History of Inzeladun

THE FIRST AGE began with the Awakening of the Elves. Corellon Larethian placed them as caretakers of the World that Ptah created. They awoke in a place they named Suivanen, where they were visited by Corellon Larethian, who loved them, and by Gruumsh, who took some of them and bred them into Orcs and gave them to Xorsh'n. The Elves discovered the most powerful source of magic ever known: Spellsinging. The early Elves could weave melody, lyrics, and rhythm to form enchantments. With the help of Corellon Larethian, the Elves also invented the bow and the arrow.

The Elves settled in the Elven Realms and in such refuges as Lindin, the Great Elf Cities of Imldris, the Woodland Realm, and Elorian. The Awakening of the Gnomes followed soon after. Then followed the Creation of the Dwarves. The First Dwarves, led by King Bardin Morgim (Which means Hammer Beater), lived deep within the great Mountain ranges of Early Inzeladun. These First Dwarves multiplied and prospered. The Halflings were created next. Then came the Creation of Men, fully 5000 years after the Awakening of the Elves.

After centuries of peace, the First War of the Elves occurred. The Elves had split into several segments: The High Elves, the most common Elf; the Gray Elves, the rarest and most noble of the Elves; the Wild Elves, who were barbaric; and the Aquatic Elves, who forsake the land for the sea. Another segment had begun delving in the Black Arts. They had forsaken light and goodness for darkness. Worshiping the likes of Lolth and Yogath Hob, they rebelled against the Gray Elven Kings. The rebels woshiped evil, but they still lived among the light. As the centuries waned, the great Elf cities of old began to deteriorate and the Queen of Spiders (Lolth) gained a foothold in the hearts of many Elves. The Worshipers of Lolth's forces began to grow, practicing Dark Magic and Forbidden Lore from the days of the Old Ones (Pre-History). They learned to cast spells using somatic gestures, verbal utterances, and, often, a material catalyst. And thus, the Elves learned Witchcraft. Another agent of Lolth, an early Human, named Harlarthiar Fe'arle'an, began to spread dissent among the Elves, trying to get the Worshippers of Lolth to rebel violently against the other Elves. Finally, Harlarthiar Fe'arle'an marched the Worshippers of Lolth into the cities and slaughtered their brethren. The attack came during the night, but the other Elves had seen this dark time coming and were prepared for war. The War lasted for decades and the death toll mounted. The Worshippers of Lolth took the name Drow to signify their allegiance. They took the cities they captured as their homes. Soon they massed for the final battle and Lolth covered the land in fearsome black clouds. The Drow were prepared to win. Then the gods intervened. Corellon Larethian drove Lolth deep into the ground. The Drow chose to abandon the light and join their fallen goddess underground. Corellon cursed the Drow to forever have dark skin to indicate their treachery. He cursed the Human Harllarthiar Fe'arle'an to forever guard the Graveyard of Dead Elves as a Vampire, never to die until the Elves are reunited, always to hunger for blood and and eternity to think about the evil he had done to the World.

Early in their history, Men were befriended by the Drow. Except for the Men of Edai, most Humans lived in Darkness. Their first city was called Angust and the Men worshiped Na-May Hob, Yogath Hob, Demogorgan, Asmodius, Keambiroiro and Olanigan. At first the magic-users of the Human race used witchcraft learned from the Drow to cast spells and manipulate magic, but, after they uncovered and translated frightening Narbonnean texts, they learned to use alienist magic, uncovering terrifying secrets of the universe that man was never meant to learn.

In the centuries following, some Humans rose above the Darkness, but many, mostly in the lands of the south, remained caught in their ignorance and barbarity. Mankind will not become the dominant race of Inzeladun until the end of the First Age. Mankind would not learn to forge iron or steel until the end of the Dark Years. The Humans of Angust found more ancient writings from an earlier era, an era known as the Narbonean Age. These writings were prophecies of a Narbonean named Curunir. The Humans collected the prophecies and called the collection the Nan Curunir. The Humans shared these prophecies with the Halflings, who translated them and gave each race a copy in their own tongue. The Humans of Angust also found magical spell formulae and learned how to cast spells. As the centuries wore on, the Angustians spread their culture across the continent. As their hold on the land grew, they battled the other races. Their mages became more and more vile, insane, and corrupt. This Darkness spread to all the people of the Angustian culture.

