The age of discovery
- Year 392 - K'darl is discovered by Valaith Alreven and his expedition fleet from the West. Over the following months the village of 'Telerwin' is established, along with 'Telerwin port' and expeditions move out over the rest of the island. These are met with resistance but nothing very notable.
- Year 393 - Settlers arrive and begin to populate the island. 'Durningway', 'Craythen' and 'Driffwood' are all established. 'Telerwin' is expanded and named as the capital.
- Year 395 - Settlers from the East arrive and establish the city of 'Bowingdon'.
- Year 396 - Wars break out over resources, leaving the island split, the region of Dunmoor to the West and the Region of Eringden to the East.
- Year 398 - A truce is called into effect, between the two kingdoms. The lonely river is named as the boundary to both Kingdoms. Neither may cross without the others permission. Both Kingdoms, paranoid of the others betrayal, construct great fortresses and armies in Duningway and Barrowden.
- Year 399 - Dunway is named as the Capital of Dunmoor. Bowingdon remains the capital of Eringden
The age of peace
Many years passed during this age, with barely any wars of note, and none between the two Kingdoms. This age was focused on construction, and civilisation rather than exploration. As a result, much of K'darl was left to it's own devices. Strange things began to happen in the North. Rumours came back to the Kingdoms from the miners, rumours of strange beasts and worse things.
In the South, to the Village of Driffwood came the elves and Eledrin. Peace between the humans and the newcomers lasted a while, but the Humans eventually moved on and established the village of Crosselworth. Driffwood, and it's surrounding forests, now belonged to the Eladrin.
A settlement of Dwarves arrives in port South of Bowingdon. An alliance is formed in secret between the peoples of Eringden and the Dwarves.
The age of Darkness
- Year 465 - Curious as to what lay beyond the mountains, a force of Dwarves set out to discover what lay there. A peninsula full of life and beauty lay before them. As the continued North they spied an island, off to the West. Setting up camp on the mainland, scouts where sent across to see what lay there. To there dismay, it looked like an ashen waste. However, upon further exploration, they discovered the remains of a vast tower. What excited the Dwarves, however, was the material from which it appeared to have been constructed. Vast stone blocks, shimmering to look at, warm to the touch even in the middle of night, lay scattered around the site. Though the tower had been destroyed many centuries ago by the look of things, no damage had come to the stones from which it had been made. The leader of the expedition, Kanin Ryrir, ordered the stones be returned to Bowden.
- Year 467 - The armies of both Dunmoor and Eringden are being tested, and neither are in great shape. Forces attack both, from the Dark woods and from the Kaba-San mountains. Forces of Orcs and trolls and beasts too numerous to mention. These are dire times indeed.
- Year 468 - Kanin and his Dwarves return with the cargo to find Bowingdon under attack. As the draw near they are seen by the attacking forces and set upon. During the following battle, Kanin is thrust into one of the wagons carrying the stones, and its cargo is spilled. Upon seeing the Stones, the nearby orcs let out a blood curdling screech of "Zuul!" and within minutes, the Dwarves are left alone in the desolation. The Town gates open and survivors come out to see there saviour. Some begin to pray to the stones, praying to Zuul, there protector. Others flee at the sight of them, damning them and begging they be taken away. In the end it is decided that the stones would be moved to the East coast, where they would be constructed into a mighty tower once more.
- Year 469 - Construction on the tower of Zuul begins.
- Year 470 - A force is sent north from Dunway to the Dark woods to eradicate the orc menace. Upon arrival they find the place deserted. As they make there way through the woods the come to the North coast and find a make shift port, and in the distance, a small island. They make there way across, only to find a crater in the middle, filled to the brim with orc bodies. Looking down upon this murder site, Kotan Rakor, captain of the kings guard, saw that none of them had been wounded in anyway he could see. No blood had ben spilled here. To the East, he spied a Peninsula, beyond the Kaba-San mountains. Taking out an eye glass, he looked upon it and saw desolation, Ash and fire. No living thing was to be found there. They returned to Dunway, fearing that if they stay any longer, they might discover how the Orcs had met there demise.
- Year 471 - Construction on the Tower of Zuul is completed. Some people travel to it and worship it, like a God. Others shun it and refuse to speak the name.
Over the next century, life carried on in much the same way it always had. Places became known under different names, agreements where made between the two Kingdoms. Men and Dwarves seldom travelled to the North now, fearing what was now residing beyond the mountains. A watch was kept from the great Fortress of Barrowden, but none dared stray any further than its shadow reached. People preferred to live in ignorance.
