Unbeknownst to The Five Hand Alliance at the time, following the mysterious assassination of the Hand of Commerce, a narrative was spread that Breakers were to blame for everything. The report outlines that she was placed under suspicion for having knowledge of the stone despite limited authorization. However, a Vowguard soldier's report from Week 8 of Chapter 2 suggests her actions were not in line with their intentions. Her Journal was later found in Hope's End. A Vowkeeper apprentice working in Banehelm named Shaina is seen tampering with the Vital Stone of Gyle, before it violently explodes in an outburst of arcane energy. In the final week of Chapter 2, the mysterious Chronolith artifact was used to project a hologram of the past and discover the true cause of The Fracture. Later in Chapter 2 they discover shards of the mythical Vital Stone of Gyle lining up along The Fracture. The Highlands became not just uninhabitable but lethal to its former denizens, including all animal life, however not plant life.ĭuring Chapter 1 the Order of the Vowbreakers learn that powerful arcane magic from these chasms are what has been fueling the Spellstorm. It changed the face of the Highlands forever, erupting the ground into giant chasms and bringing with it a furious Spellstorm. The Fracture is an apocalyptic event which took place one year ago.
It can be inferred from yet another clue that the map location "Forgotten Cloister" was once their home.įurthermore, it tells us that the home had been maintained for generations by a long lineage of groundskeepers, up until The Fracture came and consumed the last heir.Ī final clue mentions how scraps of knowledge remain in their headmaster's office. However, the exact nature of their work is still a mystery. ( Garrick, book 2, page 179)Īccording to Quincy's investigations, the order was studying the Spellstorm and its Spelltides from inside the famous Aegis Towers.Ī Scavenger Hunt clue mentions them collecting and studying old magical relics. Prior to the Vow Mandate magic was widespread in society, and curiously the alliance never formally recognized the Vowkeepers.Ĭhapter 1 revealed the existence an ancient order of scholars known as the Tideseers, likely of Banehelm origin. Soon thereafter they instated the Vow Mandate, outlawing the use of magic, and established the Vowguard to enforce it. They came to be lauded as a treatise on upholding order amidst chaos and strife in the Highlands. This hostile ethos towards magic as a corrupting force originated from Lyre Venthim and the early Vowkeepers. Through a change of tactics away from magic under the leadership of then commander Ora Fernfall, the Storm Guard swiftly arose victorious. It is said to have been formed out of necessity to fight against a rising external threat that would eventually lead to the "Lost War" - a battle that took place in Dreadcurtain. Not much is known about the times before the forging of the alliance aside from folktales of endless bloody feuds between the kingdoms. Typically the hand will also serve as the warden of the kingdom's capitol, with the Dustpool Conglomerate being a notable exception - they instead tend to vote for their kingdom's current wealthiest member. The kingdoms each have their own procedure and customs for electing a Hand. To achieve this, each Hand was given the responsibility of voting in matters that pertain to the entire region.Įach Hand was also given individual responsibilities surrounding different aspects of the alliance, as can be derived from their titles. The alliance was designed to prevent any one individual from ruling the Highlands as a tyrant. He was a warden of Fort Halcyon, where the seat of government was formed. The founder and architect of this alliance was Alad Fieldbrand, the first Hand of the People. Bogmore Collective – The Shadehand, Hand of Secrets.Banehelm Academy – Kanah Grimtree, Hand of Knowledge.Dustpool Conglomerate – Verec Grandwell, Hand of Commerce.Longwatch Protectorate – Gryff Lawkett, Hand of Defense.Halcyon Kinship – Alad Fieldbrand, Hand of the People.
The Five Hand Alliance was founded 200 years before The Fracture at the Verdon Estate by the "hands" of each of the five kingdoms:
Garrick has documented a lot of important history related to the Highlands and what caused The Fracture in Garrick's Journal. Spellbreak is set in a region once known as the Highlands on the continent of Velnor, but now is known only as the Hollow Lands after an apocalyptic event called The Fracture.īreakers travel to the Hollow Lands to engage in various fights for power and treasure.