The Four Agonies

The Four Agonies, as they've come to be known, were a series of sudden and extremely painful pangs felt by nearly all living creatures across Aelas. These agonies began in the first week of the Lich War, and the last one occured two years before the war ended.

In the early days of the Lich War, nearly every living creature in the world simultaneously suffered a feeling of extreme pain, comparable with being grievously wounded. A few weeks later, another pang swept the globe. A month later, and there was another. A year later, the final of the four agonies struck the terrified population of Aelas. Each one was a traumatic event for the inflicted, and the pain was intense enough to kill thousands of weak, elderly, or sick people each time. However, the lasting effects of this tragedy affect far more than the death toll during the war.

Nearly all the life expectancies of the races of Aelas were cut in half. Humans seldom live past fifty now, elves rarely see their fourth century, and so on. Only a handful of races like the Dwarves were unaffected by these agonies.

The cause of the Four Agonies, and how they devastated the world's life expectancies are a total mystery. The responsibility for it has been attributed to the slain necromancer Sharev of Erevel, who began the Lich War two decades ago.

Responses And Inquests

Archaeomancers Guild

The scholarly wizard guild of magical researchers, historians, and archaeologists, The Archaeomancers Guild, has a small team of researchers dedicated to deducing the cause of the Four Agonies. The team is led by the high elven wizard Seldasien of Arthia. Her small but ingenious team of seven mages and scholars journey the world in search of the cause and ultimately the cure to these Agonies. Despite the brilliance of Team Seldasien, they have not found anything.

Holy Order Of The Seven Stars

The Holy Order of The Seven Stars, the paladin order of Ilarom, goddess of light, fought firsthand against the waves of Sharev's hordes and felt the Lich War as gruesomely as any paladin order. The supreme exarch of the order issued the quest to the paladins to undo the blight Sharev placed on the world, and restore the mortal races of Aelas to the longevity given them by the Hallowed Gods of the High Pantheon.

Razih Priests

The death-priests and necromancers of the human Razih tribe occasionally look into the cause of the agonies. All the spirits have been able to impart is the grandeur and ancient age of something that has been lost. No priest has been able to put together these vague omens.