Aldern (ALL dern)
the World
Aldern is the only known planet in Alanspace, orbiting the star Uatu (commonly called 'the Sun'). Two moons orbit Aldern, Ahura, ‘the Grey Wanderer,’ and Ahrima, ‘the White Wanderer.’
Though rarely used, as most refer to the planet they live on as ‘the World,’ the name of the world comes from the archaic Dai language, meaning ‘Alu’s world’ or, more literally, “God’s material creation.’ While this name the primarily used by the Jenuwan Order, other variations exist and are used. ‘Aalem’ is the world name throughout the major continent of Dergonhad. The name ‘Al Seka’ to the people of Na Boon. To the Dwarf, the world is 'Aorde' or 'Alrpo,' depending on the time in history. Alrpo is found in the most ancient carvings, while Aorde is currently used, appearing around the beginning of the Lakorthian Age.
The Jenuwan divide the planet into two halves, the Light Hemisphere and the Dark Hemisphere, divided by the Oceanic Meridians, north/south lines through the Cota Ocean and Criup Ocean, both roughly halfway between the major continents on opposite sides of the planet. These terms come about due to the Jenuwan Order working primarily on the continent of Ethae in the light hemisphere. As their homeland, they have aquired massive amounts of knowledge on this hemisphere's life, myth, and history. Records from the other side of the planet have been limited throughout history, thus dark regarding expertise.
While Aldern does have an equator and scholars use the terms north and south, respective of this, no Jenuwan nor any other historian or cartographer has ever used the term hemisphere regarding dividing Aldern into north/south hemispheres. Though there is the occasional reference to the "noble north" and the "savage south" regarding the hemispheric divide of the equator, these terms are considered uncouth and rarely used. To the world's inhabitants, hemispheres only refer to the two sides of the world, east and west, with oceans inbetween them.
Aldern has several large landmasses across its surface. The two largest, known as the major continents. These are Ethae at the heart of the light hemisphere and Dergonhad dominating the dark. Two lesser or minor continents are recorded as well and found in the dark hemisphere: Na Boon, an archipelago northeast of Dergonhad, and Uluru to the southeast. In the light hemisphere, it is hazy regarding the term continent. Technically, Ethae exists as the only continent in the light hemisphere. Ethae, however, is broken up into three, what some might consider subcontinents, called Reaches-The Northern Reach, Novyum, the Southern Reach, Jerain, and the Western Reach, Anbar. There is some academic debate on whether the Isle of Iracro, off the northeast of Ethae, is considered a large island, part of Novyum, or a minor continent of its own. Finally, the polar caps of Aquilo in the north and Arkato in the south are also considered lesser continents. Rarely shown on any maps, they stand largely forgotten by most.
History
While many of the nations and regions have their own system of tracking the years, the Jenuwan Order uses the Siduum Calendar as a universal system to keep track of history. The longest continuous nation of antiquity, Ancient Siduum created the dating system used by modern scholars as a base for their own calendars. While commonly believed that year zero of the calendar is the founding of Ancient Siduum, that nations dates its origins to two thousand years later. The true marking of year zero of the calendar being the passing of Aterleg from the world, dividing the mythological periods of the most ancient past from the ages of the written word.
History is divided into two major eras, the Prehistoric Periods and the Historical Ages. The four Prehistoric Periods covers a time when oral tradition is kept, rather than the written word. This time is considered as much of legends and myth as historical fact, with the two often melding together into a common record. On the other side of year zero are the six Historical Ages. A time when the written word has been mastered and spread, leading to more accurate records kept and passed on. Each of the Historical Ages spans the Celestial Cycle, a twelve-hundred years timeframe of a single orbit of Juva and Uatu around each other. This timing system is attributed to the Prehistoric Periods as well, though there is much haze in dates and facts of those most ancient days.
Prehistoric Periods
The dates given to the Prehistoric Periods are conjecture by the Jenuwan Order, rather that concrete facts. The order used the Celestial Cycle developed by Ancient Siduum to come by these dates, attributing the twelve-hundred years of a cycle to the past periods. Though few, if any, consider dates before year zero as hard facts, they are still applied to help records stay chronological and constant.
The Randond Period was estimated to roughly ten thousand years into the past from the modern day. According to Jenuwan records the Randond beings at 4800 pre-sc. It is considered the time when Alu created the world and the golden race of man live in peace in the Garden of Aterleg.
The Randeny Period in many ways a continuation of Randond. A time of harmony in a world whose creation was still unfolding. Mankind spread across the land. The period, like the Randond Period before it, is steeped in more mystery and legend than facts. These legends tell of the period ending in the event known as the Aggelomachy, an angelic war in both the heavens and the world. The Aggelomachy lasted, by all accounts, a century leaving the world devastated.
It is in the Randagri Period that the world rebuilds after the heavenly war. Destruction from the Aggelmachy left Aldern in an ice age. Retreating from the ice, first civilizations begin forming. The period ends with another devastating world event, the arrival of Gilgurth, though legends claim it as the arrival a great dragon burning the skies and sweeping the oceans over the land with his tail, in truth it is an impact event that caused massive destruction, but also started the ending of the ice age that had fallen over the Aldern.
The last of the Prehistoric Periods is the Randeris Period. It is during this time that civilizations truly begin to flourish and spread as the ice of the previous eras finally melt away. Metal is being used, writing is appearing, communities that have been isolated begin networking for trade and communication. The mystical prehistory ends with the founding the Eta Esse civilization. A nation that first shifted the simple gathering up people together for safety into a cohesive organized civilization. According to Elf telling, the Periods Era end and the Ages Era begins at year zero, with the disappearance of Aterleg from the world.
