Fourth Interregnum

Interregnums are those periods of time where the church has been without an Arch-Warden.

Cause

The fourth, and most recent, Interregnum was a 22-year civil war that lasted from 909-931 FI. It began when Quil Myth was assassinated and the Stone-Warden disjoined by Petaran Red Wizards in retaliation for a church-backed Alexandrian uprising, and later occupation, in the Principality of Udrell. The power vacuum exposed the fault lines and conflicts among the Stand and the Alexandrian Nations, which almost immedately turned on each other in a mad scramble for the Arch-Wardency, during which time the Petarans were easily able to retake Udrell.

Participants

Although historians argue for up to two dozen different factions at the outset of the conflict, within the first two years, the field had been whittled down to five serious contenders, which could be roughly classified as (1) the Gildenhome Alliance, led by Edrell Dakt, a Dwarven engineer; (2) The Odessa/Flannari Alliance, led by King Hadrall I of Odessa; (3) The Celstia/Ubrekt Alliance, led by Joshua Swyft VI of Celstia; (4) The Fresians; and (5) The Gnomes. It should be noted that the Gnomes were not active combatants in the Interregnum period, but rather their support would be virtually required in any final settlement. Also worth nothing is the allegiance of the three Blessed Companies, who were all part of Dakt's faction.

Outcome

By 925 FI, Dakt and the Gildenhome Alliance had subdued or turned most of the Odessan and Flannari contingents, and had the support of the Gnomes. When he marched on Ubrekt City, victory seemed eminent, as only Fresia and Celstia remained at arms. However, a Celstian alliance with the Petarans would drag the war out for five more bloody years. The Petarans finally withdrew from Celstia in 930, leading to its swift capitulation. Surrounded on all sides, the Fresian princes fought on for nine more months before finally agreeing to Dakt's ascension in 931 FI.

Fresian Resistance

The Fresian resistance became a force of its own, drawing out this conflict. In their eyes, the assassination of Quil Myth was an omen indicating the need for fresh leadership. They were determined to resist Dakt's ascension because they felt they had a much better candidate.

In 908 FI, before the Fourth Interregnum, Hastust Alzstadt, the son of Emperor Aricus Alzstadt, came into possession of a powerful sword that Fresians alleged was the Hammer of the Eight. This event and Hastust's heroic status convinced the Fresian government and its people that he was the obvious choice for Arch-Warden. Some Wardens initially agreed with this sentiment, but Edrell Dakt was a strategic juggernaut and gained their loyalty in due time.

The Fresian resistance was quite fierce, especially so when Flannari joined the Gildenhome Alliance. While they held out longer than any other opposing faction, they ultimately failed.

In 930 FI, Hastust was killed in his tent by an explosion shortly after a small victory. The Emperor's will was broken by his son's death, the Hammer of the Eight was nowhere to be found, and the Fresia Princes couldn't keep the families investing in war without their uniting champion. Many sages believe that the remaining months of combat were only waged to give the Fresians a better bargaining position when they eventually agreed to Dakt's ascension.