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Description
Taerth at the beginning of the Age of Rebirth

(Done in Paint; contour shadows created with Photoshop layer)

The Dawn Age (4,000): The Beginning of Taerth is debatable by the cultures and religions of the world. In actuality the world was desolate for millions of years before Kiamat, the ambient watch-keeper for the world, made it hospitable and transplanted several species of vegetation and animal life from other worlds. Humans were introduced onto the dominating Aethra continent, and early signs of civilization are found their dating thousands of years ago. Three major civilizations developed: The Caguni, which claimed the fertile river-plains on the west coast of Aethra, the Tan, which took the valleys in the south of the same continent, and the Esau, dwellers of Estyr.
The Age of Change (1,050): Taerth was completely altered when a large group of humans crossed the void between worlds and settled the Estyr continent. The Esau were forced to flee east and took hold of the southern jungles of Aethra. This second group of humans was survivors of a world almost totally under the dominion of the Mordent Plane. The world was shunted totally into that galaxy soon afterwards, but a piece of it managed to survive in the form of a parasitic mini-Plane called Outer Darkness. To even the scale, Kiamat introduced the Scions into the world, select humans who shared in her power and worked to cut the Chaos out of Taerth.
The Age of Immortals (2,400 years): The Scions initially were instated in the civilization on the southeastern portion of the Aethra continent, and branched outward from there. Under the rule of the Scions, a series of empires came into being. The great Empire of Scions was created. These Empires consisted of large tribes of humans, sometimes nomadic and sometimes sedentary, following particular Scions across the world, with great cities constructed by the Scions themselves acting as meeting and trading places.
The Age of Woe (350): After the Scions had thoroughly entrenched themselves in human society and almost completely destroyed the link of Chaos, they grew complacent. The creatures of Outer Darkness used what little influence they had left to spark contention and civil war among them. The Scions battled each other, changing the shape of Taerth and almost destroying it in the process. The southern half of the Aethra continent was almost completely changed into wilderness. The Pelagos were created from the destruction of a fifth of the Aethra continent. The great continent of Estyr was pushed far into the north and east, and the great Dashir Plains widened the space between east and west. Kiamat once again stepped in, this time against the Scions. She took away much of their power, but in so doing re-opened the world to Chaos. Demons poured out, and the much-weakened Scions were forced to deal with their old adversaries, this time without their vast stores of power. Desperate, they turned to the people of the world, whom they had forgotten in their great war. Finally the hold of Chaos was broken, and the demons were sent back into their pits. The Outer Darkness remained, but its hold was so weakened that the demons lost all hold on the physical, and could only influence the minds of the mortals who still lived.
The Dark Age (2,225): After the War, the peoples of Taerth tried to rebuild. Those in the southern portion of Aethra moved north and settled there, or else moved into the Pelagos. Civilization degenerated without the power of the Scions. The Scions ascended to the Pantheons, where they could still use some power under the watchful eye of Kiamat, or else lived in anonymity among the mortal races. The migrating peoples came into conflict with those already settled. Humans came into contact and conflict with new races created by the Second Gate of Chaos. Some few of the new races were destroyed, but many survived. Some of them made a place for themselves in society, while others migrated away from human association. The old Shen Empire expanded north and south before suffering a major civil war. The Black Kings rose in power for a couple hundred years before warring with each other and subsiding. The Estyr continent, the eastern portion of Aethra and much of the Pelagos was united under Cormyr the Great, creating the largest human empire in the history of the world. The collapse of the Empire was started by the revolution of the colonies in Aethra, followed in close succession by the cessation of the southern city-states. The Revolutionary war strained the Empire to the maximum degree and, though it survived it is now but a shadow of its former world-reaching glory, and is now known as the Arathea Empire. As trade routes became more important, trade-route nations rose to prominence and power. The Ages calendar came into use.
The Age of Rebirth (310+): About three hundred years ago it was discovered how to harness ether, similar to electricity. Magecraft helped to overthrow the Line-heavy aristocrats, and the precursor of democracy was born. Most disputes deal with trade now instead of land. This is the first age to take place after the advent of the Ages Calendar.

