M. Dregordia

From what legends and ancient ruins tell us, Dregordians rose from the sea and walked the land  sometime between 4700 B.C. and 4370 B.C.  Eight families were said to have sprang forth from Ssestina na Ssathis. Ssestina is the dregordian name for Shanais the Earth Mother and Life Giver in many creation stories.  Illiana was chosen from the dregordians to become one of the Ascended. The eight families went forth from the tail of the land, Ssatay, by riding the river Illiana’s Blood to settle in the jungles and marshes that comprise most, if not all, of Dregordia. 
Early dregordians had a violent confrontation with a race or beings that we only know as the Draykin or Serpent Riders. A great and terrible war erupted between 4370 and 4360 B.C. Who or what the Draykin were is not known. The Draykin are always pictured riding dragons which has lead scholars to believe that they were the first Dragon Cult. Some speculate the Draykin were early Kal tribes while others think they were a distant cousin of the Dregordians. The war ended when the dregordians annihilated the Draykin.
Legends speak of The 1,000 Year Conflict that came after the defeat of the Draykin in 4370 B.C. Savagery, petty wars, and deadly family conflicts were common during this time in Dregordian history. Dregordian society was nothing more than a loose spread out over jungles and marshlands.
A lone figure emerged  in 3300 B.C. that completely  changed the face of dregordian society. Voltis vo Ssartis came down from the Hellstorm Mountains bearing  Illiana’s gift for the Dregordian people. 

Before us lies the Way. Only the Way can stave off our inner dai Kaiju and allow us to achieve a peaceful unity of mind, body, and spirit.
                                                                                                              Voltiss vo Ssartis

