Recent History

Overview

The recent history of the world is dominated by the rise of the Tiraan Empire and the cataclysmic conflict known as the Enchanter Wars. This period saw the Empire nearly dissolve before ultimately consolidating into its current form, fundamentally reshaping the political landscape of the continent.

The Pre-Imperial Age

The Pre-Imperial Age began after the Third Hell War, with civilization attempting to pick up its pieces. This era was essentially a dark age, and it took nearly a thousand years for the beginnings of true civilization to emerge from the devastation left by the infernal conflict.

The Dark Age

Following the Third Hell War, the world was left in ruins. The decades of conflict and the infernal forces that had flooded the material plane had devastated civilization across the continent. The survivors were left to rebuild from the ashes, and for nearly a millennium, humanity struggled to recover from the cataclysmic damage. This period represents one of the longest and most difficult dark ages in recorded history, as civilization slowly and painfully worked to reestablish itself.

The Founding of the City-States

The emergence of true civilization began with the founding of various city-states throughout the continent. In particular, Ninkabi, Madouris, Viridill, Calderaas, and Stalvar came about during this time period. Each of these city-states controlled a small section of the continent, with the vast interior being controlled by the Elves.

During this era, the Green Belt—the great elven forest—stretched from the Wyrnrange to the Stalrange, effectively dividing the continent. Most of human civilization was caught on the southern side of this barrier, with the elves maintaining control over the vast interior regions to the north. This geographic division shaped the early development of human civilization, confining it to the southern reaches of the continent.

The Retreat of the Green Belt and the Founding of Veilgrad

It was a partial volcanic eruption near Calderaas that led to the Green Belt retreating west, opening up space for humanity to reach north. This geological event fundamentally altered the political and geographic landscape of the continent, creating new opportunities for human expansion.

The push northward was spearheaded by a group of Glassian refugees who would go on to found Veilgrad. These refugees, displaced by the volcanic activity and the changing landscape, established what would become one of the most important cities in the future Empire. Veilgrad's founding marked a significant expansion of human territory beyond the southern regions where civilization had been confined.

The Founding of Tiraas and the Beginning of the Imperial Age

Approximately two thousand years ago, the city of Tiraas would be founded in the Tira Valley by a group of dissatisfied Madouris settlers looking to get out from under the control of the Madouri line. This act of independence and the establishment of a new city-state at the center of human civilization marked the beginning of the Imperial Age.

Tiraas's founding represented more than just the creation of another city-state. It was a declaration of independence from the established powers of the time, and it would eventually become the heart of the Tiraan Empire. The city's location in the Tira Valley was strategically chosen: it was in a highly defensible valley with easy access to the sea and river access to both Calderaas and Madouris. Positioned at the center of human civilization—though not the geographic center of the continent—Tiraas's location would prove crucial to its future role as the capital of a vast empire, allowing it to maintain connections with the major city-states while remaining protected in its defensible valley.

The Rise of the Tiraan Empire

For most of its history, the Tiraan Empire was focused on the unification of the political entities of the Tiraan Continent—a process of expansion, conquest, and diplomacy that brought independent city-states under Imperial rule. The Empire grew through a combination of military conquest and diplomatic integration, with provinces maintaining their distinct cultural identities while contributing to the overall Imperial culture.

The Development of Tiraas as Capital

Some two hundred years after the city's founding, Tiraas would begin to develop into the capital it is today. This transformation began with a rebellion in Madouris against a particularly cruel tyrant in the Madouri family. A younger scion of the family, seeking to depose the tyrant, was able to convince the Tiraan militia to assist them in overthrowing the ruler of Madouris.

This intervention marked a significant turning point. The Tiraan militia's successful assistance in deposing the Madouri tyrant resulted in a union between the two city-states. This union created a much larger and more powerful political entity in the region, fundamentally altering the balance of power among the southern city-states.

The Calderaan Threat and the Stalweiss Horde

Calderaas, suddenly threatened by its much larger southern neighbor, immediately sent its military south to try and conquer the young combined Tiraan/Madouris state. While this conquest would fail, it would leave both the combined Tiraan/Madouris state and the Calderaan state massively depleted of resources. The conflict had exhausted both powers, leaving them vulnerable.

This vulnerability would prove critical when both states became the subject of a significant Stalweiss horde traveling out of the mountains. With their resources depleted from their recent conflict, neither the Tiraan/Madouris union nor Calderaas could effectively resist the Stalweiss raiders alone.

