A Brief History of the Jalani Lands

Early History and Aezjarean Expansion
Goblin Invasions and the First Dark Age
Aezjarean Dominion
Human Revolt
The Second Dark Age

The first histories of the lands along the Pelou and Chasega Rivers describe Fae, Hssuga, and Kri'ik cultures in the southwest, with Dwarves inhabiting the hills and mountains to the north and west. Human inhabitation began with the appearance of the Cheyhro tribes, followed by  the Haseni clans moving into the region from the north and west. The Haseni settled among the foothills of the Skyreach Range, while the Cheyhro maintained their semi-nomadic existence throughout the vast forests to the south.
A third people, the Jalani, moved down from the northeast along the Chasega River valley. They spread out along the rivers, settling in small communities. This movement initially did not cause conflict with the indigenous inhabitants, since the Hsytha lived mainly in the coastal areas to the south and southwest and the Kri'ik and Dwarves did not compete for the same areas as the humans.
The Aezjarean expansion from their colonies along the southeast coast was less peaceful. The Jalani stayed and fought, and were conquered by the superior mundane and mystical might of the Aezjareans. Human magic at that time was limited to innate psychic talents and primitive Mana and Spirit magic. The Jalani quickly fell under the control of the Aezjareans, except for a few settlements to the northeast, in what is now Malyk.
The Cheyhro withdrew into the wilderness, while the Haseni retreated farther into the mountains. Neither areas were desired by the Aezjareans (who were primarily interested in tin and silver mines), but this movement began competition between Dwarves and Haseni, and between the Cheyhro and the Kri'ik and Hsytha cultures. The northern Hssuga cultures of the Hsytha did not establish the large-scale dominion over humanity as their southern cousins had, but conflicts were common. The Cheyhro tribes pushed the Hsytha farther to the southwest, and the Haseni clans would eventually adopt a more cooperative relationship with the Dwarven cultures in the mountains.

The Goblin invasions forever altered the patterns of history. Their vast numbers crashed like a wave against the Haseni and Dwarven communities of the north. Quickly overrun, the Human settlements were forced to turn to the Dwarves for assistance. The Dwarven clans, now fighting for survival themselves, were thankful for any assistance they could get, even the upstart Human newcomers.
The sea of Goblin tribes also flowed around the eastern hills of the Skyreach Mountains, and hit the few independent Jalani communities in the east. Fleeing before the Goblin armies, the survivors of the Haseni and Jalani settlements to the northeast retreated into the Aezjarean colonies. Many of the Cheyhro tribes, also hard-pressed to defend themselves against the vast numbers of Goblins, and unwilling to cooperate with their traditional Hsytha enemies, also retreated behind the bulwarks of the Aezjarean fortresses.
The Aezjareans had more time to prepare, forewarned as they were of the movement of the Goblin tribes. They had the advantage of an advanced bronzeworking culture, with superior armaments and arcane knowledge. Still, when the Goblin onslaught reached their colonies, they were hard-pressed to hold them back. The battles fought in that age defy the imagination of the current day, for the vast numbers involved seem almost incomprehensible. Hundreds of thousands of warriors were involved on both sides. The Aezjareans pressed Human refugees into legions of auxiliaries, training them to fight with Aezjarean weapons alongside the Aezjarean warbands. Several outlying forts and settlements were lost, especially in the far northwest, before the Aezjareans, now reinforced by the new Human troops, were able to throw back the Goblin masses.
Gradually, the Goblins retreated back to the north, settling among the mountains of the Skyreach Range, and in the foothills along the shores of the Igraiv Sea. The few remaining Dwarven and Haseni settlements in the mountains crawled out from the caves and secluded valleys into which they had retreated, and began a campaign (unfinished to this day) to clear the Goblins from their lands.
Human society had changed forever. Almost all the Human peoples were now under the control or influence of the Aezjareans. They were pressed into service, either in the expanding Human legions, or as domestic labor, servants, etc. The Aezjareans used the increasing power that the Human armies gave them to continue their expansion, both to the southwest toward the Hssuga kingdoms, and to the north and east against the remaining Goblins.

