History of Doegum

Early in Doegum’s history, Terrans and Avians coexisted peacefully. For as long as either species can remember, the Terrans have populated the land regions while the Avians took to the sky. Doegum’s history was not officially documented until the Hydro-Terran War approximately 12,000 Lightenings (2,000 years) ago.

While on fishing expeditions, the Terran people came across baby Hydrans. When Hydrans are young, they have the appearance of large fish. The fishermen assumed they had stumbled upon a great catch and thought no further of it. They began to make more fishing trips to find more of these “creatures.”

Outraged by the loss of their younglings, the Hydrans planned an attack on the unsuspecting Terrans. They quickly formed an army and swam toward the Terrans’ territory for the first time. The Terrans did not understand what was happening as the Hydrans used their magic to flood villages and farms. They had no idea that any sentient species existed besides themselves and the Avians.

The Terrans retaliated by capturing the Hydran prince. The Hydrans declared war on the Terrans, making countless attacks against Terran people, livestock, and crops. The Terrans knew that even with their powerful magic, they would not be able to win the war alone, so they asked the Avian people for help. The Avians, however, wanted no part in the conflict. Their daily affairs did not affect the Hydrans, and the Hydrans did not interfere with Avian life. The Avians did not want to become involved in what they considered to be an unnecessary conflict.

In order to win the war, the Terrans invested in technology to aid them in their battles. The Hydrans were very dependent upon their magic and were not prepared to handle the destruction that could be caused by such methods of war as chemical warfare and machine guns. As the Terrans became more and more dependent on their technology, they stopped using their magic. Soon they forgot they had ever had magical abilities.

The Hydro-Terran War ended approximately seven years (42 Lightenings) later. The Terrans’ advanced technology caused devastation to the Hydran cities, and eventually the Hydrans were forced to surrender. For many years following the war, the Hydrans were exploited by the Terrans because of their unusual appearance and abilities.

After the Hydro-Terran War, the Avians found themselves dependent on Terran crops for sustenance. Thus, the Avians began to hone their weather skills in order to trade with the Terrans. For hundreds of years, the Terrans and Avians would trade using a simple barter system. Since balloon technology had not evolved yet, the Terrans met the Avians on top of mountain peaks. Some merchants still communicate with Avians in this manner.

The Hydrans were not seen by Terrans nor Avians for quite some time. Since the Terrans had agreed to stay out of the water, they had no reason to make contact. The Hydrans spent most of their time attempting to rebuild their fragile society. On the verge of extinction, the Hydran population still felt threatened. By all accounts, it was not a good time to be a Hydran.

Because the Terrans grew more prosperous in this period, their size and technological/industrial scope grew exponentially. Eventually, in the early 1800’s, the Terrans perfected balloon technology. Soon after that, they found themselves working with all sorts of aviation technology. Understandably, feeling threatened, the avians began to attack the Terrans with all manner of storms. The Terrans promptly cut off the Avians’ food supply. Strictly enforced laws were passed that forbid any Terran from trading with the Avians. To calm the coming storm, Avians, Terrans and Hyrdans met to come to some sort of consensus. Thus, the HAT treaty was born.