Histories of Everos

History is a great temple being built with each passing moment. The mighty pillars are formed with every breath of each man and woman in Qadal. The edifice is grand, bearing a magnificent façade etched with the tomes and scrolls of scholars. Held within this hall of grandeur is endless time and fading memory. Every moment is captured here, then released into the gaping abyss of forgotten knowledge. The job of history is to capture the most important of those moment and save them within the ethereal realm of recorded knowledge. Everos has a long and complicated history, and only events of note could possibly be preserved from the constant flow of activity. The accounts that follow are what best represent the narrative of events that formed Everos into the land it has become in modern times.

Otemelod (-5600)
This culture thrived in the fertile expanses between the Lornesse tributaries. They are among an extensive tradition of settlement on the continent, but outstanding because of the scale of their influence and the utilization of agriculture.
Daorhu and Aemar Tribes Coexist (-5000)
During the -5000s, the Daorhu and Aemardic tribes which developed in northern Everos came into regular contact. This is not to state that they were unfamiliar with one another, since the regions around the Balendorns were a long-standing cultural mixing-ground, but that they now traded openly and intermingled.
The Feat of Hanghel (-4440)
The Eshan are a competitive breed, oft to petty rivalries or challenges for their own amusement or assertion of authority. A preponderance of these contests are bitter in nature, involving underhanded tricks and miserable murders, yet a few are more benign. The mutual respect between Aebaster and the Ezontach spawned such exchanges of feats for entertainment, just as much as to test the boundaries of olundi capabilities.
The Bounty of Mondaoru (-4400)
Aebaster had won the first round, having guided Hanghel to a glorious and unexpected victory over the Daorhu race. Now the Ezontach were compelled to respond, equal parts for honor and to continue the game between them.
Idherost Wars (-4100)
The Aebastadmars of Everos came into conflict with a growing sect of tribesmen known as the Idherogest or Devoted of Air. This rather obscure faith asserted the divine nature of spirits which they believed dwelled in the air in innumerable and unseen cohorts. These entities were the font of olûndari life, operating as the breath which coursed through the body.
Conflict between the religious tribes was a complex intersection between practical desires for land and resources versus legitimate quarrels of the spirit.
Lemheran People Destroyed (-3600)
When Aebaster created Aemarda, he scattered them throughout Qadal. Among these lands was Lodon, the cursed place wherein the corrupted children of Mesian dwelled, bestial and without mercy. Those Aemar occupying Lodon were known as the Lemheran, and were largely separated from their northern and southern neighbors who would become Corgastodmar and Grahen.
Over the centuries, the population of the bestial Elivas grew, increasing the pressures against the Lemheran. Mesian witnessed these things and was sorrowful for them. She offered her faith upon them, offering Eshanic powers in exchange for veneration. The Aemar who came under her guidance were granted physical powers in support of traditional manifestations of energy. One sufficiently empowered among them might wrestle and kill an Elivas beast. It was a unique expression of Eshara which Mesian made her specialty.
Time continued to pass, and though Mesian granted powers they were insufficient to distribute among all the Lemheran. Elivas numbers continued to rise, and the Lemheran were pressed into a tighter and tighter region along the river Zomore. All other places were bestial prowling grounds.
By the year -3600, Lodon was near depopulated. The whole Lemheran race was either destroyed and turned to bone or escaped over the river Zomore. A few villages remained, but they were harried constantly by ravenous packs of Elivas. Only one major settlement survived until then, recalled in memory as Hedom. It harbored some 2,000 persons, which was great in those years, but was assailed every night by Elivas beasts hungry for flesh and blood. Small successes led to some deaths among the Aemar, but these small successes excited the primal beasts who assaulted more often. Hedom was flush with them, such that the Elivas beasts found one another outside the walls for dominance. The master of that place, named something alike Arod, fled that place with his closest followers. He threw open the western gate and escaped from the eastern gate. Everyone unawares inside was torn apart while the minority lived. No Lemheran settlements then existed in Lodon, and their people extinguished.
The Elivas Ascension (-2500)
The malicious curse placed upon Mesian by Ácolitus in response to her affair with Aebaster brought doom upon her children. They were destined to be born as wild beasts, roving the lands west of the Zomore as one great den. While the other Alor’eshan, including Aebaster himself, were allowed to settle their chosen people in their hard-won homeland, Mesian was barred from her due spoils.
Atûn came forth with an unorthodox solution. He offered to uplift Mesian’s accursed people with a proto-typical form of Vojûn, being prior to its proper introduction some 1000 years later.
Elivas Golden Age (-2040 to -1428)
The great expansion of the Elivas realm began with Kisekexeh Lod, being the first among previous sovereigns to recognize the need for the race to expand to survive. She was cunning in more ways than perception, however. Her wisdom recognized that the Elivas were unable to overcome the hordes of Aemardic tribes who long plundered Lodon for pelts. Instead, Kisekexeh decided to hire them into her service as mercenaries, promising plunder, valuable pelts of the dead, and long-term trade with those same neighbors. A fair number declined the call, but enough travelled to Lodon in interest to bolster the ranks. Kisekexeh Lod deployed these warriors to crush the other pretending Lodeshi throughout the western reaches, and by -2040 achieved that end. Lodon was united, and thus the golden age began.
Not interested in complacency, Kisekexeh turned her eyes east. The ancient tribes of the Aemar, being the same peoples invading Lodon for centuries, were weak and disunited. She prepared a warhost of hardened veterans, and cleverly convinced the mercenaries in her service that Lodon would elevate their tribes to power. Marching east, the disparate Aemardic peoples were swept aside and subjugated. The mercenaries of her hire made rich in the short-term but were thus blinded. Just as they became wealthy, Kisekexeh undermined one tribe then the next, until all her own mercenaries were crushed.
The great Lod Kisekexeh died in -2013, but her legacy was continued through her successors. These conquerors swept over the reaches of western Everos, dominating everything to the west slopes of the Aeducarrs and down the Gismyr coast. Those Aemar yet independent became tributaries of the Elivas realm, offering slaves and wealth to the plateau.
Lodon’s light began to wane during the -1400s, when Etayen adventurers began arriving on the southern coasts of Everos. Adventurers became settlers and settlers became warriors. The Etayen were vigorous in carving out lands for themselves and subjugating neighboring peoples. This created the first waves of the massive exodus known as the Aemardic Shattering. Hordes of refugee tribes washed northward, pillaging in desperation and planting themselves where ever temporarily safe. The well-rooted Elivas in that region were battered by these tribes over many years, causing an uprooting effect as floods might destroy ancient trees. They fled back over the Zomore, surrendering the treasure of Kisekexeh for years. This signaled the end of the Elivas Golden Age. While Lodon remained strong, its influence was turned back toward the homeland, opening the way of universal Etayen domination.
While narrow window compared to other nations, the incredible success of the Elivas in swiftly expanding their domain is worth noting in the annals of wider Evosmar history.
Era of the First Daorhu Kingdom, Banthoram (-2260 to -1820)
Almost 5,000 years ago was when the holds of the Daorhu were first united to form a single political entity. It was when Yalagah Thundurao Lazarum of Metaorbu Thoram, which at the time was the strongest Daorhu hold, campaigned against his neighbors and brought them all to heel. This war is known to Daorhu scholars as the first Medraak, or great conquest. United, the Daorhu lands became a world power worth of fear and awe. Grand halls were built deep beneath the mountains, and underground highways connected the many holds and allowed travel and trade to flow, safe from the bitter colds and barbarians above. The Medraak gained mythical status as a holy war of conquest and unity, even within the lifetime of Yalagah Thundurao.
The borders of Banthoram extended over the entire north, and even crossed into the borderlands of northern Loryne, where the warlords and petty kings who held that area were too weak to resist. It was at this southern border that the Daorhu built many of their greatest fortresses. Many have been lost to the ravages of war or time, but a few mountains still have entries into the labyrinth of tunnels and halls below. A famous example is the ancient Daorhu fortress of Tonom Maldur, which became the site of the much later Vehem Cloudspyre, home of the Lorvelgis of the Hemon Ghesed. On the peak of the mountain is the Corgastodmar fortress but below it, within the mountain, remains the intricate web of tunnels, storerooms, and halls that make the castle's interior nearly impregnable.
Unfortunately, these golden years would not last forever. Around -1950, Yalagah Todu the Old died without any surviving legitimate heirs. His son, the sickly and weak Daonudao the Pale had succumbed to pneumonia while accompanying his father southward in a diplomatic mission to the Ghet of Loryne. The lords of the Daorhu holds met to discuss what their course of action would be following his death, and chaos ensued. Master Ludaomundu of Metaorbu Dembadur claimed that the Yalagah willed for him to he his heir, despite any compelling evidence. His sister, the venerable and not too well-beloved Nemodua claimed that Yalagah Todu had legitimized an alleged bastard child named Taomu on his deathbed, but the other lords discounted such a claim. Yenabaoru of Metaorbu Golragh perhaps had the most outlandish case, when he claimed that he and Yalagah Todu shared a common blood relative named Baruladu from over 300 years ago, and that he then had the most legitimate blood claim to the throne.
For over two months the Lords of the kingdom argued over who would succeed but coming to no conclusion they decided that no option was available. The only options left then would be to dissolve the Kingdom, lest a war tear apart all that was created over the past 700 years. It was a difficult choice, and with heavy hearts they piled their circlets of lordship on the once great throne of the Daorhu Yalagah and departed for their homes. So, ended the first Daorhu Kingdom, never have they since held as much power and prestige as they had in those years.
Wars over the succession followed, for not all were content on simply dissolving the ancient kingdom. The most notable was Taomu’s war. He was the alleged bastard of Yalagah Todu, and he got his nickname from the look of his snow-covered flesh after his long overland treks between each of the holds in his attempts to gain support. His overland trips on my occasions nearly led to his end, but the tunnels that had once been the veins of Nemrohed were shut by the lords of each hold, but he survived. The old Yalagah was two years in the grave when Taomu and his considerable host made their bid for the throne of Banthoram. The ensuing conflict lasted for a little over a year before Taomu finally met his end trying to take Metaorbu Thoram by force. The enraged lord of Metaorbu Thoram disgraced Taomu by burying him in a shallow, unmarked grave on the surface. It is a true offense, for it is said that the spirit of a Daorhu only rests in peace when he rests with the stone. The end of that war ended all attempts to reform Banthoram.
Sedar founded (-1428)
With the Semyr islands subjugated, the Etayen possessed a powerful base from which to launch further colonial venturies.
The first permanent Etayen settlers arrived in Everos around -1434.
Racial conflicts and land disputes defined the early relationship between the Etayen and Aemarda. The former sought territory for nascent settlement, while the latter viewed the arrival of strange foreigners as dangerous to regional balance.
