Rune - Homeland of Humans

Inhabitants

Rune is largely regarded as the homeland of humans, though those from Oun would dispute this. Rune is indeed the largest realm, both in terms of area and population, but

Oun was formed almost a century earlier. Nevertheless, with the near destruction of Oun occurring,  Rune is seen as the heartland of the human race by most of the other denizens of Iiosia. Even Rune’s calender is now widely used throughout the world of Iiosia.

Because of the size of the country, the people of Rune are involved in a great many professions, from farming to seafaring. Rune is home to a large centre of learning, and within its borders can be found people who have mastered all manner of skills, from fishing and sailing to farming, music, art and even magic.

The people of Rune are often thought of as soft by the people of Oun and Orondor, and this may well be true of most, but not of all. For dangers still threaten Rune’s borders, and so there are still fighting men stationed to protect it. Sailors, horsemen, hunters and men at arms who once found themselves within Rune’s vast and highly organised military now have employ under regional barons, who each have an eye on their neighbours lands if not the throne itself.

Rune’s people are a diverse mix, and exhibit a vast range of skills and abilities the like of which isn’t seen anywhere else on Iiosia. As Rune covers such a large geographical area, it is impossible to pinpoint specific traits for someone hailing from Rune. Only in certain areas of it can these be seen – people from Eishion tend to be taller, those from Braithor have set jawlines and darker hair. These are generalisations only, for Rune is a place where people mingle freely, and individuality is easy to find with interbreeding within it's regions

Dwarves, atia, grellkin, ferian, and humans from other lands also come and go from Rune as well as make their homes here also. Rune is perhaps the most diverse land on Iiosia when it comes to the mix of races that are to be found there.

Gilth, ghreal, and other unsavoury creatures can be found skulking in dark caverns and abandoned towers throughout the land. These are stragglers from invasionary forces that, long ago, came to this land attempting to conquer it. Ironically, it was those very attempts that unified the people and formed the land of Rune in the first place.

Bands of tar'tchii also are also known to skulk within the mountains of the Jagged Teeth, along Rune’s southern borders.

Rune has a number of large cities which control areas of the land. The (official) capital is Eishion, and the other city-states: Arador, Laithior, Ghorn, Cenal, and Braithor,

Geography

Rune is a densely forested land that’s bordered by high mountain ranges; The Skybreakers to the East, and the Jagged Teeth to the west. Large lakes have formed within the foothills of these mountains, and from these rivers flow over the land to create fertile plains. Where the rivers slow and flow into the sea, marshland and bogs have formed.

Vast swathes of forest cover the land, though in several areas this has been cleared to make room for farming around the largest of the cities.

Rune enjoys a mild, temperate climate, with mild winters and cool summers. This can vary across the different regions though; in the north, the Red Marshes have been known to freeze in the winter months, and the bitter winds that sweep in from the Sea of Stars have a fearsome reputation. In the south, the city-port of Ghórn enjoys heat almost all of the year round.

Places of Interest

Eishion (ee-sh-ee-on)

(Formally Lakeheart, renamed Eishion in the year 35 after the woman Eishia; Rune’s first queen.)

Eishion is built between two lakes, on a strip of land running between them both. This not only offers natural protection, but also makes the city looks as if it is floating. It is a major centre of trade, learning, and the arts. To look upon, the city is quite beautiful. The walls are made from marble, the surface of which reflects the light shining upon the water. The result of this is that, when viewed from a distance, the city sparkles. It has since been dubbed “The Shining City” for that reason. The land around the city is made up rolling hills and sparse woodlands. It is good for farming crops and livestock, and the rivers allow the mass use of mills to grind grain.

When the city was the seat of the king or queen, each year the barons would meet in Eishion to discuss the running of the country and the provinces. Such meetings are often heated as disputes over funds, taxes, bandits and trade often break out, but the king or queen always has the last say in matters.

Since the ending of the royal bloodline some twenty years ago, such meetings are a thing of the past. Eishion has lost much of its prestige and importance, though it is still a central trade hub and as such the wealth that it is associated with is still maintained. These days, however, the traders guilds are run not by royal accountants and clerks, but self-serving merchant kings.

