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The Age of Humanity
THE BEGINNING
Year 0 AH
As the waters of the Great Flood receded, the nomadic tribes of Aetherius began
the hunt anew. They soon discovered, however, that the once bountiful herds were
now few and dispersed. Without this source of food many began to go hungry.
Despair set in as suffering and starvation spread. It was in this climate that a
tribal leader named Ik'taru received what is believed to be the first communiqué
sent by Avasyu.
While contemplating the fate of his tribe, he received a vision by an entity
engulfed in mist. This figure spoke to him, and revealed its name: Avasyu, Lord
of Creation. Ik'taru was then engulfed in darkness and felt a sensation of
falling; within seconds he saw a continent below him, and just as he was about
to hit the ground he jolted to a halt. He looked about and saw himself floating
above his tribe's encampment. Suddenly he was propelled northward, spanning many
days of normal travel. He soon came upon a fertile valley fed by a great river,
and in this valley he saw people digging in the dirt, and within moments great
fields had sprung up. He saw the people eating the plants that they had planted,
and thus was taught the art of farming. When he awoke he knew that he had been
given an important vision, and he must lead his people to this valley.
Ik'taru did just that, and soon his people arrived in this verdant place. Myth
has it that upon their arrival, Ik'taru dropped to his knees and began crying
"Caan! Caan!" for many hours, which means "finally" in a particular tribal
dialect. There he taught his tribe what he had learned from his vision,
educating them as to how to grow plants that could be eaten when meat was
scarce. News of this Promised Land spread like wildfire, and many people came to
join Ik'taru and learn of his tribe's farming techniques. As crops grew, so did
the population, and mud huts were formed in what is now considered the birth of
civilization
As this great tribe's numbers swelled, the various tribal languages ultimately
melded into one, and the people of the valley began to share their thoughts,
including their history and the story of how the valley was discovered. They
were each and all grateful for Ik'taru's vision, and paid homage at every daily
meal, chanting "Avasyu" to the heavens above seven times before commencing their
feast. Soon the valley boasted thousands of inhabitants, each working in harmony
in its fields, and each worshipping the Great Creator, Avasyu. Thus was born the
Cult of the Creator, Avasyu.
CAANAE, CITY OF PROSPERITY
Year 300 AH
Afflicted with drought, sustenance in the land of Caan became scarce. Rival
tribes from the outlands raided the grain stores of the valley tribe. Peaceful
and disorganized, the Caan tribes were easy prey for the hunters from the
harsher terrains. From what scholars can ascertain from the ruins of Caanae, a
mighty warrior by the name of Urlic united the tribes in the name of Lord Avasyu.
Urlic instigated the creation of a central city and distribution source for the
communal grain. This system allowed for better protection of resources and
greater organization. This city becomes known as Caanae.
When rains ended the drought, a great feast was held. The feast's end was
marked as the city stood and raised their eyes skyward, chanting their thanks to
Avasyu. Showing their gratitude to the benevolent God, the people created the
temple of Avasyu, The Creator.
THE CULT OF PEACE AND LIGHT
Year 400 AH
For hundreds of years, prosperity reigned throughout the land. Yaksha and
Ayva, a young couple with the purest of hearts, laid down to rest one calm
winter's night. They were both struck with dreams of future tribulations which
forced them to cry out in their sleep. Suddenly, the couple found themselves on
a forked road, one path emanating a sense of peace and the other a bright light.
Husband and wife chose separate paths, but then awoke with renewed wisdom and
faith. And thus were born the cults of Illuminas, God of Light, and Shallah,
Goddess of Peace. Throughout their lives, Yaksha, Prophet of Peace, and Ayva,
Prophetess of Light, spread teachings of peace and hope, and their position of
Prophet passed down through the generations of their lineage.
