The Ascension Wars

In the days before the empires of men, the lands of Vecrona were ruled by the Celestial Courts in the north, and by the Fiendish Kingdom in the south. At the height of a war between these two races, the Dragons seized the opportunity to strike and drive both factions from the land, taking their rightful place as gods of Vecrona.

The Conflict

Prelude

Before the Purge, the celestials and the fiends were in a near-constant state of war with each other. During one of these conflicts, the Dragons looked down from their mountain and saw the tribes of men slain by the thousands. They resolved to free the humans, and descended from their mountain and made war against the celestial legions and the fiendish hordes.

Battlefield

Not a corner of the continent was safe from the Dragons' onslaught, for wherever there were humans in slavery, the Dragons fought to free them. From the Red Peaks in the north, all across the lands to the grassy plains of the Winglands in the south.

The Engagement

The Dragons fought valiantly, and although the enemy was mighty, the Dragons were victorious in the end, driving the Celestial Court across the seas and dealing enough casualties to the Fiendish Hordes that the survivors fled to the space between worlds.

Outcome

The human tribes had the freedom to establish kingdoms of their own, and eventually spread their nations across Vecrona.

Historical Significance

Legacy

As the Celestial King lay dying, his last words became a prophecy that foretold of the return of the Celestial Legions and the downfall of everything the Dragons built. These prophecies were collected into a tome known as The Sorrows and taken back to the Dragons' mountain, where they are still studying the words to determine how this might be averted.

In Literature

Cyrus the Muse composed an epic three-part saga outlining the events of the Purge, which is still performed on stages all across the empire. Most historians question the accuracy of the work, though most critics admit that historical accuracy must often make way for an entertaining performance.

Conflict Type

War

Battlefield Type

Land

Start Date

~50 A.X.

Ending Date

0 A.D.

Conflict Result

After five decades of war, the Celestials fled across the Seas of Mist and have not been heard from since. The Fiends used their magic to escape between worlds, but are still encountered infrequently.

Belligerents

The Celestial Court

Then Fiendish Kingdoms

Strength

The Celestial Legions were said to number in the hundreds of thousands, each soldier standing a dozen feet high and with skin as hard as steel. Some legends even claim that they used the stars themselves as siege weapons.

Thousands of legions with thousands of demonic warriors each, some of which stood as tall as siege towers and able to hurl bolts of lightning from their hands like spears, others that were said to spread rot and diease with their mere presence.

Casualties

Nearly their entire fielded army, plus several key leaders including the Star King himself.

When the Celestial King was slain, the Fiends abandoned the war and fled to the space between worlds, where it is said they still lie in wait for the day when they reclaim their lands from the Dragon-Gods.

Objectives