I-Mythical History of The Crown of Man

Mythic Prehistory of the Crown of Man
The Crown of Man is a central myth in the known world, a relic said to have been forged in an ancient, near-forgotten era when the gods walked among mortals. According to legend, the Crown was created to unite the fractured peoples of the continent under a single, benevolent ruler, granting wisdom, harmony, and dominion. Its story is preserved in oral traditions, sacred texts, and ancient ruins, with each nation—Eldoria, Veridia, Drakoria, Norgard, and Aegea—claiming it as part of their heritage. The Crown’s mythic prehistory is divided into the Age of Unity, a golden era of five legendary rulers, followed by a cataclysm that ended their line and plunged the world into chaos.
The Age of Unity (Mythic Era, Approx. 2000 – 1000 B.C.Y. – Before Current Year)
The Age of Unity is a fabled time when the Crown of Man was worn by a succession of benevolent rulers, each chosen by divine will or collective agreement, depending on the nation’s interpretation. These rulers, known as the Crowned Sovereigns, brought unprecedented peace and prosperity to the continent, uniting its diverse peoples under a single banner. Each reigned for an exceptionally long period, attributed to the Crown’s supposed power, and their benevolence is a cornerstone of the legend.
1. Sovereign Arion the Wise (Approx. 2000 – 1850 B.C.Y.)
  • Origin: Legends vary—Eldoria claims Arion was a divinely chosen king blessed by the All-Father, Veridia sees him as a philosopher elected by the people, Drakoria hails him as a conqueror who unified through strength, Norgard views him as a shaman guided by spirits, and Aegea portrays him as a warrior-king descended from the gods.
  • Reign: Arion is said to have forged the Crown of Man, either through divine craftsmanship or mortal ingenuity, to end a great war tearing the continent apart. His reign was marked by the establishment of the First Concord, a pact uniting tribes and city-states. He built roads, fostered trade, and codified laws, laying the foundation for a golden age.
  • Legacy: Arion’s wisdom is credited with creating a unified culture, with festivals and shared traditions that echoes in modern rituals. His reign lasted 150 years, an impossibly long time attributed to the Crown’s power.
  • Cultural Nuances: Eldoria emphasizes his divine mandate, Veridia his democratic ideals, Drakoria his strength, Norgard his spiritual harmony, and Aegea his martial prowess.
2. Sovereign Lysara the Just (Approx. 1850 – 1700 B.C.Y.)
  • Origin: Described as Arion’s chosen successor, Lysara’s origins are debated—Eldoria claims she was a royal heir, Veridia a citizen chosen for merit, Drakoria a warrior who proved her worth, Norgard a seer, and Aegea a divine daughter.
  • Reign: Lysara expanded the First Concord, establishing courts of justice and a system of mediators to resolve disputes peacefully. She is said to have traveled the continent, wearing the Crown to inspire trust, and founded great cities, including precursors to Eldor and Lysandropolis. Her reign saw advancements in agriculture and art, with prosperity spreading to even remote regions.
  • Legacy: Lysara’s 150-year reign is remembered for fairness and cultural flourishing, with her name invoked in legal traditions across the nations.
  • Cultural Nuances: Eldoria focuses on her divine justice, Veridia her egalitarian reforms, Drakoria her enforcement of order, Norgard her spiritual balance, and Aegea her patronage of the arts.
3. Sovereign Toren the Builder (Approx. 1700 – 1550 B.C.Y.)
  • Origin: Toren is depicted as a visionary architect—Eldoria sees him as a king who built sacred temples, Veridia a citizen-engineer, Drakoria a conqueror who fortified the land, Norgard a shaman who honored the earth, and Aegea a strategist who shaped the seas.
  • Reign: Toren’s reign was marked by monumental construction—grand temples, aqueducts, and harbors that facilitated trade and communication. He strengthened the continent’s defenses, building fortresses that stood for centuries. His policies encouraged scholarship, leading to early advancements in astronomy and navigation.
  • Legacy: Toren’s 150-year reign left a physical legacy in the continent’s enduring structures, with ruins still revered today. His name is synonymous with progress and stability.
  • Cultural Nuances: Eldoria credits him with divine architecture, Veridia with civic works, Drakoria with impregnable fortresses, Norgard with harmony with nature, and Aegea with naval infrastructure.
4. Sovereign Elira the Peacemaker (Approx. 1550 – 1400 B.C.Y.)
  • Origin: Elira is said to have been chosen for her compassion—Eldoria as a holy queen, Veridia as a diplomat elected by consensus, Drakoria as a ruler who subdued foes with mercy, Norgard as a spirit-guided healer, and Aegea as a goddess-touched mediator.
  • Reign: Elira’s reign was a golden age of diplomacy, quelling tensions among regions and fostering cultural exchange. She established festivals and trade fairs that brought diverse peoples together, strengthening the First Concord. Her compassion extended to aiding the poor and sick, earning her universal love.
  • Legacy: Elira’s 150-year reign is remembered as a time of unprecedented peace, with her name invoked in diplomatic traditions and healing rites.
  • Cultural Nuances: Eldoria emphasizes her divine grace, Veridia her democratic outreach, Drakoria her strategic mercy, Norgard her spiritual healing, and Aegea her unifying charisma.
5. Sovereign Calen the Enlightened (Approx. 1400 – 1250 B.C.Y.)
  • Origin: Calen, the final Crowned Sovereign, is portrayed as a scholar-king—Eldoria’s divine sage, Veridia’s elected philosopher, Drakoria’s enlightened conqueror, Norgard’s spirit-guided visionary, and Aegea’s god-inspired leader.
  • Reign: Calen’s reign saw the peak of the Age of Unity, with advancements in philosophy, science, and art. He founded great libraries and academies, spreading knowledge across the continent. His rule was marked by universal prosperity, with no recorded wars, as the Crown’s influence seemed to quell all discord.
  • Legacy: Calen’s 150-year reign is considered the pinnacle of the mythic era, with his teachings preserved in sacred texts and oral traditions.
  • Cultural Nuances: Eldoria sees him as a divine scholar, Veridia a champion of reason, Drakoria a ruler who mastered power through wisdom, Norgard a bridge to the spirits, and Aegea a hero of enlightenment.
The Great Cataclysm (Approx. 1250 B.C.Y.)
The Age of Unity ended with a devastating event known as the Great Cataclysm, a mythic disaster that shattered the line of Crowned Sovereigns and set the known world back a millennium. The exact nature of the Cataclysm varies by nation’s telling, but all agree on its catastrophic impact:
  • Eldoria: The All-Father, angered by mortal hubris, sent earthquakes and floods to punish the world, hiding the Crown of Man to test future generations.
  • Veridia: The Eternal Flame flickered, signaling a betrayal among the people, leading to a collapse of the First Concord and the Crown’s loss.
  • Drakoria: The sun goddess withdrew her favor, unleashing volcanic eruptions that buried the Crown and fractured the continent.
  • Norgard: The spirits of the land turned wrathful, causing storms and famines that scattered the tribes and hid the Crown in the wilds.
  • Aegea: The gods of the pantheon clashed, sinking lands and scattering the Crown, marking the end of divine favor.
Details of the Cataclysm:
  • The continent was ravaged by natural disasters—earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, and storms—that destroyed cities, disrupted trade, and killed countless people.
  • The First Concord collapsed as regions turned inward, leading to centuries of fragmentation and conflict.
  • The Crown of Man vanished, either hidden by divine will, stolen by traitors, or lost in the chaos, its fate becoming a mystery.
  • Knowledge, culture, and infrastructure regressed, plunging the world into a dark age that lasted a millennium, from which the modern nations only recently emerged.
Aftermath: The loss of the Crown and the Crowned Sovereigns became a shared myth, with each nation believing it was meant to reclaim the artifact to restore the Age of Unity. The Cataclysm’s legacy lingers in ruins, oral traditions, and the enduring hope—or ambition—that the Crown will reappear.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

