History of Balarai

699: Today

698: Orgheim is attacked by the Black Knight commanding an army of Kobolds and the terrible Red Dragon, Astras.

695: The Third Goblin War begins at the Battle of Bloody Vale. It lasts three days, as prophecy gave the King Darien foreknowledge of the attack, and the invasion from the South is quickly turned back.

680: King Jord dies, his son Darien takes the throne.

667: King Bolg dies, his son Jord takes the throne.

648: Jarl Gorandus of Burningeyes retires, the Orcs elevate Urmask of Blackbones to Jarl

635: King Noram the Loyal dies, his son Bolg takes the throne.

623: Queen Greta II dies of fever, Jarl Noram again takes up the stewardship while her sister comes of age. When the younger sister dies as well, the Jarls meet and crown Noram of Marroheim High King of Balarai, who could claim a lineage back to Bjor Dragonslayer by his mother’s line.

622: The Silver-leaf rebellion is ended, and Greta II is finally crowned Queen.

620: Queen Gronel II is killed by elves of the Silver-leaf Glade during a visit to Lord Silver-leaf's hold. Silver-leaf declares that they will no longer bend the knee to human filth. The Lord of Silver-leaf had hoped his kinself Valathor, the Elf King, would support his rebellion, but he did not. The Jarls of Balarai meet and crown Noram (Jarl of Marroheim) King until the Queen's daughter, Greta II (at the time only 14), can come of age.

600: Jarl Hroda of Bloodroot retires, the Orcs elevate Gorandus of Burningeyes to Jarl

599: King Njol dies, his daughter Gronel II takes the throne.

580: King Bjor VI dies of fever, his son Njol takes the throne.

579: King Bjor V dies of fever, his son Bjor IV takes the throne.

573: Queen Ajara dies, her son Bjor V takes the throne.

560: Jarl Ordash of Whitestallion retires, the Orcs elevate Hroda of Bloodroot to Jarl

556: Kaljord, the last of the great dragons, is killed by the Wyrmwatch and the armies of Balarai. August 5th, the day of Kaljord's death, is declared a holiday among the orcs. Many others have adopted the day since then.

King Hod III dies upon hearing of Kaljord's death. It is said he whispered "Finally the work is done" as he died. His granddaughter Ajara takes the throne.

547: Jarl Gor’mag of Bloodtree dies in battle with kobolds, the Orcs elevate Ordash of Whitestallion to Jarl

514: King Breg II dies in battle against kobolds, his son Hod III takes the throne.

514: Jarl Zohaz of Stormcrow is killed in battle against Kaljord, the Orcs elevate Gor’mag of Bloodtree to Jarl

502: Orgheim is attacked by Kaljord, a great wyrm. The orc mystics call on all orcs to finally purge the dragons from their lands. King Breg II vows to assist in this war.

490: Queen Veras III dies, her son Breg II takes the throne.

485: Jarl Vegrash (Drakesbane) of Blackbones dies, the Orcs elevate Zohaz of Stormcrow to Jarl

455: King Hod the Jolly dies (laughing at one of his lavish feasts), his daughter Veras III takes the throne.

450: KIng Olag the Just dies childless, his cousin Hod II is crowned.

442: The Orcs elevate Vegrash (Drakesbane) of Blackbones to Jarl

433: Jarl Ordrog of Brokenwing dies in battle with kobolds, the Orc clans fail to reach an agreement on a Jarl

421: Jarl Gaz’roth of Bluewind retires, the Orcs elevate Ordrog of Brokenwing to Jarl

417: Mad King Leod is overthrown and beheaded, and Olag the Just is crowned High King of Balarai.

416: The disastrous campaign to conquer the goblin lands ends when levies and mercenaries begin deserting en masse. Leod returns to Balarai as the remaining Jarls marshal armies against him in support of his younger brother Olag. Alfheim supported Leod almost to the end, though they had a specific grudge against the Goblin folk to settle.

415: King Telas the Victorious dies, his son Leod takes the throne. King Leod begins talking about invading the Goblin lands. The Jarls of Orgheim and Marroheim are jailed for 'treason' (they disagreed with him)

401: Jarl Graul (the Younger) of Bloodtree retires, the Orcs elevate Gaz’roth of Bluewind to Jarl

400: The Twenty Years war ends with victory for Balarai. The 21st of May is declared a Day of Peace in the Kingdom of Balarai forevermore.

385: King Bjor IV dies in battle against the goblins, his son Telas takes the throne.

379: Jarl Graul (The Elder) of Bloodtree dies in battle with Kobolds, the Orcs elevate Graul (The Younger) of Bloodtree to Jarl

379: The Kingdom of Nordheim is invaded by the Kobolds of the Hedros Mountains. Orc mercenaries join the fight to repel the invasion of their hated enemies. At the same time, the goblin armies of the South attack Balarai. This war on two fronts stretches out for 20 years, but very little territory to the South is lost and the Kingdom of Nordheim enters the fold as a vassal state.

377: Queen Veras II chokes to death on a soup bone, her son Bjor IV takes the throne.

355: Queen Jora dies, Her daughter Veras II takes the throne.

