As far back as historians have been able to trace, this is the history of Our Land.
A world of Gods & Monsters that becomes too dangerous to control. The creator of the plane, Calamity, is overcome by the chaos & wars raging across Their creation, and the Gods that seem to be fueling it. Calamity seals away the other Gods, then wipes out all life on the plane in an instant.
Calamity begins the plane anew as its sole God and protector. Calamity is brought low by a Dragon Planeswalker, who turns the plane into their personal empire for over 1000 years. Calamity recovers, the Dragon Tyrant flees before a finishing blow can be dealt. Reign of Calamity: 0-921 Reign of Dragon Tyrant: 921-2112
A Dragon Planeswalker discovers the recovering plane of Nasza Ziemia. After learning it is protected by only a single God, the God of Creation & Destruction known as Calamity, the Dragon Planeswalker began formulating his plan. Calamity is blindsided and laid low by the Dragon Planeswalker, who then begins their conquest of the entire plane. In a matter of years, the entirety of Nasza Ziemia falls to the new Dragon Tyrant, who renames the plane Moje Imperium, in their own honor. Thus began the Dark Age of suffering and subservience. For over a thousand years the Dragon Tyrant's cruelty seeped into the lands, the seas, even the skies. The new lives Calamity had created for Their plane were enslaved, tortured, and slaughtered at the Dragon Tyrant's whims. The Elder Races remember these dark times and the terrible suffering they endured. In an effort to produce more slaves, the Dragon Tyrant created the Humans. Similar in many respects to the Elder Races, but able to reproduce much more quickly, and live for far shorter lifespans, they became the Dragon Tyrant's favorite playthings, as well as a means of diluting the Elder Races into more sustainable (and disposable) slaves. Meanwhile, the baloths, giant behemoths that only knew how to eat & grow, were created as vicious pets and enforcers. Attempts at rebellion were made, and punished severely. For their treason, entire planes were cursed with corrupting magics that twisted their inhabitants into monstrous horrors. The Dark Gods Kosch & Gein were brought to Nasza Ziemia to devise vile new punishments for these insurgents. The Gods could only watch from beyond the veil in horror at the atrocities being committed. They watched, and their hatred for Calamity grew as They remained dormant & recovering during this darkest of ages. When Calamity finally recovered, They went straight to the source of all suffering. Impaling the Dragon Tyrant through the neck with a nail, Calamity raised Their hammer to unmake them. Forced into desperation, the Dragon Tyrant planeswalked away, tearing themselves open in the process. They have not been seen since. But they could still be out there.
Age of Rebuilding in the wake of Calamity's return and the Dragon Tyrant's defeat. The Mortal Lands remain deeply disturbed by curse magic. Rise of the Elder Dragonlords and Elder Primals. Birth of the New Gods. Disturbed followers of the Dragon Tyrant strive to take their place as dominator of the plane. Standing against these Draconic Usurpers are the Giants. While they are ultimately victorious, the Giants begin an aggressive expansion of their territory, ultimately breaking out into open war & invasion against the rest of the plane. Ended when the Old Gods return to the plane, driving the Giants to the hostile territories in the far north of Fimblvintr.
The unification campaign-turned-cataclysmic war that ravaged Nasza Ziemia for over 1500 years. Beginning as an attempt by the Giants to purge the lands of the corrupted magics sown by the Dragon Tyrant, it became a plane-wide occupation and invasion, led most prominently by the Titan King Vanir, the Storm-Blooded.
Current Age. Calamity has stepped down as overseer of the plane. Their exact whereabouts & status are unknown. The Giants have been confined to the northernmost region of the plane. The ever-vigilante army of the Soulswatch has been formed to keep an eye on the former invaders, should they ever leave their tundra and attempt to try again. The Old Gods from the 1st Age have joined forces with the New Gods from the 3rd Age to watch over the plane. Remnants of the Dragon Tyrant's empire lie scattered & isolated, but their malevolent influence remains. The Mortal Lands of Respite have become beset by new curses; Lycanthropy, Witchcraft, and Black Market Necromancy. The arcane technology developed by the Dwarves during the Giant's War is developing at exponential rates. The Volhammer Mountains have become vast metropolises of invention & ingenuity, whereas the Ailinglesh Woods grow smaller as the march of progress slowly encroaches them. The Elves are slowly dying as well, refusing to abandon their traditions. The Dragonlands & Primal Wilds have been split apart, allowing each to flourish independently. The Dragonlords have settled into their respective domains, and some have even taken to newcomers who wish to learn their ways. The Primal Wilds remain unconquered and untamed, relishing in the beauty of nature at her most savage. The Seven Seas oversee (and undersee) all naval travel between the continents, but the newly formed Ironsider's League have reached an understanding with their aquatic wardens. The League transports cargo the Merfolk won't touch, in exchange for a cut of the profits. The agreement is less than official, and relations between the two are dicey at the best of times.
