Table of Contents
The Blackwake War (Chartist-Githyanki Conflict)
- Conflict Type: Regional Naval and Planar War
- Duration: 10 Years
- Factions Involved: Chartist Cities, Lead from Corsair's Landing vs. Githyanki forces from Chaskalla Bay and Skull Cove
Overview
The Blackwake War was a decade-long naval and planar conflict between the united Chartist Cities and extraplanar Githyanki forces originating from the southern island strongholds of Chaskalla Bay and Skull Cove. Initiated by a surprise Githyanki incursion, the war saw brutal back-and-forth fighting, arcane escalation, and ended after the divine ascension of Torgo. While no major cities changed hands, several frontier settlements were destroyed and left abandoned.
Timeline of the War
| Year | Title | Key Events |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | The Silver Dagger | Githyanki raids begin; Lady Zhao assumes unified command; Corsair's Landing suffers first harbor assault. |
| Year 2 | Wake of Flame | Gith fleet ravages Rockspire and razes Olean’s Post. Chartist Pact solidifies. |
| Year 3 | The Creche Raid | Lady Zhao destroys a Githyanki creche and adopts a surviving Gith child, now called Zhao Rin. |
| Year 4 | The Shattered Chain | Astral trap cripples Chainbreaker fleet. Brinwall destroyed by planar constructs. |
| Year 5 | The Turning Bones | Battle of Taru: Black Alice deploys undead and the blade Ossavel, turning the tide. Nerros Hollow becomes necrotic. |
| Year 6 | Blood Without Moonlight | Lellan’s Quay overrun and sunk. War balance continues to shift. |
| Year 7 | The Winter Ghosts | Zhao Rin enters public life. Siege of Watch Fort. Gith morale begins to waver. |
| Year 8 | Siege of the Silver Teeth | Chartists raid Chaskalla Bay. Torgo begins rise to godhood. Groups of Githzerai Appear. |
| Year 9 | Battle of Moonshadow | Largest naval battle; massive casualties. Gith Supreme Commander killed by Deathstalker, a Tabaxi Assassin |
| Year 10 | Ascension Year | Torgo ascends and becomes dominant diety for the Gith. Truce signed. Ruins left scattered. |
Key Figures
| Name | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lady Zhao | Supreme Commander of Chartist Forces | Strategist and political leader; adopted Zhao Rin. |
| Black Alice | Necromancer and war hero | Turned the tide at Taru; bonded to Ossavel. |
| Zhao Rin | Adopted Githyanki; Chartist officer | Fought in final battles. |
| Torgo | Ascended God | Mortal during the war; drew Gith converts enmass. |
| Gith Supreme Commander | Enemy general | Skilled Raider that lead from the front. Killed in the Battle of Moonshadow. |
Destroyed Settlements
| Name | Fate | Current Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Olean’s Post | Destroyed Year 2, Razed | Shadowmoss-infested ruins, overgrown with jungle. |
| Brinwall | Destroyed Year 7, Arcane Disaster | Time-echo hauntings and arcane anomalies. |
| Lellan’s Quay | Destroyed Year 6, Unknown how | Sunken wreckage; ghost lights and fire visible at all times. |
| Nerros Hollow | Destroyed Year 3, Burned | Plagued with feral undead and beast; off-limits. |
Aftermath
- All major cities retained control throughout the war.
- Githyanki incursions ceased after Torgo’s divine intervention.
- Triad cults exploited the chaos, seeding cells across the Corsair Seas.
- Memorials were erected in Corsair’s Landing, Taru, and Rockspire Landing.
- Dozens of ships lie unrecovered in Chaskalla Bay and Moonshadow’s coastal trench.
- Resources Drained on both sides, Piracy in the broader region was largely suppressed during this time. Likely to resume
Testimonials
Testimony of Rell Griggs – The Battle of Taru
The fighting had been hard all day. Men and Women fell on both sides. The Githyanki did not cry out when they died. That made it worse.
She walked straight into them. The Gith. Still living. She cut them down one by one. No sound. No mercy. A minute later, the first one stood back up. Bones clicking. Empty eyes. Then another. Then more.
They turned the tide while we watched.
I don’t know if we won that night. Only that we lived.
Rell Griggs, Sailor on the Sea Bitch, letter to his brother (never sent)
Zhao Rin’s Reflection – The Creche Raid
They say I was spared. That Lady Zhao found me after her blade had done its work and the fire had taken the walls. I do not remember the first hour—only the heat and the silence. The silence was louder than the screaming.
She did not look like the others. She saw me and didn’t flinch. Her hand held a sword. Her other one reached out.
I was too young to hate her. Old enough to understand what mercy looks like. She called me Rin. Gave me a name. A choice. A future. Not all Gith get that.
— Zhao Rin, Journal Entry, Year 10 of the Conflict
Revenant Tide’s Log – Battle of Moonshadow
Woke to the sound of hulls cracking like ribs. The mists came early—thick, white, hungry. Heard the scream of one of ours, but never saw who.
The Gith brought their dreams again. They don't walk across decks—they slip through minds. I felt it this time. One of them almost turned me. Almost. But Ossavel was louder.
I raised what I could from the drowned. Even the sea spat back its dead to fight. We held the harbor. We paid dearly. We’ll pay again.
But Moonshadow still stands. That’s something.
—Alice Summerville, Combat Entry, Revenant Tide’s Quarter Log