| Category | Wars | |||
| Period | 1031 - 1041 | |||
| Theater | Hells Womb | |||
| Belligerents |
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| Map | Lirgaza |
Near the start of the Second Epoch, the power balance of Hells Womb underwent a swift transformation. Tens of thousands of refugees flocked to its shores, part of the Great Exodus (998 - 1017), a time when the empires of Gulimbor and Azrik fled a catastrophic magical event. Of the six empires of the Great Exodus, the refugees of the Cal-Thaoun Dynasty settled on the southeastern coasts of Hells Womb. Their once-mighty empire now existed in name only, its long-ruling dynastic family overthrown and murdered during the perilous voyage across the Sea of Mourning. Their rule was supplanted by that of the Kal-Oni, a dynasty equally dynastic and self-serving.
The orcs of the Kamoni jungle were initially perceived as a minor nuisance. At the time, their numbers were uncertain, and they appeared to pose little threat to the burgeoning power of the Kal-Oneans. However, when the Kal-Oneans began to encroach on the territory of the orcs, the satraps, who were occasionally allies of Tarkrath, went to war.
Early in 1031, the orcs devastated the Kal-Oni town of Troom. The Graagvrii from Ghar-Lakh had endured the scourge of orc slavers and raiders for an extended period. Eager to address their longstanding grievances, they joined the proffered Kal-Oni alliance.
The greatest stronghold of the orcs, constructed long ago by a people compelled to inhabit this perilous jungle, was Tarkrath. It was an ancient city, with towering spires that dominated the jungle's tallest trees. In 1036, after a two-year siege, Tarkrath was seized. Many of its defenders and non-combatants escaped through tunnels. For the subsequent five years, until the war's conclusion, they continued to battle Kal-Oni using guerrilla tactics.
In 1041, making scant progress against Kal-Oni and severely afflicted by disease, the orcs abandoned the region. Their extended journey northward became known as the Arduous March (1041 - 1096).