Magical Micronational History
From Novatainia
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[edit] Getting Started
If you've just arrived at this page on the wiki, and know nothing about Gralus or their magical legends, don't despair! Help is on hand. This page has timelines and basic comments on the major sources for the history of magic. Unless you want to see an extremely brief summary, or dive straight into the full legends, that's almost entirely useless for you. Instead, go to the page for the First Age or Second Age - they explain the events and major players for those unfamiliar.
[edit] The First Age
The exact date of the creation of Micras is lost far in the mists of time. Indeed, even the most reliable history merely starts with:"In the beginning, long before the dominion of man, stood the world Micras - full of plants, creatures, and the promise of resources. And empty of what would now be termed “civilisation.” A few races lived in the far north, but they had not yet spread over Micras and formed micronations. All they had was a couple cities each, and a dream … " The first more definite point in history, the Coming of Man, is an indeterminate period of time from the start anyway, making dating virtually impossible.
The most reliable source on the First Age is the Legends of Gralus, translated by Andreas the Wise. Copies exist in various places, but the authoritative one is here. The easiest way to understand the full history is to read this, but for those without the time, a timeline is included here. All dating is are round estimates at best, and subject to change. Dates are given in BF or Before Fall (Fall refering to the Fall of the Altar to the Demons, which marked the end of the First Age). Recent scholarship has concluded that the dating system of the Second Age, AT (see below) did indeed start within the year after the Fall, so 0 BF can be considered the year before 1 AT.
[edit] Tales of Nova
The Tales of Nova are an indepth tale of how Nova (ancestor of both the Novatainian and Toketi lines of kings, and direct ancestor of Andreas the Wise) first united the orbs and the races and created the Altar. It is translated in full here.
[edit] Timeline
4000 BF - Humans first arrive in Gralus. History begins, as it were ...
3910 BF - First Vampire created.
3900 BF - Whisperer first seen in Gralus.
3750 BF - Angels descend to Gralus, deciding to take a more active role in it's affairs.
3700 BF - Heavenly Kingdom begins. Angels forcefully stop arugments between other races.
3660 BF - Angels, fearing the influence of The Temptress, make a concerted effort to capture her. However, she long evades them.
3650 BF - Angels finally capture The Temptress and trap her in a gate to the very far eastern edge of the land.
3600 BF - Orbs are given out to all races. Heavenly Kingdom abandoned as Angels realise they are misusing their power. Swear to never use weapons greater than a sword again, and only in defence.
3550 BF - Dragons work out how to use orb, begin to fish with it.
3540 BF - First Elemental Wars begin as arguments over fish between Dragon and Krynii explode.
3535 BF - Angels, Elves and Humans see the war is too destructive, and demand Dragon and Krynii fight it in the Eastern mountain ranges.
3520 BF - A number of dragons move the the northern part of the eastern ranges, as it is now totally conquered by dragons. Fighting continues in the south.
3500 BF - First Elemental War concluded, Dragons win.
3450 BF - Dragons demand that Humans and Elves acknowledge them as rulers. Reluctantly, they agree.
3400 BF - Dragons subjugate the Meremen, mainly for a further tribute of fish to the cities in the east. Dragons now rule all of Gralus.
3300 BF - Bright Andralo first begins to shine in the night sky.
3200 BF - Things begin to creep into the dark places of the world.
3100 BF - Arcness names a Dragon Lord of Magic.
3000 BF - Arcness grows overly confident, and ceases to weed out rebellions.
2900 BF - Arcness dies, and the kingdom passes to Kralure.
2850 BF - The Krynii begin to fully utilise their orb. They begin to develop weapons to deal with the Dragons.
2730 BF - Krynii Guerilla attacks begin on Dragon Tribute collectors, and the outer reaches of the Empire.
2720 BF - Gralure reads the signs, and offers Elves the right to ride Dragons. However, it takes some time to train them and build up a group.
2710 BF - The Dragon Riders becoming more common, the Krynii prepare for full scale war. Guerilla attacks move further into the Empire.
