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BRIEF HISTORY
Here are some events that make up the known history of Gaile and their estimated dates PCY (Pre-Common Year) or CY (Common Year):
THE FIRST DARKNESS
The First Darkness, a period of frozen, impenetrable gloom fills the heavens for years untold until it erupts into a chaos of churning elemental forces. Stars and nascent worlds, devoid of life and wreathed in flame, coalesce throughout the heavens. Out of the maelstrom of burning worlds and colliding stars comes the first of living beings, The Great Old Ones.
THE AWAKENING
Born amid swirling vortices of destruction The Great Old Ones were terrible creatures, monstrosities that battled among the stars for eons, destroying newly-formed planets in their wake. From the blood of these Elder Gods and the remains of shattered worlds sprang The Elemental Lords.
These beings fashioned our world and its sisters amid the destruction reeked by The Great Old Ones, hiding their creations from the unremitting violence of their forebears. In this task they were aided by elemental factotums that helped shape the surface of those worlds according to the wishes of their lords. It is said that the same creative force that ended The First Darkness, and brought about both Elder Gods and Elemental Lords, brought inspiration to the greatest of these elemental servants.
30,000 PCY: Not content to toil for the masters’ benefit, seven elemental servants defied their lords and brought life to the barren worlds they fashioned. These seven, rebellious, factotums worked to foster their creations. Unlike their sires, who only sought to create a refuge for themselves, the seven nurtured their mortal servants and granted them autonomy. As such it is to these beings that the sentient races of Gaile pay homage, revering them as The Defiant Gods. The amoral Elemental Lords, on the other hand, are seen as distant and beyond petition; while The Great Old Ones are largely unknown to the people of Gaile. The Defiant Gods include:
• Aeldris, the bringer of law and wisdom, god of sovereigns
• Caledh, god of the wilds, the hunter-god and lord of beasts
• Illandae, the dreamer, goddess of inspiration and the arts
• Maedra, goddess of insight, healer and protector
• Thryd, the Frost-Maiden, death-goddess and scribe of fate
• Tyros, harvest-god, fertility god and god of brewers
• Uldrem, lord of storms and the seas
The Defiant Gods fashion treants, the elder fey, such as sylphs, dryads, nymphs and fossergrim, and true giants (storm giants, fire giants, frost giants and stone giants) from the fabric of the world to serve as its stewards, much as the Elemental Lords created elementals. These creatures venerate their creators.
Tensions crops up almost immediately between these creatures and the elemental minions of The Elemental Lords. This, in turn, leads to strife between the Elemental Lords and The Defiant. After years of conflict, the loyalties of the fire and frost giants shift to the Elemental Lords.
The conflict also leads some of the more powerful, and malicious, servants of The Elemental Lords to create the races of trolls and dragonkind. Chief among these Fallen Lords is Moloth, a lord of fire, ash and soot, who sought to aid the giants in their struggles against the creations of The Defiant Gods and, in doing so, gain their worship and his own rise to power.
20,000 - 15,000 PCY: Birth of the Elves: From the union of elder fey and godlings, known as servitors, the elven race is born. The first lines of elves awaken beneath the stars, on the shores of the Western Ocean (Ulmar Avandai) and migrate northward to the great mountains of the west, Arn Illandir (Moongates), and eastward towards Arn Haldari (Sungates), settling in the forests and along the shore of Lake Naeril in central Gaile. Unlike the elder fey, elves are not bound to a specific grove, spring, or forest and migrate throughout Gaile. Elves establish vast forest realms and settle along the shores of Lake Naeril, laying the foundations of the great citadels at Asgiroth and Esgavule.
During this period lesser fey (also called faeries) such as sprites, pixies, and brownies are created as guardian spirits and watchers of the forests by the gods of nature. Unlike the elder fey, faeries are not bound to a specific grove, spring, or forest and migrate throughout Gaile. Over the following thousands of years, the races of gnomes and halflings are descended from the faerie races of phooka, leprechaun, and brownie-folk.
