The Year of the First Invasion

Military action

New neighbours show up. And they want war.

After the turmoil of the first days, despite ongoing conflicts, Ashandri's societies slowly stabilized. In most of the world-isle, there were no kingdoms left, but many cities and settlements became independent, sovereign territories. At the same time, new organizations were created, and old ones gained new influence.   The most famous one, of course, being the Arcanists: A group of sages and spellcasters that existed in the old world already. In Ashandri, they are focused on finding the buried secrets of the past, and understanding their new home, to build a better future for all of Ashandri. There is, however, a lot of internal conflict about how that future should look like.   About a month after the world's rebirth, Shadar Khuravi, Marisha Veilbreaker's adventuring companion, founded the Voidguard. The independent militia patrols at the edge of Delvaroth, and sometimes on the world-chain itself. They also occasionally take over quests for Ashandri's champion.   And they were the first to face a new enemy, when on the beginning of the second month, an army appeared on the chain. Legions came marching from the neighboring world of Va'Laeth, led by the tiefling Cirandir. The scouting parties of the Voidguard were almost wiped out, with only a few survivors escaping to warn Marisha Veilbreaker. The only reason they escaped was because a mage was capable of teleporting the group back to the Void Fortress.   It took the army another ten days before reaching Ashandri, which allowed Marisha Veilbreaker and her allies to prepare for the invasion. Still, when they came, it was like a violent storm. Magical defenses were broken down quickly, and the Void Fortress conquered within hours. The Ashandrian armies fled in terror as Ravager Elves and gargantuan Laeth-Beasts razed their home.   But the true nightmare was still ahead. Cirandir made the Void Fortress his new home, while more of his armies approached over the chains. As he waited for them, the elven legions spread out into Varua, the Ocean of Ash, Shamrua and the Ember Wastelands, as well as parts of Carivar and the Ocean Heart. They were so effective that no line of defense kept them at bay for long. And then the Perishing appeared.   As war raged over half the world, people already feared a new apocalypse coming. The Perishing appeared like symbols of death, turning the very soil black over which they walked. Every living being they touched just rotted away, and nothing seemed to be able to kill them.   The war went on for another three months, almost the entire region of Delvaroth under Cirandir's control, its population enslaved. It was at the Battle of Heartforge in the Ember Wastelands when the Ashandrians had their first great victory. Empowered by spells that the Arcanists had developed, Marisha Veilbreaker faced one of the Perishing in battle - and killed the creature with her sword and the magic of the Arcanists.   On that day, she killed two more of the nightmarish entities. The Arcanists had developed other spells and magical items, as well, and for the first time, the Ashandrians succeeded in driving the invaders back. The Laethian army retreated to Delvaroth, and after the victory of Heartforge, it took only three weeks before the intruders only reigned over the area around the Void Fortress, and a part of Varua.   It was there, in the ice desert, where the final battle took place. Near the town of Whiteguard, tens of thousands of warriors faced each other. Twenty Laeth-Beasts, towering over the humanoid forces like mountains, were ready to crush their enemies. But when the battle started, Marisha spoke spell after spell, imprisoning them in the depths of the ice one by one.   She was only interrupted when Cirandir himself faced her in battle. The powerful tiefling and the ferocious halfling fought for over half an hour, the battle still raging around them, when Marisha almost took the final strike against her enemy. In the last second, literally, two of the Perishing appeared, grabbed Cirandir, and teleported away.   With both many of the beasts and their leader gone, the morale of the Laethian army dropped. They fled the battlefield, and Marisha allowed them to retreat. A week later, they had left the Void Fortress.   The invasion was over, and slowly, the survivors began to rebuild their life - again.