The Elves, during the times of Angust discovered a place they named Catemar. In this place they found odd standing stones that resonated with the harmonies of their magicks. In the center of the stones was the foundation for an ancient tower. The Elves spent exactly one hundred years raising a new tower on the site. Other Elves discovered a still standing Tower that radiated an unknown magic, a Tower of infinite height that did not answer to their songs. They could not find a way to enter the Tower and it filled the Elves with fear.

The Halflings, seeing the power of the Elvish Spellsingers, developed a powerful form of magic utilizing Whistling.

Thousands of years after the last of the First Dwarves were laid in their stony tombs, the first Goblins, Hobgoblins, and Giants were seen on the continent. The Humans began to war with the Dwarves for their gems and other riches. The great gates of the Dwarven Kingdoms were closed and the stone halls were sealed to keep out those who would war with the Dwarves. As the Men of Angust tried to dig into the Dwarven Halls, they awoke the Dragons of an earlier epoch (Pre-History, AKA the Narbonean Age). These Dragons are known collectively as the Gem Dragons and the Ferrous Dragons. The Humans of Angust appeased the angry Dragons with tales of the Dwarves' gold and gemstones and told them that it was the mining of the Dwarves which had awakened them. Those Humans who had traded with the Dwarves told what they knew of the Dwarvish Kingdoms. The Dragons attacked the Dwarves and drove them away. The Dwarves had to build new halls and new kingdoms, fully believing in the prophecies of the Nan Curunir that someday the caverns of the First Dwarves would be reclaimed. The "War to the Death" is begun by the Dwarves against other Evil races.

The Elf-Dwarf Wars began to occur. For over 10 centuries the two races fought. It is unknown which side started the wars, but both sides blame the other. These were furious, brutal wars, and would forever mar Dwarf-Elf relations. During these wars the Elvish Art of Bladesong was developed and honed. Also, the Elves learned to cast magical spells in the manner of Men, but without the need for a material catalyst.

A skilled Dwarven swordsmith, a worshipper of the Silver Tree, forged the blade of Noldolante, the Sword of the Silver Tree. The blade was given to the Priests of the Silver Tree, who hung the blade in the Silver Tree's mightiest Temple - The Mithril Temple of the Silver Tree. The Dwarves began to spread the religion of the Silver Tree to Man.

The forging of Cinneroth's blade out of an unknown metal by the Dwarven Swordsmith Gilur Ovaim changed the way war was fought. Cinneroth, a black sword of power, taught his wielders new tactics and they, in turn, taught others. Cinneroth caused his first owner (a Dwarf named Boltor Darksword) to suicide because of his owner's refusal to listen to him. Cinneroth, however, would forever be bound to Baltor's reincarnated spirit.

The swords Destiny, Victory, and Death were forged by the same Dwarf who forged Cinneroth's dark blade (as a matter of fact, Destiny is made of the same material as Cinneroth). The weapons were given to three Human friends; a bard, a Paladin, and a gladiator. They wielded the weapons to good effect in many battles. In one major war between two human villages, the three swords defeated Cinneroth and his wielder (Thorim Darksword). The Paladin, unable to destroy Cinneroth, threw him into the ocean, cursing it so that it could never harm pure good (a Paladin) and that its powers could not work immersed in salt water.

