Mystic Arms Campaign

Ferrum has a long and storied history stretching back over five millennia. Having thousands of years’ worth of time under it’s belt, the world of Ferrum is one rife with history that many have trouble telling whether historical events really occurred as they are written, or whether they are just legend that has become inseparable from fact. Grand stories of heroes fighting ancient demons and monsters might have a kernel of truth to it, or it may just be the work of some clever and fantastical bard that was able to convince people it did.

That said, there are some events of the past that are true beyond a shadow of a doubt due to the lasting ramifications of their effects. Even in the modern day of the campaign, the aftermath of these events still shapes the world as people know it and alters the vary fabric of reality.

Most accurate recordings of History begin in the Novua Aetate Era, with much of what existed before being uncertain or only containing vague recordings or missing information to pinpoint the point in time they occured. Despite this, there is a rought timeline of events. You can see the rough timeline of each era by clicking the appropriate button.

The oldest recorded event in Ferrum’s history that people know with absolute certainty happened was the near cataclysmic war with the various elemental planes. This massive military campaign embroiled the entire world in the machinations and desires of the Divine Elementals, who decided of their own accord that they would like to control the Material Plane and brought the war for dominance to the lives of everyone living there. This massive conflict is commonly know as The Grand Incursion.

Historical texts conflict with one another on the exact beginning of the Grand Incursion, with the exact year varying slightly from one recording to another. When all accounts place it’s beginning roughly 3,000 years ago, though, the exact date tends to matter a little less. Many would believe that given the universal scope of the event, the historical recordings would be incredibly detailed and plentiful, but what accounts do remain explain that much of the Grand Incursion was marked by the recurring destruction of entire nations and civilizations, and in the mayhem, many first-hand recordings were lost. As such, most remaining accounts of the entire span of the war were written after it’s conclusion, and are mostly recording passed down tales and lingering memories of those who survived.

Ante Incursio (AI)	This age is the times before the Grand Incursion. Events from this time are considered historical legends, and no clear timeline exists for this Age.
3815 AI	At best guess, this marks the year the age ended and the Grand Incursion Begins.
Incursio Grandius (IG)	This age deals with the 500 or so years of the Grand Incursion. Given the vague timelines and uncertain order of things, modern historians choose to re-sequence this age from Year 1. Years of events are guesses based on context in stories and may vary from actual time.
1 IG	The Aurauctor breaches the Material Plane and begins the Grand Incursion.
234 IG	Estimated year the Terrauctor and Undauctor battled and destroyed the Auran Plains, creating the Ninazu Archipelago.
417 IG	Estimated year the hero archwizard Mendacium was born.
463 IG	Estimated year The Mind's Eye was crafted.
471 IG	Estimated year the Elementals were all banished from the Material Plane and the Secluding Wall was created.
??? IG	It is believed that at least a few dozen years passed between the Secluding Wall and what many mark as the beginning of The Chaos. But it is unclear of the exact number of years.

Despite this, it is possible to piece together a general order of events that began on the Auran Plains – a grand stretching grassland that was home mostly to Halflings and Foyel at the time. Details state that it was the Aurauctor that was the first to breach the material plane with his armies of Air Elementals, Djinn, and other denizens of the Elemental Plane of Air. His forces were minimal when he first crossed the boundary, but the Aurauctor himself decided to lead them through, making the total power of this initial wave far beyond what anyone or anything on the Material Plane had before dealt with.

Stories say he first staked the entire Auran Plains as he domain, and commanded the immediate and unconditional surrender of the mortals that lived there. The first to surrender and pledge their loyalty to the Auractor were a few bands of Halflings – whose descendants became the Galeian Halflings of the present. A few nomadic bands of humans and elves that dwelt there refused to bow to the invading forces, though, and were wiped out in an instant. There were also a number of orcs across the plains that were - at the time - the dominant force of the area. But when their forces met with the elementals, nearly their entire clan was wiped out. Those that remained lived only because they quickly submitted to the Aurauctor.

Once his foothold was established, the Aurauctor returned to the Elemental Plane of Air, leaving behind a massive eagle to lead his forces and protect his domain until he returned. This Eagle’s wings were said to be made of clouds and would grow dark and foreboding when it was angered. It’s size was beyond comprehension, making even the mightiest of Roc look tiny in comparison. Stories say if it were perched atop a mountain at the outskirts of the Auran Plains, it could be seen clearly from even the shores of what is now the Ironclast Empire. Stories often refer to this creature simply as The Eagle, but it has also been called Ea at times, as well as Cealusumma.

Acorrding to many tales, Auractor was the first of the Divine Elementals to invade the Material Plane by only a matter of weeks. Quite soon after his arrival, another force invaded – coming through a breach in the Inazuma Mountains. These are the same Inazuma Mountains that divide Arashi no Kuni and Ironclast Empire of present day.

The force that arrived from these mountains was far larger than that of the Aurauctor’s, but it was not led by the Tonitrauctor. The Divine Elemental of the Elemental Plane of Lightning instead choose to send one of his Elemental Lords in command of an army of Storm Elementals, Fluxchargers, and Asura, among other Lightning Elemental creatures. At the time, the lands near the Inazuma mountains were mostly uninhabited, though the mountains themselves were home to numerous Storm Giants, Ogres, and Orcs. The proud Storm Giants at first stood in opposition to the invading armies, using their command of the Ogres and Orcs to wage a truly short war. In a matter of a few days, the entire mountain range had fallen under the sway of the Elemental Plane of Lightning.

