The Great Migrations

Cause

The Great Migrations were a direct consequence of The Cataclysm, an event that caused the once-mighty Kleriel Imperium to crumble and significantly diminished the world's Arcane energies.
The Cataclysm's shockwaves shattered the Elven Empire of Kleriel, leaving its various Elven cultures, who were heavily dependent on Arcane magic, scattered and helpless. Their society collapsed, and they found themselves weak and unprepared for the looming Ica Age.
The skies darkened with ash following the Cataclysm, triggering a volcanic winter and heralding the start of an Ice Age. As polar ice caps expanded southwards, the northern Human tribes - Jermane, Slaya, Heimer, and Nemedi - were forced to migrate towards warmer regions. This massive displacement led to inevitable confrontations with the native Elves.
The beginning of this extended migration period was marked by widespread conflicts, severe famine, and the uncontrollable spread of the Kambrona plague.

Jermane Migrations

Origins & Perspective

The first to embark on the migration journey were the Jermane, a Human culture residing near the western Arborian border, close to the Jagged Sea. These humans were under the patronage of local Elves who, out of a sense of pity, would often offer aid when sought.
Humans of this era were in awe of the Elves and their god-like powers. They revered the Elves as divine beings and only spoke highly of them in their legends. The Elves, on the other hand, were not interested in having Humans near them or helping them progress from their tribal roots, considering them to be insignificant, dirty, and unworthy.
This perspective, however, was not universally held among the Elves.

Interaction and Interest

The most notable engagement was between the Jermane and Arish - The Lightbearer. Arish traded resources with the Humans in exchange for information about the precursor ruins scattered across their homeland of Hyperboria. Over time, he worked closely with them in his studies and even journeyed into their lands under their escort to investigate these ruins directly, despite this being forbidden by the Imperium.
The ruins were considered sacred by the Imperium, remnants of the Children of the Heavens, and any interference was strictly prohibited. These particular ruins were unique, emanating not Light but Darkness, and the local Human tribes kept their distance out of fear.
Eventually, Arish's investigations were exposed, and he and his co-conspirators were accused of heresy and prosecuted for suggesting that these precursors were different, that "the first ones" might not have been the only advanced civilization of their era. The news of their discoveries spread far and wide, sparking a rebellion among academics in Lay'Shadesh. The brutal crackdown by the Imperium left many disillusioned, and the rebellion continued to grow in secret, despite the relentless efforts of Kleriel's Magisterium and Inquisition.

The Southern Push

These rebellious Elves assisted the Jermane in their migration southwards as the ice age took hold. In a remarkable demonstration of power, Arish, empowered by the Light , parted the waters of the Nord Sea, allowing the refugees safe passage. This act of divine intervention marked the first instance of mortals gaining favor from the Light in recorded history. With Arish as its prophet, the Faith of Light quickly became the main religion among the Jermane, attracting even some Elves.
The Jermane migration progressed peacefully. The Elves willingly relinquished their territories to the incoming Jermane in exchange for a continued alliance, with both cultures complementing each other's strengths and weaknesses. The Jermane, resilient and accustomed to the cold, began settling in the areas vacated by the Elves and founded the modern-day realms of Sturmgard and Lynora.
Meanwhile, most Arborian Elves sought refuge in their Elderwood to wait out the Ica Age. Over time, these regions became places of coexistence and cooperation between Humans and Elves. As the Arcane energies slowly returned, the Elves taught the first Humans to control and wield it, an act the southern Elves of Valleria viewed as a betrayal.

Slaya Migrations

Origins & Outlook

The Slaya, who lived in the dense eastern taiga of Hyperboria, north of the Messial mountains, endured one of the harshest fates. These humans were perceived as the more savage among their kind, living transiently in their forests like the beasts they hunted. They had limited interaction with the southern Elves due to the expanse of marshes, lakes, and barren earth that separated them, lands even the Elves found undesirable. The Slaya's occasional trespasses into Elven territory resulted in them developing a profound fear of the Elves. However, when they engaged with their western counterparts, the Jermane, they found a more favorable perspective. The Slaya remained skeptical of the Elves, doubting their divine favor and perceiving them as power thieves.

