Darkwood Uprising

Overview

The Darkwood Uprising was a rebellion that erupted in the heart of Keraian Empire, a land once admired for its strength and unity but now fractured by years of scandal and neglect. At its helm stood Valen Darkwood, a charismatic former knight of the Imperial Order of the Silver Stalion, who resigned his position after becoming disillusioned with the empire’s corruption.

For four harrowing years, the capital city of Thandor became the heart of the conflict, its streets transformed into battlefields as Valen's rebels clashed with imperial loyalists. The uprising ended in devastation with the collapse of an entire district- an event that led to what is now known as The Pit disctrict- and the abdication of Emperor Sandiago. Yet this victory for rebellion came at a staggering cost: the loss of countless lives, the weakening of the empire’s foundations, and the lingering question of whether the fight for change had been worth the price.

Prelude

The roots of the Darkwood Uprising lie deep within the Empire's troubled history, where the once-glorious Condore Dynasty had slowly unraveled. Established generations ago, the dynasty thrived under the leadership of its early rulers, who were celebrated as the torchbearers of Agion's legacy. However, as decades passed, whispers of greed and scandal grew louder, and signs of decline became impossible to ignore.

The Crisis of Succession (409ADA)

In 409 ADA, the empire was thrown into disarray when Emperor Fanouk plunged into madness. Despairing over his inability to produce a successor, Fanouk took the life of his wife and himself, a tragic episode seen by many as divine retribution for the dynasty's sins.

The Reign of Raymond I
(409 ADA - 419 ADA)

Stability returned, albeit briefly, under Fanouk’s nephew, Raymond I. A capable leader, Raymond restored the empire’s prosperity and rekindled the people’s faith in the throne. Alongside his wife, Ifride, a devout figure within the Church of Novirath, Raymond's reign promised a brighter future. Yet his rule came to an abrupt and mysterious end. In 419 ADA, Raymond was found dead in his chambers, his face contorted in terror, as though he had seen a nightmare given form. His sudden death birthed rumors of foul play- whispers of curses, poisons, or even divine wrath- but no truth was ever uncovered.

Decline of a Dynasty
(419 ADA - 470 ADA)

In the aftermath of Raymond’s death, a succession of weak and unremarkable rulers ascended to the throne. None possessed the strength or vision to stabilize the empire. Corruption flourished as ambitious noble houses vied for influence, while advisors and ministers pursued their own interests at the expense of the common people. The empire's once-proud infrastructure crumbled, its armies grew complacent, and its people despaired.

The Reign of Sandiago
(470 ADA - 485 ADA)

By 470 ADA, Sandiago, the great-grandson of Raymond I, took the throne. Sandiago’s reign marked the nadir of the Condore dynasty. Naïve and politically inept, Sandiago became little more than a puppet to a circle of corrupted advisors. With no prowess in battle and no understanding of leadership, he allowed greed, incompetence, and disunity to spread unchecked.

It was around 481 ADA, when people began to look beyond the throne for salvation. During this time Valen Darkwood, once a celebrated knight of the Imperial Order of the Silver Stalion, stepped into the role of a leader. Disheartened by the empire’s decline and the injustices he witnessed, Valen resigned from his position in protest, declaring that the empire could no longer be saved from within. His resignation marked the beginning of his transformation into the voice of the people, a man who dared to speak of rebellion when others only whispered it.

The Rebellion

"Depiction of the Darkwood Uprising"

Despite being outnumbered by the imperial army, the rebels managed to hold their ground for a significant time. Guerrilla tactics, widespread local support, and growing defections from the imperial guard gave Valen Darkwood and his forces an early edge. The rebellion’s turning point came when Valen’s forces captured one of the wealthiest districts in Thandor, securing its strategic guard tower- a critical foothold in the capital.

Yet, as the months wore on, Valen realized this victory alone would not be enough to turn the tide. Imperial forces, bolstered by their superior numbers, discipline, and resources, began closing in, applying unrelenting pressure on the rebel strongholds. Faced with an increasingly desperate situation, Valen made a fateful and controversial choice.

