near the Gargun boarders. The capital city of Mercia remains a terrain of constant battle, nobles and warlords alike trying to claim the fading image that was once the seat of power that ruled the entirety of Leanantla. To this day, the city streets are filled with the bloodied soldiers of leaders, yet no common people dare live there for fear of being put to the sword.

With poverty plaguing the Shattered Kingdoms, refugees seek the old colony city of Denshy. While many die in the process of travel, many still survive the arduous task of crossing the sea to Eridan where they are greeted with a relative peace. But the weight of the refugees will become a burdensome one for Denshy is but a pebble compared to the boulders that were once Mercia and the four great cities...