Newrp First Age

The First Age.

Humanity begun recording history in the 'First Age'.  Writing of the earliest parts of this age is highly poetic and story-driven, as the concept of 'history' was not yet born, thus much of what is known of the time is treated partly as reference to some grounded, real event  and partly as pure metaphor or worse, invention.  However, it is undeniable that the many stories of the First Age have some convergence between them.

There are three main centers of civilization that managed to grow to some prominence in the first age, the far-southern Xoac/Terac/Kandh line, the central-western Orimman and the northern Vaanites. It must be noted that the Vaanites and the Orimann trace a common ancestry, whereas the Southern People seem to be entirely foreign to the continent of Mistanne. Several concepts of note arise in this age, described below:

- The Great Tree: A mighty tree that spread it's roots a cross the entirety of the continent, growing taller than the mountains, far to the north. The Vaanite and Orimman seem to have stories pertaining it. The Tree was burnt down in a terrible cataclysm, that marked the end of the 'Age of Origin' which predates even the First Age. Some believe that the Parallels are the roots of this tree, that were ignited in the ancient times and still burn to this day. A worrying concept as it means that some day, they will finish burning and become lost.

- The City of the Axioms: A city of 'gold and obsidian' built atop the branches of the great tree. It was ruled by four 'Axioms', divine maidens of tremendous authority and supernatural powers. Not even the Sorcerer Kings dared reach for the City. It was separated in four quarters, one of each Axiom which were connected in a vast central square, the point from which the branches of the tree spread out. Mystical waters, healing fragrances, ever-clean walls and overflowing wealth are all attributed to this fabled city, not to mention the longevity of it's inhabitants as well as their propensity for grandiose shows of supernatural power.

- Axioms: Aleste, Velica, Eurel, Soma. Four women of great renown. Their legacy is felt throughout the continent. The Orimman claim Velica as the one who brought them the gift of writing and culture while the Vaanite emperors hold themselves as descendants of Vaan and Eurel. Even the Xoac people seem to be influenced by Aleste, who taught them of the 'stone giants'. The Soma facilities share their name with the fourth and most violent Axiom. These maidens were said to possess the power to speak to anything, animate or not, knew of the true nature of the universe, could expand or shrink space and were immortal.

- Soma: Three facilities (Soma-P, Soma-Q and Soma-R) built quite high up the northern ranges, yet without crossing over in the realm beyond. It is believed they were built by the Axiom of the same name, as outposts at first and then as places for the people of the City of the Axioms to take shelter in after it's fall, or so it is said. The Soma facilities contain some of the oldest texts and works of art preserved up until the Third Age. The knowledge of the ancients lives on through it's people, a somewhat isolated sect of scholars and artists.

- The Sorcerer Kings: Although widely believed to be 'dragons', they also contained birdlike qualities, being a gigantic mix of serpent/lizard and avian. It is unknown where they came from, but they gathered many followers and ruled parts of the continent with their immense and quite varied sorcery power. Largely believed to be invincible, two of them were directly slain, one suffered an even worse fate, while others either turned to stone or vanished from the world in some form. Their descendants are forced to take on humanoid form, and seem to possess far less power.

- Lightning over the Mountains: Of the Sorcerer Kings, few were as illustrious as Volgarth the Traveler. Possessed of iron scales and sharp wisdom, Volgarth had mastered the power of lightning. Not only could he summon the cold fire to strike down his enemies across the continent, but he could also wreath himself in it and appear anywhere he wished within the land, giving rise to his title of the Traveler. In his hubris, Volgarth sought to conquer the realm of the great tree, and Soma rose to meet him. They fought for three days, yet at the end of it, the Golden Axiom triumphed over the Iron dragon and Volgarth fell down the slope of the northern ranges, dead.

- The Journey of Vaan: The tale of the boy-hero Vaan who accompanied the Axiom Eurel for seven years, in a journey filled with peril and adventure. Struggling to survive in the wild against beasts, men and even the power of nature, Vaan managed to, through his charisma and Eurel's knowledge, gather a vast following, which eventually shaped into a horde proper. Coming into conflict with the Azgan the Black, a Sorcerer King of the north, Vaan and his followers managed to, in an unprecedented event, slay the dragon with Vaan claiming it's powers. This lead to the founding of the Vaanite Empire.

- Azgan the Black: A terrifyingly large and physically imposing beast, Azgan lacked wings and was more like a gigantic (and menacing) mixture of turtle and lizard. A flat face, heavy, sharp black scales and a mighty thick tail. He possessed a terrible body heat and seemed to be able to breathe fire. Azgan's outer layer was said to be nigh impossible to penetrate, and it was also said that once he got moving, he was impossible to stop. He made his home in the mountain fortress Zogam, a bulky wall-construct, with an U-shape. Azgan rested in the center, while the closest servants of his lived within the walls and tended to his every need.

- The Zogam Parallel: A parallel running below the Dark Fortress Zogam, who was said to be so dense that the light-like energy of it existed in a liquid state, sometimes called the Zogam River. Azgan the Black laid claim over it, and often consumed it's 'waters' raw, which helped him grow to a great size, become ageless, harden his scales and turn his flame breath white. Humans would however find drinking it directly extremely toxic, yet found an use for the liquid, to power various machinery and alchemical processes as well as make an unique brand of Ink, used only for the most important of rituals and arts.

- The Vaanite Empire Part 1: A dynastic rule that began when Vaan's followers subjugated those of Azgan the Black and with them, settled in the north, under the shadow of the vast ranges. It is said that Vaan publicly took Eurel as his wife, even if she remained famously chaste and bore him no children, and that the only place she would be at ease, would be near the mountains close to her former home. The Vaanites eventually spread out and sought to control other lands and bring civilization to the primitive tribes they bordered with, eventually absorbing (most of) them peacefully. Imperial succession was through inheriting Vaan's crown, made of Azgan's scales.

