History of Ossoria

Early History

Age of Loss (157-56 BCE)

Starting in 157 BCE, a group known as the Fir an Oirthir (Men of the East) began pushing into the territories of the Celtic tribes in Western Eracura. Despite ferocious resistance from the Celts, the invaders steadily advanced towards the coast, crushing one tribe after another. After a century of warfare, the Fir an Oirthir had reached the islands off the coast. The local tribes, most of whom were Gàidhlig peoples such as the Osraí and which lived on the westernmost islands, were preparing to make their final stand against the onslaught from the East when a priestess saw an omen urging the people to flee across the sea into the west. The majority of the Osraí and many refugees from the other tribes chose to put their faith in the sign and prepared a massive fleet of ships while the remainder fought the invaders. In 57 BCE, the Osraí sailed into the west with their ships and one by one the remaining islands fell to the invaders. The fleet endured storms, disease, and a host of other hardships in its long crossing. Finally, in late 56 BCE, the fleet discovers the Oileáin an Iarthair, the Western Islands that would later become known as the Ossorian Home Islands.

Age of Settlement (56 BCE-383 CE)

In October of 56 BCE, the core of the fleet makes landfall on what would be called Oileán Scríofa, intending to celebrate the Samhain festival and winter on the island. On the day of the Samhain celebration, a pure white doe enters the camp and lays down in the central clearing of the main camp. The chief priestess declares this to be a sign from the goddess Osraí that they had reached the land they had been promised when they had fled the year before. The holy city of Armacht is established on the spot, with a great temple erected on what is reputed to be the exact site upon which the omen was witnessed.

For the next three centuries, the clans and tribal remnants expanded across the unpopulated archipelago, establishing strongholds and petty kingdoms as they expanded their reach across the islands. With the exceptions of the Breconese and the Dòrnachi, the people of most of the remaining Celtic tribal groups were assimilated by the numerically dominant Osraí clans during this time, their traditions and languages syncretized into a new culture underpinned by a shared religious and social framework.

Age of Strife (383-793 CE)

After three centuries of relatively peaceful expansion, the clans and petty kingdoms ran out of unoccupied territory into which they could expand, and competition for resources led to the outbreak of endemic warfare across the entire archipelago by the end of the 4th Century CE. The Druidic Circle, once a unifying and calming influence across the islands, was unable to mediate between the multitude of rival groups and ultimately decided to withdraw from active participation in the politics of the clans, instead focusing on securing its position in Armacht.

On every island, wars were waged over insults both real and perceived, disputes over resources, or simply for the prestige to be gained by fighting another clan. Eventually, city-states and petty kingdoms were formed as neighboring clans banded together for greater protection from common rivals and to pool their resources. These, in turn, absorbed other such nascent states as they sought to expand their power and influence over their local areas. Ultimately, this process reduced the number of kingdoms from over five hundred to thirteen. Each island came to be held by at least one kingdom, with the exceptions being Oileán Mór (divided between Kenlis, Gabhrán, and Doire), Oileán Glasa (divided between Ardliss, Doire, and Iúraigh), and Oileán Fada (divided between Lanark and Sràid).

Unification Wars (793-827 CE)

In the late 8th Century CE, Cerball Silven assumed the kingship of Kenlis and embarked on a campaign to unite the island of Oileán Mór. He began by marrying the Queen of Gabhrán, uniting the two kingdoms and gaining dominion over three-quarters of the island, before demanding the submission of the King of Doire, which was given after the Kenlisi and Gabhráni armies defeated the Doirese and took the king prisoner.

Cerball then turned his attention to Oileán Glasa, in which he allied with the King of Ardliss, giving him the lands on the island that had been held by Dorise and helped him conquer Iúraigh. The two kings then secured the submission of the kings of Dídean and Syllan, who had no wish for a battle they could not win, and Cerball secured an alliance with Fira by marrying one of his sisters to the Queen's son.

With the Eastern Islands secured by 819 CE, Cerball turned his attention to the Western Islands. The King of Sràid, watching Cerball's moves with growing alarm, had embarked on a similar campaign, allying with the kings of the outlying islands before conquering his rival in Lanark. The sole holdout were the Breconese, who were fiercely independent and had a long history of being the target of raids from Oileán Fada. Cerball attempted to make an alliance with the Breconese, but they were as wary of his ambition as they were of Sràid's attacks, and the talks went nowhere. Cerball instead waged a six-year war against Sràid, finally defeating them at the Battle of Cailtidh and capturing his rival. In exchange for his life, the King of Sràid submitted to Cerball, as did his allies.

Cerball then summoned all the conquered and allied kings to a standing stone located atop a hill outside the city of Kenlis, and declared himself High King on 20 November 825 CE. In exchange for their submission and tribute and sending of hostages to Kenlis, the quantity of each determined by the manner in which their submission had been secured, each of the seven kings would be left to rule their kingdoms under the protection of the High King as his vassals. The treaty formalizing this arrangement was given to the Circle in Armacht for safekeeping, and a key to the vault in which this treaty was stored was given to each king as proof of their being party to it. As part of this treaty, they gathered in Armacht for midwinter to discuss the events of their kingdoms and seek judgement from the High King in various disputes. The King of Brecon, seeing this, agreed to submit to the High King at the second midwinter gathering in 827 CE, completing the unification of the archipelago under Kenlisi suzerainty.

The Legislaturist War (1859-1866)

Battle of Ármhach