History of Tilenno

Lake of Gantes
The lake of Gantes is considered one of the cradles of human civilization. It provided a patch of fertile land in the arid mountainous desert of Tilenno. With its regular flooding twice a year, both from the river Kústes and the river Perta, the land was perfectly suited for agriculture.

They mostly grew tiresta, a thick, calorie heavy grain which served many culinary purposes. Other cultivated crops included honey tomatoes, white carrots and serela, a sweet berry used to make the traditional Tilennan drink, shizae.

They also kept a variety of animals mostly in the grass patches near the mountains, which were unsuited for agriculture. This included animals like the Odeitan Ox, Cloud Alpaca and Serelian Turkey.

We can divide this time period up into 3 distinct era’s: the first civilizations, the Terukian era and downfall of the ancient civilizations

The first civilizations (4200 - 2000 BCE)
The earliest recorded evidence of human civilization can be dated back to 4200 BCE, but researchers speculate that there may have been earlier ones. Some claiming as far back as 6000 BCE, but this remains open for speculation.

Clay tablets with proto-Tilennan script were found in the ruins of Teruko, in modern Ytriva. Translated in 1987, they explain multiple ancient myths, trading details and wars. The most well-known myths are the Tilennan creation myth and the story of Mareiso. These tablets also proved the existence of an ancient trading route through the Kaesami Desert, nicknamed the Canyon Trail.

The last big discovery made in these texts was the epic tale of the Pan-Gantian War, in which all the big kingdoms surrounding the lake of Gantes clashed in a war so enormous, the sun didn't set for an entire month, not to miss out on the events of war. Eventually the kingdom of Teruko won, and established its dominance around the lake, starting the Terukian era. The real war this story was based on is believed to have taken place around 2000 BCE.

Terukian Era (2000 - 1200 BCE)
Generally the Terukian era was a peaceful and prosperous time in Tilennan history. Teruko controlled the majority of the land around the Gantian Lake and established itself as the cultural and economic center of that time. Teruko was a, but it was notably a male-preference. During Terukian rule there were 3 known occasions where a queen sat on the throne.

Many different forms of art could flourish, like poetry, philosophy, mathematics, architecture, music, theatre and visual arts. The foundations of Lonakean religion are also believed to be created during this time by Taumàsae of Umia, as culture shifted away from the traditional pantheon to more abstract thinking and philosophy. Lonakae however wasn't really common until much later with the Terukian revival.

During this age people from Gantes first sailed out and settled the islands of the Atrivan and later the Lamosan sea. The first city to be founded was Glikaero, which grew out to become one of the major Tilennan settlements.

The ancient city of Teruko is located north of Teruko Kitrae further up the Kústes river.

Downfall (1200 BCE)
Around 1200 BCE tides began to change for Teruko. The exact causes of the downfall are unknown but it is believed a combination of multiple natural disasters and raids of the northern steppe people that drove the civilization into chaos. Many people fled to the islands which caused a shift in the economic balance between Gantes and the islands. The Terukian kingdom collapsed into smaller city-states which would kickstart the sailing era. The city of Teruko was completely destroyed during these events and people moved downstream to establish Ytriva.

Rise of the City-States (1200 - 1073 BCE)
Following the downfall of the Teruukian Kingdom, city-states rose up from the major settlements of the Teruukian Era. The four most important were Ytriva, originating from the people of the devasted city of Teruko, Glikaero, the largest city-state on the islands and main trading hub for the rest of the islands, Lagora, Located on the Teleran isthmus between the Lamosan   Sea and Tethys Ocean and Hireno, situated on the delta between the Atrivian Sea and Gantian Lake, controlling the trade between these two.

This era is mainly characterised by the city-states trying to get a grip on their internal politics and stop the turmoil caused by the downfall. Trade in these times was minimal, although still existing. For this reason Tilennan culture stagnated during this period and in some aspects it even degraded. Many ancient texts were lost due to neglect and the Great Fire of Glikaero in 1148 BCE.

Great Glikaeran Outreach (1073 - 1054 BCE)
In 1073 the city state of Glikaero had finally reached enough stability again and was the first one to reinstate a connection between the Tilennan cities. It's influence on the other islands during this period grew significantly and it created the Diamond Island Alliance with Glikaero itself functioning as the de facto capital and main trading and military power.

The other city states, especially Hireno and Ytriva didn't like the prominence of Glikaero in the Atrivan Sea and started to avoid it as a trading route, giving preference to the Calm Coasts trading routes to reach the Lamosan Sea and Tetys Ocean by land. In doing so, they cut Glikaero of from their trade, creating the Lamosan-Gantian Axis

The Diamond Island Alliance however, with it's growing population, couldn't sustain itself without the trade from the fertile lands of Gantes and were forced to either loosen their grip on the Atrivan Sea or go to war with the Axis.

First War of Seas (1054 - 982 BCE)
In 1054 BCE the Diamond Island Alliance finally took action and tried to invade the Region of Limones to cut of the trade between Lamosa and Gantes. They left in secret and arrived at night on the shores of Shudero and invaded the town in what is known as the Night of the dying Star. When news of the invasion reached the other states, they immediately sent their armies to hold back the Alliances forces.

Hireno however was unwilling to participate in the war and refused to send aid. Meanwhile the Alliance went along the Tranquill Coast untill they were halted in Setaeho by the Axis, where the invaders lost the battle of Setaeho and were forced to retreat back to Shudero. There they got surrounded by the Axis and fought the first naval battle in Shudero, which got named the Burning of the Sea in 1052 BCE, which they won effectively destroying the connection between Lamosa and Gantes.

