michaelrotov1234
New member
Introduction
This is a compendium of the EmpireWar Roleplay server (EW RP) that was open for 2 weeks in August 2013, however preparations for it have begun since early March. This period is commonly referred to the 'Golden Age' of the history of this server, yet many do not understand the details of this period and draw false conclusions. The objective of this post is to provide entertainment, allow players to learn more about our server's history and clear common misconceptions.
For those who have not played during the time of the RP server, the server was basically dominated by 3 major factions (Blackfyre, Ilthilien and Kargeth). There was a lot of diplomacy going on before the opening of the server, with many petty arguments which could rival those that could be experienced today. It was a fun time, but not completely a smooth ride. Also the RP server had nothing to do with LoTR except for naming influences done at the discretion of the faction leaders.
History
Part 1: Preparations
1. The Early Days
This period lasted from March 2013 to the end of June 2013. The only dominant faction was Blackfyre, which was founded during late March 2013 by Everybody13 (Aegon Blackfyre).
Blackfyre's founding marks the beginning of the RP server's proper history as there were only a few comments on the RP forums. Blackfyre slowly began to grow during this period, and numerous plans were made about different aspects of how Blackfyre would be run.
On April 6 lucolas founded House Silverwood, which was sworn to Blackfyre. Everybody13 also appointed other bannermen and set up his government under the model of a great house in A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones), with his small council and kingsguard. OverlordCommand also pledged fealty and became the leader of House Ryswell.
Other petty factions rose and fell during the same period of time. However, one of them remained standing, despite Blackfyre's threat to destroy it with Fire and Blood, and lurked in the background, always watching. The Ilthilien Rangers.
The Ilthilien Rangers were founded in early June, and its leader dwight333 vowed to lead the 'elite yet unknown' force and rise into the light. Obviously this seemed like a hollow threat considering Blackfyre was 'the best organisation in the game' during that point. Numerous threats were made against Ilthilien (some of which were slightly ironic in retrospect), but otherwise not much happened except when Blackfyre and Ilthilien made peace during mid-june, starting a long-term alliance which was only occasionally broken. However, Ilthilien did not prosper during this time and dwight considered closing it down and joining another faction. As we all know, he didn't.
2. The Summer Sun
This period lasted between the beginning of July until the middle of July. The most significant event of this period was the extremely rapid rise of Ilthilien. Ilthilien had only 10 members, but it was slowly growing and beginning to gain capable commanders. On July 3 michaelrotov1234 (Essos Arandur) cast his lot with Ilthilien and was appointed military advisor. The councilmen of Ilthilien and the advisor began to establish plans to fulfill dwight's dream of gaining importance, among the most important decisions was the plan to establish Ilthilien along the southern Ered Fanya and also gain Deep Grove. This act would later largely determine the boundaries of Ilthilien and hence influence other factions.
Blackfyre slowly began to realise Ilthilien's importance yet the two factions remained allies, competing only in recruitment. Border talks were done through PM and since there were only 2 major factions there were not many border disputes, and those which occurred were quickly ironed out. Blackfyre decided to settle in the southwest, west of the river Erduin, while Ilthilien would settle in the southeast, east of the Ered Fanya and in Deep Grove.
There were also new organisations and factions. YianniC established a Blackfyre Archer Squad to complement its infantry and calvary, and Reddagger, an elite archer faction consisting of the best archers known to the EW community, was established by polarnik. (members included lotrloz, md_k47 etc). lucolas decided to establish his own province of Felanwood, which was still allied with Blackfyre and Ilthilien, and more tightly associated with Blackfyre.
3. Growing Storms
Both Blackfyre and Ilthilien continued to grow, although Ilthilien grew more quickly and Ilthilien began to feel threatened. Ilthilien began to adapt the strategy of free settlements in a fashion similar to Blackfyre's bannermen; settlements which would be in territory Ilthilien claimed to be its own were given a choice to join Ilthilien and be under its protection and have trade opportunities. The only requirements were that they would have to swear allegiance to Ilthilien and protect Ilthilien's interests; otherwise they were self governing. This policy was a success due to skillful diplomacy, with Thysduin added to Ilthilien, giving it a strategic port, and Dunamis, a self governing province/kingdom, was founded by TheShadower7. Both factions were content and peacefully coexisted, but there was always the possibility of an unexpected event- the foundation of Kargeth. Both Blackfyre and Ilthilien established their own forums (Ilthilien's is still in use today) to allow for private discussion of plans.
