Between the Savage East and Forbidden West, amidst the ruins of the old world, a thriving
metropolis stands atop a great mesa, protecting its people from the machines and savages that
roam the land.
For generations, the Sun Kings have ruled over their realm from this holy seat, and
have expanded their empire across much of the land.
A thriving center of technological enlightenment and economic power, the city known as Meridian
serves as the capital of the Carja Sundom - its peoples and great works blessed by the
Sun.
Yet it was in the Savage East centuries past, that Araman, founder of the Carja tribe, discovered
hidden texts left behind by those known only as “The Old Ones”, and from these pages
learned of the movement of the Sun, of man’s position within the world, and how to unlock
the secrets of the written word.
This ancient knowledge elevated the Carja above the other peoples of the region, yet
they offered it freely to those they considered their brethren.
Whether out of fear or jealousy for their growing knowledge and strength however, these
neighbouring tribes attacked the Carja, driving them from their ancient lands.
Araman and his people fled westward, searching for a new home.
As they roamed the wilds, many members of the tribe perished in the harsh desert climate
they found themselves in, and they remained beset by both man and machine.
Amidst this great journey, Araman took what he had learned from the ancient texts and
led his people by the light of the sun.
His reward was a vision of a distant tower, shining on the horizon like a ray of sun itself.
Guided onwards by a flight of mighty winged machines, these “Glinthawks” finally perched
upon this ancient towering structure that the Carja named “The Spire.”
Shunned and feared by those without faith in the sun, the Spire was deemed to be a great
holy place and it was in its shadow that Araman said they would build anew.
Atop a protective mesa, the Carja built a great city which they named Meridian, a word
of the Old Ones to honour the noon day sun.
The surrounding lands were lush and bountiful and soon farms and markets sprung up to feed
the growing capital.
Great elevators, of a kind not seen in centuries, were constructed to link Meridian to the lands
below.
The city quickly became a bastion for the Carja, a place to take their harvests, sell
their wares, and be safe from invasion.
The prosperity of Meridian attracted foreign merchants and the city flourished.
Within the grand Palace of the Sun, Araman was named Sun King, 1st Luminance of the Radiant
Line.
Araman and his descendants ruled the Carja Sundom as its supreme authority thereafter,
with only the Sun King believed to be capable of interpreting the Sun’s desires, which
in turn had to be acted upon.
Assisting in this were the Sun-Priests, religious leaders who formed the highest caste in Carja
society with the exception of the monarch himself.
The Sun Faith became a powerful force within the Sundom, extolling the Carja as highest
amongst the tribes of men, the divine holiness of Meridian and warning of a second time of
twilight.
To the Carja, Sun and Shadow represented dualistic halves of nature, and to deny one was to deny
the other.
The remainder of the Carja were divided between nobility, artisans and commoners.
Only the most privileged could enjoy the hospitality of Meridian.
Separate markets were built for commoners and few could afford to live within the city
itself, instead returning to their homes in the surrounding village each night.
For much of its history, the Sundom was fiercely patriarchal and xenophobic.
Women were forbidden from serving in many positions of power while foreigners were seen
as primitives, fit for slave labor or ritual sacrifice.
The need for for slaves and resources drove the Carja onward and over many generations,
the Sun-Kings expanded their territory.
They pushed west, following the sun and going as far as they could before the machines grew
too numerous and dangerous for safe expansion.
The region beyond was declared forbidden, and the Carja reinforced their distant fortress
of Sunfall to protect their citizens from the threats that lay beyond.
To the east, they were met with fierce resistance from the local tribes of The Sacred Lands
and at the outposts of Daytower and Dawn’s Sentinel, gates were erected to keep these
savages, their former brothers, at bay.
Successive Sun Kings ruled the Carja through the ages, great generals, hunters and statesmen
who echoed the triumphs of Araman in their own conquests and achievements.
Yet during the reign of Sun King Jiran, 13th of the Line of Luminance, at the height of
the Carja’s power, the machines of the world grew aggressive and hostile, attacking travellers
on sight and spreading terror throughout the Sundom.
This “Derangement”, as it was known, was interpreted by Jiran as a sign of the Sun’s
displeasure and he demanded the revival of ancient and horrific rituals to appease it.
Meridian was stained with the blood of slaves, their lives offered as a sacrifice to quell
the machines and satisfy the sun.
Jiran’s thirst for sacrifice grew bolder and the Sun King ordered war-parties be sent
deep into the lands of the other tribes, namely the neighbouring Nora and Oseram.
In what would become known as the Red Raids, countless people were abducted and taken to
Meridian to be massacred by machines in the great gladiatorial arena called the Sun Ring.
For over a decade, thousands were slaughtered as the Derangement spread to more and more
machines, and, some would argue, to Jiran himself.
This practice was not blindly accepted by all members of the Carja however, many within
the tribe grew disgusted and tensions soon rose within the capital.
Those who objected quickly found themselves amongst the victims of the Sun-Ring.
Even the venerated Sunhawks of the Hunters Lodge were not spared.
When its members, led by Talavad Khane Padish condemned the actions of Jiran, they were
thrown in the Arena, and their doomed, yet courageous last stand ascended to legend.
Perhaps emboldened by this display, King Jiran’s own sons, Kadaman and Avad, denounced their
father and demanded an end to the Red Raids.
To the shock of the Sundom however, Kadaman was executed and Avad fled the capital.
In exile, Avad turned to the Oseram, a tribe renowned their unrivaled craftsmanship and
powerful weaponry, for support.
With the aid of Oseram Freebooters, Avad marched on Meridian, slew his father and claimed the
throne, becoming the fourteenth Sun King.
The end of the Red Raids has brought with it a new era for the Sundom, and Avad himself
has been instrumental in pushing for heavy societal reform.
These have included abolishing the restrictions on women and foreigners and both now walk
freely in the upper levels of Meridian itself.
As a gesture of goodwill, the Oseram Freebooters have been granted a special place in the Carja
army, renamed the Vanguard and used as Avad’s personal champions.
Yet not all have accepted these new reforms and the rumblings of a renewed civil war have
spread across the land.
Some still label Sun King Avad a usurper and many Carja loyalists have fled Meridian to
the summer palace within Sunfall where the sacrifices have continued in their own Sun-Ring.
The Carja in Shadow, as they are now known, plot to retake Meridian, kill Avad and replace
him with their own candidate, Jiran’s youngest son and Avad’s half-brother Itamen.
Yet real power is likely held by the Sun Priest Bahavas, leader of an extremist faction within
the Shadow Carja rumored to have unlocked the secrets of the Old One’s most dangerous
weapons.
As the Carja struggle to reinvent themselves and gain the trust of the neighboring tribes
they once preyed upon, the world remains a very dangerous place.
The Derangement that has affected the machines continues to spread and their hostility grows
with every year.
In time, perhaps even those who seek shelter behind the walls of Meridian will no longer
be safe.
Yet even in these trying times there remains a spark of hope.
Word has reached the Sun King that a young woman from the reclusive Nora tribe has entered
Meridian and that she holds some strange connection to both the machines and the Old Ones, and
may be the key to solving the mysteries of both.
The Templin Institute investigates alternate worlds and realities.
If you’ve enjoyed this video and would like to directly support us, vote in polls to determine
future topics, and receive some cool rewards, please consider pledging to our Patreon Page.