Krowethic Empire

The Krowethic Empire was an ancient empire originating in the modern Commonwealth region that dominated the Mythic Age period of history. Amongst the earliest civilizations of Prima Terra, the Krowethic Empire was amongst the superpowers of its time - and endured the tumultuous early millenia of Prima Terran history. Spanning swathes of the Western Regions of the continent, the empire would last thousands of years and go on to influence the landscape and mythology of the peoples living there today.
Much of the empire's history is lost, with only surviving glimpes caught in surviving stone relics and the oral history of the giants and mythologies of the people who live in their former territory. The Krowethic Empire also utilized a unique dating system, which makes placing key events difficult to near impossible. Their empire would dominate the mythic age, it collapse sparking the beginning of the first age. Their empire would still influence the following era, their resettlement of fleeing elves helping birth the Sun Elf Empire.

Culture

Some of the Krowethic Empire's culture survives in existing giant groups. The belief that giants are 'divine' being destined to rule the world was a cornerstone of Krowethic belief and culture and still exists in certain giant communities today. This enacted itself in their caste system of giants, with all other races below them. They seemed to have some kind of respect for the elves, almost seeing them as equals, but this could not be said for their human subjects.
Slavery was widespread throughout the empire. Slaves toiled the fields and worked as petty labourers for the giants. Primarily sources from human groups, it is likely most non-giants of the empire were serviles. This system was integral to the Krowethic economy, and its breakdown and revolt of their slaves is what ultimately destroyed their society.
The empire also built numerous theatres and 'opera halls' known as orchestras throughout their empire. During their height, the royal family seemed to directly fund the arts, showing it as a cornerstone of their culture. Some giant songs of the modern age are believed to have originated as epic performances from the empire itself.

History

Early Mythic Age The Krowethian giants likely originate from nomadic bands who the west of prima terra during the early mythic age. This period of time has very little documentation due to the lack of written sources, surviving relics, and conflicting oral histories and mythologies. By the end of the first few generations of giants, around 500 me, they had established more permenant cities based around a palace culture throughout the modern day The Commonwealth. In ancient Giant tongue, Krowethia means "Land of the Crows" meaning this was likely just the name for the area they lived in rather than of any specific culture, tribe, or peoples.
Several stone tablets have been found in partial disaray, which mention The Founding of Krowethia. They mention the 6 great cities of Naarkolon of the Isle (Salian Isle) Taralek of the Hilt, Ashvanir of the marsh (Potentially Mora, a hamlet in Cape County), Garakan of the northern pommel (Gurnbourne) Karak of the Fertile Forest, Larthel of the southern coast, and Soorgothica of the Heart (Saunton). It would be Soorgothica that would unite these cities, with Ageroth I becoming 'king of kings' and founding the first kingdom of Krowethia.
Krowethia emerged alongside other western giant powers - Surgoth in modern day Tumbria and Westaxe, Ulmat in the Eldrian Heartlands of the modern Eldrian Empire, and Gruzz, which was somewhere in the Marcian region, potentially in East Marcia or near modern Neapia. The krowethians themselves existed alongside the primitive human and lizardfolk tribes of their region, the precussours to the Gwenyddian, Kernowian, and Orange scale and Northern Lizardfolk tribes.
The Krowethians formed some early alliance with these lizardfolk, likely as labourers and hunters, and were known as the "serpents" by the people. Iconograhy of powerful Lizardfolk cheiftains has been found, showing they were somewhat respected and honoured in giant culture. Their relationship with humans was more distant, the treaty of groves was a pact between the giants and Old Gods that gave the giants dominion over certain lands in Gwenydd and is mentioned in Gwenyddian folklore as a warning not to interfere with divine pacts and respect nature, whilst in giant texts it shows the 'cunning' of King Ageroth II in getting the deal in the first place. This means that likely by the 9th century, when the pact is believed to have origianted from, Krowethia had expanded in to modern Gwenyddian region.
Illithid Wars A mysterious and mythologised part of Prima Terran history, the Illithid Wars are beleived to have occured between 852 and 995 of the mythic age. Many western myths and legends talk of falling monsters spat out from the stars, and giants mention the Ilthacar - a race of sky squids who crashed on giant nautaloids throughout western prima terra. Halfling and Gnome histories talk of Nautaloids scouring the south and forcing the first exodus of the small. Modern theories say this was an invasion of Mind Flayers, a theory supported by the Chronicle of the Illithid Wars in the Archives of Storvakis at Astergor.
Inside Krowethia, the city of Shugghilibh was created by these illithids, but they were beaten back - this was likely with the aid of Krowethians, but is believed Primal Elves played a key role in this, and the city driven in to the underdark. It is beleived that this city accidently summoned the elder god Ucothah in an attempt to defeat the giants, which corrupted the illithids present. Ucothah would remerge in the third age and subjugate the drow city of Gazzarit - with Shugghilib being ultimately destroyed for good thousands of years after the giants first defeated them.
The Krowethians also joined a coalition of other giants, elves, and dwarves to retake the fallen lands of Gruz in Marcia. This is believed to have been done by King Lomar of Krowethia himself. In the aftermath of the war, Krowethia would settle and colonize the fallen Gruzzian lands.

