Basic History of Ekrune

An ambitious young human man named Jizad Rhimod (full name Jizad yn Jilal el Rhimod), born in Daraqadim, makes his start as an adventurer when he unlocks his sorcerous heritage, as one of his ancestors made a pact with Tiamat during the Calamity. His powers grow quickly, and his mastery of fire magic was unrivaled on the continent by 93 AC.

Zer-Koh Huelahr, Anarch of Necromancy, discovers the formula for lichdom in a great archive in Kymos, and through a horrifying ritual, becomes the first Lich Lord of Kymos. The other Anarchs follow his example and perform the ritual as well, forming the Undying Council.

Taneorron, a Great Wyrm Red Dragon, travels from a continent in the east and attacks Daraqadim, claiming the fortress as it’s new lair and enslaving the populace for a short time. Under his several years of rule, he hordes the valuables the citizens offer him in exchange for relative peace in the city. Taneorron is quite lazy and gluttonous, even for a dragon, and barely leaves Daraqadim except to intimidate the nation with great shows of force. Nearby kobold tribes gather into Daraqadim and they serve the dragon with incredible fervor.

After a long and tenuous battle that nearly sees Daraqadim destroyed, Jizad and his old group of adventurers lead an army into the city, killing thousands of kobolds and gathering those that wish to arm themselves to his force. During the encounter with Taneorron, all the adventurers but Jizad perish, and he rips a powerful artifact, The Volcano’s Heart, from his chest, mortally wounding the ancient dragon and forcing it to flee across the sea. Jizad takes the heart and secludes himself away, experimenting with its powerful draconic magic, often committing morally questionable acts in search of a reliable source of magical power.

Syl Pasha Nishar wastes no time revamping Calimshan’s economy, focusing more on slave labor and beginning to create plans for the colonization of the Pacjour Sea. Calimport continues to grow into a trade center for the entire East.

In the west, the Illuskan Horde spreads through the lands, at its height, Mer the Godeater is killed by his youngest son and he ascends to godhood, and the tribe splits into several city states run by the sons of Mer. The region sinks into conflict and infighting, leaving the lands west of the Expanse in chaos and war for hundreds of years.

Ingdal’s Keep is assaulted by Kymosian Wizards and an undead legion, and the orcish city holds the force off well considering their lower numbers. The tide of the battle is turned by the Shamans and Druids of Ingdal’s army, who turn the very land and sea against the Kymosian threat. High Shaman Ingdal begins increasing fortification and also begins trade with Empire of Calimshan.

In the South, Baphomet leads his armies of Minotaurs against the Kymosian Wizards in their city of Thelnam and their slave and undead legions. Minotaurs, despite being stronger than gnolls, are much lower in number, and the combating of undead is not something they have knowledge of. The Kymosian Wizards win a series of victories against the Minotaur hordes, including killing the Horned King Baphomet himself, and force them to retreat into the Expanse. Over the decades, the minotaur armies form into raiding squads that mostly attack via the sea.

As gnoll armies attack and begin to loot Calimport, Yeenoghu uses his newfound demonic powers to teleport himself and his lieutenants to the Dragon King’s throne, challenging Nizar to single combat over the Dragon Throne. In a long and brutally fought battle, Yeenoghu slays and consumes Syl-Pasha Nizar, and his army lords over Calimport as his new domain by 198 AC, holding it for a month and consuming a portion of its population. Another portion of the population falls into the Madness of Yeenoghu, becoming mad and nearly feral. For a month, the surviving sane population attempts to fend off both the gnolls and the insane in the city.

With the help of Gusthaven, the construction efforts in Calimport are sped along greatly, and the burned villages to the north of Calimport are beginning the process of rebuilding. The many gnoll tribes of the Sere are forced into hiding as they are nearly wiped out by Calishite armies and groups of adventurers, following a newly placed bounty on gnolls.

Damaran warrior priests and paladins attack and destroy Kymosian enclaves across the shores of Damara, pushing the necromancers back from their territory and opening up safe lands for expansion through the land.

On the day that Rhelin el Rhimod is to be sworn in as the new Syl-Pasha, Hakkar completes his Ritual of Lichdom, consuming a thousand innocent souls and the blood of someone who trusts him dearly, that of his brother Rhelin. He releases the army of undead he has been spending so long raising and preparing, and he attempts a takeover of the city. Hakkar takes the title “the Soulflayer”, and declares himself absolute lord of the Empire of Calimshan.

