"Widely viewed as one of the most wicked men in history, Mayor Alan had not set out to do harm."
Alan was the mayor of Aliant, a town located west of what would later become the Mire of the Damned in southern Enroth. Before the Silence, the Ancients still spoke freely to the mortals, and the Heavenly Forges created wonderful magical artifacts and terrible weapons. A group of bandits raided one of the Ancient armories, and when they were caught by the authorities of Aliant, mayor Alan decided to hang on to the weapon for "safekeeping".
Alan had a loving wife, Elaine, and two healthy and happy children: Michael, who was advancing through the military, and Alanna, a beautiful girl that was the envy of every young woman in the kingdom. One day, Alanna was found murdered outside the town's council meeting hall, and Alan received a message that accused his fellow council members of the crime. In rage and grief, Alan ordered them put to death. One of them was captured and killed, but the other four fled northeast to Vissias, asking for sanctuary.
When Alan's forces followed them, the army of the Vissians met them at the border and refused to hand over their guests. Fighting broke out, and Alan's son Michael fell in the battle. Mad with grief and rage, Alan activated the Ancient weapon.
"The wrath of heaven poured out of the artifact, instantly slaying both armies to a man and filling the land with poison. Fire rained onto the town of Aliant, burned the green fields of Vissias, and wrought ruin for hundreds of miles around. Uninhabitable for centuries, the formerly lush lands of Vissias and Aliant became the vast desert known now as Dragonsand."