Campaign Background as told by the historians of the Empire
For 40 years, the Great War had been fought. Varanite banners would move forward, then be pushed back. Dasaria would advance its lines, to only watch them shatter and lose their footing. This war had been fought like this for longer than most cared to recall. The Queen of the House of Siril had long sought a way to bring peace to her people, to unite Dasaria under a banner of calm.In the 43rd year of the war, Varana became quiet. Troops slowly withdrew from their forward positions, leaving only scouts and a few elite units to watch their southern borders. Even in times of war this would not be uncommon, for all soldiers must return home from time to time. This lull in the fighting continue past a normal lull in the storm, and where there was once only bloodshed, broken arrows, and snapped steel; flowers and grass began to grow back on hillsides and forests began to cover the scars of war.
Queen Nelina sent forth her scouts and adventurers to only have them return telling of the sudden disappearance of Varanite soldiers. The Queen ordered the garrison of Raven Watch to seal its northern gates and patrol its borders. Resources were pushed to complete the ruins of Dragon Watch to ensure protections to the West of Daris would remain intact. With two great garrisons completed and standing guard, the southerlands of Dasaria began to finally flourish under this uneasy peace.
The Queen was quick to invite the Shai Orcs into the capital to formalize long standing treaties to ensure that Dasaria and her lands would grow peacefully; and keep the Shamans of the Shai watchful for any signs that the peace would not last. With the Towers of Dasar beginning to feel at ease with this new found calm, her people began to slowly heal from the wounds of war. The Queen then turned her focus to a constant thorn in her side, ordering scouts to penetrate the fog which sat like a wall on the Necropolis, and to fully asses the threat which sat off Dasarian shores. The reports were summed up in a single word, “Abandoned.” Whether the threat was never truly real, or the island abandoned for unknown reasons, it was found to only contain empty crypts and the facades of buildings. To many, it appeared the threats of war and destruction were finally fading.
Farmers began to expand their crops, fathers and mothers returned from the front lines to rebuild homes, and a grand celebration was planned to honor the 21st birthday of the once child queen. Months of planning were required for such a celebration, and Dasarian citizens donated goods of tremendous wealth to show honor to the Heir of Siril who brought forth a era of peace. But as with all plans laid forth with so much certainty, the truth of this peace was to be soon revealed.
On the morning of the Queen’s 21st birthday, the city of Dasar hummed with new life. Land owners and nobles arrived in their finest dresses, and commoners and adventurers alike filled taverns and bars in hopes to see the Queen on this festive day. Daris itself sent forth its Baron Baraan, followed by the countless heroes who had in no small part helped ensure this day would come to pass. The towers and temples were dressed in the finest colors, temple maidens and guards standing proud to offer sacrament to the gods in gratitude. As dark settled and torches were lit around the city a low hum could be heard and felt throughout the stone capital.
Out of the shadows of the tall city gates strode a single man. Dressed in rich leathers of red and gold the crier called out for the tower guards to send for one of rank who could ‘be honored with the Emperor’s words.’ The Captain, of the Knights of the Fist, rushed from the Queen’s celebration and strode forward with Kingseeker Knights on either side. The crier bellowed with magical amplification demanding the immediate and total surrender of Dasaria. The tremor of fear rippled through all those assembled as the healing memories of war were brought to the surface of their minds. Either enraged by such an insult on a day of celebration, or later argued, by the wine the Captain had consumed in the palace; he rushed forward and struck down the crier in a single blow.
The Captain could not have known what would happen next, but the exact event was well documented that day. The low hum which had been resonating through the city only seemed to grow louder as a flash of light which turned night back into day surrounded the city. When the tower guards were able to see once again, they must have felt an encompassing fear. Before the city of Dasar now stood, as if they had stepped through the shadows themselves, legions of the Varanite Army.
Dasar was trapped, and now under siege. During this time of peace, both sides continued their paths. Dasaria with its young Queen, rebuilt its nation, and prepared itself for peace and harmony. While Varana watched as the equally young brother of the Emperor, Marcus the IV rose to power as the right hand of the throne. Marcus the IV had grown up in the empire during the Dasarian conflict, and had learned much watching these rebels throw themselves against his older brother’s troops.
Marcus the IV was long thought to be the weaker of the two boys, and after their father had passed away in such an abrupt manner, he took enjoyment in the architecture of local politics. Arranging for less wealthy families to suddenly gain control over trade routes, less than qualified officers to be promoted to command, and always finding a way to pocket some coin in unseen coffers consumed his time. His brother the Emperor never seemed to notice that those advisors who spoke ill of Marcus the IV were found with throats slit in locked bedrooms or sometimes never seen or heard from again.
The people of Varana soon fell in love with Marcus, where his older brother would rule with an iron hand, Marcus quickly would follow allowing his own wealth to pad the hands of the poor, use his own grain to feed the hungry, and allowing impossibly young looks and charm for a man of his age enthrall any who came in contact with him. While the people followed the Emperor without question out of fear, they listened to Marcus out of love.
