Chapter Text
Chronicle of Holo continent
The ninth edition by Triarius Testis
In a world full of mysteries and wonders, great colourful dragons steered seas of stars. Among these stars, there was one that lit exceptionally brightly. Its light, like a beacon, lured the gazes of many onlookers, even those of not this world. One day, an emerald dragon decided to take a closer look at this shining star. Smaragdos was his name, the powerful, sagacious, and benevolent lord who gifted me the history of this world.
He travelled ages to reach his objective, to witness two worlds rotating the star. Twin worlds, one green and one blue, Soror and Frater, accompanied by a moon named Peregrinus, were enveloped in the star's light, so bright he could barely see. When the great Dragon approached the twins, his heart was filled with grief, for one of the two siblings was gravely ill, and no cure existed to relieve its pain.
Frater, the world where our continents lies, was infested with disasters and evil. The children of Soror were crying for help. The heart of the Dragon is as big as a sun ached for these unfortunate souls. That is when the decision was made to aid those who could not help themselves, so he descended from most northern peaks to raise a kingdom that might face the threat.
The Era of Chaos
There are many kingdoms in our realm. They appeared and disappeared constantly over the era of chaos. Most of them were powerless before the threat of calamities that occurred now and then, and every one-hundred-year map had to be redrawn. Taking that into account, there are few historical records before the foundation of the Mivell Kingdom. So little that we have was inherited from the Arcanum Empire, which tells us only of a few events up to the 12000 Era of Chaos (E.C.). An empire that tried to consolidate all the continent's resources to fight the calamities. They created many artefacts and built vaults, some of which still survived. They even managed to subdue lesser calamities. But they could not even survive the great calamity that comes every thousand years. At 11000 E.C., the star calamity, of which no record, except for the name, remained, obliterated the Arcanum empire. It reached the heart of the continent, the Empire's capital city, where Dragon's Dominion capital is currently located. It burned everything to the ground, including all citizens, structures, and records. Creating a crater the size of a country. This crater is now known as the Great Valley.
Dragon Dominion
All that remained was part of the Empire that fell apart and withered. Those who survived retreated to the north, where it was easier to survive among mountains and caves. A lost history that sprawled across 2563 years until 8437 E.C. when King Emolpus Cendan founded Mivell kingdom at Great Valley. The land has become fertile, and the mountain ring has offered significant protection against weather and other countries by nature of a few narrow passages to the valley. From the very foundation of the kingdom up until now, it was the safest place on the continent.
When The Emerald Dragon arrived, it was a mere 17 years from the following great calamity. The king at the time, Conomor the Third, mistook him for a calamity and assembled an army to subjugate the guest. Fortunately for him, no weapon could even scratch green scales, for they were as tough as the finest metal. Smaragdos, impressed by the bravery of mortals, blessed them with his wisdom and befriended the kingdom's inhabitants. When the great calamity came, Conomor and Smaragdos fought side by side. The Great Calamity was slain for the first time in the continent's history. But every great victory comes with a great sacrifice. Conomor the Third had been gravely injured in battle, but in his dying gasp, he asked his friend to protect his family and home.
This day was commemorated as a new national day. The banners were repainted on an emerald dragon, and the kingdom was named Dragon Dominion. The royal family accepted Smaragdos into their family. Since then, the wisest ruled along with the kings and queens and was a guardian, a teacher, and an advisor to the mortal rulers. In 7998 E.C., he was crowned as ruler of the Dominion and years later was heralded as the first immortal ruler.
Under his gaze, the Dominion grew and prospered. It was a place that would accept anyone despite their lineage, faith, and blood. To Smaragdos, an immortal ruler, everyone was equal and deserved an area under the sun. He banished all slavery and enforced it in all nearby kingdoms. In 7941 E.C., a shared currency for the central part of the continent known as Pecunia was introduced. To this day, this currency is the most stable and acceptable in every nation. The Dragon introduced a new language, which will be the Dominion's main language years later.
