History of Stornland

## Prehistory (Until 2800)

Not much is known about the Early Inhabitants of Modern Day Stornland. Many Tribes Inhabited the Area of the Centuries never devoping any higher form of civilization. These Tribes had come from Zagria along 2 Routes: Across the Strait of Storms and Senterra and the Gates of Elissia. Since the people of the east developed the world's first societies the people who eventually settled in modern day Dachlasi were also quite advanced for their time. But they weren't one unified people. Instead, multiple city states were founded along the eastern kraksee coast and some even established cities as far away as the strait of storms.

The Western tribes meanwhile largely remained uncivilized though some of them did trade with the dachian city states.

## Birgan Expansion (2800-3299)

Birga, like all other Dachian City States, was a Democracy, one of the world's First. The Leader of this system was known as the „Kestblad“ (First Blood) due to the holder of the title being expected to charge into battle with his troops, shedding the first blood.

Around the Year 2800 the City State of Birga Started to expand and soon had conquered the other Dachian City States and Parts of the Western Lands as far as Eastern Rosten. This conquest was possible due to the bad economic situation there. They had been trading with a West Zagrian state named „Bolklan“ wich was now in the midst of a civil war. Briga itself however had not been trading with Bolkan and was therefore able to perform sucha conquest.

By taking over the navies of the other former city states Birga now was able to also bring the Dachian colonies in Zagria under their Control.

By 2850 the Birgan Empire had consumed most of modern Day Stornland except for the Lersen and Gedden Tribes. The Formerly „Uncivilized“ lands in the „Land of Storns“ were being secured with new cities, roads and Governors. The Birgans also expanded to the East into the Lands of Proto-Slavican People who were also conquered.

By 2920 the Birgans had conqured the Worgen Mountain Valleys, the Lersen Tribes, Eastern North Zagria and Parts of Elissia. Due to the Stornish Conquests, the local Religion of the „Old Faith“ was becoming more popular throughout the Empire and slowly taking over as it's most popular religion.

In Stornland the only people who weren't conquered were the Gedden Tribes of Modern Day „Skarken“ who fiercely resisted the Birgans until the Empire Fell.

In West Zagria, the Empire controlled and setted Areas far inland until they were driven back in 2980. Dachian Culture still spread however due to Colonists and trade with the Region.

The Elissian Tribes, though as unruly as the Geddens were eventually defeated and conquered.

The Empire the Birgans had established by the year 3000 was hardly Birgan anymore and was in fact reffered to by the name of the Kestblad that ruled it at the time. In the 4500s the name porblem was solved when Historians from Stornland and Opfelden coined the name „Ertsstaat“ (Today also „Ertstestaat“) meaning Firts State as the Birgan Empire was the first greater State with a centralized government,

At it's Territorial height in the year 3000 the Ertsestaat spread from Stornland to Northern Opfelden. Around this time as well, the Erstestaat came into contact with another great empire, the „Imtertian Empire“. Impressed by Imterian culture their language and writing system was adopted by the Birgan Upper Class and eventually spread throughout the Empire.

## End of the Erstestaat (3299-3400)

The fall of the Erstestaat was gradual. After 319 Years of Peace, the Government had grown more weak and less centralized with the Governors of the Provinces holding more power than ever. In the year 3299 the Elissian Tribes banded together and Revolted successfully against the Erstestaat. Slavican Tribes to the North used this opportunity as well to carve out small pieces of the empire.

After these revolts the situation stabilized for some time until the Elissians unfied into a Kingdom in 3390 and split the Erstestaat into 2 just 7 years later. The Sother Provinces of Opfeldenland remained loyal to the government in Birga for now and became the Realm of Opfeldenland.

This Empire of two realms lasted for 3 years during wich the Northern Realm was incereasingly unable to defend Opfelden against the Elissians. And after numerous Elissian attacks and Famines they split away wich meant the end of the Erststestaat or Birgan Empire in the year 3400.

## Early Stornish Reich (3400-3800)

Briga's Rule had come to an end and after Opfeldenland split off a man known as „Hagen Eisenfaust“ convinced the Governors of the Stornish Provinces that he should lead them and was elected „Kesar“ (Emperor) in 3450. He divided the Empire into 3 Realms, „Wersen“ Stornen“ and „Dachen“.

To show his status as emperor he adopted as his symbol a Black Dragon (Wich had been a common symbol in Dachian Culture) with 3 heads, on a golden field. This remained the Empire's Symbol until 4822.

The „Hagenen“ (Hagen's) Family continued to rule over the Empire for the next 62 Years. To ensure loyalty amongst the Governors,they were given more independece. The Governors started to give land and titles to their close allies and so the Empire split into more and more parts. In 3512 Kesar Gunter II. Died without a male heir and his 2 brothers fought each other for the throne. During this Civil War the Lesser Rulers holding lands within the provinces successfully rebelled against the Governors and established their territories as semi-autonomous regions within the empire effectively ending the 3 Realms. Both of Gunter's Brothers died in the civil war and in 3517 a new Kesar of house „Kellen“ was crowned.

During this time the name of „Stornland“ also became the most common name to refer to the Empire.

But the Kellen's Reign was short lived for in 3557 the Sakkian Kingdom to the North invaded Stornland and Dachland (the new Stornish name for Dachia) and Plundered and Sakked many cities including Birga and the later Drakhafen. The Gedden People, who had also been resisting conquests by the new Stornish Empire, were taken by suprise and almost anihilated by the Sakkians. For the next years, the Empire layed in Ruins, power shifted from former rulers to new ones and cities were renamed and rebuilt. But this even marked the end of Birgan Influence on Stornland once and for all and from here on the Rulers of the Empire would mostly stick to the West.

In 3592 the Olgolfs from the Skar Islands Arrived in Stornland after their Great Journey across the World. Seeing an opportunity to finally get rid of the Geddens, the Duke of Wessen „Karl III.“ told them to settle in the land of the Geddens. The Gedden people were subsequently either driven away or assimilated into the Olgolfs who themselves quickly Storninised and adopted te Stornish language. They also however introduced the „Katholic“ Faith into Stornland wich spread to Wessen and to other parts of the peninsula with later expansion.

In 3601 the Kesar Ludwig I. made the Olgolf's, who now called themselves the „Skarken“ People an Imperial Duchy and thereby an official part of the empire.

In the Year 3735 Kesar Reddard I., together with Skarken and Wessen invaded Sakkia in what would be the first of many Sakkian Wars. This marked the beginning of Skarkian Expansion, not only Into Sakkia but also into the fomerly uninhabited Nirderland Region to the North. The newly conquered land also led to an increase in Stornish settlers from the South who went on to found a new city in what they called „Klenn Sakkien“ (Lesser Sakkia). The City was named after their leader, Ruprecht von Nennenberg, „Ruprechtingen“.

Further towards the north a lesser Stornish noble named „Jurgen von Holtskell“ managed to secure for himself a patch of land at the bottom of the Hedrigen Mountains. In 3794 He built a castle there wich late became the City of „Eisenburg“.