THE SIXTH AGE OF URTHE: 2150 BCE—1 BCE

The Age of War—The Age of Fire—The Age of the Ram

This period concerns the rise of powerful early civilizations, such as the Greek and Roman empires. During this period religious, political, and ethnic differences became pronounced, dividing humans into a host of different groups. Belief systems and culture became codified. Civilizations became more advanced as the state emerged as a powerful entity. Increasingly, people groups became subjugated to other people groups. Transregional trade also became important, as groups from Europe, for example, traded with Asian groups via the Silk Road.

Greater Forces of the Age include the gods and goddesses of the Titans, as well as gods of Tyranny and the Dead.

The Age of Fire

Called the Age of Iron by the Dwarves, and The Arian Age by the Elves, this Age saw the nations of Man, Dwarf, and Elf expand until at last, clashes erupted at borders, and war sprang between them all. Though some individual Gnomes and Halflings were pressed into service on all sides, their kind generally stayed out of the warmongering of this age. Battle lines were drawn between racial groups, and within them.

Revenge of the Dark Princess

In 1628 BCE, an underground explosion destroyed the capital of the Grey Elven Nation of Anatolia. Some blame the Drow, and speak of the incident as “The Dark Princess’s Revenge”.

The Spread of the Weave

It was in this age that the Forces of Urthe freely gave magical control of the Weave to their Human worshippers: Arcane and Divine Magic crackled over the surface of the Young Urthe. During this age, The Force of Nothingness grew in strength, only to split into three new entities. Similarly, The Force of Chance split in two during this age, taking on two distinct and contrasting good and evil identities.

Though horses had been tamed, befriended, and occasionally mounted by the Elves since the Early ages, and had been used in the fields of farmers and as beasts of burden in the previous age, it was in the Age of War that Men first saddled them for riding, and for battle.

One leader of Men, a Cleric of the Force of Justice named Moses, aged 80 years, climbed Mount Sinai for the first time on Sunday May 18 in 1445 BC and delivered the Holy Tablets of Law (a Forceful artifact) to his followers. According to legend, this Cleric lives to 120 years of age.

Worshippers of different deities began to fight for the primacy of their faith over all others in a succession of destructive, decades-long conflicts now called “The Holy Wars”. Scribes report an Egyptian King (known as the “Living Spirit”) of possible Half-Elven descent began the earliest of these crusades in about 1350 BC, declaring The Force of Sun to be the supreme deity. Many sages speculate that Moses, Cleric of the Force of Justice and King of a neighboring Human nation, was inspired by “The Living Spirit”‘s ruthless example, and declared his Patron Force to be the “One True God” and his countrymen to be a “Chosen People”. Such wars as these spread over the Urthe.

Sunday May 18 in 965 BC is the start date for Solomon’s Temple in the Fourth Year of his 40-year Reign. The End of King Solomon’s Reign in 929 BC. On Monday July 21 in 526 BC, the High Elvish army enters Jerusalem and starts burning the Temple. The battle is over 3 days later on Thursday July 24: This date marks the end of the Reigns of the Southern Kings of Israel along with the destruction of Jerusalem and Solomon’s Temple. The completion of the Jerusalem Wall at the End of the Babylonian Exile: Sunday September 8 in 455 BC.

Rise of the Titans

Titans and their gods appear on Urthe in this age, and immediately clash with the Giants, and their gods.

In the middle of this Age, the Dwarves mined the first Mithril, (which is named after its discoverer’s sovereign, King Mithras); Elves and Men alike lusted after this “true silver”. Many wars were fought over this rare metal during this age (though it appears that men had little success in these ventures, with most of the known spoils of Mithril ending up in Elvish or Dwarvish hands).

As this bloody SIXTH age wore on, Aom stirred…