15,000 PCY: Sundering of the Elves: The high elves of Asgiroth (Whitecliff) are corrupted through the machinations of Bes, who is bent on the domination of Gaile’s mortals. Bes crafts Illariun, a magnificent black opal, and presents it as a gift to the high elven queen, Aenori. This magnificent gem, set upon a mithril crown, is said to grant her great insight into, and influence over, the minds of her subjects. The realm of Aenori and her consort, Kharec, prospers under their rule, which becomes increasingly tyrannical and oppressive.
Over time the Kingdom of the Asgiroth encroaches upon the sylvan elven realm of Celindale. Niriel, daughter of King Halengir of Celindale, warns her people of the dark influence that has gripped the elves of Asgiroth and foretells of a great war between their kingdoms.
The Sundering of the Elves begins when the high elves of Asgiroth annex sylvan elven lands, leading to a massive war between these two kingdoms of elves. The war is fought upon Ulmirdon (The Golden Sea), vast grasslands bordering the southwestern expanse of Celindale. As years of civil war decimate the two most powerful elven realms, Aeldris intervenes. His servitors fight alongside the elves of Celindale, leading them to victory over the Kharec’s forces.
Aenori flees from her battle-ravaged kingdom and seeks the shelter of Bes, Lady of Lies, while Kharec remains as commander of Asgiroth’s might. Following his defeat, many elves of Asgiroth are driven into exile, hiding within vast caverns beneath the Shadowroot Mountains. Ulmirdon serves as the grave for over 20,000 elves, including the Forest King, and is renamed Olmad Nolgr (The Sea of Corpses).
Following the defeat of Kharec, the elves remaining in Asgiroth fall into civil strife as those loyal to Aenori and Kharec wage war upon those loyal to the elven lord Osriel. The bitter struggle razes most of the city, and brings about a wasting plague that drives many from the ruins of Asgiroth. During the struggles Osriel shatters Illariun, releasing many held in thrall to its power.
Osriel, crowned king by his host of exiles, entreats Niriel, queen of the sylvan elves, for peace. Osriel’s people are pardoned by Niriel but, unable to return to the Asgiroth, march northward. Osriel and his followers found the city of Esgavul (Whitegull) many leagues to the north, along the shores of The Middle Sea.
Years of darkness, isolation, and bitterness twist the elven followers of Kharec into the dark elven subrace. Following his defeat, the gravely wounded Kharec is taken into Bes’s service after taking the life of Aenori as his last act of grief and despair. It is rumored that the offspring of Bes and Kharec are the first of the cursed goblinoid and orcish races. These mockeries of the
elven people act, at first, as a servant-race to the dark elves. Bes is cast from the heavens and joins the ranks of The Fallen Lords.
12,000 PCY: The Forging of the Dwarves: After hundreds of years goblins, orcs, trolls, and dark elves rise from the bowels of the Shadowroot Mountains, through a series of cave-mouths called The Mouth of Hell (Borukhel), slaughter the high elven guardians of Asgiroth, and raze most of the city. Following this, the vast army of Kharec the Deathless sets alight the Celindale and slaughters many of Niriel’s people.
Ord, with the approval of Aeldris, forges the race of dwarves from the very stone from which trolls were formed. With armies of these dwarves under his command, Ord comes to the aid of the elves of Celindale and drives Kharec, once more, into hiding. Following the battle the dwarves begin their migration from central Gaile to all corners of the vast continent.
11,500 PCY: The first meetings of elves and dwarves at Arn Illandir (The Moongates) and Arn Haldari (The Sungates) leads to a series of small skirmishes, as the races argue their claims to these mountain realms. Outnumbered and disgusted, the dwarves embark upon their Trail of Sorrow, toward Asgiroth and Tol Gorog (Grim Peaks).
11,000 PCY: Dwarves drive goblins from Asgiroth and most of Tol Gorog under the leadership of Duergrid Angreddin, Daroc Morudson, and Baldrim Greybeard. The dwarves divide into ten clans and search for more territories to claim as their birthright.
