Difference between revisions of "History"
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The '''history''' of the world of Hökaland is rich with success stories, failures and a lot of inter-personal and inter-group conflict. It starts with the creation of the world and the well-known [[creation myth]], through '''pre-history''', '''ancient history''', and through to relatively more recent '''recorded history'''. | The '''history''' of the world of Hökaland is rich with success stories, failures and a lot of inter-personal and inter-group conflict. It starts with the creation of the world and the well-known [[creation myth]], through '''pre-history''', '''ancient history''', and through to relatively more recent '''recorded history'''. | ||
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''Apologies for lack of order here, a lot is just snippets of my old notes, I am in the process of tidying it up.'' | ''Apologies for lack of order here, a lot is just snippets of my old notes, I am in the process of tidying it up.'' | ||
== | == A snippet from my notes == | ||
The [[Church of Rahn]], which had seen diminished following during the Prosperous Times, bound to new heights after the full extent of the Ruiner became apparent. Together with the newly initiated [[Governors]], they managed to pick up the slack and turn Capitoleum around, but lost the empire. This was of course partly due to the fact that the Governor families had been too headstrong in assuring their own, personal, powers. However, power of [[Capitoleum]] and the Resplendent Fields (or the Fields) dissipated into the individual kingdoms. | The [[Church of Rahn]], which had seen diminished following during the Prosperous Times, bound to new heights after the full extent of the Ruiner became apparent. Together with the newly initiated [[Governors]], they managed to pick up the slack and turn Capitoleum around, but lost the empire. This was of course partly due to the fact that the Governor families had been too headstrong in assuring their own, personal, powers. However, power of [[Capitoleum]] and the Resplendent Fields (or the Fields) dissipated into the individual kingdoms. | ||
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=== | ==History of Capitoleum== | ||
Unsurprisingly, a lot of recorded history involves [[Capitoleum]] in one way or the other. This section details the history of the great city in quite high detail. It's more meant as my notes than informing for others, but feel free to read. | |||
=== Important Characters === | |||
* Halned Uldin, The Mageslayer | |||
* Helfram Uldin, The Conqueror, The Housetamer | |||
** Degnan Uldin, The Strongarm | |||
* Harald Uldin, The Builder | |||
* Rickhart Uldin, The Engineer | |||
=== Dragon Wars === | |||
* Long before the chronology of man, there were five terrible wars with dragon and hawk gods on either side of the battlefield. | |||
* Each side also had earthly dragons and hawks in the air and armies of mortals on the fields scorched the lands for a millennium. | |||
=== Recovery === | |||
* The Dragon Wars left a lot of the lands charred for a long time as magical fires, frosts and other elements had affected them. Some leaves even sparcled with magic a hundred years after the last spell was cast. | |||
* Wild animals were also scarce and it took a long time beforenature recuperated. | |||
* Humans were in disarray and many tribes joined up in order to survive. | |||
* Survivors told stories of the wars and their ancestors' bravery. | |||
* Humanity was slowly restored, halflings were travelling around helping and carrying news and no one had seen dwarves for a hundred years. | |||
===The Rise of the Nine Kings=== | ===The Rise of the Nine Kings=== | ||
* Nine chieftains rise in different parts of the Midrealm, creating the first kingdoms | * Nine chieftains rise in different parts of the Midrealm, creating the first kingdoms | ||
* Many stories exist of their prowess and love and war between them | * Many stories exist of their prowess and love and war between them | ||
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* Five kingdoms attack | * Five kingdoms attack | ||
* Warlocks fall in under a temporary leader | * Warlocks fall in under a temporary leader | ||
* Large Kingdom army burned as the sun leaks down on the fields - Firefall | * Large Kingdom army burned as the sun leaks down on the fields - [[Firefall]] | ||
* Sickle create an earthquake on the Black Nettle main fortification | * Sickle create an earthquake on the Black Nettle main fortification | ||
* Warlocks agree to a truce implying some form of surrender | * Warlocks agree to a truce implying some form of surrender | ||
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* Kingdoms in disarray | * Kingdoms in disarray | ||
* Warlocks sorts out leadership (takes long time) | * Warlocks sorts out leadership (takes long time) | ||
* Low officer soldier, bastard son of popular king, starts rallying troops, orders queens to organise supply routes - The Mageslayer | * Low officer soldier, bastard son of popular king, starts rallying troops, orders queens to organise supply routes - The Halned the Mageslayer of the Uldin family | ||
* Mageslayer already veteran with early teen children | * Mageslayer already veteran with early teen children | ||
* Allies with Sickle | * Allies with Sickle | ||
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* Tribes that had not pledged help saw their chance for riches, started plundering border towns | * Tribes that had not pledged help saw their chance for riches, started plundering border towns | ||
* Some want noble rights | * Some want noble rights | ||
* The Mageslayer gets support from the queens and temporary | * The Mageslayer gets support from the queens and temporary Stewarts are inserted in the Warlock kingdoms | ||
* Some noble family individuals worried about lineage, starts an official Register, gets funds from combined families and a little bit of land to sustain it | * Some noble family individuals worried about lineage, starts an official Register, gets funds from combined families and a little bit of land to sustain it | ||
* A war with very many factions start, general alliances quickly forged | * A war with very many factions start, general alliances quickly forged | ||
* Mystics on both sides, Sickle only official group, many uninterested in joining | * Mystics on both sides, Sickle only official group, many uninterested in joining | ||
* Lots of to and fro, stops for winter generally and mostly lets farmers plant seed | * Lots of to and fro, stops for winter generally and mostly lets farmers plant seed | ||
* Mageslayer outdone by his son, called the Conqueror by people | * Mageslayer outdone by his son Helfram, called the Conqueror and the Housetamer by people - Helfram Housetamer Uldin | ||
* War goes generally well with a few major defeats | * War goes generally well with a few major defeats | ||
* As it seems barbarian tribes are giving up, Mageslayer declares himself Emperor, alienating many families | * As it seems barbarian tribes are giving up, Mageslayer declares himself Emperor, alienating many families | ||
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* More marriages | * More marriages | ||
* Peace with northern tribes through marrying strongest leader's only daughter with oldest son | * Peace with northern tribes through marrying strongest leader's only daughter with oldest son | ||
