History
Two thousand years separate the Crescent from the Black Empire's fall, yet the Old King's stones still bear the realm's traffic while newer construction fails season by season. These histories trace what endures and what crumbles, for in the Crescent, ancient foundations determine present possibilities.
The Black Empire (1247-639 BNE)
For six centuries, the drow ruled from cities of impossible scale. Ilythiirnaris commanded territories across the known world.
The drak'hai cast off their draconic overlords in 2347 BNE, inspired by drow mastery, founding the city of Drakonheim in the frozen north.
The empire's impossible scale came from the Old King's mastery of forces that scholars still debate. His wardstone network and road system connected territories that had never before been safely traversable, enabling trade and communication across vast distances.
This achievement came at a cost. The Black Wind struck in 670 BNE—catastrophic storms and monster awakenings that devastated the empire's foundations. Whether this was divine retribution for the Old King's magical works, as many citizens believed, or mere coincidence, the disaster shattered public faith in his rule. Political collapse followed as territories abandoned the network they blamed for bringing calamity. By 639 BNE, even Ilythiirnaris was lost.
"The Old King's roads endure while his palaces crumble. One might wonder whether Malachar built his true legacy not in stone and gold, but in something far more persistent."
— Empires of Intent and Accident, p. 203
The Cities
From the empire's collapse came the cities that define the modern Crescent:
Quelenthalar (620 BNE) - Elves grew a living city protected by a thorn wall, becoming a haven for outcasts and fiendfolk.
Ecleptara (580 BNE) - Drow survivors became the Crescent's master navigators and diplomatic mediators, their star-charts guiding both ships and politics.
Bhel Kurzum (520 BNE) - Dwarves and duergar carved a vertical city into volcanic stone, their forges providing essential metalwork for the region.
Cairune (480 BNE) - Drak'hai raised a floating city, founding the cosmopolitan jewel of the Crescent.
Illyndra (347 BNE) - Built around a lake containing mysterious underwater ruins, becoming the Crescent's center of magical learning.
The Great Convocation and the Five Councils (0 ANE)
In 163 BNE, the last great alliance collapsed. Trade wars threatened the region. Representatives from the major cities met in what became known as the Great Convocation to forge a new compact.
The system they created still governs relations between the great powers. What was built for cooperation now bears the weight of suspicion.
Recent History
The Rain of Fire (473 ANE) - Meteors devastated Illyndra and Quelenthalar.
Skallgrim the Crimson Scourge (1225 ANE) - Claimed the ancient city of Drakonheim
The Tyrangor War (1315-1317 ANE) - External forces tested the Crescent's defenses.
Today
War refugees from the Tyrangor conflict strain the great cities. Wardstones fail more frequently. Scholars debate solutions while mysterious organizations work to maintain what remains.
Infrastructure Collapse
Each failed wardstone isolates communities further. It has been a few generations since a total wardstone failure, but some folks alive remember when the Elderlands were navigable.