The Mortal Interregnum

The Mortal Interregnum describes the early years of the Elven Age following the Mortal Wars and the fall of Harlak. Marked by the fading influence of divine powers and the disintegration of old theocratic regimes, this period saw mortals rise to fill the power vacuum left behind as the Elven Gods retreated from the physical world.

Summary

The Mortal Interregnum was a transitional era following the fall of the God-King Harlak, and the end of the Mortal Wars. With divine power in decline, Humans, Elves and Dwarves rose to fill the vacuum. The period was marked by fragmentation, power struggles, and the gradual shift from divine rule to mortal rule. It set the stage for new kingdoms to emerge, the spread of sentient species from the now Wastes of Harlak and the eventual rise of Elven dominance in the north.

Historical Basis

Scattered references, archaeological evidence, and multiple oral traditions provide a patchwork understanding of the Mortal Interregnum. The fall of Harlak in 1 EA, often memorialized in mythic terms, sparked the collapse of old theocracies and allowed mortals to vie for control of Orienta without any divine intervention.

Elven records from around 500 EA allude to the rise of several kingdoms, the most prominent of which included Val’Thaloris, Lorintha, and Halentha. Val’Thaloris exemplified early Elven imperial ambition, led by warrior-archons who seized territory from weaker human enclaves. Yet it was Lorintha and Halentha that eventually established long lasting stable power, overshadowing Val’Thaloris by adopting more sustainable governance and stronger economic bases. By the later centuries, these kingdoms stood at the forefront of the Elven Age, unifying large swathes of the north, while Val’Thaloris slowly faded from the historical record after a string of devastating setbacks and defeats.

Human settlements, left to reorganize after Harlak’s downfall, created fledgling city-states and trade hubs. References to the city of Jaryanne, for instance, depict a cosmopolitan metropolis that thrived on maritime commerce. Elven sources occasionally highlight Jarryanne’s role as a bastion of cultural fusion, though some accounts also emphasize conflict, particularly during expansionist campaigns led by ambitious archons. While Jarryanne weathered multiple threats, it stood as a bulwark of human resilience and diversity until well after the Interregnum.

Nascent human domains like Varenthia and Kingdom of the Kul'Tura capitalised on trade routes to accumulate wealth and political clout. Varenthia, located on the Bay of Varen, drew in a a racially diverse immigrant population and served as a successful model for multiculturalism, before its destruction by a Val’Thaloran army around 800 EA. Kul’Tura, located at modern day Birodrov, secured vital overland passages between the Velvet Coast and the Dwarven strongholds and laid the groundworks for the future Grand Duchy of Novaya that would emerge more than a millennium later.

Dwarves, confronting a rapidly changing world, often retreated into their mountain citadels of the Khelreach Range, refining metallurgy and preserving their crafts. Beastmen, once subjugated by Harlak, scattered across the continent with no unifying leader, adapting to harsh conditions or facing persecution. By 800 EA, the combined pressures of ascendant Elven kingdoms, notably Lorintha and Halentha, and the collapse of rival human city-states effectively ended the Mortal Interregnum, inaugurating an era dominated by Elven governance.

Spread

Over the centuries, the Mortal Interregnum has amassed a profusion of tales, marginal annotations, and contested anecdotes that extend, contradict, or reshape established histories. While many of these accounts defy verification, they continue to shape local folklore, spark scholarly debate, and inspire creative retellings.
As conflict and social upheaval characterized the Mortal Interregnum, most inhabitants lacked the resources or literacy to keep written records. Instead, wandering storytellers, traveling merchants, and exiled nobles carried stories far beyond their points of origin. These oral renditions gradually morphed with each retelling, embedding local values and biases into narratives that vary widely by region. In some far-flung settlements, it is said that Harlak’s fall resulted in curses that still afflict entire bloodlines. In others, jaded minstrels spin cautionary epics warning against the hubris of gods and mortals alike.

In the margins of early Elven texts, particularly those that predate the ascension of Lorintha and Halentha, scribes occasionally jotted down rumour laden anecdotes. Some speak of clandestine alliances between Elven warlords and Dwarven technocrats, or of ephemeral city-states deep in wilderness areas, lost to plague, famine, or mystical calamity. These apocryphal notations rarely enter official Elven histories but persist in libraries’ forbidden sections.

Human bards have often relayed tales of hidden fortresses that thrived despite the era’s turmoil, only to vanish for reasons ranging from environmental disaster to arcane mishaps. These “lost strongholds” frequently serve as moral allegories, illustrating the dangers of over-reliance on arcane artifacts or isolationist policies.

Among the esoteric archives of the University of the Occult, there are whispered references to deviant cults that flourished amid the waning of divine powers. Some claim to possess “pseudohistories” chronicling the old gods’ hidden machinations during the Interregnum such as manuscripts that speak of forbidden rituals intended to resurrect Harlak or harness the scattered essence of departed deities. While mainstream scholars dismiss these texts as fabrications meant to justify necromantic experiments, they remain a dark curiosity for occult enthusiasts.

Variations & Mutation

Perceptions of the Mortal Interregnum differ profoundly across the races of Orienta, reflecting each group’s struggles, triumphs, and cultural ethos during this age of ungoverned possibility. Elves often cast the Interregnum as a great test, imposed upon mortals by the gods’ retreat, asserting that Elven champions were uniquely suited to restore order where divine guidance had vanished. Humans, by contrast, remember a crucible of ambition and survival: polities like Jarryanne and Varenthia rose to prominence as testaments to human perseverance, their success tinged with a sense of precarious independence overshadowed by Elven expansion. Meanwhile, the Dwarves retreated into the safety of their mountain strongholds, turning inward to hone their metalcraft and safeguard their ancestral wisdom; for them, the era was defined by isolation and self-reliance rather than outward conquest. The Beastpeoples of the Wastes lament the abandonment and betrayal felt after Harlak’s fall, their oral histories painting a portrait of wandering tribes struggling to find footing in a world suddenly bereft of the only structure they had known. The resulting tapestry of legends underscores the complexity of the Interregnum, with no single narrative able to encapsulate the multifaceted experiences of all those who lived, and fought, through its upheavals.

In Literature

Elven Chronicles: Works such as the Annals of the House of Vaelion and the Songs of Althandel exude a triumphalist tone, lionizing Elven champions who imposed order in a realm bereft of divine authority. These texts frequently reduce human polities to mere obstacles on the path to Elven ascendance.

Human Oral Traditions: Epics like the Saga of the Plains capture moments of fierce autonomy and revolt. Though later transcribed by Elven scholars, these tales resonate with themes of honor, survival, and defiance against perceived Elven overreach.

Novayan Chronicles: Fragmentary references to Kul’Tura and Jarryanne portray innovative trade systems and diplomatic agility. Though partially overshadowed by Elven claims, these references highlight the early formations of Novayan society.

In Art

Murals and Frescoes: Some archaic wall art—particularly uncovered in the ruins of Varenthia—depicts multi-racial gatherings and trade expositions, reflecting an ethos of tentative cooperation.

Sculptures and Relics: Dwarven enclaves in the Khelreach Range produced intricately forged idols commemorating ancestral heroes, blending mythic elements with real historical events.

Elven Tapestries: Commissioned retrospectively, they praise Elven stewardship, portraying Elven paragons ushering in stability. Scenes of Val’Thaloris, Lorintha, and Halentha emphasize splendor, often downplaying the role of human and dwarven figures and civilisations.

by Shadowfire using Midjourney

Date of First Recording

First Written Records Appearing Circa 500 EA

Date of Setting

1 EA - 800 EA (Approximately)