Hello and Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians! I hope that all of you fortunate enough to have a day off are enjoying it. To the rest of you, I hope the day is treating you as well as can be expected.
My world map has taken shape and this weekend I decided to write a first pass of the history of my world. So today, I share with you, the world of Kerathil (all names subject to change).
Kerathil, the world of island continents. Millenia ago, the civil races lived together here in harmony: the mountain and valley dwarves, the high and forest elves, the gnomes, the halflings and later, the humans. Not considered of much importance, Kerathil was ignored by the gods, and we grew to forget them.
During this time, magic use grew wildly. It was rare that a family did not have at least one member versed in the mystical arts. The mountain dwarves especially were obsessed with magic. These dwarves pursued magical power with reckless abandon and rose to become the greatest mages the world had ever seen. Then they almost destroyed everything.
A mountain dwarf by the name of Kulthar, was the first mage to tap into the power of the Infinite Layers of the Abyss. He shared this knowledge with his fellow mountain dwarven mages and they rose to unmatched heights in power. They did not do so unnoticed however. The demons which inhabit the plane became aware of the existence of this world on the prime material plane that the gods had largely left alone. A perfect playground for the demons to run roughshod over. And so they came.
The demons invaded, destroying any and all magic users they encountered, lest any might acquire the power needed to stop them. All save the mountain dwarves.
Even though it was the mountain dwarves who had unleashed this terror on the world, they chose not to address it. Rather, they retreated to their caves deep within the mountains and sealed themselves in. For whatever reason, the demons did not follow.
These were the dark days of Kerathil. The demons ruled over the world, granting to those who agreed to serve them, dominion over those who did not. There were those who resisted as best they could, namely the island kingdom of Sulanar and the tribes of the Bail. They welcomed refugees from the Great Continent that they might be able to gather a force strong enough to mount an assault on the demon stronghold in the Moonjaw Mesa. They were successful for a time in repelling the demon army. But only for a time.
The demons cast a blight on the Bail that wiped out every living creature so that none could seek refuge there. They addressed the Sulanar by sinking the entire island. Hundreds of thousands died. Those who survived evolved to become the merfolk which inhabit the Sea of Sulanar.
It was when the people of Kerathil were at their lowest point that we finally turned to our forgotten gods. Sacred texts were recovered and ancient temples were revived. The people prayed to the gods as we had never prayed before. And the gods, responded.
The gods granted their champions the power to withstand the demonic forces that ruled over the world. The tide began to turn. The Infernal War raged for just over one year. In this short time, the demons’ attitude changed. Kerathil had lost its shine as a toy for the demons to play with. They retreated back to their plane but not before casting one last blight on the world.
The desert that surrounded the Moonjaw Mesa started to expand. The searing sands wiped away anything that stood in its way. If left unchecked, it would have spread across the entirety of the Great Continent and perhaps even beyond, erasing any trace of those who lived upon it. Fortunately, the elven druid Elena was able to stop its progress, though it was at the cost of her life. The nomadic tribes that roam the desert today are her descendants. They patrol the Bleak Sands from oasis to oasis, fending off those who would seek to enter the fortess of the Moonjaw Mesa, decreeing that the dark secrets contained within must forever remain buried.
In the wake of the Infernal War, the people of Kerathil were grateful to the gods. They vowed to never again forget them and for a time they remained true to their words. Great temples were raised to better worship their glory and a new brand of religious fervor swept over the world. In some ways, this zealotry was almost more oppressive than the demonic regime that preceded it. Fortunately, a balance was struck and the people could at last rest and recuperate from the wounds they had suffered. New kingdoms were forged across the Great Continent. The Grand Expansion crossed the sea to Terra Nova and Ascencia.
But old patterns have begun to reemerge. While the gods still have their followers, the power of magic has reasserted itself. Some worry that the painful lessons learned during the Demonic Invasion will be forgotten and a new calamity will befall Kerathil. Only the vigilance of its heroes can ensure that Kerathil will survive. Are you such a hero?
So it’s nothing really new, a fantasy world like so many others. I just like having a blank canvas to work with. The brief history gives a little context. It needs to be fleshed out further. The world will develop as we play (hopefully).
So that’s all for this week. Have a good seven and we’ll do this all again next Monday. Carja V.
