A Short History of The Realms

The island nation of Akosa was discovered just over 1000 years ago by explorers in the seas west of Faerun. Initially the island was mistaken for the fabled Green Isles, but this notion was quickly dismissed as the approaching ships discovered a lush and isolated island seemingly populated by nothing more than common beasts. Early expeditions to the isle found ruins of structures indicating a small populace had once inhabited the area, though the design of the buildings was unfamiliar, even to the eldest of elven scholars. Located outside of any navigable shipping lanes, the Island was almost wholly ignored by anyone other than the bravest of archaeologists and the occasional treasure seeker until an accidental discovery in the islands northern peaks.
The incredible wealth of natural resources that were discovered including mithril, lykium (mineral used for creating Magic items), and an incredibly fertile land for crops made the island an immediate trade hub and point of interest for denizens across the world. As the rumor of this new frontier spread like wildfire across the world, all manner of folk traveled to Akosa to make their fortune in the veritable ‘gold rush’ of the age.
Over the next 100 years the population grew. Small settlements and mining camps turned into frontier towns, and eventually burgeoning cities and ports to support the ever-expanding growth of the region. Explorers pushed into the unexplored regions of the vast island finding all manner of beasts similar to those found in Faerun, but still no indigenous population could be found. As the wealth of the Island grew and its inhabitants began to tame the wild land all seemed well on Akosa.
On the eve of Tor’s Day, the winter Winter Solstice just over 800 years ago the night air rang with bells of warning from the port cities of Akosa. A massive fleet of Elven origin had blockaded the largest port city of the Island and landing parties had flooded into the cities. The strangely pale elite elven infantry cut through the citizens, merchants, and lowly adventurers with little struggle. The largest city, and trade hub for the island had fallen in a night. Word quickly spread to the mainlands that an unprovoked attack of unknown origin had befallen the Island, trade princes and kings alike scrambled to deploy an Armada to face the intruders that threatened to stop the supply of seemingly endless resources from the new land.
Two months into the Elven occupation, the joint Armada of civilizations from across the world arrived, nearing the location of the island. Though the treacherous journey had claimed many lives the forces of Faerun knew they sailed to save their kin, with the promise of untold riches for reclaiming the Isle. The Elven fleets launched from their newly claimed land and engaged the arriving forces in a battle to rival any that had been seen on the oceans of this world. Combat raged as the skies darkened around the embattled fleets. With little warning, a raging tempest arose as pulverizing waves and torrential rain consumed the engaging armadas. Few survivors made it to shore to tell the tale.
The survivors of the fleets, and those that remained on the Island quickly regained control of their settlements, killing, enslaving, or chasing away the faction of strange pale Elves that had seized the island with such brutality and ease just a few months before.
The tempest continued to rage on, waxing and waning from the island as the seasons and the years passed on. Scholars maintain that the storm has now encompassed Akosa for 835 years. Attempts to sail from the island have been unsuccessful ending almost always in the death of those that attempt it, and no contact with the greater world has been possible. Factions have formed and civilizations have grown to accustomed to living in their new world, the Dwarven Empire of Bihr Lodur arose to claim the great ore mines of the north, and the Halfling villages and farms spread across the central plains of Silverlake have successfully farmed the lands to an extent that feeds the populace of the Island. The largest population, that of Humans has settled into Talos Landing and their role as masters of trade, war, magic, and suppliers of poor indentured servants to work the mines and fields of Akosa.
Roughly 2 years ago, a shipwreck was discovered on the southern shattered isles, a small reef of sunken volcanic islands to the south of Akosa. The hold of the wreck contained a significant payload of a strange red metal. This was the first of what could be described as a fleet of galleons would wreck across the isles, containing holds of this metal. At first the pirates in the southern seas saw little use for this new discovery, but as samples of the red ore reached the court wizards and blacksmiths of Talos Landing it became clear this metal was vastly superior to any alloy that had existed on the Island before, the unique hardness and magical nullifying properties of the mineral dubbed Damascium would change the island forever.
The new discovery destroyed the overwhelming monopoly that the Dwarves had on metals and minerals and swung the balance of power to the human cities that were scrambling to import more Damascium. Skirmishes have arisen as dwarves search to recover some portion of their crippled economy. Though open war has not been declared, tensions are high across the land and the arms race to control the mineral rushes forward. Rife with political turmoil the island looks inward, shattering centuries-old alliances, the clouds once again grow dark with the thunderous drums of war.
Welcome to Akosa.