Talk:History

The Beginning

"For whatever reason, the universe began. We'll probably never know how or why, and so it's not really that interesting to study. What we do know is rather limited, given the lack of intelligent life in the early universe. Even if there were life at the start, it would be unlikely that the akashics would be able to pull that out of the world memory, given the distances - both spatial and temporal - involved..." - Rivel Malatos, gnome historian (607 CR)

The Beginning: Birth

Beginning of Time (0 TY) - 371,820 TY

It is not known, even to those who follow the teachings of the Blue, what was before the "uncaused cause": the creation of the world. Whatever was in the dim depths of both time and space is - at least for now - lost to the world.

What is known, however, is this: that something happened, and the world was born in a fiery explosion of gas and energy. Proponents of technology refer to this occurance as the "big bang," though they themselves are not sure how or why it happened the way it did.

The creation of the universe, however, was not without strife. The eruption of existence simultaneously gave birth to two polar opposites. The first was a single spark, nestled in the bosom of the freshly-born world: sentient, but without understanding of its origin, it sought to give purpose to the universe. In converse, the void - that which existed outside the boundaries of the world - grew aware of this thing called creation; it sought to return the universe to its original form, that of nothingness. In the first clash of these two intelligences, however, they learned that the universe had a will of its own, an unseeing unknowing power that simply moved forward, accompanying the stardust that was the universe; though it seemingly had no stake in the outcome of creation, it did not tolerate the interference of the spark and the void.

The universe reacted negatively to the first attempts at being meddled with and smothered. The spark was sealed away from the universe, trapped in a metaphysical realm outside of it; the void was contained on all sides by creation, leaving only small holes in the fabric of reality.

With its opposition sealed away by the power of nature, the universe continued to expand.

The Beginning: The Metaphysic and the Real

371,830 TY - 2,986,741,270 TY

After an indeterminable time, the spark - which had begun to refer to itself as the Divine (as its purpose was to "divine" the purpose of the universe) - began to seek a way to manipulate the universe itself, as it was unable to directly affect it. It experimented with the realm in which the universe (which it began to refer to as Gaia - it had perceived that things required names, and so it began to name things it was able to perceive) had cast it, and found that it was able to channel parts of the metaphysical realm into the real universe. After much careful planning, it opened a vast array of channels into the universe, through which ran metaphysical power - allowing things to occur that should not.

Thus was born the Force of Magic.

Gaia, ever retaliatory, reinforced the laws of nature, strengthening them to the point of being able to close off access to these channels. In some parts of the universe, natural laws became more rigid; this unbalanced the universe, causing some regions to be more flawed and random than others. However, some of the channels the Divine had carved into the universe were closed, while others were choked back.

Thus was born the Force of Technology.

At the end of this era, the Philomenic system had formed, stellar dust coalescing into a collection of eight planets. The Divine, having had nearly three billion years on its own to name things, had names for these would-be planets: Adnez, Ganymede, Quaris, Tethys, Uroch, Sothar, and Lustra.

The Beginning: Life

2,986,741,280 TY - 8,921,563,892 TY

Though the planets of the Philomenic system had formed, it would be an incredibly long time before they stabilized enough to support an atmosphere. Four of the planets - Adnez, Ganymede, Tethys, and Uroch - managed to grow atmospheres hospitable to life, though some were more hostile than others.

Adnez grew into a world very similar to real-world Earth - comparable climate zones, comparable axis, comparable geographical features.

Ganymede had the misfortune of forming around a highly radioactive core, which - over time - liquiefied and seeped onto the planet's surface. The introduction of phazon into the planet's atmosphere poisoned it, transforming it into a mostly desolate wasteland in which only the most hardy of beings could survive.

Tethys had a much thicker atmosphere than Adnez, shielding most of its surface from direct sunlight; however, that same thickness also allowed heat to propagate roughly uniformly over its surface. While the resulting plant and animal life were significantly different from those that arose on Adnez, they were comparable in number and variety.

Uroch became only narrowly hospitable, becoming covered in a thick, dense, cloudy atmosphere.

