History of Etrand

The history of Etrand is relatively rich.

Before the Humans
The very first civilization in present-day Etrand was the Massenpreost Despotanfras civilization, which was exclusive to Southern Etrand - as a matter of fact, Despotanfras pyramids can be still found in certain areas of Southern Etrand.

The Ancient Lizardman Empire emerged around 20 000 BEKE, and would come to engulf not only all of Etrand and Etrancoast - save for Northern Etrand - but also expanded into present-day Dragoc and Froturn as well. Around 3500 BEKE, various Dwarven clans emerged, and their invasions and looting largely contributed to the collapse of the Lizardmen Empire, which happened around 3000 BEKE.

For the next, 1600 years, the only organized state in Etrand would be the Dwarven Kingdom of Steelhelm - the Dwarven clans north of it and the Lizardman tribes south of it would remain disorganized.

The Humans
Around 2500-2000 BEKE, the first Proto-Elven landings on the shores of South-Western Artograch, near present-day Dragoc happened. The Proto-Elves would gradually make Dragoc theirs, then slowly expand into Froturn and Etrand. By 1600 BEKE, they have reached and colonized Etrancoast as well. The Proto-Elves who colonized Etrand settled mostly only in Central Etrand, as Southern Etrand remained in the hands of the Lizardmen and Northern Etrand in the hands of the Dwarves at the time. Around 1100 BEKE, the descendants of those Proto-Elves that colonized Etrand and Etrancoast evolved into the Humans we know today.

In 1138 BEKE, the now-legendary Fathred the Great unified most Human tribes of Etrand, forming Fathred's Confederation. The state would encompass nearly all of the Human-settled areas of Etrand. East of Fathred's Confederation, a rival attempt at unifying the Human tribes was also in the making - the Kingdom of Hulra. Despite failed attempts at expanding, Fathred's Confederation stood still until the death of Fathred himself - after his death the confederation began to crumble, and eventually collapsed in 1106 BEKE.

For the next eleven centuries, the only actual state in Etrand would be the Human Kingdom of Steelhelm, the unofficial successor of Fathred's Confederation. Etrand would once again be disunited, filled with tribes that bickered among each other. The Great War that raged on between 846 and 834 BEKE would temporarily force the Humans of Etrand - except Steelhelm - into unity again, but it was only temporal. The Tribal Confederacy that formed during war fell apart almost as soon as the war ended, again reverting Etrand to it's pre-war state: a bunch of tribes that bickered among each other, waging neverending turf wars. During this time however, there was some slow and gradual expansion into the South, previously Lizardman territory.

This continued until around 200 BEKE, when a new process of unification started, in which larger and more powerful tribes slowly and gradually began expanding their domain at the expense of smaller and weaker tribes, gearing up for the inevitable and ultimate confrontation with the rest of Etrand that culiminated in Corlagon's Wars of Unification. It was at the same time that High Elven Titanist missionaries started making appearences in Western Etrand, spreading their religion there.

In 10 BEKE, the Corlagon's War of Unification broke out, ending in 0 BEKE/AEKE with Corlagon founding the Kingdom of Etrand.

Corlagonid Foundations
By 0 BEKE/AEKE, Corlagon has formally defeated all the tribes of Erand, annexing even the Human Kingdom of Steelhelm. He made Titanism the state religion, and started a brutal campaign to persecute and force-convert the Pagan population. Corlagon himself reigned for only 17 years, in which the bulk of the population remained pagan, with only mostly the nobility and townsfolk converting to this new state religion - except in Western Etrand, where two centuries of High Elven influence has spread it even among commoners.

In 34, the Orcish Invasion of Etrand started, ending in 37, resulting in the ultimate defeat of the Orcs, and the death of the Orcish king, resulting in the splitting of the Orcish Kingdom into four clans. The war however, was costly for Etrand: Talon was destroyed, the population suffered, development was set back in Southern Etrand. The Orcish invasion was not the only source of misery for King Symon the Inquisitor, who reigned between 17 and 43 AEKE - he also had to deal with the Pagan Anti-king Aelfwaird of Dracfold who ruled approximately one third of Etrand during most of Symon's reign. It was after the Orcish Invasion that the royal army - filled with battle-hardened veterans from the Orcish invasion - finally managed to break Aelfwaird's power, who was forced to convert to Titanism and swear loyalty to the King.

Under the rule of King Coenred between 43 and 69, some consolidation took place. Talon was rebuilt, the the ex-pagan ex-antiking Aelfwaird was pacified by royal marriages between the Corlagonid family and Aelfwaird's family - in fact, the Hengistid dynasty that would follow the Corlagonid dynasty would descend from this Corlagonid-Aelfwairdid dynastic marriage, paternally from Aelfwaird's side, maternally from the Corlagonid side -, a relatively effective border guard was set up to guard the frontier against Orcish incursions, the spread of the Titanist religion continued, penetrating the masses more than before.

Coenred's rule was followed by a brief two-year rule by his also-elderly younger brother Cuichelm, setting the stage for the Hengistid dynasty's acquiring of the throne.