But its glory was short-lived, for even the great empire could not withstand the terrific strain of such an unprecedented war, and fractured into countless feuding states. In the end, the empire of Vandel stood alone and victorious, its borders a ruin of no-man's-land and chemical storms, where strange things lurk. One by one they collapsed into anarchy as chemical gasses, new war machines, and other, far more terrifying weapons of war were unleashed on the battlefield. No one had anticipated the sheer devastation that would be unleashed by both sides, but the imperial family's ruthlessness far outstripped the beleagured Entente's efforts to push inwards. It was only natural that enemies of Vandel would circle the old tyrant like vultures, eventually uniting as a single Free Entente with the intent of bringing the empire to heel once and for all.Īnd the ensuing war saw them utterly crushed. However, the world was progressing into one were honor, glory, and chivalry would become things of the past in the face of the cold rationality of the battlefield, the aristocracy slowly giving way to new ideas and ways of doing things. Possessed of great military strength, vast swathes of land, and a stable political base, unrivaled in its scientific and alchemical skill, its rivals were legion and its foes many. Amongst all the great powers of the world, the empire of Vandel was absolutely without peer.

Dwarf fortress silver armor