Races of Rathe
From Rathe
A brief, PHB-style overviews of major cultures & societies.
Humans
The Rise and Fall of the Harrodridic Empire
(750 BCE – 625 BCE)
As humanity emerged from the Dark Age, the shattered remains first began to recover with the traveling tutelage of the poet-lord Esserrot. Legend has that Esserrot and his followers were the cause of renewed interest and resurgence of literacy within the remaining human tribes. With the influence of Esserrot, the tribes begin to grow and as the tribes, by now hundreds in number, expanded in size and population, so did the number of conflicts and scale of battles escalate.
(625 BCE – 500 BCE)
General warfare continued for nearly 6 generations, during which power was consolidated into the hands of 9 city-states: Roarstone, Harrone, Drogen, Ulmast, Fainst, Lorshen, Quain, Cardisburn, and Aemist.
(300 BCE – 200 BCE)
War breaks out between the nations as the 200-year balance of power ends. The disruption begins as Ulmast begins total war with its neighbors: Quain, Cardisburn, and Aemist. The premise for the war is religion. The war devastates the nations involved as several truces are established, but broken in land grabs. Roarstone and Drogen close their southern boarders to prevent the war from involving them.
(200 BCE – 150 BCE)
Human civilization continues to improve as the war of religion ends. The governments of Ulmast, Quain, Cardisburn, and Aemist collapse due to economic exhaustion and the land is left unclaimed except by anarchy. Roarstone, Harrone, and Drogen are on good relations as talks of marriage between the nobility are begun. Fainst and Lorshen are trading partners across the inner lake.
(150 BCE – 125 BCE)
The human nobility of Roarstone, Harrone, and Drogen are connected through marriage and blood. Slow expansion of these territories is underway. A plague breaks out in Lorshen and decimates the population. Fainst breaks off trading relations and closes its boarders to prevent the plague from spreading
(125 BCE – 100 BCE)
The royal family of Harrone and Drogen are united through marriage, merging the two nations into the Harrodrogen Kingdom. The remaining nations expand their territories, absorbing the remaining populations of the old human kingdoms.
(100 BCE – 25 BCE)
Territorial expansion between Roarstone and Fainst increases tensions between the two nations and minor conflicts break out as the tensions escalate.
(25 BCE – 1 CE)
The royal families of the Harrodrogen Kingdom and the Roarstone Kingdom are bound to one another through marriage. The new Harrodrogen-Roarstone kingdom wages war against Fainst.
(1 CE – 125 CE)
The Empire begins as the Harrodrogen-Roarstone Kingdom defeats Fainst in battle, and Fainst collapses. With the defeat of Fainst, thus begins the Harrodridic Empire, ruled by the Harrodrogen-Roarstone royal family. With the decline of the Halflings in progress, Human civilization begins to enjoy the benefits of trade hegemony, and Human culture continues to improve in turn.
(125 CE – 300 CE)
After a bloody coup, the Harrodridic Empire is taken over by another of the royal family. This transition of power marks the beginning of the Middle Empire.
(300 CE – 475 CE)
Turmoil exists within the Empire after the last direct descended Emperor dies. One of his generals begins slaughtering the remaining extended royal family who offer opposition and the general and assumes control of the Empire. His reign will not last long as the Late Empire is typified by constant power struggles and transitions. The Harrodridic Empire continues to weaken itself as wealth is squandered and war is waged.
(475 CE – 485)
The Empire begins suffering turmoil as the Fainst Territory destabilizes and minor rebellions break out. A failed coup for power by a Harrodridic general in Fainst causes a split between leniency and punishment against the inhabitants of the Fainst Territories. Leniency wins out.
(485 CE – 525 CE)
In the Empire, due to political instability and a weakened monetary reserve, the hawk party wins support for subjugation of the Fainst Territory shortly after a second attempted rebellion. Refugees begin to emigrate from the Empire.
(525 CE – 550 CE)
The Empire falls into civil war following the death of a particularly brutal Emperor. Dominant factions vie for power and split the Empire into numerous self-proclaimed kingdoms claiming legitimacy for the throne.
(550 CE – 1000 CE)
No kingdom or dominant faction has emerged to claim the throne as the civil war causes economic depression to set in upon the Human lands as the wars bring plagues, destruction, and massive population decline. This fracture of power causes Humanity to decline in prestige and stability and the empire is officially dead.
(1,000 CE – 1301 CE)
Human civilization pulls out from their decline, as society stabilizes. The kingdoms that have emerged since the collapse of the empire have reestablished a balance of power and renewed economic growth. Expansion of territories has once again begun.
