All of the early legends agree that the Fall of the Theocracy in the Tyr River basin was accompanied by unprecedented climactic upheaval, leading to serious famine and drought. The drought struck first in the Black Mountains, causing a wave of immigration into the river valley and sparking confrontation between the newcomers and the original residents; for the first fifteen years after the Fall, the region was characterized by deprivation and chaotic hostilities, as petty chieftains rose to power and waged war on one another over the rapidly dwindling resources of the area.
A little over a decade after the Fall of the Theocracy, however, this region was united under Hardin, a charismatic leader from the Black Mountains who rose to power through a combination of military might and effective strategies for combating the famine. Hardin's rise was facilitated by his practice of inviting local chieftains to sit on his council of advisors and by his cultivation of men of scientific innovation, as well as those of military prowess. Most of the Tyrrian legends from this era concern the exploits of the chieftains of Hardin's court, particularly those of Arcturus, Beloved of Reason, the inventor of the plow, irrigation and the Cholaeic alphabet, and of Evan, Champion of Love, slayer of monsters and protector of the innocent.
Hardin established himself as the King of Tyr in the year 15. He kept his court from the Seat of Tyr, a natural stone outcropping in the shape of a chair which was said to be a natural focus for the Wisdomic powers of the Earth and to have the particular virtue of distinguishing between Theocrats and the followers of Love and Reason. The settlement which grew up around Hardin's court was named Tyrrie. Over the next few years, many of the coastal communities of Rhowen were incorporated into the Kingdom of Tyr, but when this led to conflict with the Chalycidicans, the Tyrrians ceased their expansion coastward.
