The Known World

 

The genre of the Known World is fantasy.

 

The Known World is divided into three continents, Kelubus, Krateros, and Teleuce. It revolves around the primeval Archaian Empire, which once exerted their influence over multiple continents.

 

The earliest recorded parts of history in the Known World began with the Archaian Empire. The Archaian Empire´s capital was the city of Hephaest. They made their neighboring nations, the Grand Duchy of Dionys, and the Hestian Freehold, into tributaries. The only nation they had yet to subjugate was the Agorean Empire. The Agorean Empire formed around the River Agor, and had two major cities, their capital, Protagor, and Pythagor. The two nations went to war twice, until, at the Second Agorean War, the Agorean Empire collapsed and Pythagor was burnt to the ground and salted, so as to prevent the growth of grain from the city forever.

Meanwhile, somewhere in northwestern Krateros, a Drow under the name of Algriman had begun to build a wall to separate the barbarians to the south and the drow to the north. Unfortunately, Algriman died before he could see the completion of the wall´s largest entrance, Gatekeep, but his son, Noahan, and his friend, Ravidan, did. The staff of the wall, one High Gatekeeper, four Gatekeepers two high wards, seven wards, and one crow, all fought to keep the wall standing.

Also, in the southern Lith Desert, the city of Bawwabakr was founded by Rawiuk, who changed their name to Bawwabak. After a few decades, in 785 BC, the four Dwarven Cities, Apokr, in the Apokrim Hills, Bawwabak, in the southeastern Lith Desert, Nik, in the Nikrim Pyrenees, and Sahrak, in the northeastern Lith Desert, united into the Council of the Four Dwarflords. At some time in the late 650s BC, Bawwabakr left the council, and soon after, Apokr fell to orcs, and then, in 564, the council, which had lost it´s meaning and strength, dissolved.

In Archaios, the Era of Colonialism began in the 650s. Many Archaian colonies were founded, most in the Splinterlands. However, some colonies extended as far as Epicure in northeastern Krateros and Hippocra in south-central Kelubus. The Anaxim-Cass expedition began here in 262 BC, in which the cities of Anaximand and Cassand were founded. Then, the Era of Peace began. It was filled with governmental reformation and scientific innovation. However, all this changed when the First Great Plague erupted in Agamem.

Agamem was the heart of maritime trade in the Splinterlands, and spread the sickness to other cities along the Cass Coast, such as Anaximand, Cassand, Gorricham, and Sisyph.

Around this time, in Approx. 230 BC, Algriman´s Wall was invaded by barbarians from the north. The soldiers there were suffering from their own disease called Poppypox, and a mutiny had been staged. This seemed like the optimal opportunity for the barbarians to topple the wall. Unfortunately, though, they failed. The walls defenses were just too strong, and the wall, itself, too tall. The Battle of Poppygate ended with a resounding victory for the Drow of Algriman´s Wall, and the entire event was recorded scrupulously by Quer the Historian, whose writings would be accidentally rediscovered by Thestor of Oropedia during the First Crusade.

In Archaios, the disease even spread across the Pebbles. The first city on Teleuce that was infected was Atalan. The disease affected all, sparing neither the rich nor the poor, the noble nor the petty. Death ravaged the continent, and Emperor Oeronas I made a fiery speech about how the will of the people would outlast the evil of the plague which now afflicted them. Unfortunately, this fiery speech was succeeded by an actual fire, which spread across Hephaest. This event, known as the Great Fire of Hephaest, destroyed the entire city beyond repair.

Also, around this time at Algriman´s Wall, the Curators, Gatekeepers, Wards, etc., mysteriously vanished, without a trace. It is unknown if they left of their own accord, but it is known that, after this, the barbarians flooded past the wall through the four of the five gates that already existed, with the exception of Rivergate to the far east. Also mysteriously, the many Drow settlements that the wall supposedly protected were now gone. The barbarians that flooded through stopped at a large river, where they settled down; this river was the River Aimatiros.