STAVENN, CITY OF WAR
Year 500 AH
As was tradition, Kalika Aisling, the 20-year-old great, great granddaughter
of Yaksha and Ayva approached the time when she would receive the telltale
vision that marked her ancestors as either Prophets of Peace or Light. On the
Dawn of the new month of Bellum, Kalika received her dream with boredom rather
than trepidation - she wanted to be different, and she felt different. Her
vision indeed had a dramatic difference. A third road, littered with remnants of
battle, appeared down the middle of her Path of Fate. Curious, she followed the
distant sound of clashing swords and screams of war to find a battleground
stained crimson, and two looming figures locked in vicious combat. The God of
War, Aesir chose her to be His Prophetess, and Kalika embraced her violent
future. She fled to the south of Caanae and united those tribes who opposed the
great city. Eventually, she established the city of Stavenn in the name of her
patron God, and the horrible cycle of battle and death began as raids were
staged between the opposing cities over the next 100 years.
THE GENERATION WAR
Year 589 AH
As the years rolled past, Stavenn's hatred towards the peaceful and content
city of Caanae grew. Their envy and distrust lead them to believe that Stavenn
should be the ruling power, with all others bowing before them. A young,
enigmatic leader named Czevak used this hatred to rise through the ranks of
military and government, mixing tales of Stavenn dominance with concepts of
purity and faith to create a religion of hate. The few standing between him and
true power mysteriously vanished, never to be seen again. At twenty-five years
of age, Czevak stood as the great General of Stavenn, uniting the bickering
tribes of Stavenn under a single unifying banner.
In the spring of 589, Czevak launched attacks on the object of his desire,
cutting off trade routes, poisoning the Great River with a foul toxin, and
capturing outlying farmlands and fortifications. Preferring to take over Caanae
quickly as opposed to a lengthy siege, Czevak sent forth nearly his entire army
to sack the city.
Rather than bowing down and surrendering, the brave citizens of Caanae fend
off the invaders, killing thousands in the skirmish. In defeat, Czevak executes
his commanding general, making of him an example of weakness. This attack marked
the start of what came to be known as the Generation War, so called because an
entire generation of people were born and grew to maturity knowing nothing of
peace other than the stories of their elders.
For twenty-five years, Czevak's attacks grew more daring and aggressive.
However, Caanae somehow managed to repel and shame them each time; this lead to
rumors of God-given healing and mighty celestial beings aiding the valley city.
Dismissing this as fear and imagination, Czevak instead blamed his warriors. The
resulting executions rivaled the failed assaults in terms of numbers slain. By
then, Czevak was perceived as a dangerous madman, and yet his people followed
him out of a strange combination of faith and fear, naked greed and desire for
dominance overcoming their common sense.
At the approach of his fiftieth year, Czevak decided that only an attack led
by himself could possibly succeed against the enemy. Marching northward, Czevak
camped his entire force on the plain of Mertashi, before the Caanae holdings.
For two days they launched attacks of arrows from afar at the enemy. On the
third day the full might of Caanae marched out from their holdings, matching the
forces of Stavenn in number and might, lead by Elder Nathariel. The battle
itself endured for a day and a night. Thousands were slain, turning the very
earth red with precious life-blood.
As the moon set the next day, Nathariel and Czevak met in battle. Nathariel,
armed with his great silver spear, and Czevak wielding the Reaver, a blood-red
iron bastard sword of massive proportions. Lunging forth, Czevak scored first
blood, a large cut across the arm of Nathariel, nearly forcing him to drop the
spear. Backpedaling, Nathariel continued to defend against the Over-General,
parrying every attack until his body betrayed him and slipped, sprawling upon
the ground. Readying himself for the killing blow, the Lord of Stavenn lunged
forward, yet at the last moment the Elder's spear rose up. With an agonizing
howl that echoed across the plains, Czevak impaled himself upon the spear.
Believing Czevak more a God than a man, fear and confusion tore through the
Stavenn ranks. Abandoning their weapons they fled or surrendered to those they
once sought to dominate. Bearing Nathariel up, the Caananites returned to their
homes victorious in what was later called the Red Siege, as the color of the
soil never quite lost its scarlet tinge again.
Thus ended the great Generation War and conflict gave way to peace.
THE TIME OF PROSPERITY
Year 700 AH
Advances in technology, medicine, mathematics and the arts lifted the city of
Caanae into a time of high prosperity. The southern city of Stavenn also
experienced growth, but remained jealous of the northerners.
