With the silence of the [[Gods|gods]], the once-venerable order of Oracles fell into relative obscurity. Their connection to the [[Gods|gods]] and their power of Divine Possession had both been lost, leaving them no better than a band of elderly pious hermits. The Godspire too found itself condemned to a similarly feeble fate: though its master had perished, and its dark power seemingly extinguished, it remained intact, lingering on as a symbol of a lost past. In the time after Balcorion’s death, many attempted to destroy it – the Oracles among them – whether through hammer, pickaxe, shovel, or spell. Nothing, however, could mark even the slightest dent in the great tower. Yet neither the Godspire nor the Oracles would not remain dormant for long. Led by nearly maddening visions, the Exarch Tirynthius, master of the Oracles, arrived at the foot of the Godspire and came to a miraculous realization: the portents which had plagued him day and night were not simply the death rattle of an old [[Men|man]] losing his grip on sanity, but rather they were the waning whispers of the [[Gods|gods]] themselves. Tirynthius gathered his Oracles, and guided only by their faith in the divine, they entered the Godspire and began to explore its labyrinthian depths. What Tirynthius discovered within remains the [[Hand of Alor|Hand]]’s most closely guarded secret, for to this day it is only the Exarch and his trusted Oracles that are permitted to enter the Godspire and walk the same path their predecessors did so long ago. What is known, however, is that when the Oracles finally emerged from the Godspire, they did so with blinded eyes, feverishly clawed and poked from their sockets, all save for Tirynthius, who miraculously managed to maintain his composure in the sight of whatever lied within. Soon after this discovery, dozens flocked to the Godspire to hear Tirynthius and his Oracles decipher the whispers of the [[Gods|gods]]. Dozens became hundreds, and hundreds became thousands. Before long, the construction of a temple was begun at the foot of the tower, as well as the beginnings of a fledgling settlement, which quickly grew to the size of a small city. King Luredin of [[Andar]], recognizing the new locus of power that had been formed, reached an agreement with the Oracles, permitting him to relocate the kingdom’s capital to this burgeoning metropolis, which was then granted name of Andaris, in honor of the great hero’s sacrifice. In the years to come, the Oracles’ power grew considerably. Pilgrims from across Runera continued to flood Andaris, all vying for the faint opportunity to once more bear witness to the edicts of the [[Gods|gods]] themselves. Kings, lords, and other powerbrokers sought and heeded the Oracles’ counsel, providing them remarkable sway in the politics of the [[Northlands]] and beyond. Yet Tirynthius knew that if his order was to retain their newfound power, it would need to be immediately crystalized to ensure its legitimacy. And so, Tirynthius delivered the first of His Five Prayers: “But one Hand beareth the [[Alor|Allfather]], who hath but Five True Fingers; [[Sathrine]], [[Tohr]], [[Lothrir]], [[Endra]], and [[Xythr]].” With this proclamation, the [[Hand of Alor]] was born. Tirynthius and his Oracles declared that as none of the whispers they had received had come from [[Alor]]’s Left Hand, the so-called Old Gods, they were in sooth Betrayers of [[Alor]], false pagan [[Gods|gods]] whose befouled influence must be smote from Runera. To enforce this new decree and to tighten his grip on the [[Hand of Alor|Hand]]’s followers, Tirynthius ordered the establishment of a martial force, one which would serve as the Defenders of the Temple. As such, the Holy Order of Templars was formed. Tirynthius gave the Templars their first charge: to embark upon a tireless expedition across the [[Northlands]] to bring any heretical temples or pagan sects under the [[Hand of Alor|Hand]]’s control. This excursion was declared by Tirynthius to be the first Divine March, an enaction of [[Alor]]’s divine will by mortal hands, necessitated by the Silence and absence of the [[Gods|gods]]. This Divine March proved a bloody baptism for the Templar order: thousands were killed in the name of “purging heretical influence,” while ancient temples and monuments built millennia before the [[Coalescence]] were vandalized or destroyed, and countless peoples were brought under the [[Hand of Alor|Hand]]’s tyrannical yoke. As this first Divine March came to an end, Tirynthius and his Oracles delivered the second of their Five Prayers: “In Body and Spirit, ‘O [[Alor|Allfather]], doth thy Children be greater thanne Interlopers, who art born of sin and foul predilection.” Within the bounds of this new doctrine, the [[Races|races]] who originally inhabited Runera before the [[Coalescence]] – [[Men|men]], [[Elves|elves]], [[Dwarves|dwarves]], [[Halflings|halflings]], [[Gnomes|gnomes]], and their cousins – were deemed to be the pure-borne Children of [[Alor]], imbued with virtue, righteousness, and His divine light. While in contrast, the sentient creatures that had become stranded in Runera after the [[Coalescence]] were deemed to be Interlopers: wicked, cretinous, malformed creatures untouched by the light of the [[Alor|Allfather]], instead given life by dark, otherworldly forces. Strict laws of racial segregation were enacted. The Children and Interlopers were forbidden from joining in marriage or simple liaisons, and membership of both the clergy and the Templar order was restricted solely to those born of the true [[Gods]]. It was at this moment that the Vigilant Brotherhood, led by their Brighteye, pledged themselves to the [[Hand of Alor|Hand]], believing them to be the true successors to the Ildirian Empire and Runera’s sole chance at peace and stability. Their skills were immediately and exhaustively utilized, as the Brothers were sent on crusades across the land to hunt both foul [[monsters]] and insurgent mages, all while furthering the [[Hand of Alor|Hand]]’s influence. This shift in allegiance would not go unnoticed. Ever cunning, the Conclave quickly realized that the balance of power in Runera was changing, and if they were to survive it would become necessary for them to secure a place in this new order. Having lost many of its members to the unrelenting mage-hunts of the Vigilant Brotherhood, the Conclave knew that as the Brothers grew in strength within the [[Hand of Alor|Hand]]’s hierarchy, they would eventually call for the Conclave’s extinction. And so, the Council of Archmagi came to Tirynthius with a concordat: allow for the Conclave’s continued existence, and in return the mages would render their magical aid in unlocking the legion secrets of the Godspire. What “secrets” the Conclave offered to unearth remains a mystery to this day, but what is well-recorded is Tirynthius’ immediate and enthusiastic acceptance of this pact. The Conclave was brought under the [[Hand of Alor|Hand]]’s domain, and an alliance was formed that continues to prove profitable for both parties nearly a millennium later. This so-called “First Concordat” permitted the Conclave freedom and independence in their magical pursuits, so long as they adhered to the Fourteen Laws of the Arcane established by the [[Hand of Alor|Hand]]. In return for these privileges, the Conclave would offer the [[Hand of Alor|Hand]] whatever magical aid they required. History has often proven, however, that whether that aid strictly adheres to the Fourteen Laws is a matter of convenience rather than strict adherence to convention. The final agreement made between the Conclave and the [[Hand of Alor|Hand]] concerned the fate of the Vigilant Brotherhood. Fearful of their zealousness, the Council of Archmagi demanded that the Brothers be forcibly branded with magical marks of their own design. These marks served two purposes: to ensure the loyalty of the Brotherhood in the event of rebellion, and to heighten their monster hunting abilities. For the marks bore a special property: while in the presence of a creature or artifact bearing the latent energies of the [[Coalescence]], they would release a searing pain upon the body of the branded Vigilant. This pain, of course, could also be wielded by learned mages of the Conclave as a highly effective form of punishment and control. The [[Hand of Alor|Hand]] took quick advantage of the Brothers’ newfound subservience. They were immediately forced to take up a grim responsibility previously held by the Templar order: that of the infamous “Cleansings.” During the first Divine March, any villages or settlements that refused to recognize the [[Hand of Alor|Hand]]’s authority were “Cleansed” of their heresy; a practice of brutal genocide, wherein all [[Men|men]], [[Men|women]], and children belonging to the pagan sect were killed and tortured in the most gruesome manner imaginable. To wash the Templars’ hands of this “indecency,” the Vigilants were forced to take up the mantle. And take it up they did. For within only a few short years they garnered an even more hideous reputation than the Templars, thanks to their ruthless efficiency and unique cruelty. With the Templars, Conclave, and Vigilant