Second Rising

Deep in The Warrens, far beneath the feet of those above lie the terrible mind flayers. They seek nothing less than the domination of all that exists. Normally, they lurk unseen, but on one otherwise ordinary day their armies were seen marching in their impossible organization on the surface. The 1st Age was done, and the Second Rising had begun.  

Kirris

During the First Rising, there were basically no civilizations in the world of Kirris. In the millennia after, several nations rose, but almost none had any memory of the First Rising. Thus, none were prepared when the mind flayers emerged again.   In the continent of Hr'ask'r, the invaders displayed their wit by their conquest of the Kingdom-in-the-Boughs, and their might by defeating the ursil in the city of Dolrar. In desperation, the bear-folk leveled their own city to prevent conquest. The ursil found themselves displaced from their mountain homes for generations and Boughan society was effectively crippled.   There were two places on the continent that fared better. The minotaur nation of Voror was effectively destroyed like the others, but the city of Labyrinthia managed to fight off the invaders from below. The gnoll city of Hnng'yar was likewise besieged over this entire period. They handled themselves well, and came out of this terrible period the strongest nation in all of Kirris.  

Amaun

The world of Amaun fared far better than its twin upon the arrival of the mind flayers. The history of the First Rising was more well-documented, and the civilizations involved were far better prepared for the horrors that they would face at the monstrous hands of the mind flayers.   That doesn't mean they were entirely prepared. The people of the northern continent of Vald had just ended the Second Imperial War, and the Ancient Elven Empire was no more. In its place, humanity had built the Kingdom of Mandia, and were starting to spread across the continent.   They lacked the incredible power of the elves, and their constructs were lost. Thus, they struggled against the powers of their enemies. One by one, their communities were lost, and it seemed like their capital at Ondolan would stand alone.   In the continent of Amik-sik far to the south, there was another civilization fighting against total thralldom. This was the goblinoid kingdom of Teelix, and they were totally unprepared for what befell them.   Their own fight went surprisingly well, however. Many of their smaller communities, especially on the mainland were lost. Once these towns started to fall, the rest were evacuated to their capital of Vilikka, which was then besieged. The goblinoids managed to break the siege, and save themselves. Even then, they expected their relentless enemy would strike at them again.  

Victory At Last

When things seemed to be at their worst for the people of Vald, the mages of Mandia had a breakthrough. They had developed a way to mass-produce enchanted amulets that could protect entire formations of soldiers from the mental powers of the mind flayers.   They used magic to share these Greenstone Amulets with their counterparts in Teelix, as well as their knowledge of their their mutual foes. They were too far to assist one another in force, but this small cooperation would serve to turn the tide.   While the Mandians were pressured too hard to be able to counterattack, they were able to turn the tide against their attackers, particularly the ones at Ondolan. The Teelixans, on the other hand had the perfect opening, and they took full advantage of it.   Companies of hobgoblins, bugbears, and goblins made their way into the Warrens as soon as they could marshal their troops. Fortunately for the fate of the Twin Worlds, this was where the Overbrain could be found. In a titanic battle, it was defeated, ushering in the 2nd Age.