Ghostknight
First Post
More background info- standard dsclaimer applies, all subject to change as this is coming off the top of my head as I type, so let me know if I start contradicting myself between posts!
1320 years ago war was waged. What started it? Nobody really knew. Some say that the Orthodox Church of the Elements called or a crusade against those defiling nature with the works of man. Others say it was the Earth Church of Kelei, objecting to the mines, stripping the earth of her bones to make tays for man, when the Void supplied magic to do the same thing and it was merely the laziness of mortals that was leading to the desecration of the Earth. No matter who were the exact originators, the war broke out.
Across the mighty Empire of the Chasm, factions came together, each supporting either magic or technology- brother's joined different sides, fires were lit within the hearts of all sentients and the fragile peace that served to ind many disparate races together despite traditional grievances, was broken. In the first years of the war the Empire dissapeared. In the years that followed, barons appeared, leading factions to victory (or defeat), but claiming territory as their own. It took four hundred years, but finally the war slowed down. The political map forever changed- the time of the Empire was no more and the time of the Thousand Kingdoms* arose.
In the aftermath people realised that aside from the rulers of the new Kingdoms, no one had won. Magic was still used, technology was still used, and the Church was fractured- every manifestation of the elements now represented on its own, no more united into the Orthodox Church of the elements and only four outside Churchs representing the nature elements. The other loser was the infrastructure of the Empire. Roads were destroyed and fractured, trade between areas was virtually non-existent, banditry and piracy rampant and little enclaves of prosperity doggedly tried to hang onto existence in the face of outside foes.
But there is always someone there to take advantage of the situation. In this case it was the merchants. Realising that the Kingdoms, Free Cities, Princedoms, Baronies, Duchies etc that had sprung up around them were largely bankrupt and unlikely to work together, they started to come together. Slowly they formed into Guilds, them trading costers and finally into the great Houses that exists today. It was not a short process, taking five hundred years for the existing Merchant Houses to emerge from the battles between the growing Merchant Costers. Of all those around today, it is only Derig of House Mercurial that lead his House then (though rumors persist that Hezerial of the Travel Coster was around, behind the scenes and manipulating, he denies it of course, but who believes a half demon?)
It is the Houses that force the Kingdoms to maintain an illusion of peace. They allow small skirmishes and battles between one or two Kingdoms at a time- but if it looks like it will escalate out of control House of Iron mercenaries are suddenly very prevelant, House Ferlor starts threatening food shortages, House Mercurial starts closing down schools and academies (due to the dangerous climate....), mistresses of high ranking officials and nobility all have permanent headaches and goods jsut never seem to arrive... Of course these difficulties dissapear once the threat of large scale war dies down- it appears that peace is good for trade (and for the libido!)
1320 years ago war was waged. What started it? Nobody really knew. Some say that the Orthodox Church of the Elements called or a crusade against those defiling nature with the works of man. Others say it was the Earth Church of Kelei, objecting to the mines, stripping the earth of her bones to make tays for man, when the Void supplied magic to do the same thing and it was merely the laziness of mortals that was leading to the desecration of the Earth. No matter who were the exact originators, the war broke out.
Across the mighty Empire of the Chasm, factions came together, each supporting either magic or technology- brother's joined different sides, fires were lit within the hearts of all sentients and the fragile peace that served to ind many disparate races together despite traditional grievances, was broken. In the first years of the war the Empire dissapeared. In the years that followed, barons appeared, leading factions to victory (or defeat), but claiming territory as their own. It took four hundred years, but finally the war slowed down. The political map forever changed- the time of the Empire was no more and the time of the Thousand Kingdoms* arose.
In the aftermath people realised that aside from the rulers of the new Kingdoms, no one had won. Magic was still used, technology was still used, and the Church was fractured- every manifestation of the elements now represented on its own, no more united into the Orthodox Church of the elements and only four outside Churchs representing the nature elements. The other loser was the infrastructure of the Empire. Roads were destroyed and fractured, trade between areas was virtually non-existent, banditry and piracy rampant and little enclaves of prosperity doggedly tried to hang onto existence in the face of outside foes.
But there is always someone there to take advantage of the situation. In this case it was the merchants. Realising that the Kingdoms, Free Cities, Princedoms, Baronies, Duchies etc that had sprung up around them were largely bankrupt and unlikely to work together, they started to come together. Slowly they formed into Guilds, them trading costers and finally into the great Houses that exists today. It was not a short process, taking five hundred years for the existing Merchant Houses to emerge from the battles between the growing Merchant Costers. Of all those around today, it is only Derig of House Mercurial that lead his House then (though rumors persist that Hezerial of the Travel Coster was around, behind the scenes and manipulating, he denies it of course, but who believes a half demon?)
It is the Houses that force the Kingdoms to maintain an illusion of peace. They allow small skirmishes and battles between one or two Kingdoms at a time- but if it looks like it will escalate out of control House of Iron mercenaries are suddenly very prevelant, House Ferlor starts threatening food shortages, House Mercurial starts closing down schools and academies (due to the dangerous climate....), mistresses of high ranking officials and nobility all have permanent headaches and goods jsut never seem to arrive... Of course these difficulties dissapear once the threat of large scale war dies down- it appears that peace is good for trade (and for the libido!)
