Military: War
The Great Civil War of Riverhold, also known as The Druids' War, stands as a dark and devastating period in the history of the continent. The conflict erupted after failed negotiations between the ruling class and the circle of Druids. The Druids, opposing the brutal suppression of the common folk and demanding universal education and equal rights, threatened to form a separate society. This posed an intolerable threat to the monarch and the nobility. Seeing this as a direct challenge to their authority, they refused the concessions and a civil war ensued.
The war was a brutal spectacle of conventional and magical warfare. The Druids, although fewer in number, were unparalleled in their mastery of magic, which stemmed from their deep connection with nature. They used their powers to defend the oppressed, striking blows against the kingdom's forces. Conversely, the king and his court leveraged their vast resources and numerical advantage to push back against The Druids. Skirmishes and battles were waged across the breadth of the kingdom, leaving no corner untouched by the horrors of war. The heartrending costs were evident as cities were laid to waste, villages razed, and libraries and healing sanctuaries ruined. The destructive forces of magic left landscapes distorted, and once fertile lands became barren due to magical pollution. After two years of relentless conflict, The Druids faced overwhelming odds. Despite their magical prowess, they couldn't match the vast numbers and resources of the kingdom. In a tragic turn, the last remaining druids were forced into hiding, marking a grim victory for the kingdom. The war had taken a horrific toll on the kingdom, reducing it to a state of ruin and despair. The infrastructures that had once supported a flourishing civilization were decimated, plunging the society into what would later be known as the new Dark Age. The victory was pyrrhic at best; the kingdom, though technically the victor, had to grapple with the loss of much of its cultural heritage, knowledge, and the prosperity it had once enjoyed. Previous event