The Geban Chronicle

The Era of Early Dominion

~6,000 to ~3,500 Years Before Modern Geba

Defining Traits

• Vaer'karesh unites the first empire, enforcing the Geban language and identity through conquest.
• The first standing armies emerge following the unification of the five nations, transitioning from independent national forces to organized imperial rule.
• The Varen (VAR) is adopted as the Empire's currency standard.
• Queen Nethelys Zahmira II of the Thazvaari Dominion ignores the Empire's attempts for diplomacy.
• All attempts to establish contact with Thazvaar or map their seas are ceased due to their hyper defensiveness.
• Early relay systems are established in Ngorrhal by Architect Varenth Solarn, the first outside of the origin continent.
• The empire intervenes in a massive civil war taking place in the Ngorrhal mountain passes. They side with the people of the Western and Northern Passes against those of the Thazvaar-aligned Northeastern Passes.
• Vessels of the Seraveth and Velcrith are not understood or recognized, as all previous understanding of them was systemically erased during the formation of the Empire.
• War Chief Tharyn'Bregun allies with Prince Vaer'gidon to defeat the Northeastern Pass Frost Sentinels, ending the Ngorrhali civil war.
• The people of Ngorrhal fully assimilate into the empire in exchange for their survival, becoming the second most populous people in the Geban capital.
• Tharyn'Bregun advocates for relay adoption; Ngorrhal becomes home to the largest and highest relays on the planet and the center of experimental relay technology.
• Prince Vaer'gidon leads campaigns into Ukhaalstaag alongside early Frost Sentinel warriors and the Solarn family to establish western relay infrastructure.
• Vaer'karesh has two sons and twenty-seven daughters; his most proven heir, Vaer'yinda, purges the eastern wilderness as a gift to her father, founding what would eventually become the Imperial capital.
• Prince Vaer'maor, the youngest child and favorite son, establishes the first formal trade protocols and becomes beloved by citizens of Eastern Ngorrhal and Northern Jeyrha for his modern policies.
• Emperor Vaer'karesh dies of old age; Vaer'yinda ascends as the first Empress.
• Prince Vaer'gidon and War Chief Tharyn'Bregun die together fighting Ukhaal Walkers during their bonding trials, permanently solidifying the imperial-Ngorrhali alliance.
• Empress Vaer'yinda commissions a statue of Gidon and Bregun shaking hands at the entrance of the Sentinel district in the capital.

The Era of Imperial Conquest

~3,500 to ~3,000 Years Before Modern Geba

Defining Traits

• The people of the Ngorrhali Passes are officially named Frost Sentinel, erasing their ancestral names forever. Their greatest warriors become elite soldiers within the empire's military. Many of their martial techniques are adopted empire-wide.
• The Empire absorbs or exterminates all opposing civilizations within reach.
• Emperor Vaer'Terund Venar, great-grandfather of Emperor Venar'Tolarg, formally declares war on Thazvaar following the catastrophic failure of diplomatic negotiations, beginning the centuries-long Geban-Thazvaari War.
• Emperor Venar'Tolarg is killed during a major military campaign in Northern Thazvaar and his body is never returned. A very young Prince Venar'Tal is named Emperor.
• The Eyes of Venar'Tal is established as the Empire's air and naval dominance force under Emperor Venar'Tal Kareth.
• Xerik Haavu designs the Haavu Cannon Systems for the Empire, securing Jeyrha's peaceful assimilation and transforming the Haavu family into the most prominent non-imperial family on Geba.
• Berinu reaches out to Empire for assistance in combating Thazvaari criminal organizations who were violently controlling their resources and actively seizing their government.
• The Empire directly liberates Berinu and they willfully assimilate to retain autonomy.
• The Berinu Islands become home to the largest Imperial naval base, dramatically shifting the direction of the war with Thazvaar.
• Kazo Reyjuul and Huyasa Sers lead a fifty-two-person civilian survey that maps keystone life across Geba, Ngorrhal, Kela, Ukhaalstaag, Thazvaar, and Manalheim.
• Emperor Tal moves to northern Berinu to personally fight in the final days of the war.
• Emperor Venar'Tal Kareth publicly executes King Hies of the Thazvaari Dominion, ending the decades long siege of Kharan's Gulf, where he then took Queen Nethelys Zahmira VIII as his wife.
• Mainland of Thazvaar successfully invaded at significant life and resource cost to the empire, first Imperator appointed to maintain regional stability.
• Emperor Venar'Tal Kareth is named greatest conqueror to ever live.
• Veris'Kal Therak is named Imperator of Thazvaar.
• Conquered males are systematically executed, worsening the gender imbalance.
• The southern continent of Jeyrha is peacefully assimilated into the empire.
• Prince Nethel is exiled by Emperor Tal to save him after learning of conspiracy to have him assassinated. The First Doctrine of Blood Royal is written by Prince Nethel during his exile and merging with the Velcrith. Prince Nethel will later be recognized as the first known Vessel in Imperial history, but many centuries later.
• Elite Military Units Established:
  • The Emperor's Wrath – Extermination squads ensuring dominance.
  • The Shield of Geba – The Emperor's personal guards.
  • The Frost Sentinels – Elite and physically massive warriors, adapted to extreme terrains.
  • The Sky Hammers – Aerial superiority troops.

