The Night of Destruction

The Night of Destruction, sometimes also referred to as The Great Collapse, become one of the most devastating disasters in history for the continent of Rinas. Massive series of earthquakes rocked the entire continent causing changes across the landscape. The quakes lasted for an incredible eight hours and the full ramifications are still not completely known to this day.

It began early in the evening on the 1st of Uriel during the summer of 9689 AC. Starting with only minor tremors that gently rocked loose items in people's homes. Slowly over the next couple of hours, every time a new quake rumbled through it was stronger than the next one. Panic quickly began to set in as the quakes strengthen. Over the first hour, the quakes seemed manageable and didn't cause significant damage except to loose and delicate items that may have fallen. The second hour the quakes started to intensify to the point that windows began to shatter, unsecured furniture fell, and walking began to become an issue. This is when was people began to look for shelter.

The third hour continued to intensify, buildings began to shake and weak structures began to take damage and start collapsing. This lead to the first of many deaths of those sheltering in poor buildings. Frantic panic had begun to set in at this point and even the cities guard could no longer maintain order at this point. In the fourth hour, the quakes continued to intensify. At this time, any weak structure was shaken off its foundation and collapsed usually taking anything around it with it. People began to shelter in what they believe to be a much more secure and stable location at this time, most of the streets in cities had cleared as people feared being outside. By the end of the fourth hour, most slums had been completely wiped out and cheaply built structures were no more.

The fifth hour brought on the first of true horror of this disaster, the intensity increased once more, cracks began to start appearing in the ground and opening up, survivors statement swore they believed the earth was being lifted up and torn asunder at this point. Many more casualties happened during this time as some of the stronger building people had taken shelter in began to collapse. During the sixth hour again the quaking intensified and the fissures in the earth grew larger and people report a golden glow emanating from the fissures. Entire sections of cities began to suffer heavy damage at this point and cities walls cracked and collapsed in places.

When the seventh hour rolled around the uptick in intensity continued more reports of a bright golden light emanating from the growing fissures and the feeling that everyone was being lifted with the ground was noted by many survivors. Large sections of many cities began to collapse at this point killing an untold amount of people. The seventh hour leads to what could only be described by many as the earth heaving up and dropping at the start of the eighth hour. In the eighth hour, the quakes quickly began to subside and most of the fissures closed up as the ground resettled itself and over the next hour the quake subsided to none.

The Aftermath

Results of the night lead to the death of what was estimated to be over three million people. Hundreds of villages, towns, and cities were utterly destroyed and never recovered. It was reported by spies that a new mountain range had appeared within Kiyoka and as well as the mountains that separated Essaed from its neighbors had greatly increased in size and scope.

It took over a decade to rebuild from the Night of Destruction, but this disaster unified many countries into a stronger nation and help develop new building techniques to make them stronger and more reinforced. The quakes had also revealed new ruins in which the first would not be discovered for another two years.