Zanesterios

Zanesterios - The Dwarven lands
Zanesterios refers to to the northern section of the peninsula south of Alaezia. It consists of the remnants of the great dwarven empire that settled in the lands in 1762 BF. It has since been occupied by Alaezia, and it now a shadow of its former glory, with abandoned cities and unworkable and mysterious technology.

History of the Zanesterian Empire
(1) 1762 BF: First recorded appearance of dwarf existence in Zanesterios, origin of the appearance unknown

(2) 1711 BF: Mountain fortress of "Prince's Eye" is constructed by a mixture of dwarf craftsmen, elven slaves and domesticated trolls. At this time, the self Styled Emporer Zanster Wyrmsbane declares the surrounding country Zanesterios

(3) 1666 BF: Recognised borders of Zanesterios expand to the impassible mountain ranges to the south and the current lands of Arbelo

(4) 1643 BF: Cities of Dagger's Point in Arbelo and Udogold on the eastern coast are built and occupied.

(5) 1600 BF: Udogold consistently under raid by goblins from The Island Dominions. City nearly abandoned

(6) 1595 BF: Zanster orders the magical obliteration of Udogold to prevent it becoming a goblin stronghold. Remaining Dwarves left in the city are not warned. City is reduced to a crater, thousands of dwarves and goblins alike are killed

(7) 1590 BF: A coup is attempted against Zanster after the events of the Udogold massacre, the perptrators are burnt alive

(8) 1573 BF: Zanster retreats from public appearance, his son Hormamros Battlebeard is emporer in all but name

(9) 1520 BF: Zanster Wyrmsbane dies of old age, Hormaros is crowned. Zanster is buried in a tomb deep below Prince's Eye. His coffin is made out of solid gold and diamonds

(10) 1504 BF: Efforts are made to resettle near the site of old Udogold city.

(11) 1501 BF: The city/fortress of Zane is built to the north of the lake that was once Udogold city. Special efforts are made to ensure the safety of the fortress from sea attacks

(12) 1447 BF: The brother of the emporer Hormaros, Udohorn is imprisoned on suspicion of high treason, along with his two sisters Ravantha and Zinolove

(13) 1445 BF: 2 months before his execution, Udohorn's prision is destroyed, allowing he, his sisters and 1567 prisoners. In the escape Hormaros's only son is killed. Search parties are sent out but do not return

(14) 1433 BF: Udohorn and his fellow escaped prisoners sucessfully travel over the southern mountains, settling in the land to the south of them

(15) 1430 BF: Udohorn declares the lands to the south of the mountains as "Udoistia"

(16) 1421 BF: The castle of Blackhold is set into a lone mountain in the middle of Udoistia

(17) 1400 BF: Hormamros orders construction of a great warmachine workshop deep underground, mages and craftsman alike are brought to design an automoton army

(18) 1386 BF: Hormamros dies, his death staged by his daughter Cornys Lorearthen, who is subsequently crowned empress. He is buried in his fathers tomb, in a coffin made of adamantium and rubies

(19) 1350 BF: Cornys begins levying and training an army of peasants, marching them towards the southern stronghold of Velmen

(20) 1347 BF: War Machines are rolled out from the great workshop, metal men with gemstone eyes, powerd by a mixture of magic and machinery.

(21) 1345 BF: Work is finished on "The Velmennac", a monstrous metal man, several hundred feet high, with a myriad of complex intertwining magic, gears, pipes, engine rooms, motors and machinery

(22) 1344 BF: The Velmennac is positioned in front of the southern mountain range, it forcibly carves a flat path through the mountains, connecting Zanesterios and Udoistia by a valley passage

(22) Late 1344 BF: Northern farming villages in Udoistia are burned. The earth is salted

(23) 1343 BF: The Zanesterian army arrives at Blackhold, Cornys issues an ultimatum to the inhabitants of the city: All those who escaped the prison along with Udohorn must exit the city and submit themselves for execution. Their children will be allowed to survive and remain living as they were. Non-compliance would result in the entire city and country being obliterated. They are given 1 year to decide

(24) 1422 BF: The 1567 Escaped prisioners file out of the city, some in chains, forced out kicking and screaming by their children. Udohorn and his Sisters bring up the rear. The Velmennac burns all but Udohorn and his sisters alive. Udohorn and his sisters are carried to the sea, and drowned so that their spirits may never enter into the dwarven heaven

(25) 1421 BF: Udoistia is officially reclaimed as part of the Zanesterian empire

(26) 1420 BF: The automoton army is lead back into the depths of the great workshop

(27) 1356 BF: Cornys dies a natural death, she is buried in her grandfathers tomb, in a coffin made of obsidian and saphires. Her son Quofire Goldbludgeon is crowned emporer

(28) 1300 BF: A sucession crisis arises between Quofire and his twin brother Xanven Battlefate. Quofire, a weak, small man obsessed with alchemy and books is overthrown by his boystrous younger warrior twin Xanven. Quofire is allowed to remain in the realm, taking over the role of chief engineer in the Great workshop

(29) 1200 BF: A century of peace and prosperity is celebrated, the destroyed land in Udoistia is reclaimed. Cities of Coryninthian and Hormarillos are constructed deep in the southern mountains

(30) 1154 BF: The Gold Scourge arises in Corynthian, bodies turned yellow as gold are thrown into pits and burned.

(31) 1149 BF: The Gold Scourge arrives in Blackhold, Hormarillos and most of the southern farming villages. The death count is over 25,000

(32) 1148 BF: The great workshop is sealed to prevent the plague spreading. the population of Corynthian has been eradicated. The plague arrives in Prince's Eye, Zane and Dagger's point. The Death toll is over 80,000

(33) 1147 BF: The royal family in Prince's Eye is wiped out by the plague. The only remaining members of the royal dynasty are Quofire, who is childless and wifeless. An attempt is made to coronate him, but the great workshop refuses to unseal its doors

(34) 1145 BF: After over 200,000 deaths, the plague begins to die out. The dwarven population has been halved, cities have been abandoned and the royal family all but destroyed

(35) 1140 BF: Quofire manages to create a cure to the plague, 2 years after the last death. The doors of the great workshop open and Quofire is crowned again

(35) 1066 BF: Quofire dies. He died childless. He is buried in the depths of the great workshop, in a coffin of steel and bronze. The great dynasty of Zanster Wymsbane has died out. The dwarven cities seperate from united rule and act as individual city states

The Current Day

In the current day, Zanesterios is home to a collection of The Dwarven City States, often squabbling trade hubs which occupy old cities of the empire - Zane, Blackhold and Dagger's Point. The old capital of Prince's Eye has been lost to time, its great doors locked shut, the entrance hidden high up the mountain. The Great Workshop is sealed, the ancient dwarven war machines rusting inside