History

​Before time

​
History at a glance


In the beginning the gods battled over the worlds of the universe. Dorith is only one such world. The gods also had to contend with interlopers from the horrific beyond realms who seemed to have access to the very flow of time. Every success by a god or group of gods was always in peril of failing if those from beyond went back and changed things. Gods perceptions, being beyond what we can imagine, could see what was being done. The gods were in agreement that such interference was intolerable.
Born from a part of the soul of an elder god, and the substance of captured beings from beyond, the god of time was created by a coalition of these celestial gods from so long ago. His purpose was simple, to block those from beyond changing the past. For untold eons he fulfilled his duty and the mortal races remained unaware of his existence. Even the gods themselves, busy with their worlds and struggles, slowly forgot about this god being that had been created to safeguard their playground. Unknown to all, the corruption of that realm slowly ate at the god of time and eroded his sanity.
By then the gods’ war had ended long ago and each had their attentions focused on a world or two and their worshipers’ activities. When the god of time returned and made certain demands of a deity whose name is now lost. The god of time consumed that god and many others in his near mindless rampage the spark of which is forgotten. Each god that fell added to the god of times power and knowledge and then was stricken from history. From this divine wreckage arose a new time god whose consciousness was created from all those he had felled. He now realized that the universe would be in constant peril and decided that those gods who remained needed to follow him in protection of this fragile reality. The other gods disagreed but that did not last for long…

Untold ages after this horrific history the god of time had hundreds of worlds under his control, thousands of gods and billions of their followers. Through it all his goal remained, protect time from those beyond, yet the madness grew once more. Finally in desperation a few of the gods arranged a series of events using mortal pawns below the notice of the now high god. These great heroes succeeded but their names and actions too have been lost to time. All that is known of them now is that their souls were used to create a new core consciousness for the time god in the past and this second time god was brought forward as the key to bring down the old time god once and for all. If not for one event, which worries the gods, all knowledge of these events would have been erased from history. The gods themselves fear what happened at the end of their grand scheme. As the high time god fell the remnants of the beyond within him tore through reality and his dead form was taken into the beyond.

Through all this the time god caused many inconsistencies in history. These paradoxes can still sometimes be found if one searches the history texts closely enough but for the most part the common man would never know any of this happened.

On Dorith history marched on for mortals blissfully unaware of what was happening in the heavens above. The new god of time now sane and stable has taken his place and proper role within the pantheon of the world.



Year convention ###b = Before the age of learning, Age of chaos.

1250b End of the golden age. Large scale tectonic instability. The mountain ranges all fracture and volcano’s erupt. Meteors begin showering the mountain regions.

1207b Sytist of Zarn obtains arcane power through demonic influence in the wrong age per the cycle of time. This leads to the Zarn Empire forming and arcane focal power being let loose in the world.

500b The last great volcanic event in the mountain ranges ends. On the autumn rest day the last great meteor shower peppers the mountain ranges and sets off great forest fires which lead to the creation of the Great Plains.
 

493b Scattered human groups gather into tribes and scratch out a subsistence life. Zarn slave raiders hit the larger groups leaving only small pockets of humans in the lands around the region. Other surface races have fared little better. The dwarven kingdom of Volcam within the cliff hills closes their doors to all. The elves retreat to the city of Red Leaves within their kingdom of Fewee’to’sheela, their last great city south of modern day Elam across the mist water river and fend off the Zarn slave takers.
 

490b Zarnish slave raids diminish as humanoid encampments become few and far between. The great Zarn army begins amassing in the plains of the Zarn.
 

489b The Zarn sweep through Red Leaves taking all they can find.
 

463b Small human villages begin to form along the mist water river, and around Lake Gardeth. The mist water villages have a smattering of non human races among them.
 

420b The villages of the mist water river have grown and their mining of the high lands flanking the river valley has infuriated the dwarven king. He sends his army forth from Volcam. The villages of the mist water valley are easily over powered and the people driven downriver. The dwarves establish themselves as lords in the area and begin taxing the people.
 

417b The dwarves send a force out to probe the Gardeth region. They are driven back by the xenophobic humans of the area. The elven people return to their lands slowly in small groups.
 

416b Chief red wolf of the human tribes around lake still water calls his greatest warriors to a secret gathering with the spirit shaman of the wolf tribe. She calls on the spirits of the land and the gods of nature, animals and strength to guide and help them to fight the dwarves. Through this dark magic the warriors become the first werewolves. Many dwarves do fall in battle but just as many of their human kin and friends suffer their primal wrath. Chief red wolf leads her people into the forest west of Volcam and far from the people she does not wish to harm. The dwarves increase their presence among the tribes who they now consider dangerous and their methods become more brutal. A larger force is dispatched against the Gardeth region and is once again routed with heavy losses.
 

