God War

***Preceded by:** Reign of White Castle / **Followed by:** Rise of New Loraen*

God War is a difficult era for scholars as the fabric of time itself was disrupted by the physical manifestation of Gods upon the prime material plane. Because of this, some events are argued over historians. If they should be included as part of the era or took place before/after it. Broadly however it includes anything agreed to have occurred from the destruction of White Castle until the Treaty was witnessed.

**The Tree of Life**

Morgion marched his army on the city of White Castle. What soldiers remained in the city stood little chance. In the only known instance recorded by his clergy, Phades stood and called forth a dragon that lived in the darkness of his well. The dragon lay waste to White Castle its breath burning with negative energy bolstering Morgion's army and making their task even easier. Scholars argue over the motivation for this. Servants of the god merely shrug and advise trust.

Meanwhile Madrian's Children gathered at the Tree of Life. By some unknown instruction they poured a portion of their power into the tree, and it germinated. Its seeds spread across the Continent full of positive energy. Morgion and his undead were destroyed utterly. As the Great Horde that had allied with him stood in the ashes of their former allies, the dragon of Phades turned on them and with tooth and claw chased them down until none remained.

There were two other major consequence of this event. One was the creation of the Living Dead. An event which may or may not have been planned by Phades himself. The other was the massive amount of divine energy loose in the world. God War had begun.

**Divinity Spreads**

The divine energy spread across the Continent gathered as it had in the Gods. It was drawn to placed and things of worship and devotion. Minor community saints and spirits became demigods. Powerful entities attained fragments of godhood. In some instances, plans were made to achieve these results. However, in most it was accidental. True gods were not overly amused by these events, Adrianna least of all. Eventually the Kind Lady herself rid the world of an unknown number of these would be deities over the course of the God War. Others succeeded in divinity.

**Freja & Ziegfried**

A young valkyrie name Freja set out on a series adventures seeking honor and experience. Her journey took her across the Continent, beyond the Merchant Sea and to other worlds. Along the way she met a powerful warrior name Ziegfried who came from a land similar to her own and a gnome witch. They returned to Madrian with the aid of a fiend. A devil claiming to be the long dead pirate Baul.

**The Dark Red Mage**

Stories of a strange woman called the Dark Red Mage peppered the land. She was said wield powerful magic and know secrets no mortal should. She brought together a group of adventurers including the dwarf Enkiel, a half-giant named Brut and a dishonored monk Howatasumi. Presenting themselves as traveling entertainers led to the name 'Enkiel's Troupe'. They traveled from the North-East Baronies south into the Jongura and struck a bargain with Roruxarith the Red. The dragon was master of the Lost Diamond Mines of Vuthabalor and made a deal that would gain the dragon worshippers in exchange for jewels from the mines.

**Plague in the North**

A necromancer of incredible skill drew the attention of Hecaya. The goddess of undeath was fascinated by the man and the two became lovers. This allowed him to learn the secrets of the Bone Plague. With this dark magic the two took up a campaign against the living throughout the Northern Baronies, the Jongura and Amatorini. The necromancer took the name Darcllore.

**Death of a Child**

In Muspelung a group of war-priests had gathered. Giants and trolls who saw the time for their gods to be called to the prime material plane. Using the divine energies circulating in the world they open portals to realm of Kravos. The god of giants along with Balog came forth into the mortal realm and led an army into the Grey Peaks. This army lay waste to everything in their path until they reached the city of Jotungrind. There were gathered great warriors, adventurers and Evangellein herself. Balog was severely wounded by the goddess and then forced to retreat by a group of valkyrie led by Freja and Ziegried.

Evangellein however had also been wounded by Balog, something which Kravos was able to take advantage of. The warrior goddess fought with all her might against the giant. So brutal was there fighting that the mountains around the city were reduced to hills and shattered cliffs. The two gods tore a canyon through the Grey Peaks as Evangellein pushed Kravos back toward his realm. Before she could strike her enemy changed tactics and using his dark magics attempted to raise a volcano in the center of Jotungrind. Evangellein was able to force the eruption down into the earth and Kravos took the opportunity to mortally wound the goddess. As her life slipped away, Adrianna became aware of her sister's death. Kravos fled as his entire army, was frozen in place. The Kind Lady had arrived, though Kravos escaped to the deepest parts of the Fey Realm, Balog was not so fortunate, and his frozen corpse is still on that battlefield. Adrianna refused to collect her sister for the afterlife and so Evangellein became the Ghost Goddess.

