The Peace of Ages, an ancient peace treaty, was enacted in the aftermath of the War of the False Prophets. Known in common parlance as the Great War or simply the War, the treaty did not instantly follow the conclusion of the war. Instead, it is recognized for marking the commencement of the 1st year After War (1 AW), when hostilities truly and finally ceased.
Terms of the Peace
Deliberately simplistic yet painstakingly precise in wording, the terms of the peace aimed to avert ambiguity. The fundamental concept was the prohibition of aggression from any nation unless in self-defense. Should any nation perpetrate unprovoked or unthreatened aggression, it would face the joint forces of the remaining nine nations. Further, a neutral force was to be established to check against an excessive concentration of defensive power within any one nation.
Article 1
No nation shall act in aggression against another, unless in self-defense. All nations are accountable for their citizens' conduct; any acts of violence by private citizens against individuals of another nation will be construed as being perpetrated on behalf of their nation, thereby leading to a violation of Article 1.
Amendment 1
As of the year 17 AW, the Rose Council has the authority to determine whether a nation has violated Article 1 through violence or oppression of foreign peoples living or working within their borders.
Amendment 2
As of the year 29 AW, the Rose Council can determine if a nation has violated Article 1 by oppressing or inflicting violence upon its own people.
Article 2
In the event of a violation of Article 1, all nations are obliged to mutually defend one another. This does not extend to punitive action, but strictly to defense. A violation of Article 1 is not a justification for invasion or other forms of aggression against the violator. Nations may defend themselves, repulse invaders, and secure their borders, but extending beyond these actions will result in a violation of Article 1.
Article 3
The Peace of Ages will be administrated by the ruling body of the Rose Council, which shall have no fewer than three representatives from each of the 10 Kingdoms. A senior, junior, and apprentice representative will embody their nation in the council. The Rose Council oversees interactions between nations, ratifies treaties, trade agreements, and handles other international affairs. Each government confers the Rose Council with authority within their borders to manage international affairs.
Amendment 1
In the year 105 AW, the Rose Council was granted limited diplomatic immunity within nations while executing their duties.
Amendment 2
In the year 181 AW, it was decided that the representatives of the Rose Council should abdicate any potential ruling seat within any country.
Article 4
Under the Rose Council's administration, the Rose Guard is established to bolster the national defense of all member nations and mediate disputes between them. In the event of an Article 1 violation, the Rose Guard will be deployed by order of the Rose Council. They will assume command of unified forces from member nations to counter hostilities. If an Article 2 violation occurs, the Rose Guard will establish a neutral zone between aggressive parties to prevent further violence.
The Rose Council has the authority to mandate punitive measures, to be carried out by the Rose Guard for violations of Articles 1 and 2. Local militaries and police forces should refrain from such actions. The Rose Guard, moreover, will not employ local forces in punitive actions to maintain neutrality during such measures.
Nations must permit the Rose Council to manage and command the Rose Guard within their borders. The Rose Guard will not infringe upon any local laws of the countries they operate in without direct orders from the Rose Council.
Amendment 1
In the year 22 AW, the Rose Guard was designated to be overseen by the Ageless Ones under the direction of the Rose Council.
Amendment 2
In the year 217 AW, following the departure of the last of the Ageless Ones, the Rose Guard was renamed to the Souls Templar. Leadership for the Souls Templar was designated by the Rose Council from among its representatives.
Amendment 3
In the year 231 AW, the Souls Templar was granted policing authority to pursue criminal acts that cross at least one international border. Criminal acts are determined by a nation under complaint to the Rose Council. This does not prohibit a nation from investigating crimes for another nation should crimes cross borders, it merely grants authority for the Souls Templar to act if necessary.
Amendment 4
In the year 241 AW, the Rose Council designated the Souls Templar to be overseen by the Grand Master, elected through three trials demonstrating supreme skills in combat, bravery, and wisdom.
Aftermath of the War
In the aftermath of the war, the Ten Kingdoms were left in ruin, their agricultural and economic systems in tatters. The armistice that brought an end to the relentless battles was a hard-fought one. Its decree was circulated among the kingdoms by messengers on horseback, and it took almost two years before the last echoes of battle were stilled. The terms were elegantly simple yet immensely significant: the kingdoms would suspend hostilities for a three-year period to allow for healing and economic recovery. During this time, the armies were to retreat to the existing battle lines, signifying the cessation of active warfare.
In the ensuing peace, a triad of kingdoms—Thaentis, Dusnain, and Braebar—entered into non-aggression pacts, forming the backbone of the Central Alliance. However, this tranquility didn't touch all corners of the realm. Smaller regions like the Realm of Froqua and the Espary Fiefdom found themselves subjected to frequent border raids as nations scrambled to claim the scarce remaining resources.
Dusnain and Braebar, in particular, found themselves impoverished. They were lands once rich with mines and industrial potential, but now they lacked essential resources like food, medicine, and manpower. Eyeing the prospect of expansion, Braebar set its sights on the Kingdoms of Neskar and Atresh.
Merely a year into the armistice, the tensions began simmering once more. Skirmishes erupted along the most contested borders, especially those between the larger nations of the Central Alliance and the smaller, outlying ones. The specter of war loomed again, born out of the Central Alliance's fierce determination to secure their survival. Yet, unbeknownst to them, these very actions would only serve to hasten the advent of the Peace of Ages.
Inception of the Peace
In the twilight of the great war, whispers of a lasting peace proliferated among philosophers and minor nobility. Across different nations, proposals advocating for a lasting peace were put forth. The Central Alliance even began to utilize these early ideas, forming the basis of their non-aggression pacts and eventual alliance. As tensions escalated, campaigns advocating for reduced military spending in favor of rebuilding and providing for the populace gained momentum within each of the 10 Kingdoms.
