Great Demonwar

This war arises after the Long Peace in which the demons almost entirely stopped attacking the seven mortal races. The Long Peace lastet about 500 Years in which civilisations and populatios bloomed. For some of the shorter lived species the demons began to turn into myths where they did not live in close vincinity to the great desert. This was exactly the devil´s plan. For the other mortal races thus grew unwatchfull and unskilled in war.

The war began with a strike of power by the devil himself against whom he deemd posed the greatest danger to him, the mages.

"He lashed out with all the power he had saved during his wating and broke great peaces of the Land where the Mages lived

— unknown author

Altough most of them survived the attack they were scattered and confused to suddenly find themselves hundrets of miles from the coast on some scattered islands.
As soon as he had gotten rid of the mages the devil darkened the sun and unleashed his hordes of demons that had been breeding rapidly and unhindered for all of the Long Peace.

"Like a black sea they came ot of the desert, wave after wave, endles as the ocean. And all was swept away before their feet, neither living thing nor dead could stand against them. A whole day and a whole night they rolled unhindered over the Land, but when the sun arose on the next morning it shone bright and clear and set the black monsters howling in pain and rage. They scrambled for safety and many died. Yet there was not a sound of celebration. The ground was stained deep red and a waste lay where two days ago had been lush green fields and forests."
- out of the account of the great war, compiled reports

After the first day of attack many messengers are send and defences build up. Many more nights of destruction beyond description follow before enough help arrives to finally stop the demons from pushing he defenders closer to the sea.
Then the war has finally begun. Night for night the demons attack in uncountable numbers and are fought of.
As the years lengthen however the defenders become fewer and fewer while the demons seem not to. While the losses of the defenders grow the stream of new recruit dwindels. Over and over the mortals call to their gods for help but none comes
After two decades of war defeat seems to be certain. But with nowhere to go, the defenders have nothing left but to fight to teh last man, woman and child. In this desperate hour some of the younger children of the universe descend upon the Land.

"A light was in heir eyes that burned the monsters as did the sunlight and powerfull weapons they wielded that sang as they were swung against the enemy. Horrible, bitter songs they were but they gave us hope as we had not dared to feel in years. We took up what weapons had not yet broken and stormed on the enemy. But already they were fleeing from the shining creatures.
Then the creatures turned and the light that surrounded them seemed to fade but still you could see it in their eyes. On the ground we fell, bowing and praying for we were certain the gods at last had answered our prayers. But they bid us to rise and said there were no gods but they had heard our prayers and they had come to help. Had our hope been rekindeld at the first sight of theses creatures it burst into full flame at their words
-out of the account of the great war, compiled reports

After the arrival of the children of the universe many good days of war followed. But even with the mighty new allies the forces of the devil could not be defeted. As the demons againg begin to gain ground a council of all races is held and the descended spirits with great sorrow lay out a plan to end this war and it is soon agreed on.
They summoned the Souldestroyer , the oldest of monsters and forced it only to take the souls of the demons. Suddenly robbed of their soul the demons panicked and tried to flee but were cut of by a last stand of the mortals. Confused, the demons hardly put up a fight and soon most of them were killed. So the war was finally won.
But once unleashed and empowered by so many souls the Souldestroyer was now to powerfull to be sent back into the void. It would have to be captured and imprisoned on the Land itself and another plan was formed. Only an united effort carried out by all the mortal races and with the help of the spirits would be strong enough.
The Dark elves offered the most sacred place of their realm, the cave of stars as prison. The Dwarves crafted a hollow globe to contain the monster. The Gnomes put all their cunning into set up a trap and the some brave Humans offered themselves as decoy. And so far the plan worked. After the monster was caught in the temporary prison the Trolls carried the monster to its place of imprisonment while the Light elves kept the monster with singing under a spell. When finally the globe had been set down in the cave the Mages sealed it with their most powerfull spell.
Then all turned back towards theit home or what was left of it and never again were the seven rasces united like this.

The Conflict

Outcome

• massive destruction leads to poverty
• uncultivated fields cause hunger and starvation and further depletion of population

Aftermath

• Loss of many miles of formerly fertile land to the desert
• severe depletion of population, near extinction of some races
• loss of knowlege, return to pre-Long-Peace level
• remaining of the immortal spirits in physical form on the land as they cannot return to the spirit world
• abandoning of fertile land arount the great desert out of fear

Historical Significance

Legacy

• Immortals bring celestial weapons and the Souldestroyer and have to remain on the Land themselves
• The families of the war heroes become highly respected and become nobles
• the capturing and imprisoning of the souldestroyer is remembered as a united act
• The Dark elves are highly resprected by most races for housing the souldestroyer in their realm, but they and their realm are often avoided later on for the same reason

Conflict Type

War

Battlefield Type

Land

Conflict Result

Victory of the mortal races at the loss of all the souls of the demons