- The Daughters of Eurel: A group of women who carry names written similarly to Eurel's, but with a slight difference. Avrel, Evril, Ifril etc. They were taken to Zogam and taught the ways of summoning and controlling Sprites. The Daughters of Eurel serves the rulers of the empire, the Sons of Vaan, who inherited the Scaled Crown from the prior emperor. They were not allowed to take any public office and had many restrictions placed on them, however they lived a life of comfort (if not luxury), not to mention being untouchable by the law.

- Oria: An eldritch being of unknown origin or nature. Some hold her to be a fairy, others claim a ghost or evil spirits, some see her as a particularly tricky dragon and others still label her a lost Axiom. There are some who claim she is a deity, but the truth is nobody knows just what Oria is. She descended from the realm of the Great Tree when it burnt down, yet she claimed to be an enemy of the Axioms. She traveled the world and did many inexplicable things, some good and some bad. Entirely pale, both of skin and hair, with unnatural red eyes and markings and a mystical aura. Reports of her after the first age are almost non-existent and certainly dubious.

- Mormeth the Greedy: A great Sorcerer King, possessed of a long neck and longer tail, much like a serpent. He lost his wings in a battle with Volgarth the Traveler, and holed himself in the tallest mountain in the world, Arthe-Alomin. He often crawled to nearby lands and demanded all of their riches to be sent to the mountain within a month or so, lest he come out again and raze them to the ground. In this manner, Mormeth had gathered a truly vast fortune, and practically swum in gold that overflowed from the sides of the mountain. However, he was unsatisfied, and was forever seeking a fancier, shinier, better material.

- The Embracing Parallels: Two parallels which intersect in a rather unique way, forming a double helix. The energy flux from their points of intersection caused them to 'burst' when coming underneath the mountain. This has the effect of producing multiple 'mini parallels' which 'flourish' outward into the lands to the south and east of the mountain. The parallels are rather subtle, and one cannot see them directly. Their effects however, paint a veil of mystique and the supernatural is strong in the surroundings of the mountain, making it a land of stories and legends, as well as obviously, of power.

- The Origins of Oriate: The legendary metal from which Orimman takes it's name, and that has come to define many advancements of the modern age. Oria visited Arthe-Alomin and was held up by Mormeth, who demanded that she give him a boon, for she had trespassed his territory. Oria was...amused, and asked what was it that Mormeth would want. Once she learned of the dragon's wishes, Oria consented and proceeded to mold all of the riches in the mountain to Mormeth's body, before transmuting the whole of it into Oriate. Mormeth never 'died' in a sense, and his conscience lives on, in every single piece of Oriate to exist today, tormented forever.

- The Origins of Orimman Part 1: Once Mormeth stopped being an issue, the many tribes that were plagued by his presence came to the mountain to retrieve their wealth, only to find it converted into Mormeth's body. Once they realized there was no way for them to process this new material, due to the apparent inability to break it apart, the tribes came together to decide how to resolve this issue. After one week of having settled in the mountain, over the bloated corpse of Mormeth, a woman came to them who said her name was Velica. She offered the tribes a riddle, and when she received an answer to it, she would give them an answer in turn.

- The Origins of Orimman Part 2: A man from one of the tribes, after much deliberation answered Velica's riddle. To this day, it is unknown just what this riddle was. Velica then took this man and taught him words in the Primordial Language (named Arphes Velica, after her) that would break the Oriate apart and have it answer his every whim. With her advice and teaching, this man created walls, and a vast city of pure Oriate. He renamed himself to Cronn (King/lord in Arphes Velica) and bid the other tribes submit to his rule. Seeing his vast power, they decided to follow him, and thus the realm of Orimman was born, originally around the mountain.

- The Xoac: People non-indigenous to Mistanne. XoAc simply means 'this people', who came from an unknown location and settled in the south. While it is plausible they came by water, their stories tell of flying entities bringing them in from the sky and placing them in the jungles. Originally lacking in civilization and making a meager living, the XoAc became the first people to develop a concept of ideas and their world via the help of who's believed to be Aleste of the four Axioms (albeit this claim is disputed to some degree). The XoAc were privy to many primordial mysteries of a world unknown to the other civilizations of Mistanne.

- Ocamalac: 'Oca-Mal-Ac': 'Tall Stone People'. Creatures crafted by stone and animated by an energy that the Xoac called Acwil (Ac-wil: People-Driving). These are believed to be the first Voices, who much resemble Dolls in their make. The Xoac perfected their making until they could allegedly use an Ocamalac as a city proper. The Ideas (Acwil) that powered Ocamalac were however, highly varied and thus Ocamalac were regarded as rather unstable. Only kings and similarly important people could have an Ocamalac.

- Terac: "Ter-Ac': 'Sea People'. An unique (but related) culture that also sprung forth in the jungle, yet never to the level of the Xoac. Once the two cultures met, the Terac were immediately absorbed and somewhat integrated. The Xoac made one one grave miscalculation however: The core values of Terac culture favored ambition, drive and competitiveness to a far greater level than the Xoac. Soon, the finest Ocamalac makers were all Terac, as were the best hunters and military strategists for when the Xoac tribes waged war. The Terac's rise begun from inside the Xoac culture, and soon Terac factions begun to form. The Xoac were in turn, subsumed.

- Kandhac - 'Kandh(r)-ac': 'People of Kandh'. A third faction of people who made their home in the vast southern jungles. They claimed to be from 'Kandh', the ancestral land of the Xoac and Terac. They were an aloof people and contact with both the Terac and Xoac was limited, even if it is believed the Kandhac knew of their existence before the two knew of eachother. While they were seen as impressive and venerable in the early ages, once the Xoac (and later Terac) begun building the Ocamalac, the Kandhac seemed to fade into obscurity, becoming little more than a far-fetched tale.

