Foreword by Haliveris Halvorson
As a scholar dedicated to uncovering the truths often forgotten in the dust of history, it is my duty to ensure that the events of the Bloodtide Wars are preserved in all their complexity. Too often, tales of valor and sacrifice are streamlined for the convenience of storytellers, omitting the harsh realities and difficult decisions that shaped the course of history. In my research, I have found that no conflict embodies this duality more than the war between Tir Volen, Bravøllr, and the terrible rise of The Bloodtide. In these pages, I have endeavored to piece together the full story, including the heroism, the betrayals, and the grim sacrifices that allowed us to live in a world no longer dominated by the lycanthropic curse.
This account is a reminder that history is not a simple matter of good versus evil, but rather the unfolding of events shaped by the people who lived them. Let this story stand as a testament to those who fought, fell, and survived the Bloodtide Wars, so that future generations may understand the weight of their legacy.
The Bloodtide Wars
The Bloodtide Wars represent one of the most harrowing and mysterious conflicts in the history of Avanté. While much has been told of the valor and sacrifice on both sides, many of the deeper truths have been buried beneath layers of myth, omission, and misunderstanding. In this account, I strive to uncover the full scale of the events that brought two of Avanté’s mightiest realms—Tir Volen and Bravøllr—into an uneasy but essential alliance against a surge of lycanthropic power.
Origins of the Scourge
The origins of The Bloodtide are as elusive as they are troubling. The lycanthropic curse, though long known in Avanté since the Convergence, had never before posed a unified threat to the realm. The sudden explosion of lycanthrope numbers was not gradual, but immediate, as if some hidden power had awakened them.
Scholars and mystics alike have speculated that these were not ordinary lycanthropes but were influenced by the mysterious powers of Nytheris, the moon whose erratic path is known to bring chaos. Some posit a dark force from the Feywilds near Lysillwen had sought to harness this power, while others whisper of secret, underground covens. Whatever the cause, the Bloodtide swept through Avanté with savage efficiency.
At their head was The Found, an enigmatic and powerful Werebear who commanded unwavering loyalty from his followers. Under him, The Bloodtide functioned as a war machine, with two fearsome divisions: The Howling Legion, the bloodthirsty warriors of the lycanthropes, and the more sinister Nightclaws, a group of assassins trained in stealth and lethal efficiency.
The First Signs of Conflict
The first major attacks came from the remote regions of Tir Volen and Bravøllr, where isolated villages reported lycanthropic attacks that wiped out entire populations or transformed survivors into savage beasts. At first, each nation responded independently, unsure of the true scale of the threat. Stormwatch Keep, once a proud bastion overlooking the Iron Sea, fell within weeks, marking one of the earliest major defeats for Tir Volen. Its ruins now stand as a testament to the terror that swept the north.
It wasn’t long before these isolated attacks escalated into full-scale assaults, and both kingdoms realized that what they faced was no ordinary band of lycanthropes. The turning point came with the Battle of Moonlight Meadow, the bloodiest and most chaotic early engagement.
The Battle of Moonlight Meadow
Moonlight Meadow, nestled deep in the Fangmournes of the Wild Span, became the site of one of the war’s defining moments. The forces of Tir Volen, led by King Prestor Valian III, had gathered to repel what they assumed was a rogue band of lycanthropes. Unbeknownst to them, they were marching into the jaws of The Bloodtide’s full strength. Outnumbered and overwhelmed, Valian’s forces suffered heavy losses as The Howling Legion tore through their lines.
It was at this moment that the tide of history shifted. Hrimgar, the Thojkel Warlord of Bravøllr, arrived with reinforcements, having tracked the movements of The Bloodtide from the north. His army, composed of Jotunspawn and berserkers, crashed into the flanks of The Howling Legion, saving the Volenic forces from complete annihilation. The battle raged through the night, with the full moon illuminating the blood-soaked meadow as lycanthrope and mortal clashed in primal fury.
Though no side claimed a decisive victory that night, the battle marked the beginning of the alliance between Tir Volen and Bravøllr. King Valian and Hrimgar, despite their differences, recognized the necessity of joining forces against this greater threat.
The Formation of the Alliance
In the wake of Moonlight Meadow, an uneasy truce between Tir Volen and Bravøllr gave birth to a fragile alliance. King Prestor Valian III and Hrimgar, though personally at odds, began coordinating their military efforts. Valian’s human armies were bolstered by forces from Bamak-Vel, the dwarven city that provided both weapons and warriors skilled in combating monstrous foes. The Genasi of Estranath, seeing the tides of war rising, also lent their strength to the allied forces, their elemental powers proving invaluable in key battles. Together, these nations mounted a campaign to crush The Bloodtide before it could overrun the continent.
Despite the unified front, internal tensions simmered. Valian and Hrimgar disagreed on tactics and logistics, and their fiery personalities often led to bitter arguments. One notable clash occurred after a skirmish near Fangshade Pass, where Valian accused Hrimgar of risking the alliance with reckless tactics. The two nearly came to blows, and Valian threatened war against Bravøllr once the lycanthrope threat was over. It would take another sacrifice to mend the rift between them.
