Age of Prosperity - Karatta

Introduction

The Chaos Wars finally dwindled to an end, and what they left behind was far worse than chaos. Annihilation, death, hopelessness, and despair wrung the hearts of those in both the kingdoms. Life had come to an end the way people knew it, and the only way to survive was to come to terms with what was now their world.

Those living in Lazaron could no longer hide behind doubt and ignorance about what lay on the other side of the strange Rift in their land. They now knew. Death lay there, waiting, stalking them. Though threat of the Rift itself was great enough, the threat of the return of the Horde and further attacks from Karatta were a far greater concern. They had to rebuild, they had to fortify, they had to be ready next time. And they were sure there would be a next time. The High Elves Called a meeting. A meeting that all races were to attend. Such a meeting had not occurred since the Age of Mercy when the land was split into kingdoms that were since lost to the memory of nearly every living being. What could they possibly do with their depleted numbers and ruined land? How would they survive much less defend against attacks? Would Xaltion help them? And just who were these people and creatures from this mysterious land? Answers would come to some of their questions, while others were left with silence.

The residents of Karatta had much to be concerned about as well. Having made themselves enemies not only on the other side of the Rift, but also right within their own lands. The people of Lazaron surely would not sit idly by after the destruction and havoc the forces of Karatta had brought upon them. The Chaos Legions driven into the wastes of the desert would not be content where they were, or with their defeat. When would they be attacked, and by whom? Their lands were in a shambles from the hostilities with the Horde. Their social structure was failing. They needed to make a change, and they all knew it. But could they trust one another? Could they trust Xaltion who had betrayed them once again to his favored Lazaronians? Could they trust themselves? A meeting was called and all were to attend. But would they?

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The Trade Meetings, as they had been called, ended on an upbeat note. Those that had been in attendance eagerly rushed back to what now remained of their respective towns with the news of a new hope. There was a new sun on the horizon bringing a new dawn for the people. And soon, the planned trade routes began. Many, eager to get the supplies they had long been without, immediately sent caravans piled high with goods and wares to Karrattan. The humans found themselves with an abundance of raw materials, gems, weapons, armors, and more. In return, they sent out wagons of food ranging from raw crop harvests to flour, and fish.

Though the humans were adept at farming, and certainly had a better time of it than others, there were still many hardships to overcome in tilling this sick land. The demand for food never ceased, and the humans did what they could to fill that demand. Aside from food supply, Karrattan became known as the place to find anything. It became a trade hub of sorts, having a large port and being fairly centrally located. After a time, the onslaught of demands for food began to subside, and the trade evened out to a steady and predictable flow of supply and demand.

The new trade routes had created an air of respect and a need for one another that the people of Karatta had never before known. Always having viewed one another as enemies or as a potential taker of what was theirs, each race soon came to the conclusion that this was a much better way of life. Cities became rebuilt and those who dwelled within them took a much tighter hold of their future than ever before. But despite the advancements, the discoveries, and the first working truce in Karattan history, they still kept a distance from one another and a watchful eye on each other’s comings and goings. They would never know the sense of explicit trust, but they would continue this lucrative truce and trade for as long as it would last.

After the challenges of survival and rebuilding had been dominated, nearly 15 years had passed. For some time, all of their minds had spun around the many questions that had been left by the end of the Chaos Wars and Dekatar’s strange disappearance. Answers had not yet come, but to everyone’s surprise, some of those answers would be brought to their doorstep in a most unexpected way. On the road up the mountain to Dar’Kitha, the home of the dwarves, a body was found by a merchant. At first thought to be dead, it was identified as a male dwarf, though the age was impossible to determine. He appeared unnaturally aged, covered in little more than rags and carrying with him only a rusted hand axe. When the merchant had investigated closer, he was able to tell the fellow was still breathing. The man was brought to Dar’Kitha where he recuperated over several long months.

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His identity remained a mystery all that time, as did his origin. But when he finally came around and opened his eyes, it was immediately apparent that wherever he came from was a bad and awful place indeed. It took several people to restrain him to the rest bed and not one living soul could make sense of any word he uttered. His mind seemed to be completely gone although a few words were caught from his insane babbling and screaming. Those words caused the Dwarves to do something they never thought they would. The Dwarves sought help from the Stone Elves. An elder Elf by the name of Kisternian Ret’Tylium was sent at the Dwarves' call and likely only responded so quickly due to the nature of the request. Evidently this dwarf fellow had fought in the Chaos Wars. He had spent time in the New Land and seen things there, and somehow he had managed to cross the Rift, the Rancorous Sands, and travel nearly to the gates of Dar’Kitha before collapsing. If any of this was true, this Dwarf’s ruined mind could hold a lot of answers to a lot of questions the people of Karatta desperately needed to know.

