History of the Hidden World

General history of the Hidden World that involves event expunged from timeline by the Church, as long as there is enough leftover data to has at least general idea of how the True History really looked like. Information is obviously imprecise here and there, due to lack of sufficiently extensive probing (with only the Church making some attempts - but then hiding most of what they discovered).

Ancient Times

Age of Myth [????-550BC]

History

It is believed that the Hidden World 'began' before the first human discovered how to write. It is so far behind that some scholars make outrageous (according to some) claims that the Old Erithean language (only scraps remained to this day) might be even the first language of Humanity, one spoken before the Babel tower 'incident'.
While such claims are almost surely misdirected, they do show just how mysterious and ancient are the beginnings of the Hidden World. It wasn't really hidden back then. Supernatural creatures still walked on the surface of Earth (or flew above it/swim in the oceans). This period - called Age of Myth by erithian scholars - wasn't extensively modified... because it didn't have to. All ancient tales of men meeting deities (or, to be exact, 'beings much more powerful than them that weren't humans') safely faded into myths, no longer given any credence by modern people.
Most of them were still. Regardless of era they live in, people are always prone to fantasize about things.
Erithians claim to originate in a place known today as Erithia. A lost kingdom that predated the discovery of iron (or even neolithic revolution, according to some) located somewhere in the Middle East. It predated even the most ancient civilizations known to Men. It might have been a magic-powered kingdom or a small tribe of hunter-gatherer. Whoever they were, they discovered magic. And things changed.
The exact source of this discovery is absolutely unknown. There are several major theories, raging from the erithians discovering the place where Adam and Eve were banished from Gardens of Eden (obviously version endorsed - with reservations - by the Church) to Four Primeval Powers contacting the humans in person (version believed by The Ascending Path). With some parascientific versions in between.
Erithians of that age were priests, de facto ruling great civilizations of the era. Their power was especially great in Egypt and Mesopotamia, but there is at least circumstantial evidence that they were present in China and India (in both cases temporarily). Their power hailed from relentless political intriguing and the early, polytheistic religions (that either shaped the Ascending Path or were shaped by it). Overtime, however, the erithians shifted from direct control to controlling the matters of state from behind the backs of various kings of the era.
The Age of Myth is believed by most scholars to have ended when the Achaemenid Empire (also called First Persian Empire) raised and conquered entire Middle East region. It was an empire that united all lands inhabited by erithians - that was also run at least partially by them.

Notes

• There is general consensus between scholars that the division between the primary magic types was blurry for the majority of that era. Black Magic as a whole fully separated itself only in the Age of Unity (though it was already noticable in late Age of Myth), under infuence of zoroastrianism.

• Which is quite ironic considering the fact that it is almost sure that Zoroaster either was a magician introducing the new common religious system heavily influenced by the Ascending Path, or simply heard something about the secret arts of Erithians and puzzled his religion from the pieces.

• Both Assyria and Babilon were great powers on the field of magic. Some claim that the magic achieved apex during their age (at least in terms of quality, quantity today is beyond compare). Church launched some hidden (yet extensive) probings into the Assyrian ruins - their militant and cruel origin baring striking resemblance to the arts and culture of the Forbidden. Results, however, are obviously secret.

• The general conquest policy of erithians of that age was to infiltrate both religious orders and government as a whole. It's biggest failure were the semithic (and mostly unimportant) tribes of Israelites. Surprisingly many details of the struggle made it to the Bible, including many battles and prophets/judges of Yahwe facing against the infilration of 'foreign gods'. Great example might be the slaughter on Mount Carmel, where prophet Elijah's miracle led to execution of 450 'prophets' of Baal. Many suggest that at least some of them were erithians.

• Opinions on the 'heretical pharaon' Akhenaten vary. Some suggest that he might have been a fanatical believer in the Sun Everlasting, others suggest more mundane source of his attempted religious reforms.

