AD&D Campaign: Dark Prophesies
Chapter One: Raise of the Elder Gods and the Council of Peace
It was told that when the Elven races were all very very young, that the Gods used to walk among us. It was common that the Ancient Gods of Light and of Darkness all walked Liasien like their mortal followers. During this time, life on Liasien was very different than it is today. It was a time when humans dominated the realms and the other races were driven to the far reaches of the realms by human expanse. For the human of old were all heavily favored by the Ancient Gods. This time in Liasien history was a time of chaos and of conflict. The followers of the Ancient God's often clashed with each other because of their Gods and ideology.
There were no limits to these clashes as even the followers of the Ancient Gods of Light clashed with each other. Some of the most intense clashes erupted in to full scale wars that drew all of the followers in to these wars. What history teaches us, is that these conflicts were encourage and even ordered by the Ancient Gods as they drew joy in watching the suffering of mortals and the chaos of these clashes. It was long till many mortals realized that the Ancient Gods were all insane. Even those who claimed to be the Gods of Light. All of the Ancient Gods were fueled by the chaos and death that the conflicts brought.
This time of war and chaos continued till the raise of the Elder Gods. The Elder Gods were not like the Ancient Gods as they were not from beyond the Great Unknown. The Elder Gods were true sons and daughters of Liasien. It was the Elder Gods that broke the Ancient Gods' hold on magic. The war that rose between the Ancient Gods and Elder Gods would last till the end of the Ancient Times. This war that raged between the Ancient Gods and the Elder Gods pitted the vast majority of the Elven clans against the Human clans. Even though nearly all of the Elven children were supporting the Elder Gods, not all Elves would support the Elder Gods. For it would be the Drow that choose to wage war against their own kin and sided with the Humans. The betrayal by the Drow was felt deep within the Elven communities and would cause them to be cursed by the Elder Gods so that all would know of their betrayal. However this was not the only betrayal felt during the war.
A few Human Clans had gone against their own kin and joined the forces of the Elder Gods. It was a move that confused many due to the fact that humans was not represented by any of the Elder Gods. These Human Clans became known as Lojal Humans to both sides. They fought with courage and loyalty along side the Elder Gods against their own kind. Among them rose a great hero named, Damon of Aoakoth. It was not long before all of the Lojal Humans saw Damon of Aoakoth as their unified leader over all Human Clans. Often it was the battles between the Lojal Humans and their misguided brothers that were the most brutal and intense. Near the end of the war, Damon of Aoakoth founded the coastal city of Highwyvern that would serve as the seat of Human leadership across Liasien. Damon's support of the Elder Gods never wavered not even on this death bed many years after the war.
After the war, Damon had two sons who had proven their loyalty to the Elder Gods and the Forces of Light. For their bravery and their loyalty, Lord Damon, Ruler of all Humans, divided up the Human realm and created Aoakoth and Crerawiel. Crerawiel was named after Lord Damon's beloved wife, Alexis of Crerawiel village. The night of this joyous event, a seer came to Lord Damon and told him of a prophesy. That both these two new Kingdoms would be burn to the ground due to a great war. However that Damon's own bloodline mixed with the bloodline of Wicirethiel would unify the two realms and rebuild them from the ashes. Because of this prophesy, Damon ordered both of his sons, that no time shall either Kingdom, Aoakoth or Crerawiel ever fight against each other. Not once did either Kingdom allow any issue to lead them to war with each other. Due to this, the two Kingdoms would became the closest of allies.
After the War of the Gods, the Elder Gods told of the support of their followers that played the critical part of winning the war. When the war was over, the Ancient Gods were hunted down and cast from Liasien. They were sent back beyond the Great Unknown where the Ancient Gods had come from. Their temples were all torn down and it was ordered by the Elder Gods that no false gods would be worshiped. It would be the last time the Ancient Gods would have any influence over Liasien or its people. Unlike the Ancient Gods, the Elder Gods did not desire to spread conflict and war among the people of Liasien. Instead the Elder Gods sought to educate the people of Liasien with the knowledge of magic and understanding of the Natural World. The Elder Gods would be known for the peace that they brought to Liasien. The Elder Gods called out to all the races of Liasien, even those who had followed the Ancient Gods during the war.
The Elder Gods desired to unified the many clans and tribes of Liasien and help them find peace. To this end, the Elder Gods called for the creation of a place where all races could have their differences heard. This place would be named the Council of Peace and all Clan Leaders would have a equal, fair voice. To bring the races and clans together within the Council of Peace, the Elder Gods offered to unleashed the Great Mystic Stone. The Mystic Stone was what the Ancient Gods used to create Liasien and was the source of their power. The Mystic Stone was able to create a link between the natural world and the magical world. The Elder Gods broke the Mystic Stone from its bonds and allowed its powers to flow across Liasien.
As the great leaders of Liasien formed the Council of Peace, for the first time the people of Liasien got their first real taste of magic. Before this, they only watched helpless as the Ancient Gods then later the Elder Gods manipulated magic. Now, magic flowed freely across Liasien and touched the mortals of Liasien. At the first meeting of the Council of Peace, the Elder Gods took the pieces of the Mystic Stone and created nine powerful artifacts. These artifacts would become known as the Mystic Artifacts and held unimaginable powers. The Elder Gods had a warning for the leaders of Liasien, never bring the artifacts together out of hate and war among each other.
Temples of the Elder Gods rose up across Liasien as the worship of the Elder Gods become common. While the Elder Gods were worship in the Human realms, they never had as much draw to the humans as else where. It was a hundred years after the end of the War of the Gods that the Humans acted in defiance of the Elder Gods. In direct violation of the single most important law of the Elder Gods, the Humans of Highwyvern erected a temple in honor of Damon the Great. The act caused fear of reprisals from the Elder Gods for the violation across Aoakoth and Crerawiel. Despite these fears though, humans from across the two thriving kingdoms came to Highwyvern to worship at the Temple of Damon the Great.
No one knows why the Elder Gods did not act in response to the violation of the humans. Maybe it was because Damon had given his all to support the Elder Gods during their war. Or maybe the Elder Gods had become so detached from the affairs on Liasien that they no longer cared. The worst of the fears were that the Elder Gods had left Liasien all together. Regardless of reason, the Humans refused to abide by the requests of the Council of Peace to dismantle the temple. The Temple continued to welcome offerings and visitors from across both Aoakoth and Crerawiel.
