Magnus' Cornerstone
Summary
In Cymbarite popular history, the first king of Cymbar was a legendary hero named Magnus, a man who united the fractious clans into one great kingdom, and built a great palace to commemorate his accomplishments. This King Magnus lived perhaps one thousand or two thousand years ago, but all agree that he existed, and he was the first King of Cymbar. The borders of Cymbar were much as they were today, or perhaps larger. King Magnus was a great king and a great warrior, and during his reign Cymbar expanded, and defeated raiders from beyond the western sea that sought to rob and pillage the Cymbarites.
However, Magnus' descendants were not so able. Another 50 years, or perhaps a hundred from Magnus' death, the feckless and weak Colla was beset upon by the raiders of the sea, and he capitulated in full, surrendering his ancestral palace and giving his people over to the foreign invaders. The raiders in turn, tore down the monuments and palaces of the enemy of their ancestors, and repurposed the stones of the palace for their own use.
However, legend has it that the Cornerstone of Magnus' palace, along with the script carved into it still persist, perhaps built into the foundation of a castle or even a barn. The other stones of Magnus' palace are believed to bring good luck as well, but unadorned as they are believed to have been, would be difficult to identify.
Historical Basis
The name Magnus is mentioned in enough historical documents that such a person likely did exist, most probably approximately 1200 years ago. The identity of the raiders of the legend is unclear, though they could be seafaring Valens, Fahrigers, or Angrians. History does not record the location of Magnus' capital and palace, though many townships would like to claim that theirs is the site of the palace, and the Cornerstone could be dug up under some shrine. Foreign historians have pointed out that it would be doubtful that foreign raiders would tear down a large and expensive stone structure if they could capture and use it for their own purposes.
The later king Colla receives far fewer mentions in historical documents, and many of those mentions are dated long since he supposedly lived, making it possible that King Colla never existed in the first place. There does appear to have been a time period when Cymbarites swore fealty to seafaring raiders, but how that came to be and who ruled Cymbar when it happened is an open question to historians.
Date of Setting
2000 to 1000 years ago.
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