The Mage War

This is an article on the History of Feyworld

Years: 2000 NC to 2003 NC

Age: The Third Age of Man

Continent: All

The Mage War was a seminal event in the latter days of the Third Age of Man, the aftermath of which lead, in part, to the end of the Third Age and the dark times that followed. In a political and tactical coup that would have repercussions for wizards everywhere across Aurea and Duria for centuries, the Mage-King Lucasa rose to lead not only the Magocracy of Lun Dorak, but also the Great Empire in a war of conquest across two continents. With initial action in the war taking place in 2000 NC, the war came to a conclusion in 2003 NC only after the Sapphire City was beseiged by a combined force of humans (mainly from Koramia), orcs from Vor Midal, elves from Webwood and even the assistance of the legendary Dragonknights. With the ailing Mage-King defeated, the Dorakian Empire quickly fell apart and the alliance that defeated them turned on itself in the devastating aftermath.

The Life of Lucas Chamberville

Lucas Chamberville was born to Jeanette and Richard Chamberville, two minor nobles in the Earldom of Margwenth in southern Koramia, less than a day's ride from the capital, Paeldain. Even in birth, Lucas was unusual in that he was born an albino. Soon after birth, however, it became apparent that the young Koramian was able to read the minds of others through an unknown means. Despite proving a rare dual practitioner in both Hermetic and Divine magic, scholars suggest that Lucas' telepathy was not magical in nature. It is generally believed that this innate telepathy, which he was unable to ignore or suppress, is what lead to his madness and megalomania later in life.

At a very young age, Lucas Chamberville and his unique abilities were discovered by agents of the Magocracy of Lun Dorak. He was kidnapped from his home in Koramia in the spring of 1995 NC and whisked away to Lun Dorak for intense training at one of the Magocracy's secret academies. Within a year in this world, he came out of training already a master of Hermetic secrets and apparently a full ten years older.

The Rise of Lucasa

As a young mage and apostle of Abaris, Lucas (now Lucasa, taking on the finial 'a' used by most male wizards in Lun Dorak) quickly rose through the ranks both of the wizards and priests of the nation. By 1997 NC, only a year after completing his training and at the apparent age of nineteen, Lucasa became the youngest person to ever serve on the Council of Five. In 1998 NC, the Council voted unanimously to name him the first Mage-King of Lun Dorak in over three centuries.

Lucasa's meteoric rise was, in part, due to his ability to read the minds of his colleagues and extreme intellect. Before becoming Mage-King, it is believed that he had made several advances in magical research, particularly with Charms and Enchantments. It is generally rumored outside of Lun Dorak that his rise to Mage-King was partially facilitated by the fortuitous suicide of the member of the Council of Five that he replaced.

As a Councilor, Lucasa was known to be a hard-liner, calling for raids into the Calmerian Marches for slaves and increased suppression of minor rebellions among Lun Dorak's non-caster caste. It is said that he was absolutely brutal to his personal slaves, with few surviving their first year under his patronage.

The Coming of Lucius

There is very little known about the wizard known as Lucius prior to his assignment as an adviser to the Emperor of the Great Empire in 1999 NC. The albino wizard quickly became a favorite of Emperor Publius Antonius and was known to be extraordinarily adept at maneuvering the byzantine politics of Zeth, the Imperial Capital. Though several of the noble houses became incensed at this young, apparently barbarian upstart gaining the confidence of their Emperor so quickly, the Emperor's firm friendship with the wizard protected Lucius.

Early in 2000 NC, Lucius revealed that, though he was Koramian by birth, he was the descendant of the hereditary King of Icenia (by this time a part of Koramia) and, through that link, directly related to the Emperor and a full member of House Zetar. Publius Antonius embraced this news, formally adopting Lucius as his own son. Even Lucius' staunchest opponents at the Imperial Court did not realize that the simple act of adoption would lead to the fall of the Great Empire itself.

The Attack of the Black Fleet

Under Lucius' advice, Publius Antonius began to covet the lost territory that the Empire had once held on the Divian Peninsula. Several Imperial envoys were sent to Paeldain to claim that King William II was not the legitimate ruler or Koramia, but few took the envoys seriously. Koramia was unaware that the Empire had reinstituted the legendary Third Fleet, which once patrolled the waters around the Divian Peninsula. Once the Emperor's envoys were refused, the Empire sent out its fleet, sailing under their traditional black sails. The intent was to attack several Koramian ports simultaneously, including Paeldain, but a lone merchant vessel making its way to the Empire spotted the fleet and was able to warn Koramia in time for it to establish some defenses. The Black Fleet, as the Koramians called it, made ashore in western Koramia to much resistance from Koramian defenders. Though Koramia did not have enough time to completely repel the invading fleet, they did not give the Empire the quick victory they were hoping for.