Many of its citizens are well off and enjoy the finer things in life as the city has a strong, rich economy. However, the wealth is not shared out evenly and there are still those who live in squalor in some areas of Eishion. These people often are the underpaid fuel that drives the fire of the city's industries.

Arador

(Formed in the year 38, named after Aradan, the second king of Rune, after he defeated the undead horde in the events of The Blight)

Arador is a major centre of learning, magical studies and agriculture. It is a picturesque city set in a wide valley, surrounded by trees and fields and on the shores of the tranquil Lake Shimmerwater. Its wealth comes from the schools which teach the children of those wealthy enough to send them here. However, its close proximity to Kakeri Swamp means that it sometimes becomes the victim to kakeri raids, and, despite these being made mostly against livestock, people living within are generally advised not to venture too far from the city walls.

Braithor

(Formerly Núin, re-named Braithor after Braitha, the first king, in the year 35.)

Braithor is a large, ancient city which most regard as Rune’s second city. It sits within the outskirts of the Blackbark Forest; its imposing high stone walls rising high above the trees around it, which are well guarded against the creatures deep within the surrounding woods.

The city is set on the main thoroughfare to and from The Scar, beyond which lies Oun. The city offers refuge for those making that perilous journey, and is utilised as a base for those wishing to enter The Scar to try their hand at hunting the strange and exotic beasts which dwell there.

The people of Braithor are famed archers and foresters, and used to be employed as scouts and skirmishers in Runes army. These days, their skills at forest warfare is employed in defending the city against would-be invaders from other cities.

Bastion

(Formed in the year 174)

Bastion is Rune's western port, and is the centre for bringing trade into Rune via the inner sea from Oun. It is a small city, dominated by a large sea-fort known as The Bastion on the outskirts that protects the harbor from assault from the sea and guards the mouth of the Redwater River, which flows deep into the Heartlands of Rune. So indicative is the fort to the place that any other name given to the settlement that nestles around its walls has been lost, and the entire settlement is collectively now known as Baston. Pirate attacks on vessels around the port are reasonably common, and thus the city has stationed a large array of warships to combat any that are sighted from the fort’s high watchtowers. The city is filled with shops, markets, inns and taverns for the travelling sailors and traders, and at any one time is the home to thousands of passers-through as they make port there. Therefore there are not as many permanent residents there as one may think. Because of all of the mixed races, creeds and classes milling and mixing about there is often trouble on the waterfront or in the taverns, and the Watch here is known to be exceptionally hard on trouble makers. If they deem it necessary they will lock people for a few days in the prisons beneath the fort, to let them have some “cooling off” time.

Cenal (se-nal)

(Formed in the year 200)

Cenal is the northern-most city of Rune proper. A compact city, Cenal is known largely for its cold climate and barren surroundings. Perched atop a bleak, cragged rocky outcrop, Cenal sits within a vast area of barren grasslands and windswept planes, with the Whitebind bogs on one side and perilous cliffs on the other. Its people, largely clothed in furs and skins, have a reputation for being blunt and brutish. Yet they are just a manifestation of their harsh surroundings. The hides of animals and precious rocks from nearby mines are two of its main assets.

Laithior (lay-th-ee-or)

(Formed in the year 38, named after Laithia, the second king of Rune’s sister, after she defeated the undead horde in the events of The Blight.)

Laithor is a spawling city built at the joining of two rivers, and surrounded by vast stretches of farmland. The city is the largest in Rune, housing many hundreds of thousands of people and catering to the many towns and villages that surround it. Farming is the main industry of this region, and hundreds of square miles of forest have been felled to make way for the fields that now carpet the land.

People within the city are largely merchant-folk, craftsmen, or farmers. The city carries with it a (not undeserved) repuation that its population is unclean, uneducated, and often unruly. The ruling baron keeps order by hiring bands of mercenaries to patrol the streets, which he pays for by the taxes he levies on the populations harvests.  

Ghorn (g-oo-rn)

(Formed by the Ghreal during their invasion in the year -3. Formally became part of Rune in the year 322.)