Unlike the ruthless Aurauctor, though, the Lightning Elementals were less inclined to destroy their foes entirely, instead besting them in battle and offering those that survived a place under their new order. Faced with the surprising might of the elementals, the Storm Giants felt little choice in the matter, and knelt before their commander, swearing allegiance for the Ogres and Orcs under their control as well.

With the region subjugated, the Tonitrauctor came through the breach and established his foothold on the Material Plane. But as soon as he arrived, the Tonitrauctor immediately recognized the presence of his divine kin in the Aurauctor. Stories from the Giants say he was enraged beyond belief at the presence of the Air Elemental forces on the plane, and quickly strung together his forces with those native to the plane and commanded they move on the invading air elementals. For this task, he placed one of his most trusted advisors, as well as one of the most powerful creatures under his command in charge of the campaign; The Hawk.

The Hawk, also sometimes referred to as Fragosumma, or Kawh, was an interesting figure in the Tonitrauctor’s forces. Most of the time, this creature seemed to take the form of either an Asura or – at rare times – even an elf or human. Whenever in on of these forms, The Hawk was always referred to as Kawh and always took on a female form, leading most to refer to her as ‘she’, but whether The Hawk a gender at all is unclear. In her less-assuming Asura or human form, she would often appear dangerously beautiful, and spoke fluently in nearly every mortal tongue that existed. All accounts of her paint Kawh has a reasonable, logical creature – preferring diplomacy over brutality. But when talks broke down, or in those moments when her anger was sparked, Kawh became a devastating force of nature.

Kawh would transform into her true form of Fragosumma. In this form, she appeared as a massive Hawk, her form constantly arcing with lightning. Even standing remotely close became dangerous, as her ambient electricity could turn a man to dust in a second. While her size was not quite as impressive as that of The Eagle, she still was far larger than a Roc, and despite her size, could move with blinding speed across the sky. When The Hawk would monitor her ambient arching lightning, she could carry entire squadrons of soldiers on her back, zipping across continents in a matter of minutes, allowing the Tonitrauctor’s forces to constantly be bolstered by reinforcements that could arrive in the center of battle without any prior notice.

Needless to say, the conflict that arose between the forces of air and lightning was near catastrophic. The details of the battle vary from account to account, but the end result is always agreed upon; the battle ripped up the Auran Plains, tearing the land from Ferrum and causing the water of the oceans to spill into the gap that was left. By all accounts, the battle is what formed the Malum Sea that now separates the Orkan Confederacy from Agual.

The battle was said to have raged for nearly three months before both sides were forced to pull back to their respective footholds – the forces of Aurauctor claiming areas of the world that now compose the Orkan Confederacy. This first elemental conflict was referred to as The World Storm, and signaled the beginning of the destruction yet to come.

Not long after The World Storm begin, ancient records suggest the other Divine Elementals began to cross the boundary as well, bringing with them the forces they felt they needed. Their order of emergence on the Material Plane is still a matter of some debate, but most agree that the Terrauctor was the next to arrive. It is said this Divine Elemental of Earth attempted to end The World Storm, to varying degrees of success. Some accounts posit this deity was the one responsible for the destruction of the Auran Plains themselves, while other claim they sought to defend the land. No truth of the event can be ascertained other than that the Terrauctor participated in the event, though at the time they had no armies or forces accompanying them

From that point on, it becomes difficult to determine when certain forces arrived on the Material Plane. Many accounts suggest the Tenebrautor from the Elemental Plane of Shadows may have arrived even prior to the forces of Elemental Air. Tales claim their presence existed long before The Grand Incursion, as an ancient cult paid homage to and worshipped their power. However, their substantiated presence was not seen until a few years after the Grand Incursion officially began

There are also some stories that suggest the Undauctor of the Elemental Plane of Water may have already been on the Material Plane as well. Ancient legends suggested proposed that the oceans and seas themselves flowed directly from the Elemental Plane of Water. Many ancient tales from before The Grand Incursion include mentions of Water Elementals, Marid, and powerful creatures of the sea that already lived on the Material Plane, so there is some merit to the conjecture. Either way, it is commonly believed she played a minimal role in the entire campaign, except for near the very end

One force that did leave a hefty and lasting mark on Ferrum, though, was that of the Ignauctor. They and their forces from the Elemental Plane of Fire arrived early in The Grand Incursion, tearing open a rift near a massive elven forest and glade was known as Ar Amadar. However, their arrival was send to be accompanied by the unquenchable fires of the Elemental Plane and scorched the forest from the world. Many believe what was once Ar Amadar is now the region known as the Shakari Desert. The Ignauctor’s forces were one of the most powerful among the elemental armies, and they were said to be one of the last to be beaten

By most accounts, it was the arrival of the armies of elemental fire that brought the forces of the Elemental Plane of Wood to the battle. Many tales indicate that the Sylvauctor was enraged by the destruction of Ar Amadar and breached the boundary in order to punish the Ignauctor. Ancient tales even then suggested that it was the Sylvauctor that birthed that ancient glade. Recountings from those who interacted with Sylvauctor suggested they were the least hostile of the invading forces, and often they would even help forces of the Material Plane. But as they remained on The Material Plane, their foothold became stronger, and they began punishing mortal forces that they deemed destructive

