Tharhan: A Land of Conquest (Chapter 2)¶
This book can be found in a chest in the Lord Magister's Residence atop Tharxax City. It is the second of four books in the "Tharhan: A Land of Conquest" series, and focuses on the emergence of the Six Tharhan Kingdoms in early Av2, including their wars with the Casain Empire.
Coordinates¶
| X | Y | Z |
|---|---|---|
| -2109 | 115 | 3578 |
Transcription¶
From its inception, Caer Adacia was not like its predecessor. Rather than being ruled by kings, the City of Shadow was matrilineal and controlled largely by a powerful line of queens. With a carefully controlled population fed by fungi cultivation, the Drehmari of Caer Adacia had no need to leave the safety of their home. Indeed, fearing retaliation from more powerful neighbors, the queens allowed very few to leave.
And yet, the young are often restless, and thus some is known about what occurred above the ground. When supplemented by other relics from the period, we have a reasonably clear picture. Six feuding Tharhan states emerged from the wreck of the first empire. Dehar thrived in Ebonfire. Salahnar continued occupying the southern lowlands alongside the Mael-worshipping Erxsival. Mighty Nimahj grew powerful in the northern highlands alongside Loraga. And Avakea, kingdom of the canyon oases, thrived as a center of mineral wealth in modern day Anyr'Nogur.
Though all of these kingdoms had similar ancestors, all evidence shows that they did not get along. Particularly violent conflict occurred between Loraga and Nimahj, and Erxsival frequently attacked the other kingdoms which its people deemed heretical. Occasionally, one kingdom would gain pre-eminence, but when this occurred, temporary alliances assured that its period of dominance was short.
It is said that nature abhors a vacuum, and so leaderless Tharhan was a tempting target for the mighty Casain Empire far to the northwest. In order to entrench his domestic power, Zarha III sent a very powerful army south across the Ebony Veldt. It was at the narrows between Lake Nimahj and the highlands where it was met by a large but poorly-coordinated Tharhan coalition army with soldiers from all six kingdoms. Though the Tharhan force sustained much heavier losses over the next couple of months, the unified army slowly made progress, pushing the Casain back across the plains.
But the war was not over, as suddenly smoke filled the air to the southwest! Another contingent of Casain forces appeared suddenly, riding gigantic birds from the clifftops of Anyr'Nogur. In one day, the kingdom of Avakea was razed, and the main army's supply lines were cut. Confusion and carnage ruled the day.