- The War of Stone and Scale Part 1 : A conflict between the Vaan and the Terac. A particularly ambitious Terac leader called Arhuc (Ar-huc: Great brave) who possessed thirty Ocamalac, sought to explore the land beyond the jungles of the south. In his journey north, he chanced upon nomadic tribes which had been displaced by the Vaanite Empire and had to go further south. Inflicting a number of crushing defeats to these nomads, Arhuc figured that he could venture even further north. Little did he know, that the Vaanite Empire called such land it's own, and his warriors were all slain, but for Arhuc who was allowed to return to the jungles.

- The Twelve Parallels: Known as a point of intersection between no less than twelve parallels, far in the south. The Xoac and Terac people came and went yet they deemed the mighty pillar of light, so intense that it shot up to the sky, as an untouchable land. It was only later, when Terahua was built that people made use of this grand intermixing of Parallels. To this day, the vast pillar of light stands as a great and fearsome hallmark, tied to numerous mysteries and three great civilizations, spanning the three Ages as well. Some fear that it may one day bring about the end of the world.

- The Vaanite Empire Part 2: Over the years, the Vaanite people grew into a fearsome power. While they did not possess the technology of the Xoac, Eurel had taught them the secret of bending Sprites, beings of pure light that ventured in the realm above the Great Tree. Sprites would be what the Xoac called 'Acwil', volatile and powerful beings. Sprites were influenced by ideas, once they came into contact with humanity and thus could be shaped and used for battle. Only certain chosen women (the 'daughters of Eurel') were allowed to summon and command sprites, yet their raw power was so vast that the Ocamalac were rendered helpless.

- The War of Stone and Scale Part 2: The Vaanite won the first conflict between the southerners and themselves, however the strange stone beings made quite the fuss. The Vaanite Empire thus prepared for war. Arhuc returned to the jungles and tried to warn them, amassing a reasonably powerful force of Ocamalac, including the largest of them all: ArMalHuc-NamKehHua (Great Stone Warrior Who Defends a Thousand Cities), who was a building complex of it's own. The Daughters of Eurel marched with the sprites in tow and a mighty battle ensued. All but Armalhuc were destroyed in the onslaught.

- The War of Stone and Scale Climax : The first battle between Voices is known to have taken place at the climax of the War of Stone and Scale. Propelled by the last few Terac warriors, the idea that Arhuc would save them from certain doom and drive Armalhuc-Namkehhua on his own arose and merged with the Acwil inside of the stone giant. This allowed Arhuc to face the mightiest of the Vaanite enemies, a woman named Ifrel who could master not one, but three Sprites with great ease. The battle ended in a tie, as both the three sprites and Armalhuc suffered great harm. This confrontation however, lead to colossal changes in both the Empire, and for the Terac.

- Terahua: After the end of the War of Stone and Scale, Armalhuc was far too damaged to fight. For the first time in it's existence, it spoke out with a great voice. It commanded Arhuc and the remaining Terac warriors to go south, and there to build a city. The warriors listened, and Armalhuc took them there, before laying down his life, the Acwil leaving the vast stone body, but not before reshaping it into a habitable structure. Terahua: The City of the Ter. Unlike what'd be expected of the time period, it is a tall, almost cylindrical structure built around the Twelve Parallels. Magnificent like a fortress and opulent like a treasury.

- The Rise of Ifrel: Returning to the north after a long and arduous journey, Ifrel was plainly put sick of Vaanite complacency. Storming the Imperial Chamber in Zogam, she forcibly took the Scale Crown of Vaan and placed it upon her head. She then went on to give a public address, where she summoned the greatest sprite, Shereanmat to sing a great tale to the people, her own story and how they needed to rise up now, lest the world trample them. In the process, she bestowed Shereanmat with a hardened carapace, forming the first modern Voice, and having it use the first modern Art. The daughters of Eurel and the sons of Vaan were united, as Ifrel became empress.

- The Vaanite Empire Part 3: With Ifrel at the head, the Vaanites begun making great leaps. They turned to the arts, and begun developing the earliest Alchemy, Inkmanship and even Performance. In the capital at Zogam, greater progress was made with Speaking, via singing aloud stories of legend and having a gathering of performers accompany them with music. Soon enough the Vaanite formed a vast network of connected cities, the Sun of Vaan. The Vaanite Empire reached it's peak with Ifrel and her descendants leading it into a veritable age of enlightenment and prosperity.

- The Sun of Vaan: Multiple structures laid over the geographical location of parallels, with cities built in either side of them. Most of them originated in Zogam and proceeded into other cities however, which gave the view of a sun (Zogam) that spreads out rays. Travel of goods, people and animals over these structures was made incredibly rapid, negating the problem with traveling times and lack of safety, or even need of goods conservation. Eventually, the cities built other structures that harvested the energy of the parallels and powered various technologies.

- Kandhrak: Towards the end of the first Age, the Kandhrak people begun to rise. The reasoning remained unknown, yet a force within their midst had them all gather and march towards Terahua. After several years of living in a fragile peace, the Terac were forced to accept the Kandhrac people in their midst. Eventually, the two intermixed and seemed to merge almost seamlessly into one culture, one that favored immense urbanization. The name for this merged culture remained Kandhrak however, as it had an air of dignity and power to it, given how the people of the south thought of the lost homeland Kandh.

- The Ever Growing City: The influence of the Kandhrak on Terahua lead to it exhibiting an...unique quality. It begun converting the surrounding jungle into an urban center, of tall buildings, interconnected roads and bridges connecting taller floors between buildings quite far apart. A veritable web of structures that certainly rivaled the Sun of Vaan by a few years, and surpassed it in a decade or two. However, this was only possible through feeding the central tower that connected to the Pillar of the Twelve Parallels, the concepts of 'victory' and 'progress'. Thus a vast an exhausting effort of expanding Kandhrak begun.

