Throughout Agon lie the scattered ruins of old Chaldea . At its peak, this empire's reach encompassed everything from Sanguine in the east to the westernmost wastes of the Mahirim Tribelands. All that remains today are moss-grown monuments and the ruins of once-mighty cities.

The Chaldean civilization originated in present-day Mercia , along the fertile banks of the river Eanna. The humans of this area developed agriculture, and fed Agon's first cities with food from irrigated fields. They also invented the science of mathematics, the first calendar, and the art of writing.

Towards a golden age

The foremost city of the Chaldeans was Ashur, which lay near the present-day location of Sanguine. It was founded by the legendary Ashur-Sin I, who conquered the numerous city-states of the Eannic delta, and was crowned the first king of all Chaldeans.

The Chaldean civilization came into being during a period of relative regional peace. However, their wealth soon proved tempting to neighboring human tribes, who took to raiding and plundering outlying villages and towns. In response to this, the Chaldeans launched a series of successful military campaigns against the belligerent nomads who roamed the peripheries of their land.

When faced with the problem of becalming the conquered barbarians, emperor Ashur-Awan II formulated policies which would shape the future of Chaldea . He decreed that cities be built in barbarian lands, and that the conquered tribes be invited to live in them. Furthermore, the citizens of these new cities would be taught how to farm and make tools. Upon swearing allegiance to Ashur, they would be given full rights as citizens of the empire.

The Benevolent Empire

The Chaldeans were not a warlike people, and they rarely launched wars of conquest. However, they had a tradition of responding decisively to outside aggression, and of permanently pacifying defeated enemies by integrating them into their culture.

As the wealth and fame of Chaldea grew, many tribes and settlements joined the empire voluntarily, in order to partake of its wealth and technology. Ashur became the centre of a vast empire, and the Chaldeans became the traders, thinkers and administrators of the greatest empire Agon has seen.

In addition to all human territories, the empire's borders eventually encompassed the homelands of the orks and the mahirim. Before their subjugation, these races launched countless raids into Chaldea , proving themselves to be dangerous neighbors, and provoking the wrath of the empire.

The alfar were also warlike and fond of staging bloody raids, and eventually Ashur decided to move against the children of the rebel god. Though victorious on the plains of Moldar, not even the emperor's armies could defeat the alfar in the subterranean fastnesses of Nagast. In the end, the Chaldeans had to settle for securing and fortifying the surface parts of the alfar homeland, while Melek's armies retreated underground.

The Chaldeans established friendly relations with the mirdain, the ithwen and the dwarves, and traded extensively with these races.

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