The Era of Absolute Expansion

~3,000 to ~2,500 Years Before Modern Geba

Defining Traits

• Expansion halts as the empire shifts toward internal control and suppression.
• Elite warrior groups take over policing roles, enforcing order.
• Resurgents return in distant lands.
• The Frost Sentinels thrive in remaining border conflicts, but The Sky Hammers face decline as air dominance becomes unsustainable due to lack of technological advancements needed to cover greater distance and air piracy growing in distant regions.
• Prince Raeth, along with companions Eira Vey, Tharyn'Breka Kael, and Caledrin Solarn-Veykar, begins and completes peaceful expedition of the empire—forever changing false assumptions of the empire's completeness. Book of The Witness and The Account of Two Becomings are both completed during this period.
• Prince Raeth canonizes the understanding of Vessels through observing and recording the merging process of both Seraveth and Velcrith Vessels.
• Eira Vey completes The Parent Preceded The Children, tracing the planet's origins from a brown dwarf to a world shaped by cosmic intervention.
• Several engineering and research groups formalize during this era, undertaking vast cooperative projects to extend relay range, refine weapon systems, and finally resolve the long-standing crisis of unsustainable flight—achieving stable, fuel-efficient propulsion capable of carrying heavier loads across immense distances.
• The Empire begins large-scale planetary centralization and relay enforcement. Long-range relay infrastructure is constructed in distant regions.
• Elite Organizations Established:
  • The Prince's Directive – Inspired by Prince Raeth's travels, formalized later for post-conquest assimilation and order maintenance.
  • The Emperor's Shadow – Covert operatives specializing in assassination, espionage, and political manipulation.

The Era of Early Stagnation

~2,500 to ~2,200 Years Before Modern Geba

Defining Traits

• The Luminous Emperor issues the Emperor's Insemination Edict, mandating reproduction for 80% of women aged 21–60.
• Lira's Forgiveness is established, offering rehabilitation and loyalty for criminals and defeated enemies after expeditions to remote lands.
• Princess Lira becomes the first known Seraveth Vessel of the imperial line.
• The city of Lira is constructed to honor Ashan'Lira Siraieth, becoming the center of art and pre-doctrinal ethics.
• Lira attracts physicians and engineers seeking quiet advancement in their fields.
• The Geban Calendar is formalized by Ayitha Solarn and adopted as the global standard.
• Diplomatic policies attempt stabilization but cannot halt internal fractures.
• Women are now the dominant demographic on the planet.
• The center of advanced medicine moves from Jeyrha to the Geba continent.