* Younger son more interested in buildings, but marries | * Younger son, Harald, (Harald the Builder Uldin) more interested in buildings, but marries | ||
* Builder improves on fortifications and quality of siege weaponry | * Builder improves on fortifications and quality of siege weaponry | ||
* Starts building quality roads to improve warfare | * Starts building quality roads to improve warfare | ||
* Older son has some success on battlefield | * Older son Degnan Strongarm Uldin has some success on battlefield | ||
* Older son has child | * Older son has child | ||
* Older son dies on battlefield, protecting his home town with wife and child | * Older son dies on battlefield, protecting his home town with wife and child | ||
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* Builder starts having children, mainly girls | * Builder starts having children, mainly girls | ||
* Last 10 or so years of war | * Last 10 or so years of war | ||
* Final gargantuan battle, massive losses on both sides and | * Final gargantuan battle, massive losses on both sides and Conqueror dies | ||
* Builder takes over, manages to aim ballista to impale opposition leader and routs remaining army | * Builder takes over, manages to aim ballista to impale opposition leader and routs remaining army | ||
* Starts to plan for long term peace | * Starts to plan for long term peace | ||
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===The Prosperous Times=== | ===The Prosperous Times=== | ||
* Over-all name of time until the Ruiner | * Over-all name of time until the Lidgast the Ruiner Uldin | ||
===Conquest finishing=== | ===Conquest finishing=== | ||
* Builder's many daughters are married to improve internal politics | * Harald Builder's many daughters are married to improve internal politics | ||
* Engineer only son, very young and not married off | * Rickhart (Engineer) Uldin, only son, very young and not married off | ||
===Pre-build=== | ===Pre-build=== | ||
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* Builder reserves plans for university site | * Builder reserves plans for university site | ||
* Church pays up front in cash for building site for large church | * Church pays up front in cash for building site for large church | ||
* Church is at this point a collection of differently run churches and slightly different traditions. Effort is made to unify them in the Council of Faith. | * Church is at this point a collection of differently run churches and slightly different traditions. Effort is made to unify them in the '''Council of Faith'''. | ||
===The Great Build=== | ===The Great Build=== | ||
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* Sickle offers to help creating massive moat out of river rather than going through | * Sickle offers to help creating massive moat out of river rather than going through | ||
* Church tries to gain more power with little success | * Church tries to gain more power with little success | ||
* Son (Engineer) surveys maps and the underground tunnels. Conducts further surveys himself, with the original guy. Finds they lead to ocean on both sides of the city. Dislikes the smell of new city, suggests blocking up some of them to create a fresh water system and a waste removal system, draws this with guy. They become fast friends. Few people dislike it. They are gay. | * Son (Engineer) surveys maps and the underground tunnels. Conducts further surveys himself, with the original guy. Finds they lead to ocean on both sides of the city. Dislikes the smell of new city, suggests blocking up some of them to create a fresh water system and a waste removal system, draws this with guy. They become fast friends. Few people dislike it. (They are gay.) | ||
* Sewer idea presented to Builder who is intrigued | * Sewer idea presented to Builder who is intrigued | ||
* Building inner city continues | * Building inner city continues | ||
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* Preboiled milk starts to become popular | * Preboiled milk starts to become popular | ||
* Ice from mountain lakes starts being imported to warehouses and noble house cellars, insulated | * Ice from mountain lakes starts being imported to warehouses and noble house cellars, insulated | ||
* Sickle starts selling Coldstones, stones that are -20 degrees cold and last for a month in air, a week if repeatedly dipped in water. Bought back for fraction of cost. | * Sickle starts selling [[Magic_item#Coldstone|Coldstones]], stones that are -20 degrees cold and last for a month in air, a week if repeatedly dipped in water. Bought back for fraction of cost. | ||
* Engineer and friend goes back to caves and does more mapping with teams of university students, looks over old maps | * Engineer and friend goes back to caves and does more mapping with teams of university students, looks over old maps | ||
* Engineer and student group proposes changes to system to allow two separate ones; one for waste removal and one for fresh water supply | * Engineer and student group proposes changes to system to allow two separate ones; one for waste removal and one for fresh water supply | ||
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===Completions=== | ===Completions=== | ||
* An incredibly large funeral and many days of partying celebrating the life of the Builder and the | * An incredibly large funeral and many days of partying celebrating the life of the Builder and the Uldin family | ||
* Engineer takes over with heavy heart | * Engineer takes over with heavy heart | ||
* A couple of years of national depression, lowers economy a bit | * A couple of years of national depression, lowers economy a bit | ||
* A new trade partner found further south through sea routes and the Great Road connects more cities increasing trade | * A new trade partner found further south through sea routes and the Great Road (later "[[Coins|The Coins]]") connects more cities increasing trade | ||
* The kingdom clears the depression as the Engineer gets more into his job | * The kingdom clears the depression as the Engineer gets more into his job | ||
* Major dredging close to shore completed | * Major dredging close to shore completed | ||
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* Sickle final designs of both tower complexes finished and buildings begins. Some debates but in the end not much to do about it, as Noble Wizard has so much political power. | * Sickle final designs of both tower complexes finished and buildings begins. Some debates but in the end not much to do about it, as Noble Wizard has so much political power. | ||
* Sickle starts gaining popularity (still not very popular) and gain new blood in their ranks | * Sickle starts gaining popularity (still not very popular) and gain new blood in their ranks | ||
* Many Noble families send their offspring to Sickle for basic mystical knowledge, most has new skills, but Sickle wants more positive contact. It backfires slightly when a Noble man use magic to rape a girl. Sickle punishes the noble | * Many Noble families send their offspring to Sickle for basic mystical knowledge, most has new skills, but Sickle wants more positive contact. It backfires slightly when a young Noble man use magic to rape a girl. Sickle punishes the noble man, gaining some general support and losing some noble support. | ||
* Sickle starts crystallising into the Circles | * Sickle starts crystallising into the Circles | ||
