- c.300 BFM - The earliest settlements begin to appear across the Esharian Peninsula, and the lands of Orrium. It is assumed that Hashat was founded around then, but the details are lost to the winds of time.
- c.100 BFM - Hashat draws together all the peoples of the peninsula in the Federation Under Hashat. Some are official subjects, whereas others are more pseudo-independent and simply pin their colours to the Federation's banner. At this time, settlers are sent across the sea to widen the Hashar sphere of influence; this is when tensions between the Federation and the First Empire of Orrium begin to rise.
- 87 BFM - The razing of Irla, a burgeoning Hashar city of the border of Orrium lands, and the wholesale slaughter of any of its remaining inhabitants kicks off the first Hashar-Orrin war. An uneasy truce is established four years later, after a number of grueling summer campaigns are fought to a standstill.
- c. 50 BFM - Tensions between the two powers continue to simmer, and occasionally burst into skirmishes and small wars. Around this point, the first discoveries of magic are made.
- 42 BFM - A territorial dispute erupts beyond all ability of either side to control. The last Hashar-Orrin war begins.
- 40 BFM - The war remains a bloody stalemate at sea, and in the coastal regions. At great cost, a Hashar general, Verma, has moved an army by land through the closed end of the sea, and is poised to strike at Orrin lands.
- 38 BFM - Verma’s troops wreak havoc in the North, but are unable to force a meaningful confrontation. Meanwhile, Orrium marshals their forces in the West and moves to march East along the coast to lay siege to Hashat.
- 37 BFM - Verma is recalled as the siege of Hashat begins. Her weakened, fatigued army meets with the remains of the retinues of Halmus, the future First King, and those of the heads of the future great houses.
- Summer, 37 BFM - The development of magic allows the refreshment and bolstering of the weaker Hashar army. This, combined with the leadership of General Verma, allows the breaking of the siege, and the routing of the largest body of Orrium’s forces.
- 34 BFM - The Hashar counter-attack breaks the back of any Orrin resistance, and the first Empire crumbles and its lands are individually taken into the Federation under Hashat. The last Hashar-Orrin war ends.
- 31 BFM - The four great houses begin a race to ultimate power: they marry into and then cannibalise a number of smaller houses to build their own power base. This continues, slowly at first, but then increasingly quickly over the next thirty years.
- 1 BFM - The four houses stand at the brink of war, which would surely sunder the Federation under Hashat, and remake it anew, as something different.
- 0 - The heads of these houses (Toqa, Morell, Dia, and Halmus) convened in the Yalcar Palace to try to avoid war. The result was the crowning of Halmus as the first king, on condition of his surrender of all lands to the others. This began the rule of Halmid kings, with the Toqare, Morelli, and Diite lines commanding the greatest portions of land in the Federation under Hashat.
Table of Contents
History
Overview
While there have been peoples living in the Esharian Peninsula, and the surrounding lands, for thousands of years, recorded history is understood to begin with the rise of a coastal city at the peninsula's tip. Known as Hashat, this city and its inhabitants would come to dominate first their neighbours, before the entire known world around the Qeltan Sea. They absorbed nearby countries into the Federation Under Hashat through ties of trade and patronage, and crushed the First Empire of Orrium, through martial and magical might. Though their power would wane, and then crumble completely over the next 500 years, their legacy would be picked up by the Royalty of Esharia: a worthy child indeed. Though, in this age of inheritance, the Empire of Orrium has also been reborn across the Heart Sea and a generation's challenges seem to have been passed to their children.
— Foreword to A Concise Esharian History
Timeline
Before First Monarch (BFM)
Two great societies grow from the humblest of origins, on opposing sides of the Heart Sea. These are the Federation under Hashat, controlling its allies from the peninsular city of Hashat, and the Empire of Orrium, sitting as an impassive power block in the North. As these things often are, the two powers came into fatal conflict, and though it nearly destroyed both of them the Orrin lands were absorbed into the Federation. This Federation soon fell to near civil war, and emerged from the brink with a King at its head.
Timeline
After First Monarch (AFM)
The Federation grows rapidly to control near the entirety of the Qeltan Sea. Then it begins a slow decline into internal bickering. That which belonged once to Orrium regains its independence, and soon after the Federation itself crumbles into civil war. It would never recover under that name.
Timeline
Esharian Era (EA)
The Toqare House emerges victorious in the war, and part of them branch to become a new line of Monarchs. While it appears that the times of tumult are passing, the Empire of Orrium begins to reform itself in the North. Things continue to change, as history always does.
Timeline
Map of the Qeltan Sea
The brown lines on the map above broadly show the borders between different countries around the Qeltan Sea. The map is broadly similar in scale to the real-world Mediterranean, and any place shown in this map could be traveled to in an action. Whether you have the means to actually get there is another issue: e.g. you may not be able to waltz into the capital of Orrium without permission even those it is feasible to get there. Outside this map people do exist, and the Esharians are aware of them, however there is very little world building and no plot here, so the GM team would as that you do not try to go beyond this in your actions.