As for the Gelauctor, it is unclear when they actually arrived on the Material Plane. Historical texts believe he first arrived in the area now know as the Frozen Wilds, in Jokull. However, back then, very few creatures lived or visited those lands, and those that did, did not keep good records. It’s stated the forces of Elemental Ice were spurred to action by the Terrauctor, and the two often fought alongside one another. But it is believed they were already on the Material Plane long before that particular alliance was formed

All accounts do agree on the last of the Elemental forces to arrive; The Praeclauctor from the Elemental Plane of Light. Many tales suggest they held no interest in dominion of the Material Plane, but rather arrived only to try and turn back the forces of the other Divine Elementals. However, the accounts of their reckless uses of power across the Material Plane for the entire duration of the Grand Incursion seem to suggest they also cared vary little from the lives of the natural inhabitants – mindlessly focused on their self-anointed goal.

There is a bit of a debate on the exact length of the Grand Incursion, but most accounts place it as lasting somewhere around 500 or more years, with some accounts suggesting it may have continued for over a millennium. Regardless of the length, the effects of the conflict were far reaching and indiscriminate.

A few ancient maps still remain from times before The Grand Incursion, and the world that was bares little resemblance to the world that now is. Some continents were submerged in the ocean, while other arose new from the seas. Mountains were toppled while colliding forces in other places saw the creation of new valleys across the world.

For reasons that are still unclear, the forces of the invading elementals tended to remain concentrated in one area of the world, though. While their forces would occasionally clash elsewhere, most of the time they fought for control of the lands and domains that were where The Nine Nations lay now. And they fought for centuries.

Most historical documents from the time, as stated, are lost or irreparably damaged. But a few lingering documents that were well guarded remain, painting incomplete pictures of entire nations that no longer exist. Not just that their country was toppled, and their people scattered, but that every last remnant of the cities and monuments that once existed have been entirely erased from the world. The only clue that they even existed being these incomplete documents.

It is believed at one point that most of the area of what is now the Eastern Continent was at one point entirely transformed into a roiling sea of magma as forces of Fire and Earth clashed there. There are tails of massive frozen glaciers stretching as far south as what is no Arashi no Kuni. Some tales even suggest the entirety of the world was covered entirely in water at one point of the battle.

As one might imagine, these constant upheavals made life extremely difficult – if not impossible for the denizens of the Material Plane at the time. It is believed that in the beginning of these wars, many of the mortal races either made deals or pledged loyalty to one Divine Element or another. Supposedly, they were promised protection for their subservience. But in the end, the lives of mortals meant little to the immortal elemental forces. Time and time again these mortal forces were willfully sacrificed, traded, or plain forgotten and left to die.

Eventually, the people of the world had decided enough was enough and entered the elemental conflict on their own side – a side seeking to repel all elemental forces. But again, to the immortal elementals, they were barely an afterthought. For decades, perhaps even centuries, these allied mortal forces struggled to remain alive – never able to do much to thwart, stop, or repel the forces of elementals. Occasionally, they would achieve a great victory somewhere, forcing out a large swath of elementals and reclaiming valuable land and resources. But shortly thereafter, they were almost always run out of slaughtered by a separate elemental force.

For the battle to stop, and for peace and stability to return to the world, they needed to find a way to combat not just the elementals or the genies, or the other lower ranks of the invading armies. They needed a way to take on the Divine Elementals themselves, along with the Prime Elemental abominations they brought with them.

The origins of The Mystic Arms are still a matter of some debate – intentionally so, according to many sources. While the credit for the idea and the creation of The Mystic Arms is attributed to many different people, it is widely believed that a wizard by the name of Mendacium first conceived of the creation of such a weapon.

The stories say that Mendacium had been working for many years to try and create a tool he believed could prove fatal to elementals, even with the slightest of pricks to their form. He had studied many different elemental magics, focusing primarily in the Abjuration schools of magic. He had found a bit of success with combining the mechanics of spells like Antimagic Field with spells like Elemental Bane to create small pockets of reality that could banish certain creatures back to their respective planes just by having them try to pass through the area, but manifesting a version of the spell powerful to effect thousands of elementals at once was proving difficult.

As such, Mendacium decided to seek help from elves, dragons, and even fiends and celestials to find a solution. His collaboration and research with these other eventually brought all of them to the realization that creating an effect of the magnitude they were seeking would require a source of energy that mortals, fiends, and celestials were incapable of producing. However, they also believed that such sources of power did exist – and were even on the Material Plane; The Divine Elementals.

Mendacium and the others theorized if they could siphon even a small amount of a Divine Elemental’s power from them, then they could use it to power Mendacium’s spell and instantly banish every elemental being of that type from the plane; or at least a vast majority of them. Mendacium even believed, given the elementals self-regenerative nature, that it might be feasible for such a spell to become permanent, and everlasting.

