Fall of Duorendain

The Fall of Duorendain is the name given to the culmination of the Dwarf-Goblin War, chronicling a series of battles which took place in the year 2013 Fo.A. The aggressors were numerous and their leaders not often united, whilst the defendant was dwarven king Theandir IV. The Fall of Duorendain, as the name implies, lead to the sacking of the dwarven citadel of Duorendain, the exodus of the Greatbeards and the exiling of the dwarven kings. This result would have the greater impact of leaving no buffer for when the Darkness invasion began, which almost lead to the complete destruction of the human nations.

Theandir IV, posthumously known as the Last King of Duorendain, became aware of a great goblin force attacking from the south and wiping out overland settlements. In order to combat this threat he sent his son, Theandul, at the head of a great host to repel these forces. Although Theandul was unsuccessful in this task, being forced to retreat, (the goblin adversaries leading a much greater army than anyone had anticipated,) but was able to stall the goblin army significantly in their advance. In the dwarven chronicles, this is referred to as the Battle of Fleeting Terror.

As Theandul retreated and news of this defeat came back to Theandir IV, the king sent out his best commander, his own brother Throul, to commandeer the next army. Throul had his own sons, Dwarin and Durist III, at his side, and they met with the goblin invaders in the Battle of Unbending Forces, as after a lengthy and bloody battle, neither side could claim a victory and both ended up being called back after stalemating for a great period of time.

Now understanding the true nature of the threat they were facing, for goblins had never before been able to hold their own quite so well, nor had Throul ever suffered a defeat in battle, Theandir IV decided to send out a grand army instead in order to utterly decimate the enemy. Having had his own father, Bandül, killed in the Dwarf-Goblin war and his brother Bzor castrated by goblin raiders, Theandir was not feeling merciful.

Theandul, being sent out once again with a fresh and much more substantial host, met up with his uncle Throul and together they pushed south through the goblin lines. Unable to withstand such an onslaught, the goblins were pushed further and further back, suffering many defeats as they were forced back towards their homelands and far away from Duorendain. Due to the overwhelming success of this migration of goblin troops, this was known as the Battle of Fierce Victory.

Having decimated an entire goblin horde, they imagined their troubles to be over. However, it would seem that the entirety of goblin country had become riled up after centuries of eternal warfare, and far away from home were the dwarves accosted by three separate hordes. One from the south, adding the survivors of the previous horde to their masses, and one to the east and west, which intended to encircle and cut the army off completely from Duorendain. This was the Battle of Terrifying Defeat, and if not for the timely intervention of Bzor, who had been sent south with a meager force to deliver fresh supplies and further commands, then all of the dwarven leaders would have been slain.

Dwalin was killed here, and Theandul retreated whilst Throul held the line against insurmountable odds. It was only his twin brother Bzor who could talk him into retreating, and together they survived, along with Throul's son Durist III. And just as the goblins had been harried south were the dwarves picked off on their journey north, until the arrival of Theandir's sons Malvik and Anzig, leading armies of their own, who held off the goblins long enough for a full retreat into Duorendain- after which the three tunnels which lead to the surface were sealed off.

With ties to the surface cut off completely and a goblin army sat outside their doors, Theandir had no option but continue the attack, despite the risks it posed to the city of Duorendain to reopen the entrances. Theandul took this task upon himself, leading the full force of Duorendain out of the gates and fighting until his last breath. Although the heir apparent perished in the Battle of Solemn Tears, the goblin army was broken and scattered, and Duorendain was no longer under siege.

However, the news that Duorendain itself had been put under siege had inspired all those that had thought the battle fruitless, and now armies were pouring out of Goblin Country in earnest. Despite many internal conflicts, the thought of plundering the greatest dwarven city on the planet made them united, forming three grand armies- one to take each gate of Duorendain.

Theandir, hearing of this, prepared three armies of his own to stand at each gate, and to hold the entrance. At one was Malvik and Anzig, at another Bzor and Throul, and at the last Theandir's final sons, Tiar and Guntyr, along with Throul's son Durist.

The first great casualty of the Battle of the Gates of Duorendain was Anzig. Hearing this news, Guntyr lead a host of dwarves across the surface (the fastest, yet most dangerous route,) through an entire horde of goblins to reinforce Malvik and avenge his brother. Tiar too fell, and that gate was overrun, though the entrance was sealed before any goblins could enter into the city itself, whilst the other two gates remained firmly in dwarven hands, the goblin armies repelled.

From then on, Anzig and Guntyr commanded an army at the first gate, Durist III another at the second, whilst the brothers Throul and Bzor waited with an army behind the gates of the overrun entrance, knowing that this was where the goblin armies would focus their efforts. As anticipated, the goblins broke through these defenses and the Battle on the Steps of Duorendain begun. And despite the dwarves allegedly slaying fifty goblins for every dwarf killed, they were overrun, with both Throul and Bzor being slain. Seeing that this entrance was truly lost, Theandir commanded that the passageway which lead to the city be collapsed and barricaded, and the other two gates sealed off, so that the entire army of Duorendain could guard the city proper.

Then came the final confrontation in this drawn-out war, the Sacking of Duorendain, where the goblins finally launched a full invasion of Duorendain itself, having broken through the collapsed tunnel, doubling back to re-open the other two gates from the inside, and letting their entire armies through. Malvik lead the defenses, though when the battle was lost he was dragged away by Durist, knowing Malvik to be the heir. Guntyr lead the forces from then on, and perished.

The death of Guntyr ruined the last of the dwarves' morale- who had been fighting in the streets, from house to house, against the goblins. Malvik and Durist managed to push their way out with a great force, though their losses were catastrophic, and Theandul's son Throndul escorted King Theandir to safety through a secret passage, and Theandir's daughter Theansyl also escaped, (although his final daughter, Ithil, too died.) Despite their survival though, the battle was unanimously lost. The remaining population of Duorendain was slaughtered to the last dwarf, and became under the permanent control of goblin rulers.