The Formation of the Strategic Alliance

Facing a common threat and recognizing their mutual vulnerability, the three cities—Tiraas, Madouris, and Calderaas—banded together in mutual defense against the Stalweiss horde. This alliance, born of necessity, would prove to be far more than a temporary military arrangement. It created a strategic alliance that became the backbone of the Tiraan Empire, establishing the foundation for the future unification of the continent under Imperial rule.

The cooperation between these three major city-states demonstrated the value of unity in the face of external threats, and it established Tiraas as the natural center of this alliance—a role that would eventually evolve into its position as the capital of the Empire.

The First Emperor

With the alliance formed and proving its value, the young empire eventually named its first emperor. This first ruler was not a member of any of the noble families that would later become prominent in Imperial politics, nor was it a member of the current ruling Tirasian line. Instead, the first emperor was chosen from among the leaders who had proven themselves in the alliance's early struggles, representing the collective will of the three united city-states to formalize their alliance into a true empire.

Emperor Valerius Corvus was selected as the first ruler of the Tiraan Empire. A military commander who had distinguished himself during the alliance's defense against the Stalweiss horde, Corvus had proven his leadership, strategic thinking, and dedication to the alliance's success. His selection represented a break from traditional noble lineage, as he came from a family of modest means that had risen to prominence through service and merit rather than inherited titles.

Corvus's reign established many of the foundational structures of the Imperial government, including the early framework for Imperial administration and the principles of cooperation between the member city-states. His leadership helped solidify the alliance into a true empire, setting precedents for future rulers and establishing Tiraas as the permanent capital. The Corvus dynasty would rule for several generations before eventually giving way to other ruling houses, but Emperor Valerius Corvus's legacy as the first emperor and the founder of the Imperial system remains a cornerstone of Imperial history.

Viridill Joins the Empire

The next major expansion of the Empire would occur when Viridill voluntarily joined. Viridill in this age was already the heart of Avenist worship in the world, with the Grand Temple of Avei built at the pinnacle of the city of Vrin Shai. While the Empire had been fighting the Stalweiss and uniting the southern city-states, Viridill was fighting its own long battle against the orcs of Athan'Khar to the south.

The Long War with Athan'Khar

Since the founding of the two nations, Athan'Khar and Viridill had been at war. Usually this was a simmering tension with orcish warlords using Viridill as a proving ground in their own internal politics. However, this would change some thousand years ago when the nature of the conflict fundamentally shifted.

At this time, the Sisterhood of Avei's military arm was primarily the Silver Huntresses, an organization of rangers and knights who roamed the world in small bands pursuing Justice. Over the centuries since the Hell Wars, however, the Silver Huntresses' numbers had dwindled. It was not a glamorous lifestyle, and years of relative stability in Viridill had depleted their ranks. As such, the nation was not prepared for what was to come.

Athan's Unification and the Siege of Vrin Shai

An orcish warlord succeeded in uniting the disparate clans of Athan'Khar, choosing the name Athan for himself. This warlord led the united orcish nation to battle against Viridill. While Viridill's army was at the time the best trained and best equipped in the world, they simply were not numerous enough to stand against the size of the orcish horde.

The Viridillain forces were pushed back to Vrin Shai, and Athan's horde began a siege of the city. The siege would last for years, but the orcs were never able to breach the walls of Vrin Shai. The city's defenses, combined with the determination of its defenders, held firm against the massive orcish army.

The Call for Imperial Aid

Some of the last Silver Huntresses broke through the orcish lines and made for the burgeoning Tiraan Empire. They implored Imperial aid, and the Tiraan army marched south to break the siege on Vrin Shai. Together with the Viridillain army, the Tiraan forces were able to drive back the orcish horde.

Sharai the Hammer and the End of the War

The war would eventually be ended when Avei called a paladin from among the Tiraan forces: Sharai the Hammer. Sharai would challenge Athan in single combat and slay him, marking the end of the war. This divine intervention, with Avei calling a paladin from among the Imperial forces, was seen as a clear sign of the Goddess's favor.

Viridill Joins the Empire

With the orcish horde defeated, the Sisterhood chose to join the Tiraan Empire, taking Sharai being called from among their soldiers as a sign of the Goddess's favor. This voluntary joining marked a significant expansion of the Empire and brought the heart of Avenist worship into the Imperial fold.

It was also after this war that the remaining Silver Huntresses were reorganized, and the Silver Legions were formed as a more traditional army. This reorganization transformed the scattered bands of rangers and knights into a structured military force that would become one of the most powerful armies in the world.