On Adnez, time passed, and over time, the planet teemed with life. Out of the various reptiles that roamed the world, one subgroup in particular began to demonstrate intelligence. Originally simple carnivores and herbivores, evolution chose them to develop opposable digits and mental capacity, tools which they learned to use to their advantage. After another few millenia, they had developed a simple system for communication. It was at this time that the largest group, found in the equatorial jungles of the world, named themselves: the Yuan-sera.

The First Epoch

"What we know as the first epoch took place shortly after the yuan-sera became aware enough to give themselves a name. It was a primordial time, a time of little understanding of the world, and a time of danger - the creatures we call "dinosaurs" still roamed the world. The Forces hadn't yet made their presence known, and so the yuan-sera - and the other races of the era - had little to work with. Until the Draconic Era, the first epoch was a very bleak world..." - Rivel Malatos, gnome historian (609 CR)

The First Epoch: Yuan-sera

8,921,563,892 TY - 8,921,572,133 TY
-2,453 OS - 5,788 OS

"We don't know much about the yuan-sera; any signs of their civilization have been wiped away from the world. Spanning seven thousand years, the world of the yuan-sera was very different from the modern world, what with dinosaurs roaming the planet, vast swaths of jungle, complete lack of metallurgy..." -- Rivel Malatos, gnome historian (609 CR)

Yuan-seran history begins with on the day that the first reptiles who rose dared call themselves yuan-sera, which was two and a half millenia prior to yuan-seran history being recorded. The yuan-seran then managed to last nearly six thousand years, before succumbing to outside forces.

Reign of Sith-asarsan

-2,437 OS - -1,987 OS

The pack leader of the first yuan-sera named himself "Sith-asarsan," and rallied as many yuan-sera to his cause as possible. His purpose was simple: the various creatures that inhabited the world were dangerous to the yuan-sera, as they were smaller and not as powerful. It was in the jungle that they held an advantage, and only there - the plains and deserts of Yuan-terra (the name given to their land) were not suitable for habitation. He sought to unite his people.

"Ss'rish sal trys. Ss'rish sal yuan. Ss'rish sal yuan-sera." -- Sith-asarsan

Sith-asarsan was a powerful and charismatic leader, having united his entire tribe under a single language. Strangely brilliant, he directed his people to build shelters, then began improving his peoples' methods for crafting weapons. Other yuan-sera who heard of his name - though information travelled incredibly slowly, tribal scouts did sometimes trade information with each other when encountered in the wilderness - rallied to his cause, and the tribe over which Sith-asarsan ruled with an iron fist grew larger by the year.

Some yuan-sera, however, feared the power of Sith-asarsan. They refused to join his tribe, specifically avoiding the ever-growing swath of jungle that he controlled. At first, Sith-asarsan ignored them - he was more focused on providing his people with the means to protect themselves. However, as time passed, he became more and more agitated that other yuan-seran tribes were ignoring him and the life he offered. He sought to have all Yuan-Terra under his rule; after two hundred years, he had given up any pretense of it being for their own good. He had drunk of power, and wanted more.

Sith-asarsan directed his tribe to make as many weapons as they could. Armed to the teeth, he waged war on the tribes of western Yuan-Terra, until he dominated the entire region. He ruled this vast tract of land until -1,989 OS, when he finally died of old age.

The Eastern Tribes

-1,987 OS - -477 OS

"Sith-asarsan had been vastly opposed to exploration - the world was too dangerous, he said. In truth, it was because he feared encountering another tribe with a leader more powerful than he. He had good reason to be afraid - the eastern tribes of Yuan-Terra would not have tolerated his oppression for long... and had the yuan-sera been under the oppression of Sith-asarsan, they most certainly would not have begun openly speaking to the saurials." - Rivel Malatos, gnome historian (609 CR)

With the death of Sith-asarsan, the yuan-seran tribes began spreading out, leaving the jungle to the west. An enterprising tribe went south, through the mountains, and found another vast stretch of jungle. It did not take long for the yuan-seral to occupy the entire western and southern parts of Yuan-Terra. After another two hundred years, the yuan-sera had finally begun to explore the nigh-impassable mountains to the east. Inexperienced with the climates of deserts, a good number of yuan-seral died on the first expedition to the desert: those that survived pressed on, and eventually encountered a strange new group of beings. Similar to dinosaurs, but more like the yuan-sera in general appearance.

