The Starling War

     A thousand years ago the galaxy erupted in what came to be called The Starling War. The war is said to have spanned many years but records are fleeting due to The Fracture which occurred at its conclusion. What is known, however, is that the war revolved around possession of the Lapis Vitae, the Stones of Life. Only seventeen were known to exist and with their ability to resurrect the dead they are a crucial part of of any Nation’s military power and capacity for defense and conquest. The war began when one Nation, no one agrees which one, stole a Lapis Vitae from another in a daring raid. From there came escalating tension, then war, then alliances and treaties brought in others and so the galaxy was consumed. The death toll has never been able to be tallied but it is assumed to be in the tens of millions at the very least.

 

     In time, a peace treaty known as The Radiant Pact brought an end to the conflict. The treaty parceled out the Lapis Vitae among the Six Nations, two to each, and gave the remaining five to the newly created Wardens of the Pact to hold in trust for the galaxy. In addition, the Wardens would have primary responsibility for the security of the Stones in the Nations as well. This arrangement has continued to the present day with the Wardens as a reminder of the havoc of a millennium before.