Description
Taerth at the beginning of the Age of Rebirth

(Done in Paint; contour shadows created with Photoshop layer)

The Dawn Age (4,000): The Beginning of Taerth is debatable by the cultures and religions of the world. In actuality the world was desolate for millions of years before Kiamat, the ambient watch-keeper for the world, made it hospitable and transplanted several species of vegetation and animal life from other worlds. Humans were introduced onto the dominating Aethra continent, and early signs of civilization are found their dating thousands of years ago. Three major civilizations developed: The Caguni, which claimed the fertile river-plains on the west coast of Aethra, the Tan, which took the valleys in the south of the same continent, and the Esau, dwellers of Estyr.
The Age of Change (1,050): Taerth was completely altered when a large group of humans crossed the void between worlds and settled the Estyr continent. The Esau were forced to flee east and took hold of the southern jungles of Aethra. This second group of humans was survivors of a world almost totally under the dominion of the Mordent Plane. The world was shunted totally into that galaxy soon afterwards, but a piece of it managed to survive in the form of a parasitic mini-Plane called Outer Darkness. To even the scale, Kiamat introduced the Scions into the world, select humans who shared in her power and worked to cut the Chaos out of Taerth.
The Age of Immortals (2,400 years): The Scions initially were instated in the civilization on the southeastern portion of the Aethra continent, and branched outward from there. Under the rule of the Scions, a series of empires came into being. The great Empire of Scions was created. These Empires consisted of large tribes of humans, sometimes nomadic and sometimes sedentary, following particular Scions across the world, with great cities constructed by the Scions themselves acting as meeting and trading places.
The Age of Woe (350): After the Scions had thoroughly entrenched themselves in human society and almost completely destroyed the link of Chaos, they grew complacent. The creatures of Outer Darkness used what little influence they had left to spark contention and civil war among them. The Scions battled each other, changing the shape of Taerth and almost destroying it in the process. The southern half of the Aethra continent was almost completely changed into wilderness. The Pelagos were created from the destruction of a fifth of the Aethra continent. The great continent of Estyr was pushed far into the north and east, and the great Dashir Plains widened the space between east and west. Kiamat once again stepped in, this time against the Scions. She took away much of their power, but in so doing re-opened the world to Chaos. Demons poured out, and the much-weakened Scions were forced to deal with their old adversaries, this time without their vast stores of power. Desperate, they turned to the people of the world, whom they had forgotten in their great war. Finally the hold of Chaos was broken, and the demons were sent back into their pits. The Outer Darkness remained, but its hold was so weakened that the demons lost all hold on the physical, and could only influence the minds of the mortals who still lived.
The Dark Age (2,225): After the War, the peoples of Taerth tried to rebuild. Those in the southern portion of Aethra moved north and settled there, or else moved into the Pelagos. Civilization degenerated without the power of the Scions. The Scions ascended to the Pantheons, where they could still use some power under the watchful eye of Kiamat, or else lived in anonymity among the mortal races. The migrating peoples came into conflict with those already settled. Humans came into contact and conflict with new races created by the Second Gate of Chaos. Some few of the new races were destroyed, but many survived. Some of them made a place for themselves in society, while others migrated away from human association. The old Shen Empire expanded north and south before suffering a major civil war. The Black Kings rose in power for a couple hundred years before warring with each other and subsiding. The Estyr continent, the eastern portion of Aethra and much of the Pelagos was united under Cormyr the Great, creating the largest human empire in the history of the world. The collapse of the Empire was started by the revolution of the colonies in Aethra, followed in close succession by the cessation of the southern city-states. The Revolutionary war strained the Empire to the maximum degree and, though it survived it is now but a shadow of its former world-reaching glory, and is now known as the Arathea Empire. As trade routes became more important, trade-route nations rose to prominence and power. The Ages calendar came into use.
The Age of Rebirth (310+): About three hundred years ago it was discovered how to harness ether, similar to electricity. Magecraft helped to overthrow the Line-heavy aristocrats, and the precursor of democracy was born. Most disputes deal with trade now instead of land. This is the first age to take place after the advent of the Ages Calendar.