2705 BF - The Second Elemental War begins, with the Krynii taking out the Dragon Army Barracks stationed the patrol near the Whirlpool.
2700 BF - Heavy fighting begins in the eastern mountain ranges, as the Krynii attempt to defeat all the dragons on that side.
2695 BF - Krynii extremists make a pact with the demons. They construct the Gates of Hell for them, and in exchange are given, later that year, Armageddon's Blade. Demons also take in the Heavenly Stone.
2690 BF - Dragons from the East and West do a two pronged attack on the Whirlpool. Krynii are driven temporarily back as a number of Ice Catapults are destroyed.
2680 BF - Krynii have now recaptured the area around the Whirlpool, and the assault on the eastern mountains Continue.
2670 BF - While small pockets of Dragons hold out, the majority of the eastern mountains have been taken by the Krynii. The battle begins to move along the coast further to the south.
2660 BF - Battle moves further down the coast. Large cliffs are being left in the wake of the battles as the coastline is destroyed.
2650 BF - A human town, Rizacktor, is so rocked by magical blasts that half of the town falls several hundred metres in one battle.
2640 BF - The Krynii have totally liberated the Eastern and Southern parts of the Empire from the dragons. Efforts are now focused on the western front, where the Dragon forces are strongest.
2630 BF - A prolonged battle begins around The Barrier. The Krynii catapults, which only function on water, are now out of range, and more direct battle begins.
2610 BF - The Battle now begins to focus around Arcness Reach, though pockets of Dragons make Guerilla attacks further afield, wreaking great destruction.
2600 BF - Angels and Elves demand that Dragons and Krynii stop their conflict and restrict all further conflicts to the mind only, lest the world is destroyed. Dragons, utterly defeated, agree, and the Krynii, the general populus tired of the war, also agree. Krynii Empire formed.
2598 BF - First Krynii ambassadors sent out to demand tribute from the humans and Dragons. Elves at this point ignored because of role in stopping the Krynii.
2595 BF - Krynii army built up more, and feel confident to demand Elven tribute.
2550 BF - In a short series of skirmishes, the Krynii defeat the small Mereman army and begin to demand tribute from them also.
2500 BF - Krynii abandon attempts to reach the Dwarves, who are safely underground. They turn their mind to the control of their Empire.
2490 BF - Krynii Emperor that conquered the Meremen finally dies. His succesor, fearing rebellion, begins to send people to do random mental checks of the four races he can reach, weeding out rebellion.
2400 BF - A major plot agains the Krynii Emperor is stopped. Mentals Patrols grow more common.
2300 BF - Dark things begin to be more common as the Krynii Army grows lax.
2200 BF - Sea Trade drops off as too many ships dissapear. Krynii Army still hold the majority at bay.
2100 BF - Krynii receive a warning from Angels to stop misusing their orb to subjugate people. It is ignored.
2000 BF - Dwarves and Meremen form a secret alliance, with the plan to undermine the Krynii by encouraging the spread of economy, and making themselves so useful in it that they could not be managed without. Money is first used.
1900 BF - The Krynii Emperor fears he is losing control. Patrols reguarly sent to search for rebellion, but it is never found.
1800 BF - Money now widespread among the humanoid races - Humans, Elves, Meremen and Dwarves. Meremen and Dwarves begin to dominate financial affairs.
1750 BF - A big push is made by traders to get their respective leaders to drive the dark things out of their lands. It is largely succesful.
1700 BF - Sea trade begins to picks up again as dark things are all but gone.
1610 BF - Dwarf and Mereman control of the economy is complete, as evidenced by a fall in the price of gold in the Dwarven mines plunging the whole world into a three year depression.
1500 BF - The Krynii Emperor officially abandons his title, admitting that he has lost all control over his ancestral lands. Interest in maintaining a defence force slackens.
1450 BF - Dark things begin to re enter Gralus, no longer held off by a dominant military.
1400 BF - The High Council is formed by Humans, Elves and Dragons, now that the Krynii Empire is long gone, and following the growth in wealth of the human towns.
1300 BF - The Dwarves and Meremen opt to join with the Krynii and form the Low Council, fearing the growing power of the High Council.