Kargeth was founded during late July by akam7912. It grew even more quickly than Ilthilien thanks to akam's recruiting efforts, and had more than 20 members in 3 days when it was noticed by Blackfyre and Ilthilien. Kargeth also had its share of good advisors, including boogercraft and twgxslugger, but it was viewed as an active threat by both Ilthilien and Blackfyre. This set the stage for some of the most dramatic diplomacy ever experienced in EW RP.
4. Rise of an Empire
There were territorial changes during this period: Blackfyre decided to move north while Kargeth claimed the Western Dunlands and the western shore of the Erduin.
Despite its rapid growth Kargeth had its own problems. Akam7912 was not as competent as Everybody13 and his bannermen, and Ilthilien's court was full of capable military and civilian officers. (This opinion is valid only for the duration of EW RP, a year can make a huge difference) Kargeth's image was not enhanced by akam's 'classes' with dyed diamond armor, bedrock walls, and other suggestions which were impossible to implement in vanilla minecraft. This resulted in Blackfyre's mocking with 'Keeping up with the Kargethians' and other related threads.
In response to the growth of Kargeth, Ilthilien increased its recruitment methods and a recruitment race was on. (This had negative impacts on both factions at vastly different times). TheShadower7 asked for and received permission to establish Dunamis west of the Erduin to contest Kargeth's territory, and Viru555 was similarly asked to build a crossing across the Erduin and establish Thysduin on both sides, hence allowing Ilthilien to deploy calvary in case a war broke out.
5. Final Preparations
Kargeth, although then the largest faction, experienced multiple problems. Its diplomatic strategy alienated both Blackfyre and Ilthilien, and not all of its members knew what was going on so its numbers were inflated. Blackfyre convinced Kargeth that its position was untenable, and discussions of a merger began to take place. However, Blackfyre decided that a completely collapsed Kargeth was in its interests and the deal fell through; nevertheless Kargeth's weakness was exposed and some of its members defected; it was no longer powerful enough to contest Blackfyre or Ilthilien.
Meanwhile all factions made preparations in anticipation of the opening of the server in mid August. Both Blackfyre and Kargeth had plans for its members to assemble at Riverside and do as well as they could amid the chaos, while Ilthilien's strategy was to assemble at Brist, swiftly move south and establish a base at the river crossing at Forlond, so that its members could be supported and future settlement efforts would be easier.
Among one of the most interesting events is Ilthilien's dispute with Dunamis (its own province) due to miscommunication, a phenomenon which was relatively typical in Ilthilien and caused most of its problems. Beastlycraft55, TheShadower7's co-leader, suggested Dunamis settle in the Deep Grove mountains, prompting a series of furious responses by patriotic Ilthilien who were not aware of Dunamis' relationship with Ilthilien, including threats of destruction of Dunamin towns. This was quickly clarified by Ilthilien officials and the issue was solved.
Part 2: The Grand Opening
The EW RP server finally made its grand opening during mid August. Forlond's site was quickly colonised by Ilthilien settlers, while Blackfyrans reached the site that later became Cair Andros. By the next day, Forlond was already under construction with Electric_ice777 as its garrison captain.
Part 3: The Dragon and the Tree
1. The Demon Attacks
A Demon Gate
The demon attacks first began approximately a week after the server opened. The first sign anyone had was when Demon's Gate, a Blackfyran fortress, was attacked by a huge number of monsters spewing forth from an obsidian portal that appeared out of nowhere. A few Ilthilien were also there to witness the attack. The attack was driven off, but it was clear that there would be more to come. As a result, the fortress of Forlond and the opposite settlement of Edessa were further fortified, while Blackfyre made active preparations to meet the demons in battle.
Soon Cair Andros, the Blackfyran capital, was besieged by hundreds of demons including blazes, zombies and skeletons. Loads of Blackfyre men died, but in the end the line was held. Forlond had the majority of the fortifications facing the Erduin, but unfortunately it was assaulted by a lesser force of demons from the back. Unfortunate for the demons that is, for a back wall had just been erected when the demons attacked, and the demons had to fight uphill to reach the Ilthilien positions. That, and the small size of their army, led to an Ilthilien victory with light casualties. However, Ilthilien thought it would suffer a Blackfyre like attack and hence secret refuges and colonies were made. Other settlements were also attacked.
