The dates here are cataloged in the Elanite way of Before Current Era (BCE) and Current Era (CE).
This period is considered the Lost Times as there is little to no information available to scholars. What has been pieced together is that in a far more distant past there were at least three far more ancient cultures. Anthropologists refer to these groups as the Rider culture, the Harpoon culture, and the Stargazer culture. Clues are only available through cave drawings, scant pottery paintings, weapons, jewelry, and tombs uncovered across Elan. Still, this history is quite elusive and difficult to discern and has been the topic of much scientific debate. Any information about cultures in the same time period in Dorage and Nepton have not been shared with Elanite scholars.
It is only at 0 CE where the first writings are found, and these were authored by Zell. Zell was the first Shepherd and founder of the Church. The religion first made an appearance at that time and began to change cultures as it spread. All histories related by Zell, some secular scholars argue, can only be viewed through the lens of religion. However, it is the only source for much of the information at that time. It is unclear as to why only Zell’s writings remain, as it appears that Zell was not the inventor of the written language. What has been pieced together by historians and anthropologists is that the Great Empire of Theradurn had existed for at least 4 generations prior and that at some point in a far more distant past there were at least three far more ancient cultures.
As previously stated, Zell documents that the Theradurn empire was already active for at least 4 generations at the time of his writing. The Theradurn Empire spanned all of Genero with its capital city resting in present day Nepton. (This is somewhat contested, as some evidence shows that the original capital was located in present day Gauld but moved after a massively destructive sandstorm.) The empire, once established, thrived with great advances in trade, textiles, animal husbandry, agriculture, and all other aspects of budding civilization.
In 530 CE, the ailing Emperor Ruthalus split the empire in three to grant one part to each of his children. His eldest took the northern lands filled with dense forests and hunting grounds teeming with wildlife. The middle child received the middle of the lands, deemed less desirable by the other two as it was the smallest, cut through by the impassable Girdle Mountains. To the youngest, the emperor's favorite, went the lands of the south. The southern lands, both warm and fruitful, were the cradle of the Empire already. Even with this clear display of favoritism, the new three kingdoms of the empire were able to live in peace for a time. It was only when the emperor died that war broke out.
It is documented that Queen Delatheen of the Northern Kingdom harbored great resentment against her youngest sibling for taking the southern lands. The north was frigid and harsh, and few subjects could earn a good living. The moment her father had been buried, she mounted a military campaign to reunite the lands with her as the new emperor.
King Filladus of the Middle Kingdom was finding life as a ruler unbearable. Writings at the time record laziness, disinterest, and an abhorrence to responsibility. The kingdom floundered and struggled, left only to royal advisors to oversee. Even though Emperor Ruthalus had tried to guide his son in his last years, the new king had no interest and left much to his advisors. Had Delatheen come to him and offered to take Kerradon from him, he'd have gladly given it to her. Instead, her assassins came to his door as she marched her armies south. The assassins were unsuccessful and this one incident seemed to finally spur Filladus to action. Injured but still very much alive, he rallied his forces. This was not to march into battle against his sister, but instead to protect his lands from the invading force.
Radiance Elaphi, ruler of the Southern Kingdom, felt that their father had made a poor choice by dividing the empire. They considered it their responsibility to rectify this error. Backed by the Church of Zell, Elaphi gathered their armies and pushed north to first strip their brother of his title before then engaging their sister in battle. The siblings found themselves fighting a three-sided war within the boundaries of the Middle Kingdom. For ten years, the war raged on. At last, and surprisingly, Delatheen and Elaphi were forced to retreat from the Middle Kingdom by Filladus’ sudden rally of support (by and for his people). The Middle Kingdom at long last had a true leader. After these retreats, a tentative peace was formed between the siblings
King Filladus never fully recovered from the wounds he suffered from the assassination attempt. Luckily, his spouses King Edwin and Queen Lyxia now stood by his side to help him rule. Lyxia bore two sons, Cassian and Alexander, who ruled the Middle Kingdom together after the passing of their parents. Many saw this as a lesson learned from the failure of Emperor Ruthalus.
