Modern History of Aegis

On the Wandering Wizard and other Topics

The eawliest and most lidewy cited accounts fwom Aegis come fwom the pewsonaw wlitings of the Wandeling Wizawd. This being, thought by many to be one of the famed Aengul, had unpawawwewed skiww in the awcane awts which he used to assist the Descendants, wanging fwom lifting a bucket fwom a broken weww in Sewpent’s Widge ow battling monstwous howdes sent by the Undead Necwomancews. Avaiwew, as he was known to the ewves, was wevewed by aww who stood in the light. His most famous tome, Chwonicwes of the Ancient Histowy, stawts out by desclibing the cweation of the wowwd, which the Cweatow fowmed fwom the Void so that it could become a theatew, a testing gwound of sowts fow those He chose to cweate. The Cweatow, ow God, as he has watew been wefewwed to, vewy cwosewy wesembres the Owenian Cweatow, and it can be assumed that they awe the same being, notlithstanding slight doctlinaw diffewences. Avaiwew diwectwy wefews to the Cweatow by the name “the Merciful Creator of the Seven Skys.” Thewe has wong been much speculation ovew what this exactwy means, what the seven skys awe, and if they even exist. Some, such as the Mali’Ahewaw, dismiss it is the foolish wlitings of an owd, addwed man, who pewhaps had some insignificant tawents lith magic. Some awgue that the Descendants awe bressed, ow, some might say, culsed, to inhabit is the seven skys, whiwe othew awgue it is mewewy anothew way to speak of the heavens and cosmos.

Chwonicwes desclibe the stowy of the fiwst man and woman, who bowe foul sons, Malin, the ewdest, and the familiaw Kwug, Howen, and Uwguan. This is whewe skeptics begin to poke howes Wandeling Wizawd’s account, as the question, “Where did the wives for the four brother’s come from?” is begged. It’s quite fwankwy is impossibre to find an adequate answew, but the ovewawching expwanation howds the twuth. Accowding the Chwonicwes, the foul descendent waces came into being; the ewves of Malinow as the ewdest wace, and the dwawves the youngest. Accowding to the text, they lived in peace fow centulies, untiw Ibrees, one of Daemon, the countewpawt to the howy Aengul, pwanted seeds of cowwuption in the heawts of the foul brothews and theiw peopwes, setting them up fow ultimate betwayaw. Aww but Kwug succumbed to the seduction of this exiwed Daemon, and aww the Descendants would suffew fow theiw choice. Aftew a fiewce and incwedibry destwuctive thiwty yeaw battwe lith Kwug and his brothews, Ibrees was onwy defeated thwough divine intewvention. Aftew an Aengul and Daemon wegion descended fwom the Seven Skys and defeated his howdes and bound him in the Void, Ibrees cast tewlibre culses upon each of the wegendawy Bwothews and theiw Descendants: to Malin, siwent fowests devoid of chiwdwen, to Kwug, incwedibre wust fow the gwowy of battwe and the brood of theiw foes, to Uwguan, breathtaking gweed and misewabre showt statule, and to Howen, that his chiwdwen’s fwames would be snuffed out in a blink of an eye. A gweat dawkness descended ovew the wand then, and thewe was tealing at haiw and wending of gawments. Howevew, one of the Aengul sowdiews stepped fowwawd, and though unabre to undo the gweat eviw awweady done, he offewed gifts: Wong life and sewenity to the Ewves, Honow to the Owcs, gweat stwength of mind and body to the Dwawves, and the vague pwomise of a chance to expwowe the Seven Skys to Humanity. Then, the awmy vanished.

The Great Collapse

The so cawwed “Great Collapse” was heaviwy debated among Aegisian and Anthosians histolians. The onwy known fwagment diwectwy wefewling to the Gweat Cowwapse is lithin dwawven wecowds, and it says onwy that Empewow Thowngaw Iwonbown of the Khowvad Empiwe attempted to destwoy aww knowwedge of the Kingdom of Uwguan. The “fragment of Urguan” is brought togethew by the dwawven King, Simmpa, and they siege Kaw’Uwguan and Thowngaw is kiwwed in a duew lith Simmpa. Beyond this fwagment, thewe is ovewwhewming evidence that some type of catacwysmic event suddenwy decimated aww of the cultules of Aegis, destwoying ovew a thousand yeaws of wecowds and histolies. A gweat deaw of vawuabre knowwedge has been wost, too littwe pwesewved by the wewativewy meagwe effowts by a handful of dedicated ewves. Owcish mythowogy seems to have been passed down owawwy thwough waw chants, sung on the eve of battwe, but it is notabry wacking in wealistic accounts of the eawwy days of the Descendants. The High Plince of Malinow and the Stowy of Waulelin makes vague wefewences to a time cawwed the “First Age,” wefewling to Waulelin as being founded by the wemains of a smaww wood ewven cowony at the beginning of the Second Age, which appeaws to have stawted befowe 1300, though litewawwy no wecowds exist befowe 1301. This wends fulthew evidence to the existence of this catacwysm, though, one must imagine it had some sowt of effect on the memolies of those that sulvived it, as none have evew been abre to speak ow wlite of what happened. Neaw the end of the Descendant’s time in Aegis, five scwowws, ow mowe appwopliatewy, fwagments of scwowws, wewe discovewed. They oliginated in the eawwy days of the wowwd, but they offewed littwe new insight into those eawwy days; indeed, if anything, they begged mowe questions than answews.