Blackfyran soldiers prepare to repel a demon attack
Siege of Cair Andros
In light of this, the leaders of Blackfyre and Ilthilien began plans to deal with the demons. Blackfyre discovered a huge cavern where the demons spawned from underneath their capital, and Ilthilien observers were invited to discuss the situation. In the end, it was decided that the demons had to be dealt with quickly in order to restore peace, and Ilthilien began to draw plans up for a northern expedition to The Wall. However, before plans could be carried out yet another war broke out.
2. The Ilthilien-Blackfyre War (Also known as the Blackfyre war, the Arpenian war or 'the war')
Pre-existing tensions
For all the various reasons behind this conflict, it was perhaps inevitable at some point. Both Blackfyre and Ilthilien were dominant powers in Arpenia, with Blackfyre more established and militaristic while Ilthilien was newer and mainly presented itself as an economic and political power. Regardless of their origins and strengths, both factions had strong ambitions, particularly during Ilthilien's rise challenging Blackfyre's hegemony for the first time in its history. Naturally, some lords and leaders on both sides would resent the other faction for 'hindering' their own power.
The war begins
Despite these challenges, neither Ilthilien nor Blackfyre wanted a war at the beginning with both factions focusing on the Kargethien problem. Even after it was solved, both sides wished to maintain peace. However, this peace was abruptly broken by one Natsu Dragonheel (madmanxtreme) and one Duke Hermanicus (akam).
Forlond was a chaos throughout Arpenia's history, with various factions striving to gain control over this important fortress. Madmanxtreme claimed to be the leader of Forlond's garrison and successfully used this Baravian Fire Drill to launch an attack at Cair Andros, the Blackfyre capital. There he slew Blackfyre's men and even wrecked some structures. Naturally, Blackfyre was furious and sent his lords to ask for an explanation. Negotiations were proceeding well until Natsu started singing the Rains of Castamere. From that point onward, war was truely inevitable.
Blackfyre successes
Blackfyre directed several attacks at the Forlond fortress, besieging the northern city. While the inner keep was barely breached due to the valour of Ilthilien's men, the outer keep was overrun and reduced to ruins by Blackfyre's siege engines. Many Ilthilien were slaughtered in the raids. Meanwhile, another Blackfyre team went to Ilthilia (Ilthilien's capital) and demolished it using explosives, inciting great anger from the Ilthilien due to the attack on this settlement which was barely begun and the wanton destruction of terrain.
Ilthilien successes
Meanwhile Ilthilien also had successes. Several raids were launched at Cair Andros, mainly under madmanxtreme's inciting of Ilthilien's men, while Kargethien Edessa also provided support although it wished to play both sides in order to take advantage. However, Ilthilien's main successes lay in the political and economic field. Nearly all of the settlements south of the Erduin were Ilthilien, its allies, trade partners or its vassal states, including Deep Grove's city of Athos, while Blackfyre's bannermen in Archenhall declared neutrality, leaving Blackfyre as mainly only Cair Andros. While Blackfyre's warriors might have been more experienced, they had a severe numerical disadvantage. However, Ilthilien never brought its numbers to full bear, for diplomacy also ended the war.
The end
By this point both sides realised that a continuation of the war was pointless. Blackfyre and Ilthilien negotiated peace, with both sides apologising to each other for their intrusions after a fiercely debated compromise in which Ilthilien was shown its lack of military strength while Blackfyre was shown the futility of fighting a heavily outnumbered war while demons were still at his gate.
Part 4: Pax Arpenia
Everybody13 proposed a peace treaty, but it was rejected by Ilthilien as it was considered harsh. After intense negotiations another treaty was drafted by michaelrotov1234 and it was accepted by all major parties. This signaled the end of the Ilthilien-Blackfyre war, the only full-scale war ever to break out in Arpenia.
