The Green Exodus

Journal Entry VII: Creation Through Destruction

Aien Ballen, Contract Archaeologist to the Dragon Imperium Year 5330 of the Third Cycle

Abstract

In the closing decades of the Second Cycle, a cataclysmic conflict known as the War of the Sundering erupted among Ey'feay clans, The Progenitor's nascent orc brood, and infernal interlopers. The hostilities culminated in the destruction of Wombwood itself and shattered the Ey’Feay as a unified people. From this crucible of blood and flame emerged the diverse elven subraces and a transformed world.

Introduction

As The Wombwood’s dying sap bled into the soil, rival elven factions blamed one another for the Mother Tree’s demise. Simultaneously, the orc brood, driven by their creator’s war-lust, pressed against elven groves, and a conclave of devils sought to claim the Sheywild’s remnant power for infernal purposes. What began as border skirmishes escalated into an all-encompassing war of annihilation and dominion. In its wake, the Ey’Feay were scattered, their half-flora bloodlines fracturing into myriad descendants who would never again stand as one.

Surviving Evidence

1. Charred fragments of Wombwood’s rootbone, recovered from the scorched bed of the old Mother Grove. Embedded within its cracked surface are traces of infernal ichor, residue of devilish sorceries, and flecks of orcish blood, indicating a final, desperate siege around the living tree.
2. Ashen Warhorn: Discovered amid the ruins of the Eastern Ring, this bronze horn carved from hollow root features both proto-orc runes and mangled Ey’Feay sigils. Analysis of residual sap suggests it was sounded at the war’s climax, its blast said to have rent both wood and stone in a single, ear-shattering call.

Hypotheses and Speculations

Given the infernal traces seen in surviving evidence, it seems likely that devils orchestrated a pincer strategy, driving orcish hordes against the Mother Tree while unleashing hell-fire to weaken her heart. Ey’Feay defenders, divided by doctrinal schisms, failed to present a united front. The Ashen Warhorn’s dual inscriptions suggest that some clans even allied with orcs in hopes of survival, only to witness their own betrayal. This internecine breakdown and external assault forged the fractured elven identities of the Third Cycle.

Conclusion

The War of the Sundering stands as the watershed event that ended Ey’Feay unity and seeded the myriad elven subraces. Though Wombwood’s colossal form lies buried beneath stone and shadow, remaining evidence points to how creation can spring from devastation. As I continue to unearth battlefield relics and infernal runes, I anticipate piecing together ever more vivid portraits of the war that reshaped not just a people, but the very face of Zæthéria.