Second Antinium War

The Second Antinium War or the Second Incursion War was started by a Drake siege upon one Antinium Hive in the Jessal Highlands, eight years after the First Antinium War.

Chronology

Prelude to the Second War

The continent of Izril was at peace, relative to the First Antinium War eight years prior. Despite the peace, there would be minor conflicts on the Antinium borders. Drakes and Antinium found crossing the border would be killed, executed, or disappear. Six Antinium Hives with seven Queens remained after the First Antinium War. Meanwhile, the Humans in northern Izril were initially distant from the intermittent hostilities between Drakes and Antinium in southern half of the continent. While Drakes fought Antinium armies to the south, Humans were entangled with two foreign forces on their shores.

Goblin King

Velan the Kind, a Goblin Lord, became a Goblin King while his tribe resided in Baleros. Following his rise, he warred with all other Balerosian companies, and secured multiple port cities. To the surprise of the Great Companies, who expected to be beleaguered by the Goblin King, all of his forces would set sail away from the continent.

At sea, his armies clashed against fleets from the Isles of Minos and Wistram, and won. The death of Archmage Balkizat preluded the threat and concern the Goblin King would incite world-wide. His Goblin armies later found land-fall on Izril's north-western shores, in Cape Heathshell.

See Velan for more details on the Goblin King's exploits outside of the Second Antinium War.

Necromancer of Terandria

Az'kerash reappeared in Terandria. He led a massive undead army to take a local port in the port-Kingdom of Desonis. He set sail, and later arrived on Izril's north-western coast. The Necromancer's goals in Izril were largely unknown and speculated upon. He rampaged and set carnage throughout the Human cities southward, until he reached Liscor.

See Az'kerash for more details on the Necromancer's exploits outside of the Second Antinium War.

Clash on the Jessel Highlands

Naturally, we chose to fight. But the casualties were high. With every wave we sent in, Soldiers were cut down by the thousands by magic and arrow, unable to penetrate the Drake lines.
Klbkch the Slayer, recalling the surprise attack to the Free Hive Antinium.

A Drake army formed by three Walled Cities and lesser city-states marched across the Antinium border, into the foothills and forbidden zone. They conducted a surprise attack and siege on the Hive, using rain spells to drown the queen within.

Initially, Klbkch the Slayer and Xrn the Small Queen were the only Prognugators nearby to defend against the siege. Attempting to save the Queen, who was vulnerable to drowning, Klbkch led a suicidal, full-scale assault. Xrn joined him and led a second charge of Workers. Wrymvr the Deathless, the third Centenium, was released from his duties by the Grand Queen. He led the Flying Antinium reinforcements to battle in time for Klbkch to save the young Free Queen. This would mark the first significant meeting between Klbkch and his Queen.

Some Drake city states had not been aware of the Drake attack and immediately requested for a cease-fire and end to hostilities. In response, the Grand Queen ignored the requests and launched a retaliatory counterattack.

Antinium Retaliation

A day after the Clash on the Jessal Highlands, the Antinium marched their armies against the Drakes' forces. During the second battle of the war, Wrymvr led an Antinium army against a force from Pallass, a Walled City. The battle ended within minutes, owing the victory to the Antinium's recently revealed variants: the Flying Antinium and the Silent Antinium. The Flying Antinium were essential in the destruction of the Drake [Mage] forces, of which Drake militaries had heavily relied upon. Meanwhile, the Silent Antinium found themselves locked in a war of their own.

Each of the three Centenium would lead their own armies. Klbkch's forces met with those of [General] Zel Shivertail's. Xrn's found itself under attack by multiple armies at once. Wrymvr's army was likewise attacked by multiple armies, but he easily combatted each and every force sent against him.

