4th Letter - The Great War Against Chaos

Dear Reader,

It has been some time since my last letter. I've been making my way through the holdfasts and getting my fill of local taverns. The mead does muddle the mind, you know. But alas! My adventures continue. Today I'd like to write to you about the war against Chaosium, and how the horrible event unfolded over the course of decades.

Firstly, I must take you back to the beginning. Yes, where everything started, as it usually does. When the Syvisans came to Caer Sidi we were vulnerable and many perished from the old realm. We arrived in what's now known as the Queensland, and set up camp. The first while of living in Caer Sidi was survival. The nights were long and full of beasts roaming the area. A guard was quickly established and our camp became more into a settlement. The Chaolich did not believe we would survive. We expected an overwhelming attack in order to wipe us out, but it never came. So we built in secret. We hoarded resources, established the Night Watchmen, which later was enveloped into the Diarchy's army. Slowly we grew in silence. A few decades passed without interference from the Chaolich and his monstrosities, and the battered Syvisans had finally carved out a place for themselves, grew their population and mustered enough troops to comfortably defend themselves and their peninsula. The Chaolich took notice. It was our time to move.

Slowly, we fought our way to clear the entire peninsula, and began to send out scouts to survey the surrounding land. Many were lost on their travels, whether it be to the elements or the roving beasts. It was then we found Aimsir, and after studies realized that it was the conduit for bringing Chaosium into Caer Sidi. We knew that in order to defeat the Chaolich, we must conquer Aimsir. But how, you ask? With time and much effort, indeed. The Syvisan refugees were not alone however. Fae had lived in Caer Sidi for eons, but had become overrun by Chaosium beasts and were largely in hiding. The Diarchy sought out the upper echelons of the Fae hierarchy and made peace. The Fae did not have the most to offer, but the alliance was a start that the Diarchy needed. The Fae were excellent scouts and brought a wealth of information about Caer Sidi and it's land. Without the Fae, some say the war would have been lost.

Armed with knowledge and a sense of purpose, the Diarchy formally began to expand and attack the Chaolich, and of course were met with great resistance. Thirty-four years the war lasted. We lost so many, but as you know the ending to this story, you know that their sacrifices were not in vain. During the war, troops were divided under the two Queens. This division later led to the formation of the clans, Summer and Winter. The Summer clan were the personal guard and the army of Aynia, crowned Summer Queen. The Winter Clan were the followers of the Winter Queen, Cthoria. Not long into the war the Diarchy and their advisors came to the conclusion that brute force would only take them so far. They decided to split tactics, with the Winter army taking front lines and brute force, and the Summer army providing support, healing, studying magic that would harm or banish the Chaolich, scouting, and in times of need, fighting to back up their brothers and sisters in the Winter army. The tactic worked well, with Summer focusing on harnessing powerful magics, the likes that had never been seen in Syvisa.

After many, many years, the armies finally overtook Aimsir. The great wizards of the Summer Clan were able to combine their energies to seal off every portal in Aimsir, effectively cutting off the Chaolich's forces. Thirty-four years into the war, the armies finally faced the Chaolich himself. In his weakened state and with not much support left, the armies overwhelmed and destroyed him, removing him from Caer Sidi and solving a problem that had plagued the warren for decades. Now that isn't to say that the beasts and forces of Chaosium were gone. Many were left roaming the lands, to be picked off piecemeal until numbers dwindled and it was safer to venture out further.

Nowadays, you may find a Chaosium beast roaming the wild, but many holdfasts mounted hunts against them, and they have been all but wiped out of the warren. But who knows, maybe in my travels I will come across one. And promptly run away. Dear reader, I hope you have learned something from this letter, and I hope my letters are a source of knowledge to be passed along to later travellers in Caer Sidi. I do believe however, that a stein of mead is calling my name, as well as the tavern wench, but we will see how that story goes maybe at a later time. Until next time I must bid you goodbye, and wish you safe travels.