Visit the main site, click here. To return to the previous page, click here. The History of Tarkecia The history of Tarkecia, as told by one of their leading scholars... This city was founded soon after the Great Earthquake that shook the world. No great kingdom was left standing, and entire nations were brought to dust. Magic was said to have disappeared. Wizards of Old were said to have vanished ... all spells and magic items were buried under the ruins of old cities. The land was strife with disorder and chaos. Bands of brigands and evil armies pillaged and burned all that was left of civilization. Then the great lord Tarkhen stepped forth. They say he slaughtered half of the mightly Drum Brigands with his bare hands, then the rest bowed down and sword fealty. He moved across the lands in pursuit of reuniting mankind. Unfortunately, the Great Quake awoke many creatures of the deep, that were now seeking refuge on the surface. They say the dead stepped out of their graves and walked the land in search of blood. The demon Fel'Che was released, and is now believed to roam the Great Divide. And deformed creatures such as orcs and goblins were said to hunt all that was good. Of all these tales, I know not which are true. I can say that I have seen orcs in the country-side. And have heard many a merchant's tale of Goblins near the mountains. As for the undead, many roamed the land before the breaking of the land, so I do not doubt their stories. Of Fel'Che ... I can only pray that is a myth. Anyway, as lord Tarkhen moved across the land, the remaining brigands united. They were brought together by one of the few remaining magic users - A wizard who could raise armies of undead. The wizard Rahk'Ur. Rahk'Ur not only brought together all the brigands, but made a pact with the orcs. Along with his army of undead, he led an attack on Lord Tarkhen, which drove him back to the land we stand on now." Cornered, between the great evil army of Rahk'Ur, and the Ocean of the Dead, Lord Tarkhen stood on the great hill (where the government district now stands). He overlooked the battlefield and made his analysis. The foundation of this city was a perfect defensive point where Lord Tarkhen saw he could possibly hold off the great army. So he set his army in place, and waited for the oncoming evil. Rahk'Ur did not disappoint. He showed his full force. There were said to be over twenty thousand brigands, ten thousand orcs, and over thirty thousand undead. That's sixty thousand. The numbers are amazing. Lord Tarkhen, however, only had about ten thousand men left, but had the advantage of the terrain. So the battle began, and Lord Tarkhen fought along side his men. They fought day and night for over a week. For every two men that Lord Tarken lost, Rahk'Ur raised another undead to fight for his cause. Finally, with his numbers dwindling, Lord Tarkhen led a final assualt on Rahk'Ur's left flank. The assult was meant to divide Rahk'Ur's forces, cause confusion, and letting the women and children slip around to escape. The assult began, and Lord Tarkhen soon found himself face to face with Rahk'Ur. They clashed, Lord Tarkhen with his mightly longsword (Celestial), and Rahk'Ur with his burning mace (Life Burner). They say Lord Tarkhen was taken down by one of Rahk'Ur's spells, but before Rahk'Ur could land a death blow, Lord Tarkhen cast a spell of his own. They say that Lord Tarkhen was no magic user ... but flames shot from his hand and consumed the Rahk'Ur. Some say it was divine intervention, others say that he must have always used magic ... I believe that he learned a new way to control the forces of magic at that very moment. At ten-to-one odds, the Tarkhen army seemed like it was about to be crushed. Then, with the fall of Rahk'Ur, the undead army crumbled. Most of the evil army was consumed, bringing the ratio down to three-to-one. However, even still outnumbering the Tarkhen forces, this immediate blow was intimidating enough to rout the enemy forces. The orcs and brigands fled for the forest. The Tarkhen army settled here, on this very spot. The city grew, and a thousand years later, here we are...