First Age

The First age begin at the fall of the Krowethian Empire, and lasted for 3100 years until the end of Soulthek's First War. This age was dominated by powerful Elven empires, whose legacy of magic and social structures informed the human empires of the second age. First age artefacts are powerful and known for their magic. The age was defined by the presence of the four elven cultures, the Sun Elves, Moon Elves, Green Elves, and Sand Elves. The other races were largely absent in powerful political entities at this time, but their cultural legacy can still be found in ruins and ancient records

Post Krowrethic Collapse (1a, 0-1100)

The continent of Prima Terra post Krowethic collapse was far more diverse and divided than it would be by the hieght of the Elven empires. The Sun Elves had formed an early kingdom in contemporary Marcia, and the north was dominated by the Dwarven kingdom of Drohan. The East saw the Dragonic Empire as its most powerful state, and for the first 1000 years of the era it was a continent spanning superpower.
The Dragonic Empire entered the age at its height. It had no enemies, and was left unscathed by the raging wars in the west. The Dragonborn used this oppertunity to take the Swampy lands of Upper Sargon, using the Green Dragons there as governors. They continued to expand into the Heartlands, founding colonies and fortifications throughout. However, this golden age would not last forever. The Orcs of the Peninsula had grown tired of constant dragon raids, and had began to centralise under the rule of Khan Haar Two-Axe. He began a powerful centralised Orcish khanate that would cause havoc for the Dragonic empire, and ultimately end their hopes of expansion.
Regardless of this, the Dragonic Empire began to trade with the burgeoning Sun Elf Kingdom. The Sun Elves were a powerful state, they prided themselves on their discipline, martial prowress, and magicial artificering. Sun Elf general Sanuriel wrote his famous book on the art of diplomacy, skills he used to utilise the broken human tribes of Albion, Gwenydd and Kernow to their advantage.
The humans of this time had adpated to their new found freedom slowly. Any unity they had shown against the giants fell apart quickly, and several key cultures began to form. The Kernowian s in Cape County, the Gwenyddians in Gwenydd, Albions in the modern Eldrian Heartlands, and the Early Tumbrian people. These tribes had reverted to stone age technology, and had cannibalised Giant cities for resources to trade with the Sun Elves in exchange for food and protection.
The Dwarves in the north had began to stagnante. Their war with the Krowethians had halved their resources, and they began to find it difficult to hold onto their territory. Drohan began to decline in the fifth century, as the King of Drohan lost their ability to control their various vassals, and cities began to gain their own indepdent power and competed against each other as warlords.
Around the ninth century of this age, the Sun Elves began their first expansion. They moved into Albionic controlled lands, building cities and defences, allowing the tribes there to continue their nomadic lifestyle in saftey. Eventually, a plague swept through the human population of Albion, halving their population. This gave the Sun Elves free room to expand, and they soon found themselves with a border with the Drohan.

Rise of the Sun Elves (1a, 1100-1600)

The Sun Elves found themselves in a strong position by the first millenia of the First Age. They were the strongest state in the west, their only rivals were in decline, and the rapidly retreating Dragonic Empire saw plenty of room for expansion to the east. They had been preparing themselves for war with Drohan, when the Moon Uprising began.
The Moon Uprising was started by the descents of the primal elves that had remained in the vale. They had found themselves subjugated by the Dwarves and used for menial labour. The decline of the Drohan state saw several Elven rebellions begin, with several free elf cities even being founded. This culture was entirely seperate from their Sun Elf cousins and Primal Elf forfathers, as they had developed a stronger martial tradition than either. They were fully dedicated to war by any means, and had developed several martial arts to combat the heavily armoured Dwarves. Their rebellion saw the Vale fully returned to Elven control completely.
This saw the Sun Elves expand eastward, pushing into the heartland and establishing cities and trade outposts with the Dragonic Empire. By this time, the Dragonic Empire was in crisis. The Dragons themselves had began to fight amongst themselves, and the Orcish Khanate had taken swathes of Upper Sargon and even sacked their capital of Eterriya. This war amongst the dragons saw even more flee from the empire and start out on their own. Including the Triumvirate of Galimax, Argentia, and Carrapan, who fled with a fleet of 500 ships to the east to escape the collapsing the empire.
Another prominent exile from the empire was Saaromax, who subjugated the south, once again enslaving the native halfling and gnomish population. Saaromax held the land for 250 years before the despearte plees from the native population saw the Sun Elves invade the southern lands. Martial Tiara Shaelock eventually defeated Saaromax, and established the first Sun Elf colonies in the region.
By 1600, barely four generations of elves, the Sun Elves had claimed the Southern Lands, Albion, and even parts of the Heart of the Continent. Unlike the Krowrethic Empire that came before, they ruled fairly and diplomatically, and held no slaves. In the North, Drohan had began a decline and the Moon Elves had established themselves as an equally powerful state. The Elves had established themselves as the new dominant species for the age.

