Dawn of Civilization- Turns 1–4
The Age of Awakening
A new age has dawned on Colquhoun, the Age of Awakening. Across the world, five young, intrepid cultures have planted their roots and begun carving their realms.
In the frigid tundra of the north, known as Hyperborea, the Theng have settled. Jarl Olaf Grymsyn, mighty liege of the Theng, established his Great Hall in the city of Agartha. His people, hardy adventurers and traders, set out from Agartha, building and capturing many settlements, bringing any of the lesser tribes into their fold. His explorers, in their longships, even settled an island far from the mainland south, naming it Draken Reach.
The Theng are a tough people. A majority of their society consists of Bondi, farmers, merchants, and artisans. Ruling in the Jarl’s stead are Thanes, loyal lords, chief amongst them Thane Ragnar, Olaf’s most trusted lieutenant. A major portion of their society lies in their warriors; from lowly brigands, known as Sea Raiders, to the Royal Hearthguard of the Jarl himself, many Theng men pursue martial prowess as their primary occupation. To sustain this, a constant influx of loot and slaves is needed, something that must be obtained from other powers.
To the southwest of Hyperborea lies the continent of Liriador. A much more temperate place, it is filled with massive forests, some hiding arcane secrets. The people here, known as the Silvan Elves, have harnessed this power, building their own domain in the heart of the woodland. Their capital is known as the great city of Rivendell, founded by Master Gil-Galad. The city surrounds the revered Golden Oak, and from this point many Silvans have adventured into the land beyond, claiming many settlements. Even now, a caravan of Elven settlers from Swanella approach a fertile grove to the far west, nestled along a river bank and bordering the shore of a great sea.
The Silvans are a traditional people. Their long lifespans give them much time to focus on craftsmanship and fine arts, and through their proclivity to magic they have attached themselves to the very spiritual essence of the woodland, allowing them to utilize its bounty without diminishing its resources and to navigate its maze-like layout with ease. The governing body is known as the Enclave, a council of aristocratic Elders who elect the Master, supreme authority of the Silvans. The majority of their rural population are foragers and hunters, whilst their more urban population leans towards more traditional jobs. The inherent danger of the woodland ensures that most Silvans know their way around a weapon, though their protection primarily lies upon their professional soldiery and ancient warrior orders, dedicated to guarding the forests with their lives, and led by members of the nobility chosen by the Enclave.
The continent of Iberia, below Liriador some ways, is home to a much different people, a race of Men known as the Cibraci. Formerly disparate clans, they have beeen unified by the Cantabrii tribe under Rei Brian, a powerful warlord who rules from the oppidum of Brigantia. Iberia is a very mountainous place, filled with mighty peaks and great highlands, and it is amongst these rocky ranges that the Cibraci have established their settlements.
The average Cibraci lives his life as a freeman, tending farmland and hunting. Lacking specialization for the most part, a tribesman knows how to craft his own tools, build his own buildings, and prepare his own food, with the exception of metalworking, done by skilled blacksmiths. Every tribe is led by a chieftain known as a Vobrim, who, in turn, answers to the king, known as the Rei. The Cibraci are fierce warriors. While most of their warriors lack armor, they are skilled, fast, and strong. Their strong suit is that of irregular warfare; they can maneuver around the boulders and and hills of their homeland in ways others cannot, tending them toward strategies of ambush and attrition.
In the wide Ionian Sea, there is the atoll of Phoenicios. The Oraculim have made their homes here, building the maritime city of Qardarthage. Expert navigators, they were quick to spread colonies across Phoenicios and even to a continent south, settling a region they call Mauretania.
The Oraculim are men of many talents; arts, architecture, philosophy, and trade are their main pursuits. The nobility plays a major role in Oraculim society, forming the Council, 300 men of high familial standing. The Council legislates under the Basilim, a regent they ostensibly elect but who more often than not acts as blood royalty; the current Basilim, Xenophon, took the mantle from his father. The nobility is also in charge of military affairs, leading armies from horseback and fleets from their Penteres warships. The average citizen is expected to hold arms when needed, fighting primarily as light skirmishers or as armored spearmen known as Hoplites.
The last civilization bloomed on the continent of Zwa’Molwe, built by the people known as the Nwala. Borne of the savannas, jungles, and deserts of inner Zwa’Molwe, the Nwala quickly moved to expand their domain north and west from their capital of N’jabaku. Oba Badu, warchief of the Nwala, owes much of this credit, transforming his kin into a real regional power.
The Nwala live simple and largely rural lives, primarily as game hunters and farmers. The Nwala are no stranger to war, having fought each other before coalescing for millennia, but under the Batu’s rule they now have a brutally efficient military machine. The core of their army lies in its regiments of Impi Warriors, highly trained and bonded troops, though they often make use of tribal levies to bolster ranks as well. Nwala armies are swift and purposeful, descending on their targets with speed and precision.
The Massacre of Eden Valley
It was inevitable that these cultures would make contact, a majority of it being peaceful, many trading commerce with one another. However, things did not end up so between the Silvan Enclave and Theng Jarldom, the two northern powers.
While the Enclave’s size gives it its prosperity, it also gives it wide borders to defend. The Theng, being swift raiders able to navigate their boats even through inland river ways, are able to take advantage of such conditions. The Jarl himself led a raiding party, known as the Harbingers of Agartha, to Liriador, a land they call Myrkvior. There, they found the unguarded town of Eden Valley. A rare settlement outside of the woodland, and in close proximity to the shore, Eden Valley was a prime target.
Olaf and his warriors descended quickly from their longships, charging into the town. The few Elves who could gather their weapons quickly enough were cut down quickly, and those who could fled for the hills. The Theng slew most of whom they could catch, be it man, woman, or child, but didn’t give chase to those who escaped the borders of the town. A few they restrained to instead take as slaves, beating them within an inch of their life but not killing them. After they rounded up the old and infirm, beheading them as a sacrifice to Wodan, they gathered up as much loot as they could; fine linens, gold, cheeses, whatever they could load up into their ships. Knowing that the Silvans would be back in force, the Theng torched the buildings and boarded their vessels, retreating back to the ocean far richer than they were before. Many a man in the war party now will have the means to become a true Viking, selling and using their wares to their benefit.
The survivors were left to wander the wilds for a few days, before cautiously returning to their homes, finding only burnt timber and rotting corpses. Messengers were also dispatched to Rivendell, with the hopes that the Master will respond to this atrocity. They know the hearts of Men are black with greed, and that the Theng will return; though, it is likely other lands will soon not be safe either.
The world has started to become civilized, be it for the better or worse. As these cultures continue to spread their domains, it is only a matter of time before war, in all of its glorious horror, will find itself on the doorstep of every nation.