Ghorn, in the southernmost extent of Rune’s borders, was originally settled by the Ghreal when they invaded. It was set ablaze and largely destroyed due to mysterious circumstances, which was one of the factors that led to them abandoning the invasion. Since then, the site of Ghorn became a refuge for criminals, religious deviants, and other nefarious individuals. It was only in the year 322 that The Purge took place and Rune’s authorities gathered together and cleansed the city, killing or capturing every single man, woman and child within it, and raising Ghorn to the ground for the second time. After this act, Ghorn’s third incarnation is that of a penal colony and mining town. Ghorn’s population is largely made up of prisoners, who work the huge nearby mining and quarry network know as The Maw.

Ghorn is covered in a permanent layer of stone-dust from the mines, giving the place a gloomy, dirty look. The surrounding landscape is as bleak and barren as the city itself with the only signs of life being the thousands of carts that return laden with ores from the mines. It is a wholly unhealthy place to be, and criminals within Rune largely prefer travelling north, to the cold barren wastes and lawless city of Hendakk, to facing a duration of time within The Maw.

Pen Daka

(Formed before the creation of Rune, approx -300).

Pen Daka was once a bustling merchant city that facilitated the trade between the humans and the dwarfs. Everything from wine, spices, shiny baubles and dwarvern stone was to be found in its markets, and the city was home to thousands of dwarfs and humans alike.

The city was eventually abandoned due to the dwarf homeland falling into ruin, those that lived there finding that without the trade there was nothing to keep the city afloat.

It is now a ruin where those running from the law can find some kind of refuge. However, the harsh climate, lack of shelter, and potential dangers from the nearby bog means only the most desperate make their way here.

Bastion

(Officially formed in the year 250.)

Bastion is a fortified mountain city-fort in the centre of the country. While its population is sparse compared to the major cities, its fortified and strategic location makes it a prized and respected settlement. In the days when Rune was a fortified country, it was a major centre for military training for the army. In the mountains surrounding the fortress recruits are put through rigorous training regimes, and on the plains nearby the cavalry are trained to ride long and hard. The keep is a mountain in itself, and is a fine example of Runish military engineering.

Viracur

This gigantic, imposing and inhospitable fortress is the mainstay of the defense against the undead threat that looms from the fallen kingdom of Orondor. Viracur is the largest fortress ever constructed by humans.

Once manned by the Runish military, it now is used more as a penal colony to those being punished for all manor of crimes. People are sent here to man the battlements, protecting the rest of Rune from any undead horrors that may shamble southwards.

This does on occasion happen, but such occurrences have been made up of random groups of the walking dead. Until now, even the unorganised garrison has been able to ensure the fortress’s purpose is upheld.

Hendakk

(Formed within the country of Orondor around the year 5 by those who fled from the gilth invasion. Now unofficially recognized as part of Rune purely due to its human inhabitants.)

Hendakk officially lays beyond Rune’s borders, which end at Viracur, and as such is really the last city within Orondor that’s occupied by humans. It is a sprawling, unclean and largely poor place. Few have any reason to go there, although it does hold attraction for some. Undead monsters and other freaks are captured from the wilds and brought into the fighting pits of Hendakk’s underbelly, pitted against each other or against gladiators who have ended up there via their own will or not. It is also a refuge for criminals and other scoundrels on the run from Rune’s authorities, as few in authority in Rune would wish to pursue anyone there. A lawless place, and forever under threat and attack by the undead that roam around, the city employs a “survival of the fittest” mentality. Many in Rune feel that it is only a matter of time before the place is destroyed by the undead or consumes itself in its own wickedness.

Hearthwine Ferry

A small settlement that thrives on trade flowing along the Ebon River, between Eishion and Pen Daka.

The Heartlands

This area is largely thought of as the heart of Rune, where the rivers feed the land, which feeds the people. A largely unofficial title, but one that’s recognised throughout the country.

The Blightlands

A region beyond the Pinefrenzy Woods, where the first Lich Abhorrian amassed his armies in the events of The Blight. The area is still  abandoned to this day, with the remains of the farms, villages and small towns still standing as a stark reminder to what occured here six centuries ago.

