Histories of Everos Part 3

Reforms of Dothen the Sword (2305)

Reform of the Corgastodmar military from a system of feudal levies to a professional system of military hierarchy during reign of Ghetunbast Dothen the Sword. The foundation of this new system was a standing army garrisoned outside Ghethemas.
Ascension of Aemarda (2306)
In the aftermath of the Great Conflict, the Solhesunbasts perceived a fundamental wavering of Aemarda’s trust in Corgastor and the Eshan. After all, who could trust deities whose wisdom led to such terrible ends as the Great Conflict? He sought to remedy the dilemma by expanding the ranks of the Eshesmar in honor of those slain during the war. A decree was passed to this end, the details of which are written elsewhere, which included olûndi beyond Corgastor’s ancient retinue.
Formation of Corgastodmar Sanctuary (2320)
The tremendous damage wrought during the Great Conflict left Qadal stunned and afraid. The power of Vojûn had never been underestimated, per se, but nobody had ever believed it could be so destructive. Thousands of lives, nearing a million, were lost during the course of the war, spiking up in calamitously high numbers once Lyseros's Stone detonated. Nathrovas, once a rich region of dark hills and broad boughed forests, became a forsaken collection of grey, misty islands. What dwells there cannot be said for certain, but the power of Eshara imbued within the volatile stone by Zelai corrupted what remained. Those familiar with the Nemgarotirs spawned by Vojûn that ran rampant during the Weeping Era and survived in later generations would find little in common with the denizens of the Fringe. For the Ghetunbalastod ast Corgastor, a new array of threats manifested arrived unlike anything seen before. It is in this context that the Sanctuary of Corgastor was founded, a shield against threats both new and old.
Initial progress of forming the Sanctuary was slow and fruitless. Dothen the Sword, who had seen the Ghetunbalastod ast Corgastor through the Great Conflict, was far more concerned with reforming the military in preparation of further conflict. Vojûn, Eshara, Nemgarotirs, all such things were pressed aside in his mind. He bore no interest for them, and thus drew away the attention of the Empire at large. For years, until Dothen's death in 2317, the question of nemeshir in Qadal remained unanswered. Fortunately for all Corgastodmar, the newly crowned Ghetunbast Harrus was more conscious of the dangers.
The new Ghetunbast spent the first years of his reign searching for a solution to his empire's vulnerability. He went to the Ehronis of Corgastor first and foremost, hoping that their mastery of Eshara would provide protection to Everos.
Reign of Eleytha (2338 to 2370)
After the death of Ghetunbast Harrus, his eldest daughter, Eleytha, rose to power. After such immense suffering as Karundar, none among any court considered rebellion nor war. She was coronated in Ghethemas with great fanfare. It was the beginning of a recovering era for Everos.
The first significant act of Eleytha’s reign was to improve conditions for those thousands of survivors of the Great Conflict yet living in Corgastoria. Indeed, 34 years later there remained an under-served, suffering population along the border regions of ancient Nathrovayen.
Eleytha’s reign encapsulated the post-Karundar direction of the Ghetunbalastod, being a cautious internalism and cultural self-reflection. In her memory, statues and temples were erected across Everos.
Velhronunbast Farrien builds Sanctuary Tower (2352)
The Corgastodmar Sanctuary is a strange organization which straddles the lines between religion and education. It existed for long centuries, the tales of which are irrelevant here, but required development as the Ghetunbalastod grew. Velhronunbast Farrien, being the first and best known of his title, was ambitious in his desire to strengthen the Santuary. He appealed to the Ghetunbasts and their dynasty for requisite support. It was granted, and a tower was built near isolated town of Welda, called Farrien's Spire.
Illesera infiltrates the Corgastodmar Realm (2357)
The balance of Eshanic powers in Qadal was severely shaken by the Great Conflict of 2304. An immense swathe of Everos was destroyed by the infamous detonation; the Eshan were broadly suspected to be responsible. No olûndari being could muster powers to that destructive end. In this Across the sea, the Ebal’eshan were fearful of what the Great Conflict represented, being the close meddling of Ácolitus in worldy affairs which ended in disaster. A migration began in that time. It was subtle and small in scale, for the Alor’eshan remained vigilent those distracted. Those who dwelled in Voryndal sought to spread themselves across the world and individually prepare themselves for the expected second blow of Ácolitus. Nothing did follow, but fear reigned. Among these Eshan was Illesera, who managed to successfully enter Qadal where other Ebal’eshan were driven back by Corgastor and Aebaster. Her methods were subtle and ingenious. She traversed over the seas separating Qadal and Voryndal upon a vessel specially crafted for the purpose. This staddled the dangerous border separating Olûllosia and Eshan, but this was no worse than Atûn’s activities. She sailed without fear and thus reached Qadal within mere months, but this was no dilemma for the Eshan whose time is forever. Othos rose forth from the Zolrassus, but Illesera heard sufficient tales of evil from Tyrphos’s reign to deter her entry. This continent was passed and next came Everos once the southern waters of the Wolonorend were reached. Tales of horror did emerge from its plains and hills, for Atûn’s empire was destroyed upon it, but little else caused similar fear or concern. Illesera turned toward it and drifted to its southern shores.
Her small boat touched upon Grathem, which was still Aebastadmar and independent in those days. She disembarked and for some time lingered among its people, but they were antiquated in their customs and philosophies. Indeed, the same things she heard were spoken at the first time Voryndal turned its interested eyes toward Qadal after Atûn’s death. She departed that region and travelled northward where the Corgastodmar Ghetunbalastod was flourishing in manners unseen by Voryndal.
Union of Eroyther and Ghetunbalastod ast Corgastor (2534)
Gheta Penesspa was ruler of Eroyther, a proud kingdom that had stood independent for the past centuries against the expansion of the Ghetunbalastod ast Corgastor and the Daorhu. Amidst this the borders were continually ravaged by Karthuuzar warriors and Gresotsi raiders because of the realm's northeastern position. After the Great Conflict concluded with the utter destruction of Nathrovas and the formation of the Fringe, the strategic situation for Eroyther became ever more precarious. That accursed place became not only a haven for the Nemgarotiric and wretched, but also the den of pirate and brigands who reveled in possessing a home wherein authorities dared not tread. These things strained Eroyther's resources, and the death of Penesspa's husband made things all the more difficult. She needed assistance, and a new husband along with it.
Fortunately for her, Ghetunbast Giroldus had recently begun his search for a wife. He was certainly young, only 17 at the time, but he was a precocious youth. His decadence from the line of Dothen the Sword matched with his own regal qualities made him among the youngest ever to be elected to the highest office in Everos. Despite the age gap of around six years, the match between them seemed to be a divine act of fate. That was, at least, how it appeared to be in theory. The reality is that the two were both of a strong and independent spirit, and not apt to bend to the will of the other. When they did marry, Eroyther entered the Ghetunbalastod ast Corgastor as a vassal state, with Penesspa as its ruler. The pair regularly disputed one another in who had what authority, especially because Giroldus was eager to gain as much of an advantage as possible with his newly acquired territory. This strained their marriage, but the two of them endured it all well enough to have three sons and five daughters. When Giroldus himself died in 2558, his second son, Dranesgel, became Ghetunbast. His eldest son, named Giroldus like his father, had chosen a life of piety as a cleric of Corgastor and a member of the Brotherhood of the Blessed Word. The newly crowned Ghetunbast Dranesgel throughout much of his reign by Queen Mother Penesspa, who never released her grasp on politics until the day of her death.
Fourth War of Grathem (2580)
After 75 years of peace since Karundar, war began to stir in the fallible hearts of Aemarda. The terrors of bloodshed were forgotten and hungered for again. These pangs for violence were intensified by the acquisition of Eroyther in 2534. Corgastor’s realm grew powerful with the addition of that massive domain, and power demands exercises of power.
The Corgastodmar Ghetunbalastod pressed further on the borders of Grahen. Unleashed hordes of land-hungry Lorod spear-headed the invasion, decimating villages and swiftly repopulating them with their own subjects.
The Great Alliance (2582)
The brutal defeat of Grahen in the latest war against the Corgastodmar placed that realm on the brink of annihilation. Lhenod Hemalod deteremined that a new direction was needed for his nation to survive. He turned his eyes outward, toward the other nations of Qadal assailed by the growing Corgastodmar menace. Lodon was under constant threat of Corgastodmar machinations and bore no love for the north as a result. Across the waters, Eurobasar Othos was a thriving power eager to check Corgastodmar expansion as a means to bolster their own schemes abroad. Hemalod reached out to each of these nations and bid they come to Calathem to speak about a “Great Alliance” against the Corgastodmar.
Zjolmarsil, Prophet of Dion, attacks Everos (2663)
For centuries, the shadow of Tyrphos’s rebellion against Ácolitus and the Eshan loomed over Othos with enduring malignity. The land itself was stunted and long devastated from the slaugher, epitomized by the Zjol’kel which in later years operated as a continental roadway. However, more immediate and persistant threats survived Tyrphos himself. They were the spirits of his once faithful companions in service to Ácolitus. Their names were Sinestra, Dion, Imzeral, Ectival, and Admaris. In life, Tyrphos had recruited them from across Qadal for their particular martial skills and wisdom. For many years the six of them operated as powerful agents of the creator’s will, destroying threats both olûndari and Eshanic. However, Tyrphos did not serve Ácolitus for the sole purpose of abstract balance and order in the world. He was invested by personal grief. The love of his life, a woman named Naiara, had been slain by Corgastodmar in the Golbesh after a failed attempt to manifest Vojûnic currents to purify that place. For Enkiran Siryetan, as Tyrphos was known before service, an appeal to Ácolitus was his sole chance and respite. The creator agreed to offer some assistance but demanded service in return. Enkiran reluctantly agreed. However, the promised help was slow in coming, perhaps nothing more than a cruel trick. Tyrphos grew disillusioned and frustrated, and this grievance turned to malice. When he could suffer nothing more, malice turned to action. He declared himself against Ácolitus and the Eshan, among whom Corgastor was one, and killed his companions for their immense strength. He waged his war but was defeated. Thousands of lives were extinguished for the revenge of Tyrphos, but Othos was not completely destroyed. Indeed, that land’s history would blossom and grow around that charred time, just as its people rebuilt.
For Tyrphos, the course of time was a cruel tide. In defeat, Corgastor rent Tyrphos’s empowered Eshanic esseythu apart and imbued fragments of that energy into physical remnants. These were cast into Othos and forgotten. However, the power did not lie dormant or die. Like the Eshan themselves, energy begot energy and life. Amidst this great narrative, Zjolmarsil was one prophet among the numerous who served the will of the remnant spirits.
