Bordenian Prehistory

Roughly 300 thousand years ago, the first modern humans inhabited Bordenia, and Avalonia as a whole. They entered the continent via a land bridge in the far northwest, first venturing into what is now Lluevland. Their lives were simple, using what little farming resources they could gather in the far northern regions of the continent to survive almost entirely on what they grew. This strategy was flawed from the start, however. The early Avalonians were so dependent on farming that disease could easily ravage their entire civilization. Over the years, that’s what happened many times. Several deadly diseases caused food supply to dwindle. The workers of the settlements tried to scavenge for food to no avail and met with barren tundra outside of their camp. Life went on slowly and painfully, forcing its way through the cold and starvation to see the light at the end of the tunnel. That light finally came in the form of a great discovery.

## Summary

While roaming the lands, a group of early Avalonians found ways across the continent’s vast rivers. Slowly, the majority of the population started to move away from their withering home in search of a better life across the river. This was found in the area of northern Bordenia known as modern-day Salvadora.  The food was plentiful, with fishing being added to the repertoire of the ancient people. Quality of life was increasing rapidly, and the stage was set for a population boom like no other.

The population skyrocketed. There were an estimated 300,000 Avalonians living in the far north of Lluevland, and by the time the people had migrated across the rivers, the population was close to an estimated 10-15 million. It was around this time that a distinct culture started to be formed in the northern regions of the country. According to artifacts found in  Salvadora, Painted figures were used quite extensively in the early culture. These figures started as just works of art, and slowly morphed into a sort of ecclesiastical practice. The main use of the figures was in unorganized and privately practiced religion. The belief was that these figures were portraits of one’s spirit, representing not how one looked physically, but how one wished to be seen in spirit. These figures were kept in places of high esteem, such as in the entryways of homes, showing all visitors how the property owner wished to be seen.

## Technology

Along with religion came more advancements. A language was able to be formed, road systems were first completed, and a cottage industry of basic goods being exchanged exclusively for services arose in more densely populated areas. However, the “Great Cultural Advancement '' of the early Avalonians had its downsides as well. Brutally harsh punishments were enforced on a multitude of seemingly inconsequential behaviour. The punishment for everything from petty theft to what seemed to be a general “impolite nature” was imprisonment for life. Early Avalonian prison is not like modern day prison. Prison had a different meaning. To be imprisoned was actually quite the opposite. The individual being punished was walked into the barren wilderness of Lluevland’s tundra, and left. The few who returned were not sent back, for the people of the settlements believed they had served their punishment fully if they were able to return.

All the early Avalonian culture would eventually become an organized society. The unorganized jumble of dense weaves of population across the riverside would turn to an empire to conquer the northern half of the continent for many years.