The Undying War
While the Chromatic War was being waged across the world, another lesser known battle was fought between good and evil. With the chaos in the world, Vecna, the Undying King, unleashed his undead minions on the world in his quest to become a god. As his minions and agents spread across the continent, the forces of good, backed by Pelor: the Dawnfather, Helm: the Eternal Watcher, the Raven Queen: Matron of the Dead, Serinrae: the Everlight, and each deity's loyal followers all made their stand against Vecna in the holy city of Sacrosanct. The events that followed were forgotten by all but the most dedicated of scholars, but ultimately, Vecna and his army were defeated at the cost of many lives. Most of the followers of the Raven Queen and the Everlight were decimated. The city of Sacrosanct was never the same.
Summary
The Lich King, Vecna, took advantage of the chaos created by the Chromatic War, and began his assault on the living. Immortality of lichdom was not enough for Vecna; he wanted to become a god. And to do that, Vecna sought the holy city of Sacrosanct. He believed the key to achieving divinity was there, either by being in the presence of a holy city, or by massacring the followers of the other gods, so that none are left but his. In the year 12th year of the new era, Vecna, and his trusted general, Lord Kas, advanced the horde of undead creatures upon the sacred city. The people there prayed for aid as they saw the approaching conflict, but most of the gods were preoccupied by the rest of the chaos unfolding. Only four gods answered the call, and back then, they were barely gods themselves. First to answer the call was Helm: the Eternal Watcher; God of Protection and Defense, then came Pelor: the Dawnfather; God of Sunlight. Next, The Raven Queen: Matron of the Dead arrived to protect her followers. Finally, the young goddess Serinrae: the Everlight; goddess of Atonement arrived. Immediately, they began fortifying the city and arming their followers in preparation for a massive battle. They called upon all their followers from across the world to come to the defense of the city. The city soon became a nearly impenetrable fortress within a few weeks. A bronze dragon even pledged its allegiance to the city, despite the ongoing Chromatic War.
As Vecna's army came within view of the city, he realized that his immortal enemies were there, waiting for him. They had time to prepare, but Vecna was confident he could win. He wasn't afraid of a dragon, either, since he had his own undead dragon. His forces blockaded the city from a distance, stopping travel to and from the city, and simply began to wait. His army consisted of zombies and skeletons and did not need food or water, but the people of Sacrosanct very much did. For 42 days, both sides waited for an opportunity to strike.
As supplies began to diminish, the people off Sacrosanct were forced to make a move: they sent the dragon and a few individuals away to gather supplies, but also to trick Vecna into going on the offensive. Vecna sensed his opportunity and began his assault. With the the undead horde advancing, Pelor flew up in the sky and cast a bright beacon of sunlight, so intense that it was seen from what is now Felwinter. Helm stood on the frontline, and with a stomp of his foot, created a radiant barrier around his soldiers to halt the undead horde's advance, incinerating all who got too close. Vecna was inconvenienced, but he was still certain of his victory. With a mere utterance of an incantation, the sky turned dark as Pelor's sunlight was blocked by a shroud of darkness, the very essence of the Shadowfell brought into the world. Then the sky grew even darker, but this time, the sun was blocked by a massive meteor, no, not a meteor, but one of Veridia's two moons! Ripped from its orbit and turned into a weapon by unnatural means, Veridia's smaller of two moons hurled itself into Sacrosanct and its protectors. The destruction and death was immense, but still, Sacrosanct's protectors would not give up that easily.
Date of Setting
12 CE
Related Locations
Comments