| Year | Event/Age |
|---|---|
| up to 250 | The Lost Ages |
| 250-258 | The War of Ascendancy |
| 258-300 | The Time of Chaos |
| 300-315 | Rebuilding of Nations |
| 315-565 | The Age of Peace |
| circa 355 | The Return of Magic |
| circa 475 | The Return of the Gods |
| 565 | The Present |
Known as the Lost Ages, the time preceding what was to become known as the "War of Ascendancy" has been all but completely lost to history. Only the oldest sages have even the slightest bit of useful information regarding this time, and even they are hard pressed to answer any serious questions about it.
It is believed that these years were a pinnacle in the evolution of the world, a time of great peace and prosperity, with unparalleled advances in many aspects of civilization. Beyond these legends and tales, nothing remains from this time, as much was destroyed in the Great War, and the chaos that followed on its heels.
Noone is sure exactly how the Great War, as it is called, began, but it is well known that the ravages it caused nearly wiped the races from the face of Dartore. Much mystery surrounds the war, but the most reliable accounts detail the final cataclysmic battle, which created the western desert as it is now known, as a thing of terrible beauty, eldritch magics brought to bear in a final confrontation with an unspecified enemy. Legends say that the sky bled, the land shuddered, and the sun shone black during the conflagration.
Few sages have any information on the war itself, but it is rumored that there are libraries of lore describing the exact circumstances surrounding it in the Elven archives kept beneath the forest city of Ros Amarth, but the elves deny any such archives exist, let alone contain any information on the War of Ascendancy.
Following the War of Ascendancy, there were many changes to the structure of Dartore, including an exodus of the divine from the area. Soon after, even arcane magics began to fade, and the world plunged into chaos. No significant records of the period exist, but it is well known that this was an era where death and destruction reigned. The races warred amongst themselves for nearly five decades, committing uncountable atrocities, burning and looting.
Only the very hearts of the Elven and Dwarven nations remained unscathed from the battles, well defended, and hidden within thier respective nations as they were. Even so, the ravages of the fighting were felt even there, as thousands fell in battles across the continent, families disintigrated, and it was only the strong will of the rulers of those nations that kept them from complete chaos.
Eventually, a strong man, by the name of Kegan Cormac, managed to raise an army consisting mostly of humans. He conquered the majority of the plains area, leaving the southern reaches to the more savage races, and driving the dwarves and elves back towards their ancestral homes.
A thoughtful man, the newly created King Cormac, began the process of rebuilding civilization. He invited the rulers of the dwarves, elves, gnomes, and halflings to the city of Zabulzig under a flag of truce. There he proposed that the races set aside that area to be a meeting place for all, a city of truce for all time. He further suggested that the halflings be given the positions of mediators, as they had remained largely outside the ravages of the previous wars.
After much negotiation, give and take, the good King agreed to return to the prewar borders as a sign of good faith. And a truce was stuck amongst the newly recreated nations of Dartore, an end to the decades of slaughter and destruction. Then, turning his eyes inward, towards his own kingdom, King Cormac set about consolidating his power, and building his capital of Sid Belug, near the heart of the newly forged kingdom.
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This document was last modified on Friday, 5 July 2024 at 03:19:25, UTC.
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