Nerissa's Invasion of Xalmyrra was an attack on Erenmyr by forces from Theryssa, Thiravos and their neighboring island nations, led by Nerissa with Gabriel's support. The invasion failed when Xalmyrran defenders broke the fleet's assault and Lucilla, Nerissa's daughter and the head consul of Theryssa, unmade her mother.
Background
Raphael sought Nerissa's support for his war against the Order of Thalion, promising to restore the Malverand Empire. Nerissa had favored protecting her own nations, but the destruction of the mountain at Zarephon changed her position. Alistair secretly triggered the explosion while Eira, Kaelion and Xarion were trying to close the source. Nero, Nerissa's shard wielder, had guarded the cave entrance and escaped by burrowing through the earth with her power. The trio's disappearance left him and Nerissa under suspicion. Nerissa feared retaliation from the Order and refused to try explaining herself to Nahm or Renneth.
Gabriel descended into Pelagia while its consuls debated their response. His snowstorm threatened the city until the consuls agreed to hear him out. He demanded an attack on Xalmyrra in exchange for Raphael leaving their nations alone, and their knowledge of gates and sequences as his own price for withdrawing. Nerissa also demanded that Garrik be spared and given to them. Gabriel accepted that condition and promised to assist the invasion personally.
Lucilla opposed attacking Renneth and Maric's homeland. Nerissa intended to cooperate with Gabriel until Lucilla could unmake the gods, using the war to develop her daughter's abilities. Lucilla was already much stronger than she admitted. As Isandriel's daughter, she possessed balance magic and concealed how effectively she could use it.
Landing at Erenmyr
About forty skyships assembled from the two nations, with further forces drawn from smaller islands and Shanari. Gabriel chose Erenmyr's warm coastline over the cold Keldaran mountains, where local defenders would have the advantage. He supplied a crystal shaped like a thundercloud to strengthen a lightning mage. Lucilla initially kept it, but Nerissa took it from her during the approach and gave it to Kalyx.
Xalmyrran airships and windweavers patrolled the coast while mages gathered on the ground. Brynor and Orin stood at the shoreline. Tazarin brought reinforcements from Thalcoris, and Celia joined as Haverloch's representative, keeping Nahm informed. Seralyth, Mirael, Feryon and forces from the Xalmyrran nations also took part.
Nero demanded a peaceful surrender, which Brynor and Orin refused. Orin pulled him close and touched his temple, putting him to sleep. Nerissa rescued Nero and withdrew toward the fleet. Orin then released a resonance wave that shattered the nearest skyship, killed its crew and damaged other vessels.
Gabriel descended and raised a snowstorm. Tazarin spread a vast starfield barrier over much of the defending army, shielding it from the cold. The skyships fired cosmic beams and lightning while Nerissa and Nero shaped a tsunami. Their battle drained the surrounding vegetation, and the advancing water tore across the coastal landscape.
Nerissa's defeat
Lucilla fought the approaching Xalmyrran mages while deliberately avoiding lethal blows. Feryon recognized that she was holding back and helped make their confrontation look convincing, allowing his forces to withdraw. Seralyth split the tsunami with darkness magic, then caught Gabriel in her tendrils and tore apart his descended form, forcing his essence back to the God Realm.
Orin continued fighting Nero, breaking his waves and earth cages with resonance attacks despite Nero's greater reserves of essence. After Orin put Nero to sleep again, Nerissa intervened. She restrained Orin and gathered water around him, trying to crush his divine shields. Holding him consumed much of her strength, and she called on Lucilla to finish him.
Lucilla instead grasped Nerissa's wrists and began unmaking her. She severed her mother's connection to the God Realm when Nerissa tried to escape. Nerissa broke into white particles, and Nero's wave shard dimmed. Orin survived. Lucilla carried the sleeping Nero as she and Orin headed toward the remaining battle with Kalyx.
Explosion and aftermath
Kalyx's crystal sustained a thunderstorm that strained Tazarin's barriers. Brynor carried Seralyth within reach, and she caught Kalyx with her tendrils and slammed him into the ground. His lightning ceased, but essence began leaking from his body as he threatened to explode.
Tazarin enclosed Kalyx in cosmic barriers, Seralyth added darkness shields and Orin added divine shields. Lucilla offered to contain the blast, but she was exhausted. Brynor took the shielded mage deep underground, sealing and reinforcing the earth above them while the others retreated. He disappeared beneath the battlefield, saving the defenders from the explosion.
Both sides suffered heavy losses. Orin kept Nero asleep for weeks, and by the time he woke the war was over. Lucilla negotiated trade and diplomatic agreements with Xalmyrra and removed supporters of Nerissa's invasion from both island governments. After Kalyx's death, Brontes became the head consul of Thiravos.
Nero later recovered Brynor's Malverand heart and brought it to the Valrindor Council. Jareth began working to revive him, and the heart responded to that work.