Frostfang Catastrophe¶
This page is a lore summary of the Frostfang Catastrophe as a historical event. For the in-map book found in Okeke, see The Frostfang Catastrophe.
The Frostfang Catastrophe was an ecological event in Av2 1646 stemming from a conflict between Avsohm and the tribes of Faehrcyle, led by Homli Tahsgan. Caused by a blizzard of unprecedented size, it led to permanent changes in the climate of several northern regions of Drehmal, including Faehrcyle, Merijool, Casai, and the Gulf of Drehmal.
Background¶
During the reign of Emperor Drehn, Avsohm sent survey drones to the far north of the continent, and discovered a massive source of Primal Energy at Mt. Yavhlix. However, they were unable to reach the mountain due to the presence of the Faehrcylian tribes, who were not a part of the empire and were dead-set on defending the mountain from the outsiders.
Drehn and his forces marched north around Av2 1644 in an attempt to secure passage to the mountain, but were harshly turned away by the tribespeople, particularly those of Falcon Clan, led by Gehmli Tahsgan. Drehn himself would never return to the north again, but two years later, a rogue Avsohmic General named Hehvlar marched to Faehrcyle with an army, intent on taking the mountain.
Battles and Catastrophe¶
The army met Faehrcyle's Falcon Clan in battle, led by Gehmli and his son, Homli. After a bloody battle resulted in Gehmli's death at the hands of an Avsohmic marksman, Homli, using his innate arcane power, called forth a massive gale. This blew the Avsohmic army back towards the mountain pass they came from in the east, forcing their retreat.
Over the next week, the people of Faehrcyle mourned Gehmli's death, and at his father's funeral, Homli procured the Frostfang, a mythical blade made of pure ice. Faehrcylian legend claims that Homli magically pulled the sword from his father's funeral pyre, but other sources late in the game assert that the Frostfang was actually gifted to Homli by Palaesida, Aspect of Storms. Regardless, Homli united the seven clans, and was at the front of the lines when Avsohm returned shortly after.
There was not truly a second battle. As Avsohm approached once again, Homli raised the Frostfang to the sky, and called forth a storm of absolutely gargantuan proportions. It rapidly grew out of control, enveloping the North in hail, lightning, and snow, forcing Avsohm to retreat once again.
However, Homli himself was lost in the storm, and the cold plain of Faehrcyle was now covered in a permanent thick layer of snow, with the blizzard spreading to other parts of the world as well.
Aftermath¶
The magical blizzard conjured by Homli Tahsgan was not limited to Faehrcyle, but its effects were certainly the most pronounced there. What was previously a grassy, albeit cold steppe, was rendered completely uninhabitable by the Catastrophe, forcing the Faehrcylian clans to leave the region en masse, many ending up in the Frozen Bite and Highfall, and some remnants being killed in acts of vengeance. Once the snow settled and the region's defenders were gone, this also meant that Avsohm was able to return, claiming Mt. Yavhlix and Faehrcyle unopposed. The would go on to construct a key facility inside of the mountain, directly leading to their unparalleled dominance over the continent in the coming century.
General Hehvlar and his troops managed to escape the blizzard, but he was court-martialed at the order of Drehn Mal'Sohm, presumably imprisoned for the rest of his life or executed.
As Faehrcyle froze over, the magical blizzard spread to other regions throughout the north as well, impacting them in more convoluted ways.
Casai in the far northwest, as claimed by The Frostfang Catastrophe, was transformed from a "lush steppe" into a cold desert, with the catastrophe likely making the land less fertile and adding the bizarre ice spikes found throughout the region.
Merijool was once a dense jungle, similar to the Black Jungle and Lorahn'Kahl, as seen in the area around the Glade of the Giant. The Frostfang Catastrophe swept through this area and cooled it, turning it from a warm rainforest to a temperate, autumnal forest, with permanent red leaves. This is said to have significantly changed the culture of Merijool, as its people were forced to adapt to a new lifestyle.
The Gulf of Drehmal was also said to have been affected, but it is not clear what changes this area underwent, as it seems very similar to Capital Valley.
Blame for the incident has fallen on both parties, with some claiming that Homli and the Frostfang Tribes acted recklessly, while others claim that they were justified in defending their homeland from an overreaching imperial power, and Avsohm's greed is truly to blame.
The Frostfang Catastrophe was also the inciting event of the Divine Schism, as Palaesida's role in causing the Frostfang Catastrophe would have dire consequences among the Aspects, leading to the only civil war between their kind.