Back to The South or down to Chiaroscuro Today
It is a fact of the Second Age that it is a remannt of a once greater age, and in the south there has never been a greater testament to this thant he City of Chiaroscuro itself. During the First Age, it had been a glorious shining city of glass towers which housed 10s of millions of citizens in luxury and safety unimaginable in this dark age. Then struck the Great Contagion, bringing with it the death of most of the cities defenders and the arrival of the Hosts of the Fair Folk. Afterwards the city was left in ruins, many of its towers shattered or broken and its great treasures left largely unprotected. One bandit leader or minor warlord after another conquered and plundered the City of Glass, taking it's potent First Age weapons for themselves and using them to attack their rivals and enemies. These petty wars further damaged the city, and prevented any return to stability until the last of the Great Weapons of the First Age finally run dry.
It was into this enviroment, ruin and devestation slowly recovering into perhaps the hint of something resembling hope, that the Lunar Warlord Khala Khan led the Delzahn Horde. The Horde conquered the city easily, enslaving and dominating its people. Yet the philosophy of the Silver Pack was still young, and the full extent of Civilizations corrupting influence was not yet understood, and thus the Delzahn fell into the sway of the City of Glass and Khala Khan withdrew from them into the Desert. The Nobles of the Delzahn gathered under their leader of leaders, the Tri-Khan, and came to rule over the City of Chiaroscuro much as the ones they had conquered had.
Under the rule of the Tri-Khan, the city prospered. Though it's streets were littered with shattered glass and it's once perfect glass towers were cracked and broken, the City of Chiaroscuro had not yet told it's tale. It was a sign of once greater things, but also of the ingenuity and resilience of men. Shards of broken glass were forged into weapons, tools and even works of art and the imperisable harbour of the city became a center of trade and commerce throughout the West. Under the rule of the Tri-Khan, and the Realm, and the Guild the city of Chiaroscuro grew strong and prosperous.
Then came the Father of Darkness.
He came with both speed and overwhelming force, a vanguard of doom that there was little hope of turning away or even reasoning with. The Father of Darkness sought one thing, the Death of the City, and in many ways it can be said that he succeeded.
The Tri-Khan never truly had a chance. The Father came with countless Shadows, foul ghouls and putrescent zombies, spine chains and even more freakish undead war beasts. There were war ghosts, and vengeful nemissaries that fought in stolen bodies, and even three Bonestriders with mighty Soulsteel Blades the size of a large wagon. Yet most devestating of all were the Abyssa Exalted, who rode at the head of the army. There was no hope; there was no surcease; there was no mercy. The Realm Garrison was slaughtered nearly to the man, all before the Blessed Isle even realized what had happened at all. Grandmother Bright fell in chains and her soul was ripped asunder by the Deathlord himself, and most of the other Gods of the City either fled or perished as well.
Nor were they the only ones to leave. The cities Harbour emptied quickly, ships fleeing to nearby Paragon or the City-States of the Varang. Some even took the ardous journey across the Inner Sea to take refugee on the Blessed Isle. Others attempted to flee via the roads, or simply hid out in their homes waiting for the storm to pass, but many of these fared poorly. Those living that remained or could not escaped were either slaughtered or herded into small heavily guarded "wards" of the city, in dim parody of the way they had once treated the dead.
Thus the city fell into shadow, and there it remained for seven months.
Most of the cities tall glass towers were cast down, and only a few still remain. Yet it would be a lie to say that the Father's influence was entirely destructive. Ghostly Artisians harvested the fallen glass and a number of construction projects were begun. Some of the dead had even been involved in the original construction of the city, and the rise of the towers of Black Glass went quicker than many would assume. Even so, only two were completed by the time the shadow was lifted.
The shadowlands of the city were expanded, either with dark necromancy or simple atrocity. Many of those that managed to survive the initial invasion perished in the dark days after, including the entirety of the Delzahn Nobility that had not escaped. Two mortals were chosen for the Black Exaltation, rising above their former humble stations and emerging instead as Princes of the Dead. These in turn, along with the other Deathknights in the service of the Father, began projects of their own and in time the city was abuzz with the works of the dead and afire with the passion of their masters.