The Lost Years
There are varying theories about what happened after the year 580. There are barely any concrete records left between then and the year 600. Some tell us of a band of mighty warriors, who unified two kingdoms and thwarted a dark threat, bringing the war that would have been the end for the people of K’Darl to an early conclusion. This is the most popular theory. There are however, as mentioned above, other theories. Some would tell us that this band of mighty heroes, who's names had been all but lost to the erosion of time, were nothing more than a group of petty mercenaries, low born with next to no ability. Through sheer dumb luck, and a series of strange and impossible events, they thwarted an evil plot, without fully realising they had even done so. Some have even dared to suggest that, amongst this groups number, was none other than the ancient king, Jarraxe Britemane. It is suggested that he was a low born thief with no morals, no respect for personal space and no inhibitions. By some stroke of unbelievable good luck, he married the princess of an ancient house, and thus secured himself the throne. House Britemane has held the throne for over 500 years, with the first born Son of each successor being named Jarraxe, to continue the tradition.
This is all just drunken speculation, of course, as the scraps of history still available to us now confirm House Britemane’s lineage going back for more than 1000 years. Jarraxe himself commissioned, under his rule, for the history of his time to be once again recorded, so that future people would be able to marvel at his deeds. This is how we are able to confirm events once more.
The Rule of Jarraxe Britemane I
Year 601 - Jarraxe Britemane crowned king.
Year 601 - King Jarraxe goes on a tour of K’Darl, to better unify the different areas.
Year 602 - King Jarraxe returns from his tour. He calls it a success, with warring neighbours now at peace.
Year 604 - King Jarraxe declares that there will no longer be separate kingdoms within K’Darl, but a unified kingdom under his rule.
Year 605 - Lady Britemane, the Queen, dies, falling from her horse while on a ride with King Jarraxe.
Year 605 - King Jarraxe remarries, to Lady Selista Walworth.
Year 605 - Prince Jarraxe is born to the King and Queen.
Year 610 - The Queen dies, hit by a stray arrow blown of course while on a hunt with King Jarraxe.
Year 611 - King Jarraxe remarries, to Lady Tenaria Walworth, the younger sister of the late Selista Walworth. The common people commend the King that he is able to continue his search for love, even after the hardships he has faced.
Year 620 - King Jarraxe commissions statues of himself to be built throughout K’Darl. 6 were built, 5 in areas of some importance to the King, with the final being built in the capital. To oversee the construction of these grand statues, the King assigned one of his trusted advisors to each. He oversaw the final one himself.
Year 625 - The statues are completed. The build sites, after 5 years of construction and labourers living there, soon turn from small encampments, to large bustling towns. Below is an account of each one:
-In the North, just before the Kaba-San mountain range, the town of Werdonton was established. In years to come, Werdenton would become a major town of industry, with the Kaba-San mountains providing endless resources.
-Further East and South, the town of Astelvonia. This town became the gathering place for those wishing to study magics. A great school was built in 640, and soon became the most notable in the kingdom for training in magic.
-Further South still, built upon the Lonely Coast, was the town of Gromingdon. Initially was supposed to become a haven for those wishing to study magic, but soon became a fishing town.
-Over to the South West, lays the town of Valantia, built upon the ground that was once covered by the forest of Driffwood. That great forest was cut back and back during construction of the Kings statue, until only a small amount was left, right on the cliff edges.
-Just North of Valantia, is the town of Kreshington. This town became a gathering place for travellers from abroad. It is also the home to the greatest fighting school in K’Darl, outside the royal guard. The founders name has been lost to time, but there are legends told by its students that he was an ancient warrior, who conquered the evil in K’darl, wearing their remains as a warning to others who might wrong him.
Over the next 100 years, these towns grew and grew, absorbing smaller nearby villages.
Year 665 - King Jarraxe dies making love to his wife. He was 89 years of age. He is buried in the crypts beneath the Royal keep.
The age of peace
What follows is the longest period of peace seen by K’Darl in all recorded history. Each new King carries his fathers values and ideals forward with him, carrying on the naming tradition and keeping the peace throughout the Kingdom. Nothing of particular note happened. In the year of 1087, the Kingdom is under the rule of King Jarraxe Britemane VII. Recently widowed (his wife was accidentally hanged whilst putting up new curtains with King Jarraxe) he cannot look to find love, as he has other troubles within the kingdom.
Raids on smaller villages on the outskirts…
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