Difference between revisions of "War of the Beard"
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− | + | :War of Vengeance'' redirects here. For the novel series by [[Black Library]], see [[The War of Vengeance]]'' | |
[[File:WarOfTheBeard.jpg|thumb|400px|A High Elf cavalry charge against Dwarf artillery.]] | [[File:WarOfTheBeard.jpg|thumb|400px|A High Elf cavalry charge against Dwarf artillery.]] | ||
− | The '''War of the Beard''', called the '''War of Vengeance''' by the Dwarfs, was a conflict | + | The '''War of the Beard''', also called the '''War of Vengeance''' and '''War against the Elves''' by the Dwarfs, was a conflict where the [[Dwarf]] Empire fought the [[High Elves]] of [[Ulthuan]] and their [[Old World]] colonies between '''-1997 and -1560''' [[IC]]. {{Fn|1a}}{{Fn|4a}}{{Fn|4b}}{{Fn|5a}} |
− | + | The Dwarfs were led by [[High King]] [[Gotrek Starbreaker]] and the High Elves under [[Phoenix King]] [[Caledor II]]. Many Elven colonies were razed over the centuries by the Dwarf armies. The War devastated both races, each left a mere shadow of their glory days before the War. {{Fn|1a}}{{Fn|4a}}{{Fn|5b}} | |
− | |||
− | == | + | ==History of the War== |
− | [[ | + | ===Origins=== |
+ | During the reign of [[Caledor II]] of the [[High Elves]], trade routes between Elves and Dwarfs that had been closed during the [[Sundering|Elf Civil War]] were reopened, and the Elven colonies in the [[Old World]] flourished while [[human]]ity were little more than savages.{{Fn|4a}} | ||
− | + | In '''-2005''' [[IC]] [[the Great Betrayal]] struck a divide between the Elves and Dwarfs: [[Malekith]], the [[Witch King]], ordered [[Dark Elves]] dressed as High Elves to attack Dwarf traders and settlements. {{Fn|3a}} {{Fn|4b}}{{Fn|5a}} | |
− | |||
− | ==The | + | In time King Gotrek, failing to see through the deception, hoped to avoid a war and demanded recompense from [[Ulthuan]] in '''-1997''' IC. [[Caledor II]] - lacking the good sense and wisdom of his father, [[Caledor I]] - refused, and insulted the Dwarfs by implying that they beg. After demanding twice the original reparations for this new slight, Caledor II sent the Dwarf ambassador and his guards back with their beards shaved as a final insult. At the same time, the Dark Elves continued to stir up trouble among the Old Word Elven colonies, and soon war began. {{Fn|1a}}{{Fn|4a}}{{Fn|4b}}{{Fn|5a}} |
− | Caledor II, | + | |
+ | Even as the Dwarf Ambassador was sailing to Ulthuan, [[Snorri Halfhand]] having waited eight years for his father to act against the elves, could wait no longer. He marched on the city of [[Kor Vanaeth]] with a mighty force of 40,000 warriors from several holds including [[Barak Varr]], [[Karak Hirn]], [[Karak Varn]] and [[Zhufbar]]. They swiftly defeated the elf army dispatched from the city, and equally quickly stormed, sacked and destroyed Kor Vanaeth completly. The ruler of the city, Princess [[Liandra]] arrived too late on her [[Dragon]] to intervene and instead flew to Tor Alessi to warn them. {{Fn|3b}} | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Dwarfs prepared for the war with great detail, fortifying their cities for sieges and readying their armies. The war was fought before invention of blackpowder weapons, so Dwarfs utilized reliable [[Dwarf Bolt Thrower|bolt throwers]] and [[Grudge Thrower|catapults]]. {{Fn|4a}} {{Fn|6a}} | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===The First Siege of Tor Alessi=== | ||
+ | [[Tor Alessi]] (present-day [[L'Anguille]] in [[Bretonnia]]), an Elven colony in the Old World, was soon besieged by Dwarfen armies under King Gotrek - swearing to shave his head if he could not obtain the weregild, while the Dwarf ambassador - due to the shame of having his beard shaved - became a [[Slayer|Trollslayer]]. Caledor, outraged at the assault, sent a mighty expedition from Ulthuan to relieve Tor Alessi, leaving his homeland dangerously weakened. The conflict ground on as the sides were evenly matched, the [[Karak]]s of the Dwarfs and Ulthuan of the High Elves proving unassailable, with the Dwarfs resorting to burning down virgin forests just to spite the High Elves as the Old World was awash with combat. {{Fn|1a}} | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===Death of Prince=== | ||