A few years after the construction of the temple at Highwyvern, a annual pilgrimage was started by the Humans across Liasien to worship at the Temple of Damon the Great. During this time the Council of Peace attempted to peacefully persuade King Helios of Aoakoth to dismantle the temple. In reaction to his own people, King Helios ordered the constructions of a number of other temples across the Kingdom of Aoakoth and to expand the temple in Highwyvern. Queen Rhadda of Crerawiel followed Aoakoth's lead and ordered the construction of a number of Temples in honor of Damon across her realm as well. The move outraged many within the Council of Peace.
The crisis continued to expand as across a number of human controlled city states across Liasien erected their own temples in honor of Damon the Great. Soon no matter where humans lived, these places of worship were soon spotted. They were defended by the human populations that paid homage to Damon. A few Elven lords attempted to close the temple by force but soon realized that this would not solve the problem. Finally the Council of Peace had little choice then to accept the temples being built across Liasien. With the Council's acceptance the crisis ended, and worship of Damon the Great continued across Liasien. While Damon the Great would become widely popular among humans, he would never have as many worships as even the least popular of the Elder Gods.
Far away from the Council of Peace rose schools of magic unlike anywhere in the universe. The most powerful of teachers and masters of these schools had fought side by side with the Elder Gods. Under their leadership, these schools produced some of the most powerful and most wise magical users the universe has ever seen. It was said that some of the most powerful could even rip through the natural world and see in to the future. These powerful mages became known as Seers and their wisdom became sought after by the leaders of Liasien. Of these Seers, the most powerful could even step through the windows of time and space. One such Seer walked the star and saw the very home of the Ancient Gods.
As part of the commandment by the Elder Gods, Council of Peace carefully over saw these schools to ensure that their gifts were not misused. While many races produced powerful magic users, to the surprise of the rest of Liasien the highest number of powerful magic users came from the human realms of Aoakoth and Crerawiel. Here for the humans, it was a matter of pride. The communities pulled their resources and build the finest schools of magic across Liasien. When a child is selected to attend one of these schools, that community is celebrated for the child's accomplishments. For thousands of years, the two human realms produced the single most powerful magic users from across Liasien. Even the Seers of Seona were to be more human than of any other race. However it wasn't only the humans that took this level of pride in their magic users. The rest of Liasien followed the human lead. This drove a unofficial contest between all the realms. Students from different schools would be pitted against each other and the best would venture to other realms to challenge the best there. This contest was officially recognized by the Council of Peace and dubbed the Mystic Games.
These games occurred every year and pitted the very best of each Magical School against each other in competition. The city state of Bymount had the honor of hosting the games. These games brought thousands of travelers to Bymount and became a major source of income for the city state. The rules were simple, twenty fields of magic would be tested. Each school or temple may submit one student or acolyte to compete for one or more fields. The four week event would challenge the competitors against tests put before them by Masters of that field or against each other during magical duels. For thousands of years, these games would act as unofficial means for kingdoms to reach settlements over minor disputes. The Council of Peace would over see the games and the victors of their fields of study would be invited to study with some of the very best teachers across Liasien. This tradition ensured that magic would continue to hold its dominance over other social advances.
Chapter Two: Death of a Prince
As the years past, the Council of Peace acted to defuse many potential crisis's that threaten the peace of Liasien. It was feared after the crisis of Damon the Great, that the Council lacked the support and will to maintain the peace. However as that crisis subsided, the Kingdoms of Aoakoth and Arendale became powerful parters within the Council. This partnership allowed the Council of Peace to ensure a measure of peace across Liasien. Liasien enjoyed peace for longer than many could remember. Though many Seers warned that the houses of Damon and Wicirethiel would turn on each other over the blood of son and the life of a daughter. The prophesies were treated as laughable as the ruling families of Aoakoth and Arendale could never foresee themselves going to war for any reason. With the War of the Gods and the Crisis of Damon the Great becoming distant memories, many have long forgotten about war all together. In fact many across Arendale never considered war ever possible on Liasien.
With conflicts limited to only minor planned battles to settle the very largest of disputes. There were even regions of Liasien who have not seen any level of conflict since the end of the War of the Gods. Some of the greatest scholars have attributed this lost memory directly to the events that led to the Great War. The closest advisors of the Arendale leadership never thought that their actions would have led to war. The common belief was that the Council could maintain the peace even in the face of these tragic events. It was these very common beliefs that had been proved to be completely wrong. No one imagined that the thirst for revenge over the death of a son ran so deep that it could not be ignore.
It all started with the Mystic Games, well over three hundred years ago. In these games, the young Human Prince Lugaid from the Kingdom of Aoakoth crossed paths with the enchanted Elven Princess Muirgen of Arendale. During games the two fell in love despite that they were competing in the same field of magic. At the end of the competition, the finalists came down to the two members of Royalty. Prince Lugaid was heavily favored to take the competition as he had won the games for his field for the last three years. Princess Muirgen, while a highly talented and gifted Necromantic and Elementalist, this was the first year she was competing in the Field of Invocation and Evocation. The ending of the competition shock of many, Prince Lugaid made an armature mistake that cost him the competition. It was rumored that he throw the competition in favor of the young Princess that he had learned to love.
Fast forward three years, the pair managed to maintain a secret relationship at a distance. The four times a year the Council of Peace met in Esterbrook, the pair would find time to spend together. However something that neither young lover foreseen was about to place their growing relationship on the rocks. This was the unannounced arranged marriage between the Princess Muirgen and the Elven Prince Morcant from the City State of Wildedeer. The marriage contract had been created when Princess Muirgen was born. The week prior to her one hundred and twentieth birthday the contract was brought to her knowledge. She sent a magical message to Prince Lugaid, who was in Esterbrook as his father was attending a quarterly Council of Peace meeting.
In hopes of reasoning with King Charon of Arendale, the pair went to him begging for his support of their relationship. The King was more outraged over the fact that his daughter lied to him and kept this from him than anything else. He saw the dishonest conducted by his daughter to be shameful and dishonorable to his entire house. This anger fueled his actions in that meeting. In a fit of anger during the heated argument between his daughter and her human lover, the King commanded that his daughter would never bare the child of this 'human'. Crushed, the pair left the Elven King in his throne room. Even as the echoes of his words were fading he regretted them. Unknown to the two lovers King Charon summed King Máel Sechnaill, Prince Lugaid's father. The long time close friends spoke in great lengths of the current situation. King Charon hung his head in shame over poorly chosen words and his anger. King Máel Sechnaill did not hold his friend's words against him. Instead he offered forgiveness and support to King Charon.
