Falenoris: Fogotton City State of Crystal

[Tyrea]

The information gathered here was discovered in a low security warehouse within the Proto Institute from the Vadalion Empire, perhaps left and forgotten there during the chaotic time after Ragnarök. They date before the tragedy of 124, detailing various accounts and affairs of both Vadalion and the cities within its vassalage, one of them having the name of a city that, in the modern day, has been lost to time.  

- 

-

Falenoris, the keeper of the Last Temple, the forge of crystal blades, and the bastion against the shadowlands in the time before 124. It was located to the south of Mount Grimhjall with a view of the Shadowlands across the gulf. It was a port city surrounded by a light grey wall, centered around the ivory tower in it's center, one designed to invoke the majesty of the Tower of Aetius, though at a more reasonable size. It was the Last Temple, the location Aschea gave her final gift to her followers in Meranthe. 

-  

Observers would note that the city is known for its grand crystalline forges that once attracted earth magi and artificers from across Meranthe. From their crucibles came many weapons and relics shaped of brilliant crystal and pristine ore honed by talented magi. It is also known as the biggest rallying point for younger magi to gather and onto crusades to cleanse the shadowlands. Perhaps it was a way for upcoming warriors to prove themselves in a time of strained peace, but the most of these crusades won would creep back only months later.

- 

Timeline

-

1685: A Fateful Communion 

- 

Little is known about the village that would become Falenoris before Aschea choose it as the meeting place for her Nephilim and clergy to meet with her, for the first time in generations, and the last their ever would be. She would tell them of the threat of another shadowlands and her intentions to disrupt it's creation. She believed their was a great risk she wouldn't survive, and she left instructions to her followers to rally in cleansing the Shadowlands, and when that task is done, she bids them to choose their own paths.  

-  

And like that she was gone forever, leaving what remained of her followers to keep her final wish and last gift. 

-  

1686-1730: Foundations

-  

In the spot of this metting, on the highest hill of the area, the Nephilim of Aschea would plant their goddess's last gift, the seed that would bloom into a brilliant crystalline tree that would begin to shift the once-solid state of mana in the region to become more fluid and accessible. An abundance of ripe elemental crystals would start to consistently grow from the branches like fruit in the local region, leading to the economic boon that would grow the once unremarkable settlement into a wealthy city of crafters and clergy, a city that would gain the name Falenoris.  

-  

Around the tree would the Faith of Aschea build the Last Temple, a beacon of light and beauty against that of the shadowlands across the bay. It would become a rallying point for crusaders trying to accomplish the monumental task of cleansing the shadowlands. Those who hunted for brief glory would get their fill and return to their respective nation, but those truly committed to the task formed the Lances of Aschea, a group of magi duty bound to defend Falenoris and ensure their goddess's last wish is fulfilled.  

-  

1750-1880: The Long Vigil  

-  

Falenoris, after it's explosive start, would fade into the background among the minor Meranthe city states, being well known for their crystalline crafts and shadowlands crusaders, but not doing that much on the world stage. A slow decline would begin to befall the city, one that would only become evident in the 1900's. The crystals that once spawned in abundance begin to fade away, the progress of the Lances becomes stagnant as any ground they made becomes lost to corruption given their declining numbers, and fewer of the Nephilim of Aschea began to appear not only in Falenoris, but the whole of Meranthe 

- 

By the time of the cities destruction, there was only one Aschean Nephilim known to exist, Grevial, and she would fall with the city.  

-  

1900-1960: Annexation

-  

Due to the stagnates of Falenoris, it became an easy target for the upstart giant clan of Valet to conquer the city and claim it for the Vadalion Empire. They would roll back the crusaders the shadowlands to the dismay of the Aschean Faith in favor of supplying their manpower and resources to enforce the empire and increase their standing in the moot.  It was a time of stringent demands for what crystals where left to supply a force outside of the Lances to act as a bastion against the growing concerns of rivals to the west, and to claim the glory for breaking them for Ymir.

-

They would get their wish, a wish they would share the pain in.

