Turamzzyrian-Faendryl War

The Turamzzyrian-Faendryl War, known as the Third Elven War or the Faendryl War to humans, was fought from 4841 to 4842 between the human Turamzzyrian Empire under Empress Selantha II and the dark elven House of Faendryl.

See also: Elven Wars, an essay from an elven perspective.

Events

When Empress Selantha II ascended to the Sun Throne, the famed seer Caerol prophesied that the empire would experience a new age of glory. Bolstered by the prophecy, her advisors, and the Church of Koar, she decided to invade Ta'Faendryl. The Turamzzyrian army assembled at Barrett's Gorge and was led by Eastern Sentinel Happerset of Honneland and Duke Nyrmont of Kezmon Isle. Irregulars from outlying provinces including River's Rest provided support. The sheer size of the army quickly overwhelmed the scattered Faendryl forces during the first year.

In late spring of the second year, the Faendryl sent a full legion of soldiers to meet the approaching Turamzzyrians, bolstered by over a hundred demon summoners. The humans had fought demons in the first year, but never on the scale seen in the ensuing battle, which became known as the Breaking. With the main strength of the invading army lost and Happerset missing after the battle, Nyrmont rallied the soldiers to Creyth, one of the forts the army had built along the road. Most of the irregulars fled the campaign entirely. Creyth held out for a time against the demons, but finally Nyrmont ordered a full retreat to Barrett's Gorge.

No treaty was ever signed. The lands between Barrett's Gorge and Ta'Faendryl became infested with demons summoned during the battles and their offspring. Selantha's successor, Emperor Wayrick, ordered the construction of the Demonwall, garrisoned by the Order of the Golvern Star.

Timeline

Excerpted from History of the Turamzzyrian Empire:

Year	Events
4841	Third Elven War: Major campaign against the Faendryl Following a prophecy of great and magnificent times for the empire by a proclaimed seer, Selantha II is determined to be every bit the great empress that her namesake was and take her glorious place in imperial history. A handful of her advisors feed her visions of grandeur, and she sets her sights on none other than the Elven city of Ta'Faendryl. The Clergy of Koar fully support this endeavor, declaring it the will of the Arkati that the Turamzzyrian Empire smite the black-hearted fiends that cursed the land with foul magic in ages past. At the same time, they rouse the spirits of the empire by deriding the power of the Elves' dark sorcery, using the lack of recent Faendryl political/military activity as proof that the Faendryl are feeble in this age. By late spring, the empire has formed an army at Barrett's Gorge, and within weeks the army has marched to the fringes of Faendryl territory. Eastern Sentinel Happersett halts the army to build small fortifications from time to time, as support for supplies will be required for an extended campaign, and by early fall three strongholds are built on the route toward Ta'Faendryl. The Turamzzyrian army engages small groups of dark Elves. Initial conflicts are with minor dark Elven soldiers and commoners and pose little resistance to the massive imperial army. After the completion of Harald's Keep, the third of the Turamzzyrian strongholds, a small organized army of Faendryl engage the imperial force. The Faendryl have a small number of sorcerers with this army, and the dark summoners conjure a handful of foul demonic creatures, but the sheer numbers of the Turamzzyrians are sufficient to ensure a decisive imperial victory. Morale for the Turamzzyrian army is at its peak as they believe that the demons that they have just faced and defeated are the worst that the Faendryl can muster. The army splits into three groups, with the main force staying the winter at Harald's Keep. The other two forces spend the winter season at the imperial strongholds of Tedronne and Creyth.
4842	Thrilled with her army's early success, the empress appoints the prophet Caerol to the position of Royal Seer for his great wisdom. Sentinel Happersett reforms his army as the spring comes and once again begins marching toward Ta'Faendryl. Faendryl reluctance to release the full force of their sorcerous art upon the Humans results in another victory for the imperial army at Gellig. Unfortunately (for the Turamzzyrians), it is this victory that fully enrages the Faendryl. The Faendryl send eight score demonmasters to bolster a force of several thousand dark Elven soldiers. The imperial army engages the Faendryl army in late spring, and while the Turamzzyrians fight valiantly at the outset, they are not prepared for the incredible power of the demons released by the great Faendryl sorcerers. A horde of demons descends upon the imperial army laying destruction to its mortal foes. The renowned knight of the Order of the Crimson Fist, Sir Gallestan the Mighty, and Sir Hughrond, The Golden Knight of Kezmon Isle, each defeat a half dozen of the demons before being struck down. With the combination of seemingly unstoppable foes and the loss of two of their greatest heroes, the imperial troops nearby lose their resolve and flee the carnage. The fear ripples through the army, and within minutes the bulk of the imperial army is fleeing the battlefield, running for distant Creyth in a chaotic, panicked mass. Scattered bands of knights attempt to rally the army and stand against the demonic horde, but they are too few and are crushed by the Faendryl and their conjured allies. Most knights flee with the common soldiers. The humiliating defeat becomes known as The Breaking. The imperial army collects into a somewhat organized force at the stronghold of Creyth, though they have lost a quarter of their force to the Faendryl and another quarter have fled past Creyth, heading for Tedronne or Barrett's Gorge. With Sentinel Happersett missing and presumed dead, the leadership of the army falls to Duke Nyrmont of Kezmon. While Nyrmont is a respectable leader and tactician, he is unable to forge the remaining army into a formidable force. The stronghold of Creyth is a simple fortress, not a great citadel. The harrying Faendryl army sends its demons against the stronghold for a week, and though the stronghold is not overrun, Nyrmont can see that he is fighting a losing battle. The demons are simply too strong and the fear inspired by their presence is having a terrible effect upon his men. Under the cover of night, Nyrmont orders his troops to abandon the stronghold, escaping through tunnels dug under the walls. The army flees past the stronghold at Tedronne and does not stop marching until it reaches the citadel at Barrett's Gorge. The imperial force is less than one third of what it was only a month prior. The Faendryl army does not pursue the imperial soldiers beyond Tedronne, though some of the summoned fiends continue to harry stragglers. In a fit of rage upon hearing of the disaster at The Breaking, Selantha orders the execution of Caerol for his false prophesy. The empress, realizing that she will be remembered for this foolish war, begins drinking quite heavily. She is rarely seen in public over the next year, and when she does appear, she is never sober. The Third Elven War (by imperial reckoning) ends with no treaty being signed. This is also known as the Faendryl War.