Fall of the Dragonic Empire (1a, 1600-1750)

The Dragonic Empire entered the middle of the first age in a fractured and broken state. Compared the glorious hegenomy it had experience a millenia before. Rought with infighting and drought, the Orcish raids on their lands were brutal and several key cities had been razed. The final dynasty, the Farraxians, had taken power at this time, yet none of their perseverence coudl save the empire.
Hannic rebellions errupted in their colonies, seeing a rebirthed Hannic Kingdom strike into their heartland after stripping them of their colonies. To make matters worse, the Orcish Khanate had formed the First Great and Bountiful Orcish Empire, taking technologies and magics from conquered Dragonborn cities. These political factors tied in with the devestating 50 year drought, which saw the Sargon river dry up to half its usual size, and many of its tributaries dry out completely.
This lack of resources saw further infigthing and civil war, sparking a wave of refugees fleeing across the sea and further inland, eventually forcing the Sun Elves to intervene. The Hannic state was invaded by the Sun Elves, and fleeing Dragonborn were given safe settlement in their kingdom, forming many new towns and settlements, and some even moving in established Sun Elf cities.
By 1740, the Dragonic Empire was a rump state. Many cities had collapsed, and the Orcs were raiding at an increased rate. The Final Parle of the Dragons occured, and every last dragon fled their historic northland. Bands of Dragonborn escorted them, movign in every direction, abanoning their capital of Aurumian to the wastes of the sands.

Fall of Drohan (1750-1800)

The Dragonic exodus took many forms. Many dragons and their dragonborn followers were welcomed in Sun Elf territory, some began to settle in Upper Sargon, and others fled across the seas to new lands. Yet the largest migratory group were heading north, to a rumoured promised land in the Dwarven Mounts.
The Sun Elves eagerly allowed this caravan to head into Drohan, aware this mass migration would destabilise their ancient enemy. By this time, Drohan was divided and in decline. Its once grand halls of militaristic sculptures had fallen into disrepair, and their population falling due to endless wars. Human and Goliath clans in the region stopped paying tribute to their Dwarven city states, leading to a famine and forced rationing, where the noble and preistly classes horded most of the scare food that remained.
The Arrival of the Dragonborn saw further destabilisation, the chromatic dragons that were in this group saw the wealth of Dwarven cities and pounced, raiding and making new homes in their fallen cities. Key settlements began to topple, including Drohan itself, which was claimed by the Blue Dragon Ruurghan. This fall of the political centre saw the Dwarven states completely fragment, as the migratory caravan continued moving northwards, eventually finding their home in the Crag.
The fragmented Dwarven states were left little time to reorganise, as the Moon Elves invaded, reclaiming lost Elven colonies and 'liberating' Dwarven cities from Dragonic invaders. By 1800, the last Dwarven state of Kurgzgadt had vassalised themselves to the moon elves, ending a millenia old independent Dwarven state.
During this time, the abanonded Dragonic lands were claimed by Sun Elves, who used their magical abilities to end the long lasting drought, and drove the Orcs out of Sargon entirely. They reinforced the ancient Dragon Wall, rebuilding it in parts, to keep the Orcish empire in their peninsula.

Elven Partition 1800-2500

By the late 19th century, Elves were in control of almost the entirely of Prima Terra. Only the Orcish empire in the east, the Dragons of the Crag, and the isoalted human kingdom of Aetheria in the Silverwood remained out of their control. The Sun and Moon Elves, despite their differing cultures, were keen allies. They traded in resources and materials neither side controlled, and mainted their borders perfectly. The two were rumoured to have completely open trade and borders, and encouraging cross empire dialogue.
A downside to the large size of the Sun Elf Empire was their lack of population. Elves procreated rarely, and they had become spread thin gathered around seperate major cities. There were three main cultural centres within the Sun Elf Empire. Helion in the west, Byzarion in the Heart of the World, and Vassha in the old Dragonic Lands. As new generations of Elves, and half-elves, began to be born into these states, differing cultures began to emerge. The Elves that settled old Draconic lands began to be known as Sand Elves, as their culture was vastly different from their brethren who lived in more fertile lands.
The largest shake up to the status-quo of the Elven hegemony was the opening of the Feywild portals in the 21st century in the silverwood. Aetheria had remained hidden and hostile to any outside culture, but their lack of trade and dialouge with other cultures saw their own land begin to decline. Records from the ruins of Aetheron Rey, their capital, show how in the 20th century an autocrat took control of their lands, and began to use their prowress with planular travel to invade other planes. This backfired after a rumoured excursion into the Abyss, where demons rampaged Aetheria. In a last desperate attempt to save themselves, numerous portals to the Feywild were opened and the Aetherians fled in. Here they met the descendents of the elves they exiled their in the mythic age, now known as the Eladrin, they had formed a powerful bond with the spirtual planes. They returned to The Silverwood and used their power to close any link to the Abyss, leaving many of their kind in the forest.
A side-effect of this was their magical presence in the material plane saw the arcane-linked Silverwood magically baloon in size, effectively cutting the Sun Elf empire in half. Initially hostile to this, the Sun Elves compromised, and a road was constructed through the Silverwood, with the remaining Atherians and Elladrin remaining to guard it, birthing the Green Elf culture.
This split in the empire saw the necesscity for a new political arrangement. Learning from the fallen Draconic, Krowethian, and Drohanian empires, the Sun Elves were eager to build a long lasting culture. As such, they permantly divided their empire into East and West. Within the East, the Sand Elf state was given an autonumous status.