Early Krowethic Period (996-2450)

Krowethia emerged from the mysterious Illithid wars as the major power of giants. A carved mountain face in modern Iranno shows the Krowethic settlement of the region and a crude, hard to interpret and long eroded map of their settlements in the region. The Krowethians also began to settle Jotun in 1100, the governor Ymir landing on the island and battling Svartvelheim.
With this rise in power, the Krowethians appeared to have demanded subjugation of the other two giant nations of Sargoth and Ulmat. The 'Congress of Dunnan's Sons' was a negotiation between these powers - which ulimately failed after 7 years and led to a war between the giants. Ultimately, Krowethia would emerge victorious. The only known battle of the conflict was the Battle of Unicaar, not far from modern Eldron.
This is when the Krowethic empire became a true superpower and empire, claiming vast territory with complex palace economies for local governors and chiefs, trade routes by sea and land, and well noted tax documents. The empire liked to build opera houses, palaces, and theatres - such as those constructed by Hargot the Magnificent.
The Krowethians also formed a strong alliance with the Primal Elves during this time, creating a generally peaceful and rich empire for centuries. Grozgat the Great would rebuild the city of Ferinzad and building the city of Grozagangad somwhere in modern Southaxe. The Empire is also believed to have pushed further south, into what is now the Seldrinar Supremacy to found additional colonies.
High Krowethic Period (2451-2900) The High Krowethic Period, typically dated to around 2451, ma, saw the empire at its height and begin its gradual stagnation. For a few centuries, the empire remained largely stable. The beginning of the Mythic Age Collapse event, which saw numerous cultures and empires decline and collapse in rapid succession, started to affect the empire's neighbours.
The Primal Elves to the north were falling into civil war, and an uprising of dwarves that saw their empire collapse. Many elven refugees came into Krowethic territory in the coming centuries, with Haelon being granted lands in Marcia and 'The Green March' coming across the empire's lands to the Silverwood - creating the earliest wood elves.
This period also saw the empire officially declare war on the Forgotten Gods cult in the Aedrinaran Islands, alowing Ymir, son of Ymir, Governor of the colony of Jotun, to join Odin and Frigga in battle. The empire would send some supplies and reinforcements, but for the large part the colony would fight the battle on its own.
The Mythic Age collapse eventually caught up to Krowethia in the aftermath of the Jotun colony's war against the forgotten gods. The First Servile War, headed by legendary Albionic king Carthuanan, fought throughout the heart of the modern Eldrian Empire for freedom against the giants. After around 7 years, and numerous giant cities being sacked by the 'serviles' Carthuanan and his followers were defeated during the reign of King Ralmir at the Battle of the Sunken Church, and Carthuanan defeated. Whether Carthuanan existed, or was just the mythological figurehead for the revolt remains constested, but at least one source in the Archives of Storvakis seems to indicate they did exist and were beaten by a general known as Hongar of Dran. They claim Caarthuanan was torn 'limb from limb' and dumped in the 'Great River' (Either the river Albion or Axe.)
Plague also spread throughout the empire at this time, as a 'bleeding lung' would claim the life of countless giants and serviles, including King Ralmir. The southernmost colonies of the empire would be abandoned during this time. Unlike their neighbours, the Krowethic Empire would survive the Mythic Age Collapse, but in a far weaker and smaller form.
The loss of life from disease saw Ageroth IV break the treaty of the groves, and start enslaving Gwenyddians and settle into their territories. This descision would go on to doom the empire centuries later, as groves were destroyed and human tribes enslaved with the aid of the lizardfolk, now a full on warrior caste of the Krowethic empire.
This period ends with a civil war, supposedly between the heirs of Franthir II and the 'Usurper Lords.' The outcomes are unknown, only that the House of Roth would be established by one of these 'usurpers' named Roth the Warrior. A second servile war also broke out at this time, supposidly instigated by the Dwarves.