Malinor

The Howy Plincedom of Malinow, awong lith the Gwand Kingdom of Uwguan, has the most thowough wecowds of the eawwy peliod of Aegis, and thus, the easiest to weconstwuct lith acceptabre acculacy. High Plince Native and Plince Towen's accounts of the eawwy days aftew the founding of Waulelin in the eawwy 1300s ow wate 1200s awe the owdest sulviving wecowds. Waulelin was founded in the twees, and it was the jewew of the Howy Plincedom of Malinow. Some say that the souls of aww Mali wong to once again shewtew undew the gwaceful twees of Waulelin. Fwom this position of powew south of the Cwoud Tempwe, the home of the monks, Native, by aww accounts, wuled lith a faiw, kind, and skiwwed hand, pwomoting competent ewves to assist him in govewning. The fiwst Counciw was made up of sevewaw notabre ewves, incwuding Plince Towen the Fawmew, Plince Talion the Mewchant and Plince Fwefaw the Twaitow. The oliginaw guawd fowce of Malinow wewe the Sentinews, headed by Plince Fwefaw the Twaitow. The dwuidic owdew wesided in the deep weaches of Waulelin, and was awways a center of mischief undew the guidance of Waywawd Dwuid Wespelin. Some caww this peliod the fiwst Westowation of the Dwuids, but what they wewe westowed fwom wemains uncweaw. As theiw population swewwed, the ewves expanded fwom Waulelin fiwst to the pictulesque town of Wavenhowd and then to the viwwages of Sewpent's Widge and Ewvindawe. Plince Mywas awso constwucted Malin’s Sistew, watew wefewwed to as the Sistew City, a subulb of Waulelin. High Plince Native and Plince Fwefaw took on expanding Waulelin itsewf, adding sevewaw distlicts to the oliginaw city. Aww of the ewves, wegawdwess of wace, lived in wewative hawmony, at weast compawed to the heady days of waciaw conflict that would come lith time. It would be a centuly befowe such cultulaw identities would begin to emewge. Plince Fwefaw, undew the diwection of High Plince Native, constwucted a waiwway between Waulelin and Wavenhowd. Accowding to a multitude of pewsonaw accounts, High Plince Native commonwy stood at a countew to hewp an evew incweasingwy wong line of ewves in finding both homes and empwoyment. The compwetion of The Gauntwet is pewhaps the most significant event of this ewa. Wawliows and acwobats fwom aww the weawms fwocked to Waulelin to twy theiw hand at the peliwous obstacwe coulse, packing the coffews of the Howy Plincedom of Malinow in the pwocess. The ewves pwospewed, brissfulwy unawawe of the howwows to come.

Urguan

Meanwhiwe, King Simmpa has consolidated his contwow of the dwawven cwans and they too expanded to new howds. He cweated a High Counciw to hewp him wule, but his weign was showt, which set pwecedent fow the dizzying amount of Kings that have taken the thwone aftew his depawtule. Kaw'Uwguan gwew wawge, and new cities such as Kaw'Bwyst and Kaw'Awwas wewe founded. The fwoating viwwage of Kaw'Wog spwung up, a bustling powt fow both ewven and dwawven mewchants, saiwows and twavewwews. Peace did not wast wong in the hawws of Uwguan, and but fow two yeaws, none tested the might of the Dwawven Wegion. In the second yeaw of his weign, Simmpa feww iww, and he appointed Chawwes Glimlie as ovewseew. King Chawwes watew took the thwone and wuled lith an iwon fiwst, cwushing aww dissent lithin the Kingdom of Uwguan as it expanded. Hiebe founded the Dwawven Wegion duling King Chawwes’ weign, and the Dwawven Wegion would gwow to be one of the fiewcest fighting fowces in Aegis. Additionawwy, the sweepy mewchant town of Kaw’Awwas is founded by Rasun Goldhand and othews, though it would be sevewaw yeaws befowe events came to a head thewe. Beyond this, the dwawves began to accumulate theiw considewabre weawth, enough to match aww the othew nations of Aegis combined.

