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A vicious plague of insects swept over the island 200,000 years ago, stripping the trees and bushes of leaves and fruit. The native pigs, deer, and buffalo succumbed to hunger not long afterwards, but tigers and other carnivores survived a bit longer. Although the apes had been scattered across the island, only two small groups survived this catastrophe.

In the northwestern forests, the apes were no longer able to rest in their leafless trees, and took to sleeping on the ground. They were in danger of starvation. First they ate the shed hulls of insects. Then they took to catching insects and eating them. Then they took to catching small mammals and digging up roots. Eventually they began to eat the meat of larger animals that had died of hunger. At the height of the drought, one starving band found another group, straggling, and weakened from hunger, slaughtered them, and ate their flesh. Other groups were soon to follow this example, or be killed themselves. The tribes who survived this time all had a moment where the flesh of their cousins allowed them to continue.

On the southern shoreline, the apes took to the sea, learned to swim, and were able to gather bird eggs, catch marine birds and fish and harvest sea vegetables. These groups continued to shelter in the trees, which were not as badly devastated and grew back more quickly along the fertile southern cape, and occasionally moved into caves at the edge of the sea.

Over time, migrating birds, driving rains and hot suns led the fertile forests of Sumil Kai to replenish themselves.

However, the northwestern group never lost their taste for flesh. A steady diet of meat gave them rounder bellies than they had previously had, and shorter individuals were better able to cope with the tropical heat. The smaller stature also enabled them to dart amongst the trees and underbrush. They lost their body hair, and developed instead very dark skin, which protected them from the tropical sun. They acquired intelligence and primitive culture. They spoke in chirps and clicks and formed tightly knit tribes. As the centuries advanced, the natural aggressiveness between different tribes became more and more pronounced. A violent, matrifocal culture centered on tribal enmity, and the belief that strength comes from what you eat, developed among this group. These became known as the sumil.

Meanwhile, the southeastern group was evolving into a taller, more upright species. Their new height allowed them to study the surrounding land and sea, to easily harvest fruit and nuts from trees with their long arms. They never lost their arboreal nature, still sleeping in trees, but also in caves, and later began building ground shelters. They developed intelligence, speech and higher thought capability. They named themselves the megi.

The Pastoral Period - 35,000 to 25,000 PT

This was the beginning of megi civilization. At this time, scattered family groups of megi began to coalesce into lowland villages and live a more sedentary lifestyle. Dwellings were built in treetops, the megi begin to supplant their fishing and foraging lifestyle of food gathering with a number of crops, chiefly roots such as taro and yams, and trees such as bananas and breadfruit. Water buffalo and goats begin to be domesticated.

The Rhinoceros Kingdom - 25,000 to 18,000 PT

So called because the rulers of Tilesia, who ruled as absolute hereditary leaders, were the only megi privileged to ride on rhinoceroses (other megi were able to ride elephants). Much political turmoil and social strife reigned due to intense population pressures on the southern peninsula. To some extent, warfare over the throne, and arbitrary commands from the throne, served to keep the population in check.

Although the megi had a division of labor, developed gradually over the Pastoral Period and earlier years of the Kingdom, the megi caste system was formalized by the wise and just King Nagurak. In succeeding years, the megi practiced intensive agriculture: terraced farming, fish breeding, and sea farming were used to feed the ever-growing populace.

The Democracy - 18,000 to 17,000 PT

Sometime around 18,000 PT, the last hereditary megi queen of Tilesia, Valasangan, who was certainly insane, was deposed and placed under arrest for the rest of her natural life. Over the next thousand years, the political system went through a number of permutations of democratic rule, gradually coalescing towards the end of this period into the triumvirate system still in use today.

This time of transition was also the first time that the megi began to settle in larger cities away from Tilesia. Perhaps the change in political systems allowed more megi to live more happily and longer, and the new democratic rulers certainly held no unreasonable fears of leaving the southern peninsula, as the kings and queens had. Eventually, colonists were sent out to points east and west. The great lowland cities were all founded at this time: Sambar and Ambala on the shores of the fertile Repa Sea, and Kalara on the coast near Mount Maraya.

The Tamarind Republics - 17,000 to 13,000 PT

Strictly speaking, it took a thousand years under new rule for the megi culture to truly flower, and recover from some of the worst excesses of royal rule. The megi entered a time of intensive agriculture, centralized society, and huge developments in science, astronomy, medicine, etc.

The great temples were all built during this time, and although most megi believe they have always had the same gods, some scholars set the beginning of megi religion in its modern form during this classical period.

Each of the Tamarind Republic city-states grew into a thriving, culturally rich city. This was a peaceful time. The republics all worked together and shared their knowledge.

The sumil population was also booming and growing at outstanding rates, however, the sumil were mostly confined at this time to the Northern and Western arms of the island. The sumil did not really hunt the megi at this time, nor did the megi hunt the sumil down in their remote villages.

This period is generally looked back upon by all megi as a time of great peace, great happiness, when everything was totally idyllic and perfect.

The Tiger Republics - 3,000 to 6,000 PT

The different city-states in this period were sometimes likened to tigers squabbling over a kill. Paradoxically, this was both a time of great expansion, and a time of great turmoil. Population pressures finally made living in one centralized location impractical, and the megi spread out from their cities, farming and setting up villages along the trade routes.

