Astoria has a rich and extensive history.   The history I am telling you about begins with the first party that started their days as undirected mercenaries.  These adventurers fought in the forgotten war, served the King of Aquila and sought glory.  They were laid waste under the leadership of the Valkris army and only the winter weather allowed the battle to end in stalemate.  These adventurers became known as the DEAD-NOTS.  They became synonymous with hero and friend.  They battled the great powers of the age including numerous encounters with the Nosferatu brood and the aspiring demon-lord soon to be the Emperor Airymagnus.   They killed Airymagnus, wiped the nosferatu from the plane and eventually took on Duke Kaneada and with help from worlds beyond, destroyed him as well.  The Deadnots had retaken Astoria back for their own people. 

Many of their friends and comrades were killed or taken away in the end.  The names of the Deadnots reads like a whos who of Astoria.  Zen the Demon Hunter, Dupont the Wizard, Calin the Priest, Kassandra the Vampire Hunter, Grel the Vampire Hunter,  Roota Moota great wizard/warrior on speed, Neysa the Druid, and the Paladin Sir Valkries.  They all fought battles near and far.  Kassandra being a vampeal and part Nosferatu was destroyed when the battles came to pass.  Calin was ascended into the status of demi-god.  Grel lost his final battle against the forces of the damned.  The paladin Sir Valkries, was destroyed by the Duke Kaneada while trying to force him into the light in the pits of despair.  Dupont fled and tried to the leave the group as danger and daring feats grew.  He sought a darker path.  Neysa fell at the hands of Airymagnuss giant flying castle as it crashed onto her ancient body.  Only the 7-foot tall Zen and Roota Moota lived out their days after the fall of Kaneada. 

The Denaug served a central role in the story of the Deadnots.  Denaug were a creature that were brought to Astoria through a gateway (not cisco) and poured across the lands of the continent.  They were between 6-7 foot, bipedal and had large heads with detachable jaws to allow the swallowing of victims.  They appeared much like a lizardman like creature save the head that resembled dinosaur-like features.  They were defeated by the Deadnots (a party of adventurers) through years of strategic battles and the obliteration of their temples and gateways.  Airymagnus was a human/demon-like creature with technology who sought domination in this world and the next.  He eventually took over the leadership of the denaug and led a corrupt and insane empire that nearly destroyed the world.  The Noseratu clans were SUPER Vampirelike race that have the ability to create other Book vampires on a wim and could also breed ½ human Vampeals who were very powerful but often antagonistic.  They often created a consort from a dead human and used it as a host to create/form new clan members and weaker replicas of themselves.  This consort creation was only done by the heads of a house.  Tog are creatures that are similar to orcs but tougher, much closer to an ogre race.  Murk were an alien slave race that the denaug brought to do much of its work before they brought the local lizardmen into action. 

Once the Duke was killed, his duchy fell to the invaders and the remnants of the denaug clans.  They hammered those left behind.  Without the iron rule of the Duke, his lands became wasted.  After a short century of battles and warring, the lands of Kaneada became the Kingdom of Gideon, named for the paladin who destroyed Kaneada over a century before.  Gideon had many leaders each trying to reclaim the land as a whole.  None succeeded in that endeavor but many still tried. 

During these days of unrest the sons of Airymagnus were hunted until the last son was cornered in the mountains of Vox where he swore vengeance on those who would wipe his fathers seed from the world.  This did not stop them from drawing and quartering him.  This last death was the final act of the ruling family of Aquila.  This ruler who killed the emperors last son was the son of John Valkries named Charles Valkries cousin to Karl.  He died on his return of old age being nearly 80 years across the dangerous mountains. 

The powers of the age and the names of all the heroes faded into myth.  The factions that were left returned to the state they had over 500 years before.  Each castle and keep became its own estate and country.  A truce was established and there was much rejoicing.  This was fine during the first 20 years as the factions loosely kept the raiding clans of the denaug at bay.  Soon  the truce of the slave traders and the warring clans ended.  War again took the center of the continent to more battles and more misery.  Lizard armies replaced the aging and dying denaug dynasty.  Their power was reduced to almost nothing, as they could not return to their home world to reproduce.  The destruction of the pyramids at ZakaUrethra by the Deadnots assured Astorians that the denaug would not succeed in their invasion and conquest.

The denaug were rendered inconsequential.   Since then the rumors of  a lizardman army have filled the UC.  The Feast which has just completed the competitions have many stories of moving armies to the north.  This brings us to today.  The final day of the Melosia Feast of Autumn.