Continued Expansion

Over the intervening years, the Empire continued to grow through a combination of voluntary joining and conquest. Veilgrad would voluntarily join the Empire, bringing the northern frontier city into the Imperial fold. Ninkabi would be conquered, incorporating the city-state into the Empire through military force. When faced with the threat of being conquered, Thakar would willingly join the Empire, choosing integration over conflict.

The Enchanter Wars

The Enchanter Wars represent one of the most devastating periods in recent history. During the peak of these wars, the Empire was very nearly dissolved, with chaos and conflict spreading across the continent.

The Beginning of the Wars

The Enchanter Wars began with Magnan the Enchanter, who served as the Hand of Salyrene and was the head of the Collegium of Salyrene. Magnan had developed a deep animosity toward fae magic and began a crackdown against it. As part of this campaign, he abolished the Emerald College from the Collegium, removing the primary institution for fae magic study.

Magnan successfully manipulated Archpope Sipasian and the Emperor to implement his agenda. His primary goal was to get the Emperor to declare war on Athan'Khar, the orcish nation. While the Elves remained far too powerful to be directly challenged and generally kept to themselves, the orcs were the largest practitioners of fae magic that Magnan could target. Through his manipulation, Magnan led both the Archpope and the Emperor around by the nose, ultimately achieving his goal of war against Athan'Khar.

The War Against Athan'Khar

The war against Athan'Khar was extremely bloody, marked by the first mass use of battlestaves and arcane weapons in warfare. This new form of combat was far removed from the honorable battles that Viridill had long maintained with the orcs. The leaders of the Silver Legions and Sisterhood of Avei were deeply unsettled by the way the war was being pursued, and Viridill was uncomfortable with the conflict from the beginning.

Magnan the Enchanter and the Enchanter's Bane

Magnan the Enchanter designed and built what would become known as the Enchanter's Bane—a weapon widely considered the worst ever created. Magnan campaigned for years for its use to end the war in Athan'Khar. While Magnan himself did not set it off, the firing of the Enchanter's Bane was intentional, not accidental.

The consequences were catastrophic beyond anyone's imagination. The weapon's discharge killed Sabah Aldarasi, the Hand of Avei (Avei's paladin). However, the true horror was that Magnan had massively underestimated how his weapon would react with the Fae energies concentrated in Athan'Khar. The resulting blast ignited the ley lines underneath the orcish nation, and the result killed the very spirits of the land that the orcs revered.

The entire nation of Athan'Khar was left a smoldering ruin, twisted by the death of these land spirits and the magical backlash from the weapon. The destruction was so complete that the Empire has since destroyed all methods, records, and executed anyone who knew how to build such a weapon, ensuring it can never be recreated.

Viridill's Secession

When the Empire used the Enchanter's Bane, the Sisterhood of Avei was horrified—not only at the death of Sabah Aldarasi, but at the devastation it unleashed upon Athan'Khar and the land spirits the orcs revered. Viridill responded immediately by seceding from the Empire. The Silver Legions turned on the Imperial Army to drive them out of Viridill.

The complete rout of Imperial forces by the Silver Legions was the single most complete loss that the Imperial Army ever suffered. This decisive military defeat, combined with the moral outrage over the use of the Enchanter's Bane, marked a fundamental break between Viridill and the Empire that would take decades to heal.

The Near-Dissolution of the Empire

Following Viridill's secession, Ninkabi would quickly follow suit. This launched a period of civil war that lasted for years, threatening the very existence of the Empire. In an attempt to reconcile the various states and return them to the Empire, House Aldarasi of Calderaas and House Madouris launched a scheme with Archpope Sipasian.

Their plan was to elevate a minor noble house from Tiraas to the Silver Throne, creating a puppet head of state that they could manipulate. The idea was that with a puppet emperor, control would move to the Senate and the Church, which would give member states vastly greater control of the Empire. This is how the previously minor Tirasian house ended up in power, and Sarsamon Tirasian took the throne.

The Stalweiss Invasion

The last great act of the Enchanter Wars was the Stalweiss Invasion led by the Warlord Heshenaad. While the Empire was dealing with the rest of the chaos of the wars, Heshenaad led a massive raiding force down from the mountains and hit Calderaas, partially sacking the city. They stole a massive number of horses and became the first mobile Stalweiss horde. Combining their skill in archery with the mobility of the stolen cavalry, Heshenaad's horde was a nightmare in the field, and they rampaged across the countryside.

