The Orc Wars

The Orc Wars were a series of wars fought between the orcs of northern Promania and several kingdoms including Greyhold, Fellmar and Telmara.

## Growing Tension

The orcish people of northern Promania had long been held in slavery by the countries of northern Promania, but during the 6th era, a growing number of slave revolts and abolitionists began to challenge the ruling order of slavery within the Greyhold, Fellmar and Telmara. One of the big points of contention was the practice of the Breaking of the One Chain, which was a celebration the slaves used once a year to remind themselves that although they had already broken one chain of slavery (from the Dark Lord) they still had one more chain of slavery to break. Freed slaves practiced the holiday of the Breaking of the Two Chains, which was a celebration of finally being free from all slavery.

Telmara was the first to outlaw the practice of the Breaking of the One Chain in 1530 6E, which led to multiple slave revolts in Telmara, most notably in 1531, 32, 35, 46 6E. And although the slave revolts themselves were often unsuccessful in freeing all the slaves, a growing number of freed slaves were now stalking the countryside planning the freedom of their kin while pillaging small towns. The Greyhold and Fellmar would follow Telmara's example of banning the practice of the Breaking of the One Chain in 1533 and 1535 6E respectively.

By 1550 6E the freed slaves had grown organized, working between all three kingdoms to free slaves and grow the numbers of the growing warband. Fearful of losing their slaves, Greyhold, Fellmar and Telmara agreed to begin working together to assassinate the heads of the abolitionist movement. In 1554 6E the assassination of the war chief Azbad Grenolf triggered a declaration of war between the orcs and the three kingdoms by Azbad's son Azlog Grenolf.

## The First Orc War

Telmara was the main battlefield of the first Orc War in 1550 6E, both since Azbad Grenolf had been born in Telmara, and the fact that the Telmarans treated the orcs harshest. Azlog led a host of 4,000 orcs against the kingdom, choosing to engage smaller settlements that didn't have walls and avoid any prolonged siege. Azlog's charisma allowed him to recruit many freed slaves and human abolitionists to his cause, many of which broke off into smaller warbands sacking nearby settlements.

The capital's slow response to the situation stirred much resentment against House Longrivers, which waited to engage Azlog until the spring of 1551 6E when the king had raised his entire army of around 10,000. The two armies fought each other at the battle of Onara Fields where Telmara scored a decisive victory against Azlog, pushing him back into the western reaches of the Ecaree Mountains. Telmara once again enslaved many of the orcs that they had captured and put to death the humans that had sided with the orcs, putting an end to the First Orc War.

## The Second Orc War

In 16 7E many of the orcs who had fled from Westweld found themselves in the kingdom of Fellmar. Fellmar launched it's own attacks on the orcs in the Second Orc War. Fellmar weld a smaller force than Westweld, however in 17 7E, Westweld offered a force of over 10,000 men to help Fellmar in their struggle with only a few more than 15,000 men. In the end, Fellmar was victorious and sent the orcs fleeing for a second time, this time north.

The kingdom of Telmara was stable during the period when the orcs were crossing into the realm during 17-26 7E and were able to kill many of the orcs as they were crossing the border. Some of the orcs, however, would escape into the northern forests of Telmara where they would breed and begin to formulate a plan of revenge.

In 130 7E, Calren would be dragged into the war when their king expelled all of the orcs that had been living within the city to appease Telmara and Fellmar. Their involvement of the war was largely kept internally, and by 138 7E, they had successfully gotten rid of the orcs within their cities.

Finally, in 135 7E a massive hoard of over 130,000 orcs poured into the country side of Westweld, coming from the valley of the Ecaree Mountains and devastating the local populations. Immediately, Westweld would launch a full scale counter force of 75,000 men. Knowing that they were nearly outnumbered 2-1, the army of Westweld did their best to use hit and run tactics to try and avoid harming their army.

The kingdom of Telmara spent the year mobilizing their troops to hit the orcs from their behind. It took Telmara nearly a year to join the war, but they joined in with 55,000 men and were prepared to help Westweld out of what they felt was obligation, since the orcs had come from Telmara.

Shortly after Telmara announced they were joining the war, Fellmar joined the war too. They had been able to raise a force of 70,000 men and sent them forward towards the orcs southern flank.

In the Battle of the Three Flanks, the orcish army was completely destroyed with not a single orc remaining. Telmara was hurt the most, losing 44,000 men in the battle, followed by Felmar loosing 21,200 men and the Westweld loosing only 10,100 men.