Zaemrios

The story of Zaemrios doesn't begin with the first man opening his eyes or even the first dragon unfurling her wings. No, the story of the world of man starts like many others, with the gods. While mankind - a term which we Zaemrian scholars use to encompass all sentient humanoid life - is the star of this show, they are not its creator.
Much like the gods' story began with The Architect, as they built the very essence of the Infinite Seas and each of the deities that inhabit them, the history of Zaemrios - or, rather, Zaem as a whole - too must begin with its creators. As the Primordials and Astrals finished creating their various realms and domains, they decided to turn towards a much bigger goal, a joint project - the creation of the Corporeal Sea.

The Corporeal Sea

Before we get to the planet itself, we must first touch on the plane in which it exists. While we cannot begin to fathom just how much exists within the plane as a whole - we barely know if there is life on the other side of the ocean, let alone what lives beyond the skies - the Corporeal Sea is one of the Infinite Seas, just like all of the others. Much like the Raging Infernos of Elemental Fire exists within the Elemental Sea or the Radiant Heights of Heaven lies within the Astral Sea, the deities built the Corpreal Sea within the Ethereal Sea.
What comprises this infinite sea is the vastness of space and everything found within it, such as our little rock, the stars and moons in the sky, and perhaps even more planets that we've only just begun to fathom - astrology is a relatively new subject at our universities. Naturally, as I am just one fiery-headed individual, the rest of this historical archive will focus on the history of Zaem in particular, as we truly don't know if let alone what kinds of things are going on beyond that scope.

The Planet Zaem

With that in mind, we turn next to the creation of the planet itself. While many believe the creation of the Corporeal Sea and Zaem was an idea brought about by the Astral, they obviously needed to consult the Primordials for its creation. The Astral Deities had power in their own right, and plenty of ideas, but in order for their power to work they would need the Primordials to create the building blocks. The first gods liked the idea that was pitched to them, so they traveled to the Corporeal Sea to begin laying the foundation of the planet, the elemental materials that make up its very essence.
Each of the four primordials brought with them the Elder Elementals - not only the very first and most powerful of the elementals, but the first non-deific sentient beings in existence - as well as a host of lesser True Elementals to help them with the project.
Brytwynn created the physical shell of the planet within the Ethereal Sea. Warmth the Amorous filled the shell with fire, creating its molten core. Watloryn the Peaceful covered many parts of the shell in water while Qili wrapped it all up in air.
While it looked very different then than it does today, or even than it would just a few short years later as the Astrals got their hands on it, the planet of Zaem was created. It had an earthy shell covered in water and air with a fiery core, but there was nothing else to it. It was time for the Astrals to get to work.
Perhaps none worked quite has hard as Adra and Korbin the Perceptive. While obviously not the first couple amongst the gods, they were certainly one of the earliest, and they began traversing the earth together as soon as the Primordials had finished it. Everywhere they walked, a trail of life followed them as they covered the earth in flora. Many of the different biomes across Zaemrios were made that way because of the mood Adra was in as they passed that area.
In time, they began adding fauna to the mix, especially in areas they traversed a second or third time. They covered the land in grass and trees, flowers and bushes then expanded things to forests and jungles, or deserts and plains. They sprinkled in the smallest little critters, like squirrels and canaries, then went back through to make eagles and deer. Having a bit of fun in the islands of the southwest they made dinosaurs, then they travelled below the surface of the water and did the same thing down there. Coral reef and seaweed, fish and sharks... so on and so on.
Before long, the entire planet was a living, breathing ecosystem unlike any of the deities had ever seen, and it was all thanks to Adra and, to a lesser extend, Kobin. But Adra and Korbin weren't the only deities at work. For instance, Brytwynn and Mijomir traveled the earthen terrain she had created, filling the mountains and bedrock with beautiful veins of minerals and gemstones.
More importantly, however, two deities began to effect change on nearly as large a scale as Adra and Korbin. The first of the Titans, Rumeus the Cold, found his way to the Corporeal Sea and brought with him the cold of elemental ice. He traveled to the depths of the ocean, turning it cold enough to kill, then to the highest mountain tops to do the same, turning his mothers' creations against them. Then he settled in the northernmost part of the planet, giving birth to what we know today as the Parristino Glacier.
At the same time, another deity was affecting the planet to an even greater degree. Monoth Stormglory was the first astral deity to discover how to harness the power of the elements. She harnessed their power and channeled it into a new creation, storms, which still ravage the planet to this day. No storms were ever quite as powerful or destructive as those early storms though, eroding and reshaping the primordials' creation to shape the planet as it is today. Some of her earliest earthquakes not only created the islands we referred to earlier, but also gave birth to the second titan, Malor, who continued her mother's work.
In its infancy, long before it belonged to any of us, the planet belonged to the beasts. Much like the kingdoms of today, each biome had its own king. The island jungles were lorded over by the aforementioned dinosaurs, none mightier than the tyrannosaurus rex. In the arctic north, the snowy plains were led by the mammoth, while the hot deserts in the south fell victim to the giant scorpions. While bears ruled over the forests and eagles soared over the coasts, the great savannahs and plains bent a knee to the lion. Crocodiles took over the swamps while sabre-toothed tigers took over the mountains, and giant spiders spun their webs between hills. In the ocean depths, none was more feared than the massive sharks, nor the giant snakes of the freshwater rivers and lakes.
But soon, their delicate ecosystem would be overthrown, as the astral deities began creating life. It all started deep within the earth, hidden far from the light of day, with the first men - the Dwarves.