History

Rune was formed when the scattered tribes who dwelt there were faced with dual invasions of both gilth and ghreal forces. Faced with their own destruction, they united under the legendary figure of Braithia and his wife, Eishia. The alliance was later sealed with a parchment - which survives to this day - upon which each tribe made their mark, or rune, pledging themselves to the alliance and to their new king and queen who led them to victory.

Year -2900 to -6: Runic Pre-History

In the centuries that passed after The Sundering, the atian empire was shattered, the tar’tchii faded into obscurity, the demons of Khralos retreated to the south, and most of the dwarves retired into their mountain strongholds. The land that was to become known as Rune however, was sheltered from the effects of The Sundering by the mountain range of the Jagged Reeth, and thus life for the scattered tribes of humans who made their living in the dense woods which lay beyond carried on as normal.

The vast wooded valleys and temperate climate of the land that became Rune made an ideal habitat for humans. Relatively undisturbed, they were able to multiply and develop freely in this part of the world. Over the centuries they gradually evolved, moving from their caves and constructing wooden huts in small, sporadic groups, which over time grew and became villages and towns. The wooden huts were gradually replaced by stone houses, and some of the towns grew ever larger into cities. Larger settlements were built on places with natural defences or abundant resources, and even to this day the sites of many of these ancient places are where major Runic cities now stand.

People led simple lives. Most were farmers or fishermen. A crude written language was developed, initially used merely as marks and symbols to designate borders or differing towns. These marks were the beginnings of not only the modern-day Runic language, but also helped with the formation of the land of Rune itself. Militias were created to protect their homes from wild beasts within the woods. The land was made up of many small states, the borders of which were constantly disputed, and skirmishes between neighbouring clans were common. Militias became armies, and life gradually became harder as conflicts escalated into wars. Towns were attacked and raised, people were slain, and disease became rampant. The people of this war-torn land would have likely torn themselves asunder if it were not for the sudden outside invasion they then faced.

Year -6 to -3: The Gilth Swarm

They came from the north. The skittish, feverous hordes of the gilth swarmed forth from their cave-fortress of Nethicka at the behest of their leaders. Hordes of the deformed creatures crashed upon the northern shores and began a campaign of destruction, burning and destroying everything in their path. So intense was the devastation that, even centuries later, the land has still not recovered, and is known as Bleak Point.

The invasion of gilth drove people inland as they retreated before the ferocious, gibbering horde. Refugees were forced to mingle with people they had been largely isolated from, or previously been at war with, and in turn those settlements inland were made to deal with the influx of foreigners now pressed toward them.

The ferocity of the invasion made it so old hostilities had to be put aside for a chance at mutual survival. Delicate alliances between people who had once warred over lands now put to the torch were founded, and the man who instigated this more than any other was called Braitha Taramir.

It was never clearly learnt where Braitha originally came from. Some say that he was a common farmer who simply found the will to lead. Others believe that he was an avatar of the gods, sent in a time of great need to rally folk against the common foe. Whoever he was, he and his wife, Eishia, changed the course of history and set in motion events that would lead to the formation of the largest and most powerful realm in modern-day Iiosia. It is said that Braitha was as tall as a bear and twice as strong, and that Eisha was so beautiful you could see the stars sparkle in her eyes, though it is widely thought these claims are somewhat exaggerated. Nevertheless they were both imposing and charismatic figures, and were able to bring other scattered, leaderless groups into their fold.

Militias of nearby settlements formed into what became an army of stragglers who had lost or fled their homes. This army eventually arrived at the gates of a large walled town named Núin, which was set at the foot of tall mountains. It had high stone walls and a deep river flowing before it, and was as a defensible position as Brathia and his allies could have hoped for. It made the ideal place for Braitha and his followers to make their stand.

It was at Núin that the swarm was eventually halted. Funnelled southwards toward it by the Bleaktop Hills, the vast numbers of gilth fell upon the walls of the city. Despite their numbers and their climbing and swimming ability, the walls they faced held thanks to the steadfast resilience of the forces gathered by Braitha and Eisha.