+ | During '''-1974 IC''', in the early clashes of the war [[Snorri Halfhand]] was slain by [[Phoenix King]] Caledor II in a duel. The dwarf army was forced from the battlefield and High King Gotrek was enraged by this personal loss.{{Fn|4a}}{{Fn|4b}}{{Fn|5a}} | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===Death of Brother=== | ||
+ | During the long [[Battle of Oeragor]] (-1968 IC) [[Morgrim Bargrum]] slew prince [[Imladrik]], the brother of Caledor II, partially avenging his cousin Snorri and earning the title Elgidum or Elfdoom. {{Fn|4a}}{{Fn|4b}} | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===Brok Stonefist and Lord Salendor=== | ||
+ | [[Brok Stonefist]], head of the Dwarf force of [[Karak Azgul]] with centuries of experience with the Dwarf network of tunnels, earned great fame by rallying the shattered force of Karak Azgul and routing a High Elf army by using his prescient knowledge of the tunnel network. For this feat he was named ''Ungdrin Ankor Rik'', or 'Lord of the Tunnels' by the Dwarfs, and ''Arhain-tosaith'', 'shadowy one of the earth' by the High Elves. However, he was soon to meet his nemesis Lord [[Salendor]] of [[Tor Achare]], for which he was evenly matched. | ||
+ | |||
+ | For the next hundred years they would clash, in such battles as the [[Battle of Blind River]]. However the bloody conclusion would be the [[Battle of Athel Maraya]] (-1498 IC). After fighting inch-for-inch for the doomed city of [[Athel Maraya]], Dwarfs set fire to the city. As both High Elves and Dwarfs fled the burning city, Brok and Salendor - unwilling to flee or heed the warnings of their comrades - fought to the death among the inferno, and are said by the [[Elves]] to haunt the city millenia later, locked in eternal combat.{{Fn|1b}}{{Fn|4b}} | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===The Fall of Caledor II=== | ||
+ | During the during '''the Fourteenth Siege of Tor Alessi''', what was also called the [[Battle of Three Towers]] (-1560 IC) Caledor II grew growing frustrated with the protracted nature of the War, dismissed his generals and later charged the Dwarf infantry, only to be slain by King Gotrek, who seized the [[Phoenix Crown]] and retreated to [[Karaz-a-Karak]]. Shortly before beginning a suicidal siege of Karaz-a-Karak, the Dark Elves struck at Ulthuan, forcing the High Elves to remove their forces from the Old World and fend off the Dark Elves, thus ending the War of the Beard. {{Fn|1a}}{{Fn|4b}}{{Fn|5a}}{{Fn|5b}} | ||
==Aftermath== | ==Aftermath== | ||
− | + | Both races were much weakened by the War, and are but shadows of their former selves, and left a lingering bitterness between them.{{Fn|4a}} | |
+ | |||
+ | In '''-1501 IC''' due to the recent Dark Elf attacks, and depletion of the High Elf military due to the War of the Beard, Caledor's successor, [[Caradryel]] ordered the evacuation of all remaining High Elves - both civilian and soldier - from the ravaged Old World colonies, warning those that remained they would not be protected by Ulthuan. Though many left, those that felt they had little loyalty to Ulthuan remained and travelled to the [[Forest of Loren]] for protection, and became the [[Wood Elves]]. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Dwarfs, though victorious, were left dangerously weakened, and unable to successfully combat [[Greenskin]] and [[Skaven]] incursions.{{Fn|4a}}{{Fn|4c}} For dwarfs, distrust of elves became a chief wisdom passed to next generations. {{Fn|4a}} | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==Gallery== | ||
+ | <center><gallery> | ||
+ | File:Old World Map Age of Legends GB.jpg|Map showing the northern Dwarf and Elf settlements in the Old World before the War of the Beard | ||
+ | File:Map of the Badlands Age of Legends GB.jpg|Map of the Badlands and nearby Dwarf Holds before the War of the Beard | ||
+ | </gallery></center> | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==Quotes== | ||