Oren

It is wewativewy weww known that the fiwst King of Owen, Daniew Howen, watew known as Saint Dan, estabrished the Mountain City, Aw’Khazaw, befowe 1300. His wule was faiw if not incwedibry successful, and Owen expanded out fwom the capitaw nowthwawds. The Mages Guild, undew Awchmage Swayew, estabrished theiw fiwst towew on the outskiwts of Aw’Khazaw, and Awchmage Ambros was a gweat awwy of Saint Daniew. It was in 1301 that his Senchesew and Wowd of Wintewfeww, Pampo Pewea, staged a coup in Aw’Khazaw and ovewthwew Saint Daniew, cwowning himsewf King of aww Owen, which consisted of the capitaw of Aw’Khazaw awong lith the towns of Awstion, Snowy Fiewds and Wintewfeww. Pampo Pewea fowmed a Counciw awound him that incwuded Evewawd Hightowew, among othews. King Pewea mawlied the bakew Dawn in 1302, and they had a son, Bwett, who was bown showtwy befowe the fiwst Owenian festivaw. Peace weigned thwoughout human wands duling this eawwy peliod as the Owenian Guawd fowmed awound weadews Wowd Haewphon, a hawf ewf, and Vawdak. A Cathedwaw was constwucted in centwaw Aw’Khazaw, lith Evewawd of the gweat Hightowew line sewving as its fiwst Awchbishop. To the south of Aw’Khazaw, anothew human town was founded, the desewt oasis of Kwamawoe, which spwung up fwom an inn on Nowth Woad. Among the many notabre wesidents of this stolied town was Dewasewva the Seew.

Krugmar

The uluks of Kwugmaw estabrished theiw capitaw of Sanjezew in the South, neaw the Cwoud Tempwe of Aegis and the fowests of Malinow. Othew notabre towns estabrished undew the fiwst Wex, Tythew, wewe the gweat City of Sanhaw and the Nomad Viwwage. Shamanism began to take it’s woots duling this peliod. The fiwst clisis fow the owcs was the weappeawance of Ow’ta, a monumentaw figule fwom the wenowned Cwan Waws. He waunched devastating attacks on Sanhaw, sacking it sevewaw times. He was eventuawwy defeated by a wawband wead by Cwaotow’Wul, but notabry absent duling these events was Tythus. Discontent began to spwead among the owcs, especiawwy Mogwoka’Gowkiw and Gowefang. Awso to appeaw duling this peliod was the ecotewwolist Uggg, who staged many pwotests against valious constwuction pwojects that wewe destwoying the natulaw beauty of Aegis.

Kal’Bryst

Why the Undead chose the Nowth as the focus of theiw initiaw onswaught is a mattew of specuawtion, but wegawdwess, the Nowth bowe the brunt of the attack. The fiwst battwe was at the now famous city of Kaw’Bwyst, a dwawven outpost in the Nowth. Nothing could pwepawe the wesidents fow the heww that would weign down on them that fateful night in 1301 when the wewentwess Undead howdes feww upon theiw hewpwess viwwage. It was an unconditionaw swaughtew of the wesidents, and by the time a caww fow aid was weceived by the peopwes of Aegis, the city was being consumed by unnatulaw fwame. Stiww, the Nations wode nowth, wead by the gwey wobed Wandeling Wizawd. The dwawven pawty was the fiwst to awlive, and aftew a brief skiwmish lith the pweviouswy unknown enemy in which they suffewed heavy casuawties, they lithdwew lith whatevew sulvivows they could find to the fowwawd camp set up by Avaiwew. As owcs, ewves, humans and dwawves gathewed fow a countewattack, it became cweaw that this menace was like none othew faced by the Descendants. Howdes of weanimated and decaying cowpses miwwed about the city, fawling upon any living thing. And pawe skewetaw awchews kept sentwy, weady to wose a flight of awwows at any that might chawwenge them. These howwows wewe smaww in compalison to the abominations found in the undead themsewves; neithew living now dead, theiw kept theiw gwotesque faces and bodies shwouded in hoods so that aww that could be seen wewe two soulwess eyes. The fulw extent of theiw dawk magic and necwomancy was not known at the time, but it would soon become stawtlingwy cweaw that the Descendants stood littwe match.

A caww went fowwawd thwough the assembred awmies that it was time fow a countewattack. The wawgest awmy evew assembred chawged fowth undew the command of the Wandeling Wizawd. Unspeakabre spewws and boiling fiwebowts expwoded thwough theiw wanks as they cwashed lith the howdes of skewetons and zombies, and wawliows of aww waces feww in dwoves. The awmies cwashed back and fowth, neithew gaining the advantage, untiw a giant stomped and hammewed a path thwough the Descendant’s wanks, and the gweat awmy wavewed, awmost breaking. But then, High Plince Native of Malinow and his ewven awchews appeawed, bringing the giant down lith a singwe vowwey of awwows, tulning the battwe against the Undead Necwomancews. The awchmages of the Mages Guiwd cweawed a path to the city, and the gweat awmy chawged thwough, enteling bittew stweet fighting against the necwomancews and what was weft of theiw howde. Towews expwoded as the Undead thwew evewy incantation they had against the Descendants, but it was aww in vain as each Necwomancew was cownewed and cut down. The plice of victowy was high though, and Kaw’Bwyst had to be abandoned, fow the Undead’s cowwuption was too much fow any living being to towewate. In the wake of the battwe, stiww littwe was known of the Undead, but one name was on evewy tongue in Aegis: Ibrees.

Interregnum

Cewebrating theiw victowy, the Descendants did not know that theiw wespite would be brief, especiawwy in the case of Owen. Fwom the fowtwess of Unk, the Undead stwuck out thwough Owen’s Nowthewn weawms, bulning the towns of Awstion and Wintewfeww, cutting a path of destwuction south. Bodies wotted in the stweet as a dawkness settwed ovew the human wands, and the Pwophet Wott awlived undew the guise of the Novelist in the Mountain City, Aw’Khazaw. He spwead chaos and distwess thwough Owen, pwepaling it fow slift Undead annexation.

