Weltall_BR
Acolyte
So as pretty much everyone in the World Building forum I am building a world -- Fabula Argentei. My first thread about it (more specifically, about the map) can be reached here. Now I would like to share with you my first developments regarding the universal history of my world.
Please find it below.
UNIVERSAL HISTORY
It was circa 4,000 years ago that dwarven scholars first adapted their holy runes to a system appropriate for writing long texts and began recording their history on scrolls made of goatskin. They recorded their legends and lore and therefore it is possible to have a glimpse of facts occurred up to 5,000 years ago. All facts before that are shrouded in mystery and the stories told about this era belong to the rank of myths and legends.
According to their own legends, the first ancestors of the dwarves were crafted by the gods from the stone of the Elder Mountains 13,000 years ago. Their first home were the Elder Mountains and the area around it, where climate was pleasant, game animals ran free and fruits and vegetables were abundant.
As their people grew in numbers the dwarves spread themselves over the continent, always settling on mountains or hills and their surroundings. They called the land Breitmut (pronounced like “Brightmoot”, but with a short “oo”). According to dwarven beliefs, they are made from the same fabric as the mountains and, as brothers, belong together. Whenever they chose to settle away from the mountains, dwarves used their natural talent for stone-working to build impressive cities.
For over 3,500 years they were the uncontested masters of the Breitmut. But then slowly the nights grew longer and winters grew colder, until most of the continent was covered in ice. The dwarven people had to flee for the very south of the continent, the only area still capable of nurturing their people. Many died from cold or famine and soon the dwarves were engulfed in war, fighting for their survival.
It was during this harsh era that men first came to Breitmut, fleeing from a distant land covered in ice. According to legends they came from the east in long boats. They were exhausted from the long journey, which many of them did not survive. Both dwarves and men were very surprised with the encounter, as they had never met another people so much alike them, capable of speech and craft. This resulted in empathy, and at first dwarves welcomed men. But famine and cold are cruel. Soon empathy was replaced by estrangement. Dwarves questioned themselves about why they should sacrifice their people to help such strangers. Men, in smaller numbers and more fragile, feared that dwarves would eventually turn against them. According to legends, eventually men killed a dwarven king and tried to take over his lands. The dwarves rose to avenge such betrayal. Many men were killed and those who survived had to flee and hide in the cold forests, living almost like animals.
The Grim Ages, as dwarves call it, lasted for about 5,000 thousand years. Eventually nights and winters shortened again and life took Breitmut back. For the dwarves and men who had survived it was like being born again. While the former looked for their ancient cities to rebuild, the latter had their first chance to explore the continent and find themselves a place in it.
For the following 1,500 years empires rose and fell, alliances were forged and broken, discoveries were made and wars were fought. Until another tragedy fell over Breitmut.
Both men and dwarves were aware that an Otherworld existed in parallel to that they inhabited, a world of elves, goblins, nymphs, fey, kobolds, dragons, trolls and gnomes. From times to times creatures from Faerheim would roam Breitmut, pursuing their own alien ambitions. Their unfathomable nature leads most to fear them, and some even worshipped them as goods in an attempt to win their favour. These creatures were seldom seen by the inhabitants of Breitmut, with the exception of the few who dared looking for them. But without warning dozens of doors from the Otherworld to Breitmut were opened and a huge number of creatures walked through them.
It is now known that the immigrants from the Otherworld did not leave it at their own free will. They were exiled from their world by the fay for an act of treason – rising up as an army to take over the Otherworld. Lead by certain arrogant elves, who believed they were the rightful rulers of the Otherworld and made promises of freedom and power, they attacked the fay. The war lasted for ages but the rebels were finally defeated and exiled to the material plane.
Many of the newcomers saw this as an opportunity – they were now completely free from the rules and rulers of the Otherworld. Chaos ruled as every group tried to take what they could for themselves. Dwarves and men were caught in this frenzy and fought to protect their homes, but many lands lost to the newcomers, including the whole mountainous south-eastern peninsula, taken by the elves. The less aggressive goblins and hobgoblins managed to be accepted in a few areas, but most of the other newcomers didn't even try to establish a relationship with the previous inhabitants of the continent: giants, dragons, chimaeras, bugbears, sirens, harpies, kobolds, trolls. Even the seas were taken by such creatures as merfolk, sahuagin, sea-serpents and the much feared kraken.