Hireno, which had been neutral till this point, switched to the side of the Diamond Islands, Complety cutting of any possible trade to Gantes. Multiple city-states in Gantes followed the example of Hireno and switched side. Ytriva however didn't switch and continued to fight against the Alliance.

The Occupation of Shudero lasted untill 984 BCE, when the Lagorian forces finally took back the city in the third naval battle of Shudero. When the news hit Gantes they left the alliance, ending the First War of Seas.

Setting Sail (982 - 723 BCE)
When the Alliance was defeated they needed to find resources elsewhere and set sail for the unexplored south setting up some colonies that provided food for the islands. The colonies grew and the Atrivan islands became richer than the other city states.

Lamosa wasn't going to just let this happen and set sail for the west and found the uninhabited island group of Latanga, providing them with sugar and exotic spices not found on the mainland. This was also the start of the West Tethys colonization. Both Seas built up their forces untill it came to a second confrontation.

This time was also the start of the Terukian revival. There was more freedom in thinking and this caused the teachings of Taumases to rise in influence in favor of the ancient Tilennan Pantheon. Lonakae quickly became the biggest religion over the next 2 and a half centuries. The Atrivian city states were also reformed using these teaching and moved from a to a  system, where one leader is voted for by the elite and one by the general populous.

Second war of Seas (723 - 680 BCE)
Tension rose between Atriva and Lamosa and in 723 it came to a second conflict, however this time Gantes kept neutral. Lagora took the initiative and attacked the Taeki Islands, which resulted in the Battle that Burnt the Earth. This left the Taeki Islands completly scorched, salted and uninhabitable for decades. Both armies took heavy casualties and retreated.

2 years after the clash in Taeki, Glikaero invaded the city of Ganges on the Onisian Islands and managed to capture it. Lagorian forces were unable to retake the city and Onisia joined Atriva. Lamosa reacted to this by attacking the heart of Atriva by sieging Glikaero itself in 715. The siege lasted 17 years and caused Glikaero to stumble into political chaos after Lamosa managed to install a sea blockade. The Artivan Alliance fell apart and Lamosa won the war in 680.

Great Colonial Golden Age (680 - 467 BCE)
Once again Glikaero found itself defeated and gave up on the pursuit of war. Instead they focussed their attention on the southern lands and installed a colonial empire. The was abolished and made way for a.

The Lamosans on the other hand expanded westward and found more small islands, but also settled in some of the southern territories, but weren't nearly as present there as the Atrivan states. Their main conquest during this period was focussed on the northern lands of Katouro, which held lots of useful metals like copper and iron. Katouro for the rest was a dry and mountainous area and didn't provide a huge agricultural advantage.

Tensions between the two seas generally warmed up and trade between the different city states flourished, now with more exotic produce like spices, sugar and exotic fruits from the colonies. Especially the city of Hireno benifitted a lot from trade during this era, as it held the only way in a and out of Gantes by sea.

Going South (467 - 385 BCE)
The city stated kept on exploring further south. They didn't encounter a lot of major civilizations along the way, affirming their beliefs that Tilenno was the center of the world and that cultural could only be developed there. This all changed when in 467 BCE they finnaly hit the Paracas Empire (Modern day SiWallqanqa). Amazed that other civilizations like them existed, explorers brought home as much foreign items as they could back to Tilenno.

Once word got out that an entirely different type of people existed, many went out to see it for theirself and bring back riches, by either trading or pillaging. The most important thing brought back from the Paracas empire was the potato, revolutionizing Tilennan cuisine and growing the food reserves.

But not all people were so happy about this discovery and this drove Tilenno in a cultural and religious crisis starting in 385 BCE.

Great Potato Crises (385 - 363 BCE)
Following the discovery of the Paracas Empire, Tilenno discovered it was not alone on this rock floating in space, which shocked rulers and priests all across the city states. This led to a disbelief in the Lonakae teachings and caused major protests and rebellion among the population. Many temples were destroyed, although many were later rebuilt and served a different function, rulers were dethroned and in general a major cultural shift spread across the states.

People were desperate for an explanation and were thus susceptable to strong leaders who could provide a solution to this crisis. Lagora was the first city to establish control over the situation, by altering Lonakean teachings to fit this new worldview. It decided to use this choas to expand its influence and quickly formed an Lamosan alliance which kickstarted the 3rd war of seas.

Third war of Seas (363 - 334 BCE)
Amidst the choas of the potato crises Lagora and its allies mobilised their navies to invade the other Tilennan city states, while they where still figuring out how to deal with the cultural upheaval. As most states lacked good leadership and the ability to effectively assemble an army, it didn't take long before Lagora controlled most of the Tilennan World.

The battle for Glikaero of 337 only took 3 months before the once great state of Glikaero fell to the Lamosans.

The fall of Hireno in 334 marked the end of the war as soon after the Gantian states willingly surrendered to Lagora.

Lagorian Rule (334 - 298 BCE)
Lagora controlled the Tilennan world for a good 3 decades. While at first providing rest from the cultural crisis, rebellions soon errupted everywhere in their territories. While conquering the territories was easy, controlling them, especially after stability had returned, proved incredibly difficult. The Lagorian installed rulers of the different provinces tended to be assassinated regularly, taxes were refused to be payed and Lagora barely kept the control over their provinces.

In 304 BCE the Gantian city states banded together to overthrow the foreign rule and succeeded in doing so in 302 BCE. Soon after the Atrivan city states did the same and in 298 BCE Lagorian rule was overthrown.