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Few earth-shattering events to have scraped Aloria are as influential—and deadly—as the Cataclysm. This occurrence is one that both redefined the Alorian calendar as well as changed its landscape forever. The Cataclysm was set in motion by the destruction of the statue of Estel and the closing of the Veil, events which happened during the Fifth Void Invasion. Furthermore, it marked a formal end to the era of the Void Invasions, and began a new one dominated by Ailor and technology; as opposed to being centered around civilizations that abused magic. The Cataclysm has forever altered Aloria, and nobody knows how far the effects and magical imprint on the Alorian timeline will ripple.
| Cataclysm | |
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| Historical Event | |
| Event Name | Cataclysm |
| Dates and Times | 0 AC |
| Location | Drowda, Aloria |
| People Involved | Alorians, Estel |
Background Information
The true cause of the Cataclysm is traced back to the Fifth Void Invasion. This event had intended to end civilized life as every Alorian knew it, and be the final stroke by the forces of the Void in forever subjugating the world to their whims. The Void Invasion was heralded by the Veil, an abstract window-like construct overtop Drowda that exerted magical influence on the world. This Veil is what allowed the Void demons to walk on Aloria, including the Archdemon Beheasal himself towards the end of the invasion. This knowledge was only privy to a select group of adventurers, who knew that something must be done to prolong life on Aloria. With the foreseeable end drawing near, they decided to act.
History
This group of adventurers, most of whom were mages, infiltrated the freezing island of Drowda—the old home of the Drovv race who had just been eradicated by the Void Invasion. The group slowly trekked the land over the course of a day, meeting little resistance due to the majority of the demons focusing their efforts on the Elven Empire, and eventually reached the huge mountain in the middle. After navigating the entrance, the adventurers came to an elaborate system of caves that would lead to the large cavern where Estel was imprisoned with huge metal chains. Here, the Shendar had siphoned away Estel’s power to open the Veil and allow the Void Invasion to occur. Somehow, the adventurers needed to sever that link.
As soon as they arrived, the group began casting all sorts of ancient and forgotten spells, trying to sever the statues physical as well as magical bindings. Time was very short due to the growing power of the Void Invasion force as well as the probability that Shendar or patrols would find them and end their mission. Furthermore, unlike in past Void Invasions, the Archdemon Beheasal was able to cross the Veil and set foot in Aloria as a ghastly and powerful being. The Void Invasion was set in stone to be a monumental success--or at least, it was at the present time. No matter what the group of mages tried, they could not do any damage to Estel or her bindings; their only means of attack was through the use of magic, which only served to fuel the connection between the Void and Aloria. With time running out, the group needed to think fast and make the necessary sacrifices to ensure that life could continue.
The Destruction of Estel
With their options exhausted, the group decided that despite the irony of the situation, the best way to prevent the success of the Void Invasion would be to destroy Estel herself. Knowing that she was impervious to most magic, the group began casting all sorts of bolts, missiles, light, sonar waves, and energy at the foundations, walls, and ceiling of the cave, eventually causing the entire mountain to collapse on Estel and the adventurers. Upon the impact of the thousands of tons of stone on the statue, Estel immediately shattered, but was not crushed. Instead, she abruptly exploded into thousands of pieces, propelling her shards and the rock from the mountain across Aloria in the form of tiny meteors visible by Alorians. These streaks of magical debris, followed by shockwaves of purple light, would be the last things that Alorians saw in the sky before night fell for several days.
The Alorian Apocalypse
Upon the destruction of Estel, the Veil above Drowda immediately closed, setting in motion several things that would alter the physical and magical worlds forever. First, the Void Invasion was abruptly cut off. All of the Void Demons were forced to either possess an Alorian form, or retreat back into the Veil to the Void. The tethers from Estel to the Void were also severed, causing reality to be distorted for several seconds. Finally, the Archdemon, bent on remaining on Aloria, possessed the Ailor slave to Emperor Medui known only as Sophie, transforming her into the Dark Banshee. In this form, they would haunt Aloria for centuries to come.
When Estel exploded, huge stones and beams of light were sent across the sky that rained down on Aloria in the form of meteors. These rippled through the atmosphere, emanating from Drowda and reaching as far as Sendras, Guldar, and the Yang-Tzu Isles. This shower of stone and light was only the beginning of the harrowing event that would come to be known as the Cataclysm.
Effects
The Cataclysm is perhaps the most influential event in Alorian history. Several natural disasters followed the destruction of Estel which tore the land asunder, separating supercontinents such as Farrah and Daen into the smaller continents known by Alorians today. Meanwhile, entire islands erupted out of the ground and exploded into pyroclastic life as volcanoes. Earthquakes ripped across lands, especially those populated by mountains, causing wide-scale damage to towns and empires alike. Most continents were ravaged by natural (or perhaps more accurately, unnatural) disasters as some lands faced excessive drought, while others were pelted by unyielding tsunamis and storms of the likes which Alorians had never before faced. A deafening majority of the Elven Empire’s population perished simply due to lack of food, inhospitable conditions, and sickness or disease, and similar disaster echoed across the known world.
The Death of Magic
Before the Cataclysm, it was Estel’s presence on Aloria that allowed Void and Exist energies to flow through the Veil. With her destruction, however, the Veil snapped close. When this happened, all mages in Aloria suddenly lost all of their abilities, and were left numb to their otherworldly connections. Entire forms of magic vanished from Aloria, never to resurface again; forms such as Ethereal Missiles, Sonar Magic, and more potent kinds of Elemental Magic were all permanently lost. This loss lasted for nearly a century, before magic started returning to the world due to the slow and gradual reconstruction of the Statue of Estel. As more and more pieces of Estel were put back together, magic slowly returned to Aloria, and mages were able to cast again. Today, magic is at its strongest since the Cataclysm, due to the fact that Estel has been completely reconstructed.
Drowda: The Forbidden Continent
Out of all other places on Aloria, Drowda experienced the brunt of the carnage of the Cataclysm. Whereas other continents were only shaken physically, Drowda now had a closed portal to the Void hanging over it. As the Veil closed, all of the Void Essence that had been leaking for centuries couldn’t properly maintain itself in Aloria. Like several metal nails clinging to the bottom of a magnet, errant Void energy hung just below the Veil, permanently tainting Drowda. Most of the flora and fauna of the continent have since deformed and mutated, while the Drowdar themselves have been permanently altered to resist all forms of magic. Additionally, Drowda is now one of the most magically potent areas on Aloria; non-Drowdar who walk its dark grasses find themselves at increased risks of possession from exposure alone, and mages who cast here are almost guaranteed to be infested by the Void.
Regalia: One Last Hope
One specific area that was spared from the majority of the Cataclysm’s impact was the Regalian Archipelago, a large and mountainous landmass. The Ailor here were shielded from the vast tsunamis and storms by the mountains, and the gentle storms that blew over actually assisted their agriculture in the fields. Even with the rampant earthquakes, Regalia was the least affected area in Aloria, contributing to its gradual rise over the past three hundred years.
Trivia
- Many Alorians do not even know the Cataclysm happened. Most who know enough of the world to recognize foreign lands assume the world has always been the way it is now.
- The Cataclysm is the single most impactful event in Alorian history.
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