The Great Alliance Collapses (3099)
Mutual hatred was a strong foundation of union, but it was not sufficient to endure forever. As the Imperial Era continued and the activities of the three Great Alliance members became more complex, the anti-Corgastodmar position became less and less attractive. Lodon was strong and didn’t fear the Corgasdodmar to the same degree, particularly after a series of successful forays into Neyas. Eurobia was busy at home with civil strife and internal stagnation, such that it no long cared much for what happened in Everos. Indeed, this apathy became worse after the Great Conflict of 2304 wherein the Eurobasar stake in Nathrovas was destroyed. Grathem soon found itself mostly alone. Yet, the south was invigorated and thriving after centuries of peace, such that it stood strong against the Corgastodmar threat.
First Elivas-Corgastodmar War (3117 to 3119)
In the early months of 3117, the Corgastodmar Empire was pressing against its borders and clamors for military action and associated glory circled among the nobles and commoners alike. It had been years since the last significant conflict strained the mettle of those people. They had forgotten the brutality of war and instead sought its boons. Ghetunbast Herongest shared their combative spirit and investigated opportunities to expand the borderlands of the Evosmar realm. The inquiry was swift in its results- Lodon. In the west, the homeland of the Elivas remained largely unassailed by Aemarda since the years of the Weeping Era when Vojûnic warlords plied the dry fields and sparse forests for slaves and loot. The growth of the Corgastodmar realm in the 2000s checked significant Elivas growth into the heartland of Everos, save for territories which they secured on the eastern banks of the Zomore.
The war began with a general advance of Corgastodmar forces from Ghethemas to the south-western most borderlands of their domain. These territories were recently taken from the Grathon and remained well occupied by Corgastodmar warriors and attention.
“They believe to have acquired some superiority in their defiance? They are mistaken. Let them fight us in the mud. Every hour which the beasts linger will bring us closer to them. Our swords slog closer without fail, and soon they will wish they had departed long ago rather than wait for us now.”
As the spring of 3119 arrived, the sheer weight mustered against the Elivas in western Everos forced the defensive line closer to the thicky forested and formidable Zomore. Ghetunbast Herongest and his Ghetûm were confident with their gains purchased with corpses and charred homes. A treaty was drafted which formally ceded the regions east of the Zomore to Cograstorian control. It was dispatched and presented to Yemet Lod in the hands of Aemar messangers. Neither the treaty nor the messangers returned. Weeks passed in utter silence as Herongest waited in strained patience.
Corgastodmar War of Hegemony (3144)
In the early centuries of the 3000s, the Corgastodmar realm was on the cusp of its zenith. Othos was beset by internal conflicts between the reigning Eurobasar and their impetuous subject peoples.
Corgastodmar wars occurred between and alongside Yor’shagon in the past. War with Nevan, therefore was not an unprecedented and exciting development. However, the Neyasi continent had evolved drastically in the previous century and a half. The Axodraharik realm which reigned over the Aemar population was dismantled through peaceful measures by the Axokari themselves, who feared that their growing powers would curse Yor’shagon to the same fate as Axoggan.
Dhenast Aemarda was invoked as the Corgastodmar cause of war. It was, according to theory, their national duty to protect Aemar where ever they might dwell. Without the power of Yor’shagon for competition, Ghetunbast – believed the opportunity was ideal for invention.
The Cograstorian arrival in Nevan was not received with open arms. On the contrary, the Neyasi feared the domination of another foreign power after centuries under Axodraharik rule. It is also worth note that the Nevan did not practice Corgastodmarism, and thus was religious implications of Dhenast Aemarda were viewed in a tyrannical rather than benign light. In response, the Rekeyan, little over a century old, rallied together to oust the Corgastodmar menace.
Aebaster’s Last Appeal (3230)
After centuries of tenuous peace between the Corgastodmar and Grahen, Aebaster came to love the idea of two strong Aemardic realms in Everos, such that one might counter-balance the other. He appealed to Corgastor his heir and successor that this might be done. Yet, Corgastor was less enthused. The agreement upon Corgastor’s rise as Olun’eshan was that Aebaster would hand over the Aemardic race wholesale so that he might retire to peace. Now the deal was being changed.
Fifth War of Grathem (3249 to 3254)
Without the assistance of Nathrovas or other foreign actors, the Grathon were unable to resist the crushing might of northern Everos.
Second Northern Rebellion (3256 to 3259)
The early 3000s proved a turbulent time for the Corgastodmar. Eurobia breakup in Othos shattered the last major power in opposition to Corgastodmar hegemony. Internal pressures along ancient fault-lines: north versus south, Elivas versus Corgastodmar, the troubles beyond the Balendorns, and the constant chaos of the Nathrovayen Fringe, and others. Successive generations of Ghetunbast attempted their own methods to stabilize the continent, with limited success. Finally, in 3256, Ghetûn displeased with Arelastod II's rule rallied in rebellion. The center-piece of their revolt was the wealthy territory of Eroyther, which was itself a relative newcomer to the Corgastodmar fold.
Eroyther’s rebelling Ghetod devised a simple strategy: separate from Ghethemas’ control, then deprive the Ghetunbalastod of financial resources until concessions were made for peace. If this failed, seek assistance from the Ghetunbalastod’s many enemies to secure independence. For this end, a series of fortifications were erected along the eastern shore of the Lornesse river. The river was made uncrossable beside some specific bridge-heads which were well-guarded.
Between 3256 and 3257, forces of Arelastod II pushed against the Vehem Loresse, using Ghethemas itself as the launching point.
Master Astiger, a scholar in the Edrastocel, wrote of the encounter in his Histories and Tales of Fallen Eroyther. It details how a single Lorod broke the infamous “Vehem Lornesse” which separated rebelling Eroyther from Ghethemas. This episode occurred into the southernmost reaches of Eroyther, where the Vehem Lornesse was not fully complete. The year was 3259.
"Lorod Pellegast sat on the shore of the mighty river and tossed stones, one by one, into the swirling deluge. Not a one of us dared to approach him, so we all stood in silence. The army had marched all day, and for all our effort not a single path way to be found across the river. No bridge left standing, and no place shallow enough to ford. The next day were intended to force the river with boats. I imagine many would die in such a venture. In the distance stood a broad stone tower, the nearest complete measure of the Vehem Lornesse which we seeked to out pace. Soon no stretch would be assailable. He cast his stones time and again, yet one dashed across the water’s surface as if there were something beneath it. Strange. We arose to inspect it with long sticks, and found some thick debris and shattered river-boats in that place. They were just beneath the water. What caused such remains was uncertain, but we leapt upon such opportunity. Removing our armors and bringing only our swords, Pellagast, myself, with two others named Ballost and Wehom swam the river’s bredth. It was broad and swift, such that we near drowned. We sat upon the debris which were middle way, being the only safe-guard of our lives. After some respite, we continued to the other side. We approached that broad stone tower, abutting which was a bridge between one side of the Lornesse to the other. It was raised now. None of us had expectation it would be lowered for our benefit. A number of workers were gathered at its foot, eating and talking. We approached them, soaking, and explained that we were scouts exploring the Lornesse delta nearby. They did not believe us well, so we put them to the sword and snuck inside the tower. It was dusk now. The tower was occupied by some Eroyther militia, weak and slow. We fell upon the first, eager blood pumping in our hearts. I took his arm while Wehom trust a blade in his eye. Another came down the stairs, whereon Ballost chased up, grabbed his leg, and tugged him down to us. Pellagast took a clay cup and bashed the man’s unarmored head. All four of us dashed up the stairs, and there killed two more militia. Wehom was wounded in the hand. I suffered a head wound. We reached the bridge’s winch shortly. A militia fellow arose from dozing in fright, and thus we four lifted him and hurled him out an open loop. His corpse crushed against the shoreside below. We then lowered the bridge winch. To attract our allies, we brought some wood furniture to the tower’s peak, and lit it aflame. A great tension followed as we awaited our allies to notice. They did, with sufficient time to outpace the Eroyther warriors who rushed to investigate. A sharp battle followed, wherein we four cast stone and debris down on the Eroyther’s heads. Our warriors secured the bridge head and flooded onto the plains of Eroyther beyond.”

- Lorod Mebrehest Recounts Victory Everos’ Rebellions - 3278
The success of the four warriors threw open the southern defenses of the Vehem Lornesse, allowing warriors from Ghethemas to enter Eroyther. For their service, these heroes were taken under the personal service of Ghetunbast Arelastod. Defiance now collapsed as eastern Ghetod knew their defeat was nigh. Whole formations of Eroyther militia crumbled beneath the Corgastodmar onslaught.
The Tent War (3304)
The aged Corgastodmar realm has spent much of its existence fighting with people along their borders and beyond. Volumes of history, some so ancient as to be mere tatters, speak of the innumerable conflicts. Wars against the wild Karthuuzar, skirmishes against the Etayen of enigmatic Etal, and battles against foreign enemies such as the Eurobasar Tresivar and the trade lords of Nevan were the wellspawns of bloodshed in those days recent and distant. In time, there were also occasional encounters between the Corgastodmar and the Elivas to the west, but the hostile environment of Lodon made any significant attempt at invasion nigh impossible. However, among all these foes, one stood above the others in infamy and hatred- Grathem, the realm of Ghet Rhelored. It was he and his people who abandoned Corgastor during the Velgasid Etag when beset by foes. It was his people who rejected Corgastor’s ascension upon hearing his death in the year 43. Indeed, it was his descendants who rejected overtures of unity presented to them by Ghetunbast Larch I Goldheart in the empire’s nascent days. The wounded trust never healed, and the people never reconciled. As the Corgastodmar realm began to expand in the 1400s, it came into direct opposition with Grathem. The descendants of Rhelored thrived on the weakness of their neighbors, growing at their expense and wrapping around the hinterlands of the Aeducarr mountains. Diplomacy was a tried and failed method, coexistence was uncomfortable and mutually displeasing, so war became the inevitable outcome of their relationship. The first began in 1463 and amounted to little, but the Corgastodmar were determined. They continued to attack over the following centuries, waging over five major wars before 3304. That is to say nothing of the minor battles between them. Yet, despite enduring success, the tide was gradually turning against Grathem, and each war thereafter was more difficult.
Karundar was the crossroad. Prior to 2304, the Grathon were able to align themselves with the Etayen Ghalûn of Everos to combat the Corgastodmar. Indeed, Etayen warriors seeking to hone their prowess in times of peace often travelled to Grahen for employment. Moreover, the lands of Grathem offered a suitable buffer between Jequa, Nathrovas, and the expansive Corgastodmar. This balancing act between north and south remained consistent for centuries. However, the destruction of Nathrovas and weakness of Jequa shattered the status quo. Grathem acted swiftly, capturing Drakar and consuming southern territory before the Corgastodmar could outpace them. They were successful, but their enlargened state was under significant threat. No allies were left to support them. The Corgastodmar took notice and land in 2580 and 3254, shoving the borders back in the Fourth and Fifth wars of Grathem. In utter despair, the Lhenods watched as their domain was relentlessly chipped away by successive Ghetunbasts and enterprising Amaderin Lorvelgis who bolstered themselves by plundering and conquering.
