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Author: Harken
Date Added: 5/28/09
Last Modified: 5/31/09
The Fourth Age: Age of Hope
Birth of the Fae
The opening of the final gate had several lasting effects on Aedolyn outside the ending of the Alliance Wars and the Third Age. Inherent in the weak sort of prosperity it fostered, the gates balanced out the world and in doing so, they significantly weakened the power of Malkur. Vulnerable and shamed, Malkur retreated, with his forces, to Bavkür where he isolated himself and began his recovery process. Calill returned to Edorâs as a hero where she was greeted by Sephria and Halvak, and the new age witnessed its first celebration. Whilst the celebration in Edorâs raged into the night, something miraculous happened as an aftermath to the opening of the fifth gate. The mystical Fae were born. Because magic was now universally available, the gate themselves could no longer limit it as they used to be able to; therefore, they created the Fae to act as their agents to promote balance across Aedolyn. The Fae are typically called the ‘Children of the Gates’, ‘Harbingers of Balance’, ‘Gatekeepers’, etc. They have no society, no civilization, and have a very militaristic lifestyle, but they have one crucial advantage that is unique to them. They are not affected by time sickness, meaning that the Fae can live in the past as long as they wish. So, even though the Fae were born in the Fourth Age, they are found all across the history of Aedolyn; consequently, they could, according to the Golden Rule, only influence the history of Aedolyn after they were created.
The purpose of the Fae is twofold: (1) to protect and guard the gates from those they deem unfit and (2) to ensure the continuance of balance across Aedolyn. The Fae live and travel in legions under one ruler, typically the strongest of the bunch, the Faerie General. The actions of a particular legion are dependent on the opinions of its General. Fae typically move freely from legion to legion depending on their own preferences, but typically, all Fae are loyal to the Gates and maintain their purpose.
Finally, as Aedolyn progressed into the Fourth Age, an inevitable and unstoppable natural event occurred. The moving of the continents pushed the Northeast Territories northward resulting in the freezing of the now northern half of the Turúva Forest recreating the Formenya Tundra. The creation of the tundra dramatically changed the environment of the Turúva Forest, causing inhabitants to either evacuate or adapt. It also buried the ancient city ruins of Ralmárëa in several feet of snow and it is now referred to as the Lost City.
Rise of the Maelar Trade Union
As the world turned a new page it opened a window of opportunity for the goblins of Maelar and their deity, Asvel, took full advantage of it. He commissioned thousands of ships to form the grandest fleet Aedolyn had ever seen and he then sent them all across Aedolyn to form trade posts and settlements. His intentions were to conduct a different type of influence, an internal and economic influence. Being unaffiliated and admired for maintaining their neutrality, Maelar goblins were accepted everywhere and the process of amalgamation began. It didn’t take long before there were goblin ambassadors and trade advisors in every high court of the Nine Nations. Asvel had established the Maelar Trade Network with ease and the Trade Union flourished. Asglarek quickly became one of the most bustling cities of Aedolyn, attracting hundreds of new ambitious merchants and mercenaries.
Although the Maelar Trade Union and Asvel were highly respected, the individual goblins that carried out their biddings were usually viewed as low, greedy, and conceiving beings that thrive on others. Goblins, however materialistic and unsound, were nevertheless accepted and given crucial responsibilities.
Geographically, the Kingdom of Bäros had a great advantage with such an important and influential neighbor and naturally Durin wanted to revel in this. He established good links with Asvel and they forged several agreements that benefited them both immensely. Maelar had free access to Port Finmar thus granting them access to the Finmar River which spans the entirety of southern Aedolyn. Although their alliance was not political, Durin and Asvel both had significantly influential opinions in the foreign affairs of each other’s nation which would make things rather difficult in the future when the fragile prosperity came to an end. In the meantime, this would be called the Moradin Agreement. This rugged peaceful period would last for a century before things got turbulent again.
The Second Plains War / Forging a New Alliance
Durin’s attempt at integrating the Dvorian and Sylinian people of Dunn Bálik into the Kingdom of Bäros was anything but smooth. Over the years, there were several assassination attempts, uprisings, political upheavals, and emerging underground movements. The interwar period between the First and Second Plains War marked an extremely difficult and interesting time in the history of the Kingdom of Bäros. It only took one successful attempt, however, to reinitiate the deadly Plains War. It was carried out by a notorious underground movement which called themselves the Bálik Tribe which was comprised of all types of classes from shamans to warriors but they were mostly of Sylinian descent. The target was the steward of Dunn Bálik who was put into place by Durin to act as his puppet. The assassination itself was a brutal murder in the middle of the night. Following the murder there was a political coup d’état which put Dunn Bálik back into the hands of the Dvorian and Sylinian people after a century of Bäros control. The new politicians gathered up a meager militia and took the Bäros envoys hostage and secured the city from Durin’s grasp. From there they began to rebuild the traditional Dvorian/Sylinian institutions that were destroyed by Durin.
