March of the Damned

The March of the Damned is the monicker given to the world event wherein the Flayed are driven from their catacombs and march upon the surface. It has occurred once during each of the first three eras and each time has marked vast changes to the world and the coming of a new age. The last March of the Damned occurred nearly a thousand years ago and brought humanity to the brink of extinction, only ending after the formation of the Church of Ignis and a valiant push by newly formed Lleidan cruzados to rally mankind. Centuries of peace have since pushed the possibility of another March from the minds of most, lost to history by all but those who remember humanity's death throes.

Though it is unknown how the Flayed come into existence, their reactions with other groups have been universally hostile. The Flayed eke out an existence in underground tunnels they create with their jagged claws. This is where they would remain always, were it not for the presence of the Speakers of the Damned. The Flayed exist only with primal instincts, merely shuffling about in the bowels of the earth because it is their nature, committing no evil. But exceedingly rarely, one of the Flayed is brought to greater heights. These 'Speakers' are able to communicate as men do, blessed with intelligence and cunning and the ability to direct and command their brothers. When one of these Speakers acts to unite the aimless, warring clans of the damned, a March has begun. The dead leave the tunnels and catacombs and move to the surface, consuming everything in their path and leaving only destruction behind until they are stopped.

After the last March of the Damned, the Estorian nations banded together and each formed elite groups deigned to watch over the Underworld and keep the dead from rising again. Catacombs were cleared, new tunnels manned by holy soldiers were built, and the threat was kept under control. Over the years orders have faded, tunnels have collapsed, and the damned have been allowed their meager existence in the depths of the earth. Only a few orders remain that actively combat the damned, ever aware that their battle is more important than any war could ever be.