+ | {| width="33%" align="center" | ||
+ | |align="center"|''Stoke the furnaces, oil your armour and sharpen your axes, for war most bloody is upon us!'' | ||
+ | '''~ Gotrek Starbreaker.{{Fn|2a}} | ||
+ | |} | ||
==Sources== | ==Sources== | ||
Line 24: | Line 59: | ||
** {{Endn|1a}}: The War of the Beard, pg. 92-93 | ** {{Endn|1a}}: The War of the Beard, pg. 92-93 | ||
** {{Endn|1b}}: The War of the Beard part II, pg. 98-100 | ** {{Endn|1b}}: The War of the Beard part II, pg. 98-100 | ||
+ | * {{Endn|2}}: [[Grudgelore]] | ||
+ | ** {{Endn|2a}}: The War of Vengeance, pg. 38 | ||
+ | * {{Endn|3}}: [[The Great Betrayal (Novel)]] | ||
+ | ** {{Endn|3a}}: Chapter Three: Shadows on the Dwarf Road, pg. 72-76 | ||
+ | ** {{Endn|3b}}: Chapter Thirty: A Hurled Spear, pg. 363-373 | ||
+ | * {{Endn|4}}: [[Warhammer Armies: Dwarfs (Revised 6th Edition)]] | ||
+ | ** {{Endn|4a}}: The Golden Age, pg. 8-11 | ||
+ | ** {{Endn|4b}}: Deeds of Ages, pg. 16 | ||
+ | ** {{Endn|4c}}: Grudge Thrower, pg. 41 | ||
+ | *{{Endn|5}}: [[Warhammer: The Old World Rulebook]] | ||
+ | ** {{Endn|5a}}: pg. 24-25 | ||
+ | ** {{Endn|5b}}: The War of the Beard, pg. 32 | ||
+ | * {{Endn|6}}: [[Warhammer Armies: Dwarfs (6th Edition)]] | ||
+ | ** {{Endn|6a}}: Armies of Dwarfs, pg. 79 | ||
[[Category:Dwarfs]] | [[Category:Dwarfs]] | ||
Line 29: | Line 78: | ||
[[Category:History]] | [[Category:History]] | ||
[[Category:War of the Beard]] | [[Category:War of the Beard]] | ||
+ | [[Category:Wars]] | ||
[[de:Krieg der Vergeltung]] | [[de:Krieg der Vergeltung]] |
Latest revision as of 01:19, 28 March 2024
- War of Vengeance redirects here. For the novel series by Black Library, see The War of Vengeance
The War of the Beard, also called the War of Vengeance and War against the Elves by the Dwarfs, was a conflict where the Dwarf Empire fought the High Elves of Ulthuan and their Old World colonies between -1997 and -1560 IC. [1a][4a][4b][5a]
The Dwarfs were led by High King Gotrek Starbreaker and the High Elves under Phoenix King Caledor II. Many Elven colonies were razed over the centuries by the Dwarf armies. The War devastated both races, each left a mere shadow of their glory days before the War. [1a][4a][5b]
Contents
History of the War
Origins
During the reign of Caledor II of the High Elves, trade routes between Elves and Dwarfs that had been closed during the Elf Civil War were reopened, and the Elven colonies in the Old World flourished while humanity were little more than savages.[4a]
In -2005 IC the Great Betrayal struck a divide between the Elves and Dwarfs: Malekith, the Witch King, ordered Dark Elves dressed as High Elves to attack Dwarf traders and settlements. [3a] [4b][5a]
In time King Gotrek, failing to see through the deception, hoped to avoid a war and demanded recompense from Ulthuan in -1997 IC. Caledor II - lacking the good sense and wisdom of his father, Caledor I - refused, and insulted the Dwarfs by implying that they beg. After demanding twice the original reparations for this new slight, Caledor II sent the Dwarf ambassador and his guards back with their beards shaved as a final insult. At the same time, the Dark Elves continued to stir up trouble among the Old Word Elven colonies, and soon war began. [1a][4a][4b][5a]
Even as the Dwarf Ambassador was sailing to Ulthuan, Snorri Halfhand having waited eight years for his father to act against the elves, could wait no longer. He marched on the city of Kor Vanaeth with a mighty force of 40,000 warriors from several holds including Barak Varr, Karak Hirn, Karak Varn and Zhufbar. They swiftly defeated the elf army dispatched from the city, and equally quickly stormed, sacked and destroyed Kor Vanaeth completly. The ruler of the city, Princess Liandra arrived too late on her Dragon to intervene and instead flew to Tor Alessi to warn them. [3b]
The Dwarfs prepared for the war with great detail, fortifying their cities for sieges and readying their armies. The war was fought before invention of blackpowder weapons, so Dwarfs utilized reliable bolt throwers and catapults. [4a] [6a]
The First Siege of Tor Alessi
