Telathiron

## **History**

A little over 3,000 years ago, humans arrived on the shores of the shores of the Elvish kingdom of Elysenas. These humans were refugees fleeing across the sea from war-torn lands, and the Elves took pity on them, carefully collecting them from amidst the wreckage of their ships, which had been dashed to pieces upon the jagged rocks along the coast.

The Elves took the humans into the heart of their kingdom and protected them from a hard winter, learning to speak their language, and instructing them in the arts of healing and craftsmanship. Many of the humans, too, learned the language of the Elves, and they grew both prosperous and numerous over the course of the next century, living alongside the Elves, and learning from them. In time however, under the leadership of a wise and charismatic man named Mildor, they set out to establish their own kingdom in lands south of Elysenas. These lands pleased the humans more than the forests of the Elves, for they were green, plains and pastures, sloping down to quiet shores by the sea, and under Mildor's leadership, they established the beginnings of a civilization, which they called Telathiron. Yet, although they no longer lived with the Elves, they maintained close ties, and many intermarried, settling in Half-Elven towns that grew up along the borders of the two kingdoms.

The Human kingdom established diplomatic ties with the other peoples that lived in the land, such as the Halflings and gnomes who lived even further South, and the Dwarves who lived to the North. However, their alliance with the Elves remained the strongest, and they often marched to battle and fought and died alongside the Elves against enemies both old and new, such as the dark Dwarves of Narn Todir, and the Orcs and Goblins of Zurdrard.

**Civil War** *(1,500 A.H.A)*

In time, some humans began to lust after the power and knowledge of the Elves, who could accomplish so much more over the course of their long lifetimes than any Human could with their ever present mortality. They began to look for ways to extend their lives, and some began to experiment with dark and unnatural methods to gain power over death itself. The Kingdom of Telathiron fell into civil war, and although 'the fallen' as they were called, were eventually defeated, many of them survived the war and fled to the far East, where they worshiped dark gods and built temples where they could experiment and conduct their rituals and sacrifices undisturbed. Rumors abounded that these humans actually bred with fiends and devils, selling their souls and their offspring in exchange for power. Some who were particularly ambitious, were whispered to have performed a ritualistic curse that changed their original lineage to that of Asmodeus himself.

The truth of all these rumors are disputable, but over time, a new race emerged in the East, humanoid creatures with horns and tails and strange eyes. These Tieflings, as they were called, eventually established their own Kingdom, which they called Daimaini.

**The Rise of Kilthais** *(3,025 A.H.A)*

After the Civil War, the balance of power in Forlunhein remained relatively unchanged until Kilthais came to the throne in the year 3,025 A.H.A. *(After Human Arrival)* at the age of 35. From the first he seemed to be consumed with the pursuit of righteousness, and personally vowed to exact judgement and vengeance against anyone who did evil. Strict laws were enacted against the worship of any other god but Torm, draconian measures were taken against the practice of magic in any form by anyone other than the clergy and the military, unless given a certificate of permission from the government.

**The Destruction of Daimaini** *(3,050 A.H.A.)*

Over the next decades of his rule, his growing zeal also led him into increased confrontation with the Tieflings, and his heightened demands for them to root out evil, along with their continued refusal to accede to their demands, led to the Telathiron declaring an economic embargo against Daimaini. When the tieflings embargoed Telathiron in return, King Kilthais called  on his elvish allies to join him in war, which they did, though with great reluctance. The combined might of Elysenas and Telathiron was too much for Daimaini, and they sued for peace in 3,050 A.H.A.

However, upon their surrender, King Kilthais razed their cities, slaughtering many, and taking the rest into captivity, except for a small few who were able to escape. The Elves were  horrified, and returned to their own kingdom with dread in their hearts.  That dread was soon to be realized as the new king, eyes blazing and enraged by the  condemnation of the Elves, which he saw as a betrayal, turned his gaze towards the other peoples  and kingdoms of Forlunhein, declaring a holy war against all who did not recognize the justice of Telathiron's laws, and his own governance as the rightful, lawful ruler of not only Telathiron, but all of Forlunhein.

**Death of Kilthais and the Rise of Caildiron** *(3,075 A. H. A.)*

When Kilthais died at the age of 85 in 3,075 A.H.A., he was survived by his much younger wife, the queen mother Silathi, and their seven sons. Caildiron, the eldest, took up the throne in the capital city of Mildoran at the age of 47, and the rest were made governors of the kingdom's provinces and commanders in the army. Any hope, however, that things would be better under the new king, was quickly shattered. He followed in the footsteps of his father's religious fanaticism.