In 7902 C.E., the Dragon chose a mortal, Alexa Crassus, as his champion and granted her power and a gift to fight for the Dominion. Under her leadership and with the aid of newly formed legions, she successfully protected borders against lesser calamities. Since then, the Dragon's Chosen has been a spear and a shield against threats to the Dominion. As the kingdom's power grew, the area around the mountain ring became safer, and new kingdoms emerged. In 7854 C.E., the Holy State of Altablia was founded under the Dominion protection. The Holy State, a nation of high elves, worship the moon Peregrinus. The nation's leadership is renowned for owning the secret of divination and astronomy. For years, they were a reliable ally of the Dominion in a battle against calamities. For this, they were offered a seat in a counter-calamity council years later.
In 7853 E.C., the first university of magic was founded in the capital city, along with military academia, to prepare legions for the nation's protection. They are the most prestigious institutions, with a great number of graduates who were recognised in history as great generals, mages, rulers, and inventors. A year later, in 7852 C.E., the first magic tower was built, where weapons were enchanted, new artefacts were created, and barriers protected the land. It proved useful in an incoming war, spreading its populace to other nations.
In 6006, E.C. Nox Kingdom was founded. The land and the forest around the mountains were entrenched in curses, the protection from invaders. The royalty of it consisted of an ancient race, Nosferatu. These are powerful creatures proficient in all variations of dark magic, feasting on other races' blood and possessing extraordinary physical ability. They are arrogant as they are powerful, considering everyone else to be mere livestock. Before this, they were the creatures of myths, as they hid in the darkness of the night, leaving their caves. However, they suddenly revealed themselves to the world and were much more powerful than the myths described.
Located around the lonely mountain, they quickly conquered surrounding kingdoms; no one could stop the Nosferatu generals as they could single-handedly fight battalions. As they defeated more and more armies, their own army grew thanks to necromancy and charming magic, enslaving all the civilian locals. In 6000 E.C., they declared war on the Dragon Dominion, which is known as the Night War. Most likely hoping to attack during the Great Calamity. Fortunately, it was defeated in the west, and the Dominion met Nosferatu with full force. Nosferatu sent their armies to build a bridge out of their bodies over the Circle River to create a path for living soldiers of a kingdom and engaged in a battle with Dominion's legions under the leadership of the Dragon Champion Laegon. Smaragdos took part in a battle but attacked only undead legions, leaving the enslaved army to legions. The battle was bloody, as those civilians attacked without regard for their lives. When Laegon finally defeated the Nosferatu general, all the civilians were free from the charm, marking the end of the battle.
After this, Smaragdos and legions marched to the capital city of Nox Kingdom. The Nosferatu king raised countless dead bodies to protect the city. Smaragdos then slew him, as for the rest of the Nosferatu, they retreated to the hidden castle and underground fortresses, making it impossible to bring them to justice. Every time legions were sent to the mountains, they were viciously attacked and destroyed. Even the Dragon could not find their hiding place from the top of the mountains. So he left them be, and since then, this is their land; they are not allowed to expand anymore, but it is also their greatest castle, and they kill anyone who enters uninvited.
Phoenix Empire
The southern part of the continent can be described in three parts: a jungle, badlands, and deserts. Beyond it lies the Crimson Desert, where the eternal sandstorms run wild. Separated by two rivers, they were named after their guardians in 11653 E.C., Tibris and Eubrate. Whoever these guardians were, they couldn't withstand the Star Calamity, or perhaps they didn't exist at all and were simply deities that desert dwellers so desperately needed; no proof would support any of those claims.
The inhabitants revolved their life and culture around them. When the Arcanum Empire reached the southern nations, they built vaults for them in the desert where they could hide from lesser calamities. These vaults were made of stone and were reinforced with magic and artefacts. They had a triangular shape and blended in with the yellow sand. These vaults played a significant role in the survival of the locals; otherwise, there would be no one to pass these records. When the Empire fell, desert and jungle dwellers created many smaller kingdoms, but alas, they could not last against hordes of monsters from the Crimson Desert. It is a deadly place where the sun incinerates even the most enduring of creatures. Even if someone happens to survive the heat, they would be stopped by an everlasting sandstorm at the very edge of it. No one knows what lies there, but one thing was indisputable: it was a home for something dreadful.
