Basic Timeline for the World of Martapa

 Below is the simplified Timeline for my world.  I am going to expand the timeline around the time of "Our Campaign Begins" in the next few weeks.

Happy Gaming!

Sarjon, Catiana, and Targon create Martapa

Light birth: Catiana and Sarjon create the Major Good Gods

Dark Birth: Catiana and Sarjon create the Major Dark Gods

Last Birth: Minor Gods are Born

Year 1: Creatures and plants are created

Year 3: Elves, dwarves, humans, and magical creatures created

Year 5: Ogres and other humanoids created

Year 5 to 10,000 DC (During Chaos): Chaos reigned, no social structures of significance.  The humans spread from northern continent to the southern continent.  The elves are driven to the northern regions and mountain regions of the northern continent, while still roaming free in the south.  Ogres infest any dark place and try to capture the human and elven lands.  The humans retaliate by sending armies against the ogres.  This war lasts for two centuries. During this time human, elven and other mortals build brilliant empires, kingdoms and magical advances.  Many are lost to the annuals of time.

 

1 AC: Ogre/Human war ends

903 AC: Mahatalo and his Akicitia arrive in the north.

933 AC: Veo Sunstar is born.

1000 AC: Wolf Clan created, Veo Sunstar is first Leader

1500 AC: Other Warrior Clans created

2000 AC: Time of Peter, First High King-presented with the Gift of the Gods this year

2051 AC: Peter dies

2100 AC: Noble Houses are first created.  Most are accomplished Knights of the family who have earned their title of Lord through battle or deed and were not in line for the Leadership of the House.

2737 AC: Teleport Network is established.  It is protected by the High King’s Knights and his Mage Knights, along with ghostly mage protectors.

3200 AC: Our Campaign begins.

3382 AC: Wizard Wars begin3407 AC: Wizard Wars End

5653 AC: Rumors of an unsanctioned birth of a Wolf Warrior/common cross whose power is great

5657 AC: Ukiah’s birth5800 AC: the decline of elves and they begin to go into seclusion

5900 AC: Shaniko takes the dwarven islands, Ancient elves are killed by Shaniko on Dwarven Islands.

5907 AC: The school of Dragon’s Fire falls to Shaniko’s minions

5986 AC: Goldenstein House falls

6002 AC: Calabay House falls

6002 AC: Dyani Black Wolf dies.

6003 AC: The Chosen are brought together

6004 AC: The Clash of the Avatars, later known as the Avatar Wars, is concluded at Stormvale.

 

0 PA (Post Avatar): The world begins anew after the Avatar Wars. Scholars now mark the years as Post Avatar.  This distinction does not spread quickly and many places have years that count past

32 PA: The dragon Elemental Storm, Fire Flash’s mate, is lost in the Tsalagi Mountains.  Fire Flash abandons his post at Varanath Keep and begins his search for her, vowing to kill all Wizards that fall into his path.

2500PA: The remaining Gate Dragons go into seclusion, their young and young’s offspring soon following.  Dragons are not seen again by mortal beings except on rare occasions, mostly to aid House Calabay, Varanath, and Eton.

2992 PA: The High King loses his youngest son, oldest daughter and wife to a disaster with the Traveling circles.  He closes all of them down.

3000 PA: The Twelve Houses begin squabble amongst themselves for power.  The High King becomes a puppet.  The ideals of Peter are forgotten.

3075 PA: The Mercenary Wars begin

3186 PA: The Last High King is murdered on the battlefield near Landshire by Sebastion Blackthorne.

3197 PA: The Mercenary Wars End

3200 PA: Noshi Blue Crystal, Sebastion Blackthorne, and Miyaca Snowbird retake Varanath from the Wizard Mathanos.  Houses are still in disarray, and few remain true to Peter’s ideals.

3211 PA: Noshi creates the Crystal Brigade.  These Knights are true to Peter’s word and soon several of the nobler of the Major Houses begin sending her recruits to learn the values of being a Knight.

