She rolled forth from the north like an ominous storm cloud. Her thunder, the cracking flesh of the Valarkin; crystalline beasts whose beauty was only outmatched by their merciless ferocity. Her lightning, the unholy magic she wields; turning the flesh of every creature into cold crystal, and bending minds to her will. Valsharra, self-proclaimed goddess, has come to claim Ilisia as her own.

Vindgard was the first to be struck by the foul sorceress. A marvellous crystalline palace arose from the earth on a cool spring morning, glistening in the waning light of the northern sun. Its beauty however was a facade, for Valsharra marched forth upon the backs of her valarkin from her tower and lay siege to the city of Ekfield. When a new spire rose from the earth to the north of Oringtoft, the fate of the Vindgardians was sealed. The tower seemed to amplify the magics of the sorceress, allowing her to wield the darkest of magics. Those that strayed too close to the tower were captured in a flash of light, and their minds were enslaved. These Vindgardians, now servants of the dark sorceress, set their eyes upon the capital city, while Valsharra turned her attention to the south.

Unaware of the stirrings within Vindgard, Nelcronia was ill-prepared for war. The Lich-King Archadus, even with all his power, could not defend his people from the sorceress. He yielded, and in exchange for the safety of his people, he would provide Valsharra with an undead legion. Nevertheless, the sorceress confined the lich to her court, leaving many rebellious necromancers and brigands to further send Nelcronia into darkness and chaos as she rose a crystalline spire in the heart of the country.

The three houses of Vanelm, closely observing the swift fall of their historic enemies the Nelcronians, quickly banded together to pledge their allegiance to Valsharra. They did not wish to enter into a futile war, a nuisance distracting them from scientific matters and advancements. As such, the Vanelmian army was mobilized, and various experimental military weapons were brought forth. Valsharra was pleased with their willing subservience, but still she conjured forth another two spires in Vanelm. One close to the capital and one further south.

Maris could do little to defend itself. Assaulted on multiple fronts by Vanelm and Nelcronia, the Marisian army was not prepared to defend against such powerful nations. Queen Helena and her court of muses were forced to flee the kingdom, escaping into the Queendom of Seloi. General Filippo took over the State in her stead, but he and his forces were soon compelled through the magic of the sorceress to fight for her cause as well once she had raised a spire in the very center of the country.

Darthic Tribes fell because of their own pride. They watched as Maris fell; believing the country to be filled with nothing but scrawny philosophers and artisans, they were not surprised that Maris had succumb to the sorceress. Thje Darthic peoples saw themselves as fearsome warriors, and would be more than capable of defending themselves from the witch. Valsharra quickly proved them wrong however, and soon a crystalline spire rose south of Maris, compelling the tribes closest to the region to lay siege to their kinsmen and the surrounding nations.

Having conquered much of Ilisia in a fortnight, Valsharra stepped away from the front lines, and returned to her crystalline palace in Vindgard. Her victory was secured, and she would watch with sick pleasure as the Ilisians destroyed each other. In time, all would come under her dominion and Ilisia would be hers alone.

That is, unless the Ilisians can unite to defeat her.

Important information

Valarkin: Lion-like creatures made completely out of crystal. No one is sure what magic is used to bring these statues to life, but they act autonomously without Valsharra's constant attendance. They are ferocious and relentless creatures, and their claws and teeth are very sharp, capable of severing an unarmoured man's arm with a single swipe of their crystalline claws. They seem to have animistic senses, making them capable of hunting down individuals through scent and sound. They can only be destroyed by being shattered into pieces.

Crystal Spires: Crystalline towers that serve as a representation of Valsharra's presence. They are magnificent structures built in a spiralling fashion to a needle-tipped point. Valsharra is believed to have summoned the towers herself from the earth through her foreign magics.

The towers can be activated by Valsharra, glowing bright before releasing a powerful flash of light. All beings caught in the range of the tower's light fall subservient to Valsharra. The towers thus also act as giant antenna, transmitting her commands across great distances. While Valarkin are thought to be "born" from the tower itself. Furthermore, Valsharra is capable of activating a silver orb at the very top of the tower which is said to give her a view of the surrounding perimeter.