But this still left them with the problem of having to stand up to the Divine Elementals without the power to do so. For a moment, they all believed the method to be a lost cause – impossible to achieve, even if it were theoretically possible to do. But Mendacium is said to have thought of the solution; they simply needed to create a force that could, even momentarily, rival the power of a Divine Elemental. And the ancient wizard already had an idea: psionics.

The powerful, if little known or studied trait worked much in the same way as magic but existed in an endless pool of regenerative energy – much like elementals themselves. Mendacium believed if they could gather enough powerful beings together and bind them with psionic energy, they might be able to create a power that could rival the gods.

Mendacium set to work, bringing in a the githzerai and githyanki to assist in their work. These powerful psions were able to assist him in unraveling the secrets of psionics and eventually he and his team manage to create the Mind’s Eye; the first of the Mystic Arms. Stories say its creation costed the lives of thousands of mortals, dragons, fiends, and celestials, but when it was complete, it gave them a powerful tool to begin collecting the elemental energy they needed.

It is believed the first Divine Element they faced was the Aurauctor – looking to push the first of the invaders out first. The mission to face them and steal their energy is one that was never properly recorded, but the mission ended in success. Mendacium was able to acquire a large chunk of Auran Energy. Stories also say that seeing the Mind’s Eye in action, Mendacium was able to better understand the focusing powers of the system they had used. He opted to mimic it and placed that stolen energy into the second Mystic Arm; Stormbreaker. Using it as a focus, Mendacium was able to successfully cast his spell, banishing most air elementals from the plane – including the Aurauctor and his Prime.

However, shortly after, Mendacium realized their was a flaw in his spell – a gap in it’s coverage that allowed some of the smaller, weaker elementals to slip in and out of the Material Plane or even avoid being affected by his spell. He realized to truly lock the elemental forces out, he would need to cast the spell with the combined forces of all the Divine Elementals and enhance it with a powerful Dimensional Lock.

Mendacium and his team continued their work, eventually stealing energy from every Divine Elemental. As they moved, the task became easier and easier, as with each defeated Divine Elemental, they gained a powerful tool to face the rest. In all, it took them about a decade to complete the task, stealing power and locking all the elementals out of the Material Plane.

With all the Mystic Arms together, Mendacium combined the power of each of elemental powers, along with that of the Mind’s Eye and his own incredible arcane power to create the Secluding Wall – a powerful arcane barrier that would separate the Material Plane from all of the other Inner and Outer Planes. The legends say the act of casting the spell drained the last of Mendacium’s life and he died when it was complete, but his effort helped to save the world from the terror of the invading elementals.

Of course, even Mendacium did not fully understand what new terror would be soon to follow…

The repulsion of the invading elemental forces was, by itself, not enough to immediately bring stability back to the world. After centuries of occupation and upheaval, combined with a literal restructuring of the entire planet had left the Material Plane in a state of anarchy and disorder. And removing the powers that dominated the plane for so long from the picture created a situation that was primed for warlords, dictators, and general anarchy.

Along with this, with the Secluding Wall in place, the structure of the very universe had been altered. Creatures from other planes that once came and went as they pleased or needed suddenly found themselves trapped upon the Material Plane. Many of these creatures were upset and sought a means to break these protections for their own benefit. Others saw it as a chance to claim the Material Plane as their own and rule for eternity.

The final piece that further shattered the world was the loss of Mendacium. With the archwizard gone, the commanding power of much of the mortal forces suddenly vanished, and the world was left with the all-powerful artifacts he had created – objects with the literal power to alter reality. All of these factors lead to an equal dark time for the world; a time known as The Chaos.

With the Grand Incursion ended, the forces then bound to the Material Plane were left in a power vacuum, and without guidance. Gods could no longer directly contact or intervene in mortal lives. The forces of devils and demons in the world was suddenly finite, but intimidatingly powerful in the absence of the Divine Elementals. Adding to this were the already present feuds and conflicts between mortal races that had never truly been settled, but through necessity had lost importance during the incursion – matters such as the humans hunting Foyel, or the civil war of the gith now locked on the plane. And of course, humans could always find a reason to fight as tyrannical men sought to steal power and claim their right to rule.

The Chaos is said to have lasted around 500 years, but as with The Grand Incursion, it was a time when historical records tend to disagree with one another, and large gaps in recordings exist. It is impossible to say exactly how long it lasted. Likewise, no one is sure of everything that happened during this time. But there are a few matters that were recorded by certain groups.

Chao Aetate (CA)	This age deals with the 500 plus years of The Chaos. Much as with the Grand Incursion, many years are best guesses based on the context of certain stories and documents. Given that many are uncertain of the exact beginning of this age, it too was re-sequenced from year 1.
1 CA	Moloch claims the souls of thousands, beginning The Chaos.
12 CA	Yiugun returns from Underdark after hunting Illithid there, believeing they are now extinct.
18 CA	Yiugun officially declares the creation of her group of followers. This group would eventually become the Githiugum.
27 CA	Humanity officially begins hunting Foyel as traitors of the Material Plane.
33 CA	Yiugun passes, and open hostilities between the Gith begin in full.
78 CA	Foyel and Orcs ally with other elemental-touched beings against humanity. Humanity allies with elves and most dwarves in response.
251 CA	The first known appearance of the Lux Armiger..
293 CA	Drubok arises from the Underdark and begins his conquest of the plane.
309 CA	Yaogin unites the gith against Drubok.
345 CA	Yaogin uses the Mind’s Eye to slay Drubok, ending his terror.
356 CA	Gith clans declare an end to fighting.
421 CA	Kingdom of Badur officially declared.
453 CA	The First Crusade of the Lux Armiger begins against the Followers of Iden.
457 CA	Allied warrior wielding Mystic Arms combine and defeat Moloch.
468 CA	The First Crusade of the Lux Armiger end with neither side able to claim victory.
479 CA	Most historians now choose this date as the last year of The Chaos. It also is said to be the end of The Blood War. However, this is a best guess, as the historical texts about the end of the war were vague as to when exactly it ended.