It took many days for Kisternian, even with his noted powers, to calm the mind of this man and make some sense of his ramblings. Finally, he felt that all that could be made sense of had been made sense of and that the dwarf was not far from death either way. His body was failing as much as his mind. The Dwarves demanded that Kisternian reveal what he had gathered from the many sessions with the dying man, and reluctantly, Kisternian began to relay the information he had amassed.

The dwarf’s name was Mooreden and his family name remained uncertain, as he was never able to quite discern it. It was most difficult for Mooreden to identify himself at all, and Kisternian had not wanted to press the matter. But the dwarf had indeed fought in the Chaos Wars and was among the many that had fled from the rise of the spinning waters that drove them away from their victory. He was also one among the many that had managed to flee before the rage of the loosened Chaos Legions brought death upon him. However, he was not one of the many that had made it through Dekatar’s Gate before it had closed. He had survived with many others who became hunted, captured, tortured, killed, and even eaten by the Legions. The people of the New Lands also hunted them as well as they hunted the Legions. Mooreden, and the others who had so far survived, were forced to reside near the Rift and avoid the villages and towns of the New Lands, living only on what they could scrounge from the earth. They were hunted by everything, and never once had a solitary moment of peace.

Mooreden claimed that nearly a hundred dwarves, elves, gnomes, and humans had been trapped on the New Land’s side of the Rift. And from among them, he was the only one that he knew of who was not killed outright by the Rift Spawn, the peoples of the New Land, or the Legions. He had wandered for quite some time alone across the fertile grounds of the New Land. He had seen and learned much from its inhabitants while trying to avoid being killed before meeting up with the other Karattan forces. Traveling at night, he would come upon the camps of travelers and listen to their talk and wait for them to fall asleep. Sometimes he would kill them, and sometimes he would simply steal what could be reached from the shadows. Eventually he came across others who too, had migrated toward the area where the gate once stood, hoping for a way home.

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Not particularly caring what had happened to the others, Kisternian had put forth a great effort to keep Mooreden focused on only what he had been able to learn of the New Lands. And from this knowledge, Kisternian carefully recited what he had been able to piece together from the broken confessions of the dwarf. The New Land was in fact named Lazaron, and the peoples there had been devastated by the war. Had Karatta of pushed back and attacked once more, they would have easily overthrown the lot of them. They were now rebuilding however, and travelers had begun to speak of ‘The New Way’. This New Way meant many of the travelers were on their way to training academies where their children were also being sent at a young age to discover and hone their talents and skills. These academies were made to build armies! Trained, fighting armies of magic wielders and warriors. Kisternian quickly concluded that this could mean only one thing – the people of Lazaron planned an attack on Karatta!

The Dwarf was unable to reveal much more as his mind had nearly broken with his trials. By pure happenstance, Mooreden was present at the spot where the Gate had opened so many years ago when according to the stars it would open again. He said it had only remained open a few moments and he was left with no time to prepare. Mooreden had thrust himself through to find nothing but a desert waste surrounding him. He had no supplies, no food, nothing but what he had been wearing and his axe. He was unable to give details of his survival through the desert, but obviously, it had been in vain for he surely would die. And die he did. Not three hours after Kisternian ceased his interrogation, Mooreden of no clan died in the Temple of Dar’Kitha.

While the dwarves gave Mooreden many great honors including burial as a true war hero and several weeks of mourning which included the dedication of statues to his sacrifice, the Elves rushed to call another meeting. This one would be to discuss the grave threat that loomed over the denizens of Karatta, and to tell all others of what had been discovered. It took several weeks for all to respond and finally meet. Once the information was passed on, everyone reacted the same way. They were not ready for war. They had just barely gotten back on their feet! How long had these Lazaronian people had to prepare? How much of an army did they have now? They could have crossed the Rift and be marching across Karatta’s soil right now! Also of concern was the silence all this time from the Chaos Legions. What had become of them? Aside from a few scattered sightings of small bands of Ogres roaming in Rancorous Sands, they had been silent. Were they dead? Were they too planning on mounting an attack against the people of Karatta?

