dungeons and dragons notes part 4: an insultingly brief history of the moth peoples (which is full of holes, unsurprisingly), from the first empire to the present day
-1600 IMC - it is unknown under what circumstances the first moth empire came about, but at their height they covered all but the most northerly lands of the continent, and had many small colonies settlements on far-flung islands.
-1400 IMC - the beginning of the archon war, in which a great many angels took it upon themselves to destroy the first moth empire. the empire technically survives, through the development and deployment of mothforged soldiers (upon whose remains modern dwarven warforged are based!) and the invention of artifice. most of the heirs to the empire are slain in the fighting, however, leading to the eventual collapse of the empire in -1389 IMC.
-1200 IMC - the nation often considered to be the second moth empire was technically a republic, largely confined to the eastern parts of the old empire’s territory, and aside from seeing the gradual ascendancy of artificers in increasing roles of societal and political important, wasn’t terribly relevant until -1117 IMC, when the republic was overthrown by the imperial faction, and the third moth empire was declared.
-1117 to -948 IMC - the third moth empire continues much as the second, albeit in a more autocratic and expansionist faction, reclaiming much of the old territories of the first empire, and seeing the resumed production of mothforged in large numbers.
-947 to -650 IMC - this era marks the age of high artifice, when some of the greatest works of mothkind were constructed. advances in mothforged technology and biological magics lead to the creation of orcs, and eventually high orcs, which replace the now outdated mothforged as the primary defends of the empire. towards the end of this era, moth artificers tear a hole in the center of their empire and bend the planes to create the great forest. their intentions in doing this remain unclear, but it ushered in a new era.
-649 to -132 IMC - The High Lady of the Fae (who shall be honored) discovers the damage to her plane. the fae are made aware of the existence of the material plane and proceed to blight the empire, bringing famine, civil war, and (according to some less reputable scholars) the fox-ear parasite (though this is a dubious theory, as mothfolk are among the few races this parasite cannot infect). the empire slides into a long decline.
-131 IMC - a mage, whose name has been lost to history, plays a trick (whose specifics have likewise been lost to history) on the fey, somehow limiting their influence in the material plane, and keeping them from entering the great forest. this is, however, insufficient to stop the decline of the empire, which collapses into numerous moth states less than a decade later.
0 IMC - a collection of villages in the southern archipelago band together, and in the coming years, they will reforge the moth empire. the imperial calendar marks this as 0 IMC, the birth of the fourth moth empire.
144 IMC - this year sees the foundation of the long death order of monks in the imperial capital. it remains a minor player in imperial politics for some time, until a monk is hired to kill off the emperor in 156 IMC. this cements the monks as a useful order of assassins, and they see frequent use to advance various political agendas in the coming years.
188 IMC - an instance of scholar’s apotheosis is formally documented. while the ailment had been observed before, this year marked an unprecedented degree of study into the phenomenon (and thus an uptick in cases).
206 IMC - the fourth empire collapses overnight. no one can remember what happened to cause it, and the stars are in different places than they were the night before.
403 IMC - the fifth empire is refounded as a republic, and lasts less than a month before the stars move again, and it collapses.
628 IMC - the sixth empire is founded, despite warnings by the church of the stars. unlike its predecessor, it does not collapse, though it is far smaller than any previous empire, having little territory outside of the archipelago. it also sees a great degree of decentralization, in an effort to stave off the jealousy that led to the widespread use of long death monks in previous years.
634 IMC - the stars shift for the third, and final (to date) time. the empire sees a period of brief instability, and the church of stars is made the state religion, but the empire does not collapse.
722 to 805 IMC - the few moth holdings on the mainland are lost to the ascendant human kingdom of aeland.
971 IMC - a schism in the church of stars, long the patron church of the royal family, sees the sixth empire thrown into civil war. the war is eventually won, not through force of arms, but through the wise diplomacy of prince tefflehan, who is crowned emperor tefflehan iv the next year.
986 IMC - emperor tefflehan iv achieves scholar’s apotheosis, inadvertently vaporizing the entire imperial family and triggering the succession wars of the sixth empire.
1000 IMC - the order of the long death ends the wars of succession by killing every noble claimant. they declare the empire dissolved, and centralize the warring islands under a new monastic theocracy.
1036 IMC - a few smaller orders splinter off from the long death, citing various problems of governance and monastic practice. they are denounced as traitors brought about by baleful foreign influences, and the theocracy’s borders are tightened.
1061 IMC - present day. the archipelago is a theocratic dictatorship, and most of the lands of the former empire are occupied by human and dwarven kingdom.