The Twin Kings (as they were called, though they were not truly twins) spent their rule strengthening the kingdom’s army and awarding knighthoods and lordships to those who proved themselves loyal and with a strategic mind. This set up the rest of the dynasty with reinforced authority and political sway. Investments were made into production, trade and laws. More and more, Shepherds from the Church found positions as high advisors. There was a great pursuit of science, understanding, and reason spread across the land. The Middle Kingdom prospered.
Queen Aralyn was the last monarch of the Middle Kingdom. Having never married or brithed/appointed an heir, her death in 907 marked the end of her family's dynasty. The twelve noble families, whose ancestors had been given their titles by the Twin Kings, decided that there was nothing to gain in finding another ruler. Instead, they dissolved the monarchy entirely. Each became rulers of their own lands, thus creating the Twelve Nations.
For the first few generations the Twelve Nations worked tentatively well together. As generations passed, though, many of the regents’ frustrations and disagreements became hostile conflicts. Not ones discussed around a table, but ones soon only fit for settling by battle. Constant disputes led into constant skirmishes which turned to outright war. War was won, taken, then battled over by the next neighboring regent.
After a century of fighting, only two of the twelve remained. Elan, which spanned across modern day Peverin, Huxley, Wyllis, and the South east of Gauld, and Haddock, which covered Abernathy, Killock, northern parts of Wyllis, and the rest of Gauld. Queen Lora Highdell of Elan and King Reginald Duskridge of Haddock knew that this was the last struggle and would be the birth of a new and total kingdom. The war between the two nations was so brutal and bloody that the Church of Zell attempted to intervene. Shepherds pleaded for the sake of the people, protesting so desperately that for some it was their doom. In the end, Queen Lora reunited the fractured Middle Kingdom. The “Blood-Drenched Queen” had now sought to fortify this new nation: the Kingdom of Elan.
The Twelve Kingdoms War left the Kingdom of Elan low on all resources. Though Queen Lora was not necessarily a cruel queen off the battlefield, she did not trust her subjects. Her rule was with an iron fist. There was to be discipline above all else. Laws were rewritten and added. Punishment for wrongdoings was swift and severe. Death, imprisonment, and banishment into the Girdle Mountains were the most common of the heavy punishments levied by the throne. No, Queen Lora didn’t trust her subjects to manage anything, including themselves, without strict regulation and ever-looming threats. It was a bleak and fearful time.
During her reign, the Queen did not permit anyone but the throne to own land and none were granted the title of Lord. The best rank the ambitious could hope to rise to was a position as advisor. Everyone, no matter their wealth and status was equal under the throne. She never married, but rather kept a harem of courtesans, one of which fathered her heir. So came the Loran dynasty and its successor dynasties, always in the shadow of their terrifying founder. Though, as Elan recovered and grew over the generations, the royal line found difficulty running everything on their own. When matters weren’t attended to swiftly (or well), it was a recipe for dissatisfaction at best and revolt at worst. Indeed, a few small revolts came and went. More and more, the strain of maintaining affairs weighed on the successive monarchs
In order to maintain peace and order, their royal highness Sky Highdell split the kingdom yet again. However, this was not into nations, but into districts. Instead of lords, there were six governors - one for each province. The governor was responsible for ensuring that the people followed the will of the throne. These governors, while loyal to the throne, quickly used their positions to advance their own goals. Part of this was amassing vast amounts of wealth. This abuse of power and station proved to be one step too far. The common people of Elan reached their collective breaking point.
In 1637 a revolt began in Killock. Rather than it being smothered as easily as those in previous centuries, this one only grew. The fires of revolution burned hot and quickly spread. It was like a wave rolling to the east and south. By 1642 all of Elan was embroiled in a civil war. It only ended in 1645 with the beheading of the royal family. Monarchy, finally, was at an end in Elan.
