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As Cthon gave the Undying Lord all of Dran in its name, it is thus his right to own the world, and divide it as he pleases, giving out land and titles to those in his service. Those who resist him are blaspheming against Cthon, and must be punished as such.
Since his Ascension the Undying Lord has worked to expand, by conquest, the power of Cthon across the whole world of Dran. Over the millennia he has tried and failed and tried and failed, but never been defeated on his home ground. He has learnt from each defeat, improving his methods and so growing his power and that of his Empire until, now, at last, nearly all of Dran is his [fundamentally, the Undying Lord has, over his very long life, learned all the lessons of the Evil Overlord List through (often bitter) experience]. After a long, slow war, he is close to conquering the last free nation, the last stronghold of his final opponents, the Lunar Empire. They had become insular and other nations had weakened over time, allowing the Empire to gradually win
The Undying Lord sells his soul to Cthon, gaining vast power and immortality.
In the millennia following this, the Undying Empire expands out across Dran a number of times, but each time alliances of neighbouring nations, often working with elements within the Undying Empire, manage to halt its expansion, drive it back and break its power. However, the very heart of the Undying Empire, the city of Umbra and the region surrounding it, where the Undying Lord is at his most powerful, is never conquered, and acts as a nucleus from which the Undying Empire expands out again and again.
Banking is invented in the trading nations along the River Lysthea, before they become part of the Undying Empire.
Gunpowder is invented in the Glorite Isles. It slowly spreads across Dran.
Cannon are invented in the Kingdom of Thralat. However, because of the existence of magic, they never see much use on land.
The last battle between Cthon and the sun god Skirion takes place on the fertile subtropical plain of the Kingdom of Thralat, during a double eclipse of the sun (when both were moons in front of the sun), the time when Skirion is at his weakest. At Skirion's death a vast explosion of light and heat [like a nuclear blast] sears the plain, as if the sun touched Dran there, blasting the land for hundreds of miles in all directions, and leaving only desert. The desert is of glass and crystal, and glitters so brightly in the sun so that it becomes known as the Blinding Desert.
This is something of a Pyrrhic victory for the Undying Empire. Although Skirion is dead, along with many of those who sided with him, the Empire also loses a large percentage of its military forces, leading to uprisings and rebellions throughout the Empire as locals take advantage of the Empire's weakness to throw off its control.
Organised, coordinated and disciplined armies, as they currently exist, using unit-level tactics, are devised in the nation of Palnor. They allow Palnor to force back the Undying Empire after the death of the sun-god Skirion and create a great empire encompassing Inmyal, Krylar, Harrakash, Vartha and the Karaguan Peninsula.
The first muskets are invented in Palnor.
The Undying Empire finally completes its recovery from the death of Skirion, and regains almost all of the territory it has lost in the uprisings since then. Only the Empire of Palnor retains its independence.
Organised and coordinated navies as they currently stand are invented in the Lunar Empire.
The first pistols are invented in Skylar.
The Empire of Palnor, as a major opponent of the Undying Empire, is finally destroyed in war with it, and taken over.
The percussion cap is invented in Harnas, making a great difference to the way pistols and muskets are used.
Steam power is invented for use in the mines of Krylar. It spreads out from there, as propulsion for boats on the Melkarene and for use in stationary power sources and pumping engines.
The first steam trains are invented in Lysthea in the Undying Empire.
The first revolvers are invented in Harnas.
The last of the city-states of Harnas are conquered by the Undying Empire. With this no independent nations remain on the continent of Dran, and only the islands of the Lunar Empire remain outside of its control.
The present day.
The World of Dran | Feel of the World | History | Inhabitants of Dran | Larger Universe | Magic
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Copyright © Tony Jones, 2007.
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