Key Battles
As the war raged on, several key battles shaped the course of the conflict. One such engagement was the Siege of Ironcross Bastion, a heavily fortified keep on the border of northern Tir Volen. The Bloodtide had laid siege to the keep for weeks, their relentless assaults pushing the defenders to the brink of collapse. Dwarven engineers from Bamak-Vel played a crucial role in holding the fort, deploying advanced siege weaponry that had been modified to counter lycanthropic strength. When the combined forces of Tir Volen and Bravøllr arrived, the keep was liberated, and the lycanthropes were pushed back into the Wild Span.
In another fierce encounter, The Battle of the Silver Marshes, the elemental powers of the Genasi clashed with the Nightclaws. The Nightclaws had planned a surprise raid on the allied command, but the keen senses of the Genasi detected the ambush before it could unfold. The elemental warriors turned the tide, channeling water and earth magic to trap the Nightclaws in the marshes, drowning many of the assassins. This battle crippled The Bloodtide’s ability to coordinate assassinations and sapped the morale of their stealth forces.
Despite these victories, the war’s progress was slow and costly. The lycanthropes were not easily contained, and every victory seemed to birth new losses elsewhere.
The Betrayal of Ithran Silverfang
In the final years of the war, a fracture appeared within The Bloodtide itself. Ithran Silverfang, The Found’s most trusted champion and a figure of great renown among the lycanthropes, grew weary of the endless bloodshed. Despite his fearsome reputation, Ithran began to question the endless drive to turn and kill, seeing his people slaughtered in wave after wave with no clear end in sight. His disillusionment reached its peak after a crushing defeat at The Howl's Edge, where The Howling Legion was decimated by a joint assault from the dwarves of Bamak-Vel and the Thojkel berserkers of Bravøllr.
At this moment of despair, Ithran made a decision that would forever change the course of history. Turning against The Found, he rallied others to his side, offering them a vision of survival over slaughter. His defection was swift and decisive—his forces struck at the heart of The Bloodtide, ambushing their own kin in a final act of rebellion. The betrayal shattered the lycanthropic army, driving many into hiding.
Ithran’s actions remain a topic of debate among historians. Was he a hero seeking to save his people from self-destruction, or a coward turning his back on a cause he no longer believed in? In either case, his betrayal ensured the downfall of The Bloodtide. Though the war dragged on for several more months, The Found’s power was broken, and the lycanthropic scourge was all but defeated.
Hrimgar’s Stand
It was during these final months that one of the war’s greatest sacrifices occurred. Hrimgar, always a man of great honor and ferocity, made his final stand at what is now known as Hrimgar’s Stand. After a brutal battle that left much of the Bravøllr forces in disarray, Hrimgar and a small company of elite Jotunspawn warriors chose to hold the line, giving the retreating allied forces time to escape through a narrow mountain pass.
The battle was fierce, and though Hrimgar and his warriors fought valiantly, they were ultimately overwhelmed by The Bloodtide’s remnants. His sacrifice, however, saved countless lives and allowed the allied forces to regroup and press their final assault on The Bloodtide’s dwindling numbers.
Though King Prestor Valian III and Hrimgar had often clashed, Valian personally honored Hrimgar after the war, enshrining him in the Hall of Heroes in The Seat—a rare honor for a non-Volenic warrior.
The Aftermath
The defeat of The Bloodtide came with a mixture of relief and lingering fear. While The Found vanished without a trace, rumors of his fate continued to circulate. Some claimed he was a pawn of darker forces, while others insisted he was the mastermind behind an even greater scheme. To this day, his name is spoken in whispers, and the true extent of his ambitions remains a mystery.
Lycanthropy, though feared and reviled, persisted in Avanté, though in smaller, more controlled pockets. Many who were afflicted chose exile or death rather than face the societal consequences of being labeled as monsters.
The war against The Bloodtide, while devastating, also reshaped Avanté’s political landscape. The alliance between Tir Volen and Bravøllr endured beyond the war, and no formal battles between them have occurred since. The moon Nytheris, long associated with chaos and lycanthropy, remains a symbol of fear and respect across the land.
In the end, the Bloodtide Wars are a reminder of the delicate balance between fate, magic, and the primal forces of Avanté. Though the lycanthropic scourge was vanquished, the true legacy of that war lingers in the hearts of the people, in the moonlit nights where fear and reverence intertwine.
Closing Remarks by Haliveris Halvorson
Though the Bloodtide has long since faded into history, its echoes still resonate in our world today. The scars of that war run deep in the lands of Tir Volen and Bravøllr, and the moons above remind us of the unpredictable power of nature and magic. The heroes who rose to confront the lycanthropic scourge are not merely names in our books; they were real people, with strengths and flaws, whose decisions continue to shape the fate of Avanté.
In the end, the true legacy of the Bloodtide Wars may lie not in the battles themselves, but in the uneasy alliances forged, the lessons learned, and the knowledge that even in our darkest hours, we have the power to turn the tide—be it through sword, spell, or sacrifice.
I leave this record not as a glorification of violence, but as a tribute to the resilience of our people, and as a warning to those who forget the past: chaos and darkness are never truly gone, they only lie in wait for their moment to return.
Scholar Haliveris Halvorson, Seeker of Forgotten Histories
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