| Category | Wars | |||
| Period | 1462 | |||
| Theater | Ma'Ohari | |||
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| Map | Tha'lith |
In 1456, a colossal army of fire giants and Gol'hakh led by the fearsome Asvard Fjoll descended upon the city of Orias Vual. This formidable force moved with such speed and overwhelming might that the city surrendered after only a token defense. The leader of Gorthundor's army was a mortal hero known as Raxcvillibus Dumu-loc. For 12 years, Raxcvillibus commanded the armies of Gorthundor, securing triumph after triumph in northern Ma'Ohari and the treacherous depths of Dhark Bolg. Despite his troops' deep respect, Raxcvillibus was viewed as a potential rival by the jealous Gorthundor.
On the 11th of Bloom in the year 1462, Raxcvillibus was apprehended by the loyalists of Gorthundor. They restrained him and subsequently escorted him to the ramparts overlooking the city of Malephar. Raxcvillibus was then catapulted into the lava lake below, where his mortal existence came to an end.
Raxcvillibus had not escaped the notice of the Higher Powers, as both the Thasmudyan and Asmodean deities recognized his potential. They concurred to bestow him with unholy might, elevating him from the scorching flames of Malephar - thus birthing the inaugural hell knight.
Raxcvillibus swam and crawled his way out of the lava lake and made for the Underdark, clutching a priceless ruby rod in his hand. This powerful rod of command was none other than the famed Rod of Ruby, which denoted Asmodeus as the Overlord of the Hells. Rallying bandits, mercenaries, and others seeking vengeance against Gorthundor's Goth-Dyvermoir, Raxcvillibus amassed an army of 15,000 within a month, thanks to the loaned ruby rod. This formidable force comprised individuals from Sephu'phis, Aebilchunus, Gurutharni, and the jungles of Hlothraza. They first marched against the Pyramid of Conflict, which was subsequently returned to the Pyrmidian Ghouls - the same people who had lost it to Raxcvillibus seven years earlier when he was a general under Gorthundor. This unexpected gesture of goodwill, rather than the Ruby Rod, convinced the Pyrmidian Ghouls to aid Raxcvillibus in his quest to capture Orias Vual and bring an end to Gorthundor.
In the final month of 1462, the Retribution Campaign swiftly came to its conclusion. Raxcvillibus seized Orias Vual and its Emperor Gorthundor. During the siege, a significant number of soldiers refused to fight against Raxcvillibus. Thought to have been facilitated by Gorthundor's daughter, Raxcvillibus effortlessly captured the city without claiming it as his own. The rule of Orias Vual then fell to the Vinjof Sillodis, led by Gorthundor's daughter and high priestess Oni'tira.
Gorthundor's demise was a profoundly humiliating affair. He was burdened like a pack animal, compelled to transport chests laden with coin and plunder, before being forced to haul the spoils out of the city. Once that ignoble task was complete, Raxcvillibus subjected Gorthundor to a cursed enchantment, stripping him of any protection against the flames. Thereafter, he was unceremoniously expelled from the city, launched from the same catapult that had propelled him into Malephar.
As spoils of triumph, Raxcvillibus commandeered 500,000 gold pieces from the city's treasury, 40 fire giants, and 5,000 firenewts. Asmodeus's Rod of Ruby vanished from Rax's custody, and with its absence, the charmed were liberated to return to their homelands. Numerous individuals elected to remain, swayed by compensation and the magnetism of their commander.