The Shadowthorn Rebellion

“They sought to cut the root of the world, and found only thorns in return.”

Date

Approximately 300 years before the fall of Caedryn

Region

Tarnith (Primarily the Forest of Nightshade and Caelwyn’s Eastern Borderlands)

Overview

The Shadowthorn Rebellion was a cataclysmic uprising led by mortal mages, knights, and dissidents who rejected Tarnith’s ancient pacts with the Feywild. Believing the Verdant Veil to be a shackle rather than a shield, these rebels sought to sever Tarnith’s bond with the archfey through blood magic, necromancy, and forgotten sorceries.
Though they cloaked themselves in ideals of freedom and sovereignty, the rebellion became infamous for its dark rites, corrupted spirits, and ruthless attacks on sacred groves. Their final stand in the Forest of Nightshade forever cursed the land.

Origins

Spawned in the discontent of nobles, rogue scholars, and disenfranchised spellcasters, the rebellion began as secret circles within Caelwyn’s courts. They claimed the Fey Courts were manipulating Tarnith’s rulers and demanded the dissolution of the The Pact of the Fey-King.
Their ideology was known as the Doctrine of Severance, calling for the end of fey influence and the ascension of mortal rule over magic.

Key Figures

Malric Thorne – Arch-necromancer and founder of the Doctrine of Severance.

Ser Caldra Vane – Former Emerald Knight turned traitor, led the siege of sacred sites.

Vashra the Hollow-Eyed – A seer who twisted dream magic to erase fey memories from mortal minds.

Climax and Defeat

The rebellion's climax was the Blighting of the Forest of Nightshade, where the rebels unleashed corrupted druidic magic to destroy the Glen of Reflection. In response, the The Knights of the Emerald Flameghts, with aid from the Druids of the Veil and fey emissaries, launched a final assault.
The battle ended with the shattering of the rebels’ blackened Heartroot Crystal and the death of Malric Thorne. However, the magic unleashed in his death throes poisoned the forest permanently, creating spectral thorns, banshee groves, and the curse of the Whispering Briars.

Aftermath

The Forest of Nightshade became a haunted region, avoided by most.

Survivors of the rebellion were hunted down or bound to eternal servitude by fey oaths.

The event strengthened the Verdant Pact and renewed unity between Tarnith and the Fey Courts.

Legacy

The Shadowthorn Rebellion is now taught as a cautionary tale of pride and hubris. Its symbols—such as the Thorned Eye sigil—are forbidden, and any revival of the Doctrine of Severance is met with immediate exile or worse.

Conflict Type

Rebellion