Fall of the Selefer

The Selefer really had a skill of creating cataclysmic events through their spellcasting. Sadly for them they also wiped themselves out with their second one. If you want to know why Chaos Magic is a bad idea, look no further than the Visar Volcanoes.

— High Sage Syronikir

  Seldom has there been a battle that has changed the course of history and even geography of the world to such a degree as the final battle with the Selefer. What started as a siege of the Selefer city Sylthit would result in the destruction of both armies and the extinction of the Selefer themselves.  

Prelude

  Long before the final battle the Avaronian Empire and the Selefer had been frequently at war. Although there were some territory losses over the centuries of war, in the long run the Avaronians managed to take more and more of the Selefer's land.   In an attempt to restore their empire the Selefer marched on the Sanderlith wall which protected the closet border with the Avaronian Empire. After its destruction the Selefer managed to lay claim to large swathes of land and even besieged the important Avaronian city of Farmar. Eventually all this progress would end up being for not as there were pushed back into their homelands once more by both the Avaronians and the Draconid kingdom of Endake to the soutH  

Siege of Sylthit

  Although it was not the Selefer capital at that time Sylthit was still an important target during the war. Its temple dedicated of the Children of Athos was one of the most sacred places to the Selefer. A giant Ember Fall crystal was placed on top of this temple and was highly coveted by the Avaronians.  

Beginning

  For almost a month nothing had really changed on the battlefield near the city. The Avaronians had hoped that troops from Endaka would arrive but they were not able to advance towards the city in a decent timeframe. From the north and east banks of the river the Avaronian troops had been able besiege the city but the Selefer defences remained intact.   The Avaronian hero Mackevor had arrived a few days earlier and had decided that they would attempt to break through. As a point of entry they had decided to break the eastern wall but would need to find a way to get to it without being bombarded by spells along the way.    

Advance

  They decided to move the majority of the troops into the valley to make it seem like an attack was going to start. At the same time they started the Caster on the north and east river banks started bombarding the buildings closest to the opposite bank. As they made it seem like the Avaronians were trying to move their troops across a rather small bridge the Selefer decided to send out some troops to hold them on the bridge, making it in turn easier for the Selefer ranged units to focus their fire.     All of this was merely a ploy because as soon as they Avaronian infantry had reached the bridge, the more advanced Water Magic Casters froze part of the river to allow the troops to cross. Meanwhile a large smokescreen was created by other casters which blocked the view of the ranged units on the walls. Mackevor himself used his own superior magical skills to create a hole in the eastern wall through which the troops could enter the city.  

Heart of Athos

  With the troops pouring into the city the Selefer had no choice but to retreat as many troops as they could to the inner wall. The fighting within the first layer of the city was fierce but eventually the Avaronians managed to claim that part of the city. However, as they prepared to begin their assault on the inner layer of the city, the unthinkable happened.     Desperate for a victory the Selefer decided to once again use Chaos Magic. But instead of using it in a somewhat normal way the priests of Athos decided to use the Heart of Athos, the giant Ember Fall on top of the temple, as a conduit for their magic.   At first this seemed to started working but soon after the Heart of Athos turned a dark red as the entire earth begun to shake violently. It is at this moment that the only surviving eye witness escaped by taking on a phoenix form and flying away. After that the entire region was bathed in Fire Magic.  

Aftermath

  No one was prepared for what happened after. Both armies were wiped out as well all Selefer territories. As the magic flowed through the region it destroyed everything in its path. Vegetation was burned to a crisp, every Selefer turned to ashes and the city itself and its surroundings turned into active volcanoes.   It was both the end of the Selefer and Mackevor. With the death of their revered leader the Avaronian Empire eventually fell into civil war. But those further away from the blast were not that much better off. Violent earthquakes became alarmingly frequent and large swathes of land sunk deeper into the earth which created a new sea in the process. To make matters worse the region to the east became increasingly drier as a result of the magical surge until it eventually became the Volker Desert.