Ink-Shad

Early in the First Epoch, the Calijoth and other Theegan tribes of Singarban were in a state of constant defense. They were harried by the Jara, a people who had once been Theegans themselves, but now were bent on nothing but destruction and slaughter. In the Year 77, the Horde of Mingrur began their attack on Singarban's people. Many fled east into the bowels of what was then called Synnbarri.

In the Year 99, Noncel Calijoth, founder of Hazrith, died without a heir. His bastard son, a half-breed Theegan named Sessilja, having killed his father in fair combat, tried to become the successor. Leaders loyal to Calijoth were unwilling to pledge allegiance to the young-upstart. Sessilja took his loyalists north where they founded Gaudrith.

In the 1200s, Neld-Rac's proselytizers began to infiltrate Synnbarri's settlements. Instead of preaching the word of Neld-Rac, they showed the interested his power. This came in the form of shadow magic. The area's illusionists were the first to be sought out. They were taught how to open rifts to areas of Shade Farm. These became conduits for shadow energy, a steady supply for practitioners of shadow magic and those of the shadows. With each passing year, more rifts were opened, some made permanent. All of this was making Synnbarri a realm of shadows, a dark place where shadow energy was becoming more potent and easier to wield. In 1302, and over the next fifteen years, the infusion of so much shadow energy into the area led to the Shadow Curse. After this, Synnbarri became better known as Shadow Rift, a gloomy sprawling canyon where creatures of the shadow, Shades, shadow mastiffs, and sometimes a shadow dragon, can truly feel at home.

In 1318, the Nînilzar was formed. This magocracy government eliminated the clan system of rule, replacing it with rule by a conclave of shadow wizards. This bloody insurrection was over in a few months. The Nînilzar united the Gaudrith, Hazrith and the rift's smaller holds under the Ink-Shad Empire.

Over the centuries, Ink-Shad has become a melting pot. Nearly every race of creature can be found dwelling here or passing through. It is the home of outlaws, and those seeking to disappear "Bright Lands Above". The most numerous group of the empire are its Shades. Most are people of the Shadow Curse.

In 1531, a rogue modron named Tetretz, came to this empire from the Great Expanse. This construct brought with him technology for creating maugs and other clockwork devices. With the help of arcanists, this technology was combined with the shadow energy so prevalent in the Shadow Rift. Today, these automations (hammers and pulverizer constructs) are employed on a massive scale for empire defense and in mining the rich mineral deposits found in the rift. The maug army is a mercenary army and numbers nearly a 1,000. When not fighting for Ink-Shad, it is loaned out as a mercenary army.

In the Chaos War, Ink-Shad allied with the Umahanbad. They attacked the Orchish Empire laying waste to the Orchish city Surkiln. In this battle, Emperor Blac'drugulois was slain. This brought considerable fame to Ink-Shad; for up to that point they had never been considered a military power.