Whether out of desperation or an overconfident belief that he could control the consequences, Valen sought an alliance no one could have anticipated. He turned to the orc tribes of Myltery- longtime raiders who had plagued humanity’s ancestral kingdom for centuries. Myltery, the first kingdom of the humans before being absorbed into the Keraian Empire, held a deep cultural significance for the people. Its fertile lands and ancient settlements had been the heart of early human civilization, but the region had suffered greatly under constant orcish raids over generations.

In exchange for their aid, Valen promised the orcs loot and the spoils of war, granting them access to Thandor through the city’s ancient underground tunnels. These tunnels were a labyrinthine network that extended deep into the Deeps- a shadowed underworld few dared to explore. The orcs’ chaotic arrival in Thandor escalated the conflict to a new level of violence and destruction. What began as a rebellion soon spiraled into brutal urban warfare as imperial forces found themselves battling not just the rebels, but also the bloodthirsty orc invaders Valen had unleashed.

However, Valen’s desperate gamble had far-reaching consequences. While imperial forces were distracted by the chaos in Thandor, the remaining orc tribes in Myltery seized the opportunity to launch their most devastating assault in recorded history. The heartland of humanity was plunged into turmoil as orcish warbands swept across the region, sacking villages and cities alike. Yet, it was not just the orcs who rose to attack. From the depths of the Deeps emerged far darker forces- undead monstrosities, drow warbands, and other creatures that had long dwelled beneath the earth. In a calculated and sinister assault, they turned the conflict in Myltery into a full-scale war that spread far beyond Thandor's walls. This new and unforeseen war would become known as the War of Nightmares, a decade-long struggle that devastated Myltery and permanently weakened the Keraian Empire.

The Final Blow

The uprising reached its most catastrophic moment when Emperor Sandiago, driven by desperation and mounting pressure, made a decision that would forever stain his legacy. With his armies failing to completely eradicate the rebellion and its allies, the emperor turned to his court mages- arcane practitioners who wielded magic far more dangerous than any sword or siege engine. Sandiago, blinded by the need for a definitive victory, ordered them to unleash their most devastating power against the rebels entrenched in Thandor's captured district.

Under the cover of night, the skies above the rebel-occupied district darkened as the mages gathered. Ancient incantations echoed through the city, vibrating through the stone streets and leaving even loyalists in terrified awe. Witnesses described the air itself turning heavy, as if the city held its breath. Then came the tremor- a deep, resonant rumble that grew to an earth-shattering roar. Buildings buckled, streets cracked, and the ground split open like a gaping wound. The very earth beneath the district gave way, collapsing into a cavernous void.

The rebel stronghold- along with thousands of men, women, and children who had rallied to Valen Darkwood's cause- was swallowed whole. Those who survived the initial collapse were buried alive or crushed beneath the rubble as the earth sealed their fate. From that day onward, the district became known as The Pit- a haunting slum and a gaping scar in the heart of the capital, now a home for the lost and the unfortunate. Some say the screams of the fallen still linger in the winds that sweep through its ruins, a chilling reminder of the rebellion’s tragic end.

In the aftermath of the devastation, imperial forces flooded into the remnants of the district to finish what the earthquake had started. Rebel survivors, disoriented and wounded, were cut down without mercy. Those who attempted to flee were hunted through the shattered streets, the imperial soldiers wielding both sword and torch to ensure no corner of the rebellion remained. The city itself seemed to mourn; flames burned for days, and black smoke spiraled into the heavens.

Aftermath

"Some call him reckless, some call him hero. But all agree in one thing: Valen Darkwood's rebellion shook the empire to its bones."

— Maevis, historian at Oblidonia

The rebellion’s violent end brought no triumph, only devastation. Though the rebels had been crushed and Valen Darkwood xecuted, the cost of victory left the Keraian Empire deeply fractured. Thandor itself bore scars it would never fully heal from. Many citizens, once loyal to the Condore Dynasty, began to question the price of their rulers' authority.

