Athenian Crusade

Category	Wars
Period	1539 - 1551
Theater	Lands of Purity
Belligerents	Holy Quinary VS Black Tide
Maps	Adellum Hadraniel

The Athenian Crusade was a war between the sacred forces of the Lands of Purity and the undead legions of the Black Tide. For the Lands of Purity, it marked the commencement of the end for the forty-year occupation of their cities by armies loyal to Thasmudyan.

The initial major engagement was the Severed Neck Battle. Many subsequent battles and sieges followed, each steadily driving the malevolent hordes northward and then eastward across the Lands of Purity. The Galathien Sea was leveraged to conduct amphibious landings against Elgatâz and flank attacks against the retreating armies of the Black Tide. The elves of the Galadriël prevented any escape by sea.

While these battles raged across the Lands of Purity, another war against the Black Tide commenced in Lirgaza. This conflict became known as the Artery War ( 1546 - 1554 ) . These two wars significantly diminished the fighting prowess of the Black Tide, who found themselves caught between hostile empires on all sides. The outcome was quickly recognized by the First Dead Council, but there was nothing they could do for their minions, their abhorrent hordes of undead. However, the leaders managed to survive to fight another day, abandoning their troops to be annihilated or scattered into the wilds.

Retreating eastward through the Marrow Fields, it is said that when the righteous pursuers reached Khilag-Tarkin, they witnessed a miraculous sight. The five phoenixes of Viressur appeared over the battlefield, wingtip to wingtip, trailing wisps of fire in their wake. They called down firestorms and walls of fire upon hundreds of evil creatures, swiftly reducing them to ash. The Firestorms of the Phoenix also halted the relentless pursuit by the forces of good. This event was a merciful signal from the phoenixes, granting clemency to the terrified hordes of Thasmudyan, for as any true good knows, mercy is perhaps the greatest virtuous deed. The army of the Athenian Crusade, thousands strong, in unison, bowed down and prayed, giving thanks to their deities for granting them valor and blessing them with victory over the Black Tide of Thasmudyan. The Athenian Crusade concluded, but the plight of the fleeing evil hordes was far from over, for they had to fight through the Sorrow Pass, attacked by the Orchish Empire and other groups preying on the once formidable armies of the Black Tide. Upon reaching Hells Womb, the remnants of these armies joined the Artery War.

A year following the Athenian Crusade, a massive statue, weighing 200 tons, was erected at the location of the Firestorms of Phoenix . This towering monument is known as the Phoenixes of Mercy, a revered pilgrimage site within the Lands of Purity. Due to its proximity to hostile borders, a fortress of equal magnificence, named Gadyan, was constructed to safeguard the sacred Phoenixes.