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The History of
Murkwood
The History of Murkwood The First Age. Conquest of Man and Elf After the ancient battle of good and evil that resulted in the fall of the Unholy Triad there was a time of the great ground shakes that struck the eastern part of the Great Continent. A vast uncharted forest sprung up in the east. Into this forestland rode a barbarian horde led by a man called Ironric von Doom of Dragongard. Ironric was a great warrior and master strategist. It was said that the mere sight of Ironric on a battlefield would bring about the opposing army�s doom! So many referred to Ironric as Doom. The barbarians overcame great obstacles and fought many strange creatures as they journeyed across the wide river from Helm�s Deep. Doom�s horde turned south and skirted the forest keeping the wide river on his side to be used as a navigation guide and point of reference. Doom�s army made many ventures into the forest and uncovered many dark secrets as well as foul beasts, the likes of which no man has seen before! Doom remarked that the forest grew so thick it clouded one�s vision as if one were looking through a pool of murky water, hence the land from that point on was called �Murkwood�. A small respite was established not too far from the bridge that crosses the wide river into the Great Northern Mountains. The respite would grow in size and reputation as one of the best places to sup in the east. The respite came to be known as Sir John�s named after the knight who brought a tasty delicacy to serve at the establishment. The delicacy consisted of a small slightly spiced finger sausage served on hot bread. Doom�s troops traveled south establishing the Great Road as they went. The barbarians came upon a small shire at a bend in the wide river. The shire folk wanted no part of the strange invaders and their ways. Doom was not one to take an implied challenge lightly and so mustered his troops against the shire. The barbarians set up camp a short ways past the shire in the small mountain region that would be come to be known as Mt. Belle. Unbeknownst to Doom the shire dwellers sought help from a village on the other side of the wide river by crossing the wide river via a secret bridge hidden in there mists. The combined force of villagers and shire folk fell upon Doom�s hoard in ambush and a huge battle ensued that lasted for just over six weeks! Some say Doom was like a possessed creature as he masterfully commanded his troops in the battle on Mount Belle. The barbarians were outnumbered and the situation was turning grim for the hoard, for although they slew more than 5 for every one they lost, the barbarians found the numbers overwhelming. A stroke of luck turned the tide of battle when a scouting party that Doom sent out towards the shire returned and appeared in the rear area of the shire�s army. The shire folk fearing they were being surrounded and seeing how fierce the barbarian horde was, broke ranks and began to flee piece meal into the country side. Doom immediately was able to access the situation and seized the opportunity, sending his men on horseback to slay the fleeing panic-stricken shire folk without mercy. Doom was able to march triumphantly into the shire and across the hidden bridge to the village. Doom claimed both the shire, it�s neighboring village, and all the lands his army had explored for his native land of Dragongard. Doom named the village �New Hope� for the warlord wanted to give the survivors of the battle hope for a peaceful future and the Shire of Lamberton was named for the leader of Doom�s scouting party that turned the tide of the battle. The survivor�s of the battle were pleased with the mercy their new Lord had shown them and all swore allegiance to Doom. The villager�s told their Lord of a great Orc army that held their village in a grip of terror for many years. The Orc army rode forth from the Orcish Badlands to the south. They bid Lord Doom to seek out the Orc army in the shadow of Bowmen�s Watchtower and end their reign of terror. Doom saw what a prosperous venture the village and shire could become and so agreed to seek out the foul Orc�s. Doom rested his army in the village and shire for a time. One day word spread through the village that a massive battle had been joined on the battlefields near Bowmen�s Tower. The battlefields were known as the Crossing Battlefields due to the bridge that joined one side of the Wide River with the other. The Crossing Battlefields are enormous and span not only the Orcish Badlands but the lands of Neverhome as well! It seems that a Dark Elf Knight named Sir Firegar of Fardale had crossed with an elven army into the land controlled by the foul Orc�s. Sir Firegar was a master archer and mighty leader of the dark elf army, he was also legendary throughout the lands for his volatile temper and so was dubbed with the title �Angry Knight�. Doom had allied his army with elves in the past and thought an elf ally in a strange land would be useful. Doom and his army set out towards the Crossing Battlefield in hopes of relieving the elf army. The battle was not going well for the elves, the Orc�s seemed to spring up from everywhere. The elvish archers would slay them by the hundred�s only to have double the number replace them! Lord Doom sent an envoy to parlay with the Angry Knight and thus was formed the First alliance of men and elf in Murkwood. Doom split his army and attacked from the Orc�s rear and side. Sir Firegar�s elves attacked from the front. The Orc�s were surrounded and pinned against the wide river. The battle lasted for many weeks and slowly the surrounded Orc�s began to starve, having no way to get supplies or send for reinforcements. Doom bid his mounted troops to charge into the weakened Orc ranks and the screams of the Orc�s as they were mercilessly slaughtered was said to have been heard as far away as Helm�s Deep! The Angry Knight was pleased at the combined victory and together human and elf marched back to the Elven Stronghold of the Angry Knight in the land of Fardale. Neither Doom nor Sir Firegar wanted to lay claim to the Orcish Badlands for each knew that ferreting out the remaining Orcs, Goblins, and other foul creatures that inhabited the forbidding land would drain and weaken their armies. A strong garrison was stationed at Bowmen�s Tower to keep watch over the Badlands and to warn of any significant activity by the foul denizens of evil. Doom weary of conquest and war had a castle built not far from the Elven Stronghold. Doom named his creation House Doom and it became