Lords of the Cruth Lowlands - Vaults of Pandius

History of the Cruth Lowlands
History of the Cruth
Lowlands
The Taymoran Age
BC 2500 At this time, the major
settlement of the Cruth Lowlands is a
Giantish fort on the river Magos, part of
the borderlands of the Kingdom of
Southern Grondheim.
The Taymorans, a human nation with
bronze age technology among stone age
Azcans and Nithians, establish bronze age
kingdoms south and west of the
Grondheim giants. Culturally, the
Taymorans are heavily influenced by the
priesthood of Nyx, known to them as
Zargos.
BC 2400 The Taymorans use their magic
and knowledge of metallurgy to establish a
number of trade routes to the west (with
Azcans and Huleans) and north (to the
newly created Antalian holdings in
Heldann). In the process, they discover
the high magic point of Nightpeak, which
prompts a tremendous advance in
knowledge of necromantic magic. The
order of the Zargosian Sorcerers is
established, and its leader, a powerful
necromancer, becomes the first Nosferatu.
BC 2350: Taymoran leaders, who are by
now mostly priests of Nyx and necromantic
wizards, start joining the ranks of the
undead, under the tutelage of the original
Nosferatu. The Zargosian Sorcerers
dominate the Taymoran political scene for
a while, but soon the Necromancer-Kings
become so powerful that they rely less and
less on Nyx’s priesthood, and more on
their own magic.
Taymoran spies and scouts locate more
high magic points in the Cruth Lowlands
and elsewhere in what is know
Karameikos, prompting their kings to set
their eyes on that land.
BC 2250 The Sheyallia elves reach
Taymor. The local Necromancer Kings offer
them the lands to the east of their nation,
provided that they help opening new trade
routes -- which will also allow access to
the high magic points. Elven mercenary
companies, armed with Taymoran bronze
weaponry, invade the giant-held forests
and mountains, chasing the giants from
the region.
The Giant King of Southern Grondheim is
defeated upon the banks of the Magos
river by a combined force of Taymorans
and elves, and the fort is destroyed. The
surviving Giants entomb their king in a
barrow north of the battle site.
BC 2240 The Turnwood, a high magic
point in the forests, becomes the center of
magical research and learning on
shapechanging and alteration magics.
BC 2200 The defeated giants (the
Fomorians) are finally enslaved by the
Taymorans, and forced to build megalithic
fortresses and cities, including
Kosmoteiros and Magos in the Cruth
Lowlands. Kosmoteiros, built over the
ruins of Koskatepetl, a pre-cataclysmic
Azcan city, becomes a center of learning of
the Zargosian Sorcerers.
Meanwhile, advances in the Turnwood
facilities lead to the creation of the first
Taymoran lycanthropes, the werewolves.
With the influx of silver from the new trade
routes to the north-east, research program
are scaled up to tackle the creation of new
species, or at least deep modification of
existing ones. The Taymoran Hairless and
the Taymoran Hound Lupin breeds are
created as the original Lupins fall under
the sway of the Necromancer Kings of
Taymor.
BC 2100 The Turnwood discoveries have
now reached most of the Taymoran citystates,
and various necromancer kings
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