First Trollkar War

The First Trollkar war lasting from the year 225-229 AD was a pivotal chapter in the history of Astratus as the recently founded Sinador Empire continued to increase in power as it gained new lands and territory form the more Established kingdoms around it.

The Conflict

Prelude

The seeds of the war between the Trollkar kingdom of Sel’jun and the Sinador Empire were sown in the first century of Sinadori Occupation of the Lands of Aureli. Sel’jun, a dense and humid jungle kingdom filled with sacred sites, was the spiritual heart of trollkar culture. Trollkar Worship the Ancient Mogata spirits tied to the land and their rituals were said to keep the balance of nature intact. The Sinador Empire, a powerful and expansionist elven kingdom, sought to expand its borders into the fertile and resource-rich lands of Sel’jun, seeing the jungles as untapped potential for agriculture, trade, magical resources, and slaves.
Tensions escalated when Elven logging operations began destroying sacred groves and mining veins of a rare mineral known as luminite, which was essential for both trollkar rituals and elven arcane experiments. Despite repeated warnings from troll emissaries, Sinadori expeditions continued followed up by Elven raids on Trollkar settlements in search of slaves. The trollkar viewed these actions as a desecration of their sacred lands, and retaliatory raids by trollkar warbands soon began.

Deployment

Early Years of the War- The war’s opening skirmishes were marked by ambushes and guerilla tactics employed by the trollkar. The dense jungle terrain favored the trollkar, who struck swiftly and disappeared into the foliage, leaving the Sinadoran forces struggling to adapt. One of the first major clashes, the Battle of Mistshadow Glade, saw an elven expeditionary force decimated by trollkar shamans who summoned dense mists and vengeful spirits to sow chaos.
Determined to assert their dominance, the Sinador Empire launched a full-scale invasion of Sel’jun. Elven forces constructed fortified outposts along the jungle’s edge, slowly pushing their way inward with methodical precision. However, the trollkars' Deep connection to the land and their Mogata and their mastery of the terrain turned every mile of progress into a costly endeavor.
The Pact of Shadows- As the war dragged on, both sides sought greater power to secure victory. King Zul’tarok of Sel’jun, a cunning and charismatic leader, performed a forbidden ritual to summon an ancient Mogata known as M’zali the Bloodroot, a spirit of vengeance and wrath. This Mogata imbued the trollkar with unnatural strength and cursed the land against the invaders, but its price was high—demanding constant blood sacrifices and corrupting the jungle with dark magic.
In response, the Sinador Empire crafted the Scepter of Verdant Flame, an artifact designed to burn away the trollkar magic and purify the land for elven use. Powered by luminite and created by the empire’s greatest mages, the scepter was both a weapon and a tool of ecological devastation, threatening to destroy the jungle’s delicate balance.
The Turning Point- The conflict reached its zenith during the Siege of Irilas, a vital Sinadoran fortress at the edge of the jungle. Trollkar forces, bolstered by M’zali’s power, launched a relentless assault, breaching the walls and slaughtering much of the garrison. However, the elven defenders unleashed the Scepter of Verdant Flame, creating a devastating firestorm that forced the trollkar to retreat but left the jungle scarred and lifeless for miles around. This action killed trollkar and elf alike but was enough to put the trollkar on the backfoot; The trollkar grew increasingly divided over King Zul’tarok’s pact with M’zali, began to question his leadership.

