Ashfall

"'Ash Will Fall!'" ~ Ashfallen Phrase

Summary
Ashfall is a predominantly Human settlement, a sister country to the "Fatherland" (Lehi). Since the events of the Demon War, the country has been in a state of struggle and turmoil. Ashfall never truly recovered from the devastating attack of Demon & Devil kind. As a result, the land is cursed to turn the Ashfallen down a dark path. The year 2499, Maxis Poltava usurps the throne and begins his campaign against the non-humans, which he dubbed the "Abhorrents".

Origin of Ashfall & the Firebeards
In the days of the young world, the first inhabitants of the Ashfall enclave were some of the first Dwarves, the Firebeards Clan also gave the land its name. They gave rise to the phase "Ash will fall!", which describes the inevitability of their fate and death itself. The phrase dates back to an ancient Firebeard prophecy that foretold the demise of their civilization. Many of the Dwarves theorized that their precious mountain home, Styeln, would succumb to a violent eruption. To the horror of the Firebeards, this theory mostly came true. Styeln's summit burst open engulfing the enclave in ash and flame. Their homes destroyed, thousands dead.

The Voyagers
Just as the Firebeards began to accept their fate, an unexpected helping hand came in the form of Humanity, these were Humans from Lehi seeking to establish a new colony. These Humans helped the remaining Dwarves rebuild what they had left, thus their civilization was saved and an alliance was formed between Human & Dwarf. The country was named Ameriai by the humans, Ashfall (Jektraldrimmrek) is a translation from Dwarvish to Common. The two races built the settlement, Ivorstead as a token of their unity, the Humans also built the settlement, Caragan in admiration of their ancestral home Lehi in the north to be as close to it as possible. Those of Dirk decent built New Dirk, later renamed Creasantvale after a dispute with the Altei.

Traders Island
As the Humans & Dwarves prospered, this brought the attention of other races in the Mortal Plane and made their way to the island. The Tabaxi, the Orcs, and others in minor numbers, gradually becoming a melting-pot of races much like Lehi. The mixture of all these new cultures combined with the convenient position of the enclave gave rise to a prosperous time in business and trade, opening public auction houses and market stalls.

The Age of Reckoning / The Demon War (666 - 999 AS)
The cataclysmic event, known to most of the world as The Demon War, Demon & Devil alike brought devastation to the world. Ashfall was no exception.

As this seemingly endless conflict continued to wage for centuries, the denizens of the Material Plane created the Warforged to compete with the invaders, Ashfall also built their own Warforged, with much difficulty due to a lack of arcane resources. This lead Ashfall to develop its own crude way to manufacture new warriors. Thus, the Ashfallen Warforged Legion was formed, "The Molten Blades".

Life Day & The Rebuilding of Ashfall (1000 AS)
The end of the war to end all wars, to impossible odds the races of the material plane had survived and fought off the Demon invasion. Many of prior history and technology would be forgotten, entire settlements leveled to the ground, millions dead. But from here, was a clean slate to build upon and start again, once again there was hope. For Ashfall, hope was the first step on the road to disappointment.

The Struggle (1100 - 2497 AS)
Unfortunately for Ashfall and her people, the country would never reclaim its former glory, no longer was the land ideal for trade. The Demon Wars had left a terrible scar upon the island, the Cryptlands. This area of land would be infested with necrotic energies that would last even over a millennia later.

For the next thousand years, the country would continue to struggle constantly, tensions would rise and famine runs rampant. Ashfall struggles to sustain its own population.

The Maxian Revolution 2498 - 2499 AS
A powerful paladin with a lot of influence stirs up a revolution with his chapter and followers against the current monarch, King Serberus II. The revolution was a huge success, with Serberus slain. Maxis usurps the throne and takes the former kings' son and raises him as his own.

The Makers Addendum - 2500 AS
Now Maxis Poltava was the ruler of the Ashfall enclave, he soon started making changes, most notably religious tenants and panting the seed of oppression. A mass book burning of "The Tome of the Maker", a holy book of sorts that Amerians learned from, Maxis claimed that the book is a misinterpretation of the truth. One of the most notable changes in his own adaptation was the literal demonization of non-Human species. The newly crowned king would continue to preach and influence his people and sow hatred and resentment to the "Abhorents". They have also been blamed Ashfalls' inability to reclaim her former glory.

The Purges - 2504 AS
By this point, the resentment of the Non-Humans is commonplace within the Human settlements, especially in the Northern lands towards Caragan. Maxis decreed that how humanity must redeem themselves in the eyes of the All-Maker is to cleanse the Abhorents from Ashfall and in the longterm, the entire world.

Burning of Arnu'Korough (The First Purge)
The First Purge, also known as the Burning of Arnu'Korough, was a fight that long overdue. Even during Ashfalls' time of greatness the Humans and Orcs didn't totally get along, especially those from Caragan. But the time of tolerance was over. Maxis knew of their strengths and weaknesses. The Orcs, if given a fair fight, would overwhelm the Human forces with sheer strength alone, instead, he exploited their primitive homes by setting them ablaze, initiating the attack with the element of surprise. The Storm Rider Clan of Orcs weren't prepared for this attack, as hard as they fought to defend, it was all lost. Unknown to Maxis and his army, a small group would escape to Flanders Forest and establish a smaller encampment called Tor'Korough.

The Prophecy Stands (The Second Purge)
The Firebeards stood neutral and uninvolved with any politics ever since the Demon Wars, or even sooner. This would come back to haunt them. The Dwarven Human alliance is to be destroyed. Much like the First Purge, he took advantage of the element of surprise. This was especially easy to achieve due to their voluntary seclusion from most of the country.

Maxis brought his legion to the Forgefather and his fellow Dwarves at Mt.Styeln. Here, he would instruct his forces to breach the sacred "Underforge", a gargantuan molten forge that had served them since the original voyagers helped them rebuild their civilization. The molten metal would spill into the Dwarven Hive seeping into the deep depths of their home, metallic statues would form over the corpses of many of the Dwarves trying to escape the flood, forever imprisoned in steel.

Maxis would spit on their grave by delivering some final words to the Forgefather, "Ash will fall!" As prophesized by the early Dwarves, their fall was inevitable but not as soon as they thought. With that, Maxis would slay the Forgefather after subjecting him to seeing his own people die to their own industry.

Prince of Ashfall, Ruler of Ivorstead
The Ashfall Prince, Serberus III's son is appointed as ruler of Ivorstead to distract him from the Purges that would wage throughout the year.

Enslavement of Evendrais - 2505 AS
Maxis has is eyes set on preparing for a Third Purge, however, he instead offered the Tabaxi mercy. In exchange for sparing their lives, they were forced to work and be enslaved to the Ashfallens, be sold on the black market or worse.

Evendrais was allowed to stay but it was entirely demilitarised and undefended, this would allow Arbitrators and Enslavement Officers to freely take Tabaxi from their homes and be taken away in the back of carts.

The Wall of Faith - 2506 AS
The Wall of Faith, Eye of Maxis, Maxingrad and other defenses and buildings would be constructed, using the Tabaxi as slave labor. The Wall of Faith would fence off the north between Somber and Ivorstead.

The Secret Rebellion - 2509 AS
The arrival of a group of adventurers from overseas sparks the beginnings of a rebellion against Maxis.