Historical Ages
For the most part scholastic recordings of the Historical Ages divide it into two eras, the ‘Ancient Ages’ and the ’Modern Ages.’ With the later consisting of the Lakorthian and Novyum ages, while the former includes all others. The scribes of the Northern Trijan Church often refer to these as the ‘Racial Ages’ and the ‘Civilized Ages’ respectively.
The Edian Age marks the beginning of ‘true’ history. The primary Jenuwan dating system, using the Siduum Calendar, considers the begins of the Edian Age as year zero. The written word spreads and civilizations grow around the globe. Sometimes referred as ‘the Age of Bronze’ as technology advances through these growing populations. The Dwarf spread their holdings across the Cutting Mountains, while the elves through Karasaanu. Dragon worship is at it height through this age as mankind fall away from Alu and serve dragon-gods.
Wars between the dragon worshipping civilizations and the budding Areian Nations comes to mark the transition from the Edian Age to the Areian Age with elven victory. Though dominating, areian control of most of the known world brings a spread of knowledge, magic, and technology to all people, It is the ‘Age of Coalition,’ when many the great nations raise under this peaceful world the elves forge. Nations like Ancient Siduum, one of the longest and most influential human countries, are born. The age transitions in 2400sc with the height of magical and technological achievements as the areians and kephic people, together, raise mountains into the sky.
History records the raising of Mount Poe into the clouds in 2400sc as the beginning of the Kephic Age. Of all the ancient ages of Aldern, the Kephic Age is the most well know. Be it by careful planning, luck, or divine providence, the tales of events throughout these twelve hundred years have been recorded, rerecorded and saved through the generations more than any other. Know as the 'Age of Heroes' it is the time when the Areian Nations burn, the unity of the past is shattered and every nation on Aldern fight to remain or fall into history. The dwarf of the Cutting Mountains become the center of political and economical power and influence, filling the void that the elves left. The dwarven people keep the old trade and communication networks intact, but do not hold the continent in the iron grip like the areians. They remain in their central empire, letting the people figure out their own problems. Few outsiders are allowed into the mountains to keep the chaos out of the kephic civilization. The empire only interfering when matters disrupted their lives. It is during this age that the idea of Ethae being divided between the three reaches; the Northern, Western and Southern, is solidified in the peoples mind. A long standing view of the kephic people who’s empire divided the continent around it.
The Valmon Age followed the Kephic, starting in 3600sc. It is near the began the age that the heroic era of the pervious years vanished in the the Black Collapse. A three-hundred-year period seeing the collapse of every major civilization across Aldern, starting from the weakening of the Kephic Empire from internal civil war. A chain-reaction spreading outward. Very few records surviving from the time to explain anything beyond this. Many scholars, especially in the Northern Reach consider this event as the transition from the ancient mythical history to a more modern factual history. As the Collapse era ended around 4200sc, records began appearing once more. New civilization grew across the lands. Ancient Siduum, one of the few surviving nations of the Collapse became the new power on the continent of Ethae, with Lakorth growing in its shadow as a rival it near the end of the age.
At the turning of the age, Lakorth becomes the new power on the continent of Ethae, giving rise to the name of this age as the Lakorthian Age. The three ages prior to 4800sc were set apart by the dominate race of the time, with the coming of Lakorth the ages would now be defined by a dominate nation, though primarily human, it integrated the others great races as equals. Lakorth spreads it dominion across Ethae, both for the good and the ill of all. Lakorth's power buffered the rising threat of the Orc that brought down Ancient Siduum. But, it’s power also swept many once independent people from Aldern forever. Lakorthian influence across Ethae cannot be overstated, with much of the continent’s cultures conforming to a common language and culture. Many today, especially in the Northern Reach, would see a reflection of Lakorth in their way of life were they to research the history of their people. Though a shining beacon of its time, Lakorth’s overreach and convoluted political machine caused its rapid decline midway through the age, leaving the continent of Ethae with a new power vacuum. The latter half of the Lakorthain Age is often known as the Dark Era, a time of civil war and struggle. Warlords carved out pieces of Lakorth, creating their own kingdoms, while raiders from distant Dergonhad appear and invade, devastating the western coast of Ethae.
The Dark Era came to an end with the Lakorthian Age transitioning into the Novyum Age in 6000sc. Though it’s legacy had lasting effect, and the city of the central Northern Reach remained, Lakorth had vanished as a political power through the Dark Era of Ethae. In its place a new nation rose. Or rather several nations united with dreams of rekindling the old Lakorth glory. Something that was achieved to arguably mixed effect. This united Novyum quickly, some scholars say to quickly, recovered much of the old Lakorthian territory, forging a ‘new age’ for the people of Ethae. This new 'nation', however, was a much more militate and aggressive nation. United Novyum forced submission rather than the old ways of assimilation through alliances and cultural trade. Novyum could not sustain its aggressive growth and crumbling under its own weigh within a few centuries. While a united Novyum on paper still exists and its borders cover much of the Northern Reach, the reality is that the nation it little more than clusters of waring nobles, each working to expand their territories, each hoping to claim control of Novyum. In the Southern Reach the heritage of northern invaders has carved out the Kingdom of Marras. This nation controls much of the south. Over in the Western Reach, the vast desert and centuries of resisting the invasive nations of Lakorth and Novyum has left a fractured land of petty kingdoms with little in common beyond a fierce independent spirit.
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