The Era of Late Conquest

~2,200 to ~2,000 Years Before Modern Geba

Defining Traits

• Autonomous colonies are established in Kela, offering refuge and opportunity for ex-warlords, criminals, and outcasts across the empire.
• The Bare Hand—an elite corps of infiltrators and saboteurs trained for destabilization operations—is formally established by Imperator Kenez'Feraaz of Thazvaar.
• The Berinese-Thazvaari War erupts in northern Berinu after an ethnic Thazvaari official is elected in the Berinese capital of Binol, reigniting millennia-old ethnic tensions.
• Emperor Ashan'Kael Varethis redirects imperial priorities toward scientific and genetic advancement.
• Emperor Ashan'Kael Varethis announces The Varethis Advance, granting engineering and research groups direct access to imperial resources—permanently transforming the world economy.
• His son, Emperor Varethis'Auren Kel'varesh, pursues technological wonder, stellar exploration, and genetic perfection.
• Solarn Legacy Engineering begins developing experimental propulsion and rocket systems under imperial patronage.
• Prince Varethis'Daer Venar, a Velcrith Vessel, secretly creates the first generation of Engineered using the DNA of the Frost Sentinels as the genetic foundation.
• Several major engineering and research groups expand into official manufactories, improving accessibility and daily life across the empire.
• Attempted civil uprisings occur throughout multiple provinces as decentralization accelerates.
• During this era, several key manufacturers are officially established:
  • Jeyrhan Bio-Engineering Consortium
  • Joxi Industrial Holdings
  • Geban Foundation of Engineering
  • Berinese Naval Engineering Guild
  • Solarn Legacy Engineering
  • Haavu Works and Weapons Systems
  • Zhikhan Manufacturing Collective

The Era of Fracture

~2,000 to ~1,500 Years Before Modern Geba

Defining Traits

• The Engineered, originally created by Prince Daer Venar, begin forming relationships and families beyond their role as tools of expansion, reproducing with natural-borns and introducing the first hybrids on Geba, showing that the distinction was Engineered and natural-born, rather than human and nonhuman, causing outrage among puritan factions within the Imperial capital.
• Prince Daer increases the likelihood of natural multiple gestation, drastically contributing to the restoration of population balance following millennia of male attrition. The methods behind this discovery remain undisclosed.
• Prince Daer Venar and Txisa Haavu-Solarn complete the first Recursion Bomb prototypes in western Ngorrhal.
• The Veykar-Solarn Joint Initiative pioneer cutting-edge propulsion and rocket technologies, yet their efforts to escape Geba's gravity ended in failure.
• Prince Daer, in collaboration with Jeyrhan Bio-Engineering Consortium and the Kela Maritime Guild, conducts experiments using the Neron of Kela, resulting in reliable limb regeneration and accelerated recovery from wounds once considered fatal.
• Auren recognizes The Engineered as people, not just tools for expansion, and enacts the Reform:
  • The Engineered are granted citizenship.
  • They are allowed to own land, form families, and pursue education.
  • They are no longer forced into battle, though many still choose to serve.
  • The 8-Year Rule: Engineered raised by the empire must serve 8 years in the military after training. After this, they may choose to continue serving or integrate into society.
  • The Tactician-Class is formalized within the Assault-Class, selecting those who fail to match the sheer physical dominance of their peers but excel in tactical analysis, adaptability, and battlefield intuition. They undergo specialized training to refine their strategic abilities.
  • This rule does not apply to natural-born Engineered or hybrids, who are free from birth.
• Emperor Varethis'Auren Kel'varesh is assassinated, triggering civil wars planet-wide.
• The Emperor's Shadow dissolves into the Underworld, forming the foundation of the Shadow Rulers.
• The Shield of Geba's descendants serve as guards of the Shadow Rulers, being the only ones who ever see their faces.
• Prince Daer, heartbroken, disappears after finding and erasing those responsible for his brother's assassination, along with their entire lineages.
• Auren's surviving wives and children safely escape to the northern territories of Kela, escorted and guarded by a group of Engineered.
• Youngest sibling of Auren and Daer, Varethis'Kaelera Gevurah, refuses to flee and briefly becomes Empress, but is later killed in sudden factional scrimmage during her first public political appearance in the Imperial capital.

