The Purge

Beginning as a hunt for traitorous arcanists belonging to the Alabaster Council, the Purge escalated over a number of years into an all-out civil war that raged through all of Harental.

The Conflict

Prelude

Inciting Incident: Attack on the Imperial Family

During the wedding reception of Emperor Soros Brunsvolde's youngest daughter, an attack was made on the imperial family. Several wizards of the White Council who had been invited to the festivities - as was proper in that time - began a devastating, indiscriminate attack against the guests, specifically targeting the Emperor and his family. This attack resulted in the deaths of the empress, Dania Brunsvolde, the emperor's eldest son and heir as well as his son, two of his daughters - including the daughter for which the reception was for -, and four of his grandchildren. The wife of Soros' second son, Princess Saewyn of Calenard, and the newly wed Altan Finnson of Jotunar were also among the many dead.

Hunting the White Council

In rage and retaliation for this act against his family and citizens he declared the White Council, formerly a trusted organization within the lands of the Empire, traitors and enemies of the state. Noble houses of Aestara rallied their personal armies alongside the Imperial Legion, as several of them were connected to the imperial family through marriages. Calenard and the Highland marshaled their own show of force having lost their princess and a highly respected jarl's son in the attack. Led by Emeric Brunsvolde, second son and General of the Legion, the armies crashed down upon the White Council's main headquarters just outside Vanne Gate, Castle Helmont. The armies took no prisoners, but found that there were few there to take. The few Council members who occupied the fortress fought back futilely, but several of the members had already fled from the place in the several days it took for the armies to march on the place.
A full-fledged inquisition began to seek out members of the White Council and bring them to judgement, and for almost two years following the fall of Castle Helmont wizards were hunted for their affiliation with the traitorous Council.
None objected to this action, noting the horrid manner of the assassination against a then respected Emperor. Calenard, as a whole, has always been wary of the arcane, distrusting any who learn to mold reality to their whim simply by learning to manipulate it as wizards did. The Jotunar on the other hand had no specific qualms with arcanists, but the loss of one of their jarl's sons in a cowardly attack required a blood payment.

Tensions Rise, Hostilities Grow

The longer it took to hunt the White Council members, the more desperate and paranoid the Emperor became, and the less those who hunted the rogue mages cared for the true allegiance of those they found, often finding any arcanist they could convincingly blame and taking them to burn or hang for the reward. Witch-hunters became commonplace as full-scale armies were unnecessary for the majority of this time. These transients traveled from town to town plying their "skills" in finding secret mages, some were even called upon by officials and leaders. Many of these "professionals" were opportunists, while others truly believed their calling regardless of their accuracy.
The growing fear among the people only proved to escalate the hostilities more. Rumors of trusted mage towers, schools of magic, temples, and even citizens giving sanctuary to the lost members of the Council drove the wedge further, leading to the introduction of purge camps. These settlements would hold those suspected of magical talent as well as those who supported or hid them. Eventually the majority of who they held were people born with minor magical talent or seen as prone to dealing with magics due to their ancestry (tieflings, orcish (including half-orc), djinnborn, and even some elves. This caused a further schism between the citizens of the Empire and it's territories with more people fighting back against the regulations being continually pushed on the people. Several of the targeted started attempting to leave the Imperial borders by ship or crossing into Tol'Galen. This was met with increased distrust from the Empire, pushing beliefs that fleeing meant they were guilty.
It wasn't long after that the conflict reached it's breaking point. Aestaran forces marched on the city of Everdeep at the Emperor's request with the objective of dismantling the Tower of Magi that stood there. None know the reason, the tower had made no moves for or against the current hostilities likely hoping to avoid the conflict altogether. The city fell after several days when the Narellan Navy arrived to attack the city via the harbor. This move caused an uproar and led to a full-scale civil war that would ravage the Northlands for the next three years.

