The Fey Fall
The Zurica continent
In the Classical Era, Zurica was a continent of constantly changing politics. Only the nations along the coasts remained mostly stable:
• the South and Southwest, the united city states of the Greza orcs with their impressive fleet;
• the North and Northwest, the industrious and advanced dwarven citadels of Torenrig;
• in between them, the vast desert of the Trumoia Basin, divided up in a hierarchy of dragons; and
• the coast to the East, held under the name Alothlien, a conclave of elven sovereigns.
The middle of the continent, however, has seen numerous kingdoms and empires come and go. Some lasted decades, others mere weeks. Its people were strongly divided in politics and culture, class and race, ideals and values. War was a constant presence.
The beginning of the Fey Fall
An apocalypse, later dubbed the Fey Fall, is the clear end marker of the Classical Era. There is little historical evidence remaining of the events leading up to the Fey Fall. The only proven facts are that:
(1) there was a war between the kingdoms of Astora and Cannem,
(2) this war involved the blue dragons of the Trumoia Basin, and
(3) the war ended in catastrophe.
The rending of the Veil
In a display of terrible power, a lightning storm befell specifically the Astorian capital, Atora. Then all that magical lightning gathered in one spot tore the Ethereal Veil between the planes. Instantly, local magic became chaotic and radicalized. There were explosions, distortions of time and space, and rampant elemental energy. The entire capital was ruined within hours. And in the following weeks, many more would perish in a wider range.
The encroaching jungle
Within a day, a dense Fey jungle had spread from the tear across a radius of 10 kilometers. Any attempts to hold the jungle at bay with axes and fire, were met with even more aggressive growth. Both plant and beast emerged from the rift to claim new territory and take the lives of all that stood in their way, livestock and humanoid alike. Death toll estimates for the first weeks of the Fey Fall range between 65% and 80% of the existing population in the middle of the continent.
The end of the growth
The jungle stopped growing approximately 7 weeks after the rending of the Veil. Possible causes are the exceptionally cold winter season or the natural barriers keeping the jungle at bay: the desert in the West, the mountains in the North, the ocean in the South, and the already magically imbued lands of Alothlien in the East. But by then, the jungle stretched across an area of approximately 350 km radius.
Settlement after the Fey Fall
The coastal countries of Zurica remained mostly unscathed and still exist today. They have a rich history, albeit divided from each other due to the jungle being uncharted and dangerous terrain to cross. Almost all historical archives from the centre of the continent were lost. The Fey jungle had eradicated most of the humanoid population within its boundaries. During the winter, the chaotic magic settled and became predictable again. The jungle no longer retaliated the gathering of resources. And so survivors gained a foothold.
In the Classical Era, Zurica was a continent of constantly changing politics. Only the nations along the coasts remained mostly stable:
• the South and Southwest, the united city states of the Greza orcs with their impressive fleet;
• the North and Northwest, the industrious and advanced dwarven citadels of Torenrig;
• in between them, the vast desert of the Trumoia Basin, divided up in a hierarchy of dragons; and
• the coast to the East, held under the name Alothlien, a conclave of elven sovereigns.
The middle of the continent, however, has seen numerous kingdoms and empires come and go. Some lasted decades, others mere weeks. Its people were strongly divided in politics and culture, class and race, ideals and values. War was a constant presence.
The beginning of the Fey Fall
An apocalypse, later dubbed the Fey Fall, is the clear end marker of the Classical Era. There is little historical evidence remaining of the events leading up to the Fey Fall. The only proven facts are that:
(1) there was a war between the kingdoms of Astora and Cannem,
(2) this war involved the blue dragons of the Trumoia Basin, and
(3) the war ended in catastrophe.
The rending of the Veil
In a display of terrible power, a lightning storm befell specifically the Astorian capital, Atora. Then all that magical lightning gathered in one spot tore the Ethereal Veil between the planes. Instantly, local magic became chaotic and radicalized. There were explosions, distortions of time and space, and rampant elemental energy. The entire capital was ruined within hours. And in the following weeks, many more would perish in a wider range.
The encroaching jungle
Within a day, a dense Fey jungle had spread from the tear across a radius of 10 kilometers. Any attempts to hold the jungle at bay with axes and fire, were met with even more aggressive growth. Both plant and beast emerged from the rift to claim new territory and take the lives of all that stood in their way, livestock and humanoid alike. Death toll estimates for the first weeks of the Fey Fall range between 65% and 80% of the existing population in the middle of the continent.
The end of the growth
The jungle stopped growing approximately 7 weeks after the rending of the Veil. Possible causes are the exceptionally cold winter season or the natural barriers keeping the jungle at bay: the desert in the West, the mountains in the North, the ocean in the South, and the already magically imbued lands of Alothlien in the East. But by then, the jungle stretched across an area of approximately 350 km radius.
Settlement after the Fey Fall
The coastal countries of Zurica remained mostly unscathed and still exist today. They have a rich history, albeit divided from each other due to the jungle being uncharted and dangerous terrain to cross. Almost all historical archives from the centre of the continent were lost. The Fey jungle had eradicated most of the humanoid population within its boundaries. During the winter, the chaotic magic settled and became predictable again. The jungle no longer retaliated the gathering of resources. And so survivors gained a foothold.
