adventures-in-everhaven

[adventures-in-everhaven]

Cultures of Everhaven

The Dwarfholds

 The dwarfholds are spread all over Everhaven, reflecting the scattering of the dwarves after the death of Bhazad Khrar thousands of years ago. The dwarves have fought hard for their homes ever since they escaped slavery under the giants, and their access to metals and minerals both precious and mundane have made them quite wealthy.

             Dwarves are solid and enduring like the mountains they love, weathering the passage of centuries with stoic endurance and little change. They respect the traditions of their clans, tracing their ancestry back to the founding of their most ancient strongholds in the youth of the world, and don’t abandon those traditions lightly. Part of those traditions is devotion to the gods of the dwarves, who uphold the dwarven ideals of industrious labor, skill in battle, and devotion to the forge.

             Individual dwarves are determined and loyal, true to their word and decisive in action, sometimes to the point of stubbornness. Many dwarves have a strong sense of justice, and they are slow to forget wrongs they have suffered. A wrong done to one dwarf is a wrong done to the dwarf’s entire clan, so what begins as one dwarf’s hunt for vengeance can become a full-blown clan feud.

             As part of the education every dwarf goes through, by the time a dwarf reaches 50 years old he or she has trained with battleaxes and war hammers, has learned a trade associated with his or her family, and has learned about various styles of stoneworking from history.

             Dwarves tend to frown upon barbarians, as they have a stereotype in their legends of barbarians being criminals and dangerous threats.

The gray dwarves of Clans Balderk, Dankil, Gorunn, Loderr, and Strakeln live in the Underdark. After delving deeper than any other mountain dwarves, they were enslaved by mind flayers for eons. Although they eventually won their freedom, these grim, ashen-skinned dwarves are now isolationist and paranoid of being conquered again by the mind flayers, causing them to reject emotion and magic. They value toil above all else, and their goods are purely utilitarian.

The hill dwarves of Clans Battlehammer (Bolgurim), Fireforge (Hulgran), Holderhek (Khingron), Lutgehr (Keg Darom), and Torunn (Thagheim) have keen senses, deep intuition, and remarkable resilience. Dwelling in the hills, they are known for their piety, tendency for introspection, and a stronger connection to nature than other dwarves espouse. Many humans and halflings take up residence in the upper portions of the hold, which are the only parts open to outsiders; tribes of human barbarians and dragonborn clans also regularly stop in the upper hold to trade.

The dragonmarked dwarves of Clan Kundarak (Bhan Todir) run the Defenders’ Guild of locksmiths and security specialists, but they also build prisons and vaults and are the foremost bankers in Everhaven thanks to the vast ore deposits their dwarfhold sits over. Unlike their cousins, these dwarves are known for their artificing and wizardry.

The mountain dwarves of Clans Brawnanvil (Durn Darom), Frostbeard (Varn Boram), Ironfist (Kur Todur), Rumnaheim (Dal Badur), and Ungart (Dum Tharim) are strong and hardy, accustomed to a difficult life in rugged terrain. Taller and fairer-skinned than other dwarves, they are all forced to become accustomed to wearing light and medium armor. Many humans, halflings, and rock gnomes take up residence in the upper portions of the hold, which are the only parts open to outsiders; tribes of barbarians, goliath herds, and clans of copper and white dragonborn also regularly stop in the upper hold to trade.

The dwarves favor worship of Rontra, Terak, Maal, Korak, and Naryne.

    The Four Cities of the High Elves

Ever since they arrived in the world during the Thousand Year War, the high elves have been regarded as the foremost practitioners of wizardry in Everhaven. They founded five cities, now reduced to four after one sank into the sea, and these are considered the centers of wizardry and artificing.

             Each of the Four Cities is nominally ruled by its Princess, but by and large the democratically-elected City Council oversees day-to-day operations.

             The high elves highly value education, and more specifically wizardry. Before they turn 100, a high elf knows how to fight with sword and bow, can speak three languages, and understands the basics of wizardry. Most continue this education, delving further into the study of wizardry and working it into almost every aspect of their lives.

