Having heard of the growing rebellion in Ocnellio, Hazlitt traveled the distance to see it for himself. Satisfied with what he found, he used his reputation as the heir to Grimeadow and as a war hero to help Nilan sway Lord Tithian’s support of the rebellion. All Hazlitt wanted in return for his support—and the support of his father’s army—was to take Thydric’s place as king. Although hesitant and with an instinctive distrust of Hazlitt’s motives, Nilan was willing to set aside his skepticism if it would end the war with Ronan.
For the next five years, King Thydric delayed a large part of his war on Ronan in order to quell the combined uprising of Ocnellio and Grimeadow. With Hazlitt’s support, Nilan’s rebellion was enough to defend against Thydric’s army, as well as against the armies of other regions in support of Thydric. It was not, however, enough to overthrow Thydric’s rule. Not only that, but during those five years, Nilan’s distrust of Hazlitt grew. Hazlitt was aware of Nilan’s skepticism, and did everything he could to hide his magical affinity, but their brewing rivalry culminated in the moment Nilan found Hazlitt’s annotated history book of Ronan magic.
Now aware of Hazlitt’s true motive, Nilan took his findings to Lord Tithian, hoping to have Ocnellio’s army withdraw its support. Lord Tithian, however, was bound to the war’s outcome, as withdrawing support from Grimeadow would mean that Ocnellio would face both Hazlitt and Thydric’s army. Unable to gain Ocnellio’s public support, Nilan used the loyalty and influence he had and started another uprising in the shadow of this civil war, a force that he called the Vigilant. For two years, the Vigilant battled Grimeadow’s army under the nose of Lord Tithian, who was furious about Nilan’s change of loyalty, as well as his son’s loyalty to Nilan—something Kingston Tithian was disowned for.
Daunted by a double-fronted fight, Hazlitt was forced to take drastic measures. He reached out to Ronan, vowing to end the war with them if they sent aid to help put him on the throne. Ambitious and cunning, Hazlitt also appealed for a wife from one of Ronan’s most respected families, hoping a blood tie to Ronan nobles would give him an avenue for future political victories. King Adrikon Ironwood, along with the support of Ronan’s second-wealthiest family, the Fyshers, agreed to Hazlitt’s terms.
Knowing his fight was lost, but hoping that in a last-ditch effort he could defeat Hazlitt in battle, Nilan persuaded his wife to flee Ocnellio with a trusted friend, Leon Leventhorp, who was more concerned with the life of his infant son, Silas, than with his allegiance in war. With the help of Ronan forces, Hazlitt left Ocnellio and the Vigilant in ruin, and in order to set an example, Nilan was stripped of his title and surname and executed on treason. Within three months, Hazlitt had also conquered Guelder and overthrown Thydric’s rule, trying and executing the former king for crimes against the people.
Under the new king, Hazlitt Gaveston, religious freedom was restored on the sole basis of Hazlitt’s apathy toward the issue. Thus, the Caelen religion remained the Valenian standard. Despite being in the practice of magic himself, Hazlitt refused to lift the ban on magic and kept his own talents hidden. If his new subjects weren’t satisfied with his rule, it would be easier to defend against rebellion if those rebels were without magic.
So, too, did Hazlitt betray the agreed upon terms with Ronan, as he refused to end the war after he’d taken the throne under the guise of distrusting Ronan’s magic. Hazlitt knew his kingdom was too fatigued to continue a full-fledged war, but he was still determined to find the elixir he’d read about. Hazlitt proposed a new set of terms: he would end the war on Ronan if Ronan allowed Hazlitt to send Valenian scholars to oversee each of its magic institutions—which would give Hazlitt an unrestricted means of searching for the elixir. Stuck with some misfortune, the King of Ronan died just before Hazlitt submitted these terms, and Adrikon’s son, Akhran Ironwood, took the throne.
Seeing Hazlitt’s terms as a dubious means of infiltration for future invasion and conquering, Akhran rejected them. He was, however, as unwilling as Hazlitt to engage in the full-fledged war of their predecessors. For the next nineteen to twenty years, the Magical Defense War went mostly stagnant. Hazlitt sent spies into Ronan territory to search for the elixir’s location, and every few years, when he thought he’d found it, he’d send part of his army to battle. Some of these battles were successful, though the elixir was never present. Many of these battles, on the other hand, were not, and the Valenian kingdom’s people and troops grew wearier with every passing year.
During that time, Hazlitt distracted himself from his growing impatience and frustration by devising plans and strategies, and his ambition grew. He decided that no longer would he be satisfied with its power once he had the elixir, and that after devoting so much time and energy to finding it, he would expand his reach. Hazlitt’s new goal was to establish himself as the first High King, taking control of the continent and searching its every corner for whatever magic he could acquire.
Finally, after decades of searching, the location of the elixir was confirmed. It was in Ronan’s capital, Midsummit, and there was no way that Hazlitt could get to it without conquering the castle. But Ronan, having been on the defense for the entire war, had lost less of its army than Valens, and Hazlitt’s troops were too tired to go against Ronan’s full strength. Knowing he needed additional forces, Hazlitt appealed to the neighboring kingdom of Cornwall, but Cornwall wouldn’t get involved. Cunning as ever and undeterred, Hazlitt devised a plan in which he’d ally himself with Cornwall through the marriage of his daughter, Avarona, to Cornwall’s prince. Once married, Hazlitt would frame Ronan assassins for Avarona’s death, and force Cornwall’s hand to get the support he’d need to conquer Ronan.
Timeline
Continent Map
Region Map
Pronunciation Guide
Akamar [ak-uh-mahr]
Akhran [ak-ruhn]
Avarona [a-vuh-roh-nuh] — Ava [ey-vuh]
Bibbette [bib-et]
Brande [brand]
Denig [den-ig]
Destrian [des-tree-uhn]
Guelder [geld-er]
Hazlitt [haz-lit]
Kiena [kee-en-uh]
Nilson [nil-suhn]
Nira [neer-uh]
Rhien [reyn]
Ronan [roh-nan]
Sevedi [seh-ved-ee]
Silas [sahy-luh s]
Valens [val-enz]
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Cover art by
Agata Broncel
bukovero.com