He refused to let his people be treated like monsters and would let no King, Queen, or Ruler of any sort disrespect them. For all they sought was freedom, and freedom was what he intended on giving them. He cared little for the opinions of the living.
- An excerpt from Vortaech's Journal, written shortly before his meeting with the rulers of the allied forces of Casarei and Heldrin
A Brief History of The Bone War
The sudden, and quite startling emergence of
The Unfallen people caused such a panic that it began a war. An admittedly short war, one that would only last for less than half a day and become almost comically known as
The Bone War. An army of the seemingly undead suddenly rising and congregating in the south of Heldrin sent for an ominous message, and the rulers of Heldrin and Casarei quickly joined forces to send soldiers to meet this army. Once these forces met, the stress of the sight of thousands upon thousands of undead shambling about caused the soldiers of the allied nations to attack. The Unfallen would retaliate, not knowing how to respond other than to defend themselves. They would only become more organized when Vortaech, the first of the Unfallen would take command of their forces.
The battle only raged for a few hours, both sides seeing casualties in the skirmishes during that day, though neither Casarei nor Heldrin would lose many soldiers. The inexperience of these Unfallen was obvious, and their mostly unarmed soldiers fell easily to the experienced blades of Heldrin and Casarei Knights. Each of these long time allies held massive armies of skilled soldiers that managed to kill thousands of their Unfallen opponents. However, they soon realized that all those that were slain in combat were rising anew, including those that fell at Unfallen hands. The Unfallen were the undead citizens of
Keldrin - Lord of the Unfallen, and none stayed down for long before having new life breathed into them by their lord and saviour.
A terrifying and potentially long war effort loomed in front of the forces of Casarei and Heldrin, so they did the sensible thing. They called for a ceasefire and agreed to talk with the Unfallen in the hopes that they could broker peace.
The Treaty of The First Unfallen
In what would become known as the Treaty of the First Unfallen, the leaders of Casarei and Heldrin met with the leader of the Unfallen people, Vortaech. These three came to the agreement that the Unfallen would leave the lands of Heldrin, but only if they were granted a parcel of land in return to call their own and the acceptance that they were their own legitimate nation and people. This was a tough pill to swallow for the rulers of two of the largest nations in the world, but for the good of their people, and to do what was best to avoid mass loss of life, they agreed. But, if the Unfallen were to ever leave their lands willingly, Heldrin and Casarei would bring the full force of their armies to their borders and erase them from the continent.
Vortaech was unimpressed by their threats, knowing his and his people's ability to cheat death reduced these promises of violence to mere grandstanding. Regardless of this he held his tongue and agreed, as the Unfallen had no intention or interest in leaving their new nation once they arrived. Before they left, Vortaech shared his own tense message with the two kings. All Unfallen that arise outside of the borders of their new nation would be drawn towards their new homeland. He continued and warned to never harm any Unfallen that arose in their countries to begin their pilgrimage towards Unfallen territory, and that if they caused any harm to them there would be a heavy toll to pay. The rulers agreed, promising not to harm any future citizen of the Unfallen Lands.
Once the agreement was completed Vortaech gathered his forces and left, taking the then hundred thousand strong Unfallen south towards the borders of their new nation. The combined armies of Heldrin and Casarei watched them go, sending along envoys to ensure they made it to their destination. No issues would arise during this journey, and the Unfallen reached their destination swiftly, undeterred by the need to sleep or rest. As they crossed the borders of the land that they would christen Keldavour, named after their patron saint and father, Keldrin, Vortaech gave one last warning to the weary envoys each nation sent.
"Do not fear us, for we are not an enemy of these lands, for one day our paths may need to cross again and if cooperation is not met, we may all suffer dire consequences."
The Years Since
In the twenty years since the Treaty of The First Unfallen was signed and the Unfallen moved into their new homeland of
Keldavor not much has been heard from the secretive and mysterious people. Though the nations of Casarei and Heldrin still see numerous Unfallen people rise to begin their journey towards their home and their people, none have broken the agreement made between the rulers of each nation. Despite no word of current events coming out of the nation of Keldavour much has changed in the once barren lands.
The Unfallen now count almost a million strong and have become the largest and most densely populated country in the world. Though most do not know this. And while the majority of their land still remains an unhospitable wasteland these factors mean little to them and their growth in strength. Collectively they have come together and created a vast city, which carries the same name as their nation, Keldavor. The city sits in a deep canyon, only accessible via one special entrance, one that can only be accessed by the Unfallen or those they choose to allow to enter. With the outskirts of the city being guarded by Volteer - The Crimson Storm, an elder dragon resurrected as Unfallen by Keldrin to protect his citizens in their home. The city itself is a bustling place of excitement and growth, as its citizens work together to create meaningful lives for themselves, develop their beliefs, construct new homes for recently arrived citizens, and create a brand new culture from scratch.
The world has never seen a nation grow so quickly, though none realize this as none are allowed to enter or leave the Unfallen Lands.
However, it was rumoured that for the first time ever a small group of Heldrin citizens were allowed to cross the border into Unfallen territory. Little is known about this event, and the group has been sworn to secrecy by those that they agreed to serve under during this endeavour. What is known is that shortly after these events a swirling and violent crimson storm of dust and lightning enveloped the entirety of the Unfallen Lands, making it impossible for any to enter or even get near the Unfallen Land's borders. Strangely enough, no more Unfallen have arisen outside the nation in the months since this occurrence. And for the time being, it seems like the Unfallen people have retreated from the world into the safety of their capital.
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