A BRIEF HISTORY

The Archaic Age

Unlike the lands that became the Empire and Bretonnia, the southern Old World was relatively untouched by Dwarf and Elf. The first Human migration from the south occurred hundreds of years after the Elder Race prevailed against the invaders that surged into the world when the Chaos gates collapsed. These semi-nomadic tribes settled along the river valleys and seacoast of Estalia, Tilea, and the southwestern Border Princes.

The Elves were the first to “discover” these Humans along their trading routes to Barak Varr and the southern Dwarfholds of Karaz Ankor. The Elves established trading colonies along this route in order to take advantage of the trading possibilities. Trade between the Elves and Humans didn’t amount to much as neither side had much of interest to trade. Still, the Humans learned much from the interaction and it wasn’t long before the first Human civilizations appeared in the Old World.

Scholars are unsure as to which civilization arose first, primarily because there is precious little evidence for them to gather other than folktales handed down through the ages. Perhaps the Elves know, but most likely they don’t consider the knowledge as terribly important.

The legendary city of Tylos was founded at the northern end of the wha is now known as the Tilean Sea near the junction of the Abasko and Irrana Mountains. Shortly thereafter, the War of Vengeance between the Elves and Dwarfs erupted across the lands north of the Irranas. Shortly after, Dwarf naval ships -- constructed by methods ironically taught by Elven shipwrights -- secured the southern flank of Karak Ankor by patrolling the Black Gulf and eastern Southern Sea. Many Elves in the southern Old World tried to make do as the navies of Ulthuan were withdrawn from the Southern Sea to provide transport of soldiers and supplies to the colonies in the north. A southern offensive, launched by the Dwarfs from nearby Dwarfholds, finally drove the Elves from this region.

Despite the lack of extensive trade with the Elves, Tylos developed quickly and expanded its influence across northern and central Tilea, even to the point of receiving tribute in the form of slaves from the neighbouring tribes. It developed trading relationships with the city-state of Estacrez, which was founded on the southwestern foot of the Abaskos, as well as the developing kingdoms of ancient Araby. The promise of Tylos was cut drastically short by a catastrophic occurrence where the heavens rained destruction on the city. Seemingly overnight, the devastated land became foetid swamps and ill-fated Tylos disappears from history.

Founded around the same time of Tylos, Estacrez spread its influence across southern Estalia. Its position allowed the city to continue some limited trade with the Elves throughout the war between Ulthuan and Karaz Ankor. With the fall of its trading neighbour, Estacrez increased their trade with the Arabians. Unfortunately, the rise of Nagash in those arid lands took its toll on that trade as did the defeat and withdrawal of the Elves from the Old World. Massive earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in the Words Edge Mountains caused a reaction of earthquakes across the other mountain ranges including the Abaskos. One particularly strong quake, following a series of powerful torrential storms, caused an immense mudslide, which buried the first great city of Estalia and its population. The few who miraculously survived journeyed far from this cursed land.

Though Tylos vanish from history and into the Blighted Marsh, a colony of its people made their own mark on Archaic Tilea. These survivors lived among the High Elves in the colony situated where modern-day Remas would be built. As the Dwarf-Elf war spilt into Tilea, all of the Elven settlements were besieged. Dwarf pressure forced the Elves to abandon their one colony to the Humans so they could concentrate on holding the other ones in the region. The withdrawal of the Elves from ancient Remas allowed the Dwarfs to do the same, leaving the Humans there to build their civilisation. As the successors to Tylos, the ancient Remeans referred to their realm the Eternal Empire. In actuality, the Eternal Empire never reached the vitality of Tylos nor was it eternal. Its reach outside the vicinity of central Tilea was very limited, though it effectively remained in power for nearly a thousand years. Its major trading partner was the ancient Arabian kingdom of Nehekhara, but turmoil in that land eventually spelt the end of the Eternal Empire as well. From the archaeological records, it seems that the ancient Remeans embraced Solkan as either their war god or prime deity in the latter part of their history. Speculation among scholars is that this embrace of a deity with extreme views might be related to the fall of Nehekhara.

In its decline, a war against an unknown enemy ensued. The details are still clouded in myth and speculation, but it was believed that the Eternal Empire came to a disastrous end with ancient Remas burning to the ground. With its dominant city destroyed, the legacy of Tylos came to an end when a massive earthquake devastated the region.

The Classical Period There is a debate about when the classical era began in the southern Old World. Many Imperial scholars claim that such did not begin until Sigmar was crowned Emperor. To support their argument, these historians have found records which place the founding of the great Tilean cities to the first year of Sigmar’s reign. This dating of events also allows them to claim that Altdorf is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the Old World. Historians who are not subject to the Sigmarite dogma have authenticated evidence which places the rise of the classical cities of the southern Old World to a much earlier period.

The first of these cities were founded in the area surrounding the Lagoon of Tears in the Border Princes. The people there, collective known as Darians, began trading with Barak Varr and gained much from their dealings with the Dwarfs. Incessant raids by the indigenous greenskins and their kin from the Badlands pushed the Darians into a political alliance to ensure some measure of safety and defence. From this need rose the powerful Daric League.

Led by the martial traditions of Solania and the economic power of Myrmidens, the Daric League had the muscle to push the greenskins out of the western lands and maintain security for centuries. In time, however, the great rivalry between the two great Daric city-states led to the war among themselves and the weakening of the league. To the west, the Tileans and Estalians founded their great cities. Most of these were established upon the ruins of the ancient Elven colonies. The Tileans were the first to establish a trade network across the southern Old World, including Barak Varr. Merchant colonies were established in the Estalian cities, Bretonni villages which were to become Brionne and Quenelles, and the Imperial market village of Nuln. In many cases, Verenan priests accompanied the Tilean merchants to spread the justice of Verena, record transactions, and learn what they could of the peoples they encountered. In this manner, the archaic dialect of Tilea, commonly known as Classical, spread across the Old World.

Like their Tilean neighbours, the people of Estalia were seafarers as well as farmers. They established trading routes with the Arabian emirates to the south and the western Bretonni tribes. Some old records indicate that there was trade with Albion, but these are viewed with some suspicion.