* Wall gates finished | * Wall gates finished | ||
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* City guard mobilised better, registration of all comings and goings | * City guard mobilised better, registration of all comings and goings | ||
* Register starts adminustrating it and takes copies of harbour material | * Register starts adminustrating it and takes copies of harbour material | ||
* Peacebinding starts | * [[Peacebond|Peacebinding]] starts | ||
* Crime decreases | * Crime decreases | ||
* Guilds come together as response to harbour office powers. Chamber of Commerce created. | * Guilds come together as response to harbour office powers. [[Chamber of Commerce]] created. | ||
* After a few years without child, Engineer's wife is ill with pneumonia in a summer house and dies. Kingdom mourns and Engineer | * After a few years without child, Engineer's wife is ill with pneumonia in a summer house and dies. Kingdom mourns and Engineer demands publicly to Church and Sickle to find cures to stop mourning of the peoples. | ||
* Engineer throws himself entirely in his work and also keeps check on politics. | * Engineer throws himself entirely in his work and also keeps check on politics. | ||
* Engineer starts filling out medal sorting to things like building and other support. Creates a Knight's Order in the name of the medals. First proper Knight's Order. | * Engineer starts filling out medal sorting to things like building and other support. Creates a Knight's Order in the name of the medals. First proper Knight's Order. | ||
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===End of the Prosperous Times=== | ===End of the Prosperous Times=== | ||
* Ruiner, as a 25-year old, takes over as father dies | * Lidgast "the Breaker" Uldin (or Ruiner), as a 25-year old, takes over as father dies | ||
* Ruiner has had plenty of education, but is uninterested | * Ruiner has had plenty of education, but is uninterested | ||
* City sees several large celebrations | * City sees several large celebrations | ||
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* Large amounts of cases of rape reported in short time span | * Large amounts of cases of rape reported in short time span | ||
* Laws banning alcohol and other drugs are employed to stop it | * Laws banning alcohol and other drugs are employed to stop it | ||
* Thieves' guilds start popping up and the Thug | * Thieves' guilds start popping up and the [[Thug War]] begin | ||
* City guard helpless or bribed | * City guard helpless or bribed | ||
* Economy heading down | * Economy heading down | ||
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* The five managed to keep control of their own lands (mostly) and Capitoleum, granting them trading riches as well as the debts (to the crown and from the crown). | * The five managed to keep control of their own lands (mostly) and Capitoleum, granting them trading riches as well as the debts (to the crown and from the crown). | ||
* Many debts to faraway noble houses were cancelled after their hostilities but the five could not keep the kingdom together | * Many debts to faraway noble houses were cancelled after their hostilities but the five could not keep the kingdom together | ||
* The Church started gaining a lot of power as they sold favours from Rahn to different factions and they were seen in a favourable light by ordinary people | * The Church started gaining a lot of power as they sold favours from [[Rahn]] to different factions and they were seen in a favourable light by ordinary people | ||
* At this point, some of the followers had gifts of Rahn and genuinely believed a stronger church would mean better lives for the people | * At this point, some of the followers had gifts of Rahn and genuinely believed a stronger church would mean better lives for the people | ||
* The Sickle, which had been close to the King were thrown away a bit and started accumulating a larger army | * The Sickle, which had been close to the King were thrown away a bit and started accumulating a larger army | ||
* Sickle finished its buildings and did what they could to stay in favour | * Sickle finished its buildings and did what they could to stay in favour | ||
* Church continued to preach and together with the five, they managed to get control of Capitoleum again and spread their teachings widely as peace slowly returned (as promised). | * Church continued to preach and together with the five, they managed to get control of Capitoleum again and spread their teachings widely as peace slowly returned (as promised). | ||
* Register gained a lot as they incorporated the coup into their administration and as small mercenary bands overtook the smallest noble houses it created praxis for becoming nobles. Because of the fact that many of these events were useful to a lot of factions, it was considered fair play. | * The [[Family Register]] gained a lot as they incorporated the coup into their administration and as small mercenary bands overtook the smallest noble houses it created praxis for becoming nobles. Because of the fact that many of these events were useful to a lot of factions, it was considered fair play. | ||
* The Governors appointed new nobles as well as rewards from combat (and a few treasurers), widening the praxis further | * The Governors appointed new nobles as well as rewards from combat (and a few treasurers), widening the praxis further | ||
* For each of the events throughout the Tumult, the Register gained reputation as fair and just | * For each of the events throughout the Tumult, the Register gained reputation as fair and just | ||
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* It all lulled people in to a sort of security and focus became trade and mutual respect (or hate). | * It all lulled people in to a sort of security and focus became trade and mutual respect (or hate). | ||
== History of the [[Dwarf|Dwarves]] == | |||
This is also rough notes just added on here. | |||
=== Creation === | |||
* Though created, the mortal Dwarves actually saves their creator, [[Krohdin]] at an earlier point | |||
=== Ancient history === | |||
* War with dragons/hawks, similar times to the Capitoleum basin (same hundreds of years) | |||
* A time when Dwarves were had recently begun transferring their closeness to the mountains for intelligence, crafting and tools. | |||
** Significantly made them less durable but going from near-stone intelligence to humanlike int. | |||
* After the Capitoleum basin was sure to happen, Dwarves started looking for a way to retreat. | |||
* [[Krohdin]], God of dwarves saw their plight and offered them one of his eyes to find it. | |||
** Found the massive [[material|pitch quartz]] lode. | |||
** Showed the place to the dwarves. | |||
** Krohdin joined the battles to slow the Dragon advance. | |||
* Dwarves worled frantically, careless to the point of ruining large percentage of their tools. | |||
* Within solid lode, there isn't deep ground water | |||
** Lode is around sea level in a mountain close to sea. | |||
** Lode is almost horizontal. | |||
* A few years later the dragons still found the Dwarves. Betrayed by a dwarf in a particular clan. | |||
** This clan is to this day shunned, though they condemned the betrayal. | |||
** Betrayal was by high-up and would ensure that clan as rules of the dwarves whn dragons won. | |||
* Krohdin stalls advancing army | |||