It was of no surprise to anyone that when Marcus set his mind to military matters he quickly took a commanding lead of the Army with unquestioned support of the foot soldiers. It is told that in the first hours of placing the rank of High Warlord upon himself, many top generals found themselves beheaded and bodies placed in shallow graves. Marcus replaced them with the officers he had promoted through political office, and gained a dominating control over the military which even concerned his brother the Emperor. But when he told his brother of his plan to withdraw the armies, and wait for a perfect time to strike, the Emperor felt the best course of action was to give his younger brother the perfect chance to fail. For who would deny that such a military failure was not enough reason to eliminate this threat to his rule.
The city of Dasar lay in siege for weeks, for no one thought Varana could hold such a city forever in her iron grasp. In the past when Dasaria’s gem was in jeopardy it was her heroes who came to its aid, but now with its champions trapped inside Dasar’s walls alongside its military might, no one would be coming to strike down Marcus and his generals. As days turned into weeks behind these walls, the armies were able to expand slowly around the city, cutting off all routes to Daris, Oraans Crossing and Solace. As hope grew thin it was the Cutters who came forward with a plan. Long misunderstood in their loyalty to Dasaria, the Queen had little reason not to give their plans hope and chance. A few rogues climbed into the sewers and used the ruins of Old Dasar to sneak under the city walls. If it was not for their stealth and subtle footsteps, they would have been caught. They immediately broke into two groups, one set forth for the Shai Orcs, the other for Daris to rally the Redboot Brigade.
Daris, the thorn in the side of Varana had not been forgotten in Marcus’s plans. Daris caught unaware was held and occupied by the reserve of Varana’s armies. The Redboots had fled into the woods East of Daris and North into the Mountains. The scouts only found burned fields, slaughtered Crusaders, and now Daris was what could only be called an occupation camp for the prisoners of war. However I must note that the Varanites did not come to hold this area without some resistance, the scout’s reports which were later found on their corpses indicated the beetle nuisance had continued and plagued the soldiers of Varana.
As the other group of Cutter Scouts entered into the Shai lands, they knew immediately something was wrong. The bodies of the brave Shai Orcs littered the ground like fallen leaves in autumn. This could be the only explanation as to why the Shai were unable to send any premonition of an impending attack. For Marcus knew that using traditional means of war were no longer valid, and the Empire must call upon enemies new and old for such a grand scheme; he had rallied the military clans of the Vokk Orcs. Offering them the lands of the Shai, rich with resources and wild game, they quickly agreed to slaughter anything which moved. The attack came without warning, in a similar manner as the siege of Dasar began, the peaceful Shai stood no chance save for a few brave warriors whose deeds will be sung by bards for some time.
The Queen’s heart sank as the reports came back to her. There would be no rescue for the city of Dasar, and if they were to survive this siege, they must save themselves. Dasarians had never surrendered to Varanite troops before, and this would not be the time and place for it to start. Those trapped in the city of Dasar armed themselves with what was available. Man, woman, and child alike were told to prepare for a battle when those gates opened.
Marcus waited with anticipation, for not only would this battle seal his fate with the Empire, it gave him a chance to watch and test his newest creation. For Marcus had assembled his finest troops some time ago. Locked them in a tower, a virtual paradise, giving them all they could want. Finest foods, wine, even the finest maidens in the land. Here the lessons learned from years of magical research were implemented. Memories of previous lives were stripped from them and replaced with fanatical devotion to both Varana, and secretly Marcus the IV as well. These soldiers had runes burned into their flesh, reason stripped from their mind and replaced with only rage, and were trained to do only one thing, kill. Adapting a name used by some of Varana’s elite troops, Marcus proudly renamed these killing golems Claw.
As the sun rose on that morning, the magical blast left the city gates in nothing more but splinters. The Claw flooded the city streets destroying everything in their bath, the guards were able to put up a valiant but useless defense to these killing machines as Varanite snipers fired with deadly accuracy over their heads. With military precision they went from street to street obliterating any resistance they could find. The battle was a brief as it was decisive. The last stand was in the sealed palace of Queen Nelina.
Marcus walked through the streets of Dasaria’s finest city, with a new goal on his mind. As the palace doors were shattered, the screams from the bloodshed echoed in the morning air. Within minutes Queen Nelina, stood before Marcus and in tears was watching her people be slaughtered like wild boars in the hunt. Marcus knew that occupying an area under such blood shed would only allow for usurpers to be born, so he made an offer to Nelina. Take his hand in marriage, give her people a chance to live, or watch them be butchered.
In the end it was not a powerful artifact, a blade or bow, or even the most powerful mage who ended the war. It was a stroke of a pen and a kiss on the ring of Marcus the IV as Nelina became a wife to the Varanite Empire. Nelina asked for the lives of her servants and protectors to be given as her wedding gift, and Marcus felt no reason to deny his new bride this request. The prisoners were led away in chains as Dasarian banners burned in the arena of Dasar, and Varanite colors were draped over the city walls. News traveled quickly through the empire, the Dasarian Rebellion had been crushed.
