Last Witch War

* Wizards
* Droods
* Giants
* Rogrebreaths
* Sprites
* Dwarves
* + Unknown Clan (later known as Dûrgrimst Az Sweldn rak Anhûin)
* Elves
* Werewolves
* Other Inhabitants of the Wildwoods

Witches Side (under the command of the Kingwitch)

* Witches
* various Dark Creatures

Warrior Side (under the command of the Warrior Emperor

* Iron Warriors

**The First Witch War** (also known as the **Last Witch War**) was a unknown number of years of conflicts between the monstrously horrific Witches, under the command of The Kingwitch and the separate forces of the invading Iron Warriors and the other inhabitants of the Wildwoods. The war ended as a decisive victory for the latter's forces, the Kingwitch being placed inside a enormous stone that later become the Stone-That-Takes-Away-Magic by the Droods after the Droods and their allies launched a epic and surprise attack on the witches stronghold between the forests and sea, and the rest of the Witch were apparently destroyed by Wizards and Warriors alike, supposedly getting rid of them entirely and driving the dark race to extinction. However, unbeknownst to all, the majority of the Witch population went into hibernation in cocoons beneath the Witch Mountains, sleeping and awaiting a chance for revenge. The stone containing the Kingwitch eventually came into possession of the warriors, and the fairy stories that warned against coming into contact with it failed to recall the reason why it should not be touched. The Kingwitch, seeking to escape the stone, exerted his will to cause beings to be brought to the stone so that he could steal their magic. Finally, in the novel, The Wizards of Once, the Kingwitch broke out of the stone and the hibernating witches, who were already stirring in their slumber, came into full wakefulness, signaling the being of the Second Witch War.

## **History**

### **The Coming of the Warriors**

Once their were wildwoods. It was a long, long time ago, in a British Isles so old it did not know it was the British Isles yet, and the Magic lived and worked its wonders in the dark forests. Good things lived among these dark trees, humans and animals who minded their own business, but bad things lived in those times to, some very bad things, Werewolves, Trolls, Cat-Monsters, Roges, Ogres, Bogeymen, Rogrebreaths, Kelpies, Bugbears, Trolls, Grim Annises, Jack 'o' Kents, Ogrebreaths, Dragons, Sprites ... these creatures would always fight fiercely if threatened, but others things ... worse things lived in the tree's shadows . . . Witches, not good Witches, but very bad Witches. There were many types of humans living in the wildwoods. The Wizards, Witches and other magical creatures had lived in the wildwoods for as long as anyone could remember, and they were intending to live there forever, along with all the other Magic things. Until the Warriors came... The Warriors invaded from across the seas, and though they had no Magic, they brought a new weapon that they called IRON, and iron was the only thing that Magic could not work on. The Warriors had iron swords, and iron shields, and iron armor, and even the horrifying Magic of the Witches was powerless against this metal. A invading Warriors first declared war on the Witches, beginning a chain of bloody conficts.