** Many dwarves fight | |||
** Much of allies do not join, Krohdin is alone | |||
** Cursory attacks on flanks from allies | |||
** Fights retreating towards the lode-bearing mountain | |||
* Reach mountain, Dwarves still some way away from even dislodging the lode. | |||
* Krohdin strikes the mountain, embedding large portion of self in stone. | |||
** Pushes stone into the sea | |||
** Inadvertently sets pleochroism of mineral outwards | |||
** Imbues "gem" with protective properties; as there was Dwarves inside it, makes it float, and resist a lot of punishment | |||
** Direct link to his life essence | |||
** Creates large amount of "impurities" in the centre (mitril and the like plus a lot of less useful minerals) | |||
* Krohdin cares not for own life, strikes hard against advancing army with little care for self | |||
* Gem floats, evacuates all women and children who have fled there. Runners sent out to other camps | |||
* Krohdin and last stand of Dwarves die, betrayal dwarf survives, subjugates his clan with dragon help | |||
** Krohdin is killed but as dragons attempt to consume spirit they realise it's in the gem at sea | |||
** Dragons destroy mountain with ferocity. Notices large part is missing. Realise about gem. Insane but only answer. | |||
* Gem floats "quickly" to sea, towards the circumfering water jet stream | |||
** Most refugee survivals reach the gem before it reaches stream, many still miss it. | |||
* Dragons pursuing it can't find it, hidden amongst the waves (low lvl intelligence protects it). | |||
=== Dwarves survive === | |||
* In all, hundreds of dwarves survived (300-600? +200 "evil" dwarves? +150 clanless refugees?). | |||
* Dwarves on board tries to start making life for themselves. | |||
* Takes up fishing and when close to shores, whaling. | |||
* Use limited tools to work on hollowing the gem further; obvious the magic holding it afloat is ebbing | |||
* Starts mining, smelting and the like. | |||
** Finds true heating stones and freezing stones. | |||
** Crafts things, a lot of items of various impurities as well as pitch quartz | |||
=== Dragon Wars conclude === | |||
* Dragon wars conclude. Part reason for victory was the sustained delay of the army trying to kill dwarves. | |||
* Elves, affected humans and gods show thanks to the Dwarves by sacrificing things to the World-all. | |||
** The World-all isn't sentient but the echo imbues the gem further and sharpens the minds of dwarves further and makes them more hardy | |||
* This created the first versions of Rahn religion | |||
* This takes only 10-20 years in total | |||
* The total amount of damage and pain makes the World-all also banish gods. Many connections the same. | |||
** Such as using "mortal" minds as refinery for magic power ("channeling"/clerical/believers). | |||
=== After X years... === | |||
* After X years, reaches close to same shores (other shores not civilised at this time) | |||
** Trades with primitive humans for various things but mainly food | |||
* This goes on for long time (thousand years) | |||
* Boyancy goes down but mining also lessens weight | |||
* Starts to recover as a people. | |||
* Finds mysticism and magic | |||
* Starts experimenting with submarines and underwater gear | |||
* ??Primitive gear enables dwarves to carve protective runes OR add metal bands with runes on outside?? | |||
* Either way, much improvements happen over 1000 years: careful to make sure not puncturing the work | |||
* Long life spans and slow generations menas not that many dwarves by modern times | |||
* Sometime during this time, the great prophet of Rahn and the modern revival of the religion happens | |||
* Ending times, the thing starts to be full, Dwarves move more to lands, distrust the betrayer clan | |||
* Dwarves continue to worship their sleeping god which is slowly recuperating. | |||
* This god is NOT banished and will be able to walk the earth. Or so the story goes... | |||
{{World}} | |||
[[Category:History]] | [[Category:History]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:Lore]] |
Latest revision as of 11:45, 2 January 2018
The history of the world of Hökaland is rich with success stories, failures and a lot of inter-personal and inter-group conflict. It starts with the creation of the world and the well-known creation myth, through pre-history, ancient history, and through to relatively more recent recorded history.
Though history is generally written by the victors, much of the information found here is quite objectively what actually happened. Never the less, history does have different perspective for different individuals and factions, and there is always another angle or way to look at past events and its effects on the next generation.
Apologies for lack of order here, a lot is just snippets of my old notes, I am in the process of tidying it up.
A snippet from my notes
The Church of Rahn, which had seen diminished following during the Prosperous Times, bound to new heights after the full extent of the Ruiner became apparent. Together with the newly initiated Governors, they managed to pick up the slack and turn Capitoleum around, but lost the empire. This was of course partly due to the fact that the Governor families had been too headstrong in assuring their own, personal, powers. However, power of Capitoleum and the Resplendent Fields (or the Fields) dissipated into the individual kingdoms.
The result was that the Governors kept control of Capitoleum and its immense trading riches, the Church of Rahn acquired a strong position in the lives of people everywhere, the Sickle lost significant portion of power and started accumulating an army as well as trying to cement what they could of their influence.
The biggest winner of both the Prosperous Times, the Ruining, the Tumult (also known as the Capitoleum wars) and the Restoration is the Family Register which was lucky enough to be useful to all types of factions through good times and bad. By the end of the Restoration, the Register was less a service than an obligation and decrees made by it even overturned Governor decrees at times. Despite this, they were always seen as a useful service that could be trusted in all things and never interested in power. This was recognised by Register elders during the Tumult, and unbeknownst to most, became an important facet to Register rulings. Besides the fact that most Administrators are mostly interested in the facts anyway, effort was made to obscure the amount of power they had, in essence trying to become an invisible hand guiding civilisation.
History of Capitoleum
Unsurprisingly, a lot of recorded history involves Capitoleum in one way or the other. This section details the history of the great city in quite high detail. It's more meant as my notes than informing for others, but feel free to read.
Important Characters
- Halned Uldin, The Mageslayer
- Helfram Uldin, The Conqueror, The Housetamer
- Degnan Uldin, The Strongarm
- Harald Uldin, The Builder
- Rickhart Uldin, The Engineer
Dragon Wars
- Long before the chronology of man, there were five terrible wars with dragon and hawk gods on either side of the battlefield.
- Each side also had earthly dragons and hawks in the air and armies of mortals on the fields scorched the lands for a millennium.
Recovery
- The Dragon Wars left a lot of the lands charred for a long time as magical fires, frosts and other elements had affected them. Some leaves even sparcled with magic a hundred years after the last spell was cast.
