1st kingdom - Before the schism, dragons were the dominant species, and in the center most peak, they created a place to rule from. As the survivors of the Primal War, they felt they had a claim. They remained in power until the chromatics and metallics broke apart, driven by the Order war in the planes.

2nd - Giants were the next to move in, moving in as the ice age pushed life south. They founded great cities in the peaks and valleys. As the world warmed, they pushed back north and to the mountain peaks, leaving only their lowest cousins in the lowlands.

3rd The Elves arrived from the west, settling in the storm cost lands and the thickly forested western mountains. They contended with the last of the giant kingdoms and the numerous smaller threats that were present. With powerful magics and long bows, they made a considerable force and tamed much of the valley.

4th grand compact- elves and dwarves met after many years of elven dominion. Dwarves had moved into the ancient ruins of the giants, and had built their own cities as well. They ventured into the valley seeking trading partners. For many years, they and the elves rules in harmony, becoming great allies. They signed the Grand Compact, detailing their obligations to each other, and the valley. Towards the end of this period, the first humans arrived. Migrant beings, they passed through nearly unnoticed, hunting game and avoiding weather and preditors. The Elves ignored the savages, beings of different gods. The dwarves, however, slowly began teaching some how to farm, although further south, humanity was learning on its own.

5th orcs- the teaching of the humans, caused a sundering of the Grand Compact, and many of the differences that had simmered below the surface boiled over. Elf and dwarf fought for many years, and then both were pushed aside by a tide of orks. The high orcs united their people as had never been done, and the warrior civilization held the valley in its grip for many years, until infighting severed their ties. Even then, elves and dwarves could not trust each other enough to unite and push out the orcs.

6th river kingdoms - Humans who were thriving in the rich lands to the south learned to cultivate along the river. As petty agricultural kingdoms spread North along the river, more and more humans became sedentary. Each kingdom formed pushed more people north, until the whole river system had small kingdoms scattered about it. They were kept out for a long time by the orcs but slowly gained ground.

7th the horse lords - humans- after thousands of years of building, a new threat rode in from the north. A great horde of barbarians, skilled in horsemanship, rode in and took over several of the cities, installing themselves as a ruling class. They were not entirely unwelcome, as they're superior horsemanship allowed them to decimate the orcish dangers throughout the valley, and allowed the humans of the river to contact the elves and dwarves. This became a time of great cities and chieftains, and the first age of heroes, even as the clans warred amongst each other as well.

8th the meritus- humans. Eventually, the horse lord's holdings grew too great for them to control, and they began to rely on a group of slaves they had carried in when they first arrived. These slaves began to control more and more of the governance, eventually ruling over their former captors by use if the Meritus, a system of academic tests and assignments to become administrators. The Meritus began to refer to the central government as well as the test itself. Magic, which had grown greatly during the previous age, developed even further in this period, all the different parts of society were closely controlled and grown. The cities along the river were united, and more land was claimed further away. Other nations of mankind were discovered during this period and many consider it the peak of human achievement.

9th? Unknown. The Meritus fell in a single day, due to a magic experiment gone wrong, the city was devastated. Now the future is uncertain. Adventurers from every race seek out ancient secrets, there is no telling who will be the next king in the valley.