With the treaty came peace. All major factions were allies once again with the exception of Reddagger, but they did not continue hostilities. However, the military forces of Blackfyre and Ilthilien did not stay idle; new plans were drawn up in case the demons attacked again or even to go on the offensive to crush them once and for all. Ilthilien's settlements continued to grow, Forlond was repaired and Ilthilia was beginning to be rebuilt, and trade flourished. The demon problem was once again the foremost concern and plans were examined in detail, with the expedition poised to leave.
Unfortunately, the RP server closed down two days later at the height of Arpenia's glory. It would be pointless to imagine what would have happened had it not closed down, but arguments continue still to this day.
Part 5: Epilogue
Note: Server names are only mentioned if they do not pose a threat to the user base of EW Siege (i.e. if the settlement attempts failed/server closed/server is not popular), but hints towards other servers may be contained in this section.
The RP server closed down on Aug 29 due to various reasons. However, none of the major empires ended along with the RP server. Everybody13 proposed opening a new server which became Lorestorm, however it was mainly Blackfyran and ultimately closed down. Here are the fates of the 3 empires:
Blackfyre: Moved to Lorestorm, inactive after lorestorm closed down. Everybody13 is considering to open The Golden Company to 'retake what was lost' and is bidding his time. Numerous Blackfyrans have joined Ilthilien and Kargethians in their other adventures.
Ilthilien: Currently still standing in another server and is the only remaining faction from EW RP. It went inactive after EW RP closed down, but thanks to the efforts of madmanxtreme, e_mod and others it reopened itself on Dawn of Empires. It then subsequently migrated to another server and is now a town in a nation on that server. However it underwent a huge crisis during mid-March 2014, and now it lies in ruins although there are efforts to restore it to its former glory. Its forum is still operational.
Kargeth: Disbanded after EW RP closed down. Its successor, Valinor, was relatively successful on RPGuilds but its members then went inactive and akam was banned. Its members joined Ilthilien during their latest settlement attempt, but some Ilthilien split off and formed Pelargir, which is located in the same nation and province as Ilthilien.
Although the three empires still existed, their history was no longer tied to that of Arpenia although they are still waiting for the day they could return, and the same chapter of history which all three empires shared was closed. Hence Arpenia was ended, but not that of its people.
This is a compendium of the EmpireWar Roleplay server (EW RP) that was open for 2 weeks in August 2013, however preparations for it have begun since early March. This period is commonly referred to the 'Golden Age' of the history of this server, yet many do not understand the details of this period and draw false conclusions. The objective of this post is to provide entertainment, allow players to learn more about our server's history and clear common misconceptions.
For those who have not played during the time of the RP server, the server was basically dominated by 3 major factions (Blackfyre, Ilthilien and Kargeth). There was a lot of diplomacy going on before the opening of the server, with many petty arguments which could rival those that could be experienced today. It was a fun time, but not completely a smooth ride. Also the RP server had nothing to do with LoTR except for naming influences done at the discretion of the faction leaders.
History
Part 1: Preparations
1. The Early Days
This period lasted from March 2013 to the end of June 2013. The only dominant faction was Blackfyre, which was founded during late March 2013 by Everybody13 (Aegon Blackfyre).
Blackfyre's founding marks the beginning of the RP server's proper history as there were only a few comments on the RP forums. Blackfyre slowly began to grow during this period, and numerous plans were made about different aspects of how Blackfyre would be run.
On April 6 lucolas founded House Silverwood, which was sworn to Blackfyre. Everybody13 also appointed other bannermen and set up his government under the model of a great house in A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones), with his small council and kingsguard. OverlordCommand also pledged fealty and became the leader of House Ryswell.
Other petty factions rose and fell during the same period of time. However, one of them remained standing, despite Blackfyre's threat to destroy it with Fire and Blood, and lurked in the background, always watching. The Ilthilien Rangers.
The Ilthilien Rangers were founded in early June, and its leader dwight333 vowed to lead the 'elite yet unknown' force and rise into the light. Obviously this seemed like a hollow threat considering Blackfyre was 'the best organisation in the game' during that point. Numerous threats were made against Ilthilien (some of which were slightly ironic in retrospect), but otherwise not much happened except when Blackfyre and Ilthilien made peace during mid-june, starting a long-term alliance which was only occasionally broken. However, Ilthilien did not prosper during this time and dwight considered closing it down and joining another faction. As we all know, he didn't.
