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 along the western coastal regions of Eracura. Despite ferocious resistance from the Celtic tribes, the invaders slowly yet steadily advanced towards the coast, finally reaching the sea after nearly a century of warfare. The island tribes, most of whom were Gàidhlig peoples such as the Osraí from the westernmost islands, were preparing to make their final stand against the Fir an Oirthir onslaught when a priestess saw an omen which urged her people to flee across the sea into the west. Left with few other options, many of the Osraí and refugees from the other tribes chose to follow the omen and prepared a great fleet of ships while the remainder chose to fight the invaders for as long as possible.

In 56 BCE, the Osraí sailed into the west with their ships while the the last remaining holdouts finally fell to the invaders. Unfortunately for the evacuees, they had to endure four months of stormy seas, disease outbreaks, scattered ships, and other hardships in their difficult crossing. Finally, in late 56 BCE, the fleet's advance scouts discovered the Oileáin an Iarthair, the Western Islands, for which they had fled from the invading Fir an Oirthir.

Age of Settlement (56 BCE-283 CE)

In October of 56 BCE, the main body of the fleet made landfall on what would come to be called Oileán Scríofa, intending to celebrate the Samhain festival and overwinter on the island. According to tradition, on the day of the Samhain celebration, a pure white doe entered the camp and laid down in the central clearing. The chief priestess declared this to be a sign from the goddess Osraí that they had reached the land of refuge they had been promised when they had decided to flee from the invaders. The announcement was met with great rejoicing by the people and after the festival, the people began to build their first settlement in their new land. The holy city of Armacht was thus established, with a great temple complex dedicated to Osraí and the other gods erected on what is traditionally reputed to be the exact site upon which the omen was witnessed.

Over the course of the next two centuries, the Celts 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, who had left the main body early and established their own enclaves in the western islands, the remainder of the tribal remnants were assimilated into the numerically dominant Osraí tribe, their traditions and languages syncretized into a new culture underpinned by a shared religious and social framework.

Age of Warring Kings (283-793 CE)

After two centuries of relatively peaceful expansion, the Celts ran out of unclaimed territory into which they could expand, and increasing competition for resources between the petty kingdoms led to the sudden outbreak of endemic warfare across the entire archipelago by the end of the 3rd Century CE. The Druidic Circle, once a unifying and calming influence across the islands, proved unable to maintain the peace between the warring parties and ultimately decided to withdraw from the now chaotic situation, and turned their attention instead to securing their position in Armacht.

The next five hundred years became known as the Aois na Ríthe Cogaíochta, the Age of Warring Kings. Throughout the islands, countless unending wars were waged over insults both real and perceived, disputes over resources no matter how petty, or simply for the prestige to be gained by fighting. Ultimately, this process reduced the number of kingdoms from over seven hundred to a mere thirteen. On the smaller islands, a single king managed to exert control over the entire land, but on the larger islands multiple kingdoms held each other in a delicate balance. The great island of Oileán Mór was divided between the three kingdoms of Kenlis, Gabhrán, and Doire; the kingdoms of Ardliss, Doire, and Iúraigh divided the island of Oileán Glasa between them; and Lanark and Sràid split the island of Oileán Fada.

Unification Wars (807-824 CE)

In the dawning years of the 9th Century CE, Cerball Ó Sionán assumed the kingship of Kenlis and embarked on a campaign to unite the island of Oileán Mór. His first move was to break the stalemate on the island by marrying Queen Niamh of Gabhrán, uniting the two kingdoms and gaining dominion over three-quarters of the island. He next demanded the submission of King Odhrán of Doire, which was obtained after the Kenlisi and Gabhráni armies defeated the Doirese and took the king prisoner.

With Oileán Mór under his control, Cerball next turned his attention to Oileán Glasa. He formed an alliance with the King of Ardliss, granting him the lands on the island that had been held by the Dorise and helped him conquer to conquer Iúraigh, putting the island under his control. The allied kings then secured the submission of the King of Dídean and the Queen of Syllan, neither of whom had any wish for a battle they could not win. Finally, Cerball secured his hold on the Eastern Islands with a marriage alliance with Firada, marrying one of his sisters to the elderly Queen's son and heir.

The Eastern Islands now secured, Cerball turned his attention to the Western Islands in 817 CE. 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, the King of Lanark. The sole holdout was the realm of the Breconese, who were fiercely independent and their southern island was a frequent target for raids from the neighboring Dòrnachi. Cerball attempted to make an alliance with the Breconese, but they were as wary of his apparent ambitions as they were of Sràid's, and so they declined his overtures. Cerball went on to wage a six-year war against the King of Sràid, finally defeating his army at the Battle of Cailtidh and capturing him. 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 824 CE. In exchange for their submission and tribute and sending hostages to Kenlis, the quantity of each determined by the manner in which their submission had been secured, each of the seven subordinate 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 Áth Dara