Competition and conflict

When The Cataclysm descended and frost settled in, the Slaya had to decide: die in the extreme north or migrate south into Elven lands, risking their wrath. They chose survival. Fearing a direct confrontation with the Elves, the Slaya were surprised to find their erstwhile powerful foes weakened and defenseless without their magic. Eastmarsh, in modern day Kyrus, almost devoid of Elven settlements, couldn't resist the influx of human migrants. News of the invasion reached southern Elves, who rallied forces to halt the Slaya's progression. Although weakened, Elven mages utilized rudimentary elemental spells in their defense, sparking a deep hatred for magic among the Slaya. Despite these hurdles, the Slaya relentlessly pressed south, prompting the Elves to retreat. At this time, the faith of The Divine Flame found acceptance among the Slaya, supplanting the failed Old Gods and the cruel Elven deities with the comforting warmth of the fire.

The Migration Wars

The "Migration Wars" era officially began when the Slaya, struggling to sustain their population in the impoverished conditions of northern Kyrus, resolved to move south across the rivers Obmat and Dolgaya. The Elves considered this an act of aggression, triggering a series of conflicts:
The 1st War occurred in the fertile Krestok region. Here, the Slaya, bolstered by superior numbers, overpowered the Elves. Though they suffered heavy casualties, the Elves' fortresses fell one by one, becoming bastions of Slaya civilization, renamed Tuscow and Svozno.
The 2nd War was about controlling the Diynar mountains and adjacent passes. During this conflict, the Slaya formed an alliance with the Dwarves of the Messial mountains. Equipped with improved weaponry and knowledge of metallurgy from the Dwarves, the Slaya breached Elven defenses and ventured into the Arborian Heartlands, capturing an ancient Elven city. After they razed and reconstructed the city as Starigrad, the Slaya saw the clear benefits of technology and The Mason's teachings, leading to the split between The Divine Flame and the emerging Church of the Mason.
The 3rd War or the Masonite Crusade resulted in the establishment of the Masonite Kingdom in eastern Arborian Heartlands. The Masonites, consumed by a religious zeal, massacred Elves, shocking even their Dwarf allies. This crusade abruptly ended when Celeena, an Elven baroness, unleashed dark magic against the Masonites. Although she was eventually defeated by The Mason, the conflict left both severely weakened.
The 4th War pitted the Masonites against the Vallarei Elves from across the Valpine mountains. The Vallerians successfully repelled the Humans but failed to cross the mountains due to internal issues. The Mason's death soon after left a power vacuum that fragmented the Masonite Kingdom into smaller kingdoms and duchies, which across the course of the next era would unite in to current day Ardechia.
The Slaya earned their name as "slayers" of Elves, and those who followed The Mason were known as Ardechi, or "the red ones", their tabards dyed red from the bloodshed during the Migration Wars.

Heimer Migrations

Origin

The Heimer, natives of the world's frigid northernmost regions, had no contact with the southern Elves. When The Cataclysm resulted in a volcanic winter, the Heimer clung to their homeland until living conditions became near intolerable.

Migration

Their decision to migrate came considerably late. Journeying south across Hyperboria and into Arboria, their migration ended upon reaching the Nord Sea in Arboria's northern half. This region, rich in indigenous Drake species, came to be known as Drakenheim and became the new home for the Heimer settlers.
Despite their relocation, the Heimer culture remained largely unchanged, maintaining its tribal society organized into clans. Remarkably, they are among the few human cultures still venerating Humanity's "Old Gods." Over time, the Heimer also gained notoriety as raiders, pillaging and plundering their southern neighbors across the sea to compensate for the scarce resources in their northern territories.
As the ages passed, these diverse clans gradually united to form The Heimer Clans.

Nemedi Migrations

Origin

The Nemedi people have a long history in the steppes of Nemedia, located northeast of the Messial mountains and present day Kassaria. As a nomadic culture, many Nemedi remained in their homeland even during the migrations. However, those who did migrate southward discovered an expansive, uninhabited land.

Migration

The Nemedi who migrated south towards the epicentre of The Cataclysm found the steppes of Kassaria virtually empty. Initially, they competed for territory with the Slaya people, who have begun crossing the Messial mountains towards their west, but over time, the nomadic Nemedi began to settle permanently. This shift facilitated the mingling and merging of the two cultures, which gradually adopted a shared identity as the people of the Kassari steppes.
However, not all Nemedi remained in the soon-to-be Kassaria. Many pushed further south into warmer lands, lands they found charred by The Cataclysm and devoid of any civilization, with only ruins hinting at the previous heartland of the Kleriel Imperium. These lands would slowly recover, part due to natural processes and part due to the efforts of the new settlers, who reintroduced life to the region with the plants and animals they brought along.

