History of Ovenica
Summary Timeline
History of Ovenica
A detailed account of the events that lead to the land of Ovenica as it exists today.
The World Shatters
... 0 BGW
An incredible surge of magic rips through the planes. The once single inner plane splits into nine pieces, changing history forever. An era of darkness. Very little recorded history exists of this time save for certain pieces of ancient literature and some stories that have been passed down through generations. It is believed by the Angels of Iron that it is during this time that the gods had their war before sealing The Betrayer in the bottom layer of Hell. (This was later proved to be a lie, and the Betrayed was in fact imprisoned beneath The Silver Isles.
Five Holds
1 AGW - 800 AGW
The land is in ruins after the world shattered and was made whole again. Civilization creeps its way into existence from the corners of the continent.
1 AGW - The Prophet's Teachings
Religious eventA nameless man appears to a few chosen and speaks to them the words of the gods. He teaches them of The Mother, The Pilgrim, The Champion, The Healer, The Scholar, and The Betrayer. These people take the name Children of the Prophet and begin to spread his word to all the land.
200 AGW - The First Hold
FoundingThe Douglas Family completes construction on a castle and names it Harwood Citadel. They claim the lands around them and begin to draw in people from all over who are seeking safety in numbers.
280 - 500 AGW - The Holds of Ovenica
FoundingSeeing the success of the Douglas family, other families begin construction of their own holds. Some build castles, others use previously abandoned dwellings of ancient peoples. Slowly the holds grow until their borders begin to overlap and conflict starts to erupt.
505 - 508 AGW - The First War
Military actionA border dispute over mountain land quickly erupts into full blown war between the Douglas Family of Harwood Citadel and the Norgard Family of Bacre Keep. The war is devastating and both sides suffer terrible casualties before a truce is signed three years later.
509 - 762 AGW - Border Disputes
Military actionThe ruling families of each hold vie for control of the land. For some time the recent memory of war keeps the holds from beginning another bloodbath, over time the memories fade and skirmishes happen frequently on the borders while each hold attempts to gain more land for itself.
763 - 766 AGW - The Accords of Manoa
Political eventA first generation Half-Elf known as Manoa marries into the Douglas family. Within a year she and her wife Joi invite the other family leaders to a meeting. There they lay out plans for hold borders and offer possible solutions to end the fighting. Two years of discussion later, the families have all come to compromises that they are happy with. The accords are signed and a holiday is declared.
The Word of The Seraph
800 AGW - 900 AGW
Thirty four years of peace are interrupted by a vision. A new deity appears before many in a temple of The Prophet and declares new wisdom. The Children of the Prophet, in awe of new enlightenment, change their name and begin a more aggressive campaign to spread the word of the gods.
800 AGW - A New Religion
Religious eventThe Angels of Iron throw everything they have into their new campaign and by the end of forty one years The Word of The Seraph and The Teachings of The Prophet blanket the land. Temples have been erected in cities and shrines built in towns. Children are taught in special schools and Priests travel the land to make sure everyone hears the word. Initially met with skepticism, the power of the church quickly shows itself to be real and relevant.
841 AGW - A New Threat Looms
MiscellaneousA shadow draws over the land. Rumors of Undead roaming Prathia Hold are spreading and causing regular folk to become nervous. Read the full story in the Expanded Timeline.
841 AGW (06/04 - 06/07) Horror Under Mosshall
MiscellaneousAfter coming together through mutual interest in the recent rumors of undead in the area, a small adventuring party enters the town of Mosshall to investigate some suspicious activity. Read the full story in the Shadows Over Ovenica Timeline.
841 AGW (06/04) - A Strange Beginning
MiscellaneousA mysterious mishap sends the group over the edge of a cliff and right into a heap of trouble. Read the full story in the Sleeping Giants Timeline.
841 AGW (06/13 - 06/15) - A Stolen History
While attempting to steal an item for Ancient Annie (Aurora), Wilphose ends up with something even more valuable: one of the five Accords of Manoa. Read the full story in the Sleeping Giants Timeline.
841 AGW (08/19) - Beasts of the Past and a New Ally
Geological / environmental eventOn their way to the tomb, the party discovers an ancient shrine, and a new druid companion. Read the full story in the Sleeping Giants Timeline.
843 - 860 AGW - Technology Boom
Technological achievementThe Leaders of Fort Basin of Mirefield entrust into the hands of experts a magical key that allows for quick and easy teleportation. This item is studied and eventually replicated. Within a short amount of time, the ability to travel anywhere on the continent within seconds leads to great minds of all sorts coming together to begin working on all sorts of wonderful technologies. Read the full story in the Expanded Timeline.
