Post by Sticky on May 10, 2012 5:56:02 GMT -5
Much is said about the Kingdom of Illcara itself, during dark times and light, but only now is the full story of the Lifeblood of Illcara, it's people, told. When the Vampires of the First Vampire War took the Throne room all of Illcara was called to evacuate to Evendarr for their very lives. At this time Oakhurst (Evendarr) was Hawthorne's Bluff, a tiny pioneer outpost, though many passed through it on their way. Two major locations housed most of the refugees (while some returned to ancestral lands or moved to their families elsewhere) - some went northward through and around Ignavus, Wolvaera, and Quentari, to come to rest in Griswold and Windholm in Eastwyck, Arkham, Evendarr; while the others took refuge in The Sutherlands, Tyrangel (from which, along with Oakhurst and Menka, the attacks to take back the Kingdom were launched). The large Drae population (that's the Dark Elfs, or Vornae) in the Barony Hornridge were said to flee to their homeland of Elfheim, along with some trusted other elves, where they are presumed to have permanently settled. The Dwarves of Whitecap fell back into their underground mountainous passageways. Those of the Noble Houses and the Army fell back only to Menka, The Last Stand City, at the edge of Illcara, and held it with their very lives (several other battle camps were able to weather the storm under command of Royal House Nobles as well). Indeed much of Illcara permanently settled back down in Evendarr, many from where their families originally left to take advantage of Illcaran soil. But the cries of joy swept through Evendarr to all former Illcarans like wildfire when Vampire Lord Tycho was slain by the reclamation army and heroes volunteered from all corners of Avalon, and their spirit raised and patriotism flowed as they funneled back into Illcara to form a fighting force of Men-at-arms capable of sweeping out the rest of the vile infestation of Undead. As they purified the land back to the point of their respective homes they left the sweeping army to pick up the pieces and rebuild their lives once again in their home. It is estimated that 15% of the original population was slain during the war, 15% held Menka and surrounding forts , 35% evacuated to the Sutherlands & Tyrangel, 30% evacuated to Eastwyck, and 5% dispersed elsewhere. Of those, nearly 65% returned in the reclamation, the rest being newcomers to the kingdom looking to settle.