- Wild animals were also scarce and it took a long time beforenature recuperated.
- Humans were in disarray and many tribes joined up in order to survive.
- Survivors told stories of the wars and their ancestors' bravery.
- Humanity was slowly restored, halflings were travelling around helping and carrying news and no one had seen dwarves for a hundred years.
The Rise of the Nine Kings
- Nine chieftains rise in different parts of the Midrealm, creating the first kingdoms
- Many stories exist of their prowess and love and war between them
- Generally considered an amazing time and many epic stories
- A couple of great wars between dragons and hawks
- Humans are on different sides of the conflicts
- Dwarves and halflings also join
- Wars against crazy individual hawk/dragons
- Last war was against a hawk, some dragons supported
- This is where the Dwarven stronghold Kahz Valdahaz is ruined
- Seven (or something) generations pass
- The most powerful King doesn't marry, has hundreds of illegitimate children
- There has always been mystics and seers and healers
- A group of mystics call themselves Warlocks and start joining sides in battles
The Warlock Wars
- Warlocks join up to form the Black Nettle
- Nettle topples three kingdoms in one night, claims ownership of them
- Very oppressive, slave trade increases
- Other kingdoms get very nervous, starts discussions
- Mystics of all sorts are persecuted by regular people across the kingdoms
- An underground network of understanding nobles and a small collection of mystics start The Sickle, with intention to cut down the Warlocks
- Warlocks use their powers to create Servants (powerful slave warriors) and Stuarts (slave warlocks) by infusing demonic essence into people.
- Warlock armies, aided by dark shapes, attack another neighbouring Kingdom and crushes it
- Remaining five kingdoms mobilise
- Peace talks; Warlocks want obedience
- Assassins hired from the far south manages to kill the leader and top 3 Warlocks
- Temporary confusion among the casters as internal politics stops most activity
- Five kingdoms attack
- Warlocks fall in under a temporary leader
- Large Kingdom army burned as the sun leaks down on the fields - Firefall
- Sickle create an earthquake on the Black Nettle main fortification
- Warlocks agree to a truce implying some form of surrender
- Leaders gather in middle of new battle field, much greater numbers for Kingdoms
- Ground becomes black and dark wispy claws drag kings and servants down into black shadows
- Warlock army attacks, routing Kingdom armies, killing many
- Warlocks claim large areas of lands and many new farmers
- Kingdoms in disarray
- Warlocks sorts out leadership (takes long time)
- Low officer soldier, bastard son of popular king, starts rallying troops, orders queens to organise supply routes - The Halned the Mageslayer of the Uldin family
- Mageslayer already veteran with early teen children
- Allies with Sickle
- Sieges outlying Warlock fort, takes some losses but win. Captures exhausted Warlock
- Warlocks see it as minor uproar, ignores it
- Sickle interrogates warlock, learns much
- Possessed sensitive to bloodlead, rare lead compound seen as waste because so soft. Can be mixed with iron, less effective but hard and usable
- Warlocks gain energy from a demon heart in central castle
- Mines with bloodlead reopened, soldiers help the work
- Runners sent out to further away kingdoms and chieftains
- Army gathered
- Splits army so largest force is in outskirts. No bloodlead weapons, but new tactics
- Disarrayed Warlocks think it's the entire opposition and sends out majority of army
- Keep many Servants and Stuarts
- Meanwhile a smaller army with bloodlead has worked way through Warlock lands
- A week after army left, the stealth army groups up and attacks the Servant areas and takes over the castle in one night, capturing the Warlocks that were left and fighting their way down the catacombs towards the heart
- Comes to standstil quickly and main army returns haistily
- Kingdom army ignores fortifications and runs towards main Warlock army to halt their progress
- Warlock army arrives, stealth army blocks themselves in castle cellar with all supplies they can, works on getting further down catacombs, brings ballista, limited arrows
- Warlock army stopped in cellar and then main army arrives, battles outside, city walls breached
- Population joins Kingdom army
- Fort armies hit Kingdom army in back, some die, block up city wall with rubbish and hold attackers out. live off of city supplies
- Continues couple of days, cellar runs almost out of food
- Stealth party kills guardian demons deep in the ground and then stabs heart with bloodlead knife
- Warlocks scream out in pain, falls unconscious, lost powers
- Servants and Stuarts die, a couple survives, flees
- Warlock wars are over, local celebrations
The Barbarian Conquest
- Tribes that had not pledged help saw their chance for riches, started plundering border towns
- Some want noble rights
- The Mageslayer gets support from the queens and temporary Stewarts are inserted in the Warlock kingdoms
- Some noble family individuals worried about lineage, starts an official Register, gets funds from combined families and a little bit of land to sustain it
- A war with very many factions start, general alliances quickly forged
- Mystics on both sides, Sickle only official group, many uninterested in joining
- Lots of to and fro, stops for winter generally and mostly lets farmers plant seed
- Mageslayer outdone by his son Helfram, called the Conqueror and the Housetamer by people - Helfram Housetamer Uldin
- War goes generally well with a few major defeats
- As it seems barbarian tribes are giving up, Mageslayer declares himself Emperor, alienating many families
The Midrealm Conquest
- Internal wars start, Sickle sides with Mageslayer (irony)
- Mageslayer killed in semi-early battle, Conqueror takes over entirely
- Conqueror marries in to other powerful house, gaining support
- Conqueror has daughter
- War goes to and fro
- Another three daughters, worry among allies
- Wins large battle, night of battle a boy is born, allies rejoice, enemies disheartened
- Has second boy
- Has four more daughters
- Enemy ferocity diminishes because of draught, but barbarians reemerge
- Wars grind to halt as both sides deals with barbarians
- Conqueror deals with barbarians better than enemies and secure more food
- Oldest daughter married to strengthen internal power
- Rise a successful general to Lord, creates a Knight class of mini-lords
- Marries second daughter to very popular officer
- More marriages
- Peace with northern tribes through marrying strongest leader's only daughter with oldest son
- Younger son, Harald, (Harald the Builder Uldin) more interested in buildings, but marries
- Builder improves on fortifications and quality of siege weaponry
- Starts building quality roads to improve warfare
- Older son Degnan Strongarm Uldin has some success on battlefield
- Older son has child
- Older son dies on battlefield, protecting his home town with wife and child
- The event rises the spirit of the North and hordes of unknown northmen
- Builder starts having children, mainly girls
- Last 10 or so years of war
- Final gargantuan battle, massive losses on both sides and Conqueror dies
- Builder takes over, manages to aim ballista to impale opposition leader and routs remaining army
- Starts to plan for long term peace
The Prosperous Times
- Over-all name of time until the Lidgast the Ruiner Uldin
Conquest finishing
- Harald Builder's many daughters are married to improve internal politics
- Rickhart (Engineer) Uldin, only son, very young and not married off
Pre-build
- Locating good harbours
- Scrying locations for bedrock/types
- Capitoleum location selected
- Building plans for basic such as walls and roads.