10,750 PCY: The Betrayal of Clan Angreddin Duergrid Angreddin, head of clan Angreddin and Dwarven Lord of Asgiroth, is corrupted by a shard of Illariun found within the ruins of Asgiroth. Through it, and its false promise of power, Duergrid grows increasingly paranoid and driven by greed. He and his 10 sons call forth an avatar of Moloth and kill his clan council in order to wrest total control over their clan. The line of Angreddin is cursed through these actions, driven deep beneath the earth as they become ever-more sensitive to the light of the sun. In time the scions of the Angreddin clan become the dwarven subrace of duergar. Eventually the high elves reclaim the abandoned citadel of Asgiroth.
10,000 PCY: The Wasting: Years of warfare by elves and dwarves against the races of goblinoids, trolls and dark elves leads to The Wasting, a terrible plague that also blights the lands of Gaile. Treants and the elder fey suffer unrelenting agony and die in great numbers. Other forest dwellers suffer as the blight kills most sources of sustenance and causes pestilence to spread throughout Gaile. In Gaile’s mountains, dwarves wage ceaseless war against hosts of troll and goblin armies.
9,500 PCY: The Rise of Mankind: The gods, lamenting the demise of the fey, elven and dwarven races through unceasing, bloody battles against the foul creations of Moloth and Bes, create the race of Man from the blood of Aeldris. To this race is given the gifts of fertility, adaptability and ingenuity.
9,000 PCY: The First Great War: Over the next millennium, the races of dwarves and elves guide the “Child Race,†teaching them much in the ways of craft and lore. Many battles are fought by the united forces of humans, dwarves and elves against the corrupted races of The Fallen Lords.
Nearly 200 years of fighting follow, involving all of the races of Gaile as well as the servitors of the gods and Fallen Lords. Widespread death and destruction makes central Gaile into a veritable wasteland. All races are driven to near extinction in The First Great War. Survivors of the war fall to the famine and pestilence that grips all of Gaile.
8,800-7,500 PCY: The races of Gaile recover from the devastation of the Great War. This era is marked by great cooperation among the races of Gaile, with great exchanges of knowledge, culture and goods taking place.
7,500 - 5,000 PCY: This period of time is called The Great Migration, a time when races of humans, elves and dwarves sought new frontiers and explored that far reaches of Gaile. Small wars erupt over disputed territorial claims, but these are minor compared to past wars. During the relative peace of this era, the pursuit of knowledge and the arts leads to great technological and social changes throughout the realms of Gaile. Cities grow mighty along the coasts, rivers and trade routes that link the realms of the three races.
4,500-3,000 PCY: Theological and scientific studies lead to the study of Arcanology in the major cities of Gaile. Once shrouded in mystery, the manipulation of magic becomes accessible to those academics who immerse themselves into this burgeoning discipline.
The use of magic leads to leaps of knowledge, productivity and creativity. Both construction and destruction are aided through its use, as magic is employed in all manner of craft and upon the field of battle. Over time, masters of magic, called Archons, become increasingly at odds with the priests of The Defiant.
Priests of the gods consider these powerful wizards to be grasping traitors, who sought to deify themselves through the use of magic. The Sect of Aedhr acts as intermediary between the Archons and priests of The Defiant, trying desperately to quell the rising storm caused by their conflict.
Seizing this opportunity servants of Moloth and Bes emerge from long years of hiding and send their avatars into the world to gather those hostile to The Defiant. Desperate to turn the tide in their struggle against The Defiant Gods, The Fallen Lords call upon the Elemental Lords in the hope that they sought retribution against the their former servants. The Elemental Lords, however, remain impassive and leave The Fallen Lords to their machinations.
In desperation Bes and Moloth seek to create rifts in the barriers that shield Gaile from the notice of The Great Old Ones, so that they may commune with those beings and gain power through them. Disciples of The Fallen Lords are charged with the task of creating gates to the “elseworlds†that are home to these powers in order to channel their power.
To bring practitioners of magic into their service, The Eldritch Spire is erected in the greatest city of Gaile, Tarn Hirrod. Its warlock, sorcerer, and wizard adherents, The Assembly of Magi, spread their arcane knowledge, and their opposition to The Defiant, throughout the lands. The influence of The Assembly of Magi leads to religious upheaval and political turmoil, as the corruption of The Fallen Lords turns the lands’ rulers against their gods and each other. Servants of The Eldritch Spire establish gates to an alternate Prime Material Plane ruled by illithid followers of The Sleeping Gods, who use these gates to begin their infiltration of Gaile.
