When War Came for Illusen's Glade

     The Occupation and Revitalization of Illusen’s Glade

     The occupation and subsequent revitalization of Illusen’s Glade was an incident that began during the First Dari-Meridellian War. The occupation led to the Glade becoming ruined and uninhabitable for much of the war and resulted in many taking refuge in neighbouring Brightvale.

     Preparation for War

     Illusen had begun preparing the residents of her glade for war upon receiving word of a potential conflict arising between the two lands from Jeran. Her goal was to establish her glade as a neutral ground where injured civilians could recover, so much of her preparation was living and treatment capacity for injured civilians. Thus, she had sent notice to Queen Fyora for additional healers from Faerieland. Queen Fyora deployed several sorcerers to Illusen’s Glade three days after receiving and evaluating Illusen’s request.

     Beginning of the War

     Two weeks later, Darigan Citadel declared war on Meridell and began offensive operations against the kingdom. At that time, both sides respected the neutrality of Illusen’s Glade, and several members of the Faerieland Royal Guard took charge of security and allowed in any civilians who needed refuge alongside the Healing Touch Foundation which provided supplies to the healers in the Glade.

     As the war dragged on, more civilians began to fill the Glade until it was at capacity, but Illusen wanted to include everyone, so she used her magic to move a few trees around and expand the territory while also constructing more treehouses and makeshift structures on the ground.

     For the most part, existing residents did their best to accommodate the new residents although Galvin, a farmer in the Glade, had to adjust to farming with less land which was not particularly easy for him. Undoubtedly, he became frustrated at the situation and grumbled at Illusen. However, he was soon appeased by some Meri Acres Farm residents who healed up enough to help him out.

     Soon the Glade seemed to bustle with activity and became self-sustaining community where the war appeared to be a distant fact. However, this peace would not last much longer once the Spectre of Darigan emerged.

     The Brightvale Relocation and Destruction of Illusen’s Glade

     While the rest of Meridell was ravaged by Darigan forces, Illusen’s Glade remained whole, and the community continued to assist displaced civilians. However, that all changed once the Citadel took back the orb, but the curse they dealt with did not reverse. As Lord Darigan descended into his madness caused by The Three, Psellia began to relay information back to Illusen.

     “She told me that her observations of Darigan Citadel were first heartbreaking, but she grew increasingly concerned about Lord Darigan’s state of mind,” Illusen later recalled.

     The harmony inside the glade also gave way to incidents of malice where Meridellians increasingly did not want to associate with the “cursed ones” who were Darigan civilians who had fled their land but could not escape the effects of the curse.

     “It appeared that some were echoing sentiments from the Meridellian nobility that were simply untrue about the Darigans. And it made it very difficult for us to serve the displaced from both sides. However, Illusen patiently explained the situation to everyone and tried her best to calm everyone down. I guess eventually that sorta worked for some. There were others who remained unconvinced and had to be separated,” said Celestia, a hat maker who recounted the situation.

     Eventually, the Lord Darigan, consumed by the evil influence of The Three, gave into the madness and the Spectre of Darigan began a rampage across Meridell. Upon learning of those events, Illusen held an emergency meeting with King Hagan and the Brightvale council.

     The Brightvale-Glade Emergency Summit yielded an agreement where all residents and civilians in the glade would be relocated to Brightvale lands. On the eve of the arrival of the Spectre of Darigan, residents and civilians who were able gather all supplies and limited belongings onto the makeshift carts they built and in the dead of night, moved into designated areas in Brightvale including in Brightvale Town and Market Town in coastal Brightvale. A few residents also took refuge in Bogshot Village. This was known as the Brightvale Relocation.

     The next day, the Spectre of Darigan rampaged through Illusen’s Glade. Illusen surveyed the damage from the air afterwards.

     “My home, our home… it was just completely gone. Flattened into pieces with no trace of life. I could hardly believe it and… I’m sorry I… just was overwhelmed by sadness. But I forgave because I knew Lord Darigan wasn’t himself at the time. And well, we rebuilt. But, at the time, it was heartbreaking,” Illusen recounted.

     Upon hearing the news, weeping could be heard in the towns of Brightvale among the displaced residents who made Illusen’s Glade their home. However, there was also hope that they could return one day to rebuild.

     However, that time would still have to wait a little longer.

     Life as a Refugee

     For the most part, the displaced civilians found Brightvale to be an easy place to adjust to, being next door to Meridell. And the residents of Brightvale did not seem to mind the extra folks, often offering them food and education opportunities.

