CE: History, Wars

The Two Great Wars of Edarin

As we travel back through the history of Edarin, there are two wars of note:

The Great Iodaran Siege

The more recent is The Great Iodaran Siege which lasted from 1036 to 1038 was so devastating to many nations that it has gone down in history as one of Edarin's Great Wars.

Approximately 2000 years ago, Iodar was ruled by Dreya Ordus, a man dead set on ruling the world. He quickly took over Darendale with the use of necromancy and assorted 'dark arts' as they were called at the time. The royal family of Darendale was trapped within their castle as their people were enchanted and forced to build weapons for Iodar.

Immediately after that, Dreya attacked the land of the centaurs, Garumeth. The centaurs put up a better fight, but through rotten trickery and enchantments this country was also taken. The Romari were strangely drawn to Iodar by more of these dark arts, and so it was that Dreya was able to take control of two nations and a massive army without hardly lifting a finger. With this army-made up of the Iodarans, the Centaurs of Garumeth, and the peoples of Darendale, he then began an attack on southern Ardenbau via the Rahadaan Garrison, and simultaneously mounted a surprise attack on Southern Tirane by way of the Qynder'kail Sea.

Ardenbau, by sheer coincidence and accidental friendships, managed to acquire aid from a small battalion of Thrae'Goden elves.

Tirane requested aid from a deus talented at negotiations to arrange a treatise between themselves and Ardenbau so their armies might band together against the threat in spite of their differences-two armies together is better than one apart, after all. The country of Tirane also requested aid from the Albians in the Northern Lands of Windwarren through one of the country's three princes, Giliadh, but by the time that aid arrived much of the damage had already been done.

At the time, these countries were unaware that Garumeth had been taken, and while attention was on Ardenbau and Tirane, the ensorcelled centaurs attacked Moonhaven. They rampaged through the Thrae'Goden Valley, and before the enchantments that held them were broken, a few centaurs broke through to the Watch Peak, where King Aldarion was stationed. Aldarion was killed in the ensuing battle.

But time flows ever onward and eventually through a long tale of psyonic abilities, a little girl, an alchemist's interference, and, of course, the mischievous nature of the fey, a small group of adventurers rather accidentally infiltrated Iodar and managed to restore the rightful King to the country's throne, and, in theory, everyone lives happily ever after. (of course, we all know how much use theories are.)

This war ends approximately 2000 years before the Edarin RPG begins. While some older elves may remember the war, the majority of the current population sees it as history-humans, who live such short lives see it as ancient history. A full generation has passed for the elves, many generations for humans, and other races somewhere in between (see the life spans of various races for an estimation of generations, as the expected life span of races varies greatly). Very few who lived through the era remain alive today. Of these, King Serenzar of Moonhaven and King Harian of Windwarren are the most notable.

The Great Central War

The other war of note was The Great Central War. This war ended in the year 1021 after lasting approximately 500 years. For the better part of this war the conflict was primarily between Ardenbau and Tirane over a dispute of borders. The land that is now the country of Delain was under the jurisdiction of one, then the other-the two nations constantly warring over who had a right to it until eventually the citizens of Delain, sick to death of war, declared independence from both nations in the fall of 790. Tirane and Ardenbau-hateful of one another by now-continued to war for another 200 years over who was to blame for this until eventually, tired of fighting, a relative peace was struck between them, but it was the peace of two angry children who draw a line in the dirt and tell one another 'stay on your side'.

At the same time as the war between Ardenbau and Tirane, the other portion of The Great Central War was raging in Moonhaven. At the time, only a man could rule in this land. (Even still no queen has ever ruled it, but now by coincidence more than actual fact.) The eldest born son took the throne upon his father's deathbed. It was simply the way things were done at the time. However, during this particulargeneration, the King, Adaen, had only a daughter. Adaen's brother, Bedoen, had been killed by a Crimsha, and so he'd adopted and raised his nephew, Aldarion, who would eventually take the throne if he did not have a son before he passed on. Adaen never did bear a son.

However, there were those in Moonhaven who thought his daughter, Olivia, should wed and that her husband should be the rightful ruler of Edarin. At his death, much against both Olivia's and Aldarion's desires, a conflict broke out-those favoring that the princess should marry, and those favoring the blood rights of the king's nephew who currently held the throne.

Lady Olivia was wounded in a battle of this regard near the border of Ardenbau and 'disappeared' when the Ardenban King, Kiergan, found her while on a hunt with his at the time young son, Daryen. Kiergan brought her back to Ardenbau Castle and treated her…and fell in love. He took Olivia as a mistress, not knowing her royal heritage, and they had a pair of identical twins together, a boy (Arrien) and a girl(Aiiren).

Six years passed before the Zhoan found where their princess had gone and attacked Ardenbau for 'taking her hostage'. In the ensuing battle, Olivia died. Her two deus children, toddling children that they were, were separated in the ensuing chaos. Aldarion took advantage of the situation-seeing Olivia's child after she'd been killed (much to his despair, he loved his cousin greatly but was not in control of the current situation), he took it to raise-by naming the boy his heir he would resolve the troubles.

Unfortunately, identical twins are often mistaken for one another, especially at such a tender age, and the child he took was the daughter, not the son. To prevent further conflict, he raised Aiiren as a boy and continued with the plan as it stood, giving her a more masculine and elvish name-Lysander, which means 'Valiant'. Meanwhile, the people of Ardenbau thought she had been killed in the conflict.

Regardless, by this time everyone was tired of war and death. The War ended on both fronts and both Moonhaven and Ardenbau went into a period of mourning.

No one knew that a mere twenty years later they would be thrown into another conflict in which the twins would find themselves inextricably intwined. They just wanted a reprieve from the fighting.

For a timeline and general overview of Edarin's two Great Wars go here.

For further information on the history and historical figures associated with said wars, go here.

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