[img]cid:[email protected][/img] Editor?s Note: As life in Istaria continues to evolve, it is important to understand the lore of the Realm. Over the next few weeks, I?ll be forwarding portions of Istarian history, profiles of the undead and Withered Aegis, and general information about why Istaria is the way it is. It is my hope this information will help as you develop your character, and move deeper into the experience that is Istaria. - DB World History Istaria?s history is fragmented. The myriad of races in Istaria have been under a terrible yoke of war and suffering for as long as most can remember. To this day, many look upon historical documentation and study as frivolous; why bother studying the past when there might not be a tomorrow? Nevertheless, the study of history allows us to see what the people of past endured. From that, the Gifted might learn of their successes and how to avoid their failures. Prehistory: the Age of the Dawn Even before the Age of the Gods, there was the Age of the Dawn. Perhaps this time represents the era before the goddess Istaria claimed this world as her own, and it certainly is before the legends and stories of the Age of the Gods. Very few know of the legends and tales from this era. Age of the Gods We use the name Age of the Gods to describe the era dating back before standard written history, somewhere over 2,000 years ago by most scholars? reckonings. Istarian life during the Age of the Gods was much different than it is today. While societal organization helps to define any era of history, the Age of the Gods best represents a time where external forces defined what we understand about Istarian life. Many believed that the Istarian deities took a much more direct ? and often times heavy-handed ? role in the lives of the beings that inhabited this ancient world. By the few accounts of this mystical time, the gods often took physical form through their avatars on the Prime; they measured their worth by how many beings they held under their sway. Much of what took place during this time is the stuff of legend. However, there are some widely accepted versions of events that occurred during this Age. Scholars agree that a mighty struggle occurred between various forces. Istarian deities probably influenced this struggle directly, and it helped define most of this Age?s way of life. There are enough accounts that paint dramatic pictures of races fighting one another for the favor of their chosen deities. To this day, scholars still question the specific and identifiable facts of this struggle. Much of what we know about this time comes from collections of various races? local documentation. Many scholars believe that the oral histories of this time are corrupt by their re-telling and embellishment; truths and commonplace events are probably factually wrong or so vividly recreated that only an ounce of truth remains. Nonetheless, they paint an interesting picture of life during the Age of the Gods. Many of the Living Races were active during this time, each inhabiting and developing their own little corner of Aradoth. During this time many of the races seemed to live a nomadic way of life. The Humans, in particular, are defined as nomads more than any other race. Very roughly transcribed Human oral histories paint a picture of this race following the migrations of wild game throughout the Realm. Sadly, much of this is conjecture, the victors of war define much of this history, and the oral tradition is no exception to this rule. The Saga of Stone Other than some general information and a few specific events, we know few facts about this Era. Historical records are very rare, and those that do exist are of questionable worth. One of the few documented events of this era exists on a series of stone tablets referred to as The Saga of Stone. Scholars have partially translated The Saga of Stone, but there is no primer or codex, and the translation continues, but very slowly. It is unknown what individual or which race or races are responsible for creating these tablets. The language used in the Saga of Stone is a mixture of pictures and drawn symbols. Most scholars believe this to be an ancient form of the common tongue. What is known about the events detailed in the Saga of Stone is that a terrible struggle waged between (we are led to believe) forces led by Istaria (the Goddess of Creation) and Daggarth (the God of Malice and Strength). The Saga of Stone is very clear in one area: the deities themselves led their armies in combat, referring to their striking visages upon the Prime itself. Such epic battles, especially to the scale that the Saga of Stone suggests, would leave some sort of evidence behind. However, to date, no person has discovered any tangible proof leading historians to believe that this specific event ever took place in Istaria. What many scholars feel the Saga of Stone actually represents are dramatizations of the struggles that took place in Istaria?s past. It is widely believed that the gods did exert a much more direct influence on the races during this time ? much more than anything we know today. We do know that portals connecting the Prime to other realms were constructed and widely used during this time. This fact alone lends valuable support to the notion of influential deities. The Saga of Stone represents just one of the potential keys to unlock the knowledge and forgotten lore about Istaria?s distant past. Hopefully members of the Gifted will discover more pieces of the Stone and will enable a full translation. The Saga of Stone is an inheritance from early Istarian history that today?s Living Races do not yet fully comprehend, and its real value remain uncertain.