393b A great sickness sweeps through Volcam and their gates are once again sealed never to be open again. The dwarven occupation of the villages along the mist water river continues after brutally quelling an uprising.
 

390b An earthquake strikes the region. The gatehouse of Volcam sinks beneath the cliff hills. The great storm over the ocean suddenly ends.
 

385b The galleon “Omen” arrives at the bay where the mist water river empties into the ocean. The tall, pale dark haired men from the kingdom across the sea arrive. These people had no knowledge of gods, magic nor mentalism and are shocked by the peoples of this strange new land and their dwarven overmasters. Their stay is short but eventful.
 

383b A few sightings of ocean ships cause the dwarves to institute a militia made up of loyal members of the other races who are treated far better than their kin.
 

380b The kingdom across the sea establishes a beachhead north of the mist water river along the coast. Ship after ship and wave after wave of human soldiers who are much more advanced than the locals establish their basecamp in complete secrecy. The dwarves are taken completely unaware as their army sweeps through the region. Within a single year they have totally crushed the dwarven ranks and established fort Dargoth named after their king across the sea. Dwarven prison camps are setup on the north side of the river.
 

376b Omen and many other ships begin arriving with settlers from across the sea. These humans are taken in as saviors by the local peoples. The advanced building methods of the new arrivals amazes the locals who, in turn, amaze the new arrivals with their religious practice and true miracle magic granted by the gods.
 

368b Eight years of colony ships and trade across the ocean has brought great prosperity to the fort which has quickly grown into the first true town for generations in the area. The first local priest arrives back from the kingdom across the sea reporting to his people of the wonders of the kingdom but he is greatly troubled and keeps secret to himself the fact that his god given miracles did not work in that land. During his speech to many excited onlookers along the docks a great crack of thunder rocked through the city and the onlookers watched as the great storm reformed over the ocean. All contact with the kingdom was lost that day. The military of the kingdom maintain control.
 

365b Activity around the Dargoth region has pushed the great forest back to the north. The few elves among the populous speak out against the continued over logging and are ignored. Almost all of them leave back toward their lost lands and rejoin with their people. This trickle of news from “human” lands is the last straw needed by the lord of the elves to insight his people to action. He speaks to his people of the things the humans have done to the elven people. The murders of elven escapees near gardeth, the were wolves of the mist water river valley and the attack on ancient forests. Elvish raids on Dargoth begin to take place. During this time not a single life is taken by either side. The elves concentrate on ruining lumber shipments and destroying logging equipment.
 

363b Human logging activities start to move south and encounter the still tribal people of the Gardeth region.
 

361b The humans of the Gardeth region have quickly taken to supplying the lumber camps with foodstuffs in exchange for goods and have begun learning the ways of the foreigners.
 

351b The elves begin to gather their army in the forests near dargoth preparing for more aggressive action. However while their force is occupied a Zarn raiding party hits their homeland. The army races back as soon as word reaches them. The elven raids end.
 

304b A great light is seen westward over the mountains within the Zarn. A large meteor has actually fallen over the center of the Zarn empire and exploded in mid air leveling the entire region. This enormous release of energy has shifted the weather patterns and causes the entire region to cool considerably. The great ice sheets of the far north extend rapidly south and this causes a change in the weather from a warm to almost sub tropical climate in the far south of the land to a much more temperate one. The long winter brings the first true snowfall to much of the region. A group of escaped Zarn slaves makes it to Dargoth The group is vast more than a thousand people of various races each with a brand burned into their foreheads. The group recounts the tale of a great star coming down from the heavens and burning the Zarn. Their leader is a extremely strong and charismatic human man by the name of Corbin Danadon. A call for brave folk to setup guard posts along the mountains is sent out from the military and many volunteers come forward. After almost 80 years in the camps many dwarves are set free on the condition they work with the military setting up and building guard posts. Corbin and his people all volunteer for duty. A few of the slaves were from an arcane experimentation camp and bear with them focus medallions which whisper to them the secrets of arcane magic.
 

303b The foundations of an old dwarven outpost are found and the construction of Keep Connor begun on its site. Keep Danadon is started on a stony outcropping and named for the heroic leader of the escapees of the Zarn. He starts being called Duke Danadon by those he rescued.
 

299b Danadon’s defensive walls are completed and construction of the inner building begins.
 

297b Keep Conner is completed and garrisoned. An injured man is taken from the forest near to Danadon and a 20 of the workers die when he changes that night into a were wolf and rampages through the work camp. Corbin and a small strike group including one of the medallion bearers and longtime friend strike out into the forest to learn what they can of the were wolf presence. They lose many men but manage to make it back to the keep with a prisoner. Corbin names his friend High Mage of Danadon when he creates a protection against the were wolves.
 