Age of Unity [550-321BC]

History

While relatively short, the Age of Unity is by many seen as the most important moment in history of the Hidden World. While the entire world was slowly shaking off the most direct 'symptom' of the existence of magic (namely, supernatural flora and fauna) this process was the fastest under the Achaemenid Empire. The first (and last) true empire of erithians. The first and last time when they were united as a political and cultural whole.
It's mostly idealized. While the true archenemy that was supposed to break the power the erithians had over big part of humanity was yet to be born (Israelites were, after all, a relatively faithful subjects of the Empire... even if their religious structures weren't compromised which made them unique within Empire), there were other enemies. Especially the Greek city-states - ignored to this point as meaningless - has scored decisive victories in wars against the Empire.
That's despite not having any magic on their disposal. The fact that majority of Erithians (especially the Forbidden) often forgets is that magic back then was very primitive. As proven by both the Mount Carmel massacre and the Greek victories, sufficiently determined people could still triumph over it.
After losing in the open war, the Erithians resorted to careful infiltration of the Greek states... only for it to fail. Mostly. There were some successes (for example the oracle of Delphi was under the erithian control at least until the hellenistic period started - but that's the time where its influences collapsed heavily) but even more losses. While first generation of magicians living overseas could - and in most cases were - loyal, that loyalty collapsed overtime leading to magicians feeling more Greek (or, in most cases, more as a citizens of their polis).
Even the unity part of that age was severely overrated.
In the end, the Greek part of erithians proved to be massively superior in terms of magic power - which is attributed mostly to intellectual and relatively progressive atmosphere in Greece, while the Persian erithians were severely outdated. On every level. While the Greek magicians never fought openly, they kept their Persian equivalent off Alexander's back.
His conquest ultimately led to shattering of the 'unity' of the erithians. Persian empire collapsed, magic spread, and the neverending war that bound erithians to the 'mundane' thrones and rulers spelled the end of the Age of Unity.

Notes

• While its often forgotten, there was at least small diaspora of erithians living in the western colonies of Phoenicia - namely, the Carthage. They were yet to play any role, as they suffered from the same magical problem as Achaemenid Empire. What's more, many of them were in fact the To-Be-Forbidden, exiled from the erithian community in Persian Empire for dabbling in wrong types of magic.

• Rome is believed to not play any role. There might have been one or two hidden Erithians amongst the Etruscan state, that ended up swallowed by the early Rome, probably originating in the Greece. If so, then they probably existed apart from their place of origins and lost most of their skills overtime.

• Some consider the creation of buddhism to originate in the cult of Void, a part of The Ascending Path. If so, then there was also some erithian influences on the Indian Peninsula.

True History

Unlike the Age of Myth, Age of Unity did suffer some... alterations. Its history was most likely rewritten during the retcon accompanying the establishment of the Hidden World (which happened around the 750 AD). The changes were, nevertheless, rather minor and it's believed that the True History didn't divert from the normal history in any major way.

• Some sources claim that Alexander the Great' conquest of Persia initially ended up much more bloody. There is some evidence suggesting that in the True History the Greek sorcerers were forced to use their magic, devastating forces of Persian Empire is several major engagements, none of which seems to correspond to known battles of Alexander the Great.

• The same sources indicate that Alexander IV - posthumous son of Alexander the Great - ascended the throne, only for the much more bloody takeover of Persia by his father leading to his overthrowning in a bloody revolt. The diadochi suppressed the revolt, and their wars continued more or less uninterrupted.

Age of Division [321BC-33AD]

History

Age of Division was a direct result of the collapse of Alexander the Great' empire. He destroyed the First Persian Empire, ruled from shadows by erithians. Before his Greek backers could build proper replacement, his mighty empire collapsed into several states ruled by diadochi. What's more, the apparent weakness of primitive eastern magic caused sudden shift of the center of erithian power westward. Right into the lands of many different powers, vying for supremacy.
There were several major events of that age, but none of it was more important than the Rome's rise to power. Conquest of Italian Peninsula (and succesful war against Pyrrhus) catapulted Rome towards the Greek culture and magic. It also led to Rome's eventual war against the Carthage. Especially the Second Punic War was of intrinsic magical meaning, as it was then that the power of first truly Forbidden-controlled country was eclipsed and shattered by Roman Republic, whose thaumaturgical arsenal expanded rapidly.
When it comes to classical thaumaturgy, its greatest power was achieved during the early to mid Age of Division. Notable reason for the Roman Republic conquests (and its final collapse into an Empire) was its superiority on the fields of magic. It was mostly written out of True History during the first rewrite, however even then the Rome remained a great power.
However, its internal decay began growing, slowly robbing the Rome of its internal strength. Republic's demise happened as it often does - its elites were simply tired of being forced to run the great empire (that massively outstretched its administrative capabilities). What followed, was a rise of a single overlord that hastened the decision making process. Together with a flood of eastern influences, as wherever a single person rules unmatched, the erithians are happy to help him.
In the end, however, the Rome became a battleground. After the Republic opened itself to influences of Greece (and through it, the diadochi states) the erithians began inflitrating the later Republic and early Empire. It was going to take centuries for the old Rome to die, but the growing eastern influences were ultimately going to be fatal.
To combat it, a group of dedicated Romans - fervent believers in the Rome as it should be - rose in arms. While the organization itself was destroyed and remade several times, all of them responding to the same set of ideals. This group was later on known commonly as Unseen Legion. According to surviving evidence, one of its creators was Cato the Elder himself. It fought against intruding eastern influences and hostile erithians as a whole... but, despite their valiant efforts, ultimately lost.
Age of Division ends abruptly, with no empire destroyed or created and most of the important events and processes still in motion. That's because of importance of the event that caused the change.

