The Fiend Wars Of Lynelin

Siege of Ninothel

The Fiend Wars of Lynelin, also called the Great War, was a world war between the Elves and Men against the Fiend Realm that destroyed the Fiend Realm’s rule over Lynelin. It was the biggest war to ever occur in Lynelin’s history and shattered the dominance of the Fiend Realm, in the end creating the golden age for the Elves and Men of Lynelin.

## Background

### The Elves and Men

Ever since the elves repulsed Void’s forces, there has been an era of prosperity in the kingdoms, for so beaten were the Fiend Realm’s forces that they would not dare enter the kingdom’s land until the third and final war. During this period of peace, the elves-built fortresses and great cities atop towering mountains, while also preparing for the inevitable clash with the Fiend Realm, knowing that the void would not stop until all of Lynelin was his and his alone.

The elves could muster around forty thousand highly trained and elite warriors to wage war against the Fiend Realm and its allies. Supplementing the elves would be the men of Laledenia, whose kingdom was fractured after their king died without any heirs. Even though they were not as skilled as the elves, the Men of Laledenia stood steadfast against the Fiend Realm, for even though they were reduced to warring and squabbling tribes that liked to wage war on each other, their skills in combat were some of the bests in Lynelin and second only to the elves.

### The Fiend Realm and Its Allies

The Fiend Realm was the most formidable army in Lynelin and a rival to the Elves. While the numbers of the Fiend Realm far surpass that of its foes and allies, their numbers are primarily made up of vile creatures transformed by Void in his early conquests and possess limited combat training. To supplement its weak foot soldiers, the Fiend Realm likes to reach out for allies willing to see the Elves and Men of Laledenia destroyed.

One of its most stout allies are the Men of Velvia, who, unlike their eastern kin, endorses slavery. These evil men ride into battle as cataphracts and horse archers, carrying with them their sacred banners. The other notable allay is the quick-tempered and the stubborn dwarves, who were corrupted by Void during his early conquests. These were not the same kin as the dwarves of the north who stayed neutral during the conflict, for their minds are twisted and their bodies malformed from the ceaseless mining in the mountains.

## The First War

The First War marked the start of the Great War. Sensing malcontent among the elves and men, The Fiend Realm launches an invasion with their allies. Failing to adequately muster their forces, the elves are delayed from sending their armies, leaving Laledenia open for the Fiend Realm. To save their main army that was forming in Pondwellder, smaller armies sacrifice themselves in the mountain passes to delay their foes. While thousands upon thousands of Laledenian lay slain in those mountain passes they stoutly guarded, the main army was successfully formed and with the arrival of the elves, they set out to battle against the Fiend Realm.

One hundred thousand elves and men led by Filinar left Pondwellder, and they crossed the mountain passes to meet Void’s demon army of around four hundred thousand in the mountain pass of Calerock. Void and his army descended upon the combined host, initially smashing and driving a wedge into the host. However, once the initial force waned, the elves and men counterattacked with the support of elven archers, whose aim was deadly. Knowing that retreating through a pass with that big of an army will cause a one-sided slaughter, Void committed his last reserves, the dragons. Bred in the fires of hell, the dragon is one of the creatures the elves and men hadn’t seen before. With its fiery breath, the dragons routed the entire elven-men army. The army would’ve been entirely annihilated if not for the courage of the elves, who acted as the rearguard during the retreat.

Although victory was achieved for Void, his was short-lived, for more men and elves flocked to join Filinar’s army. They would once again meet during the siege of Pondwellder. Defending the bastion of Laledenia were around ten thousand men, and they were once again far outnumbered by their foes. Ten times the Fiend Realm assaulted the walls, ten times they were repulsed by arrow fire. Once again, like he had done in Calerock, Void committed his dragons into the eleventh assault, tearing down its walls and letting in swarms of vile creatures into the city. The battle would’ve been lost if not for the timely arrival of the elven-men army led by none other than Filinar, this time he was riding a dragon.

The spectacle of their High King riding a dragon he had just tamed through unknown means was more than enough for the army to crush through the enemy centre. Whilst Filinar battled and dueled with other dragons above the battlefield, the elves and men battled their way through the centre to meet with Void himself. The god was not to be taken lightly, however, as void clutching his axe began to carve through both elf and men alike, whether they’d be prince or common warrior. While Void’s skill in combat was unmatchable to anyone but Uthar, his deeds did not change the course of the battle, as with his centre wiped out, elves and men soon started attacking the flanks through the sides. With no other option, he ordered a withdrawal back towards Deadholde.

