Age of Gods
The world of Ochlion had seen its fair share of terrible wars and kings ever since the birth of the world itself. There were once gods who lived upon the world, each of them had their own purpose - some created life, others brought harbingers of death and destruction, a few conceived monsters that were essentially nightmares made flesh. For eons the first species prospered in peace, with occasional conflicts that do not affect the world in a large way. That is until a human king named Erendür united the tribes of the mountains and the flatlands under a single banner, creating a vast nation capable of raising an army numbered in the thousands. The Old Empire rises.
King Erendür mustered an army large enough to conquer its surrounding lands with ease. The humans fought the powerful Giants in the Stone Mountains and prevailed, they have confronted the Forgers of the Burning Plains and subdued with their mastery of magic, made entire empires collapse within the span of half a decade. Of course, his actions attracted the attention of the whole world - even the gods themselves.
However, a human that was simply named as the Son managed to liberate a large piece of land to the south of the Stone Mountains and named it the Kingdom of Ghath. As an effort to stop Erendür from attaining total world domination, the gods have brokered an alliance with him alongside the remaining races of Ochlion. Many believed that the gods and the rest of the world's races worked together to forge a powerful sword known as Callanach. The Forgers and Giants created the sword out of a rare metal, forging it within the depths of a volcano. The Angels imbue it with magic and blessings. The Fays finished it by granting the sword the ability to command the ferocious dragons who are said to come from the distant and mysterious Smoldering Seas.
The sword was given to the Son and with it, he fought the countless armies of Erendür. Even if the odds are stacked against them, he will prevail. The war would last another five years, with it many legends were born out of the deeds of famous warriors such as Yron or the King of Wolves.
Erendür would meet his end at the Battle of the Wet Fields where the armies of the Old Empire would clash with the soldiers of Ghath during a terrible rain. The Angels aided Ghath, hurling down thunderbolts from the skies, dragons flew over their heads while unleashing their burning flames upon the soldiers of the Empire. Erendür was soon slain in single combat after the Son carved a bloody path to get to him. With his death, the war ends and the Empire collapse although there were a few remnant factions that rose after the fall of Erendür.
Seeing the dangerous potential of Callanch, the Son had the sword reforged into two different weapons. The first being Caliburn and was embedded in stone until it finds a worthy wielder. The other being the famous Excalibur, given to the Lake Gods - particularly to the Lady of the Lake and is tasked to give the sword to those she deemed worthy of becoming a king.
Age of Humanity
With the Elder Races' (Angels, Forgers, Fays, Eldu'un which are essentially elves) number dwindled during the war, they have retreated to the furthest parts of the known world. The Angels finds sanctuary in a separate plane of existence, the Forgers resided in the mountainous regions of the Shattered Peak, most of the Fays mostly lived on the Island of Avalon and the Eldu'un retreated to the western forests of the Sea of Trees. This left the humans to be the dominant species on Ochlion and thus, countless other nations and kingdoms rose after the Old Empire's fall.
The largest continent of the world was Arno'or and is home to the Six Kingdoms of Arno'or. The Kingdom of Albion was the largest which would later become the Sovereignty of Camelot, the New Empire of Ghath which would turn into the United Providence of Grecca, the Kingdom-by-the-Shore, the Ascendancy of Tyrene, the Empire of Xanthos and the Zahar Principalities. Each had their own monarchs and system of governance, alliances and grudges.
The Kingdom of Albion is typically seen as the richest in all of the Six Kingdoms of Arno’or, with access to numerous gold mines and made many trade relations with the surrounding kingdoms and to the lands beyond. The land is typically ruled by a king and his heir would be the first male child, in the absence of a male heir, the role would go to the queen or to the princess if necessary. They were also seen as one of the most powerful kingdoms in military strength, utilizing versatile troops ranging from spearmen, to swordsmen, archers and heavily armored cavalry units that made them a formidable foe.
The New Empire of Ghath is powerful in its own way, known across the world because of its military might and the unwavering discipline and loyalty of their soldiers. Ghath is ruled by the King of the Flatlands and its heir would be the firstborn child whether if it’s male or female. Ghath is one of the few nations that emphasizes on equality, allowing men and women to work and receive education. The strength of their military however lies within the discipline of their soldiers coupled with their terrifying skills with various types of weapons, allowing each of them to adapt quite easily on the ever-changing field of battle although they have limited cavalry.