Battlefield

The Battle of Mistshadow Glade- The Battle of Mistshadow Glade was a pivotal moment early in the war. A contingent of 2,000 Sinadoran soldiers, led by General Altharion Dawnbreaker, ventured into the heart of Sel’jun’s jungle to confront what they believed to be a small, disorganized Trollkar Warband. Unbeknownst to them, the trollkar, under the guidance of Shaman Rok’aka, had laid an intricate trap.
As the elven army marched into the glade, a thick, unnatural mist rolled in, conjured by Rok’aka and his acolytes. Visibility dropped to mere feet, and the elven formations began to break apart. Trollkar ambushers, painted in ritualistic war paint and wielding poisoned weapons, emerged from the mist to strike at isolated groups before melting back into the fog.
Elven attempts to regroup were thwarted by spectral apparitions summoned by the shamans, which caused panic and confusion among the ranks. The Trollkar's deep knowledge of the terrain allowed them to control the flow of battle, herding the elven forces into swampy areas where their mobility was further hindered. By nightfall, the Sinadoran army was in shambles. General Dawnbreaker, realizing the battle was lost, ordered a retreat. Only a third of his force managed to escape the jungle, leaving behind hundreds of dead and wounded. The defeat at Mistshadow Glade emboldened the trollkar and sent a clear message to the Sinador Empire: the jungles of Sel’jun would not be easily tamed.
The Seige of irilas- The fortress of Irilas was a strategically important fortress positioned at the jungle’s edge to control trade routes and act as a bulwark against trollkar incursions. Under the leadership of King Zul’tarok, the Trollkar army laid siege to Irilas for several weeks. The initial assaults were relentless, with Trollkar using siege beasts, corrupted jungle creatures, and enchanted war drums to weaken the fortress’ defenses. Waves of trollkar hurled themselves at the walls, their berserkers fighting with supernatural ferocity. Elven defenders, led by High Commander Aelith Miravel, managed to repel these attacks, but each victory came at a mounting cost.
The turning point came when Shaman Rok'aka led a daring infiltration beneath the fortress. Using ancient tunnels long forgotten by the elves, he and his acolytes planted explosive runes imbued with M’zali’s energy. The resulting detonation shattered a section of the fortress’ outer wall, allowing the trollkar forces to swarm inside. The battle within Irilas was brutal. Elves and trollkar fought in the streets and corridors, the air thick with smoke, screams, and the clash of steel. High Commander Miravel, wielding the enchanted blade Moonveil, managed to rally the defenders and hold the inner keep for three days. However, as trollkar reinforcements poured into the fortress, it became clear that the elves could not hold out indefinitely.
Desperate to prevent the complete loss of Irilas, Miravel activated the Scepter of Verdant Flame, unleashing its devastating power. A massive firestorm engulfed the fortress and surrounding jungle, incinerating trollkar and elf alike. The explosion left Irilas in ruins and created a scorched wasteland. Though the trollkar were forced to retreat, the cost of victory was staggering. Thousands lay dead, and the jungle’s delicate balance was further disrupted. The destruction of Irilas marked the beginning of the war’s end, as both sides began to question the price of their ambitions.

Outcome

The End Of The War- After years of Bloodshed the war ground to a halt. Both sides suffering from exhaustion, the lands and people of Sen'jun devastated, and the armies of Sinador ground to near nothing. The jungle, once vibrant and teeming with life, was now a shadow of what it once was; shrewn with patchworks of corruption and ash-strewn wastelands. A fragile ceasefire was brokered resulting in the Treaty of the Waning Moon

Aftermath

The Treaty Of The Waning Moon- Under the treaty terms: 

• the Sinador empire would gain significant lands from the Kingdom of Sen'jun located in modern-day Morath
• The Sinador Empire agreed to stay out of the lands of Sen'jun for a period of 20 years
• There would be no hostility from either kingdom for a period of 20 years

Historical Significance

Legacy

The war left deep scars on both kingdoms. with the Elven population being slow to recuperate thus resulting in a loss of prestige for Sinador for such high casualties, Meanwhile Trollkar society was forced to change with many of their populace being killed by either the fighting with the elves or sacrificed to appease M'zali, King Zul’tarok was killed shortly after the war by his own brother for his pact with M'zali that lead many Trollkar to Question their faith In the Mogata
To this day, the war between the kingdom of Sel’jun and the Sinador Empire is remembered as a cautionary tale of hubris, destruction, and the delicate balance between civilization and nature.

Conflict Type

War

Start Date

225

Ending Date

229

Conflict Result

Sinadorian Victory