MOVED_War of the Night King

The War of the Night King is the name given to a series of conflicts that raged across the Island of Talanas on the continent of Atalassia during the second and into the third decade of the Sixth or Current Age of Azocar. It was so-named after the aggressors in the conflict.
The devotees and worshippers of the ancient archmage, the necromancer Ba'Lial, also known as the Aramago or the Night King perpetrated the conflict in an attempt to facilitate the return from the dead of their evil lord and master. It was only their defeat, as well as unsubstantiated reports that small groups of adventuring heroes succeeded in finally destroying Ba'Lial himself, once and for all, that ultimately brought about the end of the conflict.
Though it wouldn't be learned until much later, raids across Talanas as early as CA 11 represented the earliest days of the conflict. And, even after Ba'Lial's destruction, numerous factions on either side continued fighting for a number of years. Raids and skirmishes were punctuated by occasional all-out battles throughout the remainder of the decade. It was only in CA 21 that the warring sides finally expended their energies and the conflict dissipated.
Despite the prolonged hostilities after the fact, the vast majority of the war's largest battles was had during the years of CA 13, 14, and 15.

Factions in the War

Armies of the Dark

Army of the Night King

Comprised of hordes of undead creatures and spectacular monsters like dragons and trolls, the strengths of the Army of the Night King came from the unique, varied, and fearsome abilities of its ranks. In addition to the rank and file, the most powerful agents of Ba'Lial fought alongside his army. These included his most powerful disciple, the archmage necromancer Telekaas Taramin.
At its height, the undead hordes of the Night King's army numbered some 6,000 or more, most of them skeletons and zombies. Supporting these were numerous battalions of hill and stone giants from the Spine totaling more than 200 individuals. The stone giants used their superior will and strength to brow-beat about 100 trolls into the ranks. Finally, the ogre clans of the northern edges of the Talanas plains allied with the Night King's forces and committed a force more than 300 strong.
Additionally, at least a couple dozen dragons fought for the Night King. Their number was hard to quantify because it was believe different individuals would drop in and out of the conflict. A small contingency of five or six remained pretty constant. These included well-know draconic denizens of Atalassia including an older blue named Skyflash and an ancient white name Snowblind. Under the coercion of the dragons, dozens of wyverns and a small number of manticores and chimeras also fought with the Army of the Night King.
The Night King's army suffered the heaviest casualties of the war. Its forces were either completely obliterated or scattered so widely as to be rendered ineffectual as a combined group. The undead hordes within the army were completely destroyed. Amongst the living, the battalions of trolls, ogres, and other large folk suffered the heaviest casualties with two thirds of their number or more falling in the conflict. And at least half a dozen dragons were confirmed slain during the war. These included the powerful blue dragon, Skyflash.

Esthren People's Army

An army of several thousand disaffected and disgruntled people from the eastern lands of Talanas represented the largest force in the War of the Night King. They were convinced to fight on the side of the Night King by Telekaas and his agents. Animosity against many on the opposite side of the conflict was the primary reason the necromancer was able to conscript the large force to his cause. But the easterners had other motivations as well.
The strength of the Eastern Army was its numbers. In the early days of their involvement, their willingness to fight was also an asset. Even though their foes were often more skilled and disciplined, the Esthreners remained stout. In fact, they kept fighting for years after the Night King's own army was defeated and Ba'Lial reportedly destroyed.
The persistence of the easterners even after the overall conflict was lost was due to the fact that aiding the Night King was just an ancillary goal of theirs. Their larger purpose was to assert their hold over the levers of power on Talanas. Many saw in the war the opportunity to push back on centuries of deference to the Atal Dwarven Nations and to the so-called Dragon City, Talanas and its allies.
The Eastern Peoples Army numbered about 8,000 fighters upon their entry into the conflict. Though it was referred to as a singular army, it was not, in fact, that. More accurately, it was a force comprised of loosely allied forces from the various autonomous territories of eastern Talanas. There were even some allies of these from the western shores of the Island of Haldanas. The largest component within the overall army was a mixed force of 3,000 goblinoids, humans, and fellsworn from the Tormvald Plateau lead by a former associate of the Powers Company, Durgorn Agallor.
The fighting took its heaviest toll on the Esthren Army during the summer and autumn of CA 15. The direct involvement in the war of the Powers Company, alongside the Corsairs Alliance turned the tide of the war such that victory for the allies of the Night King became unlikely. And the easterners bore the brunt of the damage. A series of decisive victories by the forces of the Dwarven Alliance reduced the number of the Esthren Army to less than half its original force. When they withdrew from the conflict to reassess their goals, about half the remaining force left the conflict entirely and returned to their homes.
About 2,000 remained, however. Most of these were the Tormvald and Durgorn Agallor continued to lead them. For six years following Ba'Lial's defeat, they continued to fight the army of the dwarves and their remaining allies. When the fighting finally stopped near the end of CA 21, only about 1,300 combatants from the east remained. In full, well more than half of the original force, some 4,700 died in the conflict.

