Latest revision as of 19:39, 11 December 2021

Author: Adelyn Belle'rose

Rozen Chalice Publishing, a division of East Arelith Trading

Original Publication: 167 AR "The Black Witch"

Revised & Updated Edition: 175 AR "Arelith: First Sharran War"

"The Arelith Antiquarian Society is instituted to examine, preserve, and publish all antiquities as connected with the art, language, literature, and history of the Arelith Archipelago. Articles bearing this notation have been selected for conservation regardless of race, faith, alignment, or affiliation. While all efforts have been made to ensure the information within is accurate regarding the subject matter covered, we assume no responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, omissions, or any other inconsistencies herein, whether such errors or omissions are the result of negligence, accident, or any other cause. If any such errors, inaccuracies, or omissions are discovered please contact the author who will address the issue."

I. THE STATE OF AFFAIRS

The settlement of Cordor, ruled by a triumvirate of elected Senators until The Baronial Age of 15 AR, was a bustling metropolis of commerce and corruption in 06 AR. Though the end of the recent Stonehold War had brought a quiet stability to its citizens, the surface soon witnessed a new conflict with Udos Dro'Xun, the Drow settlement located deep within the Lowerdark. As a result of the near-constant skirmishes, the Arcane Tower was magically relocated within the boundaries of Cordor by the mages of the First Conclave. With the Tower's long shadow cast over the city, its influence and wealth quickly expanded. Regardless of the Tower's new status, or perhaps because of it, the First Conclave dissolved as its many members departed for varying personal pursuits save for one - the gnome Archmage Zedeln and his apprentice Cordorian Senator Allanna Coloana.

II. ERA OF SHADOWS

Archmage Zedeln would depart the Arcane Tower in 08 AR, leaving Senator Allanna to assume the mantle. Under her ownership, access to the Tower and its massive library was quickly limited, achievable only under the watchful eye of the new Archmage herself. Such an action was possible at the time, for the Arcane Tower functioned more like a guildhall rather than the public location we know it as today. This allowed the Tower's leaseholder to exert considerable constraint upon any seeking admittance to the facility. With this restricting grip on the isle's only source of magical knowledge, the Senator worked with Cordor's well-established criminal cabal "The Silent Hand" to cement her position of authority over the city. Secured in her status, Allanna moved quickly to corrupt the new associates of the Arcane Tower, proclaiming herself the "Black Witch" of Shar and guiding the easily molded minds of acolytes into the embrace of the Dark Goddess.

This situation continued for nearly a year until the misjudgment of several delicate political situations cascaded into a deterioration of both her social and political standing. Soon the terms murder and corruption became synonymous with the name Allanna Coloana.

III. FIRST SHARRAN WAR

Cordorians eventually overcame the influence of The Silent Hand, which had monopolized the city's illegal activities for the last decade, through an election in 09 AR. Without the suppressive tactics of The Silent Hand's puppet Senators, the citizens of Cordor were able to rally in open conflict against The Black Witch and her arcanist supporters. This strife raged upon the streets of Cordor in what would later be coined the "First Sharran War." A confrontation that lasted several bloody weeks until partisans led by Aristotlus Bibliophilus the Fifth, Sway Sand, and Kaeshan Se'Lhane cornered the agents of shadow within the Arcane Tower. The Black Witch was apprehended and her Sharran adherents defeated in a final confrontation upon the Tower's upper floor.

==IV. CONCLUSION==

The former Senator, Archmage of the Arcane Tower, and "Black Witch" of Shar was placed on trial for her crimes. Found guilty, she was beheaded in full view of Cordor's citizens in a public execution.

The Goddess Shar, ignoring desperate pleas, stripped Allanna of her spellcasting abilities as a final reward for her failure.

While never proven in court, many records later found in the Arcane Tower suggest the former Archmage Zedeln introduced the Senator to the Lady of Loss and was responsible for Allanna's knowledge of the Shadow Weave. The gnome's ultimate fate remains unknown.

Kaeshan Se'Lhane acquired the Arcane Tower's lease from Cordor's city authorities and assumed the title of Archmage after the war's end. To restore the Tower's neutrality it was relocated to the Bramble Woods, outside of the settlement's influence.

FIN

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

• Book(s):

[1] Unknown, "The Sharran Wars"

[2] Unknown, "History of the Arcane Tower"

[3] Unknown, "The Era of Shadows"

[4] Unknown, "The Quiet Embrace of the Pearl"

[5] Unknown, "The Se'Lhane Reformation"

[6] Unknown, "History of Cordor, Vol. I"

[7] Unknown, "The Time of the Seven Seals"

• Special Thanks:

Lilian Williams, "Data Collection"

• Dedication:

"This book is dedicated to Ain Ameleen. For reminding me that the treachery of emotion is often hidden behind a pleasant smile and humorous remarks."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

[The modest portrait of a young vermilion-haired lady with pallid flesh is positioned next to the paragraph below. Her emerald gaze looks intently at the reader, betraying the aspect's alluring facade with callous indifference. The suggestion of a predatory smile appears hidden within the corners of full upturned lips.]

"The Vampire Adelyn Belle'rose has been charming readers with her historical works upon the island of Arelith for years. As the former curator of the Cordor's Museum, she helped bring the past to life through exhibits and displays. Later, as a member of Andunor's Erudite Arcanum, she would lead the research team to investigate Shadow Wharftown's Third Iteration. Through the founding of the Arelith Antiquarian Society and the East Arelith Trading Company, she continues to advocate for the preservation of knowledge across the archipelago."