Matters developed futher in the year 3298, when Ghetunbast Arelastod IV was coronated in Ghethemas. He was a powerful figure in might and mind but plagued by a relentless infirmity which occasionally manifested itself in his character. The exact nature of this insecurity is unknown, but Arelastod himself claimed that the specters of his ancestors sat upon his shoulders and scolded him in moments of inaction and indecision. Beyond his own quirks, the Amaderin Lorvelgis who served along the borderland, such the likes of the Silla Eshor and free-masters, begged for renewed campaigns to increase their wealth and glory. Those militant orders were the foremost defense between Grathem and the Corgastodmar empire, and their contentment made the difference for thousands of lives. Beset by this chorus of warmongering, Arelastod declared the sixth and most infamous war against Grathem.
He mustered Corgastodmar forces at the border, then moved into the southern reaches. Lhenod Khelorad Gower moved to counter their invasion. For years Grathem had been attempting to hold back the tide of their northern neighbor's aggressive expansion, but over time had been robbed of land in successive wars. Lhenod Khelorad, the realm's lord at that time, could foresee that this war would determine the survival or destruction of his kingdom. Unwilling to falter, he resolved to resist where his predecessors had failed.
The Corgastodmar army marched south to meet them in battle, where they met in what is now the Ghetod of Lohoremas. The Ghetunbast called a parlay with the Lhenod, initially hoping to stem the bloodshed and continue on his grander plans of conquest. Much to his displeasure, however, Lhenod Khelorad was immovable. The only terms that he would accept would be the recall of all Corgastodmar forces in the Lhendom, nothing gained, and nothing lost. Arelastod IV, the Ghetunbast of Corgastor's realm, was a man of equally determined disposition, but of even greater temper. Conversely to Lhenod Khelorad, the Ghetunbast would only accept terms that included Grathem's entry into the Empire, either diplomatically or militarily. Their opposing views began to heat up their exchange, until peaceful speaking turned to aggravated and rushed talk, which in turned became angry shouting. At the height of their anger, Arelastod drew his sword and struck Lhenod Khelorad across the table, knocking him out of his chair and to the ground in a bleeding bundle. One of the Ghetunbast 's aides declared the man dead within a few short moments.
The Ghetunbast then had Lhenod Khelorad's body put upon his horse and his guards were slain. The Corgastodmar troops we told to quickly prepare for battle. Lhenod Khelorad's body was sent riding back to his camp. The soldiers were horrified, too distracted by the sight of their dead Lhenod to notice that which was to follow. Warriors of the Amaderin ast Haradus led the charge as infantry followed, pushing right toward the Grathem camp. Their men were unable to unable to put up proper resistance and were beaten back. The Corgastodmar Empire was unable to achieve complete victory, as the Grathem forces were rallied by Khelorad's son Aster, the new Lhenod of Grathem. They managed to withdraw from the field with parts of their army intact. The remaining forces fell back into the hills and mountains of their home country.
The Five Savage Years (3304 to 3309)
News of Lhenod Khelorad’s death at Ghetunbast Arelastod’s hand spread throughout Grathem swiftly, borne upon voices fearful and malignant.
Arelastod IV waged a devastating campaign against the Grathon, battering them with such speed that news could not reach from one city to another before the latter was attacked. It was a new breed of war in its objectives and speed. Arelastod possessed no desire to besiege small settlements and depart with small gains. He wanted to humble the country so that it might submit to the will of Corgastor’s children.
For those five years, Ghetunbast Arelastod lived in Grathem. He did not depart from it nor desire to leave. Reinforcements from farther north were marched southward and combined with his mobile, ever expanding and contracting army which endured the hardships of his campaign. The Corgastodmar strategy was to exhaust Grathem by assaulting them relentlessly while divided, preventing the manifestation of a field army while smashing pockets of resistance.
In the early months of the Five Years, Arelastod’s host survived off the land, decimating local farmers and herders to feed themselves. However, the reserves of the native people swiftly proved incapable of meeting the insatiable appetite of a conquering army.
As the conflict dragged on for year upon year, the violence took an increasingly genocidal nature. The Corgastodmar were deeply invested, too much so to admit defeat or partial victory. In the same measure, the Grathon had survived too long to surrender themselves. Lhenod and Ghetunbast, ancient opponents most hated, maintained course while the corpses piled and blood washed over the country.
The violence and incessant warfare in Grathem was of such magnitude that the nature of the warriors themselves altered. Those who were once militiamen and seasonal fellows considered themselves veterans. They annihilated the landscape with ease and extinguished lives with the jaded acknowledgement of another day’s work. Asterod took note with despair as the war of attrition became a worse burden for his people than the enemy. Upon the fields, his commanders recalled the sights.
“They move as an ooze, these men; as a beast of endless hunger. They rise before Éshabal in camps born from the ruins of our villages. This is how their day is spent, ranging from their quarters, plundering whatever they desire, then returning just as the light fades in the west. I suspect I have destroyed two-dozen such parties of 20 men apiece! Yet, for everyone I smash, the others continue along without a burden. When news travels among them, they either band together and pursue us or continue home with the day’s work finished early, only to cause greater damage the following afternoon for revenge. The same raiders come south every season they are able. I recognized a number of them, especially the officers, either alive or among the dead. Never before have I seen a return to foreign soil in these numbers. They enjoy their work. I suspect our wealth is too valuable a prize for these farm-men born warriors.”

Teroghen of Mortigast to Lhenod Asterod Gower

The Crumbling South – 3307
In the wake of these men turned monsters was utter desolation. Great swathes of the population were displaced or slaughtered, some 30 percent or some of the people, men or women, died. The northern reaches of the country were left abandoned, wherein Corgastodmar settlers happily wandered southward to occupy unclaimed territory. All the while, the Amaderin Lorvelgis drove father south toward the Semyr, executing the war with more vigor than Ghethemas could possibly achieve.
It was in this battle outside of Drakar, the capital of Grathem, that Lhenod Asterod Gower was laid low. It is said that he brought down a dozen men before finally being cut beyond recognition. With his death, the lords of Grathem had suffered enough after the years of fighting and lost all will to fight.
They agreed to a heavy-handed Corgastodmar treaty that took the expansive Lhendom of Grathem and broke it into three provinces. The new provinces of Lohoremas and Hennas are the result, and Grathem was brought down to a mere Ghetod. As a small token of good will, the Corgastodmar Empire allows the lords of Grathem to maintain a royal titular distinction. The current "queen" of Grathem is Ezra Gower, still within the bloodline of old Lhenod Khelorad. She is allowed that title, but according to her Corgastodmar sympathies, she preferred to be known as Gheta rather than Lhenod of Grathem.
Second Elivas-Corgastodmar War (3310)
The Corgastodmar Empire had recently conquered Grathem, and they pried their borders for new potential directions for expansion. The North was too inhospitable a realm and expanding abroad has great potential to be a greater burden than it is worth. This in mind they turned to the neighboring region of Lodon as a target for their aggression. The Elivas, they perceived, would be simple targets for invasion. The land was close, and they could claim no close allies. Ghetunbast Arelastod IV, known as "The Hammer" after his conquest of Grathem, made it his mission to subdue his neighbors to the west. He mustered Imperial forces in the province of Oederan and prepared to cross the river Zomore into the heartlands of Lodon. Behind him came an army of over 50,000 of the Corgastodmar Empire's finest soldiers, in what would be the largest campaign since the first wars of Grathem.
The initial stages of the campaign went according to plan. Elivas forces were pushed back from the opposite shoreline, and Imperial forces were able to cross the Zomore along with their supplies. Unfortunately, that is where the simple campaigning ended. The Elivas were unwilling to relinquish any more ground. The two sides prepared for what promised to be a bloody fight.
The Tie of Daggers (3376 to 3378)
The mechanisms of elective monarchy are deeply engrained within the systems of government of the Ghetunbalastod ast Corgastor by centuries of tradition and rituals. Ever since the 1300s, when the practice was first established during the reign of Gehenor II it has been evolving in response to cultural and practical considerations. In the beginning the process was dictated by a conclave of the realm's nobility and clergy in no particular order, so that many man with proper standing may cast a vote regardless of their power or knowledge. This method rapidly gained a reputation as a recipe for madness, as the Old City of Ghethemas went from a peaceable and quiet place to a circus of nobles from both near and far, the sounds of whom deafened the air and crowded the streets. When the time came to vote the manner was of voice, and amongst the dim it was impossible to get a proper answer. Corruption reigned as well, for it was a simple thing during those days of gathering to pass gold between hands and change minds. A number of civil conflicts and rough successions made it abundantly clear that the system had to change.
The chaos and uncertainty of the old methods steadily gave way to regulation and order, but at the expense of representation. By the time the Tie of Daggers occurred the system had evolved to include only eight electors and the Solhesunbast to break ties. This increased the efficiency of the system immensely, and the chaos of the earlier years was rare. Whilst the deficiencies in the voting mechanisms were remedied, there still remained the outstanding turmoil caused by problems among the claimants to the throne. The Tie of Daggers was one such event, for in this case the electors fought amongst themselves and the realm began to collapse into anarchy.
The conflict began in 3376, when Ghetunbast Arelastod VI of the well respected Crasedor Dynasty died of sudden illness while on a diplomatic mission to Nevan. His death came at a difficult time for the Ghetunbalastod ast Corgastor, for tensions had been high in Nevan as the power of the Beyrenite League had been challenged by regional business magnates. Rumors as well swirled in the north of a leader who was uniting many of the southern tribes under his banner to march southward on a great raid. True or not, the Ghet of Loryne assured the electors that the Vehem Bandast could withstand any assault, as it had for centuries. While that news meant that the border was secure for the time being, a greater internal strife bore down upon the empire. Arelastod VI did not die without an heir, but his son, also named Arelastod, was merely a boy of age 14 when his father died his untimely death. The Crasedor family was unique in that is did not possess a ducal title over the years of rule from Arelastod I to Arelastod VI. Their holdings were centralized on a castle called Legenther, for it resided alongside the shore of the Lornesse river on the side of Hyrten. While the estate was wealthy, it was precious little compared to ducal lands.
Arelastod VII, as the young boy styled himself, was opposed by Ghet Henilbaster II Crasetan of Erehem. The relation between them is complicated but suffice to say that Henilbaster was the head of a cadet branch of House Crasedor and was thus related by blood in one fashion or another. Erehem may not be the most wealthy, powerful, or safe of the provinces, but it was still a large tract of land with a sizable population. That gave Henry a significant advantage over the young boy, son of a Ghetunbast or not. However, young Arelastod was not left alone to fend for himself. His mother, and the empress of the fallen Ghetunbast, Amelyn, was a powerful personality and influential within circles of nobility. Material wealth was put against influence and intrigue, but that wasn't the entirety of the matter. Another major contender for the throne stepped forward in this time of uncertainty, Ghet Fordus Garlan of Nossen, who among all the electors saw himself as the greatest and most powerful.
