First Turning

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The foremost of the nations of Thessir, Wildebourne Vale is a mist and rain shrouded landscape, full of lush forests, beautiful lakes and streams, and hidden dangers and threats that hide their nature amidst the shadows.

It is a home of several races. Primarily, its population is Human, but it was not always thus. Originally, it was an Elven nation - the High Elves populated the land first, their own origins shrouded by time, and with a small but well maintained population, cultivated it quietly while also engaging in their studies. With the small population that they had, they had little need for the majority of the landmass, but they were its caretakers, and thus, ensured both its sanctity and development. For the most part, their descent into studies turned them into a thoroughly scholarly, contemplative race, who took value in slowly coming to a mutual understanding, rather than rushing into decisions. However, such quiet contemplation was not to last.

The first Human settlers that appeared were lost, and aimless. In the case of some, they had come from across the sea. In the case of others, they had passed through the portal network that the Elves themselves used, an apparent junction of magic that occurred during an unknown disaster which had crippled their population and thrown them into Thessir. They appeared suddenly, and scattered throughout the lands here and there, and in growing numbers. The Elves were concerned at this. They were isolated, and despite their great age, and long history, had not encountered much in the way of humanity, if anything. And as such, the first contacts they made with these desperate survivors, struggling in a strange land, were tentative. This was soon transposed into both alarm and fascination. Fascination because the behavior of the short lived and erratic Humans was so unlike their own existence, which was for the most part contemplative and patient; and alarm at the way their rapacious nature expanded rapidly, and surely, moving steadily to take advantage of the situation as it was offered to them. After their initial panic and terror, the Humans started to develop settlements, and exhibit behavior that, to the Elves, was quite antithetical to their own way of life. It was savage, it was primal, and it was desperate, and so, the Elven nation, from their main seat of power, the beautiful city of Tel'Assar, convened to discuss the Human problem.

There the debate raged, but by Human standards both now and then, it was a much more subdued affair. Ideas were contemplated, over the course of many moons. First, it was proposed that the Humans be isolated, but the swell of their numbers soon dictated that the Elves, with their limited population, would never be able to achieve this. Warfare was also ruled out, as though the Elves possessed great magic and skill in such matters, hard won by forcing some of the more monstrous races out of their homelands, it would have likely proven far too costly. And thus, a compromise was reached. The Humans would, they decided, be educated. Not in their greatest secrets - the secrets of magic, and the wielding of it - but in laws, in philosophy, in technology and other means, so that these humans could start to work together, and perhaps, create a more ordered society.

There were advances, and rapidly so. The Elves were delighted that their charges adapted into the societal structures. In truth, the Humans had already begun to grow in such things, but the Elven nations further ratified the development, creating laws, empowering humans as their representatives of their will as nobles amongst the humans, choosing those with greater intellect, ambition and drive from amongst the populace. However, things began to steadily change, and the two nations sharing the same borders began to adapt and shift in their relationships with each other. As the Humans learned the lessons of the Elves, so too did the Elves learn the lessons of the Humans, as each nation took on aspects of the other in doing so, the nature of their cities adapting and changing as time went on. Humans learned how to be clever, how to negotiate, how work technological advancements in engineering and construction. But they also showed the Elves how to be cruel, how to be violent, how to be motivated primarily by the self. Younger Elves in particular drew on Human lessons as much as their own, and there was a great deal of mingling between the two people in ways that were less than appropriate, as the more base aspect of Human life was also illustrated to the Elves, such as theft, smuggling, and other criminal vices. Decades drew into a century, and as the Humans aged but the Elves remained alive, their long lives dictating that they survived, when Humans sickened and died. Gradually, the relationship between the two people changed. The Humans began to be viewed as ungrateful. The Elves as arrogant. Each race started to grind against the other as the situation became more and more untenable.