More than ever the people of Karatta feared to lose what they had worked so hard to build and maintain. For the first time in centuries, they were prospering. They finally had a foothold on this horrible land they had to call home, and they feared greatly to lose it. Much discussion was held and finally after many hours of talk, a conclusion was arrived at. They too must train and prepare. This ‘Academy’ idea these Lazaronians had, they could do that too. If they combined their talents, their skills, and started training their children from a young age, they just may be able to get their own skilled armies together. But how much time did they have? There was no way of knowing. It was agreed that patrols along the Rift borders would increase, and some sort of outpost would need to be established near the Rift area known to respond to the astrological symbols, where the gate was created to warn against an invasion.

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They would also need to discover what exactly the Chaos Legions were up to. How, and who became the next heated topic. Everyone knew it was likely a suicide mission. A necessary action but it would certainly involve the death of most if not all of those sent. The Rancorous Sands were largely unknown and what lie beyond were only briefly explored hundreds of years ago by the original Karattan Explorers. It was decided two people from each race would be chosen to go on the mission. Once this was settled, all that was left to do was actually put the numerous plans into motion and hope that they were not too late.

The villages began to fortify under the threat of invasion from any and all sides. The paranoia spread throughout Karatta and tensions began to mount as merchants refused to travel the roads and trade began to dwindle. Patrols were increased and trade treaties reestablished and the merchants, feeling somewhat safer, began to trade again and violence between the races was narrowly avoided. It became more and more apparent that they would have to work together if any of them wished to survive, but it also became apparent that the peace was an uneasy one and at any moment it could falter. Karatta once again began to spiral down into the depths of fear and unease. Months went by with no attacks but also with no word from the established outpost or the team that had been sent to investigate the Legions. The academies were founded, and slowly people began to attend and send their children.

Nearly two years after the team of eight had been sent, three finally returned, wounded and ill. They were picked up by one of the Desert Patrols stationed on the edge of Rancorous Sands and brought to Karrattan immediately. Two dwarves and a human were all that had survived. They spoke of the knowledge they had gained and while it was not wonderful news, it was not exactly bad either. After six months of travel across the desert and another two months of searching, the group had found the villages of the Chaos Legions where they had been built in the swamps on the far side of Rancorous Sands. There had been no evidence of an attack being planned or launched. The group had watched the Legions for some time and had only been forced to flee once three of the eight had been discovered and captured by Orcs. Two more died on the journey back to Karattan as they were unable to secure sufficient supplies for the perilous journey. One of the dwarves then passed away about a week after being found with their names never being recorded.

As it became more and more clear that they were under no immediate danger, some of the gloom lifted from the people of Karatta. The academies became more and more popular, and they were expanding due to the increasing population. Instructors from every village were sent to the academies to teach. Humans taught farming and other ways of living from the land including the arts of trade. Gnomes taught of mechanics, dwarves of fighting, armor and weapon craft, and the elves concentrated on alternative methods of fighting and magic. Between all of their areas of expertise, the academies began to turn out highly trained individuals. The hostilities between the races once again began to flow away in light of their apparent success.

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And so it went on in the land of Karatta. A network of trade being the foundation for a peace that grows stronger. There are still tensions from time to time and the occasional clash between the races, but all in all, Karatta had found a level of commitment to one another and to the goal of survival that they had never before been able to achieve. Knowing that their success depended heavily upon the success of their neighbor, a new and much more cooperative Karatta grew from the ashes of the Chaos Wars. Most people of Karatta did indeed turn their back on Xaltion, not caring to favor one who apparently did not favor them. They chose instead to worship his aspects, and many temples and monuments can be found to them throughout the lands. Although they may worship these Aspects, the people of Karatta depended on no one but themselves.

They fought the land, they fought the Rift, and they fought their very own fate. They were winning. For the first time, in a very long time, Karatta understood what success meant. Through blood, sacrifice, trade, and the realization of their own mortality and their need for one another, they had forged their Age of Prosperity.

Are you powerful enough to walk the paths of Karatta? Do you have what it takes to survive in the most vicious of lands? Is your heart hard enough to witness the pain of this place? If you think so, come and join those that fight for survival, power, and the hope of a new life. Join the ranks of Karatta.

In Closing

The Age of Prosperity attempts to set the stage for what the world has most recently been through, what players can expect, and how they can merge more easily into this spinning world. Are you ready to bring your kingdom to its deserved glory? Are you ready to defend all you have and care about? Are you willing to defend your life? Step into The Seventh Sun – The Age of Prosperity, and step into a whole new meaning of adventure.

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