The Rise of Nallorian
Years before the First War erupted, the kingdoms of Talaman were fractured, divided by petty disputes, trade conflicts, and border skirmishes. Amid this chaos, Emperor Nallorian rose from obscurity, studying forbidden magic in the darkest corners of the realm. Initially, he manipulated weaker factions—gnolls, goblinoids, and orcs—offering them power and security in exchange for loyalty. His dark influence spread silently at first, but as his army of twisted creatures and cultists grew, whispers of Nallorian’s ambition began to reach the courts of kings and queens.
In the decades leading up to the First War, the continent of Talaman was a fractured land beset by political strife, rivalries, and deep-rooted mistrust between its kingdoms. Amidst this turmoil emerged a figure who would come to redefine the fate of Talaman—Emperor Nallorian. Born to a lesser-known noble house, Nallorian was initially unremarkable, but rumors of his fascination with forbidden magic and ancient texts circulated among those in the magical community. He delved into secrets long buried, seeking power in places where no sane sorcerer would dare to tread.
Over the years, Nallorian’s mastery of dark magic grew, and with it, his ambition. He began by targeting the fringes of society, places where the influence of noble houses and kingdoms was weakest. There, he subtly infiltrated the ranks of orcs, goblinoids, gnolls, and other outcast factions, offering them a twisted promise of power, security, and revenge against those who had marginalized them. These factions, long accustomed to living as raiders or outcasts, were drawn to Nallorian’s promises of stability and dominance.
Manipulation and Rise to Power
Nallorian’s strategy was cunning; he orchestrated small but devastating raids to destabilize border towns and incite conflicts between already fragile kingdoms. When leaders responded by tightening their borders and turning on one another, Nallorian quietly amassed his following, offering sanctuary and purpose to those who would swear loyalty to him. He manipulated not only these factions but also influential members of the disillusioned and power-hungry within the kingdoms, promising them new realms to rule in the dark empire he envisioned.
As the years passed, whispers of Nallorian’s growing influence began to reach the courts of kings and queens. These rumors spoke of a shadowy figure amassing a monstrous army of gnolls, orcs, and goblinoids—creatures once scattered and unorganized, now united under a single banner. By the time the kingdoms of Talaman began to take these rumors seriously, it was already too late. Nallorian’s armies had swelled in number, bolstered by demonic creatures summoned from the depths and cultists fanatically loyal to their dark lord. His influence spread like a plague, twisting the hearts and minds of those in the darker corners of Talaman.
The Formation of the Dark Empire
Once his influence had taken root, Nallorian moved quickly. He established strongholds in the lawless regions beyond the reach of the divided kingdoms, solidifying his base of power. These strongholds became centers for dark rituals, where forbidden magic was practiced openly, and twisted experiments were conducted to strengthen Nallorian’s army. The cultists who served him willingly subjected themselves to these dark rites, becoming powerful, fearsome agents of their master’s will.
With his growing army, Nallorian launched a series of coordinated attacks, targeting vulnerable regions and capturing strategic locations. He employed a mix of overwhelming force and psychological warfare, instilling terror and chaos in those who opposed him. Entire towns were razed, and those who survived were left with visions of monstrous beings emerging from the shadows, carrying the banner of a new dark empire. By the time the fractured kingdoms could organize a response, Nallorian had already seized vast territories, establishing himself as a true threat to the realm.
The Shadow Over Talaman
Nallorian’s ambitions didn’t stop at military conquest. He established a network of spies and informants within the courts of the noble houses, sowing discord and mistrust among potential allies. His influence extended even into the high elven territories, where he secretly corrupted powerful individuals, planting the seeds of the Efan Undari’s betrayal. The kingdoms of Talaman found themselves ensnared in Nallorian’s web of deception, paralyzed by fear and suspicion even as his armies marched ever closer to their borders.
By the time Nallorian’s true ambitions were revealed, it was too late. The kingdoms, now aware of the threat, faced a new reality—a dark empire led by a sorcerer-king with an army of twisted creatures and loyal cultists. As his legions swept across Talaman, the realm was plunged into the First War, a conflict that would change the course of history forever.
The First War: Nallorian's Dark Reign
Three hundred and fifty years ago, Talaman faced its darkest hour as Emperor Nallorian rose to power, mastering forbidden magic and forming an army of goblinoids, orcs, trolls, and other dark creatures. His campaign began subtly, expanding his influence through corruption and alliances with monstrous beings. The kingdoms were slow to respond, underestimating the true danger of his growing empire.
