The Dual Invasion
The Conflict
Prelude
After years of relative peace the dwarves of Magrannor Halls had allowed their guard to drop, reducing the patrols through the barrier mountains. The orcs noticed this and the warlord Teggack Threetusk gathered and led a host through the mountains. The humans of the Holy Kingdom of Caresnas had been eyeing the Magrannor mines for decades as their attempts at mining had proved relatively unproductive. With tensions at an all time low between Caresnas and it's southern neighbours, the armies of Caresnas were moved from the south to the north-east.
The Engagement
Teggack's warriors struck swiftly, hitting the outer dwarven settlements with little to no warning. These assaults were devastating as Teggack sent many times the number of warriors needed to each settlement to be sure that no-one escaped. Teggack also snuck some of his host close to the Magrannor Halls to ambush any patrols that learned of his impending attack. This worked extremely well and when Teggack's main army struck the eastern wall that blocked the way to the Halls, the dwarves were taken completely by surprise. Despite their surprise the dwarves gave a good accounting of themselves and may have held the wall if it were not for the ogres and trolls Teggack has brought along. These immense monsters managed to force a breach and the dwarves were forced into a fighting retreat. Almost every soldier was called to help stop the orc forces in the east which did not go unnoticed by the humans. Already aware that something was happening due to the reduced pressure on their own border fortresses in the north, the humans had prepared their troops for a sudden assault should the opportunity present itself.
With the western wall stripped of defenders the humans quickly moved their siege equipment and troops into position and mounted their own offensive. Though lacking the brute force employed by the orcs' monsters, the humans had catapults and rams which had seen service against stronger fortifications than the dwarven wall. The pitifull handful of dwarves left to hold the wall were no match for an army well practiced at taking fortifications and the western wall fell in under a day.
Reinforcements from Khezdur which were due to reinforce those holding back from the orcs were caught from behind, with hundreds dying before they could reform to meet this new threat. Fortunately for the dwarves, the humans were over eager to advanace and the cavalry had far outpaced the archers which gave the dwarves a chance. The orcs, despite their savage nature had learned not to charge in headlong against dwarves and were making a more cautious advance. This allowed the various dwarven units to link up and form a single defensive force that could retreat into Khezdur.
With the cavalry charge halted, the humans fell back and reformed their lines ready to advance in good order. Using a steadier advance, the humans led the way with sheets of arrows which inflicted horrendous casualties on the dwarven forces. A cubes was assigned to act as rearguard while the rest of the dwarven forces in the west restreated back underground. Casualties were taking their toll on the eastern part of the dwarven force at the same time, and their lines were beginning to buckle. Another cube was assigned to act as rearguard at a narrow point while the rest retreated.
With the western and eastern forces both trying to retreat at the same time, the way into Khezdur became jammed and more than a few dwarves fell to blows inflicted by their comrades who were desperate to get inside. With enemy forces quickly approaching it fell to Pyrin Ironbeard, first captain of the gates, to make the hard decision to close the doors on their own soldiers. Aware of the problems this might create between the clans, Pyrin chose to lead a unit of soldiers outside to take command of the final stand. The dwarves trapped outside the gates were brought into good order by Pyrin and went to meet their maker with a song on their lips, but were killed to the last dwarf by the two advancing armies.
There was a pause in the battle while the orcs and the humans confronted each other. Neither had expected to see these opponents, but unlike the humans the orcs needed no orders to know what to do next. They charged. The human forces had managed to keep order this time so the charge was met by a line of pikes, with archers once again sending waves of arrows into their opponents. Unfortrunately for the humans they had little experience fighting orgres and trolls, and these massive creatures opened the way through the pikes for the orcs. Only a well timed cavalry charge kept the archers from being slaughtered. It was a close battle, but eventually the humans emerged victorious. Realising that their losses meant there was no hope of storming Khezdur, the commander of the human army offered a deal to the dwarves. While this deal favoured the humans, several shots from a catapult reinforced what the humans could do to the entranceto Khezdur even in their weakened state. The deal was struck and the humans retreated back to their own lands, taking their dead, and more than a few bits of dwarven weapons and armour with them. The dwarves were left to take care of their own dead and those of the orcs.
Outcome
Dwarves
The Magrannor lost the confidence of the other clan leaders and a ruling council was briefly installed. The normal order was restored when The Magrannor stepped aside in favour of his son Varbeck.Humans
While not considered a total disaster, the leaders of the campaign found little praise when they returned to Shaon. A deal had been made for cheaper metal and coal but this didn'toutweigh the lives lost.Orcs
The few surviving orcs made their way back to the savage lands where they became an easy target for the hobgoblin conscription teams.Historical Significance
Legacy
Little changed for the humans and orcs, but the dwarves had learned a valuable lesson about building fortifications. After Varbeck Magrannor became ruler of the halls he ordered the creation of multiple defensive walls which would later become known as Varbeck’s Walls.
Conflict Type
Siege
Battlefield Type
Land
Start Date
Armin 588 C2 (dwarven calendar)
Ending Date
Lomar 588 C2 (dwarven calendar)
Conflict Result
No side won, but the humans and dwarves survived.
Location
Belligerents
Strength
10 cubes (640 soldiers)
Casualties
80% of those sent out to fight did not survive
Objectives
The dwarves' objective was just to protect their home.
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