Fall of the Orcs (1a, 2500-2600)

Following successive wars by the Sun Elves, the Orcs had been driven back into their homeland. For a time, they remained united, rallying against the great wall their enemies built to repel the, but never breaking through. Even after developing a navy, which was at first successful, they found the Sand Elves were adapative and quickly developed powerful ships of their own, replling the Orcs and burning their docklands.
by 2500, the Orcish state was in steep decline. Geological turmoil returned to the peninsula, with volcanos and earthquakes destroying much of their infrastructure. A sucession of Khans attempted to rebuilt and repair them, however by 2600 the boiling alive of Khan Jumak the Weak saw the Orcish Empire officially collapse.

Fall of the Moon Elves (1a, 2600-2800)

The Moon Elves had established themselves as a powerful northern state. In partnership with their Sun Elf cousins, they had maintained control over their dwarven, human, and goliath subjects. The biggest difference between the two cultures was their attitude to non-elves. The Sun Elves, welcoming of different cultures, worked to create a powerful multicultural state. Meanwhile, the Moon Elves used their military might to control others through fear.
In a letter from the Sun King Ellandir III to Moon King Tulak the Mighty, the Sun Elves attempted to warn their brethren of the dangers of this approach, citing the rebellions incurred by the subjugated peoples of the Krowrethic Empire, and how they should work with the Dwarves and humans to build a stable state instead of ruling through fear, however, the Moon Elves would not hede these warnings. Dwarven Sagas state how in 2786 a mass uprising began in the cities of Ironia, Hurgadzst, and Gould against the elves, utilising human and goliath tribesman to aid their fight.
This rebellion had lasted for three years by the time the Moon Elves had fully besieged Hurgadzt, and their eventual razing of the city was so catestrophic its details of murder and torture spread throughout the Elven kingdoms. Repulsed, the Sun Elf kingdoms ended their historic union, with Ellandir III writing in the Proclamation of Division that,

"The acts you and your batallions have commited are repuslive to me, my people, and our gods. I will not strike you, brother, but I shall turn my back."

Ellandir was not the only one repulsed by these actions, within the Moon Elf population, many were already sympathetic to the other races, and following Ellandir's declaration the population was divided. The Pacifists believed the only way to endure their civilization was through peace and cooperation, similiar to the Sun Elves, whilst the Militarists were adament they could crush the Dwarves and continue to rule through fear.
The Dwarven Uprising continued for twenty five more years before the eventual Moon Elf civil war errupted between the pacifists and militarists. This saw the Dwarves fully exert their independence from the City of Ironia, whilst the Moon Elves were divided. The Sun Elves supported the pacifist movement, sending them as many resources as they could.

Fall of the Sun Elves (1a, 2800-2925)