As a symptom of the Great Fire of Hephaest, many families were forced to leave their homes, with nowhere else to go. However, luckily for him, Oeronas´s nephew, Oeronas II, was still alive, in Arach, addressing the issue of the plague to a crowd of people who faced a tragic death. The plague was highly contagious, so the medical help that was available to the ill was either nonexistent or refused to help. In this, those that helped the ill got ill themselves, and those that did not left those diseased to die alone.

The disease even infected the Splinterlanders. A house filled with doctors was a blackwood longhouse, and people would drop the dead in their. The morgues were filled, and Lagenhaus, a once somewhat prosperous city, was filled with the reeking dead in the streets. More bodies were buried in mass graves then buried with prayers. After that horrific experience, Lagenhaus would forever be known by the nickname Plagenhaus, although we can still see the old name in the Lagen Path, which passes through Plagenhaus.

The disease itself was an insect-borne one, which showed symptoms of an ordinary fever shortly before death. However, the disease was also discreet. It could infect a person months before symptoms actually appeared. This aided tremendously with the propagation of the disease, as, sometimes, entire quantities of people would be infected and not a single one of them would know until it was too late. Either way, in a cruel twist of fate, while Oeronas was making his speech, he collapsed to the floor, succumbing to the disease.

His last words were, ¨My father still lives.¨ He was wrong. His father had died only hours before. He had not even been informed of his father´s death, or the Great Fire of Hephaest. This event occurred on either March 20th or 21st, sources vary. Regardless, the Ignisian calendar considers March 20th day 1 of year 1. In this year, the Archaian Empire up and collapsed. The Agoreans, who were largely unaffected by the disease as they were too far north for the insects that propagated it to travel, invaded their neighbors, while the Grand Duchy of Dionys and the Hestian Freehold broke their ties with the Archaian Empire, believing they could not defend them from the new threat of the Agoreans.

The Archaian Empire was split in two. One was led by Empress Tryphosa, the grandniece of Oeronas I. The other was led by Hyllos, who claimed to be the son of Oeronas II, which did not exist; Oeronas II had only two daughters, Althaea and Tryphosa. The empire led by Empress Tryphosa was still called the Archaian Empire, but Hyllos´s was known as the Eternal Remnant. Hyllos swore to reunite the Archaian Empire and restore the continent to it´s former glory.
Meanwhile, the barbarians from the Splinterlands freed themselves from the yoke of the Archaian colonists.

The Agoreans conquered some settlements along the River Splitter, the Hestians conquered the city of Candull and Wyrms, one of the most powerful barbarian cities in the north. The Archaian elves that once inhabited the lands were forced to retreat into the Absentwood, founding the cities of Lednikaar and Oolasil. Around this time, the rest of the world was populated by barbarians. In western Teleuce, there were many barbarian tribes dotting the tundra, many more nomads in Krateros searched for watering holes and had begun to settle down along the River Aimatiros.

Lastly, in Ciceronia, there were many more barbarian tribes, even more than in the Splinterlands alone. These continents would each start a nation that would change the world.

The first nation to arise is Tharros. Tharros started along the River Aimatiros at the city of Palaio. Tharros was surrounded by other barbarian tribes. However, they owned the largest city of them all. Harpagos, the first Tharrian Emperor, waged a series of wars to encapsulate their section of the continent. Within the Aimatiros-Triaina River Valley, they conquered many simple tribes with ease. Their city was the largest, known as the Walled City for its immense walls.

These walls could fit two men standing side by side. It was said no organization, person, or state could topple it, and they thought greatly of themselves in this light.

Meanwhile, in the Splinterlands, various other cities were founded. In 179 AC, the Second Agorean Empire founded the city of Anaxagor along the River Splitter. At that time, it was the largest city along the River Splitter. Around this time, many other cities already existed in the Splinterlands, like Ghageuex, Nollchavn, Sichtenburg, and Wyrms, but now they had begun to flourish. In fact, Ghageuex and Sichtenburg existed on the continent before even the Archaians first landed there.

