Discovering Sor, Part V: The History of Sor
Uncovering Sor’s Past: Dragons, Dynasties, and Disasters
Before the Worlds and their times were created, the Goddess Eylah and Her Divine Siblings dwelled in the boundless vastness of The All, and for an immeasurable era they were happy. But one day, the youngest of the Seven, the Goddess Doruya said: ‘Why don’t we create worlds, to entertain our thoughts and keep us from going to war with one another?’
From Night’s Reign
Some authors develop their worlds—to the tiniest details—before they ever set pen to paper to write their stories. I’m not one of them. As a discovery writer, I develop my worlds as I go, and explore only those parts of history that I need as the story progresses.
This means that, although my worlds feel old and lived-in, there are more holes in their histories than you’ll find in an Emmentaler cheese.
Sor is no exception.
The Forgotten Times (5,000 BCM-1 BCM)
Created by the goddess Eylah around 5,000 BCM (Before the Creation of Mankind), we know next to nothing about the first 5,000 turnings of Sor, except that this was a period of great changes.
Similar to what happened on our own world, what started out as one single continent, broke apart, and—under the influence of geological and magical forces—was shaped into the world as we now know it. A world with five continents which almost fit together like the jagged pieces of an ancient puzzle.
All of this happened long before the creation of humankind, and our knowledge of this time is fragmentary. Limited to what scientists have been able to piece together through diligent research and a fair lot of speculation.
However, if there’s one thing all scientists and historians of Sor agree on, it’s this: Contrary to what the Creation Myth teaches, humanity was not created on the eighth day. It took thousands of turnings. Perhaps even millions—but that’s a point of contentment amongst both scientists and the general public.
Here are some facts scientists have been able to piece together about this pre-human period:
Drakhazai (precursors of the modern dragon) and other apex predators ruled supreme.
The atmosphere was heavy and humid: ideal for the survival of these massive creatures but unfit for human habitation.
The oceans—esp. the Viduri Ocean—show evidence suggestive of advanced underwater civilisations predating human life.
Mysterious structures found across all five continents still have scientists guessing at their origins; are they natural formations or proof of yet another prehistoric, non-human civilisation?
A sudden total shift in Sor’s polarity, also known as the Slipping, broke the mother-continent into several parts and eradicated all then dominant life forms.
A comet strike, commonly referred to as the Great Impact, followed by heavy volcanic activity, extinguished all apex predators. Only one subspecies of the smaller Drakhazai survived the initial fallout and adapted to the new situation.
The Second Beginning (1 BCM-9,000 CM)
After the upheaval caused by the Great Impact, Sol slowly settled into a new rhythm. Life resumed—though not for the giants of the Forgotten Times—and humanity emerged from the ashes of a broken world.
After a volcanic winter lasting several hundred turnings grasslands, moors, and forests pushed through the ash and volcanic rock. Glaciers retreated, leaving behind fertile riverbeds.
These changes offered early human civilisations excellent opportunities to progress and grow. First come the hunters-gatherers forming small, nomadic communities in forested areas. They know how to make a fire, dress in hides and rough fibres, and their tools are made of bone and stone.
Next, around 1,000 CM (after the Creation of Mankind), semi-sedentary communities arise along rivers, and near lakes and oceans. People live in huts, make boats, nets, fishing hooks, and domesticate birds and small mammals like dogs, goats, and sheep. They store their food in clay-covered basket, and holes dug in the ground, covered with wood or large leaves.
By 3,000 CM, many of these small communities have grown into permanent settlements, where people live in houses made of wood, stone, or clay. They grow permanent crops, raise cattle and poultry, store and cook their food in clay pots, and weave textiles.
Fast forward to 6,000 CM, and people have now mastered the art of metallurgy. Settlements have grown into towns, and, with the invention of the wheel, trade has emerged and is booming.
Tradespeople organise in guilds to protect their knowledge, regulate training, and maintain quality. But honest craftspeople aren’t the only ones to recognise the benefits of cooperation. Criminals establish their own secret syndicates to share techniques, divide territory, and enforce internal codes of conduct.
By 8,000 CM trade has spread across the globe, and—seeking to expand their wealth and reach—rulers of city states wage war against each other. It’s a bloody time that shifts the course of Sor’s history forever. The first kingdoms and empires arise, and the preliminary outlines of Sor’s modern geopolitical landscape become visible.
The Age of Crowns
Finally, we reach a time I know much more about: the Age of Crowns. But even here, my knowledge remains limited. First, let’s have a look at the history of Ebaru.
