Battle of Bladespire

The Battle of Bladespire was the final and most important battle of the conflict between the Bladespire ogres and the Horse Skull and Whiteclaw orc clans, roughly 11 years before the orc war. It led to the liberation of the mok'nathal half-breeds from their brutal Bladespire masters.

History

For a number of months, tensions increased between the orc clans and the local Bladespire ogres. To make up for the low ogre population, Bladespire sorcerers had conducted cruel experiments to create new creatures for labor, and the most promising results came from the mok'nathal — the result of selective breeding between ogres and orcs. To maintain loyalty from the half-breeds, the ogres threatened to kill entire families if even one of their members rebelled. Kelgrok, leader of the baldespire clan unshackled many of the half-breeds and ordered them to make war on the orcs as the bulk of the Bladespire army. Chieftain Garad of the Horse Skull clan called upon the nearby Whiteclaw and Thunderlord clans to unite with the Horse Skull, but the Thunderlords — led by Garad's estranged son Fenris Horse Skull — rejected the offer, choosing to instead raid Bladespire settlements at night. The Whiteclaw clan did unite with the Horse Skull, for whom they felt an affinity due to the two clans' many shared customs and traditions. Garad was declared leader of the Horse Skull and Whiteclaw army, and named his sons Ga'nar and Durotan as his lieutenants. The chieftain struck at the Bladespire, and though they didn't win any decisive victories, they did capture a number of mok'nathal. Garad was surprised to learn that the mok'nathal were not willing servants but slaves.

Battle and aftermath

The mok'nathal  rebelled, they rose up against their oppressors and set fire to the stronghold as Garad and his army smashed into Bladespire's outer defenses. The Battle of Bladespire dragged on for a full bloody day before the orcs and mok'nathal drove the ogres out.
The orcs had won, but at great cost. Hundreds of Horse Skull and Whiteclaws had died in the battle, including Ga'nar, who had sacrificed his life while helping many young mok'nathal escape the besieged fortress. Ga'nar's death broke his father's heart, and although Durotan remained to carry on the family line, Garad never recovered from losing his second son.

Basic Information

Location
Green earth

History

Outcome
Orcish-Mok'nathal victory
Mok'nathal independence established

Conflict Type

Battle

Start Date

1225 BD

Ending Date

1225 BD

Belligerents

Orcs

• Horseskull clan

Led by

• Garad Horseskull

Ogres

Strength

~600 Orcs

~400 Ogres
~300 enslaved orcs and Orcish-Mok'nathal

Casualties

Ga'nar Horseskull, and around a hundred of Horseskull and Whiteclaws.

~300 Ogres

Objectives

The liberation of imprisoned orcs.

The defense of their stronghold.