3240 PA: House Calabay, Goldleaf, Varanath, and Pathfinder sign a treaty of non-aggression.  They vow to aid any of these Houses if the need arises, not overtax the other Houses’ merchants, and to send Knights to fill the ranks of the Crystal Brigade that patrol the Tsalagi mountains to keep the Black Wizards out.

3,251 PA: The High King’s Sword, (Tarkil, Krom, Kenna, Duncan, Guthlaf, and Elly), regains the Staff of Veo and helps crown the first High King in 65 years and the first true High King to believe in Peter’s ideals in nearly 300 years.

The Castle of the Lake Part 6

The Castle of the Lake Part 6
The sleeping quarters are spacious, though covered in layers of dust.  The beds have fallen through their frames, the mattresses are moth eaten and falling apart, and any other furniture in the rooms is questionable whether anyone wants to sit on or use them.  The curtains and blankets are moth eaten, but look as if they were beyond beautiful at some point in time.  The windows are stain glass, though many are just of simple garden scenes or battle scenes.  Sir Vargin states that the royal family was large and well loved by the locals, but he does not know if they lived or not.  He will not say what happened or when he is from and if pressed, he seems very hurt by the questions.

For the GM the royal family did escape, though several were lost during the escape.  They resettled near by and became leaders of a small village that grew into a moderate sized city.  Most, if any, do not know they are descended from the royals of this castle.  Here is the crux.  If a member of the royal family, or their descendants, were to enter the castle, it would remain and no longer be cursed to bounce around in time and space. If the players were to pry this from Vargin and accomplish bringing a descendant to the castle, Vargin would be forever grateful.

The Castle of the Lake Part 4

The Castle of the Lake
The library of the castle is huge, and Sir Vargin is not surprised the party wants to see the repository of knowledge.  The room is as large as four peasant hovels and 2 stories high.  Books line every wall, with small bookcases in the center of the room, along with study tables and chairs.  The room lights up as the party enters.  Sir Vargin is very proud of the magic, saying the lightstones have an extra magic to sense when people are in the room.  It would take weeks to find anything in the room, but Sir Vargin says there is a book catalog on the table near the door.

This is the main reason the keep continues moving through time and space.  The library is very complete in its knowledge, some of the books from future times, since Sir Vargin sometimes is able to convince his guests to leave knowledge with him.  But the keep continues to move because a mage wanted to save the library from a ruler who wanted to use the knowledge to conquer the whole world. There is some very powerful mage magic books here, but they are not cataloged and are hard to find.  Sir Vargin will help the group find mundane history or simple magics, but he will not help them find those books.  If the party does find those books, he will question them on their intent and if he finds them unworthy, he will attempt to kill them.  If anyone tries to take the books out of the keep, the keep will instantly disappear to the next new location and time it deems safe.

The Castle of the Lake Part 3

The Castle of the Lake
   Upon entering, the inside of the castle looks far better then the outside, though there is no life, no movements, save that caused by the wind, and a layer of dust.  Sir Vargin will greet the party , a smile upon his face, and strangely shakes their hands.

   "It has been some time since I have seen people to speak with and show the castle to.  Let me show you the way."

   He leads the party past the stables, a training area, and an area for carriages.  There is one carriage present, in poor shape, and probably not road worthy.  Granted, there are no mounts in the stables to pull the wagon if it could be pulled.  Not even crows or pigeons fly from the lofts as the party walks by.
   The next room is a cloak room, with faded rugs and curtains, and Sir Vargin asks them what they would like to see first or anything they would like to know.

For the GM this castle has all the normal bits, a library, kitchen, dinning halls, rooms, (for both servants and masters), etc.  I will go into more detail of each, shortly.

The Castle of the Lake Part 2

The Castle of the Lake
Once reaching the castle, the group will notice that the drawbridge is rotting through in a few places, but the small door in the drawbridge is still whole.  The stones of the castle are covered in moss and other hanging plant life.  And though it doesn't appear as if anyone is living there, a voice calls out to know who approaches.

