Izar's doom
Lore
- Start: 13 May 1950
- End: 2 October 1953
The dwarven attempt to colonize the green plains has different names in different Nations and peoples. The dwarves don’t have a name for it, to some the wars still going, to others, there never was a war. But to most, its a blemish, best left untalked about. For other nations outside the plains, it was called the wrangling of the tide, or Kazars doom. More so named for the failed attempt to try and control even parts of the plains, led alone some of the richest areas of it. Along with a subtle jab at the ill fated general Kazar kast. And to the goblins specifically, the burning. Named after the mass fires and destruction that came from the dwarves’ failed attempt at enforcing their rule. Though the war was over three decades ago, And its effects on the land scape, politics, and peoples it touched cannot be understated.
Whatever you called it, the dwarves’ attempt to colonize parts of the green lands was an idea thrown around for centuries, potentially over a thousand years by the dwarven clans if old records are to be belived. Though for the longest time it was pushed off to focus on other things, forging, crafting, making sure the dwarven realm was better prepared for more consistent threats coming from the hotlands and underdark. For while the dwarves had suffered many raids from races of the plains. They were small scale, usually broken by a small reinforcing army or driven back after a few raids of dwarven mines or villages, Never touching the great cities/mines of the realm. The majority of raiders were goblins, though kobold and eventually yuanti did join in. Along with an infamous john blackfoot.
Though the ambition of striking out into the plains had always been there, it wasn’t until kazar Kast. A new power wanting nobleman’s son and recently promoted general after a century of service started to campaign for an actual military expedition into the plains, to claim multiple miles of resource rich mountains and drive out the goblins and other creatures from their surroundings. Hoping to drive them further out into the plains to give there realm better protection and secure better trading routes through the plains, as it was the fastest and most cost effective way for trading with the banks and rithalor
It took decades for the plan to be approved, and decades more for everything else the armies were organized, plans were made for where to push and where to hold, and what to do with those conquered. The dwarves were slavers, using slaves to do menial work like farming, smelting metals, and other non skill based tasks the dwarves took pleasure in being the best in. Along with exploiting adventuring groups to scout out areas and kill certain figures in all areas of the plains, including a centaur kings lover to destabilize the realm.
Along with this, the dwarfs were known to deal with demons. Usually minor ones when it comes to forging and enchanting weapons. Though izar didn’t take heed of any warnings. Instead doing summoning rituals until he dealt directly with a major king of hell, striking a deal that any souls lost in the first two years of the conquest, both his, his allies and enemies, were his. Giving rise to new boons of power weapons, driven fighters, and even primitive but effective fighting vehicles. Same demon cicero did a deal with, same one that the elves doomed themselves with.
It wasn’t until six decades later, when the dwarves finally marched off, using a recent small raid as cause as seemingly an entire army marched out at once. Since they hadn’t declared war on a nation, simply expanding into the lands of the green lands. No country could intervene on a diplomatic level, though not many nations were pleased to hear of such actions out of the blue. Encouraged and cheered by not only there own people, but a all people that neighbored the plains. Viewing all those that live there as brutes and raiders.
The expedition was bloody, to say the least. Anyone caught between the dwarven armies and the goal were either enslaved, held for ransom, or killed. Hundreds of goblins tribes,dozens of both kobold and yuanti, It was shock in awe. Liquidating pockets of tribes before continuing on. Those “Lucky” enough to be captured were Sold around the dwarven empire or other slaving nations for work. Any that got in the way were killed, including Drozes moms younger sister dalin.
Though the dwarven advance was not without resistance, the land was hostile, not built for massive armies traveling with supply lines. the once warring tribes banding together to try and push back the advance, once sporadic and unorganized village raids now targeting dwarven infrastructure and supply lines. Even adventuring guilds, relief groups, and other peoples sent what support they could for the goblins' plight. It was costly, but the dwarves' superior technology and build up paid off. As thousands died, souls damned to empower a raging demon who quested for carving a kingdom of hell to bring to the mortal plains.
