A History of the High Dales

Creation

The High Dales are not natural; the Scarlet Dawn Mountains which circles the dales have been created by Solar magic in the First Age. The sorcerer chose to leave only one access to the High Dales: The Jade Wind Pass.
The place has been chosen because it was full of friendly spirits and it wasn't far from the edge of Creation, close to the enemy: the Wyld!

Huge works began, modifying the place, creating forests and lakes, mountains and dales, but more important, the Twilight sorcerer began to create Manses all over the place. One city was created as well, defences were organized, Dragon-Blooded were sent to find minerals in the newborn mountains, and pourparlers with spirits courts were taken.

The creation of the Living Thorn, the forest around the Scarlet Dawn Mountains, was the last of the big works the Solars did.

The five Solars who decided to make this place their hidden fortress were powerful. They all shared one ideal: live in peace, far from the Blessed Isle and its politics. But they didn’t want to forget their duty toward Creation, so they decided to fight the Fair Folk in a hidden place. They left behind estates, friends and responsibilities to live at the edge of Creation. They didn’t tell anyone about their destination, they simply vanished with their followers and their wealth. The member of the Eclipse Caste came back to the Blessed Isle after 10 years and he did it again and again until the Dark Ages.

The Fair Folk Wars

In a century, 5 major battles were fought against the Fair Folk. All of these attacks were directed by a noble Faë called Guardian of the Wrath, and all were won by the Solar Circle and their allies.
The last battle between the two groups took place in the High Dales themselves, the Fair Folk army succeeded to enter the haven undetected, not even the powerful Solar magic could found how they succeeded this miracle.
The battle was fought at Steel Eye, the town erected by the Solars, victory was long to come but finally, the Solar army prevailed. After a month of fights, Wooden Blossom, Guardian of the Wrath’s mate was slain by Still Crane of Sapphire. No Fair Folk ever came to the High Dales after this attack.

The Golden Age

During four centuries, the High Dales were an earthly paradise. The Circle kept his secret well hidden; they slowly began to remove their names from the Solar’s archives. The Circle was living a happy life, and all the humans and spirits as well.

The Great Curse

Unfortunately such things are not meant to last. The Great Curse of the Primordials found the High Dales. Jealousy devoured Still Crane of Sapphire and Lost Paradise of Platinum Falls’ heart was slowly corrupted by a powerful demon of the third circle whose name was forgotten.
After centuries of friendship the Circle exploded! Still Crane challenged Mist Monolith in a hand to hand fight; she opened his rib cage to feast on his still beating heart in order to steel the colossus’ fantastic strength.
Few months later, advised by the demon, Lost Paradise of Platinum Falls contacted a Yozi and sold his soul to achieve enough power to stop Still Crane of Sapphire and bring her back to sanity… He couldn’t understand that sanity was far beyond his reach! A became a yozi’s puppet, an Infernalist!
The sorcerer failed in hiding his new powers and his new status to Virtuous Daimyo who faced his biggest fear: to see a Solar sorcerer pass to the enemy. He organized an ambush with the help of Repented Dragon in the forest not far from the Jade Wind Pass.
There, the three former friends fought a terrible battle which was concluded by their death. It is said that Virtuous Daimyo died with a smile, his last words were: “I saved him”. During the battle, a magic wave crashed against the mountains, blocking the Jade Wind Pass for years. No one knows what happened to Still Crane of Sapphire, she was never seen again.

The One Who Rule the City

Some centuries passed, the High Dales were cut from the outside world. But one day, the Jade Wind Pass was open once again, people heard about the Dragon-Blooded revolt, the Realm and the Immaculate Faith.
People from the High Dale had kept their ancient Faith, faith in the Unconquered Sun. At the same moment, a powerful earth spirit came from the mountains to the city of Under-Mountain. He found a way to enter the Solar Palace, the Steel Eye. Using his mighty essence to enter and attune to the place. There he found much information about the High Dales but artifacts as well. With all this new power he took control of the city in less than 10 years.
His first law was to prohibit the Solar Faith, he was scared news from it would reach the Realm and he didn’t want to have to face a Wyld Hunt or Immaculate monks…
In few years he succeeded to turn the High Dales’ economy in a perfect machine, making lot of money and confirming is leader position.
After a century, the One Who Rule the City found himself trapped in the city, his powers were incredible inside the city but he couldn’t leave it anymore. So he decided to control the whole High Dales by the intermediary of other spirits and god-blooded.

The arrival of the Ledaal Family

That was the scariest event of the whole spirit leadership. A group of the Ledaal family came from the Blessed Isle to settle in Shadow Mountain. They built a huge mansion in town and one of them, a young artist settled in the forest of the East in a smaller, but still comfortable, estate. They brought slaves and Yojimbos with them. The One Who Rule the City never knew what they were coming for.
A member of the Lost Circle found out they came for finding old Manses in the region, they brought a Warstrider with them, and this one was hidden in the mountains, North of Shadow Mountain.
When they suspected the identities of the Lost Circle’s Solars, the Ledaal family called for Immaculate monks and a Wyld Hunt.