With the partial sacking of Calderaas and Heshenaad's horde rampaging across the countryside, Sarsamon Tirasian seized direct control of the Imperial Army. With the army firmly backing him, Sarsamon slipped the leash that the houses and Archpope had him on and was able to rule in truth. With his campaign against Heshenaad underway, Sarsamon convinced Viridill to rejoin the Empire. United, the Silver Legions and Imperial Army stole a march through the Green Belt to bypass Heshenaad's forces and reinforce Veilgrad, where Heshenaad's horde broke on Veilgrad's famous walls.

The remains of his host fled into the Golden Sea, where for years they were the terror of the frontier. The dimensional instability of the Golden Sea meant that his horde could appear anywhere on the frontier at any time. It took over a decade of constant battles all over the frontier before his horde was finally depleted.

With Heshenaad's forces scattered, the Stalweiss did not have a significant defense force. With their position weakened, Sarsamon led his forces through the Stalrange and was able to conquer Stalvar, forcibly bringing the province into the Empire.

The End of the Wars

The breaking of the Stalweiss horde at Veilgrad marked the last major battle of the Enchanter Wars. However, the true end of the conflict came when the gods themselves and their chosen agents had to unseat Archpope Sipasian, who had been manipulated by Magnan the Enchanter throughout the wars. The Empire had survived, but at great cost. The wars left deep scars on the continent and fundamentally altered relationships between the Empire and many of its provinces and neighbors.

The Empire's Reconsolidation

Following the end of the Enchanter Wars, the Empire began a process of reconsolidation. It is only in the last hundred years, since the end of the Enchanter Wars, that the Empire has settled into its current organized state.

Formation of New Provinces

The reconsolidation period saw the formation of new provinces, including Mathena, the newest Imperial Province, which was formed following the Enchanter Wars when the Empire was reconsolidating. The province represents the interior border of the Empire, marking the boundary between Imperial territory and the unexplored frontier beyond.

The Collegium of Salyrene and Its Aftermath

Since Magnan's fall, Salyrene has not called a new Hand, and in fact has become vastly less responsive to prayer. While the Emerald College was reestablished after the war, many of the practitioners who fled under Magnan did not return. Viridill took in many of them during the War, and to this day the province has a large number of Shamans, Druids, and Witches from that time.

The College itself underwent a split. Many members revolted against Magnan after the Enchanter's Bane and would go on to form the Wizard's Guild in Tiraas as a secular alternative to the College. Still other members of the College, fed up with the state of the Empire and what they saw as its abuse of magic, left. These mages went on to found the City of Syralon. Syralon's precise location is actually unknown to any but its citizens. It is a supposedly floating city somewhere north of Tiraas in the Storm Sea.

Changes in Provincial Relationships

The Enchanter Wars fundamentally altered the relationship between the Empire and many of its provinces. Stalvar, which had maintained fierce independence prior to the wars, was incorporated into the Empire following the Stalweiss Invasion. The province maintains the worst relationship with the Empire of any Imperial territory, with a significant Imperial garrison and an appointed governor rather than a locally chosen one.

Madouris saw its political independence significantly reduced following the failed power play during the wars, leading to vastly more Imperial presence and oversight than had ever been historically true.

Calderaas, on the other hand, maintained a strong relationship with the Empire. When the Tirasian dynasty was rebuilding following the Enchanter Wars, the Sultanate of Calderaas (the Aldarasi family) was one of their greatest supporters. As a result, the Empire keeps only a token force in Calderaas and maintains a very light hand in the province.

The Legacy of the Enchanter Wars

The Enchanter Wars left a lasting impact on the Empire and the continent. The wars shaped relationships between the Empire and various peoples, particularly the orcs, due to the Enchanters' Bane. The conflict also fundamentally altered the political structure of the Empire, leading to the consolidation of power under the Tirasian dynasty and the current organized state of the Empire.

The Treaty with Tar'Naris

Approximately fifteen years ago, the Tiraan Empire signed the Treaty with Tar'Naris, one of the most significant diplomatic achievements in recent Imperial history. This treaty normalized relations between the Empire and the Themynrite drow city-state, marking a fundamental shift in the relationship between the surface world and the Underdark. The treaty ended decades of conflict and established a framework for mutual defense, cooperation, and trade.