The Dragon and his Mate (Both Platinum Dragons) laid a large number of dragons, who helped Mankind and were regarded nearly as gods. These were the metallic dragons. For several thousand years, these metallic dragons (along with the gem dragons) were the only dragons. But a demon who had been defeated by these good dragons convinced Tarphonus Darksword to use Cinneroth's power to create a "helper". Tarphonus used the power of Cinneroth (the Darksword) on a fallen Baby Gold Dragon, infusing the infant dragon with the Evil powers that are Cinneroth's. The little dragon grew four more heads and changed colors. It became multi-hued. Tarphonus dubbed the monstosity The Chromatic Dragon. Cinneroth named the beast "Tiamat" and, at the demon-influenced Tarphonus' request, impregnated the creature. Tiamat gave birth to the colored, evil dragons. Cinneroth then slew first the demon, then his wielder for using his power to create evil, rather than to fight evil. Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon, and his Mate, fought Tiamat. Bahamut's Mate was killed. A god, Marduk, and a man, Sirrus the Great, founder of Orfis, fought the evil Dragon in the east, far from Human and Humanoid habitation. This was called the War of Powers. Marduk banished Tiamat to the Hells and gave the Dragon, Bahamut, a place in the Heavens during the War of Powers. The evil dragons, led by a young Red Dragon (named Rargad by the Orcs) spread across the continent and bred as quickly as they could.

Centuries later, the Humans, with help from the Elves, rose to a higher state of being. The Human Kings chose a High King to help govern them. The High King, a worshipper of the Silver Tree, made the use of the Dark Narbonean magic unlawful and punishable by death. He made the Silver Tree the lawfully recognized god of the Human lands. He also raised an army and destroyed the evil city of Angust and had its location removed from all of the maps to hide the ancient library where the Dark Tomes of the Narboneans were to be found. The forest around Angust became accursed and was soon filled with evil horrors. The forest was soon called the Dortoz-Gerdak by the neighboring Orcs. The High King forbid the use of Alienist magic forever.

Humans languished without magic for nearly seventy years after the fall of Angust and its outpost cities. A mystic, contemplating the mysteries of the Inner Self, found an awareness within, a spark of magical energy hidden within. This mystic found that he could channel magic from that spark and amplify that magic out, forming it into spells. The mystic bagan to teach his methods. Channelling became the new way to cast spells. It did have its drawbacks, of course. Channelling, reaching for that hidden spark of magic, was a taxing and dangerous occupation, fatiguing the wizard, leaving him weak and exhausted with each spell. The High King was not happy with humans casting magic, an occupation he felt was better left to the Elves.

Centuries later, the Wars of the Orcs began, and the Orcs overran the world, ruled by a half-orc named Kozad Jardak. The Orcs hunted the Elves and the Dwarves primarily. The Flaithen War between Kozad Jardak and the Elves occurred shortly thereafter. During this war, Kozad Jardak cut down the Silver Tree, which stood in the courtyard of the Human High King's fortress. Then several wars later, the Dominion of Orcs was in full swing. The Elves and the Dwarves and the Gnomes could not stop them.

The Dwarves flourished at first but by the end of the First Age their numbers began to wane. They suffered heavily in their many wars and were special targets of the Orcs, who sought to destroy them as soon as they discovered they could not dominate them. The number of Elves dwindled down, and became a reclusive race. The Orcs began to hunt down any who did not honor Gruumsh, their god. They did a remarkable good job of utterly destroying the religion of the Silver Tree. The Gnomes, already small in number as well as in size, began to develop illusionary skills so that their race could hide from the Orcs and thereby escape total extinction.

Kozad Jardak attacked and destroyed the Elves at Catemar, pulling down the tower of song the Elves had built.

Before the last of the First Elves died under the swords of the Orcs, an Elf from the future (the Eighth Age) showed the way to open up and enter the Tower. Together, the last of the First Elves and the Elf of the Future activated the Tower for the first time in Recorded History. That Elf become the first of the Lords of Magic. The Tower was activated and the Elf ruled within. He used the Tower to save the Elves and to create the circumstances needed to end the bloody reign of Kozad Jardak. Then came a man named Aeroth, the last worshiper of the Silver Tree. The Silver Tree had been cut down by Kozad Jardak during the Flaithen War. Mankind began to build better and better castles to withstand the Orcs. Aeroth stirred mankind to stand up to the Orcs. The three wielders of Victory, Destiny, and Death came out of retirement to fight the Orcs alongside Aeroth. Aeroth also commissioned the forging of the Shield of the Silver Tree. Although the physical form of the Tree was gone, the god still existed. The Silver Tree granted the Shield many powers. The Long Battle between the Humans and the Orcs resulted in the death of Kozad Jardak. Aeroth slew him with Taragarth, a powerful sword. The Dominion of Man was at hand.

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