             The high elves are possessed of the standard fine elven features and unearthly grace. They stand a couple inches shorter than humans on average. They have bronze skin, copper, black, or golden hair, and eyes like pools of liquid gold, onyx, or silver. They wear their hair long as a sign of longevity and prosperity, and an elf who is exiled or named an oathbreaker has their hair cut as a sign they are not to be trusted. They favor elegant clothing in bright colors, as well as simple but lovely jewelry.

             Many rock gnomes live in the Four Cities. Although they have a natural talent for wizardry, many turn to artificing, combining natural gnomish inventiveness with wizardry. This has had no small role in the advanced nature of the Four Cities, and the high elves have been forced to make concessions to them. The rock gnomes live in extensive networks of warrens under each of the Cities, known as the Incivita.

             Each of the Four Cities has a clan of silver dragonborn living in a district all their own within the city. These individuals make up the majority of the city guards and the military (outside of the elite forces, which are almost all elves). The silver dragonborn are largely ignored by the elves, and their votes for the Council are almost always disregarded; the dragonborn don’t care, continuing their care of the Cities’ inhabitants.

             The blue-skinned vedalken are welcomed among the high elves for their logical outlook and talent with wizardry, with far less of a grudge than they accept the rock gnomes. Although many are involved in the arcane universities in the Cities, there is a very good chance that any given priest is a vedalken.

             The Four Cities favor worship of Urian, Terak, Zheenkeef, Tinel, and Aymara.

  Brighcour

Sharing a name with the mountainous island it is built within, Brighcour represents something unique in Everhaven: dark elves actively seeking to make peaceful contact with the surface world. The dark elf rulers of Brighcour rejected both the Court of the Swords their kin follow and the politicking that erupted after the fall of the Dragon Empire, and it has taken years for them to be accepted in the surface world.

             The Queen of Brighcour rules with a firm but fair hand. The nobility of the kingdom are old families with sorcerous bloodlines, and they take pride in their ancestry. Don’t be fooled, though: politics in Brighcour can be just as ruthless as in any other dark elf realm.

             Many deep gnomes live in Brighcour and are actively welcomed. The dark elves have a distaste for wizardry, seeing sorcerers and warlocks as signs of power, and so the deep gnomes’ affinity for wizardry and artificing are highly sought-after.

             A few gray dwarves live in Brighcour. They make up the majority of the guards and soldiers, although there are those who work their trades. The presence of the gray dwarves has caused a hybrid dwarven-elven style of architecture and metalworking that is found nowhere else in the world.

             The aarakocra flocks, barbarian tribes, goliath herds, and clans of copper dragonborn that live on the surface of the island rarely interact with the inhabitants of Brighcour the kingdom.

             Brighcour favors worship of Rontra, Morwyn, Zheenkeef, Tinel, Aymara, and Korak.

  The Wodes

The wodes are ancient forests; some sages believe they were once in the Feywild. The wood of the trees are quite useful for arcane foci, but the inhabitants of the wodes generally have little interest in making a profit off of such things.

             The wood elves have keen senses and intuition, and their fleet feet carry them quickly and stealthily through the forests. Known as much for their skill with blade and bow as with their connection to nature and introspection, the wood elves build within trees and could go their whole lives without touching the ground. They stand a couple inches shorter than humans on average. They have copper skin; their hair is brown, black, or occasionally golden or copper-colored; and their eyes are green, brown, or hazel pools.

             The green dragonborn clans that live in the wodes often serve as envoys between the various other inhabitants of the wodes. They also patrol the forests regularly, protecting them from those that would bring harm.

             The forest gnomes have a natural knack for illusion and inherent quickness and stealth. They gather in hidden communities in the forests or live under the wood elves’ cities, but they use illusions and trickery to conceal these settlements even from their elven allies. They are the primary wielders of wizardry in the wodes, and they use the special woods in the forests for their arcane foci.

             The silver dragonborn clans that live in the wood elves’ cities serve as healers and warriors. They keep to themselves, even within the cities, but they are staunch allies of the wodes’ inhabitants.

