History of Valyr | Wyrmscale

The Beginning Of All Things

Valyr began as a world cloaked in darkness until the old gods brought fate into the world. They entwined the threads of destiny into this fresh canvas and brought life to it, shaped mountains and filled the oceans with water. It did not take long however for the first creations' hearts to know greed and quickly the land was soaked in blood. Giants and dragons battled for supremacy over Valyr. Amongst this turmoil humanity sheltered in caves as cruel demons and wild fey preyed upon them.

When all hope was thought lost, suddenly there was light. An amber glow washed over the world inspiring humanity to rise up out of the shadows and claim Valyr as their dominion. The monstrous tyrants were so busy fighting each other that they did not notice that the gods had cast them out and chosen a new people to inherit the world. With sword and spell in hand humanity achieved mighty deeds that impressed the gods, earning them gifts taken from the now forsaken children. Now the horrors that once plagued the world either slain or banished the time of monsters had ended and the Age of Heroes had begun. Ever jealous of humanity's great works the former tyrants seek reentry into Valyr to invite ruinous vengeance.

Early Ur'vael

As humanity spread across Ur'vael, the Age of Heroes faded into myth. The struggle against monstrous forces was constant and costly and human civilisation was no more than a scattering of disparate groups until the mighty group of heroes led by Ander united the majority of the people of Ur'vael under a single banner. Leading the fight against the encroaching darkness and its fey and demonic ilk leaking back into the world.

The righteous Stravin Empire was born from this alliance under Strava's holy light and peace was finally brought to the continent. Ever defiant, the humans of Umlau refused to be part of the empire and even harboured fey enemies of the realm. Conflict between them erupted, radiant magics clashed against powers harnessed from the tyrants of old until calamity struck. The inhospitable area known as The Deadlands was formed and in its wake the necrotic plague winds it unleashed cost the lives of thousands including that of Empress Lucia. Without its strong leadership the empire fractured into the nations we know today.

Over generations, the kingdoms of Ur'vael developed rivalries and even warred over control of land and resources. So focused on their own interests and gaining the upper hand over each other, they were left vulnerable to the sudden rise of a new foe, the undead scourge born from the ashes of The Deadlands. It too did not take long for old enemies to also take advantage of the situation. Demons seized control of Thaklaz. Fey incursions began across Anderlynd and The Stravin Empire. Soon the whole continent was peppered with many smaller conflicts with no sign of a lasting peace in sight.