The great shoreline city of Tilesia was abandoned roughly 10,000 years ago.

According to megi lore, for one entire year, the seas in the south ran red. Several alternative explanations exist for the red seas – some say it was the blood of the sumil, and those killed in skirmishes with the sumil. Others claim that it was due to an infestation of red algae. At the time, the Sparks warned that the gods were angry at the megi. Massive numbers of fish were found dead.

Increasing pressure from the ever-expanding, ferocious sumil made living in unfortified cities and travel and trade among the different cities very dangerous. It was decided eventually that a more efficient way was needed to protect the young, the old, the Spades, and the Sparks from danger. Tilesia was probably abandoned for these reasons.

The city of Balang Kang was founded on a high plateau near Balangetang. During this period, the Sparks began to plan fortifications for their cities, and the Spears began to train more rigorously for warfare. Not used to dealing with other city-states, and the increased ferocity of the sumil, much dissent ensued between the different states, and oftentimes they warred even with each other. Similarly, the megi were too disheartened and corrupt by this time to complete any of the planned fortifications, and one could often find half-empty cities surrounded by half-finished walls.

In the latter half of this period, megi left the cities in droves. The civilization is considered to have completely collapsed into barbarism.

Isolated and squabbling with its less prosperous neighbors, Sambar Kang was destroyed by sumil soon after. When Sambar fell, troubles started for the city of Ambala Kang, now isolated and cut off from the remainder of the megi. The great city began to founder, and gradually, megi began leaving the city. Similar hardships befell the coastal city of Kalara.

The Crocodile Republics - 6,000 to 1,000 PT

This was a time of renewal and rebuilding. Gradually, older technological advances in agriculture were unearthed from the libraries, where they had been jealously guarded by the Sparks, who emerged again as an important force in megi culture. Development of the great games of the Spears, establishment of schools, etc.

In the wake of the disasters at Sambar, Ambala, and Kalara, the Sparks of Balang Kang refined their city design, developing a three-tiered defense system for each city, and incorporating more stone into their fortifications, along with moats and higher walls.

These improvements were shared with the scattered survivors of the Tiger Republics in their meager settlements, so that each city was eventually brought to share the same city plan. Eventually Ulara Kang and New Kalara were built on their high, fertile plateaus along the same plan as Balang Kang. During this time the megi were said to be as industrious, and as watchful, as crocodiles. The sumil were pushed back into the north and west portions of the island.

As their numbers increased over the centuries, the megi were able to strengthen their warrior population, reopen the trade routes, and eke out a living in their new homes. Years and years saw increasingly elaborate construction in the megi City-States. As the trade routes became safe, small villages and way stations (often set high above ground in the trees) were set up in the forest along the routes, offering safe haven for travelers and traders.

The Kera Beetle Era - 1,000 to 50 PT

One of the greatest commodities of the megi, kerasilk, was developed in what megi would consider “early modern” times. In general, most modern megi see themselves as part of a civilization that reaches back about two thousand years, with its emphasis on textiles and other important crafts (both secular and religious), its evolved religion, political system, astronomy and other sciences. This period begins the second flowering of megi culture, developing into its prosperous and (as they consider) evolved state that continues to today.

The Dolphin Age - 50 PT to Present Day

The beginning of this period is marked by an all-important event: the arrival of the naktul on the shores of Sumil Kai, with the protein-rich crops of K’tumal (50 PT). In one of the most advantageous trade arrangements in archipelago history, the megi (whose meatless diet away from the seashore was not rich in protein, having few cereals or legumes) wholeheartedly adapted a few important crops that grew well in Sumil Kai (beans and sweet potatoes). The megi also found a ready market for bolts of kerasilk, as well as cottons and ramies dyed with batik, tritik and other techniques using their bright, colorful dyes.

The arrival of beans and sweet potatoes revolutionized megi society. Having more high-protein food sources, the megi were able to spend less time focusing on production of higher-quality food, and more time on leisure, science, medicine, and other pursuits. The market for textiles also provided a reason to further refine and perfect megi crafts.

Isolated from the rest of the archipelago, for years the megi thought of the sumil as the only other “people” in the world. While the relationship with the naktul was not ideal, there was a tenuous peace based on their mutually beneficial trade.

Eventually the naktul told the megi of the humans and other races to the north, and the ever-curious megi set about strengthening their fishing boats for ocean travel. Within a few hundred years, the megi began sending delegations to other islands. Upon meeting with the relatively easy-going humans, the megi immediately wanted to strengthen relations with them despite the great distance between the islands. The megi invited the humans to establish a diplomatic settlement on their shores. A small group of humans returned with the megi to Sumil Kai and immediately stated their preference to settle in the abandoned port city of Tilesia, rebuild, and inhabit it.

The megi, being so superstitious about Tilesia, tried to talk the humans out of living there. However, the humans found the vertically constructed cities of the megi difficult to live in, and insisted on Tilesia. The megi, wanting the relationship to work, gave in, with many warnings about the fate of Tilesia and what happened last time. Humans, in their ignorance, have no fear of the sumil and the red seas. And in truth, humans settled and live in Tilesia without incident for many years.

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