During the Grand Incursion, and especially during the final years of the matter, Mendacium had recruited the assistance of both the githzerai and githyanki while looking into the matter of psionics. At the time, Mendacium was are of their internal civil feud, but had not been fully aware of the exact extent to which the two groups vilely despised one another. But though his wit and charm, Mendacium was able to get them to cooperate.

Truthfully, the two groups in question had presence on the Material Plane for much of the Grand Incursion. The groups had infiltrated the depths of the Underdark in their endless pursuit of Illithid and had had run-ins previously with each other that led to have casualties for both groups. The two groups were vehemently against cooperation initially, but even they had not escaped the might of the elementals and been attacked, coerced, and in some cases scattered by them. The forces of Earth and Shadow were particularly a problem in the Underdark.

Among the groups, there was one that understood this better than others, Yiugun. To this day, no one is sure if she came from the githyanki or the githzerai. Both groups at one point claimed they sired her, but presently both disavow her as one of their own. But Yiugun was able to see beyond the line between the two branches of Gith to the greater picture. When Mendacium originally found the Gith, it was not long before many pointed him to her.

When everything was settled and The Grand Incursion was repelled, for her efforts and work, Mendacium had agreed to let Yiugun keep the Mind’s Eye. She vanished from the surface for many years initially, waging a war in the Underdark that ended the remaining Illithid of the Material Plane, and brought that ancient rebellion finally to a close. Having accomplished herself – with a few followers – what neither side of the Gith race had been able to, Yiugun’s influence among her people grew. Before she died, she had officially established the Order of the Githiugum as manes to try to bridge the divide between her people.

However, when she passed, she left a hole that no other Gith could fill, and numerous unresolved issues within the Gith Race. Likewise, some existing bad blood had been heightened, and some new conditions were making matters worse. The Githyanki, especially, had become particularly violent. Their connection to their queen had been severed by the Secluding Wall, and suddenly dozens of them were trying to assert themselves as the dominant leader of their forces on the Material Plane. In fighting in their own group began to run rampant, as some of the more malicious began to enslave other races in order to bolster their own forces.

The Githzerai accepted the Seclusion much better, but as the Illithid vanished from the Material Plane, they suddenly became a prime target for elimination among the Githyanki. The group pleaded for allies among the other races but found most were unwilling. In a morally corrupt decision, they also began taking slaves and dominating others to help defend themselves from extinction.

All of this resulted in many on both sides of the race suddenly feeling lost and no longer understanding their purpose. Some were being forced to question their morals and ethics, while others were being commanded by people they felt had no claim to their position. It caused many on both sides to flee to the Githiugum, looking for a place where things were safer and made more sense. This, in turn, turned both sides against the Githiugum – seeing them all as traitors.

The conflict between the three sides raged for much of The Chaos. It was only ended when a powerful and until then unknown alhoon by the name of Drubok rose from the deepest depths of the Underdark to try and reclaim the power and might of the former Illithid Empire. A Githiugum by the name of Yaogin stepped forward to oppose the creature. Yaogin was a direct descendant of Yiugun, and he had taken possession of the Mind’s Eye and the leadership of the group. It was he, again, who brought the warring factions together in order to lead them against the monster. And only by cooperating, were they eventually able to slay him for good – even tracking his retreat back to the depths and finding the stronghold their ancestors had missed.

When Drubok was slain, the three groups reluctantly accepted the fact that coexistence might be essential, otherwise they may not survive if something so awful were to happen again. Tensions and attitudes between them were still tense and stiff, but they all agreed to cease hostilities and settle the Material Plane while they waited for a means of returning to their previous homes. With their civil war settled, a factor of The Chaos was brought to an end.

One of the most prominent and immediate causes of The Chaos was the presence of a powerful former archdevil that was suddenly bound to the Material Plane. During the war against the elementals, Moloch had cooperated in many ways in the efforts to seal and thwart the enemy forces - often through contracts and deals. But when the plane became sealed by the Secluding Wall, he became unable to enforce many of his contracts - which relied primarily on the premise that the contracted would assist him in restoring his place in The Nine Hells.

It is not surprising that the archdevil was infuriated by the turn of events and immediately pledged retribution and demanded the payment of all his contracts. Many of the contracts he had forged had included a clause for just such an occasion, and in one fell swoop, the archdevil claimed thousands of souls – ending their lives immediately and taking their spirits for his own.

Moloch’s next act was to try and acquire the Mystic Arms themselves. Not only did he want the immense power they held for his own purposes, but he understood the key they played in maintaining the Secluding Wall. Moloch mustered his fiendish forces and launched a genocidal war against the mortals to claim the weapons for himself.

