Watershed
- A New Chapter
In the year 30 AGS (After Great Severance), an extremist by the name of Amicus White illegally entered the keep of Frosthaven and stole the Ulendrum, the ancient text which had brought arcane magic into the realm.
The text was hidden and protected with no small amount of enchantments; it is not known for certain how Amicus managed to steal it. Once in his possession, however, Amicus kept it well-hidden. Each night, he would read a new section of the book and learn the secrets of existence, but this took a toll on his mental and physical health.
Amicus became consumed by his desire to build a world of his own; he sought power above all else. One fateful night, his wish was granted. Amicus discovered blood magic, the most sinister of all magics to enter this world. With all the tools he needed to build a kingdom now at his disposal, Amicus became the first cultist and set out to recruit followers to his cause.
Discovery of Elemental Magic
- Birth of the Enemy
Blood magic had made Amicus feared amongst the Thaedrans of the North. Enforcers of the law were powerless to halt his hate speech and anarchistic rallies. Amicus had studied extensively the rhetoric of King Loras I, and his number of followers grew quickly each day. Word of his blood magic spread across the realm like wildfire, and soon both Valaris and Felmarr sent spies to attend his rallies and learn his secrets.
The discovery of blood magic had far greater consequences on the fate of the realm than the discovery of its sister, the arcane. Blood magic was unpredictable and far less refined than arcane magic; nevertheless, the cultists became a powerful force in the realm, and some even rivaled the strength of the master arcane wizards. Amicus was nearly ready to overthrow the powers of Thaedra and reshape the world to fulfill his twisted vision, but his rise to power was halted by another discovery.
- Flames Erupt
After studying the teachings of Amicus and the cultists, spies from Felmarr had discovered a new magic of their own. They warped arcane magic into a far more destructive and deadly magic: fire. The infernos were born, and they opposed the cultists, threatening open war if the enemy failed to remember their place as "simple fanatics".
- Light and Darkness
While the infernos of Felmarr and cultists of Thaedra competed for political dominance, spies from Valaris had created yet another branch of magic. A small group of magic-users from Valaris had grown weary of the gluttonous nature of their nation. Their solution was to purify arcane magic and use this new power to spread a humble and devout way of living in service of the divine.
The Valeri discovered the first of the pure magics: light. But light was never present without its twin. Malicious mages and wizards twisted light magic into darkness. These two sister magics created three new classes of study. Those who wished to master the powerful forces of the divine became crusaders and clerics, while the necros filled their minds and hearts with darkness.
Whispers of a Harbinger
- Deception of a Titan
The Ulendrum is irrefutably the sole catalyst for many of the major events in Ythanica's recent history. Legends of mythical beasts, dead men walking, and magic all come from its pages. It is believed to have been written by a Harbinger, ancient beings of immense power. None have gazed at its mysterious and decrepit pages more than Amicus White, though not without consequence. In the year 34 AGS, Amicus began to hear faint whispers during his nightly readings of the book.
The voice claimed to be Eranor, Father of Light and King of Dragons. Amicus fell under the spell of the alluring voice, and he soon obeyed its every command. The voice was, in fact, a Harbinger from the underworld: Malythas, Lord of Brimrock. Through Amicus, it intended to return to the world of the living and subjugate the free peoples of the realm. Slowly it corrupted his mind and heart, and on a seemingly insignificant day in 35 AGS, the voice commanded Amicus and his followers to sail West into uncharted lands.
- Dark Magic Rises
The cultists remained loyal to Amicus and traveled South with him to a small western port under the jurisdiction of Valaris. With the raw power of their blood magic, they slaughtered the sailors and pirates, taking control of every ship they could find. They sailed away from the main continent of Ythanica and came upon a series of islands. It was here that the Harbinger Malythas would tear a rift between Ythanica and the underworld.
The cultists were ruthless, but they were not unintelligent. They grew doubtful of the integrity of their leader, but Malythas had predicted this. Upon arrival at The Burning Isle, dark bindings poured from the Ulendrum in Amicus' hand and corrupted the cultists. His followers' minds were forced to submit to his will.
- The Breach is Opened
Now under the full control of the dark Harbinger, the cultists began the incantation of a powerful spell to open the rift between worlds. Demons and ghouls from Brimrock poured into the realm to wreak havoc upon its inhabitants. The army of the dead had come.
The cultists believed, all the while, that they served Eranor, Father of Light. They named themselves The Ivory Order, after Eranor's dragons' mighty claws of legend. In 36 AGS, they built the Fortress of Eranor, a false shrine.
The Fall of the Realm
- Al Sahar in Ruin
The Ivory Order and the demons of the underworld descended upon the realm like a plague. First, they set their sights on the most vulnerable capital city: Al Sahar. Despite the city's heavy fortifications, it remained under construction. It was powerless against the combined strength of the order and the demons of Brimrock. The city fell in a matter of hours.
Frosthaven and Genesis Port followed shortly after. By 38 AGS, all three nations of the realm had fallen to the scourge of Brimrock. The realm's last free city, Miradorr, was the only solace for those who had survived the vicious attacks from the underworld.
- Flight to the Haven
Survivors of the destruction fled to Miradorr, a safe-haven and neutral port in the heart of Ythanica. The people nearly fell into disarray, as nations that had once been enemies were forced to come to each other's aid. With many of the nation's leaders dead or missing, shouting filled the air with chaos and disorder. Althalos Grey, the steward of Valaris, suggested a court of the wisest remaining leaders of each nation. The Council of Eight is heralded as the turning of the tide of war, an event which single-handedly saved the free peoples of Ythanica from utter ruin.