Vastalian Dark Ages

The period known as the Vastalian Dark Ages came about with the fall of Ethessia, the Golden Kingdom. A sweeping calamity ripped the Kingdom asunder, bringing about war, famine and plague. The exact cause of this disaster is unknown, although links to eldritch entities of realms beyond the The Material Plane are common in what little historical artefacts still exist.
The Dark Ages themselves lasted for approximately 400 years, between 1100 BA and 700 BA. Little is recorded of this time, and only evidence of what came before and after remains. Hence, the name "Dark Ages" has widely been accepted by historians and scholars across the world.

Remnants of the Golden Kingdom

Out of the ashes of the Dark Ages, surviving pockets of civilization began to take root. The descendants of Ethessia's once-great cities established independent territories, each with its own culture, rulership, and identity. The lands that were once united under the banner of Ethessia were now divided into smaller kingdoms and city-states, each vying for dominance in the reshaped political landscape.
However, with the lands being all-but inhospitable, many of these newly fledged countries were not meant to last. One by one, they have fallen in to a state far from once great Ethessia, each a tale to tell:

• Evadia - The Besieged
• Rusgomath - The Rotting Kingdom
• Vrutesta - The Fields of Bone
• Trannisal - The Sunken Realm

There are those that have managed to survive the ravishes of the Vastalian Dark Ages, be it through luck, determination or intellect. Therrezia stands as the greatest amongst these, surviving for the longest with a semblance of civilization still in tact. The City-State of Luyarnha, lies deep within the Shattered Kingdoms, a last beacon against the darkness outside of its walls. Some survivors fled further afield, heading to the Calidian Islands and founding the Free Cities of Xebellia.