At the same time, many demons that had found themselves locked on the Material Plane worried about the archdevil amassing anymore power. As well, they vindictively wanted to thwart any effort he undertook, and they began campaigns of their own – working mostly independently to find and gain the Mystic Arms for themselves. The demons rash and chaotic nature found many of them leaping into matters they could not fully handle – especially against Moloch himself.

One of the more alarming things Moloch did accomplish during this time, though, was binding nearly every demon still on the Material Plane to a contract to serve him. His scheming and dealings from prior to the erection of the Secluding Wall had created many connections for him, and he used them to slowly gain influence over the demons still there – making deals that would eventually let them all return to the Abyss (if they so chose).

While the populations of the world had already been decimated, the archdevil is attributed with the near entire destruction of the world’s people during this time in pursuit of the weapons. Over the course of The Chaos’s duration, Moloch would occasionally gain control of a Mystic Arm only for another arms wielder to intervene and snatch it back.

One of the signs of The Chaos ending, though, was when multiple arms wielders finally united, brining the might of many of the artifacts together for the first time since the end of The Grand Inclusion and using them to destroy Moloch. The fight was said to be so massive that it created the wastes of Umbras and left much of the land their forever tainted which fiendish influence.

One of the most dominating events of The Chaos was referred to simply as The Blood War. This destructive collection of conflicts was among what many consider the last major race war and was driven by the idea that some of the world’s races did not contribute fully and equally in the resolution of The Grand Incursion. Looking back on the matter, the information that remains from the Grand Incursion does seem to suggest that most of the work was performed and driven by humanity, and this gave humanity a sense of superiority and stance of condemnation for other mortal races.

The greatest of affronts in humanity’s eyes was that of the Foyel. The foxlike humanoids were entirely uncooperative during the Grand Incursion, and many stories suggest that they actively sought to foil attempts to remove elementals from the plane and destroy attempts to target them. Some Foyel even exhibited elemental connections, such as the Arctic Foyel, which in many people’s minds proved they were traitors to the Material Plane.

When the Blood War began, it began as a war of extermination – to wipe the traitors from the world. At the beginning, the traitors were seen specifically and exclusively as The Foyel. But the infusion of elemental energy and the need to survive had created many clans and subraces that exhibited elemental traits. It was not longer before the other races began to be targeted as well.

Foyel were forced to make alliances with other races, working in a cooperative sense with others for what many believe was the first time. Their first allies were the Orcs, specifically the clans and tribes of orcs that were forced to serve the Divine Elementals during the incursion. The Orcs proved powerful allies, and both helped to keep the other from being wiped out.

As people took the logic that had been applied to the Foyel to justify genocide, it was not long before that logic could be seen to easily apply to other creatures as well. Not just elemental mutations like before, but rather the entire race. Suddenly, Humans were turning against Dwarves and Halflings, Elves were condemning Gnomes. As one can imagine, it was not long before humans also began to turn on one another; the Genasi that were now prolific in the world.

This chaotic fighting and viciousness caused what very nations and communities remained to crack and crumble. The war to rid the Material Plane of any who were touched by elemental energy prevented the world from moving on and created a world that was nearly worse off than it was before.

To this day, it is unclear what brought an end to the fighting. Some attribute it to the founding of the nation of Badur – the precursor to Agual. While never officially recorded as such, it is widely believed now that the first king of Badur was a Water Genasi, or perhaps even a Marid in disguise. Others believe this mentality may have been influenced by Moloch, and his defeat may have naturally allowed the hysteria to fade. Either way, by the time The Chaos ended, most elemental beings were no longer being targeted or attacked, and were even welcome in society.

As the primary factors of The Chaos began to close themselves out, the world began to truly recover. It was near the end of The Chaos that the beginnings of The Nine Nations began to form. At the time, those lands were still filled with dozens, if not hundreds of separate states – each with their own rulers and cultures. But despite the active attempts that had been made to eliminate the influences of the elemental forces, their impact on the world remained powerful.

The Chaos had created segmentation in the world, and people stopped sharing a Common tongue. The standard language that had helped them in the past had been shattered by The Grand Incursion and The Chaos. People had unwittingly begun to incorporate a plethora of foreign terms, words, and phrases into their speech – most of these coming from the various elemental tongues their one-time masters and destroyers had forced upon them.

As The Chaos settled, and as nations began to solidify, it became clear that there was no longer a Common tongue. Instead, a Material Plane dialect of each of the elemental languages had become common, being spoken fluently. These dialects all tended to be congregated in regains and areas where the language’s originating force had once occupied.

The world, as it does, learned to adapt in its own ways. People feeling a need to communicate with outsiders again began to learn bits of other languages, and though hard, international relationships began to form once more. Over the next few centuries, these language barriers would help form many of The Nine Nations while also helping to fuel future conflicts.

Following the times known as The Chaos, the world began to actually rebuild, and people and society began to take hold on the Material Plane once more. The beginnings of what are now The Nine Nations began to form. Much happened in the two thousand years that followed, bringing us to today. Much of that information is covered in more detail in the history of each Nation, as can be seen on The Nine Nations page.

