The Greyhawk Wars

If a Flanaess sage had been asked in 582 CY where the first strike in a continental war would most likely come from, he would not have replied, “from the Hold of Stonefist,” which is exactly where it originated. Founded some 150 years earlier, the Fists were usually considered to be slightly better-organized barbarians than those in the Bandit Kingdoms or in the neighboring lands of the Fruztii, Schnai, and Cruskii tribes.

All the barbarians were inflamed by a rumor that swept their lands: that four of five legendary magical swords, the Swords of Corusk, had been found, and that when the fifth was obtained, a “Great God of the North” would rise and lead them to conquest and greatness. The fifth sword never was found, but one calling himself Vatun and claiming to be the Great God of the North appeared before the barbarians of Fruztii, Schnai, and Cruskii, and they swept west into Stonefist under his leadership. The Fists were overwhelmed and their leader, Sevvord Redbeard, underwent a dramatic, if not to say magical, change of allegiance.

Under Vatun’s direction, the Fists swept into the Duchy of Tenh in 582 CY and conquered it quickly. The Duke and Duchess fled to the County of Urnst for safety. The Tenhas’ former Suloise arrogance cost them dear; no help was forthcoming from other nations. Nyrond was nervously watching Aerdy, unable to risk forces far to the north.

The alliance forged by Vatun soon collapsed. The Great God instructed the barbarians to invade the small state of Ratik, but their chiefs refused; they had long allied with Ratik against the humanoids of the Bone March and indeed against the Great Kingdom itself. They began to doubt Vatun; very wisely, since Vatun was a sham and a lie, a mask worn by Iuz the Old. But now Iuz was ready to strike elsewhere, both south and east.

To the east, Iuz toppled with astonishing ease the Heirarchs of the evil Horned Society, long his enemies and a thorn in the flesh of the Shield Lands. With the aid of powerful fiends, his forces made the streets of Molag run red with blood for a week. Iuz’s puppets then ruled from that fell city.

This strike panicked Furyondy. It sought alliance with the Shield Lands to secure itself against the Old One, but stupidly, the pettyminded rulers of the Shield Lands refused, believing this to be a step in a planned annexation by Furyondy. They paid dear for their foolishness. Iuz feinted an attack westward. Meanwhile, his main body of troops struck far to the east and southeast, into both the Bandit Kingdoms and into the Shield Lands, which they flanked to the east from bases in the old lands of the Horned Society. Admundfort and Critwall fell swiftly. Lord Holmer, who had refused a pact with Furyondy, was taken to meet his fate in the dungeons below Dorakaa.

Furyondy was able to hold its eastern border at the great Battle of Critwall Bridge in CY583. To the north, however, a massed humanoid force, swollen with mercenary humanoids from the Vesve Forest hired with looted gold, advanced almost unto Chendl, the capital, and took Crockport. After many battles and a desperate relief of a beseiged Chendl, both Furyondy and Iuz were stretched to their limits. Still, to many it seemed like a provincial war of northern states; which is when the true hammer blow fell. The Great Kingdom struck, massively and on many fronts.