Exposure to Aezjarean culture had a tremendous impact on the Human peoples. They learned Aezjarean technology and craftsmanship, and Aezjarean arts and magic. These influences are still seen in many aspects of Human cultures in the area. In the southwest, the Hssuga cultures also influenced Human development and craftsmanship.
This state of affairs continued for several centuries. Human legions cleared the Goblins from the southern hills, and fought in Aezjarean wars against the Shub'sah and Hsytha kingdoms to the southwest. They worked in the tin and silver mines, and labored in the fields. Some were transported to the older Aezjarean colonies on the Karatasan peninsula, where they encountered other Human races, the Mekys and Mutai, who also were under the dominion of the Aezjareans.
This pattern of existence changed when Human worship of new gods, unknown to the Aezjareans, grew rapidly. The Aezjareans had their own cults dedicated to the Demon-Gods, but the new Human religions were different from anything they had experience with.  Human Faith, which was quite different from the propitiation (fear-worship) of the Hssuga and Aezjareans, produced a fanaticism that the Aezjareans could not comprehend. The Human religions preached resistance to Aezjarean demands and Aezjarean culture. They urged the Humans to turn away from the worship of the Demon-God cults.
It was in these years that the first appearances of the Drushae were recorded. This enigmatic race, previously unknown to Human, Aezjarean, or Hssuga, appeared in nearly every region at about the same time. From the northern mountains to the jungles of Bustaba and T'Nubci, small groups of Drushae moved in and settled. Many moved in among the barbaric Haseni and Dwarves in the mountains, and began to teach them new arts and crafts. The Drushae were learned and wise, and had ways of magic unknown to any other culture at that time. This new magic was called Sorcery, and Humans began to learn it.

Human religions grew stronger and more confident: they preached revolt and rebellion against the Aezjareans. At first, the Aezjareans did not take this seriously. But these ideas flashed like lightning through the Human population, and soon even loyal retainers were questioning Aezjarean rule. A vast uprising began, in every colony and among every Human race. The initial revolts were suppressed, but the upsurge of Human assertiveness did not end. The well-disciplined Human legions turned against their officers and generals, and drove them out or murdered them. The Aezjareans were astounded by this turn of events, not understanding the fickle nature of Human loyalty.
They held out for a while, in their oldest colonies: in Karatas, Bustaba, and in the area which is today Mekystan.  Human revolts had spread to the oppressed slaves of the Shub'sah and Ssuhim cultures as well. Great battles once again raged, pitting Hssuga or Aezjarean warlocks against Human priests and sorcerers.  Many Aezjarean cities and fortresses were razed to the ground in these conflicts.
The first Human empire arose in the areas that are today Malyk and Mekystan. A brief era of Human triumph ensued, but was not to last. The Aezjarean and Hssuga armies massed against the First Empire, and at Shakrahnor, in the center of what is today the Wastes, the greatest battle of that age was fought.  The Hssuga warlocks and shamans called upon fell powers and performed great necromantic rituals, sacrificing their entire army so that they might destroy the Human empire. And destroy it they did, but at the cost of allowing the force/entity known as the Unlife to gain a major foothold into Geoza. The resulting devastation has expanded over the centuries to form the Wastes.
After that battle the Aezjareans left the region, never to return in force.

Human society was not untouched by this revolt. Although they now had freedom, they also had chaos. The various Human peoples, having been under Aezjarean rule for so long, had little experience of how to rule themselves. The new gods were not able to give them guidance in this, being for some reason distracted with their own concerns at this time. The remnants of Aezjarean civilization gradually began to disappear, replaced only by anarchy and constant warfare between Humans.
Further injury was done to Human development in this period as massive and virulent plagues swept through the remaining population. Of mysterious origin, they decimated every race and species, sparing neither Hsytha, Dwarf, nor Human.
Although Human cultures did reassert themselves, the process took many decades, and much knowledge that had been briefly gained was lost.  Human arcane and technological development ground to a standstill for several centuries, as civilization slowly regenerated.
The Cheyhro fared best initially, for they had always retained a core structure of their old beliefs, and they returned to their forests and hills. The Haseni rejoined their brethren in the mountains. The Jalani warred among themselves. Eventually, a group of Jalani settled on islands centered on an abandoned Aezjarean fortress in the delta. This group of Jalani made peace with the Hystha tribes in the swamps, and tried to preserve what knowledge and culture they could. A city grew around the fortress, and came to be called Merochas.