Late Krowethic Empire

The late period begins in around 3000, ma, during the Civil War. Dwarves managed to seize regions of their empire, most notably The Northing, during the chaos of the war. There are disputed claims the Krowethians would attempt to retake it in the aftermath of their civil war. Roth I would also have to grant more Marcian lands to the elves there in order to keep their economy running, and to relocate the few giants still surviving in the region to the heartlands of the dwindling empire, known as the Hycenian compromise.
Roth is beleived to have started some modernization of the empire, but the enslavement of Gwenyddians continued and a short lived Third Servile War broke out sometime during the end of his reign, or the start of their heir's. Gwenyddian mythology states Belennus brightned the sun as vengeance for the uprising being quelled, creating a famine in the region.
A second interegnum was created when Roth II died. Roth II, at least according to his surviving lament, undid many of the first Roth's reforms and seemed to increase the enslavement of the gwenyddian peoples. Their death left no heir, and is unclear if a second civil war began or not, with contradicting texts claiming different things. The Lament to Krowethia claims that Hormgar claimed the throne from a 'House of Olveld' durign the second war of brothers, but when this war occured is unkown. Contact with Jotun was also lost at this time, making the kingdom independent.
Collapse The Krowethic Empire's collapse is mainly catalogues in Kernowian and Gwenyddian legend as well as some surviving texts. The Fourth Servile War, led by the first avatars of Morrigan and Duada, rose up and started killing all giants they came across and destroying their cities. The town of Sarakis is known to have fallen, and its few survivors fleeing to find the lost colony of Jotun with other refugees.
Soorgothica itself was sacked and razed, but due to its size and impressive megastructures, many of its ruins now form an underground complex of modern Saunton, with some parts of the ancient city forming buildings in the King's Palace, The Miskatonic, and even the walls of the city.
The final battle of the war, and the final destruction of the empire, came at the Battle of Naarkolon, one of the founding cities of the empire on the Salian Isle. The final king, Lusat the Fallen, was 'beheaded' and left one heir who is claimed to have fled. The empire's destruction occured within a matter of decades at most, showing a rapid decline.
Their collapse would see the Lizardfolk again driven into small tribes living in the marshes of the region, and nomadic human life take ahold of the region. Some permannt resettlement of Saunton would occur, with some giant technology and relics being used to create the first version of The Miskatonic, and some of their large ruins would serve as winter settlement grounds for the clans. The fall of the empire is also believed to have caused the giant god, Ammann, to abandon them and shatter their caste system.