The swarm lost their momentum. After suffering heavy losses at the walls of Núin, the invaders seemed to lose all taste for battle. Eventually, they filtered away. Many returned to their homeland, yet stragglers remained behind and fled into the caverns within which the humans had once made their homes.

The people rejoiced as a unified whole, having driven this mutual enemy from their lands; united under Braitha Taramir and Eisha.

Year -3 to 0: The Ghreal Invasion

Yet, it was not over. From beyond the southern seas, others had been watching; eyeing the humans’ vast resources and potential to supply thousands of slaves.

This new threat came from the south, across The Lost Ocean. They were the ghreal. Power hungry, war mongering monsters that had once had been atia, but had since been tainted by foul magic to become both much more and far less. The ghreal were disciplined, well armed, armoured and organized – entirely different to the mass of gilth that had swept over the northern half of the land.

They had waited and watched for decades; their spies lurking, hiding, and reporting on how the humans were developing. The ghreal had been waiting for an opportunity to strike when the humans were at their weakest, and had sent their ships as the gilth had attacked. They used the gilth as an opportunistic distraction to land their ships on the southern shores, and, not wanting to fight two foes at once, waited for a lull in the fighting before launching their assault.

The ghreal, though fewer in number, proved far more efficient in their task. Destroying dozens of settlements and taking thousands of slaves in the first few months of their campaign, those who fled northward before them spread tales of dread and despair.

The ghreal founded the mines of The Maw, and the city-port of Ghórn. Manned by the slaves captured in their relatively easy conquest of the southern lands, the mines cut deeply into the mountains of The Scar nearby, and fuelled the ghreal war machine with iron, coal, and lead.

As they advanced inland, the ghreal found naught but empty towns and villages as people had retreated without a fight, leaving behind everything they owned in an effort to escape. During the first few months of their campaign, they engulfed the cities to the south before sweeping northwards.

Braitha and Eishia were in the midst of re-building Núin when the news of the new invasion reached them. Quickly assessing that they stood little chance of defeating the ghreal in battle with the battered forces and defences left to them, they were forced to turn to others for aid.

They had heard of a large town to the east of Núin, which went by the name of Lakeheart. Those who had been there told of a prosperous city built on a highly defensible location upon an island between two large lakes. Many refugees had fled to Lakeheart, and the place was in upheaval. However, Braitha recognized that with the combined strengths of Núin and Lakeheart, they stood a chance against the ghreal forces. If they offered two targets to strike at, the enemy would weaken their forces by attacking both, or risk a counter-attack from one while they besieged the other.

Yet Braitha could not leave the city of Núin, for its defences were weakened and he was needed to organize the people within it. Thus, he had no choice but to send his beloved wife to Lakeheart with the task of uniting the people there and turning them into a force against the ghreal invaders.

Eisha arrived in Lakeheart to find a scene of utter disarray and confusion. The city was packed with refugees and severely overcrowded to the point where much of the surrounding areas had become an impromptu refugee camp. Active hostilities had begun to break out between the rulers and people of Lakeheart and those trying to find solace there.

Trying to speak reason to the irate people on both sides, Eisha attempted to calm them and convinced them of a different path; urging them to unite against the common foe. The leaders of Lakeheart, along with the representatives of differing peoples, bickered among themselves and many did not see why they should listen to Eishia; they had not been touched by the gilth attack and so had little respect for a leader from a foreign city who fought a foe they knew nothing of.

And as they argued, the ghreal approached.

Braitha did not sit idly by, waiting for the jaws of his enemy to close around him. As well as preparing his defences in Núin, he conscripted every able bodied man that he could into his army. He travelled among the refugees that filtered into Núin, giving great speeches which gave people hope, and gave them the will to fight and defend or re-take their lands. Those too weak or unable to fight were sent beyond the city to find some refuge in the mountains which would come to be known as The Edge. Those who stayed behind agreed to fight, knowing that if they did not all of the land would be conquered, and everything they knew and loved would be lost.

The ghreal cut a path straight to the centre of the human lands. The city of Núin, with its strong, tall stone walls, and Lakeheart, which lay defended between two vast lakes, were the goal now. If those cities were to fall, then humankind would be lost.

