Scorching of Thondeum

The Scorching of Thondeum was a cataclysmic event that marked the end of the Empire of Thondeum on the summer of 992 AF. This event saw the city of Thondeum scorched by its dragons and turned into a Dragon pit. The city ceased to be inhabited until the modern age. Historians and contemporaries alike sourced many different issues as the cause for the Scorching, including religious decadence, mistreatment of dragons, trade collapse, weak communication within the government, and much more.
== Causes ==
=== Dragon Mistreatment ===
The main reason for the Scorching of Thondeum was the unruly and oft cruel handling of dragons. Following military defeats to the Lynari in the west and Relnari of the north, as well as failing attempts to centralize the Ischanic houses on the west coast, the Emperors of Thondeum increasingly relied on the sheer strength of Dragons to quell dissent across their Empire. Philosophy prior to the weakening of Imperial control stated that Dragons were not to be ridden, and were intelligent enough to be trained for war. Dragons traditionally had human companions or owners who were bound to them through training, and accompanied them to battle or otherwise. In the final years of the Empire, however, companionship became sevitude, and dragons were ridden by their human owners, no longer as equals but as a lesser being. On the day of the Scorching, dragons refused to be ridden, and eventually turned their backs on their owners, setting the city of Thondeum ablaze.
=== Religious Decadence ===
Many also thought that their connections with the Ischanic gods was important in fostering a relationship with their dragon. However, with the northern invasions of Relnarith and Hemitith brought new ideas to the lands of Thondeum. It did not reach the Ischanic people as it did the eastern lands, and it began to take hold in Thondeum, Celras, Igidrium, and other Thoadrala centered cities.
=== Trade Collapse ===
The growing incompetence of the once-great Thondean military allowed for bandits, thiefs, and raiders to disrupt trade. At one point, there was no construction going on in the capital city Thondeum because stone trade routes to Onquior had completely stalled out over the long distance. Given this, the dragons could not always be guaranteed enough livestock to sate their hunger, so they often themselves raided the countrysides of Thondeum.
== Aftermath ==
The Scorching of Thondeum led to a collapse of the larger empire within hours. Without a central city to base command and power on, several western realms immediately declared themselves independent. Most Ischanic realms (marked in black on the map) were based on fuedal holdings of a certain house, while the kingdoms in the east were founded by Thondean military leaders. Many legion commanders, hearing of the capital city being burned, immediately gathered their armies and secured what land they could. 
=== Thondean Royal Lineage ===
something something burned alive few remain
=== Dragon Hunting ===
After the city of Thondeum was turned into a dragon pit, people went hunting to get their revenge for the burning. Tens of dragons were killed following the immediate collapse, and dragon populations continued to dwindle outside of Thondeum.
=== Northern Invasion ===
something something relnarith hemitith setquith