Zer-Koh Huelahr, an army of undead, and several Kymosian wizards below him arrive via teleportation to Calimport and assault the tower with a group of adventurers, including a long lost great grandson of Jizad Rhimod, Aseir Rissu (full name Aseir yn Nhesan el Rissu). Although Hakkar is defeated and the Enchiridion found, his phylactery is not discovered, leading to great fear among the populace that he may return one day. His research, materials, and tower are all destroyed to wipe all traces of him from the city.

Zehmur Rissu (Full name Zehmur yn Aseir el Rissu) is made the Syl-Pasha of Calimshan, a thoughtful and kind boy, he is incredibly intelligent and wishes to study magic and the magic of the dragon throne especially. After accidentally stumbling upon the hidden laboratory of the former Syl-Pasha Jizad he begins to unlock the secrets inherent within the Dragon Throne, and it’s power source, The Volcano’s Heart.

The power awakening with Zehmur causes strange changes in his appearance, including the growing of scale patches along his arms and torso, and clawed hands, resembling the direct children of Jizad. He begins construction of the Arcane Lyceum as a school for talented and intelligent individuals to learn the Art, but he builds the school's philosophy under what he discovered in Jizad’s works and philosophy, preaching what he calls “The Arcane Truth”.

The now formed Chondathan military storms centers of industry in Chondath, freeing slaves with resistance from the mercenaries hired by those businesses. A series of campaigns to attack and free slave labor camps throughout Chondath is underway, with the Empire of Calimshan sending their magically superior military to main cities throughout the nation to attempt to keep an iron grip on the now rebelling vassal state. This campaign is known as the War of Oppression throughout Chondath, and the First Uprising in Calimshan. The Uprising ends in a compromise between the two nations after Chondath is very much overrun by Calimshan, slaves are returned to their owning businesses as long as those businesses are run by Calishite natives. The main industries in Chondath are seized from any Chondathan owners and given to powerful families in Calimshan, in order to be directly controlled by the states interests more easily.

Zehmur passes away from old age with no children, causing some panic among the populace and nobles of Calimshan. The panic subsided however, when a much younger Zehmur reveals himself to the populace, praising the minds of the Arcana Pansophical for working on a singular use of the Clone spell for the last several years. Although some oppose his return as unnatural and implore him to have a child to pass on his throne too, his takes the throne as Zehmur the Immortal and continues his rule.

Rumors of increased gnoll aggression spread from the countryside, inciting great fear throughout the villages of Calimshan, In response, the Brotherhood of the Shield is created in Daraqadim as a grand order of clerics and paladins of Harrus. The Brotherhood spreads throughout the country, becoming a frontline defense and supporting city guards around Calimshan.

A gnoll warband attacks and razes small farming village in Calimshan, and sightings of a huge gnoll matching the stories of Yeenoghu begin to spread terror in the kingdom.

With orders from Syl-Pasha Zehmur, several members of the Arcana Pansophical throughout Calimshan arrive via teleportation spells to the palace, to lie in wait for Yeenoghu’s expected arrival. Although some argue with the Syl-Pasha, claiming their talents would be better used helping the city as a whole, later in the night, Yeenoghu and several Vrocks teleport into the Palace to challenge the Dragon King again. As Zehmur, other members of the Pansophical, and several powerful clerics and paladins attack Yeenoghu, the lord of hunger soon finds himself outmatched and flees the city via a teleport spell. The armies of Yeenoghu are outmatched by the Wyvern Riders and Lawmages of Calimshan. This battle begins the Second Gnoll War.

In Suzaill, the public execution of several Cloaks is interrupted by the townsfolk coming out in force for a riot. After several days of fighting in all the major cities of Chondath, the small Calishite forces stationed there, with their supply lines cut and with most Chondathan citizens already trained in combat as a militia, are forced to either retreat or surrender despite having the upper hand magically. With the old council of Chondath deposed, and new members elected from the Chondathan populace, the new nation of Chondath declares its independence from the Empire of Calimshan.

In the south, tensions begin to boil between the members of the Undying Council, and in a great magical duel that leaves the Palace of Kymos destroyed, the Anarch of Necromancy Zer-Koh Huelahr and the Anarch of Illusions Thih-Zeuz Ninkrued battle over the place of Head Anarch, with Zer-Koh destroying Thih-Zeuz’s mortal form. With help from his close allies Be-Kejud Hajukrihk, Anarch of Divination, and Thao-Zef Duunthub, Anarch of Evocation, he finds the location of Thih-Zeuz’s phylactery and destroys it, slaying the lich lord permanently. With this betrayal, the remaining Anarchs of Transmutation, Abjuration, Conjuration, and Enchantment turn against the 3 lich lords, starting the Undying Civil War.