An atmosphere of tension and unease as the electors gathered in Ghethemas to vote upon the next Ghetunbast.
Wolfskull's War (3378 to 3380)
Chief Hallgar Wolfskull, feared leader of the Wodnost tribe, led his people to war against the Corgastodmar Ghetunbalastod in the year 3378. His strange name was derived from the fact he carried a wolf’s skull as a small shield into battle. Its surface was coated in small, iron plates.
The Casentan cadet branch of House Casedor loses its claims on Golenest after the land is overwhelmed by Wolfskull. With such an embarrassing loss, that dynasty was deprived of its last major holdings in Everos. It became weaker, and sank into the depths of obscurity.
Third Elivas-Corgastodmar War (3384 to 3385)
The strange reality is that no struggle of the conflict was waged in Lodon itself. Corgastodmar warhosts met the cunning Elivas on the eastern shores of the Zomore, along the narrow Rhemonon region which separated the Zomore from Gismyr. Back and forth the armies fought over a series of forts which dotted that territory.
Elivas-Corgastodmar Alliance (3417)
The history of Everos has long been influenced by the conflicts between Lodon and the Ghetunbalastod ast Corgastor. The lords of that hostile and majestic land on the west bank of the Zomore had once ruled much of the land east of it, during a time when Etayen still kept to themselves in Etal and dared not explore the wider world. In the Ascension Era their influence waned, but still they survived behind the shield of the Zomore and repelled all attempts of conquest, whether by men or Etayen. Once the lords of Etal were expulsed from the land and their successor kingdoms took hold, the Elivas of Lodon maximized on the chaos of the Weeping Era to expand their borders. They aggressively pushed back the men of Grathem and the soldiers of Corgastor and conducted diplomacy without scruples to pit one foe against the other and maintain their own position. For centuries, this system worked astoundingly well for the sovereigns of Lodon. They became wealthy and power, and in those years began to expand their control to the Neyasi islands to the west and throughout the rest of Everos that surround them. That was, however, until the Ghetunbalastod ast Corgastor established itself at the dawn of the Twilight Era and promptly pushed against all its neighbors with renewed force.
The conflicts between these two nations often resulted in war but was as well punctuated by uncharacteristic times of moderate relations and peace. The fighting came in fits and bursts, as every so often the rulers of one kingdom or the other would idealize the glories of marching an army across the Zomore and achieving total victory. It never happened, and the conflicts cost more than they were worth. However, through repeated engagements the Ghetunbalastod ast Corgastor was able to throw the Elivas back over the Zomore by 3117. One might have thought that to be enough, but the Corgastodmar pursued the matter further in the ill-fated war of 3309. Their Ghetunbast, Arelastod IV, was successful in the first year of the war, but just as quickly fell prey to the difficult terrain and rampant disease of that province. The final insult was his own assassination in 3311, at the hands of a disgruntled Elivas servant. After that tragedy, the Corgastodmar never again tried to cross the Zomore with an army.
A changing of sovereigns often invokes unexpected developments. In the year 3401, Lothast I Garlen came to power in Ghethemas. He was unlike his warlike predecessors, and desired peace to reign in Everos whereas war was commonplace. No longer were the Grathon independent, nor were the Voletal significant threats. In the north, the Daorhu were often allies rather than enemies. This left the Elivas in the west, with whom the Corgastodmar exchanged numerous blows throughout the 3000s. Ghetunbast Lothast sought terms of peace with them, since not one conflict among them achieved anything beyond more corpses along the Zomore.
Bane of Oederan (3451)
In the early months of 3451, terrifying news swept through Everos that a lone nemeshari was wreaking havoc in Oederan, enslaving innocents with the power of Ackesh and destroying entire towns. The Nerod sends a small bannerless company to contend with threat. They manage to defeat him in a town called Thebarras after a brutal siege. Town of Stonehill is razed before help could arrive.
Nerodhic Company known as the Keepers of the Lornesse successfully halt this invader’s terror. He explained his intentions in terse sneers to the company. His name was Fornastus, and he was an agent of Étunas reborn, meaning Atusbalas. Decimating the townships of this western region was a mere ploy to distract attention from more important elsewhere. What more could be learned was never discovered, as Barbozar brought down his axe and crushed the wounded body into pulp.
A mere day after the slaughter at Stonehill, the company was told of the approach of a vast host. They were Corgastodmar marching southward upon receiving news of a terrible threat- Etayen warriors have made landfall in Grathem and have besieged Drakar! The purpose of this violent aggression was uncertain, the Corgastodmar commander noted, but the menace must be met with force. Drakayen War (3451)
The Etûletal of Etal, one of Qadal's oldest and most ferocious peoples, invaded the southern reaches of the Corgastodmar Empire with over 60,000 warriors during the month of Cíepa in the year 3451. The immediate reasons for the surprise invasion were unclear to the Corgastodmar, who watched in horror as an Etayen fleet swept across the Semyr and smashed their unprepared navy. Within a few days, the Etûletal army under the command of Unain Ulkad, son of Unain Thin’tak, stepped upon the southern shores of Everos. His massive force broke apart the hastily assembled Grathon defenders under the commander of Ghet Dungran of Nolvast, under whose charge fell the southern defenses. The bravery of these troops earned the other troops in Grathem enough time to funnel into Drakar for a siege. Lord Dungran’s men were able to follow in kind, fighting in retreat toward the gates of Drakar. The majority of the lord’s 5,000 men survived to reach the city, save for 600 who were locked outside the gates to prevent the Etayen from entering at their heels. This brought the number of active defenders to around 10,000.
Corgastodmar forces began to muster shortly after these initial assaults, as word made its way north to Ghethemas and Vehem Ramehelas. Unfortunately, the time it would take to bring together the main army would render them unable to assist early on in the conflict. For a few weeks, the Lhenod of Grathem was left to its own defenses. This meant that the noose laid by Ulkad continued to tighten without reprieve. Lord Dungran ordered commanded numerous sorties against the Etayen besiegers, numbering anywhere between a dozen and over 100 soldiers. These maneuvers successfully slowed the pace of enemy troops taking position upon the wooden hills of Drakar but failed to significantly dent enemy numbers or morale. Days passed while Ghet Dungran fought dearly for every hour gained through combat, but the Etayen were prepared. On the 14th of Ridend, two weeks after the initial Etûletal invasion, the lord of Nolvast was impaled by an Etayen spear. His soldiers were able to haul his olûndarily wounded body through the forest morass back to Drakar, but the gash was too severe. He died hours later, depriving Ghet Ezra of her chief commander and most vigerous defender.
The central episode of the war was the lengthy Siege of Drakar, where the Etayen laid siege to the ancient capital of Gathem for two months. The attacking force of over 60,000 held the approximately 10,000 defenders in a murderous choke hold, waiting to destroy any further sorties. However, the Etayen threat outside was not the full sum of Drakar’s worries. While the besieging force gathered outside of the walls, the situation within Drakar deteriorated as the awoken influences of Áckesh made themselves known. Gheta Ezra Gower of Grathem watched in horror from the Ghetûn Spire as a strange transformation befell her people. They began to grow mad- a ravenous strain of madness which consumed their minds with an insuppressible desire to kill and destroy.
Early attempts at relief for the city ended in disaster, the most devastating of them being the defeat of over 10,000 men of the Order of the Hemon Ghesed as they were ambushed in the woods a few miles from Drakar. It became known as Graven's Folly in dubious honor of the commander who led his men to slaughter. It was a foolish attack by all accounts, and the destruction of that force put the Order out of that conflict, as well as forced what would be a long recovery. To this day it is unknown exactly why he attacked 60,000 Etayen with his mere 10,000 men, explanations from inflated pride, incorrect information, and even outright treason have been theorized. All that is known for sure is that it was one of the most severe defeats laid onto the Corgastodmar Empire in its history.
Atûsbal Thin’tak Sekoras was bewildered and horrified to see the ancient form of Vulred stalk into the hall alongside the Corgastodmar swine.
Compelled by extraordinary circumstance and Eshanic influence, Meliyeus Xin’thelia grasped the completed artifact of Shrik stroven after by the Etayen and Corgastodmar alike. He imparted a small measure of energy upon it, yet this was enough to offer it life and establish a connection. In essence, his olûndari body operated as an Eshanic conduit which Ácolitus was able to manipulate to impart significant quanities of power upon that Esheryne stone. It fissured and cracked, bearing forth an extraordinary luminescence utterly alien to the Nerodhic company. The growth was such that every olûndari within was wise to avert their eyes. Brighter the fire grew still. Suddenly, a voice emerged from the shattered artifact. It spoke in a strange, unintellegable tongue with a sinister malice. As it spoke, the physical form manifested itself, tall and possessed by a hideous metallic sheen upon its narrow limbs. The company was paralyzed in terror as it was born. Moments further passed, and the monstrous beast grew to full strength, and departed from the company in an instant.
Corgastor descended from Vussalas to combat the construction of Ácolitus, yet not without repercussions. His arrival in the olûndari world was a violation of Kovûnkal, and thus his Eshanic power was assailed by the infinite potency of Idorûn’s pillar and well. Hideous plumes of raw energy crackled and swirled from Corgastor’s body, displaying in physical grotesqueness the weakening of his spirit. However, he endeavored to fight Zarthum before the eyes of the Corgastodmar company. Each combatant landed crushing blows upon the other, rending Eshanic flesh and bleeding spiritual powers. A certain series of fortuitous circumstances allowed Corgastor to gain the advantage against the hideous beast. The hatchling which became Zarthum was critically weakened by, first, the great detonation of its power which decimated Nathrovas. In that moment, the majority of strength which Ácolitus mustered for the purpose was lost into Vulred. Second, the use of Meliyeus as a conduit of power was a necessary but limiting strategy. The Creator could never imbue enough power into Zarthum without destroying the olûndari form of Meliyeus, and thus the great beast was awakened but not rendered unstoppable. In contest, Corgastor had grown in power throughout the centuries from the spirits of his faithful.
Great, terrible things passed in mere breaths of time. Corgator immediately clashed with Zarthum upon the mount of Shar’kova, breaking the Eshanic Mandate and bringing inevitable ruin upon himself. Back and forth they clashed, spewing raw Eshara as blood, leaving flaming gashes behind as wounds. The olundi of the Nerod fought against Zarthum with what strength they could muster, but their arms were little in comparison to Eshan. Their true service was as witnesses, so the world could know what happened. Corgastor plunged his spear into the chest of Zarthum, but was struck many times with shards of ice and deathly pincers. At the same time, Acolitus unleashed centuries of power and rage against Aebaster, who since the oldest days rejected his will. He struck Aebaster in Vussalas, taking advantage of that oversight in the Eshanic Mandates, destroying his Eshor and life before any power could be mustered in defense. The rock plunged toward Esha just as the battle between Corgastor and Zarthum came to its miserable, mutualy destructive end.
