The Fall of Arcanum

As the mortal magocracies grew in power throughout the Age of Arcanum, the Gods began to grow nervous, fearing that mortals had grown too powerful, dabbling in dark magics, and would soon turn against the Gods. Throughout the Age, mortals had grown heretical, forgoing worship of the Gods. Their magical power had begun to reach to the point where they could potentially challenge the Gods themselves, as they began exhibiting control over creation itself and were almost able to match the Gods in destructive power.   On Exorsia, the Ikan Empire waged a conquest against the other mageocracies of Arcanum, later called the Ikan Conquest. The Ikan’s monarch, God King Xerxes, had become one of the most powerful mortals in existence, and was said to have plans to conquer and rule the entire world. Rumours also circulated that Xerxes believed himself to be a God, intending to ascend like Loth did, and once he had conquered Exorsia, he intended to conquer the Heavens, taking his war to the Gods.   In secret, King Xerxes sacrificed the lives of many of his people to cast the Rite of Ascension, attempting to ascend to Godhood. Though he came close, the spell failed, killing the King in the process.   Fearing the devastation that could come from this type of magic in the wrong hands, the Gods sprang into action, they unanimously agreed to the destruction of Ikan, and descended on the city. The Armies of the Heavens lay siege to Ikan, but the city resisted them, using their mighty magic to hold back the Gods and defend their home. Across Exorsia, the other mageocracies watched on in horror at the destructive war that lay waste to Terrasmus, as the Gods attempted to destroy Ikan to ruin. And in fear that they were next, the Cities of Arcanum made their preparations.   After a year of siege, Ikan finally fell, its ruins crashing down to the land below. The Gods were victorious, but they had no time to celebrate, as the alliance formed from the other Floating Cities of Arcanum, struck first, forcing the Gods' hands.   Exorsia fell into a calamitous war, the Armies of the Heavens descended on the mortal population, decimating all the heretics that sought their destruction.   First to fall was the city of Vir’thelgos, but when the Gods raised it to the ground, they found the city almost completely evacuated, the loyal followers of Selene fled into the Underdark, leaving only the corrupt heretics to defend the city. In appreciation of their piety, the Gods did not pursue, and spared the survivors.   The Gods also did battle with the Dragon Empires of Soliemia, and the Drow cities of the Underdark, who too had attempted to rebel against the Gods.   The next Mageocracy to fall was the Floating City of Myrian. It is said that when Myrian’s soldiers fell, they rose to fight again and again and again, unending. Even when Ares himself cleaved the city in two, the people of Myrian dug themselves out of the ruins and continued fighting. It was only once the Gods found and destroyed the King of Myrian did the dead finally rest.   Following the fall of Myrian, the Gods descended on Dassaran, who even with its advanced magic, could not resist the might of the Heavens for long. After months of battle, while the city's end drew near, the Collective of Dassaran is said to have attempted to teleport the city away to safety, but they were destroyed before the spell could be completed, and the city was completely obliterated, its remains sent scattering into the Dassaran Mountains below. The Collectives' vast knowledge, lost to time.   They finally the Gods came for Maran, the last and smallest of the Floating Cities, and the favoured of Hecate. So when the Armies of the Heavens arrived, they found only loyal devotees who welcomed the Gods arrival with prayers and offerings. Vouched for by Hecate, in an act of mercy, the Gods spared the city of Maran and its people.   With evil and corruption purged from the land, and only then loyal and devoted left upon Exorsia, the Gods withdrew their armies and left the Material Plane.   To prevent any further devastation of this scale from happening again, the Gods created the Divine Gate, a powerful barrier around the Material Plane, preventing the Gods and Extraplanar beings from being able to physically influence the Material Plane, while at the same time cutting off Exorsia from the higher echelons of magic, preventing mortals from returning to the height of their power again.   With the war ended, the mortal population lay decimated, many species on the brink of extinction. And with the loss of magic, many of their technologies ceased to operate, plunging the world into a Dark Age, as the surviving devout population attempted to rebuild society from its ruin.