## The Second War

For twenty-five years after the first war, the realms of men and elves lived in peace, for they dealt a blow so powerful that there were never any incursions from the Fiend Realm. But for twenty-five years, Void bred more and more creatures and demons and began arming them for war. In 206 IE, Void unleased his army, with the numbers counting to a near million, and hundreds of dragons, mostly young ones to replace the old ones that died in the first war.

The alliance was caught suprised by Void, and soon dozens of castles belonging to the Laledenians were lost in quick assaults by him. Like they did in the first war, the elves began to gather their armies together and march to the aid of the men. However, they were delayed by fire-breathing dragons that ambushed the elves on their way to the gathering point long enough that Void began to siege Pondwellder. After being delayed, the elven army began to march to the aid of the men, but they were too late, for Void assaulted the city with dragons, and he burned the city to the ground, razing it and slaughtering the garrison and its inhabitants.

After he took Pondwellder, Void turned his army towards the elves, who were by now joined by the remnants of the armies of men, totaling around one hundred thousand. They met in the plains of Thallan and battled there. The Battle of Thallan was a bloody affair, with both sides taking heavy casualties as dragons clashed with each other atop the skies. The battle turned when nearly all elven dragons except for Filinar’s own, named Glarald, were slain by the much more numerous demon dragons. With no support from the air, the dragons of the Fiend Realm began breathing fire into the formation of the alliance, routing the entire army. The entire army would have been doomed if not for the sacrifice of the Laledenians, who protected the retreat and were thus annihilated by the dragons. Around twenty thousand elves perished in the battle, half of the entire elvish army, and around fifty thousand men perished in the battle, destroying what remained of the Men of Laledenia. Void’s losses, meanwhile, were two hundred thousand dead and around three hundred dragons slain.

What remains of the allied army were uncertain, as many deserted or returned to their homes, estimates count that the elves could field only fifteen thousand men. The losses for the men were heavy, with only two hundred men escaping with the elves. by the time Filinar arrived back in his capital with the other princes, the territory of men who sided with the elves was gone. The destruction of Laledenia caused a mass refugee crisis as tens of thousands of men crossed into Alinori territory.

With a massive blow struck against the alliance, Void planned an invasion, planning to invade Alinori territory and besiege several citadels on the border. With his army shattered after the Battle Of Thallan, Void had to rely upon his dwarven and Velvian allies to supplement units in his army. Void had around six hundred thousand men to spare for his invasion, as many more had to contend with Laledenians who had turned themselves into guerilla fighters. Filinar meanwhile, had to deal with a shortage of men in his army, so he recruited men and created units specifically made up of human soldiers and led by human officers.

The first move came when a company of scouts happened upon the entire Fiend army and ran back to their outpost to relay the message that an invasion was happening. Soon enough, the army crossed into the Tenthir Pass and was met with several hundred rangers firing from positions in the forests. While they dealt some casualties to the invaders, they were driven back when the dragons flew above them and spew fire into the forest. As they came ever closer to reaching Ninothel, attacks became more frequent and scouts had to be sent far forward from the army to deal with them. Finally, after a week of marching, they arrived in Ninothel.

### Siege of Ninothel

Ninothel was a citadel atop a mountain, its walls are thick, and its garrison was numerous and well-trained. Since it was atop a mountain, Void had to break part of its army across several passes, to ensure that no one inside was to escape. The assault began as soon as Void encircled the citadel, as hordes of dwarves with their sophisticated siege equipment assaulted its walls while the Velvians with their horse archers rained fire into the city. Void did not send his dragons, however, as he wanted a secure base for his supplies. After several days of hard fighting, the dwarves managed to capture part of the walls with heavy casualties, the elves fought valiantly atop the walls, trying to hold off the Fiend army long enough for reinforcements to come, but it was in vain.

Although the elves did heroic deeds during the fighting, they could not hold off the never-ending hordes pushing them ever further inside the citadel. Retreating to their final strong point, the keep, they convened a council to determine whether they will surrender Ninothel or die in the last stand. The elves chose the latter, as it was clear that Void would not take any prisoners, and so as the princes rode on to their dragons, the garrison sallied out of the keep while dragons fought each other in the air, devastating much of Ninothel so much that it became a ruin.