             Firbolgs love nothing more than a peaceful day spent among the trees of an old forest. They see forests as sacred places, representing the heart of the world and monuments to the durability of life. In their role as caretakers, firbolgs live off the land while striving to remain in balance with nature. Their methods reflect common sense and remarkable resourcefulness. During a bountiful summer, they store away excess nuts, fruit, and berries. When winter arrives, they scatter everything they can spare to ensure the animals of the wood survive until springtime. In a firbolg’s eyes, there is no greater fault than greed. The firbolgs believe that the world remains healthiest when each creature takes only what it needs. Material goods, especially precious gems and gold, have little appeal to them. What use are such things when winter lingers and food runs short? Firbolgs have a talent for druidic magic. Their cultural reverence for nature, combined with their strong and insightful minds, makes learning such magic an instinctive part of their development. Almost every firbolg learns to tap into the magic of nature, typically used to mask their presence, and many go on to master nature magic. Firbolgs who become druids serve as stronghold leaders. With every action the tribe takes, the druids weigh not only the group’s needs, but the effect each action will have on the forest and the rest of the natural world. Firbolg tribes would rather go hungry than strain the land during a famine.

             The tribes of shifters that live in the wodes largely ignore politics, paying more attention to their own survival. They usually maintain casual alliances with the green dragonborn clans and firbolgs.

  The Wyld

             “The Wyld” is a general name for any piece of territory as yet unclaimed by a geopolitical power. That doesn’t mean they are full of monsters and devoid of civilization, however; settlements have been built in these regions, and others roam hither and yon.

             Some lightfoot halflings live in nomadic bands, traveling in wagons or rafts throughout the Wyld. They’re inclined to be affable and get along well with others, though some of these bands have earned a criminal reputation as coming into town and leaving with stolen goods.

             Some stout halflings live in small, peaceful family communities with large farms and well-kept groves. These families preserve their traditional ways of life. When threatened, however, the halflings will defend their homes with violence if necessary.

             Red dragonborn clans stalk the Wyld, either preying on its inhabitants or defending them from monsters depending on their alliance with either Tiamat or Bahamut. They tend to keep to the foothills, however.

             Gold dragonborn clans live in secluded areas and generally keep to themselves, setting out to combat evil only when something important enough catches their attention.

             The shifter tribes originated from unions between lycanthropes and ordinary humans. They are as likely to prey on the other inhabitants of the Wyld as to trade with them.

             Humans are as likely to live in settlements as they are to form nomadic tribes. Between Tver and Razmia, the humans are slender, tawny-skinned folk with brown hair that ranges from almost blond to almost black; most are tall and have green or brown eyes. West of the Barsard Mountains, the humans are of medium build and height, with dusky skin that tends to grow fairer the farther north they dwell; their hair and eye color varies widely, but brown hair and blue eyes are the most common.

             The centaur herds have an affinity for the natural world. They celebrate life and growth, and the birth of a foal is always cause for festivities. At the same time, they revere the traditions of the past, and they keep alive the legends of ancestral heroes.

             The minotaur herds are zealous and love battle. They tend to vent their outrage through violence, but they aren’t generally quick to anger. They are passionate, loving their friends and partners fiercely, and they laugh loud and long at good jokes. Minotaur legends describe a small pantheon of heroes—perhaps they were once thought of as gods—who established the minotaurs’ place in the world. Every minotaur in Everhaven claims descent from one of these heroes.

             The orcs were created by Terak and Canelle to serve as the gods’ soldiers in the Thousand Year War, but now they’re abandoned to their own devices. Those living in the Wyld survive through savagery and force of numbers. Theirs is a life that has no place for weakness, and every warrior must be strong enough to take what is needed by force. Orcs aren’t interested in treaties, trade negotiations or diplomacy. They care only for satisfying their insatiable desire for battle, to smash their foes and appease their gods.

  The Kingdom of Logres

Logres sits in the northwest. The climate is warm and temperate enough to grow grapes in the southern portion of the kingdom. The presence of the Fernian Wode on the kingdom’s western border has given the realm a reputation for magic and mystery, as well as making fire magic the most popular among evokers in Logres.

