Epilogue 1.1: Preface

The events of the previous volume of this work may make the reader question if it should be taken as a historical account or a novel born of my imagination. To that skeptical reader, I assure I exaggerated no feats. The vast majority of it was corroborated by multiple firsthand sources who survived the Last Calamity, including many that have no known relationship to the imperial court of the Blackgard Union. I put my own testimony in that list. I was a soldier in the Kingdom of Vasquer’s army, but I saw the man then called king only a few times, and never spoke to him personally.

Nevertheless, very little evidence actually exists outside of testimony. Some claim Argrave’s exploits too grandiose, likely heavily warped by sycophants seeking praise. I counted myself among such skeptical historians, but thorough investigation has born fruit in the form of the previous volume, which I am confident in calling the most accurate account of Argrave’s journey leading up to the Last Calamity.

My peers in the field of history have already done excellent work documenting the rise of the Blackgard Union. I will provide a brief summary, but little more. Instead, my focus shall lie in the figures which established the grand nation we enjoy today.  This volume largely covers the prominent people involved during the three ages.

My colleague and collaborator, Garm of Vasquer, has provided invaluable assistance in allowing me access to both prominent figures and records. Carrying on with this trend of largesse, he will provide a personal account of his experience in the imperial court where necessary. Where we begin, however, he’s yet to be born.

Age of Reclamation, 1-25 AC

To properly contextualize the scale of the restoration, the reader must understand the scale of the destruction.

According to conservative estimates, thirty percent of the world’s sentient population perished in the calamity. On the other end of the spectrum, some suggest that as much as ninety percent of the world’s population passed away. Of all these accounts, the most accurate comes from Prime Minister Elenore of Vasquer. She posits a figure of around sixty-five percent in Berendar, and an averaged forty percent elsewhere.

Regardless of the precise figure, any represent the total erosion of society around the world. Berendar, as the site of the calamity’s descent, was the worst affected. The entire city of Blackgard was wiped away, along with countless other grand settlements of the time. Mountains were levelled in some places, and rose up in others. Rivers changed course, chasms opened in once-fertile plains, and plentiful mines were sealed off.

It would be no exaggeration to say that civilization died entirely.

Despite this tremendous step backward, the government established by Argrave, Anneliese, and Elenore managed to restore order remarkably quickly. Within six months, the whole of Berendar had been divided into administrative regions, and governors with genuine authority were appointed to each. Each followed a unified law levied by the government, but were given significant autonomy to respond to the unique problems of each region.

Until 7 AC, Argrave would rule as king, eventually adopting the title of emperor in 8 AC. These appointed governors served the emperor alone, serving to replace the abolished nobility as regional leaders. Some have suggested the more severe drop in population enabled this to happen far easier than elsewhere, but I contest this point.

The population in Berendar was wildly varied. The largest single group was human, but they were easily outnumbered by other groups. Elves alone comprised nearly half of the total population. There were elves from the Bloodwoods, who formally dissolved their protectorate and merged with the Blackgard Union in 4 AC. There were Veidimen—‘snow elves’—many of whom came to the continent due to efforts by General Galamon and Empress Anneliese.

Beyond elves, there were dwarf refugees escaping their lost city of Mundi who did make efforts to establish their own state in 12-13 AC before being persuaded to stay on the surface within the union by Argrave. Also of note is the lunar dragons. Though most prominent in Berendar, theirs was a global presence.

Even human cultures clashed against one another—the north attempted to secede in 17 AC before the government provided substantial economic aid, and the Burnt Desert nearly rejected governance altogether, narrowly halted by Governor Durran’s intervention. Refugees and opportunists attempted to declare themselves warlords, but such attempts were quickly quelled. The dying embers of nobility tried to cling to existence, and spellcasters attempted to win special privileges in the burgeoning state, but neither succeeded.

Worth mentioning are the subterranean communes, the southron elves, the centaurs, and the tribes of Vysenn. Though negligible in the whole of the continent, each had a significant impact on their respective regions. Some were given land grants to prevent bloodshed, which might’ve resulted in the annihilation of their people and culture. The centaurs, for instance, were granted the wide-open plains where the Tower of the Gray Owl once stood. All these disparate peoples remained a part of the nation nonetheless.

In the end, the Blackgard Union’s reassumption of control led to relatively little bloodshed. This stood in stark contrast to many other places in the world, where warlords rose from the ashes of dead empires to reign as tyrants. The imperial court was certainly decisive, unwavering, and at times ruthless. Their regime, however, had a single-minded purpose; reclaiming the land before nature could.

I had the great fortune to be a soldier in the army from 1 AC to 20 AC. It was astounding to see the intelligence and driven purpose of the people of Berendar. I would leave a region with the army to quell a disturbance, or deal with encroachment by some foul beasts. By the time we returned, the area had been built up so much as to be unrecognizable.

All around the continent, the foundation for planned cities rose up in strategic locations, while robust infrastructure projects served to connect them all. Roads, bridges, aqueducts, crop fields, marketplaces—the various governors proved extremely competent, acting as an extension of the emperor’s will. Some were former nobility, such as Nikoletta of Monticci or Vasilisa of Quadreign, but the vast majority were those appointed by virtue of merit and personality.

Perhaps the only positive for the severe drop in population was an abundance of opportunity. Countless governors—and the imperial court itself—offered land grants and tax exemptions to promote the resettlement of land. These initiatives attempted to distribute different races evenly, so that no one region had an excessive concentration of a particular people.

Several sources suggest this was part of a deliberate effort to erode cultural and racial divides, fostering a belonging to the Blackgard Union before their race. The imperial court never stated that outright, but even my colleague, Prince Garm, wasn’t entirely dismissive toward the idea. Constant efforts to instill a sense of national pride in settlers further supports that point.

Standing as an example to their subjects, the imperial couple announced Anneliese’s first pregnancy eight months into 1 AC. The first prince, Castro of Vasquer, would be born next year. His birth was said to have provided immense joy to the family, including Sophia of Vasquer, despite whispers of succession already surfacing.

Regardless, the reconstruction of Berendar proved to be the most successful restoration effort in the world. The creative genius of Artur—who was the architect behind the vast majority of the network of roads, cities, and settlements—was carried out by us soldiers alongside a large throng of spellcasters. The Age of Reclamation was a period of mourning, but also of the great regrowth after a forest fire.

There can be no doubt that the central figures of this age were the emperor and empress. As such, theirs is to be the first profile.
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Volume 10 is out on Amazon.