The Rune Wars are a series of conflicts involving rune warriors that took place on Eo between the years 8 and 15 after the Convocation
Its events are depicted through the games SpellForce: The Order of Dawn, SpellForce: Breath of Winter and SpellForce: Shadow of the Phoenix.
Timeline
The Rune Wars started in the year 8 A.C. after Rohen Tahir summoned the Phoenix Bearer in the Shadow Pass on the outskirts of Greyfell and ended in the year 15 A.C. after the Phoenix Bearer and Shadow Warrior freed the Phoenix and defeated Hokan Ashir and the Circle, bringing an end to the age of the rune.
The events of these wars take place over multiple years and locations and it's important to note that many of them are only connected by the usage of rune magic. The main events of the rune wars are focused around 3 years:
- 8 after the Convocation (Events of SpellForce: The Order of Dawn)
- 10 after the Convocation (Events of SpellForce: Breath of Winter)
- 15 after the Convocation (Events of SpellForce: Shadow of the Phoenix)
Apart from this, we could assume that they include the adventures of the Messenger, a free rune warrior responsible for releasing the Shadows onto Eo. There is no clear date for when these events happened, but they likely took place around 14-15 after the Convocation. They are depicted in the Free Game Mode Story in SpellForce 1.
For an overview of the entire SpellForce timeline, please refer to this video:
Chronological Timeline
Many notable events happened during the Rune Wars, some of which would be pivotal in shaping the future of Eo. Below is a list of the most notable ones in chronological order, divided into the 4 phases of the wars.
Year 8 after the Convocation:
- Rohen summons the Phoenix Bearer
- To combat the growing threat , Rohen Tahir, a surviving Circle Mage summons the Phoenix Bearer
- Rohen Tahir's death
- Rohen Tahir is killed after being ambushed by the Dark One at the Frost Marshes
- The Phoenix Bearer's deal with Hokan Ashir
- In need of information, the Phoenix Bearer returns the fractured Mask of Belial to the spirit of the deceased Circle Mage Hokan Ashir in Whisper.
- The Phoenix Bearer retrieves the Phoenix
- Searching for a weapon able to stop the Dark One, the Phoenix Bearer retrieves the Phoenix Stone from the archives of Mulandir.
- Annihilation of the Order of Dawn
- In an attempt to pave the way into the heart of the enemy, the Order of Dawn musters all its forces to break the blockade of Blades at the Frost Marshes. They succeed, yet their ranks are decimated as a result.
Year 10 after the Convocation:
- Cenwen is abducted by a Fial Darg
- A Fial Darg abducts the elven queen Cenwen from Aryn's side which causes great unrest across the lands.
- The Shadow Warrior is summoned
- Two humans, Lena and Grim summon the Shadow Warrior in the marshes of Mirraw Thur.
- Rise of the Crimson Empire
- Under the leadership of the Fial Darg, the Crimson Empire, a section of Dark Elves from Shal'Dun rises to power.
- Acquisition of the Shadowblade
- In order to defeat the Fial Darg, the Shadow Warrior acquires the Shadowblade. A powerful sword from beyond the boundaries of Eo. However, this causes him to slowly turn into a Shadow himself.
- Death of the Fial Darg and Cenwen's return
- The Fial Darg is slain by the Shadow Warrior. Cenwen is returned to Aryn
Year 15 after the Convocation:
- Hokan Ashir revives the Circle
- Using the blood of a God, Hokan Ashir revives the members of the Circle and forces them in his servitude.
- Shadow Warrior's predicament
- Being used by Hokan with the promise that he can stop his transition into a Shadow, the Shadow Warrior is sent to kill the Dryad of the Life Tree. However, upon meeting her, he decides against Hokan's requests and vows to stop him.
- Phoenix Bearer's search for Darius
- On behest of Darius, the Phoenix Bearer comes to Xu and meets up with Urias. The two start acting to stop Hokan Ashir's plans.
- Phoenix Bearer and Shadow Warrior unite
- After the Phoenix Bearer freed the Shadow Warrior from Hokan's captivity (following his betrayal of Hokan), the two decide to join forces and end the Circle once and for all.
- The Phoenix is unleashed
- Using the Shadowblade, the two rune warriors open the Phoenix Stone and release the Phoenix trapped inside it. The creature destroys the Circle who once imprisoned it. The era of the rune is over.
Events of the Free Game Mode
- The Shadows permanently enter Eo
- Toth Lar uses the Messenger to resurrect Nazshar who then manages to open a permanent pathway for the Shadows to enter Eo.
Locations
The battles of the Rune Wars took place across many different regions of Eo. Most notably on the continents of Fiara, Urgath and Xu. As they are depicted in the three SpellForce 1 games, we can assume all the locations from those games to also be part of the Rune Wars.
- For an interactive world map featuring the locations above, please visit the following link