348: Jora repels an invasion by the armies of Somerland on the coast of Marroheim.

321: King Torgun is murdered, his sister Jora takes the throne. The assassins are never caught.

319: Jarl Urgosh of Greyleaf retires, the Orcs elevate Graul of Bloodtree to Jarl

315: The Dwavish Kingdom of Nordheim slays the Dragon Xanathus with a weapon of strange design recovered from ancient ruins. They trade this weapon to Alderheim in exchange for gold to rebuild their kingdom. The weapon is placed atop a great tower at the base of the Black Hills, and after killing two dragons there as well, the tower fortress is renamed the Wyrmwatch.

289: Queen Brega dies in battle against Xanathus the Black Dragon, her son Torgun take the throne.

289: Jarl Vrogo of Blackbones is killed in battle with the Black Dragon Xanathus, the Orcs elevate Urgosh of Greyleaf to Jarl

260: Queen Greta the Prosperous dies, her daughter Brega takes the throne.

258: Jarl Nothalis (Who Bled For Balarai) of Stormcrow is killed defending Queen Greta, the Orcs elevate Vrogo of Blackbones to Jarl

258: The Queen, with the help of Jarl Nothalis of Orgheim, thwarts an attempt by her son to depose her and take the crown ahead of his elder sister. He is exiled to Svartlheim in Somerland.

253: Queen Greta solidifies the union of Grofheim into the Kingdom of Balarai. June the 2nd is declared Union Day.

245: King Hod dies, his daughter Greta takes the throne.

230: King Breg dies, his son Hod takes the throne.

203: Jarl Grogosh of Burningeyes dies, the Orcs elevate Nothalis of Stormcrow to Jarl

190: Queen Veras the Undying dies, her grandson Breg takes the throne.

182: Veras dimisses her poison taster when she sips a goblet of wine at court, spits it out, and chastises the man for missing a poison in it. When asked how she knew, she said "It was lucky for me. Of course I remember the taste of the poison my uncle already tried."

168: The Dwarves of Grofheim make an alliance with Balarai

167: Dark elves from below threaten the Kingdom of Grofheim. Despite warnings, Veras leads an army down into the tunnels below the mountains to assist Balarai's neighbors. She is hit by an arrow that at first seemed to pierce her heart, but was deflected from that mark by an amulet given to her as a child. The dark elves are beaten back, and Veras is named the Undying.

164: Jarl Grot of Burningeyes dies, the Orcs elevate Grogosh of Burningeyes to Jarl

153: Jarl Hazor (The Redeemed) of Bluewind resigns in shame, the Orcs elevate Grot of Burningeyes

153: During a visit to Orgheim, Queen Veras's train is set upon by raiders, they are driven off, but Veras is wounded in battle. Doctors and mystics all agree she shall die. She does not.

152: Jarl Zorum of Bloodtree dies, the Orcs elevate Hazor of Bluewind to Jarl

145: Assassins poison Veras, she survives the poison and ruthlessly pursues those responsable, revealed to be her uncle, whom she has executed.

143: King Jorgan Elffriend dies, his daugher Veras takes the throne.

119: Jarl Grath’zol of Blackbones retires, the Orcs elevate Zorum of Bloodtree to Jarl

105: The First Goblin War ends with Balarai's victory

103: Jarl Grath’zol sends Grot of Burningeyes to muster the clans and lead the army of Orgheim South to fight the Goblins. The campaign is so successful, King Jorgan names Grot of Burningeyes Lord of the King’s Army.

102: The Goblin King marches North, entering into the Great Wood and burning it. The Elves beseech the Kingdom of Balarai for aide. Jorgan, King of Balarai, agrees and the armies of men and orc enter the Great Wood to drive the goblins back. Later that year, the elves sign a treaty with King Jorgan, and the Great Wood becomes a protectorate of Balarai.

101: King Bjor III dies, his son Jorgan takes the throne.

91: Jarl Urtha (Who Knelt) of Bloodtree dies, the Orcs elevate Grath’zol of Blackbones to Jarl

86: King Bjor II dies, his son Bjor III takes the throne.

68: Queen Gronel dies, her son Bjor II takes the throne.

40: The Black Hills War ends and Urtha, now Jarl of Orgheim, swears fealty to Bjor Dragonslayer as High King of Balarai. Bjor Dragonslayer dies soon after, and Gronel, his wife, takes the throne.

39: The Orcs enter into war with the Kobolds of the Black Hills. Gorghast is killed and the Orc tribes fracture. Bjor Dragonslayer brings his armor North to aide the orcs at the behest of the orc Urtha, chieftess of the Bloodtree clan.

36: Gorghast, Great Chieftan of the Orcs, begs the leave of Bjor to take his people through his lands to the Northern steppes of the Black Hills, as they flee their wicked Goblin cousins to the South. Bjor grants them leave, and the Orcs found the kingdom of Orgheim.

0: Founding of the kingdom of Balarai when Bjor Dragonslayer slays Maritas the King of Wyrms atop the gates of Alderheim, Proclaiming himself king of the lands South of the Black Hills and North of the Somer Sea.