The Culling

The Culling is an event in the History of The Kingdom of Estaria. There are many rumors concerning the death of King Barroth Cassel and the ascension of his son King Jaddon Cassel. When King Jaddon Cassel took the thrown he quickly put his plan of The Culling into place. The Armies were dispatched across the country to imprison every Man, Women, and Child who had any links to Half-Elves and place them into the Ruined Camps.

## Kingdom of Estaria

While the populace was originally not for these acts the military presence and absolute ability to take anyone who attempted to hide them into the camps as well quickly turned these voices mute. The Brotherhood of Mist, the elite soldiers of the Estaria army were tasked with hunting down anyone who attempted to run from the main force. The most notable defiance coming out of The Kingdom of Estaria was the defection of Karuk the former Spymaster.

## Kingdom of Athein

With many of the citizens of Estaria fleeing south this put The Kingdom of Athein in a very precarious position in the conflict. With the obviously military might of the North to worry about many of the Nobles in the Capital of Penrith were against the allowing of the refugees south. A very young Queen Liliyana Tarlarys sat on the throne of the Kingdom of Athein in which she would make her first true decision to the future of the Kingdom. Her decree was that any who should make it to Athein lands would be protected from Estarian forces, while she did not push North this was taken as a very strong stance from the Nobles.

## The Camps

Nearly 80% of all the Half-Elves, parents or just those in relationships from The Kingdom of Estaria were placed into these camps. Once in these death camps the psychological and physical toll on their beings was intense. Under fed and watching their kin killed daily at the block wore them down almost into submission. Out of the three major camps only one escape was ever noted and it was done by a young Rolen Serpet.

## The Refugees

Those who managed to escape the first wave of arrests, employed a number of techniques to avoid capture. Of the more common was the self mutilation of the Elvish ears to make them more human like. These scars can still be seen around The Kingdom of Athein.

## Karuk's Story

"You need to learn that while death is a terrible thing, it's sadly been something on this continent that has happened a bit. The Culling, The Collapse, The Uprising are just major events in the last 20 years." Karuk absent mindedly looks about the walls.

Merth Fernash slides his glass back to Karuk "Do you mind if I ask about it? I've only been here a short while and I've seen the repairs being made and have heard vaguely about the thieves guild being driving out but not much else."

Karuk nods "About which one exactly? Some say the three are connected others say the culling doesn't play a part"

Merth Fernash "Which of the three happened first?" he asks sipping his coffee.

Karuk nods "The Culling is less of Penrith history but it is the beginning"

Karuk looks to the wall and stands up walking over and grabbing a map putting it down infront of Merth "This here is the obvious line between the countries, that is Candor Hold. Taken hundreds of years ago by the queens knights. This here is Clearhill the capital of Estaria, much more Militaristic then down here in Penrith the capital of Athein."

"Estaria had a fair but firm ruler, he had his conquests and he had his aspirations but he never wished full on war with Athein. He did produce one real terrible thing in this world"

Merth Fernash "And what was that?"

Karuk looks to him "A son"

Merth Fernash "let me guess the son lacked the temperment of the father."

Karuk shakes his head "The temperment, he lacked anything but spite and blood lust. He was a damn fool and I'm glad he lost his head"

Karuk nods at the anger "Would you like to know the reason for his unbridled hatred, mind you she did that to survive and make it out without going to a death camp"

Karuk looks to him "About 5 years and this isn't fact some say longer or shorter, but the human prince courted a young noble human female. Her heart was however taken by a young elvish lad not of any birth right or nobility. That was the beginning of all this"

Merth Fernash "Sounds like he was a jealous. How unbecoming of a man of stature." Merth says coldly sipping his coffee

Karuk looks to him and almost chuckles "Yeah jealous... sure we can use that excuse. Well the day he took the throne on his father untimely death, the armies turned inward from the capital and began to arrest any elf and human in a relationship, every half-elf. There was not a single beat missed, it's my opinion that he killed his own father to get his revenge that much quicker"

"They were all rounded up into camps, where each day they would execute people making everyone watch from inside. Messengers were sent with warnings to Athein telling them to not harbor their criminals things became tense as people attempted to flee in the mountains as the armies set to square off. The young queen maybe only a few years into her reign took a very strong stance readying for war and refugees. While those north of the mountains sat and watched one the first day the parents would die and then on the next after watching their parents die the children would be executed"

"Thankfully it didn't though it was years of a stalemate at the pass, Athein knowing it would lose in a push north and Estaria having control of other islands which revolted against the decree taking up it's resources. If you ask me with the refugees this place became better"

He looks to Merth "That didn't mean their weren't battles fought in the light and the shadows"

"That is very true and if you were living anywhere near the mountains and were one of those people you grew up with stories of the Brotherhood of Mist coming to hunt you down and take you to your death"

Merth Fernash raises an eyebrow in interest "assassins?" he guesses

Karuk "Some sure but mainly those who live in the shadows and leave little trace, all manner of people you didn't want to cross"

Merth Fernash "And who did they fight for? This brotherhood and for that matter do they still exist?"

Karuk "Estaria, they exist still"

Merth Fernash "Tsk. Another shadowy group. As if the dark desert wasn't bad enough." merth mutters in elven

Karuk looks to Merth "Not all of them were bad Merth, some had a conscious"

Merth Fernash looks up at him "well that's something at least." he leans forward a little. "so what happened? There was no official war is the decree still in effect?"

Karuk shrugs "They don't really hunt down elves but your talking 20 years or more of hatred and fear bred into a country now, I would wager for every thousand humans there is a non human there. Once they turn on one race people don't exactly hang around to wait for it to be you. I know I didn't stay"

Merth Fernash nods "I don't blame you. So that's the culling? The......mistreatment of elves and those who associated themselves with them?"

Karuk "That is a story for a different day"