Temporan Genocide
"By far the most horrific event to occur in Uthilith's storied history, the Temporan Genocide is something that can never be repeated (lest we all fall into the hands of bloodshed itself)."
-Karyon Beeching, CY 1621
The Conflict
Prelude
In the summer of CY 1286, the aging Hadrian Frostburn of the Frostburn Dynasty heard whispers from his court diviners about the existence of a Portal to another realm overseas, on the continent of Thur Nirkhum. Once the resources of his court were pushed to their absolute limits (turning up nothing about this locale), Emperor Hadrian chose another method - to gain the attention of the Commonwealth through means of holding all Temporan citizens of Nirkhumish descent hostage until their government handed over information regarding this portal*. *Hadrian Frostburn had fallen into Dydosian worship at this point of his life, a fact that would only be revealed by the last letters of his descendant Guinevere approximately 200 years following the Genocide.
Deployment
On the Eclipse of the Marauders - the annual day where magic briefly ceases functioning worldwide - the Emperor ordered battalions of Watchers to march and seize the two major Dwarven settlements in Tempora. An area of Misty Run's 'Merchant's Ring' called Nirkhtown, and the town of Nord'ial.
Historical Significance
Following the deployment, three of the four wealthy Kin houses who lived on Temporan soil were immediately slaughtered. The fourth, Kin Beeching, fled south near the Dreadnaught Swamp (going on to found the Necludan city of Athewell). The Thur Nirkhum Commonwealth immediately took notice, as all four Kin houses had significant connections to the metropolises of Starkhammer and Nurn Durahl. Kin Archwarden - the Kin that currently held the seat of Venerated Kinsman - had a branch of the family that was completely snuffed out by the Frostburn throne. Within days, war was declared between the two governments, though minimal direct fighting took place. Frostburn wizards had sent Kin Archwarden what could effectively be called a ransom note - for every week that the Kin fail to a) inform the Dynasty about the location of the legendary portal and b) cede the land it stands on to the Frostburn Dynasty, the Watchers would be given free reign to slaughter five percent of their prisoners. For the first week, Kin Archwarden attempted to call the Frostburns on their bluff. For one, only the Venerated Kinsman (and a few members of the Church of Sibyll) were permitted to know the location and the identity of the portal's guardian - informing the public would cause dire consequence. Secondly, a contract amongst the U5 regarding human rights abuses during wartime was notarized just over a century ago: the Archwardens were sure that they wouldn't break it. They were wrong. For the next eight weeks, Uthilith was privvy to some of the most abhorrent acts the world would ever see committed by mortals, and the Temporan Dwarf population was reduced by 80%. The Commonwealth was prepared to send a letter of concession when the body of Hadrian Frostburn was evidently found dead of old age on the morning of Wyvern Moon 12. However, in the 1660s, a PhD student by the name of Elric Beeching (an adoptive Half-elf 'son' of Edwina Pennington and Arrah Beeching who's shown indications he's of the Soothsayer descent) discovered that Hadrian Frostburn didn't die of old age. Rather, a Hindsight cast in the Palace of Twilight's Old Chambers depicted a mysterious silhouette appearing in Hadrian's bedroom the evening of Wyvern Moon 11. This silhouette stretched out its inhumanly long fingers and seemingly sapped what little life Hadrian had left in his body before vanishing into shadow.Legacy
The Temporan Genocide will be permanently etched into the bloody history of the continent as an act of senseless evil performed by an insane emperor. Tensions with the Thur Nirkhum Commonwealth are still strained to this day, more than four centuries later.
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