A history of the world in my Stargonia book/story.
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A Brief history of Edaled

It all started with a ball of light.
A few words were spoken, and it became a ball of earth. He began to shape it into countries, seas, cliffs, deserts, forests, mountains. This ball he called Edaled. Then he created the animals, ranging from your typical every-day animals like horses and cows to exotic ones like gryphons and alda. He was pleased with His creation, yet He still knew something was missing. It was then that he made man, scooping up a handful of dirt and shaping it. First the head, then the arms, legs, fingers, and toes… and then he breathed life into him. Man called Him the Creator, God, and many acknowledged Him as Lord of their life.
Of course, sin soon entered Edaled. It was Weylin, the Creator God’s greatest enemy, one of His fallen helpers, humans on earth call them angels, that brought sin into the world. Weylin tricked man into uniting as one; then he ruled them with an iron fist. Life was hard for everyone, the littlest baby, the oldest man, young girls… Anyone who broke one of Weylin’s many rules was declared a Wolf’s Head, and then arrested and killed. Many retreated into the forest, living with the alda and creating a secret society of underground. They were called the Keltoi, and they wanted to live without being disturbed. Anyone who entered the forest “disappeared,” and so very few dared to enter Trennor; those who did were never seen again. Most of Weylin’s men thought it was the alda who trapped people in the forest, the people of the lands did not realize until later it was the Keltoi.
Many times, people tried to rise up and overthrow Weylin, but every time they failed, and the people were oppressed even more. Eventually, they gave up trying.
One blustery day, a stranger showed up at Weylin’s castle. Many prophets had said that this man would be Weylin’s downfall, and sure enough, he was. It didn’t take long for this strange man to crush Weylin. Once Weylin was gone, this stranger set up kingdoms and appointed rulers. The set of laws enforced by Weylin was still in place, but officials were commanded to use mercy. For a time, everyone was happy. But even with the new system, there were still outcasts. Some joined the Keltoi in the forest, yet others wanted something else. They wanted to roam, to be free. From then on, many gypsy caravans were found traveling the plains and mountains.
Things in Edaled went smoothly for a long time. The gryphons disappeared during this time, and many search parties went out to look for them. Things quieted down for a while, but then a new man, Ciaran, rose up out of the tiny fishing village of Maris and began to take over Stargonia. He did it so slowly, though, that his caution became his downfall. By the time he was ready to take over Stargonia, the rebels were ready and they rose up against him. Although the end happened quickly, the build up took almost ten years. Many thought that the whole of Edaled would have to be called to fight, but by the providence of the Creator, only Stargonia was needed.
Things began to fall back into a routine in Stargonia, and although little skirmishes happened here and there, most was peaceful. After almost two hundred years of peace, the people began to relax more, and things began to advance. The guns and gunpowder replaced bows and arrows, but swords were still used. Cannons were invented, and trade began to take place by sea as well as by land. Wooden houses were torn down and re-built with bricks, and people climbed higher into the mountains. A few grammar schools were founded, and these years became the golden age of literature on Edaled.
Of course, with these good advances, others came as well. Pirates began to roam the sea. When anyone went sailing, they began to stay closer to the coastline and keeping a sharp eye out for the Jolly Roger. Bandits sometimes ruled the roads between cities, and in Ladylan, a bandit rose to power. His name was Seymour Dillon. His past was very mysterious, it seemed that he had gone mad. Many thought he had loved a girl once, and possibly been married. He declared war on Stargonia and its ruler, King Alfred.
Many ships tried to get supplies to Stargonia, but most were afraid to, because of the pirates. It took a long while, but eventually they were able to get rid of Seymour. Like the others, it was a long and hard battle, but worth it.

Creatures and Kingdoms of Stargonia

Stargonia
The largest of the kingdoms, Stargonia was the most populated. Its cities ranged from small fishing villages like Maris to the main city of Itheial. Stargonia’s climate varied from snow in winter – everywhere but the desert – to extreme heat in the summer. The rains came mostly between September and January, and every now and then even the desert would get rain. Agranthea was an island a ways away from the mainland, and no one really ever lived there, if they did they were escaping from some evil on the mainland. There was a lot of forest, and the main export of Stargonia was lumber. They extracted some ore from the mountains, but they imported most of their wool. Some brick was gotten from the cliffs. The river Tharia provided irrigation for the part of Stargonia farther away from the sea, and another river on the other side of the mountain range helped over there. Stargonia was ruled by a line of kings that extended all the way back to just after Weylin.

Ladylan
Ladylan is the smallest of the kingdoms, yet is the most prosperous and quiet of them. The climate is very warm, and it is the only kingdom with lots of inlets, almost like fjords. Rain is rare there, however it is sometimes very humid and there are a few marshes. They do not have many exports, but they have a major trading port, where ships from other kingdoms drop off their cargo and/or restock on supplies. The people here were tall, and although they tended to be rather slender, they were very strong and muscular. Ladylan is no longer ruled by a king, the people changed to a democracy shortly after Ciaran’s reign in Stargonia.

Cathonys
Cathonys is the main kingdom of Edaled. It was here Weylin decided to begin taking over Edaled, and it was here Ciaran planned to finish his usurpation. The people rely on imports from Byshan and Ladylan for their rock, Cathonys has hills but no mountains, and valleys but no canyons where rock can be quarried. They export many fruits, though, and they are known for their strange mixes like Oraples, an apple with the flavor of an orange. The climate is warm, but not too hot or too cold. It will snow sometimes in the winter, but rain is more frequent.