The Shattering (-1100 to -800)
Following the rise of Étunas and the advent of Etayen settlement outside of Etal, there came a clash between the native population of Everos and the new arrivals. Beginning in the south, near the Grathon tribes, the Etayen made landfall and began to press further northward. As they moved, the conquerors decimated, enslaved, or circumvented the natives people they encountered. Which of the options was chosen typically depended on the strength of the tribes in question. The Grathon tribes which occupied the low hills and sparse farmlands west of the Gól Sädûn mountains often fell under the first category, broken and tossed to the winds. It was in those places that the Etayen built the first settlements of their colonial empire in Everos, such as Drakar and Sedar, known as Southport to the Evosmar. Beyond those coastal and nearby confines, the Etayen implemented a policy of subject villages. The tribes that accepted were allowed to remain but offered up individuals for labor and tithes of treasure. For the tribes that occupied lands on the fringes of Etayen settlement, or the highlands between the Gól Sädûn and Aedúcarr mountains, there was relative normalcy. Given the immense task of colonizing a new continent, the children of Atûn dared not stray too far from pacified regions. It is from those patterns of settlement and conflict that the demographic map of Everos was remade.
Among the Grathon tribes of southern Everos, the responses to the Etayen invasion were varied. The majority of tribes remained bitter and separated from one another yet complied with the invader's demands and did what they could to survive. Over the following centuries, however, a minority of tribes and disgruntled individuals from all parts of the growing realm of Étuans began to pursue alternative options. Hundreds fled to Othos, Nevan, or some of the outlying nations in Qadal, but others wished to be entirely rid of the influence of Étunas. They chose to flee Qadal entirely, taking rudimentary boats off to the very edges of the world as they knew it and beyond, to the Land Beyond the Sunset: Voryndal. That is the nature of the Shattering, a time in which the ancient status quo and population of Everos was broken and thrust into the horrid realms of uncertainty.
The Shattering did more than break populations, however. It had a profoundly beneficial effect, in that it prompted the settlement of regions beyond Everos yet within Qadal. Evosmar exiles spread to the coasts of Othos, out to Nevan, and in those places influenced the cultures and power dynamics. A prime example of this diffusion manifesting itself is the spread of Aebaster worship, the introduction of dynastic rule, and societal restrictions on the rights of women in those continents. In time, the grip of these influences either increased or decreased in those places, such as the Othosar penchant to dynastic rule like in Everos and the Neyasi rejection of Aebaster for their own deities, or the Neyasi acceptance of defined gender roles and Othosar rejection of Evosmar culture and faith. In any case, it took centuries for this melding of cultures to parse itself out and take definition. Etal, it need not be said, was not a destination of the Evosmar exiles, and was therefore spared of any cultural mixing. In short, the central location and physical movement of the Evosmar population sparked one of the first major migrations of Qadal's history, and in doing so forged the first bonds between the continents.
Beyond the shores of Othos and Nevan, however, the Evosmar did lay the seeds for future realms in these years of the Ascension Era: The Geldish and Adash domains.
The Destruction of Metaorbu Kaldir (-843)
Long were the lands of Nemrohed know to the colonizing Etayen. Yet, these places were never reached. No explorer was strong nor wild enough to voyage so far beyond the means to reinforce or supply. A short measure north beyond Nathrovas was the extend of this travel. However, as the Etayen domain clawed through Aemardic territory, the means to launch such ambitious expedition came ever closer to reality.
Vishtal Arinaur Atûsbal, ancestor of famous Balith’nir, long considered the establishment of a fortified base in Nemrohed for the purposes of colonization. With such expansion made possible, the Etayen might sweep over Everos in record time, thus avoiding a vicious slog through hordes of Aemardic warriors.
The Etayen warhost landed off the eastern coast of Metaorbu Kaldir in summer, bearing with them every means to conquer a ring-walled bastion.
With the Kalag of Metaorby Kaldir dead, legions scattered, and people subdyed, the Etayen prepared themselves to dwell long-term.
War of the Black Hills (-466 to -461)
The expansion of Étunas during the Ascension era created tension between the Etûletal and the Voletal. Years of geographic separation had engrained strong perceptions of each group into the minds of the other, often more negative than not. The Etûletal viewed the Voletal as impure, polluted by their close proximity to lesSer races. More than anything else, the Etûletal looked down upon those among the Voletal who muddied their heritage by intermarrying with the Aemar of Everos and Othos. The Etûletal as the true people of Atûn, dwelled in the homeland with their deity. It was among them that Etayen culture remained pure and the Gift of Atûn was strongest, unlike in the distant realms of the Voletal. The latter group was, by definition, separate from the homeland. After all, the name Voletal means "beyond Etal". The Voletal, conversely, viewed themselves as the conquerors and true agents of Atûn in Qadal. It was they who acted as missionaries and colonists of Atûn, spreading his name and power across Qadal. The Etûletal, in their eyes, were fools who sat upon their laurels in the homeland, failing to Serve their deity. Atûn himself, who remained among olûndi at this time, refused to choose favorites. His silence ensured that both sides would strive to achieve his favor. Such was the character of Atûn. The complacency of their creator did create rivalry as intended but spiraled into conflict.
It began with a feud, as many tragic stories do, for such things are common for those in power. On this occasion it was between the Council of Amikiras and Iolas Casbarûn the Elder, lord of Nathrovas. The former group was the advisory council of the Vishtal sovereigns of Etal, drawn from the greatest of dynasties and wisest of minds. The council was formed back in the early days of Étunas in relived Atûn of the burdern of governance. The latter was the master of Nathrovas, controlling a large swathe of Etayen land in eastern Everos. He had ruled for more than 70 years, and much of the expansion of Étunas at that time can be attributed to him. Iolas was a masterful commander and administrator, turning his realm into a major faction in Everos. All of eastern Everos, or Nathrovas, was under his command, much of Soverrat was already in the hands of Jequa, and Mehras lay open for the taking. Nemrohed lay beyond the bound of Étunas, but that did not stop some ambitious expeditions to the lands beyond the Balendorns. Each attempt was repulsed by the Daorhu and their gwazkerrags, courtesy of Naordu, much to the disappointment of Iolas. It was frustrating, but only a minor setback. The land was not rich, nor did the Daorhu care to march south to retaliate. Iolas set his sights on Mehras and the tribes of men that remained undefeated by Étunas. In that regard he was successful, pushing back the Grathon and other groups west of the Aedúcarr Mountains and occupying their lands.
However, during those decades he came into repeated conflict with the Council of Amikiras and the Vishtal kings. The worst of it began when the council began sending agents to Nathrovas to oversee Iolas and his regime. They were subtle but many, coming by boat across the Semyr and establishing themselves in the towns and hinterlands of Nathrovas. They had eyes in the court of Iolas as well, and on his family- every move of the Voletal prince was watched. Why did the Council of Amikiras bother with these harsh and seemingly arbitrary actions? The tensions between the Etûletal and Voletal are certainly at play, as well as the common fear of power. Iolas Casbarûn had grown mighty as lord of Nathrovas, and the Council was wary of his rise. The Vishtal king, Balith'nir, was the most suspicious of them all. It is a fair assumption that the council was acting on his orders. Atûn, meanwhile, refused to pass judgement on the matter, allowing his chosen to decide themselves.
The arrival of Vishtal agents in Nathrovas was not a olûndari offense to Iolas. Despite the mutual suspicion and contempt between them, Balith'nir was still overlord of Étunas and thus Nathrovas as well. Iolas was obliged to submit to his master. The agents stationed in Nathrovas mostly kept to themselves, content on obServing affairs from afar. The Council of Amikiras’s concerns was sated, for a time. However, it would not last. Suspicion and mistrust are strange things, for they only compound with time rather than disappear. Another year or two passed with the same edicts in place, making the year –466. The Council and Atûsbal were uncertain and fearful of what a powerful Voletal prince might mean for Étunas. The mere idea of an outside land rivaling Etal was sickening to them. Their response was when the council and Balith'nir overstepped themselves, creating a crisis that only bloodshed could resolve.
In the summer of -467, an Etûletal agent by the name of Plidyr Fye’nil arrived in Etumrassus, the court of Iolas Nathroghal the Elder. The Prince of Nathrovas had only recently arrived home after a campaign against the Aedúcarrean tribes of the northwest, driving them away from the frontier. It had been an exhausting endeavor, and rather costly in lives and resources. The victorious prince expected congradulations or good tidings to come from the Council of Amikiras and his king. However, he received an entirely unexpected message from the Etûletal agent. The Nathrovasian records of the exchange were destroyed with the creation of the Fringe in 2304, but relics still remain in Amikiras.
“Our Atûsbal, Vishtal Balith’nir, the Herald of Atûn and Master of his Realm, has sent me here with his personal command. I have traveled far to deliver his word, so listen closely. Our Atûsbal wishes that you do him the honor of offering your son, Iolas II Casbarûn, as a ward. It is his hope that your son might learn the ways of the Etûletal, Atûn’s closest kin, and thus be prepared to one day succeed you. Your domain is the greatest beyond the Semyr, therefore the Herald’s interests fall upon it. Your acceptance would please the Herald and his Council greatly, for they will know the future of Nathrovas will be secure. The hard labors and pains of your reign will not pass to nothing. I have been given the freedom to say, however, that your rejection would dishonor and anger the Atûsbal. It is no small thing to have the lord of Etal offer such an extraordinary gift. When you have decided, Vishtal Balith’nir would love to meet your honorable kin.”

Fye’nil’s message to Iolas Casbarûn

The Princes of Étunas - -467
While the words of Atûsbal Balith’nir’s appeal were sweet and honorable, the wise Iolas Nathroghal could sense darker machinations at work. The tension between Etal and the Principality had been far too severe for Balith’nir to extend a wholesome and simple gift of wardship.
The refusal of Iolas the Elder to offer his son, known to be a ritual form of homage, seemed to prove the fears of Amikiras aristocrats that the Voletal princes were plotting rebellion. Members of the Council urged Balith’nir to act against this outrage- perhaps even revoke the title. The Atûsbal was reluctant, and sought wisdom from Atûn himself. Balith’nir traveled to Qasladur and spoke with his creator. The cunning Eshan explained to Balith’nir that conflict is not something to be feared if it can be controlled. Atûn himself had manipulated his alliance with Ácolitus in order to betray him and secure victory during the First Feud. In the mind of Atûn, Balith’nir need only asSert himself enough to appease the Council of Amikiras and put fear in the heart of the Voletal. No excessively bloodshed was necessary, nor was any revocation of titles. In the mind of Balith’nir, the advice was vague- but perhaps that was the point. It was a lesson, not merely guidance. The Atûsbal departed from Qasladur and returned to Amikiras, pondering his choices before being once more consumed by the din of courtier’s demands.