- Builder reserves plans for university site
- Church pays up front in cash for building site for large church
- Church is at this point a collection of differently run churches and slightly different traditions. Effort is made to unify them in the Council of Faith.
The Great Build
- Name of the whole period of the Builder
Build initiation
- Using river for fresh water. Dumping illegal in north
- Taking control of the ruined twin forts for outer protection
- Earliest fort (wood/tents)
- Sickle magic-enhanced crops
- 2 windmills for stonecutting (sledded)
- Building camps
- Starting soil removal for inner walls
- Removing stones from wall foundations
- Starting on inner city wall
- Big market place
- First generation roads (dirt, planned)
- First noble families comfortable camps
- Royal fort (wood)
- First pier built in natural harbour
- Wooden forts for protection
Early building
- Makeshift "quarry" of removed stones created
- A lot of help from Sickle giving workers more strength and stamina
- Restoring ourer forts for 3/4 of garrison housings
- Sickle strikes deal to help more extensively and gets a building site for free included
- More windmills, set on gigantic sleighs
- Many noble families that were provided food donated large amounts of manpower on top of requests. A great sense of accomplishment and also internal power shifting between houses.
- More formal noble council set up
- First council of houses held with Builder
- General purpose plans drawn up and handed out to houses
- Area in and a lite around walls cleared of rocks and some areas levelled
- Main inner city (city) roads planned in detail and built. "Plenty" of space, made with gravel and sand so they don't change size much in winter. Large and smaller slabs used in familiar pattern (also to avoid ground frost problems).
- Foundations for permanent estates among noble houses
- Two additional piers and now a sprawling temporary harbour and a shipping marketplace for bulk trade
- Survey started of the recently found cave system beneath the building site not found in scrying. Very ambitious young person from newly opened Haldean University conducting it. Very detailed maps created. Concluded they are structurally very sound (surprisingly sound!) and then filled up and ignored.
- More detailed plans for entire city drawn up with noble houses. Builder in charge. Most noble houses felt honoured etc.
- Power struggle among houses continue
The inner city construction
- More and better windmills made
- Inner city walls completed
- Castle walls completed
- Great Keep construction started
- Inner city foundations almost done
- Several noble houses estates done
- Cobbled marketplace done
- Most roads done
- A very large sprawling shanty town
- A couple more piers
- Harbour area grown more
- Started on fortifications at harbour mouth
- Finish repairing outer forts' walls
The great build plans
- Great plans to build a ring wall around shanty town
- Lots of discussions on size
- Politics, gaining support
- Sickle offers to help creating massive moat out of river rather than going through
- Church tries to gain more power with little success
- Son (Engineer) surveys maps and the underground tunnels. Conducts further surveys himself, with the original guy. Finds they lead to ocean on both sides of the city. Dislikes the smell of new city, suggests blocking up some of them to create a fresh water system and a waste removal system, draws this with guy. They become fast friends. Few people dislike it. (They are gay.)
- Sewer idea presented to Builder who is intrigued
- Building inner city continues
- Some outer fortifications finished
- More nobles' estates done
- Politics continue
- Engineer starts campaign among shanty town for a wall for them. Great support.
- Builder supports the campaign, many minor houses joins the effort
- Detailed plans are drawn
- Idea behind great road network drawn up
The great build starts
- Work starts under ground
- Plans for the waterways planned out
- Locks created in many places (double)
- Sickle makes the metal free of rust
- Sickle makes wooden doors free of rot
- Sickle suspends water so an entrance can be made by river in North
- Entrance is made and water released with much apprehension
- It works! Few minor places of missed caves that were fixed manually, but Engineer praised high. Shares credit with friend.
- Water Gate work starts, Sickle keeps area water free. To start with, plan is for full river to through here regardless.
- Work starts on massive ditch well around city
- Foundation for wall starts
- Debt exchange to King from house for craftsmen start, popular
- Impopular with houses
- Work starts on kingdom-wide road network of quality roads
- Wealth starts accumulating everywhere
- Builder swings in favour among everyone
- Houses struggles for Builder's favour
- Many (newly) wealthy business families start building estates
- Inner city is almost full in terms of paid-for land slots
- Some changes to existing design to allow better waste removal
Engineer feats
- Church finished, several smaller churches added in outer city. People casually attend. Frustration among clergy.
- First canal plans drawn up by Engineer
- Roads finished to nearby major cities
- Work starts to dredge the harbour
- Major outer city roads constructed
- Waste removal plan created by Engineer
- Particular areas in outer city prep for markets and first houses
- Waste removal implemented in areas
- Some shanty houses destroyed for small fee (people like it)
- Citizen get opportunity to buy well-planned slots and get free construction help in exchange for a large loan
- Register starts keeping track of loans and debts
- Ditch and outer wall foundations finish
- With help of Sickle, Engineer and friend opens the new moat. Central river still through town.
- Work on Sickle tower commences
- Foundation work on cathedral commences
- Wooden buildings for the university erected. Lots of cooperation with Haldean university, which is ahead.
- Team of architect students draw up more detailed canal plans. Engineer receives, makes final changes and propose to Builder. It is agreed to make.
- Building of canals start in inner city
- Canals planned with flush locks
- River is getting dirtier, some people sick
- Sickle helps making stone drill to drill for water. Succeeds.
