An Orc Queen Rises

Revolution

The Vel'ek Empire briefly rises, re-shaping the power structures of the southern continent.

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Unexpected Beginnings

  The appearance of a hobgoblin among the orc race's genetics is thankfully rare, but rarity alone is not defense enough for other races against the predations of organized orc tribes. In 248 MT, sometime during the fall months, a hobgoblin named Vel'eer became chieftain of her tribe and immediately began a brutal campaign of subjugation against the other tribes in her region. No minor dictator, Vel'eer harbored larger plans for herself and her people than merely conquering the region, however. She would be Queen of the World. By the time the springs released the grip of snow on methods of travel in 249 MT, a fledgling nation was organized and ready to expand.   And expand they did. The nearest real power of any threat was the city-state of Semerin, and they hardly expected organized platoons of orcs to begin raiding their way through outlying provinces en masse. Before First Spring had fully passed, Semerin was pressed back to their own walls, even with allied efforts arriving through the Roadway in the city. By Second Spring of the same year, the orc forces had begun pressing westward as well. The fall of 249 saw the now-self-declared nation of Vel'ek expanded along the northern reaches of the Mistcapped Mountains and pressed along the Sodden Lands. This pattern continued in the next year, Queen Vel'eer and her chosen generals showing frightening levels of tactical acumen in victory after victory against the barbarian tribes of the Sodden Lands and Mertari.  

Solidification

  The rapid expansion slowed sharply in Third Summer 250 after the conquering of Mertari, the traditional barbarian capital and holy city, Vel'eer apparently understanding the wisdom of solidifying held territory before further expansion. For the next four years, the orc armies only carried out light offensive measures, keeping Semerin and her allies in check but not seeking to expand. Construction of roads and buildings formed paths all along the empire, from Lok'Thanor (the newly-renamed Mertari) around the Mistcapped Mountains and deep into traditionally-orc territory. As the roads completed, orcish military movements became harder to react to, and the whispers began that perhaps this empire was here to stay. In the winter months of 254, new rumors of a city being built deep inside orc territory gave little hope for any outcome other than continued expansion.  

Expansion Anew

  In 255, Talia Carte became more heavily involved in the conflict. A steady stream of Clubs became a common sight through the Roadway in Semerin. Even with their advanced ability to move large amounts of troops to battlefields, Vel'ek found itself hard-pressed just to maintain its expanded borders against the new allied forces on land. This didn't stop Vel'eer from sending her forces eastward, however. Settlement after settlement fell, all the way to the Bay of Storms. By the close of 255, Vel'ek could claim to be a continent-spanning empire.   Curiously, even over the next years of attempted expansion, Vel'ek never attempted to extend its borders farther north or east than the Wildstrike mountains. This is tentatively attributed to the one time an Emporium airship was shot down by a ranging orc group on its way to join the forces around Semerin. The losses suffered by the orc armies in their following attempt to loot the crashed vessel were rumored to result in an entire battle group needing to retreat and join another group. Whether this was actually the cause of Queen Vel'eer's caution toward Agafellian territory may never be known for certain.   Even with Talia Carte's direct involvement, little forward progress occurred in the following years. Worryingly, scout vessels and scrying attempts revealed the orc forces had begun construction of their own sailing fleet in Lok'Thanor. Before long, naval engagements began occurring all along the western coast; fortunately, the orcs weren't especially gifted naval tacticians, so none of their seaborne forces ever managed to join the pressing efforts of Semerin.  

A Tense Break

  In 261, the allied forces at Semerin were surprised to see an envoy approaching the city walls under a blue banner of truce. The following meeting resulted in an armistice agreement, allowing both sides to regroup and recover. For the next ten years, the officially-recognized nation of Vel'ek engaged in a tense staredown with Semerese forces and their allies, with only minor skirmishes occurring along the agreed-upon borders.   Orc names began to be accepted as the new labels for those areas under their control. The Mistcapped Mountains became the Rek'Tani Mountains, the Felzen Swamps changed to the Mel-felorn Downs, and the Sodden Lands have been referred to interchangeably as Sel'Ethem to this day. In Sel'Ethem and Lok'Thanor, the formerly-dominant barbarian tribes waged an ongoing guerrilla campaign to reclaim their ancestral lands, although to little noticeable effect.   Some began to consider the possibility of finding a way to peace with the orc nation, wondering what new inventions of trade might occur. It seemed the armistice might turn to a full peace treaty, until the peace shattered.  

The End of an Empire

  In 271, large numbers of orcs began raiding across the borders. Initially concerned at the sudden push without communication or triggering incident, leaders of the forces allied against Vel'ek noted quickly there was much less organization to this new aggression. A counter-offensive began to almost immediately show large results, pressing the disorganized tribes back several miles in a day on some days. Over the next five years, the nation of Vel'ek shrank to nothing under repeated presses, shrinking its borders inward until offensive forces sighted the self-named city of Vel'ek, heard about only in rumor and supposition until that point. The siege lasted mere days, more of an extended infantry engagement than any true besiegement.   No sign of Vel'eer, the would-be Queen of the World was found. Questioned captives revealed the empire's death stroke; the queen had been killed by greedy and ambitious generals. To hear the orcs tell it the battle was legendary, but eventually sheer numbers wore the ruler and her loyalists down. However, none remaining had her charisma, strength, intelligence, cunning, and authority. The empire fell to more-traditional tribal structures, losing all cohesion.   Today, the Queen of the World's influence can yet be seen in the names the barbarian tribes opted to keep in remembrance of their struggles and the expanded territory one can expect to see orcs within across the southern continent. Talia Carte and other interested parties attempted to convert the former capital Vel'ek into a functional city for their own purposes, but all such attempts ended under the pressure of repeated raids from the many remaining orc tribes in the area.