The Advent of the Fallen Star
In 2 AW, as the world teetered on the brink of another cataclysmic war, the Central Alliance began to consider drastic measures to bolster their military. Dusnain was the first to resort to forced conscription as a punitive measure, a trend that other powers in the Alliance were beginning to echo. However, these militaristic endeavors were abruptly interrupted when a falling star crashed into the valley between Dusnain and Braebar, igniting the sky with an unearthly blue-green flame that illuminated the clouds for days. This celestial event compelled the Central Alliance to reconsider their aggressive posturing. Interpreting it as divine retribution from Onos of the Old Gods, the peace movement seized the opportunity to advocate for negotiation and common ground. Messengers were dispatched between kingdoms, bearing the story of the fallen star and its aftermath.
When search parties eventually reached the site of impact, they encountered a group of individuals who simply identified themselves as "travelers". The presence of these travelers, their unexplainable abilities, and their valuable counsel on agriculture, medicine, and education, effectively disrupted the Central Alliance's war preparations and gave rise to a renewed hope for peace.
Eve of Peace
Through their pacifistic demeanor and apparent unwillingness to use their power for harm, the travelers gradually changed the public perception of strength and power. Their diplomatic efforts were instrumental in convening a peace summit at the Valley of the Fallen Star, inviting representatives from each kingdom to voice their thoughts.
The Fae and Peace
For millennia, the Fae races remained largely neutral in the human wars, preferring to distance themselves from human conflicts. However, when the Elves decided to attend the peace talks, the Dwarves, Gnomes, Halflings, Fairies, and others followed suit. Their involvement significantly advanced the peace process, contributing to various negotiations and offering their skills to aid the war-torn human nations.
The Dark Races Challenge
Despite the progress made, the idea of complete disarmament was met with reluctance, primarily due to the continued threat of the "dark races". These races, comprised of Orcs, Goblins, and Ogres, were known to exploit the human conflicts for their benefit, fueling wars by selling weapons and mercenaries. The Central Alliance, along with other nations, demanded their expulsion as a prerequisite for disarmament.
The Banishing
For a tiresome span of almost three years, the wheel of negotiation creaked and groaned over a single, divisive issue. It was the Elves, in their infinite wisdom, or perhaps their hubris, who put forth a solution – a banishing spell to exile the dark races to their realm of origin. All races, including the myriad human kingdoms, nodded their assent, choosing to collaborate on this ambitious endeavor. The wandering travelers, with their nomadic wisdom and adventurous spirit, were entrusted to guide the process.
Yet, as the ancient adage warns, pride often precedes a fall. The undertaking, fraught with unforeseen risks and intricacies, proved far more treacherous than initially perceived. The casting of the banishing spell, an act of unity born of overconfidence, unleashed a devastating backlash that echoed through the realms. The aftermath was catastrophic, resulting in the unintended banishment of several races of the Fae. The invocation, conceived in arrogance and executed in ignorance, underscored the harsh truth that even the best intentions could have unforeseen, disastrous outcomes.
The Backlash
The grand machinations were finally set. Rising protective wards surged with power, sending ripples of jubilation through human and Fae worlds alike. The dark races were the first to dematerialize, swept into the embrace of the Dark Aether. Amid the cacophony of victory, the observant Halflings perceived a disquieting anomaly. As the dark races vanished, so did a few among the Fae. A cry of alarm echoed, questions spiraled - were these beings traitors? Had the spell been flawed?
As uncertainty spread like wildfire, the magic cemented itself into reality, its force winding through the complex nexus of runes and sigils that constituted the wards. This new wall of magic, now fully active, hummed with an overwhelming intensity. Like a recoiling spring, a secondary wave of magic surged forth. Several Elves, caught in its unforgiving path, met an instantaneous end, their lifeless bodies all that remained of their once-glorious race as the backlash of the spell banished their kin.
To the Dwarves, this was an unforgivable act of treachery, and they raised their weapons, ready to fight for the beings who had been their adversaries for countless generations. But before their steel could meet the air, the third wave struck. Dwarf after dwarf fell where they stood, some meeting the same grisly end as the Elves, but the majority vanished, swept into the ominous expanse of the Dark Aether. Other races followed suit, each succumbing to the merciless wave of magic.
In just a few days, the grand assembly, once teeming with diversity, had been reduced to a mere vestige of its former self. The humans, bewildered and stricken, were all that remained of the Grand Alliance.
Final Peace
In the echoing silence that followed the spell's devastating backlash, the once-resolute Central Alliance found itself in quick surrender, accepting the proposed peace terms with a newfound humility. The Ten Kingdoms, now unified by the shared aftermath of an audacious endeavor turned disastrous, established what would be hailed as the Peace of Ages in the 7th year After the Wards (7 AW). This pact, a solemn vow upheld by humanity's survival, marked the dawn of an era of tranquil coexistence.
Yet, with peace came disquiet. The newfound accord saw the dramatic reduction of the military forces, sending countless soldiers back to their hearths and homes. Many nations, in their goodwill, provided for these soldiers, helping them transition into peaceful lives. But some turned a blind eye, casting their warriors adrift. Consequently, bands of these forsaken soldiers roamed the countryside, resulting in a surge of banditry that haunted the initial three centuries of the Peace of Ages.
Indeed, even to this day, remnants of these groups linger, albeit confined to a few territories. As the common folk whisper tales of these outlaw bands, they also mourn the loss of the light Fae, banished in the spell's aftermath. The void left by the gentle Fae breeds melancholy, a poignant reminder of the folly born of arrogance and overconfidence.