At 10000 E.C., the Sea Calamity came and destroyed survivors, with the exception of the very few who hid in the vaults. It was described as a sea of sand, but the exact nature of it is not recorded.
As the Dragon defeated the Great Calamity of 8000 E.C. and was watching over the center part of the continent, the southern part of the continent experienced constant attacks from the South. For example, in 7832 E.C. and 7821 E.C., by this time, the vaults had exhausted their resources and could not be repaired as all knowledge of their construction was lost. This forced desert dwellers to migrate to their neighbours further and further to the jungles over the Tibris River. They were jealous of the luck of the Dominion. The ruler of a kingdom located in the central part of the jungles, Neferkare the Third, named himself a being equal to the Dragon and, in 7437 E.C., named the capital city Maat Kheru, meaning the final trial. Was it luck or someone's providence?
They were blessed with a miracle. In 7430 E.C., a red comet raced over the continent and fell right into the desert. The Southern Priestess called this a providence from the sun and sent an army to find the comet. What they found was that it could not be expressed with words. It was a bird, one that the world had never seen before. Coloured in scarlet, azure, and jade feathers, it breathed fire that turned sand around it into a glass. The bird then turned into a woman whose beauty could shock and awe.
When they arrived, King Neferkare the Third personally met her to greet the new guests from the sea of stars. The records of what happened diverge since no one knows what happened precisely. Neferkare the Third invited the woman to his chamber; whatever happened here was the last time anyone saw the king alive. The next day, she appeared in a throne room with his head cut off. She then scorched all the loyalists and anyone who would oppose her, declaring herself the new ruler of the Phoenix Kingdom. Kiara, the Phoenix Queen, was the second immortal ruler to appear.
Despite her explosive temper, as long as no one directly opposed her, she was the Queen who rebuilt the kingdom from scratch. In 7428 E.C., she domesticated sphinxes, starting a long history of coexistence between these monsters and nations of the South.
Her first four hundred years of rule were peaceful and calm, as far as possible, considering the constant threat from the desert. In 7000 E.C., the Devourer Calamity came from the Crimson Desert, growing in size and power as it consumed the dead bodies of monsters and nation inhabitants. Eventually, the Queen slayed it, but the cost of it was the complete devastation of desert nations.
Perhaps this was the central motif for the upcoming wars. Two hundred years later, in 6700 E.C., she appointed the first Atum warrior, a general, to lead armies and declared war on all the nations bordering the desert, offering them to surrender or be crushed by force. Many kingdoms submitted without fighting, as they could not stand a chance against her. Those arrogant rulers who refused to kneel were personally boiled alive in their castles, as she personally set out to punish them. After a mere three years, in 6697 E.C., the Phoenix Empire was born. It sprawled from the Atlan Sea to the Unfathomed Ocean.
After this, her gaze turned to the kingdoms that bordered the North. However, by this time, for active conquests. The military, Dragon's champions and even Smaragdos set out to intercept her expansion.
In 6694 E.C., both armies arrived on different sides of the Voluge River. The world almost witnessed the first confrontation of immortal rulers. Fortunately for mortals, it all was concluded by peaceful negotiations. Both rulers signed a Union agreement that stipulated they would not expand beyond the area of influence they already possessed, protect their prospective realms, and open trade routes with each other, which would be covered by the military of both countries.
Since then, the attention of Empress Kiara has been focused on reinforcing borders in the desert. Over the years, the lost territories were reclaimed and reinforced. In 6604 E.C., the frontier city Bes was founded. Today, it is one of the most crucial cities for defence. Although it was destroyed several times in 4325, 3265, 2000 E.C. and 1843 of the Era of Ascendancy (E.A.), the Empress continually restored it, highlighting the strategic importance of this location.