4-Details of the War between Drakoria and Aegea

  War Between Drakoria and Aegea in The Crown’s Eclipse (Book 4, 1020–1025 A.Y.) Context : The war erupts in 1020 A.Y. when Zara, defying Solon’s demand to keep her widowed son unwed, arranges his marriage to a Drakorian noblewoman, threatening Aelar’s position as heir. Solon declares war to protect Aelar, pitting Drakoria’s Sunblades and fire magic against Aegea’s naval fleets and triremes. The Known World’s geography—Drakoria’s steppes and peaks, Aegea’s archipelago, Veridia’s coasts, Eldoria’s forests, and Norgard’s fjords—shapes the conflict, with battles escalating in scale and devastation, culminating in the deaths of Zara and Solon (~1025 A.Y.) and Aelar’s smuggling to Starfall. Geography Recap : Drakoria : Harsh steppes, jagged peaks, centered on Zara’s Throne by the Iron Wall, with the volcanic Dragon’s Breath shrine. Coastal ports (e.g., Sunport) access the Azure Sea. Aegea : Sun-drenched archipelago of city-states (Solarys, Thalassara, Kallipolis), with strong naval bas...
Read more

I-Overall Outline

Streamlined Summary of The Sylvara Cycle (Current State, Post-Revisions) Overview : The Sylvara Cycle is a four-book epic fantasy saga ( The Oath of Sylvara , Chains of Treachery , Thrones of Ash , The Crown’s Eclipse ) centered on five unlikely rulers—Zara (Drakoria, Iron Sun ), Solon (Aegea, Golden Wave ), Marcus (Veridia, Azure Quill ), Alaric (Eldoria, Silver Oak ), Torvald (Norgard, Frost Wolf )—whose rises and falls shape the Sylvara Pact (975 A.Y.) and Aelar’s five-nation bloodline ( 1017 A.Y.). Oracle Lysara, through her Starhold Enclaves agents (Hrothgar, Voren, Myra, Eldrin, Talia, Lyria), manipulates events to ensure Aelar’s birth, uniting the rulers’ bloodlines for a golden age. Each ruler’s arc is equally pivotal, with Torvald’s purity as the moral compass, lost in Book 2 ( 1000 A.Y.), driving the saga’s tragedy. Only Hrothgar’s betrayal is revealed in Book 2, keeping the network’s full scope (Voren, Myra, Eldrin, Talia, Lyria) hidden until Books 3–4. Timeline : Pre-9...
Read more