The Spellwriter Trials

Perhaps the greatest tragedy of Mythian history is that of the spellwriter trials.  So much knowledge, so much potential, so much culture, lost in the snap of a madman's fingers and the roar of the mob.
Loran

The Conflict

Prelude

After Timothy Slatten's followers took over Lord Kavala's castle, he felt emboldened to push his anti-spellwriter sentiment even further.  Rousing his fanatics once again, he exhorted them to go out into the land and capture any spellwriters they could find, bringing them to him for judgement.  Those who heard his speech dissipated rapidly around the surrounding areas, going to locate any professional spellwriters and bring them back.
In subsequent rounds of the trials, people would spy on any who showed the slightest hint of writing or even reading, often using this as an excuse to persecute those they had long-standing rivalries with.

The Engagement

Although there was some resistance from those taken by Timothy's fanatic followers, few managed to escape their oppressors for long.  Those who were caught were taken to Timothy's newly-appropriated castle, where he would hold private audiences with victims and a few chosen disciples.  There, typically after conducting a show trial, he would condemn the victims to their fates - often burning at the stake along with all the books and writs that had been found on their properties.  In some cases, they were spared death, instead having both hands amputated at the wrist.  The spellwriter trials were a major reason for a spike in purchases of prosthetic pens in the late 8th century.

Outcome

After the spellwriter trials had gone on for 5 years, and the population around Timothy's area had been decimated, Timothy made the mistake of pushing his influence further into the Mythian countryside.  As he infringed on the domains of other lords and ladies, they began to grow angry at him.  The consistent pressure from the spellwriting community as well as from these nobles began to tell upon the common ruler, King Adraz, who eventually sent soldiers to remove Timothy from his residence.

Aftermath

Spellwriting in the region of Mythia where Timothy had initiated the trials took a deep downturn in the years following the trials, with residual fear of being persecuted lingering for a long time afterwards.  For almost a decade, spellwriting services had to be imported from neighbouring regions, before the knowledge base was built back up and people felt free enough to begin again.
Additionally, Timothy's alteration of the church of the all-seer's policies caused its rapid dissolution, save for the remaining devotees to his ideologies.

Historical Significance

In Literature

The prominent historian Loran's best work is generally agreed to have been his documentation of the Spellwriter trials.