War of the Sorcerer-King

War of the Sorcerer-King
Overview
Date	978 - 1020
Location	Cannor
Result	Free Realms Victory Collapse of the Castanorian Empire and rise of Cast and Anor Elvenization of Cannor
Belligerents
Black Castanor Vertesk Dominion
League of Free Realms Damerian Kingdom Lorentish Kingdom Wexonard Kingdom Gawedi Resistance Silver Band Phoenix Empire After Battle of Balmire (1015) Kingdom of Gawed Free Castanor
Commanders and Leaders
Nichmer, the Sorcerer-King Acolytes Canrec the Defiler Venac the Arrogant Ettalinde the Wretched Castanorians Ordac Ebonfrost Castan LII the Enthralled (until 1015) Caylen Longlance (until 1015)
Auci of Dameria Rewan Lorentis Munas Moonsinger Varilor Bluetongue Jaher After Battle of Balmire (1015)Caylen Longlance Clarimonde of Oldhaven
Casualties
Nichmer, the Sorcerer-King
Munas Moonsinger Castan LII the Enthralled Caylen Longlance

The War of the Sorcerer-King was a major conflict encompassing all of Cannor. It was fought between Black Castanor and the League of Free Realms. It ended in the fall of Castanor and the emergence of new kingdoms such as the Kingdom of Gawed and the Kingdom of Dameria.

Overview

The war is generally divided into roughly two portions, with its first half (978 - 1000) encompassing the success of Black Castanor and its conquest of most of Cannor. The second half (1000 - 1020) encompasses the resulting pushback (to which the arrival of the elves contributed) and, later, the liberation of much of Cannor from Black Castanorian rule.

Chronology

Year	Event	Significance / Description
978 - 979	Invasion of The Borders	The official start of the war, but not the start of the Free Realms nor massive coalitions against Black Castanor Much of the Wexonard Kingdom falls except for Wexhills, which stands strong supported by hidden tunnels to gain supplies
979	League of Free Realms founded	While not officially bearing that name until much later, an alliance of Dameria-Esmaria-Verne and other lords in the Eastern Dameshead is founded against Black Castanor
980 - 986	Invasion of Gawed	The city-state of Vertesk which had been conquered by Gawed beforehand invites Castanor to invade Leads to conquest of Gawed and resurrection of the Vertesk Dominion and the subjugation of the western Alenic Reach
980 - 981	Third Tall War	With Gawed being invaded, Lorent also declares war to conquer the Gawedi parts of the Small Kingdom
988 - 996	Invasion of Eastern Dameshead	Joint attack from Black Castanor's forces from Dostanor, The Borders and Gawed against Esmaria, Verne, Dameria et al
992 - 1000	Invasion of Lencenor	Invasion of Lorent and Lencenor under the plans of Mafalda the Mad. Despite its name, much of the fighting was done in the Small Country. Lorent was never conquered.
1000	The Landing	Elves arrive in Cannor. They quickly join the war on the side of the League of Free Realms.
1001	The Second Battle of Ruby Pass	After the recall of their leader Iacob, Castanorian forces face off against a joint Lorentish/Elven Army near Ruby Pass Castanorian forces are defeated and retreat across the Small Country, harassed by Maugun's Band.
1003 - 1007	Liberation of Eastern Dameshead
1007 - 1008	Liberation of Busilar
1011	Liberation of Corvuria
1013	Battle of Damesteeth	The Imperial Navy at Vertesk is complete and sails down to defeat the powerful Damerian Navy Free Realms Victory, but Munas Moonsinger dies
16.02.1014	Storming of Vertesk	Free Realms army, assisted by members of the Gawedi resistance, storm Vertesk. Free Realms Victory, Venac the Arrogant is killed by Maugun of Ording, but Alenn the Younger dies.
1014 - 1015	Liberation of Gawed
14.05.1014	Battle of Morban Flats	The two armies camp for 14 days without battle. The battle begins due to a skirmish between two parties sent to collect water for their respective camps. The Free Realms army is forced to engage a superior Castanorian force and are routed by Caylen Longlance The fleeing combatants are left to the mercy of the renowned Caylen Longlance, but instead he stops his own forces from massacring the remnants of the entire Free Realms army
30.12.1014 - 12.01.1015	Siege of Calascandar	Following recent victories in Morban Flats and Arbaran Castanorian forces march south and attack Calascandar hoping to break into Esmaria. Caylen Longlance cautions against this, instead taking his forces to recover in the fortress in Balmire. During this the Free Realms army in from Morban Flats are rallied by King Alenn the Older after their defeat in Morban Flats. They march south to meet up with Free Realms forces in Calascandar.
12.01.1015	Battle of Calascandar	Believing the army from Morban Flat's to have been defeated the Castanorian forces do not expect them and the army takes heavy losses pulling out of Calascandar, most surrender, of those who do not very few survive to reach Balmire.
06.12.1015	Battle of Balmire	Castan LII the Enthralled is hit on the head which breaks his spell, leading to his immediate call for surrender Nichmer kills him and officially takes the mantle of Sorcerer-King Caylen Longlance and Iacob the Betrayer start the Free Castanor resistance movement
1016 - 1019	Liberation of Castanor
07.04.1019	Surrender of Castonath	The Patricians open the gates of Castonath and let in the victorious Free Realm forces, despite the Sorcerer-King still living
16.08.1020	Tourney of Grand Victory	All Castanorian forces have been defeated at this point except the Sorcerer-King which has fled to Trialmount Tourney is held at the base of Trialmount summoning all warriors of the land to join a party to defeat the Sorcerer-King
31.08.1020	Battle of Trialmount	Trialmount Company defeats Nichmer, the Sorcerer-King
31.08.1021	Treaty of Anbenncóst	Held alongside Grand Ball of Anbenncóst, marking official end of war Partitioning of states and new country lines, etc are determined here