- Ventures: An unique business started in the early years of Kandhrak. Ventures were organisations of people from different walks of life and specializations that came together to form and support an expedition to the reaches beyond Kandhrak. This was seen as the quickest form to obtain progress, Adventurers would obtain information on new things out there in the world, and this would be directly added to the collective knowledge of Kandhrak. Sometimes they would explore the structures of Kandhrak itself, ones that were too far to be reached by common folk, or even the depths of the jungle, untouched to man. Most however, ventures north.

- Organnat: Known at the time as Arthe-Alomin. After centuries of isolation in the fog-covered, walled interior of the mountain, the Orimman people rose once more to prominence, with their discovery by the 'Mirahuc's Eagle' Venture, lead by a man named Arkun. Organnat was at first a hostile environment, full of mystery and the supernatural. The Orimman had a rather unique culture, distant from that of the Kandhrak and thus for many years their land remained closed off. The Orimman had cities outside of Arthe-Alomin/Organnat as well, however the majesty of the mountain cities was something else entirely.

- The Orimman: People who mastered the use of Oriate long ago. Expanding their culture while in isolation, they formed a set of unique beliefs and most importantly Voices. Orimman believed (rightfully) that all Oriate objects have a spirit. And thus, all Oriate objects form a story which operates as an Idea. While most of them are too large (objects like walls or monuments) to move around or express their spirit, quite a few smaller objects, like chariots, statues or musical instruments did. Smaller scale Voices, but of incredibly quality due to the structure of Oriate.

- Orimman Arts: The Orimman heavily favored alchemy and Inkmanship. Speaking was not too common among them, while some unique forms of Doll Making came to form. In fact, interaction between the Kandhrak and Orimman brought forth the  birth of modern doll-making, with the first batch of Dolls being crafted in Organnat. Orimman arts had a tendency for being colorful, albeit seemed to have golden tones, primarily. Bold, but also refined, it felt much like a competition on what work would be more magnificent than the other. The Orimman art style even dominated Kandhrak's creative spheres for quite a bit, and this even affected the way their city expanded.

- The Divine Speaker: Since times immemorial, Orimman was ruled by a woman, a 'Divine Speaker' that sought to emulate the Axioms. She was born of the former Divine speaker. At a young age, the Divine Speaker chose a man, with which she would later have her child, the next Divine Speaker. An artist (Speaker) whose Voice consisted of the collection of royal regalia, clothes, accessories and even a legendary spear. When addressing the public from their palace (the grounds of which they never left), no portion of their skin was shown, and the full regalia covered them entirely. Apart from her chosen husband, the Divine Speaker was tended to by women only.

- Orimman Administration: The Orimman sought to emulate what they knew of the Axiom civilization and their mountain complex was separated in Quarters. The settlements surrounding the mountain were called Provinces instead. The Quarter and Province Administrators came together into a large council, where they discussed matters of importance, while the Divine Speaker listened, and occasionally offered judgement. This was not too democratic however, as discrimination was institutionalized: The more important Quarter Managers had more rights than the lesser ones, who in turn had more rights and privileges than Province Managers.

- Melaura: The Divine Speaker who ruled at the time that Orimman and Kandhrak made contact. Held to be a timid girl that only managed to remain in power due to the conflicts of two political factions (one that wanted to keep her in power for their own ends, and one, lead by a man known as Valest, seeking to overthrow the whole institution) grinding to a halt. Melaura displayed a moment of brilliance when she allowed the Kandhrak into Orimman lands, and sought to inspire awe in them. Indeed, for one whole generation the Kandhrak never made any attempts at conquering Orimman, contrary to what would have happened if a more violent course of action was followed.

- Valest: An ambitious man, a Quarter Administrator who sought to elevate himself. By jumping through hoops he was allowed to, despite his low birth, to ascend as Quarter Administrator of Velicarn, one of the four Quarters near the very top of the mountain, an area that most were not even allowed to step in. Valest however, dreamed even bigger: he sought to remove the position of Divine Speaker, and reform Orimman. Unfortunately his designs were not long-lived, as while he was quite shrewd regarding internal politics, his rampant xenophobia kept him from seeing the bigger picture regarding the world, and most importantly Kandhrak.

- Conquest of the Central Belt Part 1: Ever since the Terac were pushed back into the jungle, the central belt of Mistanne was occupied by raider tribes that descended from Vaanite soldiers and lowlifes who were conscripted during the war, yet chose not to return to the empire and made a living for themselves in the plains. The Vaanite had already tried to root them out, after one too many raids in the north, and while they scorched the land and dealt with quite a few clans, the most notorious ones survived and took their business south. However, as Kandhrak rose, they realized that to expand further the raiders were only going to be an obstacle.

- Conquest of the Central Belt Part 2: The war was more brutal than Kandhrak anticipated. Their military forces were disorganized and the raiders were quite familiar with the plains, practiced in hit and run tactics as well as flexible in their ways of fighting, willing to adopt Kandhrak maneuvers and weapons. It would not do, and while Kandhrak was not losing, it found itself winning far too little for the amount of resources expended. Something had to be done, especially as inner turmoil took Kandhrak by storm. In this situation, an enlightened man rose to the forefront of his nation.

- The Empire of Kandhrak Part 1 : Arkun, leader of the expedition to Orimman realized immediately that things were not going well and that if they kept failing like this, the strain of the war would make the empire a target of the Vaanite or even Orimman if they showed this degree of weakness. He vouched for the war to stop, and Kandhrak to rebuild at once. His voice was somewhat influential at the time, and thus his attempts were not empty. However, he saw himself faced with a powerful enemy, an assassin clan working for a mysterious order or cult. They sought to assassinate Arkun and thus begun for him, a life on the run and of fearing death.

