Vaerya (3.5e Campaign Setting)/History

This is a global account of major events throughout Vaerya, as shown by historical documents, archeological discoveries, and records kept for posterity. For more local history, check the specific region you're interested in. From the dawn of creation to the current day, these are the Ages of Vaerya. Much information is missing, and some is purely speculation on the part of scholars, but if ever there was a definitive account, this would be it. Enjoy.

The Time of Creation
Before Time was Measured

NOTE: for a full and complete account of the creation of Vaerya, see The Bible of Seven.

This account is an excerpt from the Book of Illunian in the Bible of Seven: Chapter 1, Verse 12-13

These were the first hours of the world, when Illunian and his brothers and sisters created the earth. Milyena forged the planet, and Yaviandawe brought into being the Tree of Life, which gave birth to the first living things on Vaerya. Plants grew for the first time, and many wondrous things came into being. The Seven came down to this planet, and they called it Vaerya, the First Creation. On this world, the first intelligent beings were created by Illunian, and they were called Valkyrie, the first intelligent lifeforms of Vaerya. These people served the Varyans in person when they lived on the surface, in the holy city of Tanatha Kurenathas. This great city was formed out of a mountain, cut into proper shape by Indariel to house the seven Varyans, as well as the growing population of Valkyrie. Illunian wanted the other Vaeryans to experience the life of beings, watch them grow and learn and innovate. He made them beautiful and strong, hardy and intelligent. They lived forever, so long as they were not struck down by accident or violence. The Valkyrie had a great respect for nature, as it was the only living thing on the planet longer than them, and they took pains to learn of it, and took joy in it's existence. In those days there was no sun, and it was dark. The Valkyrie were granted the ability to give off a faint light that extended from themselves in a fifteen foot radius. They were each islands in a great wilderness of darkness, and had no fear of the dark for truly there was no evil to fear. In their great city Tanatha, the light given off by all the Valkyrie caused it to shine as brightly as a flame in a dark room to it's people. This was an age of discovery, in which many great things were made and found by the Vaeryans and the Valkyrie.

In these early years, the Valkyrie were young and wild. They were as children perpetually, for there was no danger in the world, and no pain or suffering to cause maturation. They were a free and happy people, content to serve the Vaeryans and worship them as their creators. They lived as a communal society, working together without strife or disagreement, for the most part. They worked in partnerships, pairs assigned to tasks together for day to day activities. One pair in particular, named Kaiten and Luatha would play a major role in the way the future of pain and sorrow would unfold. The day history turned, this pair was out in the wilderness away from the city gathering materials for certain rituals that the Valkyrie performed in honor of the Vaeryans. It is unknown whether what happened was a fluke, a tragic turn of chance, or if some malign influence turned events towards the worst, but the result was horrific. Kaiten took Luatha's hand to steady her as she reached out over a chasm to gather a rare plant. It was a token gesture of respect and politeness, for Luatha was in no real danger, as all Valkyrie possess the innate ability to levitate should they need to. Just as Luatha reached the plant, a Driftspike struck. Always unpredictable, this particular Driftspike appears to have had two effects; first, it teleported Kaiten to Oblivion the Gateworld, and second, it deprived both Valkyrie of all their divine powers. Luatha fell, and Kaiten's support disappeared as she grasped for it. At the bottom of the chasm, a crystal formation of spikes killed her instantly. Seconds later, Kaiten was teleported back to Vaerya, and awkwardly tumbled into the chasm, landing right next to Luatha's mangled corpse. Bleeding lightly from minor wounds, Kaiten was stricken with grief, horror, and confusion. His few seconds in Oblivion twisted his mind, and he forgot all about the peace and tranquility of his former life. All he knew now was pain, fear, grief, and hopelessness. As he lay there, the blood seeping from both of them mixed, and coated the crystal formation, finally pooling at the bottom of the chasm. What happened exactly in the next minutes or hours is unknown, but when other Valkyrie arrived on the scene, Luatha's body was torn to shreds, and symbols were carved into the crystals and filled with mixed blood. A dark taint filled the chamber, and Kaiten was no where to be found. The Vaeryans sealed the cavern, but knew that this wasn't over. Kaiten had discovered a new source of power; Blood Magic.