Breitmut had become a dangerous place, and each people organized themselves as well as they could to survive in such environment. Dwarves became more reclusive and some of their kingdoms united themselves in confederations. Certain southern man nations united themselves under a common leader, building an army which grew to conquer neighbours. Eventually this empire broke in two due to disputes for power. Northern kings of men keep alliances, taking oaths of mutual defence. The eastern men were the least successful in uniting themselves against alien threats due to petty disputes, trusting their protection to fearsome warriors and magic – including that taught to them by a group of elves who migrated North due to disagreements with their colder fellows. The elves who chose to stay in the south-east peninsula separated isolated themselves from the outside world, hiding their settlements in dense forests, deep valleys and mountain cirques. Collectively dwarves, men and elves became known as the Book Peoples, as the only truly capable of reading and writing (or at least the only who care about reading and writing).
Another 2,000 years passed until another groundbreaking event shook Breitmut: the coming of gnomes. As elves and others previously had done, a significant number of gnomes walked out of the Otherworld. Much fewer than elves, they came to Breitmut by their own free will, as they felt that they belonged no more to the Otherworld. They found a crowded continent and instead of fighting for a place they decided to blend with the locals. Gnomish communities are found orbiting the settlements of the other races (even elves), and a significant number of them prefer a nomadic life, travelling from one place to another trading their skills.
1,000 years have passed since the gnomes arrived in the continent, and...
Next step would be developing the current political situation. The general lines above will help me think about the nations and how they came to be what they are. As the history of such nations takes form it shall influence the universal history above, so it is still subject to changes.
That said, there are a couple of things I would like to ask you people:
Thank you all in advance for contributing to my little world!
Please find it below.
UNIVERSAL HISTORY
It was circa 4,000 years ago that dwarven scholars first adapted their holy runes to a system appropriate for writing long texts and began recording their history on scrolls made of goatskin. They recorded their legends and lore and therefore it is possible to have a glimpse of facts occurred up to 5,000 years ago. All facts before that are shrouded in mystery and the stories told about this era belong to the rank of myths and legends.
According to their own legends, the first ancestors of the dwarves were crafted by the gods from the stone of the Elder Mountains 13,000 years ago. Their first home were the Elder Mountains and the area around it, where climate was pleasant, game animals ran free and fruits and vegetables were abundant.
As their people grew in numbers the dwarves spread themselves over the continent, always settling on mountains or hills and their surroundings. They called the land Breitmut (pronounced like “Brightmoot”, but with a short “oo”). According to dwarven beliefs, they are made from the same fabric as the mountains and, as brothers, belong together. Whenever they chose to settle away from the mountains, dwarves used their natural talent for stone-working to build impressive cities.
For over 3,500 years they were the uncontested masters of the Breitmut. But then slowly the nights grew longer and winters grew colder, until most of the continent was covered in ice. The dwarven people had to flee for the very south of the continent, the only area still capable of nurturing their people. Many died from cold or famine and soon the dwarves were engulfed in war, fighting for their survival.
It was during this harsh era that men first came to Breitmut, fleeing from a distant land covered in ice. According to legends they came from the east in long boats. They were exhausted from the long journey, which many of them did not survive. Both dwarves and men were very surprised with the encounter, as they had never met another people so much alike them, capable of speech and craft. This resulted in empathy, and at first dwarves welcomed men. But famine and cold are cruel. Soon empathy was replaced by estrangement. Dwarves questioned themselves about why they should sacrifice their people to help such strangers. Men, in smaller numbers and more fragile, feared that dwarves would eventually turn against them. According to legends, eventually men killed a dwarven king and tried to take over his lands. The dwarves rose to avenge such betrayal. Many men were killed and those who survived had to flee and hide in the cold forests, living almost like animals.
The Grim Ages, as dwarves call it, lasted for about 5,000 thousand years. Eventually nights and winters shortened again and life took Breitmut back. For the dwarves and men who had survived it was like being born again. While the former looked for their ancient cities to rebuild, the latter had their first chance to explore the continent and find themselves a place in it.