As the Moon Elves errupted in civil war, the Sun Elf kingdom adapted to their new isolated state. They have had no friends outside of the mysterious Green Elves, but they certainly had no enemies. Ancient records show how the Sun Elves had developed trade links with all their extra-continental neighbours. As such their armies had not developed in over a generation and a half, nearly a mellenia. This left them open to any orcish attack, a threat the Sun Elves had long written off.
The Orcs in the East had been decimated by the geologic instability of their homeland, but they had found themselves regrouped on the Dagger Shores, where one of the Orc chiefs named Ulthak proved himselves, beating all other rivals in combat, and being declared the new Khan of the Orcs.
Ulthak rallied his orcish troops, bringing together his people and teaching them the basics of planular magic. Using summoning from the plane of Earth, the Dragon wall was breached, the Second Great and Bountiful Orcish Empire invaded the Sand Elves. His attacks into Elven territory lasted for around 50 years, Ulthak was succeeded by his son Gormash the Brazen, who was a relentless and unforgiving figure, and cccompied by his son Soulthek at every battle.
Soulthek was a young and ambitious boy. Orcish legend states he was charismatic and strong-willed, stubborn and keen to impress his father and Grummush. Elves that met Soulthek on the battle field in these early days would notice his prowress with the axe and blade, with no idea of the horror he would unleash upon the earth.
The Elves had grown complacent, outside of the Sand Elves, who were adaptive enough to build new weapons and develop new strategies, the Eastern Sun Elves had become preoccupied with artistic endeavours, whilst they Western Sun Elves emersed themselves in philosophy and literature. Artefacts of this period include key philosophical texts and plays, and the ruins of impressive theatres the sun elves left behind. This meant they were not prepared for such a prolonged war, and the Orcs were able to push deep into their territory.
In 2889, Gormash was pillaging the city of Dracoloas, when a Sun Elf warrior slayed him with an arrow to the skull. A great omen amongst the orcs, Soulthek ran to his father's side and was struck with an arrow in his side. Legend states how during his time in near death, Soulthek was appraoched by a dark creature known only as The Entity, a being cast away from the universe during the Dawn Age by the Gods. The Entity, clinging to the last of its power, linked itself to Soulthek, promising him vengance. Soulthek returned, enchanced by dark energy, and destroyed the city, razing it to the ground. He proved himself as his fathers successor, and so began The First Soulthek War.
Soulthek sent his generals south to deal with the Sand Elves, as he focused on destroying the Sun Elves who killed his father. The Eastern King sent word to the Western kingdom, begging for help. The Western Kingdom sent some batallions, however they were easily defeated in an ambush. Elves amongst the west still believed that they could turn the tide of the war with their magic and diplomacy, but it wasn't until the city of Byzarion, the cpaital of the Eastern Sun Elves, was raised to the ground, their art and artefacts were distriputed amongst the Orcish lands.
This sent shockwaves through the continent. Soulthek was brutal, and with every victory his power increased. His only resistance was met by the Sand Elves, whose resliance had proved themselves fickle advisaries, and the Dwarves in the North, who had been engaged in gureilla warfare for decades by this point and were able to hijack Orcish armies easily. Soulthek found himself unable to penetrate the Silverwood, the Green Elves using their magic to ward and protect the forest from his evil. So the Dark Lord tracked south, and pillaged the Western Kingdom from there.
The final decades of the war saw the southern settlements destroyed, with Soulthek moving northwards. By this time, the Moon Elves had called a truce on their war and joined the Sun Elves to retaliate. Some Dragonborn formed mercenary companies and joined the battle, one of which was the Platinum Scales Company, a guild still in existence today. Soulthek moved up to the Western heartland, and destroyed the City of Helion, beheading the Sun King Reylion.
Hope only came with the coalition of the west. The Sun Elf survivors, Moon Elves, Ironians, Dragonborn Mercanaries, and humans from Gwenydd and Kernow rallied together to form the Last Army. The Humans had been moved to combat the Orcs, by the omens the Old Gods had given them. The Third Avatar of Nuada, Kyrdd, and the Second Avatar of Morrigan, Reilan, led the Gwenyddian and Kernowian coalition. The Battle of the Adar was fierce, but ultimately the Sun Elf dream had finally emerged, the races united and fighting as one.
It is uncertain who slayed Soulthek, legend states a member of each race destroyed his mortal form, then cast him into the puts of Pandemonium for eternity. The fall of Soulthek saw the Last Army chase the orcs across the world, various clans scattering and hiding amongst the western lands.  The Sand Elves marched north and destroyed the Orcish Homeland completely, ravaging it to the ground. It was then, in the ruins of Byzarion, that the races of Prima Terra met, and declared the beggining of the Second Age.

Cultural Impact

The First Age was an idealistic and relatively peaceful time. Unlike the cruel tyranny present in the Mythic Age, or the eventual constant political upheaval of the second and third ages, the First Age is an easy time to look back on with a percieved nostalgia. The legacy and mysteriousness of the Sun Elves has left a legacy on the artists of the contemporary age. The only culture to truly survive this age were the Gwenyddians and the Pacifist Moon Elves, who caried forth the legends and tales of this time.
The enduring impact of Soulthek continues to shake the world today. His second coming one thousand years later meant his leagacy endured, and the impact his war had on the Elven population has meant that the Elves of the Third Age are not even at a quater of the population they held during the height of the First Age. His destruction of the land has meant much of the records of this age and the Mythic age were lost, and not even certain ruins can be found. The Exact location of many Sun Elf cities still hasn't been traced.
Ultimately the First Age holds a special place amongst the elves and artists of the continent. The hopes and dreams of an Elven Empire dedicated to continental control and cooperation has persitted, and many progessive of the Third Age long for a time where a single state can ensure peace amongst the various warring states of the world.