History of Istaria

The Five Ages of Our land and Our Sixth Age

The First Age: The Age of Gods

The most mysterious of the five ages, the Age of Gods is the beginning of our knowledge of History.  This was when the races came to being, through means unknown, though undoubtedly the secret lies within the deepest legends and stories of each race, for each race was alone in the beginning.  Alone, in terms of contact with the other races, but each race still had their god, and were not alone in Istaria.  While it could be debated endlessly whether or not the Gods truly walked Istaria during this time, and shaped the fortunes of the world, the belief of each race in their god most likely did shape the fortunes of the world.  The First Human city of Jarl was founded during this age for Religious purposes, strengthening that idea of gods shaping the World.

The Second Age: The Age of the Dragon

The other races still not yet holding great influence in the world, the Dragons shaped Istaria as greatly as the Gods had before.  During this age did Dragon Civilization reach its zenith, and did humankind bow down before them.  While many bowed in reverence, others bowed in fear, and secretly plotted the downfall of the “Beasts.”  Every thing that rises must fall, and while the Dragons did not come crashing to extinction, their civilization divided forever.  The opposed views of Lunas and Helian, a dragon Warrior and Scholar respectively, brought about the Great Schism.  Lunas believed in Domination of the “lesser” races, in the superiority of Dragons.  Helian believed that the Superiority of Dragons should encourage their kind to guide and rule, rather than conquer.  Peacefully, the Helians left the Dragon Home, and founded Chiconis, amidst the living races.  This is also the age in which the City of the Half-Giants first came to be written.

The Third Age: The Age of the Warrior-Kings

This is the Age in which humanity ceased to be a wandering nomadic people, and united to form their civilization, no longer in servitude to the Dragons.  Vandus, their first great king, also named “The Good King,” brought their unification, and founded the City of Tazoon, naming it the “Capital of Istaria”.  This is also the age in which the Sslik were ruthlessly slaughtered as savage primitive beasts, not the intelligent, pain feeling race they were and are.  Fleeing persecution, they arrived at Lesser Aradoth, and founded Sslanis, their fortress home, built to prevent their annihilation, which thankfully never came.  Sslanis would later become a great trading city between the Humans, who overcame their flawed view of the Sslik, and the Saris, their friendly neighbors, who also appeared different than many of the other races. 

The Fourth Age: The Age of the Sorcerer

The Ascension of the Sorcerer, Torrin Macalir, went unnoticed during this age, as the living races stood upon the brink of war over ideals, hatred, and fear.  The Elves and Dryads sought to cleanse the world of the Orcish and Goblin abominations, the Welger sought to gain political influence by stealing Gnomish and Dwarvish lands, and the Satyr sought to gain economic influence by trading to all parties.  Humans were near war with the Fiends, the necromancers and warlocks who were driven from Human Society to the frigid north, and worshiped a new god, who guided them to survival, and changed them from human to fiend.  The Dragons participated in all conflicts, meddling for their own petty disputes.  And during the upheaval, and argument, the greatest practitioner of magic in Istaria delved into necromancy and sorcery.  As his power grew, so did his corruption, and after learning to master the Plane of Blight, he took control of the beings of undead in the far east, as well as beings from the Plane of Blight, and began to bind the Plane of Blight to the Prime Material Plane, bringing darkness upon the east, which steady moved west as his armies poured towards the fragmented living races.  The Elves, Gnomes, and Dwarves, proud races, and the races who dwelled furthest east, united and built a great wall to hold back the undead.  They thought the vicious, but mindless undead would break on the wall like water on stone, but they did not take into account the genius of Torrin Macalir. 

The Fifth Age: The Age of Lamentations

When the Withered Aegis reached the wall, the beasts and mages shattered the great wall, and the undead poured forth into Aughundell, Feladan, andRachival.  First the Gnomes of Rachival were driven back, and then the Elves in Feladan, and the Dwarves trapped in Aughundell, and the Withered Aegis came thundering across all of Aradoth.  Bickering between the Living Races ceased as their very existence was threatened, and for thirty years the war raged on, and hope died for the living races.  At long last came the strike at Tazoon, where Torrin Macalir and his Armies sought to destroy the living races forever, but the outnumbered gnomes, humans, and elves were aided by the dragons and fiends, and then a Knight of Creation named Ryson Stormbringer activated a great artifact that destroyed beings who were from, and who touched, the Plane of Blight, and the leadership of the Withered Aegis was shattered, their unity destroyed, and the Lament ended.

The Sixth Age:  Our Age

The Withered Aegis fell apart after Tazoon, no longer invading, but remaining in their claimed lands, each necromancer and demon commanding his own part of the cabal.  Ten years have passed without a major conflict, and the undead stir.  It is believed that soon the Withered Aegis will resume their war, and the Living Races have the Gifted, the unexpected result of experimentation, to stand steadfast.  The Sixth Age has just begun, and has much yet to be.