Elven Retreat

The Arborians, the Elves of Arboria, nearly lost their ancestral homeland entirely. In the west, they retreated to the safety of their elder forests, sacred places of potent magic, co-existing peacefully with the Jermane, the human settlers living around them. In contrast, in the east, the Arborians faced relentless wars against humans, the Slaya. Despite their fierce resistance, they were mercilessly slaughtered, their cities and sacred forests burned, and were driven across the Valpine mountains into Vallerian territories. Some stragglers managed to establish an underground society, continuing their resistance against what they call the "Human occupation" from the shadows. For the local authorities, they are nothing more than bandits, a nuisance but not a threat to be ignored.
The Elves of the Vallerian Empire welcomed many refugees and made a solemn vow to retake what is rightfully Elven. They eagerly await an opportune moment to strike. However, they too have succumbed to internal instability, secessionist movements, famine, and plague, significantly reducing their capacity to pose a real threat beyond their home valleys.

Fate of the Dwarves

The Cataclysm nearly wiped out the Dwarven Under-Empire. Molten magma filled their caverns and tunnels as swiftly and mercilessly as inflamed water, primarily affecting those near the eruption's epicenter. Their race was brought to the brink of extinction, with only those in the map's fringes and known world's border regions surviving. In the aftermath, these survivors were isolated from each other and left to fend for themselves.

Messial Dwarves

The eruption nearly decimated the Dwarves of the Messial mountains, being the closest to the event. Only those near or on the surface survived. Many of them fled to the surface, whereas some Dwarf Holds decided to seal their strongholds, hoping to wait out judgment day in the safety of their remaining underground fortresses. None of these holds were ever re-opened. The Dwarves who fled to the surface migrated into Human lands, most notably Ardechia, where they integrated well, sharing a common grudge against the Elves and a keen interest in metallurgy and masonry. Many Dwarves also converted to the Church of the Mason.

Kingdom of Kanarrak

The Dwarves of the Iglophian mountains were one of the farthest from the eruption and suffered the least. Their culture remained intact, though their deep mines and the Under-way were destroyed, isolating them and surrounding them with migrating Humans on all sides. These Dwarves retreated into their ancient Dwarf Holds until the dust settled. Upon re-emerging, they reclaimed their mountains from any Human and Ogre who dared defile them during their absence, establishing the realm of Kanarrak. They remain isolationist to this day. Eventually, only the Humans from The Heimer Clans earned their respect as honorable warriors and wise shamanists, prompting trade relations. Kanarrak continues to adhere to ancient Dwarven traditions and maintains their faith in The Elders.

Kingdom of Ezrenhelm

The Dwarves of the Valpine Mountains too isolated themselves in their Dwarf Holds during The Cataclysm's aftermath, but their holds and caverns were fairly spared. When they emerged, they found themselves in a precarious position between the expansionist, irredentist Vallerian Empire to the south and the Human realms to the north, such as Sturmgard and Lynora. Fortunately, the northern alliance between Humans and Elves embraced tolerant ideals and multiculturalism, with which the Dwarves of Ezrenhelm then too aligned themselves with.

Dakkari Dwarves

The Dakkari Dwarves represent a unique sect of dwarves that survived The Cataclysm, situated in the remote Realms of Avallon, a continent located far to the east of Xia, across The Three Seas ocean. This group of Dwarves were engaged in an extensive expedition exploring uncharted cavern systems beneath the ocean when the Cataclysm hit. Unable to return due to the catastrophic cave collapses and devastating magma floods that occurred during the Cataclysm, they established a colony in this foreign land, beneath the sands of the Dakkari desert. The desert itself was named by the indigenous races of Avallon, and it's from them that these Dwarves take their name.
The Dakkari Dwarves spend a substantial amount of time above ground, exploring their new surroundings and engaging with diverse peoples they had never encountered before. They found the Dakkari desert rich in underground minerals but devoid of much else of value. Having no prior history with the local factions, they maintained an absolute neutral stance, and have become renowned traders and caravaneers.
Their adaptability and eagerness to trade led them to swiftly form a merchant league, known as the Dakkari Trade League. This league has fostered business relationships with all factions and is largely accepted by them. The Dakkari Dwarves, frequently travelling under the desert sun on their caravans, have over time developed a darker skin tone as a characteristic trait of their sub-race.

Takes place after:

• The Cataclysm

Takes place during:

• The Ice Age (Soon™)