Yet of all the events that the Father of Darkness undertook during his rule over the Chiaroscuro, two stand out more than any other.
Deep inside one of the largest Shadowlands of the City, sunken low by the power of the Dragon-Blooded so long ago that none yet remembered its presence or the secrets that lay within its halls, there was an ancient structure. One month after his conquest of the city, in the dead of night, the Father of Darkness succeeded in raising this structure from the depths and once again opening it's mighty Obsidian Gates.
None know the name of this place in this dark age (not even the Sidereals), but the entire city could feel the hum of it's power. Sometimes, late at night, the black dragon-lines of it's essence can be seen streaking over the city and spiralling down toward the ancient manse. Even now, the Dragon-Blooded avoid it. Since the Father of Darknesses' death, it's great Obsidian Gates have once again slammed shut. None have found a way to open them, nor to return the Manse to the depths that once housed it. Indeed, the Immaculate Monks have only recently succeeded in halting the slow yet steady growth of the Shadowland that houses the Black Manse. Even so, their rituals, sorcery, and salting have not pushed back the world of death but only halted its expanse.
For most of the Father's rule, the Black Manse was his palace and his stronghold. It was from there that his Deathknights ranged out across the city to do his bidding, and from here that the Father worked whatever unholy magics raised up the River of the Dead. Most of his greatest works of Necromancy were performed within the walls of the Black Manse, and many of the Dragon-Blooded yet fear what may remain within.
Two months before his ultimate destruction, the Father of Darkness sent his Five Deathknights alone into the City-States of Varang and instructed them to claim for him this mighty prize.
The details of the Deathknights actions there are better described elsewhere (Varang?), but it is important to note the impact this action had on the City of Chiaroscuro itself. With the departure of the five Deathknights and the turning of the Father's eye toward Varang, the city of Chiaroscuro was given something of a reprieve. Those mortals that had survived so far were at last given a chance to collect their breath, and in responce many of them fled the city and others began to make small revolt against the Deathlord. While the Ghosts remained somewhat more fully in the Deathlords control during this time, even they benefited from the lack of attention they were given.
Those enemies of the Father that remained in the city used this opportunity fully, working in relative freedom to weaken the hold of the Father and build their own strength. A few solitary Solar Exalted who remained struck a number of important blows, and toward the end of the period the Gold Faction (and the Cult of the Illuminated) had made significant inroads in the region.
However, much more notable were the activities of the All-Seeing Eye in the city. The Realm had not been as quiet as many supposed, and a number of Dragon-Blooded operatives had been operating in the city almost from the time it fell. The Realm valued the information these spies could give them greatly, and never gave up their small toehold within the Shadowland, even given the positively horrendous casuality rates that these operatives suffered until the Father turned his attention to Yane. Much of the groundwork of the later Liberation was laid during this period, and in a few cases the All-Seeing Eye either cooperated with or took advantage of some of the Solar Exalted to accomplish their goals.
It is unlikely, in the end, that the Father of Darkness was unaware of this activity. In full hindsight of events, Mnemon Merkan (the only one with full access to most of this information, with some of the Solars present at the time being close runner ups) suspects quite the contrary. In fact, it seems quite obvious to him that the Father patently allowed a number of these activities to go on under his nose.
A successful opponent, he surmises, can be a lot easier to detect than one who is laying low and trying to avoid notice while passing on information. It is exceedingly likely that, had the Father of Darkness proved victorious against his old companions, Blood Feathers and the Father's other servants would have entirely rooted out the Realm's Presence in the aftermath.
Merkan finds this very disturbing, as it implies that the Father had long-term plans besides simply taking the Spear and destroying the Sun.
When the Circle began it's war against the Father of Darkness, the Realm was ready.
The client state of Paragon had already been reinforced with two additional legions during ill-fated war between Nei Roh and the Blessed Isle, adding to the garrison already present and the perfects own highly professional troops. Though most of the Circle were unaware of these troop movements, many would no doubt have found them odd. In the weeks prior to the final battle in Yane, the Realm moved another 1,000 elite troops and a number of experienced and powerful Dragon-Blooded in Paragon. Primary among their number were Mnemon Merkan (a former member of Chiaroscuro's garrison), and Ledaal Palancia (an extremely old and powerful Sorcerer).
