History

Authors: Flosha, Ben, Hagen
Created: 12.06.24

Das Königreich Myrtana, wiedervereint durch die Hand König Rhobars II. [G]

Im Namen seiner königlichen Hohheit König Rhobars II., dem Träger des Zepters von Varant, dem Vereiniger der vier Reiche im myrtanischen Meer, dem Verkünder des Glaubens an die drei Götter und Statthalter des obersten Gottes Ra … [C]

Im Namen König Rhobar II, Träger des Zepters von Varant, Vereiniger der vier Reiche am Myrthanischen Meer, … [A]

Content:

Kings between Rhobar I and II

According to Mike Hoge, as he told Adam and me at our second meeting in 2023, he always imagined that there were several kings inbetween Rhobar I and Rhobar II.

This idea is directly opposed to the story in the Gothic manual, where it is Rhobar I who fought the battle of Varant and where Rhobar II is his son who followed him immediately after his death.

The manual was not approved by Mike and he simply considers this a failure. Thus Mikes early vision of several kings inbetween takes precedence for us; we discard whatever is in conflict with this idea, but we can redeem whatever is not.

In this way, most of the history from the manual about Varant attacking Myrtana is still a valid record for the time of Rhobar I (Lee is not mentioned), only the succession to the throne has to be fixed to insert a longer period between Rhobar I and Rhobar II. Everything after that does not cause any conflicts. While the Battle of Varant as described in the ingame book, with the central role of General Lee, serves as a valid description of the events under Rhobar II during the unification wars.

• Rhobar I. (“Rhotbar”)
• [Unknown kings inbetween]
• Rhobar II.

Quotes

Vor vielen Jahren, in einem fernen Land, lebten die Menschen in einem Königreich, das sie Myrtana nannten. Es war ein blühendes Königreich, die Kornkammern waren Jahr um Jahr gefüllt und die Minen gaben gutes Kupfer, Bronze und Erz her, so das niemand Not leiden musste. Über allem standen die Priester der Götter, deren Macht und Einfluss groß waren. Die Götter waren dem Volk gut gesonnen, zu oberst stand Innos der Gott der Sonne und des Gesetzes, der als erster und höchster Gott verehrt wurde und dessen Priester die Magier des Feuers waren. Die Priester des Gottes Adanos, der die Waagschale zwischen Gut und Böse bildet, waren die Magier des Wasserkreises, nur dem Gott der Dunkelheit und des Todes, Beliar, waren keine Priester geweiht, denn seine Mächte waren von finsterer Natur.
In den Städten herrschte der Wohlstand und Gelehrte und Magier verstanden, einander Welt, Sterne, Magie zu erklären. Doch dort, wo Zufriedenheit und Sicherheit sind, wachsen bald Neid und Misstrauen. Böse Menschen bereichern sich an den Früchten der Arbeit und streuen Argwohn und Furcht unter die Schwachen.
So kam es, das bald die benachbarten Reiche Myrtanas Schätze für sich beanspruchen wollten. Allen voran das Reich Varant. Über die Hügel des Reiches kamen Reiterheere, Schiffe aus dunklem Holz zogen am Horizont auf und hissten die Fahnen des Kampfes. Die Armeen von Myrtana zogen aus, um das zu verteidigen, was ihre Heimat war.
Es war Krieg.
[Description of the War exluded] […] Dieser Krieg dauerte länger als vier Sonnenwenden. […]

Viele Männer, Söhne, Väter und Brüder hatten ihr Leben für das Reich gelassen. Zudem waren die Vorräte knapp geworden und ein Winter stand vor der Tür. Es herrschte an vieler Ort Hunger und Verzweiflung. In diesem Winter verstarb König Rhotbar, von den Wunden des Krieges geschwächt und verzehrt.
[The phase of the kings inbetween as conceived by Mike we imagine as excluded here; Rhobar II. may not be his son, but still from his lineage]