Deployment

Armies formed on the side of the Imperial edict as well as the side of rebellion in all territories, causing infighting among them all. Aestara, being the most loyal to the Emperor and holding several still angry lords as the heads of it's greater cities and military, was the most cohesive, putting down rebellions in their territory quickly before moving into their neighboring regions.
Calenard and Jotunar were, ironically enough, the least supportive of the Purge's continuation. Narel was loyal, as it has been for centuries, to the coin of Aestara, but even they ignored much of the Imperial edicts regarding the Purge within their own lands when they could get away with it, choosing instead to deploy their sizable naval force at the Empire's request. Vanheim was torn on the issue, but with it's strong ties to Aestara, it eventually fell in line.

Battlefield

Notable Battles:

• Siege of Everdeep and the Fall of the Tower of the Magi
• The Fall of Granlath - A rebel assault on the purge camp in the far northern regions of Vanheim where Dracia now sits.
• Storm Tower, Jotun Highlands - The failed assault on the Jotun fortress amidst the mountains devastated the Aestaran forces.

Conditions

Those persecuted during the Purge were either on the run or in encampments where they were kept in barely livable conditions. Some rumors from those times say they used those in the encampments as test subjects, but it is unknown how true that is.
Those who attempted to escape had to make their way either by boat or Saewyn's Crossing into Tol'Galen. After a time Gaklin stopped accepting refugees from Aestara and many made their way either further south or across the Ophidian Ocean to the land of Lithria. This was not always as easy as it should have been, for with such chaos came those who would take advantage of it. Several pirates from the Floating City posed as merchant or smuggler ships ready to take refugees to safety when in fact they took them to be sold on the slave markets. Those who did make it to foreign places safely found them difficult to find acceptance among many places, often taken advantage of due to their desperation.

The Engagement

The battles fought during the Purge were a toss up between structured, formal battle and sieges, and guerrilla tactics.

Outcome

Ultimately, the Purge only ended due to the actions of the Emperor's son Magnar Brunsvolde who grew tired of the constant infighting and deteriorating mental state of his father. He formed a coop, overthrowing his father and taking the throne for himself, as he was now the rightful heir with both brothers dead. The unrest did not relent however.

Aftermath

The new Emperor, Magnar, spent several decades after the Purge attempting to mend the bonds broken during his father's Purge to limited extent. He was able to quell continued rebellion that followed the Purge on both sides. He was able to keep the Empire as one. But it was never the same. The distrust outside of Aestara continued and several rebellions attempted to form and had to be quelled. Magic of the arcane nature became outlawed in most places with the exception of Vanheim as a gesture of good will toward their newly formed neighbor Dracia. Superstition surrounding tieflings, orcs, and genasi remained in Aestara in full and in its other territories as well in part.
Several religious orders were denounced after the Purge was over. Some lost connection with their deities all together.
The god of the new sun, Lathander, disappeared during this time. The followers of Lathander were especially brutal during the Purge and before the end of the conflict their god was lost to them.
The favor of the Grandfather Dragon fell away from Aestara, City of the Gods, early on in the Purge. The Golden Tree of Atel grayed and withered, it's once shining golden bark tarnished, a sign of the displeasure of Bahamut. It has yet to bloom since.
Dracia was formed in the far northern area of Vanheim as a refuge for those who support the arcane.

Historical Significance

Legacy

Soros Brunsvold is called by many outside the Imperial borders by the moniker "The Purge Emperor" or "The Mad Emperor". Though Magnar Brunsvolde attempted to right the wrongs of his father he was only slightly successful and his subservient demeanor often caused him to be seen as weak. The Bright Ministry gained much traction during this time as a religious organization focused on the religion of Dimdall, god of humanity and perfection, something that the Emperor attempted to quell, but fell short on. Due to this the Ministry was, especially during the end of his reign when his grandson headed it, able to act with more authority than was desired at its inception.

Technological Advancement

The necessity for holding skilled arcanists brought the need for specialized equipment to bind them and prevent them from using their abilities. Specialized shackles and other equipment was made during this time to combat them and an order of knights were formed to become specialized in such affairs. These knights still remain as the Sanctified Blades.

Conflict Type

Military Campaign

Battlefield Type

Land

Start Date

23-7-791

Ending Date

26-6-796

Conflict Result

Soros Brunsvold was overthrown. Dracia was formed.

Location

Harental