It should be noted that, perhaps in a moment of historic coincidence, Lucasa's own mother, Jeanette Chamberville, was on the small Koramian craft that spotted the Black Fleet and returned to Koramia to warn of the impending attack.

Unfortunately for Koramia, both Cambrecia, the lone nation in Duria to remain loyal to the Emperor, and Illyria, the last of the nations that Koramia had yet to conquer, allied with the Empire against Koramia. With the Imperial Legions on its western shore, Illyria attacking from the northeast and Cambrecia from the southeast, Koramia settled in for a slow, protracted defense on three fronts. Though it was not called such at the time, the Mage War had begun.

By the end of 2001 NC, Illyria had betrayed the Empire and allied with Koramia, who had promised to relinquish its claims on Illyrian soil. Unfortunately, this lead to a bloody civil war in Illyria between those loyal to the crown and those who sought to return to the Imperial alliance. In the midst of this civil war, an orc by the name of Gar'dun was released from prison and restored to Vor Midal, where he quickly began dominating the orcish tribes under his banner. In a secret deal with the Illyrian and Koramian crown, the orc agreed to assist in the fight against the Empire in return for his freedom.

Meanwhile, in Koramia, the legendary King William I, called "The Greysword", returned. Believed to have died some four decades prior, a group of adventurers sent by the Prelate of Paeldain, Urbanus I, located the retired King and convinced him that Koramia again needed his leadership. Though not formally crowned again, The Greysword was granted military command of the unified forces fighting against the Empire. At the time, there were rumors that Lucasa's mother, Jeanette Chamberville, had allied with the Empire in the hopes of attaining independence for Icenia from Koramia and changed her mind only after accompanying the adventurers who restored the Greysword, but those rumors have since proven unfounded.

Koramia and her allies began to slowly push back the Imperial Legions. The Empire decided to push back with a risky gambit: they assembled the Black Fleet to sail directly to Paeldain, in the hopes of taking the city and executing the Greysword. If successful, the Empire would have certainly won the war in that battle. Knowing the Imperial fleet was on its way, much of Paeldain was evacuated, though the Greysword, the King and much of the military stationed there chose to remain and fight. The Black Fleet arrived, broke through the barricade the Koramians had established and invaded the city. The First Battle of Paeldain had been joined.

Unbeknownst to either side in the battle, the legendary Order of the Brilliant Lance, otherwise known as the Dragonknights, had formed out of the same adventuring party that had rescued the Greysword. Lead by Jeanette Chamberville, the Dragonknights had discovered the location of the Glorious Galley, the flying ship that had first brought the Koram to Koramia and started the Koramian Heresy centuries before. With four dragons flanking it, the Glorious Galley arrived in Paeldain in the midst of the battle and quickly turned the tide against the Imperial Legions. The Black Fleet was decimated and the Imperial Legion fled the field in disarray.

Imperial Union and Heresy

Meanwhile, in Lun Dorak, Lucasa discovered the Magesword, the legendary weapon of Davalor, the founder of Lun Dorak. With the Magesword in hand, Lun Dorak attacked Calmeria and began to move over the Cambrecian Mountains, declaring their support for the Empire. Though many were surprised that the Magocrasy had decided to join in on the war, the Imperial Legions were not about to turn away such a powerful ally. The Dorakian wizards joined forces with the Cambrecian Legions and quickly began taking ground in the southeast of Koramia.

The good news was little comfort to the people of Zeth. Their Emperor was on his deathbed. Having lost his only son and heir a mere month before, the Emperor's declining health was finally taking its toll. In a surprise proclamation, the Emperor declared his trusted adviser and adopted son, Lucius, to be his heir. In 2001 NC, Publius Antonius dies and Lucius is crowned Emperor of the Great Empire. Upon completion of his coronation, Lucius stood and revealed himself as the Mage-King Lucasa, unifying the Great Empire with the Magocrasy of Lun Dorak. As some members of the Great Houses began to protest, several large iron golems strode into the crowd, killing Emperor Lucasa's detractors. It is said that some of the heads of the Great Houses, including that of House Zetar, participated in the massacre.

Lucasa, known later as "the Heretic Emperor", had spilled blood on the steps the Great Temple of the Triad, a first in the Empire's long and bloody history. He also moved the Imperial Capital from Zeth to the Sapphire City in Lun Dorak. For both of these crimes (and a few others that were only rumored), he was later declared a heretic to the Imperial faith.

With much of the Imperial leadership assassinated, Lucasa took personal command of the forces invading Koramia.