The Sundering

The Sundering refers to two related things: 1.) a series of events occuring shortly after the humans established Palitnum City and 2.) the great maelstrom/portal to the Abyss that separates the two continents of Arenia. The Sundering took place between 234 and 250.

Humans and Elves
In the year 234, humans had spread across the great plains of Palitnum and established a capital on Long River named Palitnum City. Ruling at the time was King Jehad, the Third King of Palitnum, who had a romantic vision of human civilization stretching all along the horizon. He sent out explorers to the Northern Tundra, the Eastern Coasts, and the Western Woodlands. When woodlands-bound parties arrived at the forest, they were greeted with the drawn bows and deadly, poisoned longswords of the Shri'Landi.

This order of rangers and druids were dedicated to the defense of the Elves of Hearthforest, a much older and advanced civilization, and prevented the humans from expanding into their beloved forest homeland. The explorers were forced to turn back; when they had reported what they'd experienced, King Jehad immediately went to greet the Shir'Landi and negotiate peace. Lorelion Liawen, or Leafblade, the legendary elvish ranger and leader of the Shri'Landi, after listening to Jehad's story of human struggle, grew fond of the newcomers and decided to establish trade relations. The Treaty of Trees was signed in 237 at the sight known simply as The Source (where Loing River exits the forest and enters the plains). The treaty said: With the borders drawn and the rules established, humans and elves could coexist and even interact, though it was limited. As time passed, strict trade relationships became more lax, and elves were more and more frequently seen in human cities, though the Shri'Landi still intimidated any human attempting to cross into the woods. The Half-Elf race became officially recognized in Palitnum around 243, and people of this race enjoyed dual citizenship and free travel between both kingdoms.
 * 1) The borders of two nations are drawn: Elves shall reside in the grand, ancient forest known as Hearthforest, and Men shall live in the open grasslands known as Palitnum.
 * 2) No human shall tresspass on elvish lands without permission and escort of the Shri'Landi. No elf shall tresspass on human lands without permission and escort of the Silver Shields.
 * 3) No human shall use Hearthforest as a resource for building structures in Palitnum. The colder, bountiful taiga and tundra regions of the north shall be given to Palitnum as a gift of trust.
 * 4) In order to build a trusting, mutually beneficial trade relationship, Long River shall be used as a neutral shipping route, joining the kingdoms of Elves and Men at a new structure simply called the Trading Post. No human ship shall travel beyond into Hearthforest, and no elf ship shall travel beyond into Palitnum.
 * 5) For the educational purposes of both cultures, students of the arcane and divine shall be allowed access to the major cities of Mossgate and Palitnum City via a permanent portal system. Scholars of both nations will make up a bi-racial organization known as the Guild of Mages, who will guard the portals and study the nature of the world and extensions of it. The eladrin T'zan of Time will be Archmage of the guild.

Tharizdun and Melora
Before the year 250, Arenia was one continent. What was known before third age as the Arctic North became the disconnected Frozen Wastes by the fourth. The godlike demon Tharizdun had forced his way into the mortal world from the Abyss through an ancient magical gate in the Arctic North that was built by an archaic race, now extinct, known as the Deva. Frostgate, as it's called, was a portal to the Abyss, probably created to allow wizards and other scholarly magicians access to greater sources of magic. Tharizdun, assuming the shape of a man, began to assemble a legion of demons and brainwashed cultists alike, by erecting runed pillars thorughout Palitnum that transmitted magical energy known as Tharizdun's Whisper.

By 245, Tharizdun had enough followers gathered in the Arctic North to wage war on both Elves and Men. Blissfully unaware, Palitnum was not prepared when Tharizdun took his true form and sent his army to destroy everything they could from the north. The Silver Shields attempted to strike back and defend their people, but resistance was scattered and many retreated back to Palitnum and even into the March Ruins. Luckily, the Shri'Landi had noticed a larger number of elves moving into Palitnum, and convertly sent spies to observe the strange behavior beginning in the 240's. They had figured out what was happening, and prayed to their host goddess Melora, who lived among the Eladrin in the Feywild, to assist them and their ally in this time of peril. Melora heard, and decided to intervene. The Sundering had begun.

Tharizdun had struck the first blow, and the humans were hit hard, but they had allies. The Shri'Landi brought Melora from the Feywild into Palitnum to attack from the west, forcing the demons back into the arctic. The Guild of Mages, though young, disrupted Tharizdun's Whisper where ever they could. What remained of the Silver Shields held the line in Palitnum and slowly advanced northward, calling on Pelor to give them strength. All four forces met in a grand battle at the border of Palitnum and the Arctic North. Tharizdun slew many, but as the Shields and the Shri'Landi kept him occupied, Melora and the Guild exhausted their energies conjuring a vast portal beneath Tharizdun's feet. The void sundered the land and drew the endless waters of the ocean down into the Abyss, dragging the mighty Tharizdun and many rangers and paladins with him. The land broke and shifted, forever separating Arenia into two continents with an endless maelstrom, making passage between them nearly impossible. Melora's physical form was destroyed in the process, the strain of the expression of such power literally disintegrating her. Her essence travelled back to the Feywild, and cannot return to the mortal world again. The humans had to rebuild most of their kingdom, but their relationship with the elves grew stronger and the Treaty of the Trees was largely ignored after The Sundering.