Notes

• Due to its covert nature, the Unseen Legion was never brought into a spotlight. It was certainly responsible for bloody supression of the Bachanalia in 186BC, today identified as a cult of the Rapturous Storm. Some suggest that they were behind the assasination of Gaius Iulius Caesar in a desperate attempt to restore the traditional Republic, however the evidence is inconclusive.

• Even in the remade history, magic grew in power level and complication. Especially after Rome conquered Greece. Then again, it expanded eastern influences as at this point, due to the diadochi wars and the earlier conquest of Persia, the Greek magicians changed into Persia-bis.

True History

• Rome initially had a different version of history. One much more bloody and filled with suffering. It was rewritten around 750, during first more or less confirmed reorganization of the past. It was surprising that the rewrite of the past find unanimous acceptance.

• In original history - according to evidence, that contradicts itself in many points - Rome never ruined and salted Carthage. Instead, the region was annexed into the Roman Republic after relatively brief struggle. Not only Rome stole and improved Carthage ships - but also magic. This proved to be disastrous in a long term, as Rome faced not only oriental influences through Greece, but also Phoenician from Carthage. Which - ultimately - included even worship of Moloch and child sacrifices to his glory.

• History of the Republic ended during the brief struggle between populares and optimates. Sulla - supported by overwhelming majority of Roman magicians - defeated Marius and squashed all resistance (with Gaius Iulius Caesar dying early in one of the purges). This paved the way to much earlier death fo the Republic and creation of Empire - that was much, much more brutal and oppresive. It can be easily described as Caligula, Neron and Heliogabal - over and over again, but with unmatched thaumaturgical - and military - might of the Empire that made all attempts of overthrowing the Roman Empire meaningless.

Age of Cross [33AD-750AD]

History

Most of the processes that shaped the Age of Division were still in full effect in 33AD - and were going to stay like that for more than century. However, the event that happen in 33AD in Jerusalem was groundshaking enough (even the Forbidden admit it) that it warranted making it a separate Age according to the erithian historiography.
This event was a Crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the subsequent creation of 'mainstream' Christianity by twelve Apostles (+st. Paul, and with Judas finding himself a replacement) and the to-be Erithian Catholic Church by st. Ezechiel. While initially of relatively little importance, the new religion ultimately spread far and wide. Stubborn enough to not allow the 'norma' erithian to infiltrate it - besides, it took them a while to even notice it, and even longer while to actually decide to do something about it.
What followed was a melee-a-trois between the new religion, the Unseen Legion and erithians that ruled Rome from shadows at this point. Several attempts to crack down on the Christianity failed: both terror of the erithians and a bit more subtle approach of the Legion. At the end, Rome converted to new religion, but the erithians weren't defeated. Unseen Legion, at the same time, ceased to exist. Prior to 476AD in the west, and in fifth century in the east.
It is also an age where first major historical rewrite happened, Holy Magic began existing and both Black Magic and the normal magic (divided now into Elemental Magic and Mind Magic) improved by leaps and bounds. Even the Persian Empire began improving its own, outdated thaumaturgical arsenals.
It ended around 750, when according to remaining data a major historical rewrite occured. First one, but also the one that went back the farthest, being responsible for all changes mentioned in the Age of Division.

Notes

• Christianity spread much faster among the magicians than among the common people - initially. This changed when the leadership of the Roman erithians decided that the new religion cannot be approved (which was only a confirmation of pretty obvious fact) and persecutions began. Then both sides progressed equally, however with Christian erithians being strong enough to sabotage (or at least weaken) anti-Christian campaigns of Rome.

• Unseen Legion was responsible for at least two attempts to suprress Christianity: the first were the purges during the Marcus Aureliusz reign, the second was the ascension of Julian the Apostate. Especially the latter was pretty much a last attempt, made by Legion with everything it had left. Despite initial successes, it ended up in major failure.

