Goblinblood Wars

The flag of Isger.

The Goblinblood Wars (4697–4701 AR) were a series of conflicts first fought between the army of Isger and hundreds of goblinoid tribes of the Chitterwood. It eventually expanded to include forces from neighboring nations in an effort to contain the rapidly expanding hordes.

The Wars

In the four-year span beginning in 4697 AR, hobgoblin commanders led hundreds of hobgoblin and goblin tribes, primarily from Isger's Chitterwood, to attack many rural settlements in that nation. A series of wars resulted, from Varisia to Taldor, as humanity struggled against the goblinoids who spread across the surface world, attacking and eating everything in their path. The organization of the hobgoblins made these goblinoid tribes particularly dangerous. The government in Elidir was at first slow to respond to the goblinoid menace, perhaps because most of the fighting took place in the nation's more rural areas, leaving the capital largely unscathed. This discrepancy created a fair amount of resentment in Isger's hinterlands, with many declaring that the nation's military response would have come much sooner had the capital been threatened.

Untold number of travelers and merchants died along the Conerica Straits, and whole towns were destroyed as far from the Chitterwood as the Five Kings Mountains. The size and deadliness of these attacks triggered an unlikely alliance of neighboring powers to become involved: a small order of Hellknights from Cheliax, a contingent of Druma's Mercenary League, and a regiment of Eagle Knights of Andoran. They combined forces to fight the goblin hordes and contain their spread beyond Isger. Although the alliance was eventually able to destroy the goblinoid forces and drive the survivors back to the Chitterwood, the number of dead on all sides was staggering.

Aftermath

Much of the Chitterwood was burned to the ground after the war, causing any goblinoid survivors to hide in caverns below the forests. Notable tribes among these survivors are the True Hoard, the Spine Threshers, and the People of the Stirge. Isger's army was so devastated by the Goblinblood Wars that its steward, Hedvend VI, ordered his remaining forces to ignore most of the country and concentrate its effort along the vital trade route along the Conerica River. As a result, much of Isger's hinterlands fell into banditry, which in turn caused the steward to offer bounties for bandit leaders in the hopes of attracting foreign mercenaries to deal with the problem; whether he succeeded in this strategy has yet to be determined.

Greenskin Stalkers

The Greenskin Stalkers are a group that formed during the Goblinblood Wars, but has remained active in the years since. Members specialize in the killing of goblinoid foes and the protection of Isger's population, and have become notorious for their guerilla tactics and occasional suicidal dedication. The group's popularity has grown, and has even spread to neighboring nations with their own goblinoid problems, such as Varisia, and the River Kingdoms.

Andoran

The quality of life for the residents of Darkmoon Vale was so poor following the war that the Eagle Knights passing through decided to expand the outpost of Adamas into a fully fledged fortress.

Molthune

At the wars' close, many hobgoblins were driven north into the Menador Mountains and Molthune, where the embattled Molthuni started to recruit these hobgoblin veterans as mercenaries in their fight against Nirmathas.

Ironfang Invasion and Oprak

One of the hobgoblin footsoldiers of the wars, Aza, survived taking a spear through the gut during an assault by Eagle Knights, fled to the Menador Mountains in Molthune, and renamed herself Azaersi ("Aza the Immortal"). She became a charismatic bandit lord, and after defeating a Molthuni company sent to stop her, the nation offered to hire her band as mercenaries, which became known as the Ironfang Legion.

The Legion later quit its service to Molthune and initiated a series of acts leading to the Ironfang Invasion, a sudden assault on both Molthune and Nirmathas conceived by Azaersi to secure a homeland for hobgoblins and other monstrous humanoids, in 4717 AR. The conflict ended with the creation of such a state, Oprak, carved out of southwestern Nirmathas and led by Azaersi.

Orphans

The casualties of war and years of unchecked banditry left behind hordes of Isgeri orphans. The only institution to respond to their plight has been the church of Asmodeus. House Thrune supports orphanages throughout Isger, most prominently those run by the Sisters of the Golden Erinyes who take care of the orphans while indoctrinating them into their dark cult.

Undead

Another aftermath of the wars and the bandit takeover was that necromancers and other servants of Urgathoa established themselves in the burnt-out villages in the Isgeri hinterlands, leading to a great increase in the area's undead population. The most prominent of these is Lady Kaltess Iyis, a servant of the archdevil Mammon, who is said to be building a growing army of undead soldiers from the Goblinblood Wars' dead.

References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.