In court, the Atûsbal gathered the Council of Amikiras and explained his plan- he and the Council would travel to Nathrovas and land at Etumrassus unannounced. The bewildered Iolas Nathroghal would entertain them and ask their purpose in Everos. Balith’nir would respond that the lords of Etal would like to repent for the hostile blood between the Etûletal and Voletal. This repentence was to take place in the form of a dual purpose ceremony. The Atûsbal of Étunas would demand renewed and public homage from Iolas Nathroghal, while Balith’nir would offer a gift in the form of a title. The prince’s son, Iolas II, was to be named 'Karusghal' or Southern Prince.
Confusion and internal chaos followed the unordered actions of the Council of Amikiras. Atûsbal Balith’nir had hoped to use political threater in order to secure the loyalty of his most powerful Voletal vassal, but Iolas had been turned against Étunas. The prince believed that the Etûletal overlords of Etal intended to unjustly rob him of Nathrovas- the seat of power his dynasty had occupied for centuries. Without any allies to call upon beyond the Etayen, Iolas turned to his traditional enemies: the realms of Evosmar men. In particular, Ghet Heral of the Valgoran people.
Ghet Heral Ormelar allied with Iolas the Elder of Nathrovas to defeat them. The War of the Black Hills followed, as the allied forces fought Etayen armies up and down the Evosmar coast.
They fought their war of attrition, which is known to history as the War of the Black Hills, for the better part of four years. The primary battleground of this war was the Black Hills region of Nathrovas, which Ghet Heral reckoned would be the best place to wage a long term conflict against the superior foe. He reckoned correctly, and the combat between the two sides was ferocious. It is said that over 20,000 men died over the course of those four years, and about a similar number of civilians died in the raids and sieges. It was a new kind of war, not between petty kings and warlords but between established nations. The result was that the battles were no longer fought for small scale gains of loot and glory, but were fought tooth and nail by the whole population for the goal of survival.
Unfortunately for the allies the loss of life was in vain, for not even the rugged terrain of the Black Hills could keep them safe forever. Ghet Heral and Nathroghal Iolas were slowly but surely pushed farther and farther east until their backs were to the coast. It was in those coastal lands, at the Battle of Red Coast, where they met their demise. The Etayen troops pushed forward, wave upon wave in their effort to smash the rebels. Their foes held valiantly, and legend says that Ghet Heral slew over 20 warriors single handedly as his men fought back over four assaults. Despite their heroics, the army would not survive the day. As evening fell the bloody battle drew to a close. Ghet Heral had died in the late afternoon defending his lines, and Iolas had been wounded by a stray arrow. The remainder of the army boasted less than half of its original strength. Their fall came just before evening, when the Etayen launched their fourth and final assault which finally broke the rebel lines. The remaining soldiers either fought to the death or threw themselves into the Wolonorends to drown. Few men surrendered, there wasn't a point, the Etayen weren't known for taking prisoners. The defeat of Ghet Heral's rebellion ended any attempt to repel the Etayen of Etal for over four centuries, until Corgastor rallied the realms of men and lead them to victory at the dawn of the Weeping Era.
Velgasid Etag (-13 to 0)
Little is known about the life of vaunted Corgastor Ghedelon before his war against Étunas. What reliable sources that exist on the subject confirm his father as Ghedelastor Hadelon, master of significant pasturage in a village known as Velgishemas in the heart of Valgorod. It was a quiet and bucolic country, defined by rolling greens, brackish bogs, and craggy rises which every so often broke toward the sky. This temperate land, of course, was the carved inheritance of ancient Valkalast and beyond the pale of Etayen reach in thos days. Corgastor thus lived peacefully in youth, save for occasional flares of violence along the distant hinterlands between the colonizers and obstinant chiefs. His personal stature and strength according to oral history did little justice to his illustrious future, especially in an epoch invariably dictated by warfare. He was described as strong limbed, but lacking in a warrior's broad profile. In height, the young Corgastor was only a few inches taller than those around him, nothing extraordinary for the time. His features were pleasing, yet he was not known to be the most handsome of men. His hair, however, shoulder length and tangled in his youth, was the feature most spoken about in the surviving records- deep chestnut brown, and wavy like the Golden Sea. It grew long with time, and it was noted that he allowed it to grow wild and unkempt. Regardless of the musing of others on his looks, Corgastor bore himself with confidence. The young man was known for his wit, charming nature, and marked erudition. Those from within and around the village would sit along the edge of Corgastor's land and speak with him for hours, on topics from local politics, religion, marriage, philosophy, or whatever else was on mind. Increasingly, gossip turned toward the foreign shadow which loomed to the south, and many tongues speculated when and where the Etayen might strike. At his young age, Corgastor was already a well known and respected figure, though at the time destined to remain a nondescript member of the agrarian class.
Speaking shortly of something great, the global context of Corgastor’s formulative years favored the ascendant children of Atûn. The Etayen realm of Étunas, only released from misty Etal in -1500, had been expanding feverishly over the previous centuries, claiming land in western Othos up to Tarimikras, numerous islands in eastern Nevan, the Semyr islands, and all Everos south of the Aedúcarr Mountains. Progress further north was hindered by logistics and the steadfast efforts of the remaining Aemar tribes and kingdoms. The ‘Stelvelgis’ or ‘steel warriors’, as they people were known, waged unrelenting guerilla campaigns against the Etayen settlers and explorers in the region. Where ever an outpost was built, the stelvelgis would sweep from the forsts and hills to raze it. When the Etayen brought up soldiers to defend them, the stelvelgis would bide their time until complacency returned. Once the enemy departed the warriors would strike quickly. Similar acts of resistance elsewhere, namely among the Vestanir of Othos and the powerful Gavora dynasty of Nevan, stretched the Etayen thin across a wide domain. This held them immobile for a time, but not indefinitely. The Etayen withdrew from Vestidia and consolidated power in Zorídas around -310, while the Gavorans were eventually defeated and driven to the extreme north of the continent by -180. This left Everos open for a renewed Series of conquests which occurred within Corgastor’s lifetime. The mighty Atûsbal, Vishtal Taeyoril, guided by Atûn and the Council of Amikiras, intiated a campaign of annexation to achieve that ambitious goal. Soldiers were gathered along the border between Nathrovas and Nemrohed, and around the western Aedúcarr region. In the year -14, on the month of Diemhes, the Etayen forces marched north. The snow had already fallen thick, and the peoples of Nemrohed and northern Mehras were lethargic and unprepared for a fight.
War Strikes Valgorod
It was during the early stages of this campaign that Corgastor first encountered the Etayen. At the time, he was in a neighboring village, not far from the site of modern day Ghethemas. The young Corgastor was joined by dozens of other people from surrounding hamlets under the pretext of a seasonal feast. The winter was a prime time for such things, after all. The gathering was hosted by a man named Nelsor, who became a close friend and mentor to Corgastor throughout his late teenage years. Contemporary written records do not speak of him, but he features prominently in the Edrasils, which was a collection of Corgastor's wisdom that later became the basis of his faith. In that source, Corgastor describes Nelsor as a "fiery individual, loud and eager for action, yet a kind a simple one". It appeared that Corgastor wished to adopt those values himself and displayed them throughout his later tribulations. Unbenownst to the youth, however, was that the reality of the gathering was far less innocent than even Corgastor knew at the time. Nelsor organized the winter feast to organzie Aemar resistance against Étunas, which he viewed as a looming existential threat. Ghedelastor was personally receptive of the cause and brought some 20 warriors along with him and young Corgastor. Fearful tension hung heavy on the air and within the minds of the attendants. Those chiefs and warlords who arrived did not necessarily disagree with Nelsor, but the fear of arming themselves against the Etayen seemed suicidal, especially with how docile they had been in the recent years. The Nossenite edition of the Edrasils, which was released shortly after GhetHorst's coronation in 1150, has an account of what happened once the night fell on the celebration.
"The night was bright with the light of torches, and the air carried the sweet sounds of laughter and revelry. All those in attendance were huddled in tight groups around warm fires, telling stories of good times gone past and singing for good times to come. The snow lay heavy around them, so that their bonfires were like islands in a wide sea of white. Those were the times that people valued most in winter, when the cold could be forsaken in the name of merriment. For shame, the night carried more than light and joy. A darker presence loomed just beyond the reaches of torch light, patiently waiting for the moment to strike. Those within were none the wiser to their peril as the moon rose overhead. When the shadowy assailants struck, it was like a bolt of lightning. The strings of the bows were silent, so the first thing to be heard was the quick whistle of arrows, followed by the shouts and groans once they had made their mark. Chaos reigned as warrior clad in chainmail decorated with golden script stalked into the village, dark and silent, with only the glint of their steel visible against the dancing fires that lit their way. Whoever was caught in view was shot or run through as the terrified guests scrambled for the cloaked darkness of the surrounding forest. It was a night of powdered white, veiled black, and dripping red."

The Death of Diemhes

Nossenite Edrasils -- 1153
Death filled the night as the hamlet was purged of life in a morbidly systematic fashion. A few managed to escape into the forest through the cover of darkness, yet many had not. Nelsor was killed where he stood among the revelers, some say by the first arrow shot. After the barrage, Etayen troops stormed what remained and finished the wounded. How they knew about the gathering or its purpose is unknown. It is possible the Etayen assailants were ordered to annihilate the village at night before the gathering was planned at all, just some happenstance of fate, but the commonly held belief among zealous Corgastodmar scholars is that the conspirators were betrayed. By whom? No proven name has ever come forth. Baseless accusations were all that manifested, ranging from Ghedelastor, minor warlords, to a restless Corgastor himself. If anything, the specter of potential double-cross provided a convienent scapegoat for Corgastodmar everafter, both in the immediate aftermath and contemporary years. Indeed, during the allegedly enlightened years of the Twilight era prior to the Great Conflict, Corgastodmar used charges of disloyalty to the state to oust Etayen, Daorhu, and Elivas settlers from recently annexed regions of the expanding frontier. Aemar inhabited the choice lands, while other races were only trusted with the inferior periphery. While that fate was long to come, the original seeds of racial radicalism were planted within the minds of the Evosmar tribesmen. Simply, traitors were somehow and always amid the faithful. They might remain nameless and unidentified, but the irrational fear was enduring and occasionally vindicated by persons, Aemar or otherwise, who challeneged the foundations of the nacent and thereafter growing country. Yes, traitors colluding with the Etayen were widely considered at blame, and the surviving Aemar were duty bound to destroy their enemies from within and without.