Theocracy of The Ancient One
The appearance of the Theocracy is shrouded in mystery. The northeast of the continent is covered by steppes; a little bit further, the end of the world peninsula is located and just right after it, the Abyss waterfall. These steppes were inhabited by nomad people who survived in the age of chaos by avoiding calamities. Their culture was tightly linked with horses, who helped them to survive for centuries. Nomad people did not possess a writing system at the time. Instead, they relied on storytellers to pass the knowledge through myths and legends. From these myths, scribes deduced that a purple tree appeared around 5978 E.C. at the very edge of the end of the world peninsula.
Along with it, new creatures that we now call Dikembe or Yokai build new settlements. In 5832 E.C., the biggest of them, Mun, united all surrounding territories under the banner of a god that they called "The Ancient One". The origin of it is unknown, whether it is something native to the peninsula, came from the sea of stars, from the abyss beyond the waterfalls or from somewhere else entirely. According to the local clergy, the country was ruled by a God through priestesses. Who was the only one worthy of an audience with it or could stay in clear mind after interactions? The first High Priestess, Hwan'in, was chosen in 5830 E.C. Under her leadership, the Theocracy expanded rapidly. It accepted any race if they shared the faith with the Ancient One.
This faith has morphed many people into other creatures. Some had tentacles, some had multiple eyes, and yet everyone accepted this transformation as a gift of their own volition. However, the most notable effect was the change in the environment. The land under Theocracy changed into something else. Cherry trees bloomed all over the country, creating an everlasting spring. The biggest cherry trees that warded off monsters and even the weakest of calamities from seas and land appeared at the border.
Nomad people did not welcome their new neighbours with their alien god. They gathered and formed the first Khaganate in 5825 E.C. under the leadership of the Burkhan Khaldun. He united all the clans of the Grassland steppes and led them in the first war against the Theocracy. Under the mountains, the first battle in 5825 E.C. ended in a crushing defeat for Theocracy, leaving their border undefended. Burkhan used this opportunity to storm inside and ravage as many cities as possible before the Priestess could gather enough forces to repel them. However, the nomad’s army swiftly left, proving to be too late.
After tasting the thrill of victory, Burkhan retreated to the South to ravage principalities and successfully subdue them. After that, they had to pay taxes for generations.
This crushing defeat led to an increasingly radical movement against all nonbelievers following 30 years of war where no one could take the upper hand. The Theocrasy army could not beat the Khanate's army in the open field, and the Khanate couldn't break through border defences. In 5795, E.C. Burkhan invited the high Priestess for peace negotiations and proposed to have a feast, to which she agreed. However, by their arrival, she was met with swords and bows. Burkhan deceived her and planned on killing or taking her as a concubine. This is where the lack of the great Khan ended; not knowing better than to offend the high Priestess, he tried to capture her himself. But the Ancient One, the Third of the immortal rulers, had the power to fight Great Calamities.
The nomad people still tell stories in terror, how giant tentacles appeared out of nowhere and ripped him apart. It was the end of the Khaganate, as the children of Burkan each took the title of Khan and fought for power, forming several smaller Khanates in 5794 E.C., But it was not the end of the conflict; there were many more wars between the people of the steppe and believers of the alien god. The most famous of which happened in the years of 5187, 4382, 2839, and 1362 E.C.
After the collapse of the Khaganate, Theocrasy continued their expansion in the west. They offered principalities to become a vassal or merge with them, accept new faith and, in return, free them from the Khanates' yoke. Some states accepted this offer, and others refused, fearing angering Khans since they were much closer. There was no guarantee that theocracy would protect them, and the price of the rebellion would be high.
At this point, the Dragon had already noticed the Ancient One. Thus, in 5785 E.C., he sent diplomats with the proposition to Theocracy to join the Union agreement. The High Priestess replied that the Dragon should meddle in their affairs and consulted to convert into one of the believers.
Upon hearing that, Smaragdos sent scouts and wood elves to search any mountains that were not claimed by kingdoms but were clearly seen from Theocrasy. They transferred all the animals that lived there, and one night, he flew over it and scorched the mountain with his breath. This caused an intense conflagration that some mistook for a sunrise. By the morning, one of the mountains had melted to the ground.