In the light of morning the two friends finally reached an agreement that would allow the two lovers to be together. The two leaders went to find their respected child and inform them of the good news. However it was learned in the early hours of morning that the pair of lovers had fled the city. King Charon ordered his person guards to bring the pair back to his throne room. It was an order that would eventually lead to a war of the likes that had not been seen in thousands of years. A war that would reshape the face of Liasien for centuries to come.
Unknown to anyone, the pair had used their magical gifts to escape Esterbrook undetected. They took a pair of horses and rode hard in to the vast forest that boarders the massive city hub. As the three moons reached their hight, the pair took shelter in a clearing. That night before the three moons, Princess Muirgen offered herself to Prince Lugaid. The bounding was romantic and offered a sense of purity that the two had dreamed of since they first met. By the morning light, the two had gathered their things and south for Bymount. They had hoped that Prince Lugaid's uncle, the King of Bymount, would help them escape from both Aoakoth and Arendale.
It was at midday on the second day, when the Royal Guard caught up with them. The chase was on as the lovers attempted to flee for Bymount. With horses pushing their endurance, the lovers were able to keep just ahead of the Royal Guards. During this chase was then disaster struck. According to Princess Muirgen, she was just behind Prince Lugaid as they were being pursued. Without warning or cause, Prince Lugaid fell from his horse and struck his head on a rock. The chase came to an end as Princess Muirgen held her human lover. Despite all of her skill and love, she could not bring her lover back. Royal Guards attempted their best to save the Prince but it was too late, Prince Lugaid was dead. The Princess and the body of the Prince were brought back to Esterbrook. In the Royal Throne room, King Máel Sechnaill weeped over his son's death.
Arendale supplied King Máel Sechnaill with a full Honor Guard for the trip back to the Kingdom of Aoakoth. It was said that to view the Honor Guard took an entire day. Thousands from both Arendale and Aoakoth would line the road to watch the Royal party at the head of the Honor Guard. This party included Princess Muirgen and Prince Lugaid's body as well as Kings from both Arendale and Aoakoth. Even the Dark Drow Queen Galaran'dir ventured up from her hidden city beneath the mountains to pay her respects. When the Honor Guard arrived in Highwyvern, the word had spread across the human realms. The city was over flowing with those wishing to pay their respects for one of the humans' most beloved Princes.
The funeral was simple, which was how the Prince would have wanted it. When the Honor Guard from Arendale left, there were rumors of war between the two great Kingdoms. However this never came to pass. Instead the two old friends attempted to mend the wounds caused by Princes Lugaid's death by allowing Princess Muirgen to move freely between the two Kingdoms. Over the next two years, Princess Muirgen became a common sight walking the halls of Highwyvern Castle. She was openly excepted in to King Máel Sechnaill's court. In a surprising move that shocked many outside of Aoakoth, King Máel Sechnaill gifted Princess Muirgen with the title of Duchess of Southwald and in doing so made her an official member of the Kingdom of Aoakoth Royalty. With the move, Princess Muirgen moved her live belongings to her new home on Southwald. It was said that there she would spend her time watching the waves crash on the bluffs below her keep.
Some believe that it was in giving her, her title and the island of Southwald that triggered the next series of events. Or maybe it was that Princess Muirgen found herself more at home within Highwyvern Castle or on her island of Southwald. Regardless of the reason, the next event would kick off a war between two of the most powerful kingdoms on Liasien. And before this war would be over, it would reach across all of Liasien.
It all started when Princess Muirgen failed to arrive for her scheduled visit to Highwyvern Castle, King Máel Sechnaill sent out his ships to search for her missing ship. He sent his fastest messenger to the Elven court at Esterbrook Castle. Days passed then weeks as the search for the missing Princess continued. It was rumored that King Máel Sechnaill had become visibly shaken the days passed and the Elven Princess was still missing. He called up all of his forces and raided any known pirate vessel in search of her. The waters near Aoakoth had become dangerous to any pirate vessel. Many fled west to get away from Aoakoth's navy.
Still no one had any news regarding the missing Princess' whereabouts. That was till nearly two months after the searches started. The messenger returned from Esterbrook Castle with news of the Princess. She was safe and sound, or at least that was what the messenger had been informed. He had been forbidden to see her by King Charon himself. Her ship never left for Aoakoth and King Charon swore that he had sent word of the canceled trip weeks before her ship was to set sail. To add insult to injury, the messenger was informed that the Princess' engagement to Prince Morcant was back on. It was said that this was all done at the Princess consent. King Máel Sechnaill was outraged at the news and recalled his ship. He wanted to know if this was in fact done at the consent of the Princess or if she was being forced in to this.
He commissioned a spy to make contact with the Princess and find the answers to King Máel Sechnaill's questions. It would not be known till well after the Great War that the spy had been aided by a pair of Dark Drow from Shadowlure. It is largely suspected that the Drow had a hand in the coming events of the war though they deny any involvement in what happened. To this day the Drow only confirm that they had aided the spy in reaching Esterbrook undetected and nothing else.
However what the spy would report back would set trigger the Great War. The spy not only reported that the Princess was being forced in to this marriage against her will. The spy informed King Máel Sechnaill that the Princess was about to give birth to a child. That child was the offspring of Prince Lugaid's only union with Princess Muirgen. The child was known for some time by King Charon and this was the reason why the Princess was locked up in Esterbrook Castle. The fate of the child was to be sent to the northern reaches of Arendale where he would be raised by a close friend of King Charon. The spy also relayed a personal plea from Princess Muirgen to come and save her and her child from her father's plans. It was just the spark needed to ignite the war.
Chapter Three: The Beginning of the Great War
With word from his spy and a personal plea for help, King Máel Sechnaill ordered his forces on the move. In a daring two prong attack the King of Aoakoth showed his military superiority. In his first move he ordered his troops to march across mountains and secure the City State Seona. Originally they were to enlist the city's support. However Seona refused to render support and attempted to send word to Arendale of the coming attack. Aoakoth placed Seona under siege and would last for nearly a year before the city would fall. While Seona was not able to alert Arendale of the coming attack, the siege did alert the Elven Kingdom of the coming war to their lands. This gave Arendale vital time to raise their forces. Later after the fall of Seona, the powerful armies of Aoakoth and Arendale would face off at the city of Aelhill.
