A Faraway Land...
Within the far reaches of Astoris lies a continent full of history and wonder, innovation and advancement, war and strife. Once called the Farlands in the early days of Astoris, the continent of Orhimond--home of the dwarves--is a place once beautiful and lush with life, but now remains a polluted land cursed to eternal fallout. This is the story of how it all began, and how it ended...
The Age of The Druidae (? - 1247)
In the very first days of the world, when the elemental chaos only began to subside, the first beings to wander all lands were the Druidae, a long-lived people that took the form of many origins and were deeply connected with the life force of the world. These beings harnessed the power of life to better understand their world and their creator. However, some learned darker, more powerful means to achieve their goals, create the first known instances of blood rituals.
It would be taken even further as the beings learned of a realm beyond their own, a realm of power that would allow them to see the place that all spirits go, and to truly understand their creator. Across Astoris, grand lava-glass archways were constructed to harness this otherworldy power, but as they lit the flame and made the connection, they had realized their mistake.
After the first calamity, most of the Druidae were wiped out by the onslaught of hellish forces that entered the world. Only a few of these beings survived the calamity, residing within two lands. One of these lands would later be called Orhimond, and a fledgling race within it had just begun to take shape.
The Age of Myth (1561 - 2273)
The age of myth tells the tales of many tribes growing within the world, but most of these tales reside within the continent of Orhimond. Here, many origins have begun to form and began interacting with their neighbors, either peacefully or violently. Once such collection of tribes are the first of the Dweorvin, a hardy and stout race that have adapted well to the harsh environment by living within the entrances of caves and caverns. They were also one of the few origins to have adopted one of the remaining Druidae within Orhimond, learning from their wisdom and even practicing rituals.
Slowly, these early tribes would develop into village, and then the villages would develop into towns, and from towns to kingdoms. It is here where the once simple continent of Orhimond had turned into a vibrant land of origins and people, but of course it cannot be a place of sentience with conflict. Thus as the first continental wars began, so did the next age of Orhimond.
The Age of The Continental Wars (2315 - 2786)
From every side, every kingdom, they battled and battled for territory and power. The first continental war caused a great deal of destruction to the continent, then came the second continental war which removed a couple of the origins from Orhimond entirely. Finally the third continental war began, and ended when the two kingdoms partaking in it fell from destruction...
...However, the dwarves did not have a powerful kingdom, and as such sought refuge within great dwarven fortresses carved within mountains during the continental wars. When all was said and done, they were able to pick up from the remains of the war and helped to restore the continent with the help of the other surviving kingdoms. However, the war left many villains out in the continent, those that reap from the consequences of the wars. It was now up to the remaining kingdoms to work together against these evils.
The Age of Legends (2923 - 3479)
This age describes the many heroes that ventured forth to end the tyranny and evil ways of those that only wished for chaos. Warlord, necromancers, the undead that remained from the wars, they were hunted down by valiant warriors to ensure a peaceful future for all of Orhimond.
After a few centuries, the remaining kingdoms of Orhimond felt that it was time to decide the fate of their kingdoms. A meeting between the powers was held, and it was agreed upon that the kingdoms would merge into one, as to avoid any more continental wars. With the Dweorvin kingdom having grown to be the most powerful of the remaining kingdoms, they were elected as head of the newly formed empire, with the other kings reigning over provinces throughout Orhimond. Thus, the great Dweorvin Imperium was born.
The Age of The Dweorvin Imperium (3547 - 6783)
An age that began when gunpowder had just been invented, and would continue to exist as the first locomotive machine was created, when every province was interconnected with train tracks, when the first airborne machines rose, when mechanical minds calculated tasks and logic, when machines took over the work of man...
The Imperium by its prime is over a thousand years old, and has experienced a great slew of arcane-technological advances. An average day for a citizen of the imperium would be walking down the paved sidewalks of Esvryn City, heading down to the tunnels and taking the bullet train over to the Khalgon province. Neon lights line many buildings, and the latest Proto-slab powered by arcane energy allows for instant communication across the entire imperium. It is by this point that a new emperor is elected, one that would be one of the greatest emperors of the empire, but also the last.
The Age of Strife (6784 - 8857)
Before the age of strife, a new emperor had been managing the imperium with the highest excellence. Emperor Yonmyre, a Dweorvin who at this point is 342 years old, had helped to truly bring about a golden age for the imperium. However, there are many powers in the imperium that are corrupt, and it is in this time that they formed an alliance in hopes of taking the throne after the death of Yonmyre. The emperor knew these powers existed, but their political ties made them untouchable. As such, he needed to find a pure successor so that the other contestants would not taint the imperium. However, before he could announce such a successor, we was quickly found dead in his bed, presumably from natural causes.
With Yonmyre now dead, the alliance began to reach for the throne. All of them were reaching for the throne, and there can only be one emperor. Soon, the alliance fell as they all fought for the power of emperor, their follower leading in their example. The discourse caused by the squabble began to break apart the imperium, with those same corrupt powers taking control of the once-united provinces against one another. This eventually lead to the age of strife, wherein the skies shined with charring mushroom clouds and the land snowed with fallout. 2000 years later, and Orhimond is now a wasteland being fought over by various warlords. Three main warlords control much of Orhimond now from their state-sized fortress-stronghold, with the fourth one having been killed and their fortress-stronghold destroyed. With many starving and living in horrid conditions, it would only be a matter of time until a rebellion takes place, one that may allow many to find solace.
The Age of Absconding (8864 - 9312)
In the wake of devastation and death, many fought against the powers of Orhimond in order to escape the continent, with many dying both on the continent and out in the sea. Beginning in the 2nd age of Astoris, there are many stories of those who have tried to escape from their fortress-strongholds, to escape from Orhimond itself, only to be caught and hung as punishment. But for those who are successful in escaping, their harsh journey will have only just begun. The oceans tire out even the most hardy of origins, and many starve and dehydrate long before they every reach any sort of destination. Entire families will flee onto a stolen vessel and move out to sea, only for explorers centuries later to find their skeletal remains.
There have been a few successful escapes from Orhimond, one of which held an older adolescent who had lost their family to the stronghold guards, and had struck down one such guard with a sledgehammer before quickly boarding a ship with many other families, many of which died out on sea. It was this vessel that would reach a new home for the Dweorvin, now calling themselves Dwarves. On the shores of the northern reaches of Midworld, the Dwarves would soon create the haven known as Hopestone, named for their hope for the future of their kin.
The Age of Mortem (9375 - ?)
Silence, nothing but the wind blowing through the sand and stone. No buzzing, no growling, no brushing, no speaking. It is unknown when this age will fully take it's toll, but what is known is that it began long ago, and the consequences of the age of strife have now truly begun. In the 3rd age of Astoris, Orhimond is slowly becoming uninhabitable for more and more life. It is believed that eventually in the next couple centuries, the continent will be completely uninhabitable to all forms of life. Though the age of absconding still continues throughout Orhimond, much of the remaining life on the continent, confined by the greed of greater powers, will all perish in the coming generations...
The story of Orhimond is a message to all that live on and beyond Astoris, that one should never allow the promise of power to go beyond the values of family and order. That the cities of Midworld may be spared from the horrors that Orhimond had endured, and that life may still be valued and protected from the greed of all origins. Orhimond is lost, we had our chance to save it and we failed to do so. We ask you, all of you, not to make the same mistakes we did...
Live in peace, reach for prosperity, and hold family close...
Value life, cherish love, and know honor...
We ask this of you, Nightingale Retreat...