Brotherhood at his full disposal, Exarch Tirynthius proclaimed the beginning of a Second Divine March, one with an even more loathsome design than its predecessor: the enslavement of all [[Elves]] within the [[Northlands]]. He and his Oracles provided a simple justification for the enormity of their crime: the [[Gods|gods]] themselves had whispered to them, demanding the subjugation of the [[Elves|elvish]] race to serve the needs of mankind, the greatest of [[Alor]]’s children. The truth of their reasoning, however, lied in the rise of the [[Elves|elvish]] guerilla state of Tir Brocél, ruled by Myraweddien, the so-called “Summer Queen.” Inspired by Myraweddien’s uncompromising ideology, [[elves]] from across the [[Northlands]] had flocked to the sacred forest of Brocélydd, where they had worked to restore the long-lost [[Wood Elves|Glamílfran]] realm that lay hidden amongst its shadowy boughs. Following this, not only did conflict erupt between the [[Elves|elves]] of Tir Brocél and the Templars, but countless other [[Elves|elvish]] ‘Reclamations’ also began to proliferate across the [[Northlands]]. The [[Elves|elvish]] participants of these rebellions sought to escape the oppression they faced in the slums and ghettos of [[Men|Manfolk]] cities by restoring the ruins of the many fledgling realms their ancestors had established in the forests of the [[Northlands]] millennia ago. By reconnecting with their heritage and declaring their independence from the kingdoms of mankind, the [[Elves|elves]] of Tir Brocél and the other Reclamations threatened to erode the [[Hand of Alor|Hand]]’s power. And for Tirynthius, such a threat could not be abided. Tir Brocél was destroyed. Both Brocélydd and countless other forests were put to the torch, and the newly reclaimed [[Elves|elvish]] realms within were turned to cinders. The Summer Queen herself was apprehended by the [[Hand of Alor|Hand]] and burnt at the stake before a crowd of thousands at the foot of the Godspire. The survivors of these atrocities, and all other [[Elves|elves]] who had not joined the Reclamations, were captured and enslaved by the armies of the [[Hand of Alor|Hand]]. Some of these slaves were sold to the highest bidder to fund the [[Hand of Alor|Hand]]’s ever growing “tithe,” while others were put to work by the clergy themselves in service of a far grander project: the construction of temples, roads, bridges, monuments, and countless other works. The legions of newly enslaved were [[Elves|elves]] forced to lay each and every stone of these edifices, and it was through these efforts that the [[Hand of Alor|Hand]] hoped not only to reconnect the villages of the [[Northlands]] isolated by primeval, monster-infested forests and treacherous, nigh-impassable mountain ranges, but also to forge a new religious empire that would rival the might of [[Old Ildir]]. It did not take long for this Divine March to earn a rather twisted moniker: the Slave March. Tragically, Tirynthius would not live to see the completion of his “Slave March,” having fallen ill and perished in the 102nd year of his most storied and illustrious life. But his legacy would live on. Over the next centuries, the [[Hand of Alor|Hand]]’s power would grow exponentially. After much politicking, they would bring the [[Oenician Republics]], [[Zhethranos]], and [[Elgarde]] under their iron grip, and embark upon two consecutive Slave Marches targeting the [[Elves|elvish]] realms of [[Tir Lhyrfél]] and [[Tir-an-Eýr]]. Despite the success of these Slave Marches, the [[Hand of Alor|Hand]] would eventually be forced to abolish the practice of slavery in the [[Northlands]] due to mounting pressures from noble houses and merchants’ guilds, who claimed that the presence of an enslaved workforce posed an “unfair economic advantage.” Despite this newfound freedom, mankind’s hatred of the [[Elves|elvish]] race and all other unmanish folk would remain as strong as ever. Today, the [[Hand of Alor|Hand]]’s control over Runera is nearly absolute. While the kingdoms and nations under its sway still retain much of their sovereignty, the [[Hand of Alor|Hand]]’s authority over the lives of the common [[Men|man]] remains ironclad. To live in such times – to live in our time – is to forever struggle for a meager chance at prosperity, all while contending with the bloody and cruel realities of the world. Whether these ugly truths be the [[Hand of Alor|Hand]]’s tyrannical rule, endless war and violence, or monstrous remnants of the [[Coalescence]] matters not, for the culminating reality remains the same: the people of Runera are on their own.