The Shattering
Pretext
What follows is a concise summary of the shattering, using both that which our own forebears recorded for us and the tales that have spread amongst the savages. We have extensively trained both tale-tellers and enterprising wizards to leave our ivory tower and find all manner of knowledge now lost to us.
Dragons
The existence of Dragons had long been hypothesized due to the artwork of pre-imperial times. But our guild, as well as most scholars and philosophizers decided that the depictions that were deemed dragons were just overly stylized crocodiles. Many state that if we had known we could have been prepared, but what followed their arrival none could have been prepared for.
Over the ocean they came and they instantly decimated our seaside towns. Those were our weakest defenses, of course, as only a few existed and seaside trade had proven to be more of a loss than a profit to our merchants.
The tales of the few survivors told of us majestic lizards, streaming out magic that even the oldest and most talented of the elves would have found impossible. They were larger than the oliphants and the colours of their scales gleamed in the light. The number we were told was low, just but 6, yet the entire seaside was in ruins. And after that attack they had disappeared for weeks.
We immediately went to work going through our oldest tomes for any information on these new invaders. And as we found nothing we watched in horror as panic spread quickly throughout the empire. The elves, those that live the longest and have the best histories, were thought to have covered up their existence and demagogues in the streets riled up ancient racism against them.
But just as gang violence began to rear its head in the streets the dragons showed up again, their foul breath and warping spells worked along the elvish forests. And the magic was so great that even the elves in the towns along the river and our towers began to be warped. The ones outside of their forests ended up melting down to the horror of all, the ones inside their forests split into divergent species. The chaos of the change caused the elves to drop out of the Empire and cease all contact and trade.
The nobles could not agree on what to do next and many ideas were proposed. This gridlock led to little being done except an emphasis on archery training, as well as our own training in more destructive magics. The clerics put further effort into contacting their deity, but even Its agents were not responding to the spells.
However the next attack would split the humans and dwarves apart. The dragons once again attacked human lands, and their nobles began to formulate a desperation plan. The dwarves, meanwhile, began to study transmogrification magics in a vain attempt to help the elves.
The humans desperate plan was pulled off first, as the noble families of the empire summoned many outsiders to plead with. The outsiders instantly ruined the capital as they fought amongst themselves, and the demons that were left agreed to fight for the Empire. For a price, of course. They formed a plan of attack and waited.
The dwarves at this time, having seen the damage the demons had already done, balked and withdrew to their mountain strongholds. There they tested the magic they thought would save the elves, but instead it twisted them as well.
And as for the desperate plans of the humans? It could be argued that it succeeded. The dragons attacked once more, and the demons teleported themselves as well as battle mages and the soldiers to the site of the battle. A dragon actually fell that day, and those that remained cast their horrible warping spells. And these spells interacted with the natural resistance of the demons, causing some of the essence to bounce back upon the dragons. The whole battlefield erupted and once the spells were done none remained the same. The dragons, demons and humans ended up mixing and creating new species. The humans outside of the battle remained untouched.
This was enough to cause the death of the empire that was. But to fall as far as civilization had required a few more steps. The most damaging of these additional steps was the fouling of the river.
However the next attack would split the humans and dwarves apart. The dragons once again attacked human lands, and their nobles began to formulate a desperation plan. The dwarves, meanwhile, began to study transmogrification magics in a vain attempt to help the elves.
The humans desperate plan was pulled off first, as the noble families of the empire summoned many outsiders to plead with. The outsiders instantly ruined the capital as they fought amongst themselves, and the demons that were left agreed to fight for the Empire. For a price, of course. They formed a plan of attack and waited.
The dwarves at this time, having seen the damage the demons had already done, balked and withdrew to their mountain strongholds. There they tested the magic they thought would save the elves, but instead it twisted them as well.
And as for the desperate plans of the humans? It could be argued that it succeeded. The dragons attacked once more, and the demons teleported themselves as well as battle mages and the soldiers to the site of the battle. A dragon actually fell that day, and those that remained cast their horrible warping spells. And these spells interacted with the natural resistance of the demons, causing some of the essence to bounce back upon the dragons. The whole battlefield erupted and once the spells were done none remained the same. The dragons, demons and humans ended up mixing and creating new species. The humans outside of the battle remained untouched.
This was enough to cause the death of the empire that was. But to fall as far as civilization had required a few more steps. The most damaging of these additional steps was the fouling of the river.
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