Tor Lecia

[lirieth]

Tor Lecai. The city of light. A city lost, long fallen into legend, remembered only by the dwarves, buried deep in their books of grudges, and dusty scrolls from a better time held within few Lore master’s libraries that care enough to preserve them.
And yet, not all that is consigned to the past to be slowly forgotten must lie. For some may rise from the times of legend, and be known once more.

Tor Lecai was the great city, at the heart of one of the Elven provinces in what man now call the Empire. Situated at the mouth of a great river the city prospered for centuries, leagues of forest was cleared as towns and villages rose in the surrounding country. The beasts of Chaos were slain and like many Elven provinces of Elthin-Arvan trade with the Dwarves flourished.
The sundering passed them by. And yet they could not hope to avoid the great war to come. The War of the Beard. Situated away from the main power plays the Dwarves seemed to focus more upon the Cities in what is now known as Brettonia. As for those expeditions sent against Tor Lecai none made it more than a few miles beyond the established borders of the province, as such the towns and villages enjoyed relative peace compared to many settlements in the Old World. Yet even that could not last. After the fall of the Phoenix King at the hand of the Starbreaker and the retreat of Ulthuan’s armies the war ended, but not all Dwarves were happy for the bloodshed to end. The old World was full of depleted armies and refugees fleeing from Dwarven fury, a great many, those that were cut off or had lived in the frontier towns on the wrong side of the Mountains fled to Tor Lecai, the last great city in the northern lands. And yet they could not hold. The armies were mighty and swollen by the remains of Elven hosts decimated in the frontiers, the towns swollen by refugees.

But the Dwarfen hosts descending upon them would smash them apart, for many of the defenders were already broken in spirit by the loss of the King. The mage council came to the City’s parliament with an idea, the only chance to avoid the bloodshed to come. And give Ulthuan’s armies the chance to return in strength, for how could they leave the great city to stand alone?
The idea was to mimic the great mists that shroud the Elven homeland. The idea was jumped upon with all haste, for the Dwarfs would be at the borders in days.
The mages though had held back important knowledge, they would shroud the province like as the Lords commanded, but the cost will see most i not all their number dead. For the power to complete such a spell would drain them all and must be bought by anchoring it to the winds of magic itself.
And so began the great ritual of the 17 mages that joined their powers to the undertaking all bar two were withered husks by it’s completion. Only Tiriel Starlight and Sealia Ravenlight survived.
Cast just in time as Dwarfen war horns sounded in the valley and the border towns clutched their weapons tight. A great fog descended all along the border’s edge, the great spell stretched to the great waystones that marked the territories border at the edge of the forest. The warhorns faded. And nothing would pass through.
To the Dwarves as they encountered this great barrier were in two minds, Elvish trickery or the Ancestors Gods had exacted vengeance for them, Hosts were sent to try and pierce the fog, and all were turned around, confused the Dwarves kept vigil for many years before events in their Empire drew them away and soon even they had forgotten of Tor Lecia.

Within the Fog though, the Elven Lords waited for the arrival of Ulthuan’s forces. Centuries passed and the City continued as it always had, albeit without the trade of its neighbours, it was as the newly reforged Mage council discovered the price the original mages paid in anchoring it to the Winds. Only something of great power, that which they did not possess could hope to end the spell and return them to real world. The news across the Province was greeted with shock, and as the years passed the armies were disbanded for what use were they if there was no threat, until only Tor Lecia and the great Noble houses held any form of Military might. Bar for the power plays some of which resorted in small wars of power by the Noble houses that had grown since it’s isolation the realm truly knew peace.

1000 years after the great spell the mist was breached, a small heard of 30 ungors had managed to pass through the barrier, attacking one of the small towns that had grew up around the old watchtowers of a border post. Only by the intervention of Lord Falith Greyhelm and his retainers who were returning to their homes were the beasts stopped. The attack sent a wave of panic across the kingdom, was the Fog about to lift after all these years? In response Tor Lecia ordered the creation of the wardens, Great regiments to re occupy the old way points and patrol the great border. For if one band of beasts may pass what other horrors could come through?

For centuries the wardens fulfilled their roll and everything returned to as it was, the nobles continued to play for power, the city grey and the few beasts that passed through were slain.

And yet nothing lasts forever, a strong wind blew across the kingdom, two and a half thousand years after the great spell was cast it began to unravel. Within hours the great fog had lifted. Wardens and those living on the border’s edge looked in shock at the great forest that now loomed over them, the history spoke of a great and noble forest beyond the borders. And yet the trees themselves seemed to ooze malevanence as though corrupted.


