Second Demon War

Mount Todd

In August 821 TA, a small adventuring party led by Count Demoney III discovered an ornate golden chest in a cave complex known as the Wraith City on the coast south of Teufeldorf. Not knowing its origin, the Count opened the arcane vessel, smashing its glassy magical seal, and unleashing the giant raver Heartswallower and his minions upon the Realm. After resting undisturbed for almost fourteen hundred years, a covenant of demons had been released. In the eight years of the Second Demon War, these evil forces provided a significant challenge to the armies of the Reaches and their leader, King Gregory.

The military organization of the Reaches in the Third Age was vastly superior to the one that existed fourteen hundred years earlier. King Gregory immediately dispatched seasoned troops to engage the demon army. After the initial engagements, the demons changed tactics, seeking out the other covenants to bolster its small numbers. Instead of large standing armies, the Reaches were served by a number of small commando-style groups that attempted to keep the demons from opening still more covenants and returning their evil forces to full strength. Since the demons themselves cannot touch or open the covenants, orcish agents were used by the demons to actually release their brethren. No records were kept of these events, and the agents were undoubtedly destroyed after their usefulness to the demons had ended.

In June 825 TA, intelligence reports gathered by King Gregory's spies anticipated an ambush by the demons of a gold caravan carrying funds for the war effort. A seasoned party led by Zachary (later Sir Zachary, Knight of Teufeldorf) and his magician Hylax the Barker, was sent as an escort. In the shadow of the Three Peaks, the caravan encountered a second giant raver, Soulpiercer. Soulpiercer and a number of his minions were destroyed by Hylax the Barker. A later expedition to the Three Peaks recovered the covenant which was later used in the Second Binding.

During the next three years, two more covenants were opened and the giant ravers Worldsplitter and Foultooth were released. However, significant victories for the Reaches kept the advance of the demon forces, now numbering over two thousand, in check.

In early 828 TA, King Gregory and his council decided to send an expedition to Mount Thunder, now known as Mount Todd, bearing the covenants of Soulpiercer and Heartswallower. The mission of this party was to recover the Staff of Justice from Benedict's grave under the mountain and use it to rebind the demons.

In September 828 TA, the expedition led again by Sir Zachary and Hylax the Barker arrived at their destination, discovering that the mountain was guarded by Worldsplitter and his minions. During an extended expedition under Mt. Todd, the party successfully gained possession of the staff. Additionally, they discovered the covenant of Worldsplitter himself.

In October 828 TA, the ritual of the Second Binding was performed by Hylax, and the three covenants were returned to King Gregory for disposal. The Second Binding formally ended the Second Demon War.

The final unbound army led by Foultooth, the Giant Raver of the Thirteenth Covenant, unable to stand alone against the power of the army of the Western Reaches, fled south to Sandal. There he joined forces with Baradar to form the Brotherhood of the Seven.