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, the largest of which were the Osraí who lived on the island now known as Arzell, were preparing to make their final stand against the onslaught from the East when a priestess saw an omen urging the people to flee into the west. The majority of the Osraí and many clans of refugees from the tribes whose territory had already been lost elect to put their faith in their namesake goddess and prepare a massive fleet of ships while the remainder fought the invaders. In late 57 BCE, the Osraí sail west with their fleet of ships and 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 islands that would become 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 city of Carria is established on the spot, with a great temple erected on the site of the omen.

For the next three centuries, the clans and tribal remnants expanded across the archipelago, founding cities and petty kingdoms as they expanded their reach across the islands. With the exceptions of the Breconese and the Vadrans, the remnants of the various Celtic tribal groups were slowly subsumed 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 more than three centuries of relatively peaceful expansion, the clans and petty kingdoms ran out of virgin territory into which they could grow, 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 adequately balance between the mutitude of rival groups and ultimately withdrew from the politics of the islands, instead focusing on securing its power base in Carria.

On every island, wars were waged over perceived and real insults, disputes over resources, or simply for the prestige gained by fighting. Eventually, city-states and petty kingdoms were formed as clans banded together for protection and to pool their resources against their rivals. These, in turn, absorbed other such states as they sought to expand their power and influence over their local areas. Ultimately, this process reduced the number of kingdoms from over three hundred to thirteen. Each island was held by at least one kingdom, with the exceptions being Oileán Mór, which was divided between Kenlis, Belmont, and Dorise, Oileán Glasa, which was held by Arless, Dorise, and Lisnarick, and Oileán Fada which was divided between Lanark and Strade.

Age of Unification (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 Belmont, uniting the two kingdoms and gaining dominion over three-quarters of the island, before demanding the submission of the King of Dorise, which was given after the Kenlisi and Belmontese armies defeated the Dorisi and took the king prisoner.

Cerball then turned his attention to Oileán Glasa, in which he allied with the King of Arless, giving him the lands on the island that had been held by Dorise and helped him conquer Lisnarick. The two kings then secured the submission of the kings of Ederne and Tarvi, 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 Strade, 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 Strade's attacks, and the talks went nowhere. Cerball instead waged a six-year war against Strade, finally defeating them at the Battle of Cranford and capturing his rival. In exchange for his life, the King of Strade 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 Carria 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 Carria 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 islands under Kenlisi suzerainty. [[Category:Ossoria]