Ancient history

Ancient History

Before even the elves visited the Valen Heartland, two powers fought for mastery of what would become the Valen Massif. These were the Lizardmen of the Citadel of Keresh and the Drow of the Seldarine High Council.

The war between these ruthless foes led to the discovery of high magic and the summoning of thousands of creatures from other planes and worlds to supplement their arcane armies. It was Lord Valen of Arinsar led the crusade to destroy both evil empires, his army consisting of warriors from all of the emerging great kingdoms around the Middle Sea. The war lasted a hundred years but eventually both Keresh and the underground Seldarine fastness were cast down and Valen I founded the great empire and era of peace that both bear his name.

The Valen Empire lasted more than a thousand years but fell when the teaching of magic proliferated and human kingdoms started to challenge the Emperor's authority. The ancient homeland, Arinsar, was the first to fall and the elven lords gathered their allies to crush the rebellion. Greater and greater spells were researched but the armies were defeated one by one as magic appeared useless against the numberless hosts converging on the Valen Massif.

In the end the capital fell from within - destroyed by treachery or wild magic - and the invaders fought each other over the spoils. Many were killed when the dying Valen archmage opened gateways they flooded the massf with monsters and their prizes were lost in the chaos that followed - a flood of destruction that leaves the region unihabitable to this day (more than five hundred years after the final war).

All dates are AF (after the fall)