After this demonstration of power, the High Priestess recognised Domonion's power and signed the agreement. Since then, Theocracy has not expanded its military, but its main objective to spread the fight remained. In 5768, they officially declared The Holy State their enemy and prohibited their followers from interacting with high elves under any condition.
In 5000 E.C., a Storm Calamity emerged from the eastern waterfall. It was shaped like a raven and created a thunderstorm whenever it flew. The High Priestess Jowan'gshin defeated it at the cost of her life, but at the calamity's death, it created an explosion that cursed the land. It was the first time a land curse was encountered; the trees had withered, and the land had become inhospitable. Even with the power of the god, it took millennia to heal.
Realm of the Fay
To the west of the Holy State lies the Unfathomed Ocean, the waters full of Addancs, the sea monsters. These water serpents live on the bottom of the ocean but swim out from time to time. Their existence made seafaring dangerous, and very few daring sailors managed to reach the Realm of the Fay. Those who did reach it told fairy tales about magical places where mythical creatures, named fays or fairies, possessed the most advanced magic anyone had seen. The most important fact, however, was the fact that fairies did not reproduce like all other species. As the manifestation of nature, they appeared out of nowhere and as long as the land existed, there would always be fays.
Before, there weren't any kingdoms in the fairy realm. Only clans are separated by attributes understood only by them. Researchers have gathered that each fairy has an attribute affiliated with one of the clans. Wind, earth, fire, water, moon, and many lesser clans are still poorly understood. The main obstacle to understanding fairies is their nature itself. They are immortal and do not form families. They are the continuation of nature itself
And just like nature, they do not possess the same moral compass; they swing erratically like a natural disaster. From benevolent to violent, from truthful to deceiving, there's no saying how much research was doomed by these unpredictable creatures.
Like any other piece of land, they have suffered calamities. There were times when the whole island was scorched of all life, but they appeared repeatedly. Until one day, in 6321 E.C., a hero appeared, or as Fay themselves call them, Laoch.
Her name was Argante, a fairy from the Isle of Apples, Avalon, the island of miracles. The location of this isle is not known to anyone except for the Avalon fairy; it is ephemeral, and many believe it does not exist. Until now, this is one of the most mysterious to mages, adventurers, scholars, and many others.
Argante was brilliant in magic theory, powerful in spells, and sharp in her surroundings. Unlike many others, she rooted lesser calamities before they could blossom and wreak havoc. In 6000 E.C., with a group of other Laochs, she defeated the Worm Calamity, a giant sea snake. New isles were formed in the nation's very north when it fell.
With Argante and her companions on their watch, fairies have experienced an unprecedented boost in their well-being. Peace allowed them to develop new ways of life, but the demand for resources and space increased. In 5921 E.C, the first war between fairies was incited by the fire clan, the most powerful at the time. It was a bloody confrontation; they cut each other without mercy, creating mountains of dead bodies. Soon, this war ended by virtue of Argante's efforts. Many scribes believe this was a starting point of discord between the Avalon Fae and local clans.
Just 20 years later, in 5901 E.C, a new war flared up, even bloodier than the last. In which one of the Laoch was killed during the peace negotiation process. This series of conflicts had continued for millennia, of which the most notable war was the Flower War, a civil war within the earth clan in 5845 E.C., The Sky War, when all fairies took up arms against the moon clan, forcing them to abandon the realm of the fay and flee to the Holy State in 5682 E.C., and the biggest one, the war for unification, when fairy named Oberon, tried to unite the whole island in 5021 E.C. Every time Argante acted as mediator for peaceful resolutions.
In 5019 E.C., a new threat appeared that required Argante's attention. For the first time, Ostman, from the northern part of the continent, sailed to the Isle of Fay with the objective of plundering and enslaving cities. It was one of the greatest fleets that the continent witnessed. They were the first who slayed every Addanc that attacked them and, under the leadership of Egil, the giant killer, caught fairies by surprise. Although fairies are much more powerful than humans in magic and physical power and were no less cruel than northern barbarians, they lived a compliant life under the protection of Argante. Ostman lived in harsh conditions, fighting from a young age for survival. They were more versed in battle and were prepared.
