History of Eonzoa

### Eonzoa Origin Story

The birth of The Gods of Ozne are said to have coincided with the creation of Eonzoa. Mt. Ozne first erupted and gave birth to Zoen. Zoen built Eonzoa by spreading sand and stone over the sea. All of the other gods played their part in adding their own touch to the continent. After a year, all the gods convened for the first time and created all of the people to inhabit Eonzoa. The year that the gods took to build Eonzoa would be known as year 0, and the creation of its people would be considered the first day of year 1.

For centuries, the people of Eonzoa were nomads, wandering and exploring the gods' creation. Eventually, the different people groups began to settle in different regions of the continent.

### The First Empire

The first empire formed in the year 2638 in Yeona, the largest city in Tahbil. The founding of this empire is often also considered to be the founding of The Sons of Bozak. The four sons came together and founded the empire declaring a holy war against all other beliefs. Their empire would eventually control almost the entirety of Eonzoa. Southwestern Praora maintained its independence during the existence of the first empire due to their lack of organized society and sparse population. The last of the first empire's advances were towards Mt. Ozne. Up until this point, the beliefs of Bozak had spread to much of the continent, and most people began to forget about Eonzoa’s origin story. However, in the year 3011, the first empire launched a full scale campaign to bring the lands of Ozne under imperial rule. This would be catastrophic for the empire. Those still following Oznean beliefs were outraged, and rebellions sprung up all over the continent. The empire would officially collapse in the year 3049 after the assassination of Emperor Morrow the Unwise.

### The Second Empire

The Oznean rebellions in the first empire would lead to the rise of the second empire of Eonzoa. The second empire was centered around the city of Zonaya in Korsylvania. Officially founded in the year 3027, the second empire was strongly motivated to restore the beliefs of The Gods of Ozne to Eonzoa. After uniting Korsylvania, the second empires first major victory was liberating Frostvellen from Bozakian rule in 3032. During the 434th reconvening of the gods in 3038, the second empire successfully pushed all Bozakian influence from around Mt. Ozne. This event marks a turning point for the popularity of The Gods of Ozne, as this reconvening had taken place in the Ethereal Ice Cave on Frost Reach Island. The second empire would continue to push south, uniting all of Eonzoa under Oznean rule in the year 3296.

### The Third Empire

The second empire's downfall would come a mere century later with the great orcish uprising. The second empire was very biased towards the elven people groups of Eonzoa. This left much disdain in the south where the Aeni, Ozbe, and Zaneona reside. The Aeni were tolerated in the second empire because of their zealous Oznean beliefs and ability to repel the first empire's expansion. However, Oznean and Zaneonan peoples were oppressed and ignored. Tired of the oppression, the Ozbe rose up against the second empire in the year 3401. They quickly freed Beizum and made the port city of Woezb their capital. The Ozbe had no intention of uniting Eonzoa or creating an empire, but they seeked vengeance for their mistreatment under the elves and would end up being known as the third empire. The Ozbe began endlessly attacking the second empire. There was never a single day of peace between the two empires. The Ozbe slowly took over lands from the Second empire looking to weaken and fracture elven superiority on Eonzoa. The Ozbe used the arid climate and navigable rivers of Eonzoa’s south to their advantage. This was terrain they were familiar with, and their heavy focus on trade and wealth strongly benefitted by controlling the Zaeni, Yeona, and Woezb rivers.

There eventually became a stalemate between the second and third empires. The third empire controlled the majority of the arid south of Eonzoa surrounding the 3 major rivers, while the second empire controlled the north and much of the eastern and western coasts. The two empires frequently raided and pillaged each other, but very little territory was exchanged for hundreds of years. This long lasting separation of Eonzoa would be the basis of the Third major religion, Ninanuz. Due to the constant violence between empires, the teachings of Ninanuz were centered around self sufficiency and defense. The three major rivers in the third empire would become popular pilgrimage destinations for the Ninanuz. They believed their source of strength came from these rivers. Overtime, the Ninanuz would influence almost all of the third empires people, and begin to change social structure across all of Eonzoa. The spread of Ninanuz would coincide with the call for more autonomy and independence for all peoples in Eonzoa. This mindset would see the border lands between the two empires fall to anarchy and independent city states. This would cripple the two empires, with the Third Empire falling to anarchist pillagers in 3977, and the second empire officially breaking up by the turn of the millennium.

### Era of Broken States

The next thousand years would be dominated by mercantile city states and small kingdoms. These smaller civilizations would constantly vie for power over trade routes and natural resources. Many trade leagues, alliances, and pacts were formed and broken during this period. Diplomacy was very involved and convoluted. There was little regional or national identity during this time. Many people would experience several different leaders and governments during this time. This time period would come to be known as the era of broken states.

### The Fourth Empire

It wouldn’t be until the birth of one man in the year 4848 when the fourth empire would emerge to rule over Eonzoa. A small Aeni tribe from the western plains of Eonzoa would see the rise of Burgas Goras, the greatest military commander of the time. After his father died when he was 16 years old, Burgas Goras would become leader of his tribe and would quickly conquer and unite all of the Aeni tribes. Their expansion would continue through the plains and deserts of Southern Eonzoa, and eventually conquer almost the entire continent. Burgas Goras would lead his armies all the way to the Zanuk mountains in the east and the Zoan mountains in the north, where he would die in battle in the year 4904. After his death, the fourth empire fell apart quicker than it had formed. Just 20 years would pass before the fourth empire collapsed, however its influence remained.