The First Men

After having finished filling the earth with various veins all over the world, Brytwynn and Mijomir grew bored of just admiring the beautiful landscapes she had created. They wanted someone else to enjoy it, to experience it, to live within it and create with it. Taking clues from the Primordials earliest creations, the true elementals, the two gods carved the first man out of stone. They chiseled away at the hard earth to create his shape, squat and sturdy so as to be strong enough for the task they would give him. They let their daughter, Torva the Wise, create the finer details of his face and hands. Then they laid him on the forge, and Mijomir hammered life into him.
This was the first man. The first true dwarf, preceded only by Torva. Many believe this to be the time that these three deities chose their own prime appearances, with Torva gaining the title of the First Dwarf. The first man was also the first of the Demigods, given the slightest bit of power from their father's forge. This made him immortal, but also gave him the ability to reproduce. Brytwynn, Torva and Mijomir would create three more dwarves this way, two men and two women in all, before returning to the Astral Sea to watch their creation from afar.
The first dwarves, whom all took the family name Forgefirst, began cultivating the dwarven civilization. They called their home Stoneroot, located deep, deep beneath what would eventually be known as Cragwall Mountain in present day Mirynd. While none on the surface knew they existed for centuries, the first men were fanning the flames of civilization well before humans were even a glint in their creator's eye.

Fighting Tooth & Scale

Much like air mingled with water to create ice, the other elements were beginning to coexist and spread out throughout the world. Earth and fire made magma, fire and air made smoke, air and earth made dust, earth and water made acid and water and fire made steam. The minor elements spread far and fast, but there was something else spreading even faster.

The dragons are born.

A Poison Seeps In

Zero, Ward, Jylhena, Lucideus, Zsesti travel

Zsesti gives many beasts, plants poison

Zsesti creates the Serpentfolk

Everything Becomes Chaos

The goblinoids are born, disrupting order of the surface and Stoneroot

Upon the Shoulders of Giants

Nedyra & Rohan give birth to Trynfice

Malor continues her mother's work, creating the first giants

The Birth of Magic

Xeneth creates the first magic and embeds it within various mortal entities at birth

The Dawn of a New Era

The Archfey deities emerge, creating the Everlasting Planes

The Minutiae of Wanderlust

Shafiel combs through Adra's creations, enhancing the finer details

She creates the firbolg race to watch over the sacred forests she creates

Humanity Presides

The dawn of humanity as Pedarr & Erminia create humans

Kunissa & Kierra establish the first human civilization, introducing humans to law and order

Betrayal Begins with Trust

Lucideus & Zsesti create the yugoloths, unleash them on the world

Zero, Ward & Jylhena fight back against the fiends

Lucideus & Zsesti are banished from the Corporeal Sea

Zero retreats to Heaven to create the celestial army, making the first angels

Records & Secrets

Leoquinal reveals that he has been recording everything his fellow deities have done, to be kept in his Archive

Ridon tells him there are things even he doesn't know, secrets

Ridon creates the false titans, non-deific creatures rivaling the power of the true titans, hides them across the world

A Plague Spreads

Ukrior creates the first devastating plagues that ravage mankind

Oozes are left in their wake

Ghuzzul & Ghutran are born

The Devil You Know

Lucideus creates the devils, sends them to steal something from Zsesti

Zsesti creates the demons as revenge for this act

The Fiendish Wars begin

Birth of the Wanderers

Star creates the tabaxi

Trynfice creates the halflings with her mother

What Happens After?