The ghreal knew that if they killed Braitha and the bulk of the humans there, the rest of the country would be theirs to conquer and rule. So they set their sights on Núin, and left a small vanguard to watch over the squabbling in Lakeheart intending to return there once their work at Núin was completed.

By the time the ghreal army, made up of six thousand ghreal warriors and another two thousand husk slaves, arrived at Núin, they found a stalwart defence awaiting them. Braitha’s forces had less than half of the numbers as the invaders, although they did have their high stone walls as well as rows of ditches, pits and moats which had been prepared as the host approached.

Nevertheless, the ghreal war force was as efficient as it was ruthless, and their siege engines began to tear the city’s defences apart. Hordes of mindless husks were sent to their doom before the ghreal themselves even approached the battle, in an effort to waste the defenders' resources and weaken their resolve.

It worked. Those inside the city, faced against the might of an enemy that made the gilth look like a swarm of angry bees in comparison, began to lose heart. Talk began to spread of a retreat from the city; a move to some other place of protection and solace, where they might build their strength anew. Even some on Braitha’s own council advised such action, but he himself knew that it was folly.

He realized that if they did not halt the ghreal at Núin, then no other defense would be so consolidated as it was there, and the ghreal would inevitably break down all other resistance it faced. He had to have faith that his beloved wife would unite those gathered at Lakeheart and bring their forces against the rear of the ghreal army.

It is said that, as the ghreal approached in what they intended to be a final, crushing offensive, Braitha gave a great speech to his people standing atop the battlements and rallied them against their foes. After that, the city held and the defenders' strength was resolved.

The attacks took a terrible toll on the city, though. It was reduced it to piles of rubble, unrecognisable from the buildings and streets that had stood there. With Braitha at their fore, the defenders within stalwartly refused to leave the battered remains of their defences, even when it seemed that they were doomed and stood alone and abandoned.

Thankfully, that was not the case. Eisha’s impassioned pleas to the leaders gathered at Lakeheart eventually paid off and, as they saw sense, they combined what remained of their armies and marched upon the ghreal.

The combined forces of those gathered at Lakeheart attacked the ghreal host in the flank, momentarily halting attacks on the city. The ghreal, however, were not to be broken by such an event. They were ready for the assault on their lines and met it with as much determination as that of the defenders of Núin.

If the humans held any hope that the attack would break their invader’s army, then it soon died out as the ghreal staunchly refused to be pushed away from the city. Even as they fought now on two fronts, the ghreal pressed their human foes, and the scene was set for a very lengthy and costly battle.

It was not long after this event, some three weeks into the siege on the city, that the ghreal encountered another, even more pressing concern. Supplies arriving from Ghorn had slowly subsided, until they finally stopped altogether. Scouts sent back along the supply lines finally reported that Ghorn seemed to have been completely destroyed.

They reported that the entire city was a burnt out husk; destroyed by some wild fire that had not only gutted the city but also wrecked over half of the sailing ships that comprised their armada. With barely any survivors to speak of, those that were found reported an attack by a monstrous winged beast that had broken free of the mountains of The Maw, and had set upon the surrounding lands with a ferocity that put even the ghreal to shame before flying away and not being seen again.

The ghreal were not a race to exaggerate, and so such reports were taken extremely seriously. With their supply lines broken, and their armada in ruins, the army had no choice but to abandon the siege of the now ruined city in the hope of salvaging a way home.

They swiftly withdrew from the city of Núin and retreated from the battles against the humans from Lakeheart. The humans let them leave and did not follow them. After the months of brutal warfare, thousands of deaths and the ruin of so many homes, all taste of war and conflict was lost.

Year 0 to 5: The foundation of Rune

Afterwards, Braitha Taramir became king, and Eisha his queen. There was no ceremony; those about him just listened to what he had to say since he was a natural commander. Even the leaders of Lakeheart acknowledged his authority, bowing their leads and pledging allegiance. The people became unified under him, and in the years that followed began to set up a government, and founded the land of Rune.

