It took some 20,000 years for Shamballah's population to grow to 4 million with a wide range of species including godlings, demi-gods, dragons, Shaydor Spherians, Shaydorian Intel, Zembahk, (Rifts: Atlantis), Centaurs, Rahu-Men, Wing Tips, (Rifts: Conversion Book One), Promethean (no second stage Prometheans are known to exist in the Underland), Draconid, (Rifts: Phase World) and many more but all are of a good alignment.
Then, over a period of 500 years, the city of Shamballah and all of Agharta gained the loyalty of those who are now known as the Twelve Serpents. Twelve Ancient Dragons (the youngest being 20,150 years old or so he claims) of great power who help protect Agharta, teach the people of Shamballah and train the Agharta Warriors (see O.C.C.)
It was during this time, the crucial points of conflict between Agharta and Haraphus were formed. During the formation and civilisation of the Agharta Realm, all manner of demons, supernatural monsters and other creatures were forced out of the six hundred or so caverns that formed Agharta. Most of them settled in an area to the Gyroscopic South which they called Haraphus or Demonhome. Ever since then, discontent and anger at the prosperity and wealth of Agharta have driven those in Haraphus to seek revenge against The King and the 12 Serpents.
A century before the super rift incident in Atlantis, about 38,000 years after the founding of Shamballah, the Brotherhood Wars Began. This conflict sprang from two orders diametrically oppose who have struggled with one another for millennia. Calling themselves the White & Black Brotherhood, they hove fought a secret battle against themselves, each side pledge in the elimination of the other. This conflict did not impact very much upon the citizens of Agharta until the super rift occurred in Atlantis. Members of the white brotherhood used the fluctuating magic to stop the black brotherhood attempt to release the devourer.
After the magic had disappeared from Rifts Earth many of the Atlantean population (about 30,000 at the time) wanted to leave, a great sense of guilt and shame about what had happen made many feel that they were cursed, much like Atlantis's own population, and that they should move on before they caused any harm to a land they consider paradise and join their kin in hunting down the monsters that the super rift had unleased upon the Earth. The only way to return to Rifts Earth was through the pyramids of Agharta, but the King of the World refused access to them for the purposes of dimensional travel, personally standing on the step of the Pyramid of Cykisene to bar the way. He told all who came and pleaded with him to let them return that they would be miss more here in Agharta than what they could achieve back on Earth. Such was the presence of the King of the World and his feelings about this subject that all who came to leave Agharta stayed and began to redeem themselves in helping to advance this world.
Not long after this, the demons in Haraphus launched the first of many raids on Agharta. For a century beforehand, the demons had been building an army. Trans-dimensional traders and various other entities had been supplying the inhabitants of Haraphus with advanced weaponry both technological and magical. Hundreds of War machines and soldiers poured in through dimensional rifts opened by the demons and a large army was amassed on the fringes of Agharta.
The first attack was brutal, the Demonic hordes, swept through the outlying caverns and began laying them to waste. With the use of advanced technology brought in by the traders, the forces of Haraphus within one hour had six caverns full of people in flames.
The King of the World was instantly aware of the raid and with the 12 Serpents assembled Agharta's army for the counter attack. The forces of the Aghartan Warriors were quickly mobilised and moved to the Great Pyramid of Cykisene for transport to the closest point to the conflict. As the last of them vanished via the pyramid, the 12 Ancient Dragons teleported to the battle, while the King of the World planned contingencies in case the counterattack failed. Never before had the denizens of Haraphus been so well organised. He feared that this attack may have had help from entities outside the Underland.
At the war front, those Aghartan Warriors with innate line phasing ability began to emerge from the Vril rivers behind the attackers. The rest of Agharta's forces were teleported to price locations in and around the invaders' midst with the help of the ancient dragons' magic, The 12 Serpents joined the fray, only after all of Agharta's militia was strategically placed, materialised into the air above the battlefield.
The King of the World, with a select group of very high powered Aghartan Warrior/Mind Melters and Aghartan Warrior/Stone Mages used their combined powers to seal the cavern entrances between Agharta and Haraphus. Thus stopping both further attack from Haraphus and any retreat from the battle ground. After the destruction of the tunnels to Haraphus, The King of the World levitated above the fighting and proclaimed to all below him "There will be no battle here.". The fighting stopped for a few minutes. Most of the attacking force surrendered upon hearing the mighty King of the World. Those that did not were struck down from on high by either one of the Dozen Serpents or from the Ruler of Agharta himself.
The battle was over, the invasion halted and any further threat from Haraphus neutralised. But not without a cost of lives that was measured in the thousands. It was from this battle, that the concepts of Modular Technology began to be utilised in Agharta. During the fight, many of the Aghartan devices ran out of power or ammunition. Some had circuits that fused from overuse, and whilst this sort of damage was not surprising considering the circumstances, it was disastrous that these short-circuited components and drained power packs could not be easily replaced. Especially during combat situations. Over the next 11 thousand years, the Science of Optitech, technology that used modular components or "options" was developed as a result of that battle.
Haraphus was never able to again muster a force large enough to threaten Agharta in the same way but every once in a while raiding parties find their way in to the Agharta caverns. The only other source of conflict that occurs within the cave walls of Agharta is that of the Brotherhood wars which still rage even after some 110 centuries. Members of Black brotherhood are consider enemies of peace and by order of the King of the World to all who owe allegiance to Agharta that these Individuals are to be fought against at any and all opportunities.
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