For those who did survive the carnage in -13, life had been forever changed. No longer was it possible to live in isolation with the rest of the world, leaving the fight against Étunas to be done by the border tribes. War against the Etayen was delievered upon the Valgorans unexpectedly and undesired that night. It had done the same to others before them, but the plight of the ‘other’ can always be ignored. Now the children of Valkalast were inexeribly drawn into the great web of machiantions spun by those hundreds of leagues distant and thus unknown. Before the night was over, Corgastor and the small group of survivors came to an agreement. They gathered beneath the snowy pines and formed what was called Nelsorian Pact, a simple vow between them that they would fight against the Etayen until that night was avenged. At that moment and then unknown, the war to liberate Everos had begun. The ragged band of men and women who had joined in the pact gave themselves a new collective name, Nelsorians, in honor of the man who had foreseen the danger. They quickly departed from the hamlet ruins and began moving northward. If the ferocious attack on the village meant anything, it was that Etal was swiftly moving for the death blow against the remaining realms of the Aemar. Allies were needed from far afield, and such a concept was novel and untested among the fiercy independent domains of that time.
Neslor’s Companions Muster
Casting off the cold irons of foreign colonization was a profoundly divisive concept in the intensely tribal patchwork of cultures and domains that comprised ancient Everos. Why fight for the benefit of another? The northern realms of Aemar, including Corgastor’s own Valgorod, were themselves militantly complacent while southern warlords battled for survival. It was nearly comical to believe that neighboring chiefs would honor an alliance comprised of those silent until themselves attacked. Indeed, word travelled that Ghet Lavast of the hinterland Loyenad tribe laughed loudly and bitterly that others now shared the misfortune of his people. The Nelsorians understood that fact and began to devise among themselves a compelling platform of idealistic pan-Aemaric ideology, militant and racial Aebastadmarism, and pragmatic promises of Etayen land to conquer and settle. It was a toxic concoction which oozed fanaticism, political violence, callous discrimination, but matched the almost millenarian fears of Etayen domination. Over the course of the next two years, the Nelsorians conducted a Series of diplomatic missions aimed at rallying broad support among the remaining Aemar realms of significance left in Everos. It was a dangerous affair, and often executed in secrecy, hidden from the eyes of Etayen explorers and agents who traversed the countryside in preparation of further conquests. Meanwhile, Corgastor’s father and master, Ghedelastor, vigorously fought alongside other militarized locals over that period against prying tendrils of Etayen influence which crept northward. It must be remembered, after all, that the Etayen lifespan of three or four centuries allows greater appreciation of patience and careful logistical attention. The Nelsorians made use of every day, and by -11 had reached the courts of numerous, disparate rulers. A woman named Erosta, one of the few Nelsorians known by name beyond Corgastor, recorded the results of those endeavors for posterity. She wrote them in letters and manners fitting for her ancient time and primitive literacy, but those passages that survived the ages were translated and preServed into modern tongues by order of the Goldheart dynasty as an extension of their wider policy of collecting Corgastodmar artifacts.
“It was quarter year [-12] when our band arrived in the home of Aragos Wologhest, master of the Wolesmar or people of the waters whom his forebearers ruled before him. We arrived and Corgastor bade blessings upon his southerly domain, bewarred between Etag lands to the north, south, and west. He told that lord of the bitter travels endured in enemy holds, and the loss of Anedast in bloody toil. Much to Aebaster’s thanks, word had travelled broad regarding the violence of Valkalast’s land and the new campaign against our people. Ghet Wologhest had seen these trespasses before then, in his own lands, which had grown smaller. It was quick work to convince him of our cause, save the many ideas we had created over the months to convince him. It was such that he desired allies himself, and our arrival bolstered his demeanor greatly. Double season passed between the Wolesmar and the Grathon, for Corgastor wished to visit those places most bitterly bewarred before they collapsed to ruin. It was such that Rhelored, master of them, fortified his people among the wester slopes of the Aeducarrs and its hinterlands, protected by swamps in the south and the Zomore to the west. The Etayen assailed him also, but their progress was hindered by nature and his warriors. Corgastor believed the negotiation would be quick for Rhelored in turn, but the shrewd man proved distant to our cause. The reputation of Ghedelastor and his son meant nothing this far south and the Grathon were less desparate for allies in their protected hills. Words between them were tense, but the two men were equal in wit and neither one dominanted the other. I was half warm and cold to hear Corgastor offer the Grathon great swathes of the south in exchange for brotherhood, lands meant to be broadly shared among our Aemar. What could be said? Perhaps the feathers could be soothed if our endeavors succeed. We then travelled to honorable Loyenad with glee in our hearts. All had gone so well in forging alliances. Corgastor believed this place would be no different. We arrived in late year, when the wars were silent and chiefs prepared. Their lord Lavast received us coldly. Word had reached them too regarding the evil ambush, but he was not interested. He claimed that war decimated his lands for years without any care or assistance from the north, and the Loyenmar could sufficiently guard themselves now without petty alliances from us. Our band did not stay long, and we departed with great disappointment. In the middle of the new year [-11] we arrived once more upon the homeland we left with noble purpose. Times were hard there, but the Etag moved with slow and deliberate steps. At once there were outposts of hardy timber constructed along our frontier, and after the Etag crept into our lands when our eyes were diverted. With haste we travelled north, beyond Valkalast’s land which supported our aims. We spent the next two seasons on travel. First, in Eroyther, wherein Ghet Salicad of those people received us and agreed to assist on condition that his people remained free of tyranny by victorious lords once [and if] the Etag were broken. Loryne was neighbor to Eroyther, and thus we spoke with Ghetis Alyth who was herself a noble and great woman. She too agreed, being a close watcher of events in the south and fearful of the insatiable expansion of Etaga. It was only they we spoke to in the easter-north, for there were many tribes but each were weak and their assistance expensive and insignificant. In the wester-north the masters of Ranirr and Vethryn were closely allied and content to trade with the neighboring Daorhu over the Balendorn hills. We arrived there exhausted and were tended to, but our offers taken unseriously. Ghet Medorelastor of Ranirr and Ghetis Agenedaris of Vethryn heard as well the affairs of two years prior, but viewed our war against the Etag with suspicion. They knew none of us intimately and could not trust our intentions or methods easily. Corgastor was bitter to be declined by two Ghets at once, but their opinions were unshifting.”
Words of Erosta Records of the Trident – 1179
Owing to constant travel and clever negotiation, the nascent movement of Nelsorians successfully assembled a broad alliance of Evosmar Ghetod ranging from south of the Aeducarrs to the hinterlands of the Balendorns. Erosta’s account contains many passages beyond those days, culminating in the formation of a confederate force of some five or more tribes by the spring of -10. While the assemblage of coherent military power between disparate Ghetod was itself novel and impressive, offering testament to the magnitude of the threat, the hierarchy and fundamental strategy of the Nelsorian confederation was terribly unclear. Who would lead them? Corgastor might appear, and did become, the chosen figure, but his experience was much less than Alyth, Aragos, Rhelored, or Salicad. Each were rulers of their own domains, while Corgastor was merely the son of Ghedelastor, a lesSer chief of Valgorod. They debated the merits of leadership throughout the early seasons, when the snow was receeding and life began to return to Everos. Disagreement reigned. If Corgastor’s personal inexperience was one certain fact, another was that the other leaders were too suspicious or proud to bend for chiefs of similar standing. Back and forth they argued, remaining together only because they understood the looming Etayen threat. In the end, the disputing parties arrived where they began. Corgastor, though younger and untested, had rallied the confederation with his companions and stood to gain no selfish treasures or prestige. Perhaps that is the underlying reason why Corgastor reigns supreme in modern memory of this period. Perhaps the exact detail of his contemporary insignificance paradoxically secured his position as the most important olûndari in Qadayen history, above Alyth, Rhelorad, Salicad, and Aragos. Whatever the final motivation, Corgastor was eventually, and unanimously, chosen to lead the coalition forward. The four major tribal leaders beside him would act as respected advisors. Now the spring was turning to summer, and belated strategies were devised by the Nelsorians to assault and oust the Etayen on the frontier.
On the modern month of Lorvelgis, known to the ancient Evosmar as Morelogad, the final patches of snow began to recede and the Nelsorian host advanced. They numbered some 6,000 esseythu in those early stages, painstaking assembled with great secrecy, great toil, and great bravery. The majority were infantry that carried minimal range weaponry for the initial clash- quintessential velgis in the traditional Evosmar sense. Any one warrior among them might carry a simple double-edged sword, hard leather or chainmail, and often some rudimentary shield fashioned from thick oaken slabs. This was a period before significant technological advancement in those fields. Ancient Aemar such as Valkalast or Karthuul would have been familiar and effective among the ranks of Corgastor’s host, as would any warrior be living within those intervening centuries. The tactics they practiced were equally dated, amounting to little more than single combat loosely regulated by a ‘commanding officer’ or tribal leader. This was the assumption of those Serving under Corgastor- that their commander would guide them into a favorable position, then release them to run wild among the enemy in bloody slaughter.
Perhaps against another Aemar host the old ways could prevail, but the Etayen were a different foe altogether. Centuries of global colonization had hardened the children of Atûn into Qadal’s first professional army. The broadly empowered commander of the Evosmar frontier garrisons, a native Etayen from Etal named Zilek Kodor’phes, served for five decades on the embattled Othosar frontier before transferring to Everos. A subsequent 20 years were stocked under his belt before the insolent uprising of the Evosmar tribes. Without a doubt, Kodor’phes was a master of the military art, orchestrating the most recent Series of offensives against Nemrohed. However, skill alone failed to dictate the war’s proceedings. The dilemma which plagued him was chronic logistical issues, propagated by disagreements within the Council of Amikiras and from Atûn himself regarding the future growth of Etayen colonies. The Youngest of the Alor’eshan warned that overextending the resources of Etal and leaving wars unfinished would destroy the sprawling Etayen realm, but the Council was thick and arrogant. Centuries of unbridled ascendancy had bred an indominable sense of invincibility upon Étunas, undermining the concerns and dire prophecies of the very being that facilitated its existence. No doubt the Etayen still worshipped him honorably, but the Council of Amikiras and Atûsbal Vishtal Taeyoril assured him of their olûndari capabilities to subdue foreign, inferior races. Constant conflict left the beleaguered Zilek Kodor’phes with nothing but overstretched and undersupplied garrisons. He quickly recognized the growing Aemar threat but was unable to contend with it beyond closely watching the nascent Nelsorians and their leader, Corgastor Ghedelon.
Blood Gushes Forth
The first significant engagement of the Velgasid Etag was met on the 18th of Morelogad, -10, when the personal cohort of Salicad assaulted the Etayen outpost of Kodorus; itself stationed along the crest of a wide ravine which tumbled into a meandering tributary of the Lornesse.
