The Unification War

The Unification War (127 - 98 BGS) was a war between Brightwood and the joint forces of the rest of Cal'dera to stop the King of Brightwood and the necromancer Iotha from conquering the continent.

Schism at Stormrun
On the northwestern coast of Cal'dera, the arcane college started by Marcella Stormrun of Gaia's Chosen taught the arcane arts to the most gifted of students from across the continent. Among the numerous teachings of the Stormrun Academia, one of the prime Laws was a strict restriction on necromancy. The Archon of the college, a powerful mage named Iotha, was ruthless in her punishment of violations. Unbeknownst to most, she herself was experimenting with Marcella's forbidden writings and her necromantic power grew.

It wasn't long before some became suspicious of her. One of the archmage's named Vorugal discovered her experiments and tried to raise the alarm. His accusations led to a schism in the college leadership. Iotha was ousted from the Stormrun Academia, banished from Stormrun, and formed the Vanthia Assembly to spread her necromantic teachings. Exiled from Stormrun, Iotha and her disciples headed to Brightwood.

Brightwood's Aggression
Iotha knew that King Hammond had a lust for power that was beginning to spread past the borders of his land. On their arrival in Brightwood, the Vanthia Assembly ingratiated themselves with the people, promising them riches and power beyond comprehension. Iotha