The Conflict
Prelude
The Black Fortress sits a top the cape that rounds the southern Shores of the Isle of Mhuzelt, a major stop off for the Gnomish fleet stationed in the Mhuzelti Sea. In the Year 1170 the Mhuzelti Empire had begun ramping up the production of new artillery rounds, Land to Sea shells that when impacting the surface of water, would detonate with a pulse of electric interference. Causing many of the simple comms systems on Dwarven Vessels to malfunction.
The Dwarves had lost their chokehold on the Ithry Strait, the Dwarven State had been largely successful in cutting off their southern and northern fleets from assisting each other up until this point. Gherdhal: The First King of Dwarves had been attempting to divide and conquer the massive fleets of battleships and amphibious landings on the Fjords of the Northern Wastes . With those fleets unable to intercept many of the Dwarven Ships from taking Split Rock, they were gaining an upper hand in taking the Alpine Rise of the Isle.
After the Gnomes had been able to redouble their efforts in fortifying this fortress, they were able to smash apart the Dwarven Fleet stationed just off the Cape. Allowing the Northern Gnomish Fleet to attack Split Rock and retake the city. Here the Dwarves retreated from the Isle before their center mass on the shores was destroyed. Where hundreds of Skirmishes between small land battles and naval engagements ensued as the stalemate was reestablished.
Gjorn's Father, the old Fourth King, died due to a sickness of his lungs, Gjorn was the now Crowned King of the Rhojic Clan. Gjorn wanted to prove himself to the rest of the Clans, seeking an audience with Gherdhal. He promised The First King and the other kings that we would be able to take that infernal fortress and continue the invasion of their homeland.
The Engagement
Gjorn and his Clan Rhojic had planned for a Naval Engagement to the north of the fortress, and to destroy their comms relays to hide a larger force from the south to land on the black sand beaches and storm the fortress. His Fleet had been an excellent distraction from his main force, the Northern Fleet overwhelming the fortress with communications enough for the distraction to work.
Gjorn had worked with Gherdhal to plan out the attack, they waited for the seasonal typhoons to strike the southern coast of the Isle before making their move. The distraction fleet attacked just as the storm reached the Fortress, providing wonderful cover for the Dwarves to take out the Wall Guard, and detonate charges timed with the thunder to open the main gates.
The Dwarves took the breached fortress with little casualties, securing the fort. Gjorn ordered his distraction fleet to disengage while giving the Gnomes a bone to chew. Tricking the Northern fleet north with a false interception of their radio signal. Allowing them more time to secure the fortress to annihilate the Northern Fleet as it came to restock at the Black Fortress in a few weeks time. The Gnomes never realized the fortress had fallen until after the fleet returned to see the military instalment leveled to the ground. The plan would have been successful, had what happened.
Gjorn had ordered an abandonment of the operations due to many complications, many have never been well corroborated beyond the words and reports of the Commanders and Gjorn himself.
Historical Significance
Legacy
While the Invasion attempt was considered a failure of the Dwarven Wandering State and a resounding victory by the Mhuzelti Empire. In truth the battle is considered a stalemate by the rest of the world. No change in force or momentum was felt by either side of the conflict.
What the main outcome of this entire debacle was this: Gjorn had found something beneath the fortress that caused him abandon the mission. Here Gjorn with the help of his Stjerkaler: Hjalti Evergrown, had quelled a strange occurrence that plagued the Fortress. After all the blood had been spilt on those sands, it woke an innumerable amount of Wraith's, where one Shadow in particular proved to quite a malevolent force.
Here, during a dream, Gjorn witness something awful. Though, according to the Stjerkaler, it was no dream at all. It was a literal occurrence that pulled the King's mind and soul into a place far beyond time, witnessing the creation of something evil. Gjorn would die on this hill to this day, he claimed to have watched Azu: The Raven consume an unnamed god. He would also state many times during his interrogation inside Mhzuchet, that the worst of these wraiths that plagued the fortress was Azu in a much purer form.
When Hjalti and Gjorn retraced his steps in this out-of-body experience, they found an odd runic structure that took them weeks to crack. Inadvertently, Gjorn awakened an previously unknown Talent that allowed him to Branch Walk to somewhere Elsewhere. When he returned to this plane he was afflicted with the Silenced Tongues about nearly the entire adventure he endured.
But, what had been the main outcome of this turn of events was this: Gjorn had been gifted with a vast amount of information that he used to fortify Mhzuchet and his people. He also became the only known Dwarf to obtain a Domain of Air, as well as a few extremely odd abilities related to the Domain of Tonal Magics. Fitting for a King who was regarded as a skilled bard. When Gjorn speaks, any and all mortal souls snap their attention to him. When he wills his magic into being, it is magnitudes stronger than what any normal person is capable of. Whatever he experienced while he walked between planes, he came back something not quite a Dwarf.
Conflict Type
Invasion
Battlefield Type
Land
Start Date
1177, Season of Waiting
Ending Date
1178, Season of Life
Conflict Result
Stalemate
Location
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