**Current Reign of Caildiron** *(Present Time: 3,100 A.H.A.)*

Caildiron began his reign by conquering the Half-Elven towns along the borders of the Elysenas in 3,080 A. H. A.. During the past 25 years of his rule, Caildiron has introduced laws that privileged pure-blood humans above all other races, and reduced the rights and freedoms of non-human citizens, exacting high taxes from them, especially the newly conquered and subjugated Half-Elven peoples.

## Culture

Telathiron was settled by refugees of another continent who brought many of their customs and beliefs with them. However the Human kingdom has been considerably influenced by Elvish culture, and the capital city of Mildoran is particularly known for its unique architectural style that combines both Human and Elvish elements, such as tall, spiraling minarets, intricately designed ceiling mosaics made from precious stones and colorful glass tiles, and large, ornate open courtyards built on a foundation of multicolored stones arranged to create elaborate patterns. Extensive gardens that connect the entire city were also built into Mildoran's original design, and include the construction of natural features, such as man made rivers, lakes, waterfalls, forests within the city limits. Numerous animal species were also introduced to these gardens, and continue to populate the green and wooded spaces within the city. Mildoran is also Telathiron's most prominent port, and houses the kingdom's entire naval fleet.

Mildorians have a long history of culture and education, with universities providing free academic instruction, although recent mandates have limited such freedom to Human subjects of Telathiron only. Indeed, the recent religious, racial, and magical restrictions have resulted in a great loss of culture and progress, as doctors and healers who do not have the favor of the reigning royal family and thus cannot get the proper permits, are forbidden from practicing any healing magic and must only utilize mundane methods. Likewise, although Mildoran had long been a center of religious tolerance and diversity, all temples other than those approved for the worship of Torm have now been closed, torn down, or repurposed, and the high priests, priestesses, and clerics forbidden from such worship, or the practice of divine magic.

The use of magic without the proper permits is met with harsh penalties, from imprisonment and fines to execution, depending on the severity of the infraction. However, that has not stopped unlicensed practitioners from peddling their so called "hedge" magic illegally for a fee, and those who grease the right palms in the city's law enforcement can live quite profitably on such skills.

Slavery has long been outlawed in Telathiron, but in recent years, the practice has become quietly common, especially among the upper elite and rich patrons of the city. These "servants" are purchased at a high price, and then indentured to their masters or mistresses, with the promise that once they pay off their indenture, they will be free. However, in practice, these indentures are almost impossible to pay off on the wages these servants are paid, and many of them actually incur further debt either through some minor infraction as dictated by their contract, (which are often written in such a way as to make such infractions impossible to avoid,) or because they cannot survive on the small amount of money they receive, and so they are forced to add more years to their contract in order to borrow what they need to live.

Outside of Mildoran and the larger cities, enforcement of the laws is significantly weaker and more sporadic, based on the power and interests of the regional governors, (many of whom are brothers to the king and have their own political agendas.) Although examples are made from time to time, or crackdowns occur when a governor is trying to curry favor with Mildoran, magic is often still practiced in small towns and villages scattered across Telathiron, and some religious temples and shrines to other gods and goddesses continue to survive quietly, by not attracting much attention to themselves. These magic users, as well as the temples and shrines, are often valued highly by the villagers, and their goodwill offers them protection, since provincial governors rely heavily on the cooperation and allegiance of village leaders. Most regional governors are much more interested in collecting the taxes that are owed to them, and maintaining the peace so as to avoid any threat to their own rule, and so they often turn a blind eye to such dealings, as long as those involved keep a low profile and are loyal to them.

In recent years, the Half-Elven Twainfel region was conquered by Telathiron, and has been incorporated into its territories. The region has been under military occupation, and the Half-Elves who dwell in the area are not considered citizens of Telathiron, and are subjected to harsh taxation as well as the loss of other rights. Half-Elves are not allowed to own property, they cannot earn a permit for the use of magic, and they cannot serve in any religious or academic order. They are allowed to join the military, and many of them have been forcibly conscripted, but they cannot serve in the war magic department, nor can they rise above the lowest military rank, preventing them from becoming anything other than front line fodder.