The second prong of his attack was the actual main attack force of his plan. He sent a fast naval strike force to the City State of Bymount. While Bymount claimed neutrality prior to the arrival of Aoakoth's forces. After a two hour meeting between the King of Bymount and the commanding officer of the Aoakoth's forces, the City State of Bymount agreed to join Aoakoth's crusade to rescue the Princess Muirgen from her father. At the outrage of Arendale, Bymount allowed the Aoakoth's forces up the mighty river Sanne. Sadly, Arendale wouldn't learn of Bymount's actions till it was too late to react. As the forces of Arendale fought back the armies from Aoakoth at Aelhill, the proud city of Esterbrook fell under attack from ships carrying the Bymount flag.
The surprise attack caught the defenders of Esterbrook completely by surprise. Over whelmed and outflanked, the outer walls fell before the alarms could be sounded. What followed would be described in legends. The brutal street by street battle would become a dark omen of things to come. By the end of the day, part of the city was in flames as Aoakoth were withdrawing with their prize. The Princess Muirgen and her new born child had been safely rescued. To add to the crisis faced by Esterbrook, the commander of Aoakoth's naval forces took it upon himself to start a one hour bombardment of Esterbrook with flaming shots. The catapults from Aoakoth's ships increased the flames over Esterbrook's wall. At the end of this hour long bombardment, the rest of Esterbrook was engulfed in flames. The Aoakoth navy turned south and headed back to Bymount.
With Esterbrook in flames, the Kingdom of Adwelawial ordered its military forces to march on Aoakoth. As the Adwelawial navy made their run for open ocean, they ran head long in to Crerawiel ships. Adwelawial had long negated their navies in favor of a large land army. This negate cost them a decisive defeat at the hands of the highly experiences Crerawiel navy. With the Adwelawial naval threat eliminated, the Crerawiel navy sailed hard for the west and the vital Charlotte's Pass. As Aoakoth was marching on Arendale, Crerawiel had been asked to raise its forces and prepare for war. In anticipation for the coming battle with long time supporter of Arendale, Crerawiel moved its forces to the Charlotte's Pass to wait for Adwelawial's armies. There they dug in and readied for a brutal battle.
Crerawiel would not face the much larger Adwelawial's army alone. They had enlisted the help from City State of Swynmarsh. Or at least they thought that had enlisted this help. When word came down that Arendale was sending its army from Newdale, it spooked the troops from Swynmarsh and they withdrew back to their city leaving Crerawiel to face the two armies alone. Luckily for Crerawiel Prince Unerion refused to allow his people to be drawn in to a war that he didn't agree with. He gathered local support and broke his realm off from Arendale forming the Kingdom of Erardon. Prince Unerion sent notifications to all waring factions that Erardon was neutral and pleaded that their neutrality should not be violated.
With Erardon holding a large force back from the war, Crerawiel was able to breath a sigh of relief. But not much, the army from Adwelawial was still nearly twice the size of the army of Crerawiel. Still Crerawiel had a trick up their sleeve. When Adwelawial's forces arrived, they found the pass blocked by Crerawiel troops. As the battle was joined, it was Crerawiel's navy that tipped the scales. The four day battle ended with the destruction of Adwelawial entire army. Crerawiel didn't leave the battle unharmed as they lost nearly half of their forces. Still they marched on the City State of Swynmarsh for some much deserved revenge. The city would see its massive wall turned to rubble and its legendary harbor razed. Swynmarsh would suffer like no other city as Crerawiel's revenge would be leveled at the city for weeks.
The Battle of Aelhill however, would be fought bravely against two evenly matched armies. However it would be magic that would tip the scales against Arendale. Aoakoth's mastery over the arts would show how far Arendale had become complacent. The Grand Army of Arendale would suffer a considerable defeat at Aelhill and the city would fall to Aoakoth. Originally this was as far as King Máel Sechnaill had planned to go. As his forces prepared for their departure from Arendale lands, an event in Highwyvern would spin this war out of control. A Elven spy would make an attempt on King Máel Sechnaill's life. The plot would be foiled, but it would claim the life of King Máel Sechnaill's daughter and last surviving son. Aoakoth future now rested in the hands of Princess Muirgen's son, Prince Edendal. With the dead spy as proof of Arendale's treachery King Máel Sechnaill ordered his forces to remove King Charon from leadership of Arendale.
Using Bymount's port as a base of operations, Aoakoth's navy conducted raids across Arendale's coast line. The raids made it nearly impossible for Arendale to raise more forces. This made Aoakoth's march to the city of Fallmarsh much easier. Reinforced by Aoakoth's forces from Seona, Fallmarsh had little hope of stopping the siege that came to them. A year later, the city fell and was looted and raised. All that stood between Aoakoth's two main armies and Esterbrook was a much smaller force that Arendale could muster at the time. It was a largely one sided battle as Aoakoth's armies swept the last of Arendale's armies aside. Aoakoth continued to march west towards Esterbrook as Arendale attempted to raise another army.
The second battle of Esterbrook started with a massive bombardment from the sea once more. The army laid siege to the massive city preventing anyone from leaving the city. Month after month ships rotated from Bymount to Esterbrook to continue the bombardment of the city. Aoakoth's army held the noose around Esterbrook tight keeping those who didn't flee from leaving now. Each week, King Charon was called upon to surrender himself to Aoakoth. This continued for nine months till King Máel Sechnaill arrived at Esterbrook. With the city in flames and ruins, King Máel Sechnaill personally called on King Charon to surrender and end this war. With a heavy heart, King Charon did surrender. Before the walls of his once proud city and as his own people watched, King Charon and his wife were hung from a nearby tree. It was rumored that King Máel Sechnaill watched the hangings personally. When the hangings were complete, King Máel Sechnaill declared the war between Aoakoth and Arendale over. If only everyone else knew this.
Chapter Four: The End of the Great War
Energized by their success against Swynmarsh, Crerawiel's weakened army continued their march on the Adwelawial city of Cassanda. There was the belief that Adwelawial's army had been destroyed at Charlotte's Pass. However this was a gross miscalculation. As word came that Crerawiel was marching on Cassanda, Adwelawial's Home Guard marched in support of the city. The massive army split in two forces as they closed on the city. It was ordered to allow Crerawiel to reach the city first and form their siege. Only then would the Home Guard be allowed to act.
Once the Home Guard was sure that Crerawiel's army was tied down with the siege did they strike. Crerawiel's weakened army found themselves outflanked between a counter attack from Cassanda and a fresh attack from the Home Guard behind them. The week long battle ended as many suspected. Crerawiel's forces were completely crushed by Adwelawiel's. It was suspected that had Crerawiel not marched on Cassanda, Adwelawiel might have remained on the side lines of this war after their losses at Charlotte's Pass. It would not be the only defeat that Crerawiel would face. From the far east, sails and oars were pressing the attack towards Crerawiel.