2. The Summer Sun
This period lasted between the beginning of July until the middle of July. The most significant event of this period was the extremely rapid rise of Ilthilien. Ilthilien had only 10 members, but it was slowly growing and beginning to gain capable commanders. On July 3 michaelrotov1234 (Essos Arandur) cast his lot with Ilthilien and was appointed military advisor. The councilmen of Ilthilien and the advisor began to establish plans to fulfill dwight's dream of gaining importance, among the most important decisions was the plan to establish Ilthilien along the southern Ered Fanya and also gain Deep Grove. This act would later largely determine the boundaries of Ilthilien and hence influence other factions.
Blackfyre slowly began to realise Ilthilien's importance yet the two factions remained allies, competing only in recruitment. Border talks were done through PM and since there were only 2 major factions there were not many border disputes, and those which occurred were quickly ironed out. Blackfyre decided to settle in the southwest, west of the river Erduin, while Ilthilien would settle in the southeast, east of the Ered Fanya and in Deep Grove.
There were also new organisations and factions. YianniC established a Blackfyre Archer Squad to complement its infantry and calvary, and Reddagger, an elite archer faction consisting of the best archers known to the EW community, was established by polarnik. (members included lotrloz, md_k47 etc). lucolas decided to establish his own province of Felanwood, which was still allied with Blackfyre and Ilthilien, and more tightly associated with Blackfyre.
3. Growing Storms
Both Blackfyre and Ilthilien continued to grow, although Ilthilien grew more quickly and Ilthilien began to feel threatened. Ilthilien began to adapt the strategy of free settlements in a fashion similar to Blackfyre's bannermen; settlements which would be in territory Ilthilien claimed to be its own were given a choice to join Ilthilien and be under its protection and have trade opportunities. The only requirements were that they would have to swear allegiance to Ilthilien and protect Ilthilien's interests; otherwise they were self governing. This policy was a success due to skillful diplomacy, with Thysduin added to Ilthilien, giving it a strategic port, and Dunamis, a self governing province/kingdom, was founded by TheShadower7. Both factions were content and peacefully coexisted, but there was always the possibility of an unexpected event- the foundation of Kargeth. Both Blackfyre and Ilthilien established their own forums (Ilthilien's is still in use today) to allow for private discussion of plans.
Kargeth was founded during late July by akam7912. It grew even more quickly than Ilthilien thanks to akam's recruiting efforts, and had more than 20 members in 3 days when it was noticed by Blackfyre and Ilthilien. Kargeth also had its share of good advisors, including boogercraft and twgxslugger, but it was viewed as an active threat by both Ilthilien and Blackfyre. This set the stage for some of the most dramatic diplomacy ever experienced in EW RP.
4. Rise of an Empire
There were territorial changes during this period: Blackfyre decided to move north while Kargeth claimed the Western Dunlands and the western shore of the Erduin.
Despite its rapid growth Kargeth had its own problems. Akam7912 was not as competent as Everybody13 and his bannermen, and Ilthilien's court was full of capable military and civilian officers. (This opinion is valid only for the duration of EW RP, a year can make a huge difference) Kargeth's image was not enhanced by akam's 'classes' with dyed diamond armor, bedrock walls, and other suggestions which were impossible to implement in vanilla minecraft. This resulted in Blackfyre's mocking with 'Keeping up with the Kargethians' and other related threads.
In response to the growth of Kargeth, Ilthilien increased its recruitment methods and a recruitment race was on. (This had negative impacts on both factions at vastly different times). TheShadower7 asked for and received permission to establish Dunamis west of the Erduin to contest Kargeth's territory, and Viru555 was similarly asked to build a crossing across the Erduin and establish Thysduin on both sides, hence allowing Ilthilien to deploy calvary in case a war broke out.
5. Final Preparations
Kargeth, although then the largest faction, experienced multiple problems. Its diplomatic strategy alienated both Blackfyre and Ilthilien, and not all of its members knew what was going on so its numbers were inflated. Blackfyre convinced Kargeth that its position was untenable, and discussions of a merger began to take place. However, Blackfyre decided that a completely collapsed Kargeth was in its interests and the deal fell through; nevertheless Kargeth's weakness was exposed and some of its members defected; it was no longer powerful enough to contest Blackfyre or Ilthilien.