“All saw the aftermath, though few saw the strike. It came down as a massive black stone, belching fire from one side out the other. A silver trail lined its path back to the precise spot in Vussalas within which Aebaster dwelled. Miserable noise wailed forth from it, sickening and world and causing fear. The deathstone crashed into the waters between Qadal and Voryndal, unleashing a stormy surge felt in both worlds. It shattered with such fury that its fragments rose up as new islands which olundi might walk upon. Esheryne was left there too, of such amount that one and their descendents might live rich forever. The Eldest Alor’eshan was gone forever, gone to a watery tomb.”
Mesian on Aebaster’s Death Gatherings of the Zolrassal - 3460
The aftermath was an awesome and terrible sight. Zarthum, the beast manifested to decimate the Eshan and usurp their domains, was defeated. His corpse did not merely dissipate or collapse but transformed from the immense Eshanic power imbued by Ácolitus. It hardened like stone, Eshara smitten by Eshara, and became Esheryne in that way. Like a morbid statue, Zarthum threw forth his petrified arms with Corgastor’s spear piercing his chest! The Corgastodmar perceived the remnant as a terrible relic and averted their eyes in shame. They prepared themselves to depart the Fringe in silence, but Vulred halted them. He noted how common citizens might reject the death of Corgastor and what happened upon those blasted islands. Moreover, the Ghetunbast and Selhos might brand them blasphemers, for it was not known to the victors that those individuals were slain by Zarthum. What proof might they procure that vindicated such an extraordinary story? They resolved that the petrified corpse should be transported to Ghethemas by faithful Corgastodmar once the news reached the Trident. This was the inglorious conclusion of the Drakayen War. The Etayen were shattered and routed with their Atûsbal dead, Corgastor was slain alongside Zarthum, and the machinations of Ácolitus were halted. A new era dawned that year, though it was poorly grasped at the time, destined for wandering and uncertainty.
Mesian’s Mercy (3451)
Aebaster and Corgastor’s sudden deaths left Aemarda, once powerful and indominable, adrift without Eshanic guidance nor purpose. A majority clung to the ancient traditions which dictated their existence, believing the news which came from Ghethemas to be fanatical blasphemy. After all, Corgastor had steadfastly guided Aemarda since the days of Ghet Horst! The words of former Inquistion members could not take that away. Yet, a vocal minority was shaken to the core. The deaths of the Ghetunbast, Solhesunbast, and arrival of Zarthums corpse was more proof than one could logically deny. With them, the news of Corgastors death of protect Aemarda was undeniable. Chaos spread across the Corgastodmar realm, engulfing both the political and religious world.
Mesian, mistress of the Elivas and among the final Alor’eshan left in Esha, looked upon the sorrowful Aemar with a measure of pity.
Last Light of Corgastor Established (3452)
Word regarding the death of Corgastor spread swiftly upon the return of the Keepers of the Lornesse in the latter months of 3451. Nerodhest Tristifer Paryne and his retinue gathered beneath the shadow of the Trident and proclaimed the ill tidings which they witnessed personally and intimately. At the same time, political tremors reptured the status quo established centuries ago. Ghetis and Ehronis from the provinces surrounding Valgorod questioned the authority of Ghethemas with knowledge of Corgastor’s untimely and terrifying death.
The creation of the Last Light, though ominous in name and objective, did not signal the formal demise of the Corgastodmar Ghetunbalastod. Oselen Garlen, son of Lothast II Garlen, yet survived and assumed the mantle of Ghetunbast. Order yet remained. However, the weakening of imperial authority in Ghethemas initiated a period of decline. Those aforementioned provinces, Loryne, Grathem, Hennas, and others began to regard themselves as autonomous entities within a collective nation rather than subjects to a supreme ruler.
Mist of Golden Seas (3452)
In the months which followed the dreadful Eshanic slaughter of Zarthum, the world was plunged into constant, frantic conversation between olundi and Eshan. What might the future forehold? Whose side was who upon? When and where shall the next blow strike? These questions were asked among all parties. Answers were equally obscured for all parties. The truth was that none, not even Acolitus might foretell the next great turning, for his plans were wasted with the death of Zarthum. Yet, the sheer magnitude of this contact between Esha and Vussalas strained the currents which carried Eshanic power between all parties. The air itself became saturated with this energy, so that mists of Eshara, being a known, rare element of weather manifested throughout the world. Its most potent bearing was upon the oceans, where these mists might be seen without obstruction. The horizon was marred to haze with this handsome tint, yet the hearts of a shaken Olûllosia were darkened. What these sudden visuals signs entailed was unknown. What death might be forewarned was only speculated.
Amongst the doomsayers of the races, the foremost theory was the immediate coming of Acolitus into Esha so that the First Feud might be decided to his liking.
Grathem secedes from Corgastodmar Ghetunbalastod (3453)
As the political situation in Everos crumbled throughout 3451 and 3452, the Ghetis and lesser masters of Grathem schemed in secret.
Over the course of the following two years, Lhenod Modorin rode back and forth across the south to secure his tenuous position. The greater portion was spent ousting and crushing the Corgastodmar resistance which remained in small pockets operated by wayward Ehronis.
Drakasghal Vulred Drakarûn, the Undying King, reclaims Drakar (3455)
The machinations of Ácolitus and depraved massacres of Zarthum destroyed the political and religious status quo of Qadal, bringing with it chaos not witnessed since the Weeping Era. What of order might stand against that tide? In the plazas of Ghethemas returned the Keepers of the Lornesse, being those final olûndi to witness the combat and death of Corgastor. The Trident and Gleaming Walls were untouched yet silent, for the wounds of Zarthum were precise and unmatched. Within, the Corgastodmar Ghetunbast was dead, along with the Solhesunbast and countless attendants of high standing who worked alongside them. All was ruin and despair. The Nerodhic Company could provide no succor but carried the news of their master’s demise and reorganized the government as best as they were able. Yet, the death knell had been sounded and malignant forces maneuvered like rats to pick the corpse clean of meat. Ghetûn and Ehronis fought and competed, but a greater specter of devastation loomed in the south. The old dominion of Jequa lay fallow, desolated by the hands of the Etayen and the petty survivors thereafter. Who could save these pitiful esseythu? The answer rested with unexpected agents of ancient order.
The stage was set by shifting political alignments on the continent. In the distant north, the Corgastodmar Empire was under significant strain and struggling to survive. The Last Light sought to maintain the union between the various Ghetod but found it difficult without the moral authority of Corgastor to justify their continued existence. However, they were a mere shadow government as the Ghetûn flailed in their attempts to secure new leadership. Nothing could reverse the coming tide. The next year, 3453, Grathem seceded from the Corgastodmar Empire and declared themselves an independent Lhendom as existed a century ago. With it, the regions south of the Aeducarrs drifted away from the fold. Only the territories surrounding Beyren along the coast of Lohoremas remained loyal. Vulred noticed the gradual but inevitable collapse of Evosmar prosperity from his temporary domicile in Ghethemas. In it, he feared how the evolution would impact the Etayen who still dwelled in the south. They were descended from his own subjects, after all, though many generations separated. As the year continued to yield signs of Evosmar deterioration, Vulred devised a simple yet radical plan. He approached the leaders of the Last Light, Tristifer Paryn and Dieter Wolf among others, and informed them in no uncertain terms that he desired to strike southward and reestablish his ancient realm of Jequasghal. Everos would prosper from a stable nation in that fraction region and the Grathon who dwelled thereabouts were open enemies of Ghethemas. The masters of the Last Light agreed with the premise of the proposal but lamented that they possessed no secure resources with which to assist the endeavor. This was unsurprising news. Vulred acknowledeged their verbal support with thanks and departed for the south some days later.
Vulred sought followers from among the Voletal and Thûnetal who remained in Grathem. In Etal, Vulred attrached numerous masters and their apprentices who were disillusioned by the failures of the Unain dynasty to restore Étunas. The experience of these individuals bolstered the rabble of Vulred into a proper warband.
The armed host which Vulred mustered arrived in southern Everos in the summer of 3455. Their ranks numbered some 10,000 warriors, which far outnumbered any local resistance ment to halt them. Vulred marched his companions northward. Along the trek, there was an unexpected silence among the Aemar. No blades nor bows sallied to meet them. Little did Vulred know, but his timing could not have been more fortunate. Lhenod Modorin, the new master of the Grathon, was occupied in distant Lohoremas along with his warhost. His intention was to invade and secure that final bastion of Corgastodmarism while the Last Light was too weak to respond in force.
Standing upon the ancient battlements, Vulred watched the lumbering warband of Modorin creep toward the mountain slopes. Counting the bodies which comprised this serpentine monstrosity was a formidable task, but the Grathon numbered no fewer than 50,000 warriors. The wheat and chaff alike were present, bearing forth every man capable of wielding a weapon in southern Everos at the time. Without doubt, the number was less than Modorin might have desired, since the devastation of the region from the Drakayen War still blackened the land and embattled the people. The two sovereigns stood apart from one another upon that overgrown terrain. Their respective armies watched from 100 strides in each direction, intermingled and uncaring for their hostile relationships while attention was so affixed. The Etayen historian Ekre’thulis remembered the sight and recounted the matter in his histories of reborn Jequasghal.
“Modorin watched Vulred with great malice and bid once more that the Etayen depart from Drakar. The words spoken were the same as prior to the hillside battle, and invoked the same response. Vulred rebutted the Aemar with cutting words spoken with a soft voice. The domain which towered over their heads was once his to rule as Ghal. It was mere usurpers and thieves who stole Drakar from the Etayen in Vulred’s period of long absence, but he was returned now to reclaim it. No matter what either ruler declared, the other was unconvinced and beyond the pleasantries of negotiation. It became apparent to myself and those around that further battle should decide the occupants. The Aemar struck first in violence, raising his hammer and rushing toward the Jequasghal. A cheer rose among the southern warriors while silence reigned in our ranks. I kept close a sharpened sprig which I purposed for a writing tool along with a coarse run of linen. It took the assailant four seconds to cross half the distance to my master, if memory serves. In that time and unbeknownst to Modorin’s blood-lusting eyes, the ground began to smoke in subtle curls. A thick vapor of Vojûnic power gathered about Vulred’s fingertips, growing in its strength. When Modorin came within two strides, the Jequasghal raised his arm and unleashed a shock of raw energy which appeared as burning starlight. A wound the dimensions of a fist was seared through Modorin’s armored side. I was disgusted. The Aemar did not cease their cheers and he continued to charge. Vulred scorched him once more, and the power surged forth like gentle tendrils but decimated the flesh which it touched. Despite this, the Aemar continued forward. Without further thought on the matter, Vulred lunged his blade toward the charred flesh and removed Modorin’s arm beneath the crook. This final measure did halt the charge. I believed in that moment the Grathon squeals and cheers for blood would cease and be replaced by our own silent confidence. They continued, but louder than ever. They howled and laughed as if their master maimed upon the field was some manner of jester’s act. I could perceive that Vulred himself was rather disturbed by the display but maintained a stalwart face for our sake. It was certain that the duel was over. Modorin lay sprawled upon the thick grass while voracious flames gnawed at the green blades. Vulred chose the noble path in victory and called forth that same Vojûnic energy to alleviate the wounds of his enemy while the Grathon broke from the circle to attend their master. Not one among us was certain what the outcome of the contest might bring. Their numbers overwhelmed us by some five warriors to our one. Yet, as some strange fortune dictated, the Grathon did depart without another exchange. The steel beast which winnowed between the hilltops followed the arc of Éshabal as it retired for the night. With nothing more to say, we turned and ascended to Drakar.”

