I have given bits and pieces of the history of Tandra (sometime the bits were fairly large), but I have never collected all those scattered pieces into a single convenient location. This page is an attempt to correct that oversight.
If you plan to write at length about a world of your creation, you are best served to construct the basic outline of historical occurrences leading up to the events of the central focus of your story. This is not to allow your readers to dig through your proposed background material, but rather to set into your own head the essential foundation and framework for the plot points of which you are to write. If you do your work well, you may possibly have, in the end, a piece of prose your readers will find of interest for the sake of itself. This is the case with the following as a small number of readers of the Tandra illo-epic itself have asked me to flesh out and place on record the history of the Tandra Universe.
Before Tandra there was the galaxy spanning Azarin Empire. Though the Azarie had conquered space, they were a planet loving race. With their skills and technology, they created paradise from many a hostile world. Their sparkling cities were the stuff of myth and legend. While the Azarie's massive space craft transported material in bulk, the Azarie themselves preferred to move world to world by a network of elegant Star Doors, incredible devices that allowed movement between worlds as simply and easily as stepping from one room to another.
Then came the enemy to destroy the Azarie in flame and blood! Not all their technological wonders could stay the enemy's hand. The Azarie fought valiantly and hopelessly, and they died in the billions!
Into this time of destruction was born Titian, daughter of wealth and power. It came to Titian to create a gigantic space craft and to build it as a planet into which those who wished would hide and escape death from the merciless enemy. Though officials opposed her plans, labeling her cowardly in the face of peril, the ship was made and launched. Titian herself was refused by authorities entrance into the escape craft. Those who survived by reason of Titian's efforts called the ship Titian's World, a name corrupted over the ages to Tandra.
The Azarie were a golden hued folk and many generations past they came to the outer surface of the escape ship. Over time much technology had been lost and the Azarie chose, from a passing world, a race of large and muscular humanoids with limited brain capacity to assist with heavy labour. Over time, a few of the giants escaped to freedom in the outback and the Azarie made minimal effort to recapture them.
Left unmolested, the large ones gathered into savage groups constantly at war with each other. When conflict spilled over into the territory of Azarin civilization, the Azarie decided to bring the big folk back to control. The attempt failed! The giants had developed in organization and technology. A shaky peace was set down and the Azarie and the big folk existed at armed truce for a generation.
Then came the dragons!
Several recently born fell unexpectedly through a Star Door near the Anglian tribe of big folk and a few able warriors discovered the dragons could be domesticated. A psychic bond developed between dragon and rider, turning the dragon masters into formidable warriors as the winged dragons flamed opponents to ash upon mental instructions from the riders. The psychic connection between rider and dragon was a two way street. As the Dragon Rider communicated with his dragon, power flowed back to the rider allowing amazing feats of magic so long as the rider was in physical contact with his dragon!
No one could stand against the Anglians and they came to rule all of Tandra. The golden Azarie fled back into the caves from which they had emerged or made their homes far from the Flame Riders.
But power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely! The new empire of Anglia was a rule of tyranny and fear with the people cruelly oppressed and the nobility of Dragon Masters constantly at conflict to gain position and advantage. Savage warfare was the only constant of life! It was at such time a man of myth and legend arose to end the tyranny of the Flame Riders. He was himself a Flame Rider, but he was a man who could not be corrupted by the lust for power. His true name is lost to time, but myth has called him Dragonrok, because of the dragon he rode and the rock worn on a chain about his neck that helped to protect him from the power of his opponents.
Because he was not master over his dragon, but they fought as partners against the Dragon Lords, he was able to defeat his foes in every encounter. The final battle against three of the finest Flame Riders was fought over the Anglian capitol city of Dragonfyre. In the winning of the conflict, Dragonrok's mount was mortally wounded. In the dying image sent to his rider, the dragon made promise of a weapon buried deep in a vault beneath the city that could be put to use and restore the failing empire in time of great peril.
Dragonfyre was abandoned and the capital city rebuild down river at Anglia. Dragonrok was emperor on the Dragon Throne for many long years beside his chosen queen of the name Alishaine. Many reforms were initiated that forbid the cruelty of the nobility and banned the cult of Flame Riders from rule over the empire.
But nothing lasts forever and the Star Doors, once a utility of wonder, became objects of wonder, then of worship. When a door failed to function and receive the proper sacrifice amid the season's most important religious festival, the empire began to weaken and decay. City after city demanded independence and the emperor was too ineffectual to refuse. Anglia clung to ancient traditions while the remainder of Tandra embraced technology and reached for the stars.
With a burst of technological achievement, the Wizard Ring was constructed. Wizards were the new royalty! But envy ran like a plague and the common folk rebelled against the mighty Wizards. In response, the Wizards withdrew to the Ring and those of the surface were unable to reach them. The surface world fell to barbarism as the Wizards had predicted and a dark age prevailed over the land.
So it was when Kenia was born to Dragonrok XIV and there were no sons to wear the crown of the empire. The king went begging for a prince to wed his daughter and made pact with the brother of an upstart bean farmer who had come to the crown of Rannia. The wedding was performed and a son was demanded. The new king proved impotent so, because a son was required, Kenia went in secret to Earth to find a man who could produce a mighty son for the people.
Dragonrok XV was a warrior king, but his heart was not in the slaughter of conquest. He abandoned the crown of the Dragon Throne and followed his Lady Tremaine to Earth. Of meantime, rumour came to Kenia of the weapon buried in the vaults beneath the ruins of Dragonfyre, the weapon that can be acquired and used to restore the Dragon Empire. The cult of Flame Riders still exist and lust to regain their once mighty power. Kenia was no longer the Dragon Queen in her heart but, unless she finds courage to challenge descendants of the Flame Riders, all Tandra faces the terror of another cult rule!
Were peril from the Flame riders not enough, computer banks deep inside Tandra have activated on signals the ancient enemy that destroyed the Azarin Empire has discovered the secret of Tandra and has set course to complete the destruction begun so long ago and so far away. Tremaine, last possible contender for the Dragon Throne, has been entrusted with the knowledge to destroy the ancient enemies of Tandra, but she is reported dead at the hands of Islamic militants in Iran and Dragonrok, son of the Dragon Throne, has taken up frequent residence in Earthian bars in consequence of Tremaine's death.
And, so goes the tradition, things begin to look bad! Interesting times remain to come.
In any event and for your reference, above is the short version of the Historical Overview of Tandra. I hope it answers some of your questions about my universe.
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