Overview

The history of our peoples is long and complex. From barbarism to empire to warring states, we have experienced much. The forces of sorcery have both aided and harmed us. Technology has advanced, making life easier but warfare deadlier. I am Brother Reslen, scholar monk and studied historian of the Marsite Order. I have combined the histories of ancient and contemporary historians and used local myths and our faith to fill in the gaps left by the records. Before we start in ancient history, we'll look at the modern state of the continent of Laurentia.

Laurentia is home to the Seven Kingdoms of Man, bastions of light in a barbarous land. Once upon a time, elves and dwarves controlled their own nations, but their age has long passed, with both now consigned to being subjects of the seven kingdoms. Between the civilizations, in the hinterlands and controlling a large portion of the continent are the savage orcs and wolfmen. It is said that the balance of power in Laurentia would be upset if the savages were wiped out, with a war of unheard of calamity befalling the continent in a bid to unite the seven kingdoms, but it is impossible to know for sure. What is known is that wars often end in stalemates or small concessions since being at war for too long incites a barbarian invasion.

The first and greatest kingdom is the Laurentian Empire. It is the successor of the ancient empire that gave the continent its name. A center of wealth and culture, it is often claimed that they could reconquer the continent if corruption wasn't so rampant. Stories of puppet emperors and military coups are all too common, along with governors more concerned about acquiring wealth and titles than protecting their citizens from raids.

The second kingdom is the strongest military in Laurentia, the Order of the Sacred Spear. Once a holy order of pious knights protecting civilians from orcish attacks, they became a nightmare to all who crossed them. After betraying their contract with the Empire, they conquered a swath of the frontier and dedicated themselves to the extermination of orcs and wolfmen, only to pull back and dedicate themselves to ruling over their fiefdom. Their knights are the terror of Laurentia, but outside of their military, their administration is a mess and their economy is constantly in crisis.

The third kingdom is the Kingdom of Rothgar. Once a group of savage raiders, they eventually conquered the north of the continent. They claimed they were given the right to conquer the continent because of its decadence, but ultimately became as decadent as the natives. They still follow their ancient faith, though they allow the conquered populace to continue to practice our faith. Their feared huscarls are terrifying beasts and none want to cross their berserkers. They often go to war with the other kingdoms, but can never keep their gains.

The fourth kingdom is the Archbishopric of the Stellar Mountain. Home of the Patriarch of our faith, though his official title is Archbishop of Angel's Peak, the main city in the mountains. The archbishopric has the most diplomatic power yet is the weakest militarily. They maintain their independence by threatening to excommunicate those who attempt to invade.

The fifth kingdom is the High Kingdom of Cystel. While they consider themselves civilized, the rest of the kingdoms excluding Rothgar see them as barbarians pretending to be civilized. Unlike the other kingdoms, they fully accept orcs and wolfmen into their society, even admitting them to their nobility. The chiefs of the different clans choose the next king from amongst themselves, leading to a big civil war upon succession when one of the clan leaders takes their allies with them to seize the throne by force.

The sixth kingdom is the Kingdom of Autenland, the home of chivalry and the second most feared archers in Laurentia, next to only Cystel itself. Autenland is a reflection of the feudal norm more than any other. Lords control land and serfs serve beneath them. The kings used to hold vast powers over their nobles until a rebellion forced him to concede some powers to the nobles. A combination of Laurentian, Cysteller, and Rothgari peoples and cultures, the Autenish have an impressive heritage and an enormous ego. Their arrogance is only rivaled by the last kingdom.

The seventh and most recent kingdom is the Vassenian Republic. Founded by intrepid explorers, merchants, and settlers, Vassenia developed unlike the other kingdoms. After being shipwrecked on a lush but hostile corner of Laurentia, they founded a republic and held off the hordes until they were strong enough to conquer quite a bit of the wilderness until they bordered Autenland and Rothgar. The Vassenian people are proud of their liberties and settler heritage, often annoying the other kingdoms and disgusting Cystel with their incredible mistreatment of the orcs and wolfmen. As the most recent kingdom, their culture is still evolving, with many noting that since their country now contains a considerable amount of orcs and wolfmen, they are starting to tolerate their existence, though not their culture.

These are the Seven Kingdoms of Man as of this writing. Though what I wrote seems like a static picture, in reality, there are several small kingdoms and merchant republics which exist either as satellite states, remain unimportant, or are conquered by the seven main kingdoms. By the time I finish this compilation, the situation will undoubtedly change. Take this as a snapshot of Laurentia in the Year 870 Post-Collapse. Next chapter, I will discuss the founding myths and how the peoples of the continent came about.