             Its humans are tall, fair-skinned folk with blue or steely gray eyes. Most have raven-black hair. They dress in clothes similar to the eladrin, for they believe they are superior to men.

             Halflings are the largest minority in Logres, as their hard work and loyal outlook offer them abundant rewards. Lightfoot halflings tend to keep to the cities, while stout halflings live in outlying rural villages.

             Silver dragonborn clans live in districts within the major cities in Logres. They often care for the peasants and join the city guard or the army.

             Bronze dragonborn clans live in villages on the coasts, normally near human or halfling settlements. They may join the army, but they also operate lighthouses and a sort of coast guard or become sailors.

             Kenku live in flocks within the cities. They most often operate as messengers, spies, and lookouts for criminals, but some serve as scouts for the army.

             With the presence of the Fernian Wode, half-wood elves are not uncommon on the western edge of the kingdom.

             Logrians largely follow the Great Church. Their nobles are steeped in the traditions of chivalry, but sorcerers are considered wild and tainted with evil and druids as primitive savages; wizardry is the only truly accepted form of magic, though that doesn’t stop peasants from turning to any mage they can when priests can’t help.

  The Kingdom of Oriellon

Oriellon sits on the western edge of Everhaven. The climate is warm and temperate all year round. It is a land of rolling plains once covered by the Fernian Wode. The culture is strictly feudal, and most people aspire to follow the Code of Chivalry, which espouses faith in the Lords of Good, justice, loyalty, defense of the weak, courage, truth, generosity, chastity, humility, and perseverance. Investigators are commissioned by the king to travel the land and ensure the king’s justice is carried out throughout the kingdom, using their intelligence and wisdom to pass judgment and songs to ensure the laws are remembered by the peasants. Oriellon is also the home of the late Good King Omund, who was instrumental in the formation of the Golden League.

             Its humans are of moderate height and build, with skin hues ranging from tawny to fair. Their hair is usually brown or black, and their eye color varies widely, though brown is most common. Humans are the dominant species in Oriellon, and they rule.

             Silver dragonborn hold a special place in Oriellon, for they formed Good King Omund’s legendary Dragon Knights or Dragon Phalanx. They are honored and treated very well by everyone they meet, hailed as heroes.

             Halflings are the largest minority in Oriellon. Lightfoot halflings typically live in the cities, while stout halflings typically live in rural villages.

             Kenku live in flocks within the cities. They most often operate as messengers, spies, and lookouts for criminals, but some serve as scouts for the army.

             The Great Church is the most prominent religious organization in Oriellon.

  The Kingdom of Falion

Falion sits in the northwest of Everhaven. The climate is warm and temperate year-round. The kingdom was founded by a tribal chieftain who made a pact with seven archfey, and every monarch since has continued this practice; many nobles have made similar pacts with archfey, while others are the result of unions between fey and humans that resulted in wild sorcerous bloodlines.

             Its humans are of moderate height and build, with skin hues ranging from tawny to fair. Their hair is usually brown or black, and their eye color varies widely, though brown is most common. Humans are the dominant species in Falion.

             Halflings are the largest minority in Falion. Lightfoot halflings tend to live in the cities, while stout halflings tend to live in rural villages.

             Silver dragonborn clans live in districts within the major cities in Logres. They often care for the peasants and join the city guard or the army.

             Bronze dragonborn clans live in villages on the coasts, normally near human or halfling settlements. They may join the army, but they also operate lighthouses and a sort of coast guard or become sailors.

             Kenku live in flocks within the cities. They most often operate as messengers, spies, and lookouts for criminals, but some serve as scouts for the army.

             The Great Church is the primary religious organization in Falion.

  The Grand Duchy of Mairo

             Three centuries and one day after the now-defunct Host of Spears razed the original Fort Mairo to the ground, Castle Mairo was raised in its place. For many years, Mairo was part of Falion, but within the past hundred years they have become an independent realm ruled by a duke. All of the inhabitants are free citizens, and knighthood is not restricted to the nobility.