This account is an excerpt from the Book of Illewe, in the Bible of Seven: Chapter 2, Verses 56-58,100

Ganteka was by far the mightiest of the Vaeryans, but here is an account of his one defeat. Ganteka and Indariel had a competition to see who could throw a stone further. They had many competitions such as this, for Ganteka was fiercely competitive, and though Indariel loved him, she couldn't help but tease him for it. Ganteka was to throw first, so he picked up a stone and got ready to throw. Indariel mocked the size of the stone, saying that Ganteka was afraid of being beaten. In response, Ganteka drew forth from deep within the earth a huge mass of stone, and hurled it into the sky. The rock was so massive that it stuck there, and became the moon. Indariel laughed at him, and easily threw a small stone over it to win the bet. Ganteka's rage at being outsmarted did not last long, but was fearful, and gave rise to the first storm ever in Vaerya. He was known ever after as the Storm King. The cavern left beneath the surface from where the moon was drawn forth was called Deydranok, and proves even today to be one of the most impossible strongholds to breach.

Ardian was young then, and sought the heart of Yaviandawe. Deep in thought one day, he imagined a sound more beautiful than any other, but it was too short. It was too... incomplete. And so he made the sound twice. But it repeated in vain, reduced in beauty for having followed itself, so he changed it. By the end, he had created music; an outlet of pure passion and feeling. He then composed a song for Yaviandawe, rumored to be the most beautiful song ever played on the world. Yaviandawe's heart melted, and she almost went to him when she heard it, but she saw him standing there, in his boots, squarely planted on a rare flower and realized that it could never work. They were too different. He held in him no respect for nature, only for loftier goals. Nature was wild, unfair, unjust. Ardian would never be happy with her. And so she turned away. Ardian understood, but will always be pained by his love's rejection. Till the end of time, music can be heard in the sea, and in nature, by those who listen, though they know not that it is the echo of Ardian's Song.

Milyena loved to watch the Valkyrie at work and play, though they did not know her well. She saw the life, the spirit in the eyes of the Valkyrie, and strove to make something that captured it forever, something that twinkled in the light. When she came out of her home after many hours of experimenting with her power, she bore with her 13 precious stones of varying color including emerald, ruby, sapphire, amethyst, topaz, and myriad others. Yaviandawe liked these stones so much that she took them and scattered their like all over the realm, that they may be found by those who search for them. The original thirteen stones were kept in Tanatha Kurenethas, for though there were now many like them all over Vaerya, these were by far superior in cut, brightness, and size than any other.

One of the greatest accomplishments of the Vaeryans was the creation of the sun. As it was finished, the Vaeryans held it in their hands and marveled at the heat and light that was given off, but the Valkyrie shied away or were burned. Illunian thought long about this, for what worth is art to those who cannot look upon it? And as he was musing, he looked up into the sky and laughed at the stone that Ganteka had lodged there, and told him his idea. Ganteka smiled and hefted the sun in his hand, for the Varyans are not harmed by heat or fire, and he cast it up into the sky, and the first day began. The sun lit up the sky as it had never been before, and the world was light and warm. At first the elves were afraid, having never seen the horizon or the vastness of the sky, but they quickly realized that there was a huge world that they had only just begun to experience. Their yearning for knowledge and exploration sparked what would eventually become the rise of the empire of the Valkyrie.

The War of the Fallen
These entries are excerpts from an historical document believed to be a sort of record or journal of a Valkyrie. It has been translated from High Valyrian by the monks of the Valley of the Vaeryans in Valyria, and is one of the only written records from the time before Man. The Thirteenth Day of the Seventh Month of the Four Hundred Twenty Fifth Year (after the rise of the sun)
 * Today, We returned to Tanatha Kurenethas at the behest of the Sky Lord. We have never been commanded thus, but this day is unlike any We have ever seen.  The sky is black tinged and fades to gray on the horizon, but the sun is red and casts an unhealthy pallor on Us as We prepare for (A Ritual of Worship). Something terrible has happened, and the Valkyrie are afraid. Our Lords have convened a (counsel) but have taken no action. We do not understand. Our (energy/collective) is (withdrawn/subdued) and we wait patiently for answers.  Some of Us fear We have transgressed in some way against our creators, as (unthinkable) such a thing would be.  For now We wait, and We will see.