Folllowing a series of assassinations and executions of previous rulers, tensions between the Rose Kingdoms were higher than they'd ever been. Accusations were raised of involvement and even participation in regicides by rival kingdoms and rival clans. Rose Monarch Chernabog Faustus tried his best to ease the growing tensions among the kingdoms. In the end, his death at the hands of one of his own clan members would kickstart the Civil War. For the first time, Respite would see fighting between not only Rose Clans, but their allied organizations. The Order of Seraphs, Soulswatch, Cathars, and even the Blades in the Dark would end up uniting against their own Royal Clans. The fighting & bloodshed spread to every corner of the continent, with the death toll reaching into the millions. In place of the Rose Monarch, new rulers were chosen, unique to each kingdom. For the Onyx Throne, the Black Baron. For the Ashen Throne, the White Queen. For the Scarlet Throne, the Red Regent. Officially, the War of the Roses lasted approximately a century, but there would continue to be coups & assassinations for another 25 years thereafter. It was not until 5162 that Aziraphael Malikov would earn the title of Rose Monarch in Sacred Combat, having successfully won the right against nominees from all nine Rose Clans in one massive royal free-for-all.
A member of Vaulta the Bloodrazer's brood begins a journey across the Dragonlands, through the Slumbering & Whispering Isles, before finally arriving in Respite to begin a campaign of terror & destruction. Having dealt almost exclusively with local threats such as Lycan, Covenfolk, and Necromancers for centuries, and before that only the slow-moving colossus of the Giants, Respite was unprepared for the power of an Ancient Dragon. Even with warning & preparation, little would have allowed them to withstand the unparalled might of Vaulta's kin. Appearing & disappearing with each thunderclap of her wings, she left behind raging wildfires and smelted piles of armor wherever she went. Siege engines were immolated, catapaults were sundered by lightning strikes, heavy crossbow bolts bounced off dragonscale, and no creature could stand a chance against a dragon in the skies. It was not until Rose Monarch Castiel Capashen climbed the highest peak of Respite and called forth his challenge to the behemoth that a climactic battle would take place. With the aide of all nine Rose Clans, they trapped the beast within the mountain and fought it to the death. Even imprisoned, Vaulta's kin would bring down over half of her assembled foes before Castiel dealt the finishing blow to her heart. The skull of the Banefire Dragon remains on display over the throne of the Rose Citadel to this day.
In the midst of Respite's attempts to rebuild itself from internal conflict, the land is beset by rampaging monsters from across the seas. These monstrosities are ultimately discovered to be escaped experiments known as "Slivers" from a series of M.O.S.A.I.C. laboratories. Seizing the opportunity, a rogue group of Fire Giants known as the "Burning Mountains" use the chaos to invade from the North. The fighting lasts for over a century, with the Slivers proving terrifyingly effective at adapting to their new environment, continuously pushing further into the continent. The tide of battle is turned with the creation of the Wolfir, werewolves blessed with sentience & control over their transformations. Their strength gives Respite the decisive edge needed to eliminate the Slivers once & for all. Once the Slivers are gone, the last of the Fire Giants are wiped out by the collective efforts of Respites armies, led by the Soulswatch.
Illithids, interplanetary conquerors, arrive in Nasza Ziemia aboard their flying Nautilus ships with the intent to make it theirs. Bringing with them Eldrazi, faceless abominations that reduce armies to ash and landscapes into corrupted wastelands, they attempted to turn the Immortal Lands into their base of operations. With their mastery of psionics, they turned those who would not yield into dominated servants of their will. Among them, several high-ranking members of Dwarven Families, powerful wizards from multiple Colleges, the Elven High King, the Rose Monarch, and thousands of soldiers from every army.
After insulting members of the Harvest Moon Coven, the Rose Monarch calls their wrath upon his kingdom. The Covenfolk use the power of a 4-day-long eclipse that covers Respite in darkness in order to lay waste. Nearly 400 Rose Clan members are killed or cursed, including the Rose Monarch. The Onyx Throne suffers the greatest losses, with over 250 dead. The Mortal Lands fear such eclipses to this day.
Grimm Faustus focused his efforts on the elimination of Black Market Necromancy and the Stitchers that profited from desecration of the dead. His zero tolerance policy on this diabolical trade led to an arrangement with the Cult of Whisper, allowing them safe passage in & out of Respite for the purposes of eliminating undead and destroying the hidden labs that raised them. His death is still under investigation. Having fallen ill during an excursion into the Ulvenwald, Grimm insisted on continuing, believe the symptoms to be simply the result of exhaustion on the road or a lack of proper bedrest. When his symptoms worsened and he could no longer ignore them, the on-hand medic apparently diagnosed him with a rare blood disorder. Grimm ordered the caravan turn around at once to seek out proper medical assistance. En route to the clerics, Grimm's convoy was attacked by bandits, who discovered upon prying open the royal carriage that Grimm, considered a fearsome warrior in his own right, had already passed out from his illness. The exact nature of the illness was not discovered, as the unconscious Grimm was repeatedly stabbed to death by the bandits, who then fled into the woods.