Fifty Year War

The Fifty Year War was a protracted and devastating conflict fought between the Mountain Dwarves of Aranath and an enigmatic, subterranean force of Dark Elves led by the mysterious and formidable Dark King. It spanned five decades and culminated in the catastrophic fall of the dwarven fortress-city of Rak’nar. The war was marked by brutal attrition, unrelenting dark magic, necromantic horrors, and a relentless campaign of terror and subversion that shattered one of the greatest dwarven strongholds ever built.     Origins and Early Skirmishes   The conflict began not with a declaration of war but with a misunderstanding born from territorial encroachment. As the Mountain Dwarves continued their long-standing tradition of tunneling deeper and expanding into uncharted caverns, they unwittingly penetrated spaces the Dark Elves considered sacred and ancestral. Emissaries of the Dark King arrived, claiming the dwarves were trespassing on "what was already theirs." The dwarves, unaware of any prior claim and regarding the dark-skinned, reclusive elves as little more than a fable, laughed them off. Days later, the assassinations began.   Dark elf agents targeted dwarven nobility, engineers, and military leaders, unleashing a campaign of fear and confusion. Skirmishing forces ambushed supply lines, sabotaged mines, and unleashed strange beasts deep in the tunnels. Dwarves initially underestimated their foes, believing them to be few in number. When traditional countermeasures failed and more territory was lost, the dwarves realized they were facing a substantial and well-coordinated enemy.     War in the Depths: First Decade   The early years were defined by guerrilla tactics and psychological warfare. The Dark Elves struck from the shadows, ambushing small outposts and retreating before reinforcements arrived. They weaponized fear, releasing nightmarish monstrosities, twisted abominations formed from elves, animals, and unholy magic, into dwarven settlements. Corpses were often left mutilated in elaborate patterns, and entire scouting parties vanished without a trace.   The dwarves responded by tightening defenses, rigging tunnels with traps, and favoring long-range engagements where possible. Despite some tactical victories, the dwarves suffered a steady loss of territory. Their traditional preference for chokepoint defense and frontal engagements left them vulnerable to the elves' fluid tactics.     The Battle of the Bridge (Year 15)   A pivotal early clash came at a great stone bridge connecting the Military Chamber to the Scholars’ Chamber. General Werdan Embers, one of the most celebrated dwarven tacticians, defended the span against an elven push. The tide turned when the Dark King himself appeared for the first time. With his arrival, the dark elves fell into reverent silence. Embers charged to meet him in single combat. The duel lasted mere seconds. The Dark King slew the general in three blows with his enormous, elegant greatsword. Dwarven morale crumbled, and the bridge fell.     A War of Attrition   As years passed, the dwarves adapted. Realizing their mistake in underestimating the enemy, they shifted to more flexible tactics. Trap-making became an art form, and specialized crossbow brigades and pike walls were formed to counter ambushes. Mages and rune-priests developed magical defenses, though the war's drain on resources made enchantments rarer with each passing year.   Despite adaptation, the war dragged into attrition. The Dark Elves, always unpredictable, introduced new monstrosities and magical horrors. Between Years 29 and 39, the war entered a cold stalemate. Dwarves launched counterattacks to reclaim lost chambers but found hollow victories, often the territories were lightly held, allowing the Dark Elves to retreat and counter-strike at will.     The Battle for the Necropolis (Year 39)   The Necropolis, final resting place of dwarven kings, heroes, and honored ancestors, had remained untouched for much of the war. In Year 39, the Dark Elves launched a massive, coordinated assault. To distract the dwarves, they staged assassination attempts on the royal family and unleashed magical terror in the Grand Chamber. When the dwarves diverted forces, the Necropolis was overrun.   Outnumbered three to one, not counting monstrosities, the defenders were overwhelmed. For the first time in the war, the Dark Elves employed necromancy. The dwarves’ honored dead were raised as thralls to their enemies, now forced to fight their own ancestors. The psychological damage was immense. From this point forward, undead dwarves became a permanent part of the enemy’s arsenal, seen laboring or patrolling their former home.     The Final Assault and Evacuation   In the final years, dwarven defeat became inevitable. Despite valiant last stands and heroic recoveries, the Dark Elves had slowly bled the dwarves dry. Recognizing this, the royal court began secret evacuation planning, aiming to preserve the bloodline, heirlooms, and cultural memory.   The plan was to withdraw under cover, carrying the most vital relics, like the Book of Blood, the Pendant of Rak’danar, and other sacred artifacts. Yet, the Dark King moved before the dwarves were ready. In the war's final months, he personally led an all-out assault on the inner halls. The evacuation became chaos. Many dwarves did escape, thanks to the bravery of figures like Yve Embers, daughter of the fallen general, who recovered vital relics during the exodus.   Still, countless dwarves were slain, captured, or transformed into undead or monstrosities. The throne was lost. Rak’nar fell.     Aftermath and Legacy   The outside world had known of the war, but their own troubles kept aid from ever arriving. The dwarves, bitter and exiled, carry both grief and resolve. While the diaspora mourns their ancient home, many also see their suffering as a crucible. Their memories burn bright with tales of valor, sacrifice, and the oath to one day return.   To this day, dwarves whisper of that time, not as an ending, but as the tempering fire that will one day forge the revival of Rak’nar, and bring reckoning to the Dark King and all who defiled the mountain.