The Eighteenth Day of the Seventh Month of the Four Hundred Twenty Fifth Year (after the rise of the sun)
 * Kaiten, son of our Lords is missing. We have been commanded to stay within the walls of Tanatha Kurenethas while the holy Vaeryans search for him.  We do not understand why he would leave Us, but Illewe, who has stayed behind with Us assures Us that all will be revealed in time.  We trust in Her judgment, but wonder why she weeps at night.  Some say She knows all things, and sees what will happen to Us, or what might.  We trust in Their wisdom.  The sky has blackened further, and the sun sheds little light.  For now We wait, and We will see.

The Thirtieth Day of the Seventh Month of the Four Hundred Twenty Fifth Year (after the rise of the sun)
 * Kaiten has renounced his parentage and now attempts to force the power of the Drift into himself, and declare himself lord of Vaerya. We do not know why he would do something so... contrary to our nature, so... evil.  I shudder to contemplate the implications behind such an accusation, but it would appear that Kaiten has been corrupted somehow.  He is no longer one of Us, and is no longer of the Vaeryans.  Beyond that I cannot say.  For now We wait, and We will see.

The Twenty First Day of the Eighth Month of the Four Hundred Twenty Fifth Year (after the rise of the sun)
 * The Vaeryans have ridden to war. Kaiten has succeeded at commanding the power of the Drift, and now plans to destroy our Lords and take command of the world by force.  My brethren Valkyrie have taken shelter deep in the bowels of Tanatha Kurenethas, as rain that burns falls from the black sky, and the very ground trembles with what must be a titanic struggle between powers to vast for Us to contemplate.  Illewe has remained to oversee the protection of Us and Our city, and resides in the (high tower/citadel).  I and a few other Valkyrie have volunteered to act as defenders of Our race, guarding the (entryway/hidden passage) down to the (stronghold).  It is a lonely burden to be cut off from Us, but it is a necessary sacrifice, though unfamiliar to Us.  Illewe commands that We maintain constant vigilance, and alert her to anything strange.  For now, We wait, and We will see.

The Seventh Day of the Second Month of the Four Hundred Twenty Sixth Year (after the rise of the sun)
 * A (shade/monster) stole into Our city during the night, and possessed the body of Merkate. He was driven to attack Us, nearly killing several of Us in a horrific rampage.  The (shade/monster) was forcibly removed by Illewe from the body of Merkate, and it fled before anything could be done.  Merkate's victims appear to have recovered, but Merkate does not respond to our calls, and He does not move unless We guide him.  We do not know what to do.  Illewe has gone in search of the (shade/monster).  For now, We wait, and We will see.

Age of the Valkyrie
Detailed records were kept by the Valkyrie during this era, and even though time and war have ravaged their once spectacular libraries, scholars have managed to piece together a fairly complete history of the time. This account will be an abbreviated version, the sort of knowledge a novice scholar of history aught to know.

The Age of the Valkyrie began when the Gods left Vaerya, to reside in their planar kingdoms. The planet was theirs now, and with their divine gifts and immortality, the possibilities were endless. In the beginning of the age, little care was taken in how magic was applied, and many horrible creatures and artifacts were created unintentionally that are still around to this day. On the whole, the Valkyrie strove to create a seamless blend of art and utility. Even the most mundane tools were crafted with such care as to last for centuries, and were so elegant in design one could hardly believe them to be used as actual tools.

The first major event during the Age was the accidental formation of the Avatars of Creation, gods of the elements and chaos. The Valkyrie's powers were unchecked even then, and consciousness was granted to the four elements; Water, Fire, Wind, and Earth. These four elements drew upon the powers of the natural world around them, and quickly surpassed the Valkyrie in power. The four raged across all of Vaerya, clashing and destroying anything in it's path, leaving a swath of random creations in their wake. Soon after their creation, they would become divine entities, and the source of druidic, fey, eldritch and arcane power. The Valkyrie banded together and created the elemental planes, to which these four chaotic powers were banished, though their mark would forever lay on Vaerya. An unforeseen consequence of this action was the creation of a void, an imbalance in power favoring chaos. This void was instantly filled with four new deities, foreign in form and design to anything seen before on Vaerya. It is suspected that these beings of law were drawn through the Drift in order to compensate for the imbalance of the planescape. These gods were lords of Form, Balance, Perception, and Time. Together they formed what is simply referred to as The Order.