**Battle within the Mountain**

Slith seeing an opportunity to settle an old score gathered hordes of goblins, imps and other monsters and swarmed to Grell's fortress deep in the lava filled caverns below Stongrad. With the devastation caused by Kravos the dwarves were unprepared. Their messengers were unable to reach their norn allies and Evangellein was dead. As Slith stormed into the Father Forge poison fill the air all around the cackling throng that fell upon Grell. The god of dwarves fought for seven days and nights and before the eighth day died from Slith's venom. The dwarves that survived in those halls were taken and sold to the giants as a last twist of the knife.

**Stoutfist**

A dwarven vagabond by the name Stoutfist began a series of adventures, carrying with him an artifact from another plane. He gathered about himself an ever-changing group of fellow travels who met various horrible fates. Much of this was caused by the dwarf's betrayal. He was behavior was such that he began to draw the ire of gods. The artifact he carried however would be enough of a deterrent to keep him alive. Even the Kind Lady herself decided not to take Stoutfist's life despite his belligerent behavior. He finally met his demise when he insulted Tamera. The goddess immediately ate him. The whereabouts of the artifact and its exact nature has puzzled scholars since.

**Enkiel's Revelation**

The adventurers known as Enkiel's Troupe journeyed to Rafiah. While investigating rumors of unmined precious metals they claimed to discover a city of serpent men. They claim that priests there awaited the worlds destruction during God War and the return of Shaboah. This conflict unsettled Enkiel who began a pilgrimage into the badlands that would become New Loraen. There he believed he must create a temple to all gods regardless of allegiances, where all may worship in peace. Meanwhile the rest of his troupe split up. Brut would stay in Rafiah becoming famed as a gladiator. The Dark Red Mage went west to the ruins of White Castle seeking lost knowledge. Howatasumi, half mad from his journeys, came to believe himself an amnesiac god and journeyed to his homeland where he was worshipped by goblins.

**The God of Undeath**

As Darcllore's plague spread and he conquered the northern regions his legend grew. Eventually it became believed that he was the Necromancer returned. This level fear was what the wizard had waited on and he betrayed Hecaya. Killing his lover, he performed a profane ritual which allowed him to take her place as the new god of undeath. Adrianna was incensed by the murder of her daughter and laid waste to all of Darcllore's creations. She was unable to find him however and cut off from the mortal coil he hid himself away.

**Funeral for a Friend**

In the Grey Peaks a grand funeral was being held. One of the Orphans of Zodar had died an old woman with many extraordinary friends. In attendance were a number of heroes, fey, spirits and even gods. Four of these guests would change the world. Her companion and foster brother Goolah Gilgamesh. Elrin, whom she had raised as her foster son during one of his cycles of reincarnation. The warrior and mercenary Ziegfried who was hired to keep an eye on things. As well as Elric, the uninvited guest.

During the funeral Elric assassinated Elrin and with the divine energies was able to raise himself above demigod. Goolah attempted to stop him. The god of evil twisted Ziegfried's mind to defend him. Each of the two warriors bore artifact weapons of incredible might. Ziegfried's Unbreakable Greatsword and Goo's Tarnished Orb of Apocalypse. The two weapons shattered. Such was the destructive force that entire planet began to shake apart. Awoken, Madrian herself arose and used her power to save the planet from breaking apart entirely. With half the world destroyed the Goddess demanded peace and forced all the gods to meet.

**the Treaty of the Gods**

Madrian took the gods to a place in the badlands where a single pilgrim waited. Enkiel stood and watched what transpired, though he spoke little in the remaining years of his life about what he saw there. The gods were forced to an agreement that allowed for no deity to directly interfere on the material plane unless invoked by mortals. They could not conspire and manipulate any longer in the degree that had brought destruction to so much. So, it was and the gods one by one left. Until only Adrianna, Madrian and Darcllore remained. Then there was only Enkiel and Madrian. Madrian kissed his forehead and whispered in his ear. Enkiel built the Temple of the Gods on that site and after became known as the Prophet.