The main Calishite fleet leaves to invade Chondath, with a force of over a hundred ships packed with soldiers, and as they are arriving in Suzaill a circle of deerfolk druids call upon a Divine Wind that entirely destroys the fleet. This devastating defeat causes support for the war in Calimshan to plummet, and with Chondathan guerilla forces performing hit and run maneuvers, Syl-Pasha Zulan is forced to grant Chondath their independence.

In Chondath, the new council of Chondath begins the process of rebuilding and forming their own trade deals with the Tuskbreaker Clan, Gusthaven, and Damara.

The northern campaign is suddenly reignited by a treaty between the Wild Elves of Cliffgan and the newly formed collection of bearfolk clans in the great valley of Claw Hollow, and they begin to raid and assault villages and cities above the White River. Zulan diverts his military might back to the north and begins a draft system throughout Calimshan.

Syl-Pasha Zulan steps down from the throne, granting his oldest daughter Juhmasmah the throne in his stead. Juhmasmah is a cool headed and cunning woman, and she quickly begins to replace positions of government power with allies and close friends.

The rule of Juhmasmah is overall uneventful, and she spends most of the time on the throne strengthening the power of the Syl-Pashi and her direct advisors over the council, with her main policy being the ability for the Syl-Pashi to have a vote in council run decisions.

Juhmasmah passes away, leaving the throne to her 14 year old daughter Erah, who has an incredible connection to her draconic bloodline. Erah is trained in her sorcerous art by skilled tutors at the Lyceum, deciding to leave important matters to the council in the meantime.

An outpost in the Damaran buffer zone is infiltrated and attacked by a horde of undead, with several surviving crusaders claiming that people they thought were living crusaders attacked high ranking officers and opened the gates to the hordes. Some injured survivors fall victim to a horrible illness that leaves many dead and some turned into mindless undead themselves. These more intelligent undead are dubbed the “Darakhul”, and throughout the following years, they terrorize the Damaran buffer zones, and their bites are a death sentence for crusaders of weaker constitution.

At the young age of 20, Syl-Pashi Erah is already a master of her craft in the Art, and her first order as Syl-Pashi is to send scouts to the area north of Gusthaven and Chondath, to possibly make contact and possibly trade with any dwarven settlements or any natives of the area, as the area is relatively uncharted.

In the Pacjour Strait, the orcs of the Tuskbreaker Clan, with their dominance over the trade routes of Ekrune, war with the newly returned Baphomet, now crowning himself Horned King of the Sea. Upon his return, many of the Minotaurs that served him in Mintras reject his return to absolute power, as they have learned a relatively more civilized life trading and warring with neighboring tribes and building an empire of their own. Baphomet takes the most extreme of his cult on the waves, and they terrorize the southern Pacjour Sea.

Chondath settles the city of Daerlun to attempt to mend trade relations with Calimshan, and although rocky at first, many deals are secured with the now free nations. By this time, beastfolk live in the cities and villages of Chondath without much prejudice or animosity towards their kind. The lizardfolk tribes of the Dartronto Marsh, however, continue their lives of isolation and battles with the Tsthar, trading with Chondath for items they cannot produce on their own.

After the death of Zeseir due to a stroke, his oldest son Fareed takes the throne.

Now calling himself “Sir Remington”, the newly formed lich gathers outcasts and dark forces to himself, forming the Ebon Ward. Gathering in a warded ruin in the middle of Calimshan, the Ebon Ward works to serve Remington’s will and to oppose both Kymosian wizards and expand their power. Their actions and support of outcasts and monstrous creatures soon draws the attention of the Keepers, who seek to destroy the organization and its members.

Rashef takes the Calishite throne after the death of his father Fareed.

Over the next few decades, the slave trade is revitalized by contact with drow houses in Rilauven, with drow slavers now uncommon but seen in a less immediately hostile light in Calimshan.

After several relatively peaceful decades in Calimshan, the Syl-Pasha Fa’med is crowned after an accident that killed his brother, who would have been crowned instead.

Nadeer takes the Calishite throne after the death of Fa'med.

The siege of Arikhapur is finally successful after 4 months and the city is razed by the savage horde. The Army of Darkness quickly begins to march a small force to Farayadh while the main force of the army marches to Nemesse, quickly overcoming the defenses of the city. In what will be known as the “Weeping War”, the forces of Abaddon assault Calimport, Daraqadim, and Grabby's Reach in an attempt to cripple Calimshan’s supply lines and largest cities.

The climax of the war was the duel between the two final opposing army leaders. The Banes' Duel between the forces of Aulmpiter the Thanadaemon and Judge Grio Keensinger lasts for two whole days, and ends with the pair facing off in mortal combat on the 15th day of Flamerule. While neither body is ever identified, the magical blast that engulfs them robs both armies of their commanders. The Siege lasts until the 25th in Flamerule, as the now-direction-less hordes of the Army of Darkness simply swarm over Calimport's last defenders by savagery and sheer weight of numbers. The battle travels up through the city’s wards to the Jewel Ward, where the last surviving mages teleport the surviving defenders to Daraqadim, as the city of Calimport falls to the savage hordes.

