Terrorflare

One of the most defining events of the past 500 years was a war that came to be known as the Terrorflare.

Retreat
Just over a thousand years ago, the Eladrin had already been steadily dwindling for millennia as their long-lived and infrequent reproduction found itself outmatched by humanities relentless expansion and breeding. Eventually, they gradually receded willingly from many of their lands, finding themselves too few to govern such an expanse of land easily.They renovated and focused their efforts on consolidating their people in their ancient capital of Sara’gos, and in time this region came to be regarded as Sara’gosa.

Although aloof, the Elves had always maintained positive relations with the humans of Dubek. However, when they withdrew to Sara’gosa the elves did not pretend to ignore the expansionist nature of man, nor the fact that they had brought the vast majority of their peoples in to a single place. Accordingly, the Eladrin Arcanotechts, unmatched in their arts, erected an enormous barrier of stone and magic around Sara’gosa.

Behind the walls, Sara’gosa flourished. All of their greatest minds were now in one place and although they now held a fraction of the empire they had only years ago, a golden age of technology and the arcane arts now began for the Eladrin.

Part of these arcane experiments led to the first experiences on Mundus of the mortal races knowingly and willingly travelling to other planes (which incidentally is how the Tieflings came to learn of this world.) On one such experimental voyage the Eladrin came upon the Elemental Plane of Fire for the first time. Their scouts returned with an enormous magical jewel of pure flame. On its return to Sara’gosa, it quickly became apparent that Spellcasters who drew their strength from the crystal found the potency of their fire magic to be dramatically increased. The power this discovery provided only increased the progression of Sara’gosa’s advances exponentially. The Elven King Antanifa took the crystal as his sigil and styled himself as the first Sun King.

Discontent
Antanifa ruled for another 400 years, during which the Eladrin remained behind their walls and paid little heed to what was happening out in the world, where humanity was no doubt washing over their ancient settlements like locusts. Antanifa was succeeded by his only son Anasteros, who perished only a week later under mysterious circumstances.

With Sara’gosa in a crisis of succession, a driven individual emerged. Deltonaris Embersworn had served as Antanifa’s Magister General during the height of the Eladrin empire and was a beloved and venerated figure amongst his people. Deltonaris has been one of the most outspoken opponents to downsizing the empire and held the humans in low regard. He petitioned the high elders of his suitability to ascend to the throne in such a crisis and faced with the possible public outcry of refusing such a beloved hero when there was no clear alternative, the elders relented. Thus began the reign of Deltonaris, who now drawing his strength from the fire crystal, renamed himself Deltonaris Fireborn.

Peering beyond the wall, Deltonaris’ worst fears were confirmed – humanity had enveloped their nation and now held all of their ancient empire in their careless grasp. Over a period of months, he began to sow the seeds amongst his council and the people that the Eladrin should never have withdrew, but with the advances they had made in the hundreds of years since “Antanifa’s retreat” they could easily revert this decision and take back their ancient lands with little difficulty. Eventually a consensus was reached – Sara’gosa would remain behind high walls no longer.

Emergence
Commanded by Sun King Deltonaris Fireborn, the Eladrin emerged from Sara’gosa and advanced in all directions. Empowered by the Fire Crystal, they faced little resistance that they could not rapidly and violently overcome. The main body of their forces journeyed first Eastwards, towards what would remain of Arcanos. The city had been one of the jewels of the Eladrin Empire and housed many of their ancient magical relics within her labyrinth network of hidden vaults. Finding their first real fortified human stronghold near the borders of a human empire taking the name of Aeden, the Eladrin quickly came to discover that man had profited from many of the arcane relics and teachings they had carelessly left behind in their retreat, and were now not so inept at the arcane arts.

Unable to advance past the stronghold and reaching only stalemates in their frays with the humans, Deltonaris noticed the doubts his soldiers were starting to display at leaving their home and beginning the impossible task of reclaiming their homelands. Keen to embolden them, Deltonaris unleashed his full might and brought a shower of colossal fireballs down upon the fortress, reducing it to a rubble-filled crater in moments. This stronghold, wiped from existence in an instant, became known as the Aedenwound.