280b Dargoth has grown considerably and its old walls and stone docks are dismantled and used to help in the construction of the new outer wall. It has now been 88 years since the last ocean going ship has been used in the region. The old proud ship “Omen” is taken up on dry dock for the last time.
 

279b Logging near Keep Connor has pushed back the forest far enough that new watch towers are deemed to be needed and construction begun. Elves establish Elam, a small camp to watch over the increased human activity.
 

278b Elam outpost is founded to supply workers on the nearby defensive towers in agreement with the elves. The people of Elam notice a strange effect when near the river south. Violence cannot be committed in the area. A noble Elvish envoy arrives in the area and states that this is to be a meeting ground between their people. So long as the other races stay north of the river and out of their forest then the elves will keep to themselves and peace can continue. This is the first peaceful area of human / elven interaction.
 

266b The construction of Castle Morgan begun. Planned as a highly secure fallback keep in case of invasion on Dargoth. The project is actually a funnel for wealth taken by the top officials of the military which has become massively corrupt by this time.
 

263b People of the villages of Barlox and Gardeth come together to try and drive out the builders at Castle Morgan. They are angered by what they see as” corruption by the non human races” reaching to the highest levels. They are no match for the forces of Dargoth who declare martial law in the region.
 

262b A small envoy from the elvish kingdom arrives in Dargoth to speak of expanding their peace treaties but are attacked by Barlox human purists. Only two of the elves escape back to their homeland. The few half elves if the kingdom are banished and their borders shut and more highly defended. The elves in Elam mostly leave back to their kingdom.
 

230b Castle Morgan is completed and an extensive town has grown up around its construction site. The people stay even after the work is finished though all demi humans move back north away from the bigotry of the southern humans.
 

142b Ignoring the warnings from Elam locals an exploratory group from Keep Connor travels through and fords the mist water river. On arriving at the top of the cliff path they are shot down by Elvin archers.
 

143b Keep Connor garrisons Elam and constructs a watch tower on the south edge of the city.
 

127b Construction of a watchtower is decided to be necessary in the village of Gardeth. The locals on the planned construction site have their land’s declared forfeit for military use. Civil unrest in the area becomes more pronounced.
 

19b Corruption in the military has become so rampant that the higher military officials are basically lords. At one memorable incident a Captain has a woman by the name of Dorith executed for “disrespect of an officer” this woman’s uncle is Commander Dorath of Keep Connor. Enraged publicly throws down his military garb and calls on the people of his lands to rise up and stand with him. Runners are sent to every town in the land to bring word and invitation to stand up against the military. The Duke of Danadon declares neutrality and his people who live well and prosperously are the only town which does not send men to join Dorath’s cause. Dorath’s army besieges Dargoth. The garrison of the watch tower at Elam is recalled and abandoned.
 

15b After years of battle Dargoths army surrenders in mass.
 

13b By now Morgan, Gardeth and Barlox have also surrendered military control to the joy of the population.
 

10b The armies of Dorath have established themselves in every stronghold except Danadon by this time. A force five times the population of Dargoth is sent to the village. The current Duke of Danadon, descendant of the original duke rode out to meet the force alone. He was an enormous and muscular figure. He personally surrendered and asked only that his people be unharmed. He was taken back to Dargoth and the army left in peace.
 

9b The Duke of Danadon finished negotiations and swears fealty to a highly impressed Dorath. The Duke returned to his lands a hero of the people. Dorath was so moved by the nobility of the Duke he vowed by the god of fire to become as worthy of being a ruler as any man. Dorath begins a personal tour of the towns and lands under his control and meets personally with every important person.
 

5b Dorath officially creates the kingdom of Dorith named after his niece whose death started this great change and with the support of every village.
 

0 Dorath’s first son is born. He is named Dargoth after the first city and the kingdom renamed in his honor. The school of arcane thaumaturgy is founded with consent of the crown. The church of time declares the age of chaos over and the age of learning begun.
 

25 Dargoth takes the throne and a wife. His father lives out the last of his days back in keep Connor which he has always called home.
 

30 Dasmin is born to Dargoth and his wife
 

51 Orc invasion from the bleached marsh against the city Dargoth
 

64 Dargoth is killed and Dasmin takes the throne
 

80 The Orc forces are finally routed back into the marsh and their new villages in the plains burned. Dasmin first child is stillborn and his wife dies in childbirth.
 

110 Dasmin dies of old age heirless. There is a great morning of the population. His nephews Yaz and Rolan both lay claim to the throne.
 

114 Years of fruitless political maneuvering finally lead to civil war. In the north Lord Rolan takes the view that the races should work together. Rolan has some Elvin blood and is also a trained mage of the academy. In the south Lord Yaz takes up with the old view of Human purity and strength.
 

124 The last 10 years of conflict has calmed to a still war front that is constantly manned by both sides and a temporary cease fire.