The Orc Wars

The First Orc War

In the year 5140, after years of battle and death known as the Orc War, the orcs and goblins were driven back beyond the Rift to the Orclands. Peace finally settled on the more civilized lands of the west as the threat of war faded. The Rift protected the western lands from invasion, while the elves of the Sylvan Realm kept the orcs from moving around the Rift to the south. Populations recovered and many people eventually forgot about the terrible times of the Orc War.

The Second Orc War

In 5332, the orcs began to increase their raids outside of the Orclands. In 5333, they began to attack the villages and cities of the western lands of Tesh, Alatha, Oreth, and the Horselands. A new Orc War had begun.

Led by such deadly warriors as the Goldfang tribe and their ogre allies, the orcs conquered the western lands in only three years. The great city of Ravenport was the last to fall to the grey orc armies when its queen was driven into hiding. Many powerful wizards and priests were killed, while many others disappeared. Rulers of the kingdoms were publicly killed by their orcish captors. The lands came under the powerful grip of the orc conquerors.

Aftermath of the Wars

It has been more than two centuries since the fall of the western lands. The western lands are a more dangerous place than they used to be. Dangerous monsters are more common. Orcs brutalize those they control. Most people are now virtual slaves of the orcs...many are forced into demeaning labor for their orcish masters.

The orcs have established a new empire in the lands they have conquered. K'Nort Scrar, the Empire of Blood, now covers all of the lands that were once the Orclands, the Horselands, Tesh, Alatha, and Oreth. They have not expanded beyond the Snake Mountains, ignored the land of Fjalir, and have not entered the Sylvan Realm or approached the Calithian Empire.

The most feared and powerful of the grey orcs are the Goldfang tribe. This tribe, along with their ogre allies, is still the strongest and they continue to hold power over the empire.

Temples and shrines to good deities are now well hidden by the few people that have managed to evade the orcs all these years. Non-orc wizards are usually hunted with no mercy by the orcs. Humans (and other non-orcs) are forbidden from owning weapons or armor by their orchish masters.