With souls overflowing into the Astral Sea after the death of mortals, Zukione establishes the afterlife

All souls will go to the Underworld when they die, this is how it was in the beginning

Here Comes the Horde

Ghuzzul & Ghutran create the orcish race

Tribal hordes overtake many settlements across the continent

The Echo Persists

Finished with the Everlasting Planes, the Archfey deities create the Eladrin and Shadar-kai to inhabit each

The Great Wight North

As adventurous members of the races of man venture north, they die from the cold and rise as members of Rumeus's army, the first wights and first undead

Let's Make a Deal

Taking cues from their astral brethren, the Primordials create more sentient elementals, the genies

Granted Life Anew

As Lorarieth walks the earth, she grants its oldest creatures life anew, creating the treants

The Lord Creates His Hunt

Lord of the Hunt, Korbin, now separated from Adra, creates his hunting party - the thri-kreen

The Aberrant Wars

The Aberrant Sea apparently discovers its new neighbors, as four mighty races invade the other Infinite Seas

Aboleths invade the Elemental Seas

Slaadi invade the Astral Seas

Oculens invade the surface of the Ethereal Seas

Psionicists invade the underground of the Ethereal Seas

In time, the Aberrum emerge to fight back against the oppressors

New Defenders Emerge

After the invasion of the Aberrant Sea, the Primordials and Archfey create new defenders to protect the areas where the Infinite Seas overlap

Aarakocra and Kenku were created to protect the Sea of Air

Azers were created to protect the Sea of Fire

Gargoyles were created to protect the Sea of Earth

Tritons were created to protect the Sea of Water

Many other fey creatures - including: Dryad, Centaurs, Pixies, Satyrs, Sprites, Nymphs, Hags - were created to protect the Everlasting Planes

The Labyrinth of the Sea

Tiana Honorsails created the minotaur race as the ultimate seafaring navigators

The Lesser Giants Step Forth

Many other lesser giant races step forth into the world, including the ogres and trolls

*

Jylhena creates the gnolls

*somebody* creates the lizardfolk

*

Watloryn creates the merfolk to keep the tritons company

Archfey deities create the elves

Archfey deities create the gnomes

*

The tortle race is created

*

Zukione introduces myriad undead to the world of man

Secretly adds vampirism to the mix, overshadowed by the others

*

Many half-breed races begin to emerge as civilizations mingle, including:

Aasimar

Tiefling

Dragonborn (Dragontouched)

Goliath (Hulkling)

Genasi

Half-elves

Half-orcs

etc.

*

The kobold race is born by an artificer tricking Noiphyr

*

Xemros spreads lycanthropy

*

ADD SOMEWHEN:

Subracial splits happen

Wars

Esterdonian invasion

History

First Draft

Speaking cosmologically, the elemental seas were created first, then the astral seas, then the ethereal seas, and sometime after that the Architect disappeared. This first era, of which no one knows the length, is typically considered the Creation Era. This is when the gods were stretching their legs, learning their abilities, shaping the different planes. The tail end of this era includes the creation of Zaemrios.
There is some overlap with the second era, referred to as the Echo Era. This is when the archfey began creating their echoes of the material plane. Many creatures, both humanoid and otherwise, were birthed during this era. The gods walked the earth regularly and man was just catching its bearings, living tribally throughout the world, as were the other races. Although Leoquinal likely has records from these two eras, humanoid-recorded history does not stretch back this far.
Our recorded history begins in the third era, for which a name has not yet been agreed upon. It started over 1,600 years ago with the beginning of civilization in Zaemrios. In these early years, subraces didn’t much exist. For instance, there were no high elves or wood elves, just elves. No mountain dwarves or hill dwarves, just dwarves. And so on.
All people, regardless of race, lived nomadic and tribal lives. Humans were spread throughout the entire continent of Zaemrios, across dozens if not hundreds of tribes. The elves originated in the Viridian Grove, but as their population increased they, too, began to spread out. This is what eventually led to the different subraces of elves. Some elves fled to Cragwall Mountain and eventually became the mountain elves, others fled to the Linden Ocean and became the aquatic elves, and so on.
The same could be said for every race. The dwarves outgrew Stoneroot and spread to other portions of the continent, the original halfling shire became overpopulated and so more were found, and so on. There is no need to dive into the specifics of each subrace. Non-human history remained relatively straightforward. There were no long-lasting wars or conquests. They simply expanded and set up roots, the likes of which still exist today.
Human history is different, of course, as they are a stubborn and greedy race. The nomadic human tribes eventually began to converge and band together through conquest. One tribe would encounter another, go to war, then eventually absorb surviving members of the losing tribe. In time, cities began to spring up across Zaemrios. The first true human city on the continent was Zurith, which would eventually be renamed Paradise City as Zurith expanded to become an entire kingdom.
Eventually, the discovered portions of the continent were split into four different kingdoms: Zurith, Mirynd, Prelia and Lothage. Although mankind thrived during these first few centuries, much more of the continent belonged to the other races than does today while a majority of the continent was left untamed and uncharted.
This first period of time in the current era lasted roughly 500 years, before the people of Zaemrios got their first taste of other civilizations. We don’t know much about the history of Zaemagas or its people, save what we know about the Esterdonian Empire from the items that they left behind. From the southeast, a civilization of people that seemingly advanced much faster than the people of Zaemrios invaded the continent.
As they crossed the small bit of ocean that separates them, they first encountered the simple kingdom of Lothage, completely eradicating the entire civilization. As they were unprepared and unassuming, there was seemingly not a single survivor. Still, news of the invasion was able to spread to the north in Prelia and to the west in Zurith and Mirynd. Prelia, of course, had the least amount of time to prepare. Its communities were razed to the ground, though many of its people were able to escape and find refuge with the other races.
Zurith and Mirynd joined forces and marched on the east to meet the Esterdonians in open combat, while the survivors of Prelia pleaded with the elves, dwarves and gnomes with which they sought refuge. Some of them even found themselves in the company of dragons, somehow feeling safer with them than taking their chances with the Esterdonians.
This was the first true war in Zaemrios. Perhaps other wars had happened by now on other continents, which is likely considering the aggressive expansion seen by the Esterdonian Empire. The joined forces of Zurith and Mirynd held their own, but they were vastly outnumbered and underequipped. Things were beginning to turn against them when an alliance of Prelians, Sylvan elves, hill dwarves, forest gnomes... and metallic dragons joined the fray.
Many seem to believe dragons had not yet flown the skies of Zaemagas, because the Esterdonians were completely unprepared for their devastation. The tides of war changed rather quickly when facing the arcane might of the elves, the battle prowess of the dwarves, the inventions of the gnomes and the sheer destruction of the dragons. The war raged for decades, and when it was over Zurith turned their blades on the non-humans.
Most of Mirynd did not agree with their decisions, but did not wish to fight their allies. They retreated, and the kingdom of Mirynd has been working to make up for that decision to the other races for generations since. The Prelians stood by their new allies and eventually drove the Zurites back. The surviving Zurites and those Miryndians that chose to align with Zurith moved southeast instead, settling in the remains of Lothage as they felt a need to form a first line of defense against the people on the other side of the sea.
Thus, the kingdom of Bredon was born. Further north, the Prelian alliance rebuilt their civilization, renaming it Phoenix as they rose from the ashes. Unfortunately, many of the more arcane-natured residents of the kingdom chose not to return. They stayed in the north, mingling with the other races to advance their grasp of the arcane, and eventually formed the city of Acadia. In time, Erudica would rise up as its own kingdom around that city. During this time, many folks began to discover the mines in the north and the pastoral plains of the mid-south. They journeyed to find work and resources, and eventually both Astovia and Praedium were founded.
This period of Zaemrian expansion led to far more war. Human kingdoms fought against one another, non-humans fought to protect their land from the intrusive humans and this all gave rise for the more war-like cultures to spread throughout the continent, including the orcs and goblinoids. During this time, Qilanna was born, the eighth kingdom of man, for people who had no interest in war but rather enterprise.
As the wars raged on, Phoenix fell for the second time, this time subject to an assault by the orcish war tribes of the central continent. The orcs had quietly grown insurmountable while the humans and their allies fought the Esterdonians and then each other, before they took their opportunity to strike. The same could be said for the goblinoids. Soon, war broke out between the non-humans. Orcs raided the mountains and hills of the dwarves and the forests and woods of the elves, goblinoids pillaged the halfling shires and gnomish burrows, all the while the chromatic dragons began to emerge and cause devastation across the continent.
The surviving Phoenicians returned the other races’ earlier favor, despite losing their home. They joined forces with the other races, as did the Erudicans, to fight back against the orcs and goblinoids. In the south, Bredon joined the war as well, though their rationale was more selfish than anything. In the north, the Astovian empire joined the war as well, both for selfish reasons and for the dwarves that had become their allies.
In the end, the orcs and goblinoids were driven back to hide in their own mountains and forests. The kingdoms of man gathered on the western shores of the Sea of Niacook to call a temporary truce and discuss. The leaders of Bredon and Erudica spoke of how necessary it was to form a peace treaty. The Erudicans called for a treaty for the sake of peace alone, while the Bresians called for an alliance to fight back against the races that threatened man. While their reasonings were dissimilar, each kingdom sided with one or the other and signed the treaty.
The city in which they met, a small port town called Jarlstead led by a Jarl who referred to his fairly expansive property as the Jarlands, was decided to be a neutral zone. The Jarl was granted his land as separate from the kingdoms of man, a sort of free land in which the leaders of the kingdoms could meet with each other down the road. It would also become the seat of trade throughout the human kingdoms.
After the treaty was signed, many of the human kingdoms sent aid to the fallen Phoenix, as did survivors from the other races who could tell enemy humans apart from their human allies. Together, they built Phoenix back up for the second time. Relations between humans and the other races were tenuous at best, though the other races began to get a grip on the different nationalities of man. They knew who they could trust, at least partially, and who they absolutely could not.
And so, a relative peace was established across most of the continent. Zurith was on its own, driving other racial kingdoms off their land as much as they could, forcing them to find homes elsewhere. But other relationships between races thrived. The humans in Erudica continued to grow their arcane strength and knowledge. The Astovians continued to increase their knowledge of mining and the forge. The Praedians benefited from gnomish technologies that enhance their ability to farm. And so on.
This peace has persisted for roughly the past five centuries as the different kingdoms of man and the other races continue to flourish. The only things that occasionally threaten that peace are assaults from war-like races, such as gatherings of orcs or goblinoids, or from the more primal and nomadic people that still exist in the wildlands of the continent. Not all humans conformed to the kingdom structure, after all.