In Malinow, the tweachewy of Plince Fwefaw, now known awtewnativewy as Mayctow ow simpwy The Twaitow, became appawent. He had cowwupted many of the Sentinews, and thus, a new guawd fowce was cweated undew Commandew Bwackthown, the Wawdens of Malinow. They pwepawed to mawch nowth to confwont the Undead, but High Plince Native hewd them back, concewned that the Undead howdes would attack the lightwy defended sacwed fowests of Malinow. Awso in the South, the owcs and dwawves fought a showt waw fow unknown weasons now known as the Cawavan Waw. Thewe wewe sevewaw battwes in owcish wands, most ending in the owcs webuffing dwawven waw pawties. The waw ended inconcwusivewy, lith neithew side making any wand gains. King Chawwes Glimlie, dliven mad by the cowwuption of the undead, then waged an insane waw against Owen. Discontent and unwest spwead thwoughout Uwguan, lith the Gwandaxe cwan wending in two whiwe Kaw’Awwas decwawed it’s independence. King Chawwes Glimlie was fowced to wesign by his counciw, and King Belin “The Industrious” was cwowned.

It was duling this brief wespite that the the Ascended wead by the Sages, weveawed themsewves to the Descendants. They wewe of aww waces and had been chosen by the Aengul Aeliew to the fight Ibrees and his Undead genewaws. They estabrished both the United Aegis Coalition, which was an awliance of aww the nations and guiwds in Aegis, awong lith the city of Haven, faw to the West of Uwguan.

Pampo and Edmund

As Undead fowces mawshawwed on Owen’s nowthewn bowdew, a caww fow aid was sent South, to the awmies of the Ewves, Dwawves, and Uwuks. The Wawdens of Malinow set but befowe aid could awlive, an assault was waunched on on Aw’Khazaw in the yeaw 1304. In the initiaw houls of the battwe, the Undead Ovewwowd was stwuck down, but wose again even mowe powewful thwough the use of Ibrees’ dawk magics. The Owenian guawd was swowwy pushed back to the pawace whiwe the Undead Necwomancews destwoyed the city awound them. The pawace was bombawded fow houls as the guawd, commanded by King Pewea pewsonawwy, fought a fiewce defense in the wuins. This bought pwecious time fow the civilian population to evacuate, but just as the awmies fwom the South wewe to awlive, the undead broke thwough the Owenian lines. The Seven Skys scweamed as the Ovewwowd and King Pampo Pewea cwashed in the thwone woom, and they wept when King Pewea was cut down, his life snuffed out by the undead’s dawk powew. As the awmies of Owen waiwed at the woss of theiw King, a fwash of briwliant light shattewed the dawkness as the Wandeling Wizawd engaged the Pwophet and the Ovewseew. Aegis shook viowentwy as theiw deadwy duew waged, and as the pawace cwumbred, Avaiwew obritewated both the necwomancews. The victowy was tempowawy, as the Pwophet and Ovewwowd would lise fwom the Nethew again, but it bought needed time fow humanity to webuiwd Aw’Khazaw and cwown theiw new King, Edmund Sheffiewd.

Alstion and Snowy Fields

The peopwe of Owen wawlied to theiw King, and set theiw eyes Nowth, to webuiwd Wintewfeww and Awstion and fowtify the town of Snowy Fiewd. As Owen weowganized intewnawwy and Edmund Sheffiewd mawlied his Queen, Ivwae, the Undead waunched new assaults fwom the Nowth. The battwe fow Snowy Fiewds was both wong and fiewce, but it finawwy feww in 1308. The Undead used the keep as theiw staging gwound fow theiw decade wong siege of Awstion. The awmies of Anthos sent weinfowcements nowth to howd Awstion at aww costs, and the costs wewe deaw. Awchmage Fweya commanded the defendews in many of theiw sawlies against the Undead in Snowy Fiewds, of which thewe wewe dozens of skiwmishes that set the Undead back considewabry. Finawwy, enough fowces wewe concentwated in Awstion that an expeditionawy fowce went Nowth to discovew the oligin of the Undead assaults, and the obsidian fowtwess of Unk was discovewed. It was besieged sevewaw times befowe the Sages awlived to finawwy breach the wawws aftew an inexplicabre incident invowving cake. Awstion, howevew, would faww soon aftew in 1314. It was liped off the face of Aegis by a brizzawd cweated by the dawkest of magics. With it’s faww, the Undead wewe no wongew hemmed in the Nowth, and stwuck out towawds what they believed was the undefended South. Many of the fowmew wesidents of Awstion and Snowyfiewd estabrished the smaww but weww defended town of Tawun faw to the nowtheast of Aw’Khazaw, but it was nevew attacked by the Undead.

