Part II: The Primitive Peace (Asylon Supplement)
Of the time after the Unfolding there are no songs, and very few legends. The legends that have been passed down say very little, but what we do know is that the era lasted for over 20,000 years, and that it is often called "the Primitive Peace." During this time, the dozens of races and peoples that dot the landscape of Pre-Merran Aina were radically different from anything seen today. They had only rudimentary tools and no civilization to speak of, and magic is believed to be completely alien to them.
The era is commonly considered to be one where the peoples of Irte were struggling to come to grips with their existence. Most peoples were grouped into small tribes, and aside from the occasional dispute over hunting territory or the like, there were no large-scale confrontations of any kind.
The geography of the land of Aina at this time is unrecognizably different from present-day geography, due mainly to The Cataclysm. However, we know that when the Merrans discovered magic there was another, smaller world-changing event that had an unknown effect on the geography.
The only detailed legend that has been passed down to us from the First Era is found in Historium Ancienta, a collection of oral traditions compiled by Altaerion Firegem in 4e 113. It concerns the tale of Goht, the first being to harness the power of Aether.
What is known about Goht is that we was the wise man of a tribe of sun-worshipers on the southern half on Aina. Considered to be the most devout of any wise man of his tribe's history, he became so zealous that he relocated his tribe to the top of a great mountain called (typical of what is known about First Era naming conventions) Sunna'Chimallari'va'Selalt, which means "Blessed Gold of High Splendour, in the High Home." It is here that the legends say Goht felt compelled to settle, because his sacrifices would better please the sun when performed from great heights. Whether by chance or by insight, it soon became clear that Goht's sacrifices were creating more and more powerful results. At first, the tribe simply had more success in their hunting and gathering efforts, but after only a few moon cycles, Goht's tribe had grown in numbers from less than 40 to over 500.
The entire tribe was awakened late one night to a great clamour and light from the mountaintop. They were terrified at what this might mean, and refused to leave their tents until the next morning, when the light of the sun would protect them from whatever had happened. With the dawn, they fearfully crept out of their tents to see Acharyai, Goht's apprentice, coming down from the top of the mountain. The people of the village hid their faces because it seemed as though Acharyai himself shined with the light of the sun, and his face was filled with amazement and was terrible to look upon.
With trembling words far beyond the wisdom of his years, Acharyai related how Goht had summoned him to the mountaintop for a night-long vigil. Goht had always lamented the departure of the sun at the end of day, and sought a way to keep the sun and its light in the sky at all times. After praying for hours and giving several smaller, burnt sacrifices of berries and meat, Goht leapt up as though possessed, proclaimed many words to the heavens in a strange tongue filled with ecstasy and pain, then plunged the ceremonial dagger into his own chest.
Acharyai stood on the mountaintop, struck dumb with horror and awe as Goht's body was lifted into the air and began to glow. The light grew until it was impossible to look at, and then with a great noise the light exploded outward in all directions, and Acharyai fell to the ground and did not rise until the dawn.
The people mourned the death of their spiritual leader and fled the mountain, fearing what sort of terrible power had appeared on its slopes. Acharyai was abandoned by his tribe (a gesture that spelled certain death for anyone from those times), and was forced to wander the land alone. He came to discover that he had an innate power over the world around him, and that power seemed to wax and wane with the rising and setting of the sun. He knew this to be a gift from Goht, and set out to mastering it.
The legend then jumps ahead a few years, and we find Acharyai the leader of his own small tribe. They descend upon the wide world like a storm, each one capable of what was then terrible feats of devilry. Churning the earth before them, calling lightning and fire from the skies, and accomplishing superhuman feats of strength and cunning have all the hallmarks of magic as we understand it today. Acharyai's annihilation of many and subjugation of almost all of the races of Aina is widely considered to be the end of the First Era, and the beginning of the Great Merran Empire.
DMs Only:
| Goht's tribe, the people who abandoned Acharyai to the wilds of First Era Aina, migrated far to the North until they reached a large and harsh land surrounded by mountains on all sides but the south. These people are the ancient ancestors of modern Krônians. They are notable for as-yet uncovered accomplishments during the Second Era, and modern Krônians have nothing more than an instinctual distrust of outsiders and magic to keep them attached to these mighty folk of the past.
Also, the "smaller world-changing event" that happened when the Merran's discovered magic--specifically, what happened at the moment of Goht's sacrifice--was the creation of gems, jewels, and crystals. They are the physical transformation of the body of Unitsirte into Aether, and as such are remarkably receptive to enchantment. |
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