Memories of Ekre’thulis

Reborn Jequasghal -- 3455
Modorin’s vicious maiming and the conquest of Drakar spelled disaster for the nascent Grathon realm. The ashamed warhost retreated westward, leaving behind both Beyrenite Lohoremas and Drakar’s environs to their enemies.
Reign of Last Light (3460 to 3483)
With the sudden destruction of the Corgastodmar hierarchy by Zarthum’s hand, the vast empire struggled to maintain some coherence. Oselen Garlen, son and heir of the previous Ghetunbast, swiftly assumed the mantle of leadership. Under him, the remnants of the Corgastodmar host deployed in Grathem was reconstituted into an effective security element. The Trident was secured from rebellious hands and the worst of the political ramifications were assuaged by the decisive and immediate assertion of force. However, the dread year of 3451 became darker. Word arrived in Ghethemas that Corgastor was dead, slain while slaughtering the same beast which devastated the Trident. Bold claims of such heretical character would be silenced and shamed in the old regime, but the former Nerodhic companymen whom carried the black tidings, being Tristifer Paryn and Deitar Wolf, brought ample proof. Resting upon some short miles away stood a towering statue of petrified stone. It was not the product of marble or limestone, however, but condensed Eshanic power akin to Esheryne. This strange beckon caught the attention of all eyes in Ghethemas, and the glimmering surface shown with golden light borne upon crimson foundations. A spear was plunged into its heart, displaying the final strike and sacrifice of mighty Corgastor for all the faithful to see- many wept, but others feared.
Third Reign of Erothod (3474)
In Everos, the expansion of Lornish power into Othos shifted the balance of power. With great sureness, the Garlen dynasty asserted themselves upon the Ghetûn and realms under the Last Light.
Come 3477, the situation in Othos was temporarily stabilized. This meant that Ghet Oselen could turn once more to Everos, where rivals-built strength against him.
Wars of Eroyther and the Lornesse (3477 to 3482)
The betrayal of the Vallisian Tresivar and Oselen's alliance with Syrgus strained relations between the Ghetunbalastod ast Lornesse and the neighboring Ghetod of Eroyther in Everos. The former's growth on the foreign state frightened the latter. With Eurobasar allies and Othosar territory, the balance of power under the Last Light was decided shifted toward Oselen. Worse still, the deposed Tressonar, now calling himself Monisar or Nobody rather than Othyrus, was dwelling in exile alongside his wife in the Eroythir court. This sparked tensions between the rival nations.
Armed conflict between the neighboring states became an inevitability. However, the political structure of the Last Light created an impassable mire of pacts and webbed alliances. Neither Eroyther or the Lornesse could assail their rival without drawing the wraths of the other Evosmar states. Gridlock ensued between the years 3474 and 3480, characterized by vicious political wheeling and dealing. The heaviest pressure was felt in the politically nebulous Nathrodar. As independent citites, they were subject to constant annoyances and incursions by greater powers on the continent. Under the Corgastodmar shadow, the Nathrodar flirted with Eurobia and other major powers to protect themselves. After the Evosmar empire’s collapse, they were subject to the whims of the Last Light, which was eclectically divided by the desired of its lesser members. The rivalry between Eroyther and the Lornesse exacerbated these divisions and compelled conflict between neighbors. Agents of each faction infiltrated the cities and found allies to support their cause, breaking the Fringe into two ‘leagues’ of a kind. The Nathrodar serving the Lornesse were known as the Temikeyen, while the Nathrodar of Eroyther styled themselves as Indiryen.
The conflict between the Lornesse and Eroyther became a proxy war between these various Nathrodar. Warriors were gathered in the name of the two leagues and funds were distributed from the Evosmar realms. Battles were waged through raids and swift strikes, for no conventional army could navigate the countless islands and shoals of Nathrovas.
The geographical separation between Eroyther and their Nathrodar allies was never quite remedied. Lornish ships continually and successfully intercepted and pilfered supply vessels meant for the embattled frontlines. Eroyther attempted to move supplies overland to more distant ports, but these attempts fared little better than previous.
The wars between Eroyther and the Lornesse were never settled by treaty but fizzled out with a series of temporary ‘ceasefires’ between the rivals. Of course, nothing could be publically announced without admitting some manner of war had really been fought. Yet, the outcome of this rivalry carried immediate importance in the following years. Eroyther's gradual decline during the war years left the nation vulnerable. In the same breath, the Lornish were divided between suppressing Demhezzar rebellions in Othos and defending against homeland raids. It was such that when news spread regarding the growth of the Yrd in Eroyther, neither realm was strong enough to respond adequately. This set the stage for the gradual decline of the Last Light and final shattering of Corgastodmar order in Everos.
War of the Yrd (3483 to 3485)
The beginning of the Wandering era brought more than the collapse of mere olûndari realms. Indeed, the balance of power between the Alor’eshan and Ebal’eshan was titled and broken. With both Aebaster and Corgastor dead, the Ebal’eshan of Voryndal saw an opportunity to enter Qadal and claim what was barred to them following the First Feud. Among them was an Eshan named Dyap, who was a creation of Qazun whom he had held as a close confidant and friend. When he died, Dyap was left abandoned and lost in Voryndal- save for a few encounters with the Qazunari who wished to master her desceased master’s secrets. She kept to herself, hidden from the other Eshan until the cataclysmic turmoil of the Wandering era began. The deaths of Corgastor and Aebaster, along with the defeat of Zarthum left Qadal vulnerable, and an exodus of sorts resulted. Ebal’eshan who were once bound to Voryndal were capable of traveling to vaunted Qadal. Dyap travelled along with them. She arrived in Everos around the year 3480, for she heard it to be a glorious land blessed by the creations of Qazun. Unfortunately, that had been millennia ago. Aemarda ruled that place now, and the recent fall of the Ghetunbalastod made them violent.
Dyap arrived peacefully along the eastern shores of Everos and began to explore with awe in her eyes. The world she had known was consumed by nature, lush flora and exotic fauna. This new land was different. She laid eyes upon strange arrangements of rock, some in the form of humble boxes, while other towered up into the horizon. Moreover, she saw paths hewn into the earth that were paved with grey flagstones. It was foreign and strange to her eyes- carved rock strewn across every place in sight. She named the land Vophoris, or the realm of stones. Dyap continued to traverse and explore this bizarre new land. It was then that she encountered its Aemar denizens.
"I write to you for no personal matter- nothing regarding coinage or titles. I write to you for protection. The people of my homeland claim to have spotted a strange, luminescent being wandering down the trails of their village. The beast was great in size- no shorter than six strides tall! However, it seemed to be vested in garments of green and white, and bore a trail of faith mist behind it. Everywhere it travelled, so the peasants said, it plucked at the trees and kept the twigs laced into its dress. They say this being moved at both day and night, apparently heedless of those around it. Strangest of all, my master, is that the beast allegedly attempted to speak with those that came within sight of it. They say that its voice was soft and harmonious, as if a song, but completely outlandish and unintelegable. It was not the language of the Eurobasar, Etayen, nor Neyasi. That is known for certain. From whence it comes is entirely uncertain. I suspect some trickery of the Eshan, perhaps guised as harmless but no less vile in nature than the dread beast Zarthum. In times of peace, it is not my custom to write in request of soldiers, but this being is something entirely unknown in origin. The rumors ran wild throughout the Erod river villages. I rode out to quell them, and so I write to say that this beast does indeed exist. My own eyes and those of my retinue attest to it. The purpose of the beast in Everos is left to terrified conjecture, but I would not trust to have it wander. I will not ask for significant numbers- perhaps only a few dozen skilled swords from the Trident. Among all individuals held in consideration for the task; I would foremost request the surviving Keepers of the Lornesse, or at least one among their number. It may rest beyond their capability to destroy this monster, but they can endeavor to identify its true form. My steward will write to you once the matter is fully dealt with… the beast dead or routed. May the Spirit of Corgastor watch over his domain.”
Ghet Vicelin of Eroyther to the Trident Council Archives of the Last Light -- 3480
The lords of the Trident accepted the offer of Ghet Vicelin, for Eroyther was still held under the influence of the Trident in those days. It seemed prudent and wise to offer a lance of soldiers in exchange for this continued homage to the ancient Corgastodmar capital. This was accepted for its worth among the nobility in Ghethemas, but circumstances were not wholly secure. Blood still ran black with the memories of battle throughout Nathrovas. Hearts rotted with the memory of Oselen’s betrayal of Vallisian trust in Othos. The coming of the Yrd might have stirred fear, but it was insufficient to broker unity between the estranged members of the Last Light.
Dyap’s creations surged forth from their domain and laid a great slaughter upon the Corgastodmar who sought to destroy them.
The annihilation of the Last Light’s expedition in Eroyther eroded the last vestiges of authority which that entity possessed on the continent. From that year forward, the Last Light collapsed as a unified body, and the various realms of Everos took their own counsel and schemed for their own purposes. Elsewhere in Everos, the influence of the successor state diminished. The Nathrodar which were compelled to align themselves with either Eroyther or the Lornesse broke away and refused further interference. This was a blacker time than ever seen in Everos since the Weeping Era, but nowhere was the decline steeper than in Eroyther. Beyond the immediate destruction of their power and the collapse of the Last Light, the expansion of the Yrd at Aemardic expense further undermined the authority of the Ghetûn, bringing the land to lawlessness.
Great Sacking of Ghethemas (3488)
After the disasterous mishandling of the Yrd War, faith in the Last Light crumbled. Neither spirit nor physical remnant of Corgastor might be said to dwell into those reaches. Defeat after defeat were heaped upon them, as some great punishment for unknown crimes committed. In anger, the Aemardic masses turned against the Last Light. Coming under the guardianship of many masters, they gathered arms and marched against Ghethemas. Battles erupted between loyalists and these disenchanted brigands, but the outcome was obvious. The Last Light’s allies numbered fewer and fewer, and those who survived scampered into the hinterlands to escape judgement.
The defenses of Ghethemas finally crumbled in the winter of 3488, with no defender bearing enough strength to raise their arms.