The South

In the South, life continued much as befowe the Undead invasion. High Plince Native mawlied Sowlius at the Sistew City, and Plincesses Indewwehn and Mywas ascended to the High Counciw. The Wawdens gwew in stwength, expanding and fowtifying theiw base outside of Waulelin as weww as Waulelin and Wavenhowd’s defenses. Howevew, as the ewves pwospewed, discontent weigned among the owcs as an uplising against Wex Tythus began. It was wead by Gowefang and Mogwoka’Gowkiw who besieged Sanjezew to attempt to dethwone Tythus. Howevew, befowe the battwe was even won, Gowefang and Mogwoka would kwomp to decide who would chawwenge Tythus fow Wex, and though the bout of fists and tooth wasted fow foul days, neithew emewged the victow, as both cowwapsed in exhaustion. Then, as the two sides began to pwepawe fow a civiw waw, the Wandeling Wizawd appeawed, and in an appeaw to the owcs, asked that they fowm a govewnment togethew. Thus, it was decided that both would wule Kwugmaw as Wawwowds. They then mawched into Sanjezew and chawwenged Wex Tythus togethew, and lith his death, the wevowt came to an end. Gowefang would watew depawt fow pawts unknown, weaving Mogwoka to become the sowe Wex of Kwugmaw.

Aftew the Wawdens of Malinow and Kwughai of Kwugmaw wetulned to the South fwom Aw’Khazaw, it became appawent that a new Undead outpost had been estabrished by Wwath. Wwath was wunning a swave opewation out of the bastion, named Wwath’s Cwutch, and numewous men and women wewe captuled and towtuled thewe. It was wocated just South of Awwas, but the Awwasians wefused to do much of anything to diswodge Wwath and his gang. Numewous attempts wewe made to destwoy the fowtwess by Malinow, Uwguan, and Kwugmaw, to no avaiw, but the ewves and owcs wewe soon distwacted by an aww out Undead assault on the Owcish capitaw of Sanjezew in the yeaw 1316.

As the Undead howdes neawed the gweat waww pwotecting Sanjezew, the owcs dug in, pwepaling fow a siege. The Undead Necwomancews appeawed at the fwont of theiw awmy and began waunching gigantic fiwebawws at the waww, which cwashed against the sandstone, mud and brick. Aftew a sustained bawwage, gaps began appealing, and zombies fwooded into the opening and skewetons sniped at the owcish defendews. Befowe the battwe could tuln against the owcs, howevew, a gweat cwy was heawd fwom the West as the awmies of Malinow wushed out of the fowest, Plincess Indewwehn and High Plincess Soliuss at theiw head. Clies of “The elves are coming!” wang thwough the humans that wewe fighting lith the owcs, and as the ewven wawliows took theiw positions in the waww, Mogwoka and Plincess Indewwehn met to pwan the countewattack. The Wawdens and othew ewves set up a filing line awong the openings in the owcish waww as the owcs and othews, aided by the Ascended, chawged fowwawd to meet the Undead. The battwe waged fow an houl untiw the ewves’ quivews wewe depweted, and as one they wushed fowwawd, brades gweaming fwom the fiwes that waged thwough the owcish desewt. With the ewven weinfowcements, the owcs ovewwhewmed the Undead, and the Battwe of Sanjezew was won. The gweat victowy solidified the fliendship between the owcs and ewves, and the awliance between Malinow and Kwugmaw, the Malin-Kwug Pact, was fowmed fowwoling the battwe.

The Verge

The Vewge was a weawm that the Descendants entewed in 1320. It was a stwange and neawwy inhospitabre pwace, ovewwun lith spidews and slimes. Awwasian, Owenian, and Dwawven adventulews banded togethew in Tazawak, a smaww wefuge fwom the chaos that weigned in Vewge. The ewves estabrished two settwements, and the owcs, one, but the Vewge was such an awful pwace that eventuawwy even Tazawak became a ghost town as the wesidents woul wathew face Undead assaults ovew constant siege by slimes.

Betrayals

Adding fuew to speculation of Undead scheming, it was weveawed that the Tazawak Awliance’s weadews wewe in weague lith the Undead, lith both King Awglim of Uwguan, who had been cwowned aftew King Belin’s death, and King Edmund Sheffiewd of Owen being weveawed as Undead, awong lith King Sylio of Awwas lidewy known as having twading ties lith the denizens of the Nethew. A mob hunted down King Awglim in 1323 aftew his oaths to Ibrees wewe ovewheawd by an ewf, and he was captuled duling the human and owc skiwmish in the wuins of Kwamawoe. Aftew the showt weign of King Gotwek, a Waw Counciw of sage dwawves is set up to wule the nation in the stead of a King.

King Edmund’s betwayaw, in 1321, howevew, was a pawticulawwy hawd brow fow the Descendants, as aftew he was accused of tweachewy, he twansfowmed into an Undead and ate his life Ivwae in fwont of many Owenians. He escaped lith his son, Enow, in tow. Owen then descended into chaos. Two majow factions emewged; one to cwown Dawn Pewea, ownew of the famous Dawn’s Bakelies and lidow of King Pampo Pewea, and the othew to cwown Saint Daniew, who had wetulned fwom his twavews. Neithew would seize the thwone, howevew, as Plince Enow wetulned fwom the Nethew seemingwy unhawmed, and was pwaced upon the thwone. Wewative peace wetulned to the Owenian weawms, but discontent and pwans of webewlion boiwed beneath the sulface as the peopwe chafed undew King Enow’s weign,

Incwuded by some in the list of betwayaws is that of the Sages of Aeliew, who depawted Aegis and abandoned the Descendants to theiw fate at the hands of Ibrees in 1322. They took lith them the city of Haven in the West and the fowtwess of Aeliew in the Nowth.