famous for the fierce warriors that were trained in the castle courtyard. All was peaceful in Murkwood. Doom and the elf Firegar grew to be great friends and together they set out to the northeast. They discovered the peaceful village of Allaire and both rested there for a time. The two moved on to the north and found a region that would come to be known as the Great Turkey Swamp. The Great Turkey Swamp was a place where evil dwelled and Doom together with Sir Firegar set out to rid the land of it. The two fought many great battles in that swamp and to this day the evil is not yet conquered! From the Eastern land of Riverinor a great barbarian warlord rode. He was called Hawkric, a giant of a man whose army filled the air with a great rumble as they approached. Hawkric was notorious for attacking at night and so the name �Black Thunder� was given to him. It was said among the folk that, �the time of your demise was approaching when you heard the Black Thunder�! Hawkric�s army was mighty but small, so the warlord sought out his kindred barbarian brothers that established themselves at House Doom. Doom welcomed Black Thunder into his house, as the addition of Hawkric�s army would make Doom one of the strongest forces in all of Murkwood! Sir Firegar watched what was happening at House Doom and did not like what he saw. The Angry Knight began to recruit for brave stouthearted men to bolster his own army�s ranks and keep Doom in check. Among those who answered Sir Firegar�s call was Fireric a Mage from the Western land of Darkinor. Fireric was said to have descended from the �Mithrander� of Middle Earth and became founder of the Guild of the Dark Mages located deep within the lands of Darkinor. As skilled with a sword as he was with the magic arts, Fireric came to be known as the �Dark Blade� for anyone who faced Fireric�s sword and magic would soon face the darkness of death! The Angry Knight called his new larger force House Demon so as to instill fear in all those who would seek to oppose him. Doom despised Magic Users and cursed House Demon for allowing one into its� ranks! Back and forth the two houses bickered each trying to out do the other in words and deeds. To this day the two houses continue to test each other on the tournament field and in skirmishes on the battlefields. Each house is cautious, for each house knows that an all out war would bring about the demise of both houses. The Second Age. Discovering of the Mystic Realms. From the southern lands of Larkinor came a dame known as Greyesta. It was rumored that Greyesta was a distant descendant of the ancient Dragons. Her fearless manner and quick, vengeful wrath caused the people of her lands to refer to her as the �Lady Dragon�. Greyesta�s masterful work with a sword is likened to the deadly strike of a dragon�s claws. The cunning Greyesta is truly a thorn in the side of Doom, claiming on many occasions to be his equal in combat! Though they have met many times on the battlefield, no clear winner could be named. Greyesta keeps her lands safe by playing the two great houses �House Doom� and �House Demon� against each other, while building up her own forces. For a time peace reigned in all of Murkwood then treachery and betrayal reared their foul heads. Hawkric turned on his liege the now Lord Doom. Hawkric tried to fell House Doom Through deceit and betrayal but the mighty Lord Doom proved to powerful and cunning. Lord Doom banished Hawkric from House Doom and even turned Hawkric�s own flesh and blood against the barbarian warlord. Now Lord Firegar and his newly knighted mage Sir Fireric hatched a plan to secure the services of a great warrior named Scardrake from the fire scorched land of Dragondale. Lord Firegar strengthened his House Demon as Lord Doom was being weakened by the assaults of Hawkric and Greyesta. During a fierce and pitched skirmish with his arch nemesis Lord Doom gravely wounded the mighty Greyesta and caused the powerful war maiden to retire from the fields of battle for an extended period of time. Fireric and Firegar began to delve into the mystic arts even deeper than before. It was during the many battles and struggles the various factions of Murkwood were inflicting upon themselves that a powerful and nameless evil began to manifest itself in the �Great Unknown�. The lands began to turn dark with foul evil and creatures not seen since the second age. Word reached the civilized lands that even the dead could be seen prowling the lands on moonless nights. The Great Road itself was becoming unsafe to travel unescorted. Lord Doom sensed that the balance between good and evil was skewed towards the dark. Many fear that even if the Rulers of all the lands of Murkwood could put aside their petty differences and face the evil united it will be too late!!! Finally after much debate Lord Doom was able to parlay with the now Lord Firegar in the halls of Castle Doom. Firegar listened to Lord Doom as he explained that the two great houses should unite before the armies of the banished Hawkric could be assembled. Lord Doom explained that the threats from the Great Unknown were growing more powerful by the day. Still Lord Firegar was skeptical, Doom still had one diplomatic card to play. He appealed to the loyalty of Lord Firegar by telling the Elven Lord of a message he received from the west. The message came from a place called the Realm of the Five. A distant land off the coast of Riverinor. The message was a plea for help. It seemed the armies of the Great Unknown had marshaled and had begun to lay siege to the Realm of the Five. Lord Firegar knew that many of his Elven brethren dwelled in this new land and so decided to join Lord Doom against all the growing threats of the lands. Lord Firegar united under the House Doom banner but under the stipulation that all who had served under the former House Demon banner would now remain as a group under House Dooms banner. The group was given the name the �Royal Elven Guard� and they still wear the honorable colors of the former House Demon. Hawkric upon hearing the news of the unification was outraged and vowed revenge against his former House and �those pitiful elves�! Lord Doom had to ready his army for the relief of the Realm of the Five but at the same time be ever watchful of the growing evil his House faces in the Murkwood homelands! It was during this time that Lord Doom�s army captained by Lord Firegar was training near Fisher Keep in the Darkinor homeland of Sir Fireric. Lord Firegar was surprised by an attack made by the dreaded Sir Hawkric and the army of his newly forming house. The two houses