The Night of Lightning

The Night of Lightning was a disaster that befell the city of Helmira during the middle of the Fourth Era. It resulted in the collapse of the White-Gold Tower, the death of Emperor Charles III Viromaro and the prosecution and destruction of almost all ancient magical Orders.

Prelude

Emperor Charles III Viromaro inherited the throne at only fourteen years of age, after his father's brutal death during the Massacre at Summerhal. He managed to successfully destroy the slave revolts in Alcanzar, bringing peace back to the realm. However, ever since he feared another uprising, and tried desperately to increase the power of House Viromaro and the Empire. Funding to the Imperial Legion and the Navy increased massively, and a series of great walls began construction. Lord Sahar, a member of the Helmiran Society of Ancient Magic and Witchcraft offered the services of the Society to the Emperor, promising the possibility of eternal life and invincibility. After seeing a demonstration in the imperial palace of a pig being killed and brought back to life through blood magic, the Emperor became convinced of the power of the Society, and offered a near unlimited amount of funds to gather all the ancient magical organisations from across the Empire. The most secretive of these, the Helmsdeep Circle, had originally served the Kings of Helmsdeep during the Second Era, performing animal sacrifices in what is today the Mercenary Bank. Eventually the Circle was convinced to move to Helmira from their sanctuary in northern Attica, where they took residence in the newly built Winterhal Palace.