Various other cities, like Bendar, Eldurraik, Gorricham, Greiholder, Liverheim, Pentato, Spwoumbd and Uen Ha´agdam formed in the late 210s AC, making them some of the oldest cities in the Splinterlands. Other cities, like Candull, Nollchavn, and Wyrms fought to free themselves from their northerner overlords. The first success in this department was in 259, in the First Resurgent Revolt. The city of Candull had rebelled against the Hestians, declaring themselves a fully independent nation.

On Candull´s side was Wyrms, who also aimed for independence. These were two of the largest cities in the colony, so the Hestians spent some time organizing a force to send across the sea. It would have destroyed the Candullans and Wyrmsians, but a seaswine ate their leading ship, and shortly thereafter the rest of the fleet was sunk in the bottom of the ocean by a destructive seastorm. Realizing their greatest general, Polycritos, was dead at sea, the Hestians opted for an agreement.

Around this time, in 315 AC, Hippocra fought in the Dawn War agaisnt a coalition of barbarians. The coalition resulted in the destruction of the Hippocran Remnant, which had acted on their own since the collapse of the Archaian Empire.

Back in Candull Hestians diplomats were sent on a mission. They were to convene with the Candullan and Wyrmsian leaders by telling them they could have their, ¨independence,¨ if they paid tribute on an annual basis. In response to this the Candullan leader, Gabio, made a gruesome reply. Four ambassadors were sent to Candull, and none returned in tact. They had their ears, eyes, and noses cut out or off. Along with them came the letter, written by Gabio personally, that read, in Splintertongue, ¨The unjust do not deserve their senses.¨

Horrified by this act of, as the historian Herodo puts it, ¨...act of brutality and coarseness.¨ the Hestians allowed them to remain independent. In the post-war speech always made by the Hestian ruler after the events aforementioned, it was said, by Tisias II, ¨If there are such perpetrators of needless and torture within our colonies, then we would rather free our people from their stain than allow them to live beside us.¨ Later, in 335, the Resurgence officially ended when the people of Nollchavn rebelled against the Agoreans, and they, who had never really needed the colonies to prosper, simply allowed them to exercise independence.

In 336 AC, one year after the Resurgence ended, in western Teleuce, Lygdamis I founded Stemma along the River Anastasi. His people had been long influenced by Archaian merchants, and would have adopted the language if it were not for purists who still spoke the, ¨untainted¨ Teleucian tongue. The Teleucians, as they called themselves, grew to inhabit the entire Anastasi River Valley, but for now, they just ruled a single city, surrounded by snow. Lygdamis, despite being an honorable king, lacked a son, and instead selected their niece, Latona I, to rule the city in his death.

In approximately 793 AC, various nomadic tribes in the Nikrim Grasslands settled down in the city Pyrinai to the north. They did not record their history, so little else is known about them after this.

For many years, the nations of eastern Teleuce were stagnant. They fought pettily between themselves, losing all sense of their former, ¨chivalry¨ if it meant victory for them. As the poet Remo said, ¨The wheel of innovation slowed as the river of ingenuity dried.¨ Meanwhile, the people of Palaio, who now thought of themselves as the Tharrians, pioneered the art of war with the construction of the first known siege engine: a massive ram capable of breaking down locked gates in one hit.

Meanwhile, in Teleucia, Latona I expanded her empire across the tundra, and spread the art of agriculture to the ignorant that inhabited the land they shared. She was known thereafter as Latona the Shrewd. Skip forward to 832 AC, and Ciceron the Great has begun their infamous Destiny. They saw it fit to conquer the entire continent in the name of the Archaian Empire. Ciceron attempted to revive Archaian culture in Ciceronia, even, for a time, calling his kingdom, ¨The Kingdom of Ciceronia, Successor to the Archaian Empire.¨

Ciceron fought against their neighbors and met a challenge with the Vyrian leader Iazim the Great. Iazim had, himself, attempted to unify Ciceronia, though they settled for the Machurys River Valley. In the Ciceronian-Vyrian War, Ciceron faced head-on against Iazim beyond the walls of Trueking, a Ciceronian outpost. These kings, whom history titles the great, would face each other never again. Iazim, sadly, was one of the first to fall. Ciceron requested Iazim receive a proper burial, surprising many.