But I will attempt to summerize the basics of the world's history in the next few sections. If you would like to know more about the specifics of any event, you should read more in the dedicated sections of each Nation's page under that nation's history. Following the completion of The Chaos, the world entered the New Age, or Novua Aetate. With this change, the world restarted their year from Year 1, moving forward until the present year of 2179.

Novua Aetate (NA)	This is the present era, current year is 2179.
3 NA	The Region of Nox considered officially established.
4 NA	The Followers of Theod settle the Theod region.
34 NA	The Kingdom of Scamall is stabalized, fulling under the uncontested rule of King Karlin Scamall.
46 NA	Thwenla the Witch conquers Galan lands and forms the Kingdom of Gala.
49 NA	The Followers of Theod begin counter-conversion efforts on the Guarisian Plains.
56 NA	Thwenla the Witch and King Karlin lauches plans to undermine one another in their own lands, leading to the Scamall-Gala War.
58 NA	Feothan declares independance from Scamall.
69 NA	Breith declares independance from Scamall.
81 NA	Gorm declares independance from Gala.
87 NA	The Scamall-Gala War comes to an end with Scamall and Gala shattered. Portions of Scamall splinter into Breith, Feothan, and part of Siorradh. Likewise, Gala loses lands that become Gorm, Aberg, and the rest of Siorradh.
91 NA	Aberg seperates from Gorm, becoming independant.
100 NA	Morrigna rises to head of Foreglise; declare all her followers are protected as part of the Sylphe.
121 NA	Osada begins trading with the people of the Guarisian Plains.
201 NA	The Knight begins The Umbral Rebellion in Nox.
216 NA	Umbral Rebellion ends. Fiends banished to the Underdark. Umbras founded.
216NA	Sylphe Region spreads through Feylei Forest, despite claims the lands belong to other nations.
217 NA	The former southern regions of Nox are engulfed in fighting between Fire and Earth Elementals.
218 NA	The nations of Anfa, Verdociel, Buaic, and Treimhse form from the remnants of Nox that do not join Umbras.
259 NA	The Efreeti Shula founds the nation of Ignis under her control in the northern portions of the Shakari Desert.
262 NA	The Dao Yushimin founds the nation of Lapis under his control in the southern portions of the Shakari Desert and Feylei Forest.
298 NA	The Iden-Armiger Cease-fire ends. The Second Crusade Begins.
317 NA	Rakfin Ironborn declares himself the first Iron King, and the Guarisian Plains under his portection.
322 NA	Guarisia, The Iron Kingdom, is founded on the Guarisian Plains.
421 NA	The Kingdom of Waves attempts to enslave all Feothan refugees, instigating the War of Waves.
433 NA	The Second Crusade ends with the death of Iden.
434 NA	The Frozen Wilds erupt in Civil War as the Followers of Iden splinter following her death.
445 NA	The Kingdom of Waves collapses. Two new nations emerge from the ruins: Arantilde and Emishia.
507 NA	Alliastain arrives in Maramea. Forges deal with leader of city.
526 NA	Hide-Mora War begins.
533 NA	Maramea’s rule falls to Alliastain.
534 NA	Leaders of Umbral States make deal with Alliastain
536 NA	Satsura invades Hide, enraging Osada and Tanodaiga.
537 NA	Satsura forges pact with the Storm Giants as they attack Tanodaiga and Osada.
539 NA	Oji Tanemora convinces Ararargi and Edoshin to declare war against Osada and Satsura.
540 NA	The War of the Seven Kingdoms begins.
678 NA	Fayudan, wielder of the Swell of Atlantis, arrives and frees Gangkou from Lapis rule, beginning Fayudan Rebellion.
680 NA	The Holy Lands erupt in civil war.
693 NA	Fayudan strikes down Yushimin, ending his rule and freeing Lapis.
695 NA	Fayudan marshalls his forces to march on Ignis, uniting the now free lands of Lapis behind him.
700 NA	Sir Arneth Aural betrays Queen of Gala, Elincia Gala, killing her in her sleep before he is caught and executed.
701 NA	Marticia Gala coronated new queen of Gala.
702 NA	Fayudan defeats Shula and frees Ignis from Efreeti rule. Fayudan becomes the first person to weild two Mystic Arms at once.
706 NA	Sir Arneth returns as a Death Knight, raising an army of Undead in an apparent bid to destroy Gala's royal family.
707 NA	Prince Rengan of Scamall rides to the aide of Queen Marticia, wielding the Sun's Guard.
708 NA	The Holy Lands appear to split into two seperate nations of Solar and Luchent as the Civil War continues.
710 NA	Fayudan formally unites the cities and peoples of Ignis and Lapis, creating the new nation of Nars. Alhara is declared first Sultana.
711 NA	Prince Rengan leads Auran Kingdoms to finally slay the Death Knight, Arneth, and end his rampage.
712 NA	The Kingdom of Gaoth leaves the Orkan Confederacy, joinin the Sylphe.
712 NA	Prince Rengan calls for an alliance of all Auran Kingdoms to help rebuild and recover.
727 NA	Alhara dies of a deadly disease. Fayudan returns to Nars and finally agrees to lead, establishing the Fayudan Sultanate.
