The Second Age
From the fall of the
Chellor Sovereignty, the five kingdoms became just three. The northern kingdoms were the last bastion of civilization, but most traces of Chellor faded into obscurity. The power, the magic, the culture, and even the gods were taken away or abandoned. The kingdoms held to the names and territory, but they were shadows of their former selves. The majority of Verenn was simply called the Wildlands and any traces of the former kingdoms there were broken ruins.
In 1347, a young man rose to power in Palacia. He was Osgarin, a charismatic figure filled with a holy power. His power was not that of the old Chelloran gods, but a holy power all to his own. He quickly gathered followers by the thousands and was treated as a venerated figure even at a young age. Osgarin led his followers to topple the corrupt leaders of Palacia to take the throne for himself. Under his rule, Palacia actually thrived and became even more prosperous and beautiful than it had in centuries. Osgarin was revered even more as the years went on, he aged slowly, and the people of Palacia viewed him as a god king. While it was the best of times to be living in Palacia, everywhere else in Verenn was wild or husks of ruins towns.
After more than a century and half as the god king of Palacia, Osgarin sought to restore humanity to its former glory. He began a great crusade to push back the dangers of the wilds and unite the three kingdoms as one empire under his rule. His ascension to emperor was accepted with little issue (or was a bloody and violent affair based on what historical texts you choose to believe). The new Bysren empire was formed, and the cities and their people flourished under Osgarin's rule. The names of the old kingdoms still remained: Palacia, Rescellon, and
Decarith, but gone were their kings. Some argue that without the god king's new empire, the last three kingdoms would have fallen within a few generations.
After many years, once the Bysren empire rebuilt the might and culture of the people of the north, the God King Osgarin sent out expeditions into the Wildlands. He wanted to see what was left of Thieanor and Essanae. What few expeditions returned told tales of dangerous lands covering the rest of Verenn, but that there were still beacons of civilization out there. Remote city-states clung to life amoungst the darkness of the wilderness and monsters in the dark. Osgarin reached out with resources to help connect to these bastions of humanity. While not all of these city-states would survive, they would form the foundations of the future kingdoms of
Navarre,
Iveron,
Calaviaire, and Paradeeve. There were finally signs of light in the dark Wildlands of Verenn.
The area of the Empire that was known as Rescellon continued to delve in the necromantic arts, though it was strictly forbidden by the God King. A mysterious figure delved too deep into the magic of the dead, and brought a nearly endless wave of the damned into Verenn. This catastrophe quickly consumed the region of Rescellon, filling the countryside with the dead. All eyes in the Bysren Empire turned in horror, as their beloved neighbors turned to darkness.
The army of the dead in Rescellon could not be contained, as they continued to rise from the corpses of their enemies. The forces marched on Palacia, Decarith, and the
Iron Lands in a war that spanned many years. All the people of Verenn, from the Empire to the elves, the dwarves, and every living soul took to pushing back against the dead. The God King Osgarin created the Arch sentinels, beings of strength and light to protect the three regions of the Bysren Empire. Great heroes rose up from the battles to become champions and legends; some even rising to godhood themselves, later creating a new pantheon of gods. But barely holding on against the forces of darkness was all humanity could accomplish.
Any many years of war, the Bysren Empire finally fell. Palacia and its grand spires and cathedrals were lost. Cities crumbled and the people were slaughtered and raised again as the dead. Decarith was broken; it's beautiful woods turned to wretched swamps and its twin cities reduced to nothing. With what little strength Osgarin had left, the God King led the undead armies south in the heart of Verenn and away from Decarith. There he was able to duel the necromancers of Rescellon in a final battle that destroyed the evil wizards but also himself. The great God King fell, but as his light faded forever, his final act was to cripple the undead magic that had so easily infected Verenn. The undead army fell apart and mindlessly wandered the ruins of the Empire. Never again would the dead be driven in force against the people of Verenn. Never again would a necromancer create such vast destruction...or so the world thought.
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