Second War of the Reaches
The decade that followed the First War of the Reaches was a prosperous one. The Three Kings spent great efforts rebuilding the kingdoms of the Reaches. While the Orc Nation and Sandal were effectively under Crown control, new castles and keeps were built to protect from any future conflicts. The years 890-899 TA were also ones of mild weather and bountiful crops. The popularity of the Crown soared as the people began to prepare for the celebration of a new century.
In 899 TA, the Reaches was again plunged into war. The Tang Empire had been neutral in the affairs of other nations since the late Second Age. Suddenly, and without warning, they struck the Reaches with a full-scale invasion. Simultaneously, Sandal revolted from Crown rule. The instigator for the Second War of the Reaches was Valdemar who fled to the Tang Empire at the end of the First War of the Reaches. Using the opening of the Thousand Year Gate and the arrival of the Grandmaster of Chaos as catalysts, Valdemar coerced the Tang Emperor Shiba to launch the unprecedented invasion. As expected, chaos ensued.
The Events of 899 TA
March 899 TA marked the beginning of the Second War of the Reaches.
The treachery of the Orc Nation - who had for a decade been under the rule of the Crown - was unexpected, although some historians attribute this to the heavy taxes and iron-fisted rule of the dwarves. The Orcs rallied to the west near the Loftwood and Teufeldorf.
Likewise, Sandal - more loosely governed but harboring many rebel groups in its dark interior - was convinced by Valdemar to join the war, albeit reluctantly at first.
Both of these would have been manageable, if it had not been for two large fleets of the Tang Armada joining the fight. While Sandal pulled troops to the south, the Tang landed north and south of Teufeldorf joining the orcs and quickly advancing on the City-State.
In June 899 TA, Teufeldorf was sacked for the second time in what would be known at The Tang Invasion. While the combined forces of the dwarves, elves and knights were able to retake the city in the late summer 899 TA, major damage was done to Teufeldorf by the orcs. Confidence in the Crown was shaken, and the Reaches prepared for what would be a long-term war.
The Events of 900 TA
Now fully prepared, the Crown mobilized all troops in the Reaches in March 900 TA. Several important new developments shaped the 900 TA campaign. First, the Tomb Kingdom, lost for over a decade, reappeared in the Sands of Time. Second, the Tang emperor broke the seals of the Temple of the Winds, releasing four floating castles filled with the Runebound Warriors which appeared over the Western Reaches. While two castles were destroyed by commando raids by the Crown, the other two landed disgorging Tang troops onto the battlefield.
The turning point of the season was the cunning counter-strike by the elven navy which managed to sink a number of Tang warships with their crew and invasion forces still on board. This left joint forces of Tomb Kingdom, the remaining Tang warriors and the Sandalese to move north towards Teufeldorf - the objective being another sack of the City-State. The brilliant gnomish general Quintus fought a series of delaying battles against the Sandalese and Tang forces near the City-State. Under his guidance, the attacks on Teufeldorf stalled.
Eastern Reaches
While the Eastern Reaches saw minor action in 900 TA, one Tang castle was dedicated to the area. In March 900 TA, the kings of Dragonsford engaged and defeated the Tang ratmen near the the newly-built Grey Wolf Keep - essentially eliminating the Eastern Reaches from the conflict.
Southern Reaches
Tomb Kingdom skeletons and Sandalese knights, marching north managed to sack Crossgate Castle in March and Lechlade Keep in May. The dwarven army, avoiding the Sandalese knights, moved into Sandal sacking Whitehall Castle in July, the Castle of Mirrors in August, Durcheinander in September, and Tanglewood Castle in October.
Teufeldorf Safe
As the summer wore on, the invasion forces moved north. The defensive tactics of Quintis allowed the defenders from Teufeldorf and the knights from the Eastern Reaches to surround and destroy the invaders in August 900 TA at the Battle of Vardan.
The Events of 901 TA
Dark River
The Events of 902 TA
Sandal
The Events of 903 TA
Wolfshaunt joins 903 TA
The Events of 904 TA
Wolfhaunt Unleashed
The Events of 905 TA
Invastion of Tang Empire (905 TA)
The Events of 906 TA
Old Kingdom joins 906 TA Third Sacking of Teufeldorf (XXX 906 TA)