1st – 3rd years of Destruction

After the Uprising, the Empire’s army was in disarray for some time, trying to rebuild their supply lines. This gave the defenders in Vesper time to regroup, tend to the wounded and to harass the empire some more.

The Period of Destruction actually proved to be positive for the defenders: The magic powers of the wizards and sorcerers from the Arcane Academy were rising constantly giving the defenders an edge over the numerically superior empire, that was nevertheless short on able magicians. It is said that Archwitch Naredia managed to freeze an entire company of imperial troops to icy statues in one battle, and dwarven High Wizardess Rose Brimal turned an enemy general and all his officers into beetles before she took an arrow through the throat.

The fighting waged back and forth for several years, with no side gaining the upper hand long enough to vanquish the other.

All the time the defenders led raids on the Empire’s supply lines, captured enemy officers and set fire to their encampments. The most famous of those raids, led by the halfling paladin Milies Farenmeaf, struck in the heart of Cerea itself, capturing the treasury of the Empire’s army from the occupied building of the Bank of Cerea.