     However, there were some Brightvallians who were not too comfortable with their new neighbours, especially the Darigani. Some set aside their education and decided to give into fears that the curse was contagious. Others scrutinized their level of education and wondered if they could keep up with the rigours of Brightvale’s school system. Still others thought it was risky to have any involvement in the wars.

     “You know, Meridell and Darigan Citadel aren’t quite known for any universities like Brightvale is. I wonder if the refugees can keep up,” said one of the teaching assistants at Brightvale University who refused to give their name.

     “What if the Meridell or Darigani forces attack Brightvale?” others said.

     Once King Hagan caught word of these thoughts, he decided to publicly address his kingdom and strongly argue that for too long, Brightvale seemed to have suffered from a lack of new ideas and now was the best time to exchange ideas with their new neighbours. He also stated that he would ensure that Brightvale was protected with the help of the Faerieland sorcerers Queen Fyora had sent along with Brightvale’s own guards.

     “He gave quite an inspiring speech that day, and I’m glad he did since I couldn’t bear to hear what some were saying. It was an honour for me to protect those civilians who were simply caught in between a devastating war,” Captain Brynneth commented.

     “Yes, my uncle welcomed them with open arms, and I wish everyone else did the same. The Darigani and the Meridellians have different spellbooks with very interesting concepts,” Roberta recalled.

     Eventually, the rumblings of discontent about the situation became easier to ignore as the refugees settled into their new routines while staring off into the distance where they could still hear some of the horrors of war.

     On the day of the truce though, there seemed to be hope among the displaced that they could return to their lands. However, that would soon have to wait.

     The Meridell Occupation of Illusen’s Glade

     An uneasy truce between Meridell and Darigan did not last. Soon Lord Kass rose to prominence and emerged as a new threat to Meridell and to Darigan Citadel itself. This led to the Second Dari-Meridellian War.

     When the war began, Illusen and Faerieland peacekeepers were in the process of helping displaced residents move back to their respective kingdoms and the Glade. The war halted progress immediately as this time, Meridell became increasingly interested in using the Glade as a base for war operations. In exchange, Meridell would help rebuild Illusen’s Glade.

     Illusen, for the most part, didn’t have any option to decline the offer. Queen Fyora continued to aid with displaced civilians while they remained in Brightvale. Fortunately, the force occupying the Glade happened to be led by Jeran, so he made sure the troops took care not to further damage the Glade and even started fixing some of the place up.

     In the process, some residents were allowed to return and Illusen herself was allowed to give quests again. The occupation prevented the Glade from falling into the hands of Lord Kass. But as Jeran took his troops to Darigan Citadel to defeat Lord Kass, Illusen became increasingly worried that something would happen to the troops there. She informed Queen Fyora who spoke with King Altador and the two of them decided it was best if Psellia kept an eye on the situation as Illusen would be occupied with giving quests along with still volunteering to take care of the injured civilians.

          This decision became crucial as Jeran suffered defeat when he challenged Kass and fell from the Citadel into Psellia’s waiting arms as she noticed the Lupe falling out of the sky. Lord Darigan then returned from his madness and reasserted himself as the true leader of Darigan Citadel.

     Aftermath and Recovery

     After the war, Illusen helped with the recovery effort across Meridell while Faerieland helped restore parts of the Citadel. Illusen’s Glade was still not in the best shape as the war had damaged many of the trees in the Glade. The water was also tainted by poisonous weaponry that was used by both sides in the first war.

     Both Meridell and Darigan Citadel participated in the restoration of Illusen’s Glade. Meridell, although decimated, had extensive amounts of funds from the Marrow Tax stored in its treasury. Realizing that Illusen’s Glade was a place that many Neopians visited and was often a first impression of Meridell, the urgency of restoring it became clear to King Skarl. Lord Darigan did not have as many resources to help Illusen, but he wanted to show his appreciation for Illusen taking in displaced Darigan civilians during the wars. So, he established a program which sent folks over to help rebuild the Glade, assembling new treehouses and Neohomes.

     Illusen used her magic to detoxify the water and plant new trees in the Glade. Soon the restoration of the Glade was complete, and most residents moved back in within three months, ending their time in Brightvale.

     “It was quite touching to see sworn enemies come together to restore the Glade. I am forever grateful to everyone involved, and I hope that this serves as a reminder that the two kingdoms can fully reconcile someday,” Illusen remarked.

     While Meridell and Darigan Citadel may still have an uneasy relationship, one cannot forget that the restoration of Illusen’s Glade brought them together for just a moment. Illusen still remembers that day fondly and on this Illusen Day, she hopes that the two kingdoms can continue the path of reconciliation.