CURRENT EVENTS

The first thing to truly disturb the peace in all that time was the Nexan War. Rumors of the Arcanists’ Trust’s plans spread across the continent and the first human alliance in centuries formed, consisting of soldiers from Bredon, Astovia, Erudica and the Jarlands. They banded together to fight at the Battle of the Bloodgate. Small skirmishes persist in the area, but a majority of troops have retreated from Erudica victorious over the Arcanists’ Trust.
There has also been a rise in giant attacks and violence throughout the continent, though nobody knows why. What is unprecedented about the attacks, more so than the increase in volume, is that the attacks seem to be perpetrated by strange giant alliances rather than a single race of the giant folks.
Leadership of certain kingdoms have been pushing for a more solid alliance between the eight kingdoms, to avoid any future wars amongst their own kind. The people of Erudica and Mirynd in particular have been calling for such an alliance, though the idea has its obvious detractors in the form of Zurith, who knows such an alliance would eventually lead to alliances with other races, and Bredon, who believes no other kingdom stands a chance against its military force.
As part of this effort, certain individuals have been pushing to plan a massive, continent-wide event to drum up attention and bring people of all races together. The event would be at least a week long and take place in one large location, consisting of all sorts of activities, games and feats in which a single or group of winners is crowned. This would include magic contests, feats of strength and even gladiatorial combat, among other things.
As the Nexan War begins to wind down, the Arcane Resistance has stated its plans for once the combat truly comes to an end. They intend to reclaim the city of Nexus and work with the Erudican leadership to outlaw necromancy throughout the continent. This will involve closing the School of Necromancy for which the city is infamous.
Just a couple of years ago, the leader of Jarlstead passed away in the night. His death was sudden and a surprise to his family, though foul play was ruled out right away. The jarl had yet to have a son, and so for the first time in the Jarlands’ history, a female has taken over the mantle of jarl. This has caused unrest in some citizens of the Jarlands, though thus far Jarl Clementine Delafontaine has proven herself worthy of the title.
After a group of adventurers supposedly stumbled across a fabled Hidden Shrine in the old Esterdonian empire, they discovered that the Esterdonians were not quite as extinct as Zaemrians thought. After relaying this information to members of the Patrol, they have taken an interest in preserving the history of the shrine and making contact with the surviving citizens of Esterdon.
Throughout the islands of the Beaumar Archipelago and even stretching north across the west coast, the pirate menace has reached an all time high. The Black Mer Bandits in particular have grown increasingly raucous, destroying merchant ships left and right, and even growing so bold as to invade certain coastal towns and island communities.
Finally, over the past few years, there has been an influx of purported divine omens and sightings of the gods. While these could just be rumors or hallucinations, many people have begun to put validity to some of these claims due to the sheer number of them spreading throughout the continent. What could this possibly mean for the people of Zaemrios? Are the gods taking a more vested interest in the affairs of mortals? Why has their attention been renewed? Or, is this all just some elaborate hoax?

Location under

Zaem

Included Organizations

• The Jarlands

Related Tradition (Primary)

• Zaemrian Calendar