When the Olympians moved east they gave the Cimmerians additional magic power. These powers provided great entertainment for the Olympians, but were not without their costs. The Greek gods occasionally came into contact with other pantheons, most notably the Persian and Goblin pantheons. The additional power of mortals in Cimmeria attracted the attention of another semi-divine entity, the Lich-queen of the Githyanki.

The Githyanki come from a place between dimensions known as the Astral Plane. They wield strange magic and are led by an immortal despot, the Lich-queen. While immortal, her power still pales before a true god’s. She constantly hungers for more power. Any Githyanki who rise above a certain level are summoned to the Lich-queen’s court to be consumed by their monarch. She absorbs their power into herself, becoming stronger by inches as she comes closer and closer to godhood.

The Lich-queen observed the growing power of the mortals in Cimmeria and sent a squadron of Githyanki soldiers to investigate. They attacked the small town of Shalerton, kidnapping several residents to torture and interrogate for information about the new dimension they had invaded.

Previous: Kingdoms Sprouting Up Part 3

Dalleer
Shaelin left Dalleer in the hands of his trusted friend, Bjorn, when he left to reclaim Fangaroot. Bjorn guided the city through the Dragon War and through the Dwarven Civil War. They emerged as a city-state that nominally owed their fealty to King Yentbern in Jord.
Bjorn ruled through a golden age for Dalleer as the metropolis grew and welcomed people of all races. Eventually Bjorn died as one of the most loved rulers in all Cimmeria. The lordship did not pass to his son. Instead , Bjorn willed his position to a wise human friend of his, Ballath. Ballath took the position gladly. Outraged, Bjorn’s living family moved to Jord. Many Dwarves followed suit, not wishing to live under the rulership of a human. Ballath wished to keep a hold on the city’s past, so he took the name of Bjorn as a title in a failed attempt to keep the peace. He lead the city well, but it was not what it once was. Continue reading →

Previous: Kingdoms Sprouting Up Part 2

Jeutontic
Jeutontic served as a trading post between the Elves of Whitewood Forest and the rest of the world for over a century after the Forest’s settlement. This relationship suffered during the Age of Monsters when the Elves escaped into the Underdark to avoid the dragons. Trade disappeared for a time and Jeutontic shrunk to a few households determined to stay in their generational homes.
During the Dragon War the Dark Elves were as much adversaries for their former trading partners as for the dragons. They raided settlements across Western Cimmeria for supplies and trade goods. The war consumed the attention of the surface dwellers and the Dark Elves pillaged without fear of reprisal.
At the end of the Dragon War a descendant of Sadroston came to Western Cimmeria with a goal of ending the raids. His name was Condrofalspeth and he was a Half-Elf mage. Condrofalspeth gathered the dispersed people of Western Cimmeria together so they could better defend themselves against Croshan’s warriors. These settlers rebuilt the town of Jeutontic into a splendid city-state on the edge of Gaia’s Navel. Continue reading →

Previous: Kingdoms Sprouting Up Part 1

Jipangu
While the races of the defunct Conclave were distracted by the Dragon War, the Hobgoblins of Eastern Cimmeria were preparing for war. In 876BCE the leader of the Hobgoblins, Kruk-Sho-Kar, invaded, laying waste to all of the small settlements around the Aral Sea.
Toffoun had been trying to stop the Dwarven Civil War. He realized that his efforts were getting him nothing and that his talents could be better used defending his old home in Eastern Cimmeria. Toffoun went with his old friends, Amalgami and Jovy, to stop the Hobgoblins. Together they organized the Eastern Cimmerians into an army. Continue reading →

The end of the Dragon War is a climax for the history of Cimmeria. I knew pretty well what built up to it. I knew the relative timing for events that happened during the war. The activities of the heroes after the war is largely dictated by the natural length of their lifespans depending on their race. It’s the transition to the next stage of Cimmerian history that I never figured out. Most of the harsh challenges of settling in the new land are resolved, so now the people just… settle. I don’t have any large conflicts for another 200 years after the Dragon War.

My next step is to set the stage for the next conflict and mix in a few smaller problems that the successors of the Dragon War Heroes will have to deal with.

Smaller Settlements
After the Conclave dissolved, the Humans, Dwarves, Elves, Halflings, and Orcs of Cimmeria spread out. They settled in small communities across the land. These communities would eventually develop into the various tribes, cities, and towns that are spotted across the landscape.

Nox
Most of Sadroston’s descendants died defending Nox when the dragons attack. The remaining few signed their lives away to the White Dragon pair, Shivara and Tikanile. The White Dragons disliked ruling personally in the relatively warm city. They coronated one of Sadroston’s weakest children, Tachydorn, as King of Nox. The stronger of Sadroston’s remaining descendants were taken back to the White Dragons’ lair at Doom Peak. Continue reading →