The Maraveth War began in 5365 AX as a campaign against the remaining shapers in Shroudvale. An army led by Garrik of Kaldaryn entered the ruined city of Maraveth, where it encountered Eremion and the forces of Blackcrag Dominion. Their struggle for the ancient relics beneath the city's central tower became a prolonged standoff.
Objectives and preparations
Garrik assembled the coalition in Laizhou, far enough from Maraveth to conceal the preparations from scouts. The public objective was a preemptive strike against the shapers, whose earlier invasions had devastated neighboring nations. Garrik also wanted to secure Maraveth's surviving records and artifacts before other powers could claim them.
Eremion had taken control of Blackcrag and was seeking the relics of the Malverand Empire. Garrik's opposition to him formed part of his mission for the Order of Thalion Zenith, whose leader Isaac had tasked him with gathering an army and removing Eremion. Garrik regarded ancient immortals' interference as an obstacle to peace across Valrindor.
First advance
The coalition marched from Laizhou while earth mages built roads behind it. Garrik entered Maraveth with a small advance party, including Eira, Kaelion and Jin, to open a route for the army. Eira detected few shapers and deep chambers beneath the black tower, but also sensed Eremion and a large force approaching in armed skyships.
Garrik shielded the party against the ships' beams and Eremion's swords, then struck Eremion back toward the city and ordered a retreat to the main army. Eremion pursued. The battle destroyed the defensive wall, while Jin attacked the skyships, Kaelion supported Garrik, and Eira healed the wounded. Eremion's force eventually pulled back to the far side of Maraveth. Garrik chose not to pursue it.
Fortification and standoff
Garrik's camp grew into a settlement with roads, water supplies and restored vegetation. His mages rebuilt the defenses and diverted a river through the settlement. Blackcrag fortified its own position on the far side of the ruins.
The central tower remained the focus of the campaign. When Garrik approached it again, Eremion's party met his, and both withdrew rather than begin another battle. Each army deterred the other from securing Maraveth's relics. Garrik expected the siege to last years and continued scouting while waiting for more allies.
The Maraveth War was a campaign for control of the ruined city of Maraveth in Shroudvale. An army led by Garrik of Kaldaryn entered the region in 5365 AX, initially to suppress the remaining shapers. The campaign became a struggle against Eremion and the forces of Blackcrag Dominion over the ancient vault beneath Maraveth's central tower. In 5368 AX, Thalena defeated Eremion, his body was destroyed during their subsequent exchange, and Blackcrag's troops withdrew.
Objectives and preparations
Garrik assembled the coalition in Laizhou, far enough from Maraveth to conceal the preparations from scouts. The public objective was a preemptive strike against the shapers, whose earlier invasions had devastated neighboring nations. Garrik also wanted to secure Maraveth's surviving records and artifacts before other powers could claim them.
Eremion had taken control of Blackcrag and was seeking the relics of the Malverand Empire. Garrik's opposition to him formed part of his mission for the Order of Thalion Zenith, whose leader Isaac had tasked him with gathering an army and removing Eremion. Garrik regarded ancient immortals' interference as an obstacle to peace across Valrindor.
First advance and standoff
The coalition marched from Laizhou while earth mages built roads behind it. Garrik entered Maraveth with a small advance party, including Eira, Kaelion and Jin, to open a route for the army. Eira detected few shapers and deep chambers beneath the black tower, but also sensed Eremion and a large force approaching in armed skyships.
Garrik shielded the party against the ships' beams and Eremion's swords, then struck Eremion back toward the city and ordered a retreat to the main army. Eremion pursued. The battle destroyed the defensive wall, while Jin attacked the skyships, Kaelion supported Garrik, and Eira healed the wounded. Eremion's force eventually pulled back to the far side of Maraveth. Garrik chose not to pursue it.
Both sides fortified their positions. Garrik's camp grew into a settlement with roads, water supplies and restored vegetation, while Blackcrag built defenses opposite it. Approaches to the central tower brought the armies face to face, but neither would risk a battle that could leave it exposed to the other. Skirmishes continued for three years. Garrik received supplies and reinforcements from allies and acquired skyships from Brighthaven primarily for communication.
Eremion's defeat
Thalena joined Garrik in 5368 AX and agreed to confront Eremion. Raphael had encouraged Eremion to provoke the coalition, using him to draw Thalena into a fight while an attack on her companions at Varnhallow was being prepared.
When the coalition advanced, Eremion cast a rain of plasma from the lead skyship. Thalena struck him and the ship, stopping the bombardment, then drew him away from the army. Their fight further devastated the ruined landscape. Her crushing gravity forced him to defend, and repeated sword blows slowed the healing that restored him between strikes. Eremion dropped his swords and asked her to stop.