Each of them was in truth driving the other towards it - the nature of each race was such that the squabbles began to escalate, as the developing nation of Humans strove for more. The Elves believed the Humans were not ready for such expansionism. The Humans believed that they were being oppressed. In the end, both sides were right. In truth, by this stage there was also a trifold split within Elven society as well, which further upset their population. The higher ruling families of the Elven people became increasingly distant from those of their population that they deemed 'ill advised' – primarily, those whom had taken Human traits of nature into their own outlook upon life. These Elves were often disdainfully referred to as 'lowbloods' by their kindred, and treated with suspicion by many amongst the human population as well. However, while fewer in number, there were enough of these black sheep to form somewhat functioning groups of their own, outcast from the higher ranked families but with enough power, wit and influence to function in human society, often taking positions of power within the human society, and taking advantage of their bloodline and their often ruthless nature to gather pockets of power of their own, usually in the underworld of the Human society. They were, for the most part, disregarded but the highborn Elves, but it must be said that they were, most likely, simply biding their time for the right opportunity.

The third split within Elven society was that which formed the traditionalists. These Elves consisted primarily of three families which, while they took a dim view of the Humans, also believed that the measures being taken by the Elven nation as a whole was only making matters worse. They held much more to the old ways of life, and felt that the rest of the nation was falling into a petty circle of pointless malice and greed, a nation desperate to hold on to the ephemeral nature of power against a rising power that was struggling to achieve its own identity. They maintained that Humans needed help to grow, to be guided, but the larger majority of the houses of the Elves believed that this was not only a folly, but a waste of time. After all, as they viewed it, such short lived creatures could never reach a level of required intellect and self perceived perfection, and as a result, that the methods being taken to keep the Humans controlled were the only ones available. The traditionalists did, however, successfully argue that the majority of magical ability be kept hidden from the humans. Ostensibly, it was so that humans would not learn it themselves, though the majority of Elves found this ludicrous. Magical ability had been discovered, after all, through near centuries of contemplation, self reflection, study and exertion of ability to tap into the magic of the land. The sorcerors of the Elves were powerful, having long known how to tap into magical ability, but they were loath to use it in an aggressive fashion, no matter how things became strained, the traditionalists stressed the importance of this, and argued that to use magic would both permanently cripple any hope of peaceful relations, and eventually would backfire. It was, in truth, only a continued sense of arrogance and disbelief that Humans would ever form some kind of real threat, as they continued to exist in a perceived squalor and pitiful state, that prevented the use of magic being used as a means of threat. The majestic cities of the Elves, or carven wood, marble and other fair stone, which soared and flew above the landscape, wonders of construction and the perfected knowledge of sculpture and engineering, with Humans barred from their streets except as special envoys, were a far cry from the crude stone, wood and thatch structures of the Humans, with their crudely paved streets, and more primitive means of transport – horse and oxen and cart, by river barges and roads. But the Elven cities remained static and unchanging, using a waystone web of portals that joined all their settlements and points of interest together, using magic that only they were privy too. It afforded them tremendous ability to move about, and with incredible speed, and was seen as further testament to their superiority. But with each generation, the borders of each Human city grew and grew, and as they did so too did their roads, their trade routes, and their economy, which had long since begun to work in varying forms of currency.

There was also the increasing trouble in the nature of religion. The Elves had primarily lived a life of little religious obligation, worshipping the Aspects, such as they were – not true gods, but rather the concepts, the primary forces of the multiverse, as the Elves viewed them. For example, the Aspect of Silence, which was viewed by the Elves as a means of enlightenment and inner tranquillity, a methodology rather than an actual divinity. Humans, lacking a defined religion of their own, adapted to the Elven style of worship, but over time they shifted its focus. The Aspects became personified – seldom much more than a gender, rather than much more. But increasingly, individuals amongst the generally ill-educated but fervent Humans would present word of these Aspects, in the form of a divine mandate. The Elves disregarded this for the most part, however – some, however, were horrified by the increasing fanaticism of the individuals that followed this or that Aspect and argued that measures needed to be taken. This only escalated when the mandate of several of the Aspects was gradually subverted – the holy writ of those who appointed themselves spokespeople of the Aspects would twist their methods, often in far more literal and primitive fashions, to spread an agenda that was as personal as it was often antithetical to the original purpose of the Aspect. While the traditionalists favored a patient approach designed around education and instruction, the more prominent and majority houses lacked the patience for such methods, and as a result, a religious purge came into effect. Human reaction to this was one of outrage, as their fledgling and growing faiths were put down with a firm hand.

