War of the Three Heads

Military action

The War of the Three Heads was the name given to a year-long conflict between the Orcs of Sharbaduk and the Orcish Steppes on one side and military forces from Summerlund, Dalenshire, Faerinwold, and Tavanion on the other side. The War was largely a victory for the allied forces and allowed Summerlund forces to push on and begin the War of the Broken Chain in 1081 SKR.

The War of the Three Heads was a conflict that began in 1078 SKR between the Orcish Hordes and the allied armies of Summerlund, Dalenshire, Faerinwold, and Tavanion.   Spurred on by the priests of the God-King Laminok Bloodfist, the Orc warlord Gruzhgarn sailed with a large fleet from Turkhast to Sharbaduk. The first battles were a series of probing attacks on southern Summerlund. After these attacks were repelled, orcish ambassadors came from Sharbaduk to Estwald, seeking audience with King Hadyn Thonwyr. They demanded that the King acknowledge the right of Orckind to rule Sharbaduk in perpetuity in exchange for a cessation of hostilities. The King responded by sending the heads of the three ambassadors back to Sharbaduk and calling for aid. Tavanion, Faerinwold, and Daelnshire answered, as did others from around Aldorath.   The War was made difficult by an alliance between the orcs and the Sahuagin. As the allied forces massed on Bloodsand Beach, raiding parties of orcs would strike by land, and sea devils would rise from the waves, rendering the Tavanion navy much less effective than in previous conflicts. This alliance was dealt a powerful blow by the Fire Wasps acting as part of Owlbear Company.   The tipping point came at the Siege of Brokenwall Keep. Spurred by the capture of his son, Lurgrak, Gruzhgarn himself took the field, only to meet defeat and death at the hands of Lt. Daria Havengard and the Fire Wasps. With Gruzhgarn slain, the orcs were routed, and some parts of Dalenshire were actually reclaimed from the Orcish Steppes, resulting in the greatest defeat of the orcs since the Second Witching War. Although a new commander, Klurbok, has stepped in, the loss of the mighty chieftain and the sahuagin alliance caused many orcs of Sharbaduk to retreat and a large part of Gruzgharn's navy to return to Turkhast, leaving the orcs of the steppes to fight alone. They soon fled back to the Steppes, and the war was considered over.