In 870, Thog the giant appeared with an army of trolls and trollkin raised in Shadows Dance. They laid siege to Adari and marched south to Pavis. The Arrowsmith Dynasty raised their own troops and mercenaries among the troll-fearful nomads and drove off the giant and his allies.
Thog returned with more trolls and a band of Jolanti in 875. Jolanti were a race of mindless brutish giants. In this case, they followed Thog’s every whim. They moved too swiftly for barbarian allies to come to Pavis’ aid, and broke the walls; the trolls swarmed in. Defense was fierce, but most of the city fell. But even Thog’s power was unable to desecrate the Temple of Pavis.
King Jhoraz Kyrhee (Joraz Kyrem) fled to the Empire and recruited 2000 Sun Dome Templars from beyond Dragon Pass to assist him. Braced with their magic and his own, he met Thog in battle outside the walls and put out one of Thog’s eyes. Then his men marched against the trolls as Thog retreated.
The trolls tried to keep Jhoraz from the places of power, but the spears of the Sun Domers opened the way and Jhoraz engaged Thog in a further test of magic and will. They locked in battle for days while Thog’s allies were whittled away and even the Jolanti toppled.
The pursuit ended when Thog lost an arm, for he fled to the Ironcold peaks of the Giant mountains. After this defeat, the cradles ceased floating down the river.
Under the rule of Jhoraz and his descendants, the city again flourished. The Sun Dome mercenaries were given lands south of the cities, where they built a temple and settled. Inspired by Sun Dome methods, farmers spread all along the River of Cradles to use the new agricultural methods.
These 2000 mercenaries took local women as wives and by the time Pavis fell to the trolls, Sun County was firmly established, numbering nearly as many people as today.
Now if you compare this to the Lunar attempts to colonise the Grantlands, actually it is initially very comparable. Some 2000 Yelmalion templars (who take about 2000 locals as spouses) compared to some 4000 settlers from the Lunar Empire. Pretty much numerically identical.
But the Lunar settlers get not more than 10 years of support and linkage to the urban centre of Pavis. Those Sun Domers got over 400 years of it before the urban centre died. By the time Pavis finally fell to the trolls, Sun County had more than enough time to establish deep roots. The Grantlands? Not so much.
Another version of the tale:
In 877, Joraz Kyrem, Lord of the city of Pavis, requested aid from the Sun Dome temple of Dragon Pass. The religious mercenaries complied in return for land, a spot in the sun, and a good price for their horses. After the mercenaries helped free the city, they moved to their new lands and were titled Counts of the Sun Dome lands.
Arinsor Clearmind was the first Sun Dome leader. He was so devoted to Yelmalio that he shone with an internal glow during the darkest nights. As he and his people went about the land, a wonder struck them. A water naiad, daughter of Zola Fel, engaged Arinsor in an ancient rite: they re-enacted the story of Yelm and the Oslir river wherein the lord of light fell but was revived by the river, and so they made an alliance. Here the sun people were reconciled with the river, and there was irrigation upon the lands for the good of all.
In the early days, when the Arrowsmith dynasty ruled in Pavis, the land grew. Food was plenty, children common, and all marriages pleasant.
After Pavis fell in 1200, Sun County was isolated from the peoples beyond the nomads. They call this era “the Solitude of Testing.” They feel they passed their tests and survived and are now receiving their blessings from their lord, Yelmalio.
This blessing began in 1575 when Dorasar arrived with presents, offers, and an alliance to clear the valley of nomads.
The history of Sun County thus has three phases. First, 879-1200 S.T. (some 273 years) is called the Peaceful Era, whose end was marked by terrible violence. Then came the Solitude of Testing from 1200-1575 (lasting 375 years). The time since then is called Recent History.
Now if we look at the rulers of Sun County, we can see they claim only four rulers in the three plus centuries of the Peaceful Era:
Years Count
- 127 Arinsor Clearmind, the first Count, who came from Dragon Pass to conquer the giants (877-1004).
- 88 Kolyth the Horn, who ate wolves (1005-1093).
- 47 Zebrokith the Bow, a dull competent (1093-1140).
- 84 Zolan the Cruel, a great leader (1140-1224).
Now the truth is that they probably have no idea. Other than Arinsor Clearmind himself, none of these counts have any confirmation in Old Pavis records, and it is entirely possible that this is all that was recalled after the centuries of the Solitude of Testing..