Introduction
Ages of the Empyrean Yalain
The Seaborne Empire of Yalain, Asheron's culture, measured history as a series of “Eipothi” (epochs or ages). The sovereign of Yalain declared the end of each age and the name of the next. Ages were concluded to mark a major historical event.
The year Isparians were delivered from bondage to the Olthoi was, by Yalaini reckoning, ME 579. In the common calendar, this is called Portal Year (P. Y.) 0. In the Roulean calendar still used on Ispar, the year was 1276.
It is important to note that unlike the Isparian calendar, the Empyrean Eipothi never have a year zero. This is thought to reflect a cultural abhorrence of the concept of emptiness or vacuum, perhaps due to their war with the Shadows.
Arelis Eipoth – “Golden Age”
Lasted approximately 20,000 years.
Scholars are not certain what event marked the beginning of this historical epoch, or why it is called “Golden.” It is believed that the Empyrean, when formalizing their calendar in the reign of Alaidain, calculated backwards to an event known in their legends. Isparian Roulea marks the beginning of its calendar with the founding of the capital by offspring of the gods, so this thesis is not without precedent.
Very little is known of this era. Most of the extant records are from the tribal society of the Falatacot, but reached us through the cultural filter of the later Kingdom of Dericost. As such, these texts are incomplete and suspect.
Dericoi Eipoth – “Age of Dericost”
Lasted approximately 6000 years.
This age seems to begin with the ascent of the Dericost Kingdom, which reached the height of its power at around DE 5000. At that time, it attacked its neighbors Haebrous and Yalain, igniting the Millennium War.
The Falatacot quietly bowed out from the stage of history during this era. There is evidence that their society was seriously weakened by a minor ice age, and many sought sanctuary in Dericost. They would seem to have been assimilated into the dominant culture there.
Vacari Eipoth – “Age of Contentment”
Lasted 6102 years.
This age began with the defeat and occupation of Dericost by the victorious Yalain, and was declared by the Empress Alaidain. We can hope that the majority of this period did indeed fit the hopeful name the Empress gave it. Towards the conclusion of this era, however, the Black Rains began, and a man named Ilservian Palacost was exiled to the wastelands to meet his destiny.
During this period the Kingdom of Haebrous seems to have been amalgamated into the Seaborne Empire.
Rhethis Eipoth – “First Age of Lore”
Lasted 895 years.
Emperor Caerlin I declared this era, apparently to mark the end of the Black Rains. This is the first Eipoth we are able to reconstruct in detail.
Asheron was born in RE 336. Lord Atlan, Asheron's father, died at the hands of Ilservian (by then called Bael'Zharon) in RE 371. Caerlin's “Council of Five” was convened in RE 686. The Shadow War lasted until the end of this age.
We assume that this Eipoth's name was altered when the Second Age of Lore was declared, and was originally Ethis Eipoth, or “Age of Lore.”
Torethis Eipoth – “Second Age of Lore”
Lasted 761 years.
Emperor Caerlin I declared this era shortly after the entrapment of Bael'Zharon. He himself died in TE 4. This Era marked the renaissance of the Seaborne Empire, during which they rebuilt after the devastation of the Shadow War.
Hyrethis Eipoth – “Third Age of Lore”
Lasted 647 years.
Empress Cellaurai concluded the Torethis Eipoth upon the development of practical portal travel by Asheron. The Yalain explored the final wildernesses of their world, and beyond. Since we now know that portals to Dereth only appear where the Empyrean once walked, it is clear that they traveled Ispar during this period, as well as the Lugian world Tuu, and the world of the Tumerok, Drudges, Banderlings, and Mosswarts, called Ezheret-Hazahtu by the Tumerok.
But to all things there comes an end. Having no more enemies, the Yalain fell into bickering and fundamentalism. The age ended with reports of zealots attacking “heretics,” and a tacit alliance between the throne of the Empire and the Nali (spiritual leader) of the Northern Church.
It was perhaps due to this disunity that, when the Olthoi arrived in HE 459, the Empire proved utterly unable to resist them. By HE 570, the insects had thrown the Yalain back to Dereth. In HE 647 a single queen reached the island and began to breed rapidly, in what is now called the Black Death Catacombs. Asheron and his surviving adepts cast the Sundering spell, which sent the last of the Empyrean, including both Emperor and Nali… somewhere.
Moriqui Eipoth – “Age of Shifting”
Has thus far lasted 591 years.
This Eipoth is different from the others, in that it is “unofficial.” Obviously, there has been no monarch to declare the era; the mage Asheron, last of his race, decreed it. Although he has been reticent to discuss the details with our scholars, High Queen Strathelar has indicated that the name refers to the magical “cluttering” of portalspace. It is because of this cluttering that Asheron has been unable to find a path back to Ispar for us.
Humans began arriving in Dereth in ME 564 (Isparian year 1261), but they were hardly the first; both the Lugians and Tumeroks had established themselves previously. As well, vague comments made by Asheron have led the intelligentsia to conclude that the Virindi arrived before any of the other races. They fought with the Empyrean mage over something, and lost.
The One Queen of Dereth was slain by Thorsten Cragstone and Elysa Strathelar in 579. Borelean Strathelar, Prince of New Aluvia, was born the following year.
The opening of paths to Marae Lassel has occurred near the conclusion of Portal Year 12 (Isparian year 1284).