The Ovenican Golden Age
860 AGW and beyond
Technology and magic explodes across Ovenica, creating a time unlike any other.
861 - 899 OGA - Transportation and Weapons of War
Technological achievementSeveral modes of transportation are created during this time including small airships, cars, motorcycles, trains, and even flying islands. In addition, new weapons using black powder are created, allowing for even the untrained to be able to defend themselves, to some degree.
900 OGA - Gold Rush
MiscellaneousWith the now relative ease of long distance travel people begin flooding to The Shattered Lands in search of fame and fortune. Read the full story in the Expanded Timeline.
903 - 913 OGA - War for Stonehill
Military: WarThe Angels of Iron attempt to gain control of the now relatively defenseless Stonehill Keep. Kurleigh takes this as a threat of encroachment and hits back. Read the full story in the Expanded Timeline.
914 - 918 OGA - Drawing Lines
Political eventAfter the war, political lines are drawn, sides are chosen and countries are founded. Read the full story in the Expanded Timeline.
950 - 980 OGA - Weapons of War and Magic
Technological achievementGuns are improved from their basic single shot versions to devastating repeating shot weapons, including the creation of firearms that allow magic to get into the hands of anyone who can afford it. Read the full story in the Expanded Timeline.
981 - 999 OGA - Refugees and the Undercity
Population Migration / TravelRefugees from a land to the south known as Kortav arrive on Ovenican shores while The Tunnel King attempts to maintain his freedom. Read the full story in the Expanded Timeline.
1000 - 1051 OGA - The World Keeps Turning
MiscellaneousAs lines get thicker between Prathia and Cuswar the people of Ovenica have settled into this new, modern, way of life. Read the full story in the Expanded Timeline.
1051 OGA
08/01
The Guardians of the Lost, with the Help of Orpheus and Aurora, travel to The Silver Isles and discover the Seraph in the final steps of a last ditch effort to regain power.
Expanded Timeline
A New Threat Looms
Miscellaneous
841AGWA shadow draws over the land. Rumors of Undead roaming Prathia Hold are spreading and causing regular folk to become nervous.The church has maintained an iron grip on the five holds of Ovenica for forty-one years. Though they hold no official titles of office, the Angels of Iron persist within the most powerful groups. For every judge, mayor, lord and baron, there is a Priest at their side giving advice every step of the way.
In the months leading up to an important religious festival devoted to The Scholar, rumors began to spread from townspeople living on the lands of Lord Idris Daemon. They claimed undead had been seen walking at night. Priests were sent to investigate but discovered nothing untoward and, after corroboration from Lord Daemon himself, decided it was nothing more than local superstition.
Technology Boom
Technological achievement
843AGW - 860AGW
The Leaders of Fort Basin of Mirefield entrust into the hands of experts a magical key that allows for quick and easy teleportation. This item is studied and eventually replicated. Within a short amount of time, the ability to travel anywhere on the continent within seconds leads to great minds of all sorts coming together to begin working on all sorts of wonderful technologies.
With fast transportation, Ovenica sees a surge of technological and magical growth unlike anything the world had seen since before the gods' war. The teleportation magic that allows this quickly became heavily policed. Adjustments had to be made so that public use of this magic can only go from and to predetermined locations. Some parties however, both legal and not, still have access to the magical tech without the location restrictions so barriers against teleportation quickly become commonplace.
Though it took some time, eventually this technology is stabilized and made available to those who can afford to use it. It soon became obvious that teleportation would not be widely available to the layperson in their home, and people began exploring other modes of transportation.
Gold Rush
Miscellaneous
900OGAWith the now relative ease of long distance travel people begin flooding to The Shattered Lands in search of fame and fortune.
The Shattered Lands are still healing, but the corruption of before is fading quickly. Word soon got around that ancient ruins filled with treasure were being revealed throughout the area and soon people from all walks of life were travelling to Redmont to go on expeditions into the Shattered Lands.
The gold rush has made the town very wealthy. There are several businesses keeping adventurers well stocked. Insurance is a big thing in Redmont. You can pay various sums of silver to be given magic items that alert the company when you’re in distress and they’ll come rescue you. Some companies will even offer taxi services to known safe(ish) locations so you don’t have to trek across the entire land to get where you’re going.
War for Stonehill
Military: War
903OGA - 913OGA
The Angels of Iron attempt to gain control of the now relatively defenseless Stonehill. Kurleigh takes this as a threat of encroachment and hits back.