The War of Sighs

The War of Sighs was a hidden conflict or shadow war that happened concurrently as a result of or in relation to the Second Antinium War. Drake [Assassins] of the Assassin's Guild regarded the Silent Antinium as a threat to their trade and way of life. This conflict occupied the Silent Antinium and mitigated their involvement and influence upon the Second Antinium War at large. It would leave the Assassin's Guild of southern Izril depleted of their ranks.

See The War of Sighs for more details.

The Goblin Siege of First Landing

Three days after the Goblin King landed on northern Izril, two of the Five Families formed a force of 100,000 [Knights] and [Lancers] led by Fulviolo El, Petria Terland, and Ulva Terland. Within ten minutes, the Goblin King defeated the Human army and beheaded Fulviolo and Petria. A hundred survivors and Ulva Terland managed to escape. This was the first of a series of Goblin victories across Human territories.

Anticipating an attack on First Landing, the Izrilian Human capital, the Five Families of Izril unified their forces for the first time in over a thousand years. For three weeks, eight of Velan's Goblin Lords besieged First Landing against the two notable leaders in the city's defense: Tyrion Veltras and Magnolia Reinhart. Tyrion Veltras became a military leader who took command of the defense while Magnolia roused Human nobility to come to First Landing's defense. The Goblin King's forces would eventually withdraw, due, in large part, to the Sacrifice of Roses and a surprise assault from the Reinhart estate.

The Goblin King had entrusted his Goblin Lords to take First Landing; meanwhile, he would lead a small force into the High Passes for eight days. He was absent for much of the siege.

The Sacrifice of Roses

We held the line. None of us ran, not even when the Goblin Lords appeared. Even when they cut us down. I still dream of that night.
Bethal Walchaís tearfully recalling her experience at the Sacrifice of Roses.

Two weeks into the Siege of First Landing, Magnolia Reinhart led every [Lady], and their respective personal escorts, to the battle front against the Goblin besiegers. The [Ladies] would level and receive combat-based skills to aid the Human defenders, as well as bolster morale and resolve among the [Soldiers]. In response, the Goblin King retaliated in an event that is now known as the Sacrifice of Roses. Goblin Lords were sent to slaughter the relatively defenseless [Ladies], who held the line rather than flee the Goblin commanders. This allowed for Human [Soldiers] to fend off the Goblin Lords, at the cost of near-total annihilation of each [Lady] targeted. Over 60% of the [Ladies] who marched to defend First landing were slaughtered. Those [Ladies] who perished became martyrs whose deaths rallied the Humans of Izril, and would unify them to face later threats in the Second Antinium War. The Sacrifice of Roses would also leave a long-term vacuum in the Human nobility of Izril.

See Sacrifice of Roses for more details.

The Crown of Flowers

Two weeks after the Sacrifice of Roses, Magnolia Reinhart led a surprise attack of plant-based constructs numbering in a hundred thousand, summoned by The Crown of Flowers. From the Reinhart estate, Magnolia's army marched and allowed for a two-front attack upon the Goblins attacking First Landing. The Goblin King's army was repelled from First Landing and Magnolia Reinhart would earn the title of 'The Deadly Flower Blooming in the North' .

High Passes Gateway

Velan, the Goblin King, had taken a small force to the High Passes while his Goblin Lords sieged First Landing. He managed to open a path between northern and southern Izril by navigating through the High Passes. This allowed for Goblin armies to bypass Liscor, a bastion city that divided the northern Humans from the southern Drakes and Gnolls of Izril. With a simulataneous siege upon Liscor by the Necromancer, the Goblin forces were able to move between northern and southern Izril through the High Passes. This allowed the Goblins to simultaneously bolster their campaigns on both halves of the continent.

Southern Goblin-Antinium Stranglehold

Tallis the Stormbreaker and [Shaman] of the Goblin King was the singular Goblin Lord leading the war in the southern half of Izril. His forces, supported by his magic, rolled through Drake cities with quick ease. As Tallis moved inland, he became a threat to the Antinium. Consequently, Xrn the Small Queen was sent to lead an army against Tallis. Her army was decimated within minutes by single spell from Tallis that dragged nearly all of Xrn's Soldiers into the sky, hundreds of miles up, and hurled them into the ground. Tallis would continue to annilihate two more Antinium armies.