Notable Casualties

Godrac X Gawe (986, Invasion of Gawed): King of Gawed

Alenn the Younger (1014, Storming of Vertesk): Prince of Gawed, and main member of the Gawedi Resistance.

Godrac Coldsteel (1015, Battle of Morban Flats): Prince of Gawed

Caylen Longlance (1020, Battle of Trialmount): Castanorian general and regarded as the first-ever knight. Led the forces of Free Castanor against the Sorcerer-King during the latter part of the war.

Munas Moonsinger (1013, Battle of Damesteeth): The legendary elf who led the Remnant Fleet to Cannor during The Landing and progenitor of the House of Silmuna. Led the Free Realms fleet during the Battle of Damesteeth but was slain by Canrec the Defiler.

Legacy

The War of the Sorcerer-King was a pivotal event in the history of Cannor and

Dwarves

Many surface dwarves had a mixed reaction to the War of the Sorcerer-King. In Rubyhold, the arrival of the elves was initially seen in a positive light as a counter balance to the expansion of Castanor beyond Escann. However, when it became clear that the elves were replacing many dwarves in positions of influence, this led to what is known among historians as “The Long Sulk of Rubyhold” which ended only following the Lilac Wars.

In Anvilwright, the war is held as the event that finally transitioned the aspiring hold’s loyalty from Castanor to Dameria eventually leading to it joining the Empire of Anbennar under the Grand Duchy of Esmaria where it was made an elector, representing the interests of the dwarven people. Further, the cooperation of Silverforge with the Ibenion’s forces in the Forlorn Vale led to the adoption of the moonfire symbol on the Silverforge coat of arms. The Silver Dwarves also helped to construct the capital of Ibevar following the rediscovery of Vardoced, overseen by the dwarven architect Heharrûk. In exchange for their aid, Ibenion named the river flowing from Ibevar towards the Havoral Divide the Hehaine after Heharrûk.

Among Stone Dwarves, the war has a more complicated legacy. The role of the Sorcerer-King himself is downplayed in favor of a resurgent Castanor claiming its lost glory, only for the Castan to be betrayed and unjustly usurped. Without the steady rule of the last Castan, Castanor was broken by the Landing of Elves. In the aftermath of the war, many Stone Dwarves argued in favor of a new Castan to take the throne of Castanor despite the Trials no longer being accessible. These calls were ignored and the ensuing power vacuum led to an era of petty kingdoms and feudal disputes among the successor states. Ultimately, they claim it was the breaking of Castanor that led to the destruction of Escann during the Greentide, followed soon after by the religious wars of Corin and Adean.

In Bulwar, Jaher's campaign against the Sorcerer-King led to Ovdal Tûngr being blockaded by the Phoenix Empire, which lasted until 1162AA after the onset of the First Cinder War. The Copper Dwarves lost their puppet in Yametses and much of their mountains outside of their hold, including the gold mine of Gulangor. The blockade also saw the end of Copper Dwarf influence throughout Bulwar as Jaher had exiled all dwarven merchants from his land as well as forgiving all debts held by the hold. This action helped Jaher to cement his claim to Bulwar and aided relations with the Segbandal which had long had its influence in Bulwar curtailed by Ovdal Tûngr.