The Segbandalic Expeditions were a series of offensive expeditions to the West Dwarovar by the combined forces of the Segbandal which spanned for over two millennia from 5762 BA to 3591 BA. The main goal of the expeditions were to reclaim Hul-Jorkad and beyond from orcish control and to strengthen their defenses past Gor Vazumbrog.
First Segbandalic Expedition[]
In 5762 BA, the first Segbandalic Expedition was launched with the goal to reclaim Hul-Jorkad and the Jorkad Junction, in an effort to link up with the still stalwart Serpentreach. The expedition was delayed due to many issues, primarily with food rationing and the threat of the Jade Empire to the East with their attempts to break through the defenses of Gor Ozumbrog. Any travel and news to the Serpentreach had to be made overland through Genie territory which was risky, due to the nature of Genie politics. Despite this, Seghdihr began trading with the Genie Sultanates to alleviate food shortages that began with the loss of the Serpent's Vale.
In 5695 BA, the expedition had reached Hul-Jorkad, engaging with the orcish hordes squatting in the first level. But as progress was made to the west, the Jade Empire put more pressure against the Topaz Dwarves of Gor Ozumbrog, forcing them to fortify rapidly against them, in an event known as the Great Restructuring in Ozumbroger history, where their fortress began to truly become equal to its sister hold to the west. From 5650 BA, orcish warbands started moving south to Hul-Jorkad, causing a tenuous back-and-forth over the Dwarovrod leading to Hul-Jorkad for over 150 years, with forces occasionally trapped in the hold only to either break out or be relieved by forces sent from Gor Vazumbrog.
By 5488 BA, with the majority of the holds in the West Dwarovar destroyed or under unrelievable siege, the orcs finally made their way towards the Serpentreach in large forces, forcing the Segbandalic Expedition to fail in securing Hul-Jorkad and the Jorkad Junction. However, many Jorkadi artifacts were salvaged from the hold and vital knowledge was saved on the construction and maintenance of sanitation systems and piping, sending it to Seghdihr for safekeeping. In 5400 BA, the orcs managed to slowly push the Segbandalic forces towards the Vazok Tunad but had reached Bogig Vazumbrog, a seemingly impenetrable fortress which held the orcs back for the next 780 years with much back and forth between the Titanium Dwarves and orcs.
Second Segbandalic Expedition[]
In 4520 BA, the Second Segbandalic Expedition was launched from Gor Vazumbrog, marching up the Dwarovrod to Hul-Jorkad. Numbering 30,000 Dwarves strong, they pushed through the disorganized orcish warbands along the length of the Dwarovrod between the two holds. Reaching Hul-Jorkad, the Expedition secured the first layer of the hold within the year, and began making inroads on the second layer. However, securing the Jorkad Junction was not as simple a task. Orcish warbands moving to and from the Serpentreach and the North were constant threats, and often forced the dwarves to retreat back eastward towards the hold, lest they become crushed between two migrating warbands.
The General-King Thorgrim Az-Bogig "The Reclaimer" of Gor Vazumbrog declared the Second Segbandalic Expedition a success in 4467 BA. Despite not securing the Jorkad Junction, Hul-Jorkad had been reclaimed. The hold was under the military administration of Gor Vazumbrog and with a dire need for repair, efforts were made to restore the hold’s defenses before a warband could attempt to retake the hold. Later, the Segbandalic Reclamation made Hul-Jorkad a military colony, with sparse civilian settlement as much of the hold lay in ruins, with resources constantly reallocated elsewhere and towards the active frontlines or shoring up perceived faults in the hold’s exterior defenses and the currently inhabited section’s defenses.
Third Segbandalic Expedition[]
The Third Segbandalic Expedition was declared in 3720 BA, with the intention to occur after fifty years. Despite this, issues gathering manpower and supplies for the expedition caused delays forcing the expedition to venture out 18 years after it was supposed to in 3652 BA. It was launched from Hul-Jorkad with the objective to march up the Jorkad Junction to Verkal Kozenad, marking it the first time in 2000 year that dwarven feet marched in the Northwestern Dwarovar. Despite this, the expedition met fierce pushback in efforts to reclaim the hold, and in the next 60 years the expedition saw a back and forth where the dwarves controlled only a sixth of the first layer of the hold. With the fall of Gor Bûrad, many orcs found their way back north and found themselves behind the expedition's troops which forced them to divert resources into simply keeping supply route open in the south.
Despite the Expedition’s failure to conquer Verkal Kozenad, there was one event which made the expedition a success. This event was the defeat of an orcish warband dwelling within Verkal Kozenad. In the possession of their warlord was the Citrine & Jade Gems of the Dwarovkron. The Jade Gem was sent to Ovdal Kanzad as a sign of friendship at the behest of Gor Ozumbrog, and the Citrine Gem was returned to Seghdihr, where it was placed in the Royal Treasury for safe keeping.