Second Age of the Vaikan

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The Second Age of the Vaikan is an era in Vaikan history which saw far more settled down civilizations. Systems of writing became very predominant.

Vaikan soon discovered the conductive properties of copper. Copper, likely discovered independently in each major region of the world, was found to many times more useful than stone as both tools and weapons. Not only was copper much harder, it worked seamlessly with the Vaikan’s natural electrical abilities.

Founding of Yallvus

Three thousand years after the Great Flood, compilations of oral tales and legends were being compiled in a document now known as the Book of Krayhan. It was first carved into clay tablets with chisel and rock. These tablets were gathered in the world’s earliest civilization to appear since the Great Flood: Yallvus.

Yallvus is located in close proximity to the base of Krayhan’s Eyrie, the tallest mountain on the planet Ucharpli.

Another mountain known as Dath Hill is also in close proximity, and it contains large deposits of uranium. This sparked initial curiosity, but the radiation ended up killing many who got too close. The ancient Vaikan believed their early pagan gods had cursed the mountain because it was the site of the world’s first murder. As such, those who approached it would die. As a result, the word “dath” in Yallvus Talk means “curse” or “doom”.

Jamzezism and the Cult of Uszaroth

According to legend, a humble Vaikan travelling the desert became known to the cities of Sal’jemuru and Behem. He spread a message of peace about a great spirit known as Krayhan who dwelled on the tallest mountain in the world.

A red-skinned man which historians assume to be Uszaroth the Mavetian also appeared and tried to teach a message counter to Jamzeze. Uszaroth preached the idea of following one's true instincts and nature. This led to the formation of the Cult of Uszaroth.

After a brief conflict between the two opposing religions, Uszaroth was ultimately banished from the kingdom for causing trouble, and Jamzeze’s message spread, laying the foundation of Jamzezism, the most popular religion in the modern Karalian Empire. The Cult of Uszaroth still persisted as an alternative force but as part of the underground and black market.

Construction of Kazel-Hal

Ten thousand years before the Anathema Wars, Jamzezism and the old pagan traditions clashed. In Sal’jemuru, a new king by the name of Justur Hammori declared Jamzezism the official religion, but also established a system of laws. Sal’jemuru became the first city in what would later become the kingdom of Yallvus. Having been rumored to be inspired by Krayhan, King Hammori commissioned a new building project where all Vaikan could live together: an enormous castle known as Kazel-Hal.

The construction of Kazel-Hal was one of many harsh labors. Paid laborers were few, so King Hammori used slaves and captured Vaikan from other tribes. To continue this project, he also opted to expand the empire by creating more agricultural settlements such as the village of Larmok.

Kazel-Hal would take two hundred years to complete. King Hammori would die of old age, leaving his descendants to complete the project.

Hammori’s grandson Turadul would take the reins to add the finishing touches, but work was slowed after a volcanic eruption poisoned the River Rulthin with sulfuric acid. Plague and disease killed many of the livestock causing many to starve to death. It became impossible to continue construction at the current pace.

A Vaikan named Moz and adopted brother of Turadul chose to use it as an opportunity to free some of the slaves whom he felt were being mistreated. Turadul lamented the betrayal of his brother and the loss of much of his labor force, so he resorted to further violence and war, expanding Yallvus and conquering many lesser tribes. Prisoners of war became more important than ever as sources of labor.

Shortly after, Moz returned with a new army at his side to lay siege to the unfinished structure of Kazel-Hal. He was confronted by his brother Turadul. The two fought in a clash as Moz attempted to destroy what he considered a symbol of oppression and tyranny. The uprising lasted for several days, and the two came very close to wiping each other out.

According to legend, however, Moz and Turadul suddenly stopped fighting when they witnessed a giant Garmatox flying overhead, believed to be the wrathful incarnation of the chaos god Morduin. When the Garmatox begun to attack both sides, Moz and Turadul would form a truce and join forces to take down the feral beast. Turadul was mortally wounded during the attack, but when Moz realized the Garmatox could not have been slain without Turadul’s help, Moz decided to complete his brother’s wishes and finish Kazel-Hal. Only this time, he did not use slaves. The corpse of the Garmatox including its hide, bones, meat and teeth were promised as rewards to those who worked the hardest, and there was plenty enough to finish the castle with.

When Kazel-Hal was finally completed, Moz also chose to build an underground catacomb for Hammori, Turadul and other members of the royal family of Yallvus. This catacomb became known as the Tomb of Kings. With the death of each new king, it was agreed he would be buried in the Tomb of Kings which continued to expand.

Kazel-Hal, despite its bloodied history, has since become a symbol of unity for the Vaikan. A monolithic structure designed to be the center of an empire and also a gathering place for all. It remained one of the oldest standing structures on Ucharpli.

Founding of Lacad

The nation of Lacad was founded by the rumored descendants of Nolara, a Vaikan who built a ship that survived the Great Flood caused by the Saskana Meteor collision. As such, Lacad found its roots as a holy city and accepted the spread of Jamzezism with open arms.

The Temporal Fountain

A sacred order known as the Lacad Templars discovered a relic that could predict the future. Known as the Temporal Fountain, it became a subject of study by many scholars attempting to interpret its prophecies. The knowledge discovered would be closely guarded as the Templars believed it to be dangerous in the wrong hands. The Templars built a temple around it to conceal it from the public. As the ages past, security systems increased including the eventual construction of a colossal, mechanized arachnid known as the Heaven Guardian.

While the Templars did their best to cover up the existence of the artifact, many functional Omni relics would also be discovered elsewhere throughout Ucharpli including technologies such as Jormun's Ring - a portable sonic black hole generator. As it was a preindustrial civilization dealing with these technological artifacts, the Vaikan could not help but mistake these artifacts for magic. As such, much of the Vaikan’s early history becomes riddled with anachronism and unnatural societal development.

