The Ancient Times
"I do not fear death; the world was born from war, I was born and raised in war, and I will die in war. Death is the only true peace I will know"-Sir Alrin, 2E 612
In the beginning the elves were the sole inhabitants of the continent of Miras. Their kingdom reigning from every corner of the continent as they reveled in their advances. For five thousand years the elves lived as a unified people until the Year of Schisms arrived. The once united elven people began to split apart for reasons unknown. The Uldmer retreated into the earth, the Talmer remained in their forests, and the Renmer left the mainland for the Nalrokar Islands on the Eastern Sea.
Merely a year after the division of the races of mer a new people washed up on the eastern shores of Miras. They came in a great number of ships all under the banner of Clan Njormar, the first men. Where the first men came from and why they left is unknown but one thing was clear, they were here for conquest. The War of The First Era began the moment the armies of Clan Njormar landed on shore. The army of man marched on the Eastern Plains, sacking every settlement they could find until they came upon the city of Vaerantia, the capital of the Eastern Talmer Empire. The Siege of Vaerantia lasted for two years and when it finally ended the bloodiest battle of the First Era took place. Both citizens and soldiers of the city were slaughtered by Njormar forces and the elven reinforcements sent to take back the city were wiped out shortly after. The Eastern half of the continent belonged to the humans and with their hearts set upon the western half the elves prepared for war.
To reach the western half of of the continent required passing through one of the four pathways through the Felniirvild Mountains, the great mountain range that runs down the center of Miras. Unfortunately the time at which Clan Njormar's army had been mobilized most of the passage ways had been blocked by heavy snow. Their only choice was the central pass which the Taller had guarded fiercely. The armies met at what would come to be known as the Valley of Kings, there elven king Ortheril and Clan Chieftain Gjormlyrth struck an accord. The Talmer would keep the remains of their kingdom in Western Miras and the humans would have rule over the Eastern half. The Treaty of Miras was signed and the kingdom of Farendar was founded, thus beginning the Second Era.
The Second Era of Miras saw peace for the greater half of this period. It was until the year 880 that war once again visited Miras. Once again it came by sea but with swords held in dark elf hands. The Renmer had returned to the mainland not as saviours from the human menace but as conquerors of a new world. They landed upon the eastern shore but unlike the armies of Njormar they stayed at the coast, occupying the port city of Faldrim. From there the Renmer would push into the heart of Eastern Miras, burning every settlement in their way. The armies of man alone could not defy the Nalrokar Empire and so they retreated into the Hinterlands where they remained for the greater half of the war. The Nalrokar had attempted to sail south as well to reach their Talmer cousins but met heavy resistance from House Sunderland's navy. Twas not until the human capital city of North Guard had fallen did the Talmer aid the remains of the human kingdom. It was decided that the Renmer were no longer the people they once were, now a threat to all of Miras the armies of man and wood elf were united against a single enemy. Yet with their combined might they could not regain the land lost to the Renmer, and so they called upon the aid of the Uldmer, the dwarves. At first the Ukdmer people were content to seal themselves in their mountains and wait out the war. But with some convincing Dwarven King Jrulen Kregnrac allied his armies with those of the Talmer and Humans. Finally in the year 900 of the Second Era the combined force of the three kingdoms managed to drive the Renmer back into the sea, thus marking the beginning of the Third Era.
The Great Convergance
In the 479th year of the Third Era, the kingdoms had been restored to life and returned to what it once was. The Knights of The Dawn Covenant returned to their original role as vanguards against evil...until he returned. Sar'than, The Dead God, a being from another world had come to devour Miras with an army of undead. For two years the world was at war with itself and this new evil. Kingdoms fell into civil war, lands became infested with abominations, plague threatened both prince and peasant, and death was ruler of all. The once great Order of The Dawn Covenant had been reduced to rubble but from their destruction rose heroes who would stand strong against the rising waves of evil.
It was at Thanermere Keep that our heroes would strike back at the encroaching darkness. Their crusade was a long and desperate one but in the end those brave few retook what was lost. Their victories did not come without loss however, a number of their brothers and sisters in arms fell in defense of their home. There was no scarcity of suffering and loss during those months and there would be more to come in the aftermath of that terrible crisis.
The Kingdom of Farendar was thrown into civil war after the dead of King Gregor the Fair. His children, corrupted by greed, spilt blood of their countrymen in pursuit of The Eastern Throne. It was through the intervention of The Templars that Princess Veronica was made Queen and her brothers' rebellions quelled...along with their lives. Nevertheless, the Kingdom of Farendar saw reform in its prejudiced ways to non-humans despite great opposition to this movement. Farendar would no longer be a non-human's last resort for a home but a place of opportunity should their homeland no longer be sufficient.
Uldgorin, The Last Dwarven City, survived Sarthan's siege. Unfortunately, a large portion of the city's tunnels and lower districts were destroyed or completely closed off as a result of the damage caused by Sarthan's Colossus. Many dwarves were forced into exodus to Farendar as their homes were nothing but rubble within the great mountain.