In the aftermath of the Avatar's destruction, elemental beings devoid of form or reason roamed the landscape. In an act unforeseen by the Vaeryan Seven, the Order stepped in to deal with these beings. To each element they gave a different form, and from them were born the mortal races; from fire were crafted men, with short lives full of passion and possibilities. From earth were created dwarves, stout of body and mind. From water were created elves, whimsical and delicate in appearance. From air were created the gnomen, calm and peace loving. These four races lived as tribal communities in the wilderness, and were quite a curiosity for the Valkyrie.

After that near disaster, some sort of great counsel of the Valkyrie was gathered, and the laws of magic defined for generations to come. To this day, archmages across all of Vaerya seek to unlock and understand the entirety of these laws, and use them in their quests for power. A few things were determined for certain by modern scholars, including the first three rules of magic; 1. Form, Balance, and Timing are the keys to commanding the drift, and mastery of these will enable a wizard to bend arcane power to his will. 2. Fire, Water, Earth and Air generate the energy within the drift that becomes arcane power. 3. A wizard uses his body as a conduit for arcane power to enter the material realm through the drift. This counsel of the Valkyrie is a matter of much debate among the arcane practitioners, but it is generally accepted as the beginning of the Art of Magicka.

The Dragon Wars
This terrible age proved to be the end of the Valkyrie. The Dragongods of Kalgor detected Vaerya, a new, unspoiled planet waiting to be conquered. Kalgor was by then a twisted and horrifying place, covered by violent storms of red dust, and devoid of all life save the dragons and their blood relatives. The Dragongods opened a Rift gate into Vaerya and waged war against the Valkyrie with hordes of dragons and legions of kobolds and wyverns. Though the Dragongods were slain and their armies scattered, the Valkyrie race was broken and decimated. The mortal races of Vaerya rose to the call of the Valkyrie, and closed the Rift Gate, hopefully for good. The dragons left in Vaerya scattered, and the Valkyrie descended deep into their holy city of Tanatha Kurenethas, where it is said they still reside in horror and grief at the violence of true war.

The Rise of Man
Also known as the dark ages, this time was chaotic and violent. In the absence of the Valkyrie, the mortal races multiplied and spread, covering the habitable realms of Vaerya. Warlike and combative, small kingdoms arose and fell countless times. The mortal races were no more than the minotaur or centaur, savage and full of bloodlust. It wasn't until the Vaeryans made their presence known that the four races and their two halfbreed races began to settle, and discover the power of the divine, arcane, eldritch, and fey.

The Age of Enlightenment
In this age like no other, the mortal races grew strong and mighty. With newfound power, they extended their reach to the furthest corners of Vaerya, and large kingdoms were formed, and alliances made to stop the bloodshed. A time of scholarship and peace was founded, due in large part to the discovery and worship of the Vaeryan Seven. It is during this age that the four mortal races were given divine gifts to safeguard them from the perils of the world, and many great temples were erected in honor of the Seven. Even to this day, no pantheon is more worshiped than the Vaeryan Seven.

The Demongate Wars
Another massive tragedy struck the world, as Kaiten the fallen harnessed the power of the closed Rift Gate and opened it to his realm of the abyss. Undead abominations marched alongside hellspawned demons and planewarped animals. Worst of all were the Driftwarped, monstrous perversions of the four original mortal races; gnolls, orcs, goblins, and bugbears. The armies of Vaerya rallied against the armies of the Fallen, but could not fight the sheer might of Kaiten and his unholy horde. The leaders of the races gathered in their capital country of Valyria, and assembled in the mighty Temple of the Seven to pray for assistance. Weary of destruction, and furious at Kaiten's attack on the beleaguered Vaerya, the Seven summoned mighty avatars to lead as generals. The Vaeryans also recruited the powers of the Order and the Avatars of Creation, and the decimation of the Fallen was swift and decisive. The Rift Gate was destroyed, the armies of darkness scattered to the four winds. The fifteen divine avatars retreated back to their celestial realms, but remain ever vigilant of intrusions into their homeland.

The Age of Heroes
The races of man started to rebuild the broken kingdoms of the past, but doing so would prove easier started than finished. Scattered across the realms, the remnants of evil still permeate Vaerya, and must be flushed from their hiding places and destroyed or banished. Now is the time for the mighty to step forth, and for heroes to rise and defend the good from any and all evil. From the cruel dragonspawn to the corrupt and twisted forces of the Driftwarped, all manner of monster surround the civilized bastions of peace that are the mortal cities. You have been chosen by the gods, and with their blessing, you march forth in search of honor, glory, riches, fame, and danger. Join the ranks, for adventure awaits!