Maradian civilization was born from the fading echoes of Elinica and perished in the fires of the catastrophic war with Golla–the demonic empire that had come to rule the volcanic world of Atracus.
The Empire of House Marada
Following the death of Emperor Arestolan II in -845 CA, the Senate appointed its Grand Orator, Xercles of House Marada, to a 5-year term as Imperator Regent. Because of his time as Senate Grand Orator, Xercles Marada spent most of his reign delivering fiery speeches and pushing an unprecedented series of reforms through the Senate.
In 35 AM (Age of Marada), or -805 CA, Xercles Marada died and was succeeded by this son, Xercles II, beginning the dynasty of House Marada. But civil wars plagued the empire for the next hundred years, until Emperor Thalos Marada III was overthrown. House Marada went into exile, and the empire was ruled by a re-established Senate for the next hundred years. Unfortunately, the fledgling republic eventually collapsed into a fragmented collection of competing provinces.
During this time of exile, House Marada encountered the mysterious Triclopes people on the island of Seralos (later known as Tricar) and formed an alliance with them. In 350 AM, Lord Krathos of House Marada led an overwhelming invasion force against the fractured fiefdoms of the former empire, reuniting Celaphania and establishing the Empire of Marada.
The Golden Age of Marada
Over the next 300 years, Marada rapidly progressed, developing new alchemical formulas, discovering electricity, steam power, and the science of aerodynamics. These achievements led to a golden age of science and sorcery.
In their search for new resources, Maradian scientists developed the means to open an astral portal to Atracus, ignoring the Archidoxy’s warning that the demons of ancient legend were imprisoned on the volcanic moon. In 760 AM, the first successful portal to Atracus was opened, but the exploration team did not return.
Following several more failed attempts, a permanent portal to Atracus was successfully opened at a facility in a region west of Tyrrelia. A Maradian expeditionary force established a foothold in the volcanic wastelands of Atracus, fighting off the monstrous abominations and demonic creatures they found there.
Unknown to those intrepid explorers, Atracus was host to an empire of darkest sorcery under the tyrannical influence of the Demon Lords imprisoned there–the empire of Golla. Lead by sinister Darkweavers and pitiless demonic emissaries, the armies of Golla quickly overran the Maradian expeditionary forces and mobilized to capture the portal leading back to Mythania.
The War of Golla and Marada had begun.
The War of Golla and Marada
Realizing the depths of their mistake, the military of Marada sent legions of troops and battle-mages to Atracus to hold the line against the Gollan onslaught. Kullan the First, the emperor of Marada at the start of the war, was killed in battle, and Kullan II took the throne. In 810 AM, the forces of Golla invaded through the portal the Maradians had established, overwhelming the military base and establishing their own foothold on Mythania. For the next 30 years, Marada and Golla clashed in terrible war.
In 812 AM, a young Kullan III found the legendary sword Dawnbringer in an ancient cavern and freed her from the blood-red crystal she was trapped within. The people rallied to the mighty warrior-prince and order was restored under his banner. In 818 AM, the second wave of Gollan forces attacked en mass. Kullan II died in the attack, and Kullan III was given the throne, becoming the new emperor of Marada.
As the war raged on, Maradian technology rapidly advanced. The empire developed new over-science weapons and constructed novarite-levitated ships and great sky-castles of novarite stone to serve as mobile military bases. Marada also began manufacturing mechanically powered armored suits of armor for an elite order of knights. These moto-armors gave Marada an edge against the forces of Golla, allowing them to hold their own against the larger abominations and ensorcelled titans. Kullan’s own moto-armor, Valgathellion remains legendary to this day. Maradian scientists also began to develop a new super weapon called “doomseeds” to win a final decisive battle against Golla.
In 837 AM, the first doomseed was launched against a fortified Gollan city deep within the Tyrrelian incursion area. With its success, more doomseeds were built and plans were made to launch them against Atracus.
The Thanathage
In a final bid to win the war, Marada launched a series of doomseeds at Atracus in 840 AM. Although the doomseeds struck Atracus randomly, they devastated Golla’s major population centers. In retaliation, Golla unleashed an ensorcelled plague upon Mythania—the Thanathage. Kullan, in his moto-armor Valgathellion, carried Marada’s largest doomseed into the heart of the Gollan incursion area hoping to detonate the weapon and collapse the portal, stopping the Thanathage before it spread. He was successful and the portal was sealed, but by then it was too late. Within a month, nearly 90% of the population was either dead or mutated into twisted abominations as a result of the plague.
In the aftermath of the War of Golla and Marada, a new dark age consumed the world. The portal to Atracus was again sealed, but the ensorcelled Thanathage left millions dead. Millions more mutated into monstrous creatures known as Abominations. These Abominations terrorized the scattered few who remained as they struggled to survive in the horror and chaos of the Third Age of Darkness.