Army of Shadows

WIP

Army of the Spine

WIP

The Dwarven Alliance

Army of the Dwarven Nations

Borne of the first Gathering of the Dwarven Nations in over a millennium, the Army of the Dwarven Nations was raised from their number. All the Atal dwarven clans from Talanas and Eldenaar and most of the clans of Agal dwarves from Haldanas participated in the war. The force, originally more than 2,000-strong was comprised almost entirely of infantry troops, many of them elite in skill. The Dwarven Army was organized along geographical lines with the western dwarves from comprising one force and the eastern dwarves the other.
Though the overall command of the Army of the Dwarves was placed in the hands of the Council of Thawnes with Broghan Iceholm, Thawne Frostwall at its head, command of the forces in the field was placed in the hands of a select few. The eastern army's general was Baelon Spinelohrn, Thawne of Uthark. The western army was commanded by Kelsa Grimgaeth, the daughter and heir of the Thawne Grimwolfe. She however delegated many of the decisions in combat to her commanders, her brother Grahm and their close friend and Powers Company member, Li Lakegrim.
The Army of the Dwarven Nations suffered moderate to medium casualties during the War of the Night King and some 500 dwarves died in the conflict. The Atal or western dwarves comprised the majority of these, about 300, largely because of their necessity to continue fighting for years after Ba'Lial's demise. Though the Agal or eastern dwarves had fewer casualties overall, they suffered the greatest single loss among dwarves in the whole of the war. 152 of their number perished in defending against the Night King's force's invasion of the Gathering of the Dwarven Nations near Parrak's Peak in early CA 15 (see below).
The motivations of the Dwarven Nations' armies were varied, even within their own ranks. Both eastern and western dwarves alike understood the need to turn back the aggression of the Night King and his allies. However, the dwarves from Talanas also fought to protect a position of power and influence throughout their island even after Ba'Lial was destroyed. To whit, many though not all of the easterners exited the conflict after their ancient foe was no more.

Army of Talans

WIP

Army of the First People

WIP

Allied Against Ba'Lial

WIP

Corsairs Alliance

WIP

History of the Conflict

Early Aggressions

CA 11

It would not be known until the history of the War of the Night King was studied thoroughly and put into proper perspective, but unusual aggression between the giant-kin denizens of the Spine of Atal and the dragons population of the same actually represented the first actions of the conflict. Many with interest in such things could not figure out why these activities were occurring. They were occurring at the behest of the agents of Ba'Lial.
Lead by Telekaas Taramin, worshippers and devotees of the archmage Ba'Lial were actively engaged in two major activities at the end of the the first decade of the Current Age. One was their continued pursuit of the artifacts and power they would need to restore their lord to the world after eons of banishment to the outer planes. The other was to prepare the world for his arrival and to soften it for his conquest.
To the latter end, they had recruited many giants and giant-kin as well as numerous dragons to sow chaos and discord across Atalassia. Most of the ordinary folk of the broken continent hardly noticed the activity but enough members of the intelligentsia did. By the end of CA 11, calls were being heard for inquiries into the unusual activity.

CA 12

The unusual strife along the Spine of Atal continued into a second year in CA 12. By the arrival of summer, discussions were being had within the halls of power in the city of Talanas. They were also being had in the hearthomes of the Atal and Agal dwarven clans all across Atalassia. Amongst these, a respected sage advised any who would listen that a vision they had had warned of a forthcoming apocalypse. Their words did not fall on deaf ears.
By midsummer, there was open talk of something that had not occurred in more than a millennium. The dwarves of Atalassia were getting ready to call for a gathering of all their nations. It was at this time that a group of adventurers arrived on Talanas. Amongst them was the daughter of an influential Thayne from Clan Grimwolfe, Li Lakegrim. Li and her comrades travelled north from the city of Talanas to her ancestral homelands. There they learned that the Gathering had been called and Li's clan was making preparation to travel north to Parrak's Peak for the seminal conference.
Before the dwarves began their migration north, Li's father as well as their clan's Thawn charged the adventuring party to journey north and gather information about the ongoing aggressions. The adventurers headed off on their task while the Dwarven Nations of Atalassia came together for the first time in many centuries. By the time winter settled in and the year's days dwindled, the Dwarven Nations agreed to raise and army and be ready for the worst. They also sent emissaries to their allies to the south with suggestions that they should marshal their own forces as well.

Alliance of Nations and Open Warfare

CA 13

The worst fears of the Dwarven Nations and their allies were confirmed before the first week of the new year was out. A force of giants and giant-kin nearly 100-strong stormed out of the mountains and attacked the Gathering. To the shock and horror of their targets, they were aided by a pair of dragons.

CA 14

WIP

Defeat of the Night King

CA 15

WIP

War of the Esthreners

CA 16

WIP

CA 17

WIP

CA 18

WIP

Dwarven Nations Prevail

CA 19

WIP

CA 20

WIP

CA 21

WIP

Conflict Type

War

Start Date

CA 11

Ending Date

CA 21

Belligerents

Armies of the Dark

Led by

• Durgorn Agallor
• Telekaas Taramin

Dwarven Alliance

Strength

• AotNK - 8,000+ undead, 200~ giants, 100~ trolls, 300~ ogres, 20+ dragons, 100+ other monsters, 5 war wizards
• EPA - 8,000~ goblinoids, humans, fellsworn, and other medium folk
• BA - 500+ assorted devils
• AoS - 500+ drow
• AotS - 250 frost giants

• AotDW - 2,000+ dwarves (80% infantry, 15% skirmishers, 5% archers)
• AotFP - 200 goliaths, 100 firlbog, 50 aaracokra, 100 other small folk, 8 cloud giants
• TD - 1,000 infantry, 100 elite skirmishers, 200 archers, 200 cavalry
• EA - 400 infantry, 200 archers, 100 cavalry, 20 war priests, 20 war mages
• CA - 250 skirmishers, 12 sailing ships, 2 flying ships

Casualties

Varied (see notes)

Varied (see notes)

Objectives

Conquer and hold enough of Talanas to prepare it for Ba'Lial's return to the world

Defeat the Night King's allies and prevent his return to the world of the living