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 lands of Jedok and north of the lands of Om’Buccar. For over seven thousand years, these lands, and the people in them, lay under the control of Ödithrax, the supreme ruler of the Ödika Empire.

Although tales tell of ancient tomes which contained the complete historical record of the Ödika Empire, all were destroyed during the Fall of the Empire. The only historical accounts which remain of that time 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).

Since the early years of the Fall of the Empire, the Belisters of the Enlightened Order of the Stained Quill have maintained a detailed and accurate account of modern history.

Ancient History

The few tales which remain of the ancient times before Ödithrax tell of a primitive, tribal people 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, led by a shaman, also followed superstitious religious practices devoted to primitive deity.

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 the 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 mankind, Ödithrax [ō-di-thrax], aka. The Dragon Emperor, was the founder and the sole ruler of the Ödika Empire for 7,381 years, until his death at the climax of the Fall of the Empire. He is remembered today as 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 were death for man to behold. 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 to 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 in a pillar of blue flame, unharmed and 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 legends of some 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 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. He instructed the tribe how to build better defenses. He changed the traditions of warfare, conquering other tribes instead of merely raiding them for resources. It is unknown how many separate tribes existed at that time in the region of Leginon, 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 chiefs then once again welcomed the savages to join Him. With gratitude, the savages joined Him and His empire grew, and 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 were expected to obey.

Tales from the days before the Fall of the Empire tell of how any belief besides a devoted belief in Ödithrax was forbidden, a heresy that Ödithrax took extreme measures in 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 soldier, 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.

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 Justice." -- 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.

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.

Fall of the Empire

Ödithrax's Folly (in 7122)