| Category | Wars | ||||
| Period | 1832 - | ||||
| Theater | Grashakh, Tribe Steppes | ||||
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The Grashakh Front was a war within a much larger conflict known as the Chaos War. It began when scouts of the Council of Bile learned of a reduction in the Orchish Empire's southern border patrols and garrisons. This was alarming, as news of the Cinazan Front and its impact on the Khazarkar Empire were not favorable. Most regional powers, despite their dislike of the Khazarkar Empire's ways, wanted to see the Khazarkars fall and leave the Orchish Empire unopposed by an equally formidable force on Brucrumus. Consequently, two secret alliances were forged. They hoped to alleviate the pressure on the Khazarkars if the Orchish Empire chose to take advantage of their northern rival's plight and potentially seize some territory in the process.
In 1831, the Orchish Empire launched an assault on the Khazarkar Empire. Already heavily engaged in the Cinazan Front, the Khazarkars could do little but hope the fortifications dotting Ugradrath could impede the onslaught. The Womb Alliance, formed only months before this attack, was activated. The armies of the Council of Bile and Celebriän joined forces. By 1832, these combined forces, henceforth known as the Bile-Elendil Army, numbering 200,000 troops, attacked the southernmost defenses of the Orchish Empire. They breached these defenses and made contact with the Umahanbad Empire, which, due to its longstanding enmity with the Orchish Empire, needed little convincing to join the conflict, accepting the chests of gold regardless. The Umahanbad and one of its neighbors had also formed a secret alliance against the Orchish Empire. While the northern forces prepared for war, the Bile-Elendil Army utilized Umahanbad's southern territories to launch an assault on the Orchish city of Gúluzgash.
In less than a month, Gúluzgash was seized by the Bile-Elendil Army. The battle was merciless, with sons, daughters, and mothers fighting alongside the defenders. The Bile-Elendil Army suffered 40,000 casualties, while the Orchish Empire lost 160,000 individuals. Accounts from the engagement claim that no orc within the city retreated or surrendered. This city became a possession of the Council of Bile.
On 10 Temporal 1832, the Orchish Empire faced a formidable assault from the northeast. The invading force consisted of two separate army groups - three Ink-Shad armies and two Umahanbad armies; both contingents belonging to the Shadow Alliance.
The Ink-Shad assault originated from the Shadow Rift, catching the Orchish Empire completely off-guard. The Ink-Shad and Umahanbad forces besieged the formidable fortress-city of Surkiln. Under the guidance of their Shade houndmasters, hundreds of baying shadow hounds had a devastating impact on Surkiln's defenders, clearing entire towers with their ceaseless howling alone. While the Ink-Shad struck under the cover of darkness, the Umahanbad assailed the city from below. Enemy sappers succeeded in destroying the massive western wall of Surkiln, causing a significant portion of it to tumble down the steep slopes into the Shadow Rift.
While the siege was ongoing, another Umahanbad army emerged from the numerous caves and strongholds along the Giant Steps. These guerrilla attacks harassed the reinforcements en route to the south to join forces with the Bile-Elendil Army and those coming to aid the besieged forces at Surkiln. Due to these hit-and-run tactics, the Orchish Empire had difficulty reinforcing the city by land, so they turned to their Gruumsh Dreadnoughts. These voidships ferried troops in and then soared over Ink-Shad cities, bombarding them before returning to transport more soldiers. On one of these sorties to Surkiln, the Rorgon, the flagship of the Orchish Empire's air force, came over the city and deployed elite units from the Feloren. Aboard this vessel was none other than Emperor Blac'drugulois himself. The sight of this flagship inspired the city's defenders, and as a result, the attackers suffered heavy casualties.
The Rorgon then commenced blasting the assailants with full broadsides. The smoke from the cannons became so dense that the guns ceased firing due to lack of visibility. During this time, the Rorgon was assailed by a squadron of dragons under Drog'paagol's command. The initial pass of these fifteen dragons inflicted such extensive damage to the vessel that it was compelled to execute a hard landing into the contested battle lines. A massive conflict then ensued around the Rorgon. So numerous were the bodies and the blood spilled around the ship that reaching it necessitated trampling the wounded and those slipping and falling in the pools of spilled blood. Drog'paagol then entered the vessel accompanied by his three top henchmen - a Rikhirra, a death hag, and a malebranche. This group fought their way through the fighting within the ship and encountered Emperor Blac'drugulois. An epic melee then ensued, with the lich Drog'paagol losing an arm and a leg, and the demise of all three of his henchmen. The Emperor of the Orchish Empire was killed by a Black Fire spell as he prepared to deliver a killing blow to the lich.
Upon learning of their emperor's demise, Surkiln's defenders commenced a retreat that rapidly transformed into a disorderly rout. These retreating forces were subsequently annihilated by Drog'paagol's dragons. The siege of Surkiln resulted in catastrophic losses for both sides. Over the course of two months of combat, the Orchish Empire suffered the deaths of 85,000 troops and their emperor, as well as 75,000 non-combatants, while the Ink-Shad lost 30,000 troops, and 5,000 Ink-Shad civilians perished from the fire-bombing of their cities; the Umahanbad sustained 23,000 fatalities.
The demise of Emperor Blac'drugulois led Monty the Mad to declare himself the ruler of the Orchish Empire. This declaration was disputed, initiating the onset of the Second Orchish Civil War shortly thereafter.
Notable Battles
- Siege of Surkiln