             The symbol of Mairo is a battered breastplate, representing the breastplate of Herridek I, who founded the duchy.

             The current duke is Herridek II, who is a beneficent monarch.

             The demographics of Mairo are essentially the same as the demographics of Falion.

  The Kingdom of Vinion

Caught in a seeming war between forest and grassland, Vinion is a hardy land that birthed a hardy and adventurous people. They are slender, tawny-skinned folk with brown hair that ranges from almost blond to almost black; most are tall and have green or brown eyes, but these traits are hardly universal. They dress flamboyantly and value quickness of reflex and of wit, as well as reading and writing. For the Vinian, however, philosophy is useless. Morality, ethics, logic, theology, all exist in the poem, song, and above all, the stage.

             The men of Vinion are amongst the most multi-talented in the world, considering it each man's responsibility to master writing, reading, oratory, music, cooking, dancing, duelling, sailing. Lofty goals, and only a few men achieve the ideal. But all Vinians aspire to it.

Sturm, the Greatest City of This or Any Age

             Vinion is also home to Sturm, the City of the Great Game. The largest city in the world, Vinion is divided into five distinct districts. Each district has its own Lord, its own army, its own laws. There is trade, commerce, citizens with their papers in good standing can usually expect to move freely between the districts. But anyone caught and accused of being a Spy for a rival Lord can expect to be quickly tried without jury and hung without witnesses. You can buy anything in Sturm, but information is the most valuable product.

The Guilds

             In Vinion, the nobility wars against the newly powerful guilds. Each man is expected to join a guild. Those who remain unaligned are suspicious. "Cousin" is now open code for "fellow guildsman.”

             There are numerous guilds, perhaps even too many to list here.

  The Empire of Tver

Tver is best known as the home of the War Breed, the orcs and half-orcs. After the Thousand Year War, the humans in what would become Tver welcomed the orcs with open arms, harnessing and focusing their martial nature. Ever since, Tver has been ruled by a half-orc, and the army of orcs and humans has been expanding the borders. This is hampered, however, by strange inheritance practices.

             The humans of Tver are generally tall, slim, and amber-skinned, with eyes of hazel or brown. Their hair ranges from black to dark brown.

             Half-orcs are incredibly common in Tver, but they are also welcomed: they are even seen as an ideal form, a union of the best parts of humans and orcs.

             Orcs are most often members of the army, whether as dire wolf-riding cavalry or staunch infantry.

  Razmia

Razmia was founded by halflings who fled to coastal lagoons after the collapse of the Caelian Empire. Humans later joined them, and bronze dragonborn clans moved up to join them. Their sailors are the great explorers of the world, bringing trade and culture to all the regions of Everhaven.

             Its humans are slender, tawny-skinned folk with brown hair that ranges from almost blond to almost black; most are tall and have green or brown eyes.

             Halflings are the largest minority in Razmia. Lightfoot halflings tend to live in the cities, while stout halflings live in rural villages.

             Bronze dragonborn live on the coasts and fight pirates and sahuagin. They also operate lighthouses and serve as sailors.

             Kenku live in the cities, often working as messengers, lookouts, and spies for criminals. Some, however, work as scribes or as scouts for the army.

             Occasionally, sea elves and tritons come to Razmia to trade.

             The Great Church is the primary religion in Razmia.

  Valumar

Valumar is hailed as the center of divine magic in Everhaven. The headquarters of the Great Church is here, and arcane magic is heavily restricted to the point that it might as well be forbidden. Almost all of the inhabitants are humans.

             The humans of Valumar are of two physical appearances, generally. Some are generally tall, slim, and amber-skinned, with eyes of hazel or brown. Their hair ranges from black to dark brown. Others tend to be short, stout, and muscular; they usually have dusky skin, dark eyes, and thick black hair.

  Shelan and the Red Wilds

South of Razmia, across the Inner Sea, is a vast desert. In a small region, directly opposite Razmia, is the magically preserved oasis realm of Shelan, said to be ruled by gods on earth. The rest of the land is plagued by undead from even further south, and the people who live out there struggle every day to survive.

