Dwilight University/History/A Brief History of Central Toprak

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A Brief History of Central Toprak

Facts for this article were collected from the Dwilight Timeline, the local histories of Aquilegia and D'Hara, and my own private archives. Details gleamed for the Morek Empire, Luria Nova and Solaria were either scant or non-existent. Of all, Solaria has no amount of recorded history.

Originally I was going to do an in depth look at each of the regions of Central Toprak, their specific histories and troubles, but I feel that the survey below has given you a better impression of the area than zooming in any further would. This work is supposed to be a brief history of the whole area in general, not a scrutinized nit-pick of each individual realm. That much detail doesn’t belong here.

In many ways, Central Toprak is a hinge between High Toprak, Toprak Minor and the Tomb Islands. By this, its history and culture are inextricably gravitated to and orbited by those regions. This article is an historical survey of Central Toprak from 5 YD to 22 YD. Themes of this work includes geography, general diplomacy and brief summaries of Central Toprakian realms.

Geography

Compass wise, if Balance's Retreat is the centre than North is above the stronghold (including Nyuushi and Shyussei), East is on the right side of the stronghold (including Fatexna and Ashrak), South is below the stronghold (including Flying Hongrns) and West is on the left of the stronghold (including Axewild).

Toprak is divided into two zones at its belly by a division known as the Ironsides Line. Central Toprak sits on the Ironsides Line and is crowned by a new dividing line I call the Bowie Line. Central Toprak, then, is the area beneath the Bowie Line and above the Ironsides Line. Just as Dwilight is divided into Toprak and Occidens, and just as Toprak is divided into High Toprak and Toprak Minor, Central Toprak, a subdivision of High Toprak, is divided into three regions.

The three regions of Central Toprak are the Sallowsite Cape, the Divide Mountains and the Flow Peninsula. The extent of each of these regions is debatable, especially the Sallowsite Cape and sometimes even the Flow Peninsula. For the purpose of this project I will define these regions in the following way. The Sallowsite Cape is north and west of the Divide Mountains. It includes the city of Sallowtown, Sallowwild, the Desert of Silhouettes, Girich, Axewild, Nyuushi and Shyussei. The Divide Mountains is the centre of Central Toprak. It includes the North, West and South Divide Mountain range, the stronghold of Balance’s Retreat and Alley of Swords. The Flow Peninsula is east of the mountain range. It includes the city of Flowrestown, Flow, Turbul, Tranquil, Fatexna and Ashrak.

Survey of Central Toprakian Nobility

The identities of all Central Toprakian nobles, past and present, either fall into or are derivatives of three distinct cultures of Dwilight; the Morekans, the D’Harans and the Lurians. Central Toprak is the fusion point between all three of these peoples. One cannot say that any of these cultures had more or less impact than the rest. Each of them affected Central Toprak directly or indirectly in their own way and in their own time. The first to step into Central Toprak was Old Morek in 5 YD when they established Aquilegia in the Flow Peninsula. Aquilegia collapsed circa 13 YD. The D’Harans stepped in next when they conquered Sallowtown in 6 YD, but lost the city after only one season until reclaiming it in 17 YD. They retain the majority of the Sallowsite Cape to this day. Lurian culture first entered the area when Solaria extended to Balance’s Retreat in 19 YD. Solaria collapsed circa 20-21 YD. Luria Nova also contributed a brief Lurian mark when it invaded deep into the Sallowsite Cape against D’Hara during the war of 19 to 21 YD. Luria Nova lost the territories by the end of the war except for Girich. The Morek Empire conquered the Flow Peninsula in 20 YD. In 21 YD, they established Swordfell out of the Flow Peninsula along with the last patch of Solaria. Ashrak remains a Morekan region.

Indigenous Horizons

The two weather zones of Central Toprak are East Desert and East Pastureland, with the cape and the mountains being in the desert zone and the peninsula in the pasture zone.

Central Toprak has yet to forge its own indigenous culture since there hasn’t been a realm situated there long enough to create one. Both the Flow Peninsula and the Sallowsite Cape boast ancient native epics which have faded from the memories of most Central Toprakians. Swordfell is in the early stages of creating the Fellish people and hopes the identity lasts.

Much of Central Toprak’s current diplomatic and political policies originate outside the region. The majority religion is Astromancy, which stems from the Dongeselands just above. Generally speaking, the region of the Flow Peninsula has seen the most turmoil and military conflict. The Sallowsite Cape has also experienced times of warfare. Of all three cities, Flowrestown has seen the most bloodshed due to the many rebellions, the Plague, and the Civil War of Aquilegia. Balance’s Retreat is considered the most spiritual and mystical city of Central Toprak followed by the Desert of Silhouettes. The Alley of Swords produces the most monsters and undead. The top two vacationing spots of Central Toprak are the beaches of Flowrestown and the mountain ranges of the Divide Mountains. The Sallowsite Cape also sports beaches on the Qubel Channel and the Middle Sea, but none as beautiful as those on the oceanside. Nyuushi and Shyussei share the Syunjitwild forest but are two regions least explored or civilized.

Bowie Ironsides,

Winter of 22 YD (or the 26th of March, 2013)