In truth, at first, a diplomatic hand was vaguely attempted, but the strength of the faith of those involved in these small, but growing churches was fierce and the diplomatic effort poor, and eventually, force was required. The Human cities were increasingly patrolled by the shining armored High Elven forces, and slowly, the humans were placed under more and more structural and administrative control, as well as actual physical force. Unrest grew and grew, and increasingly, the Elves responded with more and more firm measures, as the humans kept pushing at the edges. Splinter groups of varying motivations formed – Humans had formed noble houses with the help and treaties of the Elves in ages past. Some continued to work with the Elves in exchange for greater favor, but others began subversive efforts, gathering their people and trying to find an alternative to the increasingly strict and oppressive Elven rule, even as the groundswell of religion continued to grow, in an underground fashion.

Pushed into worship by a growing sense of dissatisfaction with the hopelessness of their position, these fledgling faiths soon found more and more fanatical and driven followers, willing to go to any lengths for their goals. And the more that the religions were persecuted, the more their word turned towards a growing xenophobic hatred of the Elven people, an undercurrent theme that found ever increasingly popularity amongst the ever disenchanted masses, that were steadily growing more and more in number. Squabbles became common.

It was with the coming of the Dwarves that things changed rather drastically, and fast. Pushed out of the frozen north by a particularly vicious winter, the Dwarves came down out of the northern mountains, and soon ran into both the Humans and the Elves, caught in their own squabbles over territory and land. Previously, the Dwarves themselves had limited contact with the Wildebourne Vale, but this changed with the growth of the snows and the shifting of the Orc tribes, and the sudden and desperate shortages of food that swept the North entirely. And thus, out of necessity, they came hoping to negotiate for food supplies that could keep their people from starving.

However, they were met with deaf ears, upon their arrival. The Elves had an established government by this point, that they controlled entirely. Laws were passed, that favoured the enlightened Elves over the ignorant Humans. The first Dwarven entreaties were treated with even greater disdain than the Humans were by the Elves they encountered. Having dealt so long with the ungrateful Humans, as they viewed them, the idea of more supplicants at their door was met with poorly veiled irritation. The Dwarves in kind were not used to the honeyed words and the smug superiority of the Elven nation, and more, they were now increasingly desperate, and turned in any direction they could.

Soon enough, they made contact with humans who, despite the fact that laws forbade them from doing so, managed to get enough surplus of their food to supply the Dwarves in their time of need. It was a clear and clever tactical manoeuvre. In so doing, the Human populace gained a staunch and steadfast ally, in the Dwarven people. The Dwarves were grateful and generous in kind with such things they had, and as such, they dealt almost entirely with the Humans, and traded not just in raw materials, in exchange for food, ale and other luxuries, but also worked materials. Namely, in weaponry, to which Elves responded, making it forbidden by law for weapons of any sort being possessed by Humans, in public or in private. Human militias were disarmed and elven ones set in their place. Humans rejected the law, and soon, weaponry spread amongst the common populace as it was smuggled to where it was needed.

The uprising had been brewing for many years, but with the presence of weaponry on the streets, the Elves responded with the last of their patience, and brought their magic to bear at last. The fledgling rebellion that was being stirred by young hotheads was crushed, as the full might of the sorcery of the Elves was unleashed upon the individuals responsible, and afterwards, they resettled, thinking that surely, after such a display, that things were finished with. Until that moment, the full might of their spellcasting ability, and especially its destructive capability, And having finally played their hand, they declared humanity a serf people, and set about distancing themselves from them entirely except in a master and servant relationship, using the humans as manpower and resources, while curbing any and all outcries and excesses, and finally, the uneasy relationship between the two people ended in bloodshed, and turned into a fully blown state of oppression and building rebellion. Magical executions became common. The Human people of Wildebourne, finally seeing the full extent of what had devolved into little more than enslavement, responded with a ferocity that grew, and grew, day by day.