             Humans have three general appearances. Some, generally west of the Astawa Mountains, are shorter and slighter in build than most other humans and have dusky brown skin, hair, and eyes. Others, particularly south of Valumar, are generally tall, slim, and amber-skinned, with eyes of hazel or brown; their hair ranges from black to dark brown, but it is generally shaved off. The last are generally tall and muscular, with dark mahogany skin, curly black hair, and dark eyes.

             Blue dragonborn clans live in Shelan and are often guards or administrators. They also make up much of the army.

             Brass dragonborn clans live in the Red Wilds and wander it, aiding travelers and fighting undead as they come across them.

             Aarakocra live in Shelan and in the Red Wilds. In Shelan, they are often priests and scouts, while in the Red Wilds they live in distant tribes that rarely touch the ground.

             Khenra live in both Shelan and the Red Wilds. In Shelan, they are often warriors, while in the Red Wilds they struggle for whatever they can.

             Yuan-ti purebloods live in Shelan. They are believed to be the chosen of one of the gods, and they study wizardry there…though there are rumors of communion with darker powers.

             Minotaurs are zealous and love battle. They tend to vent their outrage through violence, but they aren’t generally quick to anger. They are passionate, loving their friends and partners fiercely, and they laugh loud and long at good jokes. Minotaur legends describe a small pantheon of heroes—perhaps they were once thought of as gods—who established the minotaurs’ place in the world. Every minotaur in Everhaven claims descent from one of these heroes.

[adventures-in-everhaven]

The History of Everhaven

(Note: Everhaven as a setting uses the pantheon from Green Ronin Publishing’s The Book of the Righteous, so all the gods mentioned are from that, and draws on Matt Colville’s Strongholds & Followers for some past history of the setting, especially the Ganarajyan and Xin Empires during the Age of Wonders and the Caelian Empire during the Age of Conquest; the Age of Giants and the Thousand Year War as a general concept comes from Wizards of the Coast and Dungeons and Dragons. I do not own that stuff.)

The Age of Gods

             The Creator formed the planes and the five elements: fire, earth, water, air, and arcana. Having formed the worlds, the Creator made a servant He named Kador. Kador was placed in control of fire. Then, the Creator made more servants: Rontra, who was given earth; Urian, who was given air; and Shalimyr, who was given water.

             Shalimyr and Rontra together planted a seed (given to them by the Creator) that grew into a great and lovely tree. Urian tended to the tree and called it Eliwyn. Kador came to hate the tree, for he had become corrupted with his power. He began to believe he was better than the other three.

             The Creator made more servants, for soon He would form the mortal races, and servants would be needed to guide them. He made Terak, Tinel, Morwyn, and Zheenkeef. Kador asked Terak and Tinel which was older, and both claimed they were the eldest. Thus started the Lesser War of the Gods, for Terak with his axe and Tinel with his magic fought to rightfully claim to be the eldest of the two and Zheenkeef believed that if she could destroy them both, she would take that title. Morwyn looked on in horror as Zheenkeef tricked the brothers into killing each other with Eliwyn, destroying the tree in the process.

             In the moment that the two brothers were slain, the Creator formed Mormekar, the Shadow. Mormekar formed a pyre from the wood of the tree and burned the bodies of Terak and Tinel upon it. Zheenkeef was so entranced by the flames that she leapt upon the pyre and was consumed. Seeing Morwyn weep, the Creator reformed Eliwyn, Terak, Tinel, and Zheenkeef; at the same time, he created Maal. Morwyn formed three laws for the gods to obey from that day forward:

·       The gods would never again make war upon one another;

·       The gods would do as the Creator commanded and use their strength to guide mortals;

·       No one god would rule over the others. Morwyn would lead, but she could not order the others to obey and follow.

With these laws agreed to, the gods turned their attention to Kador, who by this point they knew was evil. They attacked Kador in the Great War of the Gods and smote him down. The Creator cast Kador into another plane to serve as his prison: today, it is known as Infernus.