The Kingdom-by-the-Shore or usually referred to as the Shore, is a maritime nation who thrived through trade and commerce, establishing good relationships to the neighboring Islands of Maarn. The Shore is known to have the best ship builders across Arno’or, rivalled only by the Empire of Xanthos. Nations across the known world hired ship builders from the Shore, creating large and durable ships made out of the strongest wood native only the kingdom itself. Usually ruled by a king or queen that was chosen by the elders through a council before undergoing a series of harsh trials to prove themselves worthy of assuming the role as a monarch. Due to their exceptional skills in ship building, the Kingdom-by-the-Shore had massive fleets of warships patrolling the boundaries of their nation.
The Empire of Xanthos is the second richest faction in the continent of Arno’or which thrived through the trading of spices and other exotic materials throughout the land. Xanthos is quite well known with its alchemists and skilled apothecaries due to their knowledge in alchemy and medicines respectively. The rest of the kingdoms sometimes bought huge amounts of herbs and sometimes even potions. Ruled by an Emperor and is seen as a representative of the gods, if there are disasters during the reign of an emperor, the people would deem him unworthy of the throne and would start a rebellion to overthrow him.. Militarily, Xanthos had a diverse army and some even claimed due to the sheer number of their forces (thought to well in tens of thousands), Xanthos would cause the nations of Ghath and Albion to have a difficult time fighting them if there is a war.
The Ascendancy of Tyrene is a unique nation. It wasn’t ruled by a singular monarch but rather, a council of thirteen members who are the leaders of noble houses in the faction. This allows the kingdom to have no leader that holds a superior power over one another and encourages an equal power between the nobles and the commoners. While not being the richest or having a strong military, the Ascendancy was known to have the best universities in all of Arno’or and is the home to the Great Academy of Tyrene which teaches almost everything from alchemy to swordsmanship. It is the home to the Masters, historians and researchers who are responsible for recording events across the entire continent. Because of the importance of the Masters, the Ascendancy chose to become a neutral ground for the wars to come.
The Zahar Principalities began their lives as refugees from the distant continent of Azur. They settled in the southern regions of the land, more specifically in the deserts of the Scorching Plains where they built the city of Katha’ar known quite appropriately as the Pearl of the South due to it being the center of trade and commerce for the entire nation. They mainly trade spice and several other things such as silk, dye and wool. They fashioned themselves as “Sultan” instead of the usual King or Queen that were commonly done in the northern parts of Arno’or. Militarily, the Principality relied heavily upon their cavalry units which are equipped with heavy armor to provide extra protection, acting as shock units. They have excellent archers as well, with bows said to be made out of dragonswood that are imported from the Kingdom-by-the-Shore.
By 1020AH (Age of Humanity), the first large threat to have ever come upon the continent of Arno’or when the each of the Six Kingdoms received a message from Prince Maqar of the Dakoric Empire from Azur demanding that they should submit to Imperial rule. Naturally, they decline and this prompted the thirty years of war between the kingdoms of Arno’or and the large Empire of the eastern continent.
Prince Dakore lead a fleet of ten thousand ships, landing at the shores of the Principality where they would crush the defending armies of Zahar with sheer numbers alone. At the time, the current Sultan fled with his people deeper into the continent and seek refuge with the Empire of Xanthos. The Kingdom-by-the-Shore retaliated by sending a fleet of five thousand ships, confronting them at the Gaping Mouth where the Shore gained a decisive victory over the invading army. However, the Prince had gathered much of his forces and took the remaining settlements held by the Principalities before marching further into the heart of the continent.
The Ascendancy was next but the Empire had difficulties marching through the mountainous regions of the Tyrenic Ranges and much of the Prince’s forces deserted or died due to the freezing temperatures of the west. Prince Maqar was forced to retreat and focus his attention to other kingdoms of Arno’or.