clashed in pitched battle as Sir Hawkric sent out his new captain Ulrich von Liechtenstein, known as the �Dark Demon� for his blood thirsty and cruel battle tactics. Ulrich knew they could gain the upper hand if they would strike quickly for Lord Doom was far from the battle field, held up in his travel by a group of foul goblins sent forth to delay him by the cunning goblin Shadowgar of Fardale also known as Ankle Biter bane of Elves and master of the pike. Sir All day the armies of the two Houses clashed in pitched combat, then Hawkric saw that the battle was well in hand and left the mop up operations to his trusted captain, departing with the final words �kill the Elven scum�! What Sir Hawkric didn�t know was that Greyesta had received word of the battle and had hatched a plan of her own for the relief of Sir Firegar and the besieged army of House Doom! The Lady Dragon had enlisted the help of a great lady warrior and archer known throughout the land as Falconess of Griffinsdale. Greyesta secretly delivered Falconess and her forces to the rear area of Sir Firegars army then made a secret and hasty retreat so as not to appear to be taking sides in this bloody conflict. Sir Firegar army used Falconess and his trusted lieutenant Scardrake to hold off Ulrich and his army just long enough for Sir Firegar to move his troops into Fisher Keep. Lady Falconess saw that her work was done and so departed the battlefield for her homeland of Griffindale. Ulrich became enraged and ordered his master archer Scarstorm of Farspur to take his archers and slaughter Sir Firgars troops. A massive siege was begun with both sides taking heavy causalities. Just as Ulrichs army was beginning to gain the upper hand, an enraged Lord Doom arrived on the field having routed the goblin force that opposed him! Doom became an unstoppable killing machine as he joined the battle! Sir Firegar was gravely wounded and had to surrender his bow to his trusted ally Lord Doom. Firegar remained in the keep valiantly defending it with his elven brethren against the many assaults of Ulrichs army. Lord Doom ventured forth from the keep and began to use Sir Firegars bow to whittle away at Ulrichs troops. Scarstorm and Lord Doom engaged in a heated archer�s duel with each trying to slay the other! In a bloodthirsty rage Lord Doom charged forth from Fisher Keep and nearly single handedly actually forced Ulrich and his army to retreat. It was during this charge that Lord Doom caught the archer Scarstorm in an unguarded moment and was able to use Sir Firegars bow to wound Scarstorm, effectively removing the archer from the battlefield. Due to the superior numbers of Ulrichs army, Lord Doom�s charge began to lose momentum. Doom was forced back to Fisher Keep but he hatched a new plan together with Sir Firegar! Ulrich sensing victory advanced to within the keeps walls and was about to challenge Lord Doom when a well placed shot from Sir Firegar, who now had regained use of his elven bow, felled the would be leader of Sir Hawkric�s army. The rest of Ulrichs troops fell into disarray and retreated upon seeing their leader fall at the hands of House Doom. Unfortunately the forces of House Doom were in too weaked a condition from the long battle to give chase to Ulrichs retreating force and thus the Army of Sir Hawkric was spared to fight another day! With the temporary subduing of Sir Hawkric�s forces Lord Doom was free to concentrate on the growing threat to the Realm of the Five and so began to muster his forces. Lord Doom together with Lord Firegar, Sir Fireric, and Scardrake, set out for the fallen city of Evermoore in the Realm of the Five. The party parlayed with the authorities of Evermoore and quickly allied with them in hopes of confronting and defeating the growing evil that threatened the Realm of the Five. Lord Doom�s forces ventured into the wilderness of Evermoore and were immediately attacked by Ogres! After a pitched battle the foul beasts were slain, but this was just the beginning of the challenges the party would face in Evermoore! After facing countless foul creatures the party received word of a sacred box of ancient lore that would help in the battle against evil. The box lay in the clutches of the undead in a place called the Valley of the Damned and retrieving it would be no easy task! All the forces of Evermoore were mustered against the foul undead army and a huge battle was joined in the Valley of the Damned! Lord Doom�s party fought valiantly together with the army of Evermoore and in the end the retched undead were vanquished and the box of lore was retrieved! A Guild Masters meeting was called to decide what to do with the �Kraven� lore found within the box and much to the chagrin of Lord Doom a decision was reached to give this lore to the �Kraven Prophet�. The Kraven are a race that has been waging war on Evermoore for years, however the Kraven Prophet has been recently recruiting Kraven in the hope of restoring peace to the Kraven race. It, alledgedly, is the goal of the Kraven Prophet to co-exist with the people of the Realm of the Five as they once did long ago. Doom would not be swayed by the words of the Prophet and so he resigned his commission as Warrior Guildmaster. The Group returned to Murkwood and resumed their fight against the Great Unknown. House Doom continued to grow stronger by the day. Lord Doom was able to persuade Hawkric to accompany his group back to Evermoore! Having heard of the tremendous defeat the tradesmen of Evermoore had suffered at the hands of a race called the Servantor. The Servantor were beings who possesed great psychic abilities, it was said that they could suck the knowledge right out of a persons head and leave that person nothing more than a mindless shell! Doom together with Firegar, Scardrake, and Hawkric set out to rendezvous with the tradesmen of Evermoore near the base of the Forlorne Mountains. Evermoores assembled forces together with the forces from Murkwood proved to be to much for the forces of evil. Together the combined forces of good overwhelmed the evil in the Forlornes and so vengeance was had by Evermoore. A Heraldic group called the Black Lotus was so impressed with the forces of Murkwood that they invited Doom, Firegar, Hawkric, and Scardrake to join the ranks of its order. After much ceremony the group from Murkwood was inducted into the Order of the Black Lotus, further strengthening the bond between Murkwood and Evermoore. Now Nobles Ironric von Doom and Firegar together with the now Lord Hawkric and Sir Scardrake set out once again for Evermoore. Fortune did not smile so broadly