The History of Arnia
By Joshua Delvaux
Year 0 BE-100 BE: The planet of Serucile forms, and with it comes the Arnian continent and the Ancients. The Ancients are a species of powerful, malicious lizard-people that begin to build an empire.
Year 134 BE-300 BE: Lesser races begin to emerge on Arnia. First are the Dwarves, then Halflings, then Elves, and then Humans. They are all subjugated in turn, and used as slave labor for the Ancients.
Year 300 BE-576 BE: A clever human magi – gifted simple magics for the purpose of furthering the Ancients' goals – manages to escape. This man is not only destined to become the savior of the Arnian continent, but the first Emperor of the Arnian Empire.
Year 583 BE-585 BE: After years of careful practice, as well as meticulously mapping the stars and constellations, the First Emperor crafts a spell to summon six powerful beings to Arnia, to ensure the salvation of the lesser races.
Year 585 BE-600: The Six, along with the First Emperor, begin to fight back against the Ancients. The Six prove to be extraordinarily powerful, even compared to the Ancients. In fighting back, they begin to rally the lesser races, who begin to band together and free themselves from their masters.
Year BE 600-630: Years of fighting the now-rallied armies of the lesser races have pushed the Ancients into a proverbial corner. The six are joined by five Paragons from the lesser races, who join them in not only wiping out the Ancients, but leading the lesser races in battle. Faced with the near-extinction of their race, the Ancients' Gods emerge in physical form. A colossal battle begins, with the six aided by the five Paragons. Their fight rages on for the better part of 630 BE, before, finally, all of the Ancient Gods are destroyed. In doing so, the Eleven consume the essences of the Primal Gods, becoming deities themselves. After reworking the planes to their liking, and assuming divine command over the fundamental forces in Serucile, the Eleven vanish from the surface of Serucile, but their essence is felt throughout – especially by Arcanists, who draw from a new, structured, unified source of magic governed by Carsus.
Year BE 631-Year of the Empire 1: Before departing, the Eleven enter into the Divine Covenant with the First Emperor. The details of this covenant are never revealed, and known only by the Emperor's successors. The First Emperor, now a hero, spends the rest of his life forging the Arnian Empire – and all of those who share his blood are gifted with wings, symbolizing the method with which he escaped his captors – flying on magical wings – giving birth to the Winged People, who are named after the First Emperor – Arnians.
Year of the Empire 1-Present Day, Year of the Empire 976: The Arnian Empire flourished, and the Ancients' former holdings turned gradually into cities. New villages and towns were founded, and the lesser races began to thrive. In present day, a new Emperor has recently been crowned. However, unlike his forefathers, this Emperor seems entirely too complacent – refusing to send military aid where it is needed, despite rumors of strange happenings in the other provinces. The new Emperor's perceived incompetence has lead to harsher rumors – possibilities of other provinces trying to secede from the Empire. In addition, the savage Norn have arrived from their home in the icy wastelands of the north - providing a yet unknown factor.
This complacency has spurred the recent flood of adventurers – mercenaries, people looking for glory, people who simply wish to help, and some with more sinister motives. This is where the story begins.
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