Maqar never invaded the Empire of Xanthos because of their vast army. Some said the Xanthosi army were so large that it would cover many hills of the Red Fields like a blanket, that the rivers won’t be enough to quench the thirst of their men. Instead, the Dakoric prince settled his attention on the two most powerful kingdoms up in the north – Albion and Ghath. King Lucian Pendragon fielded an army of thirty thousand men, marching from the sacred walls of Camelot to the Narrow Pass where they would meet Maqar and his forces – already reinforced with the armies of the kingdoms he had conquered. Many of Lucius’ men wanted to yield in defeat but the King made his stand and chose to fight for Albion’s freedom.
The Battle at the Narrow Pass lasted for three days, ending in a decisive victory for Dakore with the death of Lucian and his knights at the hands of the Prince. However even the demise of their king, Camelot do not yield despite being totally vulnerable and leaderless. The heir to the throne was the young prince of six, Arthur I Pendragon and the kingdom was ruled by the queen for a short period of time. Queen Fayre sent envoys to Ghath, hoping that King Theokles would forge an alliances with Camelot to stop the marching threat of the Prince and he agreed. Thus, an alliance was forged.
Meanwhile, the Kingdom-by-the-Shore sent reinforcements to various cities and villages across the other kingdoms, while the Ascendancy provided aid by sending weapons and armor as well as potions and others. Even if they aren’t actively involved in the battles against the invading Dakoric Army, they provided assistance to those who are.
The Battle of the Spears saw Maqar’s entrance into Ghathi lands, first encountering Theokles’ army when they were on their way to reinforce Queen Fayre’s army. Maqar had his spearmen formed an impenetrable shield wall, spears lowered and each of them standing shoulder to shoulder. King Theokles did the same, though with much fewer numbers comprised of three thousand Legionnaires armed with a shield, sword and spear as well as mercenary archers hired from across the seas. With Theokles’ strategic advantage and tactical prowess, he had his archers firing an endless volley of arrows to thin down the numbers of their enemies. As Maqar ordered his men to charge towards Theokles’ wall of spears, the outcome of the battle have been decided by the gods the moment the two armies clashed. Ghathi spears pierced through the poorly made Dakoric armor which are mostly leather and padded armor. While Theokles’ Legionnaires fought with a terrifying vengeance, the storm of arrows never ceased. Even Maqar’s horsemen weren’t able to break through the formation.
The battle saw the first major victory for the kingdoms of Arno’or as Maqar ordered his men to retreat after suffering a devastating loss. Thirty thousand entered, only ten thousand remained while Theokles’ remaining forces were said to be numbered around a thousand. It was then where the end of Maqar’s conquest begins. Even with a thousand Dakoric ships sailed at sea, they suffered numerous losses against the mighty fleets of the Kingdom-by-the-Shore.
However, Maqar is persistent in fulfilling his wishes. He brought his remaining deep into Albion territory and marched on the great city of Camelot where many have stated that the battle that followed as Maqar’s last, fighting many of Albion’s fierce defenders while taking many to their deaths as well. It is where the Commander of the Silver Knights – Sir Cromwell confronted the Dakoric Prince himself, wielding a mighty poleaxe while wearing an enameled scale armor with a cloak as dark as coal. Sir Cromwell slew many of Maqar’s men, some stated that his axe took the lives of many soldiers that they and their blood remained by the blade of the weapon even after cleaning it multiple times. Nevertheless when Maqar and Cromwell faced one another, the weapons clashed and its sounds sang a song of death. But with a quick swing of Cromwell’s axe, the war ended with Maqar’s death.
Because of Cromwell’s deeds, he became the first Knight of the Lake – an honorary title bestowed to those who had committed great acts in the name of the kingdom. Cromwell founded the great noble house of Rhoyse and built the castle of Irongaunt where he and his descendants continued to prosper and serve the kingdom.
Age of Defiance
Two centuries passed since the last devastating war that have brought upon the deaths of many during the Dakoric War. It wasn’t until 1320AH when the people of the Shore began to defy the gods. Destroying their statues and burning their temples was considered an act of war towards the gods. This period was soon to be known as the Great Defiance. At the time the Shore was no longer ruled by the king as he was overthrown by a military organization known simply as the Crimson Star and began the defiance against their deities by destroying what was attributed to the gods. They dragged the monks and priests into the large city squares, executing them in public. The Crimson Star created powerful weapons that are said to be capable of killing gods and this remained as rumors until 1335AH when the gods sent one of their own to deal with the people of the Shore.