1200 BF - Dark things far more common. Some mountains are no longer travelled in for fear of Vampires. Likewise, certain bays lie abanoned as they now house Leviathen or Kraken. Still no widespread fear of this however.
1150 BF - Army of High Council first dispatched to deal with local monsters.
1100 BF - Dispatchment of Hich Council army far more common.
1000 BF - Nova, a human peasant, is given the inspiration to join the orbs to stop the impending Demon Invasion. With the help of Curce, a human mage, Narure, a Dragon, and Vufa, her rider, they suceed in breaking into Hell and stealing the Heavenly Stone, then constructing the Altar and uniting the orbs just in time to stop the demons. A millenia of peace begins, under the Elvish Empire.
300 BF - Dalarn, a Krynii leader, first suggests withdrawing the Krynii orb. While the Elves manage to stop this, there are some Krynii who still remember it and work towards it's acheivement.
100 BF - Disunity in the Elvish Empire. Dwarves and Meremen withdraw their orbs, but promise to return it when danger threatens.
60 BF - Krynii withdraw their orb, without promising to return it. Dragons, remembering their ancient wars, withdraw theirs also.
30 BF - Human king opts to remove his orb also, and so the Elves and Angels do also.
0 BF - A human historian becomes increasingly concerned about the breaking up of the Orbs. Writes up a history of the First Age to show the King to convince him of the need of Altar. King doesn't listen until too late. The Altar is destroyed by Demons, the history hidden beneath it, and the historian, presumably, escaped to the South. Angelic orb destroyed, and their spirit broken.
[edit] The Second Age
The history of the Second Age is in the process of being assembled, and latest updates can be found here. It uses the dating system AT, or In the Year of our Thunderbolts, which refers to the forging of thunderbolts by the Etruri. Later parts of this age are undocumented, but based on other evidence it is believed to have lasted for approximately 6000 years. A sketchy timeline follows.
1 AT – Year following the Fall of the Altar to the Demons. Forging of the Thunderbolts by the nine Etruri. Menerva born.
16-17 AT – Etruri enact the enchantment that causes their effective immortality.
19 AT – Dragons again begin to fly out of The Barrier and further affield.
25 AT – Dragon/Ent talks begin. The Kindred is formed.
26 AT – First recorded journey of Krynii around the bay to contact the Meremen. Periodic visits follow for the next few decades.
32 AT – Last recorded Dwarf above ground.
38 AT – Rocs, Griffins, Unicorns and Centaurs added to the Kindred by this point. Kin Circle first meets.
48 AT – Rainbow Phoenix first appears to the Kindred.
c. 50 AT – Etruri gaining prominence in the South, first recorded case of humans being taken on as pupils.
52 AT – After long talks, Vampires join the Kindred. Now it is complete.
c. 60 AT – Krynii Senate and Meremen King agree to work together. Travel between the two bays now widespread.
c. 65 AT – Human travel via boats around the Bay of Rizack now common.
76 AT – First recorded use of the name “Meribian.”
121 AT – Last demon in the South killed. Etruri move north into lands originally under the Elves in the days of the Altar.
129 AT – Dwarves first dig into contact with the Underlings. Tunnel hastily filled in.
136 AT – First Etruri settlement made, deep in the South.
137 AT – Contact with Underlings now more common. Less fear of them.
142 AT – First Etruri city raised into the Sky. Henceforth all settlements spend a year or two on the ground before being made Skyborn.
150 AT – Human settlements (largely coastal) in the North now refer to themselves as the Free Cities. The League of Free Cities is established to encourage communication between the Northern cities.
158 AT - Construction begins on the Krynii-Mereman tunnel.
161 AT – Dwarves and Underlings sign a peace treaty maintaining friendly working. First immigrants from each area moves to the other’s respective home.
197 AT – Krynii-Mereman tunnel complete.
c. 200 AT – Dwarf/Underling cooperation now widespread. Name ‘Under Folk’ recorded by mining humans as in use.
