The Rise of the Four Nations

Post-Dawn War
In 1 C.E. (Common Era, when the modern history of Acios is recognized as beginning) the year the Great War ended, humans were left without purpose. They had experienced no nurturing like the Elves had. They were left to fend for themselves and continued to do the thing that they knew the best, which was war. Tribes formed within the human ranks and some tribes migrated across the Dragonreach to Ikos. The humans never bothered their allies who had helped them rid the world of the Abyssal creatures. They were to busy fighting within themselves to battle them as well. The other races did nothing for the humans and instead focused on rebuilding their civilizations after the destructive war. They believed this warfare was a natural evolution of humanity. The Gods remained silent as well.

The Founding of the Four Nations
The tribes, after four centuries of warfare, began to form together and create civilizations like the Elves, Dwarves, Dragonborn, and Gnomes had. The tribal warfare of the Dark Ages gave way to the era of the Four Nations. In 511 C.E. Ataleo Lerona I founded the Kingdom of Iptus in the north after allying with two other warlords and subjugating anyone who opposed their rule. In the east of Acios, Aymeric Cilamur founded the Wildcrest Kingdom through shrewd diplomacy in 523 C.E. In 554 C.E. the Kingdom of Rysland was founded by Zorin Yanovich. His rivals were murdered at a meeting to discuss a peace agreement. Leaderless, the tribes opposing Zorin were forced to submit to his rule. Finally, in 589 C.E. the Kingdom of Karkoth was founded. The Kingdom of Karkoth was unique because it was an alliance between not just tribes of humans, but also between Orcs and Goblinoids. Ina Sundheim, a Human Karkothian, united these three disparate parties through negotiation rather than warfare. She was rewarded for her efforts by being elected as the first Jarl of the Confederacy of Karkoth.

The Four Nation Era
After the founding of Karkoth, the Four Nation Era led to an unprecedented six centuries of peace for the continent of Acios. For the first time since the Dawn War, the drums of war ceased to beat. No longer were the fields stained with the blood of humans. Instead, the four nations of man began to build and learn. Soon, they had caught up to the other races who inhabited Acios. The capitals of Prova and Montrose rivaled the beauty of Kes Asari and High Thurim. Their knowledge of magic increased at great speed and soon schools of magic were founded in every nation. The Elves and Dwarves decided to aid the Humans in their new endeavours. After witnessing the brutality they had unleashed on themselves, the ancient races wanted to aid the humans in their newfound endeavours for peace. While border skirmishes and minor wars did occur between the four human nations, there was never a great war where thousands of lives were lost and cities were burned to the ground. This only occured when the Malorians invaded and destroyed the peace that Acios had gained.