Urka’ath, the Shore’s patron god of the seas was sent to persuade the humans to return to their old ways. He was not aware of the advancements that the Shore has made in preparing themselves to defeat a god or more accurately, to kill a god. Urka’ath emerged from the waters and finds himself confronted by a fleet of warships, each armed with a devastating weapon that would resemble a ballista that would launch specially forged bolts made out of a material simply called as Dragonscale. Urka’ath spent the first few minutes trying to persuade them but his words proved to be fruitless.
Thus, it was there when the fleet launched the Dragonscale bolts at Urka’ath. It pierced through his thick skin as if it was nothing. Caught off guard by the devastating ability of the weapons, Urka’ath attempted to retreat into the seas but the Crimson Star was persistent in their slaughter as the bolts never cease. It was by one Dragonscale bolt that pierced through Urka’ath’s heart that ended the sea god’s life. His large body fell onto the seas as the fleet cheered in victory – the War of Man and Gods begins. Where Urka’ath fell became a place that was soon be known as the Fallen God’s Tomb.
Because of Urka’ath’s unexpected demise, the Crimson Star used this opportunity to spread the word that humans are far superior to those who sit in Sanctuary – that the gods are weak and no longer fit to have their thrones. Some supported their words and sided with the Crimson Star, others decided to support the gods, declaring the Crimson Star as heretics. Even the High Priests of Angda’ar managed to call upon the religious leaders of Arno’or and embarked on a crusade, training large armies to fight against the heretic army.
What resulted is a series of wars called the Great Purges. The war lasted for several generations and there have been 10 Purges recorded in the history books though the Scholars and Masters speculated that there are more than that. Some even claimed that there are more than 20. Many legends from this era rose with many heroes and martyrs who died in their quest of preserving faith. Some said that the gods have played an important role in the wars, granting various individuals great gifts to fend off against the heretics. Yet, the true reasons to the conflict was lost to the ages as it drags on for another 40 years since its beginning. The Great Purges only ended after the last leader of the Crimson Star made peace with the loyalists of Arno’or.
Age of Advancements
It was at this time when nations around the world began entering into a new age of technological advancements. Though powerful and deadly, firearms are the rarest of all weapons as constructing even a single firearm would have the price of a single castle. Thus, those who wielded firearms are known as Gunbearers.
During the time, an arms race was inevitable. Countries across Ochlion build weapons of mass destruction, better shields, weapons and armor to support their soldiers while utilizing much more powerful weapons to prepare themselves for a war. Massive ships were built, equipped with improved siege weapons that are suited to assaulting a city by sea or to destroy ships during naval battles. However, even with the vast technological improvement made by humanity, they could never rediscover the true nature of magic or to utilize it as efficiently as the Elder Races.
Tensions between the countries rise as more and more dangerous weapons were developed. It was when the Empire of the Dragon from the continent of Essarch landed on the shores of Tyrene where the Great War of Ochlion began – the invasion of the Empire upon Arno’or kingdoms. Even with their intelligence, the Ascendancy could not halt the forces of the Empire due to their sheer size and might, finding themselves crushed under the heels of Imperial boots. This prompted the surrounding factions of Arno’or to be wary of the Empire’s advance and mustering an army to defend their lands from the incoming forces of Essarch. The year was 1425AH when the world saw the devastating power of technology.
The Empire of Xanthos was the first to retaliate, sending their best archers, spearmen and cavalry to support them to meet the Empire’s forces at the Forest That Whispers. Yet, even with the knowledge of their own lands, the forces of Xanthos were utterly defeated by the might of the Empire and was forced to retreat further into their own lands. They suffered numerous losses during the first few years of the war, even losing their capital – the City of Pearls for a period of time until it was reclaimed in 1430AH under the leadership of Emperor Qian the One-Eyed.