For the GM, the voice is that of the seneschal of the castle.  He is tied to the castle, no matter where or when it might go.  He is a middle aged man, dressed in fine dark blues and blacks with the symbol of the tree of life upon his tabbard.  He carries a long sword and a curled horn on his belt and a ring of keys at his neck.  Depending on the group's answer he may or may not let them in.  If they say something along the lines that they want to explore or learn about the castle, the seneschal, Sir Vargin, will let them in to explore.  If they say something along the lines that they are there to plunder he will refuse to let them in and they will have to break in.  He is considered a fighter/mage of 10 levels higher then the party, with magical armor and arms and a large knowledge of magic.  He will be amused by their attempts to get in, but he will not try to stop them if they are not really making headway.  He, after all, likes to have entertainment now and again.

The Lost City of Nuyah Part 3

Lost City of Nuyah Part 3
In the center of the city is a large temple to Taniger, though it is in great disrepair.  The roof is caving in, the doors have been blasted inward, and the pillars that line the walk way in the temple itself are teetering.  Inside is the most devastating find.  The stone benches are shoved to one side, many broken and upside down.  The mosaic tile upon the floor with pictures of dwarves at work are broken and scorched.  There was once a stain glassed window behind the alter, (a stone fixture carved with lovely pictures of Taniger and his followers), but it was blasted out, as well.  Near the alter and behind the broken stone benches are the skeletons of hundreds.  Many hold axes and shields, even some of the children, but they are all piled where they died.

For the GM, this is where the wizard trapped the dwarves, then bust in the doors before casting his spell to suck out their souls to power his spells he wished to cast to take over the nearby kingdoms.  Their deaths were painful, and unfortunately not quick, but none from the city escaped.

The Lost City of Nuyah Part 2

The Lost City of Nuyah
The streets are made of stone, laid in intricate patterns, mostly geometric shapes, though it appears each street has it's own pattern.  Dirt and rubble cover the streets, small animal prints here and there in the dust.  Tools and wagons lay strewn upon the road ways, as if people just left them and walked away.  Most are in poor shape, (wooden handles falling apart at a touch, wagons leaning to one side because a wheel is broken, etc.).  The sound of dripping water can be heard but no living beings seem to be present.

The first major structure anyone would come to from the miners entrance is a large archway of stone with writing carved into it.  The language is familiar but not instantly recognizable.  As people go under the archway the whispers begin.

Anyone walking anywhere in the ruins will hear whispers of voices saying anything like, "Go back", "He is coming" or "help us" or any variation there of.  There is no visibly living people to actually talk, so the source is unknown, persistent, but not constant, at first.

For the GM, this is the first hint that something bad happened here.  For your knowledge these are trapped souls of the dwarves that lived here.  A wizard trapped them in the archway to give him power for his dark spells.  There is a way to release the souls, (though not bring them back to life), so they may continue on to their gods.  The writing is in an ancient form of dwarven, so anyone with the ability to read dwarven should be able to decipher most of the sign that says, "The City of Nuyah" or the City of Stone.  Anyone with a very high dwarven lore skill would know a little about the city.  The city was said to be abandoned because of a plague and that no one should go there if they didn't want to catch the plague.  The truth, which your players will not know yet, is that a dark wizard cast a horrific spell that sucked up all the souls in the city, from child to oldster, and placed them in the archway to serve as his focus.  Delightfully, the wizard died shortly after when the dragon that was friends with the city ate him, but was unable to save his friends.

The Lost City of Nuyah

The Lost City of Nuyah
The city sits in the middle of a large underground lake, three causeways leading out to the island, all of which are damaged in one way or another.  The cavern itself is large, reaching into the depths of darkness.  The tunnel the miners broke into appears to have once reached the surface but caved in at some time in the past.  It is a good mile from the surface, though more in then down. There are also two other tunnels, that are blocked, that may lead elsewhere.

The buildings are made of stone, with very little wood used in structure, though some for furniture.  Glowing fungus give the cavern an eerie glow and bats line the stalactites that are nearer the tunnel.  Blind fish swim in the water, (which the water appears to be fed by a spring but flows out of the mountain in a stream, which eventually becomes a river outside the mountain).