The dwarfs eventually hit their goals within a years time, claiming miles of rich mineral mines, chokepoints into not only the greenplains but the hotlands as well, and had started construction of a fortress trading post. Not only to properly claim these lands, but as a flex to other nations. That the dwarfs had done what no others could. But, izar couldn’t stop. He had promised the demon three years of war, and should he not give it he would take back all his power. Not that Izar wanted to stop, the demonic magic having corrupted him and the majority of his leading men into wanting more and more. Making plans to conquer all of the plans, as unreasonable as it was to even his own king. Though, to the popularity he had. He couldn’t be stopped.
Eventually however , tides turned for the dwarves, supplies ran thin, casualties were slowly mounting up more and more as the once fracture ill trained tribes were now hardened by multiple years of conflict, and less and less of the dwarven populace and nobles were supportive of the war. They had made to many enemies, the once mostly hostile peoples banding together as Izar made it clear he intended to eventually stretch into the kobold and yuanti land. Especially as the red dragon, enraged with the sacrifice of her sister and death of her brother, rained hell fire on any dwarfs she found. The dwarfs were stretched thin.
Eventually it all crumbled, a goblin warlord named glorin bloodtooth. Whose tribe had almost been completely wiped out in the initial months of the war had been building strength. Organizing for years a coalition of tribes of all sorts of races, the process was secretive and slow. Feining weakness while delaying the dwarves best they could. Before a horde crashed against the dwarven lines, even with the mercenary reinforcements that they had been using to fill the gaps, it wasn’t enough. As entire regiments were encircled and slaughtered to the man, no love lost between the races as the dwarves were beaten back towards there homeland. The original defensive lines left poorly defended, unable to handle the hordes they had unleashed on them. Even the fortress city of iron, a prized treasure among the expedition. Was taken after a quick but very bloody siege. The horde having grown so large the dwarven populace was in panic, a fall back line being set up as nobles from all over reinforced it. Izar and his men had one final last stand in the grand hall of the iron fortress, all their souls damned to the very hell that they had sent so many. All the while hearing the laughs of the demon, who had gotten so much from the deal.
The dwarven realm would be battered, multiple mines, even the golden road were sealed under thousands of pounds of stones, dozens of villages burnt and looted as slave camps were freed, it was said that anywhere west of the dwarven city of lizn was crushed, burnt, or both. Eventually the coalition would retreat and dissolve, a power vacuum left over as the mercenaries that had escaped the slaughter ran to the southern lands, as they were given a black mark for there crimes. Once hundreds of goblin tribes were condensed into less than 100, the yanti and kobold who had mostly escaped the major damage of the war had still lost dozens of tribes. Though, by and large the relationships between the races are more peaceful. For what its worth
Gorin herself had claimed the city of iron for herself, rebuilding her tribe as no longer tribes man. But royalty.Turned it into the first proper city of the green plains, inviting thinkers from not only the green plains but all over the continent to teach her and her people how to properly run a kingdom. It was an odd way, mixing goblin tradition with royal traditions from all over. Using its position to tax goods, rule in relative safety, and keep a constant reminder of the dwarven failure. Though no one was allowed to enter her city without reason, and dwarfs especially were viewed with suspicion not only in the city, but all over the plains.
Though the greenlands itself adjusted to the new political landscape it found itself in, The dwarves hadn’t. It had been a disaster, both politically, economically, and diplomatically. It made the dwarven empire look weak and incompetent, having lost over 20 thousand men in the war, including many inspiring nobles’ sons and daughters ended up dead or mauled by the conflict, including izar, his entire family, and most of the kast family. Many called for a continuation, others simply ignored it. Though most, except for the king and a few nobles new of the deal with all those souls. Keeping it to themselves, save for one noble. Who recently told a certain someons brother.