Free of the tyranny of monarchs and the corrupt governors, the people of Elan struggled to find a new identity. There was a power vacuum for the first time in their history. At first, each of the six districts attempted to form their own independent governments. It soon became apparent that no single district could survive only on their own goods and products. Citizens again turned to the powerful feelings that their united revolution had brought them: unity, freedom, camaraderie. They turned to each other within and across the borders within Elan. By 1674, the six provinces had once again come together, this time to form the Republic of Elan.
While the free people of Elan struggled to decide what new government they would create they found themselves in the midst of a new conflict. In 1669 Dorage invaded Killock and Abernathy, seeking to take advantage of the instability. However, Dorage would find that it had underestimated Elan’s unwillingness to be yoked to yet another monarch. While many lives were lost, Dorage’s army was forced to retreat after a crushing defeat at the Battle of Rush Pass, where their commander Giona Grasardi fell to an Elanite cannonball. The attempt to take advantage of the confusion and disarray in Elan was thwarted, but it shook the entirety of Elan to its core.
The most learned and respected individuals from each province met in Sootsnap to deliberate over what would become the constitution of the Republic of Elan. After it was completed, the people of each province participated in the first vote to choose representatives for the newly formed parliament. These representatives then chose the first prime minister: Corydon Gitman. Immediately, the new government set to work. Due to the threat of Dorage, most of the focus was on strengthening the military. From this came government-issued economic incentives.
Within the first half century the people experienced a vast increase of prosperity, peace, and innovation that had not been seen since the fall of the Middle Kingdom. By the mid 18th century Elan found itself in the middle of a scientific and industrial revolution. It led to great advancements in the harvesting of resources, the creation of goods, the availability of household comforts, as well as key inventions such as the steam engine. Companies created jobs and their controlling families, partners, and/or shareholders amassed unbelievable wealth. The power and riches of business owners rivaled that of the nobility of old. This helped create greater class mobility and reinforced the myth of everyone being just one step away from being the next one to hit it rich.
In 1805, sedulous prospectors found veins of gold and silver in Peverin’s South Heights. This began a mining boom that captured the attention of Elan but also the nation of Nepton. While Nepton had until this point stayed largely uninvolved in Elanite affairs, the lure of gold proved too great. Nepton annexed the heights and deployed military forces to enforce their claim. This assertion of dominance lead to the deaths of many prospectors and their support in a matter of weeks. The prospectors fought back but it wasn’t until the Elan’s military arrived that they had a true chance of survival. The conflict escalated into a brief war, with hostilities continuing through 1812 until the Treaty of Wellworth was signed. Although the treaty ceded official land and mineral claims to Nepton, it still allowed Elanite prospectors to mine there as long as tariffs were paid. The treaty began an interweaving of a number of Elanite and Neptonite industries. To this day, the two nations enjoy relatively good relations and extensive, mutually beneficial trade.
In 1865 Anselmo Iacara, Lord Protector of Dorage, was assassinated by his security detail, plunging Dorage into a war. Elan was solicited for help by what political forces were still loyal to Iacara’s regime. When Elanite troops crossed the border to control the chaos, they were dragged into sectarian violence. It became an international incident with battles that spilled across the northern border into Killock and Abernathy. Militias, raiders, and violent gangs of Doragean soldiers staged attacks on Elanite towns near the borders. They seized supplies, money, weapons, and even entire settlements. The situation was further complicated by refugees flooding into Elan. Desperate for safety, entire families made their way across the border to find protection in Elan. While some were accepted, others were sent away or even threatened with violence. The conflict continues to rage in fits to this day.
While Elan continues to struggle with the still-ongoing war with Dorage, there was some hope that came from unlikely sources. The Silver Pines Trading Company and the Dauntless Railroad Company had convinced the government to look west for greater resources and land expansion. It was a call to explore the unknown. In 1875 the two companies hired Merrill Fauntleroy and Ryan J. Hargrove to head such an expedition. All the hopes of Elan for settlement beyond the Girdle Mountains rested on their shoulders.