The Impetus
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Named for the severity of its impacts and the scope of its effects, The Impetus is shorthand used to refer to a string of events that occurred over the course of 150 years or more. Other names for it include The magical cataclysm, the dark bringer, world eater and sun stealer; a series of disasters that sundered Eniea and plunged it into a new era of isolation and anxiety.
The Conflict
Prelude
The name of the world, Eniea, is an old word. It means many things in different dialects--union, tribe, bond, and pact to name a few. We are told that, before the Impetus, there were many countries and continents, each painstakingly settled over the course of history. Then, without warning, orbs of spiraling magical energy began to form along the many settled lands, expanding and swallowing all that stood in their way. No matter how old and powerful they were, or what magical secrets they had unearthed, all fell to ruin. The orbs appeared primarily along coastlines, cutting entire nations off from one another and preventing escape at the same time. As they grew, untold millions were killed, along with the histories of their empires. Many attempted to prevent the growth of these spheres, contain their strength, and halt their invasion--all proved folly.
Outcome
In Ec'algor, the only known remaining continent, three of The Impetus' orbs appeared. First in the heart of Kentricury, then in the eastern corner of Terisirae, and finally off the coast of the Sister States. The first was an oddity, appearing almost 400 miles inland instead of on one of Kentricury's many coasts. Many thousands of people had arrived in Terisirae in the years leading to this event, escaping their own destroyed countries. They spoke of highly similar, nigh unstoppable orbs that devoured everything in their path. The same occurred in Ec'algor.
What was lost over the next 150 years is incalculable. Blood was spilled in a magnitude unthinkable by mortal minds. Even more tragically, the ancient knowledge that was used by the first people to settle these lands was forever lost.
Aftermath
Though The Impetus is long over, it has left permanent scars across Ec'algor. The areas where each of the orbs expanded have been permanently altered by their magical influence and fallout. The land fouls creatures of all kinds, turning them into ghastly beasts with strange and devastating powers. Much of life after The Impetus has been dedicated to creating weapons and organizations that can fight back the creatures spawned from the wretched places. The sea itself is now so violent it is considered an enemy. Few vessels can brave the waters and fewer captains have the skill needed to travel long distances.
The deadliest blow dealt by The Impetus is invisible--isolation. Teleportation magic, once a cornerstone of magical communities and high-ranking mages, is now non-operational. All who attempt to use magic to translocate themselves, even distances as short as a mile, are forever scared and mutiliated--if they survive at all. The few successful instances of long-distance instant travel have resulted in the caster losing their grasp on sanity, their grasp of magic, or both, making the endeavor far too risky for any magician to partake. With magic seemingly unable to overcome this obstacle and the seas too deadly to cross, we appear to be truly isolated. If some disaster were to befall us, if some threat were to arrive without warning, all sentient life on the planet could be snuffed out in one fell swoop.
Historical Significance
E.Y. 157 - A ship carrying some 4,000 survivors arrives in the west of Terisirae, they speak of an apocalyptic event that destroyed their homes and forced them to flee across the ocean and its violent waters. It is possible that The Impetus is many hundreds or even thousands of years older than the Gorian recordings, but historians consider this to be the first concrete sign of its beginning. E.Y. 134 - The first of The Impetus' orbs appears in the heart of Kentricury at the base of what was once called Kirokyre Spine. They are now called The Blasted Mountains. E.Y. 117 - A second orb appears in Colum near The Green Line. By now, the first orb in Kentricury is over 100 miles wide and has become so powerful is alters the weather. E.Y. 87 - The final orb appears at the northern tip of The Sister States. By now, the first orb in Kentricury has a radius of over 250 miles and the orb in Terisirae is soon to reach its 100th mile. E.Y. 65 - The seas surrounding Terisirae become so agitated by the orbs that traveling them for long distances becomes impossible. What was once called the Ocean of Gor is renamed The Restless Sea. E.Y. 40 - Each of the orbs pulses with bizarre magical energy, beginning natural disasters like tsunamis, wildfires, windstorms, and more. Large cities like Q'al Cune, Kingcardine, and Colum are inundated with the displaced. E.Y. 12 - The first orb in Kentricury has a diameter of over 700 miles, the second in Colum is nearly 550 miles, and the third in the Sister States is over 600 miles wide. Though they have wrought much destruction, this is the largest they will ever be. Natural disasters still occur with heightened frequency in their area, but society at large is able to move forward with fragile stability and rebuild on the edge of The Impetus. E.Y. 0 - Over the course of a decade, the orbs each slowly retracted, shrinking until they vanished without a trace. The precise end date of The Impetus varies by source, most of them quibbling over whether it should begin in E.Y. 11 when the Kentrisque orb first began shrinking or in E.Y. 0 when all of them had entirely disappeared.Legacy
The Impetus, and its many lingering effects, are still ever present in the minds of today's leaders. Governments of the most powerful countries in Ec'algor spend enormous sums of money to recruit, furnish, and empower adventurers guilds in their efforts to locate individuals of great strength. Adventuring is the expectation for all young, able-bodied people, and much of the new world has been built to support that necessity. The ruins of old Eniea serve as a constant reminder of what happens to civilizations that fail to properly prepare.
There are a few, a powerful and reclusive few, who study the power of The Impetus and the monsters that carry it. They seek to understand the nature of this destructive force, perhaps to wield it themselves or to one day undo it. The cause, to this day, has never been discovered. To whoever does find it, may history avoid repeating itself.
This entry is narrated by Xaro Voss
Battlefield Type
Land
Start Date
E.Y. 134
Ending Date
E.Y. 0
Conflict Result
What was once known of Eniea was lost to The Impetus, now all that is known is the continent of Ec'algor.
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