LORE HELP II: THE HUMAN EMPIRE'S ORIGIN

[Islamadon 4549]

LORE HELP II: THE HUMAN EMPIRE'S ORIGIN

 

OOC: ABOUT THE EMPIRE

When roleplaying in Lord of the Craft, you will undoubtedly encounter Nations. Lord of the Craft is unique in that anyone can make their own nation with enough support from other players. Politics in Lord of the Craft is a cornerstone of what makes this server engaging, because no other game can simulate the depth and interactivity that LOTC can provide. 

 

Historically, Mankind has housed the most ambitious of players and the concept of the “Orenian Empire” has affected the server in immeasurable ways. Some players dream of its restoration, others scorn it and wish that the idea would die. Non-Humans often band together to stand a chance against the vast Human hordes, and will even plot to prevent its reformation in the modern day.

 

A decade ago in OOC time, Human players managed to unite the Human player base under a single Emperor and though it inevitably collapsed, the dream of Empire has never vanished. Since then, there have been at least 8 Empires claiming to be the rightful successors to the Imperial Title. Luckily for myself, Human Players have also historically been the greatest record keepers of all the races. If you are interested in politics and nation building, I highly recommend making a human character and exploring the depth of lore and history that the community has fostered over the past decade.

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EARLY HISTORY

Horen, father of Humanity and one of the Four Brothers, created the first Human kingdom south of the Isthmus of Kramoroe on Aegis, where the ruins of the highest towers Aemon and Daemon lie. This was the city of OREN, the capital of the First Human Kingdom. Horen was killed as an old frail man against the immortal Krug who had pitied the weakness and curse of his brother. This brought about the fall of the first Human Kingdom at the hands of the Orcs.

 

 

HAREN I

Haren I, Horen’s “First Son”, wed an elf of the Wildewyn tribe, and resulted in the formation of the first half-half subrace, the Adunians. Haren thus became the first leader of the Adunic Tribes and was the first of the scattered Humans to resettle following the destruction of Oren, and allowed the Wildewyn elves to settle alongside him. Haren formed a tyrannical kingdom and dubbed it “The Kingdom of Alduun”. 

 

During the reign of the Adunians, true-blooded Humans suffered as they found themselves a marginal racial group without a nation nor culture. The Kingdom of Alduun, under Elendil the Exile, was eventually overthrown by the Human seneschal Saint Owyn Godwinson. Owyn was a descendant of Horen’s other son, Godwin, and was made a Saint for toppling the reign of Non-Human oppressors. 

 

When Owyn overthrew the Kingdom, he freed Mankind’s future from the control of the other races; this was the first peg of Pro-Humanism. Following Elendil's exile, the Adunians undertook an exodus to the North where they would remain. The third son of Horen, Joren, settled in the Valley of Jrent where Al’Khazar, a player-ran city in Aegis, would one day be.

 

 

 

Over the centuries, the Horens of Jrent grew more and more powerful until they became the massive Kingdom of Oren. Al’Khazar was constructed by the Holy Saint King Daniel Horen. In this era, the Nobility possessed great power and laws which protected both them and their right to rule; the leaders were respected and there was a chain of the hierarchy. This all changed when Saint Daniel abdicated so that he might take a Holy Voyage to the North. Saint Daniel’s seneschal, Pampo Perea, seized power in a traitorous coup, marking the beginning of the First Age of Aegis and the conclusion of the Ancient Era.

 

History beyond this point was forged by the players of Lord of the Craft.

 

FALL OF NOBILITY

The Holy Tongue of Flexio faded in favor of the Common Speech, degrading the poetic vernacular of Humanity. Historical Knowledge began to shrink and was slowly forgotten by the common man. The rights of the nobility faded, and the average peasant lost respect for their superiors; public mocking became commonplace within the domains of the Human lords. This led, ultimately, to the destruction of Authoritative Hierarchy and the self-respect of Oren. Too did the Dwarves erect colonies upon Orenian land, Pampo Perea asking nothing in return nor raising a finger to prevent it. The undead, at the command of the banished Iblees, besieged the living and the extent of the Kingdom of Oren shrunk massively due to this weakness.