- A number of wells are set up (not crossing tunnels)
- Recognised that Well water will not be enough for entire city
- Preboiled milk starts to become popular
- Ice from mountain lakes starts being imported to warehouses and noble house cellars, insulated
- Sickle starts selling Coldstones, stones that are -20 degrees cold and last for a month in air, a week if repeatedly dipped in water. Bought back for fraction of cost.
- Engineer and friend goes back to caves and does more mapping with teams of university students, looks over old maps
- Engineer and student group proposes changes to system to allow two separate ones; one for waste removal and one for fresh water supply
- Builder approves new plans
- Tunnel reconstruction starts with Sickle help. Is done within a year.
- At a housing construction there is an accident and Builder dies saving commoner children.
The Engineering
- Sub-name if Prosperous Times of the biggest engineering feats
Completions
- An incredibly large funeral and many days of partying celebrating the life of the Builder and the Uldin family
- Engineer takes over with heavy heart
- A couple of years of national depression, lowers economy a bit
- A new trade partner found further south through sea routes and the Great Road (later "The Coins") connects more cities increasing trade
- The kingdom clears the depression as the Engineer gets more into his job
- Major dredging close to shore completed
- Sturdy harboursides and piers planned and started
- Piers remain mainly wooden and the harbourside is made of stone
- Serious discussions of the Engineer needing a wife
- Minor rumours of his male friend
- Wife is announced, rumours abate
- Inner city almost fully built
- Sickle has large area but small building; wasn't that well planned
- Church use significant portion of its wealth to buy Sickle's land patch to build cathedral. Begrudgingly takes some help from Sickle, indebted to the mages.
- Church structure starts becoming more coherent
- Sickle original building taken apart and foundations laid for the Church
- Sickle buys very large area in the west at a big junction and starts from scratch
- Sickle gets single child noble house wizard who is very influential
- Wizard noble starts selling off land and assets, buys a couple of smaller estates around his own and new construction. The armed forces of the noble becomes the new core of Sickle militia. Nobleman loves towers. Starts to make a Sickle chapter in inner city
- Sickle final designs of both tower complexes finished and buildings begins. Some debates but in the end not much to do about it, as Noble Wizard has so much political power.
- Sickle starts gaining popularity (still not very popular) and gain new blood in their ranks
- Many Noble families send their offspring to Sickle for basic mystical knowledge, most has new skills, but Sickle wants more positive contact. It backfires slightly when a young Noble man use magic to rape a girl. Sickle punishes the noble man, gaining some general support and losing some noble support.
- Sickle starts crystallising into the Circles
- Wall gates finished
- Waterfront fortifications finished
- Attempted invasion thwarted with combined help from all forces, including Sickle
- Engineer starts to create medals for valour etc
- Decided to construct a harbour chain
- Catapults added to all towers
- Harbour Office gaining much more power, registering all ships and passengers
- City guard mobilised better, registration of all comings and goings
- Register starts adminustrating it and takes copies of harbour material
- Peacebinding starts
- Crime decreases
- Guilds come together as response to harbour office powers. Chamber of Commerce created.
- After a few years without child, Engineer's wife is ill with pneumonia in a summer house and dies. Kingdom mourns and Engineer demands publicly to Church and Sickle to find cures to stop mourning of the peoples.
- Engineer throws himself entirely in his work and also keeps check on politics.
- Engineer starts filling out medal sorting to things like building and other support. Creates a Knight's Order in the name of the medals. First proper Knight's Order.
- New wife announced after a few years. Engineer now middle aged.
- Keep finished
- Large celebrations throughout kingdom for the buildings and lasting peace
- Engineer's friend is given various medals, also others. Wife very angry.
- Wife has a child. It's a small sized boy that does not have the same colouring as his father.
- Does not have siblings. Gets spoiled by his mother.
- Engineer neglects his wife and relies heavily on his friend.
- Massive work done in city and the roads.
- Continued interest in buying slots and taking loans.
- Shanty towns moves about but almost gone.
- Highest belief in the Kingdom ever
End of the Prosperous Times
- Lidgast "the Breaker" Uldin (or Ruiner), as a 25-year old, takes over as father dies
- Ruiner has had plenty of education, but is uninterested
- City sees several large celebrations
- Ruiner has several betrothed that he breaks up (and MANY secret "weddings")
- Bribes high up Church officials
- Some administrational neglect
- The five most powerful houses come together to suggest they take over particular administrational facet, Ruiner is happy
- When that issue is done they look at others and suggest solutions to Ruiner who is happy to allow it
- Cash runs out and loans are taken to support the lavish lifestyle and many parties
- Banks start properly appearing
- Nobles start asking for the Ruiner to get married, he doesn't reply kindly
- Most nobles lost respect by now
- Walls are done, much construction work finished and though the royal family have loads of debts, it also has a lot of potential money in debts too it
The Ruining
- Economy starts suffering and corruption increases
- Church population increases, many soup kitchens open for homeless and poor
- Poor houses open
- 11-year old noble daughter accidentally starts fire with unrecognised magic ability
- Oil storage burns wildly and a large part of the city is in flames
- Sickle is essential in putting it out, gains positive reputation
- Raised awareness of the dangers of untrained gifts. People of all walks of life more likely to report children and adults.
- More work but also more mages
- King approved detection spell and replacement of all lamps, making oil salesmen and lighters angry
- Large amounts of cases of rape reported in short time span
- Laws banning alcohol and other drugs are employed to stop it
- Thieves' guilds start popping up and the Thug War begin
- City guard helpless or bribed
- Economy heading down
- The Cathedral finished as are many smaller churches around the city
- Ruiner found raping a woman together with a group of friends. Was not contained. Public outcry.
- A pact was made by the five strongest noble houses and a coup was made, killing the Ruiner and his mother. There was some rumbling but no other noble house or commoner complained openly. The families married in to the royal family are part of the five.
The Tumult
- Shortly after the coup, wars broke out in all of the kingdom. The Capitoleum was spared most of it but building outside of the city more or less stopped
- The five managed to keep control of their own lands (mostly) and Capitoleum, granting them trading riches as well as the debts (to the crown and from the crown).
