History of Kaliteth

Main: Kaliteth

The lands of Kaliteth [kal-i-teth], aka. the Isles of Kaliteth, are made up of a grand archipelago located to the southwest of the glacial lands of Jedok and north of the desert lands of Om’Buccar. These lands, and the people in them, laid under the control of Ödithrax, the supreme ruler of the Ödika Empire, for over seven thousand years until the Fall of the Empire.

Although tales tell of ancient tomes which contained the complete historical record of the Ödika Empire, they allegedly were all destroyed during the Fall of the Empire. The only historical accounts which remain of the old era are the disparate collection of tales kept by oral tradition and the Parables of Somödin (tomes containing the holy words of the Ödithrax religion, which many scholars believe are likely heavily modified from the truth).

Following the Fall, the Belisters of the Enlightened Order of the Stained Quill pledged to maintained a detailed and accurate account of modern history. In the six decades which have passed since the Fall, there were bloody wars as the houses battled for control, once great cities have been left in ruins, families have been displaced, rebellion and social revolts have swept across the lands.

Ancient History

The few tales which remain of the ancient times of Kaliteth before Ödithrax tell of primitive, tribal humans living in isolated groups within the vast, untamed wilderness of Kaliteth. These people had no written language, lived in crude tents and used weapons and tools crafted from stick, stone and bone. The tribes were generally small, little more than a large family, led by the strongest warrior of the tribe. Trade between tribes was not uncommon, but neither was inter-tribal warfare. The tribe, guided by a shaman, also followed superstitious religious practices devoted to primitive deity.

During the time before the rise of the empire, Orcs tribes were more numerous than the humans, spread throughout most of Edæroth. Primitive humans often had regular conflicts with Orcs. The elves were highly advanced by comparison, but lived in only a few but largely populated cities. The Yedhi lived only in the far north of Jedok and the Akkedis lived only in the central floodplains of Om'Buccar.

Ödika Empire

The Ödika Empire [ō-di-ka] was an era of imperial rule of Kaliteth by the god-king Ödithrax, which lasted for 7,381 years (0-7381). It was the first unified government for the entirety of Kaliteth and the only known empire of Edæroth. At the height of the empire's power (approx. 6400-7100) the imperial army was larger than the combined military force of all other people of Edæroth, and the whole of the Leginon and Östifar regions, as well as much of the other two regions, were under the control of the empire. The decline of the empire, leading ultimately to the Fall of the Empire, was due to the civil unrest and revolts following the events of Ödithrax's Folly (in 7122).

Ödithrax

First emperor of Edæroth and self-proclaimed god of humanity, Ödithrax [ō-di-thrax], aka. The Dragon Emperor, was the founder and sole ruler of the Ödika Empire for 7,381 years, until his death at the climax of the Fall of the Empire. He is primarily remembered to be the sadistic, bloodthirsty, tyrannical dictator who once enslaved Kaliteth.

Early Life: There are no existing historical accounts, written or otherwise, which give precise details to the origins and early life of Ödithrax. None can even be certain if his name, Ödithrax, was given by his family or a name he adopted during his campaign of conquest to form the empire. Nothing is known of his family or childhood. However, through detailed study of the Parables of Somödin, along with the scrolls of knowledge accounting the Fall of the Empire, scholars speculate that Ödithrax was likely the member of a tribe located near the present-day-city of Balikesir. As a boy, he would have been trained by his father to spear fish from the waters. As a young man, he would have joined older men who hunted animals and beasts in the surrounding forests. Tribal life was difficult and few children survived to adulthood, so he would have been an accomplished hunter and warrior.

Birth Unto Divinity: Ödithrax claimed to be the "god of mankind", possessing divine powers which would kill any normal man. All the tales told of the time when Ödithrax ruled speak of the awesome magical power that he controlled. He was witnessed destroying a city in fire, raising islands from the seas, cleaving Mount Mehrkel, and much more. He became known as The Dragon King because he often transformed himself with magic into a gigantic dragon when he sat on the equally gigantic throne of obsidian at the summit of the imperial ziggurat.