With Esterbrook in ruins as well as much of Arendale and Arendale's King and Queen dead, King Máel Sechnaill boarded his flagship and ordered his ships to sail home. Much of Aoakoth's forces were plotting their withdraw from Arendale. As the Aoakoth's fleet approached Bymount, King Máel Sechnaill made a fateful choice. With most of his ships stopping at Bymount to resupply, King Máel Sechnaill ordered his flagship and a pair of escorts to continue on to Southwald. He wanted to personally deliver the news of the victory to Princess Muirgen. With the last light of the setting sun behind them, King Máel Sechnaill sailed passed Bymount and the rest of his fleet.
Just off the coast of the Island of Rhymes as the sun was breaking the horizon, King Máel Sechnaill's flagship and his escorts encountered a massive armada of ships from the Kingdom of Olecia, the City States of Irma and Wildedeer. On the edges of the armada were the Pirate Clans. The armada was so large that their numbers reached across for as far as the eyes could see. The armada had been formed and was under the leadership of Prince Morcant from the City State of Wildedeer. Without warning, the lead ships pounced on King Máel Sechnaill's flagship and escorts. It was hardly even a battle yet it would become a turning point in the Great War. During the battle, King Máel Sechnaill's flagship would be boarded by Prince Morcant and his forces. The end of the battle came as Morcant ran the Aoakoth ruler through with his own sword.
Prince Morcant claimed the legendary Sword of Damon as his personal prize after the battle. This prized weapon was rumored to be forged by the Elder Gods themselves for Damon the Great. It was one of the Mystic Artifacts and filled Prince Morcant with great power. It was said that the Prince thirsted for more after he held the Sword of Damon. Prince Morcant split his armada in to two units. He sent one unit under the command of his younger brother towards Bymount and the rest of the Aoakoth fleet. He personally led the second unit for Aoakoth itself. The end of the Great War was at hand and Liasien would see a powerful leader raise from the ashes of this war.
The Aoakoth armies were finally preparing to leave Esterbrook when a new army arrived from the west. It was an army of Dwarfs and Gnomes from the Kingdoms of Gearwen and Onorewen. At the front of the army were the forces from the Kingdom of Olecia. It had taken years for the rest of the Council of Peace to decide to act in the War between Aoakoth and Arendale. However now that they have decided to act, it was clear that they had acted with might and unity. The armies of Aoakoth that had laid siege to Esterbrook were out numbered nearly ten to one. Still, Aoakoth held the advantage with their superior magical abilities.
The Third Battle of Esterbrook was costly for the Council of Peace as they liberated the capital of Arendale. However, by the end of the battle the back of Aoakoth armies had been broken. As the armies of Aoakoth fled Eastward, the Council's armies held their pursuit. The leaders from the combined armies decided to rest their armies and pay respects to the fallen King Charon. The rumors of brutal occupation of Esterbrook by the Aoakoth armies were discovered to be largely exaggerated. Of what was seen in Esterbrook was normal to a war between two great Kingdoms. The rumors which drove the other Kingdoms and powers to war were seen for the lies that they were. To everyone's surprise, King Máel Sechnaill had taken great care to lay to rest his old friend King Charon.
Dwarf scholars recorded contrary to rumors, King Charon had died during the final battle of Esterbrook. It was unclear as to when his Queen had died or if she had taken her own life. but it was clear that she had died days before King Charon. King Máel Sechnaill had ordered his armies to pay their respects to a fallen hero of Liasien. The stories of wide spread raping and pillaging at the hands of Aoakoth were discovered to be untrue as well. It was after the liberation of Esterbrook did it become clear that the Great War was clouded by illusions and mirrors. Much haste was given to send out messages regarding this revelation, but it would come too late to save King Máel Sechnaill.
After a two day rest, the armies of the Council of Peace marched eastward for the Arendale city of Fallmarsh. Along the way, hoards of Elfs from the Arendale's northern territories flocked to the banner of Prince Morcant. Prince Morcant, the recognized leader of the Council's war effort, ordered that the Council's mighty army be lead by Elven General Elrombor. General Elrombor was from Arendale's northern strong hold city of Icewater. His most of his family had been in Fallmarsh when Aoakoth attacked. Aside from his sons, who were serving along side him at Icewater, his entire family had died in Fallmarsh.
Under General Elrombor, Arendale's army was reborn. Together with the army of the Council, they soon out numbered Aoakoth's forces by twenty to one. The Elven armies were filled with desires of revenge based on rumors regarding the death of their beloved King and the fall of their capital. Despite urgings of the contrary, the battle for Fallmarsh signaled the effects of these false rumors. Not one Aoakoth soldier was given quarter after the battle. Aoakoth's prize army had fallen during the battle of Fallmarsh, which lasted for nearly six months.
The push was on, as General Elrombor drove Aoakoth's last army south for Seona. However the drive was made harder by human communities that protected wounded Aoakoth soldiers or refused to hand over those who helped soldiers as they made their retreat. While in the full sight of the Council, General Elrombor was forced to do nothing regarding this 'rebellious communities.' He did take notes of their involvement. To ensure that the war effort would not be threatened by 'matters of technical facts' Prince Morcant convinced the remaining members of the Council to allow certain findings from Esterbrook to be withheld till after the war. This allowed rumor fueled hate to be allowed to spread across the Council's armies.
The Battle for Bymount was just another tragic victim of this policy of silence. The human leaders of the City State were all hung for their 'crimes' against peace. Much of the human population of the city fled the city as the naval armada set the city to flames. It was said that the flames from the city were so bright that it helped the armada to spot the fleeing Aoakoth fleet making sail up the River Sanne. The armada gave chase and by the end of the month, the last Aoakoth ship was hunted down and sunk off the eastern banks of inland sea. With Sanne no longer able to support Aoakoth's occupied towns and cities within Arendale, it was easy for the armada to crush the last of the hold outs along the inland sea.
Off the eastern coast of Crerawiel, wave after wave of Council warships from the Kingdom of Adrirawyr and the City State of Akinyi pressed the skill of Crerawiel's naval leaders to their breaking points. It was not long till simple numbers took their toll on the much more experienced and better equipped Crerawiel navy. After nearly two years of consent naval battles, Crerawiel simply could no longer field the kind of officers that they once had. Council ships were able to sail freely along the southern coasts of Crerawiel and Aoakoth. It was a bitter defeat for Crerawiel and a grand victory for the Council as this allowed Prince Morcant to make his next move.