The Realm began it's liberation of Chiaroscuro timed perfectly with the beginning of the Father of Darknesses battle against the Circle in the pyramid of Yane. Their conquest was so quick and surgical that the Circle didn't even learn of it until many time laters, and Illhousen in particular suspected the synchronicity was due to prophecy. In actuality, of course, it was much more due to agents of the All-Seeing Eye in either Yane or the Rohan Legions.
The Dragon-Blooded attacked with every essential advantage they could attain. They had an overwhelmingly superiority in both numbers and preparation, as well as having the advantage of a huge distraction. Moreover, their forces were simply absurd. While more men were thrown at the lands of Nei Roh, the magical firepower involved in the liberation of Chiaroscuro was significantly more potent. Five Warstriders, including one ancient First Age Noble Warstrider piloted by Merkan himself, spearheaded the invasion. The attack was backed up by some of the most elite Talons of the Imperial Legions, including one Talon composed entirely of Dragon-Armor'd Terrestrial Exalted and supporting mortal troops. Palancia in particular bore the Star of the North (an extremely powerful Hearthstone from a Manse in the North), and a green-jade blade of no little power, in addition to her own potent sorcery. The Legion was also supported by a number of lesser sorcerers, Dragon-Blooded heroes, and the personal troops of the Perfect himself.
The attack was extremely successful, especially due to the actions of the All-Seeing Eye and several Solar Exalted who the All-Seeing Eye had carefully handled toward actions that would pave the way for the Liberation. The City of Broken Glass, as it has been called since it's liberation by the Realm, was firmly in the hands of the Legions by the time the Witch in White and the Butcher Exaultant in Steel eventually made it back to their stronghold. It is perhaps a testament to their power, the amount of damage that those two Deathknights did after their return battered and demoralized from the battlefield. Yet, in the end, they were not powerful enough to repel the Realm. After destroying one Warstrider, slaughtering several Dragon-Blooded and a few handfuls of Elite Troops, the exact fate of the two is uncertain. Some claim that they were killed by the Wyld Hunt, while others hint that they were destroyed utterly, vanishing in a explosion of gray. It is also widely rumored that they somehow escaped the Realm's ambush.
Either way, however, the City of Broken Glass had been liberated from the Father and the process of recovery could begin.
In the two months since it's liberation, the City of Broken Glass has not even begun to see the full benefits of its recovery. Ghosts still roam the streets, and Shadowlands are strife, but the city has been increasing divided into "safe" and "dangerous" zones. The Dragon-Blooded are slowly but surely taking back the city -- salting off the Shadowlands, hunting down the hungry ghosts, nemissaries and nephwracks, and securing dangerous areas.
Some of the refugees that fled to Paragon or the Blessed Isle have returned, particularly those that feel they can be of some help to the rebuilding effort. All, however, accept that things will never go back to how they were before. The City of Broken Glass is less of a relic and more of a ruin of the First Age, and while much remains that can be rebuilt, there is also much that is simply gone forever. In particular, the hold of the Delzahn over the city is likely gone forever. The Tri-Khan is dead, the Nobility having either joined their leader in the Underworld or fled into the Desert to join their nomadic cousins.
The Realm has appointed a new Tri-Khan, but most accept this as the empty gesture that it in fact is and pretty much all understand the truth. The City of Broken Glass is a small outpost of the Blessed Isle in the South, fully under the control of the Dragon-Blooded of House Mnemon and House Ledaal. The Immaculate Monks that freely roam the city now are not ever going to leave, and in time the city will be full of shrines and Temples to the Immaculate Dragons. Especially given the amount being invested by the Realm in rebuilding and defense, pretty much everyone accepts that the Dynasts fully intend to keep the city.
Moreover, due to the shadow of the Demon-Princes to the Southeast, most are more than happy to have the Realm gain a more solid foothold in the South.
Up to History of Chiaroscuro, or The Realm Presence? in the South for more info.
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