The Era of Shadow Rule

~1,500 to Modern Geba

Defining Traits

• New currency denominations are instated as the global currency, built upon the ancient Varen (VAR) standard.

• The Frost Sentinels disappear as an organized force, but their DNA continues to serve as the genetic foundation for Engineered individuals.
• The Underworld solidifies into an empire of hidden rulers, controlling society through secrecy.
• The Yuvaar Hunting Games are broadcast globally for the first time.
• The Shadow Rulers rule from different regions of Geba, coordinating their power through various systems to maintain stability after the empire's collapse.
• The Energy Wars begin, enabling manufacturers to create new markets for commoners.
• Artificial reproduction is no longer used for the creation of Engineered individuals.
• The global economy expands exponentially, but small skirmishes begin to take place near contested energy sources.
• Warlords begin claiming small imperial territories.
• With order restored, The Shadow Rulers stop coordinating, transfer control to a decentralized system, and focus on oversight.

The Warlord Eras

~500 to ~17 Years Before Modern Geba

Defining Traits

• The collapse of centralized control led to the uncontrolled rise of warlords.
• Public executions, massacres broadcast across captured relays, and extreme humiliation became core tactics of territorial control.
• Seraveth and Velcrith Vessels are targeted and killed by warlord factions to maintain narrative control of He Who Allows.
• Zairen Vaul is born.
• Captured warlords were stripped of dignity before execution, often forced to confess their failures before being defiled in front of their own soldiers.
• Live music performances took place on battlefields, with some artists continuing to sing even as they were executed.
• Captured combatants were turned into art pieces—dismembered and arranged grotesquely, their remains broadcasted across public relays to break enemy morale.
• Female warlords weaponized the gender imbalance, treating captured men as cattle, trophies, or tools of humiliation.
• Several ancient relays are destroyed.
• Shadow operatives fight under all banners to ensure the eventual return of stability.
• The Recursion Bomb is deployed.
• The last warlords were captured and erased from history 17 years before the modern era.
• All names, lineages, and records of warlord factions unable to escape to inland Thazvaar were systematically purged, ensuring they left no lasting legacy.

The Era of Modern Geba

Defining Traits

• The current Head Shadow Ruler is a direct descendant of Emperor Auren, ensuring the imperial line of Emperor Vaer'karesh continues.
• The Shadow Rulers govern different regions of Geba from the underworld, maintaining the true hidden empire.
• Settling the clearings becomes the primary focus of civilian life across the planet.
• Zairen Vaul establishes The Church of the Infinite Maw.
• The Church begins searching for lost history involving Vessels, uncovering the writings of Prince Raeth and Eira Vey in cities destroyed during the Warlord Eras.
• The Infinite Maw Conflict begins with coordinated strikes on major capitals and the destruction of Midreach Lira.
• Fragments of Prince Daer's journals are purchased by Yelidra Veykar.
• The Church seizes three mega relay spines and dozens of smaller relays, then retreats into isolation.
• The Infinite Maw Conflict is declared over; the seized territories remain under Maw control.
• Veykar Propulsion attempts planetary escape with the cutting-edge airship The Auren V3, achieving a record-breaking speed of 196,001 kmph before failure. The launch was staged as a global spectacle, broadcast across every major relay, marking the final public attempt to leave Geba.
• Velk'Phareon Daer's On the Populations of Geba is spread across the relay and fuels heated ideological debate across the planet.
• Relayman Vinscel releases Crime on Geba, bringing awareness to civilian populations of the realities beyond relay coverage that most of the governed world did not know existed.
• The Energy Wars persist across inland regions and contested corridors.