Kodorus cost the Nelsorians a severe blood-price. Scores of dead were strewn across the gravel shore, yet Zilek was driven away. The survivors cheered to their success, but Salicad was consumed with a grave worry. Each of the allied commanders were revered for their competence, being the foundation upon which this rebellion was built. What if this slaughter was construed into a black mark against his reputation? It was possible, and Salicad wouldn’t allow it. He wandered through the makeshift camps of his warriors and subtly inquired of their knowledge regarding a specific power- Ackesh. It was a strange thing, a desparate thing, but it yielded swift results.
Whilst the war in the eastern reaches of Everos was stabilized for the rebels by the logistical issues of Étunas, the battles in the west took a sudden turn to disaster. In the year -8, three years into the formal conflict, the tribes of the southern Grathon began to grow discontent. Corgastor and his close ilk had spent the previous years wasting troops and time defending their own holdings in the north and heart of Everos, Valgorod, Eroyther, and others. This left the south vulnerable to brutal Etayen reprisals. Word now travelled north that Grathon settlements were being laid to ruin and their people scattered to the winds. Those who resisted were either killed or captured to be enslaved. Rhelored, the chief of the Grathon tribes allied to Corgastor, was embittered by the ignorance toward the plight of his people. He petitioned Corgastor to shift the impetus of the conflict further west and southward to relieve those areas, but lords such as Alyth, Aragos, and Salicad spoke out against it. This maneuver would leave their own lands undefended, though they were cunning enough to shroud those motivations. Weeks passed as the campaign in the east continued against Etal, but news continued to arrive from the south that Grathem was being ruined by pillagers and raiders. Now the soldiers of Rhelored became begrieved and sought leave from their lord to return home and defend their homes and families. The chief was compelled to deny them but grew rebellious with and angry.
In the month of Ciepa on that same year, the pent-up frustration of the Grathon broke open. Corgastor continued to wage war against Étunas in the north with increasing difficulty, for the Etayen could prepare ever growing numbers of warriors for battle. They would arrive by the shipload on the shores of Sedrohed, and thus marched northward- often through the decimated realm of Grathem. Each battle against the Etayen grew costlier, and land continued to be lost. By that month, the Etayen were only a few dozen miles from Velgishemas itself. Corgastor relied on Rhelored for critical manpower and resources, but the relationship between them had grown cold. The chief became increasing recluse with his men, going so far as to abstain himself from strategic planning. The other allies could sense something was amiss but deemed themselves unable to alter their strategy. Days later, Corgastor gave the order for the troops to march south of Velgishemas to engage Etayen forces in the region. The forces of Eroyther and Loryne, Ranirr and Valgorod, Alorend and others rose to their feet and prepared, but the men of Grathem remained seated in their camp. When Corgastor approached them requesting a reason, Rhelored explained his bitterness and final decision.
“I am no leader, Corgastor, for my people suffer in the south by Etayen hands. You cannot be my ally for the same reason. Your tribes are not lost, neither are Alyth’s nor Salicad’s! You all fight but do not see the cost of Atûn’s retribution. I feel it in the night, and it is told to me by exiled brothers. A warrior cannot bear his weapon in a foreign land while his homeland is destroyed!”
Corgastor and his allies could not argue against him. They had heard the same reports from those same exiles and refugees. Without Grathem, however, the Nelsorian alliance would fall to a weakeness abundantly clear to soldiers and commanders. Who might leave thereafter? Salicad asserted that Rhelored’s departure spelled the doom of their endeavor, wasting those lives and years of struggle. It was swiftly his suggestion to bar the escape of the Grathon or broker some deal with their master. Alyth agreed, but her heart sympathized with the forlorn impotence of the chief to protect his people. It must be remembered that he was the chief of the Grathon before a member of the confederation. She urged Corgastor to turn course and help relieve the southern Grathon, keeping the loyalty of Rhelored, bolstered morale, and legitimizing their movement. Aragos was similar in temperament to Alyth and Rhelored, as his lands were also assailed by the Etayen and he feared for them. However, he derided the discussion to march south as foolish. The Wologhest believed for certain that the Nelsorian army would not survive the campaign in the distant reaches of Grathem. The had no base of supplies there and the expanses of Nemrohed which hosted them would stand defenseless without Corgastor’s defenders. In short, the exchange was sacrificing everything in favor of an ill-concieved desire to hurl themselves toward an embattled land. If Rhelored wished to depart, he argued, then it was a matter of honor for the other Ghetûn to acquiesce to it. Corgastor heard all this counsel and considered it carefully.
Two days passed in tense silence while Corgastor kept the armies stagnant in camp. Fears of disbandedment or betrayal to the Etayen were whispered between fire-sides, but none acted upon these suspicions. Rhelored remained with his warriors, ashamed with what disappointment his former comrades in battle looked upon him. He shunned them and turned inward. After some arduous delay, Corgastor emerged from
As the Grathon warriors departed into the southern hills, a great despondency settled upon those who remained. Those who remained did so with the understanding of mutual dedication until death, being the commonplace oath of Evosmar velgis. Corgastor perceived this growing dissent but was clueless on what ways to oppose it. If Rhelored was allowed to depart freely, should not every other warrior? What if the whole host disappeared from existence that very night? Corgastor expressed these fears with his closest companions, each offered solutions, but Alyth’s was the most compelling. She noted that Ehronis of Aebaster dwelled in the vallies which rippled through the Aeducarr mountains. Gathering their support or approval was necessary in rallying more distant warriors.
Eshanic Guidance
Never before in the long history of Everos had Aebaster been invoked in such dire cirsumtances.
“We rode through meager hamlets which littered the numerous passages between rising hill-spires. No one among them was wealthy nor notable, and the people were of a lower breed, unaware of the turmoils which bloodied their neighbors. Salicad, Corgastor, and myself were often compelled to dismounted and educate the masses on recent coming and going- the war and everything else. They processed every word with narrowed eyes and deep-rooted scrutiny. Indeed, one questioned how a war could be on when his grandfather had spoken with a wandering Etayen trader and gotten along well with him! Salicad was disgusted with their ignorance, Corgastor amused, and my simply surprised. It was the next day when we arrived in the vales beneath the highest peaks, where the ground was poxxed with deep vernal pools, misty white as pearl. In that place dwelled more common people, huddled into rough-hewn timber huts knelt beside each pool. What sacred value of this place which existed was lost on these people, even if their hearts were pure. With them, too, lived a number of Ehronis whose sole duty was to speak his Aebaster according to his whims and transfer his words to common ears. They were humble, possessing neither jewels nor crowns. The people loved them greatly and bid no want nor harm burdened them. As our company dismounted the meet them, a great interest and clamor came from their lips. These Ehronis, unlike their ignorant neighbors, knew of the struggle against the Etayen and believed it the great changing of our time. To meet us now was a great honor to them, so said to us from their numbers. We then told them our desire to receive Aebaster’s greatest blessings, and powers, to save our weary numbers. They paused, spoke among themselves as a murmuring horde, and agreed. Each of us were taken by one of the Ehronis and brought to a pool. It felt like intruding, since the youth and elders stared from their homes which were mere steps away. “
Aragos recalls Wolhetermas Records of Ghethemas - 22
In that moment of Eshanic intervention, Aebaster made the crucial choice of showing his hand.
The blessing of the allied warriors at the Aeduccaran pools changed the nature of the Velgasid Etag. No longer was it a localized rebellion against colonial expansion gone arwy, but was a coordinated race war between the Aemar, Etayen, and the respective Eshanic masters. The prestige of the Nelsorians among their neighbors was increased. Those previously ambivalent about the war were willing to provide material resources and shelter, if not necessarily warriors. Those were stood outside the Nelsorian fold, such as Rhelored and his tribe, were consumed with shame and disdain. They were cowards, outsiders, and tertiary actors in this historical narrative which all sides perceived as significant.
Meanwhile, the vicious blood-letting continued unabated. The Etayen had sensed the weakness in the Nelsorian Confederation since Rhelored and his men departed, perhaps evening watching their movements, and assaulted the rebels with growing ferocity. Each engagement was fought ever father north, as precious ground gained or maintained slipped away. No longer could the Aemardic host wage battle in the open but were compelled to remain close and skirmish vigorously with the enemy. Those commanders who were left to supervise the primary Nelsorian host were sorely embattled. In these moments, however, certain directions were suggested to restore their fortunes. From whose lips these words came is uncertain, but it was inquired whether the Etayen of Nathrovas was favorable toward their Etûletal brethren. Corgastor, Alyth, and those other chiefs of the Nelsorians were struck witless for a moment- No, it was not certain! Indeed, no Nathrovayen warriors were ever seen in battle alongside the Etûletal, though these battles happened mere days from their homeland. An idea was spawned, that Corgastor and his closest friends ought to speak with the Nathrovayen in secret and discern whether some advantage might be gained thereabout. This was done, with Corgastor, Alyth, Aragos, and Salicad preparing themselves to depart. Three champions, Furenaw, Belborast, and Kendastor were chosen to remain behind to rally Aemardic warriors to the cause, maintain the cause, and prepare for prompt action once the season improved.
Nassarus Nathroghal Arises
This journey to Nathrovas was long and fraught with dangers, for no unopposed borderland existed between Aemarda and that place. It was poxxed with Etayen garrisons and those tribes subjugated to them and too fearful to raise arms. However, those who were sympathetic to the cause were brave in offering their homes in secret to the four travelers. The small Nelsorian delegation arrived in Etumrassus around autumn, as military activities on the continent were concluding. Corgastor spoke with Nassarus of Nathrovas, grandson of Nathroghal Iolas the Elder. He agreed to assist Corgastor in driving Étunas out of Everos if the Aemar agreed to dissolve the Nelsorian Confederation once the war was over, and for he and his descendants neglect forming a nation of their own thereafter. That would ideally keep the position of Nathrovas secure. Corgastor agreed, and they marched together against the Etayen.
Word of the alliance between Nassarus and the Aemar was quick to reach the Etayen in Jequasghal, being the southern domain of Everos beyond Nathrovas. The means of this revelation is uncertain, whether Etayen spies of Nathrovayen treachery outside Nassarus’ court. Whatever the case, the master of Jequasghal, named Vitek Ollukarim Jequasghal, was eager to crush this empowered host in infancy. He would not dare assault Nathrovas direct but perceived the Aemar to be the lesser partners of the alliance. Scounts were dispatched to discover where the majority of their forces were mustered. Furenaw, Belborast, and Kendastor’s camp, with its approximately 5,000 warriors, was uncovered with ease, for its revelry was loud and recruits came wandering from all parts with great trails left behind.
