Kalia (Old)

**Kalia History**

Suffering the worst of the destruction of the Wound, the land later to be known as Kalia was in utter chaos following the event. The surviving people scattered and desolate, became a plague to one another. Over the next 20 years marauding bands of men roamed the land warring and stealing from one another.

At the end of this brutal 20 years, 12 families (all claiming Aingeal heritage) arose to raise the banners of peace, order, and civilization. While each family has their own tale, over the following 80 years each succeeded in bringing peace to the land around them. Carving out a nations of their own.

By the beginning of the 2nd century after the Wound, war broke out amongst the 12 nations. To quell this and bring peace, a great council was convened in the land between two rivers. This council consisted of delegates from 11 of the 12 nations (all except Bondar). During this council the Kalian Empire was formed naming itself after the man who is considered to have largely orchestrated the council and brought 10 of the 11 nations into alliance (Xaileth opted out). Kalia the Forger(Con Doin) was named first emperor and the land between the rivers became his new capitol.

Believing in a unified land over the following century the Kalian Empire brought the Bondar and eventually the Xaileth into the Empire.

For the next 800 years, the families that formed the Empire, known as the Clans, politicked & commerced within the Empire rising and falling from influence, all the while warring with the neighboring nation Jopec. During this time the Empire grew in wealth, knowledge, and power.

**Assassination & Civil War**

At the dawn of a new millennium the Kalian Empire, although whole, was showing the cracks of age. The clans stood at odds with one another and a few skirmishes between them had occurred between some borders. The current Emperor, Aelmon the Frail, was seen as having done little to quash the infighting. During a festival at the Capitol Aelmon was assassinated.

While Kalia was currently at peace with the Jopec it was was at first exposed to be a Jopec plot. While gearing up for war, the Council of 12 convened and a new Emperor was selected. A man by the name of Avareth the Disputed (Chori) rose to the throne.

While initially succeeding in unifying the Clans, it eventually became the belief of some houses that Avareth had in fact had Aelmon assassinated in order to rise to power himself. This belief led to the resurfacing of the cracks between clans and ultimately to the shattering of the Empire into civil war.

The war waged 2 full years before the rebellion succeeded in attacking the Capitol. There rebellion forces broke through to the palace slaying Avareth. What remained of the Empire dissolved at his death.

The clans warred with each other and new interests that arose during the conflict for 20 more years before collapsing and being swept away to memory with the dawn of a new age.

**The Tower Bloodbath and the War of the Homeless Emperors**

It is said that while the civil war was waging across the lands, that the Great Ones (the mages of Kalia), were having a war of their own. The war culminated at the Academy, home of the Great Ones. After which, the Academy claimed control of Kaliin, and proclaimed themselves an independent and neutral party from the war.

Different Coalitions of the clans put forth their own emperors to lay claim to the land over the next 20 years in what is now called the War of the Homeless Emperors (none of these emperors ever successfully mounted a campaign to retake Kaliin from the Academy).

While there were many men who would seek to claim the title, only a few became powerful enough to be contenders:

Xol the Crazed (the Pure in Xolmeth). Unified the northern clans under one banner. Formed what is now known as the Xolmeth Kingdom. Famous for his belief that the Lyth existed and that they had infiltrated Kalia in the form of men. Led the famed Inquisition of Blood and Fire which sought out these doppelgangers throughout the land. Burning and putting to the sword any found guilty.

Rah’net the Lion. Famed general from the Kalian wars against the Jopec. He returned from his campaigning after Emperor Avareth’s death. With the support of the southern clans he returned to Kalia with an army at his back. After a few years of campaigning, he unified the entire southern half of Kalia. Then marching on Kaliin to claim the throne.

Upon arrival he found the bridges to the city destroyed and a single Great One awaiting his audience outside. The Great One informed Rah’net of the Academy’s neutrality. That he would not be permitted within the city. Rah’net had the man executed and sent his body over the river via catapult. It is said that, that night, Rah’net’s closest captains awoke to the sounds of screaming from his tent. Upon arriving they found Rah’net had slit his own wrists, and had written a message across the wall of his tent in his own blood before dying: “No man, so foolish or weak of will, will ever rule us.”

With a lust for vengeance, his captains laid siege to the city, and attempted to traverse the river. Their bridgebuilders were met with tragedy and over the next few nights, each of these captains met a similar end to Rah’net.

The Great Army of the Lion scattered. The clans who had united to see him as Emperor, never again united and warred with one another.

While the Inquisition of Blood and Fire raged in the north, countless Homeless Emperors sought supremacy and war in the south.

**Rise of the Commons**

While death and destruction ransacked the land, those that suffered worst were arguably the common man. During the War of the Homeless Emperors, a new idea (or a very old idea) found root in the minds of the common man: What had Clans, Emperors, or Titles brought them? Was the common man the one who wanted war? Did the common man take your crops and the lives of your sons for a title? True virtue lay in the hearts and minds of the common man who worked his fields and tended his family.

22 years after beginning of the Civil war that destroyed the Empire and threw the land into chaos, this belief had emerged as the prevalent ideal amongst commoners throughout the land. While not unified the general atmosphere was that of resentment for any man representing the clans or claiming the title of Emperor. This resentment was generally ignored by the Clansmen.

This resentment turned to bloodshed early in the spring of that 23rd year. The tale is that a young boy by the name of Napolt, was playing in the streets of his village in the land near the 3 lakes. Napolt, depending on who you ask, was in the way of a passing patrol of clansmen, who simply trod the boy down underneath their horses for not moving out of the way fast enough. The alternative story, depending on who you ask, was that the boy was throwing stones at the soldiers, and they trod him down attempting to apprehend him.

Either way, the following events are generally agreed upon. The village erupted in a violent retaliation to the soldiers. a skirmish ensued ending with the death of the patrol and many of village. When the Clan Leader learned of the death of his patrol, he had the village burned to the ground and the remaining villagers Impaled.

News spread and the other local villages joined together and attacked the Clan Leader’s estate at night, massacring the household and scarecrowing the Leader and his sons.

This success for the common man, sparked a series of similar revolts throughout the land. In the south as Clans attempted to quell these rebellions, the commoners organized and formed the Pitchfork Militia. The clans, divided and worn down by war, were overthrown within a few short years. Those of the clans who had evaded massacre by their common folk, fled to the east.

In the north, the idea never took hold as it was treated as a plot by the Lyth, and anyone supporting such notions were quickly dealt with by the Inquisition.