- The Empire of Kandhrak Part 2: With help from Melaura, Arkun hid in Orimman, where he still did his best to project influence back at Kandhrak. The assassins sought to get him even in Orimman, yet through his skill and cleverness, Arkun managed to thwart them at every turn. He took this time to research Voices more thoroughly, as Kandhrak still made use of old Ocamalac technology. In Orimman he learned of the seamless merger of a physical form and an Idea, which gave rise to a Voice, and with it sought to craft his own. Arkun's Voice, a beautiful woman cast in gold and called Artemia, followed his return. This was where Arkun's legend begun.

- Emperor Arkun I: Arkun rose to become perhaps the most influential person in Kandhrak. The cult attempted to have him assassinated several more times, yet proved powerless in the face of his Voice. By publicly thwarting one such assassination, while in the midst of a debate with one of his many political adversaries, Arkun first proclaimed his inspiration. To unite Kandhrak into an empire, and with it, organize their culture so that it could progress even further, perhaps over the whole world. He had a surprising amount of success with this proclamation, gathering a large number of followers and only amassing more with time.

- Conquest of the Central Belt Part 3: After reorganizing Kandhrak from within with the help of his supporters, Arkun managed to lead his troops, who now no longer used the primitive Ocamalac, but proper Voices into battle. The enemy was crushed within a month and forced to retreat into the land of Okhtov. With the central belt now completely under their rule, Arkun declared the birth of the Kandhrak Empire. He turned his eyes to the north, where he sought to merge Kandhrak which now covered a good portion of the jungle with their vast empire. This was not meant to be.

- The Death of Arkun Part 1: Before he could go north, Arkun felt he owed a visit to Melaura. So he left for Organnat, only to find entry barred, as Valest's plot had already taken hold. Melaura was deposed, and Orimman was now ruled by the Great Council of Four, the Quarter Administrators of the highest provinces. He was treated with hostility, and could only enter the mountain by sneaking in, through various contacts he had in the provinces and the mountain itself. Arkun searched high and low, and finally found Melaura, enslaved and made to labor in an Oriate mine.

- The Death of Arkun Part 2: After meeting with Melaura, and seeking to free her, Arkun was finally captured. He fought bravely and for quite a while, suppressing the Voices of the Orimman, yet was ultimately brought down after being vastly outnumbered. It is unknown what he and Melaura discussed before they finally parted, but she did manage to escape and hide into the plains. Arkun was killed, and Valest decided to throw the corpse deep into the mines. However, nobody would believe he was dead, and thus Artemia managed to stabe death on her own. She chose to sacrifice herself, by confirming Arkun's death to the empire, as well as it's circumstances.

- Arkun II: The second emperor of Kandhrak was a man named Lashir, who proclaimed himself Arkun II. One of Arkun's closest followers, Lashir was a member of Arhuc's Eagle and he too knew of the world. Popular with the public and very well regarded, Lashir was seen as an ideal choice to follow up on Arkun's legacy. Unfortunately, Lashir's rule was doomed from the start. He was a figure more keen on politics and social ventures than military ventures, yet the Kandhrak expected the emperor to be a man of action. Arkun had a willing base of followers to advise him in his political decisions, yet Lashir was expected to devise tactics and strategy unaided.

- War on Orimman Part 1: News of Arkun's death arrived and Kandhrak was roused to action. Arkun II announced a campaign to siege mount Organnat itself, and with that preparation had begun. Valest started to make preparation for war as well, and the conflict turned out  quite harsh. The Kandhrak army was unprepared to advance on Orimman due to distance and terrain and thus, ended up quite weakened. Logistics were incredibly difficult, and support for the war dropped once Arkun II was known to not partake in battle himself. His best attempts to pacify the uproar back in Kandhrak were futile, and his popularity plummeted. Then, it got worse.

- The Legend of Bor Part 1: A figure who borders on legend. Born in a very remote community that inhabited Okhtov, they were massacred when raiders from the fields came by. Bor swore vengeance as he fled to the west, spared from death by starvation, through a chance meeting with Arkun and his crew of explorers. He traveled with them for a while, but turned north before they entered Orimman. As Bor's strength grew, so did his ambition. He sought for a steed that could ride faster than any other, and so begun his journey to finding the Lightning-hoofed Stallion.

- The Legend of Bor Part 2:  The road was hard and unforgiving, but Bor made it to the far northwest of the continent, a land of mystery and where the supernatural proliferated liberally. In here, Bor ventured past the mists and fought many a dangerous beast: gigantic lions, packs of two headed wolves with fangs of metal, allegedly even a Sorcerer King who retreated into the mists of the unknown. After journeying for one month in the dread wonderland, Bor found the Lightning-hoofed Stallion. After contending with it for three days, the stallion finally gave in and allowed Bor to ride it.

- The Legend of Bor Part 3: Returning atop the Lightning-hoofed Stallion, running as fast as thunder, Bor realized that he had no followers nor did he have a way to show his greatness beyond the speed of his stallion. So he decided to go north, and meet with the Vaanite. In this journey it is said that he saved a woman named Auryl, one of the Daughters of Eurel and the heir apparent of the Vaanite empire. After saving her from an attempt at assassination, and then from kidnapping by a rebel force that had her locked up in the mountain fortress Rumnil, Bor returned the princess to her father, the great emperor Vaan-Ashka. For this, he was rewarded.

- The Legend of Bor Part 4: The emperor offered Bor anything he wished, and in turn Bor sought the mightiest of sounds ever made. The emperor and his followers toiled day and night to find such a creation, however it was Auryl that provided them an answer. Taking some of Azgan's scales from the imperial treasury, as well as fine leather from the Bulls of Soma that lived far in the mountains, they crafted the most magnificent of war drums. And with it, an idea was born, the Earthshaker. Tall and mighty, he beat the drum with all of his power, and it was as if thunder and storms were conjured with each beat.