Vitek Ollukarim gathered a warhost of some 12,000 warriors, more than enough to overwhelm the Nelsorian encampment. A minority, perhaps 5,000, were native Etayen while the remainder were Aemardic warriors recruited or impressed into service. Their questioned loyalty was secured through promises and gifts of wealth and tribute, which was a small price to pay in such short notice. Now, this warband travelled north from Drakar with utmost haste, making remarkable time, until they reached a river tributary to the east of the Aeduccar’s slopes. Upon the other side sprawled a great camp which housed the Aemardic warriors. Ollukarim considered it closely and considered it possible to storm only with significant casualties or possible flight by their enemies. He was clever, however, and summoned a commander from among the ranks of his Aemardic allies, being a warrior named Hebrogest. It was charged that Hebrogest approach the Aemardic camp with 2,000 choice warriors and feign themselves as southerners eager to escape the grasp of the Etayen. Assuming the embattled Nelsorians would embrace them eagerly, the 2,000 would sow themselves deep among the bonfires of the enemy, sitting side-by-side with them for trust’s sake.
The following day, Hebrogest and his warriors were dispatched well ahead of the greater Etayen warhost. They arrived upon the southern shore of the tributary and hailed the sentries who watched their approach with wide eyes and apprehension.
Those few who survived the onslaughtered scattered far north, where the Etayen dare not travel save for in great numbers. Corgastor, Alyth, Aragos, and Salicad arrived here days later, expecting to deliver good news to their allies, but were horrified to discover torched ruins. Bodies were scattered across the field; dried blood was hardened upon the shores of the river.
Word regarding the dishonorable slaughter reached Nassarus short days thereafter. He was then presented a choice- maintain this alliance or return to the fold. One might consider it wise to submit, but Nassarus knew how the masters of Amikiras disdained his dynasty. Each among them would be pleased to dethrone and destroy him, and convince Atûn to offer blessings for it.
Reformed and united, the allied Voletal and Aemar steadily drove the Etayen back in a series of vicious battles. Word reached Atûn in Qasladur of these reversals, and of the alliance between Corgastor and Nassarus Nathroghal. The cunning Eshan had predicted the betrayal of Nassarus, for it was common knowledge that the lords of the Voletal held the Etûletal in poor regard. However, the growing power of Corgastor and his Aemar allies concerned the youngest of the Alor’eshan. It was unnatural- something beyond the simple explanation of high morale or dogged tenacity. He suspected that Aebaster, his ancient rival, was meddling in the conflict by imbuing Corgastor with his own eshara. These combined factors set the momentum of the conflict decisive out of Etayen favor, threatening them with defeat and collapse. Worse still, the drawn-out warfare in Everos left Étunas vulnerable to insurrection abroad. In Othos, the Aemar population, namely the Eurobasar and Vestanir, slowly forced back Zoridas and their Odyrzid allies. In Nevan, the rebellious lords of the islands and mainland bashed upon the weakened gates of the Etayen principality. Within a few months, the Etûletal were forced back to the southern islands.
In order to preserve the position of the Etayen in Qadal, Atûn was forced to waste great reserves of his personal eshara, strengthening the Etayen warriors but weakening himself. This bolstered the strength of his armies for the time, and temporarily reversed the course of the conflict. The Nelsorians and Voletal were initially taken aback by the sudden fury of the Etûletal defense and withheld offensive operations until the shock subsided. However, the power of Corgastor and the might of Nassarus Nathroghal rendered Atûn’s belated involvement an ineffective salve. The Etayen were once more pushed back by the relentless force of the Nelsorian allies. As the prospects of the Etûletal crumbled, Atûn increased the power and intensity of his eshara, suffering great pains from his dwelling in Qasladur. The worse things became, the more eshara was required, and the weaker Atûn withered.
Étunas Crumbles
Early in the year zero, the armies of Corgastor and Nassarus were mere miles from the pearled gates of Sedar, the oldest Etayen port in Everos and seat of the surviving Etûletal gentry. They had defeated the Etayen forces guarding the surrounding hinderlands, and thus the city lay weakened before them. Nassarus urge caution, suggesting that the allied forced besiege the place and secure its surrender without cost. The Voletal had fought long and hard against their fellow children of Atûn and did not wish to see further Etayen casualties. Corgastor and his allies felt differently. After 13 years of brutal raids, sharp skirmishes, and bloody battles, the surviving members of the Nelsorian alliance sought revenge. Salicad and Illidra were particularly vocal about their desire to raze the city to ashes. The blood thirsty warriors argued in favor of a direct assault on the city. In the end, the Nelsorian troops got the better of the argument and prepared for an attack on the walls. Nassarus adamantly opposed the idea and told Corgastor that his troops would not participate in any direct assault. The next week, the Nelsorian soldiers prepared themselves with hastily constructed ladders and siege engines.
“Like starving dogs, my hardened swordsmen eyed the ancient walls with hunger and greed. Inside were the helpless enemies of our ancestors, begging to their vile master to protect them and deliver them. The esseythu in our camp prayed as well, calling to great Aebaster to grant them strength during the coming fight. I worshipped beside them. These years have been grave and violent; every person wished for the worst to pass. The future was no secret any longer, but a bitter crawl. We all felt the Etayen were beaten, but after all this time nothing but total victory would suffice. Blood is what we craved. It was on every man’s lips. Once those walls fell, once the gates opened- death would sweep over the city.”

Aragos of Wolegad

Etal’s Reign -- 34
The breaking and death of Atûn, six days after the massacre. Ghalûn Nassarus of Nathrovas known as the 'Vile' or 'Forsaken' for his part in Atûn's death. Neither he nor Corgastor had any idea that Atûn would perish as a result, and the news is received with mixed feelings. They had wanted independence, but to kill one of the Eshan in doing so was something much worse.
Death and Ascension of Corgastor (43)
Being olûndari, even Corgastor was forced to release himself from life to death. This happened roughly 40 years after his great victory against the Etayen of Étunas, bringing ruin to their empire. He was older then, and his dark hair had splotched with grey, and years of war had worn him down. In the fortress which he built on the foundations of his home village, called Vehem Corgast, he reigned over the surrounding region in peace. None among the freed Aemar peoples wished to contest against him, although Corgastor declined becoming their master per his agreement with Nassarus.
For all the glory and stability which was created, Everos’ ascension would be short lived. One day, no different from any other, Corgastor pulled his friend Aragos aside. This man had been a Ghet of one of Everos's many costal realms and proved to be one of Corgastor's most effective commanders. Corgastor told him that he felt a grave illness and that his time was coming. He desired for Aragos before all others to uptake the banner of Aemarda and continue its greatness. What ailment this was in reality is uncertain, but anything from the Pale Blight, common fever, or some other deficiency might be the cause. Shortly thereafter he was struck down with his illnessa and compelled to remain bedridden. His advisers and people were beside themselves with grief, but he himself was serene. He knew it was a proper time to pass, and he was prepared. A few weeks passed but his condition continued to deteriorate. He denied appeals made to Aebaster and medical remedies of the period were rudimentary and rarely effective. Lying in his bed, surrounded by his closest companions, Corgastor passed into the realm of the dead. Unlike others, he was not destined to be taken by Ácoltius, being added to the infinite horde of spirits which populate Éshabal. As he gave his last breath, the room fell into silence. Just outside, a brilliant flash of light burst in the heavens. It was accompanied by numerous tendrils which wrapped themselves around the glowing core with nourishing grip. This was the birth of a new Eshor and Eshan. Corgastor’s remaining body was now aged, almost skeletal, but his spirit had been blessed by Aebaster, known as the First Father by Aemarda, the eldest of the Eshan. Corgastor's spirit would be the gleaming seed from which a new spiritual realm would be formed. Now, Corgastor would command his own people from above, and their spirits would go to his realm to be united with him in death.
Aebaster’s decision to weaken himself to empower Corgastor was a measured strategic direction. No longer did the Eldest wish to reign supreme among the Aemar nor endure the intrigues of Eshanic rule. Atûn was death and his people scattered.
Reign of Aragos Wologhest, the Builder (43 to 48)
Upon the death of Corgastor, his companion Aragos was named the lord of Corgastor's Dominion. Ghethemas was the growing epicenter of this realm, yet it lacked a central hall to house the government of this great kingdom and strong walls to keep its enemies at bay. While Aemarda was grateful for the struggle that Corgastor and his companions endured, many saw no reason to bend to the Dominion now that the common Etayen enemy had been repulsed. To solve the former concern, Aragos, later to be known as The Builder, started construction on the Trident. It was an addition to the already existing towers of Sul, Fror, and Stel that stood side-by-side like three stern soldiers, lording over the land. The addition soared into the open sky, almost doubling the height of the already impressive structure. This would be the beating heart of the Corgastodmar realm, and later the Ghetunbalastod ast Corgastor. Ghetunbast, Solhesunbast, Ghetunbalastod Valunis, and all other figures of note would make this their home.
To remedy the problem of defense, the Gleaming Walls were built around the entirely of Ghethemas (at least as it stood then). They were built of polished stone, from which it got its name. The portion of the city contained within the walls was designated the Old City, while all additions built outside of the walls were named the New City. Aragos went on to build additional forts, temples, and towns across his realm, but it was for his two greatest works that he is remembered. He and his descendants formed the Aragostian Dynasty, which ruled over the Dominion of Corgastor for centuries. In the year 469 the last Aragostian died without an heir, and Ghethemas and the Dominion fell into the control of local lords. It wouldn't be until the foundation of the Empire by GhetHorst that Ghethemas would reach equal levels of prosperity. In the meantime, it glimmered like a treasure lost at sea, pretty but abandoned.
Death of Aragos III Wologhest (105)
After the death of Aragos III, grandson of Aragos the Elder, all semblances of order in Everos began to fall apart. The Aragostians attempted to hold things together, but only managed to secure their own borders, leaving the rest of the continent to its fate. The Kings of Loryne in the north carved out a large realm out of their neighbors and the lands of their Daorhu neighbors. The Kings of Grathem in the south made similar gains all around the Gosver river region. Along the eastern tributaries of the Lornesse, small duchies began to form, raiding each other and foreign neighbors up and down the river. In the west, the Elvias came across the Zomore and extended their borders at the expense of petty lords and fledgling kingdoms. The Daorhu struggled in the early centuries of the Weeping Era, but in 560 united into the Kingdom of Banthoram. They then take back the lands lost to them by Aemar incursions. Simply put, the land was embroiled in constant, futile warfare. A kingdom would rise, and another would fall. Stability was nearly nonexistent. This made Everos a prime feeding ground for Nemgarotiric entities. They would prowl the land, slaughtering when they saw fit, and building cults behind them, for they would manipulate and corrupt all that was around them. Their kind would infest Everos for centuries, until Aemarda began to organize itself under the Empire.
