The Dragon Wars
The pivotal conflict that shaped the western countries of Etian, reformed the Western Etianist religion and started the Age of Reconstruction.
It is still debated wether the name 'Dragon Wars' is appropriate for the series of conflicts that took place during the end of the Age of the Fall. Many argue that the establishment of the Empire of Avalon truly marked the beginning of the Dragon Wars. Others insist that the Dragon Wars started with the first appearance of the titular dragon. But the end of the Age of the Fall and beginning the Age of Reconstruction is decided to take place after the end of the Dragon Wars - marked by the death of Ayden Lógi.
What follows is the official version of the Dragon Wars, as agreed upon by the established historians and the priesthood.
The year of 3 BDW, or 1102 years since the last Acionian left the continent, the Kaitoans declared war on Verdina. They had for years served as a tributary state under Verdina and sought to free themselves. Ayden Logí served in this war after having lost his father to assassins and inheriting the position as head of the family. There he gained a reputation as a fearsome commander after slaying the Kaitoan warlord Cómhall. It is rumored that it's there he first came in contact with the dark powers, agents of Dahaka in the guise of the god of the sky, Avalon.
As Ayden's path of corruption begun, Iria travelled abroad in pursuit of her kidnapped father. She found him, albeit apathetic, and uncovered a cult of Dahaka worshippers (unknown if these were related to the servants of Dahaka who corrupted Ayden) and her journey on the path to sainthood begun.
Soon the Verdinian King, Sloan Sheehan made himself so unpopular though his boorish behavior and incompetence that a revolt against him resulted in his abdication. As he had no known heirs, he was replaced by Wallace Dugal.
No more than a few months passed before Wallace died during suspicious circumstances. His brother, Daniel Dugal, inherited the throne. He appointed Ayden Logí as marshal and as chancellor he chose the nefarious Vitalis Vortigern, a count from a lesser province who, without anyone's knowledge, served a mysterious dark entity who granted him magic. This entity would later come to possess Vitalis completely, making them one and the same.
During the regin of Daniel, the Bomanian Empire declared war on the Teutoni city states that had not yet been swallowed up by the growing Bomanian state, primarily Alldris and Barrodal. Daniel Dugal made an alliance with the Teutoni, fearful that the Bomanian expanse would offset the power balance in Etian. During the Battle of Barrodal Ayden Logí managed to win a decisive victory for the alliance, crushing a larger Bomanian force and pushing them back north.
Despite the success, Verdina suffered from many smaller revolts during the Dragon Wars. The conflicts, famine and
disease caused resentment to grow among the lower classes. There were also bad omens across the land, and it all culminated when a dragon - as big as a mountain - showed up and burned great parts of the capital Verdinum and devastated the countryside. Marshal Ayden had to strike down several peasant revolts. During this time, "Avalon's" grip over him grew. He was contacted by the Paladin chapter dedicated to Avalon - by this time fully corrupted by agents of Dahaka - and they swore their allegiance to him. It was they who through dark sorcery had resurrected the ancient dragon from the dead. Now they bestowed the dragon onto Ayden.
By this time Vitalis Vortigern had been exposed and slain by Iria Acland. Determined to find the source of the supernatural terror that haunted the land, she made herself an enemy of Ayden, who still operated in the shadows. He let the dragon ravage the land to increase the desperation of it's people. As the Acland family continued to come closer to his secret, he sent his dragon to attack their keep. All perished in the inferno, except for Iria and her sister Tate, Ayden's wife. Iria continued her research through the rage and sorrow, surviving several attempts on her life.
After finding enough evidence she finally confronted Ayden. When it became clear to her that he was beyond redemption she tried to take him down, but was wounded and captured as she tried to escape. Ayden could have killed her right there, as he had tried before. But something in him still felt enough affection towards his childhood friend that he chose to banish her instead, selling her as a slave to traders from the south.
With Iria out of the way he proceeded to execute his plan. He embarked on a fake quest to slay the dragon, only to return with it under his control riding upon it's back. He claimed that it was Avalon, the one true god, who had sent the beast to punish humanity for their idolatry and to bring them his true gospel. He claimed that Avalon sought to unite humanity under one god and one empire and usher in a new era of peace. Ayden, his prophet, would be made Emperor-Patriach, King of Kings, and he entered the capital on the back of his dragon to demand fealty of the King. Daniel Dugal, fearing for his life, obeyed.
Thus Verdina became the first addition to the new empire.
During late 2 BDW and early 1 BDW Ayden led a campaign that, while short, would be remembered for generations for its violence and mayhem. Religious uprisings were brutaly repressed. Argomu was completely subjugated after dragon fire decimated their armies. Bomania was ravaged and the empress were forced to swear fealty. The Order of Avalon took over all temples and forcefully converted all priests they could get their hands on.