Prince Morcant took his fleet to the Island of Southwald. There he battled against a minor combined fleet of Aoakoth and Crerawiel. The battle was short lived and one sided, in the favor of the Council of Peace. His forces quickly captured a small community where Princess Muirgen was reported being held against her will by her Aoakoth captors. It was unclear to his reasoning, however instead of finishing the conquest of Southwald, Prince Morcant ordered his forces to board their transports and leave Southwald. No Council troops would make landings on Southwald for the rest of recorded history. The island would be left to its own fate as the rest of Aoakoth and Crerawiel would pay for the war that they started.
Chapter Five: Dark Prophesies and the Fall of Aoakoth
As the Council's army continued to march for Aoakoth's boarders, Aoakoth's armies continued to fall back. They denied General Elrombor further grand victories by withdrawing before his armies could reach the Aoakoth's lines. Even the liberation of Seona was far from what General Elrombor wanted. Aoakoth had withdrawn from the City State days before the unified armies of the Council could strike. As the columns of the Council's army moved on the Shadowwyvern Mountains, the Aoakoth took up defensive positions within their fortifications. The fortifications were well known as being some of the best in the realms. In light of the coming intense battles, General Elrombor and his staff went to the Oracle of Seona.
The Oracle has been renowned for her visions and was often sought far and wide by the leaders of Liasien. General Elrombor and his staff stood before the Oracle as she pronounced that Arendale and the forces of the Council have achieved a great victory that will ensure peace for years to come. She offered up a short reading for each of the Generals of the Council's forces. The mood in the temple was uplifting and filled with energy. The mood however was shattered when General Elrombor asked how his forces could over come Aoakoth's fortifications in the Shadowwyvern Mountains. It was clear that General Elrombor desired to push the war in to the heart of Aoakoth and beyond. General Elrombor staff had mixed feelings about continuing a war that already pushing a decade long. The Oracle told the General and his staff the following prophesy.
"Arendale and the forces of the Council should not cross the Shadowwyvern Mountains. Should they cross the Shadowwyvern Mountains and invade Aoakoth, the Elder Gods would frown upon the endeavor. Everything that would result from this will be by the hands of the mortals of Liasien not the Elder Gods. Do not call upon the Gods to aid you in this, for they will abandon you as the sun sets in the west. As the sun raises in the east, a great darkness would be unleashed upon Liasien. This darkness will not end with the end of the war. Its fingers shall reach for as far as the light is cast upon Liasien. As this darkness reaches across Liasien, the Council of Peace will be shattered by distrust and arrogance. Alone Arendale will stand once more against their former ally. An heir will be discovered whom can claim what is rightfully his. As the storm clouds gather above Aoakoth, innocent royal blood would once more be shed. Royal vengeance from Aoakoth will once more set forth the flames of war. From darkness pits of the unknown will bring forth an abomination born of fire and earth. This abomination will prove to be unstoppable to even the best of your magic. Nothing of the natural world will be able to stop it. Rest assured Arendale will fall and be burned to the ground again and this time it shall not raise."
The Oracle had this to say to General Elrombor personally, "Your burning desires for revenge will cost you both of your sons. The peace as well as your own personal glory that you sought through revenge will not be lasting. Your family will know no peace, only suffering. You and those of your staff will be judged for your actions beyond the mountains. For ever will be cursed your names, for you would have ignored the warnings of the Elder Gods. And in doing so, you will shatter the rules of Magic and the Natural Order. The Abomination will walk in waves across the lands, unstoppable. General, let this war end this day. Let go your thirst for revenge. Do not cross the Mountains in to Aoakoth!"
The General was moved by the words of the Oracle. However Aoakoth has sacked so many of Arendale towns and cities. Raised the very heart of Arendale and murdered its rulers. He demanded to know how Arendale could over come Aoakoth's fortifications. The Oracle sighed deeply as she informed him, "No force of might could defeat Aoakoth's fortifications deep in the mountains. However if revenge is all that you seek, follow the path of those who serve the Ancient Ones. Seek their guidance and like a snake, Arendale can slither through the mountains instead of crossing over them. Be warned, the might of Aoakoth's magic will defeat Arendale. In this, the last hope for truly lasting peace and a stop to your drive for revenge."
As the General and his staff were leaving, the Oracle stopped him once more. "General, IF revenge is all that you seek. Then know this, magic is the key. Pull out the key and Aoakoth would be helpless to your dark thirst. However once you remove the key, you will never be able to put it back."
The General and his staff stood there for a moment before one of his staff asked, "Remove magic? how can one remove magic?"
The Oracle laughed, "What the Elder Gods have gifted us, can be taken back. The Mystic Stone gives and can take back. But only as a whole, and when joined with the blood of the Ancient Order. Be warned General, this is dark blood magic and will curse your line and Arendale for years to come. For ever will you walk this dark path, till your end. Your revenge will darken your spirit."
That night was spent in heated debate over the future of the war and of all of Liasien. The dark warnings of the Oracle had moved the leaders of the Council's forces. Already it was reported that the forces of Adrirawyr, Akinyi and Adwelawiel have declared victory against Crerawiel and were already withdrawing. With Crerawiel defeated and most of Aoakoth's forces laid to waste, it was clear that Aoakoth could fall easily. However the Oracle's warning was weighing heavily upon the military leaders of the Council. It was General Elrombor who persuaded the rest to continue the war against Aoakoth. However not all were convinced. The Leaders from Grearwen took heed the Oracle's warning and refused to join the war any further. They gathered their army and returned home while the rest of the Council's armies continued east for Aoakoth.
General Elrombor took the warning of Aoakoth's mountain fortifications to heart. He sent out his scouts to find another path in to the heart of Aoakoth. To the surprise of all the Council, it was the Drow whom provided the answer. The Drow Priestess sent her followers to help the Forces of the Council. With the help of the Drow, the Council's armies snaked their way through secret passageways that cut deep through the mountains. These passageways were only known to the Drow as they lead the Council's armies under the Aoakoth fortifications. Instead of going over the Mountains, General Elrombor led his armies through the mountains and in to the heartland of Aoakoth. During their month long journey, General Elrombor met with the High Priestess of the Drow and secured her support for his plan to end Aoakoth's magical threat. A Drow sacrifice was prepared for the ancient ritual that would end Aoakoth's dominance over magic.
When the Council's armies emerged from the deep passageways Aoakoth was caught completely by surprise. The very armies that had once caused so much chaos across Arendale were now outflanked and crushed in a series of grand battles. It was the kind of victories that General Elrombor so badly wanted since he first led his armies in this war. But he didn't just want to beat the armies of Aoakoth, he wanted to crush Aoakoth as a whole. Still even his most recent grand victories came at a heavy price. Here on their home territory, Aoakoth's dominance over magic made further victories nearly impossible. He had to break this advantage if he was to crush Aoakoth. He knew he had to break Aoakoth's dominance of magic.
