History

Creation of the World
In the beginning there was only the yawning nothingness of Chaos. Out of Chaos emerged Gaia and the first of the divine beings: Eros, the Abyss, and Erebus. Gaia gave birth to Uranus the Sky, and together there were born the 12 Titans, the Cyclopses and the Hecatonchires, the Hundred-Handed Ones. Cronus, youngest and most terrible of Gaia’s children, castrated his father Uranus and ascended to become king of the Gods; his father’s severed genitals fell into the sea, where other beings were then born of its parts including Aphrodite. The Titans served as his court, and his sister Rhea he took to be his wife; the Cyclopses and Hecatonchires refused Cronus’ rule and were confined to Tartarus.

The Golden Age
During this time there was first a golden race of mortal men who lived under the rule of Cronus on Creation. Created initially by Prometheus, Gaia agreed to protect them and any subsequent generations of men and shelter their growth until they became self-sufficient. They lived like gods without sorrow or toil, without old age and without fear of death. Though as mortals they died, it was as though they collapsed into a peaceful sleep. It is said that the earth bore fruit without having to be worked, and streams flowed with milk and honey.

Helios decided to bless this generation with a gift, he broke off several "pieces of himself" and granted select mortals he chose as worthy of leading the humans. They were called the Exalted ones. They ruled over mankind with gentle strength and helped guide them.

Men dwelt in peace with each other during this time. There was no law, and no punishment, for they kept faith with one another and the gods and no wrong was done. There were no cities, no swords and helmets, no foreign nations went to war with one another, and nobody sailed the seas. Even the beasts did not kill one another for they were supplied by the earth in the same way as men.

At this time Justice had not yet left the Earth; and when she did, she planted her last footprints among those who cherished an easy livelihood, and kept themselves away from the clash of arms and the palaces with arrogant portals. For those who live in peace and innocence, worship the gods, feel reverence for Old Age, and have for leisure what nature and earth generously provide, resemble the men of the Golden Age.

This is what the Golden Age has been credited with, and that is why men of other ages talk of a "golden age" whenever they remember any advantageous circumstances of the past, be it a low rate of crime, low taxes, or higher profit. But were they asked whether they believe in the Golden Age of Man, most of them would refuse it credence; for a man of his times can only regard other ages as products of imagination. And yet they might show themselves ready to listen to promises of its return, so long does the memory linger.

Rise of the Exalted
The Exalts themselves prospered, but over time grew distant from their fellow man. A sort of loneliness set into their hearts. Selene saw what her brother had done and decided to create mates for the Chosen of the Sun. Thus, the Chosen of the Moon were created. These Lunar Exalted paired up with the Solar Exalted and bore many children. It was discovered that the power of their parents was not given to those children. Gaia felt sorry for these children and infused her own elemental powers into them. These powers small enough so that they could be passed from generation to generation. This was the first generation of Terrestrial Exalted. As the children of the previous Exalted, they were naturally obedient to them.

Cronus grew jealous of his fellow titans and decided that his own chosen would subtly influence the chosen of Gaia, Helios, and Selene. He coveted his own power though, and only created a fraction of those that the others had. These were the Sidereals. Their task was to guide the other Exalted, a task they took to with great enthusiasm. However Cronus had not counted on what would happen next, or that the Sidereals were not under his control.

Titanomachy
Cronus so feared his own children that one by one he devoured them so that they could never supplant him. But this angered Rhea, who sought to help her children, and she fled down to the isle of Crete to bear their son Zeus. Zeus escaped the fate of his siblings with his mother’s help, and Cronus swallowed only a stone wrapped in an infant’s blankets.

Zeus secretly roamed Creation gathering allies among the Sidereal Exalted. With their influence he also gained allies of all the other types of Exalted, including an army of Terrestrials, which has multiplied greatly over the few generations.

In time Zeus grew older and overthrew his father with the help of the Cyclopses and the Hecatonchires, whom he freed from Tartarus. The Cyclopses gave him thunder and lightening with which to fight the Titans. Zeus gathered his allies on Mount Olympus. The Titans gathered their strength on Mount Oryths. A great war was fought that shook earth and the heavens, but the decision hung evenly in the balance.

