Template:Breadcrumb Shards > Acrolon

Overview

Acrolon (Feytongue, Nortongue: Norheim meaning home of the Nor) was named by the Elves for its central role in the formation of the Empire of Acrolon. It is the Shard where Humans originated. Lore about Acrolon is plentiful and accurate. It comes from its own scholars and Gods.

History

Dates given are in the IR calendar.

Shattered Age

In the early Shattered Age this realm was called Norheim in Nortongue, the language of the Humans native to the Shard.

Tribal Times

After the Time Storm of The Shattering, the Humans of Norheim were organized in tribes for 230 years. Human civilization grew first in the land of Vestrland (west land, now Agria) and Tjorhof (troll head, now Malocia), but soon grew into Eikland (oak land, now Godswalt Wastes), Bannor (exiled Nor, now Mercatia), Langhaugr (long hills, now Oscillia), Morgfel (many mountains, now Stonewall), and Myrvithr (swamp wood, now Viridia).

During the Tribal Times, there were three noteworthy divine deeds by the Shard Gods.

IR 124: The Mortal Veil: The boundary between life and death is concealed.
IR 188: The Ninefold Seeds: Powerful artifacts of spring that allow for the rapid expansion of civilization.
IR 210: The First Peace: A peace treaty to end the first large scale war in Norheim.

First Contact

In IR 215, Patternsails from Pelithos first arrived in Acrolon. This began an Age of Patternsailing that persisted until the magic ceased to function in IR 1120. For the first time since The Shattering, Mortals could physically travel between Shards. This led to a cosmopolitan age as Mortals from different Shards began to explore, trade with, and settle other Shards.

Age of Kings

Between the years IR 230 - IR 236, the first Kings of Acrolon were named in Vestrland, Langhaugr, Eikland, and Tjorhof. This began the Age of Kings, which lasted for 385 years. Human civilization grew more complex and some towns grew into castled cities.

During the Age of Kings, there were six noteworthy divine deeds by the Shard Gods.

IR 260: The Dream Gates: An artifact in the realm of thought that reduced incidence of Strange madness.
IR 345: The Mooneater: The defeat of a monster that threatened the Grand Design of Night in Norheim.
IR 417: The Stillstorm: A natural disaster of Winter was averted.
IR 467: Anyot's Curse: A terrible curse placed upon the first apostates of Acrolon.
IR 512: Anastasia's Rise: The first death of a Shard God.
IR 531: The Burning of Skeldmere: The defeat of the first Titan Cult in Acrolon.

Realm War

At the end of the Age of Kings, Acrolon was invaded by the Barigor Orcs from Tonwei Unchained. The invasion of Acrolon began in IR 560, after the completion of the first Realm Gate in Acrolon. While the Barigor in Acrolon surrendered by IR 595, the overall war did not end until the Tonwei surrender in IR 615.

Imperial Age

After The Realm War in IR 615, Acrolon entered the Imperial Age, which lasted 680 years. The Empire of Acrolon was formed from the alliance of Shards that defeated the Barigor armies during The Realm War. The capital of the Empire was located on the Argent Isle of Norheim. Because of this, over time the Shard of Norheim became known as Acrolon, it's current name.

The culture of Acrolon shifted considerably after The Realm War, leading to new linguistic patterns. What was once an obscure scholastic language became the official Imperial language, and the dominant language of the Humans of Acrolon. As they Kingdoms of Acrolon were incorporated into the Empire of Acrolon after their liberation from the Barigor, they were also renamed.

Bannor became Insulae Piratarum (pirate isles, now Mercatia).
Eikland became Arboria (tree land, now Godsalt Wastes).
Langhaugr became Milcolles (thousand hills now Oscillia).
Morgfel became Magnae Petrae (great stones, now Stonewall).
Myrvithr became Viridia (swamp land, now Viridia).
Tjorhof became Maneria (sunrise, now Malocia).
Vestrland became Agria (fertile land, now Agria).
The unnamed island northwest of the mainland became Imperitoris (short for Sedes Imperitoris, seat of the Emperor, now Argent Isle).

The First Godswar

In the year IR 640, the Shard God Fenrir murdered the Shard God Wodhain. This act triggered The First Godswar, which plunged the Shard of Acrolon into chaos for several years. While the deaths of Gods and Exarchs ended with Fenrir and Eir in IR 641, the disruption of magical and social order lasted for several more years, until new Gods were installed to manage the Grand Designs of Acrolon.

The Beast of Bloodstone

In the year IR 908, the Void God Orcus invaded Maneria (now Malocia) in an incident called The Beast of Bloodstone. Until heroes were able to stop the invasion at its source, Maneria was a battlefield between Demons, the undead, and the Mortals of Maneria. The war finally ended in IR 918.

End of Patternsails

In the year IR 1120, Patternsails cease to function. Integral Gods report that the Founders suppress their operation for the safety and security of The Integrum. In fact, it was because they began to sense The Astral Dragons probing of Barrier Realms, and suspected Patternsails were enabling that.

Dwarven Retreat

In the year IR 1142, Dwarves across the Shards suddenly go into hiding and disappear. Their Gods vanish from Kasyat.