Ciceron was quite xenophobic, and was the first to title any stranger south of the River Machurys a barbarian, but here he respected this noble leader whom he had fought against. Afterwards, he had claimed that, if Iazim had been on their side, the two would have never been apart. Today, Ciceron and Iazim are buried next to each other in Heroes´ Field Burial Grounds in Vineyard. However, before Ciceron died, their empire extended as far north as the Dhelmese Marsh as far east as the Misty Lagoon, as far south as the Calm Shrublands, and as far west as the Quiet Bluff.

In fact, Ciceron had even founded Vineyard, which would be the capital of Ciceronia for millennia to come. His son, Damophon the Architect, founded the cities of Autumnharvest and Wintercourt in 896 AC. Also in 896 AC, the Merchant King Sicinnus I, who had only been crowned in 894 AC, invented a national currency, Sicinns. In northern Krateros, now known as Tharros, General Krysaor I discovered Algriman´s Wall. Immediately, he notified the current Emperor, Demaratos I, of a, ¨...wall that stretches beyond the horizon.¨

As soon as the letter was penned by Krysaor´s courier, they rushed off to Palaio, and Krysaor began refortifying the wall, supplying it with his own troops. Many noticed that the wall was bizarre in that food and supplies were still tucked away, beyond rotten. It was as if whoever once inhabited the wall, however many years ago they did, had disappeared without a trace, abandoning the entire wall. Some were incredibly fearful of just how far the wall extended, and how it could not be empty.

Algriman´s Wall extended to the Highlands, where Krysaor found it, and discovered Highland Cattle there, which were known for their warm fur. Back in Teleucia, Sicinnus´s reign proved quite short. They died in 902 AC, leaving the kingdom to their young son, Empedocles. Empedocles received news from a peasant, Scythas, that the Kosmima Mountains in eastern Teleuce harbored enormous quantities of blue gemstones. Named Scyths, after Scythas, they were said to possess hydrokinetic properties.

Empedocles, still young, agreed to Scythas´s offer. For this, he would be eternally grateful, gemstones filled the treasury, and Empedocles commissioned the construction a great city to the northwest, that glistened as bright as if it were the only jewel in the world. He named this city Kyulos, and, in 929 AC, named his second son and heir, Scythas I. In 987, Scythas II would be crowned as king of the Kingdom of Teleucia. Also in that year, the Ciceronian king Alcman I discovered Archimede, an Archaian colony.

In 1024 AC, King Virgyl I traveled far south, conquering many regions in the south of Ciceronia. Virgyl I conquered the entire Calm Shrublands, and traveled along a river that originated in the Quiet Bluff, which he named the River Furthest. He followed it until he discovered that the barbarians grew increasingly more ferocious as they traveled southward. So, to block of these barbarians, and secure the protection of his people, Virgyl I began the construction of a massive wall.

This wall started at a city, Throatgate, so named because of the throat disease Virgyl´s soldiers were experiencing. Eventually, the entire wall Virgyl constructed became known as the Throat Wall. Seven years later, in 1031 AC, the Archaian Empire finally fell. Empress Nicostrate I was the last Archaian Empress. In an event known as the War of Fort Heli, the Archaian Empire fell. The Eternal Remnant would still continue to exist for over three millennia, but the true Archaian Empire was done for.

The last dregs of it were led by Hercason of Melea, a lesser Duke who served Emperor Meleus loyally. In the Splinterlands, Hercason founded a city named after Emperor Meleus, called Melea. In this same year, Kataktis II, an emperor of Tharros, was crowned. Kataktis II was the first, and last, Tharrian emperor to be born in Katakto, which was named after his father. Kataktis II fought in the War of the Aimatiros River, and he thought he would win against the Ciceronians, who were largely thought of as weak.