### **Dark** **Rebellion**

Under threat from the Iron Warriors, the witches attack not just Warriors, but also Wizards and the wildwoods other inhabitants. As the ensuing conflict continued, the Witches were driven far into the west, through their kingdom of the Ghost Mountain and into a the range of dark mountain that became known as the Witch Mountains, that lead towards peaceful Gigantica, the kingdom of the Giants. During the bloody war, the witches were lead by the Kingwitch, a terrifying being of indescribable dark power that made the other witches look as terrifying as a dusty scarecrow, who was the mastermind who controlled them all,the dark mind that engineered the Witches battles and attacks. In order to defend his people, the wizard king of that time, Indertionin, gave his subjects permission to use the most horrific and usually unforgivable spells, potions and curses against the witches in order to defend themselves if attacked. Indertionin and the other leaders of the magic forests all swore to each other to join together to fight the attacking creatures, the forest's creatures joining together to form a great army. Indertionin immediately declared that all isolated wizard and magical creature villages should be abandoned if they could not hold of witch onslaughts and that magical learning places like Pook's Hill, the Learning Place for Spectacularly Gifted Wizards were to have their magical protections strengthened. He also commanded the Droods to create a impenetrable prison to contain captured witches and to house the most dangerous monsters and villains of the Magical World before they could join the witches. To keep it secure, not only was the prison constantly manned by the most powerful Drood spellweavers and surrounded by thousands of spells on defense and restraint, but it was also built on seven islands in the Sea of Skulls, surrounded by dark waters filled with terrifying monsters such as Blunderbouths, Daggerfins, and Bloody Barbeards. The prison was very successful and even the fiendish magic of the witches imprisoned within it's walls was unable to escape its hold. Another order the Droods were given was to find a safe hiding place for enchanted objects to powerful to be in the world before they fell into the claws of the witches. The Droods would place the treasure on an island located south-west of the Witch Mountains. The Droods also wove a great spell around the island so that only those on a shadow quest or those who did not care whether or not they died and placed a infant Nucklavee, who would someday grow up to become a terrible guardian.

### **Witch Conquest of Gigantica and Forced Banishment of the Ancient Giants**

As the Iron Warriors and forces of the Wizards drove the Witches further and further west, towards the sea. Seeking for territory, the Witches attacked the Ancient Giant inhabitants of the neighboring mountains that made the kingdom of peaceful Gigantica. However, despite the Giants peaceful personalities, the enormous humanoids fought fiercely against the witches for their homeland alongside the wizards, resulting in many a battle, one of these battles being on the grounds of Castle Death, located at the tip of the Cliffs of Eternity, which bordered the land a the western seas. And though the giants fought long and hard, they were peaceful souls at heart and were eventually driving them out of their homeland and forcing many to wade out to the north-western sea, along the way of the line of islands known as the Giant's Footstep, never to be seen again at leaving the mountains under the Kingwitch and his servants control. With the Giants gone, the Witches took over the mountains, weaving spells deep into the stone and forgotten curses so old they were impossible to unravel, sometimes cursing whole mountains. With the mountains completely under their control and both the ancient, forgotten magic of giant sorcerers of the distant past and the power of the witches protecting them, the witches build many hidden fortresses within the mountains, building their main headquarters in the shadows of the now-dark mountain, creating it between the mountains, forests and sea, its location being so remote it was almost completely untrackable, and allowing the Kingwitch to launch surprise attacks on the neighboring mountains, inner isles and wildwoods easily.

### **Battle of the Plains of Shadows**

One of the most bloody battles between the wizards and witches of the war, Indertionin's Magical Army included the best warriors of a unnamed dwarven clan under the leadership of Grimstcarvlorss Anhûin, a once influential and wealthy clan, but who's doom was sealed by two mistakes: they lived on the western edge of the Beors and had offered their finest warriors in Indertionin's service. The battle dragged on for three days and three nights completely, and although the Witches were finally repelled, it came at a price, having hundreds of casualties on both sides, including the slaughter of almost every dwarf warrior of Anhûin's clan. According to some legends, the fires were so tall and so hot the day was as black as night and the night glowed with the light of the flames, bodies were sprawled across the plain in their thousands by the end of the battle and blood of every color rained from the sky and Witches feather's fell like rain as their owners died in their thousands. After this, the Witches flew on the dwarves in their mountain cities, and the wizard, still weakened after the battle, were unable to help. The Witches slaughtered dwarves in their thousands, including almost every member of Anhûin's clan. Of this clan, only Anhûin, her two children and her guards survived. Anhûin soon died of grief for their clan and her eldest child, her daughter, Grimstcarvlorss Kílfídorthion took over the clan and her men honored her, taking the name Az Sweldn rak Anhûin, The Tears of Anhûin, and covering their faces to remind themselves of their loss and their desire for revenge. They rebuilt the clan and wealth over the decades, waiting and hunting for recompense, still despising not just witches but also wizards for what the wizards had "done".