The Second Invasion of Doriande
If the First Invasion served as a catalyst for unity in pre-monarchic Doriande, the Second was its culmination. The Dorians fought valiantly against the foreign conqueror, standing side by side on the battlefield. Only then did they realize they shared the same blood, as it spilled across their valleys and hills.
The Conflict
Prelude
The First Invasion had struck Doriande unexpectedly and revealed the necessity of a unified defense. The founding of Waygate and the establishment of the Alliance of the Forts were among the first coordinated efforts of the settlements' leaders in that direction.
Yet the long peace that followed—spanning over two centuries—gradually softened the resolve of later generations. Public sentiment turned against the cost of maintaining a standing army and fortifications that, to many, no longer served a purpose. Some even feared that the idle military could become an internal threat, should its commanders grow too ambitious.
Thus, the need to defend the peninsula from external threats was downplayed. Naval dominance became the new strategic focus, as policy-makers assumed the next great war would be fought at sea. The forts remained operational, but with reduced garrisons and limited funding. Military drills were curtailed. The entirety of land-based defense shifted toward bolstering Waygate.
This sequence of decisions created a gap—and through that gap, the enemy marched.
Deployment
The Army of Father War must have had access to internal intelligence, judging by the precision of its assault. Relying on surprise, elite and specially trained orcish units slipped across the eastern line undetected, advancing silently through the Impassable Mountains toward the forts.
Battlefield
During the three years of invasion, all of Doriande became a warzone. Sieges, ruin-fought skirmishes, guerrilla ambushes in the countryside, and open-field engagements marked the land from hill to plain.
The Dorians knew their homeland intimately—but the orcs also knew their enemy well, perhaps drawing on knowledge from the previous invasion. Dorian preparations managed to delay the invaders, but ultimately proved less effective than expected.
The toll was devastating.
The Engagement
On the 23rd day of Blossom, 3 BK, three of the border forts fell to the orcish vanguard, opening a corridor for the advancing phalanx. The invaders pressed northward, unchallenged, until they reached Waygate—placing it under siege—while a second force moved toward the Gate of Kherawyn from the north.
Waygate held firm for many cycles of Lun. Its defenders earned their place on the gate’s sculpture, immortalized in stone. But the city was encircled and undersupplied. The south could not break the blockade to send food.
After Waygate’s fall, the conflict spread across the peninsula. Villages were razed and pillaged as the orcs moved southward.
The Rangers of the Forest struck back from the shadows of The Whispering Forest, landing critical blows—but numbers were not on their side. Eventually, they were driven deep into the woods, where they vanished from the war.
At the great Ivaris Valley, the remaining forces of the Alliance of the Forts made a final stand against the wounded but massive Army of Father War. It was one of the bloodiest battles of the war. Four days later, the orcs reached Skarm. The surviving Dorian fighters retreated to Fiorlas.
Skarm came under siege. It lasted five full cycles of Sel, aided by sea resupply. But the orcs had prepared for that. At the start of the sixth cycle, black ships appeared on the eastern horizon, while siege engines and magic struck the walls from land.
With the outer defenses collapsing, the Skarmites faced a choice: fight on land or flee by sea. They chose the latter, just as they had during the First Invasion. Within three days, Skarm fell—but the Skarmites were gone, and their fleet sank the crude and ill-prepared orcish navy.
The invaders had one final target: the last bastion of the unbelievers—Fiorlas.
On the 40th day of Blossom, Year 0, the orcs began their final assault. Fiorlas was better fortified than any other city, and its harbor had welcomed survivors from across the land. A spirit of vengeance burned in the hearts of its defenders.
The city could outlast a weary army that had spent three years on foreign soil. The siege dragged on for 114 days. On the final day, Fiorlas opened its gates. Believing the city had surrendered, the orcs surged into the outer ring.
They were walking into a trap.
Behind them waited an army of northerners—dwarves, elves, rangers, druids, and forest creatures. In front, the defenders of Fiorlas stood ready. The orcs were encircled.
On the 115th day, or 75th of Harvest, Year 0, not a single orc remained alive in Doriande.
Outcome
The cities were in ruins. The population had plummeted. Economic strength was shattered. People had to be fed. Rebuilding had to begin somewhere. Unity had saved Doriande, and no one questioned it now.
Twelve days later, the people crowned the first King of Doriande, in the city of Fiorlas—the new capital of the unified realm.
Aftermath
What would history have looked like had the Second Invasion never happened? No one can say. But it reshaped everything.
Fiorlas emerged dominant over Skarm, but could not deny Skarm’s contributions.
The forts proved essential, and now Waygate would seek to control them all.
The forest peoples were decimated and would retreat deeper into isolation.
New conflicts would arise from these new imbalances. And the threat of invasion would never again leave the minds of the Dorians.
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