#### The Opening of the Worldwound (4606 AR, The Death of Aroden) The worldwound opened in the capital city of the nation of Sarkoris (whose borders largely line up with the current borders of the worldwound). The wound itself caused massive climate damage, creating huge secondary canyons and draining the nations largest rivers. The world may have been saved that day by the massive storms that coincided with the death of Aroden, as they hindered the demonic hordes boiling forth and allowed time for resistance to form. Despite this the entirety of North-Central Sarkoris was in demonic hands before they faced significant resistance. Southern Sarkoris and Western Mendev managed to form up defences and call for further aid. Soon after this aid arrived however a second wave of demons also arrived through the worldwound and both southern Sarkoris and western Mendev were claimed by the horde in the following years. #### The First Crusade (4622 - 4630 AR) Shocked and stunned by the death of Aroden, the church of Iomedae took sixteen years to formally call a crusade. The resulting flood of crusaders caught the demons by surprise and turned the tide for a while, reclaiming both southern Sarkoris and western Mendev and bolstering the morale of the defenders. As the fighting slowed, the churches offered their support rebuilding, which Mendev welcomed, but proud Sarkoris only grudgingly accepted. The demons seemed, for a time, to be content to secure their claim on the north-western region of Sarkoris, and to entertain themselves with the thousands of mortals trapped in those lands. For now a status quo had been reached, with only the clans of Sarkoris still pushing to reclaim their ancestral lands. #### The Second Crusade (4638 - 4645 AR) Six years after the end of the first crusade a new wave of demons erupted from the worldwound. With the passing of time many of the crusaders who helped rebuild Mendev had settled there. These brave men and women took up their swords once again, expecting the kind of victories they had achieved the first time. This time though, the demons were not only more numerous... they were ready. The crusaders did not face the haphazard, chaotic, self-indulgent mob from the first crusade. Powerful commanders had taken the hordes in hand and now drove their legions forth. With the introduction of tactics the demonic strike forces and their ability to teleport allowed them to control the battlefields, often appearing behind enemy lines and driving them into traps. When the Marilith Aponavicius captured the crusader city of Drezen using these tactics the church of Iomedae finally called the second crusade. This time though the outpouring of support from the rest of the world was not enough, and it quickly became clear. The demon forces pushed to the west and south, into the last of the Sarkorian lands. With the loss of these lands becoming increasingly inevitable the Mendevian crusaders made a hard choice. Sarkoris was left to defend itself as the Mendevians set to work on erecting defences along the West Sellen and Moutray rivers. Though the total loss of Sarkoris was the cost, the second crusade ended with the line of menhirs, known as the Wardstones, flaring to life. Though these would set the battle lines for years to come and largely contain any efforts of the worldwound forces expansion the Second Crusade is usually considered a disaster. #### The Third Crusade (4665 - 4668 AR) With the combination of the wardstones, the pressure from the Mammoth Lords to the west and the demon's own seeming contentment to plunder their captured nation years passed with little but skirmishes on the eastern front of the worldwound. This stagnation however stretched the resources of the church, which was forced to accept outside recruits and soldiers and the crusader forces began to suffer corruption. The third crusade was called in an attempt to reverse these effects, and to bring a sense of unity to the church once again. It largely failed in this task however, as many of the crusaders began to hunt for the corruption within their ranks, becoming inquisitors and witch hunters, rather than focusing on the external threat. The third crusade accomplished no notable military changes. After three short years the third crusade was abandoned. #### The Fourth Crusade (4692 AR - Present) Once again change came from within the demonic ranks. Khorramzadeh the Storm King took to the field in no less catastrophic event than damaging the Wardstone in the city of Kenabres. Though the army under his command was eventually fought off, and the wardstone itself survived this new threat was enough to inspire the church to call a fourth crusade. Unlike the third crusade, the fourth actually featured many battles and pushes, but even so the threat of Khorramzadeh and his forces never became as dangerous as that first catastrophic attack and fifteen years of constant vigilance has worn on people. Though it has not formally been called to an end, many believe it to be finished. It is now, at the dying whimpers of the fourth crusade that you find yourself in Kenabres.