Meanwhile in the northern regions of Arno’or, the Empire of Ghath (now renamed themselves as the Great Kingdom of Ghath managed to hold back the bulk of the Empire’s forces at the Narrow Pass. It has been said that battles fought in the Narrow Pass would always end in a victory for the people of Ghath. Many legends began to circulate around the Pass, from an entity residing in the place or simply a supernatural army helped Ghathi armies in battles even if they were outnumbered three to one. Nevertheless it was the unwavering loyalty of the people and its soldiers that gained them victory over their enemies.
The Kingdom-by-the-Shore was utterly defeated by the time the Empire reached its lands and took over its ports, destroying the country and removing it from the map. However at the south of the continent, the Zahar Principalities (regained its former territories after the Dakoric Wars) were fractured as their previous Emperor died and were splintered between two factions. Of course, the Empire of the Dragon would not miss this opportunity and supported the Vraynes (claimants), providing them weapons and advanced technology that would help them seize the throne. In doing so, they have managed to take control of the Zaharric deserts.
The remaining years of the war saw the death of King Robert the Valiant from the Kingdom of Albion during the fierce Battle of Stanreich Bridge where his forces were utterly outnumbered by three to one but managed to gain a decisive victory as it was fought in a pitched battle. It was Prince Jonathan that succeeded his father was known to have the blessing of the Lady of the Lake by granting the young prince with Excalibur. With this, he led the armies of Albion in many battles that ended in a victory, successfully pushing the invading forces of the Empire away from their lands.
Meanwhile, the Great Kingdom of Ghath themselves suffered countless losses. It was until the coronation of King Brutus the Idiot when the kingdom started to fracture further into thirteen different independent states. Yet, even so the king managed to lead a successful campaign against the Empire in the South while suffering a devastating civil war in his own lands. Some said that Brutus was a bastard child of the previous king, others claimed that he was a mere commoner. But it has been said that during the first few months of his rule, he fired all those that are quite trusted by the king and his people, stripping away all titles and lands from prominent lords and gave them to those who are not which lead to the civil war. Yet, after Brutus’ death at the Battle of the Towers that the state of Grecca began to take over much of Ghathi lands under the leadership of King Leonidas the Liberator and rallied many of Ghathi nobles to his side in an effort to make the final push against Imperial forces.
Albion and the newly established United Providence of Grecca formed an alliance, leading a fleet of thirty thousand ships to Essarch and ravaged its lands as revenge for what the Empire did. It was there when the continent itself was fractured into several factions after the fall of the Empire and subsequently, the end of the war.
Prince Jonathan (now King) returned the sword of Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake and King Leonidas began to take over what was theirs, beginning to implement reforms that would change their kingdom. The Greccans took much of what was left by Tyrene and made them a part of the new kingdom. The deserts of Zahar was no longer a part of a single nation but instead shared amongst the White Province and Qin. The former lands of Xanthos and much of the Shore was united under the banner of the Lord of the Sun, Themryn and established the Kingdom of the Sun.
Age of Legends
Another few centuries into the future where technological advancement have been quite stagnant with little to no improvements or anything innovative besides militarily. Not much has happened in the world as well except the rise of the Pendragon family to the throne of Albion and subsequently renamed itself to the Sovereignty of Camelot after their capital. Uther was the first to rule in the great city and began to build an iron wall that surrounds Camelot from shore to shore. Many called him, the Iron King. He died during the Axos Rebellion and was succeeded by his son, Arthur Pendragon who was gifted the sword Excalibur by the Lady of the Lake during one of his adventures across the land when he stumbled upon Godslake.
It was there when he became king and began recruiting twelve knights to become a part of the Round Table. Arthur managed to quell the rebellions and during the first years of his rule, he was quite known as being a benevolent and honorable king, noble and loving. Even the Fay, Morgana was said to be a part of the Round Table and proved to the world that he may be a king who was blessed by the gods. But one act proved the world wrong.
No one could ever predict what comes next. The sudden attack on the Greccan village of Kaldir is an act of war against the powerful United Providence of Grecca, prompting a twenty-year long war between the two superpowers of the continents. This is where the story begins, thousands of years after the end of the First Great War.
The current map of Arno'or
[M] The Song of Excalibur - OOC
Originally Posted by Cfavano
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