205 AT – First human in the North successfully sails to a Southern city on the west coast.
210 AT – Whisperer begins moving again.
211 AT – Dwarven King dies, leaving male twins as heir. First Dwarven Civil War of the Second Age. Thousands of Dwarves lose their lives as the supporters of the two rival factions fight. Underlings leave most of the cities to avoid the conflict.
212 AT – First road successfully linking the Free Cities of the North to the Southern cities is connected.
c.220 AT – North/South communications among humans improve. South begin to not revere the Etruri as much, though thousands still flock to their cities.
224 AT – First Dwarven Civil War ends when both brothers are killed by unknown assassins. Jarach I ascends to the throne, whose first move is to reforge ties with the Underlings. Golden Age for the Under Folk begins.
299 AT – First Pirate, Blackskull, is recorded to have attacked in the Bay of Rizack.
301 AT – A dead Krynii, washed up on the beach after a storm, is found by the Humans. Tales begin of water demons. After considerable thought by scholars, the body is thrown into the Whirlpool.
302 AT – Trade between Northern cities now quite common by sea. Meribians begin to resent the use of their space. The odd ship disappears en-route, especially around the Whirlpool.
c. 330 AT – Trade between the North and South now flourishing, especially Sea Trade. Pirates become common around the Bay of Rizack.
332 AT – Jarach I dies.
341 AT – Last Axilroth city is raised into the air.
356 AT – The Whisperer begins constructing his fortress on the far east of the land, on the site where The Temptress was trapped in a stone gate.
378 AT – First known sighting of Lord Keryll, under the name Kael. Said to have spoken up against the Etruri in human cities, until one of the few remaining demons appeared and scared him away. Tinia arrives and slays the demon – a temple is rapidly erected to him in that cities. However, the EFH reveals that the Etruri had long known there was a demon in the region and not destroyed it, leaving it for when they needed more support. However, they did not send it, and why it attacked a servant of The Whisperer is unknown.
385 AT – Jarach’s son dies. His only son is crowned King, but after speaking out against practisers of Dark Magic is killed by Assasains.
386 AT - Second Dwarven Civil War begins. Whisperer involvement suspected.
403 AT – The Meribians set up an observatory to watch ‘The Lady’, a star also known as ‘Bright Andralo’.
410 AT – Second Dwarven Civil War resolved by an Underling force. Henceforth, the Underlings will play a much more active role in Under Folk politics.
442 AT – First known sighting of a Doppleganger, captured by the Etruri. They are worried, but do not share this knowledge with the general populous.
470 AT – Meribian observatory strangely closed up. A cult like group is said to still visit it occasionally though.
512 AT – Humans begin mining in the hills again. Occasional sightings of an ‘Under Folk’ are reported. The Kindred tolerate their incursion.
554 AT – Tensions within the clans within the Kindred explode into large scale violence. Whisperer suspected.
555 AT – The Rainbow Phoenix arrives and restores order, but the solution is not liked by all. Some begin to plot against it.
581 AT – Underling strife as their leader, speaking out against the total reliance on Dark Magic, is found dead in his room. However, with Dwarven assistance the new leader is appointed without much bloodshed.
c.590 AT – The Rainbow Phoenix is becoming increasingly unpopular, though the reasons given are entirely without merit. The Whisperer highly suspected.
614 AT – Dwarven monarchy again in doubt, but significant Underling interference allows the matter to be resolved in the same year, and a full scale civil war is narrowly averted.
632 AT – Facing constant suspicion, the Rainbow Phoenix leaves. Only the Ents truly mourn its passing, realising the great loss to them. It is not seen again for a very long time.
c. 670 AT – Human trading now at its height, though piracy is still an issue. Meribians become more concerned by it, and more ships dissapear. Despite this, Humans towns are growing considerably, and beginning to come in more and more contact with the Kindred.
684 AT – A freak flooding in a Dwarven tunnel leads to contact again between the Dwarves and the Krynii.
c. 690 AT – Scholars among both the Meribians and the Underfolk have by this point concluded that ties originally existed between Dwarves, Krynii and Meremen in the form of the Low Council. Tentative talks begin about renewing this.
