Ranger Kings of Teufeldorf

The end of the First Demon War introduced a new dynamic into the politics of the Western Reaches. The military, once just a scattered collection of household mercenaries controlled by the merchant rulers, was now a necessity. The orcs to the north had united during the war, and with their primary enemy removed, greedily eyed the profitable city near their southern border. For several years, the ruling clerics and merchants argued over who could best protect the city and its surrounding countryside. The Rangers of the Wilderland had for several hundred years protected the northern borders combining excellent skill-in-arms, outdoor survival, and an intimate knowledge of their orcish enemies. While their organization was shrouded in secrecy and tied closely to the workings of the mystical druids, the Rangers had proven themselves able and willing allies. In 682 SA, the first Ranger King of Teufeldorf, Woodward Oakenshield, was crowned by the people.

The line of Ranger Kings was very successful, and life in Teufeldorf was peaceful and prosperous for much of the next six hundred years. The city grew and became the seat of government for a large portion of the Reaches.

Elsewhere, the Second Age of Man saw many advancements. Settlements in the Reaches and the far eastern lands sprang up, although much of the interior country remained shrouded in mystery. The Tang Empire continued to dominate the shipping routes, although pirates and buccaneers abounded.

Rembia was spared the trials of the Demon Wars. However, the golden age of the monarchy was over. By the late tenth century, many of the outlying provinces, suffering under draconian taxes, rebelled. The line of emperors suffered from inbreeding, madness and an increasing reliance on drugs distilled from the lotus flower. Astrologers and mystics foretold a great disaster, but the monarchy took no heed.

Then, in 1204 of the Second Age, a great ball of light from the heavens, known as Heaven's Fire, struck somewhere in the uninhabited wilds of the Realm, its tremors could be felt throughout the land. The sky grew dark, and winter remained over the Realm for eighty years. Strange diseases killed most of the population. Starvation was rampant. People fled from the cities into the forests and hills. Here written history again becomes a blank page, and the Second Age of Man comes to an end.