Crystal Catalyst

'Ah the Crystal Catalyst, no kingdom has brought more pride and shame to mages.' - Arch Donagogue Fereldac's the History of Mages

The Crystal Catalyst was formed in the aftermath of the Siege of Runia, by those who sought to build an orderly world that did not discriminate based on race or ethnicity, and sought to use magic to correct the great damage caused by its misuse. In this utopian euphoria that humans, for the first time, joined with the elder races, and even orcs to create a kingdom that would shine as a beacon of hope and usher in a new era of progress, they named it the Crystal Catalyst. The Crystal Catalyst was, at its beginning, a true meritocracy, all with equal opportunity to rise up to the highest ranks with hard work and skill, or fall to obscurity with lethargy and ineptitude. Currency was abolished and all worked instead to the common embetterment of society. The Catalyst taught magic was integral to Runetalras, as the Weave was stitched through every fibre of the world, and it was to be understood as both a science and an art which should be used to the mutual embetterment of all. It was only for a short time that the Crystal Catalyst stood as a beacon, before the utopian dream turned into a nightmare. The meritocracy turned into a bitter struggle to the top echelons, the worst with Catalyst society took the shortcut of the forbidden magic, blood magic, demonology, and diabolism to advance to positions of power. From these positions these individuals twisted the Catalyst to mirror themselves and turned into a kingdom that only served them, and ended any sense of meritocracy, equality, and transformed a beacon hope into a beacon of terror. The Triumvirate was formed of the three greatest and most foul mages, all of whom abused and enslaved the Catalyst to serve their own whims, lusts, and desires, and all of whom became liches. Once the Catalyst had exploited its resources it began aggressive expansion. The Catalyst by striking out from the region now known as the Rugged Pass. The Catalyst’s shock troops teleported into enemy cities and wreaked havoc upon military and civilians alike, while their mages devastated coalesced forces. Not only did the Catalyst unleash underhanded tactics, but also summoned into Runetalras devil, demon, elemental, and weave aberration.
The wars launched by the Catalyst initially failed well, as the Catalyst plagued all of Runedastil, Talduras, Taunas, and Undras. The Catalyst had, however, over extended itself and over five centuries the Catalyst was beat back to its capital Garthedd. It was widely believed that the entire city of Garthedd was obliterated in an arcane explosion.

Legacy

The legacy of the Crystal Catalyst lives on to this day. It is used by a number of individuals as an example of the innate danger of magic and mages. It is also used to demonstrate that when races are equal the 'natural' order falls apart. Parallels are also constantly drawn between the Crystal Catalyst and Aarelan, and was used as a rationale for war against Aarelan.

The Crystalline Catalysts

The Kingdom of the Crystal Catalyst was named after nine crystals which granted the Kingdom, and its mages, great power. While the crystals were capable of granting mages of the Crystal Catalyst power over both energies and creatures from their respective planes of existence, they also appear to have been instrumental in its destruction; as nine planar portals appeared and surrounded its capital, Garthedd at its destruction.

Reemergence

The Crystalline Convergence took place on 24 February 533:Contempt.The Crystalline Convergence was the culmination of the efforts of the Crystal Catalyst to return Garthedd to Runetalras from the Weave where it had been trapped since the end of the Age of Blood; for instead of being destroyed Garthedd and all within it has been teleported to Plane of Existence known as the Weave where they suffered.
Led by Terraxia, First of the Triarchy, Grand Magi of the Catalyst, Wielder of the Crystalline Staff, and Navigator to Salvation Garthedd rained terror on Runetalras, obliterated Hathban in a conflict known to us as the Wars of Undeath.

Peoples of Runetalras, Unite

588:Blood - 1076:Blood

Type

Geopolitical, Kingdom

Alternative Names

The Glorious Crystalline Catalyst

Demonym

Cataline