The Clan Wars

Disaster / Destruction

The cataclysmic war that sundered the face of D'neth.

With the release of Ardün from the Cage on the Summer Solstice of 4032 BC, the world of D'neth struggled to adjust itself to the sudden inclusion of another Elder God. As part of their covenant to preserve humankind, the Gods decided to select certain divine domains that would fit their power and interest as well as curry to the needs of their new constituents. Yet peace was not universal and there were those who struggled to find a place within the new order.

Foremost was Mora, who had chosen to watch over the dreams and desires of humanity, in hopes that such a role would enable her to feel closer to the touch of Ellastrophel. Instead, she found herself more and more disturbed by the dark thoughts and tendencies that boiled beneath the surface of humanity. Many of these men and women would be ousted from their clans for various infractions, but soon found themselves enticed by promises of purpose and kinsmenship in a land far to the east.

For a time, it seemed that life would be able to continue on much as it had the past millennium, until the Summer Solstice of 4025 BC, seven years to the day after Ardün's release.

Like a tide breaking on the shore, the newly-named Solari People unleashed devastation upon their neighbors at the behest of their new God and King, signaling the start of the Clan Wars.

Over the following century of bloodshed and turmoil, the face of D'neth was irrevocably altered. For the first time in living memory, the Elder Gods turned their might against each other as the influence of War spread from worshipper to worshipped. In that same time, the forgotten sister of the Dhaphén, Mora, was left to experience the harshest effects of warfare alone. Having not been built to handle the terrors and fears of a truly global conflict, Mora soon became overwhelmed by the nightmares of humanity. Retreating into darkness, she would not emerge again until after the conflict had ended, this time as a wholly different being.

Yet Mora was not the only divine spirit to spend the century-long war in terror. Capitalizing on the distraction created by its new ally, the shadow Obarion dedicated itself to assassinating the other Adelphas sisters and spawning more Shadows like itself. To terrible success.

But by the end of the century, a man had risen from among the common ranks of the Ferelian People with a different message for the masses. A simple blacksmith, this man, called Siriun, was the great grandson of Rhuel and would be the impetus for bringing an end to the most destructive conflict ever visited upon the planet. As he traveled the length and breadth of the land, he spoke to the leaders of the disparate clans, creating alliances, healing grudges, and helping each people forge for itself a place in a newly wounded world. In payment for having pushed them off of their ancestral lands decades before, Siriun used his earthly powers to sculpt the city of Brollguldur from the heart of a mountain for the people of Skollur. His efforts to establish peace among the various clans was the key to breaking Ardün's hold over the people of D'neth, giving Imara, the only survivor of the Shadows' genocide, a chance to escape with her life.

As Siriun, who would become known as Siriun the Smith King, continued his peaceful crusade across the land, the terribly wounded Imara approached the warring gods for amnesty from her sisters' murderers. Aghast at what had occurred while they fought, the Elder Gods put aside their squabbles and banded together to protect the last remaining sister. With the establishment of a series of divine guards to watch over Imara as she healed and the founding of the Kingdom of Ferrin, the Clan Wars were finally called to an end.

Thus, it came to pass that each of the Elder Gods would take their turn serving as guardian to Imara, from Winter Solstice to Winter Solstice, during which the deity on duty would be regarded with an honor that would be projected onto their people. In order to avert the outbreak of another war, the people whose god was on duty were named as the people of honor for the year and all the other gods included them in their patronage.

For four thousand years, this system served the world well until the Shadows began to stir once more.