The story

A Brief History of Nonthawk

Nonthawk is the name of the realm, and it has three major continents: Nonthawk, Dragonia and Amaria. Prior to the calamity, Amaria was populated by humans, halflings, and gnomes, Dragonia was populated by dragonkin and Aarakocra, and Nonthawk was mostly elves. Each race had a kingdom that controlled part of their respective continent.

Most publicly-available recorded history states that Kith (the general term for all races) have lived in peace for as long as records show. Most kingdoms focused their efforts on controlling planar invasions, which occurred due to two planes colliding with one another. These planar invasions occurred frequently, often varied in strength, and the planes involved differed--however, scholars were able to predict which planes were invading.

These scholars warned of an impending large invasion; they believed that an invasion from the death plane was going to occur, and it was going to be the largest invasion they had ever seen. This invasion will come to pass, and the events that transpire will be known as the calamity.

Beginning of the End

With this looming global threat, a call to arms to all kingdoms is sent out. The planar invasion appears on all three continents in differing strengths, the largest portal appearing in Amaria. The elven council decides to activate their warlord initiative. This would grant one general the power to command all of the elven forces without the need of council permission. It is decided that Karwennar, eldest son of House Laraethius, would be this warlord. He, along with a sizable force, would be sent to Amaria to help protect the realm.

With the combined might of the elven, human, and halfling armies, as well as support from the gnomes’ creations, they were able to quell most of the planar invaders. The last remaining portal was the largest anyone had ever seen, and the demon guarding the anchor was incredibly powerful. After months of fighting, an elite group including the warlord were able to infiltrate the demon encampment and destroy the demon general.

But at What Cost

The cost of life on every race involved in defending the realm was devastating; among the worst affected were the humans and halflings. However, the elite group that was able to kill the demon general were afflicted with something that had never been seen before. Within a month, all but two of those members had passed away to some disease that was incurable by any sort of magic. The two heroes are shipped back to their respective homes. Karwannar was able to resist the disease for the longest; however, he eventually succumbed and fell into a deep slumber. When all the armies returned home, they were met with a heroes’ feast. While the cost of life was great, the realm was secure.Or, so they thought.

In Life I Was a Champion

House Laraethius was known for its potent training academy, and Karwennar was no exception to this legacy. Coming from the largest house, as well as being well-known throughout the continent as being a proficient wielder of a two-handed sword and a veteran of many planar invasions, news of Karwennar’s affliction was spreading quickly. His house had decided to allow him a true warrior's death: a ritual which would grant him a honourable death and not allow his great image to be spoiled by a tragic event. During this time, his family was with him at his bedside, specifically his wife Rumanwen. She spent days and nights watching over him, hoping for him to return. The ritual takes several months to finalize, and during this time Rumanwen noticed that life had begun to return to her husband.

Within weeks of this revelation, Karwennar was back on his feet, at full strength. Rumanwen, initially ecstatic for her husband’s return to health, eventually saw slight differences in his physical and mental demeanour. No one else seemed to notice.

Power Unrelinquished

As was his right as warlord, Karwennar ordered a meeting of the elven council: one official from every ruling household. He stated that his illness, the one that fell the other heroes and caused many deaths of his countrymen, was the result of betrayal and treachery of the humans. He explained that his party had been poisoned upon discovering the humans’ plan: that in fact they had not suffered the losses they claimed, and that they were building up an army to strike out against the other nations to gain more power and land.

Rumanwen was unsettled and brought her concerns to her father-in-law, Hectus, The patriarch of the house. Hectus agreed that Karwennar was acting abnormally; however, when confronting his son, he deflected everything. Later that month, the elven council agreed that the best course of action was to reinstate him as Warlord. The vote was 6 (yay) - 5 (nay) - 1 (abstained).

Only He Who Has No Use for the Empire Is Fit to Be Entrusted With It

The warlord moved the majority of his forces into the eastern part of the southern continent. There, he spoke with the halflings of the treachery that took place on that fateful day several months ago. The halflings felt compelled to assist the elves, as historically halflings have been saved by elves on many occasions. With their combined forces, they were able to overwhelm the remaining human armies, scattering them to all sides of the continent.

Grunts and battlemasters alike began to question the level of violence they were imposing on the humans. It was one thing to fight a combatant wielding a sword, but quite another to attack a field hospital with injured and sick non-combatants. It was at this time that the warlord held a meeting with his battlemasters and told them that the halflings had also turned treacherous: the halflings met the same fate as the humans.

Of All the Words of Mice and Men, the Saddest Are, "It Might Have Been”

Lord Hectus was unsure of his son's well-being prior to him leaving; he dispatched his spies to monitor his son's progress. Once news had returned of the deeds of his son, and of the strange action of the high elf army, an emergency meeting was called between the remaining kingdoms and a call to arms was issued. They created a new organization called The Legacy, which consisted of any able-bodied person willing to fight for the protection of the realm, regardless of kingdom or allegiance. The Legacy took to the offensive and stormed the southern continent. After months and months of searching and fighting, they were able to finally locate the warlord.

Many attempts were made at bringing the battlemasters and the warlord to justice; however, they no longer recognized or even acknowledged their pledge to protect the realm. Lord Hectus knew that the right thing to do was to face his son in combat. He and several other experienced fighters took on the warlord. Despite their combined experience being much more than the warlord's, he bested several of them... but, was finally slain.

The Most Effective Way to Destroy People Is to Deny Their Own Understanding of Their History

The killing of the warlord led to a catastrophic event. His death released a shadowy apparition: it appeared, then dissipated, vanished (think Thanos snapped). Months of research and debate sought to answer whether or not this shadow had affected the warlord's decisions. The final consensus laid blame to some sort of demonic possession of the young soldier.

To some, this was a reasonable explanation for his actions. To others, it was a lie, constructed to deny the guilt of a blood-hungry warrior from a high-ranking house.