"On the day He came of age, Ödithrax's dreams grew vivid, more vivid than life, and showed unto Him a vision of the future, a future in which He would sit upon the throne of all mankind. As He awoke from the dream, He stood enshroud by a pillar of blue flame, unharmed yet charged with the power of the divine." -- excerpt from the Parables of Somödin

Seeds of Legacy: Over the millennia, Ödithrax was known to have many wives, but of these, very few were successful in producing him heirs. Worse, attributed to the might of the children he sired, each of these wives died during childbirth. What remains unknown is exactly how many children he actually had. There are tales which speak of of his sons who served as generals of the imperial army. And everyone knows of his "favored daughters", as their names were used for twelve months of the imperial calendar. The emperors children were known to live at the imperial palace, so it is believed that all of them perished during the destruction of the Fall of the Empire.

Foundation of the Empire

Conquest of the Savages: Ödithrax was believed to be a strong and experienced warrior who claimed leadership of his tribe at an early age. He was also believed to possess a highly creative and inventive mind. He crafted superior weapons for his tribe and instructed them in how to build better defenses. Revolutionizing the traditions of warfare, instead of merely raiding for resources, he conquered the other tribes. It is unknown how many separate tribes existed in the region of Leginon during that time, but before long Ödithrax had conquered them all.

"Possessing an intellect far superior to that of primitive man, Ödithrax conceived of great works that would lead to the betterment of mankind, yet the savages wanted it not. For their refusal, He cleaved the heads of the greatest chiefs, then He once again welcomed the savages to join Him. With gratitude, the savages joined Him and His empire grew as the savages became as people." -- excerpt from the Parables of Somödin

Parables of Somödin: The scholars of Kaliteth theorize that Ödithrax's establishment of a religion devoted to belief of him as a god was crucial to establishing control of the subjugated populace. Demonstrations of his magic would have easily convinced the primitives of his "divine power". After several generations, the descendants of those primitives would have unquestioningly accepted the fact that he was a god because they were raised to believe it to be true. The Parables of Somödin, written by Ödithrax, served as a holy doctrine for the people, to learn the history of the empire (as told by Ödithrax) as well as a codes of law that all in the empire were expected to obey.

Tales from the days before the Fall of the Empire tell of how any belief besides one devoted to Ödithrax was forbidden, a heresy that Ödithrax took extreme measures to root out and punish through inquisitions conducted by his high priests.

The Ödishar: despite the efforts Ödithrax took to engender the people to him through the establishment of a religion, there were still those opposed to him, as well as outside enemies. To safeguard himself, his children and his cadre of priests and political advisers, Ödithrax created an elite unit of soldiers, his imperial guard. Each soldier began training at the early age of 5 years and endured an extreme regiment of indoctrination, physical conditioning, and evaluation of loyalty. The legion of the imperial guard were essentially bred to be fanatically loyal warriors possessing skills superior to any other warriors of the time. These soldiers Ödithrax named the Ödishar, The Sword of Ödithrax.

The Felcaste

In the times of the foundation of the empire, humanity was not the most populace, advanced or powerful race of Edæroth. The Orcs, though primitive and tribal, vastly outnumbered humanity and were especially strong and skilled warriors. The Elves, fewer in numbers than humanity, were highly advanced and possessed knowledge of powerful magic. In spite of this, Emperor Ödithrax considered himself and humanity to be a superior race to that of the Orcs, Elves and other primitive people of the Akkedis and Yedhi. He referred to all of them collectively as the "Felcaste", the lesser people.

As the empire grew in size and strength, conflicts with the Felcaste became a regular occurrence. Ultimately, Ödithrax determined that the other races were a threat to the longevity of the empire, so he initiated a campaign to subjugate or eradicate them all.

The Elves, gathered in their great cities, were the first to fall beneath Ödithrax's divine fist. With devastating effect, he destroyed the Elven cities with mighty magic. The few elves who survived scattered and fled to the most reaches of Kaliteth, where they have lived since in obscurity.

The Akkedis and Yedhi were conquered and subjugated, both living as slave species to the empire, working in the most extreme environments.

Since the dawn of the empire, Ödithrax maintained an endless war against the Orcs. He considered them to be the greatest threat. Although their numbers declined greatly over the millennia, the Orcs proved too great a people to be truly conquer. They became especially skilled at guerrilla warfare.

The Dwarves: Although the Dwarf race was similarly classed as Felcaste, they were not a species born of nature but in fact crafted by Ödithrax, designed to faithfully serve as miners, smiths and engineers for the imperial armies.

Life Within the Empire

Emperor Ödithrax was a maniacally controlling ruler who expected every aspect of his empire to function in accordance to the vision of his grand design. To facilitate this level of control, he mandated a social order of strict castes, as well as a meticulous distribution of all resources.