Meanwhile, the monstrous agents of The Fallen Lords renew their attacks upon the strongholds of their ancient enemies. The Great Wyrm, Chrysophyllax, terrorizes the Kingdom of Edanil and weakens its defenses against the waves of inhuman marauders that ceaselessly attack its northern borders.
3,000 PCY: The Second Great War pits the priests of The Defiant against The Assembly of Magi, kingdom against kingdom, and the unholy creations of The Fallen Lords against the races of mankind, elf, and dwarf. Years of unremitting warfare follow, ending with a cataclysmic meteor strike that obliterates much of central Gaile, splitting Gaile into the continents of Avandunil (The Western Lands) and Estegalle (Eastern Gaile). The epicenter of this catastrophe is The Eldritch Spire, which was located in what was then central Gaile.
THE DEEP GLOOM
2,730-1 PCY: Once again, the races of Gaile fight their way back from the brink of destruction. The Men of the West (Avadain) gradually unite the people of Avandunil and rebuild great kingdoms out of the ashes of The Second Great War.
In Estegalle, savagery and chaos reign over the lands, as starved and desperate tribes wage war over fertile lands and hunting grounds. Small clanholds are the only semblance of civilization during this period of time. As the kingdoms of Avandunil grow mighty, the people of Estegalle start to form petty kingdoms that are locked in constant war. In 1035 PCY, the Tribe of Maurid, followers of Shar’edan the Wise, establish the Kingdom of Mauridia in the banks of the River Sahavim in the wilderlands beyond the Sheltering Sea.
The first waves of Avadain conquerors begin arriving on the shores of Estegalle in 12PCY.
THE AGE OF RESURGENCE
See each land’s description for the history of the Third Historical Period. The year 1 marks the year of the first permanent Avadain settlement on Estegalle, the fortress town of Caer Lyon or Lion’s Fort. This campaign begins in the Gaile Common Year of 575 (1610 by Mauridian Reckoning).
Here are some events that make up the known history of Gaile and their estimated dates PCY (Pre-Common Year) or CY (Common Year):
THE FIRST DARKNESS
The First Darkness, a period of frozen, impenetrable gloom fills the heavens for years untold until it erupts into a chaos of churning elemental forces. Stars and nascent worlds, devoid of life and wreathed in flame, coalesce throughout the heavens. Out of the maelstrom of burning worlds and colliding stars comes the first of living beings, The Great Old Ones.
THE AWAKENING
Born amid swirling vortices of destruction The Great Old Ones were terrible creatures, monstrosities that battled among the stars for eons, destroying newly-formed planets in their wake. From the blood of these Elder Gods and the remains of shattered worlds sprang The Elemental Lords.
These beings fashioned our world and its sisters amid the destruction reeked by The Great Old Ones, hiding their creations from the unremitting violence of their forebears. In this task they were aided by elemental factotums that helped shape the surface of those worlds according to the wishes of their lords. It is said that the same creative force that ended The First Darkness, and brought about both Elder Gods and Elemental Lords, brought inspiration to the greatest of these elemental servants.
30,000 PCY: Not content to toil for the masters’ benefit, seven elemental servants defied their lords and brought life to the barren worlds they fashioned. These seven, rebellious, factotums worked to foster their creations. Unlike their sires, who only sought to create a refuge for themselves, the seven nurtured their mortal servants and granted them autonomy. As such it is to these beings that the sentient races of Gaile pay homage, revering them as The Defiant Gods. The amoral Elemental Lords, on the other hand, are seen as distant and beyond petition; while The Great Old Ones are largely unknown to the people of Gaile. The Defiant Gods include:
• Aeldris, the bringer of law and wisdom, god of sovereigns
• Caledh, god of the wilds, the hunter-god and lord of beasts
• Illandae, the dreamer, goddess of inspiration and the arts
• Maedra, goddess of insight, healer and protector
• Thryd, the Frost-Maiden, death-goddess and scribe of fate
• Tyros, harvest-god, fertility god and god of brewers
• Uldrem, lord of storms and the seas
The Defiant Gods fashion treants, the elder fey, such as sylphs, dryads, nymphs and fossergrim, and true giants (storm giants, fire giants, frost giants and stone giants) from the fabric of the world to serve as its stewards, much as the Elemental Lords created elementals. These creatures venerate their creators.