In response, the Grand Queen deployed the Silent Antinium to attack Tallis' army. She redirected Klbkch, Xrn, and Wrymvr away from eastern Drake front to focus on Tallis. As a result, Tallis' southern Goblin armies were in a stranglehold with the Antinium, this drew Goblin reinforcements away from the northern Human-Goblin conflicts.

Later, the Goblin King would appear on the Goblin's southern campaign. He approached one of the Antinium's Hives and killed the Queen residing there. This prompted the Antinium to withdraw their armies and defend the remaining Hives and Queens, ending the Goblin-Antinium stranglehold. Tallis was free to march Goblins across the south.

Undead Siege of Liscor

The Necromancer led his army past the Goblins. The two forces passed each other with little conflict. With the Humans interlocked with the Goblins, the undead were able to march upon Liscor, largely unimpeded, despite attacks from singular Gnoll tribes. The undead siege on Liscor, the primary connection between south and north Izril, effectively cut the Humans and Drakes off from assisting the other.

The defenders and citizens of Liscor lasted four weeks without aid. The Necromancer's besieging forces notably included Bone Giants, Carcass Walkers, a high-level undead. Strategies used by the Necromancer included inflicting plagues, launching corpses over Liscor's walls, assailing the defenders with magical spells, and replenishing his undead army by spreading south of the Blood Fields or raising the corpses of Liscor.

Zel Shivertail removed himself from the Antinium conflicts and marched north to aid Liscor, the home of his deceased paramour, [General] Sserys. Three Drake [Generals] died in Liscor's defense. The city held the walls for three months, largely in part due to Zel Shivertail's defensive skills; consequently he was unable to focus an offensive attack to defeat the Necromancer, resulting in a stalemate. For the first few weeks, Drake High Command was unable to send aid, locked in combat on the Antinium warfront as they were, until the end of the Goblin-Antinium stranglehold.

This was it. We didn’t have the strength to fight for another day and night without rest Selys. I was thinking of you, thinking of trying to get away with you when the lines fell, get you to Zel and away from the battle if I could. And that’s when we heard the horn calls in the distance. We turned, and saw them.
Tekshia Shivertail describes the last moments of the siege to her granddaughter, Selys Shivertail.

On the verge of Liscor breaking under the siege, Drake High Command sent a message by Courier to Zel Shivertail, informing him that irregular reinforcements were incoming. He was left confused by this message until the Antinium arrived and began attacking the undead. The Grand Queen had ordered Klbkch of the Centenium to lead the Antinium upon the Necromancer's armies and relieve the Drakes. Suddenly facing a two-frontal assault, the Necromancer's siege would end with his apparent death at the claws of Zel Shivertail. After the peace established between the Antinium and Drakes at the siege of Liscor, Drake High Command signed a peace treaty with the Grand Queen.

See Necromancer's Siege of Liscor for more details.

The Titan of Baleros and Foreign Aid

After the Goblin Lords were repelled from First Landing, their forces took to razing the country-side to wear down the Human cities. The Goblin Lords would spread out in all directions in the north and battled many conflicts with the Humans.

East of First Landing, Niers Astoragon arrived during a battle between the Humans and Greydath of Blades, on the Plains of Saltes. He had managed to travel from Baleros to Izril within one day. The Titan took command of the Human armies, leading them to victory in many engagements with the Goblin Lords. The Titan avoided direct confrontations with the Goblin King in anticipation of Balerosian reinforcements. Foliana the Three-Color Stalker, persuaded many companies to sail to Izril's aid in exchange for muffins made of gold.