The ancient treasure upon Corgastor’s crown was shattered. No structure remained higher than three common strides, so that even the mighty Trident was reduced to crumbled debris.
Etayen Return (3534)
For the remnants Corgastodmar powers in Everos, namely Eroyther and the Lornesse, the sudden arrival of Etûletal agents into Nathrovas caused terrible disorder.
Over the course of the following years, the grasp which the remnants states held over Nathrovas was eroded. All vestiges of the Temikeyen and Indiryen were demolished in the Nathrodar. Embassies were torches and the agents who occupied them were ousted. In their place came Etayen zealots, being the characters whom would have supported Bal’gorod against Jequa were they born 12 centuries earlier.
Signs of Restoration (3540)
For long centuries the realm of Nathrovas was crushed beneath the punishing weight of Vojûnic corruption. Animals perished in that place or were ruined beyond life. Natural growth suffered the same, with roots gnarled to knots while the trunks withered to nothing. A hardy breed of olundi survived in those places, not native, but imported from every reach from which unstable peoples flow. They were mercenaries, exotic traders, Viiryne miners, and exiles. Surnames were optional among them, and those in the highest eschelons of government turned a greater eye toward survival and profit than ethical rule.
Come the middle 3500s, matters were beginning to change. The natural over-burden of Vojûn in Nathrovas was beginning to disperse, either burned away under its own power or consciously eradicated by Nemeshari. Faint hints of natural life were returning to that blasted land. Trees grew greener from terrible shades of black. The beasts were more docile than feral.
Great Stirring (3542)
The common Daorhu now perceived the Caranadu and gwazkerrag with a measure of disdain and disappointment. They were corrupted and no longer the protectors like which Yeonin desired. Each one kept their own court of madness, more interested in their own affairs than the survival of the Doarhu race. The revelations became more grave as the Daorhu pondered the matter more deeply. Their whole race was plunged into millennia of mediocrity and silence upon their backs. Now, was everything after their dispersal for not? This was the Great Stirring, a heart-sinking reevaluation of the Daorhu experience in Qadal. Nothing better proved it than the latest Eshanic strife.
Near upon the whole Daorhu race sank into despondency, seeking identity for themselves beyond the Caranadu. Who were they? What were their aims, and how should they be know?
Formation of Banyataornu (3549)
The rebellious stirrings of the lesser Daorasyalar made sudden political change nigh inevitable. Loudest among them were the Doarhu whose Caranadu masters were long disappeared or gwazkerrag overabundant in power.
A new ruling class was born to govern this new Banyataornu- the Udaortu, or New Keepers. They were lesser masters in their respective realms, yet gathered support among the lowest classes with their fiery anti-Caranadu rhetoric. The frustrations of a powerful people trapped within a geographic prison erupted. Within the Metaorbu totems to Naordu were shattered with iron rods. Gwazkerrag were ambushed and destroyed in their chambers of hibernation, while those awakened were smashed to pieces. The various honors of the Caranadu race were erased from written memory.
Funeral of Arelastod Arehelon (3549)
The events of the Great Southern Affair quickly escaped the region of Othos, borne upon the lips of eager travelers and gossiping merchants. It was told that a child of Everos and Corgastor, Arelastod Arehelon, had perished in the dual battles between Nith’eshan (Vayas and Kastyos) which thwarted their attempts to create dire Eshanic kingdoms on that continent. Various accounts truthfully tell that a great Eshanic made beast impaled him dead, while others say the Eshan themselves were compelled to deal the death blow themselves. Whatever the case, an immense celebration was had in his honor in the domains of Eroyther, which was their family domain beyond Nathrovas, where he was returned by Getas Bastigos (a Tressarate of Medus) and Rhomod, representing the southern Corgastodmar. They were received with great parades and feasts, for this was one note of glory amid a long decline of Everos prowess.
The masters of that domain allowed that Arelastod be buried in a place known as Nerothemas, where the ancient Ghetun and chief warriors of that realm were buried. It was a massive white stone construction, hewn in the traditional squared Corgastodmar style with tall, arched windows, and long corridors within it. Various families of note buried their dead in chambers within, similar to closets or apartments which might be found in the dwellings of the living. Arelastod was set to rest in a lavishly decorated apartment adorned with painted and carved representations of Othos’ wild character. Trees of bronze twisted into chairs and couches in the chamber, upon which Arelastod was rested. Black animals crafted with Viiryne were nestled in the boughs. A silver blade embellished with gold was placed alongside him, such that the memory of victory would resound for ages. Rhomod and Getas said their final farewells, then shut a great iron gate over the opening, with painted glass depicting the battle against Kastayos as the viewing aperature. It was sealed along its edges with melted steel.
Getas and Rhomod soon departed Eroyther, traveling elsewhere in Everos. Rhomod went to Lodon, where Xeyesh’s (who had been a campaign during those same events) sister, called Riyah, was dwelling in a place known as Yassaben. It was there where she was gathered with other devotees of Mesian to discuss matters of coming Second Feud, told to them by Xeyesh through the medium of Mesian’s voice. Rhomod delievered various gifts and writings to Riyah at Xeyesh’s behest. She offered for Rhomod to enter the service of Mesian against the coming threat, given his experience fighting Nith’eshan, but he declined on grounds of unfinished work elsewhere. Getas toured the Everosar domains as a celebrity, for the news travelled everywhere before him, and he spent months being entertained and receiving gifts from various Everosar, Daorhu, and Etayen masters. Once their revelry was complete, each independently visited the grave of Arelastod a final time, and left there various gifts as were given to them on their travels.
Night of Surging Light (3550)
The bestial curse of the Elivas is a sore subject among their race. It was no mistake nor veneration of Qazun’s handsome creations. It was a curse laid unto them by Acolitus, who cruelly broke the bonds of love and trust between Aebaster and Mesian. He attached himself to Mesian’s creation, just a Pidikel and Barolens in Voryndal shared Eshanic creations, and though that method manipulated their birth. They were turned into a hideous mockery of life, corrupted in Esseythu so miserably as to ruin sentinence. Now, the role of Acolitus in those days was nothing more than a manipulator, not creator. He created no race but desired to disrupt the machinations of his children.
Times changed; schemes changed. In the latter days of history Acolitus perceived that events were moving beyond his ability to readily manipulate. The arrival Syrgus Pyrgos in Othos changed the relationship between Qadal and Voryndal, for one successful prince inspires a host of others.
Acolitus’ plan was executed on a cloudless night, when the beauty of the moon glimmered down upon the domains of olundi. He breathed deep. The ramifications of his actions were unknown, death or devastation could follow. His mind was settled, for delay only meant the further decay of the world without intervention. He breathed deep. A great exhale escaped his formless mouth, with it departed the Elivas race. The inhale was fury, all the power which Misladur boasted. Idorun in distant Voryndal leapt agast, for in that moment the world appeared to be burning.
Talunest Zarthum Etag (3551)
Corgastor’s sacrifice to defeat Zarthum stymied the malignant machinations of Ácolitus. The Eshan were thankful for their own preservation but kept to themselves and made no motions to assist his orphaned children. Everos fell under a shadow of uncertainty and despondency comparable to the ancient Weeping Era. The sole respite was the Last Light, based in Ghethemas and consisting of the surviving religious and government officials of the fallen realm. Yet, this did not last forever. The power of the Last Light was broken after the disasterous War of the Yrd in 3485, splintering the continent into a patchwork of wholly independent territories. Thereafter, suitable honor for Corgastor’s legacy fell to those who remained devoted despite the growing horrors of the time.
Mesian, who was once a lover and confidant of Aebaster, took pity upon the suffering of Corgastor’s people and sought a simple means to sooth them. She ordered that the Elivas organize a festival upon the borderlands in honor of the Eshanic hero. Olûndi alike, regardless of race, were welcomed to the event which came to be known as the Talunest Zarthum Etag, or the Memory of the War of Zarthum in the traditional Evosmar tongue. Mesian continued the tradition over the coming decades, and with each year it grew in popularity. Come 3551, the centennial promised to be the largest gathering yet, drawing attendees from across Everos and beyond. Organizers in Yassaben expected Aemar, Elivas, Daorhu, some Gressar, Axodraharik, Odyrzid in ample numbers. Great processions were organized in Calathem and Ghethemas, drawing forth fascinated pilgrims who walked together in glowing rejoice.
As the mid-summer festivities bloomed to life, certain clandestine activities were rumbling beneath the surface. Mesian and her agents, known to themselves as Beacons, were meeting in remote tented locations to speak about a terrible fear which hung over Qadal. It was Voryndal. A new wave was coming, greater than that which Syrgus repulsed in 3469- it would be the Second Feud feared for centuries by the Eshan. Mesian desired to use this gathering of followers to choose certain loyal persons to undertake a campaign to halt this terror. Most importantly, a champion had to be chosen for the purpose. Among those present, Mesian desired one among her created race, Elivas, and chose the hitherto unknown Rakiel of Lodon as her champion. Only after quite some cajoling did he agree, then only begrudgingly.
The eyes of Ácolitus were upon the proceedings in Yassaben. While Mesian’s Beacons debated their plans, a judge, being one among a dying race, sought them out with uncanny precision. His name Tyrenais. He represented a new variety of judge- offensive rather than defenseive; involved rather than aloof. He stood amidst the agents of Mesian and bid they listen: Ácolitus knew about the oncoming onslaught from Voryndal, and he desired to assist. Tyrenais was sent to bridge that gap between creator and Eshanic faction to guide these disparate actors. Yet, the followers of Mesian and Ullum alike were wary. Ácolitus was the Great Betrayer who brought the ruins of this age upon Esha- an open hand now was nothing to accept willingly. It was such that the masters of that congregation denied Tyrenais yet bid that Ácolitus prove his loyalty to his Qadayen children by aiding all the same. The Judge was frustrated but could not fault them honestly. He agreed to assist them in the short time, until Ácolitus ask otherwise.
This seemed an acceptable temporary arrangement. Acolitus’ assistant would be invaluable against the stirring Voryndayan story, and thus Tyrenais was allowed to remain in the camp. It was in this moment of faith that treachery emerged. Tyrenais went to the dwelling place of Rakiel and unleashed upon it terrible waves of Eshanic destruction, then cleaving into it with his own weapons. Rakiel was slain near immediately, but his companions managed to fight away Tyrenais before anything of value could be stolen from the tent. Either case, it was a terrible blow to the nascent Meyasti organization. None among the surviving Mesayari wanted the mantle of authority, and thus an Aemar among them named Avrid offered himself to serve as champion.
Now under the terrible shadow of Acolitus’ disdain, Mesian and her agents, Mesayari, continued to collect those atigamman which were created long ago to boost Eshanic power. This series of actions was known as the Arming of Mesian, for now it was certain the workings of a Second Feud were inescapable. They traveled to all the hidden places which Mesian could remember into which various Esheryne artifacts were placed. At the decision of her champion, these items were offered among the other members of the Mesayari.