upon the band this time. Noble Doom was decapitated by a Trolls mighty sword and Noble Firegar was also slain by foul trolls! Their bodies were rushed back to the Inn and by some miracle the gifted healers of Evermoore were just barely able to restore life to both! The forces of evil could not be contained and they launched a multi-pronged attack against the town of Evermoore! Some foul beasties came within a stones throw from the Inn! The horde was eventually beaten back and the town assembled for their feast and to make plans for the nights assault. Doom and Firegar rallied the forces of Hawkric, Scardrake and the Black Lotus and together they all marched into the Forlorne Mountains to confront the evil within. The Black Lotus fielded a massive ballista, dubbed the �Lotus Launcher�. A huge battle was joined and the town emerged victorious! The tradesmen were even able to rescue our guildhall sponsor Mr. Yetu, whom the denizens of evil had previously captured. A new day dawned and with it came another foray to Evermoore. The Order of the Black Lotus decided to test their strength against another Heraldic Order named The Order of the Phoenix. The test would be a wargames type affair. The battle was joined and though outnumbered the Phoenix was able to hold the line against the Lotus onslaught! The Lotus began to take heavy losses and the front began to become pushed back toward the Lotus flag! It was at this moment Noble Ironric von Doom was released from his post as guardian of the flag of the Black Lotus and sent to the front. Doom left his elven friend Firegar with the task of defending the flag and so Doom began the long march to the front lines. The mere sight of Doom caused the enemy to tremble and cries of panic and terror rose up from the enemy ranks as Doom hit the line hard. Together with the rest of the Lotus the mighty Doom was able to push the Phoenix back to their starting point! The day grew late and the judges called a halt to the games and declared them a draw! During the course of this latest trip to Evermoore the town played host to some plainsmen. All was well until Evermoore sent out a contigent of tradesmen to parlay with the assembled five tribes of the plainmen. The plainsmen betrayed and murdered most of the Evermoore contigent causing the whole town to march on the assembled tribes! The battle was joined and was hard fought as the plainsmen were firmly entrenched! Ulrich von Lictenstein, Hawkric, and Doom helped advance the front line of Evermoore as Firegar fired arrow after arrow into the plainsmen army with blinding speed and deadly accuracy. The plainsmen fell back and were systematically slaughtered by the bloodlust crazed tradesmen! Only one of the tribe leaders and a handful of plainsmen survived to retreat back to their homeland! Once again Evermoore was victorious !!! Shortly after their return from Evermoore a grand tournament and feast was announced. Hawkric suggested the feast be held in the Orcish Badlands upon the Crossings Battlefields. Hawkric assured the assembled participants that the Orc situation in the Badlands was under control so no Orcish force would interfere in the festivities! So it came to be that the tournament and feast was held. Several Tournaments were held without a hitch and the time for the grand feast came be. The feast was interuppted by a small band of Orcs demanding tribute for the use of �their� land. The fee demanded were the various championship medals won by the tournament champions! The assembled participants naturally refused and so the Orcs summoned a huge giant and attacked! Fireric, Scarstorm, Talonesta, Hawkson, Doom, Shadowgar, and Scardrake fought valiantly to subdue their foe! Conspicuous by their absence were Hawkric and Ulrich von Lictenstein. Several commonfolk began to emerge from the surrounding area with reports of various foul beasties lurking in the woods. The assembled forces formed up into a small band and set out to investigate the matter. Numerous skirmishes ensued involving the likes of demons, zombie, skeletons, necromancers, skaven, and even a mummy! Each time they rose up these denizens of evil were defeated, but they were extracting a heavy toll on the forces of Murkwood! The attacks that had lasted all day turned out to be a mere diversion as the battered forces of Murkwood returned to the tournament encampment to find that the Orcs had made off with the championship medals! Our brave band pursued the Orcs and ran right into a trap! A large force of Orcs ambushed the weakened forces of Murkwood and began to overwhelm them in a pitched battle. A small force was sent out from the garrison at Bowmens Tower to help the force of Murkwood. Thanks to this reinforcement and the arrival of a severe thunderstorm the forces of Murkwood were able to retreat to safety out of the Orcish Badlands and live to fight another day! Just mere days after their return from the Orcish Badlands Doom and Firegar met at Casltle Doom to discuss the situtation that had befallen the forces. A small group had assembled in the castle courtyard when suddenly they were fell upon by foul creatures that had emerged out of the badlands and infiltrated Fardale! Baron Firegars magic was rapidily depleted during the onslaught. The brave elf threw spell after spell at the denizens but still they came forth in great numbers! Noble Doom singlehandedly took on and defeated a Demon! A band of Orcs appeared brandishing the championship medals that had been stolen from Murkwood! The Orc numbers once again proved too much for the small force fighting bravely in the courtyard of Castle Doom. Slowly the foul orcs wore down Doom and Firegars small band. Doom ordered a retreat to behind the walls of the castle and finally the orcs left mocking the besieged party as they went! Firegar quickly rallied the forces at Castle Doom and set out in pursuit of the orcs. It seems the orcs celebrating was cut short as they were ambushed by a roving band of Skaven! The Skaven managed to kill most of the orcs and steal the championship medals! Firegars group caught up to the Skaven and parlayed with them. Noble Doom actually convinced the rodent creatures to turn over the medals to him. The Skaven then quickly departed. A band of orcs saught safe passage thru Fardale as they were on their way to Riverinor to slay Hawkric, or so they said. Doom and Firegar were able to trick the orcs into revealing the orcs true intent. It seems that the orcs were working for Noble Hawkric and had been doing so since the tournament! The foul orcs then attacked Doom and Firegar but they were eventually