• Some also attribute either the Unseen Legion or erithians with the creation of arian heresy. The former suggest the attempt to destabilize and break the Christianity, while the latter indicate that the more 'state-friendly' arian heresy was an attempt by the erithians to takeover the new religion. Details are inconclusive.

• The Church approach to thaumaturgy was complicated and varied between the popes. Generally it was tolerated (with exception of Black Magic), but relatively discouraged, especially when connected with The Ascending Path worship. This led to quick collapse of the Path organised worship in the Roman Empire, splitting it into a bunch of sects known today.

True History

• Rome continued its semi-totalitarian ways, with persecutions of Christians being MUCH worse. It wasn't until the first of thaumaturgical wars - aptly called First Thaumaturgical/Magic War or War of Hatred - that the situation changed. It was a devastating conflict in which the Christian part of Rome (mostly east) fought against mostly pagan west, with barbarians, Persian Empire and the resurgent Carthage occasionally intervening. It was rewritten in the ~570AD historical rewrite, and the casualties were hidden by the plague of Antonines.

• The First Magic War ended with almost pyrrhic victory of the Christian side. Rome was converted, Carthage was burned to the ground, Persia took some lands in the east but lost it later on, and barbarians were defeated. The new Roman Empire was much calmer, but the devastation (especially of magical sense) was intense. While the classical thaumaturgy reached its apex in that era, changes had to be made.

• The Western Roman Empire colapsed in 476, the perfect coincidence being almost suspicious. Eastern Roman Empire remained, and in the west the Frankish Empire expanded rapidly. With arianism unmade, the authority of the pope in the west grew much stronger, changing it almost into a theocracy.

• Renovatio Imperii of Justinian has led to Second Thaumaturgical War (sometimes referred to as War of Murder), and a brief introduction of schism between West and East. It was brief, because quite soon after the war started something happen. Nobody is really sure what (the censorship was intense), but the Second Thaumaturgical War claimed 25 to 50 million people (attributed - after the rewrite - to several iterations of the Plague of Justinian).

• It led to almost complete collapse of Eastern Roman Empire and the ruin of West - split into several warring barbarian states, the Frankish Empire now gone and Rome burned to the ground. Which, in turn, led to the history being rewritten after the Second Thaumaturgical War ended.

• The rewrite ended with a creation of the Hidden World: While in the Middle East and other pagan lands the magic (albeit primitive) was still practiced openly, in Europe it went underground. The number of active erithians dropped after the rewrite, and the actual Hidden World, allowing the next age to progress, and the true Hidden World to emerge.

Age of Fire [750AD-1517AD]

History

Age of Fire was a long period of hidden war waged between the Catholic Church (both Roman and Erithian) against The Ascending Path and, especially, the Forbidden. The Church knew of how exactly the past knew (especially its highest echelons) and there wasn't a thing it wanted to happen less than the repetition of War of Murder.
Magic has proven (repeatedly) as a tool of opression and madness. It had to be taken under control. The Black Magic had to be expunged. The Ascending Path was a sole remaining pagan religion of some importance in Europe, which made it an even more prime target. The Ascending Path itself helped in making that decision a lot. The non-Forbidden erithians were quickly converting, the actual authority of the Path shattered. Because of that, the Forbidden were slowly growing in numbers and practically overtook the Path as a whole by year 1000, with both millenaristic armageddon cults and the cathar heresy being their doing.
It is the age where the power of the Church reached its apex. Especially in the True History - which doesn't change the fact that the Church did store their achievements during it somewhere, to be taken out of the box when needed. The wars were long and bloody, however the enemy remained relentless.
Several times it looked like the Church was all but finished. Rise of Islam - greatest of eastern heresies, considered by many to be one more plot of the extremely elusive eastern magicians - has almost brought the Christianity to its collective knees - but while many lands were lost, the invasion was stopped. When the Church was almost infiltrated to death, it was saved by those that refused to give up - firstly by the irish monks, then by the Cluny congregation.
The schism that split West and East was a great, but not decisive blow. It split the Erithian Church as well, but majority remained loyal to the West. The newly created Orthodox Church wasn't infiltrated more than Catholic Church (iconoclasm, in the same time, certainly was), and in fact continued to prosecute the Forbidden. However the thaumaturgy of the East began its long decline, which was caused by the fact that major stores of thaumaturgical artifacts and knowledge remained in papal hands.
What shattered that area was the Black Death, and the following decline of Europe that extended to the Church as well. While Forbidden at this point were practically wiped out - and last holdouts of non-Forbidden erithians were taken by Erithian Catholic Church - the collapse of the Church gave them another chance.