Two of the Titans, Themis and Prometheus, defected and joined Zeus, because they felt that he was cleverer than Cronus and would prevail. It was also at this very point that Zeus called upon his allies, the Exalts. With their and the help of the titans Zeus overcame the other Titans and defeated them. He then consigned them to Tartarus, while he cut open Cronus and freed the other gods, now fully grown. He also stole some of the power with which Cronus granted his chosen, and distributed it among himself, and two of his children. While deciding who to grant the last portion of Exalts to, Aphrodite caught his eye and in an attempt to win her love he gifted her the the shards of his father. Having thus won victory, the gods cast lots for the sovereignty, and to Zeus was allotted the dominion of the sky, to Poseidon the dominion of the sea, and to Hades the dominion of the Underworld.

After time passed several of the Titans would be pardoned by Zeus, except for Atlas and Cronus, who had incited them to further rebellion. As punishment Atlas was tasked to hold up the sky, and Cronus to bear the weight of all Creation upon his back.

Helios, Selene and their sister Eos were also imprisoned, a slight which thier chosen did not take lightly.

For Zeus's terrible acts, Gaia withdrew herself from Creation as much as she could and gave up her Exalts to Zeus's siblings. One portion of shards was stolen by Hera, and the last portion was given to Zeus as Gaia's last act of compassion. Hera and Zeus each gave their portion to a son.

The Silver Age
After Cronus was banished, the world was ruled by the gods, with Zeus as their king. The Olympians created a second generation of men of silver. They were less noble than their predecessors in body and soul. Zeus shortened the seasons to allow them to leave their primitive caves and come forth and build houses. They harnessed the powers of earth and grew grain.

But these new men were too imperfect, while thinking themselves equals of the gods. They refused to serve the immortals, and fought amongst themselves. This was an age of argument and men first learned the art of war, something they also perfected. They created powerful artifacts and employed some of the greatest magic. Some of these artifacts can be found today but in far less quantity.

The Lunar and Solar Exalts attempted to overthrow Zeus during this time. They attacked and killed their Sidereal cousins who were too few to withstand their powers. Fearing their chosen would be next the Terrestrial Gods attempted to stop the Lunars and Solars themselves. Again, these five gods could not withstand the terrible forces that the Solars could wield. Zeus finally took notice of this and gathered the other gods to stand against the Exalted. Combining their powers the Exalted rebellion was put down.

At this Zeus was angry and disappointed, and he destroyed this generation of men to be created anew. He hoped this would end the Exalted as well.

The only ones spared were the members of the 7th legion. This ancient order led by several Solar and Lunar Exalted. They were in the Wyld at the time of their generation's destruction, beyond Zues' reach. These mortals have since perished but their ideals and descendants live on.

The Bronze and Heroic Age
After the Silver Age came the Brazen race, of sterner disposition and more ready to use arms, but not yet impious. Zeus made this third generation of mortal men sprung from ash-trees.

This race—terrible and strong—was in no way equal to the race of the Silver Age. They loved war and all deeds of violence. They ate no bread, and their hearts were hard like adamant. The armor of these fearful men was of bronze, and so were their houses, along with all their implements, since there was no iron. These men, some say, were destroyed by their own hands, and perished leaving no trace. This was made even more terrible by the return of the Exalted. The power of the shards was so great that even without direction they would find humans to bind to. The Celestial Exalted rose up to yet again lead humanity.

The 7th legion splintered during this age and dispersed across all of creation gathering other mortals into their ranks. This splintering led to the dispersion of the remaining Terrestrial Exalted blood. They felt spurned by the gods as their fellow mortals were destroyed, their way starts teaching mortals to hate the gods and their allies. They remained in contact through use of silver age artifacts.

The Celestial exalted of this generation wished to make up for the actions of their predecessors. They traveled into the underworld and gathered the souls of the slain gods. These gods rose from the dead to their previous powers and were granted the title of Phoenix. In exchange for this act the gods agreed to free the titans Helios, Selene, and their sister, Eos.

When the first Bronze generation was extinguished, Zeus made yet another, the fourth, which was nobler and more righteous: a god-like race of heroes, called demigods. This is the race before our own. For this reason the Bronze Age is often called the Heroic Age because of the great deeds and martial feats that these heroes would perform.