Even Argante, as powerful as she was, was only one fay who could not possibly catch up after several fleets who used hit-and-run tactics. By the end of this attack, many fays were enslaved, and the north of the island was pillaged. The damage was so severe that some scholars compared it to a lesser calamity appearance.
As Ostman left, Fay blamed her for failing to protect them and tried to kill her, starting Avalon fairy hunting of 5017 E.C. They killed anyone who had any connection to her and even tried to find the isle of Apple to ravage it. Because of that, Argante hid until the dust settled down. The hunt continued for 300 hundred years, and no one had seen her, but she was still somewhere on the island since no lesser calamities had appeared, meaning she was still hunting them from the shadows. Sometimes, she appeared to stop wars, by force if needed, or to protect fays from other Ostman invasions.
After the invasions, fairies were introduced to the concept of slavery, so in 4989 E.C., they kidnapped people, centaurs, elves, giants and other species and bred them. As disgusting as it may sound, they were using slaves mostly for entertainment purposes. To this day, The Dragon King attempts to negotiate slavery abolition with them.
In 4000 E.C., the Swarm Calamity came from the west ocean, where no ship dared to sail. It was an untold number of insects that acted like a single consciousness. Argante, who by the time became even more powerful, purged them with fire. It was a hard battle in which several Laoch fell, and the swarm consumed cities. However, considering it was a great calamity, it was a small price to pay.
In 3849 E.C., the first slave rebellion was initiated by a slave named Arthur, who tried to free all the slaves and flee to the mainland. Their fate is too horrendous to mention in this chronicle, but it was only one of the first attempts of enslaved species to escape from their masters.
Until 2001 E.C., no lesser calamity had appeared on the island, but constant wars between fairies and invaders plagued the land. All attempts by the Argante to bring peace were trawled by fairies. Anyone who has common sense would not be surprised by the following events. When the Dusk Calamity appeared in 2000 E.C., to Fae's surprise, since they did not have common sense, Argante did not appear to save them. The Calamity slaughtered almost everyone. No amount of plea or prey helped, as their hero abandoned them. The Winter Calamity then moved to the continent, where The Dragon King had to fight it.
As the dust and snow settled, she returned to the island, executing the surviving fay and slaves and only letting live those who would swear loyalty to her. She then created a city named Orkney at the corpse of the Worm Calamity. It was Argante, or how she called herself now, Morgan le Fay, the high Queen of Avalon and all the fay realms. As soon as a new fay face appeared, she enslaved them with magic. After that, while the Dragon was fighting the Great Calamity, she appeared in the northern part of the continent and scorched all the Ostmen she could. Some of them she took as a slave, and since then, only humans from the north have been enslaved by fays. That day, many tribes perished. She had no mercy for children, women, and old men. The north tribes recall this day with terror and named her Hefndarandi, "Whisper of Vengeance". When the Dragon learned of this, he charged to the north to stop her from genocide. It is hard to tell what happened next. Morgan and Smaragdos engaged in battle, but no one knows who emerged victorious. After the battle, Morgan agreed to join the Union agreement and retreated to Orkney.
Her rule can only be described as tyranny; she rules the whole country with an iron fist, brutally destroying anyone who does not obey her laws. They say she is the most powerful sorceress on the continent, second only to the Dragon.
As cold and cruel as she is, the land of Fay is one of the safest places in the world. No lesser or greater calamity has reached the island since the beginning of her rule. No other countries dare to challenge her and invade. In 1733, E.C. Morgan built a giant device made of lenses. She called it a telescope, and for whatever reason for its creation, even the Dominion assisted with its construction under the Dragon King's decree.