The Fall of Thun Dahrul
One of the most tragic losses was the dwarven kingdom of Thun Dahrul. The once-impenetrable stronghold fell when King Borin Steelhammer and his son, Prince Throrin, led a final stand against Nallorian’s forces in their mountain halls. The duel between Nallorian and the dwarven king became legend—King Borin wielded the mighty Axe of Thun Dahrul, but even his unmatched skill could not overcome Nallorian’s dark magic. Both Borin and Throrin were slain, and the axe was lost amid the ruins. Since then, the dwarves have been scattered, their kingdom left in ruin.
The Siege of Moonmere
At the same time, Nallorian’s armies advanced on the kingdom of
Tesan, laying siege to the capital city of
Moonmere. Tesan was renowned for its strong fortifications and rich history, but it was not enough to stop the tide of dark creatures Nallorian unleashed. In a battle that lasted for months, Tesan's forces were slowly worn down, with soldiers falling not only to Nallorian’s legions but also to the strange magical afflictions his dark sorcery spread among the population. Only through the intervention of some brave adventurers, who shielded the city from complete destruction, did Tesan manage to survive, though much of the kingdom laid in ruins.
The Banishing Ritual
The final battle of the First War took place on the Plains of Narin. Nallorian, on the verge of victory, attempted to open a rift to summon even darker forces from a distant plane. The combined might of the Archmages, adventurers, and the surviving armies of Talaman barely managed to stop him. They performed a dangerous ritual that banished Nallorian and his legions to a distant plane, ending his reign of terror. However, the ritual came at a great cost. The fabric of reality was torn, leaving scars across the land that would linger for centuries.
The Second War: Nallorian's Return
A century after his banishment, the darkness returned with greater ferocity. Nallorian, having spent a hundred years growing more powerful and resentful in his exile, found a way back to Talaman by exploiting the tears in reality left behind by the rituals that had banished him. Emerging from the rift, Nallorian did not come alone. His army, bigger and deadlier than ever, consisted of his cultists, orcs, trolls, gnolls, demonic beings, and warped monstrosities from beyond the planes. His vengeance was swift, and Talaman, still reeling from the devastation of the First War, was once again plunged into chaos.
The Rise of a Greater Darkness
Unlike his first attempt at conquest, this time Nallorian aimed to destroy, corrupt, and subjugate with even greater efficiency. He spread his influence through a network of magical corruption, infecting lands and leaders. His forces burned cities to the ground, enslaving survivors and spreading a wave of terror that rapidly unbalanced the already fragile peace of Talaman. The kingdoms were slow to respond, still weakened from past conflicts, and many believed Nallorian’s return was a legend until the dark banners appeared at their borders.
One of his most powerful weapons was Zelthor, the corrupted dragon once revered as one of the last dragons and a distant protector of Talaman. Zelthor’s massive wings darkened the skies as he led Nallorian’s forces in fiery destruction. Under Nallorian’s command, the once-great defender became a force of annihilation, leveling towns and armies with his flames and fury. Heroes of the realm, along with the Archmages, sought to defeat the corrupted dragon, knowing that Zelthor’s fall would be key to stopping Nallorian’s rampage.
The Battle of Verdshale became one of the most pivotal confrontations in the Second War against Nallorian. The Circle, a coalition of noble warriors and mages, called for aid as Nallorian's forces prepared to strike. The Kingdom of Kreyburg answered, sending their elite 61st and 58th Regiments, renowned for their discipline and valor. Alongside the Circle’s forces and adventurers from the Kingdom of Tesan, they prepared for the fight of their lives.
The battlefield was a snow-covered expanse with treacherous conditions, making movement difficult as soldiers trudged through deep snowdrifts. Nallorian’s corrupted dragon, Zelthor, was a terrifying force, raining fire upon the ranks of the Circle and sending waves of panic through the defenders. The 61st Regiment, known as the Wolves of Hadrian, and the 58th Blood Hawks fought valiantly, but they were no match for the relentless onslaught of the dark forces and the fiery devastation of the dragon.
As the battle raged, the adventurers from Tesan’s Vanguard of Valor made a last desperate push to rally the troops. Sirianth, the leader of the Vanguard, stood out for his heroic efforts, cutting through enemy lines and inspiring those around him. However, even his bravery was not enough to turn the tide. The Circle's forces were ultimately overwhelmed by Nallorian's army, and Verdshale fell to darkness.