-  

1965-1968: The War for Aegis 

-  

When the Moot begrudgingly agreed to send aid to Aen in their war against Barsburg Falenoris would be brought into the fight as well. Despite the whole situation being a draft the Lances of Aschea and the crusaders within Falenoris would spin this into a narrative of cleansing the greatest bastion of civilized evil upon the continent. As they marched to the front bards of Mestra and priests of Aschea would preach of a greater threat, spreading rumors of vast superweapons and covens of techno-witches that, if left to stir, would descend upon them all. Whether they were true or not they inspired a lot of young magi to pledge themselves to the going coalition, even if their own nations stood their ground over current tensions. They believed themselves to be walking away from the light of their homeland, guarding it's horizon against the coming threat from the dying Barsburg.  

-  

The war itself was a brutal years long campaign that resulted in the deaths of many in this coalition, but eventually, after a bloody struggle that involved factions from all across Aegis, Barsburg would fall and whatever immediate threat they posed was taken out. Those who fought where scarred by what they saw in this blood soaked campaign, returning home wounded, broken, and facing exile for those not with Vadalion. Many of these soldiers would become disillusioned and despite, with many going against against the city states, turning to banditry, and even giving into dark powers.  

-  

1970-1997: Decline 

-  

Falenoris would suffer a loss they couldn't recover from due to this conflict. Their crusades into the Shadowlands where put on pause indefinitely as remaining manpower where convened to defending Falenoris form an ever growing bandit problems from broken coalition veterans. The city's power, and by extension the Faith of Aschea, began to further decline as many people started to leave Falenoris for green pastures. Clan Valet kept hoarding much of Falenoris's resources, ever paranoid of losing their city to another upstart, or a coup.  

-  

Like Aschea's own essence, the city was fading away, though instead of falling to disrepair, it would crumble upon the weight of a new age.  

-  

1998: 124 

-  

The death nail to many smaller city states upon Meranthe, 124 once unleashed would rapture what remained of Falenoris. The weight of the mana waves that strike the city would clasp the wide cave networks under it's foundations, plunging it all into the earth that would burry it. Out of everyone who was in Falenoris on the day only a fraction didn't go down with the city, becoming refugees within the three powers that survived this cataclysm. Their faith in Aschea would waver under the weight of such devastation, with her former followers turning to other, more practical god who were still alive to protect them.  

-  

The Last Temple was lost with it, sealed under the ground with no way to reach it. Whether it was fully crushed is unknown, but its presumed fate hasn't stopped some groups from trying to dig for it over the years to reap its riches.  

-  

Crumbled Documents 

-  

Falenoris is largely an unknown location after over 100 years of being resigned to history, but some loose documents could be unearthed in various libraries and worn boxes that are somewhat related to the lost city for those curious enough to do further research. The accuracy of these documents is questionable, given anyone that could verify them are long dead, but perhaps they hold a grain of truth as to what occurred back then.  

=  

There are several accounts from the survivors of Falenoris that the city was under siege at the time of 124, some say it was bandits, other witches, and some even report early sightings of insectoid humanoids.  

- 

A pay receipt signed by Morvic Valet, Jarl of Falenoris, for a mercenary company known as the Son's of Kark to deal with a growing bandit problem. Apparently, it was terminated in 1994AC for "Being bloody worse than the bozos I hired you absolute monsters to deal with, go to hel".  

-  

There are a few stacks of wanted posters for two individuals. One for Haumea Okabe for practicing black magic and thief of a priceless religious relic, and Krugol for treason against Vadalion and organized crime.  

- 

There is a report on rumors detailing a smuggling operation for a strange orange fruit from the shadowlands, headquartered somewhere in Falenoris. 

-  

There is a flyer for a music festival in Falenoris that is dated to occur the day 124 was unleashed. It was going to feature a few bands such as the Raging Bunnies, Garby Nolsa and the Harmonies, and a Mestra Caravan who seemed to have been organizing the whole thing.  

- 

Their is a signed drawing that has the text "Grevial! The hero of Falenoris!" below it. The image itself has been worn over time but one can notice a rather study figure with wings holding sharp crystalline edges at it's ends.