Outright antagonism was now blatant between the two races. The Dwarves were soon swayed to the human side of the matter, for after all, they had supplied them with food which had saved their way of life and indeed, had been instrumental in ratifying peace in the north between the Orc tribes and the Dwarven cities. They formed hidden treaties, and promises were made. The Dwarves had already begun to establish themselves at that point as perhaps the most rigid adherents to written treaties in the continent, and they made this point abundantly clear to the Humans. And while they supplied them with weaponry and other gear, the Humans themselves began to find that they had a weapon all of their own.

The first of what came to be called the Faithbringers manifested at the onset of the true rise of the rebellion, during what was first a riot, but soon came to be a full fledged battle in the city of Harrowsley. As one of the primary locations of the dwarves whom had shared their goods with the humans, the elves finally decided to try and put a stop to it by rooting out the subversive elements of the city. What they did not know is that by this point, the entire population was in uproar, and much of it was at the word of one particularly fervent man, of the name of Johann Vikkersson. Johann was a follower of what was increasingly becoming the most powerful religious group amongst the humans, the followers of the Aspect of the Dragon, an Aspect the Elves themselves did not put much worship into. The faith of the Great Dragon exploded when he discovered, and remarkably, translated, some ancient texts referring to the history of dragons and the dragon knights. Using these texts as a springboard, Johann referred to the similarity of oppression and the cycle of destruction as perpetrated by the elves. A gifted and exceptional orator, he spoke with fervent, powerful belief, and soon swayed a great many to his side. When the Elves came, he rallied the defenses of the militias, whom took up arms and fought back against the oppressors.

It is unknown how exactly it first happened precisely, but during the course of the battle, the Elves finally grew tired and deployed their magic against the populace. The battle threatened to become a rout and a massacre, until, as was written as many first hand accounts, Johann manifested a magic of his own. Through the ferocity of his belief, and a hitherto unknown latent ability, Johann reached into a new and for the Elves, unheard of discipline of magical power. This new magic, completely unseen before by any, was a terrific shock to the Elven forces, as the unthinkable took place. Johann seemed to quickly master this new form of magical ability, and with it, rendered the magic of the Elves nigh on useless, fortifying the defenders. Texts described the 'holy light' and 'righteous fire' of the man, and the awe inspiring power of the Johann Vikkersson, the first of the Faithbringers, whom nigh singlehandedly turned the tide of battle and in so doing, the uplifted and rejuvenated human resistance massacred the Elven forces. It was the first victory of what became known as the Siedh Wars, and it lit a burning flame in the hearts of the humans that soon roared into an inferno.

The reaction was, at first, complete shock. But things soon escalated into ferocious conflict soon afterwards. This new magic was completely unlike anything the Elves had yet seen, and worse, Johann seemed to possess an innate ability to pass how he had been able to use it on to others, some of whom were able to wield it much like him – protectively and defensively, while others used weaker but still potent abilities, still drawn from their inner faith and the faith of those around them, to strengthen their arm in battle. This magic was brought about by faith, and by unwavering belief – a difficult concept of the Elves, who had, in most of their work, learned how to doubt. The concept of absolute, unwavering faith did not enter their consciousness, until the reality of just how potent it could be was made fully apparent before them. Armies began to form. Skirmishes were fought. Magic borne of faith and of sorcery clashed together, and cities were left smoking ruins, fields burned and destroyed. The war raged on for years, with Johann and his forces holding strong points and engaging on a war of desperation. The fanaticism of the human fighters, coupled with their dwarven weaponry and their new and powerful and mystifying magic of their faith, left the elves in disarray. Worse, the loss of but a single Elf was difficult to bear. The loss of hundreds became catastrophic, as they simply did not have the numbers to replace them, but the humans would, if need be, throw men into battle with near mindless ferocity. Victories could be pyrrhic in nature, but the overall war was not – where possible, the human rebels would find a way to force the Elves to fight, knowing that each one they killed was one that was near impossible to replace.