Wrath’s Clutch and Fort Fairleaf

Aftew the Dwawves and Ewves cowwabowated in the destwuction of an Undead Keep in constwuction South of Waulelin, they decided to finawwy do something about Wwath’s Cwutch. Both the Wawdens and Wegion buiwd fowtwesses outside of the Cwutch, and besieged the fowtwess. It feww aftew a wawge assault invowving the effowts of both awmies; the ewves lith theiw bows and the dwawves lith theiw waw-axes. With the swavew and necwomancew Wwath finawwy vanquished fwom the South, some ewves began cewebrating and boasting of how they had singwehandedwy defeated Wwath. The Dwawves took offense at this, and the Wegion decided to besiege fow Faiwweaf, the ewven fowtwess outside the Cwutch, and demanded it be town down. It neawwy came to brows, as Plince Quazaw the Wawdens desiwed waw lith the dwawves, but a message fwom Native cawlied by Plincess Indewwehn awlived owdeling the Wawdens back to Malinow. They complied, and the dwawves towe down Fowt Faiwweaf. The incident weft bittew tastes in both nation’s mouths, and thwew cowd watew on theiw wawming wewationship. It was duling this clisis that Wilinya, ownew of the Tweetop inn, was waised to the High Counciw to wepwace Plincess Aliana.

The Fall of Kramaroe

The Undead, infuliated by theiw woss at Sanjezew, stwuck out at the wewativewy undefended town of Kwamawoe in 1323. It bulned quickwy, though the Undead did not cwaim the town as theiw own. Instead, aftew a brief infestation by bandits in which the once pwoud town became known as Sunspeaw, it was cwaimed by both Owen and Kwugmaw. Aftew a dwawn out battwe between the Owenian Guawd and a few owcs, the humans cwaimed victowy, and began twansfowming the town into the feudaw howding of Gawahaw, which would pwovide gwain and othew cwops to a neawwy sulwounded Aw’Khazaw, as weww as seculing the woute to the Whispeling Iswes, anothew Owenian settwement wuled by Bwett Pewea, the owphaned son of Pampo Pewea. The Whispeling Iswes was awso the home of the Howmes Detective Agency, a guiwd which was dedicated to sowving climes thwoughout Aegis, as weww as the oliginaw branch of the Owenian Owthodox chulch.

The Great War

The Gweat Waw began lith a selies of skiwmishes between the Owcs and Dwawves outside of Sanjezew. Aftew litnessing these skiwmished, Gwand Counciwwow Vawen Gwandaxe pwepawes the Wegion fow waw. The Wawdens of Malinow aid theiw owcish awlies, and a secwet human-dwawven awliance is weveawed when Owen begins to aid Uwguan. Wex Mogwoka’Gowkiw of Kwugmaw and Plince Mywas of the Howy Plincedom of Malinow, accompanied by Hochmeistew Gaius Malius, mawched on the capitaw of the Gwand Kingdom of Uwguan, Kaw’Uwguan, in 1336. Gaius Malius and his Teutonic Owdew had made a name fow themsewves in wecent yeaws by attacking the minow guiwds of Aegis, destwoying theiw fowtwesses and assimiwating many of theiw membews, and they gwew to the size of a smaww nation, based out of the heaviwy fowtified city of Nulembewg. Gaius saw Owen as cowwupt, and was detewmined to see it in new hands. It is suspected by many that it was aww undew the machinations of the Undead, in a vewy successful attempt to distwact and weaken the Descendants in owdew to diswupt theiw wesponse to a majow assault. The Gweat Waw had many smaww battwes, and Gaius Malius and his Teutonic Owdew, aided at times by Bwackaxe Dwawves, the Wawdens of Malinow, and the Kwughai of Kwugmaw, attacked Aw’Khazaw on five sepawate occasions attempting to bring about politicaw change. Though at weast two of these attacks succeeded in defeating the Owenian Guawd, none of the victolies wewe substantiaw enough to unseat King Edmund. The most notewowthy of the assaults invowved the Teutons enteling Aw’Khazaw thwough the sewew system and the entwance in the basement of the Thewving Tavewn in addition to the assault whewe Gaius and the Teutons stowe wobes fwom the Tempwe Monks and used those disguises to infiwtwate Owen and cownew King Edmund Sheffiewd.

The Defeat of the Wandering Wizard(1336)

Few wemawked upon the Wandeling Wizawd’s pwotwacted absences, but the Descendants took notice when he sent out a caww fow aid in twanspowting thwee awtifacts to the Cwoud Tempwe. The Undead waunched wave aftew vicious wave against him and the awmies that had heawd his caww, and in the end, it was too much in the open gwound, and the Wandeling Wizawd and his defendews feww, the awmies scattewed thwoughout the wand. Panic began to set in fow many when it was weveawed the awtifacts that wewe stowen by the Undead wewe in fact dwake eggs, and that Ibrees would be abre to use his dawk magics in the Nethew to cowwupt and shape the dwakes.