Thalena held him in place and questioned him about Malverand. He warned her that her companions in Varnhallow were in danger. During the exchange, red lines spread from his palm across his body and into the earth; his body then exploded, leaving his Malverand heart. Thalena kept the heart and departed for Varnhallow.
Aftermath
Blackcrag's troops retreated after Eremion's destruction. Garrik pursued them and captured some of the fleeing mages. He then pressed north, past the wall separating Shroudvale from Blackcrag, and continued toward Omberion. These later operations extended the campaign against Blackcrag beyond the struggle for Maraveth.
The search for the Malverand Vault remained unfinished. Brynor sensed people beneath the central tower, although Garrik had expected only artifacts there. Lysander had been assigned to find the vault by Isaac and chose to investigate it with Brynor while the army prepared to march toward Omberion.
The Maraveth War was a campaign for control of the ruined city of Maraveth in Shroudvale. An army led by Garrik of Kaldaryn entered the region in 5365 AX, initially to suppress the remaining shapers. The campaign became a struggle against Eremion and the forces of Blackcrag Dominion over the ancient vault beneath Maraveth's central tower. In 5368 AX, Thalena defeated Eremion, his body was destroyed during their subsequent exchange, and Blackcrag's troops withdrew.
Objectives and preparations
Garrik assembled the coalition in Laizhou, far enough from Maraveth to conceal the preparations from scouts. The public objective was a preemptive strike against the shapers, whose earlier invasions had devastated neighboring nations. Garrik also wanted to secure Maraveth's surviving records and artifacts before other powers could claim them.
Eremion had taken control of Blackcrag and was seeking the relics of the Malverand Empire. Garrik's opposition to him formed part of his mission for the Order of Thalion Zenith, whose leader Isaac had tasked him with gathering an army and removing Eremion. Garrik regarded ancient immortals' interference as an obstacle to peace across Valrindor.
First advance and standoff
The coalition marched from Laizhou while earth mages built roads behind it. Garrik entered Maraveth with a small advance party, including Eira, Kaelion and Jin, to open a route for the army. Eira detected few shapers and deep chambers beneath the black tower, but also sensed Eremion and a large force approaching in armed skyships.
Garrik shielded the party against the ships' beams and Eremion's swords, then struck Eremion back toward the city and ordered a retreat to the main army. Eremion pursued. The battle destroyed the defensive wall, while Jin attacked the skyships, Kaelion supported Garrik, and Eira healed the wounded. Eremion's force eventually pulled back to the far side of Maraveth. Garrik chose not to pursue it.
Both sides fortified their positions. Garrik's camp grew into a settlement with roads, water supplies and restored vegetation, while Blackcrag built defenses opposite it. Approaches to the central tower brought the armies face to face, but neither would risk a battle that could leave it exposed to the other. Skirmishes continued for three years. Garrik received supplies and reinforcements from allies and acquired skyships from Brighthaven primarily for communication.
Eremion's defeat
Thalena joined Garrik in 5368 AX and agreed to confront Eremion. Raphael had encouraged Eremion to provoke the coalition, using him to draw Thalena into a fight while an attack on her companions at Varnhallow was being prepared.
When the coalition advanced, Eremion cast a rain of plasma from the lead skyship. Thalena struck him and the ship, stopping the bombardment, then drew him away from the army. Their fight further devastated the ruined landscape. Her crushing gravity forced him to defend, and repeated sword blows slowed the healing that restored him between strikes. Eremion dropped his swords and asked her to stop.
Thalena held him in place and questioned him about Malverand. He warned her that her companions in Varnhallow were in danger. During the exchange, red lines spread from his palm across his body and into the earth; his body then exploded, leaving his Malverand heart. Thalena kept the heart and departed for Varnhallow. Khauren later told Zain that he might have been responsible for Eremion's death.
Aftermath
Blackcrag's troops retreated after Eremion's destruction. Garrik pursued them and captured some of the fleeing mages. He then pressed north, past the wall separating Shroudvale from Blackcrag, and continued toward Omberion. These later operations extended the campaign against Blackcrag beyond the struggle for Maraveth.
The victory also allowed the search for the Malverand Vault to continue. Brynor sensed people beneath the central tower, although Garrik had expected only artifacts there. He returned with Lysander and excavated the site while Garrik's army fought farther north. The vault was opened in 5369 AX, revealing Eira and other members of the Order who had survived in temporal stasis.