The Eladrin cut a swath through the north of Aeden until they came to Arcanos. Having now battled with human magi across the country’s breadth they were unsurprised to find their ancient vaults had long been ransacked by humanity and their secrets absorbed. Razing the city to the ground, Deltonaris returned to Sara’gosa to oversee their invasion West.

Resistance
The effort to advance in any direction other than East was fraught with constant challenge for the Eladrin. Sara’gosa had been completely encircled by what was clearly the dominant human empire on Dubek – Gaius. The Gaians did not have the same mastery of the arcane that Deltonaris had encountered in Aeden but their military was on par with the Elves own, and their numbers far greater. The Eladrin found themselves beaten back by the Gaians twice in open combat.

Their attempts to push north were met by another human empire, this one a rough and barbaric tribe residing in the snowy mountain wastes they had come to call Ur-Shakkar. The Urshaks were a messy and undisciplined rabble on the battlefield but fearless and unrelenting – their encounters were extraordinarily violent and left many casualties on both sides. Again, the Eladrin found themselves unable to advance. Now in open warfare and surrounded by three human empires who had united against them, Deltonaris and his forces regrouped to Sara’gosa to plot their next move.

Their resulting decision was a gambit – they sent emissaries to the capitals of their three opponent's bearing a message – pay tribute, drop the siege of Sara’gosa and leave the Eladrin in peace, or be indiscriminately destroyed root and stem. To underline his point, Deltonaris revealed the existence of the Fire Crystal and had his emissaries assure the human rulers that the Aedenwound was but a fraction of his potential. The three rulers were outraged – The Eladrin had initiated the war, found themselves unable to win it and now had the audacity to demand tribute. They agreed to call Deltonaris’ bluff and increase their commitment to the seemingly endless siege. The leader of Ur-Shakkar, Thane King Ranulf, took the council of his most trusted Jarl and also authorised a secret mission.

Infiltration
Jarl Urden was a champion amongst the Urshaks. A charismatic, lustful brawler who was renown for his skill in combat and fearlessness as much as he was his love for ale and song – he represented the best of what every Urshak man longed to be and woman longed to be wed to. With his beloved Thane King’s consent, Urden and his loyal companions secretly constructed the smallest and sleekest ocean-faring ship that they could. After praying to every god they knew for protection from the murderous waves and the monsters they shielded, he and his men set sail from Skøld down the coast. The Gods were on Urden’s side and they reached the mouth of the Emberflow river without incident.

Using the ships smaller frame, they rowed furiously up the Emberflow. So inconceivable was it that anyone would willingly sail on the oceans, the Eladrin had never considered to fortify the river that ran directly under the walls of Sara’gos city and so Jarl Urden’s forces found themselves undetected in the heart of a city that was wholly concerned with looking out over their parapets.

Downfall
Through a combination of stealth, reckless climbing and well-timed spells, Urden’s party scaled The Spire, the seat of Sun King Deltonaris Fireborn. Bidding their Jarl what they knew to be farewell, his companions raised the alarm and drew the palace guards out with a loud and chaotic attack. Hidden nearby, Urden used this chance to slip in to the sanctum undetected. In the stuff of legends and the formation of Urshak folk tales for years to come, Jarl Urden located and shattered the Fire Crystal, an enormously destructive event that blew the top off The Spire, killing not only himself but Deltonaris and his entire council of generals.

Lacking cohesive leadership and the empowerment of the Fire Crystal, the Eladrin forces soon yielded to the humans. Sara’gosa was allowed to retain her independence and govern herself under a series of conditions, one of which was the tearing down of Sara’gosa’s walls. Eladrin eyewitnesses from within The Spire would give accounts of the bloody path that Jarl Urden left throughout, and that he had died laughing with a dozen quarrels in him as he brought his axe down on the Fire Crystal. His deeds became the stuff of Urshak legend.

The events of the Terrorflare left many humans with a distrust of elves, particularly Urshaks.