The aftermath of the battle was devastating. Zelthor’s destruction left large swathes of the city in ruins, and Nallorian’s victory sent shockwaves through the realms. The fall of Verdshale was a significant blow to the forces of good, who retreated to regroup.
The Betrayal of the Efan Undari
As the war reached its peak, Nallorian’s corrupting influence extended even to the most trusted allies of the forces of good. The Efan Undari, the drow lineage long integrated into the high elven society of Efan Nalore, were seduced by Nallorian’s promises of power. During a critical battle in the elven lands, the Efan Undari turned on their kin, striking from within and decimating the forces of Efan Nalore from behind. This betrayal shattered the alliance between the drow and the high elves, leaving the once-proud house of Efan Undari forever cursed as the Betrayers in the annals of history. Their treachery enabled Nallorian to breach the elven strongholds, allowing his armies to push further into Talaman’s heartland.
The Final Battle in the Forest of Vistun
The final stand of the Second War took place in the Forest of Vistun, a sprawling, ancient woodland bordering the Majestic Sea, where the kingdoms of Kreyburg, Crucan, and Yast met. The forest, once peaceful and serene, became the staging ground for the ultimate clash between the forces of light and Nallorian’s malevolent army. The trees, ancient and towering, echoed with the sounds of marching soldiers, war drums, and whispered magic as Nallorian sought to unleash one final blow upon the world—an infernal rift that would bring horrors from other realms into Talaman.
Nallorian, knowing his defeat could be imminent, began his most dangerous ritual yet, aiming to tear open a rift in reality large enough to pull dark forces from other dimensions into Talaman. His armies converged on the forest, preparing for a final push to secure his victory. The stakes had never been higher. If Nallorian succeeded, Talaman would be consumed by unspeakable chaos. The Circle, still recovering from the heavy losses at Verdshale, rallied its forces once again, led by a few remaining heroes and Archmages.
The Role of the Archmages
At the heart of the defense stood the Archmages, the last and greatest protectors of Talaman’s magical heritage. Among them were Alandus, master of time magic, and Pralius Runecarver, a rune-weaving sorcerer with unparalleled command of defensive wards and battle magic. As Nallorian began the final phase of his ritual, tearing at the fabric of reality, the Archmages knew they were the only ones capable of stopping the rift from fully forming.
The battle raged beneath the ancient canopy of the forest, where the towering trees became both sanctuary and battlefield. Nallorian’s forces, composed of twisted goblinoids, corrupted warriors, and demonic creatures, met with fierce resistance from the Circle’s remaining forces, bolstered by adventuring groups from Tesan and the regiments of Kreyburg and Crucan. Without Zelthor, the corrupted dragon who had been missing (and later confirmed to be dead), Nallorian’s forces lost some of their aerial advantage, though his ground army remained formidable.
As the battle reached its peak, Alandus used his mastery over time to slow the progression of Nallorian’s ritual. Freezing the flow of magic for crucial moments, Alandus gave his fellow Archmages and the Circle precious time to mount a defense and push deeper into Nallorian’s ranks. However, using this much power came at a grave cost. As Alandus held the rift in place, his life force began to ebb, and it became clear to all present that he would not survive the encounter.
The Last Stand
Meanwhile, Pralius Runecarver, the steadfast runic master, was part of a heroic charge by a group of adventurers through Nallorian’s forces, seeking to reach the ritual site at the heart of the forest. Wielding his mastery over runic magic, Pralius unleashed powerful wards that deflected dark spells and unleashed bursts of arcane energy that tore through the ranks of demonic creatures. With Alandus holding back the rift, Pralius arrived at the site of the ritual and inscribed ancient runes into the very ground, each one crafted to weaken the rift and sever Nallorian’s connection to it.
As the battle raged around them, Pralius activated the final rune, which caused a cataclysmic backlash of energy. Nallorian’s ritual was shattered, and his physical form was torn apart by the magic, his soul banished into the void, never to return. Yet the victory was bittersweet. Alandus, drained by his efforts to hold back the rift, collapsed, dying in the arms of his comrades. Many of the remaining Archmages perished in the ensuing magical explosion, leaving Talaman’s magical order in ruins.
Aftermath and the Fragile Peace
Though Nallorian had been defeated and his armies scattered, the victory came at a devastating cost. The Archmages, who had long served as the realm’s protectors, were almost entirely wiped out. Pralius, gravely injured from the battle and the strain of unleashing such potent magic, disappeared soon after the battle, leaving the fate of the magical order in uncertainty. The void left by the Archmages’ absence created a power vacuum in Talaman, as the kingdoms now faced an uncertain future without their greatest defenders.