- Many debts to faraway noble houses were cancelled after their hostilities but the five could not keep the kingdom together
- The Church started gaining a lot of power as they sold favours from Rahn to different factions and they were seen in a favourable light by ordinary people
- At this point, some of the followers had gifts of Rahn and genuinely believed a stronger church would mean better lives for the people
- The Sickle, which had been close to the King were thrown away a bit and started accumulating a larger army
- Sickle finished its buildings and did what they could to stay in favour
- Church continued to preach and together with the five, they managed to get control of Capitoleum again and spread their teachings widely as peace slowly returned (as promised).
- The Family Register gained a lot as they incorporated the coup into their administration and as small mercenary bands overtook the smallest noble houses it created praxis for becoming nobles. Because of the fact that many of these events were useful to a lot of factions, it was considered fair play.
- The Governors appointed new nobles as well as rewards from combat (and a few treasurers), widening the praxis further
- For each of the events throughout the Tumult, the Register gained reputation as fair and just
The Calm
- Lasted a hundred years
- Conflicts started to die down as there was more a lack of soldiers and more focus ended up on intrigue
- Each house started calling themselves Kings and Queens and the praxis was added to the Register
- A deadly calm with occasional conflicts emerged
- The Council of Houses gained power and the Governors had to deflect intrigue and wars
- Armed conflicts still emerged and a complex puzzle of alliances and animosities emerged
- The Governors also expanded the trade routes, gaining them more power as well as allies and enemies
- The Church became significantly more corrupt and departed greatly from its original calling. This was unknown to the common people, however, and used by nobles.
- Some religious people felt a true calling and tried to improve the Church. Instead they were appointed travelling preacher status with warnings that if they criticised the Church they would worse than die.
- It all lulled people in to a sort of security and focus became trade and mutual respect (or hate).
History of the Dwarves
This is also rough notes just added on here.
Creation
- Though created, the mortal Dwarves actually saves their creator, Krohdin at an earlier point
Ancient history
- War with dragons/hawks, similar times to the Capitoleum basin (same hundreds of years)
- A time when Dwarves were had recently begun transferring their closeness to the mountains for intelligence, crafting and tools.
- Significantly made them less durable but going from near-stone intelligence to humanlike int.
- After the Capitoleum basin was sure to happen, Dwarves started looking for a way to retreat.
- Krohdin, God of dwarves saw their plight and offered them one of his eyes to find it.
- Found the massive pitch quartz lode.
- Showed the place to the dwarves.
- Krohdin joined the battles to slow the Dragon advance.
- Dwarves worled frantically, careless to the point of ruining large percentage of their tools.
- Within solid lode, there isn't deep ground water
- Lode is around sea level in a mountain close to sea.
- Lode is almost horizontal.
- A few years later the dragons still found the Dwarves. Betrayed by a dwarf in a particular clan.
- This clan is to this day shunned, though they condemned the betrayal.
- Betrayal was by high-up and would ensure that clan as rules of the dwarves whn dragons won.
- Krohdin stalls advancing army
- Many dwarves fight
- Much of allies do not join, Krohdin is alone
- Cursory attacks on flanks from allies
- Fights retreating towards the lode-bearing mountain
- Reach mountain, Dwarves still some way away from even dislodging the lode.
- Krohdin strikes the mountain, embedding large portion of self in stone.
- Pushes stone into the sea
- Inadvertently sets pleochroism of mineral outwards
- Imbues "gem" with protective properties; as there was Dwarves inside it, makes it float, and resist a lot of punishment
- Direct link to his life essence
- Creates large amount of "impurities" in the centre (mitril and the like plus a lot of less useful minerals)
- Krohdin cares not for own life, strikes hard against advancing army with little care for self
- Gem floats, evacuates all women and children who have fled there. Runners sent out to other camps
- Krohdin and last stand of Dwarves die, betrayal dwarf survives, subjugates his clan with dragon help
- Krohdin is killed but as dragons attempt to consume spirit they realise it's in the gem at sea
- Dragons destroy mountain with ferocity. Notices large part is missing. Realise about gem. Insane but only answer.
- Gem floats "quickly" to sea, towards the circumfering water jet stream
- Most refugee survivals reach the gem before it reaches stream, many still miss it.
- Dragons pursuing it can't find it, hidden amongst the waves (low lvl intelligence protects it).
Dwarves survive
- In all, hundreds of dwarves survived (300-600? +200 "evil" dwarves? +150 clanless refugees?).
- Dwarves on board tries to start making life for themselves.
- Takes up fishing and when close to shores, whaling.
- Use limited tools to work on hollowing the gem further; obvious the magic holding it afloat is ebbing
- Starts mining, smelting and the like.
- Finds true heating stones and freezing stones.
- Crafts things, a lot of items of various impurities as well as pitch quartz
Dragon Wars conclude
- Dragon wars conclude. Part reason for victory was the sustained delay of the army trying to kill dwarves.
- Elves, affected humans and gods show thanks to the Dwarves by sacrificing things to the World-all.
- The World-all isn't sentient but the echo imbues the gem further and sharpens the minds of dwarves further and makes them more hardy
- This created the first versions of Rahn religion
- This takes only 10-20 years in total
- The total amount of damage and pain makes the World-all also banish gods. Many connections the same.
- Such as using "mortal" minds as refinery for magic power ("channeling"/clerical/believers).
After X years...
- After X years, reaches close to same shores (other shores not civilised at this time)
- Trades with primitive humans for various things but mainly food
- This goes on for long time (thousand years)
- Boyancy goes down but mining also lessens weight
- Starts to recover as a people.
- Finds mysticism and magic
- Starts experimenting with submarines and underwater gear
- ??Primitive gear enables dwarves to carve protective runes OR add metal bands with runes on outside??
- Either way, much improvements happen over 1000 years: careful to make sure not puncturing the work
- Long life spans and slow generations menas not that many dwarves by modern times
- Sometime during this time, the great prophet of Rahn and the modern revival of the religion happens
- Ending times, the thing starts to be full, Dwarves move more to lands, distrust the betrayer clan
- Dwarves continue to worship their sleeping god which is slowly recuperating.
- This god is NOT banished and will be able to walk the earth. Or so the story goes...