Date: Mon, 24 Mar 2003 18:51 +0000 (GMT)

From: kenney@cix.compulink.co.uk (Ken Young)

Subject: DOF Back Story


Extracts from Myth and Legend on Aranea (unpublished thesis)

Introduction

All dates are given as relative to an event referred to as Arrival by the
major race.  Sources used Servii temple records, Trinian histories and myths,
and Skyborn records.  Skyborn records a badly incomplete especially for the
early period due to decay of recording media.  Servii temple records have a
strong supernatural angle while most Trinian histories read more like account
books.  Additional information was taken from the (limited) archeological
work done on planet.  This provides the only proof the Kumin actually
existed.

10,000 BA?  Serviion built (archeology) builders unknown but thought to be
Kumin

10,000 BA?  Earliest fortifications on Edge of World (archeology) builders
unknown

circa 8,000 BA Trinian Servii split Trinian move to lowlands.  No
contemporary records of this exist but it is referred to in later sources,
both Trinian and Servii.  All sources refer to a quarrel between two unnamed
brothers over their attitude to the Kumin.  Trinian sources say the move was
a revolt against Kumin domination.  The Kumin seem to have been physically
restricted to the High Desert.  Servii sources describe it as mass desertion.

5,000 BA due to falling birth rate Kumin turn Serviion over to the Servii and
retreat further into the desert.  Servii priesthood setup to replace Kumin as
arbitrators between the tribes.  Start of Servii records.  Trinian record
keeping is harder to date as records are kept on paper.  The earliest may be
older than the Servii but all that is available is the result of recopying.

5,000 BA Archeological evidence indicates a massive building operation at the
Worlds Edge builders unknown.

3,000 BA Five, according to Skyborn tradition, refugee ships arrive bringing
their world mind with them.  The result is five hundred years or so of on and
off warfare.  By the end of these the Skyborn have cannibalised their ships
to build flying cities and mainly retreated from the ground.  Enclaves in the
Vale (too wet for Trinian and Servii) and at mines are the only humans on the
ground.  It is unknown whether or not there was an another now extinct race
occupying the Vale.

circa 2,500 Earliest mention of Spirit of the Land in Servii records.

For the rest of the period prior to Arrival nothing much of note happens.
Contact is largely confined to raids.  The only significant event was the
Skyborn domestication of flying birds to supplement their battle platforms.

Arrival Not much is recorded of this event.  It is known that the Vale fell
almost immediately resulting in a severe problem for the Skyborn as it was
their major food source.

Thousand Year War About all that survives is legends, it seems people had
severely limited time for recording events.  The first priests date from
early legend with Golden Apes dating from the middle period.  By the end of
the war only one Skyborn city survived and it had relocated to over the High
Desert.  The Skyborn had allied with the Servii.  During this period the Edge
of the World was rebuilt and the Kumin appear to have become extinct.

The Binding (Servii), Great Betrayal (Skyborn) These are names for a joint
attack by Skyborn and Servii forces on the Vale.  It was lead by someone
called the Spellcaster.  The result was a disaster with only a few Servii
surviving.  The Skyborn force, which included their last battle platforms was
totally destroyed.  However shortly after this the Empire of the Vale
collapsed due to unknown causes.