From the Ashes

That doesn't really keep with some of the things that went down. They emerged as a power because they were a group of powerful mages and supporters that believed the control of magic is necessary. This makes most sense if it happened some time near the Fall, when such feelings were at their peak.

At the least, I'd have to say that they emerged sometime in the middle of Great War as a power, but evolved from groups that evolved from groups (and etc.) that were founded near the Fall. They also didn't immediately have their island stronghold. It took a large amount of time for them to set it up and even be recognized by anyone. They came out as a very minor figure since they were not on the mainland and didn't have land to conquer or the resources to offer, but they snuck up until they dominated magical resources and were too powerful to ignore.

A thought comes to mind about their founding during the middle of the Great War:

"Stories tell of the old kingdoms being ravaged by an army of undead beings. The earth swallowed them like festering wounds and plunged the land into the waves. Now, one may not travel a league without playing witness to magically-mutilated bodies and horrendous scars on the terrain. Magic tore the continent in half and will yet erase the rest of it. All precautions must be taken: magic can not be left untamed. Neither can those who wield it."

That actually makes plenty of sense as it would take a considerable amount of time for them to amass power. Could we cut it down from one thousand years to five hundred?

You mean the Great War being cut in duration, or just how long the Conclave was around?

How long the Conclave was around.

That's agreeable.

I always pictured the great war starting out...well, pretty much everywhere there was civilization, either through the masses of magic refugees or association with the nations that harbored them.

As already established, all then modern day nations were wiped out by these first few centuries of war, new lines were drawn, and nations were born as fast at they died in the earliest centuries.

I imagined the conflict would gradually draw to a close in the lands furthest from the coast along the spine first, were the population density of the refugees was the thinnest.

And then the Conclave would come, in their first respectable form, and the initial reasons for war would be thusly resolved. At which point most of the fighting would have been confined by the Eadhoalin planes,the lands of the Union, and the various factions there in who would all take this opportunity to collectively take a breather...

And then the Atimarian Imperium, unmolested by the 5 centuries of warfare the mainland had endured, would come and lay much waste, renewing and continuing the conflict for another five hundred years until their forces were eventually broken and driven back etc etc...

As for why Atimar claims so little of the main island, well it was one of the early nations and I didn't want to take up more room that other people could potentially use. I could see about readjusting their boarders if no one else is going to use said land, and it would make a manner of sense I suppose.

We can leave Atimar as-is for now, but in the future it will likely claim more of the isle. Its hold on the mainland is probably where it should be.

When you mention the Conclave arriving, you do mean that it's just when they set up, not that they actually do anything to end the war, yes? The Conclave didn't become politically powerful until later.

I was of course referring to when they did become politically relevant, which seemed ambiguously dated enough to me to use to suit my own interpretation.

No, the "Start near the middle" was when they were founded on the island, although groups like them existed before. The Conclave then went through a period where they rose politically.

Can we say that period lasted about 200 years until they became relevant enough to warrant the attentions of the warring states?

About 200 years of climbing to a position of power where they could no longer be ignored... that sounds about right.

Right and I suppose about Three hundred years is of suitably epic length for the Invasion of Atimar to begin, middle out, and then be driven back.

Really ought to get the specifics of these events ironed out coherently for finalities sake.

True, but that's for another thread. This one is for rebuilding, we just went on a huge tangent.

Ah, but to rebuild, one must first access the damage...

assess*

How very vulgar of you Crom...

You know I'm a nasty fellow.