Pernica - Initial Geographic & Historical Information

It is not possible to count the number of people with different opinions on the creation of Pernica.  However I will tell you the common tale of Pernica's history as far back as recorded history goes.

In the beginning of recorded history (named the First Age) the two ancient races existed, Dwarves and Elves.  Over thousands of years the dwarves carved beautiful citadels into the mountains, while the elves nourished the trees and plants into a land full of beauty.  The end of the First Age is marked by the awakening of a great evil.  Many claim the dwarves tunnelled too deep, others claim the elves created such magnificent beauty that they in turn created jealousy.  Rivalries developed within the Elven and Dwarven communities, slowly individualism entered the world.  Individual dwarves and elves sought to possess the wonders of the world.  Communal harmony and cooperation deteriorated.

After years of watching the corruption grow, a few of the great elven lords realized that an evil force was at work.  This force was definitely not of elven or dwarven origins.  The elven lords began a political campaign to educate and rally their fellow elves and the dwarven folk to become aware of this evil force.  Over and over again the elven lords found someone was preaching against them and eventually the source of the evil was named and isolated, Melkor.  Melkor was not an elf or a dwarf but possessed the ability to change his appearance.  Often traveling among both peoples as one of their own.  Melkor had an assistant and concubine, Mirris.  They travelled among the peoples of the land encouraging jealousy and disrupting the harmony of the world.  They seduced weak members of both races and from their union were born the evil demon children of Melkor and Mirris.

From the depths of the earth Melkor created a fearsome monster, the dragon.  A host of dragons was released upon the world, they destroyed and burned the beautiful land the elves had nurtured for thousands of years.  At first the dwarves thought themselves safe within their citadels and left the elves to deal with their own problem.  Then out of the depths of the earth more of Melkor's evil creations boiled forth.  Orcs, Ogruks and other fearsome evil mutations destroyed the beautiful dwarven homes.  In desperation, fearing that their world would be destroyed, the elves and dwarves formed a mighty alliance.  Together they forged rings of power, mighty swords and beautiful armor.  Quickly the elves and dwarves armed for war.  With their skillfully crafted weapons they fought back against the evil forces.

Orcs found they were no match for well armed elves and dwarves.  Elven lords and mighty dwarven fighters showed incredible prowess in combat against the enemy.  The war escalated as Melkor poured forth more evil forces.  Melkor and Mirris's demonic children walked the earth using horrible magic powers to wreak destruction on the forces of good.  The elven lords turned their own magical skills to the needs of battle.

In the great battle of Yeriltide, the southern continent was laid waste by the ravages of Dragons and magical combat.  The elves and dwarves pressed the attack to the enemy.  One by one they captured the demons and banished them from Pernica.  Finally only Melkor and Mirris were left to face their enemies.  The remaining Dragons, Orcs and other monsters had retreated to far isolated places where the elves and dwarves would not follow.  Melkor and Mirris left Pernica.  Fearful of their return the Elves and Dwarves made strong commitments to never forget the destruction wrought by Melkor.  With constant vigilance for any sign of his return Melkor could be dealt with before he could amass such hideous power again.

It is unclear how or exactly when humans appeared on Pernica.  However as the great war was nearing it's end the elves and dwarves encountered several communities of humans.  Many of the humans came to the aid of the forces of good.  And none were known to have fought for Melkor.  Thus the elves and dwarves left the curious humans to themselves and returned to their homes.  And thus was the Third Age entered.

Gradually humans prospered and spread over the land.  Many dealt fairly and were thus considered friends.  However the humans showed a very chaotic attitude and little reverence for nature and were gradually shunned by the older races.  In the years of peace the Orcs and monsters bred and grew in number.  Soon they began to wage minor conflicts to expand their territory.  The warring had taken it's toll on the elven and dwarven races as they did not procreate with the same reckless abandon as Orcs or humans.

The great Orcan war burned furiously for several decades.  During this time the orcs ousted the dwarves from their citadels in the Erran mountains.

And that brings us to the present where evil creatures roam freely, the elven and dwarven races are in decline and humans are dominant. The Halflings have been quietly avoiding contact with the larger civilizations. Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Halflings and Orcs are the primary inhabitants of Pernica.

Geography

The lands of Pernica are vast and varied.  In the north is a cold snow covered land surrounding the mountains of Iccel.  This northern waste is bordered on the south by another chain of mountains called the Artacas.  The main inhabited lands lie south of the Artacas with the great city of Hadren.  This land is independent and often at war, Hadren is only the main city by virtue of it's size.  With a population of almost one half million inhabitants, Hadren is the center of trade for the entire land of Pernica.  To the northwest of Hadren is the Erran mountain chain.  The Erran mountains formerly were the home of several great dwarven cities but in the past 1000 years evil forces have slowly driven the dwarves out and claimed the mountain chain for themselves.  East of Hadren are the lands where man is dominant, including the forest of Nimrod and the Blue Lake.  Northeast of the great Blue Lake is the Larthintal forest where the elven kind still hold power.  Nestled in the Larthintal forest is the Harrack mountains containing the bulk of the remaining dwarven folk.

South across the sea lie the lost lands, a great expanse of desert where few travel and fewer return.

Hadren is the largest city of Pernica (initially Hadren will not be modeled). The great Clarion river flows south past the cliffs of the Erran mountains past Hadren. Northwest of Hadren are several villages and towns. Valorde, Valorca and Valorf form a rough triangle basically northwest of Hadren. The abbey of Untharin Glade lies between Hadren and Valorca. North of Hadren and east of the triangle of Valorde, Valorca and Valorf is Canth which lies near the banks of the Clarion river. West and a bit north of Hadren, but south of the tri-villages is the town of Wickenburg. West of Wickenburg is Fairfield. South and west of these towns is the great sea.

Here is the first available map, courtesy of Oltorf's Cartography Service

Bunthorne's Travel Guide - a travel guide of Pernica created by Bunthorne.