He summoned the most powerful of his wizards and priests for his spell and gathered his forces high in the Western Shadowwyvern Mountains. There from those peaks, General Elrombor with his Prince, Prince Morcant watched as the most powerful spell since the days the Elder Gods walked on Liasien was cast. The spell was centered on the great legendary Mystic Artifacts which all had been forged from the Mystic Stone and channeled all the power of Liasien. During the spell, no less then twenty of the most powerful wizards worked on casting it. At the climax of the spell, a pair of Drow virgins were bled to power the spell. At the end, the natural world was ripped from the magical world in a magically fueled storm that reached as far as the eyes could see in to Aoakoth. It was said that even the mighty magical walls of Highwyvern cracked and crumbled as the storm raged.
The real test of this dark blood magic would come at the next battle. General Elrombor led his forces once more against the armies of Aoakoth. The battle was short lived and one of the most lopsided victories Arendale has ever enjoyed. It would not be the last, as Aoakoth could no longer defend its self from the armies of the Council. General Elrombor marched his army east was no longer a war. The Elven Scholar Calionduil wrote of the battles that came after the casting of the spell. "When we fought Aoakoth as they were driven from Arendale, and when we exited the dark tunnels under the Shadowwyvern Mountains, Aoakoth was a fierce, dangerous and courageous opponent. Now, they are no long dangerous as our own mages can easily push them aside. However even without their magic, their courage fuels them and makes them no less fierce on the battlefield. They knew that they can not win against us yet the courage of mankind drives them to not give up."
Without their magical dominance, Aoakoth was no match for the Council's forces as General Elrombor led his armies across Aoakoth. He split his forces in to two and sent his sons to lay siege to Silverfalcon the capital of Crerawiel while he led the main force against Highwyvern. While the siege of Silverfalcon was nothing out of the ordinary, the siege of Highwyvern was nothing short of a nightmare for the humans that lived within the wall. Instead of attacking the mighty walled port city, General Elrombor build hundreds of catapults and sent flaming bails of hay and magical fire over the walls. After the siege, the fires burned so hot that he was forced to pull his armies back due to the heat. The walls that had been meant to protect the people within the city, now entrapped them in a burning hell.
Once more the Elven Scholar Calionduil wrote, "The fires of Highwyvern were so bright that the days were unbearable that scouts and forward units were pulled back. The nights were filled with such light that I could read from my books without the aid of my lantern. But it was the cries which I find to be so unbearable. Those horrible cries of a city in its death throws. They echo in the night just below the sounds of the raging fires. I don't know what is worse. Knowing the horrors that is faced within the walls of that doomed city or the imagination of what I suspect those poor people face as they fight for survival. May Labelas Enoreth forgive us for what was have done here."
After the fall of Highwyvern, the war was all but over. The allied armies of the Council all decided to return home. The war had lasted just over a decade and many of the Council's soldiers hadn't seen their families in years. A call for peace was heard as the Council's armies all headed home. That was all but those of Arendale. Taking the Oracle's words seriously, General Elrombor ordered his remaining three Arendale armies to fan out across the remains of Aoakoth and Crerawiel. Any nobility or leaders were to be hunted down and slain. Anyone with a link to the royal families shall be found and killed. The General's orders were clear, "At no time shall any resemblance of human leadership survive this war." The order drove the wedge between him and his sons that much further and deeper. While they followed the orders of their General, his sons refused to speak to him after that. By the time Arendale finally withdrew from Aoakoth, nothing survived of its former leadership. Aoakoth and Crerawiel had simply ceased to exist in the end. What rose from the ashes were a wide range of tribal bands of human groups. Even these lacked strong leadership and often broke up in face of crisis. While the humans of Aoakoth and Crerawiel hung on to existence by the smallest thread, Arendale withdrew The Great War was finally over.....
Chapter Six: Aftermath and the Legend of Ten Thousand
Near the end of the Great War, the human realms of Aoakoth and Crerawiel faced impossible odds. Across the entire realms, their access to magic had been broken and they were left all but helpless. Searching for any hope of steaming the tide of defeat, a handful of smiths created a weapon that just might be the savor of these two great realms. The weapons were called Arquebus, and commissioned by Duke Matthias Corvinus of the Kingdom of Crerawiel. Duke Corvinus placed his entire family's fortunes in to the development and creation of the Arquebus. The weapon wouldn't be created in time to save Highwyvern from the siege that brought the great city to its knees, but it would come.
The Arquebus was a powerful weapon of the likes that had never been seen on Liasien. When all things worked correctly, the weapon unleashed so much power that hardly anything could stand up to it. However, seldom did all things within the weapon function correctly. The weapon often misfired killing its welder and injuring those around him. It was largely inaccurate compared to bows that were normally fielded. Its rate of fire lead to many disorganized units only to be able to get off one shot before being over run by charging calvary. The amount of time it took to train a soldier to properly use the Arquebus was a drain on vital resources that Crerawiel could ill afford. While the weapon was innovative, and a massive leap away from more traditional weapons, its first and only major appearance on the battlefield had hardly an impact on the overall outcome of the battle.
The Battle of Cerignola near the end of the Great War marked the end of all future developments of the Arquebus. Duke Corvinus personally led his 7th Dragoons against the armies of the Council. The 7th Dragoons had been nearly completely outfitted with Arquebus. Even at this peak of war time protection, it was far too little and far to late. The Duke was banking heavily on his miracle weapon to break the Council's momentum. The steaks were so high that the Duke made sure that he would personally lead the 7th Dragoons to ensure that the weapons were deployed correctly.
The 7th Dragoons faced off with the elite Elven Royal 2nd Guard Calvary under the command of Pil Gandel, oldest son to General Elrombor. As the larger battle for Cerignola raged around the two units and the county side, Duke Corvinus and his Dragoons held the much larger 2nd Guards at distances for nearly half a day. The 7th Dragoons heroically fought back charge after charge from the Royal Guard. This lasted till early in the evening when a rain shower broke the stalemate between the two units. Pil Gandel led the final charge at the hight of the rain shower. The Dragoons were forced from the field as their core units were destroyed by the 2nd Guard.
