The Great Grudge War

The world is in a crisis. The current Hegemon Rudolph Von Mussen the Emperor of The Halfling Empire has began an aggressive campaign of expansion not just through spheres of influence, but through true annexations. Not only that but he has continued the practice of holding hill dwarves in slavery a practice heavily contested by Dain XII the High King of Dwarvenkind. The crown prince Durin Ironfist traveled in secret to The Halfling Empire, attempting to sow the seeds of discourse among the dwarven slaves there, perhaps hoping to spur them on to greater rebellion. But, alas Durin was arrested within a few days of teaching hill dwarf slaves traditional dwarven songs of freedom and the ironfist rebellion from centuries ago. Exiled to Carpathia the transplanar prison used by the powers that be on Semita Durin sought to return to the Semita and continue his work seeking his people's freedom.
Soon after his exile however Durin's father Dain XII flew into a rage. His only son missing in halfling lands! This could not stand. He gathered many of his personally men and gathered a small force to travel east and demand his son be returned to him, from wherever the halflings were holding him. Tragedy would strike however when Dain XII's group was ambushed half way across the sea by a pack of clockwork dragons sent by The Halfing Empire's Polibureau to ensure the Crown Prince's exile to Carpathia would not come to light. In this ambush Dain XII would die in pitched combat with the halfling forces before sending his king's guard to find his son banishing them from the material realm to save them, and the relic of dwarven kingship, The Ironfist Gauntlet, with them.
Years later Durin would emerge from Carpathia as Dain XIII coronated as king by dwarven exiles trapped in Carpathia. His first official act as King Under the Mountain was to travel to the island of The League of Sovereigns, the international body that oversaw disputes between nations with the Hegemon traditionally acting as an intermediary. Dain XIII would however, not come to The League seeking mediation with the very man that sentenced him to indefinite exile in Carpathia. He arrived at The League to give the international community the benefit of knowing that he was declaring a state of open war between the Dwarven Empire, and the Halfling Empire. He likewise recommended that they side with him, and that they could expect diplomat to arrive in their courts within the next few weeks to discuss terms.

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Campaign Overview