Aemardic Schism Begins (108)
Following the death of Aragos III Wologhest, the direct line between Corgastor and his allies was broken. No others among the peoples of the ancient alliance desired to ascend to the throne in Ghethemas. It must be remembered that times were different then, and Aemardic Ghetûn were beholden to their immediate tribes before any wider authority. Corgastor’s rise and success was a profound break from this tradition, but witout the man or the Etayen threat to consider, the Evosmar reverted to ancient ways.
The decline of Corgastor’s domain and religiously uncertainty left Aemar adrift. Who should they worship and to whom should they owe allegiance? Aebaster remained an aspect of the Aemardic religious tradition, but his power was weakened after the artificial ascension of Corgastor upon his death. In his stead, the Aemar tribes venerated the memories of their tribal masters who fought alongside Corgastor during the Velgasid Etag. The people of southern Mehras created temples to Aragos, while those in Loryne enshrined the remains of Alyth, making an alter over them, and Salicad was blessed in Eroyther. Corgastor in turn became the subject of cult worship, along with other Nelsorians not named here.
These cults came into conflict with one another during the troubled times of the Weeping Era, eroding the cordial relationships which the revered would have espoused in life. The tribes were fiercely divided on the matter, breaking them into competing factions. Without the existence of some Eshanic guidance or certainty, the conflict continued for centuries.
800,000 perish to the Wrath (233 to 235)
Diseases are a common factor of life in Qadal. Living conditions, even in 3451, are not perfect within the most modernized cities. In the 200s, long before there were large empires or well-organized governments, the effects of blight could be keenly felt. The Wrath, as it was simply known, was one such disease. The first records of its outbreak came from the marshlands of southwestern Othos, in the midst of the bogs and dells there. It was a disease of decay, affecting both the body and mind. It would begin with the afflicted developing black sores around the fingers and toes that would move their way up the limbs. These extremities would endure extreme pain as the blood circulating to those areas became corrupted and sick, and spread throughout the body. While this happened, the sickness would begin to alter the mind of the afflicted, causing them to become agitated and angry. The whole process took no longer than a week, leaving over half a million dead over the course of two years.
The impact of the plague at the time was devastating. It destabilized Everos during a time in which it struggled to find order in endless political turmoil, and it extended its tendrils out to neighboring Othos and Nevan by ship.
The causes for the plague were entirely unknown to the victims of its first wave in the 200s. They believed everything from it being the revenge of Atûn to an imbalance of the celestial bodies.
The Fall of Banbaljir (294)
In the waning years of the 200s, Korbar Azrak was proclaimed the Yalagah of Banbaljir, the newest in a long line of Daorhu realms. He followed the footsteps of his father, Kordrin, who himself had ruled Banbaljir for decades before his death at the venerable age of 126. He was a skilled leader, if not terribly fair, and left his son Korbar with a realm rich in resources but also in enemies. The young Yalagah faced this adversity and ruled for over 70 years, gaining renown for his people and himself. His success in life, however, did not deter the unceasing march of time. As the years of his reign passed, age was beginning to show its mark upon him. His hair began to turn a sorry mix of snowy white and cloudy grey, his skin was showing liver spots, and his tall and proud posture gave way to slack and weakness. The once great Yalagah was nearing death, as do all olûndi, having lived for over 110 years. Preparations were made to pass the crown to his son Korbar II, but uncertainty weighed heavily upon the aging king. Maintaining Banbaljir was a task only fit for a skilled ruler. The passing of rule could spell disaster for centuries of expansion and development. How could an aging Yalagah look upon his fragile realm and not fear for its fate? As he considered the dilemma, Korbar was possessed by a brilliant idea. What if he could stall death, possible indefinitely? It surely sounded like madness, but many great things have been achieved from entertaining the impossible. Korbar desired to achieve it, and in doing so exceed the achievement of his predecessors and become imolûndari.
The aging Yalagah eagerly gathered together some of the greatest inventors from among the Daorhu and charged them to create an apparatus with which death could be foiled. They were baffled by the request, but simultaneously intrigued by the possibilities. Nothing of that magnitude had been undertaken by the Daorhu since the days of Naordu. It took the craftsmen of Banbaljir three weeks short of a decade to come up with a viable option. The need was direr now than ever, for the aging Yalagah was weak and sickly. Master Datur of Metaorbu Notaora, the master craftsmen of the project, presented Yalagah Korbar with what they had created. The final result could be compared to a suit of armor, though monstrously oversized for a Daorhu's proportions. It was a sickly bronze colored suit, with pipes and wires extending from many ports throughout its surface. Each extremity was pinned to the metal with a dozen bolts, creating a texture usually reServed for frogs and the most dreadfully afflicted lepers. Within the pipes flowed a blue, fluorescent concoction that traveled between bubbling tanks of foul smelling liquid and the veins of the Azrak king. The exact elements that went into it are unknown, but it can be said for certain that the contents were anything but natural.
When the craftsmen finally stood back to gaze upon their creation, their reactions were a precarious mix between horror and awe. They had succeeded, it seemed, in giving their Yalagah extended life with this technology. Sitting within the armor, Yalagah Korbar smiled upon them and reported feeling the strength of his youth return to him. At that moment, he proclaimed his reign would continue for another 70 years, with continued glory for all. They rejoiced, for they had achieved what others had believed to be impossible. The trouble was that forces beyond Qadal had taken notice of this technological development. Ácolitus, who normally contented himself will staying back and allowing the world's chaos to bring him more esseythu viewed this situation with contempt. If it were possible for one olûndari being to escape the clutches of death, then others may attempt to follow that example. In the eyes of Ácolitus this was a grave insult, one that demanded immediate reprisal.
The Divine Mandates that bind the realms of olûndi and Vussalas forbid the direct tampering of olûndari affairs by divine forces. In these circumstances, however, the mandates were null. Olûndi had violated the balance of life and death that exists at the core of the agreement, depriving Ácolitus of his role as Gatekeeper. The Yalagah of the Daorhu had therefore forfeited all divine protections. Ácolitus took the opportunity to send a grim message, and sent forth his vaunted Judges, namely Xhaldarius, Tyreth, Semoris, and Nenil to seek justice. The day it occurred, a frigid time in the winter of 2999, the star of Éshabal went entirely dark. It was a darkness blacker than the night, devoid of even the twinkling celestial bodies. The wise or long-memoried knew such an occurance as a dire harbinger of Eshanic wrath, and across the world olûndi quavered within their homes. Forward the judges came into Metaorbu Notaora, four and prepared legions of temportal followers shrouded by the eternal night. Among them stood warriors drawn from every corner of olûndari existence, from disgraced Etayen and shiftless Aemar to forsaken Odyrzid and fearsome Elivas. Each was garbed in black, white, or gold, and carried especially chosen arms befitting royalty, immeasurably beyond their native status. Husks of unfortunate guardians stood alongside them, crippled by the devastating force of Ackesh and forced into combat against fellow Daorhu.
The soldiers of Banbaljir fought their hardest to repel the seemingly unending waves of Ácolian warriors thrown against them, but their efforts were futile. They were pushed back deeper and deeper into the halls of Metaorbu Baljir, the ground they yielded was strewn with bodies. Manifold piles of ash and dust, rusted armor, and ancient weapons lay beside the corpses of the Daorhu to show where the Servants of Ácolitus had fallen. Before an hour had passed, the undead outnumbered the living. The few remaining defenders were pushed back to the great doors of Metaorbu Baljir's throne room, and thus the heart of Banbaljir itself. All that remained in the throne room was Yalagah Korbar and his gwazkerrags, crafted by Naordu over a millennium prior to defend the lords of the Daorhu. It was there that Xhaldarius, clad in terrible armor of ancient, pitted iron, passed final judgement. He decreed aloud that Korbar had violated the Divine Mandates which govern olûndi and Eshan alike and therefore must pay justly. A fight ensued between the gwazkerrag and the creator’s chief agent olûndari form, in which the latter had a great advantage. They were smashed and broken with Eshara delievered from Ácolitus to best serve punishment. The Yalagah was left alone, cowering before the Eldest Judge as he watched his beloved realm fall to ruin. Victorious, Xhaldarius tore into the suit of bronze with his dark gauntlets and tore Korbar from it like an indolent child. Without another word, he departed Metaorbu Baljir and Nemrohed with the corpse of his enemy, leaving everything else to ruin.
The remaining holds of Nemrohed broke from Banbaljir shortly after the fall of Metaorbu Baljir and the death of Yalagah Korbar. After centuries of unity, the Daorhu lords had finally broken again into independnt states. The glory amassed by the Azrak kings was quickly undone, and the land fell prey to the predations of the Karthuuzar and Ghetunbalastod ast Corgastor, ever waiting like wolves. The decline of the Daorhu has continued as a slow death for the past 400 years. Slowly the lands of the Daorhu holds are whittled away to the point were only the mountains themselves stand, protected from invasion by the few gwazkerrags that remain from Naordu's time. The pride and arrogance of Yalagah Korbar is to blame, for he desired to undermine the power of Ácolitus, the creator of life and the Gatekeeper of death. The story remains as a cautionary tale against who you seek to meddle with powers greater than themselves.
In the aftermath of the devastation wrought by Ácolitus’ intervention, Daorhu stability in Nemrohed fell to shambles. The Karthuuzar and other petty realms took advantage of this weakness to assert local dominance, pillage resources, and settle themselves. Broken, the Daorhu were only able to resist in weakn outbursts of retaliatory violence. These events were the direct causes of the dreaded Alogolsur, a dreaded period of Daorhu history wherein the Karthuuzar ravaged the land for generations.
The Alogolsur (300 to 650)
The Karthuuzar were never a united people. Their tribes competed with one another with the same ferocity as foreign enemies. Granted the hostility between certain sects of Karthuul’s children, their internal fury was at times the greater. Yet, the 300s offered them an unsought for yet potent opportunity. The Daorhu yalar were disunited in those years, with no government reigning over them. Wars were commonplace, economic develop stagnated as those useable areas were devastated from constant switching of hands. In the darkest hours, Karthuuzar were mustered as mercenaries to slaughter one Daorhu yalar or another. The more self-destructive these campaigns became, the sooner Karthuuzar warlords recognized the potential profit from directly assaulting the Daorhu. Indeed, the Daorhu possessed no response, and those yalar which were strong enough to resist were left unaided.
The scale of destruction wrought upon Nemrohed is difficult to comprehend. Whole yalar, whose names are lost to silence, were annihilated, with their ancient narrative carvings shattered or stolen. The corpses of the slain filled the countrysides unburied. No treasures or materials were sparred, so that once vibrant cities of winding stone walls were reduced to blackened ruin. No difference could be told between a settlement or a grand firepit. This orgy of devastation was made worse through the Karthuuzar’ known penchant to use Vojûn in battle, for in those years it was considered a glorious gift.