Notes

• Crusades weren't very magical, mostly because the Middle East lagged behind West in terms of magic (despite being a bit better in terms of science, at least on few limited fields). All out thaumaturgical war would be a suicide for eastern erithians. Papacy, in the same time, was against using it without provocation - while it would most likely end up with total victory of the Crusaders, their enemy on that front weren't Forbidden.

• Cathar heresy was certainly of Ascending Path origin, their doctrine being the same gnostic pessimism promising the dissolution of every society... at the end of which was always eastern, oriental despotism. Most of the burnings 'recorded' by history included captured Forbidden, magicians or not.

• The part with Islam being made by erithians is actually hotly contested. Lack of detailed knowledge and occasional attempts made by caliphs and other leaders of the muslim world to curb the power of erithians (at least few of them died each time a succession occured) brings some doubts. If it wasn't erithian-made, they still sized control over it right after the islamic conquests began (and especially when the zoroastrianism crumbled and people began converting to Islam - people, erithians included).

True History

• War of Wrath (also: Third Thaumaturgical War) decimated Europe in that time period. It's exact details are under absolutely tight censorship and nothing is known about fighting sides. This time, unlike the Wars of Murder and Hatred, it was pretty international. It claimed lives of nearly 200 million people during the period between 1331 and 1351 - after the rewrite, the casualties were attributed to Black Death Plague.

• The belief of the Church (that denied the detailed knowledge of the war even to itself) was that the Third Thaumaturgical War was first massive incursion of the demons into the world, brought here by remaining Forbidden in a desperate hope to stave off the Church. Obviously, the Forbidden claim that whatever happened was Church fault only.

• This time, the rewrite happened immediately after the cessation of hostilities.

Age of Iron [1517AD-Current Day]

History

Age of Iron was triggered directly by the raise of the Reformation. The mass crisis of the Church was caused by a combination of many reasons, and it finally culminated in political and religious collapse of European unity (already weakened by the Great Schism). This allowed the remnants of the Forbidden to regroup and go into hiding (briefly interrupted by the protestant witchhunts, that occured when the protestants noticed the existence of magic for the first time - but overwhelming majority of the victims weren't erithians at all).
It opened a period of a decline in Church power, as it was much too busy trying to fight back the encroaching protestantism and atheism to be able to properly control erithians. However, at this point the Forbidden were in deep hiding, busy regaining their strength - bringing themselves back into the light was the last thing they want or ed... and all non-Forbidden erithians were a part of Erithian Catholic Church (with exception of those few that went towards protestantism or atheism). Because of that, the Hidden World remained hidden for majority of that time period, the masquerade beginning to break in late 19th century.
It, however, stopped being a political entity. Overtime, the local groups of erithians began identifying more and more with their countries of origin. This led to growing number of conversions - majority of erithians are still members of Erithian Church, however rather cool. Nationalism made many of them - especially youth - to disregard to calls to uphold the masquerade when the Great War started. Some of them - especially the Forbidden, that decided to make a comeback after carefully infiltrating non-Forbidden groups of erithians that existed on the fringe of the Church - were already deeply connected to various occult groups, even before the war started.

Notes

• Most of wars of that period happened without erithian influence.

• Some claim that the massacres in Congo (and Herero and Namaqua genocide) were at least influenced by the Forbidden, however while both Germany and Belgium were regions of significant Forbidden influences, the actual evidence is pretty non-existent.

• Eastern erithians at this point completely doesn't matter, their skills very primitive compared to increasingly industrial magic of the West.

True History

• The only confirmed historical rewrite of the Age of Iron (to date, the Church is probably planning to do it again after the Fifth Thamaturgical War ends) concerned the conquest of America. Aztec empire was even more evil and terrifying than 'officially', and the other major civilizations weren't much better.

• Due to vast series of historical changes (hard to follow, due to scarce historical sources) the Aztec Empire became a major superpower, controlling big part of Carribean Sea and even entirety of modern Mexico. Its wars with native inhabitants of Northern America and the Inca Empire were plain awful (and the methods they used were occasionally pure nightmare fuel).

• The arrival of conquistadors were its ultimate downfall. The Aztec Empire collapsed - at the end of the Fourth Thaumaturgical War, whose exacts ending date is unknown. The history of colonization was rewritten to make people safely forget the details of the Aztec cruel regime. It's unknown when the rewrite happened.