The Morlu War

The Cataclysm of Our Time

No general history or discussion of our world could claim to be of any good quality without mentioning the Morlu War. That legendary struggle that has precipitated every modern event and situation that we experience.
The ancient Morlu race existed long before the War engulfed them, though no one is certain quite how old the race actually was before it destroyed itself. In every corner of our rediscovered world, evidence of Morlu settlements can be found. We of the modern world, over 1000 years after the War, still do not know the full extent of the empire. The Morlu completely dominated their domain. Any civilization which may have competed with the Morlu were either absorbed into the empire, or wiped out entirely though violent means. Ancient texts suggest that after many, many years of smaller, violent struggles on the fringes of the empire (the motive of these conflicts is uncertain, but subjugation of foreign cultures is the most likely reason), a quiet, beautiful peace was established throughout the empire. As we know, this peace was doomed to end in tragedy beyond our mortal comprehension.
What exactly it was that started the Morlu on the path to devastation is uncertain. The sundering of Vashyl Major occurred in the same time period as the War, though it cannot be for certain whether it was a result of it, the cause of it, or an unrelated tragedy entirely. Archaeological and historical records seem to suggest that discontent was building in the empire in the decades of peace preluding war. Some prominent historians of our time seem to believe that there must have been some succession crisis, or perhaps food shortages, or shortages of some material that had come to be a necessity to citizens of the empire. Something happened that caused multiple challengers to the throne to all be locked in deadly competition in the same moment. War, of course, was the deciding course. Whatever the cause, it was lost to the Morlu generations who inherited the War, and I doubt we shall ever have the closure of knowing for certain what the catalyst of their doom truly was.
However, a massive civil war began, ripping across the empire and shredding families and friends apart -- forcing them to be enemies, and to fight to the death for some far off king. We actually know quite a bit about the War itself, as it was the only thing on the minds of the Morlu citizens for the near two centuries that it raged. It was not a clean war, if such a thing does even exist. Genocide of small ethnic groups, torture, mass rapes, mass executions, and many things that I cannot, in good decency, list even in writing were frequent occurrences in the shattered empire. One diary, a girl's, from about the middle of the War, said that her morning routine was to "wake up, turn to the east, and hurl curses towards the traitors. Following, I, still facing eastward, lay prostrate, and pray for the safety of my father, my three brothers, and my uncles and cousins. Following, I hurl a few more curses towards my enemy, and begin my day. I perform this rite at least five times each day."
We have many examples of this sort of hatred, pure in its form, for "the enemy." It is the anger that underlies a deep sorrow felt by all combatants throughout the War. The hatred, I think, is derived from the sorrow. They hated each other because each side saw the other as the cause for all the suffering. Suffering so great, that many demons, evil spirits, and gods were borne out of the darkness of depression that still haunt Ultor to this day.
These dark thoughts and entities only prolonged the struggle, and made it a good deal worse. As the everyday citizen sunk deeper and deeper into a dark slump of sadness, their hatred grew and grew, and their lust for violence and revenge against the "other" only grew more and more out of control. Eventually, it seemed that the sole motive for the war was a pure, unadulterated hatred of the ones on the other side of the divide. Entire generations were wholly crushed beneath the brutal tide of war.
Eventually, the War did come to an end. What great offensive was launched, what sacrifice was made, or how the end was brought about is completely unknown. Historians posit that the leader of the winning side, king Ouklazta, simply did not tell any of his subjects the cost of victory. Blood magic was known to be in use during the war, and many very intelligent men seem to believe that it was the key to Ouklazta's final victory. Upon achieving it, he had every enemy combatant and citizen executed (for his hatred was as pure as any of his compatriots), and had their books burned in an attempt to erase them from all records. Ouklazta declared an empire-wide celebration of victory, a hundred-year festival of sorts. It never happened. Only days into the festivities, the dark goddess Kouklashii, created from the sorrow of war, granted the victorious king a vision. He confided in one of his closest advisers that she had granted him true vision of what he and his ancestors had truly managed to destroy: "It was beautiful. And it is our fault that it is gone. 10,000 years of repentance would not be enough for what we have really done. I am not certain an eternity is long enough either." Such was the king's sorrow at what had been done that he exiled himself to a small island, unknown to any but his closest advisers, and his ship's captain. His final order to his people was not to search for him, and to walk their own paths -- to forget the empire and its war. Legend has it that he cursed his tomb upon his death, aided by the dark entities created during the War, and that any who opens it shall know the suffering of his people, and shall share their fate.

The Conflict

Prelude

Decades of peace after the Morlu unified their territory into a single, continuous empire.

Deployment

The military was as split as the rest of the population, and we will never know the exact numbers of each side. The War began using only conventional military tactics, but as it dragged on and on, the War became more brutal, debased, and violent.

Battlefield

All of Ultor.

Conditions

Indescribably horrid. Famine, disease, and death crept into every corner of the empire, no matter how small the village, how remote the outpost. The whole world suffered.

Outcome

Immediately following the War, historical records were...lacking. A dark age of history began that was not lifted for centuries. What happened in those centuries after the Morlu Cataclysm is not well known to us, other than our ancestors must have begun to pick up the pieces, and to rebuild the world that their predecessors had destroyed.

Aftermath

Though it is uncertain, as is so many things about the Morlu, it is very likely that you and I, dear reader, should not enjoy nearly such a glamorous existence had the Morlu not burned their own world to the ground. Were they still masters of these lands, we should be lucky to live in caves, were we separate from their civilization, but more likely, we would be part of their empire -- a subjugated people. Never forget, that every breath of air that enters your body, every achievement you hold proudly is only the way that it is because a people long before you underwent a great ordeal of suffering and death, and that any slight alteration of the course of those events could have changed your life forever. Be thankful.

Historical Significance

Legacy

This enormous struggle is now remembered by most as the Morlu Cataclysm, which is a term that attempts to capture all of the events leading to, including, and resulting from the War and the destruction of the Morlu as a race. It is an epic tale of struggle, mythical in its largeness, and cautionary to all leaders of the world. War is rare for us, gods be blessed, and we must thank the Morlu for this. We all fear to walk their path, and as such, will seek any alternative.

In Literature

There are many texts on the Morlu War that do it justice moreso than I. I am no professional historian, just an old elf intrigued by this world in all of its glory. I should recommend these three: A General Historie of the Morlu Empire and its Cataclysm by Syart of Ravenswood, Morlu Tragedie and Destruction by Amush Khamid, and A Discussion of the Dating System of Our World by Gathabela the Learned

Technological Advancement

The magic employed in the War is far beyond what any of us could imagine in these modern times. Even their simple locks, seen in the Crystal Palace, are beyond our reasoning. It is terrifying to think what battle spells, what curses they hurled at each other, and what destruction they caused with their spells and arcane knowledge. I shudder to think of it.

Conflict Type

War

Start Date

Unknown

Ending Date

0 AC

Conflict Result

Complete Annihilation