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Historical Wars
Many wars were fought on Isélyr, shaping and re-shaping the world. Some of the most notable are listed here, though there are many, many more. Adventurers thirsting for knowledge would do well to question the many inhabitants of this world if they wish to seek the truth.
Betrayal at Crescent Knoll
On the Eve of the Final Hunt, just before the Calm, the women of Crescent Knoll would leave the sanctuary of their hidden city and gather together at the Pentacle of Eilaria. Not knowing Eilaria had been imprisoned by Xaroc, the sisters thought they had angered Eilaria somehow and she, in turn, abandoned them.
For years they would pray for her return while fighting against the invading forces of Xaroc's undead army, the Phaeleros. Skirmishes would break out occasionally between the Phaeleros and the priestesses of Eilaria within E'Kraun forest, the sisters defending their woodlands valiantly and protecting the creatures which resided within the forest.
Always, they went through great lengths to keep the location of their city, Crescent Knoll, hidden from the Phaeleros. Food became scarce, harvests either withering from blight or set ablaze by the Phaeleros and hunting became increasingly difficult as they were unable to venture deeper into E'Kraun forest to hunt for game, the fear of the Phaeleros following them to their city always lingering.
This way of life could only last so long without the priestesses turning against one another. One particular priestess, K'Darthuk, grew tired of hiding. Angry with the Goddess she thought had abandoned them, and sickened at the thought of cowering from the Phaeleros, she began to speak against the kind teachings of Eilaria and managed to gather a few followers.
Over time, K'Darthuk alienated herself and her followers, eventually leaving Crescent Knoll to seek out a place of their own. They settled near a waterfall that emptied into a small, natural spring and named their village Forth Winds. It was then, during an invasion by the Phaeleros, that K'Darthuk and her followers betrayed the sisters of Eilaria.
In exchange for their lives, K'Darthuk and several of the priestesses offered to lead the Phaeleroan army to the very brinks of Crescent Knoll. Those who had refused to join the ranks of the Phaeleroan army were immediately killed.
There are stories that one priestess found shelter within a cave hidden behind the waterfalls and as she watched her sisters brutally murdered, she cried out to them. Her wails so mournful, her heart so saddened that her soul melted and forged with the waterfalls, eternally weeping for her fallen sisters.
When K'Darthuk and her women led the Phaeleroan army into Crescent Knoll, the sisters were gone, but every man and child left behind were heinously murdered; their bodies and the village set ablaze.
Even within the confines of her prison, Eilaria felt the loss of so many of her children, and became enraged at the thought of her own turning against them. During a fit of rage, so unusual for the Goddess known for her ever-lasting kindness, Eilaria lashed out against her imprisonment and for a brief moment was able to escape.
Eilaria's freedom didn't last long before Xaroc's General captured and imprisoned her once more, but those few precious moments allowed her to punish K'Darthuk and six of her followers. Still the ever-loving Goddess, Eilaria could not bring herself to kill one of her own children, but instead banished them to their own imprisonment and thus, Eilaria's Shame was born.
Dawn Of A New Age
When Xaroc escaped his imprisonment and forced his way into Isélyr, he gained entry through Iblis-Shaitan. Assisted by his Generals, Xaroc created a gate from which sprouted all of his Demonkind. As they trudged across the lands, they corroded all that they touched. The once beautiful, tropical island became a marsh filled with death and decay.
Tyrael Fynn, ruler of Iblis-Shaitan, led his Soldiers of Dawn into a fierce battle against Xaroc and his forces. For three months, Tyrael and his Soldiers held Xaroc's troops at bay, quarantining them on the small islets of Felusian Springs. This would not last long. Food rotted, the water soured, and they were cut off from any hopes of reinforcements. Xaroc's Demon Generals led a melange of overnight attacks against Tyrael. As the Soldiers fell, quickly they were risen and joined the ranks of Xaroc's undead army.
Tyrael, horrified that his men had turned against him, retreated with the few soldiers who survived and with this, Xaroc was able to wrap his claws around the bosom of Isélyr. There are stories that Xaroc's Generals eventually captured Tyrael, ripped his arms and head from his body and his ghastly shade is eternally damned to wander the isle of Iblis-Shaitan, seeking vengeance. Still, other stories say he managed to survive, hiding within the beach caverns of Felusia Springs.