Many among these men were destroyed by wars, like those that took place at Thebes and Troy. Others still perished in journeys to the ends of Creation, where they fought the Fair Folk at the edge of the Wyld, striving to keep the frayed edges of the world from being undone by their evil. The Exalted of this generation gathered together to drive off these invaders. In the end though their actions were valiant, but the invasions of the Fair Folk were too much, and most of them came to bad ends.

But to some whose actions were extraordinary, Zeus granted an abode apart from other men, letting them dwell—untouched by sorrow—at the ends of earth, in Elysium or in the Islands of the Blest, where the earth bears grain and fruit thrice a year. Yet they live far from the gods, being ruled by Cronos, whom Zeus finally released from his chains.

The Iron Age
Zeus made yet a fifth generation of men, and with it began, after the Bronze & Heroic Ages, the Age of Iron. It is said that all evil burst forth into this baser age, which is our own. Of no small import were the foolish actions of Pandora in the last age, who allowed her curiosity to overcome her good sense, and opened a box which set all the sorrow and horrors imaginable upon this generation. All evil escaped Pandora’s Box save one: foreboding. Thus hope did not perish.

Men never rest from labor and sorrow by day, and from perishing by night. Modesty, truth, and faith leave the earth, and in their place come tricks, plots, traps, violence, and unbridled love of profit. The ground, which had been common possession, is now neatly marked with boundary-lines. Men demand of the fields, not only the sustenance they provide with their surface, but also what is in the very bowels of the earth, bringing to light the wealth buried and hidden away by the gods.

Not only hard iron came with this age; but also gold, which is even worse than iron. And with both war came, and so men found it natural to live on plunder. The guest cannot trust his host, and affection among brothers became rare. The husband started longing for the death of his wife, and she for the death of her husband. Piety was vanquished, and the last of the immortals left the earth to dwell in Olympus.

Zeus will destroy this race of mortal men too.

Prophecy has that the fathers will not agree with their sons, and brothers will kill one another. Might shall make right, so that one man may sack another man's city. There will be no merit for the man who keeps his word, or for the just, or for the good; rather, men will praise the evil-doer and admire his audacity and violent dealings. Strength will be right, and respect will vanish as an empty word. Peace being banished, the Muses will depart; therefore they will lead a life in ugliness. The wicked will hurt the worthy, speaking false words against them; therefore will envy walk along with them. The gods will forsake mortal men, letting bitter sorrows fall upon them; and being defenseless like children in the wilderness, they will not find any help against all evil they themselves created.

The advent of Alexander however, gave hope to men that this destruction could be averted, that this doom might never come to pass.

History of the Iron Age
It is the Year 777 of the Iron Age. This age has been marked by the rise of Greek culture, the waging of fierce wars between Greece and Persia, the founding of the great nation of Rome, and most importantly the birth and rule of Alexander the Great, whose strength defeated the Persians and instituted a new prosperous order throughout Creation. As a result this age is often called the Alexandrian Age.

Return of the Heraclides (15 – 82, I.A.)
The beginning of the new Iron Age was a continuation of the last. Descendents of the powerful Bronze Age hero Heracles known as the Heraclides returned to Greece, causing a great deal of disruption. The huge family was exceedingly powerful in war and influential in trade, and attempted three times to conquer Greece from the rule of the Pelopides, finally succeeding on the last attempt.

The Heraclides laid claim to Peloponnesus, the land settled by the Pelopides, the descendents of Pelops. They claimed that because they were related through Heracles to Perseus, the founder of Mycenae, and they were the heirs to that city’s collapsed empire. The Pelopides they said, had no proper claim despite their years of interregnum rule, but the Pelopides dismissed the claim.

The First Attempt belonged to Hyllus, son of Heracles. He succeeded in taking most of lower Peloponnesus, but his rule was disrupted with a terrible plague known as the Great Contagion. The deadly disease prompted him to journey to Delphi and wait for the Oracle to give him a vision. Eventually the Oracle there told him the plague was the result of the Heraclides returning before their proper time. Hyllus would have to leave his lands and return “when the third crop was sewn.” Accepting this solution with a heavy heart, Hyllus departed and had his family leave Greece. He waited for three years before returning with his army, and was killed in battle.

