Ascendance War

The Ascendance War, also called the War of the Chosen, was a Human slave rebellion against the Ae'dari Empire. This rebellion was the largest rebellion ever witnessed on Esteria, and the only one to truly threaten the Ae'dari Empire.

Background

Before the Ascendance War, the Ae'dari overlords kept the Human population of Esteria under control. Living out their short lives as slaves of the Elven empire. While the majority of Ae'dari remained on their island of An’aethel, the few Elves who resided on the mainland were either highborn officers; tasked with putting their slaves to work, or lowborn; too poor remain on their island. It was forbidden for the Arcanists of the Ae’dari Empire to keep a standing army on mainland Esteria, out of fear that one of them would turn coat and carve out their own piece of the continent. As such, the Ae'dari army was kept at An’aethel.
For the most part, Human slaves were treated harshly under the oppressive rule of the Ae'dari. The slaves were believed to be nothing more than property of their Ae'dari overlords. They would often abuse or kill their slaves for minor infractions, or for no reason at all. There was little consequence for their abuse, as Humans were merely beasts in the eyes of the Ae'dari, no better than the sheep grazing their fields. Most slaves were forced to work the fields and mines, with little to no food and water during their work. Those who showed skill in battle were trained to fight as gladiators for Ae'dari entertainment.
For hundreds of years, the mainland had experienced numerous slave revolts. However, they would often be quelled easily and were barely perceived as a threat to Ae'dari supremacy. That changed during the Ascendance War.

Prelude

Within the slave city of An’misarei, the biggest of all slave cities, nine Humans would begin plotting their revolt. On the night of the 25th of Solan’s, 3 B.A., Vizar Atriac, along with his seven companions, broke out from the slave pens. Quietly, the men split up. Vizar Atriac, together with Darian and Orrey Stoneward, entered the slave quarters and released thousands from Ae'dari captivity. Balderick Bruin and Alaric Steel infiltrated the armories, seeking to supply the rebellion with weapons. Ardain and Christain Renard set out to prepare the escape route, opening the eastern gate of the city for the slaves to escape. All the while, Morraine Dargrave and Armar Nur would set the western side of the city ablaze — disorienting the guards. While fifty guards were positioned at the eastern gate to prevent escape, they were quickly dealt with as the nine charged them.
What followed the events of the escape is highly debated among scholars, but most agree that the band of rebels began plundering the Ae'dari outpost and cities as they made their way east — hoping to reach land where no Ae'dari had ever settled. Soon news of this recent turmoil would reach the Ae'dari Queen.
Within a year a fort was established upon a coastal hill in Sorelia. From Highguard the Humans would make their stand. The nine men; Vizar, Alaric, Balderick, Christain, Ardain, Morraine, Armar, Darian and Orrey made their oath before Solan to free the Human race from the Ae'dari grasp. With their leadership, they were named the Chosen of Solan. Whether by inspiration or desperation, the news of the revolt spreading throughout Esteria. Many slaves soon took up arms and joined their escaped comrades in Sorelia where they would prepare for war. Slaves from all over Esteria swore fealty to the Chosen, and soon enough an army of a hundred thousand men stood ready against the coming Ae'dari tide. Though most were neither trained nor properly fit to bear arms.

Massacre of Redfield

On the 13th of Sun’s Stay 2 B.A., an army of twenty thousand would make landfall on the coast of An’varai, five hundred sorcerors and nearly twenty thousand infantrymen. Though, this was not a regular army, but merely a small percentage sent to quell the revolts. The Ae'dari Queen, Ae’tiria Elumir was confident that the revolts were merely a small raid, something akin to a robbery.
For months the army marched through the lands putting every Human to the sword, once they reached Highguard. While great in number, their fort could not house such a large army, and as such they were forced to meet the Ae'dari in the fields. While the Human army, under the leadership of Vizar, would prove formidable, the battle was clearly one-sided. Even with Balderick leading the frontline laying waste to many Elves with his great warhammer, Christain and Alaric leading their men on the blindside of Highguard’s hills, flanking the Ae'dari. It all proved worthless, even with a thousand Ae'dari lying dead, the sorcerors blasted the fields with arcane fire. Surrounding the Humans with endless bombardments of fire, thousands lost their lives in mere seconds, while even more fled the field in panicked horror.
Seeing defeat right before them, Vizar ordered an immediate retreat. Pursuing the Humans east, the three leading Arcanists soon realized they could not continue the pursuit, as Darian had taken two thousand men along with him preparing to make a final stand in Highguard. His sacrifice would buy the remaining army enough time to make for Twinpeak Pass.

