Fall of Aelen
The Story of how the Greatest Kingdom Collapsed from within...
Brief Overview
Aevel fell in the year 1409 AI. Before this, the Kingdom was the strongest the realm had ever seen. It was unchallenged in its resources and its technological and magical power. It was a giant that could not be toppled. No outside force could fell it, and so none did. Aelen's tragedy would be caused from an affliction from within. Deceit and anger slowly grew within Aelen's walls, and eventually would lead to its collapse... All of this however was not coincidental. A few powerful names purposefully began the rust that would soon envelop the Kingdom and its people. They were intent on seeing the Kingdom fall, and unfortunately those who cared for the nation would be too late in seeing the wound... Soon the Kingdom would fall apart from both internal disputes and a greater force cursing the Kingdom and sending its great cities to the ground.Read more about the Kingdom of Aelen.
Prelude
Aelen was one of the few Kingdoms to be created and survive for a notable amount of time during the Age of the Idols. Its creation was spear headed by a powerful and level headed Elven Leader and the strongest Idol at the time. It was setup for success from the beginning, and oh did it succeed. It would become the greatest Kingdom Etherlen has seen. The strongest and most advanced, being unrivaled. However, as was the Age of Idols, there was always a force working against the wondrous success of the mortals. A small but powerful and determined group has began sewing lies and distrust into the Kingdom. Eventually the rust spread, and became too great to cure.
The Spreading of 'Rust'
It all began when Dumonicus Infinity set his eyes on Aelen. To quell such an incredible creation, spear headed by his grandfather Variun Infinity, it would be an incredible feat. He started slow however, first by gaining allies within. He masqueraded in the Kingdom as a citizen for many decades. He spread cult like worship of a dark god amongst the peasants of Aelen. Slowly he gained status politically, befriending a few higher up political figures. Primarily Baclun Gider, a notable elven secretary. He coerced Baclun into beginning to hate his own. Eventually, he was able to start rebellion within him. He started messing with records and covering up the various messes Dumonicus had been starting, hiding them from higher eyes. The cult worship grew, small crimes slowly began getting committed; that, over time grew into larger and more significant ones. Stealing turned into armed murders, mass killings began. During all of this, people began pushing for fixes through the government. However, the government itself was being corrupted. With missing and miswritten records they couldn't keep information straight.
What most failed to realize is, Dumonicus did not create cults based around his deity. No, rather he created cults for a dark entity. One that could actually touch the Prime Material, unlike a god...
After many decades of this slow growing chaos, the cults planned a larger 'event'. A mass sacrifice to their lord, Xal'goxof. At the peak of the cults influence, they rounded up hundreds of citizens and gathered in the center of Brieneleen. The City guard was ineffective at stopping the gathering, as not only were the cultists armed, they had Dumonicus in the shadows slaying whoever got to close. So, the defenseless were slaughtered in the name of a dark devil. Blood poured down the streets, and Xal'goxof had been given a large heap of souls. All as Dumonicus had planned. The devil upheld the deal they had made long before any of this, and opened a portal from the hells.
The Battle of Brieneleen
He appeared from the pool of blood of the innocents and began havoc. The great warriors and archmages of Aelen appeared to challenge the fiend and whatever began pouring out of his hellish portal. What Dumonicus had not predicted however, was that his grandfather would appear to address the situation. As the mages and fiends fought, Dumonicus faced his elder... Variun Infinity was the most formidable Idol at the time, having seen the very beginning of the Age, he was well adversed in combat. The two fought, and their battle would last through the night. Both were on formidable warriors. As one got a slash in, the other quickly followed suite. After several hours of battle, the devil soon quelled the great mages of Aelen. With its power, it dispelled the great magic holding Brieneleen afloat, and the city began its fall back down to Etherlen.
The two Infinities continued their fight as the land got further from beneath their feet. Soon, they crashed with the land. From the cities crater they fought, through the black air of dust and rubble. Through the thousands of bodies and the rain of blood. It began to grow clear that Dumonicus was beginning to get outpaced by Variun, and so Dumonicus began leading both of them towards Xal'goxof. Variun was faced with fighting both an Idol and a powerful fiend. He could have fled, abandoning the great kingdom he helped create. However, he stayed. In hopes of quelling the monster that took it away from him... Variun would succeed in sealing away the foul entity, but would exhaust most of his energy in doing so. Dumonicus, with a weakened opponent, would soon end the fight. He caught Variun in a chance of misfortune, and pierced his blade through his grandfather's heart... Variun was no more, along with the Kingdom of Aelen...
Love the artwork.