Marcus returned with his soon to be Bride as a favorite son to the Empire. Nelina, treated like a prize animal which was caught, knew her life remained to keep her countrymen alive. Marcus made it well known that if she tried to escape, or denied him what was rightfully his, he would return to finish the butchering of her people. Days later Marcus and Nelina wed and a new life began for everyone.
As Marcus returned to give his reports to his elder brother, he was disturbed to hear accounts of temples and scholarly academies being raided. Initially thought to be attempts of rebellion, Marcus found the buildings obliterated and left in ruin. All those who once lived and worked there were left as mindless undead. This was not the work of rebels, but more sinister force.
There was no obvious pattern to these raids, and they continued without interruption for months. On a clear morning a new report came to the weary Marcus, the tomb of Canas had been violated, and his body missing. A single scout was able to survive the raid, and told Marcus that it was indeed not rebels, but Knights sworn to protect the bloodline and heritage of Canas The First.
These Knights had waited for Dasaria to fall like all the rest, but for a much darker reason. Over time they had collected tomes of lore, and had finally learned the location of the mace of Canas. The raids were conducted to gather all the pieces, and have them assembled in the buried temple of Druaga, North of Ravens Watch. Here the body of the first Emperor of Varana was placed, and his mace restored. The Knights had bargained with the most foul of the evil gods, striking a bargain to restore life to the Emperor. Lessons are often learned too late in a mortal’s life, and this was no exception. As the evil god’s servants provided the necessary rituals, the souls of these Knights became forfeit. As their life essences were being drained, Canas The First rose in his undead form. Armed with the artifact mace, he set forth on his goal to take back his throne.
Canas began by raiding the once hallowed halls of this Knightly order, raising them as his elite troops once again called into service. From there they robbed graves and tombs, increasing his undead army daily as it marched towards the capital. Marcus was immediately dispatched, calling upon his army to meet this new threat to his brother’s reign.
The details of this battle are far too great to record in a document such as this, but the outcome is known to every educated man, woman, and child. Marcus lead the charge himself to fight the source of his very bloodline. The armies threw themselves at each other, and blood wet the ground like rain. In the end Marcus and Canas are told to have fought each other directly. Whether this is glory of war as told by the victor, or the actual truth, only Marcus knows for certain. With aid from the priests of Varana, Canas was defeated. As Marcus struck a heavy blow causing Canas’s mace to fall to the ground, a shockwave traveled through the undead hordes, undoing the wicked bonds used to control them. With his army crumbling, failure of his plans became imminent. Canas was forced to flee, ending the threat and the battle. None know exactly what happened to Canas The First, for he has not been seen or heard from since. Most scholars assume that whatever dark god allowed his creation has taken its vengeance for failure.
It would take another 10 years before what remained of Dasaria eventually fell to the Varanite Claw. The Vokk were able to maintain control of the once Shai lands, while the Gnarf clan was eradicated by Koalisk who no longer were kept in check by wandering adventurers. The Magnus Order, known to Dasarian minds as the Ji ‘Lyn were able to spread their number in this new dawn of Varana, and pushed back the Koalisk threat to the swamps. Aligning the lizard folk in uneasy treaties, in no small part to manipulative magic cast in rituals. Marcus took many of this magical order as his advisors, who told him of a new threat to his power, the priests of false gods. Marcus was loved by the people, fear by his enemies, and held wealth and power like none other. But he was still the second son of the Varanite Empire.
Once again calling upon officers he had put into power, who had grown quite happy with rank and privileged, Marcus hatched a new plan. Late in the night during a cold winter, the Emperor was seized in his chambers by the military. Marcus announced the next day that his older brother was in fact consorting with priests of the temples of Old Dasar to aid in attacks on her own people. The motive was greed, to draw the nation into a new conflict. In a farce of a trial and with the support of the people, Marcus beheaded his brother publicly days later. And to further prevent any such incidents in the future began to outlaw many of the gods.
With an empire in his hands, the rebellion of Dasaria crushed, and his bride kept sequestered away, Marcus knew he must protect his legacy. In some time a son was born, Elias, however Marcus knew that this child must be protected, and tore him from his mother’s breast moments after birth. The child was to be raised by the Magnus Order, raised as the boy prince who would rule over a steadily growing empire. Eventually it is rumored a second child, a daughter was born, but many dismiss these as rumors and nothing more.
The empire of Varana began to grow, and a new era of wealth and power could be seen everywhere. The former nation of Dasaria had begun to lose its identity as a new generation born under Varanite flags had begun. The Empire became the bastion of power and human civilization. Lesser races lived on the edge of the empire, and as with all large civilizations a few rebellions did try to rise. These were usually the dreams of ailing men and women who longed for their defeated country to rise back up in glory. These rebellion leaders were made an example of in crowded city squares across the empire.
But all is not well in this Empire of Red and Gold. A forgotten threat has begun to stir in the darkness; a long forgotten evil has been plotting its revenge. Soon that fury will be released on the lands, caring not for political alliances and countries. Fifty long years have passed since Dasaria was no more, now is the time for heroes to rise from a new generation.
~~By DM CL