- War on Orimman Part 2: One of the major problems that Arkun II's campaign faced was conflict with attacks from the north. Bor of the Plains, legendary warrior and now general had learned of his friend's (Arkun) death and had with permission from the Vaanite emperor, amassed a militia to attack Orimman. Of course, things did not turn out so well when the empire under Arkun II and Bor's militia came across eachother. A number of incidents lead to an escalation of the conflict, as two sides that should have been allied came into bitter rivalry. Bor had no choice but to keep up the fight, he too doomed by the unanimous desire for war of his followers.

- War on Orimman Part 3: Bor was extremely effective at harassing the Kandhrak troops, and Arkun II had no real response for his assaults. He became a figure that inspired terror in Kandhrak, and Arkun's reputation plummeted further, as Orimman remained safe and untouched. Things came to a head, when Arkun II saw little choice but to wage war. With Voice in tow, he rushed ahead to challenge Bor, his army no longer seeking to attack Orimman, but to wage a brief campaign against Bor's forces. Trapped by the innumerable forces, in the midst of the plain, Bor had no choice but to bring his forces for a confrontation.

- War on  Orimman Climax Part 1: Bor and Arkun II met on the field of battle and sought to resolve this dispute quickly. While both held the other as a dear friend and wished to end things peacefully, the thousands clamoring for war on either side would not have it. Bor and Lashir resigned to their fates, knowing that one of them dying would be better than two armies slaughtering each-other. Bor's Earthshaker was of course, far superior when it came to a direct confrontation. Lashir's Weaver Voice spun many a tricky illusion to keep Bor downed, yet even though he displayed great bravery and cunning, Bor managed to surpass him.

- War on  Orimman Climax Part 2: With the fiercest of all beats, Earthshaker called upon lightning that fell on Lashir and his Voice, having them vanish on the spot. Not even a spot of ash was left behind (and thus, the fate of Lashir was ambiguous to some). While Bor expected to walk away from this and cease conflict, it was not meant to be. Kandhrak's forces marched forward and after a long and bloody battle, slaughtered Bor's militia (even though Bor himself survived and escaped north) while also taking some considerable losses. To some, Arkun II was redeemed in his last moments, but to most he and the Orimman campaign were held as a failure.

- Arkun III: Khor-Arkun as he was known, the third Arkun was longer lived than the second, and to some more glorious than the first. He re-opened the Orimman campaign, and this once without interference reached the provinces. He was a war-minded man, who seemed to lack the amount of popularity the first two Arkuns had on their ascent. Very little is known about his early and personal life, not even his name prior to becoming emperor. Rumors of him having shadowy allies in the very cult and assassins that threatened the ascension of the first Arkun spread in some circles, albeit little is known. He did however, consort with bizarre people, just as mysterious as he was.

- The Second Campaign on Orimman Part 1: Khor-Arkun immediately called for a campaign, and while doubtful at first many of the influential voices in Kandhrak conceded. They did not offer much funding however, which made it all the more surprising that Khor-Arkun was able to properly finance the second campaign to be at the same level as the first. Without Bor to stop them, Khor-Arkun's campaign marched all the way to the Orimman Provinces and razed them to the ground, taking many of their resources (particularly any Oriate they had), including wealth, food and even slaves, which while seen as uncouth in Kandhrak, had less judging eyes this far from home.

- The Second Campaign on Orimman Part 2: Valest was nearing the end of his life at nearly 400 years old, and support for him was waning. Word of female descendants of Melaura spread, and the possibility of one of them being raised untainted (as per the customs of the Divine Speaker) roused his opponents within Orimman to action. Frequent riots forced him to bend to many demands from said opponents and ultimately he passed away, while Mount Organnat was under siege. The Kandhrak armies made it within the walls of Orimman, yet this was very much not the end for the great civilization.

- Saoman the Great: A Quarter Manager of Evrila (one of the four great provinces), Saoman was a ruthless, clever and resolute man who took control of a large portion of Orimman's armed forces, via bringing the armed forced of Evrila and Velicarn under his command, the later via marrying Valest's daughter, Leyka. With many seeing him as the rightful successor of Valest, he gathered even more power, from three lower Quarters and many independent warriors. Saoman took to ending the siege on Orimman, in a manner that some regard as heroic and others as pure treason.

- The Second Campaign on Orimman Climax: Saoman the Great opened up access to the mountain Organnat and  Kandhrak's troops rushed in, thinking of it as surrender. However, Saoman simply did this so he could direct them into the Quarters of his political enemies. In there, he unleashed the horrors of mount Organnat, ancient curses, the winds from the peak, the power of Oriate, the thousand-year old Orimman mystics. At the end, Kandhrak had to give, however things did not end there. The end of the war on Orimman also signified the beginning of the end for the first Age.

- Aftermath of the war on Orimman: Quite a few things came out of the second campaign on Orimman. Primarily, a large number of Kandhrak troops surrendered peacefully and sought to live in the mountain. They were allowed to do so, and several lower quarters and especially the Provinces experienced the advent of a cultural mix. This was when the first example of proper Doll Making was born, combining Orimman art and mysticism, with Kandhrak mechanics and Voice-science. Kandhrak did not leave empty handed as well, taking with them a supply of Oriate and an ancient text, that described a few basics of  manipulating it.

- Turmoil in the Vaanite Empire Part 1:  While Kandhrak turned it's eyes inward, seeking to control the jungles and even their own labyrinthine city-scape, the Vaanite had quite a few problems to deal with. The main issue being succession.  Empress Auryl ascended after her father abdicating the throne due to old age and sickness. She married a young and charming prince of a newly created city in the southern borders, near Okhtov. Prince Venart was beloved by the people, and together with Auryl they bore seven children. The people of the empire were looking at yet another golden age, if not for the prince's untimely and mysterious death.