beaten back. It was at this time Hawkric appeared on the battlefield and claimed the orcs were lying! Hawkric told Doom that he brought reinforcements to aid Castle Doom. The minute Dooms back was turned the foul Hawkric thrust his blade into it mortally wounding Noble Doom in his own castle courtyard! Baron Firegar became enraged and ran to his friends side. Before Hawkric could utter a word Firegar cast the firey spell of �Immolation� on him, mortally wounding both Hawkric and himself! The bodies of Doom and Firegar were carried into Castle Doom and Hawkrics body was taken back to Riverinor by Shadowgar. It took many moons for the healers to restore Noble Doom and Baron Firegar and both came back vowing war on all of Riverinor! The Third Age. The War of Treachery And so it began with treachery and betrayal the period known in Murkwood as the �War of Treachery�. Hawkric led the Armies of Riverinor, Elfsland, Darkgard, and Highdale against the alliance of Fardale, Dragongard, Darkinor, and Dragondale. The alliance chose Noble Doom to be commander of the alliance forces with Baron Firegar acting as General. Hawkric would stop at nothing less then absolute victory and eradication of the lands of the Alliance, so he made a truce with the foul creatures of the Orcish Badlands! The first major attack came not from Riverinor but from the Orcish Badlands. Hawkrics forces held the Alliance at bay while the Foul Orcs pushed forward into Fardale. The Orcs completely overran the Elven Stronghold of Firegar and made it as far as Castle Doom before they were stopped by a combined force led by Doom and Firegar! The force that halted the Orcs advance were the reserves that were held at Castle Doom and these reserves were meant to reinforce the eastern border of Fardale if it were to be attacked from Riverinor. So this force was concentrated at Castle Doom by pure luck! The Orcs regrouped and consolidated their gains in Fardale as they prepared for a long seige at Castle Doom. The Orcs plundered the captured lands of Fardale looting villages and took great delight in torturing the citizens. Meanwhile Hawkric led his main army north out of the Orcish Badlands into Darkinor. The great Magic Users of Darkinor decimated the ranks of Hawkrics army as they thew spell after spell upon the advancing foe. Hawkrics numbers were too great and the forces of Darkinor were forced to retreat back into the safety of Fisher Keep home of the Guild of the Dark Mages. It was only the ancient enchantments of the Guild and the large contingent of reinforcements that was hastily sent out to help Darkinor by Scardrake from Dragondale that held Hawkrics army at bay for the moment. Hawkric employed a scorched earth policy as his army advanced through Darkinor. Most of the inhabitants caught behind enemy lines were slaughtered by Hawkrics blood thirsty forces! The leader of Mages, Fireric, put out a call for help to Scardrake, leader of the forces of the neighboring lands of Dragondale. The first attack had caught the Alliance completely off guard as they were expecting the main attack to come from Riverinor and so they had reinforced their lands eastern borders and had left only a small force to defend their borders to the south and west. Hawkrics ruse had worked perfectly and so he had now established two firm footholds within his enemys borders and also forged a direct land route back to Riverinor via the conquered lands of Fardale! Hawkric looked unstoppable the Alliance was on the verge of collapse! Just when it seemed all was lost an old and familiar face appeared at the gates of Castle Doom, it was Darkwind of Fardale. Darkwind had not been seen in Fardale for nearly a year! It seemed he had been studying the movements of the Orcish armies in the Orcish Badlands and he had some startling news. The Orcs had over extended themselves during the massive assaults on Fardale and Darkinor. Baron Firegar used this information to devise a daring plan to secretly pass through the part of Fardale occupied by Hawkric and the Orcs and launch a surprise attack through the land of Neverhome into the Heart of the Orcish Badlands. Firegar consulted with Noble Doom who agreed the plan could succeed only if help could be summoned in the form of the Order of the Black Lotus, as the forces of Fardale were currently engaged in the defense of Fardale! A call for help was sent forth to the Black Lotus and the combined armies of Firegar, Doom, and Scardrake marched on the Orcish Badlands. An unforeseen turn of events occurred at this time. It seemed that Ulrich von Lichtenstein, second in command to Noble Hawkric, grew weary of what he viewed as a senseless war. Ulrichs pleas to Hawkric to stop his madness were met with sarcasm and destain! Hawkric had enough of his underlings whining and challenged Ulrich to an honor battle for control of Hawkrics Order of the Bloody Fist! The titans clashed in fierce and bloody single combat. Hawkric threatened and cajoled Ulrich with merciless taunts. Ulrich bided his time and just when Hawkric began to once more boast, he left himself open to an underestimated Ulrich. Von Lictenstein�s sword found its mark and the foul Hawkric was bested! Hawkric fled in a fit of anger and rage, tearing trees from the ground and flinging them through the air as he went. The army of Fardale arrived on the scene and parlayed with Ulrich who immediately gave the order to the army of Riverinor to cease all hostilities against Fardale and Darkinor and withdraw back to Riverinor! The war was over but the last battle was just beginning! Hawkric retreated into the Orcish Badlands and rallied a force of Orcs and trolls and immediately began attacking the army of Fardale. Much to the dismay of Fardale it seemed Hawkric had stolen some tomes of magic from plundered Darkinor and had given them to the Orcs who now could wield magic! Doom, Ulrich, Firegar, Darkwind, and Scardrake knew that the assembled forces could not hold against such an assault and were making plans for a fighting withdrawl when out of nowhere the forces of the Black Lotus appeared led by Cloud Ku�, Doc Evernight, Francesca DeRosiers, Sir Kirkmet, Jebadiah Springfield, Ember, and Skippy the Necromancer! The decision was made to stand with their combined forces in the Orchish Badlands and rid Murkwood of Hawkric and his evil forces once and for all! The battle was joined and the fighting was fierce. Hawkrics magic user Orcs were able to force the army of Fardale back to their main encampment. The army of Fardale rallied and launched a massive counter attack that forced the foul Orcish forces back to a small