Necromantic War
A War Fought over Necromancy
Before any war begins, I will always ask my lords, "How far are you willing to defeat your enemy?" Are you willing to burn your own villages of them? Are you willing to tear their homes apart to erase them entirely? I look upon the ashes from the Necromantic War and I will always say, "Never again." No generation should ever have endured that nightmarish conflict.
The Conflict
Prelude
Necromancy is Founded
It began with Nerivus who wasn't alone in his pursuit to extend life. He studied Drithben's healing practices that the school of evocation could harness to revive the dead. However, after many failed attempts, Nerivus only brought to life mere mockeries of life and twisted forms. Eventually, he found his answer to revive the dead. It was not through Drithben's healing but it would take a different (and darker) approach: necromancy. Death had been put in its place.
After Nerivus and his colleagues showcased the brilliance of this immortality to the Consulate, they were far more concerned with the ethics and morality behind taking the corpse of another being to be used as a puppet as well as the other macabre uses. The Consulate believed that this new school would merely become a tool to be abused by those with evil intent and would try to outright purge this perversion to life forever.
Arkonia Rises
Because such hard work should never go to waste, Nerivus and his influential colleagues fled from Cyorrin. They sought out various nobility that would be interested in taking up arms against Vrexen and her allies. Various powers were enthralled by this Tamer of Death and unified under him to form the Arkonian Order after promises of ruling for eternity. They would call Nerivus Arkengrath, King of Death in Abyssal, for the duality of life and death that he wielded during the war.
Deployment
Elvarid Campaign
Elvarid became the first test of Arkonia's strength against the Coalition. Dreadlord Sar'Ganockt commanded an army of gnolls and undead into Falderin fields. He and his brutal hordes left behind a nasty disease that wilts the body of those infected. It became known as the Arkonian Plague.
Undarid Campaign
In order to pursue the remaining forces of the Feydom that are still a threat, Arkonia marched onto Undarid. It turns out that the drow society relied on slavery a lot for their dirty work. Salazar Kiver led armies to help liberate these camps and convert the masses into this seeming religious order or kill them to be used as part of their undead armies. Sadarren became the iconic infantry of the Order by this point of the war.
When Queen Verrenta fell, so began the underdark's infamous power vacuum that has left the place on shaky ground.
Thracallia Campaign
Out from the dark and back into the light, what remained of the Feydom scurried off into the Continent of Thracallia. The Arkonian Order were in pursuit to deliver a finishing blow. This time, under the command of Count Constantine, monsters would infest the forests.
With relative ease, the remaining Faene forces, dwarven strongholds, and nivallen wood elves capitulated. It did not help that the Empire of Coatala pincered up from the southern tip
Drakmir Campaign
Having rendered a core powerhouse of the Coalition useless, Arkengrath decided it was time to defeat the next one. The Dominion of Argatok.
To Mother Maratha, she believed that victory against the dragons required something less direct. She utilized her famed crystal ball, or Eye of the Seer, to seek out the dragon's personal weaknesses and draw them out. For example, Kraven's ego was his undoing as he was fooled into thinking that Maratha would even try to fight "honorably" against this ancient dragon. Kraven wanted to prove himself, Maratha wanted him out of the picture.
Maratha and her spirits became the Dominion's undoing. Not only did she bring the guardians their downfall but she would further crackdown on the sensitive issues of Aragtok's trust between their own peoples.
Vrexen Campaign
The shortest of the campaigns in the war, Arkengrath demanded to finish it once and for all. He personally led his armies of darkness against his own as revenge. Vrexen was far more prepared to defend against Arkonia compared to the other members of the Coalition. Traps were laid and even the infamous storm cloud began to hinder Arkonia's approach.
It would be on Drithna Bridge where Arkengrath would make his last stand after believing he could topple the Coalition's greatest leaders alone as his forces went on to pillage and raid. Upon his defeat, Arkonia tasted defeat almost immediately as much of the undead under Arkengrath's control had fallen over from being free.
Conditions
And by the end, a sadarren and vren would look each other in the eyes and say, “Never again.”
The nightmares of the Necromantic War aren’t entirely found in the battlefields. Most of it stems from the desperation of both sides hoping to purge out the other. A small portion of casualties for both sides stems from the extreme paranoia of spies, especially with the fear Salazar Kiver and enchantment founder, Elleguess, would cause for the other. Not upholding or even questioning your faction’s stances or being caught as a dissenter would often mean death with very little question.
In the battlefields, engagements were bloody. Both sides feared what the other would do to them if captured. They hated each other with great intensity equally. The Arkonian Order became more confident and ravenous with each gradual victory. The Coalition became cornered with each growing defeat and became cornered animals fighting for their lives.
By the war’s end, everyone’s mind was disturbed in some way, their bodies tired from the wanton fighting, and the cold realization of the damage done only made it worse.
Outcome
- Arkonian followers, especially the sadarren, are exiled into the miserable Shadowfell.
- The Coatalan Empire collapsed.
Aftermath
- Much of Elvarid was weakened by the Arkonian Plague
- Drow society in the Underdark has fallen into a violent web of intrigue.
- Argatok's stability falls apart, sparking countless civil wars over who were the weaklings to allow Arkonia's victory over them in the Drakmir Campaign.
- The continent of Cyorrin is secluded by its massive electric storm and still, has a few outdated spell traps.
Historical Significance
Legacy
It's agreed that time is best to reset to represent societies being restored. The Age of Restoration begins on the day Arkengrath was defeated.
Belligerents
Arkonian Order
Led by
The Coalition
Led by
Strength
Casualties
Objectives
- Destroy necromancy
- Preserve cultural identities
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