Medicine
During the blistering summer of 714 the days were hotter and longer than
anyone could remember. Hundreds died of exposure to the harsh rays. The ruler of
Caanae, Iktov Sholet, invested his riches into developing protections from the
intense heat. Scholars and herbalists searched the world trying various
combinations of plants and roots. Zangrilla Sylvia, a specialist in forestal
herbs, discovered that by consuming the root of the ginseng plant the immune
system provided a barrier to solar allergy. This discovery gained the herbalists
a new respect in the eyes of the people. Sholet granted resources to these
herbalists and commissioned a new section of the city, devoted specifically to
research. Thus on the first day of the year 715, Academia Herbalis was founded.
Over the next two centuries, cures that have been taken for granted by modern
cultures were discovered. They revealed that boiling a combination of
ingredients together would form elixirs with healing and protective properties.
Silvia's ginseng cure was further developed into an elixir of frost. When
imbibed this elixir chilled one's skin enabling them to easily endure the
scorching heat of the desert. Able to traverse the desert, additional types of
plants, as well as snake skins and venom sacs were brought back to Caanae and
researched at the Academia. While trying to extract venom through the fangs of
live snakes, Silvia was bitten. She became flush and blood began to drip from
her nose. Her legs went weak and she began to cough up bits of lung tissue. As
blood began to seep from her pores, her entire body went limp. Silvia's death
cast a long shadow over the work of those in the Academia. Just before Silvia's
funeral pyre was lit, Sholet declared that Academia Herbalis would heretofore be
known as Academia Syvalis. Sadly, just one month to the day after Sylvia's
death, Ars Voyria discovered that boiling just the right amount of venom sacs,
bark of an ash tree, and roots of the coneflower would produce an elixir to
negate the effects of the poison that killed Sylvia. Mathematics In time the
Academia welcomed scholars investigating disciplines outside of herbal cures.
Very complex formulas were devised to help calculate the trajectory of shooting
stars and how to engineer tall structures. Efficient use of these formulas
fueled a great architectural golden age in Caanae. A high wall was erected with
watchtowers at each corner. The Temple of Avasyu was enhanced to include tall
spires to enable clerics to feel closer to Him, in the hopes that their prayers
would be answered more expeditiously. Arts By 745 the Caanae skyline was visible
to travelers still a day away on foot. While working to discover cures, the
scholars had found that many ground ingredients were leaving their hands stained
in various colors. Some people began to use these colors to create large murals
on the sides of the new buildings. A young stonecutter named Iba Ebven started
to chisel blocks of stone in the semblance of animals. As his animals became
more lifelike the Academia wondered if it might be possible to create statues
that could be infused with herbal remedies to give protection to those around
it. In order to test this theory, they commissioned a great statue of Zangrilla
Sylvia to use for tests. Ebven labored for seven years to create the enormous
statue. Upon completion, the statue stood at the center of the Academia
surrounded by an herb garden. The herbalists spent many months pouring elixirs
over the statue and then giving someone an affliction while they stood next to
it. After some one hundred citizens died of their afflictions they finally gave
up on this idea, but kept Ebven busy teaching the art of sculpture to others by
commissioning statues of other prominent figures from the history of Caanae.
PREFACE TO WAR
Year 800 AH
In 775 the Stavennites sent a group of scholars to the Academia in Caanae in
the guise of architects looking to build a great Temple to Avasyu. During the
daylight hours they would sit and learn the architectural formulas, slipping
into the astronomical archives by night and copying the formula for shooting
stars. Upon their return to Stavenn, work on combining the architectural and
astronomic formula began in earnest, led by Czezlo Tota. Tota was certain that
this would enable them to build a massive weapon, allowing Stavenn to claim its
rightful dominion over the rest of the world. Within a few short months the
Stavennites had created a siege machine that could hurl large boulders through
the air, and had become fairly accurate at hitting their target. When Caananite
traders returned home with word of this weapon the scholars of the Academia
realized they'd been duped. All Stavennites were cast out of Caanae and all work
at the Academia became focused on offensive weaponry.
The War of Avarice
Year 853 AH
Due to the jealousy and covetousness of the people of Stavenn, war erupted
between their city and that of Caanae. This war is known as the War of Avarice,
beginning and ending on the month of Ultio. Lasting for seven intense years,
both sides declared a victory as supplies and soldiers dwindled.
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