The Verdant Schism

Event Date: 220 AC
Faction Color: #2E5A2E

Overview:
The Verdant Schism of 220 AC was a transformative conflict within Sylvaris, a primal enclave of druids and rangers dedicated to Ecliptica’s natural balance. The schism erupted when High Warden Eryndor Leafshade’s radical isolationism clashed with Sylvara Thornbloom’s vision of active resistance against industrial corruption. In the heart of the Sylvarbloom Grove, Sylvara’s coalition of Verdant Covenant druids overthrew Eryndor, whose experiments with tainted Aetherian runes unleashed Xyraxis’s Witherplague. This steampunk horror event, marked by miasma-choked vines and Morgrath’s whispers, solidified Sylvaris’s role as Ecliptica’s ecological guardians but strained ties with Albion and Ironreach, influencing the Ravensgate lockdown (290 AC). The schism’s legacy endures in Sylvaris’s herbal wards and its crusade against the Aetherian seal’s decay, risking a second Calamity.

Causes:
After the Calamity (0 AC), Sylvaris arose from Aetherian druids who preserved primal groves against Xyraxis’s Witherplague. By 220 AC, High Warden Eryndor Leafshade, a half-elf druid, led Sylvaris into isolation, sealing the Sylvarbloom Grove to protect its sacred flora. Eryndor’s obsession with Aetherian runes, salvaged from Crownspire ruins, aimed to bolster wards but drew Xulthar’s voids, corrupting groves with miasma. Sylvara Thornbloom, a human ranger and Eryndor’s apprentice, advocated aiding external factions like Albion to combat plagues, using Sylvarbloom herbs. Morgrath’s whispers fueled dissent, amplifying clan fears of Witherplague. Ironreach’s darkstone mining and Albion’s rune-wards, blamed for seal leaks, galvanized Sylvara’s faction. When Eryndor’s rituals summoned void-tainted vines that strangled clan elders, Sylvara rallied the Verdant Covenant to depose him.

Key Events:

  • Corrupted Rituals: In the Sylvarbloom Grove, Eryndor’s rune-rituals, conducted in the Thornheart Sanctum, unleashed Witherplague, turning vines into writhing, miasma-spewing tendrils. Clan elder Liora Greenveil perished, sparking outrage.

  • Sylvara’s Rebellion: Sylvara, with ranger Kael Willowshade and druid Taryn Emberthorn, formed the Verdant Covenant. Using primal wards and herbal concoctions, they countered Eryndor’s void-tainted flora in the Grove’s heart.

  • Battle of the Thornheart: In a fog-laden clash, Sylvara’s forces faced Eryndor’s loyalists and void-vines. Kael’s steam-bow, forged with Ironreach aid, pierced corrupted roots, while Sylvara banished Eryndor into a Veil rift with a Sylvarbloom-infused ward.

  • Sylvara’s Ascension: Declaring herself Verdant Queen, Sylvara purified the Grove, forging a primal crown from cleansed vines. The Covenant vowed to protect Ecliptica’s balance, supplying herbs to Plague Doctors.

Consequences:
The schism ousted Eryndor, establishing Sylvara’s leadership and Sylvaris’s mission to combat industrial corruption. The Sylvarbloom Grove was purified, but its scars drew Nocturne’s relic hunters, seeking rune fragments. Albion’s King Thorne II, wary of Sylvara’s anti-rune stance, limited trade, while Ironreach’s Forgemaster Drenvar Steelrend scorned Sylvaris’s anti-mining rhetoric, straining alliances. Valthorne’s Archoness Lyria Valthorne offered firearms to Sylvara, fostering a cautious pact against Albion’s arcane hubris. The schism’s Witherplague outbreak spread to Ravensgate’s slums, precursor to the District of Desolation, prompting Plague Doctors to adopt Sylvarbloom herbs. The Ebon Star exploited the coup’s rifts, widening seal leaks and summoning void-beasts, while Morgrath’s whispers lingered, fueling Sylvara’s paranoia.

Lasting Impact:
In 300 AC, the Verdant Schism defines Sylvaris’s role as Ecliptica’s ecological stewards. Sylvara’s herbal wards bolster Plague Doctors in the District of Desolation, countering Witherplague during the Ravensgate lockdown (290 AC). The Sylvarbloom Grove, a beacon of primal resilience, attracts Nocturne’s cabals, risking relic theft. Sylvaris’s tensions with Albion and Ironreach, rooted in the schism, hinder lockdown cooperation, while Valthorne’s alliance strengthens anti-magic efforts. The schism’s void-rifts, still pulsing with Xulthar’s energy, threaten the Aetherian seal, and Morgrath’s whispers haunt Sylvara’s dreams, warning of a second Calamity. The Covenant’s herbal innovations inspire Plague Doctors’ cures, but Sylvaris’s isolationist legacy and rune-tainted scars make it a flashpoint in Ecliptica’s struggle against the Eldritch Gods.