The Tragedy of Mamlakat Hadaan

Background

The Tragedy of Mamlakat Hadaan was a surprise military strike by the Allied Shamans of Makumlima and Shokari upon Aleuzlatu against the capital city of Aard Ghazanaan, on the evening of Spring 3, 15, 204 AD. Aleuzlatu was thrown into chaos by a slave rebellion the next day, leading to the collapse of the empire. The Hobgoblin military leadership referred to the attack as Teleka Soku (The Last Strike) and as Impi Yawo Wonke Umuntu (War Must Hurt Everyone) during its planning.
The native peoples of Solace had already been warring with Aleuzlatu for centuries, after being displaced by their imperial ambitions. While the tribes of the Hobgoblins were second only to the Giants in their dragon slaying prowess, they had lost nearly all of their ancestral territory to the invaders by the time of the attack. It was a last desperate effort to eliminate the Dragons as a threat, and was meant as a suicide mission for all involved.

Military planning

Over the course of several months, Shamans were trained in a long forgotten ritual from Old Shokari, thought to have been lost when the city mysteriously disappeared. This ritual was called Futi Thola, and was not performed in full before the attack, meaning their leaders did not know exactly what the results would be.

Objectives

The attack had several major aims. First, it intended to destroy important Aleuzlati leadership, thereby crippling their ability to rally around the centralizing power of Ro Jedark D'Gemut. Second, it was hoped to buy time for the Native Peoples to consolidate their positions and increase their strength before The Council of Kings erased any chance of victory. Third, to deliver a blow to Aleuzlatu's ability to mobilize its forces, the attack was timed so that as many influential military figures were present as possible. Finally, it was hoped that the attack would undermine Aleuzlati morale such that the continued efforts to expand would cease, and a peace could be achieved long enough for them to mount a counter-offense.

Approach and attack

On the night of the attack, the Shamans used magic to mask their approach, surrounding Aard Ghazanaan on small riverboats sailed in from the west. The exact number of Shamans is unknown, but at least 91 families within the Goblin tribes have claimed that their ancestors were directly involved. There are very few eyewitness accounts, but the details of the attack confirm that for a moment in the night sky, there was a light as bright as sunlight, followed by a miasma of Dark descending on the city. A massive gaping void took its place once vision was restored, and water from the lake spilled into it for several minutes.

Aleuzlati casualties and damage

In the following days it was discovered that over 2.5 Million Draego Died in the attack, and 3 thousand Dragons. The entirety of the city was seemingly sunk into the void that now darkened the lake, now referred to as Mamlakat Hadaan. In the following days it was also observed that the void had a corrupting effect, as many horrific monsters were found in the surrounding areas that were not present before.

Hobgoblin losses

In addition to the lives of the Shamans that performed the ritual, the Hobgoblin tribes that had a participant in the ritual were cursed. Over the next year they began to deform, becoming the Goblins and Bugbears we know today. In addition to this physical change, the whole of the Goblinoids, including hobgoblins, lost their immortal souls, meaning that now they could die of old age and disease. Overall, this sacrifice is not agreed upon within the Goblinoid community, with some still supporting it to this day, and others cursing their ancestor's name for not honoring the old gods and turning to Dark Magic.

Aftermath

in the end, the attack was successful in that it essentially destroyed the empire, causing a larger catastrophe than anybody involved was hoping for. The other council nations pounced upon them, and with the internal slave rebellion the Draego had no choice but to retreat or surrender. The cascading consequences of this day are still felt by the entirety of Solace.

Conflict Type

Siege