Recent History

762: Ur'vael adopts a calendar standardised by Dominion trade guilds. With unification under Ander set as Year One.
789: The Magnus League joins the Dominion Guild Charter.
944: Stravin Emperor Ferdinand II embarks on a campaign to reclaim the influence the empire once wielded across Ur'vael, with many southern principalities amenable to the idea of reunification of the empire.
958: A sudden demonic incursion causes panic continent-wide as demonic terrors surge through rifts empowered by an eclipse. Many human lives are lost, and entire towns are razed.
1050: The Cursed King Ragnar emerges as a rival claimant to the Anderlynd throne. Rebellion ignites across the kingdom's mainland holdings.
1052: The Silken Feather joins the Dominion Guild Charter.
1056: The Ragnar Rebellion concludes with the separation of Anderlyndian land into the newly formed Kingdom of Skarn.
1059: Prince Alfred Penbrook leads a successful campaign against Skarn barbarians, pushing them back over the mountains, and reclaiming a large swath of mainland for Anderlynd.
1063: Stravin Emperor Alfonso leads a failed reclamation campaign through The Deadlands and into the swamps of Umlau. He, and the majority of his forces never return.
1067: The Ashkeepers join the Dominion Guild Charter.
1069: Mainland Anderlynd suffers a massacre at the hands of a fey Wyld Hunt when a portal to the Feyrealm was closed by the Court Merlin in an effort to cut off their escape.
1070: A break-in of the Vaults of Kalais is linked to a cult of Mensetyr, who are reported to be responsible for several other jewel thefts across the land. Anderlynd is accused of harbouring the cult.
1072: Tensions escalate between Anderlynd and Kalais, and war is declared when conflicts begin to break out in many towns along their border.
1074: King Alfred Penbrook of Anderlynd dies at the siege of Selsurmer.
1074: Henry Penbrook ascends to the throne following the death of his older brother.
1075: King Henry brings the war to a diplomatic close, paying reparations and gifting the Ruby of the Hearth to the Kalain Crown.
1076: Age of Gunpowder is ushered in with the demon lord Kalbazdu'un defeated by Gwvere ingenuity, freeing Thaklaz from their tyranny.
1097: The fey of the Winter Court vanish, leaving their city empty. Human settlers move in and declare their own independent nation of Vyrandam.
1098: Anderlynd nears collapse under poor management of aggressive neighbouring powers and internal instability. Noble houses of Anderlynd navigate skirmishes with lawless brigands and fey on their own accord.
1098: Rosalind of House Whitlock duels the general of the Summer Court and forces their retreat. The last gate to the Feyrealm is sealed, freeing the land from their influence.
1106: Malburg mages successfully awaken enchantments within an ancient giant fortress, lifting it into the sky. The current whereabouts of the fortress, and the mages is unknown.
1106: Civil unrest erupts into open riots across Anderlynd when Crown Knights are deployed to answer protests decrying weak rulership.
1109: Rosalind Whitlock rallies supporters from across Anderlynd and sails to Wickholm to force a trial of King Henry. The king is executed for his crimes and Rosalind is crowned as Queen of Anderlynd.
1110: The Malburg Academy restricts travel through the mountain passes, citing monstrous dangers, and cutting off pilgrimages to Luminseat.
1111: The Order of Palatine establishes outposts in Alyria to secure a route for pilgrims traveling to Luminseat via northern ports.
1113: A magical mystery unfolds when revelers of the annual spring equinox festivities enjoying newly formed hotsprings at a Grove outside Aethelvik find themselves instantly transported to other random bodies of water across the continent. The springs subsequently disappeared and the revelers were left to make their own way home.
1115: Anderlynd celebrates the marriage of Queen Rosalind and Darius ei-Azahn, son of a Dussari Merchant Prince. Their union encourages international guilds to boost trade and economy, and laws restricting religious freedoms are lifted.
1116: The Anderlynd island of Bruinrook is formally gifted to The Dominion and renamed Pas-Tofangard, reinforcing diplomatic ties between the two nations.
1117: Queen Rosalind and Prince-Consort Darius announce the birth of their first born, Prince Aiden.
1120: Kalain Admiral Aurélien Foirélle is struck from royal service after a scandal involving Queen Geneviève de Mont.
1121: A grand ship of Dussari make is found drifting off the coast of Wickholm. Those sent to board the vessel find it abandoned but otherwise unscathed. The ship, named Niq'mah Al-hibal, is scuttled well west of the harbor due to a mysterious and whispering metal box bolted to the hull inside the hold.
1122: The Cerulean Concord joins the Dominion Guild Charter.
1123: The Fettered Isle is breached for the first time in its history. Several notable prisoners, all with links to The Shadowhand, disappear without a trace.
1124: The royal flotilla of Prince-Consort Darius ei-Azahn-Whitlock, is caught in a ferocious storm and never returns to Anderlynd.
1124: Queen Rosalind is murdered in the night when assassins infiltrate her Castle in Wickholm.
1124: Renowned pirate Aurélien Foirélle, Captain of the Frigate S'en Foutre takes advantage of naval disarray in the Golden Sea, costing the Anderlynd crown a small fortune in damages.
1124: Young Aidan Whitlock ascends to become the King of Anderlynd.
1125: A Stravin expeditionary fleet becomes the first to successfully return from beyond the Kharybdis Expanse.
1125: The Niq'mah Al-hibal is sighted from the Eskernes Lighthouse, in full sail and flying a black flag.
1126: The King's Council in Anderlynd calls for privateers to embark on a most exciting voyage.

The Beginning Of All Things

Early Ur'vael

Recent History

762

Ur'vael adopts a calendar standardised by Dominion trade guilds. With unification under Ander set as Year One.

789

The Magnus League joins the Dominion Guild Charter.

944

Stravin Emperor Ferdinand II embarks on a campaign to reclaim the influence the empire once wielded across Ur'vael, with many southern principalities amenable to the idea of reunification of the empire.

958

A sudden demonic incursion causes panic continent-wide as demonic terrors surge through rifts empowered by an eclipse. Many human lives are lost, and entire towns are razed.

1050

The Cursed King Ragnar emerges as a rival claimant to the Anderlynd throne. Rebellion ignites across the kingdom's mainland holdings.

1052

The Silken Feather joins the Dominion Guild Charter.

1056

The Ragnar Rebellion concludes with the separation of Anderlyndian land into the newly formed Kingdom of Skarn.

1059

Prince Alfred Penbrook leads a successful campaign against Skarn barbarians, pushing them back over the mountains, and reclaiming a large swath of mainland for Anderlynd.