- Turmoil in the Vaanite Empire Part 2: Auryl could not allow herself to mourn the prince too much and custom demanded that emperor or empress, the ruler of the Vaanite had to have a consort. So she married yet again, this once with a great artist from the capital, who possessed a powerful Voice: Kasarmes. Kasarmes was a fierce man, who enjoyment competition, and he too had seven children with Auryl, yet he too died quite soon, in equally mysterious circumstances. This second death broke the empress and she too abdicated the throne... yet without the possibility of naming a successor (as it was quite difficult to do). This brought rise to a great conflict.

- War of Vaanite Succession Prelude 1: The children of Venart and the children of Kasarmes grew together and in their younger years were quite friendly. During this time, each of them had a limited amount of power and the many advisers and viziers ruled the empire through a large council. Auryl did her best to keep things stable, yet as her children slowly came of age, tension rose. It was her firstborn (with Venart), Volgam who laid claim to the throne. This was quickly contested by the seven children of Kasarmes, who wished for their eldest brother, Ormos, a meek yet righteous man to come to power. Auryl called for a peaceful solution.

- War of Vaanite Succession Prelude 2: A two week contest, to showcase the abilities of her fourteen children in the arts, diplomacy, military command, history and many other fields was proposed by Auryl and all of the fourteen agreed to it. The first week was quite peaceful and it seemed to be a friendly contest, however things turned sour in the second week, when the eldest daughter of Venart, Viega displayed a terrifying power through her dance, splitting the arena in two. This made things rather tense, until Volgam stood to her defense.

- War of the Vaanite Succession Prelude 3: Volgam called for a contest, between the finest Artists on each side. Viega's dances to be compared against Kasarmes II's Calligraphy. Both unleashed absolutely spectacular shows of their arts, however Viega's Voice, Orthmakhatti (Born on the Sun) proved victorious over Nevesharakh (Black and white dragon) and Kasarmes II. This was a critical moment, and the supporters of Kasarmite royals scrambled to save face... Until Ormos' own closest adviser and honorary uncle, Req came forth and told of a story.

- War of the Vaanite Succession Prelude Climax: He sought not to dispel the victory of Viega, but to tell a story. A story of how a baby was brought to Auryl and Venart before they had any children, and how this baby was in fact, Auryl's very son. Venart had accepted the child, Volgam and raised him as his own, however while Volgam was born of the empress, he was an illegitimate child and thus, unsuited to the throne. In the ensuing uproar, the viziers had Volgam exiled at once, ruining the claim of his side. The other siblings chose to distance themselves so that they still had a way of keeping Ormos from power. Only Viega followed Volgam into exile.

- Exile of Volgam: Viega and Volgam ventured into the world, without support or goal. They fled all the way to the south and lived for sometime in Kandhrak. In there, Volgam heard of a story of a terrifying ogre that haunted Kandhrak in the past. He became unusually interested in finding the whereabouts of this ogre, and together with Viega he embarked on a journey that took him all the way to Orimman, where he met a strange woman that spoke to him of an adventuring expedition that had brought with them a man from Okhtov, an 'ogre' of terrifying power. The journey of Volgam continued then, to the far northwest. It was here, that he met his father.

- The Return of Volgam: It is unknown what happened in the northwest, but Volgam returned with a new claim to power, as no less than the son of the legendary Bor. He brought with him a strengthened Voice, the Brazen Earthshaker and rode into one of the Vaanite cities. It is said that he amassed great power overnight, and an army at his side with which to claim his birthright. Ormos' advisers made plans to immediately throw out or assassinate if they could not do that, the other children of Venart, all five of which wisely fled and joined the side of Volgam. Conflict between Ormos and Volgam was unavoidable it seemed.

- The War of the Vaanite Succession Part 1:  The two sides first met for talks. Ormos was willing to concede to many of Volgam's rights, but Req spoke out against it, and thus conflict became unavoidable. Volgam did not wish to bring war, but in his mind war was the only solution to cleansing the empire of undesirable influences at this point. Ormos saw that while Volgam had good intentions, his primary concern was the desire for power. While he might have made a righteous leader in practice, Ormos feared that Volgam's good intentions could be subverted at any moment. Thus both sides were convinced to wage war.

- The War of the Vaanite Succession Part 2: For a war it only lasted a month at most. Both sides unleashed terrible powers and scarred the land and people. Highlights involve Yurel of Kasarmes' children calling upon the greatest of the Sprites of old, Sherenanmat (Most Supreme Over The Most Supreme), to actually -destroy- a parallel, burn the pathway built on top of it and cause widespread fires, disaster and death, or Viega's battle against the Gardener Morkvin, who possessed a gigantic tree Voice, taller than most buildings, or even Ormos taking to the battlefield and singing a great tale, with which he called upon a mighty wave to wash away an entire army.

- The War of the Vaanite Succession Part 3: Bor returned to the side of Volgam, riding in the Lightning-hoofed Stallion from the west. He advised Volgam to take care, and that this war would cause terrible harm to the Vaanite. Of course, Volgam listened and tried to deescalate, if not for Req advising greater aggression towards what he perceived as weakness. Left with little choice in the matter, Volgam gathered his troops. Ormos was growing dissatisfied with Req's advice as well, but grudgingly listened to him one more time. Meeting in the center of the  empire, the ensuing conflict lead to a greater ruin than anything before.

- The War of the Vaanite Succession Part 4: Volgam's troops moved to disable one of the Musicians in the Kasarmite camp, one of his sons named Felmon, whose music was keeping the Venartites from fighting at all. After seeing the murdered Felmon, Ormos sword vengeance and his army rode out in the night. Met with the forces of Volgam, battle ensued. Viega and Kasarmes II met once again, and through one of his trusted allies sneaking behind and stabbing Viega in the back, Kasarmes prevailed. It is said that he never stopped mourning that happening until the day he died. Past this point, most of the troops on both sides were either dead or injured.

