The History of Oz
As told by Nomish Ambassador, Glompsh Redpeak, Year of Oz 145
The Land of Oz is a magical place, filled with joy, camp, adventure and self-growth. The lands flow with milk and honey, the fields wave in the breeze, and the Emerald City stands as a beautiful landmark on the horizon. Peace is what these people know, and while they may be eclectic and different, they are all of Oz and are all equal.
That's the story you've been sold on at least. The story you've heard and know. The way that the grand heroes and policy makers want you to know. The way that welcoming committees, curators and instructors teach our lore.
That's a fat load of crap.
Here on these pages are some of the revelations of the truth of Oz. An unhidden, maybe still kind of biased, view on how things really are. They weren't exactly lollipops and rainbows before the "Great Spell" fell, but I suppose things have gotten a whole lot worse in some ways.
In the Beginning
In the Beginning the Great Faeries flew over our lands. They were the Kings and Queens, the Princes and Princesses; their beauty was like that of a million stars and gardens of heavenly flowers. They were benevolent, they loved, and they were inevitably bad deadbeat parents that created our world, granted us Immortality, and then fled. Some of their bastard children are still around, mockeries of their once former glory, but as quickly as they had come and swept us off of our feet, they abandoned us to the cruelty of the worlds like some great experiment. Birds talked, tribes of Munchkins munchkined, patchwork people patched, and wheelers wheeled. We all etched out our own territories, finding our own politics and beliefs, and for the most part in the beginning folks were willing to live and let live.
Then the first great Tornado came, bringing with it outsiders. A great Wizard was born, a celebrity and charlatan really, but the people rallied to him and a great central government was built. The Emerald City became the seat of power for all of the future Rulers of Oz including our most noble, wise and benevolent Rulers, King Scarecrow, Queen Ozma, and the Sorceress Azkadellia.
Upheavals
Oz has had numerous threats over the ages, both from within and without their lands. The Nome King's invasions, the uprising of Jinjur and Ozma, the overthrow of Witches, wicked and otherwise, and the Scarecrow being removed and replaced.
There is a lot of lore tied into this, and really I've not the time or inclination to delve too deeply into it. If you are interested in learning about the history of the lands around you, ask. There may be some elders still alive and well who can tell you about the time their grandpappy put on armor and stood at the gates of the Emerald City.
The Breaking of the "Great Spell"
It didn't end with a flash of light. It didn't end with a thunderous roar. Everything fell apart with a sob of agony, with fear, with abject horror and mourning.
One day things were as we knew. Politics played their parts, sure. Things were tough. People were starving, people were maimed, but people were alive. There may have been pain, but everyone was still alive. That ended.
Children died in droves, parents and elders never opened their eyes. We did not know what to do. Most still don't. It's only been three years since the breaking of the "Great Spell" as it's come to be known.
We lost our immortality. The spell that the Faeries cast was sundered. The roads were bloated with the corpses of the fallen. People fell over into their breakfasts, clerks died at their desks, whole swaths of civilization came to a halt.
The Scarecrow, Azkadellia and Ozma are our great hopes. What tomorrow brings is unknown, but what yesterday brought... let us hope we never experience something so foul, so awful, ever again. We are mortal now. We bleed and we die. We age and we die. We trip and we die. It is no longer a matter of Accidents, no longer a matter of someone being headstrong and never returning from the desert sands.
We now know true horror. True sorrow. May our children's generations be more fortunate than us pathetic fools who thought things would never change.
Historical Articles
- United Oz Coalition
a history of our esteemed rulers - A History of Oz and Winkie Country
from an Ozma loyalist and Winkie resident's perspective - Holiday: Lurlinemas
- General Jinjur's Army of Revolt
- Ozma
- The Stronghold Gazette
Horizon's Stronghold's newspaper (player-created) - Timeline