1063

Stravin Emperor Alfonso leads a failed reclamation campaign through The Deadlands and into the swamps of Umlau. He, and the majority of his forces never return.

1067

The Ashkeepers join the Dominion Guild Charter.

1069

Mainland Anderlynd suffers a massacre at the hands of a fey Wyld Hunt when a portal to the Feyrealm was closed by the Court Merlin in an effort to cut off their escape.

1070

A break-in of the Vaults of Kalais is linked to a cult of Mensetyr, who are reported to be responsible for several other jewel thefts across the land. Anderlynd is accused of harbouring the cult.

1072

Tensions escalate between Anderlynd and Kalais, and war is declared when conflicts begin to break out in many towns along their border.

1074

King Alfred Penbrook of Anderlynd dies at the siege of Selsurmer.

1074

Henry Penbrook ascends to the throne following the death of his older brother.

1075

King Henry brings the war to a diplomatic close, paying reparations and gifting the Ruby of the Hearth to the Kalain Crown.

1076

Age of Gunpowder is ushered in with the demon lord Kalbazdu'un defeated by Gwvere ingenuity, freeing Thaklaz from their tyranny.

1097

The fey of the Winter Court vanish, leaving their city empty. Human settlers move in and declare their own independent nation of Vyrandam.

1098

Anderlynd nears collapse under poor management of aggressive neighbouring powers and internal instability. Noble houses of Anderlynd navigate skirmishes with lawless brigands and fey on their own accord.

1098

Rosalind of House Whitlock duels the general of the Summer Court and forces their retreat. The last gate to the Feyrealm is sealed, freeing the land from their influence.

1106

Malburg mages successfully awaken enchantments within an ancient giant fortress, lifting it into the sky. The current whereabouts of the fortress, and the mages is unknown.

1106

Civil unrest erupts into open riots across Anderlynd when Crown Knights are deployed to answer protests decrying weak rulership.

1109

Rosalind Whitlock rallies supporters from across Anderlynd and sails to Wickholm to force a trial of King Henry. The king is executed for his crimes and Rosalind is crowned as Queen of Anderlynd.

1110

The Malburg Academy restricts travel through the mountain passes, citing monstrous dangers, and cutting off pilgrimages to Luminseat.

1111

The Order of Palatine establishes outposts in Alyria to secure a route for pilgrims traveling to Luminseat via northern ports.

1113

A magical mystery unfolds when revelers of the annual spring equinox festivities enjoying newly formed hotsprings at a Grove outside Aethelvik find themselves instantly transported to other random bodies of water across the continent. The springs subsequently disappeared and the revelers were left to make their own way home.

1115

Anderlynd celebrates the marriage of Queen Rosalind and Darius ei-Azahn, son of a Dussari Merchant Prince. Their union encourages international guilds to boost trade and economy, and laws restricting religious freedoms are lifted.

1116

The Anderlynd island of Bruinrook is formally gifted to The Dominion and renamed Pas-Tofangard, reinforcing diplomatic ties between the two nations.

1117

Queen Rosalind and Prince-Consort Darius announce the birth of their first born, Prince Aiden.

1120

Kalain Admiral Aurélien Foirélle is struck from royal service after a scandal involving Queen Geneviève de Mont.

1121

A grand ship of Dussari make is found drifting off the coast of Wickholm. Those sent to board the vessel find it abandoned but otherwise unscathed. The ship, named Niq'mah Al-hibal, is scuttled well west of the harbor due to a mysterious and whispering metal box bolted to the hull inside the hold.

1122

The Cerulean Concord joins the Dominion Guild Charter.

1123

The Fettered Isle is breached for the first time in its history. Several notable prisoners, all with links to The Shadowhand, disappear without a trace.

1124

The royal flotilla of Prince-Consort Darius ei-Azahn-Whitlock, is caught in a ferocious storm and never returns to Anderlynd.

1124

Queen Rosalind is murdered in the night when assassins infiltrate her Castle in Wickholm.

1124

Renowned pirate Aurélien Foirélle, Captain of the Frigate S'en Foutre takes advantage of naval disarray in the Golden Sea, costing the Anderlynd crown a small fortune in damages.

1124

Young Aidan Whitlock ascends to become the King of Anderlynd.

1125

A Stravin expeditionary fleet becomes the first to successfully return from beyond the Kharybdis Expanse.

1125

The Niq'mah Al-hibal is sighted from the Eskernes Lighthouse, in full sail and flying a black flag.

1126

The King's Council in Anderlynd calls for privateers to embark on a most exciting voyage.