The Human Rebellion
The Human Rebellion marks a pivotal turning point in Orienta’s history, transforming Human servitude under Elven dominion into a unified quest for liberation. Spanning nine years, this conflict swept through the kingdoms of Halentha and Lorintha, culminating in the Human forces’ victory and the establishment of the Imperial League. Though initially fueled by righteous anger against centuries of Elven subjugation, the rebellion’s later stages gave rise to large-scale violence against Elves, eventually precipitating the Elven Exodus from most of the North.
The Conflict
Prelude
Alerio, a Human slave banished to the Western Colonies after being caught studying forbidden texts in Silvertower, became the unlikely catalyst for a wider revolt. Exiled to a minesite on The Horn Peninsula, he forged clandestine ties with fellow slaves, urging them to resist their overseers. Under Alerio’s stewardship, the worksite’s resources and workshops were repurposed to produce crude weaponry. When Khel Doran’s Dwarves became aware of these stirrings, they saw an opportunity to weaken Elven influence. Offering arms and military advisers, they bolstered Alerio’s nascent warband, enabling him to expand his campaign across Holz and liberate multiple Human worksites, villages, and towns. As Alerio’s insurgent force grew in numbers and confidence, his personal legend took on a near-religious fervor among oppressed Humans.
The Engagement
Major Engagements
Battle of the Horn Battle of Chegorsk Forest Battle of the Red Ford Storming of Halamare (Kalivgrad) Siege of Skyreach
Summary
The Human Rebellion commenced in dramatic fashion at the Battle of the Horn, where a band of enslaved laborers under Alerio rose against their Elven overseers, seizing a fortified outpost on a rocky coastal peninsula. This initial triumph catalyzed broader uprisings, and the rebels soon confronted a major Elven force at the Battle of Chegorsk Forest, where Alerio’s tactical ambush decimated Lorinthan troops and shifted momentum firmly in favor of the Human cause. Emboldened by these victories, the rebels clashed with combined Elven armies at the Battle of the Red Ford, a decisive engagement that saw King Eleran of Lorintha slain and the Halenthan forces forced into retreat. While the bulk of the rebellion pressed deeper into the Velvet Coast, Artur Prager led a parallel campaign against Elven-held territories in Novaya, culminating in the Storming of Halamare (Kalivgrad), a victory that secured valuable farmland for the rebel cause and won the gratitude of newly freed populations. With Lorinthan power shattered and Halenthan forces on the brink, Alerio launched the Siege of Skyreach, the grand capital of Halentha. After fierce street battles and the eventual death of King Valendil, Elven authority was all but obliterated in the North. In the turbulent aftermath, the victors moved to consolidate their gains, forming the Imperial League under Alerio’s leadership. However, internal rifts emerged between Alerio and Artur Prager over regional autonomy leading to the creation of Holzreich as a separate realm. Meanwhile, the lingering fury and deep-rooted resentment against centuries of Elven dominion ignited the early stages of The Elven Genocide.
Outcome
By 1 IE, the Human Rebellion had decisively succeeded in toppling the Elven kingdoms in the North. This triumph established The Imperial League, a formidable new order elevating Humans to the dominant regional power. The reverberations of this outcome forced large numbers of Elves from their ancestral lands shifting the political and cultural landscape of Orienta for the next two centuries.
Aftermath
With Humans ascendant, Elven populations faced marginalization and, in many places, outright expulsion or worse. Elves rapidly lost political authority across the North, fleeing the wrath of newly empowered Human forces. Over time, successor states emerged from the Imperial League’s fragmentation during the Imperial Civil War, solidifying Human dominion. However, the rebellion’s later excesses, which included acts of vengeance and mass violence against Elven communities, would stain its legacy.
Included Conflicts
Conflict Type
War
Start Date
4001 EA
Ending Date
1 IE (9 Years)
Conflict Result
Human Victory
Belligerents
Elven Coalition
Led by
Strength
300,000 (Peak)
44,000 Halenthans
21,000 Lorinthans
Casualties
120,000 Rebels Killed
90,000 Slaves Killed in Executions
40,000 Halenthans
16,000 Lorinthans
Objectives
Liberation of Human Slaves
Dissolution of Elven Kingdoms
Capture or Kill Rebel Leaders
Preservation of the Elven Kingdoms
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