The First Age
Also called "The Age of Beasts", this time in history refers to the centuries and centuries of history before the arrival of Ardall the Great. Though most of it is lost to time, scratchings in stone tablets, ruins of structures, and runes etched into the walls of shallow caves still give historians a glimpse into their life. The original peoples of Ardacia are known only as "Earthmen", who lived in huts made of packed earth and straw, rowed long boats made of hollowed trees, and hunted using spears and clubs. Though it is unknown where
they originated from, given that Ardacia is fairly isolated, most believe that the Earthmen are the true natives of Ardacia who simply sprung from the ground after being created by Eirtu.
The Earthmen called Ardacia "Nokulikulk", which roughly translated to "Land that is not nothing". They had two dominant religions, one worshipping the sun as a god named Kameth, and another worshipping the moons as Eirtu and Elonar. Eventually, through a war known to the Earthmen as "The Great Eclipse", the sun worshippers were eradicated completely. This war was also the first fought completely with iron weapons rather than those of stone or wood.
The Earthmen were culturally very similar from the north to the south, with minor discrepancies based on what was more comfortable for the location -- Earthmen burned dung and fat for warmth, and mostly ate roots, wild vegetables, and whatever was slow enough to hunt. Aside from Northerners additionally eating Ice Hogs and Southerners additionally eating fruit, there were remarkably few differences in Earthmen from region to region. Unlearned in the commontongue, Earthmen spoke a lost language simply called "Oldtongue", which is only known as it was described in Ardall the Great's logs; A harsh language of consonants and throat-clearing tones that launch phlegm from their lips.
The Age of Beasts was brought to an end by the arrival of Ardall the Great, also called Ardall the Conquerer. Though outnumbered by natives, Ardall's use of horses, steel, and a unified military quickly allowed him to conquer the entirety of the continent in just under a decade. He named his land Ardacia, crowned himself Emperor, and appointed several of his generals as kings to rule the land in his stead.