60 years after The Seraph and The Prophet were stripped of their powers the Angels of Iron attempted to wrest control of Stonehill Keep from the Order of the Silver Mind. Kurleigh Castle, seeing this as a threat, opposed the advance and the two armies clashed. Ten years of war followed. Fort Basin of Mirefield joins the side of Kurleigh. The war is devastating and turns much of the land around Pondwood into a soggy mire. After ten years the Angels of Iron bring forth a peace treaty. They will leave the lands around them alone, and as long as there will not be retaliation against them, they will make sure that Kurleigh maintains access to the Black Fog Timberland.
Everyone is tired of war and the treaty is signed. It is not until after the signing that it is noticed that Gomir is nowhere to be found within Fort Basin of Mirefield.
Drawing Lines
Political event
914OGA - 918OGAAfter the war, political lines are drawn, sides are chosen and countries are founded.After the Angels of Iron initiate the ceasefire, and end to the conflict, Rune declares the sovereignty of Manoa Douglas and her children. Bacre Keep and the province of Ustrana amalgamate with Prathia to form a large country, also called Prathia. In response to this, Kurleigh Castle declares Gravewood to now be a part of Cuswar and also functioning as its own country. In 918, Redmont Fort declares Evosos its own country as well, so as not to be left behind, and claims all of The Shattered Lands as Evosos territory.
Weapons of War and Magic
Technological achievement
950OGA - 980OGAGuns are improved from their basic single shot versions to devastating repeating shot weapons, including the creation of firearms that allow magic to get into the hands of anyone who can afford it.Guns, once created, became a staple of Ovenican combat. The improvements did not take very long as there are always people working and tinkering to make the next big thing. One of the greater revelations however was the creation of Catalyst and Spellslinger firearms which not only allowed mages to channel their magic through the weapon, but also allowed people who previously would never have access to magic, to be able to simply load a magical cartridge into their weapon and activate a spell.
Refugees and the Undercity
Population Migration / Travel
981OGA - 999OGARefugees from a land to the south known as Kortav arrive on Ovenican shores while The Tunnel King attempts to maintain his freedom.
From across the sea to the south, hundreds of thousands of people (mostly beastfolk) arrive in Ovenica claiming to be fleeing a civil war. The refugees are welcomed into both Prathia and Cuswar but they keep coming. Every year, several hundred thousand fill up spaces in cities and small towns. Prathia begins turning some away while Cuswar does its best to make space and build infrastructure to help these people.
Meanwhile, on the second layer of Kurleigh The Tunnel King sees their chance at independence and declares Undercity an independent nation. Too late they discovers that all they have done is sealed the fate of their people to be trapped beneath Kurleigh.
The World Keeps Turning
Miscellaneous
1000OGA - 1051OGAAs lines get thicker between Prathia and Cuswar the people of Ovenica have settled into this new, modern, way of life.
The death of Manoa Douglas is felt across Ovenica. Her children Seren and Soren Douglas step up as joint rulers of Prathia, clinging to the only thing they really know: the Angels of Iron.
The rest of the world looks on in shock as they learn that Prathia and the Angels of Iron have not embraced the magical growth like everyone else, instead burning and culling the magical plants wherever possible. Indeed, Prathia has outlawed magic entirely and those mages wishing to enter the country, or those wishing to practice magic within it, must file for permits, make known their intentions and keep track of all magic that they cast.
Meanwhile, the rest of the world continues to move along as cities balloon in size. After thousands of years of despair, Ovenica is finally on the rise again.
1051 OGA
08/01
The Guardians of the Lost (though this was not yet their name) contacted Orpheus, believing that the Seraph had absconded to The Silver Isles to do something dreadful. Together with Aurora, he briefly lowered the defenses that had been placed around the Mother's Sanctuary in order to teleport the group inside, confirming a date a week later that he would lower the defenses again to come get them.
When they arrived, they discovered that The Seraph had placed in their path Warriors of the Core with hordes of twisted undead creatures. The party waded through this sea of undead and abominations before finally making it to the Mother herself. There they found a horrific sight.
The Seraph stood above the bleeding form of Valvaris, and shared with the party the Dead Man's switch she had created by linking her soul with The Mother. Should she fall, the world would be doomed. Despite this, the adventurers jumped into battle and it took only one swift blow from Luneth to bring an end to the Reign of The Seraph. The others rushed into action, reaching out to the Mother in an attempt to save her from Gomir's magic, but they were unsuccessful. A moment of celebration shattered in front of their eyes as they watched a god perish in front of them. A week later, at the predetermined time, Orpheus lowered the defenses and teleported the group back to Fort Basin of Mirefield. The bittersweet news was shared with Orpheus who spread the message to the rest of Ovenica (to the best of his ability) as the party travelled on to Kurleigh.