### Battle of The Twenty-One Stars

Following his pyrrhic victory at Ninothel, Void spent the next four years dealing with the elvish rangers that had fled deep into the woods following Tenthir Pass. His reprisals were cruel, and he tortured every elf that were unlucky enough to be captured. While the rangers suffered horrible losses in their guerilla campaign, they ensured that civilians were able to escape Void’s carnage.

The four year campaign ended when the last ranger hideout fell, marking an end of elvish resistance in the Ninothel region. The mustering of a great alliance army of elves and men was a momentous event that marked a new chapter in the history of the elvish kingdom. Led by Filinar, this army was the largest of all previous alliance armies during the wars, numbering some 300,000 men and elves.

The alliance army was composed of 250,000 spearmen, who formed the backbone of the force. These brave warriors were trained in the art of close combat and were equipped with long spears and shields. They were able to withstand the mightiest of blows and were feared by their enemies for their tenacity and ferocity in battle.

The alliance army also included 50,000 cavalry, ranging from heavy to light. These mounted warriors were able to move quickly across the battlefield, and were adept at flanking and harassing enemy forces. Their mobility and speed made them a valuable asset on the battlefield.

In addition to these formidable troops, the alliance army was also accompanied by some 300 dragons, including Filinar's own dragon, Glarald. These mighty beasts were able to wreak havoc on the battlefield, breathing fire and destroying enemy fortifications with their powerful claws.

The journey to Ninothel was a long and difficult one, but the alliance army pressed on, undaunted by the challenges they faced. They marched day and night, driven by the knowledge that their kingdom was at stake and that they had to do everything in their power to protect it.

As they drew closer to Ninothel, the alliance army was greeted by a number of scouts, who brought news of the Fiend Army's movements and strength. Filinar and his commanders quickly assessed the situation and began to formulate a plan of attack. Finally, after many long days of marching, the alliance army reached Ninothel and prepared to do battle with the Fiend Army. As the two armies faced off against one another, the sense of tension and anticipation was palpable, for both sides knew that this was a fight to the death.

The Battle of The Twenty-One Stars was a decisive and historic conflict that took place in the ruins of Ninothel. It was a battle that would be remembered for generations to come, and would have far-reaching consequences for the elvish kingdom and beyond.

The battle began when the dragons from both sides fought with determination in the middle of the battlefield. The duel lasted for two hours, with both sides unleashing their full power and ferocity. When both sides had exhausted their reserves of fire and magic, they sent their respective armies against one another.

The alliance cavalry smashed against the hellriders of the Fiend Realm, easily routing them before turning to strike at the exposed flanks of the enemy. The alliance infantry, while struggling to hold off the enemy's superior numbers, formed a phalanx and, upon hearing news that the cavalry was attacking the flanks of the enemy, charged with their spears in hand, cutting a huge swathe of evil men and dwarves.

Sensing that defeat was near, Void, the leader of the Fiend Army, descended from his vile dragon, the great dragon Nauraktar, and joined the land battle, easily smashing men and elves alike with his great axe. The alliance army soon began to lose heart, until Filinar, the High King of the Kingdom of Alinor, descended from his dragon Glarald and dueled Void in the middle of the battle. The duel lasted seven minutes, and ended when Filinar, mortally wounded from the blows by Void, dispatched Void back into the underworld, shattering his mortal body with his warhammer.

The Fiend Army, without its leader, soon began to run away and scatter in all directions, like a headless chicken. While the alliance army mourned for the loss of their beloved High King, who expired just after he dispatched his foe to the underworld. The Battle of The Twenty-One Stars was a great victory for the alliance, and a turning point in the wars against the Fiend Realm.

After the Battle of The Twenty-One Stars, the aftermath was one of mourning and reflection. Filinar, the beloved High King of the Kingdom of Alinor, had fallen in battle, and his loss was deeply felt by his subjects and allies. But despite their grief, the elvish kingdom had to move forward. Filinar's daughter, Elorisa, ascended to the throne as High Queen, and she vowed to honor her father's legacy by ruling justly and wisely.

With no serious threat posed to her new kingdom, Elorisa made the decision to dissolve the alliance army. She wished to keep the crown's coffers full, and believed that the kingdom's resources would be better spent on other endeavors. The alliance army, while disappointed at the news, understood Elorisa's decision and grudgingly disbanded. They returned to their homes and families, grateful for the opportunity to serve their kingdom and hopeful for a brighter future.

As for Elorisa, she would go on to rule the Kingdom of Alinor with wisdom and compassion, and her reign would be remembered as a time of peace and prosperity.