Meanwhile all factions made preparations in anticipation of the opening of the server in mid August. Both Blackfyre and Kargeth had plans for its members to assemble at Riverside and do as well as they could amid the chaos, while Ilthilien's strategy was to assemble at Brist, swiftly move south and establish a base at the river crossing at Forlond, so that its members could be supported and future settlement efforts would be easier.
Among one of the most interesting events is Ilthilien's dispute with Dunamis (its own province) due to miscommunication, a phenomenon which was relatively typical in Ilthilien and caused most of its problems. Beastlycraft55, TheShadower7's co-leader, suggested Dunamis settle in the Deep Grove mountains, prompting a series of furious responses by patriotic Ilthilien who were not aware of Dunamis' relationship with Ilthilien, including threats of destruction of Dunamin towns. This was quickly clarified by Ilthilien officials and the issue was solved.
Part 2: The Grand Opening
The EW RP server finally made its grand opening during mid August. Forlond's site was quickly colonised by Ilthilien settlers, while Blackfyrans reached the site that later became Cair Andros. By the next day, Forlond was already under construction with Electric_ice777 as its garrison captain.
Part 3: The Dragon and the Tree
1. The Demon Attacks
A Demon Gate
The demon attacks first began approximately a week after the server opened. The first sign anyone had was when Demon's Gate, a Blackfyran fortress, was attacked by a huge number of monsters spewing forth from an obsidian portal that appeared out of nowhere. A few Ilthilien were also there to witness the attack. The attack was driven off, but it was clear that there would be more to come. As a result, the fortress of Forlond and the opposite settlement of Edessa were further fortified, while Blackfyre made active preparations to meet the demons in battle.
Soon Cair Andros, the Blackfyran capital, was besieged by hundreds of demons including blazes, zombies and skeletons. Loads of Blackfyre men died, but in the end the line was held. Forlond had the majority of the fortifications facing the Erduin, but unfortunately it was assaulted by a lesser force of demons from the back. Unfortunate for the demons that is, for a back wall had just been erected when the demons attacked, and the demons had to fight uphill to reach the Ilthilien positions. That, and the small size of their army, led to an Ilthilien victory with light casualties. However, Ilthilien thought it would suffer a Blackfyre like attack and hence secret refuges and colonies were made. Other settlements were also attacked.
Blackfyran soldiers prepare to repel a demon attack
Siege of Cair Andros
In light of this, the leaders of Blackfyre and Ilthilien began plans to deal with the demons. Blackfyre discovered a huge cavern where the demons spawned from underneath their capital, and Ilthilien observers were invited to discuss the situation. In the end, it was decided that the demons had to be dealt with quickly in order to restore peace, and Ilthilien began to draw plans up for a northern expedition to The Wall. However, before plans could be carried out yet another war broke out.
2. The Ilthilien-Blackfyre War (Also known as the Blackfyre war, the Arpenian war or 'the war')
Pre-existing tensions
For all the various reasons behind this conflict, it was perhaps inevitable at some point. Both Blackfyre and Ilthilien were dominant powers in Arpenia, with Blackfyre more established and militaristic while Ilthilien was newer and mainly presented itself as an economic and political power. Regardless of their origins and strengths, both factions had strong ambitions, particularly during Ilthilien's rise challenging Blackfyre's hegemony for the first time in its history. Naturally, some lords and leaders on both sides would resent the other faction for 'hindering' their own power.
The war begins
Despite these challenges, neither Ilthilien nor Blackfyre wanted a war at the beginning with both factions focusing on the Kargethien problem. Even after it was solved, both sides wished to maintain peace. However, this peace was abruptly broken by one Natsu Dragonheel (madmanxtreme) and one Duke Hermanicus (akam).
Forlond was a chaos throughout Arpenia's history, with various factions striving to gain control over this important fortress. Madmanxtreme claimed to be the leader of Forlond's garrison and successfully used this Baravian Fire Drill to launch an attack at Cair Andros, the Blackfyre capital. There he slew Blackfyre's men and even wrecked some structures. Naturally, Blackfyre was furious and sent his lords to ask for an explanation. Negotiations were proceeding well until Natsu started singing the Rains of Castamere. From that point onward, war was truely inevitable.
