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History of Angaria
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In the beginning, the races of Talanu lived in peace and harmony. This, however, did not last long. The many centuries of prosperity ended abruptly with the discovery of Arcane Magic.
In small, naturally occurring amounts, "magic" was a commonplace thing. Present in the fabric of the world itself, no one previously had ever thought of trying to harness it for anything than the aid it lent to their daily lives. The humans had spells that encouraged their crops to grow, the dwarves possessed magical songs they sang at their forges, etc.
But the Kaeron, known also as the Faery, had quite a knack for magic that surpassed that of the other races. Inevitably, and with subtle prompting from a very young Dana, goddess of Magic, they began to develop rules for its use. These rules grew into what would soon be known as Wizardry.
The Kaeron continued to develop their skills, and into this volatile situation stepped Chemelosian, Father of Lies. He filled their hearts with a lust for power, and convinced the Elders to deny the new knowledge to their sister races.
As the power grew, the other races grew fearful, and envious. They began to withdraw from the Kaeron, and the Faery resented it. Chemelosian walked again, and the Kaeron began to believe that the rest of the world plotted against them, desiring their new knowledge.
Ultimately, this paranoia turned outward, and the Faery made war upon the other races of Talanu. The slaughter was terrible. The human and halfling races were enslaved, as were the Oi'waen and Sadhe, the wood and fair elves - the dwarves and gnomes fled underground. The Rhiallon, the high elves, betrayed their brothers and sided with the Kaeron, calling them master.
It is said that it was then, at the end of this terrible conflict, that the Faery created the Essence Rift, for fear of retribution from across the sea…
And so things continued for five hundred years. The Kaeron built magnificent cities, and set up great centers of learning. They tamed the northernmost areas of the continent, warming them and building lush gardens in the tracks of once towering glaciers. The glory of the Faery civilization was equaled only by its cruelty. Human and halfling were treated no better than animals, and often much worse.
During this time Dana, goddess of magic, looked out over what her lessons had wrought and was disturbed. Through the interference of Chemelosian and his minions, the balance of power had been upset. Dana decided to once again interfere, against the counsel of the other gods.
The goddess caused a new sort of magic to be awakened in the world. Among the slave races, individuals began to manifest magical powers, similar to those of the Kaeron. These abilities, however, did not require the intense training that Faery magic demanded. These Sorcerers were hand-picked by the goddess for their integrity and strength, and she sent them visions and dreams advising them to abide quietly and wait.
At the same time, she sent her avatar to the two among her chosen she had singled out for the greatest duty. These individuals were Colanx the Bear, so named for his immense size and strength, and Daran Kar-Thone, who had gained some fame as a gladiator in the Faery arenas. To these heroes she gave additional powers. Colanx himself became Talanu's first human wizard, having learned the secrets in one night from Dana's own spellbook.
After many months of secret planning, and a promise of help from the underground nations of the dwarves, the rebellion began in earnest. Again, the slaughter was terrible, but this time the outcome was different - when the battles were over, the slaves had won their freedom.
The Kaeron nation was destroyed, and much of their magic was lost. Much of the north lay in ruins, and the survivors were forced to retreat to the south when the weather magic the Faery had kept in place began to falter. They dwelt with the dwarves for awhile, and then set out to find new, more hospitable lands to settle.
The final test came when the tattered remains of Kar-Thone's army encountered a strange new desert that had grown up around the once lush Plains of Bally Mor. This area had been the site of a major magical battle between Colanx and several members of the High College of Wizardry. Though the band was able to skirt it, arcane inquiry revealed that the blight was sure to spread. These predictions proved correct, and this area soon became known as the Deathwaste.
Once on the other side of the Waste, the travelers established a small settlement, naming it Kar-Thone after their leader. While here they regained their strength, and with the aid of the Bear Paw tribe, a group of nomadic plains barbarians, they began to search ever further south for a place to begin what would truly be a new nation.
After ten years, they decided upon the banks of a huge lake, called by the barbarians Ynis Glas. Here, they set up permanent residence. After ten more years of hard work, including skirmishes with the goblinoid races that had emerged from the wreckage of the Kaeron nations, the seed of the Empire of Kar-Thone was well established. At this time, Daran Kar-Thone brought together the leaders of the good races, including the heads of the dwarven nations, to his town of Perelinn. Here, they feasted and celebrated their freedom. This culminated in the signing of the Accords of Kar-Thone. In this document, the human nation was established, and the leaders in turn promised support to one another in times of need.
In the nine hundred years that have passed since that time, the Empire of Kar-Thone has flourished and spread to cover a large portion of southern Talanu. The elven peoples have reestablished themselves, and all seems relatively well.
Except for the occasional dragon attack, outer-planar invasion, or various and sundry threats to the very fabric of the space-time continuum.