             There was peace, for a time. Morwyn took Terak as her husband, and they tutored the new servants the Creator formed: Anwyn, Korak, Darmon, and Aymara.

             Then, the Creator set to work creating mortals. With Aymara and Urian, He carved from the wood of Eliwyn the elves and the fey, who were placed on another world from the other mortals; on Korak’s anvil, He forged the dwarves from Rontra’s earth and stone; with Zheenkeef’s blood He formed the gnomes and halflings; and with Morwyn He made the humans.

The Age of Heroes

             After this was the Age of Heroes, when the gods walked among the mortals and the giants warred among themselves. It was during this time that the Creator made the last of the gods: Naryne, Thellyne, and Canelle.

             Although the gods had been barred from waging war directly against each other, they found that they could pit their servants against each other. Eventually, though, the struggles of these servants grew so ugly and intense that the gods almost went to war again. To prevent this, the gods agreed on the Compact: the Lords of Good would set themselves apart and would no longer dwell in the Material Plane, and they were to return to it only in times of great danger to mortals. Nor would they ever again be able to directly order the mortal races to do their bidding.

             The Compact created a system whereby mortals might be given powers to serve the will of the gods only if they came, of their own free will, to follow that god.

             During the Age of Heroes, the gods also warred with the aboleths. During this time, seven gods were slain, their power spreading to the mortals around them. These bloodlines founded the first mortal empires, but now they are rare.

The Age of Wonders

             During the Age of Wonders, mortals began to create great things with magic. Mighty empires were formed, such as the Ganarajyan Empire and the Xin Empire in the east. The greatest of these was the Ganarajyan Empire, of course, but the last and most feared was the Spider Kingdom.

             In his time, Vecna was one of the mightiest of all wizards. Through dark magic and conquest, he formed a terrible empire and even threatened other planes. For all his power, though, Vecna couldn’t escape his own mortality. He began to fear death and took steps to prevent his end from ever coming about. Orcus, the Demon Prince of Undeath, taught Vecna a ritual that would allow him to live on as a lich. Even though his body gradually withered and decayed, Vecna continued to expand his evil dominion. So formidable was his temper that his subjects would not say his name. He was the Whispered One, the Master of the Spider Throne, the Undying King, and the Lord of the Rotted Tower. Eventually, the Spider Kingdom was brought down from the inside: Vecna’s greatest general, Kas, took the sword his master had made for him and attacked the Undying King, until all that was left behind was the gem Vecna had replaced his right eye with centuries before and the lich’s gnarled, six-fingered left hand in its black gauntlet.

The Age of Giants

             After their civil war during the Age of Heroes, the giants became united in purpose. They easily took over the small races, and thus was formed the Ostorian Empire. The storm giants ruled the tritons from undersea fortresses and the rest of Everhaven from cities in the sky. The cloud giants served as their seconds-in-command, living in floating castles. The fire giants forged weapons and the stone giants made great works of art and craft. The frost giants defended the realm from what enemies there were. The hill giants subjugated the small races in more immediate, local terms.

             For four thousand years, the Ostorian Empire dominated Everhaven. There was relative peace. The only beings who could truly challenge the giants were the dragons, but when they did it was always local, personal conflicts that were resolved through tests of skill, strength, or wit. That is, until the red dragon Garyx railed against the prosperity of Ostoria. “We are dragons: why should we not be the masters of this place?” Garyx and several dragons who had been stirred by his words rose up and attacked Ostoria, and thus began the Thousand Year War.

             There was no front line or safe haven. The war was a mess of endless ambushes, sieges, and atrocities committed on both sides. Eventually, stronger forces got involved. For the last time, Bahamut, king of the metallic dragons, and Tiamat, queen of the chromatic dragons, husband and wife, joined forces and battled the children of Annam.

             It was at this time that the elves came to Everhaven. Fleeing from their enslavement on another world, some elves arrived in Everhaven. Seeing the plight of the mortals, the elves sought to protect them, and their valor won them a hearty welcome to the world.