The Forest of Vistun, once a simple place, was left scarred by the dark magic of Nallorian’s ritual. The trees, now twisted and warped, stood as a grim reminder of the cost of victory. Though the kingdoms of Tesan, Kreyburg, Dolumen, Crucan, and Yast were spared the destruction of Nallorian’s final plan, the peace that followed was fragile. With the Archmages gone and the kingdoms weakened, Talaman remained vulnerable to new threats, and the scars of the Second War would linger for generations to come.
The Dwarves' Ongoing Quest
The fall of Thun Dahrul during the First War left the once-great dwarven kingdom in ruins, with its king and prince slain by Nallorian in a legendary duel. The loss was not only a devastating blow to the dwarven people but also marked the disappearance of the Axe of Thun Dahrul, the symbol of dwarven resilience and kingship. This legendary weapon, once wielded by King Borin, vanished in the chaos, and with it, a piece of the dwarven spirit was lost. As generations passed, the story of the lost axe became a rallying cry for dwarves across Talaman, inspiring a new age of adventurers and explorers.
The ongoing quest to recover the Axe of Thun Dahrul has become a rite of passage for many young dwarves. Bands of hopeful adventurers, known as
Seekers of Thun, traverse the mountains and delve into ancient ruins, driven by a desire to reclaim their lost heritage. However, not all those who seek the axe are noble-hearted. Nefarious groups and greedy individuals, drawn by the axe’s legendary power and value, have also joined the hunt. Mercenary bands, dark cultists, and rogue dwarven clans aim to seize the weapon for their own purposes. Either to claim dominion over what remains of Thun Dahrul or to wield its power for dark ambitions.
The Missing Archmages
Not all of the Archmages perished in the final battle against Nallorian. For a few centuries after, those who survived continued their work, serving as protectors and advisors to the kingdoms. However, as time passed, these remaining Archmages began to mysteriously disappear, one by one. Some vanished without a trace, while others were last seen venturing into perilous regions of Talaman to confront growing threats. The circumstances of their disappearances are shrouded in mystery, fueling rumors and conspiracy theories.
Pralius Runecarver, the most famous of these missing Archmages, remains the central figure in the ongoing mystery. Many believe his disappearance heralded the beginning of this dark trend. There are whispers that Pralius discovered something so dangerous that it required his undivided attention, pulling him away from the world’s eyes. Others speculate that he may have been captured or killed by those seeking to claim his vast knowledge of runic magic. Regardless of their fate, the loss of the Archmages has left a deep void in Talaman’s magical landscape.
This power vacuum has led to growing concerns, as rogue sorcerers and rival magical orders attempt to fill the gap left by the Archmages. Ambitious mages now explore forgotten ruins and forbidden realms in search of secrets that were once kept under the strict watch of the Archmages. Without their protective presence, the kingdom’s magical defenses have weakened, and rumors of dark cults and ancient cabals have begun to re-emerge. With no clear successor or a strong central authority to maintain the balance, many fear that Talaman is on the verge of a new era of chaos, one where unchecked magic and lingering shadows could ignite another great catastrophe.
The Magic Council of Talaman has been trying to maintain order, but the weakened nature of the council makes things concerning.
The End of the Efan Undari
The Efan Undari was once a respected lineage within the high elven society of Efan Nalore. However, their betrayal during the Second War against Nallorian became one of the most painful wounds inflicted upon the elven people. In a critical moment, the Efan Undari were corrupted and sided with Nallorian, turning against their kin and aiding the dark forces in breaching elven defenses. Their actions led to devastating losses, not just on the battlefield but also in the trust and unity between the high elves and their drow allies. After the war, the Efan Undari vanished, seemingly swallowed by the depths of the Underdark.
For centuries, no known drow of the Efan Undari has surfaced in the realms above. Their legacy has become a dark legend, often whispered in tales of caution among the high elves. While rumors persist of hidden enclaves deep within the Underdark, where the remnants of the house may dwell, no solid evidence has ever been found. This uncertainty fuels both fear and curiosity, as explorers and scholars speculate on whether the Efan Undari are rebuilding their strength, or if they have met a darker fate. The high elves of Efan Nalore, meanwhile, have never fully recovered from this betrayal. The house’s treachery left a lasting distrust towards outsiders, especially other drow, leading to increased isolation and a diminishing presence of the high elven civilization in broader political affairs.
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