The Reign of Thersten Irolydd (~Anno Premier, 0 MH - ~50 MH)
Historic nations that have resisted the Gnoman Empire’s push are few and far between, the Empire would come to dominate nearly three quarters of the Continent and be the largest in its history no matter what metric that may be used. It would therefore be a surprise that a western nation, particularly in the prehistoric age, could hope to stop such a mighty force.
That nation would be Cardemy, one of the earliest civilizations to truly be considered a kingdom, and an international force in its own right. With such achievements, the legends of Cardemy permeate more cultures, religions and regions than any other extinct nation. These legends vary drastically in details however, and the truth of Cardemy may well be lost to the mist of time. The legends agree on one thing however, that some time around Anno Premier, as the Gnoman’s pushed north, a great leader would rally his forces to meet them.
The Kingdom of Cardemy was notorious as the start of the civilized world on the Continent, and at its helm sat King Thersten, the gallant and noble leader. Sources differ on Thersten’s race and religion, but all concur Thersten possessed a near supernatural acuity in strategy and tactics. When the Gnomans clashed, Thorsten personally lead the force that defeated them, rallying his fourteen knights to help repel the foreign invaders, stalling them not once, but three times, each victory inflicting devastating casualties on his enemies.
The Gnomans withdrew, digging in and waiting. Thorsten was only mortal after all. A decade past, another campaign was launched, defeat, the Gnomans retreated... another decade, another strike and another defeat... Another two decades, by now the Gnomans were getting desperate, so much so that the Ceaser personally sought negotiate a treatise with the King to allow Gnoman troops to pass through. Thersten acquiesced but not for a minor price, as he negotiated, not for gold, but for knowledge.
Thersten had heard rumour of the secrets held by those who ruled the Gnoman Empire, the Seniorem, and had been intrigued in particular by their longevity. As part of his settlement, Thersten would be allowed to practice the arcane arts within his borders uninterrupted, and would levy a modest tax on any Gnoman goods that passed through. Furthermore, Thersten demanded that several mages the Gnomans had taken from the neighbouring tribes be turned over to him.
Thersten’s goals were transparent, he clearly wished to extend his life and mae no effort to hide this from the Ceaser. Such a snub alone, would see most branded as mad, but for Thersten, it only grew his legend. The fourteen knights joined his work to benefit from its reward. Thersten would die a decade or so later, but many speculate this death was untrue and that he had completed his work, as his knights vanished with them.
Without their defenders, the people of Cardemy would be forced to submit to Gnoman rule and attempts were made to expunge the records of any mention of the Kingdom. These attempts failed of course, with rumours of Thersten’s survival circulating like wildfire for generations. Every stroke of bad luck that befell would be attributed to him, and his story would inspire many of the rebels centuries later who would seek to overthrow their oppressors.
'Ceaser! Ceaser! He has taken the legions once again!
Again!? All of them?!
All but the leavings, the cowards who broke early with only their hides to save.
How?!
With dragon, Ceaser...'
- Fairytale of Cardemy, Sir Richard Treaty
The Curse of Cardemy (~50 MH - 554 MH)
Whether it truly was Thersten working from the shadows, a curse from his last breath, or simply bad luck, Cardemy’s fall, far from being a triumphant high point for the Gnoman Empire, was the beginning of a downward spiral. The march north was costly as is and dangerous, even without the additional levy on supplies, the Gnomans struggled to maintain a hold on the troublesome northern provinces. A frivolous invasion into the Mandate saw the Empire spread yet thinner and with an ever increasing number of the famed Seniorem succumbing to old age with no replacements coming forth it is not hard to see why one may think the thorn in the side that Cardemy and Thersten had proven to be may not have been so temporary after all.