Since Hyllus’ immediate heirs (his son Cleodaeus and grandson Aristomachus) were also killed, the responsibility as head of the Heraclides fell on his great grandson Temenus. Once he was of proper age, Temenus journeyed to Delphi to speak with the Oracle again. Angered about the failure of the prophecy he blamed the Oracle for the Heraclides’ defeat, but was told that the prophecy had been misinterpreted. The “third crop” referred to no earthly crop but rather the third generation. Temenus was heartened and returned to his people to begin rebuilding a large army to take Greece.

The Heraclides had taken up residence at the port of Naupactus and built a huge navy to sail against the rest of Greece. One day as preparation continued and the invasion grew nearer, there appeared a soothsayer named Carnus reciting prophecies. Fearing that he was a magician sent to curse the army, the young commander Hippotes cast a javelin at him and slew him. What he did not realize was that Carnus was actually a seer of Apollo. The god punished the Heraclides by sinking their mighty fleet.

Temenus again consulted the Oracle was the true identity of Carnus was revealed. The Oracle advised that Hippotes be exiled for ten years, and that before the Heraclides would be successful, Temenus would have to seek out “The Three-Eyed One” as a guide. Temenus obeyed the Oracle’s wishes and set out on a journey to find the Three-Eyed One too long and arduous to describe here. However after great length and many years Temenus came upon a scout named Oxylus riding a one-eyed horse. He had found his guide.

At last Temenus prepared his final campaign. It was successful; the Heraclides conquered most of Greece, and thus spread throughout the Greek bloodlines the blood of heroes. The remnants of the bygone era were rekindled.

The Young Conqueror (95 – 123, I.A.)
Born the son of warlord Philip II of Macedon and a daughter of the Heraclides’, Alexander III would grow to become the greatest warrior, conqueror and ruler in all of Creation. At just 16 years of age he was entrusted with the regency of his father’s kingdom while Philip was at war, and after his father’s assassination he was able with the help of his mother to consolidate his own power as King of Macedonia. Challenges to his power came early from Thebes, which refused to pay taxes, perceiving him to be weak. Alexander mustered an army and appeared at the gates of Thebes with such startling speed that the Thebans had not even mustered an army. They surrendered without a fight and resumed paying their tribute.

While Alexander was away fighting in Thrace, the Thebans again tried to rebel. This time Alexander was inclined towards much harsher punishment for the city, but was interrupted by news of a new threat. Forces from the Wyld swept abroad far inland of their usual places, moving towards Greece. There was only a short period of time to prepare before the invasion of the Fair Folk. The city-states convened and all with the exception of Sparta appointed Alexander as leader of the collective defense.

For three years all Greece became a battleground. Many cities were razed to the ground, including Thebes, which suffered far more at the hands of the Fair Folk than whatever punishment Alexander could have inflicted upon it previously. After a supreme effort, Alexander was able to lead his ragged armies to Mount Olympus, in order to drag the conflict before the eyes of the gods and demand action. There they fortified its slopes and sought to resist the army of the Fair Folk, which swept over them like a heavy tide. The gods saw the plight of men, and decided not to let this generation end so quickly due to the bravery and courage displayed during the battle. The Olympians once again lent their blessing to men, and the Fair Folk were defeated.

For the next two decades there was little that could be done in Greece but rebuild from the carnage. Creation itself had nearly been undone; the land was scarred and tortured, the survivors of the war battered and weary.

A Greek Empire (147 – 196, I.A.)
Through diplomacy and martial prowess, Alexander sought to bring all of Greece under his dominion. Eventually the civil war ended; even in the most fiercely independent cities there was little will remaining to fight the Hero of Olympus. Alexander proclaimed the Silver Throne as a symbol of his rule and consolidated his power. Whoever sits in the Silver Throne controls the Olympian League, which consists of all the 700 city-states of Greece and all of its settlements and colonies throughout Creation.