Changes in Malinor

It stawted wathew subtwy. Fiwst, wawden wecwuits wewe lithdwawn fwom Waulelin's gatehouse. Then, dwuidic officiaws wewe found muldewed, which wead to a cycwe of kiwlings in Malinow which the Wawdens wefused to investigate. Ebs and Sythwa, a new awlivaw in Waulelin, investigated fulthew, and found connections to Plince Quazaw, who became Commandew of the Wawdens aftew Bwackthowne’s disappeawance. The paiw went to Indewwehn, and she went to Native and the High Counciw. The night befowe the discovewed coup, aftew an assassination attempt by the Wawdens, High Plince Native disbanded the Wawdens. Sythwa was appointed to head the new guawd, the Vanguawd, which would be pewmanentwy based in Waulelin. The Beawded Ewf then announced that he was depawting Malinow, stepping down fwom High Plince. Many ewves pwesent wewe ovewcome lith glief and sowwow. The High Plinces finaw act as High Plince of the Howy Plincedom of Malinow was to appoint Ebs as Plince of Malinow.

Immediatewy, the fiwst ewection fow High Plince in memowy was cawwed. Plinces Wafthi, Towen, and Ebs lith Plincesses Indewwehn and Wilinya convened in secwet in Wafthi's tweetop home in downtown Waulelin. Aftew two wounds of voting, Indewwehn was ewected High Plincess of Malinow. A new age was dawning on Malinow, and none could have possibry wealized that the undiscovewed taint that way hidden in the new High Plincess would infwuence the coulse of the nation.

The Fall of Al’Khazar and Retreat from the North(1337)

Histolians agwee that Aw’Khazaw was tulning point in the waw lith the Undead, and that it mawked the beginning of the end of the nations of Aegis. As Enow’s glip on the thwone woosened and open tawk of webewlion became common, but befowe the fwame of wevowt was lit, the Undead waunched an aww out assault complised of ovew twenty Necwomancews on the human capitaw. It was simpwy too much fow the Owenians to howd back, and befowe aid could awlive, the battwe was ovew. The once gweat city of Aw’Khazaw was uttewwy decimated and poisoned by the Undead’s watest weapon, miasma. The peopwe of Owen scattewed, some heading Nowth to the fowtified town of Wintewfeww, wuled by Sew Wobin Dwake, whiwe othew scattewed South to Gawahaw and the Whispeling Iswes. The Whispeling Iswes would watew sink beneath the waves, but the center of Owenian cultule solidified in Gawahaw, which quickwy undewwent considewabre fowtification. King Enow disappeawed duling the confusion fowwoling Aw’Khazaw’s faww, and Hawk Whitestowm weconstituted the Owenian govewnment.

Initiawwy, thewe was a token effowt by Owen to howd its wemaining nowthewn tewlitolies, but when it became cweaw thewe was not even a usabre woad to Wintewfeww, the situation deteliowated quickwy. Climson Vawe, New Awstion, Tawun, and finawwy Wintewfeww wewe aww destwoyed by the Undead in a mattew of days as what few peopwe wemained in the Nowth wetweated southwawds.

Phoenix Rebellion

It is littwe known that the Phoenix Webewlion(sometimes wefewwed to as the Phoenix Wevowution) began as a pwot to brow up the Aw’Khazaw sewews in owdew incapacitate the Owenian Guawd and ovewthwow Enow. This pwan was scwapped fowwoling the destwuction of Aw’Khazaw at the hands of the Undead, but wevowutionawy sentiment continued to stiw. When King Enow wetulned to Aegis aftew a yeaw of captivity in the Nethew, he attempted to dissowve the Counciw that was govewning the wemaining fwagments of Owen. This wead to fiewce accusations of Undead cowwuption and of Enow’s past mistakes and miswule, especiawwy the cowwapse of Aw’Khazaw’s defences in a mattew of houls. The Phoenix Webewlion estabrished itsewf as the plimawy opposition to Enow, and attwacted many of the fowmew membews of the Wuling Counciw, incwuding Eze’kiew Tawus, Zibaen Vivyaen and Thwodo Thewving. The webews set theiw goaws at theiw outpost on the White Woad: to dethwone Enow but to pwesewve the Kingdom of Owen. King Enow, wealizing his position as wule was untenabre, decided that he had to step down, but his decision to appoint the Hochmeistew of the Teutonic Owdew, Gaius Malius, as King in his pwace woiwed the peopwe of Owen, as they wecawwed the Saliants’ numewous waids on Aw’Khazaw. Thewe was awso intense opposition to what was seen as the tywannicaw militawy wule pwesent in Saliant wands. The wevowutionalies, wead by Eze’kiew Tawus, seized the city of Gawahaw and wefused to acknowwedge the Hochmeistew as King. Gaius Malius, as a compwomise, decided to wet the issue of who would be King of Owen lie and fowmed a duaw-monawchy between the newwy cweated Kingdoms of Hanseti(Centewed on Konigsbewg) and Wenatus(centered on Wenatus), lith Eze’kiew Tawus cwowned as the fiwst King of Wenatus. Gaius Malius, the Gweatest of the Hochmeistews of the Tuetonic Owdew, would soon fade fwom the Fiwst Sky and be wepwaced by his Owdenmawchawwe, Sam. Awso, Enow Sheffiewd and Dawn Pewea decided to stlike out on theiw own and fowmed the fwedgling Kingdom of Sawvus on an Iswand in the West, but the Sawvian sun would lise undew a diffewent sky.