Ebaru
Hanassan knew, probably better than anyone else in Ebaru, about the curse that befell the House of Dalanthia, and still rested upon him and his only son. His family might have ruled the nation, but insanity ruled his family. He knew how the madness of some of his ancestors made them do horrible things (...).
From Night’s Reign
I could give you a dry timeline, stating all the facts I have gathered so far about the Royal House of Dalanthia, but where would be the fun in that? Instead, I’ll just share some highlights.
Haniman of Dalanthia, born in 9205 CM, is not the first king of Dalanthia, but he is the first I know by name. He’s married to a woman named Kiora—possibly a princess from a neighbouring country—who gives him five daughters and one son: Aleyshan.
Haniman dies at age 75 from natural causes. So far, so good.
But let’s go back to 9265 CM… when, for political reasons, King Haniman forces Aleyshan into marriage with Princess Dalenka, daughter of Emperor Fedromir of Morynthia, hereby unleashing an ancient prophecy:
When the Dragon salutes the Sun, the Father of Gloom shall descend from his high throne and strike the glorious houses with a curse so fierce it will destroy their might and bring doom upon their children and their children’s children for generations to come (...).
From Night’s Reign
To say Aleyshan and Dalenka’s marriage was an unhappy one, would be a gross understatement, and when Haniman dies and Aleyshan becomes king, he’s addicted to Absinthe and totally unfit to rule a country. His vizier takes advantage of the king’s incompetence, and when—just six turnings later—Aleyshan dies from liver cirrhosis, the previously prosperous kingdom is a state of rapid decline.
In 9338, King Shaldin loses a war against Morynthia. His young son Arkim becomes king in his stead, under the regency of Queen Dowager Ghisolda of Dalanthia, Margravine of Sutebronn, Senkunlant.
It is 9341 CM when the simmering discontent of the populace boils over into a bloody revolt against their incompetent rulers. Ultimately, in 9345, The Dalanthian Uprising leads to the downfall of the once prosperous empire and the southern continent is divided into six sovereign countries. The once mighty House of Dalanthia now rules only Ebaru, a region perhaps a quarter the size of its former territory. And still its troubles aren’t over.
One tragedy after another befalls the Royal House of Ebaru: mental instability, physical ailments, addictions, fears. A string of horrors—suicides, parricides, incestuous relationships—culminates in 9735 CM with the assassination of the entire royal family, leaving only one person alive: the mentally unstable Prince Hanassan.
Ingravia
Of Ingravia’s history, I know much less, but here are some highlights—or should I say dark chapters?
We go back again to 9265 CM, when Aleyshan is forced to marry Dalenka, the oldest of Emperor Fedromir of Morynthia’s three children. His other children are a sickly son, Bogdamir, who is not expected to live into adulthood, and a daughter, Yovonda.
And, while Haniman expected Dalenka to inherit her father’s crown, she lacked something Fedromir’s other children did have: the Dragon Magic. This meant she could never become Morynthia’s next ruler. But, of course, Haniman didn’t know that.
And while Fedromir might have been utterly pleased with himself for getting rid of his useless daughter, he too, had been warned about the curse that would befall not only the House of Dalanthia, but also his own.
Contrary to expectation, Bogdamir does live, and thanks to the Dragon Magic that courses through his body, becomes even more powerful than his father, but… he is unable to father any children of his own.
When he dies in 9322 CM, the Morynthian throne goes to his nephew Radukan, the fourth of that name, who is 53 when he becomes the next emperor of Morynthia. He rules his empire by force and dark magic.
Then, in 9338 CM, King Hashandor of Dalanthia declares war on Morynthia. To Radukan, this is just a minor irritation. He has dragons, and easily defeats the Dalanthian fleet, but… not everyone is happy with Radukan’s ever increasing cruelty. The seeds of rebellion are sown.
Over the next two centuries, several small rebellions are quashed, but whispers of dissent and the scent of fear linger, until in 9587 the seemingly insignificant rebel faction ‘Free Ingravia’ deposes and murders Emperor Bartomir III of Morynthia and his entire family, save for the emperor’s pregnant granddaughter Lillenka, who escapes to the mountains.
Morynthia is split into two countries, Ingravia to the west, and Antoria to the east. Antoria becomes a democracy, whereas Ingravia is now ruled by the House of Kings, the seven leaders of the rebellion.
The Kings outlaw all magic, and promise huge rewards for killing a dragon. Any dragon. Ingravia becomes a meritocracy, where physical strength, cunning, honour, and charisma are valued above all, and any sign of weakness is frowned upon.
Yet, hidden in the highest and most impenetrable parts of the Ingravian Peaks, the fugitive princess bears a son.
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