History of Gaia

The Advent Guilos
A thousand years ago, the Advent Guilos ruled over an unnamed supercontinent on Tartarus. As an empire of magic-users this was a time of great innovation for the humanoid races, with things like magical flying cities and airships being a norm for everyday life. Many nations flourished during the years of the Advent, but unbeknownst to them all their reign would come to a very abrupt end.

The Storm That Claimed the Land
The overuse of magic from the Advent Guilos would inevitably be it's downfall, for it had drawn the attention of an Old God. The Leviathan, an astral whale commonly referred to as "That Which Consumes", traveled to Tartarus and caused a calamitous event called "The Storm That Claimed the Land" (otherwise known simply as The Storm).

Magic had seemingly been undone, which caused the destruction and death of millions. During it's onslaught, the Leviathan cracked the super-continent into pieces, one of those pieces being the central continent we now know as Gaia.

Gaia
In the years following the survival of the Storm, a great war for power waged on for the people of Gaia. The most influential and charismatic of people would go on to lead armies in pursuit of conquest, laying claim to their new kingdoms through any means necessary. This led to the Hundred Years War, and solidified the power of the Regal Houses. Amidst all the bloodshed of the Hundred Years War, however, a sixth noble house would begin an uprising none thought possible.

House Valenrow, led by Archimedes Valenrow, came into the possession of an ancient artifact from the days of the Advent Guilos known as Skyreach Castle. Using the power of Skyreach, Archimedes was able to offset the balance of the Hundred Years War and claimed victory over the other Five Regal Houses. He would then proclaim himself and all his descendants as the King Above All, landing Skyreach Castle at the top of the God's Peak mountain.

As King Above All, Archimedes ensured strong diplomatic relations with the remaining Five Regal Houses, awarding each family an artifact from the Time Before the Storm as a token of good faith. He established the borders of the Five Kingdoms of Gaia and appointed rulership to each of the heads of the Five Regal Houses. Finally, he would establish the city of Halfway at the base of the God's Peak. This would become the major trade center of the Five Kingdoms, and serve to bridge the borders of each nation.