Historical Context

Prior to the treaty, relations between the Empire and Tar'Naris were characterized by conflict and hostility. Themynrite drow had frequently raided the surface for supplies, and these raids almost always included the taking of human slaves. The drow's preference for physical characteristics—valuing those who were larger, more muscular, or more curvy—combined with humans' possession of these traits to an even greater degree, had led to a burgeoning slave economy in the drow cities where humans were treated as prizes. This dark history created deep-seated animosity and prejudice that would take years to begin to heal.

The Treaty's Provisions

The Treaty with Tar'Naris put an explicit stop to the open slave trade and raids on human settlements, establishing a new framework for peaceful relations. The treaty's provisions call for mutual defense: the drow would help defend the Empire from threats, and Imperial soldiers would reinforce the deep fortresses that Tar'Naris maintains to keep their Scylithene cousins trapped deeper in the Underdark. This military cooperation represents a significant commitment from both parties, recognizing their shared interest in maintaining security against common threats.

The treaty also granted Tar'Naris the right to submit offers to participate in certain types of infrastructural activity relevant to their specific skills as a culture, including subterranean construction. This provision recognized the drow's expertise in underground engineering while ensuring that Imperial infrastructure projects would consider drow participation.

The treaty established diplomatic relations, with Themynrite drow serving as diplomats in Tiraas, representing Tar'Naris's interests and maintaining connections to the Underdark. The entrance to Tar'Naris, located in Viridil, became a major point of contact between the surface world and the drow city-state, facilitating trade, cultural exchange, and diplomatic communication.

Economic Provisions

Economically, the treaty guarantees the Empire easy and cheap access to the mineral wealth of the Underdark. In exchange, the Empire provides magical assistance creating "solar caverns"—massive agriculture chambers where artificial sun crystals allow surface crops to grow even in the Underdark. This has ended a food scarcity problem that has threatened Tar'Naris practically since its founding, representing a transformative solution to one of the drow city-state's most fundamental challenges.

The treaty's economic provisions have had significant and uneven impacts across the Empire. Viridil experienced substantial economic growth following the treaty, as the entrance to Tar'Naris is located in the province, creating major economic opportunities through trade and cultural exchange with the drow city-state. Drow artisans and merchants introduced new goods and ideas into Viridil's markets, leading to increased prosperity and the development of new commercial relationships.

However, the treaty also created economic disruptions. Mathena's mining economy was hit hard, as the mines couldn't compete with Tar'Naris for mineral wealth, forcing many operations to close or scale back. The province also sat on one of the two trade routes up to the Dwarnskolds, but the same treaty hit the dwarven economy hard, greatly limiting this trade and further damaging Mathena's economic prospects. The province has been attempting to reinvent itself as an organizational hub for frontier activity, but this transition is still ongoing.

The Treaty with Tar'Naris also disrupted the dwarven economy, greatly limiting trade along routes that previously connected to the Dwarnskolds. This affected not only Mathena but also Rodvenheim, which maintains crucial economic ties through the Dwarven highway that provides the only practical land route to Puna Dara. The reduction in dwarven trade created economic pressure on regions that depended on this commerce.

Ongoing Challenges

Despite the treaty's achievements, significant challenges remain. There are still slaves taken from before the treaty was signed that were not returned, creating ongoing tension. Far worse, even in Tar'Naris the law still allows for slavery as a punishment. This has led to a black market in Tar'Naris where human visitors are tricked into breaking the law, given to corrupt judges who make them slaves, and then they are sold to the wealthiest drow who can afford to keep them despite the political pressure. This is a massive ongoing political problem between Tar'Naris and the Empire and a source of considerable tension.

On the other hand, the same attraction to humans that had led to the slave trade has also led many drow to emigrate from Tar'Naris to the surface, in particular those of lower station. This has led to an influx of drow migrants and half-drow families, especially in Viridil and Tiraas. In Tiraas especially, a new district colloquially called Lor'Naris has become a settling place for these outcasts, creating growing drow communities in Imperial cities as those who have left Tar'Naris seek to build new lives away from the slave economy and cultural practices that created such animosity.

Significance

The Treaty with Tar'Naris represents one of the most significant diplomatic achievements in recent Imperial history. It transformed a relationship characterized by conflict and slavery into one of mutual defense, trade, and cooperation. The treaty's provisions addressing both military security and economic needs—from the mutual defense against Scylithene threats to the solar caverns solving Tar'Naris's food scarcity—demonstrate the comprehensive nature of the agreement. However, the treaty's mixed legacy—bringing both prosperity and disruption, peace and ongoing tension—reflects the complex nature of international relations and the difficulty of overcoming deep-seated historical animosities.