Rhotbar der Zweite ergriff schweigend das Zepter, ohne Zeremonie und Feiern und rief seine Priester, seine Berater und die Gelehrten zusammen. Gemeinsam entwickelten sie Pläne, das Reich wieder zu dem Wohlstand zu bringen, zu dem auch sein Vater einst das Reich gebracht hatte.
Doch als der Winter vorüber war, drohte dem Königreich schon die nächste Gefahr. Orkhorden aus den Nordlanden kamen über die Grenzen und plünderten Weiler und Landgüter. Wieder sandte der König seine Armeen aus, lies Grenzen befestigen und schickte Schutztruppen in die umkämpften Gebiete. Zahlreiche Schlachten forderten wieder viele Leben. Es waren nur kleine kurze Gefechte, aus denen kein Sieger hervorging, doch König Rhotbar wusste, dass die Orks stark genug waren, um einen Krieg gegen Myrtana zu führen. Aber seine Armee war klein geworden und nur noch wenige Waffen standen ihm zu Verfügung. Zur Herstellung neuer Waffen brauchte er Erz. Die Lage war überall im Land schlecht, besonders in den Minenstädten. Diebe und Deserteure trieben ihr Unwesen und viele Gefangene flohen aus den Minen. Vor allem die Stadt Khorinis, eine der Haupterzlieferanten war zu wichtig als das der König nicht eingreifen müsste. Denn in den Minen von Khorinis schürften die Gefangenen ein besonderes, seltenes Erz.
Magisches Erz.
[Description of the Ore excluded]
Der König rief die zwölf mächtigsten Magier des Reiches zu sich, sechs vom Kreis des Wassers und sechs vom Kreis des Feuers. Er erteilte ihnen den Befehl, eine magische Barriere um die Minenkolonie von Khorinis zu errichten, um die zahlreichen Fluchtversuche der Arbeiter zu unterbinden. Eine Barriere, die alles Leben hinein, aber nicht wieder hinaus lies.

The english manual begins by telling the same story in short summarised form, but it does not write of the war with Varant and does not mention the two kings. It amounts to the same essential event though: The invasion of Myrtana by the orcs and the creation of the barrier.

Myrtana…
In these times the Gods looked upon Myrtana with a kind heart and blessed all the land with peace, lavish crops and an abundance of Copper, bronze and Ore. Myrtana thrived in this blissful age until others received word of their fortune…
The Orks made war upon the land of Myrtana.
Endless raids and battles devastated the land throughout the next years and as Myrtana’s armies grew smaller and weaker, the Orks moved on, in greedy destruction. Eventually no longer able to watch the mindless losses to his people, King Rhotbar chose to take desperate measures…
THE BARRIER… [M]

In a similar way, the intro mentions the former wars of Myrtana just in one sentence, then focuses on the war with the orcs and the subsequent creation of the barrier:

Das Königreich Myrtana, wiedervereint durch die Hand König Rhobars II.
In den langen Jahren seiner Herrschaft war es ihm gelungen, alle Widersacher des Reiches zu bezwingen…
Bis auf einen.
Der Krieg mit den Orks forderte seinen Tribut und die Gefangenen des Reiches sollten ihn bezahlen.
Der König brauchte Schwerter für seine Armeen und jeder, der sich eines auch noch so geringen Verbrechens schuldig gemacht hatte, wurde zur Arbeit in den Erzminen von Khorinis gezwungen.
<removed> Aus allen Teilen des Landes wurden Gefangene gebracht. </removed>
Um jede Flucht unmöglich zu machen, sandte der König die mächtigsten Magier des Reiches aus, eine magische Barriere um das gesamte Tal zu errichten.

Old introduction to the story:

War sweeps throughout the kingdom. Hoards of orcs invading the land from the North.
In order to keep the royal army going the blacksmiths of the land strive constantly over their hot coals replenishing weapons and forging new ammunition.
Those who break the law in these days are punished hard; they are sent in to slavery in the mines, to delve deep into the earth and dig out ORE for weapons.

Summary

• ~10.000 years ago. A mythical time (“Golden Age”) of an ancient civilisation before the “first appropriation of magic” (no priests), of which the legends say that men and orcs were living together on the surface of the earth. For some reason they started fighting each other, forcing the orcs to seek refuge in underground cities. In course of these thousands of years they became what we know of them now.
• ~2500-5000 years ago. Legendary “First Empire”. Appropriation of Magic. Rule of the Priests (before the split in the schools of Innos and Adanos). Described today as the “first” or the “ancient empire”.
• ~1000 years ago. A war against the Orcs. Summoning of the Sleeper. Demonic Cataclysm. Battle of the general carrying Uriziel. Fall of the Empire.
• 1000-900 years ago. Split of the Priests. Decline of Belief. The Great Disentchantment.

• 100-200 years ago. Rhotbar comes from the North, unites the 4 divided lands of the old Empire and founds Myrtana. Crowned by the priests to Rhobar I. Three-God/Trinity Cult under the highest God Ra.

• Rhobar is the myrtanised form of Rhotbar, given to him by the priests when making him king. Similar to how Napoleon changed his original name Buonaparte (italian) to Bonaparte, to appeal more to the french ear. Thereby we explain a mistake done in the official Manuals, where Rhohar was always called Rhotbar, and include it into the lore.

• The creation of the myth of Rhobar is complete when he seizes Tymoria and takes the sceptre of Varant from the Temple of Fire in Khorinis, that had been brought here by Khorin a few centuries ago. He establishes a colony in the mining area at Khorinis [at this point?].

• Varant attacks the myrtanian occupying forces and crosses the border to Myrtana, Myrtana is in defense (onset of the handbook history until the death of the king).

