Asken

**Overview**

Asken is a unique continent in that it is bound to Adefalt. Most civilized races which normally call the Underdark home live here under Asken, due to the ease of surface access and having the most stable underdark environemnt. The three main races that call this continent home are Drow, Tieflings, and Goblinoids, along with Deep Gnomes and the occasional Dwarf. Askens underdark has a unique geothermal system in which magic based fungi and plants leach off the heat whilst also being relatively safe for fauna to interact with. Thus there is a flourishing underground ecosystem which the native races use for sustenance. Currently, there are three main Kingdoms in Asken, Vancoorar, Harshak, and Dargever. Has a population of 2 million.

**Continent History**

It is fabled that Adefalt and Asken were two wolves, lovers which chased one another across the sky for thousands upon thousands of years. Eventually the two wolves grew tired, and settled down on Marso. They had a child, Brinterf, which eventually became the Greater Moon in the sky. It is debated among Elven kind who the mother and father specifically were, but it is agreed that one of them passed away during the birth of Brinterf, and the other died next to them, whether that be of starvation, a broken heart, or something else, it is not known.

**Brief History**

Like the Elves of Adefalt, Drow came from the Feywild, but a different plane, and because of this they ended up appearing at a connection within the Underdark of Asken. It is fabled that the Drow came to Asken and encountered many greater demons who claimed the land as home. If it was not for this perfect coincidence, Tieflings originating from Drow might not exist. Most demons, when encountering Drow, killed or enslaved the Dark Elves, but some mixed their blood with that of the humanoid races, including the Drow. It is said that during these early years, the Drow were in constant conflict with the Demon's. Eventually, The Drow won this conflict, and drove the demonic menace back from where they came. But Tiefling kind remained, and while relations between the two races were never hostile (until recently), they have always been somewhat tense given their origin.

Where Goblinoids came from is a complete mystery to everyone, including the Goblins themselves. They are the second oldest race on Marso, being with Dragonoids being much older. However, it is likely that they originate from Asken, given that they are most abundant there. Thousands of years ago, the old Goblinoid tribes were slowly absored and dissipated into Drow kingdoms, and all Goblins who opposed the new owners were promptly exterminated. Thus began the formation of one of the oldest existing Kingdoms, Vancoorar.

Unlike the many Kingdoms of Adefalt, the Drow have long united under the hardships of their environment. They took up most of Asken besides its southern islands, which belong to Dargever. 400 years ago, Elves stepped on their shores to seek vengeance against Goblin kind for their raids on Adefalt. In spite of the Drow and Goblinoids having a brutal past, the one thing the Drow hate more is elves. Thus, they told these knights in shining armor where they can take their holy crusade in no uncertain term, thus inciting the very first Crithdala. It is said that whilst the Knights of Talasoond were strong, the Drow's years of living in the Harsh Underdark made them stronger, and they were more numerous. The first Crithdala is said to have been a complete victory for Vancoorar.

For roughly two and half centuries The Crithdala Era burned on. Adefalt kept on sending knights to invade Asken, and Vancoorar always stood victorious.

**The great change**

200 years ago, The Drow went a sudden and unprecedented shift towards a more theocratic state centered monarchy with the rise in power of House Ulaen. There were many houses within Asken, but after this point the Ulaens rose to prominence thanks to being wealthy and owning key pieces of land that gave them control over large amounts of resources. The Ulaens also extensively used indentured servitude and slavery for their own gain, and thus once they rose to power their policies became enacted.

In the span of five years, there was a violent mass arrest and enslavement of most non Drow kind within Asken. Tieflings, goblinoids, deep gnomes, and even native dwarves were forcibly integrated into vast mines, farms, and other labor projects. The sudden boost in labor meant a sudden boost in resources to boot, which allowed for trade to begin opening up with many other Kingdoms besides Adefalt. This began the 'Mythril Era' of Asken as the Ulaens called it. Vancoorar was not the same after this change, but further details will be left out for the sake of brevity.

The era of Crithdala ended 150 years ago when the Coressir's, a small northern kingdom, made a bid to send diplomats to Dargever, the source for the organized armies of Goblings, Hobgoblins, and Bugbears. The process was tenuous, due to language and racial barriers, but miraculously talks began. Dargever argued that the reason it sent raids to Adefalt is because of the poor soil and a lack of food, and comparatively Adefalt had a lot of food and rich soil. With council among the other kingdoms, a treaty was signed, called the "El Treaty". It stated that an alliance would be formed between the elves and goblin people, and in exchange excess food stores would be sent to Dargever and knowledge of better farming techniques would be given to help with the food situation on Dargever.

For reasons that The Drow cannot fathom, relations broke down completely, inciting The Final Crithdala that ended the era. Elven knights bypassed Vancoorar entirely and used the underdark to mass slaughter goblin kind in their homeland. This made Goblins sworn enemies of Elves now and forever.

**The Great Rebellion**

90 years ago, a large population of Tieflings miraculously pulled a mass rebellion against their Drow overlords. Lead by a strange figure Kynon the Vengeful. It is said that she has a deep connection to her demonic roots, and commands extremely powerful fire magic fueled by pure spite. It is said her capacity for anger is what united the Slaves of Vancoorar to her side. She carved a warpath through Vancoorar with her army of similarly angry followers, freeing slaves and killing all Drow they came accross. It was this instability that allowed for the formation of Harshak, the first Kingdom ran entirely by Tieflings. Harshak formed over the very center of Asken, significantly weakening Vancoorar.

This event caused a massive geopolitical upheaval. Elf and Drow found common interest and entered an alliance, whilst Dargever, still feeling the wounds of the Elves genocide, allied with Harshak, both of them now having a common enemy. This leads into the conflict known as 'The Dueling Lands war'.

(see The Dueling Lands War for more details, the resulting war is modern history and thus outside the history of Adefalt)