Narean Wars

The Narean Wars were ten separate wars fought between the Nareans and their high elf kin during the Age of Veradorianis.

## Story of the Soulflame (2312-2333 AoV)

The elf city of Reinayas in Bahneria had been holding its defenses against the monsters and giant jungle trolls of the Ageless Grove for thousands of years. One day, the elf warlord Nar besought the council to let him take a select group of volunteers (himself being foremost among them) and attempt a dangerous arcane experiment. The procedure would be done by Nar’s close wizard friend Kal. He would weave fire magic into their very being. Thus all the elves, even non-spellcasters, would have the innate ability to call fire and defeat the trolls. The council of Reinayas, led by the cryomancer Krelthor, blatantly refused.

Some elves were wary of the dangers, but most could not deny the effectiveness of being able to call fire at whim. Nar, not one to be deterred, convinced Kal to try it anyway. The first subject was Nar’s cousin Tes. Tes was supremely confident in Nar and Kal and eager to try. The experiment went wrong and Tes was immolated. Stricken but keeping his composure, Nar told Kal to keep working.

Finally, in 2333 AoV, Nar became the first successful recipient of what he would call the soulflame. He returned to the council with his success only to be exiled along with his followers. Even those of other houses were banished from the city under Krelthor's orders. Nar took his supporters to the volcano near the Ageless Grove. He set up a home for his people there, driving out the indigenous orcs, humans, and dwarves. No troll dared come near there because of the intense heat, so it was ironically the safest place for them in Bahneria outside of Reinayas. They established the city of Nar’s Keep and declared themselves the Narean Empire. After a short few months of testing their powers, they turned their sights to Reinayas. Nar declared war on Reinayas and stated his intent to conquer and convert all the elves on Bahneria. The First Narean War began.

## The First Narean War (Nar's Conquest) (2333-2495 AoV)

162 years passed with the Nareans and the Reinians skirmishing often. The Reinians vastly outnumbered the Nareans, but between the soulflame and their positioning, the Nareans were mostly on equal footing with their enemies. The Nareans were in close proximity to the trolls, but whenever the trolls attacked Reinayas, they hooked around Nar’s Keep because of the volcano. So when the trolls would be beaten back from Reinayas, Nar could plan his attack right afterward.

During once such attack of opportunity, two well-respected Reinian mages, Naeshthrael and Zorash of House Thrael defected to Nar's side. Their father Vorenthrael, a general in Reinayas's army, disowned them, and in a battle three weeks later, hunted them down with his daughter Ariesha. Zorash killed his father. Naeshthrael froze in place as his sister and brother fought to the death, until Zorash pushed his soulflame into instability and immolated them both. Naeshthrael fled to House Thrael and took the rest of House Thrael's children, his siblings Venlia, Zinsha, and the toddler Traetos, and hid them from both armies in the woods. Eventually he was found and in exchange for his siblings' location staying secret, he would return to Nar's Keep to serve as archmage. He agreed and took Traetos with him to raise as his son.

Nar’s army razed most of Reinayas, leaving only cultural and palatial buildings. They already had all the military positions they needed in Nar’s Keep, although they did fortify the garrison positions for troll defense. Nar left a small contingent there. The new capital was declared Nar’s Keep. He claimed Reinayas as an outlying city and renamed it the Smouldering City.

Those who did not join Nar and undergo the soulflame procedure were exiled to leave Bahneria and never return, just as they had done to the Nareans. Most sailed east to Tellaria, where they found their elf kin in Alvestrin. Soon after, a group of nobles and mages, led by Krelthor, made a pilgrimage to Veradorianis in order to raise a counterinvasion.

## The Ninth Narean War (????-3666 AoV)

In the wake of the Ninth Narean War, the soulflame records were ordered destroyed by House Nar.

## The Tenth Narean War (Ashauralem's War) (5128-5177 AoV)

Ashauralem of House Lem and his carnage-loving cousin Valaxo rained flame and terror down upon House Sorn and their other enemies in Aefhwen. Celestos served under his long-time mentor Colonel Aethucraid. The war lasted for forty-five years before the dragons finally put a stop to it and banished the Nareans from Aefhwen in 5177 AoV.