Blackfyre successes
Blackfyre directed several attacks at the Forlond fortress, besieging the northern city. While the inner keep was barely breached due to the valour of Ilthilien's men, the outer keep was overrun and reduced to ruins by Blackfyre's siege engines. Many Ilthilien were slaughtered in the raids. Meanwhile, another Blackfyre team went to Ilthilia (Ilthilien's capital) and demolished it using explosives, inciting great anger from the Ilthilien due to the attack on this settlement which was barely begun and the wanton destruction of terrain.
Ilthilien successes
Meanwhile Ilthilien also had successes. Several raids were launched at Cair Andros, mainly under madmanxtreme's inciting of Ilthilien's men, while Kargethien Edessa also provided support although it wished to play both sides in order to take advantage. However, Ilthilien's main successes lay in the political and economic field. Nearly all of the settlements south of the Erduin were Ilthilien, its allies, trade partners or its vassal states, including Deep Grove's city of Athos, while Blackfyre's bannermen in Archenhall declared neutrality, leaving Blackfyre as mainly only Cair Andros. While Blackfyre's warriors might have been more experienced, they had a severe numerical disadvantage. However, Ilthilien never brought its numbers to full bear, for diplomacy also ended the war.
The end
By this point both sides realised that a continuation of the war was pointless. Blackfyre and Ilthilien negotiated peace, with both sides apologising to each other for their intrusions after a fiercely debated compromise in which Ilthilien was shown its lack of military strength while Blackfyre was shown the futility of fighting a heavily outnumbered war while demons were still at his gate.
Part 4: Pax Arpenia
Everybody13 proposed a peace treaty, but it was rejected by Ilthilien as it was considered harsh. After intense negotiations another treaty was drafted by michaelrotov1234 and it was accepted by all major parties. This signaled the end of the Ilthilien-Blackfyre war, the only full-scale war ever to break out in Arpenia.
With the treaty came peace. All major factions were allies once again with the exception of Reddagger, but they did not continue hostilities. However, the military forces of Blackfyre and Ilthilien did not stay idle; new plans were drawn up in case the demons attacked again or even to go on the offensive to crush them once and for all. Ilthilien's settlements continued to grow, Forlond was repaired and Ilthilia was beginning to be rebuilt, and trade flourished. The demon problem was once again the foremost concern and plans were examined in detail, with the expedition poised to leave.
Unfortunately, the RP server closed down two days later at the height of Arpenia's glory. It would be pointless to imagine what would have happened had it not closed down, but arguments continue still to this day.
Part 5: Epilogue
Note: Server names are only mentioned if they do not pose a threat to the user base of EW Siege (i.e. if the settlement attempts failed/server closed/server is not popular), but hints towards other servers may be contained in this section.
The RP server closed down on Aug 29 due to various reasons. However, none of the major empires ended along with the RP server. Everybody13 proposed opening a new server which became Lorestorm, however it was mainly Blackfyran and ultimately closed down. Here are the fates of the 3 empires:
Blackfyre: Moved to Lorestorm, inactive after lorestorm closed down. Everybody13 is considering to open The Golden Company to 'retake what was lost' and is bidding his time. Numerous Blackfyrans have joined Ilthilien and Kargethians in their other adventures.
Ilthilien: Currently still standing in another server and is the only remaining faction from EW RP. It went inactive after EW RP closed down, but thanks to the efforts of madmanxtreme, e_mod and others it reopened itself on Dawn of Empires. It then subsequently migrated to another server and is now a town in a nation on that server. However it underwent a huge crisis during mid-March 2014, and now it lies in ruins although there are efforts to restore it to its former glory. Its forum is still operational.
Kargeth: Disbanded after EW RP closed down. Its successor, Valinor, was relatively successful on RPGuilds but its members then went inactive and akam was banned. Its members joined Ilthilien during their latest settlement attempt, but some Ilthilien split off and formed Pelargir, which is located in the same nation and province as Ilthilien.
Although the three empires still existed, their history was no longer tied to that of Arpenia although they are still waiting for the day they could return, and the same chapter of history which all three empires shared was closed. Hence Arpenia was ended, but not that of its people.