bridge over a feastering quagmire. Hawkric fled with a small force across the bridge and left some huge trolls to guard his retreat! News reached the army of Fardale that Hawkric had stuck a deal with the forces of Darkness. Hawkrics blind lust for power caused him to agree to be turned into a terrifying Wraith. When news of this black ceremony reached the Black Lotus they flew into a rage and surged across the small bridge with the forces of Fardale close behind! Too late did the forces of good arrive on the scene for the ceremony was complete and now Hawkric unleashed the powers of the undead as a wretched Wraith! The once proud leader of Riverinor had sold his soul for dark power! Doom and Firegar upon seeing what had transpired went into a frenzy of bloodlust as together with Scardrake, Darkwind, the army of Fardale and the Black Lotus they fell upon the forces of darkness in a pitched battle. Bodies flew through the air, swords broke, the screams of battle filled the air and blood stained the ground red. Neither side neither gave nor asked for quarter. Finally at the cost of many brave souls the foul wraith Hawkric was subdued and captured, his remaining forces fell into disarray and fled into the surrounding swamps of the Badlands. The forces of Fardale had little time to celebrated their victory as they immediately began arguing about the fate of foul Hawkric. During the confusion a Dark Necromancer sent a raiding party to retrieve Hawkric. The raiding party was able to elude their pursuers and escape with Hawkric deep into the Orcish Badlands. Noble Doom saw the opportunity was ripe for a strategic strike back into Fardale against the remaining orcish armies still besieging Firegars homeland. The army of Fardale together with the Black Lotus wheeled around and marched into Fardale and caught the resting forces from the Orcish Badlands unaware. Battle after battle was fought on the lands of Fardale. The Black Lotus was able to tip the scales in favor of the forces of Fardale and help their army drive the assembled forces of evil back across the borders of the Orcish Badlands and reclaim the lost lands of Firegars home. A feast of epic proportions was held to celebrate the great victories of the day! Hawkric was now a fugitive without a homeland or even a house to turn to. He ran and hid for many moons all the while plotting his revenge. Hawkric struck a deal with the undead, promising them the souls of all who resided in Castle Doom if they would help him gain his revenge upon the lands of Fardale. Hawkric led his new forces through the secret passages and back roads of Fardale. Soon a plague of foul creatures began menacing the lands of Fardale drawing ever closer to Castle Doom. During this time Hawkric was able to gain control of his house the Order of the Bloody fist. Ulrich was regulated back into the lower ranks of the Order. Finally Hawkric assaulted Castle Doom by sending in wave upon wave of undead. The now Baron�s Doom and Firegar were warned of the attack and had assembled a huge force to confront the evil. Hawkric�s forces were defeated in a huge battle that lasted for days. Hawkric himself was captured and thrown into the deepest depth�s of the dungeons of Castle Doom where he was guarded by �Boo� the ghost of Castle Doom. The day of Baron Firegar and Lord Fireric�s birthday was set as the date for foul Hawkrics trial. Thousands of folk were in attendance at Fisher Keep in Darkinor for the joyous occasion including such legendary warriors as Scardrake, Scarstorm, Shadowgar, Greyesta, Hawkson, Batosi, Shadowraven, Darkwind, and many more. Hawkric was manacled and locked in fisher keep under heavy guard to await the start of the trial. At the trial many gave testimony against Hawkric, recounting their suffering and the suffering of others caused by the War of Treachery. A vote of guilty was turned in by the diverse jury and sentence was about to be handed down by the judge. Suddenly a band of Orcs burst in and interrupted the proceedings! All the warriors of Murkwood lept to there feet and fiercely battled the foul Orcs. The fighting was called to an abrupt halt when the Orcs seized an innocent commoner as a hostage and threatened to slay her if Hawkric was not set free! The warriors had no choice but to let the wretched Hawkric leave with his Orc friends. Hawkrics raids on the various lands of Murkwood continued and his evil force continued to grow. Hawkric made many attempts to rally his previous forces to his side once more, fortunately few answered his call. The forces of good in Murkwood systematically hunted down and either captured or killed those that had committed atrocities during the War of Treachery. Hawkric decided to take his meager force of rag tag evil and mount an assault on Castle Doom in Fardale. His reasoning was that if the mighty castle fell then his own power would increase. Fortunately the large garrison stationed at Bowmen�s Tower in the Orcish Badlands spotted Hawkrics pathetic force marching towards Fardale and were able to send word to the now Baron Firegar of the impending invasion. Baron Firegar met with Baron Doom and together they laid a trap for Hawkric. The two Baron�s summoned the warriors Darkstorm, Sano, Falconric, and Domascus, to Castle Doom. These warriors brought forth large groups of fighters with them. In addition Baron Doom had been able to contact some warriors who Hawkric thought were still loyal to him and convince them to turn on Hawkric once the battle started! Hawkric began the battle at Castle Doom by sending in wave after wave of foul creatures. All were handily beaten back by the assembled might at the Castle. Hawkric finally attacked enmasse and was allowed to breach the defenses as far as the castle courtyard. Sano, Falconric, and Darkstorm then closed in behind Hawkrics force and cut off any hope of retreat. The remaining forces of Castle Doom charged down from their defensive positions and smashed into Hawkrics army. The fighters Hawkric thought were loyal to him betrayed their lord at this time. Hawkric saw Baron Dooms plan unfolding around him and immediately threw down his sword and surrendered. Hawkric was once again taken into custody while the blood crazed forces of good slaughtered the forces of Hawkric who did not surrender! Hawkric was imprisioned in the dungeons beneath Castle Doom to await trial. Finally the day of Hawkrics sentencing arrived. A grand feast and tournament was to be held at the Guild of Dark Mages in the land of Darkinor. So Hawkrics sentencing would be part of the festivities! All the great warriors and magic users