4108 FY | 108 AD
The Western War between the non-magic Sadrus and warlocks is in its sixth year. And in the rolling fields of the continent of Sakria, the Battle of Sepican Fields is raging. The conflict is one of the bloodiest the troops have experienced so far.
Over 3,000 troops are injured during the morning’s fighting alone. Charged with patching up the wounded men and getting them back on the battlefield on the warlock is a harpy wizard named Elijah Asher. Harpies were preferred volunteers for battlefield medics because they could observe the battle from above and swoop down to scoop up wounded soldiers. This isn’t Elijah’s first battle, he’s seen tremendous suffering during the war and it’s not getting any better.
Elijah carries wounded soldiers out of harm’s way where he tends to them using a mix of health potions, bandages, and other primitive medical supplies. Elijah doesn’t know it, but he’s one of the first army doctors in Fabella.
These doctors have to be able to operate in any condition, in any place, regardless of the fact that they could be killed mid-operation. As the battle rages on, Elijah faces a terrible problem: The injured troops are piling up faster than he can treat them.
The number of soldiers getting wounded by the minute is astronomical. Efforts have been so focused on arming the troops that supplies for treating the injured have been largely overlooked. And that’s made Elijah’s makeshift medical station dangerously low on supplies.
With thousands of soldiers still waiting for treatment, Elijah resorts to desperate measures. He gets his men to stock up on corn leaves and uses them as bandages but the corn leaves are no substitute for the real thing and to make matters worse, he soon starts to run out of not just bandages, but potions as well.
This is a huge problem. Without these critical materials, he has no way to treat the wounded, and the battle will surely be lost. He’s out of supplies, And he’s got to be running out of hope. What Elijah doesn’t realize is that — months earlier — an unlikely heroine embarked on an epic quest to help him.
Gnome Tara daughter of Hogan is one of the last disciples of Aphrodite. She’s a strong, tough gnome with a spitfire attitude afflicted with a rare condition where she cannot control her magic. Random spells discharge out of her whenever she gets stressed or loses control of her emotions.
When the war breaks out, Tara is horrified by scenes of wounded soldiers limping back into the capital. She starts visiting soldiers on the battlefield and soon realizes that both armies lack the most basic supplies, such as bandages, potions, and even socks to protect their feet from gangrene and other diseases.
Tara gathers together her vast network of contacts including the Alliance of Sentinels, persuading them to donate much-needed supplies. The response gradually builds from a trickle to a flood.
Within months, she amasses a huge supply of bandages, medical equipment, food, and clothing. And just as Elijah’s situation is at its most dire, Tara personally delivers everything directly to the front lines. Tara brings wagons are full of supplies that were badly needed — bandages, socks, wine, drugs, lanterns. The list goes on and on.
Tara and Elijah use the new supplies to tend to the wounded soldiers and save countless lives. Her sudden appearance at the battlefield as if out of nowhere earns Tara the respect and admiration of soldiers. Tara does not swear allegiance to either side though. Because she has also delivered supplies to the warlocks, high ranking officials are after her.
Elijah holds back a troop of soldiers who come to kill Tara, buying time for her to escape. She goes on to found the first magic school where students advance their understanding of the medical field along with the magical arts. St. Tara’s Academy of Magical Arts and Sciences opens its doors in 4115 FY.