At the same time Iria broke free from her slavery in the city of Sanzibar and wandered the streets of the city looking for a way back home. There she befriended the explorer (or pirate, according to evil rumors) Yum Cimil. It was in Sanzibar that Iria was blessed by visions of Turris, god of war. He chose her as his champion to liberate her homeland from the vile Ayden. As a sign of his power he sent her a phoenix - a symbol of his divinity - to her.
With her faithful friend Cimil - good-hearted in spite of her heathen ways - Iria traveled back north.
There she set about organizing a resistance against Ayden's tyranny. She met with nobles from many lands and paladins on the run from the order of Avalon. She mustered armies in Kaitoa and even managed - how is unclear, divine intervention is assumed - to slay Ayden's famous dragon, putting a halt to the expansion of his empire and giving hope to his suppressed subjects.
His dragon robbed from him, Ayden resorted to even darker rituals than before to keep his grip on power. He infused his Paladins with essence of Avalon, turning them into near unstoppable killing machines. He raised the dead to fight for him, and as a final ritual he intended to summon an aspect of Avalon himself. He did not yet realize that it was Dahaka he served, and summoning him would bring about an end to the world.
To give Iria a weapon with which to combat Avalon, Turris possessed Iria and with her hands crafted a divine weapon, a sword holding the power of the Gods, so that she may stop Ayden.
Ayden heard rumors of Iria sabotaging his plans once more. This time he would not let sympathy stop him - by now he had been irrevocably changed by the unholy magic he wielded. He has become the Dark One.
He sent Dark Paladins to stop Iria. One of them almost succeeded, poisoning her with a blade tainted with dark magic. Realizing her time was running short, and that she was the only one capable of confronting him, she rallied her troops.
A huge coalition of mercenaries, religious fanatics, nobles and separatists from the conquered lands joined with Iria and marched on Verdinium.
Ayden was aware of this, but did not try to beat her in the field. Instead he let the coalition come to him in order to lure them into a trap. With all of his enemies gathered in one spot, he would conduct the greatest ritual yet in order to beat them.
The battle of Verdinum took place on the late summer of 1 BDW mainly outside the city walls. The coalition stormed the walls as soon as their siege towers were completed. Although the dark Paladins sallied out to meet them, the coalition met with much success initially. Iria knew she had to get to Ayden as soon as she could, and a small force consisting of her and a few friends slipped though the enemy lines and headed to the castle. Then, as the rest of the coalition were about to break through, Ayden cast a powerful spell of necromancy from the castle, reanimating the bodies of the fallen on the battlefield, their shambling corpses under his command. The Coalition now had to fight both the fallen enemies and their fallen comrades. Their morale were about to break but under the heroic leadership of Keiron Falkensköld the army stood firm against the onslaught of the undead.
At the same time, Iria and Yum broke into the chamber of the castle where Ayden conducted his foul magic. While the others held off his guards, they fought him. After a long battle, Ayden managed to wound Iria gravely and prepared to deliver the final blow. That's when Yum thrust her spear through his eye, ending Ayden Logí. This was not enough, however - his attempt to summon "Avalon" had made it possible for Dahaka to possess his body, and he started to transform into a powerful although monstrous demigod. Yum went about trying to sabotage the ritual before it was to late by killing the chanting sorcerers surrounding them. He grabbed Iria by the throat and threatened to kill her if she did not stop. Iria, with the last of her strength, told her to keep going. She obeyed, and Iria was killed.
It was then that a miracle occurred; the phoenix that was given to Iria gifted to her it's immortality, sacrificing itself to bring her back from the dead. Infused with the holy spirit of the phoenix, she arose and slew the monstrosity with the sacred weapon of Turris, saving the now wounded Yum and the army outside the city.
With the link to Dahaka severed, all of Aydens foul magic ceased. The armies of the dead crumbled.
The light stood victorious.
Conflict Type
War
Start Date
Early 3 BDW
Ending Date
Late 1 BDW
Belligerents
Strength
Saint Iria Acland
Bomanian Empire (Until 2 BDW)
Argomu (Until 2 BDW)
Much of the Verdinian Nobility
Kaitoa (After 1BDW)
Various religious zealots, rebels, and mercenaries.
Casualties
Hundred of thousands of soldiers, most killed by dragon fire
Much of the high nobility of Verdina, including most of the Acland family
Countless civilians
Ayden himself
The entirety of the Templars of Avalon
Tens of thousands of Legionaries and levies
Objectives
To stop Ayden and uphold the status of the Temple Order (see Western Etianism )
To unite the world under Avalon and the Emperor-Patriarch.
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