Byshan
Byshan is known best for their horses. They began breeding them shortly after Edaled was created, and since then the fastest and most beautiful horses have been shipped from Byshan. They grow a lot of grains there, and are thankful for the flat, grassy plains that take up so much of the land. Their culture is much like the Celts, they love art and music is a big part of their lives.

Olandern
Olandern is Stargonia’s neighbor, covering two sides of Stargonia. Its people and climate are much like that of Stargonia, even though much of Olandern is made up of islands. Fish is the biggest import, but anything you can find in the sea you will most likely find in Olandern. In more modern times, the islands have been connected with bridges, so it is easy for people to get from one island to another for trade or pleasure.

Sealyn
Often called “The Land of the Dragons,” Sealyn is a place once believed to have dragons. No one knows for sure, though, because for a time Sealyn was uninhabited, perhaps because of the dragons. Sealyn is almost completely surrounded by water, and although mountainous in some places, it exports a lot of grains and fruits. The people of Sealyn enjoy farming, and they are dark-skinned and of average height and build. Sealyn was founded when a band of musicians was running from Weylin, and word got out the land was good for farming and the climate had no extremes. Before too long, it was considered a kingdom of Edaled.

Aquis
Aquis is the only kingdom completely isolated from the rest of the kingdoms of Edaled. A large island, the people are able to get anything they need from places on the island, as there are mountains, trees, canyons for rock quarries, and great hay fields. Most of the terrain is hilly, but there are quite a few flat fields used for farming. The people are cheerful, loving music and dance. Many great storytellers come from Aquis, and because of the isolation, their stories are original and often complicated to the point in which they cannot be repeated without some trouble.

Minarea and Panatea
Neighbor kingdoms, Minarea and Panatea are often spoken of as just “Minarea” or “Panatea.” Their climate is the same, is their terrain. The people of Minarea tend to be on the taller side of things, however, while the people of Panatea seem to be a little shorter than average. They export rock, wood, and sheep, and mostly import fruit. These people have a great love for stories, and often will travel to Aquis to hear great stories told there.

The Gryphons
The gryphons of Stargonia lived in peace and quiet for a time, but then people discovered that their hides and meat were valuable, so hunters began to hunt them down. They disappeared into the caves, and no one knew where they had gone. Although hidden away in the caves, they learned to use things from around the caves to survive, and they were happy there. Many gryphons learned to fashion things from the rocks, chipping them on other rocks or with their horns and claws. Some mornings people would wake up and find beautiful rock sculptures on their doorsteps. People tried to find the gryphons, but very few were ever found. By the time of Ciaran, they had stopped leaving gifts, and no trace of them were left, but people still believed they lived.

The Alda
Also known as ‘tree-folk,’ the alda live in Trennor forest, also on the forest on Agranthea. They were not like the Ents of Tolkien’s Middle-Earth, they were less ‘tree-ish,’ and more ‘human-ish.’ Their bodies were long and skinny, and their skin was like a thin brown leaf. The alda’s hair hung down limply, and looked like thin roots. They were crafty, and if they ever took sides they changed them often. When they die, they scatter like dead leaves, and many people mistake their remnants for just that, dead leaves.

The Keltoi
After Weylin was overthrown, the Keltoi stayed in Trennor, happy with their way of life, and not wanting to leave the quiet of the forest. Their lifestyle was much like that of the Celts of our world, a bit barbaric, but very refined, loving music, dance, and all things beautiful. They shaped the forest into their home, building homes in the trees, carving designs into the bark, and forging swords, brooches, and other things made out of metal. How they got their metal, no one knew, and their supply of wool never seemed to run out. People guessed there was a metal source in the forest, and that there might have been sheep or goats living with the Keltoi, but since no one knew for sure, their guesses never got past being guesses.

The Gypsies/Rom
The gypsies were considered outcasts, and some looked down on them, but others considered them as a part of Edaled life and tradition. They made their living as tinkers. Although their lives were hard most of the time, they filled their evenings with music and dance, playing the fiddle and tambourine, with a few accordions here and their. Their brightly covered wagons, which matched their clothing, were identifiable from far away, and people who needed tinkering jobs would run to them with their broken items. Sadly, Ciaran got rid of them in the first year of his reign.

The Wolves
The wolves were a dominant part of the culture of Edaled. Like the Alda, they took both sides, but unlike them, they stayed loyal. Black wolves tended to side with evil, however there were exceptions. White ones lived mostly in the heights of the mountains, blending in with their surroundings. The majority of the wolves were grey. They were able to speak in both the Ancient tongue and common speech.

The Minotaurs, werewolves, and phoenixes
The only other fantastical creatures in Edaled. There were very few werewolves after Ciaran, many thought they joined the Keltoi, wanting a better life, and knowing that the Keltoi would not hate them. The minotaurs in Edaled weren’t any different than the minotaurs in most other fantasy, so there is really nothing to say about them, or the phoenixes either. The phoenixes in Edaled weren’t like other ones, though. There were sometimes as many as twenty of them living at one time, however their eggs only appeared once every 500 years. The phoenixes themselves lived for 1,000 years.