Tensions crops up almost immediately between these creatures and the elemental minions of The Elemental Lords. This, in turn, leads to strife between the Elemental Lords and The Defiant. After years of conflict, the loyalties of the fire and frost giants shift to the Elemental Lords.
The conflict also leads some of the more powerful, and malicious, servants of The Elemental Lords to create the races of trolls and dragonkind. Chief among these Fallen Lords is Moloth, a lord of fire, ash and soot, who sought to aid the giants in their struggles against the creations of The Defiant Gods and, in doing so, gain their worship and his own rise to power.
20,000 - 15,000 PCY: Birth of the Elves: From the union of elder fey and godlings, known as servitors, the elven race is born. The first lines of elves awaken beneath the stars, on the shores of the Western Ocean (Ulmar Avandai) and migrate northward to the great mountains of the west, Arn Illandir (Moongates), and eastward towards Arn Haldari (Sungates), settling in the forests and along the shore of Lake Naeril in central Gaile. Unlike the elder fey, elves are not bound to a specific grove, spring, or forest and migrate throughout Gaile. Elves establish vast forest realms and settle along the shores of Lake Naeril, laying the foundations of the great citadels at Asgiroth and Esgavule.
During this period lesser fey (also called faeries) such as sprites, pixies, and brownies are created as guardian spirits and watchers of the forests by the gods of nature. Unlike the elder fey, faeries are not bound to a specific grove, spring, or forest and migrate throughout Gaile. Over the following thousands of years, the races of gnomes and halflings are descended from the faerie races of phooka, leprechaun, and brownie-folk.
15,000 PCY: Sundering of the Elves: The high elves of Asgiroth (Whitecliff) are corrupted through the machinations of Bes, who is bent on the domination of Gaile’s mortals. Bes crafts Illariun, a magnificent black opal, and presents it as a gift to the high elven queen, Aenori. This magnificent gem, set upon a mithril crown, is said to grant her great insight into, and influence over, the minds of her subjects. The realm of Aenori and her consort, Kharec, prospers under their rule, which becomes increasingly tyrannical and oppressive.
Over time the Kingdom of the Asgiroth encroaches upon the sylvan elven realm of Celindale. Niriel, daughter of King Halengir of Celindale, warns her people of the dark influence that has gripped the elves of Asgiroth and foretells of a great war between their kingdoms.
The Sundering of the Elves begins when the high elves of Asgiroth annex sylvan elven lands, leading to a massive war between these two kingdoms of elves. The war is fought upon Ulmirdon (The Golden Sea), vast grasslands bordering the southwestern expanse of Celindale. As years of civil war decimate the two most powerful elven realms, Aeldris intervenes. His servitors fight alongside the elves of Celindale, leading them to victory over the Kharec’s forces.
Aenori flees from her battle-ravaged kingdom and seeks the shelter of Bes, Lady of Lies, while Kharec remains as commander of Asgiroth’s might. Following his defeat, many elves of Asgiroth are driven into exile, hiding within vast caverns beneath the Shadowroot Mountains. Ulmirdon serves as the grave for over 20,000 elves, including the Forest King, and is renamed Olmad Nolgr (The Sea of Corpses).
Following the defeat of Kharec, the elves remaining in Asgiroth fall into civil strife as those loyal to Aenori and Kharec wage war upon those loyal to the elven lord Osriel. The bitter struggle razes most of the city, and brings about a wasting plague that drives many from the ruins of Asgiroth. During the struggles Osriel shatters Illariun, releasing many held in thrall to its power.
Osriel, crowned king by his host of exiles, entreats Niriel, queen of the sylvan elves, for peace. Osriel’s people are pardoned by Niriel but, unable to return to the Asgiroth, march northward. Osriel and his followers found the city of Esgavul (Whitegull) many leagues to the north, along the shores of The Middle Sea.
