The Last War

For hundreds of years, the continent of Khorvaire was united under the kingdom of Galifar. This peace came to an end with the death of King Jarot in 894 YK, just over a century ago. Conflict over the succession spiraled into outright war between the Five Nations.

The Last War was a bitter struggle that forever changed the shape of Khorvaire. It was a century marked by shifting alliances, with years of stalemate in­terspersed with periods of intense battles. This grueling conflict left deep scars on the land and the people, but there was worse to come. On 20 Olarune 994 YK, the nation of Cyre was consumed in a magical cataclysm now known as the Mourning. The cause of the Mourn­ing remains unknown; many fear it was caused by un­bridled use of war magic. Shock and fear brought the nations to the negotiating table, and the Last War came to an end in 996 YK with the Treaty of Thronehold.

Although many celebrated the end of the war, others remain unsatisfied with its outcome. No one won the war. Even though people optimistically refer to it as the Last War, most believe that it's only a matter of time until conflict begins anew. The mystery of the Mourn­ing is the only thing holding the warmongers at bay. If someone uncovers the secret of the Mourning-if it can be proven that the Mourning can't happen again, or if its power could be harnessed as a weapon-war could erupt again. Until then, the nations remain in a cold war as each makes preparations and seeks advantages in a conflict that could lie ahead.

The Conflict

Prelude

Jarot’s eldest scion was his daughter Mishann, who ruled Cyre. The second oldest was Thalin of Thrane. He was widely rumored to be considered for the title of regent, since Mishann had been a bit wild in her youth—wild enough to frighten some of the more staid nobles of the realm. Thus, both Mishann and Thalin thought they might be named supreme ruler.

King Jarot gave only Mishann his blessing when he lay on his deathbed in Thronehold. The king bade his son Wrogar of Aundair, who was there at the time, to support his choice. Wrogar gave an oath to his father. Thalin, Kaius of Karrnath, and Wroann of Breland were not present at the king’s death, and were bound by no similar pledges.

At Jarot’s state funeral shortly thereafter, Mishann approached her siblings to discuss the details of her coro-nation as Queen of Galifar. Thalin, Kaius, and Wroann refused to listen, rejecting her succession. They vowed to pit their personal guards against any such action. Wroann, in particular, declared that it was time for increased liberty and democracy, and that hidebound compliance with radition was inappropriate. Wrogar backed Mishann’s claim, but the two of them had insufficient forces or, at that time, desire to exert their will on their siblings. The siblings and their retinues quit Thronehold with the succession issue wholly unresolved.

In late 894, Mishann formally declared herself Queen of Cyre and United Galifar from her capital. She also gave her blessing to Wrogar’s announcement that he would assume the title of King of Aundair. Queen Mishann then instructed her strongest supporters to gather at the port of Eston to sail to Thronehold. She sought coronation over the whole realm when she reached the island, but in truth invited only the nobles of Aundair and Cyre to attend.

Breland, Thrane, and Karrnath issued separate declarations challenging Mishann’s claim to the imperial island. The rulers each decreed that they too would henceforth be known as kings and queens. King Thalin and Queen Wroann mustered their house guards and previously retained mercenaries; Thrane and Breland were ready to fight, in small numbers at least, within days. King Kaius declared martial law and began mobilizing his warlords, but Karrnathi forces were still gathering when the outriders of his allies arrived on the shores of Scions Sound.

Even without Kaius’s forces, Thrane and Breland troops outnumbered the opposition; Aundair and Cyre had been unable to combine their armies. Indeed, Wrogar was rallying his beloved rangers from the Eldeen hinterlands when he learned that Thalin and Wroann were marching to stop Mishann from claiming Thronehold.

Reaching Eston without incident, Mishann set sail with a fleet largely composed of transports and merchant ships. Mishann did not expect her siblings to escalate the conflict into a shooting war. Still, when her vessels reached the area around Thronehold, the lookouts reported a powerful force arrayed against her. Thalin had ordered the bulk of his ships to blockade the island. The advance elements met, and the allies began attacking—Mishann realized then she would be forced to fight. Rather than risk her entire force on the waves, she turned her ships and slid into the southwestern leg of Scions Sound. The few Thrane ships patrolling Flamekeep’s harbor refused to challenge Cyre, and the Thrane navy, with orders to secure Thronehold, did not pursue. Mishann was able to bring her troops safely to land near Traelyn Bridge, south of Flamekeep. There, she learned of the combined Thrane and Brelish army moving to intercept her. Knowing she was outnumbered, she turned north seeking to cross into Aundair and link up with Wrogar.

Historical Significance

Technological Advancement

The last war resulted in a boom of industrial power for many of the nations and prominent political powers. War machines such as Breland's Argonth are still spectacles to behold. The most significant new technology must be the House Cannith mechanical soldiers, the Warforged.

Conflict Type

War

Start Date

894

Ending Date

996

Conflict Result

A tentative peace established after the nation of Cyre was destroyed in a single day

Location

Khorvaire

Belligerents

Aundair

Led by

Strength

Bolstered by the magical might of the Arcane Congress, the military forces of Aundair are far more than a ragtag militia of farmers. The common troops are better trained—and far more determined—than their enemies usually give them credit for. Put together, the Knights Arcane and the diehard foot soldiers of Aundair remain a significant military force to be reckoned with.

Casualties

Objectives

Breland

Led by

Strength

Both in numbers and in industry, Breland matches or surpasses any of the nations involved in the Last War. Still, its people are reluctant to commit themselves fully to the fight for other people’s freedoms, or for Wroann’s pretensions to the crown of Galifar. Only when foreign-ers seize Brelish territory, and combat cannot be avoided, do the Brelish fight with vigor.

Casualties

Objectives

Cyre

Led by

Strength

Had it not been for mercenaries—including the Valenar, goblinoids of Darguun, and war forged purchased from House Cannith—Cyre could never have survived even until the Day of Mourning.

Casualties

The armies of Cyre suffered heavy losses while remaining underprepared, but that was nothing compared to the utter devastation of The Mourning.

Objectives

Establish the rightful successor to the throne of Galifar.

Karrnath

Led by

Strength

Karrnath, always the most martial of the Five Nations, boasted an army larger and more well trained than any other faction early in the war. Combined with its advance knowledge of the coming struggle—Kaius was, after all, one of the war’s instigators—it seems inconceivable that Karrnath would not emerge from the war as the clear victor. Still, a series of devastating famines and plagues, combined with diplomatic and political blunders caused in part by the military’s reliance on brute force over creative thinking, offset the nation’s military power for much of the war.

Casualties

Objectives

Karrnath’s efforts were devoted mainly against Cyre and Aundair in the early part of the Last War, then shifted largely to a violent conflict with Thrane in the later years. Even after the war, the interaction between these former allies nearly qualifies as a cold war unto itself

Thrane

Led by

Strength

The armies of Thrane claim the blessing of the Silver Flame and for the most part act in the devoted, compassionate, honest, and true manner befitting such an honor.  Clerics, adepts, and paladins of the Silver Flame were swept along in the righteousness of the levied troops, but as reason began to reassert itself and the dictates of their superiors moderated, they attempted to curtail the worst excesses.

Casualties

In the early war years, however, more than a few descended into religious fervor and committed atrocities against their “heathen” neighbors.

Objectives