Asmythe History

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This is a timeline of major events in Asmythe. Most of these events are unknown to the most of the civilizations of Asmythe.

Prehistory

Before the beginning the world of Asmythe inhabited by a civilization unknown and they destroyed it. Asmythe became a lifeless ruin of a world. Then the Primal dagapesh came and created life and nature and they created the ilthura to nurture and protect their new creation. When the work was done the Primal dagapesh gathered in the Tempest Sea and went to sleep, to dream of the world they created.

First Era

For time uncountable the ilthura nurtured Asmythe faithfully. They were few and powerful and used Primal and Arcane magic in their work. The ilthura created awesome spires in which to live, made of living stone and metal and taller than the tallest trees. There are thirteen such spires all across Asmythe and each is unique, but they all seem to radiate some kind of power and impenetrable.

The ilthura learned how to create life to serve them and and among their creation were the gith and Fae. The gith were a tall and slender people designated as shepherds of life. The Fay who were short and stout and they were the craftsmen, farmers, laborers, and servants of the Gith. Through the Fay and the Gith who managed them the Ilthura strayed from their task of nurturing the world and began changing it for their own purposes.

In time the ilthura divided into factions. The reason for the split and the motivations of each faction is unknown but it is well known that they fell into conflict with each other. The ilthura created monsters designed to disrupt the gith, slaughter the Fay, and consume the magic of the other ilthura factions. Eventually the ilthura won their war, or lost, for they disappeared from Asmythe entirely leaving behind only their beasts and their spires. Legend tells that the moon Rolene appeared at this time and perhaps had some role in the disappearance of the ilthura.

Second Era

When the ilthura vanished the creatures of Asmythe were left to fend for themselves. Some fared better than others and among all of them the gith and the Fay fared best, for a while.

The gith moved out of the ilthura cities and built empires of their own on the backs of the Fay and other creatures they could control. But the gith were not as powerful or wise as the ilthura and their subjects rebelled, throwing down the gith empires and in the aftermath the gith died.

The Fay, who never had a civilization of their own, fractured into tribes and forsook all the craft and trappings of the elder races. These tribes eventually became the elves, dwarves, gnomes, kobolds, and the many other races of Asmythe. Of all these the elves and dwarves were the most prosperous.

The elves migrated through the forests, plains, deserts, and swamps of the world. These lands are overrun by monstrous creatures created by the ilthura but the elves prospered in spite of them. They learned how to avoid the monsters and to harness the dreams of the dagapesh to heal and protect themselves.

The dwarves retreated under the mountains where they built cities in the stone where they could defend themselves from invading monsters. They learned to work stone and metal and how to summon and control elementals to create motive devices.

Third Era

This age begins when humans and goblins arrive on Asmythe. This age is also the beginning of written history and the counting of years. Humans and orcs began counting years at about the same time, for this timeline we use the date as tracked by the human Armada Empire, YA (Years of Arrival).

Early Third Era

This is a time of exploration and discovery. Humans and goblins are newly arrived and have lost nearly everything. They strive to learn about Asmythe, explore, and claim their territory. Humans and goblins have no magical ability or knowledge beyond rare encounters with sylvani and delvers.

Mid Third Era

A time of expansion and growth. Expanding empires bring humans and goblins into conflict, not just with each other, but with the natives of Asmythe. Monsters and magic, once poorly understood, is still poorly understood. Horror stories of magical beasts and mad scientists have more truth that anybody wants to believe. Humans and goblins are at war but conflicts are rare and generally only in a few areas where territory is disputed. They are beginning to understand and learn how to control magic and reckless use nearly destroys the human empire.

Late Third Era

A time of war and misunderstanding. Borders between human, goblin, delver, and sylvani are drawn and nobody likes where they are. Although the borderlands are still wild and dangerous in most places open war and high tension exist between all civilizations, especially the humans and goblins.

Fourth Era

The start of the fourth era is not a sharp line in the sand, rather there are several events that occurred in a relatively shot amount of time that changed how people saw and interacted with the world.

  • Goblins discover how to open stable portals to subspace and use them to get armies inside human cities.
  • Humans discover the secret of delver alchemy; delvers are furious and close their holds to everybody.
  • Subspace outsiders follow goblins through a portal into the goblin capital city, destroying it utterly. Several other large goblin cities are destroyed from similar events. Outsiders, though very rare, are now recognized as a threat to all civilizations.
  • An unknown number of ilthura return to Asmythe and attempt to take control from the shadows. Or perhaps these are rumors created in response to the appearance of outsider.
  • An increasing number of sylvani decide that it is safer to integrate into human society than to be subject to attacks from encroaching monsters.
  • Goblins and humans officially end hostilities and open their borders. Actual integration and acceptance is a long and difficult process.

Early Fourth Era

A time of high adventure and political confusion. As civilizations begin to integrate they rarely agree on how laws should be created and enforced. Knowledge is widely shared and wealthy nobles often hire skilled mercenaries to hunt for ancient treasures. [This part of the fourth era is most similar to a classical D&D world.]

Mid Fourth Era

A time of political corruption and existential horror. When humans learned delver alchemy it started an industrial renaissance that changed how people live all over Asmythe. [Technology is similar to the industrial revolution in Europe, but powered by magic instead of fossil fuels. Consider the Legend of Kora TV series.] But while civilization becomes more advanced so does the influence and power of the outsiders, for outsiders are not all beasts and some have immense cunning and psionic power. Outsider activity and cults of people who worship them vie to control, or destroy, society from the shadows. [This results in a fantasy-noir setting with Lovecraftian undertones.]

Late Fourth Era

This is a time of terror and destruction. Outsider activity has escalated and they are beginning to overrun Asmythe. In response the integrated civilizations have created massive war machines and developed super powered magic in an attempt to fight back. [This part of the fourth era is somewhat like a cross between a Supers/Rifts setting with Pacific Rim tones.]

Timeline

  • ~0 YA -- Humans and goblins arrive on Asmythe, along with much wreckage from a space battle above Asmythe.
  • ~30 YA -- The Armada Empire is formed from the first few towns of Asmythe. About the same time the goblin empire is born.
  • ~100 YA -- The goblin empire allies with the dwarves of Cozak.
  • ~200 YA -- Goblin ships reach the Heirlands but are rebuffed from the interior by sylvan forces.
  • ~250 YA -- Armada ships circumnavigate the Sea of Solitude and the empire expands into Kelgaard and Eastern Erronia.
  • ~350 YA -- Goblin ships settle Westlor
  • ~400 YA -- Armada ships settle The Verge
  • ~1000 YA -- Faelltor discovers necromancy and attempts to overthrow the Armada Empire.