With the coming of the darkness came the humans arrival.
History says that the arrival of the humans passed as quietly and unnoticed as the appearance of the island they called home. This may be due to the remoteness of Unglandan, as the island is known, and its isolation from the other races. It was this seclusion that allowed the human’s to expand and thrive. Yet, despite being unknown to outsiders, Unglandan was not a land of peace and tranquillity. Over the first millennia and a half there were many internal struggles for land and power. Tribe fought tribe and the winners grew in terms of power and territory.
This internal fighting came to a head when the expansion of the populace caused them to leave the safety of their island to look for land overseas. Scouting parties became aware of races and cultures alien to their own. This fear of the unknown made one of the larger tribes begin to petition for peace, understanding that only by being united could the land defend against any incursion. This tribe, the Empire Britanan, was ruled by King Rodrik and under his leadership they had grown to be the largest tribe in the land. It wasn’t solely through the use of might that Rodrik had risen to such heights but he was the first human to discover the power of magic. Knowing that the Empire Britanan was now in a position to defeat any tribe they wished all banners fell to King Rodrik and he became the sole ruler of Unglandan.
Magic did not come to the humans as naturally as it did to the other races. The ‘Touch’, as it was known, was within a small percentage of the populace and very few of them could master any form of control. King Rodrik foresaw the benefit to his nation of magic and decreed that all people who were ‘touched’ were to be given training, as well as a life of comfort in his newly formed Academy of Magic under the command of his Household Guard. Through a harsh, yet effective, training programme the Touched were turned from a cursed group with no control over the forces inside them into the most prized and potent part of King Rodrik’s army.
Years passed and the Britanan army grew in power, strength and numbers. The ranks of Guards, Grenadiers and regular infantry were a sight to behold when on the march. It was under the reign of King Jorje that the expansion plans, originally put aside with the discovery of other races, were revisited. The army travelled overseas to claim land in the name of the King without worrying that the lands they were encroaching on were the homes of others. Unsurprisingly, the armies were not received with open arms and war was declared.
The first of the other races to be displaced from their own lands were the Nuem. The surging wave of Britanan troops backed up by the powerful magic users of the Academy had the outnumbered natives fleeing from their towns and cities and into the neighbouring land of the Naedre. The Nuem, unfortunately, never had time to realise the enormity of the mistake they had made. This easy victory did little to satiate the Britanan need for expansion and war continued on the continent until the Vaettir spell was cast.
Although there were undesired effects on the other races, the spell was successful in its endeavour and the majority of the human race was wiped out in an instant. As if sensing the powerful magic approaching, King Jorje had his Royal Magic Guard throw up a defensive shield where ever they were, protecting any Britanan citizens in the immediate area. The Monarch and a small percentage of his empire were protected from the worst effects of the spell, surviving in body but with minds in tatters.
Driven to insanity by the magic that destroyed his empire the king has ordered the construction of a new army. Using the few royal craftsmen that still live to create his army and the magic of his Royal Guard to give them life King Jorje is determined to achieve new goals; the rebuilding of his Empire, the conquest of the lands that were once held in his name and the destruction of the enemies who brought about the downfall of the Britanan.
The puppet army of the mad King Jorje is on the march.