             Finally, a fourth side joined the war: the gods. They sought to end the war to protect the mortals who were caught in the crossfire. Terak and Canelle begged the Creator for warriors, and thus He made the orcs; then Bahamut petitioned the Creator for defenders for the mortals, and thus He and Korak made from the flesh and blood and bone of the eldest dragons the dragonborn, whom Bahamut charged to defend mortals everafter.

             In the end, Ostoria was broken, the grand capital Voninheim frozen over, and over the next thousand years what remained of Ostoria fell. Never again would such a war be fought.

The Age of Conquest

The Coming of the Goblinoids

             Nobody is sure where the goblinoids came from, but they were not recorded among the small races ruled by the giants. The goblinoids name themselves the Eliksni and say that they used to be blessed by gods. They controlled great amounts of land until one day their gods seemingly abandoned them. This triggered a cataclysm known as the Whirlwind, and it caused a breakdown of goblinoid society. Eventually, the civil war was tentatively ended and the Eliksni set out for a new home, as theirs had been ruined.

             The goblinoids are recorded by the dwarves as coming from the sea. They terrorized humanity and the other races when they first arrived, conducting raids and attacks against outposts. As time wore on, the Eliksni began to understand that if they wanted this new home, they would have to take it by force.

             In an attempt to truly begin their new home, the Host of Devils staged a coordinated attack on the human city of Mandrake Keep in what would come to be known as the Battle of the Six Fronts. During the battle four groups of soldiers protected the newly constructed walls of the city against six enemy approaches, and not a single front faltered. There the Devils faced off against many warriors who would later become known as legends.

             The Warlord of the Host of Kings, manipulating the other Hosts, pushed for a united effort against Sturm, the greatest city in this or any age. The Hosts of Kings, Devils, and Winter stood together against Sturm in what would later be known as the Battle of the Twilight, with the Devils leading the charge. Sturm managed to push back the united goblinoids, with Marshal Zander Goranir leading a counterattack that broke the Hosts. At the end, the legendary paladin Brennan Embersword led a bloody assault to dislodge the remaining goblinoids that directly surrounded Sturm. In what would become known as the Embersword Crusade, the brave warrior fought against Solkis, Warlord of the Host of Devils, killing him with a headbutt and bringing the offensive to its final end.

The Caelian Empire

             The Caelian Empire was the most magnificent human empire seen since the Age of Wonders. It stretched from Logres in the north to what are now the Red Wilds in the south, and from Valumar in the east to Oriellon in the west. It was brought down, however, as much from internal turmoil as from the Dragon Empire.

The Dragon Empire

             The dark elves arrived in Everhaven after their kin. They decided to stay in the mountains and live in the caverns. The presence of the dwarves, who didn’t respond well to these newcomers, caused the dark elves to retreat further than even the dwarves were willing to delve, into what is known as the Underdark.

             On this journey, some dark elves found five white dragon eggs. These were cared for until they hatched, and then the wyrmlings were trained to obey the dark elves. Recently, the dark elves had come under the influence of a faction that urged for them to conquer, and now the opportunity was seized. With the power of their dragons the dark elves began to spread, forming what is now known as the Dragon Empire.

             The Dragon Empire was finally brought down from the inside. A prince of the empire who had soured against his cousin the emperor went to the high elf cities, the dwarfholds, and the human realms that remained independent and offered to lead their warriors through the labyrinthine network of mountain valleys and Underdark tunnels that led to the empire’s capitol. The humans agreed, and so fell the Dragon Empire. The capitol was sacked and put to the torch, the dragons slain, and the dark elves were broken.

The Golden League

             It was some time before another great organization rose to power. When it finally did, it was mostly human and it was an alliance.

             Good King Arthur was something of a reformer. When he looked at the world, he saw the opportunity for the various races to work together and develop. He went to the various other realms and brought them together in what is known as the Golden League.

             That was eighty years ago. For twenty years, Good King Arthur has been dead, and the Golden League is quickly approaching collapse.

The Modern Age

             None may yet say what the current age will be called, but it is an age of chaos.