History

Here follows a general history of Rozola.

First Cycle
In the beginning there were only the Elves, Orcs, Spiderfolk and Merfolk. Of these, the Elves were long dominant. They ruled the entirety of Rozola and brooked no rivals. The Orcs were banished to the cold mountains, demoted to raiding and pillaging each other. The Spiderfolk and Merfolk, by nature, occupied distant and poor areas, far from the Elves.

And so the Elves ruled. They grew strong in magic and arms, and did war upon each other often. These wars were massive, often involving whole populations and laying waste to whole regions. The extensive use of magic in these conflicts only led to more destruction. While in many ways this was the Golden Age for the various Elven empires, it was really an escalating spiral of hate and violence.

In the midst of this came Man. Again, the legends are unclear where they arrived from. Accounts offer many ideas, ranging from an Elven magical creation, immigration from the far West, or direct creation by a God. While no one was sure of their origins, they were quickly added to the Elven empires as slaves and warriors. Breeding fast and being somewhat hardy, Men were forced into labor all over the various Empires. In this, of course, the Elves sowed their doom.

In time, the empires grew weaker, falling under the strain of these massive conflicts. Finally, a massive human slave revolt ended the power of the greatest Empire, which stood where Imperial X is today. Elsewhere the change was less dramatic as Men grew greater in numbers and ability and eventually drove out the Elves of good land.

In the midst of this strife, two races appeared. Up from the Earth rose the Dwarves. No one is quite sure how long they dwelt in the deeps, but it seems likely they only came to the surface due to the warfare there. The first sightings were in the Jade Valley, home to the Jade Kingdom. This kingdom of Elves was one of the few without a significant human population and as such had remained  realaitvyl untouched by the violence engulfing the land. Still, they had long focused on arts and lore, creating one of the keystones of Elven culture.

All of this was destroyed in the Mountain War, as both sides called it. The Dwarves poured out of the earth, killing and slaying as they went. Unable to call for outside aid the Jade Elves were forced to fight alone. They fought well and bravely, but the outcome was never in doubt. In time the great Elven kingdom as overthrown and it’s its place stood the Dwarven Argentium- The Pillared Land.

At the same time, less psectualrcy came the Halflings. Unlike Dwarves they came not as warriors but refugees, out of the West. They were great ship builders however, and were soon in great demand all over the coats to build boats for all warring folk. They claimed no land as their own (expcept for the Isle of K) and lived with other people with varying degress of harmony.

In the end, the Elves, due to lack of numbers, infighting and the fury of Men lost the Great Wars. They were pushed back, sometimes slowly sometimes quickly, into the great forests of Rozoloa, the only place they could defend themselves. Here they set up two kingdoms, one in the North and one in the South. The end of the Elven kingdoms is generally considered  the end of the first cycle but formally it ended at the Coronation of Brahin the First, as the Emperor of the Empire of Man.

Second Cycle
Of course, even at that time, the name “Empire of Man” was overstating matters. The Empire included all the land that would later become the Haven, Riverhold, the Freeholds and the Empire of SovXXX. Many men were outside it’s borders, despite the name. Another large kingdom formed in Rillyn, far to the south. Other men dwelt in the jungles of Mystria, some in the Wastes of Carnith, others still suffered as slaves under the Eleven kingdoms in exile. Still, many in the Empire viewed that, in time, all men would fly under their banner. It was not meant to be however.

From the start, strife raged in the Empire. It was large and without the magical aids of the Elves, ruling it was difficult. In time, many areas gained their own sense of self and means, particluary those on the coast. Also, outside conflict was common. The Orcs, having grown fat during the Wars, raided the northern borders constantly, seeking greener pastures now that the Elves were gone. The dwarves too were clannish and unhelpful and violence often sputtered there.

Still, it took 300 years, in the reign of Rarnir, that any part left the Empire. In that year, during a great orc invasion, the area now known as Freehold formally asked to be given great autmonty and to deal with their own affairs. They cited southern bandits and distance but all knew they struck when the Emperor was at his weakest. In the end he conceded as long as they formally supporting him as Emperor. And so the first part of the Empire was lost.

Another century passed, and this time it was not orcs that brought violence but religion>.A great reigliou strife (which ended with various Imperial claimants) led to a massive civil war. After the dust settled the areas known as Haven and Riverhold separated from the Empire, firmly ending all ties. At the same time, the Freeholds ended any official recognition. The Empire was re-formed as the Empire of Sovornois and entered into a period of plenty and streghen.