The History of The Skeld

The history of The Skeld is marked by the rise and fall of civilizations, shaped by the mysterious godsfalls - the deaths of ancient beings whose metallic remains grant incredible power to those who wield them. This timeline chronicles eight great periods, alternating between light and darkness, prosperity and strife.

The Eight Great Periods

1. Rise of the Godling (Light Period)

The first age began with catastrophe. When the first rain of metal decimated most tribes, a young warrior named Kazzador witnessed his father touch a cursed stone from the sky. As his tribe faced starvation and war, Kazzador crafted a spear from the cursed rock and bone from their recent hunt.

In a legendary duel with Turok of an invading tribe, Kazzador destroyed a metal meteor about to strike both armies and proclaimed himself their leader. Returning to find his mother and sister dead from the godsfall, he tore his hair out in agony, proclaiming to be forever bald. Thus began the reign of The Godling, who united the scattered tribes through the power of cursed iron.

2. The Fragmented Kingdom (Dark Period)

After the Godling's death, his heirs split the united kingdom into fragments. The most notable heir, Kronis the Orc, possessed the original Spear of The Godling and used it to raid the sacred Thorn Grove, burning half of it and stealing the Staff of Reincarnation.

3. Pinnacle of Ironeus (Dark Period)

This era saw the worship of iron and strength guide civilization. Tribes fought brutal wars over iron as the premium resource, with the strongest ruling through semi-annual competitions. The Ghost Lion tribe discovered the secret of forging steel, revolutionizing warfare and craftsmanship.

4. Reign of the Neo-Psionic Wind Runners (Light Period)

When Lizzale, a witch and grandmother of Leimwrein, discovered the body of the fallen god Silvanus decades after its death, she crafted the first silver circlet and became the first psionic. By distilling potions from silver godsfall, she unlocked mental powers - though most babies fed these potions died in the process.

The Wind Runners used their psionic abilities to cause the heads of opponents to explode, ruling through fear and terror. Under Limonia's leadership, they governed with "force with balance," using foresight to maintain control.

5. Rapture of the Gods (Dark Period)

Multiple godsfalls occurred during this chaotic period. The Cult of Amalgam began hunting the ancient Behemoths, trying to combine multiple gods' blood for ultimate power. Gormedius secretly gathered metal from all godsfalls to forge the Gorglaive, an ultimate weapon of destruction.

As Behemoths were slain, cities grew around godsfall sites. Coppurniam was founded around the orange-hued spire of Coppas metal. The last followers of Ironeus sealed away the four remaining Behemoths to protect them from extinction.

6. The Enlightenment (Light Period)

Civilization finally found respite to grow in arts, culture, religion, and technology. Steam geysers appeared across The Skeld after the death of Steathem the Walking Mist, and children's play with gusher treats led to harnessing steam power for energy.

Tribes began honoring Behemoths through giant architecture and mountain carvings. A secret society of religious leaders performed rituals to rebirth Behemoths with opposite qualities to their predecessors.

7. The Rebirth Era (Light Period)

Kolleran (Kazzador reincarnated as an orc) founded the magnificent city of Sky Forge - a city of iron held aloft by a massive steel pillar three miles high. Here, followers of Ironeus learned to temper iron into steel that would never rust, and created the Steel Sentinels to guard the city.

The Thorn Grove druids mastered reincarnation, though a troubling trend emerged - each rebirth caused loss of previous memories. Moltenoire crafted powerful rings from various godsfall metals, awarding them to competition winners.

8. The Collapse (Final Dark Period)

As metals began running out, death cults started performing sacrifices hoping for new godsfalls. An outer tribe returned with Platunya (platinum), which protected against psionic attacks. Shroder discovered this metal's power when saved by the Platunya tribe from Wind Runner hunters.

Quicksilver City, built atop liquid Silvanus, fell to Shroder's raiders. The age ended with resource depletion and the desperate search for new sources of divine metal.

The Legacy of Metal and Mind

Throughout The Skeld's history, two forces have shaped civilization: metal and psionics. Each godsfall brought new capabilities - iron granted strength, silver enabled mental powers, copper provided energy, and platinum offered protection from psychic influence.

The cyclical nature of light and dark periods reflects the eternal struggle between order and chaos, creation and destruction. As the current age begins, the lessons of history echo: power corrupts, resources are finite, and the gods' gifts come with terrible prices.