### 8 Kingdoms

After the sudden expansion of Aeni over all of Eonzoa, people began to realize their need to unite themselves for protection. People were terrified of the Aeni after what had happened under the leadership of Burgas Goras. Many Aeni were forced to migrate back to Praora after facing much discrimination across all the lands conquered by the fourth empire. Regional identities started to form and become very strong during this time. Kingdoms began to fight for regional power, and eventually an equilibrium would be reached between 8 kingdoms on the continent. These kingdoms would form alliances, fight wars, and exchange some territories, but they were essentially very stable and defined from each other.

### Eruption of Mt Ozne

The stability of these kingdoms made people feel very safe and comfortable. The lack of conflict and diplomatic complexity left more time for innovation and education. People during this time began to focus on technology, and new inventions helped increase the quality of life on Eonzoa. This brief enlightenment would not last forever unfortunately. In the year 5586, while The Gods of Ozne were reconvening in the Ethereal Ice Cave on Frost Reach Island, Mt. Ozne erupted for the first time in over 5000 years. This eruption devastated the continent. Eonzoa was covered in ash and entered an ice age. Civilization itself collapsed, and much of the new technologies would be forgotten. Followers of The Gods of Ozne believed that the gods were upset that they had been forgotten about, and that people were too obsessed with technology. Believers of Bozak were convinced that The Sons of Bozak had prophesied such an event, and began to form cults surrounding each of the sons. Followers of Ninanuz fell back on their roots in the third kingdom and focused on becoming self-sufficient. They believed that people had not been respecting nature for too long for their own gain, and that nature was fighting back. No matter who you believed in or why, all of Eonzoa fell to anarchy. Many lost their lives and the rest were left to fight to survive.

### The Fifth Empire

Southern Eonzoa fared much better than the north from the eruption. Being farther from the eruption, there was less ash and devastation. Also, being a warmer climate, the ice age affected the south much less. Because of this, civilization was first rebuilt in the Arid floodplains of Tahbil. three years after the eruption, Yeona found itself once again being the capital of a new empire. Literally rising up from the ashes, the fifth empire was motivated to help Eonzoa recover from the eruption. People were in chaos and conspiring about gods and their actions. Bringing peace and order to Eonzoa would be what the fifth empire was known for. The fifth empire quickly gained control of Southern Eonzoa, and left a lot of autonomy to the individual regions. The empire slowly encroached northward, but the devastation left from Mt. Ozne made it difficult to continue north in a timely manner.

By the year 5718, all but the lands immediately surrounding Mt. Ozne were resettled. Much of the north western peninsula of Eonzoa was controlled by small kingdoms and city states. Their fanaticism surrounding the eruption of Mt. Ozne left them culturally and politically polarized from the rest of Eonzoa. The fifth empire was able to maintain mostly good relations with these minor nations, however it had spread itself thin. Having been so focused on helping the people of Eonzoa get back on their feet, the empire was left with nothing for itself, eventually crumbling over its own debt and mismanagement. This would be the beginning of the second era of broken states.

### The Second Era of Broken States

The second era of broken states was dominated by a mindset of fear. So many theories and conspiracies had been thrown around that it was impossible for anyone to know the truth behind Mt. Ozne’s eruption. No matter what anyone believed, everyone was scared to upset the gods. Zealous leaders and religious cults would rise and fall during this time. Sanity and logic seemed to be a distant fairy tale and very few saw an end to this madness.

### The Sixth Empire

In the year 6447 a small group of academics obsessed with the technology from the 8 kingdoms would uncover the secrets of the ancient technology and use it to rule over Eonzoa and form the sixth empire centered in Zonaya. While their original plan had good intentions, the successors to the founders of the sixth empire used their technological advantage to oppress and abuse its people. The authoritarian technocratic empire sent Eonzoa into a dark age. Living conditions were so poor even though this was the most technologically advanced age the continent had seen. The sixth empire also sought out to eliminate all religion because they saw it as a threat to their authority and technological progress. In the year 6578, the construction of a railroad to Mt Ozne set off an organized rebellion, and the chaos to follow left the sixth empire to crumble.

### Council of Eonzoa

Eight nations emerged from the provinces that made up the sixth empire. While many still practiced religion in secret under the sixth empire, many more had lost touch with their faith. Most nations secularized during this time, and focused heavily on people's rights and quality of life. While all eight nations maintained their independence, the Council of Eonzoa was created in 6587 to help prevent any more tyrannical empires from trying to unite Eonzoa.

The council of Eonzoa brought stability to the continent. There were very few wars, and economies boomed. This stability and new found wealth would also lead to the second technological boom for Eonzoa. The council's success eventually led to it getting more and more powerful, leaving less and less autonomy to the individual nations. Eventually there would be a call to dismantle the Council of Eonzoa, as many felt that the council was now becoming the empire that it had tried to prevent. By the year 7131, civil wars had broken out in three nations over leaving the council, and two nations had already left. By this point the council of Eonzoa had formed a political union, officially bringing all of its members under one federation in an attempt to centralize power and defeat the rebellions. The Federative States of Eonzoa would eventually lose control over much of the continent until it would eventually fall in the year 7309.

### The Third Era of Broken States

The fall of the FSE would be the beginning of the third era of broken states.