Very little is known about the Age of Emergence, but it is tied to passage of the humans from their previous, primitive state to become the earliest example of their current kind. Civilizations rose, fell, and were replaced time and again as humans struggled against one another to find their places in the world. Likewise, they often found themselves confronted by the unrelenting power of nature itself and were forced to adapt or perish. Progress was both slow and often uncertain, suffering nearly as many setbacks as triumphs – but at the same time seemed utterly unstoppable. Yet for all its promise and potential, this age would come to an end far more swiftly and bloodily than anyone would dare imagine. The following major events have been dated to the Age of Emergence with a reasonable degree of certainty, though the particulars are often in dispute:
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A parchment with the only legible writing being ‘only our undying
efforts will ensure the great tower continues to stand long after
civilization ends.’ The parchment is proven to be incredibly old.
Although the exact date is impossible to surmise, some scholars believe
it to be from as early as 1300.
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Historians commonly believe TerVarus was introduced to the arcane arts
by Junaro Magis. She was convicted of murder and sentenced to death by
hanging, only to vanish before a large crowd as the rope was placed
around her neck.
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The city of Yeln is utterly destroyed by a tsunami. The exact location of this now-sunken ruin has been lost to time.
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A plague of epic proportion breaks out across TerVarus, killing over
half the population. With the finding of the Plague Diary, scholars date
the plague to the late 2700s.
5104
A never before seen massing of hundreds of hell hounds descend on the
kingdom of Onara. Although no documentation exists to prove such claims,
it has been passed down through the generations that a stranger
suddenly appeared and saved the kingdom by merely pointing at each of
the beasts with a stick-like object, destroying them where they stood.
5228
A stone tablet shaped like a flame with indecipherable markings is
discovered in what is currently Deadfall. It is placed in the Monolith
by historians for safe keeping and dubbed the Tablet of Flame.
5299
A fire breaks out in the current day region of Easton Prairie, destroying the entire Kingdom of Ethori.
5365
The Tablet of Flame is stolen from the Monolith.
5417
The waters of current day Thornvine are poisoned, killing most of the inhabitants.
5562
A carpenter named Jansiph invents the Push Cart, revolutionizing the trade industry.
5772
A magical sword is found in the ice of Glacier Peaks. The powers of this
sword is unknown but it is well documented that seven kingdoms went to
war with one another in pursuit of its power. No kingdom was able to
recover the sword.
5917
Lord Couralis of the Caern kingdom, ruler of the largest kingdom of the
time, is kidnapped from his bed. His head is found the next day with a
message of “The Watch” carved into his forehead.
6365
Almet Kithacore, a lowly guard captain in Syraneal’s army, is suddenly
given ruling rights to an area west of what is currently King’s Gate to
honor his sacrifices to Syraneal. To this day nobody knows exactly what
those sacrifices were.
6671
Amaria Spellsong, considered by many in the arcane arts to be the most
gifted mage of all time, is martyred at the age of twenty-four.
7104
An earthquake decimates the area of Murgulmuck and collapses many of the
deeper tunnels honeycombing Catastrophy Falls. The tunnels became even
more difficult to navigate and home to various creatures from time to
time.
7259
The Plague Diary is discovered when a miner stumbles upon a tomb
underneath Kithacore. The diary documents in great detail the names and
occupations of healer Camys Du Ceas’ patients along with the various
treatment methods she used during a global-scale outbreak of plague. The
diary holds three significant meanings to historians. First, it holds
the oldest written date known to historians – 2781. Second, it is the
first document of antiquity ever recovered with reference to religion.
The final passage of the diary reads ‘Only through your divine blessings
have I held the strength to fight this endless onslaught of evil. May
all my work be in your name and to your glory’. There is no reference of
whom or what she was praying to. The third and final significance of
the diary is the name of one of her patients, Dorian Dunarth. Historians
know almost nothing about this person but his name is mentioned
numerous times throughout the ages of TerVarus and the Plague Diary is
the oldest document to mention the name.
7341
Rala Oroman, a tradesman of the Kingdom of Tanious, presents his newly
found catapult invention to Tanious’ Lord Ferdn. He is executed for
treason against the kingdom two days later.
7389
A lumberjack stumbles across dozens of small wooden statues of tiny fey
creatures within an old growth forest. Each statue is surrounded by
small, never before seen mushrooms.