In time, 18 companies from Baleros, an army from Rhir, various Named Adventurers, three Wistram Archmages, and an army of 200,000 strong from Terandria came to aid the Humans and Drakes. The Terandrians joined forces with the Izrilian Humans, whose Five Families had split themselves after the siege of First Landing. Tyrion Veltras pursued the Goblin King. Magnolia Reinhart joined with the Titan's forces to battle the Goblin Lords. The plan to defeat the Goblin King was to first destroy his Goblin Lords.

Hunt for the Goblin Lords

Tallis Stormbreaker was killed during an encounter with the concentrated effort of three Archmages of Wistram and Xrn the Small Queen. The magical conflict lasted two days.

The Titan and the Antinium armies cut off the Goblin hordes from Velan's side, and consequently the Goblin Lords as well. This strategy allowed for the variety of allied armies to set upon the Goblin King, who became exposed without his Goblin commanders.

Velan the Kind's Defeat

I saw him charging minutes before his death. And I thought he seemed so—so—
Sad. As if he knew what was going to happen next.
Zel Shivertail on the moments before Velan's death.

All forces on Izril, including foreign armie, united against the Goblin King. Velan amassed his Goblin hordes into one large army.

The initial assault of the united forces consisted of six [Generals], an army of [Knights], and mounted adventurers. The charge failed with the Named Adventurer Calecum as a notable casualty. A ranged force was formed with [Mages], [Archers], and Archmages from Wistram as a follow-up to the initial charge. This ranged unit killed many Goblins, but not Velan. Without Tallis, the Goblin forces died quickly under the Wistram-led assault.

Velan charged the Archmages who blasted at him with their spells. Before he could reach the first mage, he was killed by half-Elf Elia Arcsinger. She had shot an Arrow of Slaying with her [Piercing Shot] Skill through Velan's eye. Immediately, Goblins sensed Velan's death and ceased fighting.

For years afterwards, inhabitants of Innworld debated the nature and probability of Velan's ability to avoid the arrow. As Velan had been seen to commit feats of arrow catching and dodging in the past, numerous theories of why and how Velan was unable to dodge the shot have been debated. Elia Arcsinger, later interviewed and claimed she herself did not know why the Goblin King did not dodge.

Aftermath

• Az'kerash is thought to be dead.
• The Free Hive is established in Liscor.
• A peace treaty is signed between the Drakes and Grand Queen.
• The Liscorian army disagrees with the decision to allow a Hive in Liscor. A wedge is driven between Liscor and its military.
• Large majority of Goblin King's army and lords are wiped out, except for the Goblin Lord Greydath.
• Goblins on Baleros are hunted down, forcing the tribes into hiding. Companies of Baleros believe Goblins to have been exterminated from the continent.
• Elia Arcsinger receives the title of Kingslayer and the Skill [Line-Ender Shot].
• The Drake Assassin's Guild is depleted.
• Drakes, Humans, and Gnolls spend years rebuilding.
• The Human aristocracy of Izril are depleted, leaving many lands unattended and lacking a ruler.
• Archmage Evighe dies half a year after the war's end due to burning out his mana circuits in the conflict.

Timeline

• 3 A.F. — Izril enjoys a facade of peace with six Antinium Hives and seven Queens remaining. Chandrar is recovering from the King of Destruction's bygone conquest.
• 14 A.F. — Velan the Kind, a Goblin Lord exists peacefully in Baleros.
• Spring 14 A.F. — Velan becomes a Goblin King, razes the city of Zexil, and wars with every company on Baleros.
• Summer 14 A.F. — A Drake army sieges an Antinium Hive hosting the Free Queen. Velan the Goblin King sails away from Baleros.

Trivia

• Pisces Jealnet suspected that the Necromancer sought to loot the Drakes' Walled Cities of their tenable and speculated source of power: Dragon bone.
• Tremborag claimed that Velan knew he would fall and that he only took in Goblins who would follow him and told other Goblins to flee. So that after his death, Goblins would quickly rise again.
• Niers Astoragon had met Tyrion Veltras briefly during the Second Antinium Wars.