730 NA	Arngrim defeats Starkad, subjugating the Thors Clan of Jokull.
732 NA	Articales of Orkan Confederation signed by all Auran Kingdoms. Prince Rengan becomes first Orkan Sovereign of Orkan Confederacy.
735 NA	Arngrim defeats Bjark, subjugating the Hivgaria Clan of Jokull.
739 NA	Arashi begins his war for Unification, uniting the fractured people of the Seven Kingdoms.
743 NA	Arngrim officially unites the clans of Iden once more, officially founding the nation of Jokull.
762 NA	Arashi no Kuni founded, led by the first Shogun, Arashi Sengoku.
798 NA	Luchent conquers Solar, and reunites the Holy Lands - officially founding Luchent.
834 NA	King Sylvar II of Guarisia begins Barkgan Conflict with Luchent.
840 NA	Narsian soldiers covertly invade Sylphe lands to conquer them.
845 NA	King Sylvar II of Guarisia creates the Barakgan Cliffs with the Earthcrusher and ends the Barakgan Conflict.
845 NA	Narsian soldiers assault Marécage, plundering religious artifacts.
846 NA	Sylphe people and Fey take Récupéré back from Narsian invaders. The Burning Lands War begins (Nars v Sylphe)
858 NA	Inari-nushi no Senso; Shogun Arashi tries to destroy the Storm Giants. Ends with Storm Giants being made citizens of Arashi.
887 NA	Sylphe attacks Umbras lands, drawing them into the Burning Lands War.
889 NA	Umbras captures Alnaar Alfidiya region from Nars. Nars declares war on Umbras.
899 NA	Sylphe signs peace treaty with Umbras, ending Umbral involvement in the Burning Lands War
937 NA	Tamtu-Pa War (Badur v Sylphe)
951 NA	The Burning Lands War ends. Sylphe is forced to settle the war as the Badurian blockade makes supplies scarcer.
1027 NA	Lux Armiger begin attempts to spread their message in Arashi.
1033 NA	Shogun Arashi murders Lux Armiger ambassadors after feeling insulted by their words, beginning the Third Crusade.
1110 NA	Sea King Badur IX ends Agual isolationism.
1113 NA	Morrigna attributed with summoning storm that decimated Badur navy.
1114 NA	Tamtu-Pa War officially ends.
1175 NA	With the help of the Storm Giants and The Shatter Spark, Arashi no Kuni decimates the armies of Luchent and ends the Third Crusade.
1216 NA	Darisam Rebellion ends the Kingdom of Badur. Agual officially created, replacing the Kingdom of Badur.
1245 NA	Emishia refugees attempt to immigrate to the Theod Region on Orientum.
1301 NA	Open hostilities begin between Emishia immigrants and the Theod Clan of Jokull.
1326 NA	The War of Terraformation begins when the Ironclast Empire forcibly annexes the Theod Region of Jokull.
1407 NA	King Ayern I ascends to the Guarisian Throne. Begins Kingdoms path toward militarism.
1414 NA	Guarisia invades the Holy Lands, capturing multiple cities overnight and dragging Luchent into the War of Terraformation.
1415 NA	Guarisia declares itself the Ironclast Empire. King Ayren becomes the first Emperor of the Ironclast Emprie.
1421 NA	Arashijin nationals begin joining the Ironclast army to fight Luchent.
1426 NA	The clans of Jokull unite with the Lux Armiger to stand against the Ironclast Empire.
1496 NA	Arashijin nationals are suddenly removed from the Ironclast army.
1502 NA	Shogun Inazaki declares war on the Ironclast Empire by attacking the capital of Maderad and joining the Luchent Alliance.
1534 NA	Mukhtarea invents black powder.
1627 NA	Nars begins lucrative trade with Ironclast through Agual for their Black powder in an exclusive contract.
1671 NA	Umbral Reformation.
1683 NA	Secretly, Arashi no Kuni sneaks into Nars and forms a deal to start reciving Black Powder as well.
1696 NA	Agualian forces destroy the Orkan ship of Auran Fuadar, beginning the Fuadar War.
1699 NA	Agual annexes what is now known as the Mermaid’s Hook, conquering this land from the Orkan Confederacy.
1750 NA	Fuadar War ends. Agual and Orkan Confederacy declare peace. Ironclast Empire conquers the island of Ruqu, taking it from Agual. Agual entered the War of Terraformation.
1772 NA	Agual reaches an agreement with the Ironclast Empire and withdraws from War of Terraformation.
1781 NA	First cases of The Creeping Death are reported in Jokull.
1797 NA	Luchent kills Emperor Sylvar, preventing the capture of Cicelo and preserving their nation's existence.
1801 NA	The Creeping Death plague spreads across most of the world, decimating the world's population.
1806 NA	Decimated by the Creeping Death, the Ironclast Empire ends their expansion, ending the War of Terrformation.
1856 NA	Dirken Shoals creates and begins distributing cure for Creeping Death.
1864 NA	The Creeping Death largely elimnated from the world.
1878 NA	Agual Begins its Magical Renaissance.
1882 NA	Nemed leaves Sylphe - finds and returns with cure for The Creeping Death.
1887 NA	Arashi no Kuni enters their Kagaku period.
1891 NA	The Creeping Death eliminated in Sylphe lands. Nemed honored by Morrigna.
1920 NA	Lusach founded.
2158 NA	Agual’s Magical Renaissance ends.