Historical Era, in History
Age of Peace
Also known as A.P. · AP
The Age of Peace (abbreviated AP) is the third major historical era of Canaan, spanning from the aftermath of the Millenia of Darkness to the Xeamian-Zawma Conflict that ended in 463 AP. Despite its name, the Age of Peace was not without conflict — it ended in a catastrophic war that destroyed the two great empires of the era. The name reflects the promise and relative stability of the era's first centuries, when organised political life was restored to Canaan and the long ordeal of the Darkness gave way to rebuilding and expansion.
The Age of Peace saw the rise of the two great empires — the Xeamian Empire in the south-centre and the Zawma Empire in the north — and their eventual destruction. Its end produced the New Age and the three successor nations of modern Canaan.
Major events
0 AP – Early empire building
After the liberation from the overlords of the Millenia of Darkness, Canaan went through a period of political reorganisation. Many years passed with relatively little major event as different leaders and communities tried to rebuild. Eventually, two major empires began to grow:
In the south-centre, the Xeamian Empire grew rapidly, drawing on the open sea and plains for resources and expansion. It built its political identity on the ideals of freedom and self-thinking — the same values that had animated the rebellion against the overlords.
In the north, the Zawma Empire thrived in the Upper Basin, protected by the Itumue Mountains. It built its political identity on the belief that the pre-Darkness era of the Great Empire was a model worth restoring: royalty, prosperity for all, and a guarded, religious society.
2 AP
Arakcadia was first settled as a trading post at the eastern point of Arakcadia Bay, a small but strategically positioned shipping and trade hub.
264 AP
Arakcadia was formally founded as a civic polity through the creation of its Arakcadian Council. This date marks Arakcadia's transition from a trading settlement to an organised city-state.
456 AP
As both empires continued to grow, unrest accumulated. Small conflicts began breaking out in border towns, indicating that the long period of parallel development had reached a point of genuine competition.
458 AP
Trade between the Xeamian and Zawma empires broke down. Tariffs were imposed on many Xeamian goods at rates so high that trade ceased to be viable. This trade collapse created food shortages in Xeamian territories dependent on northern goods.
459 AP
A small group of Xeamian extremists, described as desperate to regain food for their starving population, attacked an official Zawma ship. This act of political violence — whether representing broader Xeamian policy or a breakaway faction — sparked the Xeamian-Zawma Conflict, the regional war that engulfed all of Canaan.
459–463 AP
The Xeamian-Zawma Conflict consumed and destroyed both empires. Both empires destroyed themselves in the process, leaving only the villages and communities that had broken off or survived independently. The conflict ended in 463 AP, concluding the Age of Peace.
End of the era
The Age of Peace ended with 463 AP and the conclusion of the Xeamian-Zawma Conflict. The era's failure — two great empires destroying each other — defines the political and psychological context of the New Age that followed. The nations that emerged from the conflict are, in part, defined by their response to the question of how the Age of Peace's failure could have been avoided.
Calendar
The AP calendar notation is used for the Age of Peace period, with years counted from 0 AP onward. The calendar was apparently adopted retrospectively, with 0 AP marking the beginning of organised recovery after the Millenia of Darkness. The end of the AP calendar corresponds to 463 AP, after which the New Age (NA) calendar begins.