Sindra's March

In the wake of the Demon wars, Maneria became ruled by one of the heroes that stopped the invasion: Sindra Valkarius. Maneria was renamed Terra Sindrae, the Land of Sindra. It was a bleak and dangerous land after the Demon war. Bands of lost Demons and undead roamed the land, only kept in check by Filia Sindrae, the Daughters of Sindra. However, 352 years after taking power in Terra Sindrae, Sindra's ambitions grew beyond her borders. This led to Sindra's March in IR 1269, a war that spread from Terra Sindrae, through Milcolles, to the doorstep of Agria. It was only thanks to a group of heroes that Sindra was defeated and the war brought to an end in IR 1273.

Without the harsh rule of Sindra, the region of Terra Sindra fell deeper into chaos. It was renamed Malocia, and considered too dangerous to resettle. Similarly, the war-torn lands of Milcolles was renamed Oscillia, for the numerous corpses littering the land.

Dark Age

The Dark Age of Acrolon began in IR 1295, when the Founders were destroyed and the second great cataclysm, The Fall occurred. It persisted until Acrolon's Sun was restored in IR 2157.

The Fall

The Fall began in IR 1295 when Xevanezral's Gambit reached its fruition, and the Founders were destroyed. With the destruction of the Founders, The Integrum was thrown into chaos.

IR 1296 The Long Night: The Sun of Acrolon goes out, giving the Age its name.
IR 1296 - IR 1304 Barren Years: An epidemic of undeath coincides with no births throughout The Integrum.
IR 1300: Anastasia dies, the domain of Spring passing to Nexia.
IR 1304: The Crucible is completed, restoring the cycle of life and death to The Integrum.

The Rise of Mercatia

As a Mortal, Suentius long struggled to change the image of the Pirate Isles in southern Acrolon. However, upon ascending to be God of Pattern, had no trouble rebranding the Pirate Isles as The Isles of Splendor, which would become known as the merchant kingdom of Mercatia in IR 1410.

Dark Empire of Acrolon

Not long after The Fall, the Empire of Acrolon became corrupted by the Primarch of Summer, Lascivia. Combined with the absence of Aurora's light, this led to a severe decline in the integrity and moral competence of the government of Acrolon. Historians refer to this age as the Dark Empire of Acrolon. The Dark Empire ruled for 855 years, starting in 1307.

One of the Dark Empire's most notable endeavors was The Reclamation. Under the guise of a peaceful return to the glory of the Empire of Acrolon, they used the Realm Gates to recontact other Shards. However, their diplomacy was a thin veil for conquest, and wars erupted in each Shard they tried to bring back into the Empire.

IR 1595 Dark Empire of Acrolon invades Vashad
IR 1670 Dark Empire of Acrolon tries and fails to invade Tonwei Unchained
IR 1751 Dark Empire of Acrolon invades Pelithos

Dawn Age

Five years after the return of the light of Aurora, the Dark Empire of Acrolon was toppled, and the Demon Queen, Lascivia, was vanquished. These events ushered in the Dawn Age. The Spring Exarch, Lily, beneficiary of Anastasia's Gift, was installed as the ruler of Concordia. For the first 95 years of Concordia's existence, was The Reckoning, during which the Revolutionary Council violently purged the old powers of the Dark Empire from Acrolon. Then the Dawn Builders worked to build a new, just form of governance, though pockets of Demonic and Dark Imperial power still lurk hidden in the lands of Acrolon.

In these same years, Mercatia went through a similarly bloody revolution, where its entrenched powers who were allied with the Dark Empire were overthrown by younger merchant princes, during The Change in Ledger.

In the modern day (IR 2302), the banner of Concordia flies over Agria, Argent Isle, and Stonewall, though there are significant pockets of enemies lurking in the region of Stonewall: Demon cults in remote caves, fortified mountain cities of Lascivians. Mercatia flies an independent flag from Concordia, though has pledge an enduring allegiance to the young government.

Oscillia is still in the process of becoming settled. A few settlements from Agria dot the western coasts and rivers, while the southern cost is dotted by Mercatian settlements.

The Godsalt Wastes, Malocia, and Viridia remain dangerous wildernesses, with very little widespread forms of governance.

Cosmology

Acrolon shares the same cosmology as all Shards of The Integrum. It was originally part of the unified Terrestria. During The Shattering, it was one of the Shard realms that Terrestria was split into. It is the home realm of the Humans.

Divinity

The Gods of Acrolon are called Primarchs. The current Primarchs are:

Aedifica: Primarch of Form. She roams Acrolon in her walking palace, The Golemance.
Excrucius: Primarch of Night. He is exiled to Tenebrae, Acrolon's Moon.
Nexia: Primarch of Autumn and Spring. She primarily resides in Gehenna, the Underworld of Acrolon.
Lucidus: Primarch of Day. He primarily resides on Aurora, Acrolon's Sun.
Suentius: Primarch of Pattern. He primarily resides in the Halls of Wonder, the Dreamlands of Acrolon.
Vago: Primarch of Destiny. No one knows where he resides, he has not been seen since the Shattered Age.

Geography

Acrolon is 780 km from east to west and 450 km north to south.

Acrolon is split into the following major regions:

Inhabitants

Acrolon is primarily inhabited by Humans, but many other species dwell in the lands of Acrolon. It is the most cosmopolitan Shard of The Integrum.