No coherent Daorhu response was contrived for centuries. The Karthuuzar continued to wreak havoc, slaughtering hundreds in their unleashed fury. Yet, salvation was coming. A Daorhu named Naordu arose among the yalar, bearing knowledge of Vojûn
Nathrovas Independant (475)
The lucrative and powerful region of Nathrovas remained within the Etayen sphere after Atûn’s death. For centuries thereafter, the Ghalûn maintained an awkward half-loyalty to Etal.
Reign of Asemyatin, the Vojûnic Ghetûn (521 to 573)
This odd youth introduced himself as Asemyatin, which meant nothing whatsoever in Evosmar naming canon. When pressed on the matter, Asemyatin simply declared that he chose the name himself. The child was strange in appearance, and not derived from Aemar blood without mixing. An ancestral element was amiss, yet none in the tribe could discern it. While the nativity of Asemyatin was uncertain, the Balmehen tribespeople took him in without question. Conditions of orphanage or familial separation were common in those days.
In early 550, the great revelation was made clear for all. Asemyatin was not an Eshanic child whatsoever, but rather a spawned beast of Vojûnic origins.
While Asemyatin’s reign was relatively insignificant in the grand scheme of Eshanic struggles, it represented the anarchic nature of Everos during the Weeping era.
Lhendom of Grathem Established (843)
While the Corgastodmar arose to power upon the shores of the Lornesse, competing realms of Aemarda were stirring to the south. News came to them through wanderers and traders that such stirrings manifested into political power. At a place called Calathem, which was utterly unknown to the Corgastodmar race, a sovereign named Amehen was crowned Lhenod of Grahen.
Formation of Tas Edrastócel (873)
In the times preceding the Weeping Era there had been no significant or long-lasting efforts made to gather and codify knowledge in Everos. It was common practice to share information orally and pass it down between generations, or in some places writing became more popular. The Etayen had brought writing to the peoples of Everos during their conquest, and during that time developed a robust linguistic tradition that blended Etayen Etayen with the various dialects of Evosmar into a readable form. The land's wealth of knowledge was kept by those who did not originate from that place and was thus out of the reach of the native peoples. This problem became acutely felt when the Etayen were ousted from the land at the end of the War of Liberation. The Etayen took their tomes and histories with them as they retreated, and much of what was left behind was destroyed as the war raged across the continent. As the Weeping Era dawned, chaos engulfed Everos as competing lords fought amongst themselves for control of the now abandoned Etayen colonies. A dark age of sorts followed, where knowledge and learning fell far away from Aemarda, among both the nobles and the common people.
Reign of Hinikalis Nathrobal (922 to 987)
This period was the zenith of Nathrovas’ power, when it was united but beyond the grasp of the neighboring Aemar or the Etûletal.
Corgastodmar Realm of Valgorod founded (1150)
In the waning years of the Weeping Era, Ghet Horst Goldheart of Nossen received a vision. It was, so he claimed, the spirit of Corgastor speaking to him, telling him to forge a realm in his name, as it had been destined in ancient days. A man of strong conviction, though originally a worshipper of the All Father, offered up his esseythu to this deity that so clearly showed himself and gave his mission. Gathering his companions, commanders, and family together, he told them of the vision he received. Some were skeptical, though more were excited by the story he told, no one more so than his third son, Galdyn. He urged his father to take up the mission and march to Ghethemas. If they were to take back Corgastor's city, they could sow the seeds of an empire, much greater than Corgastor's Dominion had ever been.
Ghet Horst gathered every fighting man he could for his crusading army to Ghethemas, naming themselves the Bearers of Light in their holy mission. Their army marched northwest at a lightning pace, ignoring the demands to halt by Ghethemas's bewildered lord, Ghet Gosen of the Tower. He was a learned man, and well respected by his people for his wisdom and far reaching tolerance. It came as a shock that his neighbor would launch such an aggressive surprise attack. The conquest came in like a tide, and within a few short weeks it was all over. Ghethemas's Gleaming Walls were only sparsely manned at the time, so a determined assault managed to carry them as well as the rest of the city. The Trident was secured, and Ghet Horst ordered his men to purge the temples of all dissenting or foreign faiths. Only Corgastor would remain amongst the ruins. Icons of Aebaster, shrines of obscure local deities, and many others were all broken in the madness that lasted for days. Ghet Horst crowned himself the ruler of Corgastor's new realm in Qadal, and named his court speaker, Baregest, the first official Solhesunbast. The Kingdom they founded was titled the Kingdom of Valgorod, to continue the ancient de jure traditional for that region. It would be more than a century before the creation of Corgastor's empire.
Aemardic Schism Ends (1164)
The birth of a Corgastodmar realm in Everos fundamentally altered the dynamic between the competing Aemardic religious sects.
Ghet Mehredalost Goldheart devoted himself to the purpose of strengthening the religious foundation of his new domain. Alongside the Solhesunbast, he initiated a campaign against the various cults spread across Everos in devotion to Corgastor’s followers- Alyth, Salicad, Aragos, and others.
Ghet Mehredalost’s work culminated in the Ascension of Ghethemas. The edict was a clever move of political finesse. Mehredalost simultaneously proclaimed the superiority of Corgastor over his follower by right of Aebaster’s blessings. In the same breath, however, he crafted a unique position for those who walked alongside Corgastor in his victory against Etal. They would now be known to Corgastodmar canon as ‘Eshesmar’ or ‘People of the Eshan’ in the traditional tongue. The disparate cults of Corgastor’s allies would be acknowledged and amalgamated into the wider religious community, but Corgastor and the state which represented him would remain dominant. A minority of the ancient cults rejected the compromise and continued to venerate their long-dead masters over Corgastor, but they gradually assimilated or passed with time.
Union of Loryne and Valgorod (1248 to 1312)
The Corgastodmar Empire was given a much-needed period of peace after its foundation, during which the Goldhearts consolidated their power. Ghet Horst reigned until 1173, then was succeeded by his first son, Horst II, who in turn ruled until 1201. During that time, the Old City of Ghethemas was renovated to reflect its status as the heart of Corgastodmarism, roads were laid, and bridges were built to traverse the marshy Lornesse watershed, and the holy work of establishing a proper temple system was undertaken. In the eyes of modern obServers, the stability this new realm promoted for Everos might go unappreciated. It should not. The Weeping Era was a chaotic mess of competing rulers, all striving to fill the vacuum of power left by the fall of Étunas and the withdrawal of Corgastor from politics. The nascent Kingdom of Valgorod, or of Corgastor, was able to halt the cyclical trends of violence and instability. Prosperity and stability created during that time managed to, with some setbacks, foster the growth of enduring states elsewhere. Once such place was Loryne, which sits below the Balendorn mountains in the Vale of Izithor, named for the historical founder of Loryne. The mutual growth of those realms during the late 1100s and early 1200s left them in a prime position to take the reins of continental affairs.
The expansion of Valgorod continued throughout the 1200s, hindered only be the raids of Karthuuzar in the north or from small scale wars against jealous neighbors. The Goldheart dynasty remained in power throughout these years. After the death of Horst II, his daughter Elspet took power. She reigned from 1201 to 1226, and in that time fought to take control of the Lornesse river from the grips of neighboring powers. She was followed by the short-lived Ghet Avus, who reigned from 1226 to 1232. He spent the majority of his reign overseeing the expansion of Ghethemas before dying of River Fever. After his untimely death, his sister Esabel took the crown. She reigned from 1232 to 1244, during which time the Goldheart dynasty crushed Grathon tribesmen assaulting from the south, among other things. By the time the year 1248 arrived, Ghet Elgast Goldheart was the sovereign of the Kingdom of Corgastor. It had not yet taken on the laurels of an Empire due to the limited size of the realm at that time along with the lack of an Imperial tradition. It had grown remarkably, however, and stood ready to take the plunge to empire, along with all the troubles that come with it. The invasion of Loryne by the Karthuuzar in 1248 was the defining event that forced Valgorod to asSert itself beyond its immediate borders and set it on the course toward continental domination.
It began when Chief Gedrobar of the Norgost tribe moved his people southward to escape tribal conflict and gain access to resources. In doing so they crossed into the lands of Loryne, still an independent kingdom but allied to the Kingdom of Valgorod. It controlled the land of both present day Erehem and Loryne at that time but was unable to secure the area around present day Golenest. The Ghet of Loryne, Gerad the Grim (named so for this unfortunate event), called for aid as more tribes followed the lead of the Norgost and poured into his kingdom. Soon the whole kingdom was being flooded by these newcomers. Next tent villages appeared all across the countryside, as the Karthuuzar settled down in the much more favorable climate.
In response to the intrusion, the Ghetod of Loryne and Valgorod rallied their men together and began a campaign of extermination to evict the intruders. Newly formed villages were burned, and civilians were slaughtered as the ensuing war ranged across the northern reaches. Despite the violence, the Karthuuzar held strong and established themselves firmly, then began to counterattack. By the year 1270, almost all of Loryne had bee lost except its southern most lands and the area immediately around the Grand City of Loryne, which held as a bastion of civilization against the raging tide.
During the following years, from 1270 - 1312, a war of reconquest was relentlessly fought by the two kingdoms against the Karthuuzar. The fighting left the Lorynese countryside pillaged and depopulated, as soldiers of both factions’ raided settlements to ensure supplies wouldn't fall into enemy hands, and the surviving settlers fled southward. All the while the City of Loryne held out, under constant siege by the tribal invaders, but the tide did turn. The Karthuuzar, despite their fury, were not a unified force. Their "invasion" was more accurately a migration of independent tribes. This meant that they were vulnerable to the coordinated counterattacks against them. By the year 1312, the Karthuuzar had been battered and beaten back to the original borders. Loryne had been saved and the alliance victorious.
Glorious as it was, their victory left loose ends. Loryne had been severed mauled in the fighting and wouldn't be able to hold off another wave of barbarian attacks. Ghet Gerad knew this, and for that reason he became grim. Ghet Elgast and Ghet Gerad, now both older men and close friends for their years of shared conflict, discussed the future of their kingdoms once the wars were over. The resolution they concluded was that Loryne would became a part of the Kingdom of Valgorod, but that it would hold a higher place among the existing Ghetod. Their agreement, finalized in 1313, was the end of the ancient kingdoms of Loryne and Valgorod, and the beginning of the real Ghetunbalastod ast Corgastor. When Ghet Elgast died in 1317, his son Larich was crowned Larich I, the first officially titled Ghetunbast of the new Ghetunbalastod of Everos.