Demography and Population

Ethnic Groups

The Krowethic Empire was a giant empire, populated by the various strata of giants organized in the Sundering, their caste system. Whether these types of giants were unique sub-races or simply titles, with the divergences occuring late in the empire or post-empire, are unknown. These giants lived in grand, palace focused cities across their land and made up the majority of the population for most of the empire's existence until the High Krowethic Period when disease and war started to see their numbers decline. Of these giant cultures, the specific differences between those of Krowethic, Sargothic, and Ulmattian origins is unclear at first - but by the end of the empire it is beleived they were a homogenous group with only small dialetical differences.
Humans of Druidic backgrounds, notably the early Kernowians, Gwenyddians, and Albionic peoples made up a sizeable portion of the servile and nomadic human populations in the empire's heartlands. A small tribal society, these groups worshipped the old gods and had a clan structure and close relationship to nature. They erected stone rings and small burial mounds throughout the unsettled countryside, or were 'serviled' into working the land for the giants. Other human groups, such as the old Tumbric tribes, or the ancient precursors to the Netalii peoples of Marcia, lived in smaller numbers as serviles.
Lizardfolk, native to the marshes of the western regions of the empire, were an integral part of the empire's culture. Forming a close relationship early on in their history, and known as 'snakes' by the giants, the Krowethians would go onto utilize the lizardfolk as a warrior caste and seemed to honour key lizardfolk warriors and leaders through artworks and burial structures. Modern lizardfolk tribes in the region still idolize the giants, occasionally praying to their spirits or at their ruins.

Territories

At its height, the Krowethic Empire controll the modern regions of The Commonwealth, The Eldrian Empire, Southaxe, Holy Goose States, Estrella, Iranno, Altruscia, Vulcania, East Marcia and parts of the Seldrinar Supremacy as well as the Kingdom of Jotun.
Originating in modern Cape County, known settlements included:

• Soorgothica (Saunton)
• Naarkolon (Salian Isle)
• Garakan (Gurnbourne)
• Taralek (Modern Commonwealth region)
• Ashvanir (Potentially the town of Mora)
• Karak (Commonwealth region, potentially near Carely or the Gods Wood.)
• Ulmat
• Unicaar (Eldrian Heartlands region)
• Sarakis (In the craggy peaks)
• Ferinzad (Somwhere in Marcia)
• Grozgangad (Either north of Neapia or in Southaxe)
• Dran (Unknown)
• Ulmagan (Unknown)

Map of Krowethic Empire Territory at their height

Technological Level

The Empire was believed to have been a bronze-early iron capable civilization. Wide spread mining throughout their empire can be found, primarily around sources of tin, copper, gold, silver, and some iron sources. Surviving bronze, gold, and iron relics have been found. It is unknown whether the Giants used Mithral or Arcanium veins, but some magically infused relics seem to indicate they did - although whether these items actually date to the Krowethic Empire is disputed.
The Krowethic Empire was amongst the first to use a writing system, chisling grand giant letters on stone tablets. This writing seemed to be taught to most of the castes within the empire, as it was often found in public spaces. A iconographic system for the illiterate was also used.
Magically, the Krowethians seemed somewhat arcanely capable. Some grand stone tablets seem reminicsent of low-level spell 'scrolls' and some surviving arcane relics seem to indicate at least primitive enchantment was performed.

Religion

The principal religion of the nation was that of The All Father, the high god of the giants known as Annam. The 'creator' god of the giants Annam gave them order and structure and a 'destiny' to control the world. Although the still existing giants still honour Annam, he is a silent god to them - who supposidly turned his back on his creation at the fall of their empire and refuses to look upon them again until they reclaim their lost glory. The existence of smaller, non-giant sized shrines, indicates some humanoid creatures, likely the lizardfolk, also worshipped Annam or members of this illusive pantheon.
Most of the humans in the empire were worshippers of the Old Gods. The Pact of the Groves only seemed to protect those of Gwenyddian origin, as Albionic peoples, also of druidic origins, were frequently used as slaves alongside the proto-kernowian peoples. The Tumbric peoples were nature spirit worshippers, and the influx of elves in the High Krowethic Period saw some Seldarine worship spread.

Between 700-700, me - 3945 m3

Type

Geopolitical, Empire

Demonym

Krowethic

Government System

Monarchy, Absolute

Power Structure

Unitary state

Economic System

Palace economy