Voltiss  was the first Adept in Shaintar’s history (refer to Where There’s A Will There’s The Way by Koress na Brssak for more information on the history of Adepts). He went forth among his people offering to show and teach them the Way. He soon gained many followers and by 3290 B.C. the first Adept School is built. By 3015 B.C. there are numerous schools throughout Dregordia dedicated to teaching the Way. 
Dregordian culture changes as controlling the dai Kaiju or ‘inner beast’ became a rite of passage. Males & females are expected to master the basic forms of meditation to control their inner beast at the age of 12 (this is a spiritual number in dregordian society as well as the total number of fingers they have). River and jungle villages emerged at this time. 
Exploration outside their borders occured in 3003 B.C. Records speak of The Twelve venturing forth over the mountains and establishing contact with the Faelakar society. The Twelve lived among and observed Faelakar culture. Upon their return in 2979 B.C. they brought with them another change to dregordian society. A more structured socio-political system began to take place. Family lines are organized into Hereditary Houses as villages grew into cities. 
By 2600 B.C., Dregordian society is ruled by a combination monarchy and republican government. Isshiro na Brssak became the first Consular to rule Dregordia after the Consular Conclave deemed him worthy in 2597 B.C. From 2600 B.C. to 1575 B.C. Dregordia grew and flourished as a highly advanced civilization. The Dregordians maintained a neutral and isolationist stance in the wake of the beginning of the Age of Doom.  Consular Kavadriss na Brssak and many other Consulars after her deemed that “the problems of others are not our concern.”
But the Age of Doom marched up to the very doorstep of Dregordia in 1535 B.C. The Eleran, desert tribes in what is now the Kal Empire, sent a military troop 10,000 strong. Irekan and his  military force marched to Dregordia and demanded that the Dregordians forsake Illiana and swear allegiance to Ceynara. The Dregordian nation sent back its answer to the Eleran. The severed head of Irekan is brought back by less than 500 of his troops. Angered by dregordian defiance 30,000 Eleran came to smash them. They were no match for an armed dregordian nation and the inhospitable terrain (indeed it is called the Ever Living Jungle for a reason as you damn well better have a dregordian as your guide when venturing to the capital). The dregordians kept Ceynara’s worshipers out but it is a short-lived victory. 
The War of Flame began in 1500 B.C.  as Ceynara and her demon forces launch an all out assault on Shaintar. Under the assault of Ceynara’s demon forces the dregordian nation began to crumble. Dregordia is reduced to a third of its original size in 1220 B.C. as they are forced to retreat  toward the peninsula. The War of Flame threatened to consume or drive them back into the sea from which they came. Even after Ceynara and her demons are cast back into Hell in 1200 B.C. the damage to Dregordia was too great. The socio-political structure of the once great dregordian civilization fell. Savagery and warfare among  dregordians once again gripped them from 1200 B.C. to 1000 B.C.
Twelve leaders from Dregordia answered the Ascended’s call to come to Og’m Drakar in 1000 B.C. The meeting at Og’ m Drakar marks the Age of Peace were all inhabitants of Shaintar are entreated to live in peace. The Twelve returned to Dregordia and began the process of rebuilding it to its former glory. The Consular political system, rites of passage, meditation, the Way, law and order are all reinstated. From 1000 B.C. to 650 B.C., Dregordia rebuilds itself back to what is was before the War of Fire erupted. 
The Hordes from Shaya’Nor attack in 600 B.C. The dregordians along with their new neighbors, the dwarves of Hellstorm Mountains, were able to keep out the Hordes. But as plagues and pestilence reached the dregordian borders in 498 A.C. they once again take the isolationist stance. From 498 B.C. to 2220 A.C. the dregordians stay isolated from the rest of the events and doings of other races with the exception of the Kal Empire. In 1724 A.C. Jolokas ki Grinas is named Emperor of the Eleran m’Kal-a-ar and began his reign with conquest and expansion of the Empire. Jolokas remembered the insulting defeat the Eleran suffered at the hands of the dregordians centuries before and was determined that Dregordia should fall. Thus began a border war between Dregordia and the Kal which continues to this day. 
An amazing discovery of a new group of dregordians living in a remote area of the Ever Living Jungle happened in 2100 A.C. Dristak becomes the Ninth House when Consul Thrak na Brssak bestowed upon them all the rights and privileges. 
In 2224 A.C. a religious cult arose to vie for socio-political power in Dregordia. The Dragon Cult maintained that the Dragonlords were the first true gods and thus worship of them should be above all others. To gain immense power the Dragon Cult performed a sacrificial ritual that opened a passage to the Realm of Dragons. The Dragon War began in 2216 A.C. as dragons were unleashed upon Shaintar. Dregordian society realized they could not defeat dragons and the Dragon Cult alone. Dregordia sent out their best warriors and leaders to ask for and give assistance in banishing the dragons and the Dragonlords. In 2234 A.C., dregordians, the Hellstorm dwarves, and the Fae nation destroy the Dragon Cult. Dregordian Adepts joined the gather of all wielders of magic at Og m’Drakar. It is there they performed the ritual that banished all but a few of the dragons. 
But even with the aid of the dregordians much of the populace of Shaintar blamed Dregordia (and some still do to this day) for the Dragon War. After receiving a vision from Iliana, Consul Tssvok na Brssak completely abandons isolationist policy and opens ties with the Fae nation and sends out some dregordian Adepts out into Shaintar to teach the Way in 2235 A.C. They brought the teachings of the Way to anyone who was able and capable of learning it. Houses na Brssak, vo Drrsshak, and vo Ssartis are given the task of destroying the remaining dragons. 
Dssrask na Brssak assumed the Consul position in 2521 A.C. and tries to reinstate isolationist policies. Most other dregordian Houses blame the House na Brssak for the fall of Dregordian society during the War of Fire, allowing the rise of the Dragon Cult and for the ongoing war with the Empire. House na Dristak challenged House na Brssak’s right to rule and launched a successful rebellion. For the first time in dregordian history the reigns of Consular power changed and House Dristak assumed the title of Consular. Under the rule of House na Dristak, Dregordia opened up diplomatic ties with Galea and the Fae nation. It  is now not uncommon to see quite a few dregordians roaming and serving in other lands throughout Shaintar -  
			
        Jonkeph Skein
                                                                                           Shaintar: Yesteryears and Today