Within a short time the restless leader desired to expand Greece and spread its culture throughout Creation. He undertook a prolonged series of campaigns, eventually conquering most of the known world. Alexander first dominated Thrace, and then ventured south to Egypt. The Egyptians resisted with the assistance of survivors of the 7th Legion, who resented Alexander’s meteoric rise in their homeland. Eventually a peace was settled between them, and a relationship of diplomacy and trade between Egypt and Greece emerged. Alexander went west but could make little progress against the stubborn resistance of the Norse settlements and the Gauls, so he sailed east and colonized much of western Persia. He continued on and discovered the lands of Maurya. Having reached the eastern edge of Creation he departed to the west, but not without annexing the lands between Persia and Maurya and founding Parthia. Upon his return to mainland Greece, he learned that in his absence the nation of Carthage was founded by dissidents. His solution to this new problem was to conquer the south western lands and establish the nation of Numidia. HE left his new nation to keep the Carthaginians in check.

As he neared a hundred years old, Alexander grew weary of conquest and desired to return to a life of peace. There was little left for him to conquer, no military power on the fringes that presented a true challenge. In order to be with his family he returned to Greece to rule his huge empire.

The Alexandrian Era (197 – 570, I.A.)
A period of great prosperity marked first half of the reign of Alexander the Great. Greece controlled a huge amount of territory, and aside from the occasional internal revolt, faced no serious threats. From the Silver Throne in Olympia, Alexander oversaw the spread of Greek colonies throughout Creation, and the growth of massive Hellenistic centers of influence in Egypt and in Rome. Immigrants flocked from as far as Persia to see the centers of power in Greece and Macedonia.

In order to facilitate to spread of Greek culture (and to invest in his own regime’s future), Alexander summoned his 11 sons and sent each of them to a city to rule and mold in their image however they wished. These cities would become the Great Cities of Greece, dominated by the heirs of Alexander.

Alexander also established the Olympian Order as an official religion to be sanctioned by the state in every territory. Because of this it is said, the gods favored Alexander and granted him immortality. While the exact truth is unknown, Alexander discovered religion powerfully only many years into his rule.

Over time, other powers gradually rose to displace Greek influence. Hellenism began to wane slightly as Alexander’s subjects on the periphery began to adopt Greek culture and merge it with their own. The cultural dominance of Greece remained unchallenged, but politically the tide slowly began to shift. In the west the city of Rome was founded and in time grew powerful, cementing alliances with the Norse and settling Latium. And more ominously in Persia, events drifted slowly, almost imperceptibly from Alexander’s control.

The Greco-Persian Wars (580 – 632, I.A.)
Persia steadily slipped away from Greek control, as even the Greeks who had long ago colonized the western half of the country began to consider themselves Persians, being so estranged from Greek culture. In 578 IA, Darius became Emperor of Persia. The previous ruler having been assassinated by Egyptian priests after militarily defeating them, Darius was selected by a college of aristocrats, and he pledged to restore Persia to its rightful place of power in the world. Dozens of naval and land battles marked the Greco-Persian Wars, with the most notable receiving mention.

The first offense to Darius’ reign was a revolt in Ionia, which was encouraged and supported by the Athenians and Naxians. Darius resolved to punish Greece for this transgression and in 610 IA sent an army of some 60,000 to attack the Greek mainland at Marathon Bay. A force a 10,000 Athenians stood and fought against the Persians and were victorious. The battle became a legend in Greece when the courier Pheidippides ran the distance from the battlefield to Athens to announce news of the victory before collapsing, dead from exhaustion. Although the Greeks were victorious, it was only the beginning.

Darius was a patient leader and ordered his forces to keep attacking the Greeks, harassing them and wearing them down wherever possible. In the meantime he left the true mission of crushing the Greeks to his son Xerxes, who was given all of the resources of the Persian Empire at his disposal. Xerxes spent years raising the necessary funds, building the necessary naval and siege equipment, and even training soldiers from adolescence for the task. He was determined to make such an example of Greece that none would ever dare oppose Persia again.