In 1038 AC, Kataktis II lost the Battle of the Aimatiros River. The people despised him, and he could do nothing to regain their favor. In 1039 AC, his general Deiphobos, usurped the throne in Palaio. However, Kataktis´s wife, Axiothea, was still a threat. So, he marched his armies to Katakto. However, on the way, he learned that, if Kataktis´s child died, death would soon befall Deiphobos. So, Deiphobos spared Axiothea and her unborn child. On October 7th, 1040, Polemarchos I was born.

He was immediately sent to Lithi´s Keep. His mother died in 1042, and he was ¨raised¨ by her royal slave, Nicasepolis. In 1046, he befriended a man by the name of Evenos. The two escaped Lithi´s Keep, which was guarded by the Desert Golem Lithi, by disguising themself in clothes that blended them into the sands. In 1050, Evenos began recruiting soldiers for a battle. One such soldier was a tall man, Feklogi, with scaly skin and more teeth then could fit in their mouth.

Feklogi fought valiantly at the Battle of Prieniko. It was a melee of death and destruction. A coven of three witches allied with Deiphobos fought in the fight, Melanippe, Xanthe, and Zephanto. However, Zephanto fell to Evenos, and Melanippe and Xanthe fled into the woods along with a contingent of their guards. In that same year, Deiphobos fought against Evenos, Feklogi, a recently promoted general, and Polemarchos, at the city of Leptis Magno. Before Evenos could slay Deiphobos, Polemarchos intervened, requesting Deiphobos be sent to Lithi´s Keep in Nicasepolis´s stead.

Polemarchos was overjoyed to be king again, but quickly realized that Evenos, his advisor, general, and tutor, thought of him as a puppet. He held court in front of the throne, forgetting about Polemarchos. So, Polemarchos, fourteen years old as of 1054, commanded General Feklogi to kill Evenos. Now, Polemarchos was the undisputed, unquestioned emperor of Tharros. Then, in 1063, Alexandra II, the Ciceronian Queen, invaded Tharros. She started at Pillarport, and aimed to gain the surrounding area. At the Battle of Erythrano Plain, though, her invasion force was snuffed out.

The regent, Baerius, started negotiations with Polemarchos. When he first met him, he was astounded. He stood at about two and a half meters in height, and he was of incredible stature. His voice was deep, and he carried his weight well. Baerius would return all conquered lands to Polemarchos with Polemarchos leaving Pillarport alone. Graciously, Polemarchos accepted the terms, and Baerius was off on his way. Baerius would raise the princess, Caesare I, until she was of the proper age to rule, sixteen years old.

In 1071, at the age of 31, Polemarchos the Great died. Following his death, the title of Emperor was change to Polemarch. In the years following, an era of stagnancy began. The nations of eastern Teleuce fought pettily between one another, and the wheel of innovation slowed as the river of ingenuity dried. In Ciceronia, in 1210 AC, King Anastasius, the last of the Ciceron Dynasty, died, without an heir. His strongest general, Cretheus, had returned home from a war against the Eternal Remnant.

Cretheus quickly seized the throne, and began the Sylric Dynasty.
Cretheus also reorganized the military from a force scoffed at by their neighbors to a force to be reckonned with. He created a detailed list of military maneuvers and strategies, when to use them, and their flaws. This book, the Craft of Battle, would be used by Ciceronian generals and kings for millennia to come. He also divided the military into various classes, each specialized for a different environment, and that could be easily modified to fit unknown terrain.

Cretheus was also known for the construction of a large cathedral in Vineyard, which is the second largest held there. In 1216, Megara I was born to Cretheus's wife, Philinna. In 1218, his son, Virgyl II, was born. In 1229, Cretheus began a tax census. The tax census would determine what every city had to tax and how much of that material they had in stock. The census was so ambitious, that Cretheus would not live to see it's completion. Cretheus died an untimely death at the hands of the Second Great Plague.