Word quickly reached Durin’s ears of the coup and he was infuriated, but he was hesitant to march on Dunn Bálik for fear of endangering the lives of his top politicians. Instead, he deployed diplomats who were instructed to retrieve them at any cost. Durin’s diplomats were freely allowed into the city, then forcefully disarmed and taken hostage along with the others. This angered Durin even more, but now he was even more reluctant to launch an attack on Dunn Bálik. He would have to wait until they made the first move, whether it be militarily or politically. In the meantime, Durin mobilized his grand army and prepared for battle.
Back in Dunn Bálik, the rebel militia had developed, overnight, into an organized army. The revival of the old Dvorian/Sylinian system was easier than they had anticipated considering every citizen was willing to contribute. They had amassed an army of unimaginable size given their circumstances with the help of the numerous underground movements and the descendants of great past generals who had passed down their skills. They stood a chance, but the odds remained disheartening; however, any chance was better than another century under Bäros control. Before they launched their attack, they sent diplomats to Angard, Nívak, and Telgin asking for aid but all three turned them down to avoid entangling their nation in another alliance war. Dunn Bálik was all alone in this battle but even that could not dampen their enthusiasm and pride. They sent out a preliminary force to clear their rightful plains of Bäros posts and military settlements. This official initiated the Second Plains War.
In Bavkür in the fortified walls of Svaalgor Keep, Malkur observed the actions in the Kingdom of Bäros with much interest. He and Durin had much in common. The days of the Alliance Wars had passed, now all of Aedolyn was intertwined and the time had come to forge new friendships. Viscerra had failed him, but she was weak; Malkur needed a strong partner who knew how to rule with an iron fist. Durin fit his description perfectly, excluding the fact that he had a previous agreement with Maelar, and for the first time in over a century; Malkur left the safe haven of Svaalgor Keep and traveled to Triam to speak with Durin personally. He was still weak, but his reputation continued to precede him. His personal attendance in Triam would be reason enough to trust him and it was Malkur’s belief that together, they could finally overrun Aedolyn once and for all.
The Meeting of Malkur and Durin was a momentous event. Durin was honored to have such a figure come to him personally, and he proudly accepted his request of a friendship. The union of Malkur and Durin brought together not only Bäros and Bavkür, but also Maelar, the orcs of Angard, and the Molvaraks from the Isles of Keldorak. This agreement revived Malkur’s interest and he and Durin made extensive long-term plans. Weeks later, Malkur traveled back to Bavkür to strengthen relations with all the members of the Bavkür Alliance from Morimaltë to Vanwar. Durin, on the other hand, had a war to fight and he averted his attention back to Dunn Bálik and the rebels.
All Bäros encampments and military barracks across the Sylinian Plains had been burned to the ground and overrun by rebel forces. They had also managed to form an alliance with several prides of Divaraks who had also been resisting Bäros expansion for the last century. Together they amounted a more than worthy force to clash with the golden army of Bäros. Their forced had pushed their way to the city of Nort and into the official grounds of the Bäros Lowlands (areas fed by the southern tributaries of the Finmar River). The sacking of Nort also eliminated a key military port for Durin’s army.
Durin not shaken, he knew he would win the war simply because of his new partner also because the golden army of Bäros had never been defeated. The rebels were out matched in size and scope. Durin viewed them as a fly that needed to be killed so he could focus his attention on things of much greater importance. He deployed his cavalry to take care of the ‘rebel problem’. He no longer cared about his diplomats for he had no further need for them. The cavalry pushed the rebels out of Nort, but that was the extent of their efforts. They were not counting of the rebels forming an alliance with the Divarkas who could easily combat a mounted horseman. So to preserve their forces, they held back and sent for ground reinforcements. Durin complied and sent a fourth of his army which he thought would be plenty. He was right. The rebels also sent the entirety of their armed forced to the makeshift base that was erected outside of Nort in the Sylinian Plains.