United Giant Tribes
It is hard to describe how significant northern mountains are. For millennia, nations used them as vaults, last bastions, and homes. Ruins from all epochs spread across the mountains, covered by everlasting snow. On the very north, just before the mountain wall, the native race giants reside. They are one of the most ancient races on the whole continent. They appeared long before humans and Fae did, witnessed all the calamities that wiped out empires and accepted refugees from all corners of the world.
The average height of the giants is 20 meters long. As they age, they grow bigger, and at some point, they stop growing, but some exceptions have heights far surpassing the norm. These exceptions are usually chosen as tribes' leaders. Just like Fay, giants are completely different from all other races as they possess their own ancient and mysterious language and the ability to cast spells through runes. Adventurers now commonly use these runes to enhance their equipment.
The most important among them is strength and height, as they cannot grow crops, hunting is the only option. However, the local fauna is just as huge and powerful. For that reason, only those who can hunt them by themselves and drink the blood of their prey are recognised.
All the giants retreated into t
heir mountain fortresses whenever lesser or greater calamities appeared. They say that under mountains, countless caves link all of them. However, only giants know if this is true. Along with them are Ostman, northern elves, and dwarves, but very few of them can endure the harsh cold, so they build their kingdom closer to the continent's center.
In 1434 E.C., the Valhall Giganten tribe, the most influential northern tribe, crowned a new leader. The tribe lives in Everpeak, the most ancient mountain city in the world. The new ruler was the tallest and most powerful among their kin. His name was Fjellknuser, the fifth of the immortal kings. Giants are a long-living race; the oldest may reach three or even four hundred years, but they are still mortal and will eventually die.
Fjellknuser is different; before the coronation, he was a regular giant, one of the many who ventured on a hunting expedition. However, they encountered a lesser calamity named Hati Hróðvitnisson, a wolf-shaped monster engaged in a fierce battle with giants. By the end of it, only Fjellknuser stood alive. All his comrades fell from the fangs and claws of the mighty foe, but it also was exhausted. The last survivor used this opportunity and slew it, and after this, drank all its blood and ate its flesh and bones, an act never imagined. Its blood was infused with magic that led to the giant's transformation, making him immortal and more powerful. Upon witnessing his feat, other giants bowed before his might, making him their ruler.
Since then, he has resided on the ice throne at the very peak of the city. As he continued to grow, the times when he left decreased until it reached the point when he arose to fight a mighty foe. Few mortals witnessed him, but those who did describe him as a living mountain since he grows even today.
Giants treat it as a miracle and a divine descension whenever he rises. When in 1000 E.C., the Frost Calamity emerged from the mountains, giants could not fight it effectively, as it shot ice from the sky, instantly freezing everything. Then Fjellknuser rose to fight. His height was enough to reach it and strike it down the ground, making it easier for tribes to fight it. Since then, they have had a saying, "If the mountain rises, the sky will fall."
In 923 E.C., the Giant king appointed Svinfanger his first foster brother by a blood oath. He shared a drop of his blood, which granted power and longevity, and his foster brother ruled over other cities in his stead. In the following years, he assigned many more foster brothers. They were his generals, champions, and bodyguards who led the biggest hunting expeditions, ruled over cities, and fought lesser calamities.
In 868 E.C., most central tribes united under the Giant King banner, creating a united tribe. Even some Ostman and snow elves' clans have joined the union.
The War of the Chosen
Twenty years later, in 848 E.C., the war of the Chosen began. The Giant King's unification led to a rapid increase in population. Still, the northern mountains could no longer provide a stable enough supply of resources. Contant hunt expeditions were not enough and were too dangerous, so he turned his eyes to the South. He proposed that Khanates and Kingdoms join their nation. If they refused, he would take them by force. The Dragon King warned The Giant King not to expand any further, or he would face retaliation.
In response, Fjellknuser assigned his foster brothers as generals and opened a three-frontier war against the Dragon Dominion, The land of the Fay and the Theocracy. Some people even now argue that it was a foolish idea to fight not one but three immortal empires at once.