In 1236, the first known sighting of the Second Great Plague occurred in the city of Bridgepost, south of Vineyard. Then, when it spread to Vineyard in 1237, Cretheus was infected. He died shortly thereafter. Megara, who was 21 years old, succeeded him. However, she, too, was not long for this world. She perished in 1239, at the age of 23. Now, Virgyl II, who had not personally desired to be king, volunteered for the title of king. He thought that, if one of Megara's two daughters were to become Queen, they would be manipulated.

Despite the fact that many patricians thought the throne would suit him ill, it suit him quite well. In 1240, Virgyl received the results of his father´s tax census. He immediately made use of it, dividing his kingdom into many provinces based on the most common resource. He replaced many royal families older than House Sylric and replaced them with others who showed more merit. In 1241, Virgyl personally penned a constitution for Ciceronia. The constitution incorporated revolutionary ideas and promoted fundamental civil rights.

It also introduced a parliament. The parliament was made of many patricians, and divided into greater, middle, and lesser lords. They would vote on propositions in a way personally devised by Virgyl. The rest of Virgyl's life was spent as a patron of the arts. He funded artists, authors, musicians, playwrights, scientists, and sculptors. His great plan was a university to be made at the center of Vineyard, but he died before he could even start it in 1300.

Virgyl had no child, but doted on his niece, Caesare II, whom he saw promise in. In the Splinterlands, in 1339, Ald of Thorn began the First Splinter War, conquering their neighbors of Agamem, Sisyph, and Uen Ha'agdam. Then, in 1341, they allied with Anaximand to conquer Cassand and Gorricham, while Anaximand conquered Candull, Liverheim, and Wyrms. In Ciceronia in 1346, Virgyl III is born to Caesare II. In 1349, The Third Splinter War ends with Thorn conquering Anaximand, and the Fourth Splinter War, in 1351, ended with the conquest of all the Splinterlands, with the exception of Bendar and Melea.

Then, in 1352, Ald of Thorn died, their blade disappeared, and their empire dissolved. In 1354, Caesare II was assassinated. The castle chef smuggled her son, Virgyl, in a meat crate out of the city until he learned if it was safe to return. Then, in 1356, Virgyl succumbs to the Third Great Plague. They fell in and out of consciousness, not even noticing they shifted from sleeping outside to sleeping the castle walls. Then, in 1357, Virgyl, miraculously, survived. His first act as king was the construction of a medical city to be built on the ruins of Hippocra.

In 1359, Virgyl decrees the construction of the first national park in Ciceronian history, the Amberhand National Park. In 1393, Scythas III, or Scythas the Great, a Teleucian King started the First Crusade, which ended abruptly at Algriman´s Wall. In the process, though, Thestor of Oropedia, Scythas's right hand man, found a series of scrolls written by a fellow by the name of Quer the Historian, taught much about the wall´s history. In 1400, Virgyl discovered his grandfather's plans for a grand university.

Virgyl modified it for some time, and changed the location from Vineyard to Archimede. The university had a massive library, and the books from the Wintercourt Library were donated to what was called the University of Virgyl II. Virgyl III is most famously known for their use of the gold discovered in the Myrmidon Pain. In 1407, the first Myrmid was printed, with Virgyl II was printed, and now, the Ayrmid has Virgyl III's face on it.

 

The magic system is based around mana, a force that permeates all things. Mana can be harnessed after extensive training in a certain field, such as aerokinesis, geokinesis, hydrokinesis, and pyrokinesis.

 

The laws of magic in the Known World are identical to those of Earth, except for an added force called mana that can manipulate reality through the sheer force of the mind and will.

 

Technology varies depending on the nation it exists in, with Tharros being relatively poor on the scale, Teleucia being average, and Ciceronia being excellent. Certain alchemical technologies can be used to make magic easier for beginners.