Dark Lords of the South

## 2312-2334 Dark Lords of the South

The regions in the southwest of Eirethune had been building and growing for the past couple centuries.  The humans, elves, and halflings all were expanding beyond their towns, further out into the plains all over the South.  As the settlers moved out, they were not unnoticed, especially near the darker parts of the world.  When the farms and houses started to spread out in the Southland Plains, the dark eyes in the Teledu and Sedd Pridd Wood opened.There had been orcs in the Southland Plains in and along the forests to the east and west, where the center of the plains was scattered with hamlets of halflings.

In the Sedd Pridd Mountains, there were several groups of orcs known as Ugrok Dahf.  These orcs were more tuned to the spirit and demon world than most of the orcs in the Southland.  Thakune was important to all orcs, but the Ugrok Dahf were sworm to Hadokahn, Girkahd and Esada, focusing on drawing their strength and power from them.  When the Ugrok Dahf saw the expansion of the hamlets towards the Sedd Pridd Mountains and Forest, one of their clan leaders, Ûk Thar, knew that this could not be their fate.  Ûk Thar focused on communing with Girkahd and Esada; searching for ways that he and his people could see beyond their small clan holdings in the dark places, and hopefully become something more.  Girkahd, Hadokahn, and Esada gave Ûr Thar the gift of minion embodiment, allowing him to be enriched with the spirits minions of the three gods to reward.  Ûr Thar couldn’t quite control who he became, but his clan was amazed with whatever it was.[1]

Soon the hamlets of the Southland were being burnt, people retreating further and further towards Farrish.  Tales of the Dark Lord of the Orcs coming out of the mountain shadow with flame black, blue and red.  Orcs were on the move again, burning villages and plundering and killing when they could.  The Queen mustered troops from the west and headed east to help the expanse of hamlets in the central plains.  Lord Brington of Farrish rallied the hamlets in the central plains and pushed back some of the orc raiders, giving the area some time to recover.

When the news of true conflict hit the main Ugrok Dahf groups, Ûr Thar sent out warg riders to the west, hoping to call up on the distant clans of Teledu Wood to assist and join their retaking of the south.  The clans of the west answered the call and met with the eastern groups about 50 miles north of Farrish.  But rather than heading south to the mustering halflings, Ûr Thar sent the forces north, razing hamlets and home as they went.

The forces of the Dark Lord moved into the Southern Marches and started burning and killing there as well, drawing the ire and attention of Fathe Nûn and Dobrize.  The orcs remained in a frenzy, making sacrifices to Thakune, Esada, Girkahd and Hadokahn, but it was getting harder to get a sign from them because all the horde was doing was pillaging.  Not even Thakune was watching in the eyes of some of the horde.  Ûr Thar decided that his close clan brothers should be given the gift, so he sacrificed himself to give his brethren his own power.  The gods did not fully take Ûr Thar, however, instead, he became a shade with just as much power.  His brethren gained his powers as well, so Ûr Thar determined that they should split their forces and head in three directions, back towards Farrish, towards Sadav and towards Dobrize.

More pillaging and destruction ensued, leaving much of the southern marches and northern southland plains in ruin.  Queen Linsa Aeris of the Southland met up with Lord Brington and moved against the portion of the horde that was heading back into the south.  Just prior to the battle with the clans, one of the new Dark Lords sprang from the shadows in the camp and killed the son and wife of Lord Brington.  The following morning, the orc clans had pulled back further.

The dark magic of shadow and spirit was with the clans.  This same sort of tactic occurred in the north and east, with nobles of Dobrize and Sadav as well.  The Dark Lords were devious and destructive, sending the region further back while letting the other armies just chase them, being on the verge of battle.

The armies of the Southland, Marches and Sadav caught small groups of clans, but they were still losing to shade assassins from the clan raiders.  Finally, a mage and priest from Fathe Nûn, Ansîat, was able to find a way to use the spirits against the Dark Lords.  Esada worship was common in the South and Ansîat was a firm devotee, understanding how the spirits could be seen might be useful in tracking the Dark Lords.  When the Dark Lords next attempted an assassination, it was met with several assassins waiting and seeing the shade for what and where they were.[2]

The armies continued to track down the Dark Lords and their clans, until finally the plains were at peace again.  It took a while for the region to start to rebuild, but at least the orcs and their allies had retreated back into the dark places of the south.

The aftermath of this time brought a period of cooperation to many of the peoples in the southwest. Even the reclusive Ffydd Dwarves, under the leadership of Thelban Font, joined with the nobles of the Marches and the Southland to create a limited defensive alliance should anything trouble their realms. The Underpeople of the Ffydd would leave the alliance in another sixty years, but nevertheless, for those sixty years, there was unity between nobility of different areas in the southwest.

## Links

Chronology of Eirethune

Previous, Second Age: Division and Desecration

Next, The Demon Wars

## Notes

[1] It is believed that Ûr Thar had a sword that could cut anything on this plane or spirits on others. *The Blade of Ur Thar* was said to be lost in the battle that finally killed his spirit, on the northern edge of the Sedd Pridd Mountains, thought no one knows exactly where the battle took place.

[2] Ansîat was said to have a collar which allowed him to see spirits in all planes co-located within 30' of him. It is believed to be somewhere near the source of the River Cyrfrinach in the Cyrfrinach Hills, where Ansîat died.