Braitha was not naïve enough to think he could rule such a large area unaided (indeed, it has been suggested that he didn’t even want to). Braitha gathered all of the nobles and leaders from around the country and had them sign an oath, not to him, but to the consolidation and singularity of one country, to share and support one another, and to come to each other’s aid when it was called upon. These leaders would be henceforth known as Barons and they would oversee an area of land known as a Holding which comprised a major city and its surrounding lands.

This treaty was signed with the runes of each man’s town of birth, and thus, the kingdom of Rune was born. It was known as the Treaty of Runes, and to this day resides within the royal palace.

Because of its natural place as a centre of trade, Lakeheart became the capital. It sat in the centre of Rune at the joining of major rovers and roads, and it was where Braitha and Eisha retired to while Núin was being rebuilt.

In the years that followed Rune grew prosperous, and recovered from the wars that had raged over it. Farmland was recovered and sewn, the gods were worshiped, people mixed and bartered, and all were united under Braitha and his queen, Eishia. Over the coming decades several towns were built to solidify Rune as a country.

When Braitha died of old age, some thirty years later, the city of Núin was re-named Braithor in his honour. Eisha followed him into the afterlife only months after, many say dying of a broken heart after losing him, and the same honour was bestowed upon her for, had she not forged the alliance at Lakeheart, the war against the ghreal would not have been won. Thus, Lakeheart became Eishion, and has been known as such ever since.

Year 37-38: The Blight

Braitha and Eshia parented two children, Aradan and Laitha. Aradan was the elder, and when his parents passed away, he became the second king of Rune. A strong and noble man like his father, Aradan was also a fearless fighter, and insisted in leading excursions to hunt down bandit groups and eradicate caves full of straggling groups of gilth. While well protected and equipped while doing so, it was still an unnecessary risk for a king to take, and it is surmised that, in his own mind, Aradan struggled to live up to the name of his father.

His sister, Laitha, was as devoted to her worship of the gods as Aradan was to the art of swordsmanship. She was instrumental in spreading the word of the gods that are still worshipped in modern-day Rune, while at the same time attempting to stamp out worship of the heathen gods of old who had been revered by the more primitive and decadent tribes which had existed before, and in some cases after, the founding of Rune.

It was not long into the rule of Aradan that the prowess of both brother and sister would be called into question, as the second king met with the first and greatest challenge of his reign.

The legacy of the ghreal invasion persevered within Rune as, underground, one of the ghreal stragglers had begun to conduct strange and bizarre magics.

Abhorrian was his name. During his time with the ghreal he had been a wizard of considerable power, but as the invasion force retreated he and a number of his fellows had been ambushed by a group of vigilante human soldiers who were out to kill as many ghreal as they could in an act of vengeance. All but Abhorrian were slain in that encounter, and he feld until finally finding a place of respite; a cave within the Pinefrenzy Forest, where he dwelt undiscovered for many years.

Abhorrian honed is powers in dark magics; he worked with necromancy, with raising the dead, and studied how to lengthen his own foul existence.

Abhorrian became the first ever lich – a mage who successfully cheated death by consuming the souls of other life forms.  He spent decades perfecting the art, praying on nearby farms and villages. People disappeared; sacrificial pawns in his game against death, and eventually the people deserted the area entirely. Even to this day the region where Abhorrian perfected his black magics are shunned and abandoned, and it is known simply as Darkland.

This desertion did not come before Abhorrian had achieved lich-dom however, nor did it do anything to hinder his research. Indeed, it helped him, for it enabled him to resurrect those who lay within the graveyards of the abandoned settlements. Restless soon amassed into an army which Abhorrian finally led into battle against neighbouring villages and small towns in the winter of the year 37.

The winter of year 37 was especially harsh, with freezing winds and heavy snowfall impeding the humans and forcing them to retreat into their high-walled cities. The cold had no effect on the undead, who revelled in the long nights and unguarded countryside, digging up graveyards and destroying small settlements, further swelling their ranks. While the humans hid from the cold, the undead grew stronger.

In the spring of the 38th year, Aradan and Laitha gathered the army and marched upon the undead host. They reached the edge of Blightland Bog with the intention to do battle, only to find that when they arrived there was little sign of their foul enemy. It was only as night began to fall and darkness grew that the dead rose out from within the swamp where they had been hiding and launched their assault.

