The Godswar

In The Age of The Divine, a great war broke out between the continents of Orikos and Astros. The Arcanids, fuelled by religious fervour in worship of The Sinestria, launched an invasion of Orikos.

Their invasion was met with a united resistance from Samaros,the Asherai Dwarves, The Ithari Empire, and Kor Astera.

Pre-war Tensions

Arcanis had been a trade partner to Samaros across The Cerulean Sea for many years, until close allies to Samaros in Orikos pressured them to embargo the trade on religious grounds. The Asherai, Kor Astera, and much of Samaros itself followed the ways of The Illuminate, who strictly opposed dealings with The Sinestria and their followers.

Arcanis was outraged by this proclamation, and threatened invasion. Aware of its own history, Samaros called their bluff, almost inviting them to try.

The First Invasion

Backed by enormous resources as Arcanis controlled the majority of Astros at this time, the Arcanids felt untouchable. They mounted an enormous invasion fleet, and sailed across the Cerulean sea to launch an invasion to the north, between Samaros and Astera Prima.

Forces were quick to rally however, as the invasion party found itself pressured on all three sides by defending armies. Kor Astera to the north, Samaros to the south, and the Asherai to the west. The Arcanid forces were pushed back into their ships lest they face unsustainable losses, and their fleet was met with Ithari Pridewings and the Korrian navy.

The Cerulean Theatre

Forced out to sea, the Arcanid fleet rallied just in time to be met by opposing fleets. A long, drawn out naval war ensued in the Cerulean Sea.

Aided by Ithari aerial support, Samaros' fleet superiority, and Kor Astera's divinely magical warships, the defending fleets were able to hold back overwhelming numbers from the Arcanids. Efficient and somewhat hive-minded in society, the Arcanids could replace ships almost as fast as they sank, and wielded powerful magical weapons.

The Second Invasion

After two years of mostly slow and cautious naval warfare, Arcanis was finally able to push through to the coast and launch another land invasion to the south near Carmilla.

Entrenched in the city they had captured, Orikos forces struggled to push the invasion out. A stalemate was reached. The Arcanids held the city better than the Carmillans had, and were too quick and effective in establishing a local naval superiority to protect Carmilla's port.

Outside Intrusion

After months of the Arcanids maintaining their hold on the southern coast, but being unable to push back against the aggressive defences, The Rakos chose to involve themselves. First, they approached The Queen, offering her great and terrible power. They sold her the secrets of a ritual that would create a weapon capable of winning the war, at the cost of all her Ariaaki slaves, who's souls would fuel the spell.

Then, they approached Emperor Ithis. They told him his enemy had stolen the blueprints to a weapon from them, but that they had a newer version, and could sell it to Ithis. It would be the only way to hold back what the Arcanids would create, and while the ritual would cost souls, it would take that of the Asherai Dwarves, who had been something of a rival to Ithis until the invasion had forced them to cooperate.

Both leaders agreed, and made preparations for their rituals.

Both leaders had been deceived.

Deception

Ithis' ritual worked, and produced Kraltorka whom Ithis ordered to travel east to attack the eastern continent. But it did not consume the souls of the Asherai, it consumed the souls of every member of the Ithari Empire, living and dead. Ithis' empire, built on undead labor and propaganda, was gone.

The Queen's ritual also worked, and it did consume the souls of her Ariaaki slaves. However it also consumed the souls of her entire nation. Every single Arcanid and Ariaaki in Astros and beyond, including The Queen herself, was consumed by the ritual. The immense power focused into the creation of Maelstrom.

Left masterless, Maelstrom slipped into the Cerulean sea, and consumed every ship, be it Orikosian or an empty ghost ship of the Arcanids.

Kraltorka, following its masters orders, found the continent of Astros to the east, and began terrorising the Dwarves of the Spirian Empire, causing so much damage that the empire would collapse and only Three Mountains would remain.

Divine Intervention

Seeing that matters had gone too far, The Judicari insisted the gods intervene. Unbeknownst to them, both sides of the war had been secretly groomed for war by both The Illuminate and The Sinistria, and when The Judicari brought this issue to council, tensions erupted.

The war in Andeloria had been but a proxy war for a true war in the heavens, and the gods clashed.

Ultimately, the united front of The Judicari and The Illuminate stood victorious. They Annihilated The Sinistria, and in a lucid moment, The Divine realised The Divine Scam had gotten out of hand. The pantheon splintered. Some consumed their power to force Kraltorka into a deep hibernation, other did the same to seal Maelstrom into the Cerulean Sea, transforming it into the Shattered Sea.

Dyosses stayed behind to protect his patron city of Oceanis, and Altus stayed behind to hunt down The Rakos and put and end to their plot, teaming up with Ithis who sought vengeance.

The Aftermath

With the departure of the gods, the Age of The Divine ended. Kor Astera society collapsed, some still clinging to hope that they would one day return. Eventually the nation split. Those who still believed moved north, into the Calderian Tundra, while those who didn't stayed, and found new governance.

Carmilla lie abandoned, its natives slaughtered and its occupiers consumed by ritual. The city would never be reclaimed, and eventually Jaigerra would be built on its ruins.

The Dead Sands lie empty, slowly reclaiming the ruins of the Ithari Empire. One day a group of archaeologists would stumble upon a cache of valuable jewels, and set up a permanent camp that would eventually become Nositoroko.

Samaros remained as it was, staying true to form.