As the Empire of Calimshan fails to keep control over the center of the nation, Daraqadim stands as an unbreakable bastion of lawfulness. Throughout the countryside, the still large horde of the former Army of Darkness ravages the countryside, with villages and cities being sieged and razed. North of the White River, local warlords and bandits reign over the now fractured nation and the remaining army of Calimshan regroups and sends for aid from Chondath and Damara.

The wrath of the ork gods fall upon the Cliffgan Mountains causing all manner of plagues to sweep through the region, decimating every species there except the orks. An orkish shaman named Wund da Great Green Prophet unites the tribes under the leadership of the chieftain Uruth Skullsmasha and the orcish realm of Uruth Ukrypt is established.

Ihmem takes the Calishite throne from his father Majdi.

In Damara, Starlight Crusaders get into several skirmishes with Kymosian Wizards as Kymos sets up several Enclaves throughout the buffer zone. Kymos begins a slow but building program of militarization and modernizing of their tactics and armies to compensate for the invention of firearms.

Over the last hundred years, the Illuskans of Godsfall colonise the Gundarlun, the Northern Moonshae Isles, The Uttersea, and Umukek as they set up independent kingdoms and city states.

The march of the Calishite army decimates the northern beastfolk population, forcing many who aren’t captured, displaced, or enslaved to move into the northern mountain ranges. The northern expansion is viciously fought by the many clans of bearfolk organized in Claw Hollow, though to no avail, as the advanced technology and magical knowledge of Calimshan pushes them into complete submission and retreat.

Targin takes the Calishite throne from his mother.

A one year old Jukhan Rhimod is hidden away by his caretaker, and he survives to be crowned as Qysar on his 16th birthday in 1160 AC.

In the hundreds of years since it’s formation, the Ebon Ward has turned from an organization that specifically opposes the Keepers to a secret society of outcast or shady adventurers that often engage in espionage or taboo subjects, as well as taking on jobs to further their own goals and to oppose the goals of the Keepers.

In Kymos, the Palace of the Undying is infiltrated by a previously unknown force, with spies up to and including the most trusted right hand men of the Anarchs themselves suddenly turning on them. In this chaos, the Doomvault is opened and many of its most prized treasures are stolen, including the ancient Mulani Mask of the Slaver King, and the Enchiridion of Lichdom. Erupting into an all out bureaucratic collapse, control is quickly seized again and positions are quickly filled.

Spurred on by their supposed weakness and by the discovery of an ancient temple in the buffer zone, Damara declares a holy war on the forces of Kymos and demands the entirety of the buffer zone be given over to them, and all out battle takes place in the former Buffer Zone between the two nations.

In the Empire of Calimshan, a great plague of nightmares is reported, afflicting several people with permanent psychosis. Many of the dreams are different and unconnected, but many report the beating of a heart and the sound of distant whispering. Although 98% of people who have a dream like this will never dream of it again, these dreams will be reported for the next several years, sparsely, but only within the borders of Calimshan.

The first sightings of the disease that will be called “Soulblight” appear in the southwestern reaches of Calimshan, near the border with the Expanse.

Soulblight’s true symptoms show in those afflicted, and result in infected people showing many dangerous symptoms, including a number of cancerous growths and, in the diseases' later stages, violent insanity. Those in very late stages begin to grow in strength and resistance to magic, and are completely insane. Asylums sprout up in the south of Calimshan to keep the infected locked away, and the blight is slowed significantly.

Soulblight, originally thought to be another weapon created by Kymos, is quickly becaming a national issue. It very quickly becomes impossible to cure magically, and its incubation is varied, with all showing cancerous growths within hours of being infected, but some taking months to years to lose their minds, and others going insane within days. It boggles both medical and magical professionals alike.

In the western edges of Calimshan, goblin and ork clans from the Expanse begin to increase their activity and raids into Calishite territory but are quickly pushed back by the Keepers and the El Sadimmin.

As Kymos settles the city of Kontos, gunfire and spells are exchanged between patrols of the Army of Calimshan and Kymosian Wizards, sparking tension between the two nations as both assume the other to attack them at any moment. Calimshan quickly begins construction on the fortress of Bladegarden, and construction is rushed along with the use of state conscripted wizards.

Another skirmish between Calishite and Kymosian patrols near the southern Calimshan border ignites into a full battle, both nations appear to be on the brink of war with each other over the southern territories.