It was at this stage that the Persians sent forth emissaries demanding of the Greeks offering of earth and water, to show their supplication to Persia. Not only were these offenses refused, but the diplomats were butchered. The Spartans threw theirs into a well with the retort to “dig out for themselves” the offerings. Athens and Sparta went to war together with their allies under the instruction of Alexander; however, the Olympian Order insisted that the Olympic Games and the upcoming Carneian Festival be observed, preventing a full army from being immediately mustered. Alexander had no power to circumvent the powerful priesthoods. The Persian advance unfortunately did not wait. King Leonidas of Sparta picked out a personal guard of his 300 finest men and set out for Thermopylae, knowing full well he and his men were going to their deaths. Their dramatic stand would buy the Athenians three days with which to gather their forces and prepare for the decisive battle.

Many iconic phrases of that battle are now commonly known in Greece, as they have been retold countless times. Perhaps most defiant and famous was Leonidas’ reply to the demand for the Spartans to lay down arms: “Come and get them.” A large portion of the Persian fleet was destroyed by a storm, but even despite this Xerxes had brought over two million soldiers. The Spartans and their allies held the pass for three glorious days before being cut down to the man. They inflicted over 20,000 casualties on the Persians.

The vast Persian navy meanwhile brushed aside the Athenians on the seas, and Athens was forced to evacuate to the Isle of Salamis. The city was sacked by the Persians who continued south towards the Peloponnesus. The Oracle at Delphi meanwhile predicted that the Greeks would be saved by a “wooden wall.” The Spartans wanted to seal the Isthmus of Corinth and build a wall there, but the Athenian commander Themistocles successfully argued that the wall referred to the Greek boats, and that sealing a land point was useless so long as the Persians could simply sail around. Reluctantly the Spartans agreed.

The Persian Navy outnumbered the Greeks four to one. Xerxes was so confident of victory that he had a throne built atop nearby Mount Aegaleus from which to watch the battle. The Persians sailed all night in search of the Greeks and by morning were exhausted, but they were ordered on anyway. The Greeks met the Persians singing paeans and patriotic songs. The clash was terrible in the narrow straight, as boats rammed together and hoplites squared off against the enemy on the decks. The Persian admiral was slain by chance, and a strong wind trapped the huge Persian ships. In the crowded space the ships were pinned together and a horrific slaughter ensued. Having learned that the general to show the most initiative in ramming nine Athenian triremes, Xerxes remarked that “My female general has become a man, and all my male generals women.”

This was the turning point of the war. Without its large navy, the Persian armies could maneuver in Greece’s difficult countryside only clumsily, and were too large to be easily re-supplied. Xerxes returned to Persia to acquire new ships of war and replacements for the mass casualties the Persians had suffered. He left behind his lieutenant Mardonius in command. Mardonius asked Athens for peace, but they refused. The Spartans however were unwilling to risk their gains now by fighting for Athens, and let the city fall a second time. It took the convincing arguments of Chileos of Tegea to sway the Spartans to fight with their brother Greeks again, as they had been using the festival of Hyacinthia as an excuse to abstain from battle. Eventually though they mustered a force of 5,000 citizens and 40,000 helots and auxiliaries to the battle, the largest Spartan force ever mustered.

Alexander himself also took the field, the last time he would do so. Already five and a quarter centuries old, he had lost none of his strategic wit. He told the assembled Greeks that he was proud of their victories at Thermopylae and Salamis, and that they fought now for a united and free Greece. He then led them into battle.

The Greeks feigned retreat and divided their forces, prompting a Persian attack into the gap. However the two sides squared off in shield walls, with the Greeks using heavier shields and longer spears. In the end it was another slaughter, the costliest thus far, with 10,000 Greeks perished in the fighting. But the Persians were thrown back into a river and were defeated, again with horrifying losses. Over 100,000 Persians were killed, among them Mardonius.

Persia would never again threaten Alexandrian Greece. Although naval wars and campaigns along the Ionian coast continued for a time, a massive rebellion was eventually triggered by the news of the stunning defeats. The rebellion proved too taxing on the Persians to contain while simultaneously carrying on war against mainland Greece. In 632 IA emissaries met and brokered the Peace of Callias, securing the freedom of the Persian Greeks and pledging Persia to never invade Greek territory. The western lands of the Persian Greeks were annexed to Greece. In return, Alexander would refrain from going over to the offensive and completely destroying the Persian Empire.