Emperor Sandiago, faced with a city in mourning, an empire in disarray, and the lingering horror of the arcane methods he had used, found himself without allies or trust. The weight of his decisions, coupled with the whispers of rebellion still echoing through the streets, left him broken. In 485 ADA, he abdicated the throne in disgrace, fleeing into obscurity as his name became synonymous with failure and ruin.

Sandiago’s younger brother, Sorin, inherited a broken realm. Though a competent administrator, Sorin’s reign was consumed by the aftermath of two wars: the uprising in Thandor and the War of Nightmares that had erupted in Myltery. What began as opportunistic raids became a decade-long conflict that stripped Myltery, the ancestral human heartland, from the empire’s grasp.

With Myltery lost to the unnatural forces from below, Sorin’s empire found itself shrunken and humiliated. Trade routes faltered, towns lay abandoned, and famine followed as refugees poured into Thandor and its surrounding regions. Sorin, already unpopular for his failure to stem the chaos, faced assassination in the final year of the war. His death marked the end of the last significant ruler of the Condore line for decades to come.

The Condore Dynasty limped on, but its once-glorious legacy was shattered. The following decades were marked by weak emperors, political instability, and regions of the empire breaking away to form their own sovereignties. It was not until the reign of Emperor Victor II, nearly a century later, that the dynasty would begin to reclaim its former strength. Victor II's leadership marked a new era for the Keraian Empire, though even he could not erase the wounds left by the rebellion and the War of Nightmares.

The Darkwood Uprising remains a cautionary tale in Keraian history: a testament to the cost of corruption, the dangers of desperation, and the weight of decisions made in the throes of power. For many, Valen Darkwood became a tragic figure; a man whose dream for change turned to ash, yet whose rebellion sowed the seeds for the empire's eventual rebirth.

Banner of the Rebellion

Included under Conflict

War of Nightmares

Conflict Type

Rebellion

Battlefield Type

Urban

Start Date

481 ADA

Ending Date

485 ADA

Conflict Result

The empire of Keraian emerged victorious, after the rebellion was supressed

Location

Thandor

Belligerents

The Rebels

Led by

• Valen Darkwood

Keraian Empire

• Keraian Empire

Strength

A mix of former soldiers, farmers, artisans, defected city guards, and civilians.

Well-trained soldiers, city guards, mages, and imperial elite.

Casualties

7,000-8,000 rebels

2,500 imperial forces

Objectives

Overthrow the Condore Dynasty and start a new era for the empire.

Preserve the Condore Dynasty and restore imperial control.

Sir Valen Darkwood

The Spark of Rebellion

Valen Darkwood Darkwood, with his undeniable charisma and reputation as a man of honor, became the rallying figure for the empire's disillusioned populace. Farmers driven to poverty, merchants burdened by crippling taxes, and soldiers abandoned by their leaders all flocked to his cause. Valen’s message was clear: the Condore Dynasty had failed its people, and the time had come to forge a new path for the empire’s future. His speeches were both a condemnation of the current regime and a promise of renewal. To those who listened, Valen was not merely a leader; he was a symbol of hope. Thus, the Darkwood Uprising began: a fire that ignited in the streets of Thandor and spread into the hearts of all who longed for justice.

Related Articles

The Fate of Valen Darkwood

Valen Darkwood's Defeat

Valen Darkwood, once the symbol of hope for a brighter future, was found alive amidst the chaos. Bound in chains and stripped of his armor, he was dragged before the emperor’s court. Days later, he was paraded through the streets of Thandor- his body broken, his spirit unyielding- as a grim spectacle for the citizens of the capital. Crowds gathered in silence, some jeering while others wept quietly at the sight of the man who had dared to challenge the empire. His execution was swift but brutal, performed on the city’s largest square. Valen’s final words are lost to history, though legends whisper that he proclaimed in defiance: “You cannot bury the dream.” His death served as a warning to all who might harbor thoughts of rebellion, but it also planted the seeds of resentment that would linger for generations.