"The first meeting of yuan-sera and saurials has been gone over again and again in the world memory. It is the first time in the history of the world that two races meet, and so it's very interesting to see how they interacted. We're fairly certain that it was scent-based, but we're still trying to figure out how they knew what the scents of the other race meant... not only that, but the rise of the saurials themselves has yet to be looked into. It's assumed that they came about the same way that the yuan-sera did, but it's very possible that they were the result of so-called 'intelligent design,' or perhaps their evolution was expedited by some unseen force..." - Rivel Malatos, gnome historian (609 CR)

First contact having been made, the yuan-sera and the saurials began slowly and cautiously trading knowledge, tools, and skills. After several decades, saurials began visiting yuan-seran villages, and the yuan-seran began travelling with the saurials, who turned out to be nomadic. The saurials had discovered much about the ecology of the various dinosaurs that roamed eastern Yuan-Terra, while the saurials were intrigued by the various discoveries regarding tropical plants that the yuan-seral had made.

Having been exposed to the yuan-seral way of settling, the saurials formed a permanent encampment near the mountain pass through which the yuan-seral had travelled to find them; this became the city of Brimstone. On the yuan-seran side, a sister city was constructed, called Ssi'trass'a. Together, the yuan-sera and the saurials sent out expeditions to discover more of the world.

For fifteen hundred years, the yuan-sera and the saurials slowly advanced culturally, technologically, and socially. The yuan-sera focused on herbalism, while the saurials focused on stonework. In -495 OS, however, the world changed: the saurials had finally discovered how to move massive blocks of stone, as well as how to work it. Previously, they had been forced to work with small pieces of easily-chipped rock, like obsidian, to make tools. Now, however, they had the ability to work the less mutable rocks of the mountain ranges. The city of Brimstone became a massive center of technological advances, and the yuan-sera began using the new techniques to move huge blocks of granite to the jungles, constructing more permanent settlements.

The Yuan-Seran Empire: First Era

-476 OS - 1,125 OS

"The technology to construct more massive buildings now available, the yuan-sera wasted no time in putting it to use. Their villages - before constructed of the wood and massive leaves of the jungle flora - were now much more permanent, crafted of stone. This added security against the threats of the world allowed them to expand their cultural pursuits, leading to such things as philosophy and art." - Rivel Malatos, gnome historian (609 CR)

With their cities slowly becoming more stonework than woodwork, the yuan-sera began exploring other pursuits. The first cultural change was art: stonemasons began working with leftover stone from construction work, and a few decided to shape the stone into likenesses of their people. These first attempts at art were poor, as the stonemasons did not have the appropriate tools to do precision work on the stone, but the attempts were celebrated none the less - soon, every settlement in the yuan-seran empire had massive statues in place.

The Yuan-Seran Empire: Corruption

1,125 OS - 2,522 OS

"On this day, the first day of the new Yuan-Seran Empire, we dedicate this temple to Se'sehen, who has come to our people to lead us into a new golden age..." - Jennestas, first High Priest of Se'sehen (1,125 OS)

"The arrival of religion in the yuan-seran society was abrupt. Almost overnight, their entire culture changed - they went from a relatively peaceful culture to one obsessed with sacrifice and other distasteful religious rites. Given the data, it would seem that this is the first appearance of religion in ancient culture. More study is required to fully understand what happened." - Rivel Malatos, gnome historian (610 CR)

The Second Epoch

"Reptiles, such as the yuan-sera and the saurials, succumbed to the viciousness of the Ageless Winter; the dragons were forced into hibernation to survive the harsh conditions. But as the planet began its recovery, a new variety of life came to the fore - mammals. The second epoch was a time of coming to terms with the world, and - for the first time - the Forces themselves are acknowledged and studied." - Rivel Malatos, gnome historian (610 CR)

The Fourth Epoch

The Fourth Epoch: The Golden Age

"The fourth epoch - our time, the present. For the first time in many, many years, the world is at peace, the threats brought against it having been put to an end. Who knows what the future will hold?" - Rivel Malatos, gnome historian (612 CR)