The battle raged all night. The army of Rune slightly outnumbered the walking dead, though their troops tired and the darkness hindered their ability to fight and manoeuvre. The undead were not troubled so, and pressed the human forces throughout the night.

Abhorrian’s army might well have won if it were not for the army of Rune’s tenacity. Under the leadership of king Aradan, the humans lasted out until dawn, at which time Laitha called upon the goddess of the sun, Auraura, to aid them in battle.

Whether it was the goddess’s blessing, or if it was just the presence of the sun itself, the dawn brought a turn of fortune for the living, and they managed to rally and push the undead back into the swamp and destroy them. Abhorrian's body, though, was never found.

In the aftermath, Aradan and Laitha were hailed as heroes and, as their parents before them, they had cities named after them; Arador and Laithior, which grew up shortly after these events as trade was established with the east of the country.

Year 644-654: The Construction of Viracur

In the year 643, word began to filter south of a disaster striking at the heart of the neighbouring kingdom of Orondor. At first many of the people of Rune rejoiced, for the conflicts that had arisen between the two countries had driven a deep wedge between them, and many saw it as a sign of divine retribution from their gods upon the hedonistic peoples of Orondor.

But what befell Orondor was far worse and more threatening than that. A young, foolish mage had mistakenly summoned forth from the demonic realm of Inferis one of the six foul Chkarth; the same greater demons that had almost destroyed the world during the events of the Great War, and had ended the pre-historic era of the Age of Wonder.

In the months since its summoning, the cha'karth not only set forth on a path of destruction that led to irreparable damage being done to Orondor, but also brought about a sickness that permeated the land itself, bringing about sickness and death. It caused the very dead to rise from their graves, as the cha'karth created a vast army of undead with which to conquer the world of the living. The cha'karth was slain within Orondor before it could turn its attentions south to Rune, yet the terrible legacy it left behind was far worse than what had previously lain across Rune’s northern border. Whereas before there had been living, breathing men, the cha'karth had turned Orondor into The Land of the Dead. Shambling corpses now roamed in droves, mindlessly killing any and all living things they came across.

A vigil had long been held across Rune’s northern border. Many forts and small castles had been built by both kingdoms during the conflicts and tensions that had endured between them, many of which were abandoned or ruined through warfare. There had been one such fortress at the small coastal village of Viracur for almost a century previous, and over the years it had been adapted and extended into a giant castle that dominated the surrounding countryside.

Viracur was the only castle large enough and positioned far north enough to act as a staging post for the defence against the hordes of the undead. Viracur was expanded over the next decade to become one of the greatest man-made structures on the face of Iiosia.

It stands atop a giant cliff face, with the rough seas crashing on the rocks below. The castle is huge and imposing, and garrisons close to a thousand men who patrol and watch for packs of the undead that wander southwards. Viracur is said to be one of the bleakest and most inhospitable places in the world. This reputation is gained not least because certain crimes committed within Rune result in perpetrators being sent here and forced to maintain the fortress or fight the undead. It has gained a level of infamy throughout the world that has led its name being synonymous with cold and dread.

“As chill as the walls of Viracur” is a common expression used within Runic speech.

Year 666–686: The End of the Bloodline

In the year 666, the Royal Bloodline of Rune came to an end. The Vampyre Saskia successfully infiltrated the royal family and, for a time, made the then-queen Tarsis do her bidding. This only lasted a short while before Saskia was ousted by one of her own kind, and the vampire influence eradicated from the government.

While Saskia’s aim of a vampire-dominated society had been thwarted, her schemes did have a devastating effect on the land’s government. For the past six and a half centuries, Rune had been ruled over by a king or queen who had the final say in all matters, and this had proved the lynchpin in keeping order amongst the barons.

With no one able to mediate disputes, the Barons slowly fractured away from one another, with mistrust and resentment building over the year. As the year 686 dawns, the land of rune is on the brink of falling into the tribal disputes that ravaged it so many years ago, before Brathia and Eshia arose to untie the warring factions and prevent civil war from ravaging the lands.

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