Founding of Malin

Malin has roots in the First Age. They were founded by Vaikan who ventured the furthest point away from the north pole. The Khather Tribe from other side of the Aggateya continent had also travelled here, but instead taking the opposite path from the north pole. At that time, it was not known that Ucharpli was round, but long-term settlement in Malin and study of astronomy eventually led them to discover the planet’s spherical shape.

Malin had prospered by building its civilization around geothermal vents which warmed what have otherwise been the coldest spots in Ucharpli aside from the north pole.

War against the Black Shadow Clan

One of Malin's earliest enemies was a tribe of barbarians known as the Black Shadow Clan. These barbarians were an alliance of thieves and assassins that inhabited the outskirts of Malin, and they persisted in the murder of crucial Malinian individuals, disrupting their government to either make statements or for the money.

The Black Shadow Clan’s leader, Akumara was discovered to be in position of an Omni relic which generated sonic black holes. Suspected to have been discovered from black market trading all the way from Lacad, Akumara used the ring to make himself silent, making him extremely difficult to find.

The hero Shunketsu was tasked in tracking down the elusive Akumara. He eventually discovered him during a fireworks festival, where he managed to damage Akumara’s ring. The sonic black hole technology was no longer as effective, but still enough to aid in Akumara’s stealth abilities. Akumara would later escape into Frozen Wasteland where Shunketsu would discover his hideout in an icy cave.

Shunketsu confronted Akumara a second time, this time relying on a fair one to one duel, clashing with katanas empowered by their natural electricity. With a slit to the throat, Shunketsu defeated Akumara. While he intended to destroy the ice cave to hide the sonic black hole ring forever, instead, the emperor of Malin was so impressed by his deed that he instead built a temple around the site in his honor. Thus, the ice cave became known as the Ice Temple.

From this point, a tradition began where willing warriors would make a pilgrimage to the Ice Temple, enduring the hostile Frozen Wasteland, then undergoing a series of trials inside the temple.

Founding of Khather

The Legend of Burwof

An ancient hero known as Burwof defended the settlement of Getstadt from wild animal attacks such as a Dagrinel and a Yoltox. Though Burwof perished, he heroically stood his ground and allowed Getstadt to continue to flourish.

Getstadt became the future capital of the realm of Khather. Khather expanded as an empire across much of the continent, but the adjacent Frozen Wasteland proved inhospitable even to the most hardy of travellers. For this reason, the neighboring province of Malin remained isolated from Khather as the only way to reach them from Khather at the time was to sail around an ocean of dangerous icebergs.

Regular contact with Malin would not be possible until the Third Age when flying machines were invented.

Founding of Islerfia

Little is known of early Islerfia. Most of its history was discovered through archaeological evidence rather than written records.

During much of the Second and Third Ages of the Vaikan, an ancient powerful civilization known as the Islaf Kingdom dominated much of what is now Islerfia. According to legend, these people descended from the tall mountain Great Ascension, and they built many cities covering the rocky landscape. Very little is known of the nature of the Islaf Kingdom as a tyrant named Merukor the Deathless decimated the kingdom. Merukor the Deathless earned his name from having cheated death on multiple occasions, surviving an arrow shot to the head, a stab in the chest, and a mauling by a Voskar. Thus, the legend spread that Merukor sold his soul to Uszaroth to become immortal.

During that time, a humble wanderer had become a stowaway aboard a cargo ship headed to Islerfia. This young wanderer sought adventure and decided to explore the land and eventually confronted and destroyed Merukor the Deathless. While many modern Vaikan regard this tale as highly exaggerated, the native Islerfians who escaped to an island to the north passed this legend on for generations regarding the adventurer as the Cleanser from Afar. The name of said adventurer is not recorded.

Founding of Codgele

Originating from Mt. Windhill, an ancient empire spread to the edge of the Yolpika mountains. The ancient Codgele Empire practiced a shamanistic religion that involved the worship of animals. Particularly, they believed dunecats were the avatars of the gods themselves. Thus, many statues of felines are found all over eastern Codgele, most notably the great statue carved into the mountains known as Guardian Dunecat.

The ancient Codgele people also used mummification as a means of preserving dead corpses. They even mummified dunecats which are can still be found in underground crypts not having decayed at all.

Founding of Feurcy

The people of Feurcy were among the first effectively utilize their bioelectricity which to them as known as "Maj". They formed smaller tribes of mystics and practiced complex rituals based on the orbits of the moons.

Founding of Joper

Explorers of the seas

The people of Joper had a head start with exploring the seas, particularly having established a major trading port at Shinereach Archipelago. Enduring near constant invasions by hostile Yolsark, they became a hardened, powerful naval force.

Founding of Paria

Lost tribes of the cactus jungles

The people of Paria adapted to the dense jungles of Tralgatar, an otherwise hostile location to the Vaikan who had difficulty in high humidity regions. Combined with braving the hostile life forms, the Parians thrived with a developing shamanistic culture.

Founding of Spason

The tribes of Spason founded their civilization near a great waterfall. Realizing the potential, they constructed a series of clockwork and gear mechanisms to create one of the world’s first hydropowered mechanisms. Overtime, they improved their designs and built these mechanisms out of steel. They deemed this great machine the Forever Engine. It brought upon an era of innovation leading to the construction of Tekka, the Clockwork City.

As a result, Spason became a society revolving around knowledge and engineering. It was one of the earliest cultures to actively reward intellectualism and free thought. Despite this, Spason became isolationist, not willing to share their technology. However, when they discovered that the Forever Engine could potentially harness the power of electricity within stored batteries, the world could not overlook it.