The Elder War was a protracted war between the
Illithid and
Dragons of
Aesalia though some scholars would later connect it to the prior genocide of
Giants and occasional conflicts with the
Aboleth,
Tarrasque and
Kraken peoples.
The war took part across
Aesalia with many
Illithid leaving the
Underdark to fight above ground though the vast majority of the battles did take part against the
Illithid hives.
Though records are difficult to acquire early into the war the
Illithid discovered that they could, through a powerful concentrated burst of psionic will, grant higher sentience to the thrall creatures of the
Draconic Imperium. Though designed to not think and act with intelligence the interference of the
Illithid allowed the
mer to gain awareness of themselves leading to a series of slave revolts and rebellions that crippled the
Imperium.
The war came to a conclusion with a largely decisive victory for the
Draconic Imperium whose domination of the
Underdark and other underground domains was enforced through
dwarven thralls and other such minions. The
Illithid largely survived in isolated
hives that existed beyond the scope and threat of the
dragons facing a swift death where they dared to show themselves too openly.
The final stroke of the Elder War was however a grand release of
psionic energy by a gathering of doomed
Elder Minds. The release was potent enough to spread through the entirety of
Aesalia releasing from their thralldom all of the
mer and projecting into their minds images of all the atrocities committed unto them by their
draconic overlords. This led to the final great revolt which would destroy the
Draconic Imperium forcing the
dragons to flee to
Zakahith.
The Conflict
Prelude
As the Draconic Imperium spread across Aesalia creating the Great Cities as strongholds of its majesty. It was only natural then that the creatures that commanded the air and, following the culling of the giants, the land would turn to seek power below. Driven largely by a desire for more arcanum which had become central to draconic life the Draconic Imperium began to explore below and encountered the expansive Illithid Hive which began dominating the minds of its minions and subverting them to their own hive will.
Seeking the arcanum below and fearing the Illithid would find means to dominate their own wills the Draconic Imperium began destroying Illithid hives wherever they could find them. As the pain of lost hives rippled through the interconnected hive-minds of the Illithid the skirmishes soon escalated into open warfare.
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