702 AT – The first and most famous Magic Mirror is constructed by Axilroth researchers, with considerable assistance from the Etruri. It is later destroyed and the world ripped into pieces and rebuilt by person or persons unknown.
703 AT – The Hand of Fate is constructed. Etruri begin exerting considerable pressure on trade in the Bay of Rizack.
708 AT – First official meeting of the Low Council. The decision is reached that such meetings will be kept entirely within the top ranks of government, and not shared with the common people.
710 AT – Low Council decides that, with one requiring water and the other air, proper relations between the Meribians and the Underfolk are largely unnecessary. However, a bi-annual meeting is agreed to arrange a small amount of trade and exchange of historical documents.
712 AT – Krynii appointed official ambassadors between Meribians and Underfolk through being able to live in both areas.
732 AT – The Axilroth Empire is officially formed, as all but three of the Southern cities, and all but two Northern Cities agree to Axilroth control, and to worship the Etruri.
734 AT - After the Etruri save several trading ships from disappearing, one of the Northern Cities joins them. The remaining four cities continue to call themselves ‘Free Cities’.
736 AT – The Axilroth Empire prompts the Meribians to call for more regular Low Council Meetings. Trade improves between the two nations.
737 AT – After advise from the public (Whisperer heavily suspected) the Etruri begin to put special efforts into protecting Human ships from Meribians. Increasing tension as humans begin to occupy previous Kindred territory, largely prompted by Lord Keryll.
738 AT – The Dwarven King, Jarach VI, despite his advisors (including a certain Kaerl), decides not to seek for the surface and possible riches their. He does, however, pledge continued support to the Meribians, and calls for more meetings of the Low Council, despite Kaerl’s advise that those sea dwellers cannot be trusted. At the same time, some members of the Krynii senate advise that the Under Folk are not true allies as they will not assist in the struggles against the humans. The word ‘war’ is first mentioned, but the Senate as a body prefers closer meetings with the Low Council rather than demands. Particular mention is made of the reunion of the Orbs. The Meremen King confers, and is said to be best friends with the Underling ruler.
739 AT – One of the meetings of the Low Council is raided by the Whisperer and the Servant, with an army of Dopplegangers and a few Balrogs. The Low Council is slain, and there are no survivors to report this. At the same time, much of the Dwarven stronghold is assaulted. Dwarven mages valiantly seal in the invaders at the gate rather than escape themselves, and so the whole complex is unable to be accessed. The Whisperer and Servant are trapped inside. Many dwarves are still dwelling outside this though, so only a quarter of the population is lost. The few who escape are so traumatised that no proper story can be got out of them, except for one or two (later revealed to be dopplegangers of Lord Keryll) who report that it was a raid by Meribians and a mass flooding of the tunnel that caused people to be sealed in. Simultaneously, the Meribians are being told that the Under Folk treacherously betrayed their rulers and now desire to take underwater for their own too, as well as underground. Tensions of Meribians vs Axilroth also reach a height, and Dragons flying nearby and Axilroth/Kindred tensions explode too. The Whisper War begins.
From here on, it’s rather a rough guide.
739-c.1100 AT – The Whisper Wars. There is much fighting between the four major powers for a while. Then they realise that Lord Keryll set it up c. 900 AT. Fighting him and an eventual major defeat follows – he’s pushed back all the war to his lair, but no further. Etruri first fight with weather warriors (Arafura)
c. 1100 AT – 1500 AT. An uneasy peace follows. Doppleglanger incursions are not uncommon. Etruri establish themselves and Axilroth as dominant empire, and subjugate the others.
c. 1400 AT – Etruri start dabbling in shadows.
c.1500 AT – 2000 AT. Axilroth declared supreme magical race. Start to accumulate all the other major mages from other races.
c. 2100 AT – Second Magic Mirror constructed to allow spying on other races.
c. 2200 AT – 2500 AT. Reflections turn – major reflection wars
c. 2500 AT – 2700 AT. Axilroth firmly have Shadows as allies. With the fall of the second Magic Mirror, they look to other means of spying. Eyes of Fate created.
c. 2600 AT – Temptress contacts Meribians as “Queen of Stars”. They begin plotting.