Recovery

17th of Harvest, 1. B.A., only a little more than a month after the Massacre of Redfield, the Vizar and his remaining seven prepared to make their final stand by the narrow passage way. Armar, a popular healer among the slaves, tended to the sick and wounded. Balderick and Christain, did all to maintain order and morale among the remaining warriors. While Vizar and Alaric prepared the battlefield for the arrival of the Ae'dari army. Whether by hatred or in an attempt to strike fear into the Ae'dari soldiers, Morraine hung a hundred Ae'dari along the road leading up to Twinpeak Pass, their innards spilling out of their stomach for all to see.
While many remained somewhat stalwart and prepared to die for their cause, there were many more that abandoned their brothers-in-arms seeking to find freedom further east or north. Ardain, the once faithful warrior, was now brooding in seclusion. Rarely speaking to his followers or his fellow Chosen, many began to worry about the warrior’s sanity. Just a month before the arrival of the Ae'dari army, Ardain and his loyal followers disappeared.

The Last Stand

As the Elves arrived, Vizar had carefully prepared the battlefield to their advantage. As they advanced confidently towards Vizar, Balderick proudly raised his warhammer in the air, ordering his men to begin banging their shields. Angered by the arrogance, Arcanist Ae’talien charged forward. Immediately, as the Ae'dari frontline split off from the sorcerers, Christain revealed himself among the cliffsides. Along with a thousand archers, they rained down arrows on the sorcerers and forcing the frontline to push forward.
Once the frontline reached the Human army, Vizar revealed another trap. Eagerly stepping forward to clash swords, the Ae’dari soon came to a halt as the ground underneath them collapsed revealing wooden stakes. Though, impaled or distracted by arrow fire, it would not be long before the sorcerers regained control of the battlefield. They shattered the cliffsides and burned down the stakes. The fate seen in Redfield would soon prove imminent at Twinpeak Pass.
Till the sky turned black. After a faint thunder, the sky suddenly went from greyish blue to dark black as smoke could be seen for miles west. Distraught, the sorcerers began fleeing as their arcane fires extinguished and their once arcane supremacy disappeared. Fearing the worst, the Arcanists began their retreat west.

Aftermath

Now with the Ae’dari in retreat, Vizar pushed forward pursuing the Ae'dari through Esteria, till they reached the coast of Highguard. Meanwhile, all capable Ae'dari were sent to Veradi’il. In a desperate last effort, the Elves uprooted the great Worldtree and transported it to An’aethel. The remaining Ae’dari were slaughtered, while two Arcanists Ae’talien and Ae’veneri were beheaded. Their heads sent to the Queen along with the mangled and abused Arcanist Ae’driel.
Months after under a still darkened sky, it was soon revealed that a small regiment of Men had marched hastily upon Annodi’il, setting the Worldtree ablaze. The following years the surrounding lands would slowly turn dark, as ash covered the land and corruption filled the air. The place upon which Veradi’il once stood soon became known as Uproot Crater. With the Worldtree once giving life to the flora and fauna, the land slowly turned into a great desert.

Start Date

25/3 3 B.A.

Ending Date

1/1 1 A.A.

Conflict Result

Human Victory

Belligerents

The Ae'dari Empire

Human Slave Uprising

Strength

• 20,000 Ae'dari infantrymen
• 500 Ae'dari Sorcerers

• ~100,000 former slaves

Casualties

• ~15,000 Ae'dari infantrymen
• ~400 Ae'dari Sorcerers

• ~62,000 former slaves
• ~150,000 slaves

Objectives

• Quell the slave revolt

• Break free from Ae'dari enslavement