Third Northern War
This was the Third War between the Kingdom of Hrafngard and the Kaiserreich Mittemark since the fall of the Enderlinian Empire nearly three hundred years ago.
In the Second War, the Kaiserreich suffered a devastating defeat. The strategic city of Wolfsfurt was lost to Hrafngard, aided by their Dwarven allies of Dun Kuldihr. Though humbled, the Kaiserreich did not forget this loss, and in the decades that followed, it patiently awaited its chance to reclaim the city.
That chance came when the reigning Chieftain of Hrafngard died, leaving no clear successor. As tradition demanded, the Great Thing was convened in the high northern capital of Hrafnheim. While the gathered jarls and clan leaders squabbled over succession, the Kaiserreich struck. With overwhelming force, Imperial armies crossed the border and retook Wolfsfurt within the first two weeks of the campaign.
By the time word of the invasion reached Hrafnheim, the crisis could no longer be ignored. The Great Thing hastily concluded its debates and elected Bjørn Adalsteinn as the new Great Chieftain of Hrafngard. Soon after, the banners of Hrafngard were raised, and its armies marched south to meet the Imperial advance.
The two forces clashed in the mountain passes between the Dwarven realms of Dun Kuldihr and Kaeak Azkahr. There, the Imperial army was repelled, halting its advance and forcing a prolonged stalemate. For months, the war devolved into brutal skirmishes and hard-fought battles across the narrow passes and high valleys.
The Dwarves of Dun Kuldihr, however, refused to join the conflict. During the Second War, they had fought only in defense, as the Kaiserreich had been the clear aggressor. This time, with Wolfsfurt already under Imperial control and no core Hrafngard territory yet taken, the Dwarves saw no cause to intervene. As the stalemate dragged on and neither side gained a decisive advantage, the war slowly ground itself into exhaustion.
After just over a year, peace was finally brokered. Under the terms of the treaty, Wolfsfurt, along with all villages and lands south of the Great Azkahr Mountain Pass, were formally ceded to the Kaiserreich Mittemark.
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