The culmination of this Talunest Zarthum Etag was the arrival of the Mesyari into the court of Vulred Drakasghal, who had witnessed the turmoil of Zarthum and knew much in Eshanic lore, possessing great power. This was in the summer of 3552, some time after the first meeting at Yassaben. Althroughout Vulred listened and acquainted himself with the circumstances and how best to help. It was he better than any olundi living who could muster the forces and Eshanic power necessary to offer Qadal a fighting chance.
Revelation of Vulred Drakasghal (3552)
The arrival of Mesayari into Drakar altered the course of the looming Second Feud. They came bearing the news of Acolitus’ betrayal, the atigamman of Mesian, and manys other things. Vulred heard them intently, and invited them to remain as necessary in the dwellings of Drakar. For days they remained, and soon everything which was known to them came to be known to Vulred, and the words of Mesian flowed freely in his court. Vulred explained that he races of Voryndal were dangerous, but that Acolitus and the great Eshanic strife was the greater evil. Mesian agreed, but to what end? Acolitus was a betrayer by nature, and that will never change nor be forced otherwise. This was true, Vulred admitted, but he had a plan to address both issues- Voryndal and Acolitus. He bid the Mesayari come with him on a journey.
The party swiftly attended Vulred and his retinue some days travel to the eastern coast of Everos. A boat was prepared for them, which bore them to the midst of Nathrovas, into the shadow of a massive rock pillar whose reputation is feared in all countries- Shar’kova. It was the place of Vulred’s first demise and the death of Zarthum. No good happened upon it. Vulred took them upon the land there, and through long-remembered hidden paths led them to the uppermost peak of the mountain. The ruins of previous settlement remained there in silence, still blasted black by the soot of Zarthum’s demise. No soul was there to meet them. Out beyond the gray country of Nathrovas extended to the uttermost horizon. He bid the Mesayari not to fear Shar’kova, for it was his intention to make it a respectable place once again.
It was now that he revealed his true nature. He brought forth radient light from his being, such that only Eshan could muster, and blessed the Mesayari with health and comfort. He explained to them that he survived the blast of Zarthum’s womb against Bal’gorod by dying to it. It destroyed him, but restored him with such power, for his hands were upon it, that it did the uplifting work other Eshan could do only with great sacrifice. He arose to such a status, and spent centuries in the Fringe in confusion, trying to understand himself, his memories, and his new nature. It was now all clear to him. This power was meant to be turned toward a purpose! The purpose was unity. No longer would they consider so much that Alor’eshan and Ebal’eshan and Nith’eshan, but a new generation of Eshan. The birth of this generatio would be the real boon of the Second Feud.
Vulred the Nith’eshan thereupon the mountain of Shar’kova made a promise to all his adoptive Eshanic siblings- he would here now create a NEW Eshanic dynasty, one born of those exhausted by the ancient Feuds. Any would be allowed here, so long as they agreed to a doctrine of NEW ORDER, meant to oust Acolitus from all domains of life. For those who agreed, Nathrovas would be their inheritance, a new birth right, with its restored lands to be settled by those Eshan within the dynasty. He would not name this dynasty after himself like many before him. This new dynasty would bear the name Ahanyari, or the New Dynasty in honor of its purpose, and it would be unlike the dynasties before it.
Destruction of Yassaben (3552) Acolitus from his distant perch witnessed the proceedings of Yassaben with evil calculation. It was thus known to him through his own sight and the work of his judges such as Tyrenais that Mesian was rallying her closest followers from the Elivas and Corgastodmar remnants. Unto that precise purpose was less certain but it would obviously be informed by the unfolding invasion of Ebal’eshan from Voryndal. What would she do? It was certain that destroying or stemming the invasion would be mutually beneficial, but Acolitus stool upon an uncertain precipice. If Mesian and her allies were TOO successful in their work then the defense of Qadal would be credit to them, along with such political power as it brought. At the same, if the invaders were too successful then Qadal would be ruled by an ungovernable class of Ebal’eshan which didn’t serve Acolitus’ purposes. He therefore bid wait and had Tyrenais and other loyal servants wait close to Yassaben until a better time could arrive.

A few weeks passed and Acolitus noted how Mesian’s strategy was to do little herself, but rather to rally these supporters whom she named Mesayari and send them on various tasks of her design. Here was a possible opportunity for Acolitus to strike that perfect balance. He could wait until most of these agents had been dispatched on their various tasks against the Ebal’eshan- for he was near certain that none of Mesian’s designs were directed against himself. Once they were departed and acting against their mutual enemies, he could himself come down against Yassaben and destroy that place so that Mesian’s power would not grow too strong. The defense of Qadal would therefore fall unto his shoulders and thus the homage required from those whom he saved. It was treacherous in spirit, perhaps, but Acolitus never forgot how Mesian had sided so closely with Aebaster and Atun against himself during the First Feud, and tthus this strike against her had been long planned in his heart. At this there would be not a single Alor’eshanic opponent to challenge him in this new feud.

He rallied his own warriors in preparation of this plan. It contained the three branches of his new Second Feud era warhost- Nith’eshan eternally bound to his loyalty on pain of death; Judges chosen from among olundi to fight and lead temporal armies on promise of reward; last arise the Acoyeri, a race created after Acolitus’ self-emancipation from the Elivas to which he had bound himself millenia ago to punish Mesian. These ones were the People of Kovul, drawn from amongst the dead ranks of olundi who seek life beyond the warmth of Eshanic death. For them Acolitus sends back again and again after death such that they are nigh immortal in ALL ways lest they are destroyed with Ackesh or Eshanic powers. No race is stronger in the domain of Kasteries in dreams which Acolitus built for himself. Acolitus had been preparing them for some time now, but here at Yassaben would be where this warhost would be tested against his enemies. At their head was he who had been chiefly in spying upon and gauging this position, Tyrenais, and he launched his campaign his particular vigor for the disrespect that the servants of Mesian suffered him by denying his worthiness to sit amongst them in deliberation. Now he would have them dead.

It began as night fell again upon a common day in Yassaben. The various religious augers and political servants of Mesian who busied to coordinate her campaign against the Ebal’eshan retired themselves in tents and timber houses. When the common hour was midnight and all, but the most busy revelers slept, Acolitus announced his campaign with a great flare from Eshabal, such that it lit out the sky such that it was like midday for a few moments. On this signal the three branches of warriors crashed upon the place. Judges led their warhosts as the main body, swiftly rushing against Yassaben and its gardens from many hidden places around it. Nith’eshan roved alone with murderous aims, attempting to find and chiefly agents of Mesian and destroy them. Whole buildings were swiftly erased against their Eshanic power and those inside burned. The Acoyeri played their part as well, some fighting in the front, but others hanging back to assail those agents of Mesian attempting to escape or make use of Kasteries. The Acoyeri met them in that realm of dreams and destroyed them within, breaking their Esseythu or weakening them dearly in the process. No survivors were to be taken alive. Acolitus learned from the failure of Zarthum’s rampage that a skilled attack must come down swiftly from many directions.

Mesian and her allies were caught completely off guard by this well-coordianted attack. Indeed, the presence of Tyrenais earlier, no matter how tumultuous it had been, had been a hopeful sign that Acolitus was personally aligned with their cause. Elivas warriors guided the weak and defenseless away where possible, but there were few corners to run toward. Acolitus had well surrounded the place. In desperation, Elivas young and old grasped stores of Viiryne from trade carts, which causes them to be feral, mad, and powerful, and forsook reason for the pure power of slaughter. These empowered Elivas did horrible damage to the agents of Acolitus, but it was a flame that in burning brightly was doomed to burn out quickly. Beyond causing much death in retaliation, the sacrifice of the Elivas and their Viiryne was that it allowed some closer agents and chosen of Mesian to escape the slaughter. All those who could not were destroyed and burned to ashes with the rest of Yassaben. Within that one night the whole garden of Mesian, chief camp of her arrangements to defend Qadal, was completely destroyed. Not a single stone was left standing above waist height there. It was nothing more than a blackened scar upon the natural landscape. Acolitus even had the treasures destroyed so that nothing remained.

Mesian’s response to this horror was two-fold. She needed to empower her followers while diminishing her own power- divestment, such that she might hide herself from the immediate sight of Acolitus. Indeed, it was difficult to hide amongst the Eshor with great power, but more simple to hide among the Stillborns and siblings as a small light. One might claim cowardice for such a response, but it was only 100 years prior (small time for Eshan) that Acolitus had lashed out and murdered Aebaster to begin this Feud. Now the unhinged creator had only more reasons to attack again. Mesian would have to work in more quiet, subtle ways for a time, bidding that her supporters separate and build their owns in many places rather than together- all the better to keep secret. She would remain in conversation with them and coordinate them if possible. For now, however, they were powerless to stand against both the might of Acolitus and the onsurging rush of Ebal’eshanic invaders.
Collapse of Lodon (3552 to 3555) The attack of Acolitus and his forces against Yassaben was not a single, isolated strike. It was the beginning of a campaign to recalculate the balance of power in Qadal. Where better a place for Acolitus to establish a base of power in Qadal than upon the ground of a hated enemy? In one fell swoop he could cast the Elivas into disarray and occupy their land for his purposes. All the remainder of Qadal would be compelled to homage themselves unto him to suffer destruction at the hands of the Ebal’eshan. For this purpose the Judges of Acolitus occupied the place in force and Nith’eshan created their own palaces for themselves there, gaining some comfort for the first time in centuries. The Acoyeri build no towns and cared nothing for such things but lay among themselves and dreamed as a pastime.
  Know for certain that the Elivas resisted this invasion of their homeland, for their very race was built upon the suffering of foreign invasion. Returning to a bestial nature the Elivas dispersed themselves in nature, living wild and assaulting the agents of Acolitus whenever and wherever possible. Yet, civilization cannot survive such an onslaught as befell Lodon at the hands of Acolitus. Nith’eshan and Judges alongside them made all manner of horrible work in the great domains of Lodon- reducing cities to carnal pits, now stone monuments to the dead. Foreigners were just as poorly treated as the Elivas in these massacres- Acolitus and his agents were beyond cutting such petty differences between olundi. This was about arresting control of Qadal and Esha- individual lives meant nothing now.

Within a few years Lodon was reduced to its nature from millennia ago. It was a wild country with a wild (yet reasoning) people to occupy it. Lodon became a byword for violence and death and the campaigns against the followers of Acolitus continued year and year. It was much like the ancient days when Aemardic adventurers traveled to Lodon to seek glory and Elivas pelts for exotic clothing- the Elivas held themselves within little hillside dens and struck out at night. Merchants turned from their trade to blades. Children became the scouts and messangers. Warriors became more base in their work. All Elivas society reduced back down to a bestial foundation which always survived within them but was for centuries repressed by the many examples of civilization shown by their neighbors. Now the old nature returned.