Trolltooth Wars

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.

For other uses of The Trolltooth Wars, see The Trolltooth Wars

The Trolltooth Wars is the name given to the conflict that took place in north-west Allansia in the late third century AC between the two powerful dark sorcerers, Zharradan Marr and Balthus Dire.

Causes and Main Parties

The Trolltooth Wars were waged between the forces of the dread necromancer Zharradan Marr and his old rival Balthus Dire, when the latter's Hill Goblin troops mistakenly ambushed a Strongarm convoy carrying Cunnelwort to Marr. Because of the nature of this conflict, whoever emerged the victor would assume control over the defeated's army and overrun the Vale of Willow and Salamonis at least. The third player in this game was Chadda Darkmane, dispatched by King Salamon to find a way of ending the conflict or prolonging it enough to weaken the eventual victor so much that they would not wish to risk an invasion of the Vale.

The Early Engagements - The Sorq and the Gangees

Marr had the advantage at first, for he had the expert services of Thugruff the Half-Troll and his legions of Soulless Ones to call upon, but this was reversed when Dire succeeded in using the cunnelwort to draw the Sorq into the Earthly Plane. When these spirit creatures learned that Marr had the Ganjees with him, which had been lured away from Balthus by Marr's Droomies, they immediately declared war on their ancient enemy. The conflict cost Marr dearly, with his deathless legions being decimated and his mortal ones severely ravaged - however, when the Sorq and Ganjees met in battle, their spectral war was powerful enough to open a portal to the Spirit Plane and draw them all into it! The first battle of the Trolltooth Wars took place on Seaday 24th of Fire, 284 AC.

Trolltooth Pass

Even as Balthus attempted to reacquire the Sorq, Marr launched a full attack through Trolltooth Pass, his desperation proving stronger than his caution. Though the pass was guarded, Dire's Hill Goblins were no match for Marr's warriors, which included an elite Rhino-Man phalanx that only broke after prolonged exposure to an Eyeless Archer barrage. The greatest number of casualties were to occur when the various Chaotic allies of the Goblins encountered Darramouss and his monsters - believing unarmed and unarmoured creatures to be easy prey, they rushed them and were massacred by Devourers and Clawbeasts amongst others.

The turning point came when the Hill Goblin commander finally lost his mind to a Night Shadow which had ambushed him days earlier - without his orders, Dire's disciplined forces were unable to charge and kill the remainder of Marr's troops. As a result, Thugruff managed to break through their defences and launch a deadly counter-attack, which resulted in the total victory of Marr.

The End of the Conflict

The Trolltooth Wars came to a premature end not long afterwards, when Darkmane - aided by the other rival of Marr and Dire both, the warlock Zagor - came onto Marr's airship, the Galleykeep, and broke the mirror which united Marr's nether-world to the Earthly Plane. At the same time, Dire found himself trapped in the Spirit Plane and unable to issue any commands to his remaining forces. Consequently, with Marr and Dire both incapacitated for a considerable period of time, the Vale of Willow was spared the attentions of the Trolltooth Wars.

Further Notes

The Advanced Fighting Fantasy adventure Citadel of Chaos (AFF) takes place after the events of the Trolltooth Wars. It states Balthus Dire has returned to the Black Tower from the Spirit Plane, and is using the absence of his enemy Marr to launch an attack on Salamonis.

See Also

• Balthus Dire
• Chadda Darkmane
• Zagor
• The Trolltooth Wars
• Zharradan Marr