The Windlass

The Windlass was a conclave of wizards who ruled the nation of Turmish until 724 DR.

History
The arcane conclave of the Windlass came to rule Turmish some years before 717 DR. However, the history books remember the conclave's fall rather than rule or rise. In the, Turmish, led by the Windlass, came to a direct conflict with the growing power of the Emerald Enclave. The druids of Silvanus attacked Turmishan logging camps to stop pollution of big cities and wizards tainting lakes with arcane magics. The Enclave executed several deadly and precise strikes to cripple the nation's logging industry. In retaliation, the Windlass ordered a strike on the druidic sanctuary city of Cedarsproke in the Gulthmere Forest and the isle of Ilighôn. Turmishan armies never reached either destination. The Enclave and its giant allies sprung a trap in the Orsraun Mountains, decimating land troops. The Turmishan navy counted over 500 souls, 25 times more than druids on the island, yet they were crushed with ease by Ilighôn's water elementals. Several members of the Windlass accompanied the troops but found their arcane magics useless. They were killed in the attack, leaving only two members of the conclave alive.

The Emerald Enclave's triumph also cemented the druids as a significant power in the region. Seven years later, in the, the last two members of the Windlass were stripped of Turmish leadership. The wizards blamed the Emerald Enclave and helmed another desperate attack on Ilighôn. The attack was futile, and the last of the Windlass was killed.