The Fall of Gorand
When Xaroc first came to Isélyr, the village of Le'Chery was part of the vast Kingdom of Gorand, ruled by Aleric and his Elven wife, Sela of Chemosh. Aleric was on his deathbed and the Queen had just died giving birth to his only heir. Unwilling to accept the half-breed child to be their ruler, the King's adviser, Ethan d'Tremblaigne, ordered the child's assassination upon the King's death.
There was a young soldier, Ramel Seyntaubeyn, who was fiercely loyal to the King. When he learned of Ethan's plans, he contrived a plan to usher the infant child back to the homelands of its mother where the child would stay until it was of age and able to return to reclaim the throne. Five of his most trusted comrades accompanied him and each swore fealty to the newborn heir, promising to return to the village and escort the child back to Gorand. Each comrade was given a medallion; the symbol of a sword and scythe crossed over a sheaf of wheat with the twin moons in the background etched into the front. Thus the Order of the New Dawn was formed.
It wasn't long before Ethan discovered the plans of Ramel and his companions. Ramel was arrested in his home, taken to the Market Square of what is now Le'Chery, and was executed. His companions all met the same fate. Ramel's daughter had managed to hide herself beneath a merchant's cart and witnessed the entire ordeal.
Many years later, Ramel's daughter, Ursula, found her father's medallion hidden within the many scrolls he had kept in the library of his keep. Ethan had allowed Ursula and her mother to keep their titles and lands, though he and his court would grow fat off the blood, sweat, and tears of Ursula's people. Immersing herself within the collection of grimoires and tomes her father kept hidden in his library, Ursula turned to the Dark Arts for help. During her studies, she happened across her father's Medallion and her fate was set into motion.
She found the other heirs to the lost medallions and together, they kept the promise their fathers' had made and returned to the Chemoan village. A pact between the Elven village in Chemosh and the Sisters of Eilaria had been forged during this time. The Order of the New Dawn sent an emissary to the Sisters of Eilaria asking for their aid in returning the heir to Gorand and reclaim the throne. Ilsabet Melarne answered the call for help and led her Sisters, along with the small army that Ursula managed to gather, against the Kingdom of Gorand.
Expecting to have the upperhand, Ilsabet and her troops were astonished to find that not only did Ethan know about their plans to attack the castle, but had already managed to gather his own forces and were awaiting her arrival. Many were lost that day, on both sides, but Ethan and his army rose triumphantly from the battlefield. Mortally wounded, Melarne found herself left amongst the dead, tottering on the brink of this world and the next and could do nothing but watch as Ethan's warriors captured Ursula and the heir. Sura Kzula, the High Mother of Fourth Winds, found Melarne and took her back to the Felyne community, nursing the fallen warrior to full health.
Ursula and the heir were taken to the Market Square. Captivated by Ursula's beauty and stunning countenance on the battlefield, Ethan gave her a proposal. Should she agree to wed him, the heir would be released and allowed to return to the Elven village, banished from Gorand. Ursula quickly agreed and the pair were wed. Though she married Ethan, Ursula's refusal to consummate the marriage over the course of the next few months infuriorated him and when she finally rescinded to his wishes, she had proven to remain barren. In retaliation, he had her attendants awaken her bright and early one morning and escorted to the Market Square.
To her horror, Ursula found that the heir had not, in fact, been released as Ethan had promised, but the child was now in the center of the Square. The girl's neck, arms, and legs were bound with tethers that were tied to the saddles of five horses. As Ursula opened her mouth to utter her protestation, Ethan gave the order and the horses' riders ripped the child's body apart. Appalled, Ursula's mind stumbled into a world of insanity and, overtaking a guard, she wrestled his sword from his grip and moved to attack Ethan. Instead of killing him, she plunged the sword into her belly and as she fell into his arms dying, she informed him she was with child. Ethan's hopes for an heir died with his bride that day. Ethan, himself, fell to Melarne's blade in another raid the Elder Priestess led against him.