"To the Righteous, He will provide. To the Faithful, He will provide. To the Diligent, He will provide. Woe to all else, the Falisens who will be cast upon the Swords of the Just." -- excerpt from the Parables of Somödin

From birth, until one's coming of age (12), every child was raised within the same caste as their parents. Each year, during the "Naming Day" celebration, all those children who had come of age were assigned to the caste in which they would serve the rest of their life. Often times, children remained in the same caste they were born into, but there were those who Ödithrax personally elevated ("Exalted") or declassed ("Rebuked"). To have one's child rebuked was generally perceived to be a mark of dishonor on the parents and a warning to improve their faith, righteousness or diligence.

There was no system of currency in the empire, and although some barter/trade did occur, the practice was deemed unrighteous. Every citizen, regardless of their caste, had their needs provided for, however, there was a drastic striation in the quality of the provisions between the different castes. Those of the lowest class lived in squalor while the highest class lived in luxury.

Regardless of the caste, citizens received very few freedoms. None owned property. Possessions unnecessary for their duties were limited to very small keepsakes, often hidden in their clothing. Visiting the district of a higher caste, other than when while performing one's duties, was strictly forbidden. Travelling to other settlements, again other than for one's duties, was punishable by death. Aside from time needed for rest, a citizens every waking hours was expected to be committed to their assigned duties or religious devotions.

Dray: The lowest of the imperial castes, often considered to be a sub-caste, this caste was comprised exclusively of criminals and heretics. All assigned to this caste were sterilized, meaning none were ever born to this caste. They received only a pittance of food, often waste food from the higher castes, and they resided in communal halls lacking bedding or blankets. Their duties were those viewed as the most filthy or dangerous, such as cleaning sewers and cesspits, ditch digging and mining. They were as loathsome in society as the Felcaste.

Ardumon: The largest percentage of the population, the Ardumon were the workforce of the empire, the farmers, laborers and servants. Aside from the Dray, they were the lowest caste of the empire. For them, life was arduous and often perilous. A married couple and their children were provided a small home; single citizens were provided either small apartments or beds in gender segregated communal halls. The meals provided were mundane, with breads and root vegetables making up the bulk of the meal. Their clothing was plain, drab and functional. This caste also included the regular soldiers.

Cretis: The caste one level higher than the Ardumon was comprised of the artisans and craftsmen, specialists with particular, masterful skills. They made up about a third of the population. Though their trades was less laborious than the Ardumon work, the expectations were especially high for production quality and quantities. They were generally provide comfortable homes and decent foods. Their cloths were colorful and comfortable to wear.

Maeherr: The administrative caste, the overseers, had the fewest in numbers. They were responsible for managing all the operations of the lower castes as well as accounting for and controlling the distribution of resources. This caste also included the military officers.

Dehva: The highest of the castes, and only little larger in size than the Maeherr caste, this caste was comprised of the most loyal to the emperor. They were the priesthood, imperial advisers and imperial guard. The were provided the best homes, food and clothing.

The White City

Located on the eastern coast of Mærtosh, in southern Leginon, the city of Cemdithar was the imperial capital. The city was most commonly known as the "White City" because of the grand palace had been constructed of white granite and all the buildings of the city were painted bright white. Ödithrax took great pride in how pristine the city was. Most of the Dehva caste resided in this city, as well as many of the most skilled Cretis and highest ranking Maeherr.

In the days leading up to the Fall of the Empire, Cemdithar became a city on fire, with mobs of looters and rioters rampaging through the city streets. The magic powers leveled against the Emperor, strong enough to destroy him, also destroyed the city. Tales told by those who survived, far away from the grand palace, described as an eruption of divine energies which reached to the clouds and covering all the city. The building were instantly reduced to rubble and ruins and a black soot covered all the land around. Today, this area is referred to as the Black Coast.

Fall of the Empire

Ödithrax's Folly (in 7122)

Ardumon Rebellion

Uhmsual's Betrayal: general of the northern imperial army, sympathetic to the Ardumon rebellion

Rise of the Great Houses

Following the destruction of the White City, the death of Ödithrax and the Fall of the Empire in 7381, there was a period of social upheaval as the liberated people struggled to establish a new social order. The first few years were total anarchy. Mobs of low-caste citizens ran riot through the cities. Of the few imperial soldiers who survived the battles leading to the Fall, many fled to avoid the vengeance of the mobs. Without protection, the highest ranking officials of the old empire were hunted down, paraded through the streets then executed. Shops and warehouses were looted. With the sudden loss of both a policing force and administrative management of society, people once dependent upon the empire for all their needs suddenly found themselves without basic necessities. Soon, what remained was little more than gangs of thugs lording over terrified groups of people struggling to survive.