Talmaria, the domain of the wood elves, saw a great migration after the forest near Kings' Passing was set ablaze by the Undead High Dragon of Sarthan. Most if not all elves within Talmaria traveled further west and away from the rest of the civilized world. To this day there has been no contact with the elven people of Talmaria. Some say they traveled so far west they reached the coast and set sail to another unknown continent. Others that they have forged a new capital which is hidden by powerful ancient magic. As of now it is unknown as to the fate of the Talmer people.
Possibly the most devasted nation is The Nalrokar Empire. The once powerful dark elf kingdom controlled most if not all of the Nalrok islands in the archipelago. After the final battle between Sarthan's undead army and the rebuilt Templar Order, the capital city of Kel'Torakt was almost completely destroyed. The empire's ability to maintain every settlement was no longer present and many outer island settlements were abandoned as most Renmer returned to the capital to support its reconstruction. The once proud empire was now reduced to a single island nation. Even with all this, the Renmer would not lose hope...if only it was just this. During the final battle, the Renmer goddess Shi'an returned to defend the mortal world. She was slain not by her brother Sar'than, but by the High Ocular who also died as a result of his actions. With the death of their goddess, the Renmer were left without guidance and are now forced to become a raider nation. The eastern coast of Miras is infested with Nalrokar pirates who do not raid for plunder but to support their starving nation. What's more is that their current leader, Kyshri Aryil, the self appointed Shi'zara, has declared war against The Overseers of Serenity as well as Farendar as The Overseers spawned from the human Dawn Covenant. Human ships are attacked on sight by Renmer pirates and the crew is killed without hesitation.
Even with all this, there is a spark of hope left in the world. A portal was opened upon the death of Sar'than and Shi'an. This gate brought forth new beings and entirely new continents...a new world was born. The southern coast of Miras was no more but instead there would be an extension of the continent, separated by a mountain range that runs across the length of the former southern coast. This new land is a vast, arid, sand sea home to a strange new people. The Qartashi are a human race but unlike those of Farendar, the Qartashi are much darker skinned, their skin being bathed in the warmth of their old sun. This new desert nation is populated in only a handful of locations within The Great Sand Sea. Qatar-Shan, Sekteph, and Rhaseth are the three major city states which rule over their respective territories within the Sand Sea, there are a few oasis villages but they are few and far between. Other than this, the only other sanctuaries you'll find from the scorching sands is within the cave lairs of sand raiders.
Below the depths of the eastern sea lies the underwater civilization of the Sireni, or Sea Elves, as they have come to be called. The arrival of the Sireni was an interesting event as their sudden existence in this realm was not discovered until two years after The Great Convergence. Loringrad, the capital city of Farendar, stands by the eastern coast and it was here that the Sireni arrived on the mainland. It was a calm morning at the city harbor when they arrived. Beautiful, blue eyed elves with glistening white hair emerged from the water and almost immediately tried to interact with their new and strange human neighbors. The city guard was alerted as many thought this was an invasion of some sort. Thankfully, a Sireni ambassador was among the first to interact with the humans and relations were established shortly after. The Sireni capital is an underwater city about three times the size of Loringrad. It is located far east past the Nalrokar Islands and it was questioned as to how they did not meet the dark elves first. The Sireni ambassador ,Rilosaniir Alenrunin, explained that their mages sensed much death and destruction on the islands and that they feared to send an envoy to such a violent place. After the first meeting, the kingdoms of Farendar and Nirsinia grew to become close allies with Farendar offering aid to the Sireni people however they could; be it food, arcane instruction, workers to build new homes in Nirsinia(with use of magic to allow them to breathe, of course), even so much as land colonies along the coast.
The Sentinel Mountains, the vast mountain range that runs down the center of Miras, would now become home to more than just the dwarves. Orcs, a race born by the dark magic of Sar'than used on the elves of Kings' Passing, were now seen as outcasts by their former kin as well as by the rest of the world. Unable to continue living near Kings' Passing, the Orcs established villages up in the Sentinel Mountains. These outcasts now live in tribes, some hold onto their elven heritage while others forsake it entirely, forging new traditions and beliefs. Many Orcs actually worship Sar'than, not as a loving god but their creator who gave them this life to test their worthiness of entering paradise. This new religion, The Devotees of Sar'than, see themselves as chosen to enter a world of incomprehensible paradise but first they must prove themselves worthy by enduring the hard lives they now live with honor and strength.
As for "The Heroes of The Dawn", as they've come to be called, many have gone their separate ways in pursuit if their next crusade. Whether it be in search of adventure or the defense of the realm, The Heroes of The Dawn would find themselves scattered across the new world. Evelyn Sunderland, the last true heir of House Sunderland's position as Warden of The South, was named High Lady Commander of The Knights of The Dawn Covenant. A powerful name and great burden along with it, Evelyn was now the leader of the most powerful military organization in the world as well as the heir to an entire region of Farendar. Unwilling to leave either responsibilities to anyone else, the former Knight-Captain is now known as Evelyn Sunderland, High Lady of The Dawn and Wardeness of The Southern Realm of Dustorne. Her new position quickly became her entire life as the city of Dustorne would now become the new central headquarters for The Dawn Covenant. Nevertheless, Evelyn oversees her duties with the utmost urgency and with amazing efficiency. The people of Dustorne see their lady as a fair and wise leader however their concerns for a future heir are with warrant as Evelyn has turned down every possibility of marriage since taking on her new station.