The Plight of Barosia
The Legend of Barosia
"The continent of Barosia had humble beginnings, several small towns and colonies popping up all over the island continent. Town councils began having power, giving rise to powerful mayors, leading to the creation of city-states, starting with the city Arkhosia, followed by several others. With extreme efficiency the Dragonborn city-state's martial traditions began to take hold and they began to expand, using their close ties with the dwarves of the northwestern mountains for armor worthy of a mighty army, creating the first kingdom.
The next city-state to rise to power was the city-state of Turath. Finding that many of their fellow humans were being oppressed by the Dragonborn, they made pacts with devils to gain the power needed to reclaim human territory and reverse the pages of history, taking on the prefix Bael, meaning mighty. They rapidly took over lands owned by smaller city-states through the might of their legendary spell casters.
Meanwhile, in the southern most part of the continent, the human city-state of Runaria was acquiring land through their control on trade and their taxes on merchants traveling to their city. They began to simply buy other city-states and use their resources to continue to expand. Amassing an army of their own, they became another broker of power. While lacking the size and strength of Dragonborn or the magic of the self named Tieflings, they were determined, bringing many elves to their side.
The conflict grew and expanded, bringing in every race. The three empires clashed with each other in endless war, often fighting would include all three empires fighting on the same battleground. The magic that the three sides used against each other began to devastate the land and destroy lakes and rivers, even tearing mountains asunder. This is when the Eladrin lord arrived with a host made of all races, gathered from all corners of the three empires.
He arrived with his spire city in the middle of the battleground the three empires had decided would end the fighting once and for all. The archmage stepped out of his spire city, gazing upon the disbelieving looks cast his way by the three emperors. There he cast his final spell, removing magic from the world. The mages faltered as they felt their tie to the arcane fail, their powers gone. The armies moved to storm the spire but his army stood strong, peace would be had. The three emperors alone entered the spire, signing an accord of peace, sacrificing all power to a council of the wisest of each race."
"Now isn't that a great story children? the town spinner asks after telling the most famous legend in the empire. The knight walking by can't help but smile at the gleeful squeals coming from the children at the telling. It had been his favorite fairy tale once too. Oh, the empires had been real enough, the damage to the landscape that still existed attested to that, but there was no magic, no deals with devils for power.
