Zeladin

Zeladin is one of the nine major landmasses of the world of Estoria. It is comprised currently of three countries: Ekhearth, Zeel, and Telestrate. It is also home to a section of unclaimed land known as the Badlands, and hosts the Lake of Wastes, the Rustcap mountains, and the Sarahim desert. .

History
In its initial days, it was primarily occupied by the giants and the humans. The giants populated the majority of Zeel and Telestrate, as well as what would eventually become the Badlands. The majority of what is now Ekhearth was occupied by the humans, as well as a handful of loose fey. Humanity began to get its roots, spreading far and wide and creating small villages and towns, populating all the way from the eastern coast to the central savannas that would eventually become the Sarahim desert. The aarakocra also lived in Zeladin, residing largely in the Rustcap mountains, at the north western point of modern day Ekhearth.

Around the year 203 of the Secular Era the first imperial elves, guided by the first elves Ipomea and Hypernius, land on Zeladin. They are divided in their opinions of humans, and a schism occurs between the elves, resulting in roughly 30% of the elves, led by Hypernius, traveling west. In the year 250, dwarves arrive, and stake claim in the north eastern area of modern day Ekhearth as well as the lower eastern portion of modern day Zeel. Tensions between imperial elves and dwarves boil over into the human race as well, resulting in a large war between the three races. The war is fought over land and resource disputes, as well as racial tensions. Eventually a fourth party joins the fray as well; a legion of chromatic dragons fleeing the Serpent's Clutch for lack of freedom follow the dwarven ships to Zeladin. Few alliances are found, with only humans and elves capable of providing any diplomacy between each other, and the warring continues until approximately year 512 of the Secular Era.

In the year 512, a group largely comprised of humans succeeded in bestowing a name to an Abyssal creature and raising it to the Prime Material plane. This creature took the name Delvish. The war greatly empowered Delvish, who amassed strength by consuming the souls of the dead. Through various rituals, Delvish was raised to a deity rivaling the strength of the titans. However, Delvish remained on the Prime Material, not passing the Divine Gate.

Delvish brought with him a fiendish incursion which the other races fought to drive back, ceasing their own war for a united front. Celestadon granted a specific and strange power to the first four humans who still lived; they were turned into Theophages, beings that could consume raw divine power. They were sent to do battle with the demon, however in their mission, Yenn was slain by a spire of demonic power. The others retreated, and Delvish reached out to them, offering to restore their now lost immortality, should they give up their Theophage essence. Leonia and Aurelia denied, however Draymon, afraid of his own demise, agreed. Draymon was stripped from his Theophage ability and was then stricken down and raised again by Delvish, resulting in his new life as the first vampire. Draymon was driven to madness by the newfound thirst for blood from his now vampiric nature, and killed and drained his love, Leonia, in this madness. Aurelia, now the sole surviving human, sought out Celestadon, who made a pact with the other four titans to choose a set of champions who could fell Delvish. Celestadon with the titans would craft specialized weapons for each of these champions, who would be named Furies. Celestadon chose Aurelia, and chose her to choose the other champions at her side. Thus began a 50 year period where the titans kept the god Delvish at bay while the four races staved off his demonic forces.

During this 50 year period, the first of the halflings arrived on Zeladin, bringing with them a variety of crafting materials. Also during this time, Aurelia chose her champions: a blue-scaled dragonborn named Scarlett, a dwarven woman named Lumina, an elven woman named Draina, and a halfling woman named Alia. The titans forged for these women a set of weapons. Dilandia crafted a blade called Stormfury; Porphyr, a hammer called Ashfury; Etisan, a fine rapier called Windfury; and Golt, a woodcutter's axe, called Woodfury. Celestadon worked alone to craft Aurelia's weapon, a spear dubbed Soulfury, and capable in theory of killing Delvish, a divine being. These women charged into battle against Delvish and Draymon, his loyal supporter. Scarlett, Lumina, and Aurelia did battle with Delvish himself, while Draina and Alia fought against Draymon in the temple that had been erected in what had become a desert landscape in the center of Zeladin. The fight with Draymon resulted in the death of Alia, and the turning of Draina into a vampire. The fight with Delvish was hard fought, but ultimately successful, and it is said his form was torn asunder.

When Aurelia and the others pursued Draymon, it is written that Aurelia slew her brother for what he had done to Alia, but in reality he was allowed to escape and live out his days in shame. With Delvish gone, the fiendish forces lost their anchor to the Prime Material, and were cast back into the abyss. A peaceful accord was struck between humans, dwarves, elves, and dragons to function together though somewhat independently of one another. Ekhearth was founded as the first nation. Its early capital was the oasis town of Runethall, constructed by Aurelia herself. Four major cities followed: Nilphthall, established by the elves within the Nemusmiror, aka the forest of wonders; Merrithall, founded by the dwarves beneath the Rustcap Mountains; Drakethall, established by the chromatic dragons; and Antithall, founded by the human population along the eastern coast of Ekhearth. This port would operate until much of the trade with the elven and dwarven homelands ceased.

A tentative peace began across the nation of Zeladin. Aurelia hesitantly led the nation from Runethall for ten years before a proper royal family was decided upon. The Cradle family was made the first royal family of Ekhearth, and for two generations they ruled from Runethall before shifting the capital to the city of Antithall. Their family stayed in power for the first 115 years of Ekhearth's history before inevitable power disputes resulted in the crown falling into unmemorable hands over the next 70 years, with no family managing to hold on longer than 10 at a given time. Eventually, in the year 186 the Wrathspire family came in to power. Originally led by Gervasius Wrathspire, they were a violent and tyrannical rulership that maintained an iron fist on the crown until the year 350, when they were ousted by the Mordover family. The Mordover family would rule until year 432, when the last remaining members of the Mordover family, King Ezreal Mordover, his wife, and his two children were assassinated, and the throne was taken by Kort Selzeer.