History of Anvimar

A Time of Ice and Sorrow

Ancient myths of the Anvimarian lizardfolk speak of a time long past, before the Frozen Queen rose and claimed all of Anvimar and beyond under her great wings, when their people had a vast civilization and the heart of the world beat with the heat of a hunter. In the cold that followed the reign of the Frozen Queen their people diminished, the monster lizards which make up their totems seemingly vanished, and whatever grand civilization they may have had fell to the realms of myth. In it's place an age of brutality rose as what life remained fought for survival in a time of scant resources, always trying to avoid the whims of the Frozen Queen and her agents.
Out of this bleakness a race of beautiful giants appeared. The Muintir Brodita came from the earth, and sang a song of spring. It is said their harmonious voices could melt the ice that had enveloped the land and bring forth life once more. They stood tall, golden in colour, and staunch before the Frozen Queen. United they beat back her forces and brought battle to her lair at the crown of the world. With her defeat the age of ice was ended.

New Beginnings Lead to War

The Muintir Brodita tended the lands, healing it as best they could. But they were prideful and overzealous. As overseers of a fresh world the rules with an iron fist. They subdued the elements to their whims, called forth the orcs as their generals, kobolds and their artificers, goblins and hobgoblins as their foot soldiers, infesting the lands in a dark reflection of their golden promises.
Then from the West a new hope arrived. The Tuatha dé arrived over the Anvarian Ocean on their great Grey Ships. They recognized the wickedness that had infested the Muintir Brodita and gave them a new name: Fomorians. Shortly the two sides set to war, but the war would not be short. As the forces battled back and forth for untold years, each side sought ways to find an upper hand. Mystic weapons were forged. Terrible rituals enacted. Finally the Tuatha dé brought down a curse on the fomorians, twisting their visage to reflect their inner selves and casting them from the light eternally.
The war was settled not long following this and the remaining fomorians were scattered to such recesses they mostly passed into myth. Their forces scattered, searching out their own strongholds, providing the opportunity for others to flourish.

New Civilizations

Under Tuatha dé Anvimar naturally flourished. While forests spread, animals multiplied, and waters ran clear to the sea, new civilizations began to take hold. Dwarven kingdoms made their presence known, erecting great structures on the sides of their mountain homes. Gnomes settled into forests and hills. Humans began tending flocks. Some Tuatha found they liked this mortal realm and their descendants became the elves of modern day. The great city of Salindral was built. And so civilization was brought to the other peoples.
The remaining Tuatha dé returned Westward in their Grey Ships from whence they came or faded into the Feywild.

Empire's Rise

The humans took quickly to the tools of civilization, especially to ideas of conquest. They would divide themselves, merge, fall apart, conquer, and continually argue over their lines in the sand. A single empire rose stretching across most of Anvirmar, including present day Korinthia, Ardia, and lands beyond. The Ursian Empire stood a millennia, bringing roads, baths, consistent trade, and order to much of the region. A militaristic empire, it's soldiers are now legendary in their prowess. The peace within the empire also promoted education, philosophy, and arts.
After a great time of development during the reign of the Forgotten Emperor, catastrophe befell the empire. At that time the gods receded from Anvimar, no longer walking among its peoples. The empire crumbled, what remnants remained of the Ursian people fled North towards the Crown of the World.

After Empire

In the slow recovery after the fall of the Ursian empire, many city states populate the lands of Anvimar. Eventually these form into more distinct areas including Korinthia and Ardia. While Korinthia becomes a feudal land split into smaller kingdoms, a new emperor seizes control in Ardia, giving rise to the Holy Ardian Empire. The Korinthian King Roderick takes note of the Empire's actions and sets about uniting Korinthia in order to prevent the empire's encroachment. While this is not without struggle, and several battles, he eventually succeeds and becomes the first High King of Korinthia.