For the following 1,500 years empires rose and fell, alliances were forged and broken, discoveries were made and wars were fought. Until another tragedy fell over Breitmut.
Both men and dwarves were aware that an Otherworld existed in parallel to that they inhabited, a world of elves, goblins, nymphs, fey, kobolds, dragons, trolls and gnomes. From times to times creatures from Faerheim would roam Breitmut, pursuing their own alien ambitions. Their unfathomable nature leads most to fear them, and some even worshipped them as goods in an attempt to win their favour. These creatures were seldom seen by the inhabitants of Breitmut, with the exception of the few who dared looking for them. But without warning dozens of doors from the Otherworld to Breitmut were opened and a huge number of creatures walked through them.
It is now known that the immigrants from the Otherworld did not leave it at their own free will. They were exiled from their world by the fay for an act of treason – rising up as an army to take over the Otherworld. Lead by certain arrogant elves, who believed they were the rightful rulers of the Otherworld and made promises of freedom and power, they attacked the fay. The war lasted for ages but the rebels were finally defeated and exiled to the material plane.
Many of the newcomers saw this as an opportunity – they were now completely free from the rules and rulers of the Otherworld. Chaos ruled as every group tried to take what they could for themselves. Dwarves and men were caught in this frenzy and fought to protect their homes, but many lands lost to the newcomers, including the whole mountainous south-eastern peninsula, taken by the elves. The less aggressive goblins and hobgoblins managed to be accepted in a few areas, but most of the other newcomers didn't even try to establish a relationship with the previous inhabitants of the continent: giants, dragons, chimaeras, bugbears, sirens, harpies, kobolds, trolls. Even the seas were taken by such creatures as merfolk, sahuagin, sea-serpents and the much feared kraken.
Breitmut had become a dangerous place, and each people organized themselves as well as they could to survive in such environment. Dwarves became more reclusive and some of their kingdoms united themselves in confederations. Certain southern man nations united themselves under a common leader, building an army which grew to conquer neighbours. Eventually this empire broke in two due to disputes for power. Northern kings of men keep alliances, taking oaths of mutual defence. The eastern men were the least successful in uniting themselves against alien threats due to petty disputes, trusting their protection to fearsome warriors and magic – including that taught to them by a group of elves who migrated North due to disagreements with their colder fellows. The elves who chose to stay in the south-east peninsula separated isolated themselves from the outside world, hiding their settlements in dense forests, deep valleys and mountain cirques. Collectively dwarves, men and elves became known as the Book Peoples, as the only truly capable of reading and writing (or at least the only who care about reading and writing).
Another 2,000 years passed until another groundbreaking event shook Breitmut: the coming of gnomes. As elves and others previously had done, a significant number of gnomes walked out of the Otherworld. Much fewer than elves, they came to Breitmut by their own free will, as they felt that they belonged no more to the Otherworld. They found a crowded continent and instead of fighting for a place they decided to blend with the locals. Gnomish communities are found orbiting the settlements of the other races (even elves), and a significant number of them prefer a nomadic life, travelling from one place to another trading their skills.
1,000 years have passed since the gnomes arrived in the continent, and...
Next step would be developing the current political situation. The general lines above will help me think about the nations and how they came to be what they are. As the history of such nations takes form it shall influence the universal history above, so it is still subject to changes.
That said, there are a couple of things I would like to ask you people:
- I am thinking of developing this setting from the point of view of dwarves. For example, places may have different names in different languages, and I would make a reference to those names, but during writing I would always prefer the dwarven name. What impacts do you think this would have to the setting in general?
- Did you find any “holes” in my universal history, things that make no sense or don't fit the general idea?
- I am a bit insecure about my elves and dwarves. Although I'm not aiming at being completely original with this setting, they seem a bit too much like “standard” elves and dwarves. At this point I have a very abstract idea about them, but I already seem to be going that way. Any thoughts on that?
- I can't make my mind between the illusionist gnomes and tinkering gnomes. My current idea was to go the first way and make them kind of like the romani people, but the second would fit the idea of gnomes leaving the Otherworld (which has a magical nature) better. Any ideas?
Thank you all in advance for contributing to my little world!
Troubadour
Auror