The Elves were pushed back, with increasing speed. The human uprising grew with every battle, win or lose, but the concept of a sustained, unyielding war was not something the elves had ever thought to prepare for. Having relied totally on the threat and use of their magic, once it was matched, the outcome become increasingly inevitable as time passed. It culminated in the battle of Wyrmwood, where the last major army of the High Elves, cut off from supply, was decimated and completely butchered to the last Elf, after being surrounded in the woods, which, in true fashion to the nature of dragons, were then set alight. Choked and burned by the raging inferno, Wyrmwood remains a dark place, as the memory of that massacre lingers on. The lowblood Elves kept their heads down during this time of troubles, but most of them moved out of the country entirely. That said, there was evidence of collusion between these black sheep of the Elven nation and the humans, and soon, also evidence of Elven magic being deployed against elves, as the lines of battle grew increasingly murky. The waystone web of the Elves were uprooted and broken as the humans advanced, breaking the teleportation systems wherever they found them, forcing the Elves to rely on conventional means of travel that they simply were not used to dealing with. It crippled their lines of supply, even as they tried desperately to defend them, whereas the Humans, with their barges, their carts, their caravans and oxen, were able to maintain steady lines of supply between their soldiers and their resources.

The last battle was fought at the capital of Tel'Assar, which, inevitably, resulted in the destruction of that fair city. Consumed with hatred, the human army swept into the city like a plague, pillaging, burning, and destroying. Johann was at the height of his religious frenzy at this point, and the entire army seemed caught up in it. The bloodshed was awful, as the beautiful city of Tel'Assar burned, the vast extent of their teachings incinerated in the inferno. Finally, as the last building fell, the last act of the war took place.

The traditionalist Elves, still isolated from the rest of the world, struck at last. Tel'Assar was consumed in an apocalypse of spellfire, that consumed the city and the force that held it in a vast ruination that leveled it entirely. The last to fall was, or so the legends say, Johann himself, as the power of his faith transformed him from a man into a living flame, an ever burning inferno at the heart of the ruin that never went out, consumed in the ferocity of his rage and his unconquered will.

The survivors gathered. The traditionalist Elves met with the surviving leaders. In the cataclysm of the fall of Tel'Assar, most of the human force was destroyed, the land virtually depopulated in the wake of such bloodshed. The Elves themselves were decimated. The last three Elven houses and the six remaining leaders of the humans finally ratified out a treaty. The High Eves retreated, into the forests, to their last remaining city, and the land of Wildebourne Vale became, forever more from that point, an independent human controlled state. Both sides were too bloodied and weakened – the Humans had lost most of their Faithbringers, the Elves had all but burned out their most powerful magics, and lost many of their strongest in an effort to crush the Human force. Tensions were high between both sides, and outright hatred still burned – but neither side had the resources to continue the fight. The treaty was formed by the experts in such matters, the Dwarves, who in the process ratified trade between the three nations as well. The noble houses of the Humans were established in the process, and the Dwarves suggested a line of government and leadership that was similar to their own, via an internalized election system. This too was taken on board, and the Treaty of the Siedh Wars was finally ratified, with the Dwarves, in the process, heavily emphasizing that they would not honor agreements with any side that broke the treaty.

So the Humans and Elves officially finished hostilities – though remnants of hostility and rabble rousing would continue on for centuries, as the First Turning came at last to an end, and the Humans returned to their cities, to face a new foe, as the terrible famine which came to be known as the Shrivelling Years took effect, and the fledgling nation soon looked like it would be destroyed under the weight of its own shattered infrastructure before it even found its feet.