Tor Alessi (present-day L'Anguille in Bretonnia), an Elven colony in the Old World, was soon besieged by Dwarfen armies under King Gotrek - swearing to shave his head if he could not obtain the weregild, while the Dwarf ambassador - due to the shame of having his beard shaved - became a Trollslayer. Caledor, outraged at the assault, sent a mighty expedition from Ulthuan to relieve Tor Alessi, leaving his homeland dangerously weakened. The conflict ground on as the sides were evenly matched, the Karaks of the Dwarfs and Ulthuan of the High Elves proving unassailable, with the Dwarfs resorting to burning down virgin forests just to spite the High Elves as the Old World was awash with combat. [1a]
Death of Prince
During -1974 IC, in the early clashes of the war Snorri Halfhand was slain by Phoenix King Caledor II in a duel. The dwarf army was forced from the battlefield and High King Gotrek was enraged by this personal loss.[4a][4b][5a]
Death of Brother
During the long Battle of Oeragor (-1968 IC) Morgrim Bargrum slew prince Imladrik, the brother of Caledor II, partially avenging his cousin Snorri and earning the title Elgidum or Elfdoom. [4a][4b]
Brok Stonefist and Lord Salendor
Brok Stonefist, head of the Dwarf force of Karak Azgul with centuries of experience with the Dwarf network of tunnels, earned great fame by rallying the shattered force of Karak Azgul and routing a High Elf army by using his prescient knowledge of the tunnel network. For this feat he was named Ungdrin Ankor Rik, or 'Lord of the Tunnels' by the Dwarfs, and Arhain-tosaith, 'shadowy one of the earth' by the High Elves. However, he was soon to meet his nemesis Lord Salendor of Tor Achare, for which he was evenly matched.
For the next hundred years they would clash, in such battles as the Battle of Blind River. However the bloody conclusion would be the Battle of Athel Maraya (-1498 IC). After fighting inch-for-inch for the doomed city of Athel Maraya, Dwarfs set fire to the city. As both High Elves and Dwarfs fled the burning city, Brok and Salendor - unwilling to flee or heed the warnings of their comrades - fought to the death among the inferno, and are said by the Elves to haunt the city millenia later, locked in eternal combat.[1b][4b]
The Fall of Caledor II
During the during the Fourteenth Siege of Tor Alessi, what was also called the Battle of Three Towers (-1560 IC) Caledor II grew growing frustrated with the protracted nature of the War, dismissed his generals and later charged the Dwarf infantry, only to be slain by King Gotrek, who seized the Phoenix Crown and retreated to Karaz-a-Karak. Shortly before beginning a suicidal siege of Karaz-a-Karak, the Dark Elves struck at Ulthuan, forcing the High Elves to remove their forces from the Old World and fend off the Dark Elves, thus ending the War of the Beard. [1a][4b][5a][5b]
Aftermath
Both races were much weakened by the War, and are but shadows of their former selves, and left a lingering bitterness between them.[4a]
In -1501 IC due to the recent Dark Elf attacks, and depletion of the High Elf military due to the War of the Beard, Caledor's successor, Caradryel ordered the evacuation of all remaining High Elves - both civilian and soldier - from the ravaged Old World colonies, warning those that remained they would not be protected by Ulthuan. Though many left, those that felt they had little loyalty to Ulthuan remained and travelled to the Forest of Loren for protection, and became the Wood Elves.
The Dwarfs, though victorious, were left dangerously weakened, and unable to successfully combat Greenskin and Skaven incursions.[4a][4c] For dwarfs, distrust of elves became a chief wisdom passed to next generations. [4a]
Gallery
Quotes
Stoke the furnaces, oil your armour and sharpen your axes, for war most bloody is upon us!
~ Gotrek Starbreaker.[2a] |
Sources
- 1: Warhammer Chronicles (2003)
- 2: Grudgelore
- 2a: The War of Vengeance, pg. 38
- 3: The Great Betrayal (Novel)
- 4: Warhammer Armies: Dwarfs (Revised 6th Edition)
- 5: Warhammer: The Old World Rulebook
- 6: Warhammer Armies: Dwarfs (6th Edition)
- 6a: Armies of Dwarfs, pg. 79