Dominion of Östifar
General Drühad, one-time commander of the imperial armies of Östifar, covertly reformed an army made up of disbanded imperial soldiers and new recruits sold on the ideal that a combined military force would insure a better life for all. Establishing a form of marshal law, Drühad made use of his loyal army to regain control. After five years combating the gang lords and remnant rebel groups, Drühad's army succeeded in seizing complete control of the western Isle of Östifar. Within two more years, the army controlled the Whole of Östifar. In 7391, Drühad declared an end to "martial law" but instituted the military dictatorship by pronouncing himself to be the supreme ruler as the "Lord General of Östifar".

General Stödath (one of the five generals of Drühad army), discovered that Drühad was secretly sabotaging the careers of officers of the army in an effort to promote his own sons up the ranks. Stödath realized his own position posed a problem for Drühad's plans to establish hereditary control of the dominion. His hopes of one day ruling, crushed, Stödath took action and began making his own secret plans. Stödath arranged to be stationed in command of the eastern Isle of Östifar along with soldiers he confirmed were loyal to him. In 7393, Stödath's loyal forces executed a coupe to seize control of the eastern isle and secede from the dominion. Angered by this, Drühad sent forces to regain control, but all attempts failed. Ultimately, Drühad gave-in and focused his efforts instead on insuring his continued control of the western isle.

Setting his sights elsewhere, from 7395 to 7419, Drühad initiated numerous campaign to seize lands in Leginon. Most met with little success and only minor gains in control of land, however his warmongering made no allies for his case during the Conference of Täden Rock. In spite of his best efforts to disrupt the peace treaties and foundation of the Fahlgemot Council, ultimately he had to give-in once again.

Drühad's health quickly failed following the signing of the peace treaties. Many suspect that his reported failures weighed heavily on his heart. The death of Drühad (24th of Räsha, 7420) did not end the hard times for the Dominion of Östifar. Having left no clear instructions for which of his five generals should succeed Drühad, a heated debate ended in the death of two generals. The remaining three generals, all sons of Drühad, then rallied their armies to their defense. From 7420 to 7422, a three sided civil war literally tore the dominion apart. At the end of the conflict, at a treaties conference mediated by the Fahlgemot Council, the western Isle of Östifar was divided into three independent territories (Lör’Ghal, Östifar and Wehrdeg), each ruled by one of the brothers.

Kingdoms of Leginon
Leginon, having been the strong core of the old empire, was most affected by the Fall of the Empire, however, those of the highest-castes also retained sizable resource stockpiles squirreled away during the last years of the empire. With quick action and extensive use of these resources, many of these individuals employed private mercenary armies which succeeded in putting down the gang lords and remnant rebel groups. After a primitive level of order was restored, each in small isolated areas, these old imperial elites set themselves up as the ruler of their small little kingdoms. The mercenary forces who remained loyal during the conflicts were granted titles and knighthoods, legitimizing their authority and insuring their loyalty to the new kings.

In time, these kingdoms grew in size, power and influence. By 7385, the first conflicts between these young kingdoms began to occur, conflicts for good, fertile lands or areas with strategic resources. Although most of the kingdoms were strictly independent, some formed temporary alliances to overthrow a rival kingdom, with the seized lands later divided between the two. By 7398, many of these kingdoms were even travelling to the other regions of Kaliteth, campaigns of expansion and conquest. By the time of the Conference of Täden Rock (7419), nearly every kingdom in Leginon was in constant a state of warfare.

As a result of the peace tries signed at the Conference of Täden Rock, the many kingdoms of Leginon were consolidated into the five territories which remain today, the smaller kingdoms becoming the lesser houses under the charge of the five greater houses.

Formation of the Five City States
During the time of the old empire, there existed many naval forts built on islands at strategically key locations around Kaliteth. After the Fall of the Empire, many of these forts were abandoned or destroyed, but five succeeded passing through the years of anarchy relatively unchanged. Remaining neutral during the years of conflict between the kingdoms of Leginon, these cities gained in both influence and prosperity. Involved with the Conference of Täden Rock, each of these cities formally received status as independent territories unto themselves.