However, the giants are one of the most powerful races on the continent. With their ancient runes, they could create the most powerful artefacts. The Ostman, with their naval fleets and expertise in sailing, northern elves, proficient both in assassination and elemental magic, elemental spirits of the north including Oskmey, the chooser of slain, northern dwarves and many others offered their services. The might of the united tribes is a force to be reckoned with, as they proved in a war.
The Tordenrob and West Ostman clans led the first frontier, who bore a grudge against Morgan for her genocide and were waiting for an opportunity to avenge. For the most part of the campaign, they engaged in a naval battle with fairy and Holy State fleets under the leadership of Laoch Fiona. The battle of the Kraken is the most recognisable battle on the sea. During one of the battles, a monster named Kraken attacked both sides. Tordenrob and Fiona had to make a temporary peace and unite their forces to kill it. Other than that, Tordenrob was Destroying the coastline of a Holy State, trying to create a foothold for the planned land invasion, but could not achieve his objective.
The second frontier lay by the Svol River. Legions led by Dragon Champions against the highest giants of the tribe under the leadership of another foster brother, Bjater. Every giant was more powerful than ten legionaries, and they had no chance of winning on an open field. Still, the Dominion had much more military doctrine and tactics. Dragon Champions used fortified cities of the northern kingdoms to attack giants from afar, forcing them to siege cities, something that giants were unfamiliar with. They could equalise battles by utilising the newest tactics and weapons in the battle of Bjørntrup of 845 E.C., where giants tried to secure the river, leading the Dominion to cut off the supply lines. They were thrown back, but the city was destroyed.
In 843 E.C., Dragon Champion Alamur killed Bjater and pushed back giants to their initial borders but could not march any further. Mountains, the territory of giants, would be a deadly trap. The Dominion did not want to repeat its mistakes of the Night War and held the defence. On the conquered territory, new kingdoms were created, with leadership loyal to the Dominion.
On the last frontier in the east, Eikeskjærer led his campaign against Khanates and Theocrasy. Nomadic people did not stand a chance against giants as their hit-and-run tactics were inefficient. Giants could catch up to horses and crush them before they could escape. When Eikeskjærer secured a foothold, the giants matched on the Theocracy border. The Theocracy built numerous fortresses along their border to combat the constant attack of Khanates. They called it Cheolmun or an Iron Gate. The Theocracy managed to hold long enough until the Dominion pushed giants from the central front and started to encircle Eikeskjærer's forces, forcing him to retreat. Although the land invasion failed, Eikeskjærer tried to land from the ice sea and even managed to land part of his forces near the capital city of Theocracy in 841 E.C., barely avoiding the great waterfall. To this day, the Theocracy consider this to be their greatest defeat. Although giants were forced to retreat, no one so far could break through the Iron Gate. During the city defence, one of the Inquisitors faced Eikeskjærer. The battle's outcome is unknown since no one around them survived to see their battle, but they both survived.
The war lasted for thirty years, with no side able to take the upper hand and no opportunity to give a crushing blow to any side. As the war continued, many heroes from every side fell in battles, and lesser calamities wreaked havoc as fewer resources were allocated to combat them. In 818 E.C., The Dragon King sent a delegation to giants to negotiate for peace. The United tribes would seize all claims to southern nations, support the independence of newly formed kingdoms and enter the Union agreement. They would also grant permission for scholar expeditions and teach runic language. In exchange, Dominion would trade food at a significant discount and lend a piece of land to grow their food. They would also help to develop new mineshafts in the northern mountains. Fjellknuser signed the peace proposition, and with that, the war of the chosen finally ended.
The Dragon King's great effort in 100 E.C. founded the Counter-Calamity force. It included all five immortal empires, the Holy State, the Dwarven Kingdoms, and several candidates.
In the 0 E.C., the Earth Calamity attacked the Dominion. However, thanks to the council, the Great Calamity was swiftly defeated. Since then, the council has protected the continent, and all the resolutions passed in the council must be implemented in every nation. The five immortal nations had absolute control over their prospective territories. They had all the resources to fight off lesser and greater calamities. The world has entered a new era of development and prosperity, the Era of Ascendancy.