- The War of the Vaanite Succession Climax Part 1: Yurel was captured, and Valik of the Venartites tried to break through the ranks of Ormos' troops to get to the man. However, Req intervened and had him disabled through the use of his Voice. Valik was publicly killed, which roused the Venartite followers into a rage. Volgam rode out first, and with his Brazen Earthshaker brought great ruin to the enemy until Ormos came to face him. Their battle was a hard-fought one, but by the end of it Ormos' fled, and one more large-scale confrontation ensued. This confrontation would be quelled, with the advent of Bor in the battlefield.

- The War of the Vaanite Succession Climax Part 2: Bor rode out but his path was cut off by Req, who revealed that he plotted vengeance ever since he was told the story of Volgam being Bor's child, by one of Auryl's servants. Req was the son of one of the raiders who attacked the settlement Bor grew up in. He was primed to become leader of his clan, when Bor came and subjugated them all, making Req go from prospective leader to mere foot-soldier, in a war he felt he had no stake in. Plotting vengeance, Req wanted nothing more than to face Bor in battle and slay him. Unfortunately, he was no match for the great hero, and Bor vanquished him with lightning.

- The War of the Vaanite Succession Climax Part 3: Having fought tooth and nail to reach Ormos, Volgam was one of the last royals left alive. As he reached Ormos camp, bruised, tired and bleeding he sought a fight once again, which Ormos granted. As the last remnants of both armies gathered, the fight between the Volgam with his Brazen Earthshaker and the Silver Chariot of Ormos raged on. This once, Ormos had a slight advantage and even though he was the inferior fighter, proved victorious. Ormos was crowned ruler, but expired of his wounds a week after, while small factions of each army were still waging war. The conflict had a terrible effect on the parallels.

- The End of the Vaanite Empire: After Ormos' body was returned to Zogam, and Auryl learned of everything that had transpired, her hair went white overnight and in the morning she was found dead. A few hours later, the parallels shooting forth from Zogam overflowed and caused the entirety of the Sun of Vaan to blow apart, in an event known as Orthzogam, or otherwise 'The Fall of the Sun'. The Vaanite empire got torn into many infighting factions, in it's last few years before an even greater cataclysm would take the world. The line of emperors became lost as the last few royals born of Auryl went into hiding and likely died in obscurity.

- The Descent of Kandhrak: Having nothing to really war against, the people of Kandhrak became uneasy. The catastrophic war up north also made them rather fidgety and as a result, new ways to entertain the people had to be found. Politicians took to bolder and flashier tactics, and some factions begun militarization, with their debates devolving into full blown duels, and larger events being closer to riots and civil unrest rather than a demonstration. Kandhrak was practically on a state of borderline civil war at any moment in those times.

- Khor-Arkun II, the Slitherer: The emperor following after the Khor-Arkun/Arkun III was a man originally known as Ulivad. He rose to power from the military and became a great reformer. Kandhrak was grateful to have him, especially as he pacified the riots with a promise of an even greater glory to the horizon. The Slitherer was known for his ability to earn the trust of his enemies and strike when they less expected it. But unknowingly to him, he had made a far more dangerous opponent than  the ones he had so far thwarted with ease and refinement, that same cult that sought to bring down the first Arkun, and later brought Arkun III to power instead.

- The Kandhrakian Cataclysm Part 1: It begun with the subjugation of Orimman. It was not a glorious war like many foresaw, simply pressing onto numerous pressure points that had formed to allow people climbing up the  mountain. Of course, the higher Quarters were never opened, and it is said that in those days they became forever sealed, with anyone living there never being seen again. They remained so even unto the Third Age. With Orimman opened up, it's culture and that of Kandhrak fully merged, bringing in a surge of new ideas, knowledge and beliefs. This seemed to be all well and good, however dark minds worked towards an unsavory end at this time.

- The Kandhrakian Cataclysm Part 2: While Kandhrak was ushering into what seemed to be a new age, a terror spread over the land, as strange groups clothed in black rose to cause upheaval. Many influential people were slain at the hands of these anarchists. Assassinations happened in Orimman as well, whereas rebel militias rose over the Quarters and in the Provinces. The central belt was no better, causing great turmoil with new raider clans that had seemingly sprouted out of nowhere. All of this to divert from what was really going on.

- The Kandhrakian Cataclysm Part 3: Khor-Arkun II warned of something unsavory happening in the empire, yet he was found dead later that day. The palace guard were said to have been fighting against a strange crowd of anarchists in black, these ones far more menacing than the usual, and later on during that day, something odd happened. The pillar of light simply...faded, from the palace of Terahua. It resurged once more, shortly after with far greater intensity, and coming from above rather than below. The twelve parallels flared up and with a mighty release of light burnt most of Kandhrak to ashes, destroyed many buildings and claimed innumerable lives.

- The Beginning of the Second Age: With Kandhrak in disarray, many of the empire's remnants fled to Orimman, where hostilities grew even more. The final war of the first age occurred between the two factions, a brief conflict that had the Kandhrak mostly pushed back, and the Orimman forced to leave their lands and settle further north of mount Organnat, in the border of reality and fantasy that was the Northwest. The few settlements that still existed at the time fell apart, and most cities became uninhabitable. Technology and art were lost, and the ensuing age was not without reason also known as 'the Dark Age'.

The events that lead to the great cataclysm are a mystery to many. Nobody knows who to blame, and the truth behind what happened is shrouded in darkness and there are so many unknowns. The ending of Kandhrak is found by many to be quite absurd, and it is unbelievable that a number of anarchists brought the end of such a great civilization. The truth however, will have to remain hidden until archaeological evidence can be found.

As of right now, the first age is seen as both glorious, but also a clear prelude to the second age, with the later portions of the former being the peak of advancement, but also of brutality and war. Fortunately, with the advent of the third age, civilization has moved past such wanton conflict and senseless slaughter of the masses. Nonetheless, the more glorious parts of the past still inspire those of the newer ages with their majesty that borders on the mythological.