The Second Araluen Civil War was a series of conflicts that took place fifteen years after the First Araluen Civil War and marked Morgarath's second and final bid to seize the crown of Araluen from King Duncan.
Prelude[]
Re-emergence of an Enemy[]
Since his defeat in the first civil war, Morgarath had been exiled in the Mountains of Rain and Night where he had been training his army of Wargals and gathering more human followers under his banner to help him conquer Araluen and take it for himself. He also delved further into his domain, eventually finding and recruited the last of the Kalkara, fearsome, nearly invincible beasts which he intended to used as assassins to kill high-ranking Araluan officials and generals who would give Duncan an edge in the upcoming second war, seducing the pair with massive amounts of silver, which they were obsessed with.
Morgarath also installed a network of spies throughout Araluen and neighbouring Celtica, awaiting for memory of his presence to fade far enough into the mists of forgetfulness for him to launch another campaign against the crown. Finally, after years of waiting, his name became little more than a legend to frighten fearful children and the Lord of Rain and Night saw his opportunity to strike.
Assassinations and Alliances[]
For his first move, Morgarath sent a small force of Wargals to break out of Three Step Pass, diverting the attention of the sentries posted there and allowing the Kalkara to slip out and take up headquarters on the Solitary Plains. Both were slain in The Ruins of Gorlan at the ruins of Gorlan Fief by Halt, Will, Sir Rodney and Baron Arald, but not before killing Lords Northolt and Lorriac and causing the latter two of the Kalkara's opponents suffered injuries attempting to fight it in close combat.
Invasion of Celtica[]
By The Burning Bridge, the Araluen Army had assembled on the Plain of Uthal in preparation for Wargal forces to emerge from Three Step Pass, the only practical way out of the mountains. Meanwhile, Gilan, Horace and Will were sent to Celtica to ensure the Celtic army would assist Araluen in the war. Along the way, they find towns completely abandoned, and are soon stumble across a lone girl, Evanlyn, who informs them that Morgarath staged an attack on the Celtic capital, trapping the Celtic royalty in the south. Gilan returns to King Duncan with this news, and the remaining three discover that Morgarath's Wargals had been kidnapping miners to dig out a tunnel in the Mountains of Rain and Night and construct a bridge across, allowing large troop movements into Celtica. The Wargal army plans to flank the Araluan army at the Plain of Uthal, in addition to an attack by Skandian mercenaries from the Fens to the east of the plain.
Battle on the Plain of Uthal[]
The three plan to burn the bridge, but as they do so, Evanlyn and Will are trapped on the mountain side of the bridge, where they are captured. Horace rides to the Plain of Uthal where he informs the King of all they have learned, and Halt leads a section of the army to repel the northern warriors. They disguise themselves as Skandians on the way back, hoping to goad the Wargals into advancing. The ruse was successful, and the Araluan army deploys a full cavalry attack into the Wargal center, breaking the line and forcing them into a frenzied retreat toward Three Step Pass. Morgarath turns the army around at the mouth of the Pass, hoping to kill as many Araluan soldiers as he can before he inevitably falls, and challenges to single combat Halt. Horace, however, before the Ranger accepts, challenges Morgarath, and against all odds defeats the former baron, killing him and ending the war. The Wargal army immediately disbands, with the strange creatures returning to their original childlike state, the spell Morgarath held over them broken. The remaining Skandians in the mountains, including Erak, flee, taking Will and Evanlyn with them.
Battle of Thorntree Forest[]
Halt, as previously said, leads 100 archery units and cavalry across the previously thought impenetrable Thorntree forest. The battle ends as a defeat for the Skandians. Among the dead was Gronel, the Skandian Oberjarl Ragnak's son, so after their defeat, Ragnak swore a Vallasvow against King Duncan and Cassandra. On the return journey, Halt proposes the army to disguise as Skandians. The Kingdom's army first took them as the fierce northerners, but after Gilan explained their trick, the King accepted, and thus caused the Wargals to advance and be ambushed by a full cavalry attack.