ND/Short Summary

*see also the Timeline of Events*

## Ancient History

Hundreds of years ago, the Dread Lord Karsen and his endless armies of Orcs attacked the civilized lands. One by one, the realms fell to his oppression.

The heroes of the Incarnate Hope, semi-mythical demi-gods, challenged Karsen and were defeated. Karsen established the Empire of Night.

## Modern History

### The Recent Past

The human kingdom of Hanist was one of the last realms to fall, and it continued resisting the Empire even after it was conquered. The various counties regularly rebelled, and trained for the next rebellion after each one was crushed.

At the end of the year 507 ANI, the orc garrisons in Hanist began confiscating food and military supplies at an unprecedented rate. In early February 508, most of the garrisons gathered near the old capitol of Bergen and traveled through a magical portal to some unknown place. Apparently there had been a coup against Dread Emperor Karsen, and the orcs and their Luminal masters were going to fight to decide who would be the new emperor.

A month later, the Resistance of Engenstut County realized that the orcs were not coming back. Where there had been a regiment guarding the county, there was now a few companies. Where there had been a legion stationed at the capitol to reinforce any regiment that faced an especially powerful rebellion, there was now half a regiment. The absence of the orcs was a golden opportunity to stage a successful rebellion, and they decided to take it.

### The Cape Har Rebellion

In March, April, and May, the Engenstut rebellion exploded out of Engenstut and defeated the nearby orc garrisons. Under the leadership of Trahaern ab Owen, a military genius, and his captains Aisling Mhic Muiris and Himmel Detfinger, they destroyed orc armies in the field and conquered their strongholds and fortresses. They met up with other Resistance cells, and merged their armies together. By the end of May, all of southeast Hanist was orc-free.

At the same time, a prominent priestess in the Resistance, Ariana Rees, began receiving visions of a mysterious stone circle in the west. She and some comrades took the Flying Boat to Stinecrice. They went through a series of trials and tests and learned that Stinecrice was one of the God Wards: magical sites that Emperor Karsen used to prevent the Gods from influencing the world.

### The Liberation

At the end of May, The Liberation was proclaimed, and Trahaern made its first consul. The Liberation's first task was to deal with the remaining orcs in Hanist, who were gathering into two large armies in the north and south. Trahaern ambushed the first army at Ravenrock Bridge, then marched south and defeated the second army piecemeal.

The Liberation forces went in many directions at this point: some went west to liberate the neighboring country of Venrike, others north to finish forcing the orcs out of Hanist, and still others northeast to prevent a counter-invasion from Zerniless. Over the course of July, August, and September, the Liberation expanded into Venrike and southern Zerniless. Further expansion was curtailed when spies reported that most of an Orc Legion, led by a Luminal on dragonback, was marching south through Menkgu and would arrive in Hanist in early October. All available forces were concentrated on the northern border with Menkgu.

### War on Two Fronts

The Dragonkin Legion besieged the 2nd Legion of the Liberation Army and were defeated, then pursued to destruction. The Luminal was killed by a Resistance strikeforce early in the fighting, but his Chief of Staff continued the battle, escaped the final destruction of the Legion, and rallied the orc forces of Gandabria to hold the river border with Menkgu.

The Luminals of the eastern empire had been mostly focused on fighting the endless war against the Dwarfen Safeholds, but with the death of one of their number and destruction of a substantial part of their army, they realized they had to treat the Liberation seriously. Although much of Menkgu was abandoned, the Luminals pulled forces from behind their front lines and sent them to reinforce some strategic fortresses. The Liberation 2nd Legion also began fortifying their frontline positions.

In Zerniless, the necromancer Luminal Gravecall sent thousands of zombies backed by elite regiments of orcs to destroy the Liberation. The Liberation's veteran 1st Legion fell back in front of these forces, killing countless zombies in ambushes and traps, before dispersing them before the walls of Mitnydum.

## Current Situation

As of early November, the Mengku-Gandabria front lines have mostly stabilized. The Luminals and the Liberation are both trying to find a way to achieve a local superiority of force without getting caught in a destructive siege. The Orcs have also begun raiding the Liberation territory in northwest Menkgu, seeking food and supplies and to deny the same to the Liberation.

In Zerniless, two orc regiments are raiding Liberation territory in the great forest, but the Liberation holds the road to the orcs' citadel and expects to crush the orcs soon. Advancing much further north is risky, as there are still endless hordes of zombies at the orcs' citadel, as well as Gravecall and her arcane power. General Aisling hopes to lead a quick expedition to her homeland, the Fae Court, and convince the Queen to ally with the Liberation against the Empire.