History
Please Note
There are currently many large gaps in this timeline, which will be filled in as more lore is added.
Foreword
"Those that forget history are doomed to repeat it." - A phrase which origins have, ironically, been lost to time.
Thank you for purchasing my pamphlet, A brief history of Ataland for children (or busy adults). In which I have documented over 800 years of our shared history in to a just few short pages. It is my greatest hope that this introduction will ignite your curiosity about the past and cause you to seek out more detailed information. May I suggest some of my own tomes, which are very reasonably priced?
(2nd pressing)
Timeline
Pre-Calamity
Before the calamity the races lives in a land called Teyruse. Those from the longer lived races may have grandparents that were born and lived in Teyruse. Tales tell us it was a place of art, science, magic and philosophy. It is said that their were vast, sprawling cities and each of the races built marvels to their brilliance and wealth.
Although Teyruse's history is not forgotten it is mostly academic at this point. The old alliances have long since fallen, many of the secret knowledges lost, and ruins hidden deep beneath miles of empty ocean.
Year 0: The Calamity
Nobody knows what caused The Calamity, though most agree that is was magical in nature. Whatever the cause, the earth was rent by earthquakes and tidal waves. The skies blackened. Civilization crumbled as the land was rapidly claimed by the angry sea. In only a few days nothing was left. Countless perished.
Those that could escaped on boats or built improvised rafts from the remnants of their towns. The dark skies made navigation impossible so the fleeing departed in all directions. Many were lost to the sea. If any of the refugees that sailed another way survived, there has been no contact with them for eight centuries.
After drifting for almost two months a storm washed away the dark clouds, revealing the shores of Ataland. What remained of the fleet made landfall shortly after. There they discovered the uninhabited and wild lands that would become their new home.
1 A.C.: Landfall
In the year after landfall, colony settlements were established across Ataland. Many races sought land that resembled their ancestral homelands. Elves forests, Dwarves mountains, Halflings plains and so on.
These early pioneering years were hard. Ataland had bountiful resources, but the work was gruelling. Death by starvation, injury and disease were rampant.
30 A.C.: Road building
By around 30 A.C. most settlements were stable and self-sufficient. With the building roads to their neighbours, large-scale trading resumed. Port and ship construction in Ataland begun around the same time.
Settlements that were clever or fortunate enough to build near valuable resources began to expand their influence beyond their borders.
100 - 150 A.C.: Factions emerge
Between the years of 100 and 150 A.C. the new factions emerged. Unlike in the days pre-calamity, these were not strictly along racial or religious lines. Instead factions had strong ideological identities that influenced how their settlements developed going forward.
522 A.C.: The Great Faction War begins
As the factions began to squeeze each other for territory and influence, wars broke out. Almost every faction was fighting on multiple fronts.
529 A.C. Jatrad secedes from Astrus
As Astrus dedicated more of it's resources to fighting it's neighbors, the Jatrad territories seceded in a largely bloodless coup. Jatrad had long sought more independence, and this feeling was exacerbated by the ongoing conflicts.
Not wishing to fight on yet another front and needing access to Jatrad's vital resources, Astrus hastily signed a treaty with the new faction.
543 A.C.: The Sack of Kitsbain
In the late summer of 543, on the 27th of Solilor, a joint fleet from opposing factions executed a surprise attack on Astrus' capital from the east coast. Kitsbain, caught off guard, was destroyed, plunging the faction into chaos and halting their anticipated victory.
558 A.C.: The Treaty of Ataland
On the 31st of Caspilos 558 A.C., The Treaty of Ataland was signed by all faction leaders. This began an uneasy peace between all factions which lasts to this day.
As part of the terms of the treaty, several disputed territories were merged in to the new faction of Ebrana.
800 A.C.: Current Year
The current year.