gathered in Darkinor including; Noble Ironric von Doom, Baron Firegar, Fireric, Sano, Chaos, Ulrich von Lichtenstein, Doc, Cloud, Shadowgar, Darkstorm, and Domascus. Each brought a small contingent of skilled fighters with them. The trial got under way with several warriors speaking out against Hawkric , each speaker recommended that Hawkric be put to death, some even suggested torture before the final act was performed. Tempers flared as Hawkric in his wraith form mocked the proceedings! Suddenly, two new warriors by the name of Cloud and Doc stepped forward and informed all assembled that a High Wizard by the name of Sage had broken from the Guild of Dark Mages and was now using his powers for evil. The two told of a enchanted hammer that Sage had forged. The hammer had the ability to make undead creatures from the recently departed. These undead would obey Sage�s command with unquestioning loyalty, furthermore the spell could not be undone until the hammer was destroyed! Cloud and Doc argued that Hawkric was unaware of what he was doing as he was merely a pawn to Sage. Noble Doom decreed that Hawkric be locked away until this story could be proven or disproved. A plan was set into motion that would lure this Sage out into the open. Doom set out to spread the word to Fardale that Hawkric was set to be executed and runners were sent to Darkgard and others to spread the word of Hawkrics impending demise. Sage caught wind of the news , as the warriors had hoped he would. Sage launched a daring raid on the forces assembled in Darkinor and was actually able to rescue his undead servant. Apparently Sages power was underestimated! Noble Doom returned from Fardale as Sage was retreating with his prize. Doom rallied the forces of good and set out in pursuit of Sage and his force. A huge battle was joined in the Forest of Woe. Swords slashed and spells flew as warrior and magic user attempted to overcome the vast force of undead Sage sent out from his fortified position. No act of dishonor was beneath Sage as he even enlisted the help of foul assassins to aid him in his cause. All through the day the forces jockeyed to gain a decisive advantage as Sage took great delight in turning friend against friend! Finally at the end of the day the assembled forces of good caught Sage in an open field as he attempted a retreat across the land. Most of his mana was spent by this time and after a fierce and epic battle Sage was captured with his enchanted hammer and the wraith form of Hawkric. All were taken to the Guild of Dark Mages. The Mages temporarily destroyed the hammer . Hawkric was restored to his former self, with absolutely no recollection of the war or any of the death and destruction he caused, thus proving the theory put forth by the wise Cloud and Doc. Sage was held for a time but was able to use his remaining mana to escape the custody of the Guild. A pursuit ensued but the crafty Sage melted into the countryside! For a time the lands of Murkwood were peaceful then the great fighters of the land were summoned forth by a High Wizard named Vincenzo to the Mansion de� Macabre on the outskirts of Fardale. Vincenzo told the fighters of a growing undead evil that was sensed in the area by the magic users from the Guild of Dark Mages in Darkinor. The foul Sage showed up at the mansion and had joined with a new ally called the Drow. The Drow are an ancient race of elf whose only purpose is to eradicate all other races from the lands! Sage, together with the Drow, was able to free the now undead master necromancer Carmine de� Macabre from his prison crypt beneath the mansion. Carmine revealed that Vincenzo was actually his brother and was not to be trusted, so dissension spread among the ranks of the fighters allowing Carmine to escape and join with Sage. Sage it turned out was the son of Carmine and so was the nephew of Vincenzo! Sage , Carmine, the Drow, and a host of undead attacked the fighters at the mansion and a huge battle ensued. Vincenzo and Sage flung spells all over the battlefield as friend was made to turn foe. Huge Demons were summoned, fire fell from the sky, water poured forth in huge waves, the winds gusted with a terrifying vengeance!!! Finally the fighters of Murkwood were able to wear down Sage and Carmine. The evil forces numbers dwindled as the fighters tore into them with mighty force and determination. Vincenzo implored his brother to surrender but Carmine would hear none of it, so Vincenzo was forced to slay his own kin! Sage flew into a rage and commanded his remaining forces in a suicide assault on the fighters of Murkwood. Sage was beaten and his forces were slain until no more remained but the crafty Sage was able to use his remaining mana to once again escape capture. The forces of Murkwood were once again victorious and tales of their epic battle spread throughout the lands!!! The Fourth Age. Rebirth of the Unholy Triad Now from the Orcish Badlands comes news of a new leader of a strong band of Orcs left over from the War of Treachery. A powerful Orc Lord by the name of Pike. Lord Pike was second in command under Hawkric during the war and now he is seeking Hawkric and Sage for the mighty Orc Lord blames them for betraying the Orc army and causing their defeat. The fighters of Murkwood once again assembled at the Castle of the now Count Ironric von Doom. Their purpose was to celebrate the birthday of Baron Firegar. Shortly after the fighters assembled a strange figure emerged from the shadows and introduced himself as Vladamir von Rashka, a Vampire Lord who had allied himself with the forces of good namely with Vincenzo de Macabre�. Vladimir bore a letter from Vincenzo who told the fighters of the Orc Lord named Pike who would seek parlay with them this evening. The fighters were instructed to gather information and report back to Vincenzo. Suddenly a ruckus was heard out in the courtyard of Castle Doom. An emissary of Sage, in the form of a Drow was seeking to parlay with the fighters. The Drow told the fighters that Count von Doom was a prisoner of the Drow but would be set free if the fighters agreed to the parlay. The Drow told the fighters that Lord Pike was seeking an ancient artifact called the �Staff of the Magi� and with this staff Pike could teach the Orcs to wield magic! The Drow offered to help the fighters find the staff for a price. The Drow gave the fighters time to ponder his offer then vanished! Suddenly the castle was besieged by a huge force of orcs and trolls! An epic battle ensued that saw the fighters of Murkwood emerge victorious. The fighters found a letter from a foul undead