In the lands of Illdarin there are many different peoples, and amongst those people are many different kingdoms. Of the races the greatest is the humans, and of the kingdoms of the humans the greatest is harbor city of Keldaerin, looked over by the house of Riddari and ruled by the Duke Drottin Riddari, son of Mennin Riddari and father to Skass Riddari. They rule the lands with a calm and gentle hand as has every Riddari in the lineage for hundreds of years. For the most part the kingdoms in Illdarin, and more importantly in the region of Cartiege lying on the western shores of this continent, had agreed to peace for many generations. However, a few years ago an ever-growing tribe of Dark Elves had been growing in strength and size, preparing to wipe the surface of the taint that is the other impure races. They chose the kingdom of Keldaerin as their first siege.
The battles lasted many months with the kingdoms fate setting on the horizon, but it was then that the sincere nature of the Riddari lineage finally showed its worth. From the north, through the mountain passes came the dwarves Hammerfoot clan. From the south, through the wooded valleys, came the Elvin kingdom of Silverwind. And even from the western Pillar Seas came the privateer fleets led by Admiral Jack Teagues, better known as the “Jack of Hearts.” Many nomadic tribes and wandering adventurers hearing of the falling city joined the conflict, hoping for refuge once the battle was done. With the aid of these alliances they were able severely decrease the numbers of the Dark Elf ranks and push them back into the unknown areas of The Murks (An area of Illdarin yet to be explored by any surviving group).
A year passed and the kingdom of Keldaerin was still being rebuilt. With the help of the dwarves and elves that stayed behind, the new collective architecture gave the city a revived and complex look that mirrored the new-found unity of the kingdoms. In addition to inside the city walls, the outlying villages and towns were being helped by traveling carpenters and wanderers in search of doing some good, while the surrounding wildlife was being helped along by druids and rangers who heard of the devastations caused by the attacking horde. The hope in this endeavor was that, after the impressive task, the lands both within and around the city would be more beautiful and united than before. These actions, while earned with battle and friendship, angered some of the lesser clans and tribes in the adjacent areas; most notably the divided hobgoblin tribes.
The largest hobgoblin tribe, led by the powerful and obsessive Bloodclaw, reached out to the other tribes in the western and northern parts of Illdarin. He proclaimed that the hobgoblins were the true rulers of the lands, overlooked for hundreds of years, and now that the human forces had been cut to barely a militia and the dwarves forces were stuck in the mountain passes (no thanks to a horrid winter blocking off most of the tunnels) it would be their best time to take their kingdom! The dozens of small tribes soon came together to form a rather fierce battalion possibly capable of taking down the dwindling armies left within Kildaeren. Commanded by Bloodclaw, they made their way through The Murk, burning and pillaging everything that was in their way, and leaving only embers and rubble in their wake.
News quickly spread that a massive force was tearing through the forests and were now making their way through the outlying villages, killing every man, woman, and child that they came across and burning anything that could be turned into a pyre. When word finally reached the ears of the Riddari family, the only son of Drottin decided to take it upon himself to end the carnage that started over one year ago, once and for all. He sent notice to all who would be willing to join in such an assault upon a ruthless race, and to meet at the western gates leading into the forests eventually growing into The Murks, just before dusk. As the sun was sitting on the horizon, Skass and the leader of his Honored Guard Dorian arrived at the stone archway to great their new assembly.