Emerging Threats (660 – 770, I.A.)
In the years since the mighty conflict with the Persians, it would seem that Greece as the undisputed victor would now resume its hegemonic status in Creation. While stability was maintained for many years, the most glorious moments of the Persian wars were also the most costly. With the exception of Sparta, the Greeks retreated from war and diplomacy for a time, putting their faith in the Olympian gods to protect them. Many of the Phoenix-blooded grew bored and adventured to foreign lands, some of them staying abroad and making families. As generations passed, Greece’s proud bloodlines began to grow thinner, while others prospered. There are now Phoenix-blooded amongst the Gauls, the Norse, and most notably the Romans.

Egypt in 735 IA threw off Greek rule and, more disturbingly than its volatile politics, banned many staples of Greek culture. The handful of elite Exalted who rule clamped down, making Egypt an unfriendly place to foreigners. Even ancient trade agreements, preserved since the first days of Alexander’s reign, have been abrogated.

Rome expanded, taking control of several neighboring provinces. Its Senate renegotiated trade rights throughout Latium and with Greece. Before 750 IA Rome had showed relatively little interest in expanding its territory, a position which was eventually completely and inexplicably reversed.

And everywhere across the Threshold, the Wyld Hunt faced greater and greater challenges each year. Alexander increased the allotment and scope of the hunt for many years in a row, but often enough Exalted simply could not be found. Eventually the Wyld Hunt stopped completely, with few willing heroes to take up the difficult task. The encroachment of the borders of the Wyld is a growing concern amongst the Olympian Oracles.

Present Day (771 – 776, I.A.)
Five years ago a calamitous event occurred: Alexander the Great suddenly and mysteriously went missing. Without him, the Olympian League was leaderless. Without a strong ruler to govern Greece, the city-states of the Olympian League squared off politically to appoint a candidate. A referendum across Greece narrowly elected an Athenian Phoenix-Blooded to the Silver Throne. However, rumors run rampant in political circles of the formation of separate alliances between the city-states, with the Athens-Sparta rivalry clearly the main focus.

At the same time as Alexander disappeared another major event happened: The Anathema have made a sudden resurgence into the world. They have begun spreading their evil and demonic ways already. They challenge the authority of Greece and seek to rule instead of the noble Phoenix-blooded. One such upstart has taken command of a small band of rebels in Numidia, seeking to topple the careful balance with Carthage that Alexander established so long ago. In truth, these Anathema are the long lost Solar Exalted.

Rome itself has become a Republic, the first of its kind. It maintains a powerful citizen army and has a complex system of alliances to protect it. The Romans began rapidly expanding about twenty years ago and today control many of the surrounding settlements. Unknown to all, several Abyssal Exalted pull the strings of the Senate, their dark purposes completely shrouded.

The Cretan islands recently rebelled, forming a small confederation in the Aegean Sea. They have declared the Olympian League to be an oppressive and hostile power, and the ruler of the Silver Throne a tyrant. Their claims are lent strength by the residence of the survivors of the 7th Legion, the ancient force from the Silver Age who now continue to defy Greece's authority.

An ancient shadow-land, in western Europa, called Iberia's Cloak has been settled by a consortium of Romans, Greeks, and Gauls. There are whispers of the dead roaming the lands in great number. Even more horrifying are the rumors of so called Death Knights issuing forth at night with legions of these undead to pillage northern Carthaginian towns, dragging unlucky survivors away for unknown purposes. Three similar but ultimately smaller shadow-lands have been settled in Parthia, North of Thrace, and between Phoenicia and Egypt.

Egypt remains mostly closed to the world, but bandits have recently harassed the city of Cyrene. What will come of these provocations is too soon to know for certain. It does seem very concerned with the newly settled shadow-lands though, launching several unsuccessful reconnaissance missions into its new neighbor.

Many of the Threshold territories, such as Thrace, have broken away from Greece completely in the years where there was no governance. Macedon has also stopped paying taxes, and independence was recently declared by the country’s new Queen. Rumor has it she may be Anathema, using the current chaos to build a new empire.

Perhaps most importantly, the Wyld Hunt has gone untended for many years. The established order is weak. Evil is afoot in Creation, and there is a need for heroes to stand up and defend the common good. For without them, all liberty and justice may soon fade.

“Like that of leaves is a generation of men.” – Iliad