Years of darkness, isolation, and bitterness twist the elven followers of Kharec into the dark elven subrace. Following his defeat, the gravely wounded Kharec is taken into Bes’s service after taking the life of Aenori as his last act of grief and despair. It is rumored that the offspring of Bes and Kharec are the first of the cursed goblinoid and orcish races. These mockeries of the
elven people act, at first, as a servant-race to the dark elves. Bes is cast from the heavens and joins the ranks of The Fallen Lords.
12,000 PCY: The Forging of the Dwarves: After hundreds of years goblins, orcs, trolls, and dark elves rise from the bowels of the Shadowroot Mountains, through a series of cave-mouths called The Mouth of Hell (Borukhel), slaughter the high elven guardians of Asgiroth, and raze most of the city. Following this, the vast army of Kharec the Deathless sets alight the Celindale and slaughters many of Niriel’s people.
Ord, with the approval of Aeldris, forges the race of dwarves from the very stone from which trolls were formed. With armies of these dwarves under his command, Ord comes to the aid of the elves of Celindale and drives Kharec, once more, into hiding. Following the battle the dwarves begin their migration from central Gaile to all corners of the vast continent.
11,500 PCY: The first meetings of elves and dwarves at Arn Illandir (The Moongates) and Arn Haldari (The Sungates) leads to a series of small skirmishes, as the races argue their claims to these mountain realms. Outnumbered and disgusted, the dwarves embark upon their Trail of Sorrow, toward Asgiroth and Tol Gorog (Grim Peaks).
11,000 PCY: Dwarves drive goblins from Asgiroth and most of Tol Gorog under the leadership of Duergrid Angreddin, Daroc Morudson, and Baldrim Greybeard. The dwarves divide into ten clans and search for more territories to claim as their birthright.
10,750 PCY: The Betrayal of Clan Angreddin Duergrid Angreddin, head of clan Angreddin and Dwarven Lord of Asgiroth, is corrupted by a shard of Illariun found within the ruins of Asgiroth. Through it, and its false promise of power, Duergrid grows increasingly paranoid and driven by greed. He and his 10 sons call forth an avatar of Moloth and kill his clan council in order to wrest total control over their clan. The line of Angreddin is cursed through these actions, driven deep beneath the earth as they become ever-more sensitive to the light of the sun. In time the scions of the Angreddin clan become the dwarven subrace of duergar. Eventually the high elves reclaim the abandoned citadel of Asgiroth.
10,000 PCY: The Wasting: Years of warfare by elves and dwarves against the races of goblinoids, trolls and dark elves leads to The Wasting, a terrible plague that also blights the lands of Gaile. Treants and the elder fey suffer unrelenting agony and die in great numbers. Other forest dwellers suffer as the blight kills most sources of sustenance and causes pestilence to spread throughout Gaile. In Gaile’s mountains, dwarves wage ceaseless war against hosts of troll and goblin armies.
9,500 PCY: The Rise of Mankind: The gods, lamenting the demise of the fey, elven and dwarven races through unceasing, bloody battles against the foul creations of Moloth and Bes, create the race of Man from the blood of Aeldris. To this race is given the gifts of fertility, adaptability and ingenuity.
9,000 PCY: The First Great War: Over the next millennium, the races of dwarves and elves guide the “Child Race,†teaching them much in the ways of craft and lore. Many battles are fought by the united forces of humans, dwarves and elves against the corrupted races of The Fallen Lords.
Nearly 200 years of fighting follow, involving all of the races of Gaile as well as the servitors of the gods and Fallen Lords. Widespread death and destruction makes central Gaile into a veritable wasteland. All races are driven to near extinction in The First Great War. Survivors of the war fall to the famine and pestilence that grips all of Gaile.
8,800-7,500 PCY: The races of Gaile recover from the devastation of the Great War. This era is marked by great cooperation among the races of Gaile, with great exchanges of knowledge, culture and goods taking place.
