The Purification Proclamation
Background
The 'Victory Proclamation' or 'Conrad's Proclamation', properly known a The Proclamation at the Purification of Calthor, was the announcement made by Conrad III to the whole allied armies encamped on the plateau of Calthor on the 45th day of the Month of Toil, in 50AE - the day after the capture and miraculous purification of the capital from the Empty hordes. It is generally considered the end of the Age of Exile (AE) and the beginning of the Age of the Creator (AC), though it had almost no immediate political significance. Conrad had planned the new political division of the Kingdom of Weldmere even before he launched his re-conquest, and more than half the land remained occupied by the enemy. Instead of a political declaration, Conrad wanted to mark the hard won victory, begin to establish his late wife's position of divine intervention, and thank the Creator for the miracle the army had seen at the end of the last day's fighting. As such, it provides an immensely important, if selective, first-hand account of the battle and its aftermath.The battle
At the dawn of the previous day, the allied armies had surrounded three quarters of the great plateau - and were protected from much of the Empty horde by the rivers Hemmer and Simter. King Conrad led the Weldic infantry and cavalry, supported by Bolmor archers, up the gentle southern slope of the plateau, and through the destroyed Southern Gate after fierce fighting - reaching the edge of the city of Calthor two hours after midday. At the same time, Bolmor infantry and Tetran heavy infantry fought up the steeper western approach supported Elosian catapults - which ravaged the tightly packed horde on the heights above. Shortly after a magical signal had confirmed Conrad had reached the Southern Gate, a force of Bolmor, Tetran, and Elosian infiltrators and mages began a perilous ascent of the northern cliffs of the plateau. As Conrad's force entered the city, the horde became constricted by narrow streets, and fighting slowed as Weldic shield walls slowly pushed the Empty up the mountain to the palace and the great plaza. At the same time the infiltration force reached the top of the waterfall and the great plaza itself. There was a fear that the Accursed One (which had never been faced in battle before) would attempt to magically destroy the city. Thus, this infiltration force began carving a path towards the Accursed One through the light remnants of the horde. As they did, more of the Empty rushed into the plaza, weakening the defences on the lower streets, and allowing Conrad to lead his Heavy Guard on a final uphill charge into the plaza - saving the lives of many of the lightly armed Eloisan infiltrators. While cleric-mages attempted to harm the Accursed One, Conrad plunged the Creator's Lance into its side, killing it instantly.The aftermath
By now, the allied armies were used to the devastation caused by the Empty - the need to burn their dead and the Empty husks alike, the need to clean every building of the corruption, and recover what artefacts they could from the destroyed buildings. Even as the last of the Empty were being slain by the West Gate, special units of Weldmen whose families hailed from Calthor were dragging firewood for the pyres, and the leadership of the fledgling Sanctorum knelt for prayers in the forum, facing the destroyed House of Prayer. As the first pyres were lit, and Conrad bore the body of a Tetran warlord who had fallen by the West Gate towards the fire, the miracle occurred. It was five hours after midday, the troops had two hours of sunlight left to build and light enough pyres to continue their work. The Vision of the Creator in the mountains had spoken clearly: "With me, you shall reclaim Calthor. With you, I shall cleanse it, and purify it forever." Most had not interpreted this literally, but the Creator (according to contemporary accounts) meant precisely what It said. As the first body was laid reverently into the flames, fire leapt high into the air, and out into the streets. Few kept standing under this, so no0one saw with any certainty precisely what happened. What is clear is that after a quarter hour of magical fire flowing around the city, sparing the living and dissolving the dead, Calthor was indeed cleansed and purified. This miracle - despite all they had seen in the mountains, and on the march to Calthor - astounded the armies. They had prepared themselves not only for battle, but for the long, painful, disgusting job of cleaning the land of corruption. It underlined the miraculous nature of their deliverance, and reminded them that success was not by their own arms alone. In this context, from the steps of the shattered Palace of the Kings, Conrad addressed the armies in the morning.The text of the proclamation
By the mercy of the Creator, and our own skill, we stand here today - victorious! We, who were driven from our homes, have returned. The sacred city is ours. It has been purified by a miracle from the Creator who brought us here, and who guides our endeavours. The stench of corruption is gone, the Accursed One slain, and tomorrow the work of rebuilding can begin. Now, though, let us celebrate, remember, and give thanks. Our victory, guided by the Creator, was achieved by our hands. The hands of the Elosi, scrambling up a waterfall to kill the demon. The hands of the Tetron, fighting up the western hill, killing one third of the horde. The hands of the Bolmor and your bows sending a ceaseless rain of arrows. The hands too of my own native Welds - we have recaptured our capital. We are not done. We are but halfway from the mountains to the cursed city. We have made but scant progress freeing the lands of our allies. I thank you even more, that you were willing to risk your lives for this foreign city - and promise you that we Welds will repay you in the forests, in the mountains, and by the freezing northern sea! We will march all that way, defeat the evil which faces us, under the protection of the Creator, and with the help of our divine lady, my wife. Morgene, we know by the Revelation of the Creator stands at his right hand. It was her wish to see this whole land - her adopted country - freed from evil. It was not the Creator's will. Instead, my wife - my noble wife - pleads daily for us all to the Creator. More than that. She is our example and our guide. It was she who first knew the Creator's face. She who first sang the Creator's praises, first preached of the Creator's love, first wrote the Creator's commands in our words, and first built a Sanctorum to the Creator. It is in her name, to her honour, and by her guidance that I dedicate that land opposite to be the Grand Sanctorum - not just for all Welds, but for all people who follow her. Finally, before we feast, let us give thanks to the Creator who - as promised in Revelation - purified this city for us. I have borne with you the pain and disgust of recovering this land from evil. I have spent a day cleaning houses my father spoke of out of corruption and decay and foulness. Each of us here thought that we would either die yesterday, or spend interminable days in the grimmest task of repair. Let us thank the Creator not only for our victory, but for restoring this city - the Creator's city - to us in purity. Come now, Grand Sanctor, lead us in the Litany... CONRAD III, KING OF THE WELDS, COMMANDER OF THE ARMIES OF THE CREATOR, LIBERATOR AND DUX OF CALTHOR
Type
Decree, Royal
Medium
Vellum / Skin
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