A Brief History of Mythosa

Mythosa has a long and rich history, spanning countless years. A detailed discussion of the various ages is beyond the scope of this work, but the summary that follows should be sufficient to give one an overview of the tumultuous past of this world. When years are listed they are in “Ambian Reckoning” (AR), as the Ambian calendar is the most common calendar in use.

Age of the Gods
The history of the world before it existed is difficult to record, for obvious reasons. Most of this age is described in mythology, and thus varies from culture to culture. The events listed below tend to be common among most mythologies. Due to the nature of these events, they are in no particular chronological order with the exception of the first and last, though an attempt has been made to order them in a logical fashion.

Age of the Elder Races
Thousands of years before humanity walked the earth Mythosa was ruled by the Elder Races. The Elder Races included the Root Races, people descended from them, and other races whose origins are unknown. The Age of the Elder Races was a time of reptilian empires, divine meddling, and ancient mysteries. Listed below are some of the better known events from this age, though they certainly are not the only significant things to happen. The order of the events given is believed to be accurate, but any measure of time is a guess at best. It is estimated that this age lasted about 5,000 years.

Dawn of Humanity
The First Age of Man began roughly 6,700 years ago, shortly after humanity’s creation. The Elder Races were still dominant at the start of the First Age, but their role would diminish over time as mankind expanded and matured. As with earlier ages, the timeframe here is not accurate and years given are estimates. The First Age of Man is believed to have lasted about 4,000 years.

Age of the Sorcerer-Kings
The Second Age of Man began roughly 2,700 years ago after the Magicians of Aan abandoned the city. It was marked by ancient empires ruled by human sorcerers. Humanity came into its own during this time (though under the autocratic rule of the Magicians). This Age lasted about 1,800 years.

The Imperial Era
When the ancient empires collapsed they left power vacuums in their wake, but as nature abhors a vacuum, over time other kingdoms came and went, seeking to attain the pinnacles established by Satar, Khemsa, and the rest. The Third Age of Man was marked by a new set of powers that dominated Ryh’ardha, culminating in the Marasinian Empire, which sought not to simply match the power of the sorcerer-kings but to surpass it. The Third Age was marked by a rediscovery of lost magic as well as progress in mundane arts, including the transition from tools and weapons made of bronze to ones crafted from iron. The Third Age lasted about 500 years.

Age of Renaissance
Humanity’s recovery after the destruction of the Aetheric Collector ushered in the Fourth Age of Man. Despite how far man had fallen, during this age humanity experienced a rebirth. Kingdoms and citystates quickly established themselves from the ruins of the past, trade flourished, and the fields of magic, art, and craftsmanship advanced to levels not seen since the Second Age. Unfortunately, the Fourth Age was also the shortest of the Ages of Man. Much like a candle that flares intensely and then burns out, the triumphs of humanity were tempered and almost wrought to nil. The Fourth Age lasted for about 150 years.

The Present
The combination of the Demongate Wars and the Aaduan Devastation marked 672 AR as the end of the Fourth Age. Currently, the world is 25 years into the Fifth Age, which has no title since it has yet to finish. Humanity has shown its resilience again, but whether it will be enough to survive this time remains to be seen.