c. 2700 AT – 3000 AT. Fresh from their toppling of the original Jasonians with Ultima Magic, the Audentior Empire starts to look to the north. Incursions into Etruri territory is not uncommon. Meanwhile, Axilroth have more reliance on shadows. More fate items created (cloak and boots). Dopplegangers more commonly seen.
c. 3000 AT – 3300 AT. A long series of skirmishes fought with the Audentians eventually result in a treaty being signed and the conflict ceasing.
c. 3300 AT – 3500 AT. Peace. Meribians plot more. Lord Keryll’s reassembles his full army.
c. 3500 AT – Meribians make their move. Second Whisper Wars begin.
c. 4000 AT – Second Whisper Wars ends with the full defeat of Lord Keryll, who is trapped in the Etruri Prison Abexcido. In celebration of the reunion of the four races against the shadows, the city of Illumo Corealis is built on the coastline, a place to be shared by all, and guarded by an amazingly shiny Sheaf.
c. 4100 AT – Etruri start listening to Echoes of the past. They are the dominant magical race, and shadows are theirs to command, but they want more. They construct the remaining items of Fate except for the Ring (the Dice). At the same time, they began plans to beat aging entirely.
c. 4200 AT – Plans to beat aging culminate in the planting of the Great Tree, planted to the south west of Illumo.
c. 4700 AT – Lord Keryll’s followers capture the Boots from the Etruri, and free him from Abexcido. His whispers begin, turning the Etruri against the Shadows and Echoes who’s agenda is not what Lord Keryll wants.
c. 4800 AT – The Great Tree grows to fruition – but not all is as expected.
c. 4900 AT – The Etruri are shown the Ring of Fate in a dream – but are suspicious. They put off making it while they continue their experiments with the Great Tree.
c. 5000 AT – The Etruri finally realise they have been tricked by the echoes with the Items of Fate. They refuse to make the last one. The most powerful one, the Hand, is hidden in Valarush wood, which is transformed into a Daemon Trees to guard it. The Echoes are silenced in a great battle. Talk begins on whether the Shadows can be trusted or not.
c.5300 AT – Great Schism. The Etruri in their flying cities leave the Axilroth who fear the shadows. Those who stay give up their Axilroth state and return to humans (confer the Remembering Song ‘Night’). En route over Kildare their shadows DO turn on them. They just manage to banish the majority to The Dreaming, after trapping their Queen in a prison book with the help of the Machine Spirit, Tekruah. They flee from the remainder across to the other side of the world in their shame, also attacked by Audentians mistaking them as Jasonians. They finally arrive at the frozen land of Sypyr. They create an artificial Sun to keep it habitable, and establish the Wizards Guild at Anqh Morham as their last link to the surface. These events occur just after the Dimensional World War occurs (but the Etruri are so far away, and the remaining people so sick of magic, nobody from Gralus is able to help).
c. 5400 AT – Beam of Hope campaign.
c. 5500 AT – Jasonia falls to Shireroth.
c. 5600 AT – The Great Tree is now almost at the end of it’s life. In a shock move, however, reflections, long planning this, poor forth from the Sheaf of Illumo. A great battle rages, and Illumo is destroyed. The Great Tree is cut down and all around it turns to desert. Magic begins to be viewed as highly unpopular.
c. 6000 AT – 1 AD. Last of the left behind Axilroth dies. Third Age
c. 1400 AD – Plague in Kildare begins, spread by Shadows.
[edit] The Third Age
The Third Age began in 1 AD, In the Year of our Lord. This dating system is believed to have originated from another world, as, indeed, the Lord referred to has. Why on Micras we have a dating system based on another world is unknown, but it's suspected that the birth of Jesus Christ was so cataclysmic it affected the whole universe (and indeed, this is confirmed by St Brian). That, or we have an awful lot of immigrants.
Because the magical events on the Third Age were all played, they come under Real Magical History. An alternative way to view it is to group the expeditions semi-thematically, into Cycles. Currently there is the Cycle of Hell, Cycle of Fate and Cycle of Cod.