7,500 - 5,000 PCY: This period of time is called The Great Migration, a time when races of humans, elves and dwarves sought new frontiers and explored that far reaches of Gaile. Small wars erupt over disputed territorial claims, but these are minor compared to past wars. During the relative peace of this era, the pursuit of knowledge and the arts leads to great technological and social changes throughout the realms of Gaile. Cities grow mighty along the coasts, rivers and trade routes that link the realms of the three races.
4,500-3,000 PCY: Theological and scientific studies lead to the study of Arcanology in the major cities of Gaile. Once shrouded in mystery, the manipulation of magic becomes accessible to those academics who immerse themselves into this burgeoning discipline.
The use of magic leads to leaps of knowledge, productivity and creativity. Both construction and destruction are aided through its use, as magic is employed in all manner of craft and upon the field of battle. Over time, masters of magic, called Archons, become increasingly at odds with the priests of The Defiant.
Priests of the gods consider these powerful wizards to be grasping traitors, who sought to deify themselves through the use of magic. The Sect of Aedhr acts as intermediary between the Archons and priests of The Defiant, trying desperately to quell the rising storm caused by their conflict.
Seizing this opportunity servants of Moloth and Bes emerge from long years of hiding and send their avatars into the world to gather those hostile to The Defiant. Desperate to turn the tide in their struggle against The Defiant Gods, The Fallen Lords call upon the Elemental Lords in the hope that they sought retribution against the their former servants. The Elemental Lords, however, remain impassive and leave The Fallen Lords to their machinations.
In desperation Bes and Moloth seek to create rifts in the barriers that shield Gaile from the notice of The Great Old Ones, so that they may commune with those beings and gain power through them. Disciples of The Fallen Lords are charged with the task of creating gates to the “elseworlds†that are home to these powers in order to channel their power.
To bring practitioners of magic into their service, The Eldritch Spire is erected in the greatest city of Gaile, Tarn Hirrod. Its warlock, sorcerer, and wizard adherents, The Assembly of Magi, spread their arcane knowledge, and their opposition to The Defiant, throughout the lands. The influence of The Assembly of Magi leads to religious upheaval and political turmoil, as the corruption of The Fallen Lords turns the lands’ rulers against their gods and each other. Servants of The Eldritch Spire establish gates to an alternate Prime Material Plane ruled by illithid followers of The Sleeping Gods, who use these gates to begin their infiltration of Gaile.
Meanwhile, the monstrous agents of The Fallen Lords renew their attacks upon the strongholds of their ancient enemies. The Great Wyrm, Chrysophyllax, terrorizes the Kingdom of Edanil and weakens its defenses against the waves of inhuman marauders that ceaselessly attack its northern borders.
3,000 PCY: The Second Great War pits the priests of The Defiant against The Assembly of Magi, kingdom against kingdom, and the unholy creations of The Fallen Lords against the races of mankind, elf, and dwarf. Years of unremitting warfare follow, ending with a cataclysmic meteor strike that obliterates much of central Gaile, splitting Gaile into the continents of Avandunil (The Western Lands) and Estegalle (Eastern Gaile). The epicenter of this catastrophe is The Eldritch Spire, which was located in what was then central Gaile.
THE DEEP GLOOM
2,730-1 PCY: Once again, the races of Gaile fight their way back from the brink of destruction. The Men of the West (Avadain) gradually unite the people of Avandunil and rebuild great kingdoms out of the ashes of The Second Great War.
In Estegalle, savagery and chaos reign over the lands, as starved and desperate tribes wage war over fertile lands and hunting grounds. Small clanholds are the only semblance of civilization during this period of time. As the kingdoms of Avandunil grow mighty, the people of Estegalle start to form petty kingdoms that are locked in constant war. In 1035 PCY, the Tribe of Maurid, followers of Shar’edan the Wise, establish the Kingdom of Mauridia in the banks of the River Sahavim in the wilderlands beyond the Sheltering Sea.
The first waves of Avadain conquerors begin arriving on the shores of Estegalle in 12PCY.
THE AGE OF RESURGENCE
See each land’s description for the history of the Third Historical Period. The year 1 marks the year of the first permanent Avadain settlement on Estegalle, the fortress town of Caer Lyon or Lion’s Fort. This campaign begins in the Gaile Common Year of 575 (1610 by Mauridian Reckoning).