hinting to the whereabouts of the Staff of the Magi, so the fighters set off towards the graveyard to confront the undead. A huge seesaw battle ensued with the undead, finally the fighters of Murkwood overcame the foul undead and restored a semblance of order. Lord Pike demanded a parley with the fighters and offered them a huge reward for Hawkric. Hawkric was captured by some less than honorable fighters with the intention to hand him over to Pike. Luckily a fighter named Domascus from Hawkrics home of Riverinor was able to free Hawkric and make a quick escape back to Riverinor. The foghters obtained information that led them to believe the Staff of the Magi was buried in the Courtyard of Castle Doom. Vladimir von Rashka was commissioned to organize an excavation of the courtyard. The brave fighters of Murkwood were ambushed by a large force of Drow sent by Sage and they didn�t come alone! After a long and pitched battle the Drow were beaten. Work was proceeding on the excavation of the courtyard. A scout came to Castle Doom with information as to the where abouts of Lord Pikes Orcish encampment. It seems that Lord Pike was not yet strong enough to lay siege to Castle Doom and was waiting overnight for his army to assemble. The large force of assembled Murkwood fighters lead a huge army that caught Pike and his Orc by surprise. Lord Pike�s forces were decimated and Orc blood flew through the air as the fighters slaughtered every last Orc including Pike himself!!! Upon their return to Castle Doom the fighters discovered the excavation revealed the tomb of Mula Rom, an ancient Mummy King. In Mula Rom�s hands was the Staff of the Magi! When the fighters took the Staff from Mula Rom the undead King rose from his tomb and summoned forth all sorts of terrible undead forces. Mula Rom bid his undead army to return the Staff to him. The battle in the courtyard of Castle Doom was fierce. In the end Vincenzo de� Macabbre� restored order by returning the Staff to Mula Rom, who then returned to his eternal slumber. The undead vanished as Mula Rom was at peace again. Vincenzo was able to use his High Wizard powers to speak to Mula Rom and convince him to let the Guild of Dark Mages study the Staff of the Magi for a short period of time. Word had leaked out that the Staff of the Magi might be in the care of the Guild of Dark Mages and a huge Orc army now led by Emperor Drake, Lord Pikes brother, attacked the Guild! Emperor Drake wielded the legendary �Foe Slayer� sword. Count Doom and Baron Firegar recieved word of the attack and led a hastily gathered army relieve the besieged guild. Count Doom sent out a call for help and many brave fighters answered. Among the fighters who came to the aid of the Guild of Dark Mages was: Ulrich von Lictenstein, Deenglo, Scarstorm, Sano, Darkstorm, Sykez, Batosi, Talonesta, Desideria von Doom , Friesian von Doom, Rikkimaru, Ryangold and Danielle among others. Fireric led the fighters to Darkinor only to find the guild in ruins! Bodies and blood were everywhere. It appeared that Emperor Drake was partially successful for he did not find the Staff of the Magi. Drakes forces had to abandon their attack to march out and confront the forces led by Doom and Firegar. The army now battling Drakes forces were buying the assembled forces in Darkinor precious time! Emperor Drake made an appearance in Darkinor and was surprised to find this new forces of fighters at the guild. Drake demanded the Staff of the Magi from the fighters and when the fighters hesitated, Drake bid his force to slaughter them! Drake under-estimated the assemble force in Darkinor and his forces were dispatched in short order. Drake escaped in the ensuing chaos of battle. The fighters combed the wreckage of the guild for clues of the fate of the mages that called this place their home. A man named Tiamont was found looking through the wreckage and offered to help the fighters find what they were looking for. With the guild all but deserted, evil was having a field day in Darkinor. The fighters of Murkwood fought many skirmishes in the hope of restoring order. A beautiful woman came to town and asked the fighters for help. It was a trap as the woman turned out to be an assassin working for an ancient undead Zombie King named Foulcor Bloodletter! Foulcor together with several assassins and undead were able to turn a good number of Murkwood fighters into Zombies and march on the Guild of Dark Mages! Friend was turned against friend as the foul undead raised up the fallen Murkwood fighters as zombies. The forces of good fought like the war gods of old. Control of the guild went back and forth from good to evil until finally the Murkwood fighters won the day with a heroic effort that saw the foul forces vanquished! Foulcor vanished back to his underground unholy kingdom, defeated but not destroyed! Just as the fighters were restoring the guild�s defenses Emperor Drake re-appeared with a huge army that included not only his Orc�s but also assassins, Trolls, a Hydra, a Balrog, and even an enormous Fire Breathing Dragon!!! The fighters of Murkwood fought valiantly but were soon overwhelmed when Drake called for a ballista to be brought up. Emperor Drake seized control of the guild and bid his forces to hang the bodies of the fallen Murkwood fighters from the ramparts so that terror would be struck in all who would look upon the guild. Drake feverishly ransacked the guild in hopes of finding the Staff of the Magi. His efforts were in vain as the Staff was not in the guild. Drake left some of his forces to slaughter the remaining fighters then marched off to finish off Doom and Firegars army. The Murkwood fighters went into frenzy at the sight of their comrade�s bodies hanging from the guild walls. The fighters attack with a renewed valor and were barely able to beat off the forces of evil. As the fighters were tending to their wounded the man named Tiamont reappeared. Tiamont demanded the foe slayer sword from the fighters. When Tiamont found out that the fighters were unable to secure this sword, he flew into a rage and revealed his true form, an Elder Dragon!!! The Elder Dragon attacked the fighters and bodies flew through the air as the true power of this ancient dragon was unleashed. The fighters were terrified but refused to give any quarter and so fought back with blind fury and rage! Tiamont soon tired of this pointless battle and retired from the field with a sarcastic warning to the fighters that he would be back and he wouldn�t be alone. This is the known History of Murkwood so far...
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