• “Crusade” (ingame: “Marsh of Fire”) to Varant with the sceptre. → Proclamation of the “Second Empire” in allusion to the ancient first empire.

• “First” Orc War. The prison castle in the colony is getting errected and the mines, now known as the royal ore mines, become more and more important.

• Death of the king.

• The kingdom is slowly dividing into the four realms again after the reign of Rhobar I: After the death of the king the empire slowly declines under the following rulers (undefined kings/princes) in constant succession disputes; first there is an Interregnum, but more and more Intrigue and corruption begins to spread. Local Warlords, clerical forces, dukes, princes and partisans start to control the provinces. [Potentially: After an assassination of a duke the sceptre is rescued by a monk - what does he do with it?]

• Rhobar II. appears and re-unites the four realms of Myrtana in his unification wars by Blood and Iron. Claiming the title of Rhobar (if his father or not - to be clarified), he is crowned to Rhobar II; official end of the Interregnum. His military campaign is fast and brutal, but his successes will not endure for long. Founding of the Inquisition and aggressive spread of the Three-God Cult. He reigns for many years over what would from then on be called the “New Empire”, the “Myrtanian Renaissance” or in allusion to the ancient civilisation: the “third empire”. The kingdom of Rhobar I. would from then on be referred to as the “Old Empire”. Now, in course of the great second orc war, the new empire is also falling apart.

In the course of mythologyzing Rhobar II.’s reunification of the realm, the invasion into the cardinal directions received symbolic names connected to Innos.

• (Second?) March of Fire (South?)
• March of the Ashes (North?)

• March of the Sun (Western Realm)

• Reuniting the Realms:
  (1) Seizing Power in the Center, uniting the provinces of Myrtana → Unifiying the Western Realm.
  (2) Unification with the Eastern Realm (more details?).
  (3) Second battle with Varant under General Lee → unification with the Southern Realm.
  (4) Invasion of the North → unification with the Northern Realm; but here they went too far; the sudden success of Rhobar slowly starts to turn into a disaster.
  (5) The second orc war begins.
  (6) Revolt in the Colony.
  (7) Creation of the Barrier → Myrtana is in decline.

Of Realms and Gods

• Golden Age. Mythical time. The Era of Magic, when men is thought to be part of and was partaking in the divine power of magic; “Ra” is imagined to have been the only God at this time before history and humanity lived in harmony with him; he ruled over the world and no human ruler was in place of him (anarchy/theocracy in the indian sense of the identity of araj and ramraj, non-rule and god’s rule), pre-civilisational stage.
• The first Empire, comparable to Babylon; a legendary time of which very little is known, if anything, by men today. Silver Age, Belief in Ra as an undivided God with different aspects, ruled by Priests. At the end of which stands an existential, cultural, technological downfall, alongside a metaphorical falling apart of both the land and the god; the realm and Ra fall apart into four pieces. More gods begin to be worshipped independently and the different cults start to appear, alongside different nations and cultures. Diversity evolves.
• An undefined amount of time passes, then 1000 years ago. War with the orcs. Demonic cataclysm; alongside the gods that are explained to having been evolved from a single divine source, the once first realm falls apart into three realms too.
• Present: Kali-Yuga under Rhobar I and II. Rhobar I: In reference to the first empire it is also called the “second empire”. In reference to the rule of Rhobar II it is called “the first myrtanian empire” or “the Old Empire” and may often simply be referred to as “the time of Rhobar I.” Rhobar II: The New Empire.

Second Orc War

• Re-Submission of the western provinces, called the “March of the Sun” as it happened from the East moving towards the West, like the course of the sun.

• Second war with Varant under Lee; he then serves in the royal guard at the court of the king (0.94k).

• 17 v. Gothic: Royal troops occupy the northern lands for five years before the attack of the orcs.
• 12 v. Gothic: The Orcs come from the North. War on the big northern plains in the southeast of the northern lands and in the north of Myrtana (as a consequence of the orc war, more and more criminals are convicted to work in the royal ore mines).
• 11 v. Gothic: Revolt in the colony (according to the earliest draft of the story the revolt took place before the creation of the barrier and was the reason to erect it, the reaction to the revolt). Finale Annexion of Tymoria and Khorinis, now reformed into a “closed city”.
• 10 v. Gothic: Creation of the barrier (according to 0.94k, the barrier was created 10 years ago).
• 6 v. Gothic: The Orcs conquer a majority of the western provinces.
• 3 v. Gothic: Milten deserts, fleeing to Khorinis. The orcs break through the fortifications of the eastern Northern Plains into the centre of the Realm and begin to overrun the first cities.
• 2 v. Gothic: The four friends are convicted. The Orcs push into the centre of the realm and begin to siege the big royal cities. Only the eastern provinces withstand, with Khorinis as their outmost and most secluded bastion.