 

SHEFFIELD DISASTER

Mankind’s situation was made worse when Edmund Sheffield seized the throne from the weakened Pereas. The defenders of Humanity became laughing stocks, and the Hansetic Teutonic Order sacked Al’Khazar with the aid of Non-Humans. The Sheffields lost a significant amount of Orenian land, and the peasantry began to resent them; Oren is hated and mocked, even by its own people. King Edmund cut ties with the Northern Settlements of Oren and many Northerners considered declaring independence. The situation is dire, and the Phoenix Revolution is sparked. Oren is taken from the Sheffields and split between the East and West with the Hansetic Peoples. Taurus the Half-Elf becomes King, yet suffers another defeat at the hands of the Teutonic Order and the Orkish Horde.

 

RENATUS AND THE BIRTH OF EMPIRE

When Aegis was destroyed, Humanity settled anew in the continent of Asulon. There, three human nations thrived within the greater Orenian sphere: Salvus, Renatus and Hanseti. Renatus, the inheritors of Al’Khazar, are attacked on all sides by the Hanseti, Salvus, the Orcs of Krugmar, Elves of Malinor and the Dwarves of Urguan. It is noted that during the aforementioned conflict with the Teutonic Order, the Dwarves had served as faithful allies, only to act with treachery. 

 

The people of Oren began to hate Taurus for being a weak King, for he had abandoned his post and placed a Regent amidst invasion. Oren also continued to hate themselves for failing so terribly. Then, came GODFREY. Godfrey, who was a direct descendent of The Saint King Daniel and Horen, seized the reins to the Kingdom of Renatus. He limited the rights of the peasantry to instill order, and granted greater noble privileges. A cult of personality formed about this new King, enabling organization not seen since before the time of Pampo Perea. Zealotry rebounded; atheists who denied the spirituality of Creatorism and heretics who had turned to unholy magic were executed in the streets. Faith was placed in God and King rather than the corruptible man.

 

 

Renatus, under the rule of Godfrey, soon conquered the Human nations and solidified its power as the FIRST EMPIRE OF OREN. Nobles were once again granted land and power within this new dynasty, and serfs were ruled over. Oren found itself amidst a golden age, for its cultural revolution had revitalized the self-worth of Mankind. Despite the treachery of the past, Oren became a hub of many cultures and ideals. For a time, Mali’Valah (Elves who lived amongst Humans) lived peacefully and abided by the Human faiths and creeds. However, this is not to say that Mankind had forgotten what the other races had done. Dwarves retained a traitor’s mark, and the Teutons despised the Orks for being mutant in nature. Oren too set its hateful eyes upon the Elves of Malinor, for they had provided quarter to atheists and damnables.

 

ATHEISTS AND ELVES

It was always a matter of great confusion for Humanity that there would be those who denied the spiritual nature of the World. Many Elves were atheist, and many Elves were outspoken in their disdain for Oren’s faith. The Elves began to subvert the systems Godfrey had put in place, with many issues of respect arising from areas that held large Elven populations. 

 

Ildon, one such territory, rose in rebellion against the Empire and was swiftly crushed. The cause of this failed rebellion was determined to be a laxity in Human values; Ildon had begun to perceive Oren as a backwards, bigoted entity worthy of destruction. Yet, time proved the Orenians justified in their distrust of Elven-Kind. Elves and Adunians (who had returned from Exile) were flocking to Oren in droves, yet refused to abide by the laws of Godfrey.

 

The Order of the White Rose gained great prominence in this era. They were a Holy Organization that hunted demons and rogue mages. Its leaders, the line of Chivay, had suffered great familial loss at the hands of Dark-Elves. The White Rose turned to slaughtering rebels and those who did not respect the nobility, the religion and the Imperial Order. It was believed that rampant peasant liberty would lead to chaos and destabilization, as had been seen with the Pereas and Sheffields. The most prominent of rebels were Elves, and thus hatred seeped into both the Order and the Empire. 

 

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OOC: CONCLUSION

Human RP, in its very early history, was shaped by a constant stream of other factions attempting to take advantage of a weak player base. In the early days of Aegis there was no great historical precedent for anything, and thus what later became the Orenian Empire was a reaction to the stresses of the era. The Empire of Oren became integral to Human RP because it symbolized the defiance against those who would put them under boot. The Empire is perceived as the Divinely entitled to Humanity, and those who can restore it are, in effect, living Saints.

 

This era also explains why Humanity may be perceived as bigoted in a modern context. In the early days, Elves, Atheists, etc. would come to town and stir trouble simply for the sake of doing it. This caused Human Players to become resentful, and a stereotype to be formed about the “Edgy Elf”. As a result, Elves even to this day are often mocked in Human lands, and there exists a certain taboo in associating with them.