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The Pureblood Commonwealth With a small band in 901 NB, Vardori snuck into Elgard and killed Ablius in his sleep. He was pursued out of the city by Ablius' men and hid in the mountains. Four others also escaped with him. These four spread word of the resistance and Vardori's murder of Ablius. He was lifted up as a folk hero while hiding in the mountains. Once again, a revolution was at hand. In most parts of Lower Arcanum, a grassroots movement led by Vardori overthrew the local magistrates installed by the Empire. Eventually, Vardori was able to come out of the mountains and was installed as the ruler of Arcanum, calling himself "Chancellor."
His first decree was very popular amongst the people. It was announced by Vardori himself as the Inquisition of Adepts, also known as "The Cleansing." Vardori feared that because the Ja'tarr Empire was led and created by Adepts, they were the cause of the people's suffering and therefore must be eliminated. He took aside the most intense and bloodthirsty of his soldiers and created the Garduna, a group of fanatical knights who were charged with hunting down and either imprisoning or killing all Adepts. They were efficient and ruthless. One of the Garduna by the name of Romstad created the Golems.
The Golems were massive drones that were magically enchanted to search out Adepts and kill them. Hundreds of Golems were created, and thousands of Adepts died at their hands. At this time, many Adepts had gone into hiding and had started families. The Golems were unthinking creations of metal, leather, wood and bone which were given "life" and could only be destroyed, not killed. The problem was that once created, they could not be "turned off." They wandered the land killing Adepts ad nauseum.
Romstad also created many other abominations and was feared by all who saw him. He performed horrible experiments on Adepts and recorded his findings. These recordings make up the main source of information regarding Adept powers and abilities. Romstad conducted these tests in a massive compound called Darkhollow Citadel. No one has seen Romstad in years and he is presumed dead.
The Cleansing lasted for 15 years, during which time thousands of Adepts were killed. After The Cleansing was decreed a success, most Adepts were presumed dead, but many were still in hiding. As Chancellor Vardori Oakenspear aged, the fervor with which he had hunted the Adepts waned. Even so, there is still a general fear and mistrust of Adepts. Most do not use their powers openly for fear of being reported to the Garduna, who are still in operation. However, while they were never officially disbanded, their influence and numbers dwindled. Even worse is the threat of the Golems who still roam the land, searching tirelessly for Adepts to eliminate.
Under the leadership of Chancellor Vardori Oakenspear, the different fragmented territories were united under a new confederation, labeled the Pureblood Commonwealth. Even though many areas are still loyal to the now defunct Empire, they have been absorbed into the new Commonwealth. This has created a booming economy where the merchant class has gained much wealth and they often employ others for tasks that they have no interest in doing themselves. Many, including Adepts, have taken advantage of this situation, becoming freelancers and mercenaries willing to do various jobs for all who will pay.
Which brings us to the present day. The Commonwealth is prosperous and things are quiet in the land. But peace rarely lasts long and many have been scorned by the new leadership. It's only a matter of time before the inevitable rumblings of conflict are bound to be heard again. |
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