Outlying Territories
The regions of Calippion and Mundilon were remote territories prior to the Fall of the Empire. Being more self-reliant and further removed from the influence and control of the empire, they suffer far less during the upheaval. Although the people of these regions were little involved with the conflicts happening that resulted in the Conference of Täden Rock, the were included in the treaties as well as the establishment of form territories.

Blood Wars

Following the Fall of the Empire, the Maeherr overlords in the cities of Kaliteth quickly organized private armies and groups of supporters to back their efforts to establish themselves as lord of the territory.

During the two decades that followed the death of Emperor Odiki and the Fall of the Empire, a time now referred to as the Blood Wars, the lands of Kaliteth were in dire turmoil as the houses savagely battled for dominance of the territories. Some of the lesser houses rose to power, some houses were divided, and many houses were wiped from this world, their bloodlines cut down to the very last. Although some of the lords desired to form a new empire under their own rule, none were ever capable of immassing enough wealth, influence or power. In time, the great war settled into a state of balance, with no territory losing or gaining any further control. As the citizens and armies grew weary of warfare, the war soon grew to its end, however, peace was never to be had. Since those days, relations between the territories have always remained tense. On occasion, some conflicts have broken out between neighboring territories in dispute of boundaries or resources, however, the most common battles now happen in the political arena: sabotage, espionage, assassination, etc.

Fahlgemot Council

During the years of anarchy following the Fall of the Empire and the decades of conflict between the burgeoning kingdoms of Kaliteth, one of the most bleak periods of the history of Kaliteth, the welfare of the people was at an all-time low. Further, many of the leaders of the kingdoms were growing weary from the endless warfare. The Kingdom of Mærtosh, one of the more powerful of the kingdoms, was the first to engage in diplomatic discussions with other kingdoms with the serious intent of establishing a complete and lasting peace in Kaliteth. The kingdoms of Mærtosh, Pelinor, and Kaiden, three of the most powerful, along with the pacifist nation of Donji, were instrumental in organizing a neutral forum for the representatives of all factions to get involved in the design of the treaties.

The Conference of Täden Rock [tā-den], hosted in the city of Ka Dafira, was a series of diplomatic meetings held over the months of Ilya-Dira 7419. There was much debate during these meetings, sometimes growing very heated, involved with the design and wording of the treaties. Initially, the Dominion of Östifar refused to participate in the conference. Only the realization that unified kingdoms provided a larger threat to dominion did Drühad agree to participate. The primary precepts of the Treaties of Täden Rock, signed on the 12th of Dira, 7419, involved:

• Cessation of all warefare
• Charter of Nobility: foundation of lesser and greater houses
• Formation of the official territories of Kaliteth and appointed to Great Houses
• Establishment of the Fahlgemot Council

Since the signing of the peace treaties at the Conference of Täden Rock, the Fahlgemot Council [fal-ge-mot] has served as the sole governing body of the lands of Kaliteth and provided a forum for the political debate and negotiations for all the houses of Kaliteth. The council strives to maintain peace among the all the territories and the distant lands of Jedok and Om’Buccar. They have been granted legal authority that exceeds any individual great house, but only for purposes of insuring the lords/ladies adhere to the tenants of the treaties. In all other regards, the territories are left to the governing of the great houses. There are two governing groups (courts) within the council, both of which must separately approve any changes to tenants of the treaties or laws of Kaliteth.

• High Court: this division of the council is comprised of one designated representative from each of the great houses.
• Low Court: this division of the council is made up of highest ranked members of the order, representing the whole of Kaliteth.

Aside from the representatives of the High Court, all individuals who join the Fahlgemot Council do so as members of a sacred order, each swearing an oath of loyalty to the council and the entirety of Kaliteth, forever relinquishing all allegiance to any single house and all future rights of title and land.

Fahlgemot Militia
The Fahlgemot Council has a small army who conducts special operations, primarily as a peacekeeping force working in joint operation with soldiers from other Great Houses to deal with threats to the entirety of Kaliteth or to deal with any potential violations of the peace treaty by an noble house. The units of this army fly a white banner, so most often refer to this army as the White Guard.

Council House
Located in the capital city of every territory, there is a building, commonly known as a "council house", which is the offices for the council deputy assigned to liaison with the Lord Overseers. Along with the deputy will be a small staff of aides and a handful of White Guards.