The military skill of the Bäros army far surpassed those of the rebels and this was very clear. The Second Plains War only lasted five more years and a majority of that consisted of trekking the plains and hunting down rogue rebel battalions. The Divaraks presented the most problems, but their numbers were low; time provided an answer for that. Almost every battle across the plains was won by the Bäros army. As soon as the main force outside of Nort was dispersed, the Golden army returned to Triam and Durin left the rest of the war up to the cavalry who could travel the plains much easier than a fully equipped army.
The Second Plains War, like the first, was over in a heartbeat. As soon as the Bäros forces were seen in the distance outside of Dunn Bálik, the city initiated an emergency evacuation. The peoples dispersed across the plains and ocean taking refuge anywhere they could. They called upon the help of their old goblin allies who never came but who instead helped their new ally, Bäros, with the ‘cleansing’ of the plains. Durin was victorious and Dunn Bálik was burned to the ground. The smoke from the Burning of Dunn Bálik could be seen from the gates of Gávalik, the Palace of Edorâs, and the high temples of Illúvëa. The Dvorian and Sylinian people who fled from the flames never resettled anywhere and have become known as the ‘Missing People’. Aedolyn was rumbling and everyone knew, but was scared to admit, that something was brewing that would shatter the fragile hope that had taken over after the Third Age.
The Beginning of the Gate Wars / The End of Hope
Years had passed since the Second Plains War and Malkur and Durin’s agreement. The likelihood of peace returned and the troubles in Bäros seemed merely like a fluke. In fact, relations between the elves in Nâvirfëll had entered a recovery period after over a century of tension after the Elf Civil War. Avandor began integrating the low and wood elves into his ‘pure’ society and government. Representation was balancing out and there was a mutual good feeling in Illycia. Avandor’s Change of Heart was a bit sudden for everyone, but nonetheless welcomed with joy and celebrations. He even traveled to the Illycia Darkwood, which he had personally destroyed during the Civil War, and planted a magic tree as a symbol of his gratitude and regret. This Tree of Forgiveness, like the perpetually dead forest, was magical and would grow to tower over all the other trees of Aedolyn and blossom year round despite the frigid chill of winter. Things seemed up in the previously war torn southern regions of Aedolyn: Nâvirfëll was united once again, Bäros had, however painfully, resolved an ancient conflict, and Galstrom’s Haar Peace Accords were standing strong. Life was good.
The reunification of Nâvirfëll strengthened the nation and raised its political worth. Now the region appealed greatly to the underground alliance between Malkur and Durin who yearned for a majority among the nations of Aedolyn. Since Malkur was busy restoring relations with the races of Bavkür, Durin was charged with wooing Avandor. Unfortunately, whatever Durin did or how many gifts or diplomats he sent, including himself, Avandor refused. Such an alliance, he claimed, would offset the growing peace that was blossoming in Aedolyn during the post-Alliance War age. Durin was unhappy, but it was inevitable; Malkur himself couldn’t have done any better. The two returned to the strategy table and reworked their plans.
Aedolyn was calm and peaceful for several more years, but this was only the calm before the storm. On one fateful day in the midst of spring as Calill enjoyed the warming breeze in the blossoming palace gardens of Edorâs a single black arrow was shot from afar. The arrow, which flew with unmatchable skill and speed, pierced the heart of Calill the Wise leaving her dead on the soft blood-tainted grass of her own garden, she had been assassinated. The news of Calill’s Murder spread like wildfire and that beautiful day became a day of incomparable sorrow. There were sightings, soon after Calill’s death, of a dark figuring leaving the palace grounds who identified himself as the Dark One proclaiming that a new age had come. Malkur was not even trying to hide the fact that he blatantly murdered one of the Nine. Such an act was impossible to ignore, but this is exactly what he wanted. His plan had succeeded. Sephria immediately, out of respect for her old friend, traveled to Telgin to manage the chaos and reaffirm their friendship. She, knowing of the underground alliance between Malkur and Durin, summoned Halvak, Asvel, and Avandor to Edorâs to discuss what would happen next. Sephria was able to form an alliance with Halvak, but Avandor continued to persist and he returned to Nâvirfëll unaffiliated. Sephria had the clout of Nívak, Telgin, Angard, and Mirodo behind her, which would be enough to mount a worth defense against the armies of Bavkür and Bäros.
It took a single arrow to kill all hope Aedolyn had left. Now was the beginning of the end, and everyone knew it. Aedolyn would not be able to survive another epic war on the same scale as the Alliance Wars, but nevertheless, such a war veered its ugly head and Aedolyn was plunged into another age; an age that would soon become known as the Age of the Gate Wars.
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