History of the March

A human priest appears in the city of Shebar claiming to bear the teachings of Urah, the creator god of the Kedi empire still widely worshipped in the area. Through his teachings this Prophet draws in many followers of all races, and the teachings gradually spread out to become the Uram religion. Claiming no man should be on par with the gods, the prophet orders his own name stricken from all records, and is remembered only as the Nameless Prophet. This marks the beginning of the Somaji calender.

Giants assault the major cities of the Helvenic Empire, which now controls most of the continent. The Empire has become too bloated to effectively deal with the threat, and it mostly falls to local leaders and military to handle the attacks. An assault on Vesselle itself by the Storm Giant lord Veras destroys the imperial guard, and the giant personally kills the emperor, ending the imperial line. The giants are eventually defeated, though the reason for their appearance and eventual disappearance is not known to the common people. With the Empire broken, the people fragment under the local rulers, with many trying to claim to be the new seat of power. The age of the empire is done, and the age of kings and kingdoms has begun.

An illness that strikes the streets of Adjadi soon spreads out along the trade routes, throughout Somaj, into Korkusz, and through there around the world. The disease turns into a plague, ravaging the lands, and killing entire cities. Rahasaya and Stroykost close their borders, but the disease spreads as far as Xian. No race or species seems immune, most clerics are unable to cure it, and the few who can are too small in number to stop the plague's spread. Victims find their skin taking on a yellow and rotting aspect as the body slowly weakens and dries out. It is estimated that over a quarter of the world's population dies before the disease runs its course.

A multinational magic fair is hosted in Korkusz, with the intention of showing off all the various forms of magic available in the world. The Merchant Princes hope to inspire further trade in magical goods and services, and especially their own artifice techniques. The fair is incredibly successful, inspiring new magical studies and rivalries, and begins the spread of artifice. The fair is also credited with rekindling magical interest in the Midlands and breaking the stigma left by Robago's War.

The Drachenkaiser of Helgest launches invasions of neighboring Midlands nations, along with allies he has secretly gathered, with the express goal of bringing all of Hellenia under his rule in a new Hellenic Empire. What begins as a continent-wide war soon comes to involve nearly every known nation in Errath as all sides call on allies. As the war drags on, the Drachenkaiser begins to call on extra-planar allies, including divine Archons and elemental powers. Within a year of the archons, Helgest malconvokers begin to summon bound infernal forces.

With the aid of increasing planar alliances, Helgest finalizes control of the entire continent of Hellenia south of the Stroykost, where the two nations are engaged in fierce trench warfare. The Drachenkaiser appears to be in less control of his armies, as the planar powers begin to run rampant in the regions they control. The Allied Nations undertake a ritual on an unprecedented scale around the Midlands. As the armies hold off attack, the ritual known as "The Resolution" is completed. All planar connections to Midlands are severed. The war ends with the Midlands ravaged, Helgest crippled and reduced to its original boundaries. Many midlands refugees seek refuge in Addam. Stroykost begins construction of the Iron Wall along its southern border, finalizing the separation of the Midlands from the north.