...based, space faring civilizations. For many millenia Terra had been ignored by the citizens of the other worlds of these Empires, and the people who lived here had declined into a primitive, barbaric folk. The Wizards were here, true, but they kept to themselves.
The first of the Men from the stars landed atop Su El - the Arrival Mountain - in their gleaming ships in the year 71,000 of the Second Age. They brought with them the fruits of the last flowering of space based technology, and set out to found the sea kingdoms of Calacoon and Seasham. However, their technology was rapidly lost and these two kingdoms declined quickly to become little more than strongholds of roving pirates.
The later arrivals came also with technology from the stars, and founded the Kingdom of Saltar, with its capital in Atlantia. Their old knowledge lasted a little longer than that of their brothers on the islands off the east coast. It was with this knowledge that they were able to defeat - with the help of the Elves and the Wizards - the attacks of the northern barbarians a thousand years later. Soon after, the Elves of Aldacan and Dorian were invaded by the Empire of Mestom, and it was with the help of the young but growing Saltar that they were beaten back.
Soon after this war the borders of Saltar reached their greatest extent and stabilized. With the last of their advanced technology they built the six Great Towers (Bludor, Golgar, Marmador, Grador, Pashdor and Radiador), and from these the Realm was governed and defended.By this time the Empire had declined technologically to a medieval level, but its intellectual and religious leaders had discovered the powers of magic and psionics from the Elves and Wizards. These new abilities more than compensated for the loss of technology.
At its hieght around 76,500SA the Empire stretched from the Atlantic in the east to the eaves of Aldacan and Tammal El in the west; and from the arid borders of Mestom in the south to frigid Urguth and the Vales of the North. However, after but 3000 years the War Of The Stones led to a massive upheaval in the religious hierarchy of the Empire. The Old Gods returned and the Rhior Power deserted all but the Wizards. The human clerics of the Triad were suddenly powerless, and new clerics were vying for power and prestige. The result was a civil war which tore the Empire to its heart. In 80,500 of the Second Age - that is the year 500 in the Third Age - the Kingdom of Nlad was founded from the southwestern provinces of Saltar, and in the continuing turmoil the Towers were neglected.
Outsiders crept into the Empire over its poorly defended borders. In 561TA the Orcs of Urguth captured Bludor, and made it the seat of their fell kingdom. The northern provinces of Saltar rapidly fragmented into a series of small kingdoms, some of which still exist today.
By 600TA Saltar was in full decline. At this time, apparently as a result of internal strife within the Black Order, Imrimil the Witchlord stormed the Imperial Province of Nolthen and took the Tower of Grador atop Grador El - since renamed Cloudy Mountain. Saltar deflated like a punctured gas spore, until only the core surrounding Atlantia remained.
Now, the continent is populated by numerous small countries: the former provinces of the Empire of Saltar. Between many of them are vast wastelands of unpopulated territory, now reverting back into wilderness. Filtering their way into this shattered realm of Man are armies of evil humanoids, bent on his total destruction. Likewise, the Elves and Dwarves find themselves similarily fragmented and encircled.
Meanwhile, the Wizards remain locked in their libraries, seemingly oblivious to the world outside.
And watching over it all are the deserted towers and cities of the fallen Empire of Saltar.