After the Great War, the Arquebus was brought in to question. Nothing like this weapon had been seen before. It was the hight of human weapon development and a show of their mastery of metal smithing. The Council of Peace careful examined the Arquebus and after many heated debates between the Gnome and the Elven realms, it was finally ruled that the Arquebus was too unnatural for Liasien and represented a clear threat to the nature order. All Arquebus captured during the Great War were ordered to be destroyed. Further creation of them were ban across all realms and Kingdoms. Those human smiths who were responsible for their creation would be hunted down and prevented from creating more.
Only two Arquebus would survive the Council's ruling. One can be seen in the Great Museum in Esterbrook. There it is on display as a show of how far from the natural order the Humans fell. This weapon still acts as a warning of darkness which dwells in the hearts of all humans. For hundreds of years after the Great War, children from fall and wide are brought to the Great Museum to tour its vast halls. All of them are taught of the Great War and the darkness which brought Liasien to near destruction. The last part of this tour is a life fire demonstration of the Great Weapon of Evil, the Arquebus. It is said that after the demonstration, many are so moved by this horror that any doubt of supporting Arendale's current military might are banished.
The last Arquebus resides in the private study of General Elrombor. The weapon had been the personal weapon of Duke Matthias Corvinus, who was the last great rule of the Humans. This weapon was a gift from the General's son, Pil Gandel, as a trophy to mark the death of Duke Corvinus days after the battle of Cerignola. The weapon marked the end of any relationship between the General and his sons. Each accused the General of allowing his own personal lost and desires for revenge to cloud his judgment and his actions against the Human realms. Now the weapon rests above the General's fireplace.
As the last of the Council's armies withdrew from the fires that remained of the human realms, General Elrombor led his unit once more to Seona where he once more sought the wisdom of the Oracle of Seona. However she refused to see him even after his multiple attempts and requests. On the twentieth night of the General's visit to Seona, the Oracle did see the General. It is said that the Oracle visited the General when the moons of Liasien were at their peaks. She slipped in to his bed chamber and woke him from his slumber. The recorded history is solely based off of what the General stated happened that night.
After being alerted of what he thought was an assassin he learned that it was the Oracle herself who had visited him. The Oracle condemned his family and his blood for ignoring her warnings. That he had unleashed upon Liasien a nightmare that will only end with the destruction of the Council of Peace. The General had been accused of bringing about the end of the reign of the Elder Gods. She warned of a war to come that would be like no other war seen before. Liasien would shake and the blood of Elven kind would flow freely like the rivers. All that she foretold would come to pass because he allowed his own revenge to guild him. She told him that his actions had awakened the abomination and it will walk across Liasien in waves.
But in her curses, she offered the General a shiver of hope. She explained that she had cast a powerful ritual that would protect his bloodline. His bloodline would be called upon to heal Liasien and bring peace and unity back to the Council. This was the only hope that Liasien had for peace and that the General's own bloodline had for salvation. What followed next would cause a massive rift across the Realms of Liasien. The General would even face accusations of murder from other realms. The General's words of that night claimed that after the Ocacle's statements she cast herself upon his sword claiming that her death would seal her ritual and lock his bloodline in to its destiny. On that night, the most powerful seer across Liasien would for ever be silenced.
As the debate over the death of the Oracle raged across Liasien, General Elrombor was called up once more. A few years after the end of the Great War, rumors of a large human hold out started to surface. These rumors were uncovered by non-human settlers that had made there way in to former human lands. The rumors claimed that far to the east in the mountains of Crerawiel a massive band of ten thousand human soldiers under the command of the Queen of Aoakoth were forming. The rumors suggested that the Queen was plotting to reclaim her former Kingdom. With no real standing army in the former lands of Aoakoth, non-human settlers would be vulnerable to attack.
While the Council of Peace didn't officially rule on a course of action regarding this rumor, it was decided by the newly crowned King of Arendale, King Morcant. King Morcant secured his place in Arendale after his marriage to Princess Muirgen. King Morcant personally ordered General Elrombor to lead his army once more across Aoakoth and find the Queen of Aoakoth. End her threat to peace once and for all. The General reformed his army with new recruits and lead a force of almost eighty thousand over the mountains once more. It was noted that none of the General's sons choose to follow their father on this mission. Each of them left Seona, and never spoke to their father again.
It took the General five long years to reach the mountains and search out the Queen of Aoakoth. In the end, the Queen of Aoakoth and her army was found and destroyed in a grand battle. The General's army had suffered heavily from the quest to end the Queen's threat. Only twenty thousand of his army marched out of the mountains when the battle was over. As they once more marched west for Arendale, any resemblance of human leadership, Aoakoth, Crerawiel or otherwise was destroyed. The General's march would ensure that the human realms would take centuries to return to some level of order. Entire villages and communities were burned as his army marched west. In the death of these communities, waves of non-human settlers rushed in to these fertile lands to start new lives.
By the time the last of the Council forces marched from the former human realms, hundreds of non-human settlements sprang up across the realm. General Elrombor returned to Esterbrook for a heroes welcome. There he presented the symbols of over two dozen human rulers, to include the royal crown of the Queen of Aoakoth. The Great War and the minor battles afterward had lasted for nearly sixty years, and now Liasien was at peace once more. For his service to Arendale, King Morcant named General Elrombor Duke of Bymount, and Royal Protector of Arendale. With his wife's death avenged, Duke Elrombor would take King Morcant's youngest sister as his new wife. He would retired his sword as he set out to build Bymount in to the military capital of Arendale. He would have two more sons and two daughters with his new wife.
With the war becoming a distant memory, more and more settlers would cross the mountains to find entire regions that had once be home to humans waiting for new settles. However these new fertile lands were not free. Many settlers claimed that they were cursed by the blood of the humans who once lived their. With no central government to bring order to the region, bands of human and non-human raiders would pray on settlements up and down the frontier. The situation has become more dangerous for settlers as a plan headed up by Arendale to position Council Troops within the former human realms failed to gain support. As the last hopes of order vanished, the regions that were once two proud human realms quickly became known as The Frontier. A place known for its dangers and chaos.
In Esterbrook, the situation in the Council was not fairing any better. The Drow of Shadowwyvern stopped attending the Council's meetings. While the Drow were never sound supporters of the Council of Peace, it was a bad omen. When Adrirawry refused to attend further meetings sighting Arendale's continued military build up as 'troubling', this was a blow that signaled the Council's crisis. Slowly the influence of the Council started slipping and other realms simply no longer trusted Arendale's leadership within the Council. Too many secrets from the Great War has been brought in to question and some actions led even the most loyal supports of Arendale to question their loyalty.
The History of Liasien