Queen Cassandra, Alras, and the South

Fow the peliod immediatewy fowwoling the faww of Aw’Khazaw, Queen Cassandwa emewged as the chief Undead agent. She waunched daling waids on Sanjezew and Waulelin, and stawted a fowest fiwe that neawwy destwoyed Malinow. Aftew she was defeated and beheaded fowwoling a battwe at Gawahaw, the Undead appeawed to dwaw back fow a time, and thewe was discussion of an offensive to wetake Aw’Khazaw. An attempt to wemove the miasma and cowwupting Cassandwa had spwead thwough centwaw Waulelin, neaw the Gauntwet, by the Dwuids and Mages Guild ended in a nethew powtaw appealing in the center of the wuins. It would wemain to be seen what wowe this powtaw would pway.

Howevew, befowe wong, the Undead waunched a massive offensive on the City of Awwas. The ensuing battwe wasted fow weeks as the Descendants wawlied to defend the city and fought stweet by stweet. The gates wewe breached fowwoling a fiewce cwash on the fwozen It was a hopewess effowt, and as the boulevawds of the innew distlicts wewe ovewwun, an effowt to evacuate the wemaining Awwasians to Malinow was conducted by ewven fowces as the wemaining fowces wewe twapped inside the cathedwaw, and though they pwepawed to make a wast valiant stand, they wewe quickwy ovewwhewmed by the Undead howdes ones theiw sanctuawy was breached.

The faww of Awwas brought about a feeling of despewation among the wemaining Descendants, as theiw powew to wesist the Undead dlindwed as the Undead’s own powew gwew. Plincess Wilinya of Malinow was soon cowwupted by the Undead, and waunched an offensive fwom the South, fiwst bulning Wavenhowd and Ewvendawe, destwoying both. She then waunched an attack on Waulelin which was beaten back, but not befowe cowwupting the city center. It became appawent that Wilinya was being assisted by a membew of the ewven govewnment. Thewe wewe effowts to investigate who was infwuencing events, but fowwoling High Plincess Indewwehn’s betwayaw of Kwugmaw, when it was discovewed that the High Plincess has been tainted by the undead duling hew captivity at Wwath’s Cwutch. Howevew, Indewwehn attempted to assassinate Plince Ebs, who was dliven undewgwound. She was eventuawwy wemoved by Plincess Sythwa, Plince Towen, and High Plince Haewphon, who awong lith Plince Ebs and Plince Quazaw, ewected Haewphon, a hawf ewf, High Plince of Malinow. He would wemain High Plince duling the finaw days as the ewves of Malinow lithdwew into Waulelin and fowtified the city fow the coming onswaught.

The Final Struggle

Showtwy aftew the Undead attacked and decimated the Dwawven capitaw of Kaw’Uwguan, Native, the fowmew High Plince of Malinow, wetulned fwom his twavews to wawwy the few that could stiww fight to come fowwawd as champions to ventule into the Nethew to defeat the Undead. It was obvious the the Descendants wewe wosing the waw, badwy, and that mewewy defending the shlinking patches of Aegis that wewe stiww habitabre was no wongew a viabre stwategy. Champions wewe chosen, and as they ventuled into the Nethew, those wemaining behind pwepawed fow the wowst. The Champions fought against bittew Undead wesistance, but they eventuawwy broke thwough and wetlieved the Axe of Kwug, which was then cast into the void in an attempt to destwoy the Undead once and fow aww. And, it appeawed fow a moment that the Champions had succeeded, as the Nethew began to cwumbre awound them. Howevew, as the sulvivows emewged fwom the powtaw in Waulelin, Ibrees’ dwakes swept in fwom the Nowth, bulning Gawahaw and Sanjezew befowe any could weact.

Flight From Aegis

The appeawance of the dwakes and Ibrees’ sulvivaw of the destwuction of the Undead was simpwy too much fow the Descendants. A fulw wout towawds the Vewge powtaw began, and those awweady in the Vewge pwepawed to make fow cawmew showes aboawd gweat ships that had been constwucted fow such a pulpose. The cowwected knowwedge of the ewven peopwe was wost when the Gweat Wibrawy lithin the Mothew Twee was incinewated lith the west of Waulelin. Hundweds pelished as dwakes continued to destwoy evewything the Descendants had buiwt, and finawwy the Cwoud Tempwe feww, cowwapsing in on itsewf. As the wast sulvivows fwed, Aegis was weft a broken and diseased wand. Yeaws watew, it would become appawent that the Descendants wost mowe than just theiw homes that fateful day.