Hey guys, thought I would post up the first part of my army's background and see what you thought. Anything that you think should be altered ect.
I should hopefully be sorting out the next part over the next couple of days such as a list and the colours of some of the noble houses (my excuse to paint certain units different to the rest of the army) I hope you enjoy.

[Elessehta of Yvresse]

A lost colony, a good way to do it if you don't want to pick one of the ten kingdoms, means you can make up whatever you want.
The fog reminded me of Yvresse, and the story reminded me of someone else's, a good introduction.

[Ilifirinel]

Hey lost coloney neighbour! Where in the old world are you located?

"Situated at the mouth of a great river..." That would put you in reikland right?

[lirieth]

Greetings neighbour! Yeah It would sit me in on the River Reik, which seeing it's a main trade route is awkward, but then i like to think the mist and fear of rocks kept the port entrance unseen by the lesser races.

[Ilifirinel]

Dont worry about that, The River Reik is supposed to be huge, with hundreds of minor rivers and streams branching off of it. Tor Lecia could be on a treacherous bend of the river, where boats tend to stick to the opposite side (and due to the mists, would never know a city was right there) or Tor Lecia could be bordering one of the many minor rivers, not more then a few hundread meters from the reik proper.

[lirieth]

part 2.


While the wardens and distant villagers looked on in shock at the great forest, those living within Tor Lecia were greeted by an altogether different site. As the mists cleared the great river and the ocean that it fed into had been revealed. All that gazed upon the great open water wept tears of awe as none still alive had seen such a site. What drew worried glances were the remains of wrecks. Over the millennia hundreds of ships had tried to pass through the mist or became lost, wrecking themselves upon the hidden shoreline, but the site miles out, of sailing ships. Slowly passing up the river to whatever kingdom had rose in their absence. For what was seen was not that of the Graceful ships of Elves or even the crude tubs the Dwarves called ships, These were of a completely different design.

Within days a great gathering was called for, with each of the noble houses sending several members to represent their interests and to decide the best course of action. For as they waited news would surely spread of their return, for the wardens already reported an upsurge in beasts testing the borders, as if the removal of the mists drew them to the unsullied land.

Among the ideas debated and agued was that the great spell must be cast once more. For the safety of the kingdom, those that argued that were quickly shouted down, for the thought of exile from the wider world now they were free scared them more than the threats rising from the darkened forest.
The debate raged on for many hours, with several ideas gaining support and yet without overall majority and the magnitude of the event, were put into motion.
A great call went out across the land as the Great armouries were opened for the first time since the War of the Beard, and tens of thousands flocked to the great towns and city. The plans put forward were three fold. Not knowing if the mists would return the great border towns and old waypoints must be manned against the beasts. Eagle claw Bolt throwers were placed over the river while Warden Veterans began the training of the army. Whatever happens the Lords decided, this time the Elves of Tor Lecai will stand against it, they’d hidden long enough.
The second plan put into motion saw the Mage Guild instructed to reach out with their site and try and find any of those with the sight in the other colony realms, with no success, not knowing the old world had long been abandoned it was viewed as the mages not having the knowledge or gift to reach over such distances, they had never had the chance.

In response to the Mages failure a third plan began, a second army was raised, it’s mission to find what now occupies the land and if possible march to Tor Alessi, for if the Dwarves could not claim her the passage of time should not touch the great city. To this endeavour the Great houses each pledged large numbers of their house guards and scions to lead parts of the host and attain glory over their rivals. Raising the host from several thousand to just short of 12. After much internal bickering the command was given to Ariell Starlight, the youngest descendent of one of the mages to cast the original spell.
Such is the speed that it was not long before the force was ready to march, and begin to pass through the great forest, as in the passing weeks more beasts with the bodies of men had begun to beset the borders.

Unknown to the Lords and Ladies of Tor Lecai their return had not gone un noticed. For many across the world felt the return, as if a great curtain had been lifted, Both those of darkness and light turned their sight upon the great land that had suddenly returned to the world of the living. Loremasters in Great Ulthuan turned their eyes to the Old World, great maps were brought into the light of day for the first time in millennia.
Tor Lecai had returned.


Next I'll do a breakdown of the prominent Noble houses and such, and maybe detail some of the army's march and it's meeting with man. Never know it might actually get to first person by then.
Thanks for reading.